Triceps seem to be a universal challenge area for women.

And there's good reason why.

Not only have they checked out of the daily workload for most of us. But the targeted exercises for them are darn hard to do.

The good news is that it is easy to isolate and overload the triceps to improve their strength and shape. That's why when we position to exercise them we feel them so quickly.

In other words, targeted triceps work is not for the faint of heart. But you aren't, so no problem right?

Finding the time is another challenge. But then again, since you can so easily isolate and overload the triceps, the reps you need to do are few.

And it's worth it.  The triceps are THE muscles most responsible for giving your arms a sculpted look.

Here Are My My 2 Top Triceps Exercises for Summer:

Fit Quickie #3, Triceps Triple Play in action

1) Triceps Posterior Lifts and Extensions:

These moves are what you recognize from Fit Quickie #3, Triceps Triple Play.

In this type of triceps exercises, you position the upper body horizontally in a forward lean and raise the arm straight up beside the body, reaching knuckles to the back wall.

This immediately places workload on all 3 heads of the triceps. The trick is:

• keeping the arm straight
• keeping the arm in close to the body, and
• keeping the lift and extension repetitions tiny so that you stay in the muscle
  

Together, these 3 qualities keep the 3 heads of the triceps muscle in play.  For more about structure of the triceps muscle, click here.

There are several variations of triceps workload for this position:

1. tiny moves pulling the arm in closer to your body
2. tiny bend-extends, reaching to the wall behind you
3. tiny rapid lifts
4. tiny slower lifts

Notice these all have the word "tiny" in common! "Stay in the muscle" is the key phrase here.

2)  Triceps Dips, aka Reverse Push Ups

Once you've built up a measure of strength with Fit Quickie #3, Triceps Triple play, you might want to venture into adding this challenge.

Reverse Pushups for Triceps

To set up Reverse Push Ups, you are seated with your arms behind you, in close, fingers pointing toward your body.

You raise the seat a little off the floor, and you will notice that immediately your body wants to shift forward and take the work out of the triceps!

Care must be taken, however, to properly align on this one.  And you have to fight for it because your body so quickly wants to check OUT of the workload.

Instead, you must shift your weight back so that the shoulders are right over the wrists.  The move then is vertical as you bend and straighten the arms.  You will feel the triceps come into play right away  (yikes!).  Keep the seat tucked up, though not far from the floor, and the abdominals engaged.

Word Of Caution On Reverse Push Ups

Remember how I said the body will want to check out of the workload on this one and shift the body weight forward?

Incorrect shoulder-to-wrist alignment with Reverse Pushups

This not only reduces the workload on the triceps, it places your fragile shoulder joint in a compromised position.  Here, I'll show you.

Notice in the image at left how both the exercisers have incorrect form when it comes to shoulder to wrist alignment, impinging on the front of the shoulder joint and taking some of the work load out of the triceps.

Compare this to the Reverse Push Ups image displayed further up in the article, and you'll see what I mean.

And don't be frightened by the leg in the air which is actually a fine – yet challenging variation!

Challenge the triceps with these exercises four times a week and watch those arms shape up for summer.

© Lani Muelrath, M.A. 2010 All Rights Reserved

Are you plagued by extra lbs and inches that sap your energy, undermine your confidence and self-esteem, and tarnish your self-image? Abandon the fitness chaos that keeps sabotaging your success, and implement a proven step-by-step strategy to energize, lose weight, shape your body, and explode your vitality.  Click HERE now.

There are lots of exercises that target the "backyard", as I like to call that gluteal – hamstring – seat blend.  Yet regardless of which specific training exercises you employ, there are 3 very important reasons that busy women, bottom line,  just need to DO them!

And with Fit Quickies #4 and #5 flying off the virtual shelves, is it any wonder that getting your gluteals in gear is on my mind?

1) Exercising the gluteal muscles acts like an instant invigorator:

True story.  I find that whenever I'm experiencing an energy slump, inertia, or some other vague sort of "just don' wanna!" that if I invest just 5 minutes – or less – in firing up the gluteals, I am instantly invigorated and ready to get back in the game.

And it can do the same for you.  That means more productivity and more money in the pocket for you.

