Of course cardio is one of the most important forms of exercise but this is not the only exercise you should be practicising. Cardio workouts work best when used as a warm up to a specified workout regime and then at the end of the workout as well. Also it is important to note that cardio workouts are not meant to be intense to the point where you feel like you are going to fall off the treadmill. You have reached your maximum speed as soon as your heart rate is raised and this can be determined by your weight and a fitness professional’s help to determine what your heart rate should be. Whether it is a brisk walk or a jog this is more than enough to help you burn fat and calories, sprinting is no longer necessary!

In collaboration with cardio, here are some great fat shredding workouts to help you burn fat faster than you ever imagined:

Lunges: stand with your feet standing apart and with your toes pointing forward. Hold a dumbell in each hand to increase the exercise’s intensity. Take a large step forward with your left leg and dip down until your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Push off the floor with your left heel; return to the starting position and repeat Squat and Touch: stand on your left foot with your right leg bent just enough so elevate your right foot slightly off the floor. Bend your left knee as you simultaneously bend forward at the waist. Reach down with your right hand and touch the floor. Then stand again without allowing your right foot to touch the floor at any time and repeat with your left foot.

Calf Raise: holding a dumbell in each hand (weight of your choice) and then slowly lift onto your toes and release back down slowly. Repeat in sets of 12-15

Weighted Crunch: Laying on your back on the floor grab one dumbell (weight of your choice) and lift it up as high as you can as you pull your upper body off the floor into a slight crunch. Return and alternate sides.

Dumbell Shrug: Hold two dumbells in your hands,lift your shoulders towards your ears and then roll them back. Make complete circles with your shoulders. Repetitions of 12

This is a great set of fat shredding exercises that you may not have ever thought would work for you. Everyone is so convinced that cardio is the only way to burn fat but this is not the case at all. It is very important to always increase the intensity of your workouts to be constantly making your body work that much harder. By setting up a workout routine and sticking with it at least four times a week and increasing the intensity every four weeks or less if you find yourself progressing faster than increase the intensity as you choose.

There are a lot of people out there who hate exercising and by listening to your favorite music in your MP3 player or turning on your favorite shows on the television when you are working out can really make a difference and take your mind off the actual workout. Take these steps and workouts into consideration and watch the results appear.

The rectus abdominis is the easiest group to work. Exercises that will work this group are regular sit-ups and crunches. For beginners you need to start out slow. The most important rule when working out is to stretch both before and after your workout. This allows your body to recover faster and prevents you from injuring yourself. Start by doing 10-15 reps of each exercise and repeat three times. These repetitions are called sets. When you are doing your sets, do each type of exercise. For example, if you are doing sit-ups, crunches and leg lifts and at 10 reps apiece, do each exercise once. After you have completed all three, then start over on the next set. Rotating through each exercise that compromises your set prevents your body from over-working one area. It also provides you with a variety in your routine and keeps you from becoming bored with your workout.

The next group is the internal and the external oblique muscles, also known as the love handles. There are several exercises you can do to work these muscles. The first one is the bicycle exercise. To do this exercise you lie face up on the floor and interlock your fingers behind the back of your head. Bring you knees in toward your chest and lift your shoulder blades off the floor. Take your left leg and straighten it out to a 45 degree angle while at the same time turning your upper body to the right. Try to touch your left elbow to the right knee. Continue with the other side and the other leg. The movement should resemble that of peddling a bicycle. The important things to remember is not to pull on your neck while doing this exercise.

Another exercise is called the captains chair. To do this exercise you will need to use actual gym equipment. The captain’s chair resembles a chair with no seat. It is tall enough so you can stand upright in the equipment and your feet will be off the ground. To do this exercise you climb up on the chair, put your arms on the arm rests, grasp the handles and let your legs hang down. While keeping your back firmly up against the back rest, slowly bring your knees up to where they are parallel to the floor. Hold for a second and return to the starting position.

The last group is the transverse abdominal. This is the hardest area to try to work but is still an important one to remember. To work this area you can do the plank exercise. To start you need to lie face down on the floor or mat keeping your forearms and palms flat on the floor. Push your body up off the floor raising yourself up on your toes and elbows. You should form a relatively straight line with your body. Keep your abs tight to maintain this straight position. Holding this position depends on your level of fitness. For beginners just try 15 to 20 seconds. For the more advanced, hold up to a minute. Repeat this exercise up to five times each set.

