Cross Body Mountain Climbers Work Abs Hard

You need to add cross body mountain climbers to your ab exercise routine. This exercise will build strength and help tone your "six pack" and obliques. Cross body mountain climbers also work the calves, quadriceps, glutes, back, chest, triceps and shoulders. You will need high levels of core strength to do this exercise the right way for each set.





1. Start by getting in the push up position with your arms fully extended. Keep your hips and torso in a straight line. Don't let your hips sag and don't point your butt in the air during this exercise.

2. Do the exercise by moving your left knee straight up and across your body to the right armpit area (keep your abs braced). Also, don't let your foot touch the ground as you do the movement. Move your left leg back to the starting position and repeat with your right leg. Alternate your leg movements until you have completed all repetitions.

If you are doing the mountain climber exercise then just add on the cross body mountain climber!

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Bodyweight Strength Workouts Burn Fat

Bodyweight strength workouts burn fat and allow you to use natural body motions. You don't need exercise machines! Machines limit your natural range of motion. Try doing a squat on the Smith Machine and see how natural that feels.



To be fair, machine workouts can be beneficial for beginners. But, even beginners should not stay with the machines for too long. Why? Because machines also stabilize your body for you. You need to develop strength that allows your body to stabilize itself. Also, no two people have the same exact motions.

Enter in bodyweight strength exercises. These types of exercises allow you to train in all 3 planes of motion (machines usually limit you to training in 1 plane of motion--sagittal).

I don't even recommend doing cardio exercise on machines. Cardio machines do alot of the work for you. Personally, running on cardio machines bores me to tears! Try doing sprint cardio intervals outside on grass and see how tough it is to fight against gravity, ground forces and the elements! You are forced to generate all the momentum and force.

Doing bodyweight strength exercises and cardio exercise on grass will give you more calorie burn, more fat burn and will tone your body faster than doing the same exercises on machines! Oh yeah, another benefit---YOU DON'T NEED A GYM MEMBERSHIP! You can do these types of workouts at home, at the park or at the school yard. And, you save travel time to and from the gym.

Forget the gym memberships and try bodyweight workouts at home.

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Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Bird Dog Exercise

The bird dog exercise is a great core exercise with special emphasis on strengthening your low back. Low back pain affects nearly 85% of all adults at one time or another. The best solution for any injury is prevention. Include the bird dog exercise in your program:



1. Start by placing yourself on hands and knees.

2. Slowly raise your opposite arm and opposite leg and extend them out away from the body. Keep your back straight. Your extended arm and leg should line up with your torso. Tighten your abdominals and contract your glutes. Hold for 3 seconds.

3. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other side.

4. Repeat for the desired repetitions.

5. Always keep this movement slow and controlled.

The bird dog exercise will also improve your balance. Have fun!

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Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Steam Engine Exercise

The steam engine exercise is a challenging core exercise that burns more fat. It is also a great full body exercise. If you want to burn more fat and calories during and after your workout, do more full body exercises.



You should have adequate core stability and strength before advancing to exercises like the steam engine. Exercises like planks, bird dogs, bridges and cobras should be done before you proceed to exercises like the steam engine.

1. Stand with with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width, your hands behind your head.

2. Lift your left knee to waist level or higher and touch the left knee with the right elbow. Do the same for the other side. That's 1 repetition.

If you have low back problems, you shouldn't do the steam engine exercise.

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Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Friday Bodyweight Cardio Workout

Its been a long week and sometimes you just need a good, short Friday cardio workout....



If you're bored with running on machines or biking for cardio exercise, try a jumping bodyweight cardio workout! Jumping is one of the best ways to tone and shape your lower body and you won't get bored!

You don't need any machines---just get your body ready for some very intense exercise. If you have knee or low back problems, this type of workout is not for you....

Here is a jump bodyweight cardio workout:

--jump rope, two feet, full speed, 1 minute
--squat jumps, 10, full speed
--jump rope, right foot, full speed, 30 seconds
--jump rope, left foot, full speed, 30 seconds
--tuck jumps, 10, full speed
--depth jumps (off knee-high platform), 10
--rest 1 minute and repeat circuit 2 more times. 20 minutes total workout time.

Rest more after each circuit if needed. Take rest between exercises if needed. If you can't do an exercise full speed, then try half speed or three quarters speed until you improve.

Happy fat-burning Friday!