When you place a workload on the glutes, as they are such large muscles, challenging them places such a demand on the circulatory system that you will get a big surge of oxygen through your body in response.  That means more energy for YOU to get not only the tasks done that you know are important in moving your business and life forward, but you will find it spawns creativity as well.  Leave it to that oxygen delivery.

Even if you can't manage to even get yourself off your chair and hiney to see what I mean, try just doing some isometric holds.  Right now, where you are seated.  Squeeze your seat HARD for 10 seconds, release, take a breathe and repeat 4 more times.   See?

2)  Gluteal muscle density burns calories at a premium.

That's right, whenever you engage these big burners in exercise – even with the "sit and squeeze" trick in #1, you dip into calorie stores in one of the most effective ways possible.  That's because actually WORKING muscle is what creates a boost in metabolic rate – not just having it.

Developing gluteal muscle density and working these muscles creates a win – win situation, kind of a success loop.  And when you are a busy woman in quest of a better body, multiplying your calorie-burning power in this simple way is going to work to your advantage.

3)  Gluteals are at the top of the list for muscles that are responsible for creating beautiful body shape for women.

Few muscles give you as much shaping power as the gluteals.  When they are exercised correctly, from various angles and with targeting overload, amazing things can happen.  Combine with a simple, easy-to-design fat loss dietary plan, and before long you just may not recognize your backyard.

Make gluteal work a central and essential element, and making sure it is featured in every one of my workouts, you'll discover a whole new level of body shaping.  That transfers to improved body image, better posture, and greater physical confidence. That's what happened for me, and I've never looked back.  Well, you know what I mean.  .

© Lani Muelrath, M.A. 2010 All Rights Reserved

Creating the right weight loss and body shaping plan for you is simple, but it must be a priority. Once you have this mastered, your fitness, energy, and confidence is going to take off, which is going to spell more confidence, productivity, and business success for you.

Abandon ineffective workouts, obsessive dieting, and habits that keep sabotaging your success.  Implement a proven step-by-step strategy to lose weight, shape your body, and explode your energy so that you can have more time, and be more productive.

Do your arms keep waving long after you do?

I hear women refer to this as "triceps flap".

And yes, you CAN do something about it!  In time for summer shirts no less.

All it takes is some hard, focused work on the triceps area AND reduction of bodyfat stores.

A Triceps Tale of Woe

"What's THAT?"

During a teacher wellness program that I was teaching, Joanna, one of the participants, a second-grade teacher, ruefully relayed to us the story.

Apparently, while writing on the front board in her classroom, her loose triceps muscles set to flapping, catching a student's curiosity to such an extent that he asked her, pointing to her triceps area, "What's THAT?

Oof.

Have you ever felt like this? Like the back side of your arm was carrying on long after you'd quit waving?

Why The Triceps Lose Shape

Part of it really isn't your fault.

The triceps muscle, unless we purposely challenge it, really does not get a lot of work in modern life.

Unless you are kneading bread regularly, or involved in some other activity that requires you to push against resistance, the triceps can pretty much check out of the action.

At least the level of action required to give it good shape. To take the flap out of the sail.

This of course is complicated by body fat stores that, for many of us, seem to like to settle in this spot. Dietary planning will of course make a big difference.

But if you want to restore actual shape to the muscle and reduce the "flab" factor, or lack of muscle, then targeting this muscle with isolation and overload is a must.

There's a reason it's called "TRIceps"

The triceps muscle is named so due to its quality of having 3 different heads.

The long, the medial, and the lateral heads.

All 3 have their origin at different points in the arm or scapula, and join together to insert.

Together, these 3 play different and supporting roles in:

• extending the elbow
• extending the upper arm in a posterior direction
• pulling the arm in toward the side of the body.

To most effectively condition and shape the triceps, all 3 of these actions need to be addressed.

The need for targeted conditioning of this area is so strong that I have it early in the Fit Quickies™ lineup.  Fit Quickie #3, Triceps Triple Play, is designed with these 3 heads of the triceps fully considered.
Other powerful exercises for the triceps are pushups, reverse pushups, and triceps overhead presses.  The Fit Quickie #3 style is easiest on the joints and very targeted.  You will find Fit Quickie #3 here:  Triceps Triple Play.

