Special message for FIRM fans
|
We know how much you love The FIRM. That's why we've created a new monthly newsletter to keep you motivated! Each newsletter will feature FIRM Club favorite articles on fitness and nutrition — plus a special offer for FIRM friends and family!
Join us in The FIRM Believers Club! Check it out for 30 days FREE.
|
|
FIRM Favorite Video
|
5 must-try moves for FIRM, flat abs!
For years, men and women have been searching for that ideal abdominal training routine that will give them a perfect six-pack. It's relatively easy for me to sculpt my upper and lower body, but when it comes to really toning up my middle, it takes a little more than just crunches three times a week. It takes dedication and hard work!
If you have been working out for a while chances are you already have a good bit of ab strength. Now it's just a matter of getting rid of that stubborn layer of fat covering them up. Diet is so important. It takes a lot of willpower to grab an apple instead of a Krispy Kreme doughnut (yum!). But stick with it and find those small milestones to keep you going.
Check out these basic core exercises for you that are easy to do and require no equipment. Each one will target a different part of your midsection. I want you to focus on the quality of each exercise and the point of peak contraction. Hold the peak contraction for a full 1-2 seconds and don't forget to breathe. Try these exercises 3 times a week.
THE BASIC CRUNCH (15-20 reps):
Position: Lie supine on a mat with your feet flat on the floor and your hands resting lightly behind your ears.
Action: Exhale as you curl up, shortening the distance between your ribcage and your hips.
Point of Peak Contraction: When your shoulders and upper back are completely off of the ground. Your upper body is being held off the ground solely by the contraction of your abdominal muscles.
HIP RAISES (15-20 reps):
Position: Lie supine with your legs straight and lifted over your hips. Extend your arms to your sides.
Action: Exhale and tuck your pelvis to engage your lower abs, lifting your legs up toward the ceiling.
Point of Peak Contraction: When your hips are no longer in contact with the floor.
FINGERS-TO-HEEL TOUCH (10-12 reps):
Position: Lie on your back, feet flat on the floor with your knees bent.
Action: Raise your head and shoulders off the floor and with your right hand, reach your fingers toward your right heel. Repeat on the left side.
Point of Peak Contraction: The “shoulders up” position. You maintain this position the entire time when doing this exercise.
PLANK (Hold up to a minute):
Position: Assume a push-up position with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders and your back straight.
Action: Brace your abs and breathe. Beginners, you can decline to your knees but try a few seconds on your toes for me!
Point of Peak Contraction: It's when you are in the plank position bracing every muscle in your body.
SUPERMAN (10-12 reps):
Position: From the plank position lie flat on your stomach with your arms extended overhead.
Action: Lift your upper and lower body at the same time, hold for a full 1-2 seconds, and then release. This exercise not only strengthens your lower back, it also stretches out those abdominal muscles you just worked!
Point of Peak Contraction: When you are executing the lift and holding it.
|
|
|
|
|
Get to Know The FIRM
|
Secrets to looking fit & fabulous from
FIRM Master Instructor Alison
Alison Davis-McLain isn't just a Master Instructor for The FIRM — she's also a mom and speech-language pathologist. And on top of this, she's committed to following a routine that keeps her slim, strong and healthy. So how does she do it? Find out her secrets to looking fit and fabulous, from what she eats to how she finds exercise motivation to her favorite workout routines.
Finding workout motivation
Half the battle of getting and staying in shape is having the motivation and desire to exercise. Follow these tips from Alison on how to look forward to and actually enjoy your workout.
- Focus on the positive results.
During exercise, instead of focusing on aches or discomfort, visualize what you want to get from the workout. Imagine how good the shower will feel on your sweaty body when you finish and how nicely those jeans will fit. Think how happy you'll be about what you've accomplished. You'll feel vibrant and confident in your body and yourself.
- Don't be too hard on yourself.
If you do fall off the workout wagon for some time, don't beat yourself up about it. Keeping a positive attitude will make it easier for you to start working out again. “Think of it as giving your body a break, so you're stronger coming back to exercise,” says Alison. “You'll feel refreshed and ready to go.” Alison also recommends taking it one step at a time, and just trying to do the best you can for that day.
- Seek fitness support.
Whether it's an online community like The FIRM, a fitness class at the gym or a workout buddy, seeking support from other people can be one of the strongest motivators to exercise. Everyone has bad days, and you can help lift each other's spirits and reach your fitness goals.