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Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Bodyweight Exercise Workout Books

My Fitness Hut's Fat Blaster Bodyweight Workout Books feature my Fat Blaster Athletic Training System and include beginner, intermediate and advanced level workouts!



My Fitness Hut's Fat Blaster Athletic Training System is the best and quickest way to give you that lean, toned body. And, according to research, you will also have superior heart health.

One of the toughest things for people to understand is that you need to exercise using "your natural motions." No two bodies are exactly alike....that's why you shouldn't exercise exclusively on machines. Machines limit you to "that machine's" pre-determined range of motion.

Because machines also stabilize your body for you, bodyweight exercises help you develop strength that allows your body to stabilize itself.

The bodyweight workouts will double as a strength and cardio workout so you maximize your time and get double benefit!

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"Exercise is not my life.....exercise makes my life better!"

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Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Bodyweight Exercise Series: Lower Body Circuit

Bodyweight lower body circuits will really burn more fat and tone your legs.




Bodyweight lower body circuits are a tried and true method to burn more leg fat, increase strength/endurance and improve heart health.

Since this workout is circuit-style, you also get the benefit of a great cardio workout. Do each exercise (10-12 repetitions) one after the other with little or no rest between exercises. Rest 2-3 minutes and do the circuit 2 more times. Here is a good bodyweight leg circuit program:

--Bulgarian split squats
--Step ups (with knee high platform), pictured above
--Squat jumps, Depth Jumps (set 2), Tuck Jumps (set 3)
--Reverse lunges
--Side lunges

Do this workout as a supplement to your regular full body strength training workouts.

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Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Blast Fat With Bodyweight Exercise And Running Cardio

Blast more fat with bodyweight exercise and running cardio. If you're bored with your cardio, just try this workout! You won't get bored again! You need to ramp up the intensity of your cardio workout to get better fat loss and weight loss results.



Here is a good workout for you to try....you don't need any weights, medicine balls, resistance tubes or stability balls....you just need your body to do this workout.

Part 1

--Warmup on treadmill - run three minutes at moderate pace
--15 minute cardio interval rotation: 1 minute run, 2 minutes walk (running outside will give you better results)

Part 2

--Prisoner squats, 12 repetitions, moderate pace
--Plank, 5 repetitions, 30 second hold
--Pushups, 20 repetitions, moderate pace
--Mountain Climbers (pictured above), 30 seconds, fast
--Pullups, 10 repetitions (or do as many as possible), moderate pace
--Ab Curl Ups, 15 repetitions, slow pace
--Do this circuit 2 times

Do this circuit with little or no rest between exercises. Rest 2-3 minutes between circuits.

Part 3

--12 minute cardio interval rotation: 1 minute run, 2 minutes walk

You're done (literally)!

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Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Bodyweight Exercise Series: Ab Ball Rollout

The bodyweight ab ball rollout is a great core exercise that doesn't put your low back at risk for injury. At the same time, this exercise requires that you have an adequate amount of low back muscle strength and stability.

Finish

Start

1. Start with the ball in front with your elbows on the ball.

2. Roll the ball out slowly and keep your abs braced (as if taking a punch to the gut). As you straighten your torso you will feel your abs stretch and extend. Return to the starting position.

Try the ab ball rollout the next time you workout.

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Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Bodyweight Plyometric Workout Blasts Fat

Bodyweight plyometric workouts will blast more fat because they are very intense! And, one-legged jumping exercises are more intense than two-legged jumping exercises. Shorten and intensify your workouts with jump training (plyometrics)! Plyometric workouts also blast more fat and calories during and after your workout!



If you're having trouble sculpting your butt, hips and thighs then you need to do more jump exercises.

Bodyweight plyometric workouts are advanced workouts. You need to perfect jumping and landing techniques or you will injure yourself. And, if you have knee and low back problems, high-speed jump training is not for you.

Try this plyometric workout (take little or no rest between exercises):

--jump rope, two feet, full speed, 1 minute
--squat jumps (pictured above), 10, full speed
--lunge jumps, 10, full speed
--depth jumps (off knee-high platform), 10
--tuck jumps, 10, full speed
--jumping jacks, 30 seconds, full speed

Rest 1 minute between circuits. Repeat the circuit 2 more times--20 minutes total workout time. Take more rest between exercises or circuits if needed.

Try bodyweight plyometric workouts to blast more fat!

