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

Shiloh, IL Fitness Showcase store closing-! Special Prices until June 30!

Come to our Shiloh store, where you will find tons of specials & deals on True, Life, Inspire, Helix, Water Rower, & Cybex fitness equipment! We will be closing the doors at this store on June 30^th, so make sure to come in & take advantage of our special pricing! If you have any questions be sure to call us at 618-206-2399.

Spring in to Fitness With Best Buys From True Fitness at Fitness Showcase

True Fitness products have been recognized by the Treadmill Doctor as the “best buy” & Fitness Showcase is the only True Fitness Dealer in St. Louis & Springfield. We are proud to sell their award winning equipment!

We have deals running on many True Fitness products, such as the True PS 100 treadmill which was the winner in its price range for Best Buy treadmill, as was the ES900 Elliptical! Check out our specials in store or on our website!

You're Doing It Wrong On The Treadmill

Wondering why, even though you are dedicated to time on that treadmill, you still aren’t seeing results? You could be doing it wrong. Here are some mistakes you could be making that could be holding you back.

Not focusing: The thing that some people love about treadmills is that they’re convenient for multitasking, like reading a magazine, or having a conversation with your workout buddy. If you want to see results though you need to push yourself. Focus on your workout. Increase your speed. 

Not relaxing: While running on a treadmill may not feel as natural as running outside, you need to remember not to tense up. Try not to crowd the front of the treadmill and relax your form. It can alleviate neck, shoulder, and lower back pains that may cause you to take a break from your routine.

Not adjusting the incline: You’ll become a better runner if you increase the incline on that treadmill & you’ll burn more calories. Even a 1% increase will help & you won’t be able to notice. Increasing the incline also helps you avoid shin splints.

Same old, same old: The reason you may not being seeing the numbers on the scale change at all could be because you aren’t changing the speed on your treadmill. Using a treadmill at the same speed everyday can cause you to plateau, so switch it up! 

Treadmill loyalty: If the treadmill and the locker room are the only parts of your gym that you really see, then you're missing out on some great calorie-burning potential. Break the habit: start or end your running session with strength training (this five-minute basic workout is a great place to start) in order to build those metabolism-boosting muscles. 

Holding on: If you feel unsafe running on a treadmill without holding on to the handle bars, you could be hindering your results. When you run hands free you burn more calories and you work your upper body as well. Slow down your speed until you get the hang of not hanging on and keep your abs engaged to help balance yourself.

Original Article:  http://www.fitsugar.com/What-Do-Treadmill-33882388

 

The Worst Frozen "Diet" Foods

Avoid These 6 Frozen Diet Foods!

The 6 Worst Frozen Foods You Could Have!


There’s no place as packed with truth-twisting treats as the frozen food aisle of your supermarket.

How do so many bad-for-you foods get away with masquerading as “health” foods? Well, consider the case of the most famous imposter of all, Frank Abagnale: Over the course of several years, he masqueraded as a doctor, airline pilot, and lawyer. So successful were his impersonations that Hollywood made a movie about his life: "Catch Me if You Can," starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Abagnale had exactly what it took to pull off any hoax: the right look, the right talk, and a detachment from the consequences of his actions.




Sound familiar? Think about food industry: The people who fill our supermarket freezer section have no problem clumping together pseudo-foods and processing chemicals and selling it to you under the guise of "healthy eating." They give these foods the right look (gourmet packaging with wholesome images) and the right talk (nutritional buzz-terms like "light," "natural," and "gluten-free"), and they obviously don't care about the consequences (more than two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese).

Indeed, some frozen-food manufacturers even go so far as to spackle terms like "lean" or "healthy" right on the label. But the truth is, many of these foods are imposters. 

#6: WORST FROZEN DESSERT

Ben & Jerry’s FroYo Phish Food (1/2 cup)

240 calories
6 g fat (4.5 g saturated)
27 g sugars

Frozen yogurt is often a healthy alternative to ice cream, but not this version. In fact, it has 100 more calories than your standard vanilla frozen treat. That’s largely due to coconut oil and butter being high on the ingredient list—not to mention nearly a half-dozen Oreos' worth of sugar in every scoop.

EAT DESSERT EVERY DAY! You can—and not put on an extra pound. You just need to know which desserts to indulge in, and which to avoid.

#5: WORST FROZEN BEEF MEAL

Lean Cuisine Beef Chow Fun

320 calories
5 g fat (1.5 g saturated)
520 mg sodium
18 g sugars

The calorie toll here isn't so bad, but the sugar impact is unacceptable. This isn't dessert, after all. You could have a scoop of Edy's Slow Churned Rocky Road ice cream and still cut 6 grams of sugar. The problem here is Lean Cuisine's “sweet and spicy” Asian sauce. Think of it as pancake syrup with a few spices stirred in.

#4: WORST FROZEN MEXICAN MEAL

Cedarlane Roasted Chile Relleno

360 calories
20 g fat (10 g saturated)
620 mg sodium

This box advertises “all natural” in the corner. Maybe, but Monterey jack and cheddar cheese, which make up two of the first five ingredients, are still naturally full of fat. And that’s how Cedarlane stuffs this relatively small dish with 50 percent of your day’s heart-unhealthy saturated fat.

#3: WORST FROZEN CHICKEN DISH

Healthy Choice Sesame Chicken

410 calories
10 g fat (1.5 g saturated)
460 mg sodium
21 g sugars

Remove the calming green packaging and the ostentatious use of "healthy" in the name, and you'll see this meal for what it is: fried chicken swimming in sugary syrup. Healthy Choice claims this is “roasted” chicken, but an inspection of the ingredient statement reveals the meat is coated in corn flour and cooked in vegetable oil. At KFC they call that "fried."

FOWL FOULS: Chicken is a lean, fat-fighting protein. But it's also the most abused food in American restuarants.

#2: WORST FROZEN BURRITO

Evol Burritos Egg & Sausage

480 calories
16 g fat (5 g saturated)
850 mg sodium

We love Evol’s commitment to unadulterated produce and naturally raised meats, but "natural" alone won't keep fat off your body. Sausage is still the first ingredient in this beast of a morning wrap, and as such, it saddles you with 25 percent of your day’s fat and saturated fat, 35 percent of your sodium, and half your cholesterol. These numbers don’t make Evol evil, but they don’t make this burrito nutritious either.

BREAKFAST BOMBSHELLS: Research shows that those who eat a balanced breakfast consume fewer calories over the course of the day. But do the first meal wrong, and you can set yourself up for calorie overload.

#1: WORST FROZEN PASTA DISH

Amy’s Rice Macaroni with Non-Dairy Cheeze

520 calories
22 g fat (5 g saturated)
740 mg sodium

Amy’s casts itself as the healthy alternative to other frozen meals, and often that's true. But not here. “Made with organic pasta,” as the package proclaims, means nothing if you’re consuming an oil-soaked cheese-alternative that crams in more than a third of your day’s fat allotment. For the same amount of calories, you could eat two packages of Banquet’s macaroni and cheese.