These are just a few exercises to get you started with your ab workout. There are hundreds of things you can do to work your abs. The biggest thing is finding the ones that work for you. Body shapes and preferences will be factors in the ones that you choose. Remember that it takes dedication and commitment to your workout to improve. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to find a workout partner who will push you and not let you quit.

First of all, it is important to take into consideration your age and gender. For instance, a person in their fifties should not commit himself/herself to the same strenuous workout regimen as a person in their twenties. And as far as gender goes, men and women have varying strengths and weaknesses. The best thing to do is to discuss these two things with one of the staff members at your local gym prior to setting your fitness routine.

Another important aspect of healthy exercise is to know your body. What this basically means is being aware of your limitations, weaknesses, and strengths. You should know which parts of your body are weak and you should try to avoid being too intense on that particular muscle. This means avoiding working out that same body part daily. Some people may think that working out the same body part daily will perfect it; however, it is also one of the fastest ways towards an injury. So try to vary your workouts. For instance one day you can work out your upper body and the next day you can work out your lower body. And no matter which body part you are working on in a given day, you should always remember to warm up. Warming up will loosen up your muscles and help them handle stress and strain easier.

Tip #1 – Use Music – If you want a better workout, use music while you are working out. Take the time during your workout to do aerobic exercise throughout an entire song. Pick out a song that is upbeat – one that you love. Then, while you listen to the song, do some form of aerobic exercise while you are listening to the song. Just make sure you keep going through the entire song. This will really bring some great results.

Tip #2 – Consider Using Belly Dancing or Yoga – You may also want to consider using either belly dancing or yoga as a part of your workout. This is a great way to build up upper body and lower body fitness. Also, you’ll find that they both provide you with great relaxation as well and they are a whole lot of fun. You’ll love using these techniques within your workouts every day.

Tip #3 – Jump Rope or Do Jumping Jacks – Doing some jumping jacks or even jumping rope is a great way to get your heart going. It provides you with great exercise for your heart and it is easy to do as well. You won’t need to spend a lot of money on equipment to be able to do these things and you don’t need much space to do them either. So, consider adding a few minutes of each into your workout each day.

Tip #4 – Run in Place – Running in place is another great option to add to your workouts for an optimum workout in a short amount of time. You don’t need a treadmill to get the great results of running. In fact, in about 10 minutes, you can run in place and do about a mile without having to go at a break neck speed. You can do this just about anywhere and it’s a great form of cardiovascular exercise that can really improve your health.

Tip #5 – Stay Safe – Of course staying safe when you are doing a work out is imperative. It’s important that you follow important safety rules. Make sure that you don’t do anything in your workout that has you gasping frantically for air. This is too much for you, and you should immediately slow down and start up later after you have calmed your body down.

These are five important tips that can really provide you with a much better workout than ever before. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to accomplish these things and they don’t take up a lot of your time either. If you want to get fit but you don’t have a lot of time or money, these tips can help. You no longer have an excuse for keeping those extra pounds around your tummy. So, get started with a simple exercise program today and use these tips for a better workout that will provide you with the results that you want.

There are as many variations to a 3day workout routine as there are fitness goals and body types and medical histories. You can use the following or tweak it depending on your fitness goal:

Work out on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and then take the weekends off. If you’re the type of person who hates being around sweaty people—even when you’re sweating yourself—or would not rather not stand around waiting for available equipment, go for an outdoor activity like swimming, running, or biking. For best results, do a different activity per day, making sure that each targets a different muscle group. This way, you get full-body toning out of your 3day workout routine. I would advise this to people who have trouble sticking to a routine because of boredom or loss of interest.

At the gym, you can work out all muscle groups on each session. Beginners can start with one set of 15 reps for each exercise, then gradually move it up to three sets towards the end of the first month. Start each session with 10 minutes of low-intensity cardio to warm up, followed by your upper, middle, lower body workout routine. For best results, finish off with another 20 to 30 minutes of your favorite cardio. As you already know, all this rounds up to an hour and a half at most.

