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Almost all women want thinner thighs, but question how to get them without building muscle and making them look bigger.

First, you must realize that you can NOT spot reduce. Fat burning occurs throughout the body, not in a specific spot. You have to slim down your entire body to slim down your thighs. BUT you can focus on firming, slimming and tightening your problem areas while you burn the fat. And that can give you those thinner thighs you are looking for.

One theory of working out without bulking up is to work the same muscle group for consecutive days. Yes, this is contrary to what you’ve heard before about alternating muscle groups when weight training, but that advice is given to men looking to increase muscle mass and avoid injury while training so hard. (This article is not about weight training or increasing muscle mass.) Just think about dancers or runners and the hard thin thighs they have from doing the same daily workouts and you’ll realize that it works. Just be careful not to overdo it and hurt yourself.

Here are a few exercises you can do at home, that if done correctly and consistently can help create thinner thighs:

Basic Squats – Place your feet hip-width apart, tighten your abs and slowly lower yourself like you are going to sit down in a chair, until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep your chest lifted and keep your knees over your toes. Slowly return to standing.

Wide Squats – Do the same motion as the basic squat, but with your legs in a wide stance and your toes pointing slightly outward.

Reverse Lunges – Keeping your torso straight, step one foot back about 18 inches. Bend both knees until your front leg is parallel to the floor and your back knee almost touches the floor. Keep your weight on the heel of your front foot.  Using your back leg, push back to a standing position. Repeat with the other leg.

Tap Lunges - Similar to the reverse lunge, but as you bend your knees, lean your body forward and tap the ground with your hands.

Side Lunges – Step wide out to the side with one leg and bend that knee until your thigh is parallel to the floor. Keep your other leg straight.

(Check out this Thinner Thigh Workout video for a demonstration of the above exercises.)

Freestyle weight training, Pilates and Yoga are also recommended exercises to strengthen and tone without adding bulk. These exercises have the benefit of working more than one muscle group at a time.

Also remember to vary your workout once your body has gotten use to it. Your body will adapt to your routine approximately every four to eight weeks, which could cause your to hit a plateau. Mixing things up keeps your muscles alert and keeps the fat burning.

Home Fitness for Women

One of the things about the health and fitness industry which makes things difficult is that they are always changing the rules! There’s always some new concept that is THE way to do things. Currently, it’s Burst Training.

Who should use Burst Training?
Since high intensity is the key to bursting, only those in decent health who can push themselves really hard should practice burst training.  Always consult with your doctor first.  (I have to say that, don’t I?)

What is Burst Training?
Burst training, also referred to as surge training, is a form of interval training where you exercise at maximum intensity in short bursts of 30-60 seconds followed by a recovery period of about 2-5 minutes. The intervals are repeated for 15-30 minutes. (Sure as heck beats an hour of cardio!) Maximum intensity means you should push as hard as you can and should be out of breath at the end of the interval.  Recovery means your heart rate and breathing should be back to normal and your muscles should stop burning.   

Where do you Burst Train?
Now here’s a cool thing about burst training… You can pretty much do it ANYWHERE! The activity itself doesn’t matter as much as the intensity level, so if you want to do jumping jacks in your living room or sprint down the street, it’s all good. Any multi-muscle exercise performed while maintaining good form will achieve the goal.

Why Burst Train?
To burn fat!! ‘Nuff said? Short burst training burns a maximum amount of calories during exercise and also continues to burn fat calories long after your workout is complete. Oh… And of course, it takes less time than traditional cardio exercise.

When should you Burst Train?
You can burst train whenever it fits into your schedule, which should be a lot easier now that you have shorter workouts. The average recommendation for frequency of burst training is every other day. This gives your body a change to recover completely from your workouts and keeps you from over-training. 

I’ve given this short burst training thing a try. It really kicks your butt!  I always feel like I’ve had a better workout than when I do longer exercise sessions.  Not only that, but I get it done quicker and don’t have time to get bored.  Try it!

