Shapelier Legs: 10 Best Exercises By Kim Droze
If you picked A, B or C, you're on the right track. But
if you
selected D, you've got the formula for great-looking legs. There isn't
a woman around who wouldn't trade a box of Twinkies for a set of sexy
legs. Unfortunately, most women realize that it takes more than
sacrificing your favorite sweet treat to achieve long, lean legs --
although that is a good first step! According to eDiets chief fitness pro Raphael
Calzadilla, there are
plenty of dos and don'ts when it comes to improving the appearance of
your legs: DO improve your eating habits... DO follow a cardio
program... DO strength train, but DON�T go by the assumption that you
can spot reduce. There�s no such thing as spot reduction, says the
former Mr. Connecticut. "Many women think they can spot reduce," Raphael notes.
"They want to
get their legs and hips slimmer. They think there are some magical
exercises that can do that. Leg exercises strengthen the muscles and
tighten them. But unless total body fat is reduced, combined with a
cardio program, it�s not going to work." Raphael says proper
nutrition is key Aerobic activity is also crucial for burning additional
calories.
You�ll burn fat and become leaner. For beginners, Raphael recommends
doing aerobic activity 20-30 minutes a day at least three days a week.
You should aim for 65 percent of your target heart rate zone while
exercising. As you progress, you should work up to four to five days
of cardio for
30 to 45 minutes. Most aerobic classes last an hour. Raphael says
unless you�re working on building endurance or training for a marathon,
you shouldn�t do more than 60 minutes of cardio. If you�re doing 45
minutes of cardio, you should work out about five days a week. While cardio works wonders in burning fat, it�s the
muscle-building
exercises that really hold the power to achieving results. Generally,
you should do three days a week of a full body workout. Perform about
two to three sets per muscle group of 10 to 12 reps at a brisk pace. If you�re still unsure on how to get started, eDiets
offers a fitness
program tailored precisely to your wants, needs and goals and your
trainer is none other than Bob Greene, the man who helped Oprah Winfrey
get in the best shape of her life. Bob Greene�s Get With The
Program! Basic Training
fitness solution can be performed at home or at the gym. It's a gradual
12-week plan comprised of three types of exercises: functional,
cardiovascular and strength/muscular. Raphael stresses that it�s important to keep your
regimen varied for optimum results. Your legs, like any muscle group, will adapt to the same
routine over
time," Raphael explains. "When the body becomes efficient at a
movement, the muscles and central nervous systems get used to it. You
can do the same exercises, but you have to change some parameter of it.
Increase intensity, add volume or increase weight. Something has to
change. "Studies show your body will adapt to the same routine
in four to six
weeks. By changing your routine, it confuses the body. The body
recruits more muscle fibers and has to work harder for a period of time
so it can adapt again. In that time, you�re tearing down more muscle
fibers and the muscle heals during rest and actually gets tighter and
firmer." In this eDiets exclusive, Raphael shares the 10 best
leg exercises that are offered by the eDiets 3-D virtual trainer. ( Click here 1. Chair Squat (good for beginners) Starting Position: Movement: Key Points: 2. Dumbbell Squat (entire leg and butt) Starting Position: Movement: Key Points: 3. Dumbbell Lunge (works quadriceps -- front of leg
-- and butt) Starting Position: Movement: Key Points: 4. Barbell Wide Squat (with feet in plie
position/toes outward -- works inside of leg better than any exercise) Starting Position: Movement: Key Points: 5. Machine Seated Leg Curl (works hamstrings --
back of legs) Starting Position: Movement: Key Points: 6. Machine Prone Leg Curl (works back of leg also) Starting Position: Movement: Key Points: 7. Fitness Band Reverse Lunge (seldom used but very
effective leg exercise) Starting Position: Movement: Key Points: 8. Ankle Weight Lying Adduction (works inside of
leg) Starting Position: Movement: Key Points: 9. Ankle Weight Supine Leg Lift (good for those
with injuries that don't allow them to bend their knees) Starting Position: Movement: Key Points: 10. Fitness Band Standing Leg Abduction (works
outside of leg) Starting Position: Movement: Key Points: Join eDiets in welcoming Oprah's trainer, Bob
Greene, to the fold. Sign up for Greene's Get With The Program!
workout and you can get in great shape fast. You won't need a gym or
fancy equipment -- just Bob Greene and eDiets. Click here |
More from Diet & Body
What if I just reduce calories?
