Find a fitness center

curves
Originally uploaded by lkspare.

For many, the school year is ending and we're all about to start the summer. Most students will not have access to their campus gym, so it is important to find one close to where you will be living whether it be at home or at the beach. A lot of women find it distracting or embarassing to work out at a general facility like LA Fitness or Bally's. Instead, some women like to go to an all female workout center like Curves. Here, they provide you with a 30-minute fitness and strength training program designed to aid in weight-loss while providing a comfortable environment designed for women. Curves is the largest franchise in the world with over 8,000 locations worldwide. I've personally never been to one because I prefer to use LA Fitness, but I've had a roomate who loved the program they had there. Get off your butts this summer and do something. You're allowed to go to the beach, too:)

Abs

abs
Originally uploaded by lkspare.

Right, I will never look like this but I'm going to share with you seven rules of ab training that will help your stomach look a little better.

First, doing hundreds of reps will not cut it. Quality is the most important rule while training any muscle. If you can do more than 15-20 crunches, you're doing them wrong

Second, go slow, allowing your ab muscles to pull you up - not your head or arms.

Third, increase your range of motion by using a fit ball or some towels placed underneath your mid to lower back.

Fourth, do not do ab work in every workout. Your abs are like all mucles, they need rest. If you keep breaking the muscles down, they cannot recover to gain the results you want.

Fifth, train your abs at the end of your routine unless they've been worked during a core training routine.

Sixth, Try not to give yourself too much rest in between sets. Perform 10-15 repititions and rest no more than 20-30 seconds between sets and...

Seventh, change the exercises. Try not to stay with the same routine every time. If you're going to do 5 sets, try to think of 5 different exercises.

I have a hard time exercising my abs because when i'm finally close to the end of a workout, I want to be done and often leave the ab workout out... whoops... I'll work on that.

Where is the Warm Weather? GEEZ.

The date is May 6th and it reached a high of 55 degrees in Swarthmore, Pa (my home) today. This is ridiculous. Its about time that the weather gets its act together so we can enjoy being outside doing various activities. I'm sure you all reading this are aware of the low temps, but i'm just expressing my frustrated opinion with the weather. If you want to check out the temps in other areas like florida and be jealous that they're swimming in the ocean and we're thinking about swimming in the ocean, go to Weather.com Also, for all you people, my Birthday is tomorrow, May 7th. Gifts will be accepted. Thank You.

Summer Apparel

Summer 2005
Originally uploaded by lkspare.

Ok, I've spent so much time looking on the Niketown website for the latest running/exercise clothes. You may think that I'm some crazy person for getting excited about running clothes, but I'm not crazy. My favorite pair of shorts are on pages 16 and 17 in the catalogue. I own 2 pairs of them already and want more! I'm also a big fan of shox and they can be found on pgs 28 and 29. I had to post this when I found the catalogue. Enjoy.

Babyback Ribs... and BBQ Sauce

Babyback Ribs... and bbq sauce
Originally uploaded by lkspare.

Ok, I know most of you can agree with me that when we go out, we eat more food than we should consume in one sitting. Applebees is one of my favorite places to eat out at and I find myself clearing my plate each time I'm there. Like me, you probably say 'But I can't help it if it's sitting right in front of me!' when justifying why you ate everything. Well, I've found some of the top 5 contributors to our widening waistlines. Maybe after reading, you'll be more consious of what you're actually eating (well at least the next time you go out... after that, who knows)

1- We're eating more than ever- THE SOLUTION: Split an entree with someone or put half of it away before you even start to eat (This works, I've done it)
2- We're eating restaurant-sized meals at home - THE SOLUTION: Make dinners in individual-sized baking dishes so you won't be tempted to overeat.
3 - We want our food fast - THE SOLUTION: Do NOT get supersized meals at fast food chains! Order a grilled chicken breast sandwich without the mayo or split a hamburger.
4 - We eat the whole thing - THE SOLUTION - Always choose the smallest food unit availabel (ex. get a small instead of a large) Despite what your mom may have told you, you don't have to clean your plate!
5 - We estimate portion size-and calorie intake-wrong - THE SOLUTION: to make sure you know how many calories you're eating, weigh and measure meals, then use a calorie-counting book for complete calorie and fat-gram totals.