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Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Isometric Bodyweight Workouts

Isometric bodyweight workouts help you build strength and burn fat without moving much. Exercise without much movement you say? Keep talking right?!



Isometric exercises are very underrated. They are great for building muscles, stabilizing muscles, building strength, improving power and burning fat.

Isometric contractions can be described as a type of muscle contraction where your muscles develop tension without changing length. For example, pushing against a wall and holding for 30 seconds causes an isometric contraction.

You should strength train your muscles with all contraction types (eccentric, isometric, concentric). All muscles function eccentrically (reduces force or deceleration), isometrically (stabilizes force) and concentrically (produces force).

Isometric bodyweight workouts force most if not all of your muscles to work during an exercise. The stability ball plank exercise (pictured above) is a great example. To do the plank, you get into position and hold for a period of time (like 20 seconds). So, many core exercises are great isometric exercises.

So, here is a good isometric bodyweight workout for you:

1. Deep Knee Bends and Hold, 10 repetitions, 10 second hold
2. Stability Ball Plank, 10 repetitions, 20 second hold
3. Bridge, 10 repetitions, 20 second hold
4. Pushup and Hold, 20 second hold
5. Side Plank, 10 repetitions each side, 10 second hold
6. Captain Chair Knee Ups and Hold, 10 repetitions, 10 second hold
7. Ab Curl Ups and Hold, 10 repetitions, 20 second hold

Repeat this circuit 2 more times. Rest 2-3 minutes between circuits.

Now "hold on" and do your isometric bodyweight workout!

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Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Athletic Bodyweight Workouts Blasts Fat

Athletic bodyweight workouts will blast fat from your body like never before...just try a workout and see for yourself!



Athletic bodyweight workouts are very intense and will improve your body's composition (fat loss, more muscle). These workouts will sculpt your body without your joints taking a pounding from lifting heavy weights!

To get your muscles to improve power (how fast your muscles can produce force), do some or all of the exercises full speed. Also, you will really burn fat and shape your bulkier, fast twitch muscle fibers when doing exercises at full speed!

Athletic bodyweight circuit workouts are a tried and true method to burn more fat, increase strength/endurance and improve heart health.

Do each exercise (10 repetitions) one after the other with little or no rest between exercises. Rest 2-3 minutes and do the circuit 2 more times. Here is a good athletic bodyweight workout:

--Bodyweight squats, moderate pace
--Medicine ball soccer throw (pictured above), full speed
--Pushups, full speed
--Walking lunges/Side Lunges/Tranverse Lunges, moderate pace (one for each circuit)
--2-Handed medicine ball chest pass, full speed
--Squat jumps, full speed
--Back extensions, moderate pace

Use correct form and get after it!

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Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Tabata Bodyweight Workout Burns Fat

A Tabata bodyweight workout is a good way to burn more fat and change up your workout routine. If you're looking for a way to break out of your fat loss plateau, try a Tabata bodyweight workout.



Tabata is a very intense interval training technique. It is a great way to burn more calories and fat during and after your workout! You will need one bodyweight exercise (like squat jumps) and 4 minutes! Yes, only 4 minutes!

Tabata bodyweight training works this way:

1. After a 5 minute warmup, choose a bodyweight exercise.

2. Do as many repetitions as you can for 20 seconds.

3. Rest for 10 seconds.

4. Repeat this cycle for 4 minutes! Make sure to maintain correct form as you get fatigued! You will be exhausted at the end!

As you progress, you can add more time but keep the 2-to-1 work to rest ratio. For instance, you could do a 30 sec./15 sec. work to rest ratio. You could also speed up your repetitions to make Tabata bodyweight training even more intense!

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Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Bodyweight Exercise Series: Hanging Leg Raise

The bodyweight hanging leg raise is an advanced abdominal exercise.

There is a reason you see more people doing ab crunches instead of hanging leg raises! The hanging leg raise and its variations is very tough to execute. In fact, it is the gold standard for abdominal exercises! Gymnasts have been doing hanging leg raises for decades. A person needs core strength, arm strength and grip strength to perform the exercise correctly. If you can't do one hanging leg raise, you need to strengthen your core, back, arms and grip.



