Bring on the comments

1. jennylynn says:

   August 14, 2010 at 10:14 am

   Child birth often makes it very difficult for women to tone and lose weight. I'm a member of the Army and here is some of the exercises that we do that can help you.

   To tone the arms and upper body you want to focus on higher reps, lower weight. If you can get a hold of some of those wrist weights that you wear like bracelets, that may be of a lot of help. Push ups, pull ups, they are very good. Remember your form. Proper form is better than higher numbers. Different styles of these exercises will make the difference.

   Abs… This will cover your abs, obliques, all of your abdominal areas. There are obvious exercises you can do, situps, obliques, crunches. Those are excellent exercises to do.

   Here's what I want you to do. Three times a day, morning, lunch and afternoon, take three minutes, on a timer. Do this set: 30 seconds situps, 30 seconds left obliques, 30 seconds flutterkicks, 30 seconds right obliques, 30 seconds crunches, 30 second leg raises in that order. Do as many reps as you can handle.

   Other abdominal exercises you can do are the plank and weight exercises.

   Lower body exercises will work your hips and legs. Squats and leg thrusts are the best you can do. You said you use 4 lb weights and did squats. That's the idea. Up the weight to 10 lbs. Better yet, grab a backpack, put some books in it and do thrusts and squats. Grab a low chair, step stool or something sturdy and do step ups and calf raises.

   Here's how to do those exercises:

   Pushups: Start in the up position. Your back is straight from your neck to your feet. Your arms are in the extended and locked position. Lower your body using only your arms until your forearms are parallel to the ground. This often means your nose is on the ground. A common problem for women is that their breasts prevent them from going all the way down. Do what you can. If you can't go further, go to your knees and continue in the same fashion.

   Pullups: Bring your chin to a point where it is above the bar and hold it there for 1 second. Control your descent to the starting position.

   *With both these exercises, the normal position is with your arms shoulder width apart. The wide arm is slightly easier and is when your arms are more than shouder width apart. The close hand is the hardest. This is when your arms are less than shoulder width apart. This includes diamonds, which is where you bring your thumbs and forefingers together so that the space between them forms a diamond. Each form works different muscles of the upper arms, shoulders, and pectoral muscles.

   Situps: Starting position is with your hands behind your head, head and shoulders on the ground. Your feet are on the ground with your knees at a 90 degree angle. You can choose to have something/one hold down your feet or not. If you choose not to, keep your feet on the ground by doing controlled, slower reps. Raise your body keeping your back straight until your back forms a perpendicular line with the ground. Hold for 1 second.

   Crunches: Start position is the same as the situps except when you go up you bring your shoulders up and not your back. Hold the position for 1 second before lowering yourself down.

   Obliques: Lay down as in the situp. Exception, your left arm is out to your left side, away from your body. Your right hand is behind your head. Bring your right elbow to your left knee, hold for 1 second and go back down. This is a left oblique. For the right oblique, simply switch your positions.

   Flutterkicks: Lay down. Bring your chin to your chest. Place your hands beneath your butt. Raise your feet together 6 inches off the ground. Kick your feet going no lower than those 6 inches and no higher than 18". Keep your legs straight. One rep is one kick with one foot.

   Leg Raises: Starting position is the same as the flutterkick. The difference is you raise your feet together, keeping your legs straight, and when your legs are 90 degrees from the ground hold for 1 second and go back down.

   Plank: Similar to the pushup except you are not on your hands. You are resting on your elbows. Maintain that position with your body in a straight line for 30-90 seconds depending on your skill level. Focus the right and left side by turning onto your side and resting on only that side's elbow for the same time, keeping your body off the ground.

   Squats: Stand with your arms down and your feet together. Bring your left leg forward and lower your body, keeping your back straight, until your right knee touches the ground, then reverse back to the starting position. Switch sides. Add weight to your hands or back to increase intensity. Hold the down position for 1 second.

   Alternately you can do stairs or use a stool. With stairs you can opt to go up and down the stairs. With a stool you step up with your left foot, bring your right foot next to it on the stool. Then step down with your left foot, bringing your right foot back down next to it.

   Calf Raises: Stand with the desired weight in your hands or on your back. Lift yourself by standing on your tip toes, hold for 1 second, and relax.

   Continue drinking water and large amounts of vegetables. Remember, your body can only process at most about 3-400 calories at once. Keep meals to that level. It's better to have 5 meals a day, spread out equally, allowing at least 2 hours and/or 1 exercise session after the last meal before bed.

   As for aerobic activity, jumping jacks and running in place are the best. Jump ropes and other activities which help you move quickly will help. Stay active.

   Oh, and my wife has an ab lounge, she loves it, and it does work surprisingly well.
2. thesantahat9 says:

   September 2, 2010 at 6:07 pm
3. bvk73 says:

   September 9, 2010 at 6:54 pm

   2 fast 2 fail?
4. Andy Sargent says:

   October 4, 2010 at 6:39 am

   I won't go thru all the 'which one's the dog' routine but I wonder what it will think (I know dog's can't speak because I'm clever like that) when it realises all those nice walkys are actually training events for some godforesaken marathon around some godforsaken muddy track.
   I promise not to tell it's mum.
   Also what contingency do you have for picking up and carrying the poopy bits on these events as I hope these are poop free events (thats the dog's not yours).
   Good luck with the RAAM but why have you got all those support staff, whats wrong with saddle bags or a trailer. I see them all the time around Milton Keynes and some have children in them.

   Bye 4 now
5. Wize_Azs says:

   November 18, 2010 at 1:51 am

   #IAintFuckinWitchu if ya tits look like saddle bags
6. criketndogz says:

   November 19, 2010 at 5:14 pm

   Buy a few exercise tapes specifically designed for your midsection and you will see results.