Well, the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics are finally over and I just realized that FEBRUARY IS OVER ALREADY …

I swear, that’s the fastest February has EVER gone by … well, for ME anyway. So much excitement here in Vancouver. But now it’s over and back to reality.

And with March comes thoughts of Summer!!

Yes, gang, Summer IS coming.

And it’s coming FAST.

It’s these thoughts that got me thinking about the beach. And how to get your BEST beach look.

Because, if you aren’t thinking about it by now, you’re going to be too late once it’s time to ‘dare to bare‘ in those Summer shorts.

Hey, working out is important, we all know that by now. 

BUT!!!

When you go to the gym, do you work out with a purpose and a plan?  

Or do you just tromp in there and grind away on whatever equipment happens to be free at the moment?

Are you guilty of working the hardest on the body parts you enjoy getting a pump in the most?

If you don’t have a plan you might be doing yourself a huge disservice.  Do you have any idea what happens when you don’t work out all your muscle groups evenly?

That’s right!  You wind up with your body all out of balance.

Actually, this applies to women too, but I’m talking to GUYS in particular this time.

But only because this is a huge ‘faux pas‘ I see at the beach on guys time and time again.

Do you really want to be that guy you see every year on the beach that has the fantastic upper body but as soon as he’s in his shorts all you can see is those skinny little chicken legs of his?

Yah, he’s a funny looking guy, isn’t he?  And I’m thinking you probably don’t want to be that guy.

So, for pete’s sakes make sure you’re working your lower body as hard as you’re working those arm, chest, shoulder and back muscles.

In short:  don’t forget your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and calves.

Here are some great lower body exercises so you don’t wind up looking like Mr. Chicken Legs at the beach this year:

(oh and ladies, these exercises are great for us too… I do them all OFTEN. And my legs are ‘okay’ … I think).

Squats

Squats are a great move to work your glutes and quadriceps. 

You can do squats in several different ways. 

Bodyweight squats are great for beginners and don’t require any equipment at all. 

Just squat, and stand.  That’s all there is to it! 

Just make sure your form is right to get the most benefit from this move.  It’s hard to learn at first but worth in the end.

If you need a refresher on proper form for squats, check out this previous post: Does A Bear Squat In The Woods?

If you’re interested in stepping it up a notch, you can add some weight to the move either by holding dumbbells at your sides or on your shoulders, or by holding a barbell on your back or front of your shoulders.

Add some variety to your squats by trying Split Squats, Sumo Squats, Plie Squats, Bulgarian Squats or Hindu Squats.

Lunges

Another great move for quads is Lunges. 

This is also an exercise you can do with just bodyweight if you are a beginner. 

To accomplish this move simply start in a standing position, step forward with one foot and once that foot is on the ground in front of you, push back to standing position, repeat with the opposite leg.

Cool variations on the lunge are walking lunges (just keep moving forward instead of coming back to the standing position) or backward lunges (do the move backward instead of forward).

You can also make lunges harder by adding weight by holding dumbbells or a barbell.

Hamstring Curls

The name of this exercise should clue you in on which muscle group you’re going to work with this one.  Your hamstrings.  You need a piece of equipment for this one ordinarily, so hit your local gym to get your hamstring work done.

However, if you work out exclusively at home you can amend this to do Glute Ham Raises which require you to get on your knees and anchor down your feet (a friend can hold them or you can hook them under a heavy piece of furniture like a couch) then slowly letting your upper body move towards the ground as far as possible until your hamstrings can’t hold on anymore, then raise back up to the starting position. 

Oh right. I did a post on this one once, too. Check it out for proper form: Hamstring Help is at Hand! … I Hope!!

Obviously you can add weight to this move as well if you hold a dumbbell in your hands while doing it.

Calf Raises

This calf exercise is super simple.  All you need is a ledge and something to hang on to (even a wall will do). 

Just stand on the ledge with your heels hanging off the edge and raise and lower your heels. 

And yes, you can even weight this one too, merely by holding on to a dumbbell with one hand (you’ll need the other hand to keep your balance by holding on to that wall or other supporting post).

Now next time you head to the gym make sure you do some of these great lower body exercises so you won’t be that out of balance guy at the beach with the tiny stick legs on the muscular upper body.

Hey by the way, guys!!

It’s undeniably one of the best, most comprehensive Muscle-Building Systems (Exclusively for Men) that I’m aware of.

That’s it for today!! See ya soon!

Have a fit, fun and fantastic day.
Girlwithnoname

]]> http://www.girlwithnoname.com/2010/03/omg-i-just-realized-summer-is-coming-fast/feed/ 0 http://www.girlwithnoname.com/2009/11/hamstring-help-is-at-hand-i-hope/ http://www.girlwithnoname.com/2009/11/hamstring-help-is-at-hand-i-hope/#comments Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:28:58 +0000 Girlwithnoname http://www.girlwithnoname.com/?p=3365

IS THIS THE ANSWER TO ALL MY PRAYERS?

Glute Ham Raises Discovered In Craig Ballantyne’s Turbulence Training Manual !!

Hey Everyone!! Is it the end of the weekend already? Man, they really do fly by, don’t they?

Anyway, I’m still on the warpath to solve my Hamstring issues and have decided to get more serious about strengthening them (rather than stretching them).

Every expert has a differing opinion about what my problem is (too tight, too weak, not stretched enough, out of balance, I’ve heard it all) …

… and the more I sit at my computer feeling them getting more and more sore during the day as they get more and more stretched from sitting, the more I believe that WEAK, overstretched hamstrings is actually my issue (as opposed to them being too tight), therefore it’s time to give them some harder work to do … REGULARLY.

So, after spending a bunch of time flipping through the many tomes I have here from many fitness experts, I happened upon this great exercise while flipping through Craig Ballantyne’s awesome Turbulence Training bodyweight manuals that just might be the answer to all my problems!

Check it out:

And, as promised, here’s Craig Ballantyne himself demo’ing them for us:

Plus, here’s another great demo by someone who really knows how to do them well:

Craig has lots of great bonuses available right now, too! So head over there to see what he’s got on offer if you grab Turbulence Training today:

Get Turbulence Training

As always, let’s end it all on a musical note (haha, did I just make a pun?)!

Here’s today’s Workout Song of the Day.

Yes, I’ve tied it in with the subject of the post in my usual smarty-pants style. With luck and a few strengthening exercises like these Glute Ham Raises, hopefully my hamstring issues will be … (ready for it? …) GONE DADDY GONE!! LOL.

It’s also a great song for running because it has a great fast beat that drives my feet forward (and heck … it’s pretty good for strength-training too, seeing as it has that touch of angst going for it!)…

Enjoy:

VIOLENT FEMMES – Gone Daddy Gone

Don’t forget, if you want it for your own collection it’s as easy as hitting the “BUY” button on the player widget. Amazon will set you up in a rush and you’ll be good to go.

That’s it for today. Enjoy your Glute Ham Raises and all the other great tips Craig Ballantyne has in Turbulence Training !!

Have a fit, fun and fabulous day. We’ll see you again very soon.
Girlwithnoname

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