Q: What's all
the fuss about carbohydrates? What if I just reduce calories?
A: In one word, you'll be hungry Even if your will power is strong and you don't cheat, hunger signals your body to get those calories as soon as it suspects you are starving
Further, any low-calorie diet burns not only fat, but also muscle Reduced muscle mass causes your metabolism to slow down and the calorie reduction escalates, leading to malnutrition or to regaining all the lost weight plus some
OK then, how about good old low fat diets?
Fat reduction can help if you don't have too many pounds to lose The glitch is, while any low-fat diet prevents fat depositing, it also makes fat burning nearly impossible
I'd also like to mention here that there was a trend of using low-fat diets to improve blood cholesterol and decrease the risk of cardio-vascular diseases, but recent clinical data questioned this approach
What's left is low carb diets and, I think, is your best option First -- and most important -- is that low-carb diets preserve muscle while burning the body's fat for fuel Second, low-carb diets don't make you hungry
To make it short, you get two major benefits when you cut down on carbohydrates that are difficult to get on other restriction diets:
1. You feel full on fewer calories
2. Your belly fat goes first and faster than on other types of diets
Tanya Zilberter, PhD
A: In one word, you'll be hungry Even if your will power is strong and you don't cheat, hunger signals your body to get those calories as soon as it suspects you are starving
Further, any low-calorie diet burns not only fat, but also muscle Reduced muscle mass causes your metabolism to slow down and the calorie reduction escalates, leading to malnutrition or to regaining all the lost weight plus some
OK then, how about good old low fat diets?
Fat reduction can help if you don't have too many pounds to lose The glitch is, while any low-fat diet prevents fat depositing, it also makes fat burning nearly impossible
I'd also like to mention here that there was a trend of using low-fat diets to improve blood cholesterol and decrease the risk of cardio-vascular diseases, but recent clinical data questioned this approach
What's left is low carb diets and, I think, is your best option First -- and most important -- is that low-carb diets preserve muscle while burning the body's fat for fuel Second, low-carb diets don't make you hungry
To make it short, you get two major benefits when you cut down on carbohydrates that are difficult to get on other restriction diets:
1. You feel full on fewer calories
2. Your belly fat goes first and faster than on other types of diets
Tanya Zilberter, PhD
Beer is good for you - true or false?
The health benefits of beer
eDiets
When you reach for an ice cold mug of suds on a hot summer day, you're not just quenching your thirst, you're doing something healthy for your body -- seriously!
What if your doctor prescribed you a medicine that could reduce strokes, heart and vascular disease, and the incidence of cataracts and breast cancer cells? You would take it every day, right? Well, you won't have to see your doctor for this remedy, but you may want to visit your favorite bartender.
It's fairly common knowledge that beer has a relaxing effect on the body and can reduce stress, but there are a myriad of other health benefits of this potent potable that are not as apparent at your local happy hour. There has never been better reasons to enjoy a cold one. So test your beer health IQ.
The Healthy, Happy Hour Beer Quiz:
True or false?
Beer is good for your heart.True: A Dutch study conducted by TNO Nutrition and Food Research found that a known reference for predicting future cardiovascular disease, blood C-reactive protein (CRP), declined by 35 percent after three weeks of regular beer consumption compared with levels after three weeks of drinking non-alcoholic beer. The same study found that levels of HDL or "good" cholesterol rose by 11 percent during the same period. Beer also contains vitamin B6, which prevents the build-up of an amino acid called homocysteine that has been linked to heart disease.
Also, the Archives of Internal Medicine published an article confirming the benefits for women drinking alcohol. Data was collected from more than 70,000 nurses aged 25 to 42 whose health histories were tracked from 1989. Younger women who drink two or three alcoholic beverages a week have a lower risk of developing high blood pressure than women who do not drink alcohol. The women in the group who drank two or three alcoholic drinks a week had a 14 percent lower risk of developing high blood pressure than those who abstained.
Beer will reduce the chance of stroke.
True: One drink a day for women or up to two drinks a day for men will
reduce your chances of strokes, heart and vascular disease. Strokes are
the third-leading cause of death in the U.S. and the leading cause of
serious, long-term disabilities. It is said that light to moderate
drinkers will decrease their chances of suffering a stroke by 20
percent.