© Lani Muelrath, M.A. 2010 All Rights Reserved

Which is a better tool of measurement when it comes to health and fitness:  body fat percentage or body weight?

Q:   Hi Lani,

Is it healthier to determine your weight by body fat percentage or body weight charts?

If I use the body fat percentage, I would need to lose about half the weight that I would need to lose if I use the body weight charts.

If I use the body weight charts, I will be below the recommended minimum 12% body fat.

How can this be? My main goal is health, but I really do need to lose some weight and lower my cholesterol (although it is not terribly high) and my blood sugar (borderline).Please help! I am SO confused!!

Please help! I am SO confused!!

Carolyn

Just yesterday I read a commentary with the directive that the best bodyfat measuring device is to stand in front of a mirror naked and jump up and down. The message is that it will tell you all you need to know.

All that aside, you are not alone in this confusion.

In my practice – as well as personally – I have seen dramatic shifts in body composition – and appearance and size – without necessarily the shifts on the weight scale.

Chronic inflammation spells bad news for our health, plain and simple.

And though inflammation is a natural and necessary way that the body stimulates healing,  when inflammation becomes continuous and chronic, it becomes damaging.  The most common causes of inflammation in the body are physical inactivity and diet.

And until recently, high-intensity exercise has been considered a factor in inflammation as well.

However, new information tells us we've only been seeing a part of the picture.  This is good news!

Microscopic view of cell inflammation

Exercise scores again:  a new look at the evidence

For some time, high intensity exercise has been seen as a source of inflammation to the body.  By high intensity, we're talking something that pushes the muscle to perform and makes you reach deep to build new muscle:  interval training, intense resistance training, long distance running.

The kind of training that you know from the burn you feel in the muscle that the muscle is breaking down a little bit.

Yes, this natural response is inflammation at the muscle as the body scrambles to repair and build new muscle (see Taking the mystery out of how muscles are made).

However, that's just a piece of the puzzle.

This "pro-inflammatory" view has also been adopted also due to the detection of  the release in the body of myokines, a type of cytokine, as a response to muscle contraction.  And cytokines are seen as pro-inflammatory markers.  One cytokine that has been correlated with high intensity muscle demand is one known as IL-6.

But hang on a minute. This IL-6 release in response to intense exercise is evidently not the whole story.

Though the release of cytokines as been lumped together as pro-inflammatory when detected in the system, evidently it makes a difference what the cause of the cytokines release happens to be.

Are you still with me here?  Let's take a closer look.

Whenever we move, our bodies release signaling molecules that communicate to the rest of the body.  Muscle, like fat, has been proven to have endocrine properties. When it comes to muscle, myokines are released in response to voluntary contraction of the muscle.

These myokines give instructions to the body about how to function, and they hold the key to controlling chronic inflammation. The most important myokine related to muscle and inflammation is Interleukin-6 (IL-6). When muscle contracts, IL-6 is released. (4)

The myokine IL-6 has previously been linked with a pro-inflammatory response in the body.  It was thus concluded that intense muscle workload, stimulating the release of IL-6, was inflammation inducing.

But as it turns out, intense exercise is good anti-inflammatory medicine. What we're finding out is that when IL-6 is released during intense muscle workload, it is unique in that as part of this response, major anti-inflammatory inhibitors are released as well.

Thus, seeing the complete picture (anti-inflammatory cascade) rather than part of the picture (IL-6 release) makes a huge difference in how we can classify the effects of intense exercise.

IL-6 is a well-known cytokine and has long been thought to be inflammatory in nature as part of what is known as the inflammatory triad: TNF-alpha, IL-1, and IL-6. However, like people, IL-6 seems to behave differently depending on its origin, amount, and other cytokines around with it. When released from muscle, and in high concentrations without TNF-alpha and IL-1, IL-6 is anti-inflammatory. In fact, IL-6 acts to reduce the amount of TNF-alpha and IL-1 in circulation by increasing the cytokine inhibitors IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-lra) and soluble TNF receptors (sTNFR). IL-lra antagonizes the IL-1 receptor, decreasing IL-1 effects, while sTNFR binds up TNF-alpha before it can react at its target cells. At the same time, IL-6 triggers the release of the major anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10.

