Archive for June, 2009
It’s a common belief among the workout novices that more is more when it comes to getting results. To that end, people will run mile upon mile when they first start training. They will also do hundreds of reps of crunches, sit-ups, or other toning exercises in order to look their best quickly. But this often leads to people working out harder but not necessarily smarter.
After all, people in the know are aware that less can definitely be more when toning your body, so long as you’re doing the exercises properly. For this reason, rather than pumping out hundreds of crunches, try doing fewer crunches more slowly. This will maximize the muscle toning benefit you get from each crunch. When you slow down and really focus on the crunch, you can feel how much more benefit your muscles are deriving from this type of workout.
The classic push up. Widely regarded as one of the “easier” exercise, it’s also one of the best to target your arms and chest. It helps in toning your body and most of all, it doesn’t cost a dime. You don’t need to join a gym for this one, people.
With your hands shoulder-width apart, place your palms on the floor. Stretch out your body with either your knees on the floor, or if you’re feeling ambitious, your toes - so you are supporting your body weight. Keeping your back straight and using your arms lower yourself gently toward the floor until you are hovering just over it. Push yourself slowly back to your starting position and repeat. Remember - don’t lower yourself to the point where you come into contact with the floor, it’ll be much harder to push back up.