1. Hang from a bar using an overhand grip with arms straight and shoulder-width apart. Let your legs hang straight down.

2. Contract your abs and make sure that your back remains neutral with natural arch. Keep your head still and looking straight ahead. Raise your legs to the midpoint of your body using your abdominal muscles. Don't swing your legs up and use momentum to do the exercise. This is a controlled strength exercise.

3. Hold for 1 to 2 seconds and slowly lower your legs. That is one repetition.

Beginning exercisers can start by trying to bend the knees up to the chest. Intermediate exercisers are able to do a straight leg raise up to the midpoint of the body. Advanced exercisers can usually raise straight legs up to the head or "windshield wiper" bent knees to the left and right.

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Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Bodyweight Exercise Series: Pullups

You must include bodyweight pullups in your exercise routine! The pullup is one of the best exercises you should be doing! If you haven't done a pullup since grade school, you need to bring the pullup out of your workout closet! If you can't do any, start doing 1 pullup and progress (assisted pullup machine or a spotter are also options).

Image credit: philipmak

The pullup is not just a back muscle exercise. Pullups work your lats (and other back muscles), core, shoulders, arms, chest, biceps and improve grip strength. That's why you should be doing pullups!

1. Hang from a pullup bar with your palms facing away from your body, your arms straight and your feet crossed together with legs bent about 90 degrees. Pull yourself up until your chin passes the bar.

2. A wider grip (greater than shoulder width) will work your lats more. A closer grip (shoulder width or less) will work your middle back muscles more.

3. If you lack grip strength, you can use straps to help.

Use proper technique when doing a pullup:

1. Don't jut your chin out (it strains your cervical spine).

2. Don't swing. It makes the pullup easier by using momentum. You need to pullup, not swing up.

3. Don't let your chest collapse because that puts too much stress on your shoulders.

4. Don't arch your lower back too much. You want your abdominal muscles to be engaged when you do the pullup. Keep your torso braced (as if taking a punch to the gut) during the pullup.

5. When you start the pullup, drive your shoulder blades down and squeeze them together. This will engage your shoulder stabilizers more.

Don't be afraid of the pullup exercise! Pull it out of the closet and start doing them!

Learn how to lose weight the right way and get My Fitness Hut's 7-Day Weight Loss And Fat Loss e-Course! The e-Course is FREE!

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Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Bodyweight Exercise Series: Burpees!!

The bodyweight burpee exercise sounds kind of gross but it burns body fat like crazy and its good for you! Burpees! Ughhh! Seriously, always do burpees under control with good technique.



You know I don't like fitness gadgets, gimmicks, weight loss pills/powders/patches or any quick weight loss scheme.....

If you need to change up your high intensity interval cardio routine, here is a great choice----do full speed burpees for 20 minutes.....trust me, it is a great full-body exercise that will increase your strength endurance, power and anaerobic conditioning (remember, aerobics is an exercise done for more than 2 straight minutes).

Exercises like sprints and jumps are anaerobic. Research has proven that anaerobic conditioning will give you superior fat loss and heart health.

You can use the burpee exercise as an interval cardio routine to ramp up your fat-burning and conditioning:

--1 minute full speed burpees
--2 minutes walk or jog
--Do this routine for 20 minutes and you're done!

From a squat position with your hands on the floor, kick your feet back to a pushup position. Quickly return your feet to the squat position and jump as high as you can from the squat position. Repeat this exercise at full speed for 1 minute! Whew! Walk or jog for 2 minutes and burpee again!

Go for it!

Train hard and safe!

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Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Bodyweight Exercise Series: Bridge For Your Back

Use the bodyweight bridge exercise to strengthen and stabilize your lower back muscles. Many people develop low back problems because too little time is spent strengthening the muscles of the lower back.





1. Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and your hands by your sides.

2. Lift your body off the ground into a straight line and brace your torso (like taking a punch to the gut). Don't let your body sag. Hold for 3-5 seconds and repeat for 12-15 repetitions. Do 2-3 sets.

Other great core exercises that will strengthen your lower back muscles are cobras, stability ball plank, supermans and back extensions.

Don't neglect to strengthen your lower back muscles! You will pay with pain and injuries if you ignore training your lower back!

Learn how to lose weight the right way and get My Fitness Hut's 7-Day Weight Loss And Fat Loss e-Course! The e-Course is FREE!

"Exercise is not my life.....exercise makes my life better!"

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Bodyweight Exercise Series: Back Extensions

Do bodyweight back extensions to protect your spine and build back muscles. Do you have lower back problems? The low back pain might have been avoided by doing the back extension exercise.