Properly performed exercise releases signaling molecules that stimulate a unique healing response that couples both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mechanisms to repair, regenerate, and grow stronger tissue.  Unlike drugs, which have single targets and ignore the web-like interactions in the body, exercise works with the body's innate intelligence to produce broadly beneficial effects that improve whole-body function. High-intensity, short-duration movement that is tailored to the individual, uses short rest periods… may be the chief means of attaining anti-inflammatory effects from exercise. (4)

Background

Increasing evidence demonstrates that persistent, low-grade inflammation is a predictor of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.  Not only that, but experimental evidence shows that markers of chronic inflammation, such as the proinflammatory cytokine [interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-)] and the acute-phase reactant C-reactive protein (CRP) play a direct role in the atherosclerosis and insulin resistance.

More about IL-6

Initially, IL-6 was thought to be a pro-inflammatory cytokine but recent results have suggested that IL-6 has an inflammation-controlling role and is important to the return to homeostasis after an inflammatory challenge….Interestingly, recent findings have shown that strenuous exercise is also a powerful inducer of elevated concentrations of IL-6 in plasma

The finding in two longitudinal studies that regular training induces a reduction in CRP level suggests that physical activity as such may suppress systemic low-grade inflammation.

Exercise and Inflammation

The health benefits of exercise are far – reaching: disease prevention, improved immunity, stress reduction, and improvements in sleep, mood, coordination, flexibility, bone density and insulin regulation.  Yet exercise that challenges the muscle also causes tissue damage, which causes an inflammatory response as the body's resources scramble to repair and build the damaged area. At the same time, though tissue damage turns on inflammation,  inflammation also promotes necessary growth and renewal, which is a positive effect.   It is, in fact, the only way to build muscle.

Making more muscle cells via regular exercise is good for you in a lot of ways. In each new muscle cell, there is an increase in the size and number of mitochondria, the "powerhouse" components of the cells that provide energy.  And trained muscle cells become more efficient in their uptake and use of fats and oxygen from the blood.

Exercise also increases the proportion of energy derived from fat and lowers lactic acid production as they develop endurance.

Acute exercise

In conclusion, regular exercise protects against diseases associated with chronic low-grade systemic inflammation. This long-term effect of exercise may be ascribed to the anti-inflammatory response elicited by an acute bout of exercise, which is partly mediated by muscle-derived IL-6.

Physiological concentrations of IL-6 stimulate the appearance in the circulation of the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-1ra and IL-10 and inhibit the production of the proinflammatory cytokine TNF-. Moreover, IL-6 stimulates lipolysis as well as fat oxidation. The anti-inflammatory effects of exercise may offer protection against TNF-induced insulin resistance. Recently, our group proposed that IL-6 and other cytokines, which are produced and released by skeletal muscles, exerting their effects in other organs of the body, should be named myokines. Here we suggest that myokines may be involved in mediating the health-beneficial effects of exercise and play important roles in the protection against diseases associated with low-grade inflammation. (3)

In English?

Several studies conclude that the levels of  IL-6 ideal for the anti-inflammatory response are best stimulated by exercise intensity.  Intensity that allow for periods of recovery within the session, such as interval training. Positive correlations have also been found between glycogen exhaustion of targeted muscles as a stimulus for the IL-6 anti-inflammatory cascade.

In other words, the kind of  exercise that uses short bursts of all-out effort that significantly alters muscle and dips into liver glycogen stores.  Such as when you dig deep into your reserves to work a muscle to its limit, pause to recover, then target another muscle or group of muscles.  Or when you do supersets, alternating muscle and muscle group activity.

This ushers coveted muscle workload interval workouts into the anti-inflammatory winners circle:  Interval training, Fit Quickies circuits, Supersets, and Bar Method.

There are other reasons that this type of activity is of benefit. Short intense bursts of exercise also stimulate growth factors – factors that offset chronic inflammation.  This is also the type of exercise that:

…creates a hormonal environment that produces sustained fat-burning as well as muscle growth.  The amount of glycogen reduction is directly correlated to IL-6 release, and high-intensity exercise is shown to increase IL-6 and catecholamines together.  Catecholamines have their own independent effect in lowering TNF alpha and IL-1, synergistically enhancing IL-6. Combining these known effects with techniques that can deliver the same benefit in less time presents the opportunity to supply these anti-inflammatory effects in short time periods.