One other thing that most people don’t realize is that their schedule is not really as busy as they might think–at least not too busy that it’s impossible to squeeze in an hour and a half of exercise three days a week. With the myriad variations of workout routines schedules out there, and with the proper guidance, you should be able to find one that’s right for you. In fact, even daily workout schedules can fit into a busy lifestyle given the proper time management. For an impossibly hectic schedule, one can even find ways to workout at home and save on travel time to the gym. So you see, there is really no excuse for putting off having an exercise routine. After all, a fit and healthy lifestyle means more energy and a longer life with which to do and enjoy all the things you want.

Since the workout calls for more strenuous activities other than the resistance exercises, the upgrade kit provides all the accessories needed for this. Resistance training was mostly for improving upper body and lower body strength. Now it’s time to advance and achieve a higher level of performance! With the upgrade kit you will achieve the following benefits that increase your workout intensity:

1.The kit gives your existing exercise bands new life!
Now you’re not limited to just resistance training on your individual muscles and extremities. With the upgrade kit you can hook them up together to make compound movement exercises that gives you a total body workout! You’ll be doing Chest Flyes, thigh and butt exercises that weren’t possible with just the resistance bands.

2.It allows you to do core exercises without using fancy machines.
With special adjustments and minor set up combining all your accessories with the upgrade kit, you’ll be able to do core body resistance training. You’ll get ripped in no time. The work out now uses all the muscles in your body! You’ll also be able to do cardio training with the kit!

3.It keeps you fit while keeping you safe at the same time!
The kit raises the bar for your workout by introducing more complex moves and activities which can be risky. The kit includes a safety strap and a door hinge attachment that keeps you in place when doing those complex moves.

4.The upgrade kit puts you in control of your workout!
With only your imagination to hold you back, you’ll be able to do a lot of things with your workout. This is made possible by the versatility this kit offers. You’ve advanced this far, you can handle it.

You may have observed that the upgrade kit actually offers endless possibilities to what you can do with your P90X exercise bands and workout regimen. Just take the time to study and understand the programs and in no time you’ll essentially become a virtuoso in making improvisations to your daily workout routines and take it a notch higher!

The newest workout coming from Chalene Johnson is called Chalean Extreme and it is promising some huge results.

1. Build more lean sexy muscles with a new cutting edge circuit training system. The 18 workouts sessions brings the muscles from flabby to fit and lean within the 90 day schedule. The circuit training system gets your muscles to a point that they will continue to burn fat even after the workout, even in your sleep.

2. Three phases to Chalean Extreme. The first 30 days is called the Burn Phase, which will push the muscles to “failure” in just 10 to 12 reps and will target correct form and effectiveness of working out.

3. The second phase of Chalean Extreme will be another 30 days long called the Push Phase. Pushing the muscles beyond their normal comfort zones and will focus on toning one body part at a time which will really build strength in those areas.

4. The third and final phase of Chalean Extreme will be the last 30 days and is called the Lean Phase. This period of time will focus on the upper body, lower body and core all at the same time to bring your entire body to the lean stage.

Chalene Johnson has done quite a few other workout dvds, such as the most recent popular Turbo Jam series. The new ChaLEAN Extreme will focus on the entire body, for a full body make over in 90 days. Sounds familiar? Well it should because its going to rival the most popular P90X workout system. http://www.ultimatefitnessgear.com

Since the abs are located in the stomach area, ab workouts are going to take time before the results begin to show because this is the area in our bodies where the most fat is accumulated and the hardest to tone. But by exercising regularly and sticking to a balanced diet, you’ll be able to develop your abs in just a few months. By constantly performing these easy exercises, you’ll be posing in front of the mirror with your new six pack abs soon enough.

The first exercise is the crunch. Crunches are known to be the official exercise in ab workouts, but you can achieve even more by adding some variation to it. You can perform several sets of crunches while raising your legs. You can lie on your back, with or without a mat, with your legs up in the air together and in a straight position. You then raise your shoulders off the floor and perform the usual style. Just remember that you shouldn’t try to lift your entire upper body from the floor or to use your arms to help you rise from the floor because all the effort you’ll be putting here will be for naught. Your abdominal muscles are supposed to do the work so as much as possible, keep your arms crossed over your chest and move using your muscles alone.