Strengthening your back muscles are very important for obvious reasons. Seventy to 80% of Americans have back pain (many times low back pain) at some point. The way to protect against this is to strengthen your body's core. To specifically protect your spine, you should do back extensions (with weights for the advanced).

Back extensions target the erector spinae muscle group surrounding the spine. Your hamstrings also contract strongly during the back extension exercise and assist the erector spinae.

It is important to perform this exercise correctly or you will end up with the very thing you are trying to avoid----BACK PAIN OR INJURY. The technique error I see most in those doing back extensions is hyperextension of the back. Hyperextension happens when you continue lifting your upper body past the point of a straight line (your back, hips and lower legs should line up).

The picture shows correct technique. Hyperextension will compress your vertebral discs. This important exercise should be included with your other back exercises such as rows, inverted rows, bridges and lat pulldowns.

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Bodyweight Exercise Series: One-Legged Squat

The bodyweight one-legged squat is a high-level exercise that will improve your lower body strength and dynamic balance. You might have to work up to doing this exercise by using a bench or chair for support.



The one-legged squat is one of the best exercises out there (and tougher to do than you think). It builds strength (including core strength) and stabilizes the legs and hips. It is important to perform the exercise correctly. One-legged squats will also help improve your speed because it works the same muscles involved in running (quads, hamstrings, glutes, abductors/adductors). One-legged exercises forces each leg to develop at the same rate (one leg can't compensate for weakness in the other leg).

There are many variations of the squat exercise. There is no doubt that the squat should be a part of your regular exercise program. But, you don't have to "max out" on the squat exercise for it to be effective.

Do the one-legged squat this way:

1) Stand with your feet hip width apart with knees slightly bent and toes pointing forward.

2) Start position: Lift one foot off ground and extend leg forward. Extend arms forward at hip level.

3) Lower your body by bending at the hips and knees. Be sure to “sit back” so that your knees stay over the feet. Keep your head and back straight in a neutral position (hyperextension or flexion may cause injury). Keep your weight over the middle of the foot and heel, not the toes. Keep your abdominals tight throughout the exercise by bracing your torso.

4) Once your thigh is slightly above parallel to the floor, return to the start position. That is one repetition.

Challenge yourself with the one-legged squat exercise!

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Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Bodyweight Exercise Series: Sprinting Burns Fat!

Sprinting burns fat like crazy folks! Sprinting is one of the best ways to get your total body lean and toned. It is probabaly one of the least used exercises done by general exercisers. And, you don't have to be fast, just run as fast as you can! To avoid injuries, always sprint on surfaces like grass or sand and never run on hard surfaces like concrete or asphalt.



Athletes are forced to run sprints because of their particular sport. As a former college football player, I can remember running as many as 50 consecutive 40-yard sprints on the Monday after a Saturday game! Running sprints was the total practice for that day. Either way, sprints will lean and tone your body like never before (combined with full body strength training).

You see, sprinting activates your bulkier, shapely fast twitch muscle fibers. These fast twitch muscle fibers lie dormant when you do slow-paced cardio sessions (hint). Sprinting will really burn the fat on your butt, hips, thighs, hamstrings and lower legs. Fat will also be burned on your upper body.

It is important to properly warmup before doing sprinting intervals. A proper warmup is a dynamic warmup such as doing 5-10 minutes of jogging, walking lunges, half-speed sprints and three-quarters speed sprints. Do static stretches after your workout to bring your muscles back to normal length.

To sprint efficiently and avoid injuries, you need to master correct running mechanics. Most people that I see at gyms need to work on running mechanics. Running the right way really does make running easier (and vice-versa)!

A 20-minute sprint interval workout is very simple---and tough! Do it this way:

--Run a 50 to 60 yard sprint
--Walk back to start line
--Run a 50 to 60 yard sprint

Do this rotation for 20-minutes and you are done (exhausted)! Do this type of workout no more than 2 times a week. This will allow your body to recover from this intense form of exercise.

A sprint interval workout will also give you superior heart-health.

Ready, set, go!

Learn how to lose weight the right way and get My Fitness Hut's 7-Day Weight Loss And Fat Loss e-Course! The e-Course is FREE!

"Exercise is not my life.....exercise makes my life better!"

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

Read more »