Ok, these are just a few things to think about when you're about to indulge in a huge meal. I love food, so I'm not sure if I will even be able to follow these suggested solutions... we'll see.

DESSERTS!!!

I am a huge fan of anything sweet, especially varieties of cheesecake. My mom makes desserts all the time and the Caramel-Walnut Cheesecake is a favorite of mine. Here is the recipe (serves 8):
-6 oz reduced fat graham cracker crust
Filling:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
20 pcs caramel candy, melted
5 oz egg whites, slightly beaten
2 tbsp fat-free milk
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
16 oz fat-free cream cheese, softened

In a saucepan, melt caramel candy and milk. Mix until smooth. Pour into crust.To prepare filling, combine cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and egg whites. Mix well. Fold in walnuts. Pour over caramel layer. Preheat oven to 350. Bake for 30 minutes, or until center is set. Cool completely. Then, refrigerate three hours, or overnight.

For nutritional information per serving: 336 Cal, 12g protein, 7g fat, 53g carbohydrates, 439mg sodium, 10mg cholesterol, 1g fiber.

Are you Hydrated?

Originally uploaded by lkspare.

Since the weather is getting a lot nicer out and warmer (yay!) it is important to make sure you're hydrated properly during the day and especially before you start a workout. I've read that nearly half of all exercisers start their workouts already dehydrated when they get to the gym. Here are a few tips to make sure you're drinking enough water during your workouts:

-If you're going to be doing a hard workout, you should drink at least 20oz of water about 2 hrs before your workout

-During your workout you should be drinking about 8oz for every 15 minutes of exercise

-If you drink enough fluids during your workout you should still weigh the same at the end. To help you recover from dehydration after exercise, you should drink 20-24oz for every pound lost.

As I said earlier, it is important to continue drinking during your workout. Some people do not like to drink regular spring water and choose to drink something like propel. Propel Fitness waters are lightly flavored to help exercisers drink more than they would of plain water, keeping them better hydrated. I actually went to the propel website and found a free coupon for a free bottle of Propel Water. If interested, click
here.

10-Minute Metabolism Boosting Workout

I have found a great workout that helps to increase your metabolic rate by combining it with a regular routine 3 times a week. Mixing slow strenth moves and plyometrics will help boost your metabolism. All you need for the workout is a 5lb dumbbell and a small medicine ball. You may think you'll look dumb doing this at the gym but who cares? I've done it before.

THE WORKOUT

Minutes 0-2 - SINGLE-LEG SQUAT
Lift right leg off floor, bending knee 90 degrees, and place hands on hips. Bend left knee, lowering into a squat. Hold for 1 count, straighten leg, then repeat. Do 1 minute per leg.

Minutes 2-4 - CRUNCH BALL TOSS
Lie on back holding a medicine ball with both hands at chest level, knees bent. Crunch up and toss the ball a few inches above you; freeze in that position until the ball falls back into your hands. Slowly return to start and repeat.

Minutes 4-6 - SINGLE-ARM DIAGONAL CLEAN AND PRESS
Holding a 5lb dumbbell in right hand, bend knees 90 degrees and lower weight toward left foot. With an explosive lift, stand and swing the weight up to your right shoulder. Extend arm overhead; return weight to shoulder. Repeat 10x on each side.

Minutes 6-8 - EXPLOSIVE JUMP
Stand with knees bent 90 degrees. With arms by sides, bend elbows, bringing fists just below chest. Keeping abs and glutes tight, jump as high as you can. Land with knees slightly bent. return to start. Do 12x; rest for 30 seconds and repeat.

Minutes 8-10 - METABOLIC BIKE
Lie on back iwth kneeds bent, feet on floor. Place hands lightly behind head. Raise upper body and exxtend legs about 12 inches off floor. Bring left elbow and right knee toward each other. Continue, alternating sides.

HAVE A BLAST!

Blogger Sucks (or is it my computer)

I'm extremely pissed. I had a post made and then clicked on template then tried to get back ot my post and it was gone. Then I typed it all again and clicked publish and I got a blank screen. Just thought I'd mention my frustration. I hope to get myself to type it all up again soon.