Strong Legs > Slim Legs

Many times, when people adopt their fitness routines, they want to work their legs. Women are dedicated to achieving a “thigh gap” or having legs like one of their celebrity idols. It’s time you should know, however, that strong legs are so much better than skinny ones. Our legs are extremely important as they are made up of some of the largest muscles in our bodies. Legs are vital for helping us maintain mobility as they take us from place to place.

Legs can be broken down into the quadriceps (the front of the thighs); and the hamstrings (the back of the thighs); and the glutes (even though they're not actually part of the leg).

These muscle groups are so large, it means they burn the most calories. And I don’t know if you know this but muscles burn more calories at rest than fat, therefore developed leg muscles will help burn even more calories at rest. They also provide the most energy based on their size, so stronger legs will increase endurance. Increased endurance means less fatigue. Less fatigue means going harder for longer!

Leg exercises that include multiple joints (such as squats, dead-lifts, and lunges) necessitate increased core stability. This means that muscle, tendon and ligament recruitment is increased, so this works the general strength & stability of your body. Women do not have enough testosterone to get really huge leg muscles. They do, however, tend to have a much stronger lower body than upper body, so they can lift pretty heavy weights!

Do not be afraid to push it more than you think you can! Also, try to get a combination of free weights and machines, as machines target one specific muscle group and free weights target multiple muscle groups (aka stabilizers).

The following combines barbells, machines and kettle bells with cardio intervals. Doing cardio intervals with strength training exercises utilizes the aerobic and anerobic systems. The aerobic system maintains endurance and the anaerobic system maintains short, high intensity exercise. Improving both systems increases cardiovascular capacity in much less time.

Leg Interval Workout

Complete each strength exercise 10 to 12 times. Complete each cardio interval for 30 seconds. Complete entire circuit four times, resting one minute between circuits.

• Front squat to back squat
• Pulsing squat (30 seconds)
• Quad extension with oblique crunch
• Foot fires (30 seconds)
•  Hamstring curls with hyper-extension
• Jump lunges (30 seconds)
• Kettle bell swing with flip to squat

Original Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-mahoney/health-and-fitness_b_5270326.html?utm_hp_ref=fitness

TRAIN LIKE AN ATHLETE

TRAIN LIKE AN ATHLETE

Most sports fans can rattle off the names and recent successes of their favorite athletes without giving it much thought, so why not use them as fitness inspiration?

If you want to take your workouts up a notch, follow these tips from Life Fitness to train like a pro.

Be committed. Make exercise a part of your everyday life, instead of just temporary activity. Athletes are always thinking about how to improve their performance and stay committed to reaching new goals. Start by being committed enough to work out even on those days even when you don't feel like it.

Do drills. You can improve your fitness with conditioning drills that pro's use:

• Take it to the court and try 20 minutes of hoop shots, inspired by basketball
• Find the punching bag in your gym and do three sets of 30 jabs, inspired by boxing
• Head outdoors and try three sets of 30 quick high knees, inspired by football
• Try out three sets of 15 diagonal lunge hops, inspired by speed skating

Do intervals. Intervals are one of the quickest ways to lose fat and annihilate your competition. In their simplest form, intervals are short bursts of high-intensity exercise separated by periods of lower intensity effort.

Intervals activate the metabolic systems in the body and improve athletic performance while sizzling off body fat.

Regularly update your goals. Set a specific goal and put all of your focus on that one goal until you achieve it; then set a new goal and work toward it. Athletes often push themselves to continually up their game by meeting and setting new goals.

Watch any top athlete compete and you will be inspired by their superb coordination, quick reflexes and sculpted body. Bring out your inner athlete and ramp up your workouts. Game on!

 This Fit Tip was provided by Life Fitness July 16th, 2012

ASK THE EXPERTS: WHAT HAPPENS TO UNUSED MUSCLE?

If you abandon your strength-training program, will your muscles turn to fat? The answer is no: muscle doesn't turn to fat, but we do tend to lose muscle tissue and add fat as we age. 

The use it or lose it concept remains an important mantra when weight-training. If you're not actively replacing muscle after the age of 35, approximately 1/2 pound of unused muscle is lost per year.

As your activity levels decrease, fat cells gradually begin to replace the lean muscle tissue - the key word here is replace. The body contains more than 600 muscles that maneuver each and every move. When these muscles are neglected, your muscle definition deteriorates and your fat content increases. What does this mean?

Strength training should be part of your regular workout in order to maintain or gain muscle. It stimulates muscle cell growth and the production of enzymes that help use and store energy.

Your body is composed of lean mass and fat mass. While the goal is to achieve a higher level of lean mass than fat mass, both types do serve a purpose. 

Lean mass includes muscles, bones, organs and blood. Fat mass protects organs like the heart, liver and kidneys. It acts as insulation to keep us warm and helps regulate hormones. Men's lean mass should be at least 80 percent of total body composition, while women should shoot for 75 percent lean mass.

This Fit Tip was provided by Life Fitness, the leader in designing and manufacturing high-quality exercise equipment for fitness facilities and homes worldwide.