Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday I wake up and head to the gym. (OK, so sometimes those Sunday morning workouts don’t happen, but I digress….) Sometimes, I will take a class or meet with a Pilates instructor. Usually, however, I hop onto the elliptical, set my iPOD to F-U-N and set myself up for a 45 minute cardio challenge.

And for the past six months, my workout routine has given me very visible results: smaller thighs, better butt, and all around weight loss.

But recently things seemed to have…well….stopped.

It seems that my body has gotten quite used to the old routine. And while experts call this a “plateau,” I call it just plain crappy. I mean, it’s nearly June, dammit. Time to put on the little tops, short skirts and – gasp – bathing suits. This is not the time for a f**king plateau!

That being said, I did some research on my problem and found that there are some things I can do to get off this fat-teau and get into that itsy bitsy, teeny weeny, black and pink flowered bikini I’ve been having nightmares about for the past 3 weeks. Read More »

If you’re like most gym-going girls, you believe that lifting any weight above 10 pounds will make you too bulky. There’s a fine line between looking toned and looking like superwoman — no one wants biceps that will make people think you’ve been chugging Muscle Milk. However, according to fitness experts and a recent study carried out at the University of Arizona, this fear of heavy dumbbells is unwarranted.

In order to develop bulky muscles, you need to be consuming an excessive amount of calories (i.e. more than the recommended 2,000 per day for most adults) in addition to pumping serious iron. If you use heavier weights without consuming those extra calories, however, you will actually see more results in less time than with those dinky little baby weights.

The trick is to do sets of 8 reps at 70 to 80 percent of your ability three times a week. This means that while your arms will be aching by the end of each exercise, you should be able to finish each set without cheating. The scientists who led this experiment followed a group of 122 women for six years, and found that the people who stuck to this exercise routine lost more weight than women who completed more repetitions with lighter weights. Read More »

Hate how all the guys you know only lift weights a few times a week, skip the treadmill, eat twice as much as you, and still manage a 6-pack while you struggle to reveal any pack at all? Maybe it’s time to take a few tips from the boys!

As members of the fairer sex (holla!), we have some major obstacles to staying slim that guys will never have to deal with. The bloating and hormonal changes that come every month obviously suck. And the cravings don’t help us lose those extra pounds, either. While it’s true that both guys and girls get cravings, women are more likely to crave chocolates and sweets, whereas guys are more likely to crave meat (which happens to be filled with protein, makes you feel full longer and is generally better for your body). See the problem here? We should take a hint from the boys and switch to more protein-oriented snacks! Before reaching for the chocolate, go for some string cheese, a turkey and cheese wrap, or cottage cheese with fruit. If you’re still craving sweets after that, try mixing some protein with it – like almonds and chocolate chips. Read More »

I get it. Trust me, I get it. It’s getting nice out and the last thing you want to do is spend an hour or two inside the gym. Who wants to sweat indoors when eating ice-cream by the lake is so much more appealing (and yummy?) But on the flip side, you’ll be donning a bikini before you know it (like, ahem, next week) and you want to look h-o-t.

If only you could snap your fingers Sabrina-the-Teenage-Witch style and have your workout completed and your body looking Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition ready.

Well God is great, but he’s not that nice. Instead, he leaves us messages and makes us feel a little guilty, like the other day when I was waiting for my nails to dry (instead of working out) and I found this pamphlet next to the drying station: “14 Tips and Tricks for Looking Great in Your Swimsuit.” I flipped through the list, somehow managing not to smudge a nail, and now I will share these really great tips with you. (Don’t thank me, thank God. God or the nice Vietnamese people who placed these pamphlets on their drying station).

Brought to you by “Pilatesyourway.com” Read More »

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It’s time to start lifting weights, ladies!

[Exercise, health and fitness are an important part of every woman's life. But how do you know if you're doing it right? And what new findings, tips and advice will help you reach your health fitness goals? Kelly, our fitness guru, will keep you updated every Monday with the latest and most beneficial news and advice for your health and body. We've covered cardio fitness before, but this week we turn our attention to the often neglected workout of weight lifting.]

While most people tend to focus on the right types of cardio to get their most successful workout on, it’s not the only way to tone, shape and define our bodies into what we want them to be.

Lifting weights can often get a bad rap; lots of women think that weight lifting is designated for those big, steroid looking macho men that hang around the gyms. But, little do some know, weight lifting is perfect for all shapes and sizes; it’s just a matter of finding what works for you.

According to the lovely safe-weight-lifting-for-women.com, weight lifting can help women:

• Have easier weight loss or weight maintenance

• A leaner, stronger body

• Improved appearance

• Better posture

• Lower blood pressure

• Increased resting metabolism rate

• Improved balance and coordination

• Stronger bones, and protection against osteoporosis

Bet you didn’t know that, eh? Read More »