Archive for the ‘Diet’ Category

How to Get Sexy and Toned Legs

Thursday, October 16th, 2008

Tone Legs
Creative Commons License photo credit: madaboutasia

Would you like to have sexier legs? Do you want to turn your soft and chunky legs in to smooth, firm and toned ones? Well it is possible. In this post I am going to show you how to use some simple exercises and diet tips to make your legs sexy.

Exercises for Sexy Legs

The first thing you need to do if you want to get some sexy legs is start a regular exercise program. This exercise program needs to be made up of:

  • Basic weight training
  • High intensity cardio; and
  • Simple stretching

Now I am not talking about a lot of exercise. Four times a week should be enough. But, the more time you can devote to your training the better your results will be. Be careful not to over train, however, as this will lead to exhaustion and poor muscle recovery.

Basic weight training
First we will look at the weight training aspect of getting sexy legs. There are certain exercises you can do that shape and build the muscles in your glutes, hamstrings, thighs and calf muscles. It is vital to do weights. Weight training not only makes your legs stronger and firmer, it burns a hell of a lot of fat.

Do not buy in to the myth that weight training will make your bulky. It won’t. Women simply do not have enough testosterone in their body to cause excessive muscle growth. Weight training is used to burn fat, increase the metabolism and strengthen the muscles.

Here are the exercises you need to do:

  • The weighted squat:
    This exercise is the best exercise you can do for your lower body. It uses every muscle below your waist and is a fantastic way to burn fat and develop your firmer muscles.
  • The weighted step up:
    This exercise is done by taking some medium heavy dumb bells and stepping up on to a stable bench or table. It is especially good for the glutes and thighs and is an essential exercise for sexy legs.
  • The jumping squat:
    This exercise is done by squatting down to the ground with one foot forward and then springing in to the air as high as you can. Whilst in the air, change your feet so the back one is now in the front and repeat. This exercise is tough but brings super fast results.

Beginners should start with a light weight and perform as many sets as they feel comfortable doing. As you master the technique and become stronger you should add more weight and/or more repetitions so that your muscle development does not stagnate.

High intensity cardio
I always choose high intensity cardio over low intensity cardio. Why? Because it is so much better!

High intensity cardio like sprinting, stair runs, martial arts, boxing, etc. burn more calories. They also cause your heart rate to stay elevated long after the exercise session has finished meaning you will be burning fat long after you leave the gym.

The main advantage of HIC is that you can do everything you need in under 30 minutes. No more jogging on the treadmill for an hour and a half – just bang out 25 minutes of boxing class and you will have achieved so much more!

If you want to get sexy legs it is a good idea to choose HIC that targets your legs. For example, stair sprinting, running up hills and kickboxing are all excellent choices. If you want more traditional gym exercises you could do fast paced exercise bike riding, stair master or sprinting on the treadmill.

Try and do three sessions like this per week in order to get the maximum benefit.

Simple stretching

yoga
Creative Commons License photo credit: k4dordy

The last piece in the exercise part of our ‘sexy legs puzzle’ is some simple stretching. Stretching is extremely important to the health of your legs and will keep them limber and firm. Take a look at the legs of any gymnast, martial artist or yoga instructor!

Yoga is my favorite way of stretching my legs because it is also extremely good for your health and mind. It is relaxing at the same time as being challenging. Some of the best workouts I have ever had have been in a yoga class as we did deep stance poses and stretches. You legs always feel rejuvenated and healthy after a good yoga class.

For a real challenge I recommend Hatha or Bikram Yoga. If you don’t feel like a new person after a yoga class I will personally write you an apology.

Diet tips for sexy legs

Cheesecake Factory
Creative Commons License photo credit: mela sogono

The best thing you can do if you want to have sexy legs is forget about whatever diet you are on. Forget about fad diets and milkshakes. Forget it all and start eating healthier.

Most diets either promote no fat or no carbs. Both of these are extreme. We need some fat to be healthy. We need some carbs to be healthy. The diet you need to be on is an all natural one.

If you want to get sexy legs (or just lose weight!) you should replace man made foods like chips, pasta, baked good, snack bars, candy, soda, etc. with natural foods like nuts, fruit, vegetables, water, milk, eggs, etc. When you do this you will find you get the perfect balance of proteins, carbs and fats and you will burn fat without even trying.

And you will become healthy. How many women do you know who have become sick, gaunt or moody when on a low carb diet? It happens for a reason – their body isn’t happy. Forget diets and go natural. This is the best thing you can do for your body.

You can get sexy and toned legs!

With a little bit of commitment, dedication and the right information you can have some extremely sexy and toned legs. Perform regular weights, cardio and stretching sessions and eat a natural diet. These are the secrets that you have always wanted.

Not as tough as you might have thought!

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Essential Diet Tips for Women for Fast Weight Loss

Tuesday, October 7th, 2008

Eating pizza
Creative Commons License photo credit: JuliaRosien

With millions of diets aimed at women it is tough to know what us are supposed to do. One diet says this, another says that and in the end we are all left scratching our heads. In this post I am going to give you some essential diet tips for faster weight loss.

Eat six or seven times a day

This is an old tip that everyone has heard before but no one seems to be paying attention to. How many times have you eaten today? Go on. Think back. I am betting that you have had breakfast and maybe a snack. That’s it. Well, eating less won’t help you weigh less.

It is important to eat six or seven small meals spaced about and hour and a half apart. Why? Because this helps to keep your metabolism burning which in itself burns up a lot of calories. Digestion is a big fat burner. Make sure you are eating smaller meals more often if you want to lose fat fast.

Cut out refined sugar

Refined sugar is not only an enemy to your waistline, it is an enemy to your health. This white demon will leech good nutrients from your body and make you unhealthy and sick. It will also make you fat.

Refined sugar, sadly, is in almost everything we eat. Why? Because it is addictive and bloody tasty! The problem is the foods that are high in refined sugar are often low in nutrients meaning you fill up on foods that are called “empty calories”. This means you are getting foods that are high in calories but low in protein, fiber, calcium and other essential goodies. Cut out the sugar.

Don’t eat within an hour of bed time

One of the worst mistakes a girl can make if she is trying to lose weight is to eat before bed. This should be a given but we always forget because we always get cravings!

Food you eat within an hour of bed is almost all stored as fat because you have no immediate use for the calories. That late night cereal, ice cream dessert or second helping of dinner leftovers will go straight to your butt, abs and thighs. Never eat within an hour of bedtime.

Eat more vegetables and fruit

It is okay to have a second helping of vegetables. It is okay to pig out on fruit. These foods are extremely rich in vitamins and nutrients and keep you slim and healthy. They are natural. They are what a woman was meant to eat.

The theory behind this is simple. If you eat more fruit and vegetables you will be eating less man-made junk food. And this is a good thing. Don’t feel guilty about eating big servings of fruit and veg. It won’t change your waist line at all as long as you are cutting back on the other junk.

Conclusion

These tips are not new. They are very old in fact. And they are popular – popular because they work. Apply one or two of them to your diet and see how you look in a few weeks.

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