Related studies conclude that any exercise, irrespective of the intensity and the individual's cardiovascular fitness, will elicit an acute anti-inflammatory response. (5)

Obviously, more data on the effects of different modes and intensities of exercise on inflammation is in demand.

But if you have been concerned that the localized inflammation of muscle that occurs when challenging it to change via resistance,  apparently you can rest assured that this inflammatory response is not only necessary for muscle to grow, but a stronger anti-inflammatory response comes along with it, hand in glove. Previous limited views of the IL-6 factor have been preempted by this discovery only recently.

There's more! Exercise induced IL-6 has multiple other positive effects on cortisol, adipose tissue, and insulin resistance.  The door has just been opened on this one.

There are several forms of exercise that by their nature perhaps have diminished IL-6 factor response in the first place, yet by their very nature of moving the body are powerful anti-inflammatory tools.

But as now know, the anti-inflammatory exercise window is bigger than we thought.

Note: In patients with a chronic inflammatory disease, both acute and chronic exercise might elicit different inflammatory responses (i.e., exaggerated after acute exercise & attenuated after training) compared to healthy matched controls. However, the results reveal a major gap in our knowledge regarding the effects of acute and chronic exercise on inflammatory markers in patients with a chronic inflammatory disease. Results are often inconsistent, and differences in training programs (intensity, frequency and duration), heterogeneity of disease populations studied, and analytic methods may be just some of the causes for these discrepancies. To optimize exercise prescriptions and recommendations for patients with a chronic inflammatory disease, more research is needed to define the nature of physical activity that confers health benefits without exacerbating underlying inflammatory stress associated with disease pathology. (7)

© Lani Muelrath, 2010

Resources:

1) Ostrowski, et al. "Physical activity and plasma IL-6–effect of intensity of exercise". European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2000;83:512-515.

2) Pederson, et al. "Searching for the exercise factor: Is IL-6 a candidate?" Journal of Muscle Research and Cell Motility. 2003;24:113-119.

3) J Appl Physiol 98: 1154-1162, 2005; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00164.2004  8750-7587/05

4) Jade Teta ND, LAc, CSCS "Exercise is medicine: the anti-inflammatory effects of high intensity exercise"

5) Fletcher, Emma; Betts, Jeffery J.; Harrison, Michael; Moyna, Niall M. FACSM; O'Connor, Paul; Visich, Paul S. Effect Of "Exercise Intensity On Pro-and Anti-inflammatory Cytokines In Trained And Untrained Men": 743: May 28 1:30 PM – 1:45 PM

6) PubMed: Epidemiology. 2002 Sep;13(5):561-8.

(7) Ploeger HE, Takken T, de Greef MH, Timmons BW. Exerc Immunol Rev. 2009;15:6-41.
"The effects of acute and chronic exercise on inflammatory markers in children and adults with a chronic inflammatory disease: a systematic review."

Inner thigh challenged?

You're not alone.

It is at the top of the list for so many of us, isn't it? Inner thighs that have lost condition, shape, and strength.  Overtaken by a feeling of flopping and flapping around.  Don't laugh.  You know what I mean.

Actually, if you are laughing then you DO know what I'm talking about.  And as discouraging as this state of inner-thigh affairs may seem, there IS hope!   The inner thighs can be tightened up and perform as good as new.  It just takes some specific attention and a few simple strategies.

Inner thighs must be called into action!

As a matter of fact, there are four muscles in the leg adductor group.  With all that muscle, you'd think they'd get it together to keep more semblance of shape!

After all, your inner thigh muscles play a role in your every day movement. Simple walking activates them. Though not enough, over time, to keep them firm and lifted.

Yet they plan a critical role in the function – and appearance – of our legs and lower body.

What to do?

Problem solved!

I solve this dilemma the way I solve any question about how to shape a muscle or group of muscles.