True: Don't load her up a beer bong yet or take her to"kill a keg" night at you local pub, but in moderation, beer has been proven to have positive effects on elderly people. It helps promote blood vessel dilation, sleep and urination.
Beer makes you funnier and more attractive to the opposite sex.
False: I'm sorry; beer won't make you funnier, although it will lower
inhibitions and may make your bad jokes seem funnier to your inebriated
amigos. In this state of lowered inhibitions,"beer-goggles" can take
over and make that 4.5 at the end of the bar seem like an eleven.
You'll see clearly in the morning. (Again, sorry.)
Beer is both fat-free and cholesterol-free.
True: Check the label. Nutritionally, a beer is similar to a can of
soda in its calories and carbs, but can your cola curb cancer?
Beer is good for breasts.
True: Research by scientists at the Universidade do Porto in Portugal
found that polyphenols in wine and beer appeared to decrease breast
cancer cells significantly. Numerous other experiments have shown that
certain polyphenols, mainly flavonoids, can protect against heart
disease and have anticancer, antiviral and antiallergic properties. The
Portuguese study concluded that xanthohumol, which is found in beer,
was the most potent polyphenol over breast cancer cell growth; it
showed its effect more rapidly and at a lower concentration than the
others.
Beer could save the Three Blind Mice.
True: John Trevithick, Ph.D., and Maurice Hirst, Ph.D., of the
University of Western Ontario, conducted a study that suggests beer
reduced the incidence of cataracts in mice (but increased their
propensity to"go wild" and get tattoos they'll regret later in life --
my own inference). If the same cataract protection occurs in humans, it
would be especially beneficial to people with diabetes.
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
Benjamin Franklin said it; it must be true.
Beer has many healthy benefits when enjoyed in moderation. One or two beers a day can keep you healthy, but don't overindulge or you'll watch your beer belly blossom. Drink responsibly. Cheers!
Shawn McKee graduated from the University of Oklahoma with
a BA in Journalism and has written for The Broward and Miami New Times.
What is the 40-30-30 Nutrition Concept?
The 40-30-30 Nutrition Concept
The "Zone" is defined by Dr Barry Sears, the Zone Diet founder, as a metabolic state in which the human body operates at optimal efficiency. This metabolic state can be achieved by correct proportion of carbohydrates, fats, and protein in you every meal. The Zone Diet is a 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein and 30% fat program developed to insure the proper the insulin to glucagon ratio. Why?
Any food that you eat works for or against the two major hormones, insulin and glucagon. These hormones do a lot of important work but perhaps the most important is maintaining energy flow in the body. Their intrplay determins whether the body sotres or spends (burn) calories but there's much more to the diet's benefits.
The 40-30-30 equilibrium results in a decrease of insulin-glucagon ratio, which in its turn causes production of ""good"" superhormones eicosanoids. According to the Zone theory, eicosanoids are responsible for the diet's health benefits including weight loss, prevention of chronic diseases and inflammation, enhanced immunity, better physical performance and mental health, and greater longevity.
Sources:
Sears B: "The Zone." New York: Harper Collins,1995
Sears B: "Mastering the Zone." New York: Harper Collins,1997
The "Zone" is defined by Dr Barry Sears, the Zone Diet founder, as a metabolic state in which the human body operates at optimal efficiency. This metabolic state can be achieved by correct proportion of carbohydrates, fats, and protein in you every meal. The Zone Diet is a 40% carbohydrate, 30% protein and 30% fat program developed to insure the proper the insulin to glucagon ratio. Why?
Any food that you eat works for or against the two major hormones, insulin and glucagon. These hormones do a lot of important work but perhaps the most important is maintaining energy flow in the body. Their intrplay determins whether the body sotres or spends (burn) calories but there's much more to the diet's benefits.
The 40-30-30 equilibrium results in a decrease of insulin-glucagon ratio, which in its turn causes production of ""good"" superhormones eicosanoids. According to the Zone theory, eicosanoids are responsible for the diet's health benefits including weight loss, prevention of chronic diseases and inflammation, enhanced immunity, better physical performance and mental health, and greater longevity.
Sources:
Sears B: "The Zone." New York: Harper Collins,1995
Sears B: "Mastering the Zone." New York: Harper Collins,1997