Exercise routine: Weight training and cardio
Alison follows The FIRM's philosophy for her own workout routine, combining weight training and cardio to maximize the ability to burn fat and shape the entire body. Here's her weekly workout routine:
- Two to three days of an hour-long cardio and weight training workout. She alternates between lifting heavy weights and running sprints. If she's short on time, she does a sculpting and fat-burning workout from The FIRM videos.
- Three days a week of just cardio. She likes to run, bike or follow a cardio workout video — anything to get her heart rate going.
- One day of rest. Taking one day to give her body a break helps her feel refreshed and even more motivated when she returns to exercising.
“I'm all about hard workouts. If I'm going to do it, I don't want to waste my time,” Alison says.
Diet: Everything in moderation
“I don't like to deprive myself,” Alison says. “But I do believe in everything in moderation.”
She maintains a healthy, balanced diet of lean proteins (such as fish or tofu), vegetables, fruits and complex carbohydrates (like sweet potatoes, brown rice and whole wheat pasta). She satisfies her sweet tooth with a low-calorie brownie after dinner.
Eating five small meals (breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner) curbs her appetite and keeps her energy levels up throughout the day. She usually cooks for herself because she sees better results in her body than when she goes out to eat. (It's difficult to know all the ingredients in restaurant food, and portion sizes are larger.)
Get fit with Alison's workout routines
To really burn calories and get in shape, try some of Alison's The FIRM workout routines.
Dangerous Curves Ahead
Cardio Overdrive
Bootcamp: Maximum Calorie Burn
Ultimate Fat Burning Workout
Core Solutions
|
|
|
Nutrition Library
|
5 frozen treats, 100 calories or less!
As I divulged in my last blog about food journals, I am trying to get really serious about losing these last five-eight pounds of baby weight that are leftover from my daughter who was born 6 months ago. (Truth be told, I was probably four-five pounds heavier than I would have liked when I got pregnant with her! So I am trying to lose those as well.) And as I mentioned, I have cut out chewing gum and have drastically reduced the salad dressing and other salad toppers. These reductions have really helped.
Now I am tackling my long-term food issue of night-time snacking. This is probably the most common diet downfall that I come across with my clients, and is most definitely my #1 problem. After dinner, and especially after the kids go to bed, I just want to snack! There is something about the night that makes us all more vulnerable to excess calories. And I can tell you for sure, nothing is more likely to help you to lose weight than to reduce those evening calories. So, I decided to take my own advice, which is to limit all after-dinner-calories to 100 calories or less. (This could be modified if you eat a very early dinner, which I do not. I generally eat at 7 p.m., which means I don't get truly “hungry” in the evening hours, I just want to eat.)
I have found that a great way to stretch out these 100 calories is to indulge in frozen sweet treats that take a long time to eat. This way I feel like I am eating for a while, and I am satisfying my sweet tooth. The good things about these frozen treats are that they don't really fill you up, but you don't really need to be full when you are getting ready to go to bed.
Here are my five favorite frozen treats with 100 calories or less (one is only 66 calories!). You'll see that the first three treats are pre-packaged, while the last two I make myself.
- Skinny Cow Fudge Pops: 100 calories, 1 gram fat, 22 grams carbohydrate
- Dole Fruit 'n Juice Frozen Fruit bars: 70 calories, 0 grams of fat, 18 grams carbohydrate (Also look for Dreyer's and Edy's Fruit Bars.)
- Weight Watchers Latte Bar: 90 calories, 1 gram of fat, 21 grams of carbohydrate
- Homemade Frozen Yogurt. I actually buy low-fat yogurt for 100 calories or less per half cup serving. I portion the yogurt into a small plastic cup and stick a Popsicle stick (or chopsticks) into the yogurt. Leave it for four-plus hours and enjoy! Nutrition information is for 1/2 cup of Stonyfield Farm Low-fat Vanilla: 85 calories, 1 gram of fat, 15 grams carbohydrate
- Homemade Frozen Strawberry-Lemonade. Combine lemonade with frozen strawberries, blend it very quickly in the blender so that the berries are still chunky, and freeze in popsicle molds (or use a small cup with chopsticks or popsicle sticks). Nutrition information for 4 ounces of lemonade and about 3 strawberries: 66 calories, 0 grams fat, 16 grams carbohydrate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