I look to its function.  First of all:

1)  all skeletal muscles PULL

2)  if I want a muscle to have more strength or better shape, I need to give it pulling tasks that overload its current capacity so that it responds with growth.  And remember, those satellite cells are always hovering, ready to scramble into action and build new muscle tissue (see taking the mystery out of how muscles are made) – but only when enough demand is placed upon them!

All you need to do is get creative about "pulling" tasks for those inner thighs.  Do them often enough, and – voila – inner thighs that stay in place, give you a wonderful feel in the legs, and cut a fine shape in your jeans.

How much, how often?

Targeting the inner thigh area specifically, 4 times or more a week, will make a big difference in the look and feel of inner thighs.

Remember, you cannot "spot reduce" body fat off of the inner thigh area – or any other body part.  And just like the challenges of belly pooch, inner thigh jiggle is a combination of body fat storage along with lack of muscle tone. But you CAN greatly impact this situation by specifically tightening and strengthening these muscles by isolating them, and working deep to challenge them.  (See "The Forgotten Body Shaping Secret" special report).

Yours truly performing Fit Quickie™ #2 for inner thighs

There are several isolation exercise for inner thighs in my arsenal of body shapers.

One of my favorites is what I call "Inner Thigh Squeeze and Tease", which is why it is one of my first Fit Quickies™. You can get the idea by assuming the position I am sitting in, photo left.

Place a playground ball between your knees, and squeeze.  It doesn't take long before you feel it!  Try it even without anything between the knees and you'll feel it.  Having the springload of the playground ball is a powerful addition.

I've developed a powerful progression of contractions to build the workload in this fashion in Fit Quickie™  #2, which takes you through a sequences of repetitions and finishes with a stretch.  This helps shape the muscle and also helps to diminish muscle soreness.

Formula for muscle change

Just remember that to work the muscle enough to make it change:

1)  you need to work to where you begin feel a 'burn' 'in the muscle.

2)  you must be demanded to exert effort  to maintain the exercise.

3)  you need to push beyond where you "feel like stopping".  Comfort zones do not new muscle make!

© Lani Muelrath, 2010              image:  kennysmith

This may not be as glamorous as my usual blog image, yet it tells an important story!

We all talk about building muscle, keeping muscle mass, and wanting to have good shape to our muscle.

But how is muscle really "made"?

How do our workout efforts translate to shapelier, stronger muscle?

You've no doubt heard that muscle growth is a result of damage, or slight tears, to the muscle.   This is true, so you've got the starting point.

Yet the physiological phenomenon of making muscles is actually a fascinating process, worthy of awe and respect. So why not take a closer look?

Your body is always poised to make muscle

Skeletal muscle – to differentiate from other muscle, such as the cardiac muscle and smooth muscle – is actually the single most adaptable tissue in the human body.

Let's hear it for the satellite cells!

Located on the periphery of your  muscle fibers are what are known as satellite cells.  These cells are poised to act on a moments notice to respond to muscle trauma, such as the slight tearing of fiber that occurs during challenge to the muscle.

That's right, when the resistance load – or the weight you are lifting – becomes too much for the muscle to manage it its current condition, these satellite cells scramble into action to build you some fine, new muscle.  We call it muscle hypertrophy, literally meaning increase in size.

Satellite cell fusion

In the effort to repair or replace damaged muscle fibers, the satellite cells fuse both to each other and to the existing muscle fibers.  This leads to an increase in the muscle fiber cross-sectional area.

As the satellite cells multiply, most of them undergo a rather rapid maturity process which readies them for fusion to existing muscle fibers to form NEW muscle protein strands.  They also work to repair damaged or torn muscle tissue.

Voila!  Increased thickness and number of the myofibrils of the muscle cells.

Muscle building in a nutshell

Here's a recap of the muscle-building process.  Simplified.

1. Resistance training that overloads the current capacity of a muscle to contract with the amount of resistance leads to trauma or injury of the cellular proteins in muscle.
   
2. Satellite cells are signaled to begin muscle growth and repair.
   
3. Adaptive change to the muscle in response to #1 – overload stress of resistance exercise – begins immediately upon the incidence of  muscle overload, resulting in muscle growth, or hypertrophy.

Muscle building may start right away, but we must be patient!