The second easy abs workouts you can concentrate on are on your oblique muscles. These are muscles located on either side of your stomach area (a.k.a. love handles), which can make you look sexier and leaner when developed thoroughly. You can perform exercises that help tone the oblique muscles such as oblique crunches so that you’ll be able to develop a leaner look for your body along with a nice set of flat abs. When doing this type of crunches, you lie on your back and twist your body as you rise up to create a diagonal angle each time you crunch. Keep doing this when concentrating or toning on your oblique muscles, alternating the directions once in a while to add more variation to it.

There are more easy abs workouts that you, whether a beginner or a previous bodybuilder, can try doing to tone your abs even more. If you are really serious about it, I would suggest enrolling in a fitness center where they help you through workout sessions that focus in developing your abs effectively and faster than you can do on your own.

You can actually achieve even better results with high intensity, full-body workouts that boost your metabolism while working your abs.

Below is a great abdominal workout that doesn’t involve direct ab exercises. The workout is like a super-set, but you alternate between three exercises in a tri-state format.

You can use a rep scheme of 3-4 sets of 8 reps for each of the exercises. It’s also effective to use 5 sets of 5 reps of each exercise. You can do the mountain climbers for 30 seconds instead of reps.

Renegade dumbbell rows – start in a pushup position with your hands on two dumbbells. While you stabilize your body with one arm, row one dumbbell up. Then you should bring the dumbbell to the ground.

Stabilize with your opposite arm while you alternate your rowing arm. As you stabilize during rows, your midsection will get a great workout, and you’ll definitely feel it in your abs.

Front squats – you’ll do these just like back squats, except you’ll put the barbell on the front of your shoulders in front of your body, and not rest them on your upper backs as you do in back squats.

To stabilize the barbell on your shoulders, keep your elbows in front of your body and cross your arms; then push your fists into the bar against your shoulders. You’ll have to practice this, so you it’s important to have a gym trainer help you get the form right.

You’ll also find you need great stabilization strength for front squats because you’re shifting the barbell weight to the front of your body and not the back. This is mostly a leg exercise, but you’ll be surprised how much you feel it in your abs.

Mountain climbers – begin in a pushup position and shuffle your feet in and out to make your knees move first under your chest and then out to your starting position.

You’ll feel like you’re climbing a mountain, but it’s really flat on the floor. If you’re adventurous, shuffle your hands backward and forward 10 inches while you’re doing your leg movements. This will give you a full body exercise, and you’ll find that it’s a lot harder than using regular mountain climbers.

As you complete each exercise, make sure to rest for about 30 seconds before beginning the next one.

Also, don’t forget to rest for about one to two minutes after completing each tri-set before you repeat.

You’re going to find that these indirect exercises give you the best ab workouts. And you’re not doing any direct ab exercises. Try it yourself!

The upper body can be a tricky part of your body to train as you will have to develop a specialized plan to build your midsection and upper body strength. Women are naturally built to have stronger lower body strength as opposed to their upper body strength. Added to the previous fact is that regular exercise is easier to reach in many forms for your legs, but to exercise your arms properly you will have to make special efforts on top of your daily cardio or exercise routine. Performing a resistance training free weight exercise daily can help build your upper body strength by strengthening and defining your arms, abs, and your back all simultaneously. It is also good to throw in a few exercises aimed at your back and your chest so that all areas develop in accordance with each other. Lateral presses are great exercises for your back and the chest press and chest fly are great strengthening exercises for your chest.

Exercising your lower body will be a bit easier since this is most likely where your natural body strength and build occurs with less effort. To help tone these areas and your buttocks and thighs, the two major areas women gain fat on in their lower body, squats can be a great tool. Free weights, a weight bar, and/or a Smith machine are all great ways to tone the lower body as long as you maintain proper form throughout each squat. Squats induce a lot of pressure on the whole lower body so be aware that starting them may be rough on your body and that it is more important to maintain proper form that complete a ridiculously high number of squats per day. Keeping a healthy balance of cardio in your exercise routine everyday will help maintain the muscles you build and keep your heart healthy as well so remember not to get so consumed with weight training that you forget that exercise as its core is for overall health improvement, not just your appearance.