Even though our muscle "satellite cell" system is poised to play on demand, the actual building of muscle takes some time to complete.  It can take weeks or months to fully manifest, and is dependent on repeated, progressive demand placed on the current ability of the muscle.

This is why patience and persistence are so important to the muscle building process.  Initial changes in muscle strength are usually noted first and can happen quite rapidly, then progress more slowly from there, depending on your prior condition. The appearance – or how you look – of new muscle shape takes a little more time and is also dependent on becoming leaner, if necessary, so that your hard-earned muscle shows.

And it should be no mystery that adding sufficient rest, sleep, and good nutrition deliver a winning ticket when it comes to muscle!     Next

It is with great excitement and pleasure that I announce the creation of something NEW at Fitness DreamMakers that promises to make your fitness, body shaping and weight loss goals of 2010 more fun and easier to meet than ever.

Fit Quickies launch  in January 2010; stay tuned for the special release of Fit Quickie #1! For now, here is the inside scoop….

Sneak Preview:  Fit Quickies FAQ

Q) What are Fit Quickies?

A) Fit quickies are quick audio workouts of targeted, body-shaping moves.  Fit Quickies laser in on those areas that are most difficult to shape.

You know what I’m talking about:

• lower belly
• above the belt line
• top of the muffin
• inner thighs
• seat droop
• hamstrings – (where the heck did they go?)
• triceps flap

You get the idea.

These areas have something in common. They are largely unused during the course of our regular daily activity.

As a matter of fact, in some cases they have simply checked out. Why work when you don’t have to?

Which is why I target them with Fit Quickies. I show you simple, quick exercises that will bring these muscles rapidly into play.

Q) What is included in my Fit Quickie purchase?

A) You will receive Two mp3 tracks with each Fit Quickie purchase:

1. the Instructional Track with details of the Fit Quickie exercise you purchased
2. the Practice Track with guided practice, including form checks and full sets of repetitions.  These can easily be stacked in your ipod for additional sets;  or budied with other Fit Quickies to vary your Fit Quickie sessions!

Q) In what format are Fit Quickies delivered after purchase?

A) The Fit Quickies are in mp3 format to be downloaded after purchase. Directly upon purchase, you will receive a confirmation email.  After you confirm this email, you will be emailed the links to download your Fit Quickie.

Q) You mention the principles of Fit Quickies. What are they?

A) Fit Quickies are grounded in principles that maximize body shaping as well as safety.

I call them PAIR: position, anchor, isolate, and repetition

The repetitions are designed as isolations intervals overload. That means we find the muscle(s) we’re targeting and focus in (isolate), work our repetitions (intervals) and go for some deep work with that muscle (overload!). Intense work in the muscles is how you change them. THAT is what we are after.

Each Fit Quickies Tutorial Track explains how the PAIR principles are applied for that particular Quickie. These principles are then reinforced and reflected in the Practice Track.

Q) How do I know which Fit Quickies to get?

You can choose the areas you’d like to target, and Fit Quickie them easily through the course of the day. Or put them together for an intense isolations overload workout. It’s up to you!

You can pick your favorites – or your most needed areas upon which to focus for targeted body shaping – and repeat them as often as you like during the week.

Perfectly flexible, targeted, and effective!

Q) What is the typical price of a Fit Quickie?

A) Fit Quickie #1 – including TWO audio track downloads – will have a launch price of only $9.97.

Q)  How long is a typical Fit Quickie?

A)   Under five minutes.  Of course, you can combine Fit Quickies for longer exercise sessions.  That’s the beauty of them – they’re flexible!

Q) How many Fit Quickies are currently available?

A) Fit Quickie #1 is scheduled for release early January, 2010.  7 Seconds to a Flat Belly is an easy, powerful move targeting the area right below the beltline.

Q)  Do I need to warm up for Fit Quickies?

It depends.  Fit Quickie #1 needs no warm up. For some Fit Quickies in production, for example Thigh Warriors, you’ll want to be sure the lower body is warmed up, especially the knees.

Fit Quickies launch early January 2010 – stay tuned for the special release of Fit Quickie #1!  For now, here is the inside scoop….
P.S.  Add your suggestions and wish list for Fit Quickie topics in comments below!