Home Fitness for Women

One of my favorite pieces of home fitness equipment is my ProForm 745CS treadmill. My husband bought it for me as a gift after the birth of our first child so that I could exercise at home, get back in shape and watch over the baby.  That was back in 2001 and I’m still using that treadmill today.

The ProForm 745CS treadmill has a pulse sensor, 6 built in certified personal trainer fitness programs, inclines to a 10% grade at .5% intervals, and has quick speed selector up to 10 MPH.  The design makes working out convenient with it’s built-in water bottle holder, book holder and another spot that I use to hold the TV remote.  And when I’m not exercising, the ProForm 745CS can be folded up, requiring less than half the floor space of an open treadmill.

Those were some some pretty impressive treadmill features back when we bought it, but it’s pretty basic equipment for ProForm treadmills now.  (I don’t think ProForm even makes the 745CS treadmill any more.)  These days, ProForm makes home treadmills with the TV built right in if you want it!

I’m thrilled with how well my ProForm treadmill has held up over the years.  It has had some work done to it under the maintenance/service plan because the pulse sensory wouldn’t work for me, but I haven’t had to have any maintenance done on it for years now. I’ve used it relatively consistently and my husband has used it too. It has even been through two long distance moves on a moving truck. It really is a sturdy piece of machinery.

I will definitely buy another ProForm treadmill when the time comes, but for now mine is still going strong.  I love my ProForm 745CS!

Home Fitness for Women

A treadmill is an essential piece of gym equipment for anyone who is serious about losing weight and leading a healthier lifestyle. Using a treadmill on a regular basis can help you tone up your body, increase your metabolism and lose weight faster. The key to maximizing your weight loss is using the treadmill correctly.

Before you start your new fitness regime, it’s important to evaluate your goals and design a custom workout plan that will help you achieve them faster. There are many different ways that you can use the treadmill, and the type of workout you need to follow depends on your unique goals and abilities.

When starting any type of workout, you need to remember to tailor it to your body. While a long running workout may be right for someone who regularly runs outside, it might not be safe for someone who is just starting out. If you are beginner, it’s important to start slow until you figure out how your body responds and how much you can push yourself without becoming overwhelmed. You don’t necessarily need to use your treadmill for running to lose weight.

There are dozens of effective workouts you can do using a treadmill besides running including interval training, jogging and incline walking. While it’s important to do workouts that maximize your fitness potential, the most important part of losing weight is determination and consistency. As long as you use your treadmill on a regular basis, you will see results.

One of the biggest advantages to using a treadmill for weight loss is its versatility. It’s the perfect piece of equipment for people of all fitness levels. If you want to use your treadmill for running, you can speed up your weight loss by slightly increasing the incline. This will help you imitate running on the pavement outdoors since the ground is never as even as the treadmill belt. Increasing the incline is also a great way to increase your muscle tone and speed up weight loss if you prefer walking. Walking on a high incline has the same effect as walking uphill, which is a great way to lose weight quickly.

Get to know your treadmill, and try different workouts to find the one that works best for you. Remember that you don’t have to follow the same workout every day to lose weight.

In fact, many fitness experts agree that switching up your fitness routine on a regular basis can help you keep up your metabolism and lose weight faster. The best way to lose weight quickly is to develop an enjoyable fitness routine you can follow on a regular basis.

Next, check out terrific treadmill deals” or several Sole Treadmill sales.

Easy Home Exercise Gym Solutions

My friend has just written a review of Core Synergistics on her blog. I guess this is part of the P90X program. Check it out:

Wrecktus Abdominus….Owie

Then come back here to read our P90X Extreme Home Fitness Review

Home Fitness for Women

It’s not very often that I watch television. And it’s even less often that I will bother to stop and watch an infomercial on an exercise product. (Too much hype. Not enough reality.) However, a while back, the ProForm StrideSelect Elliptical was being demonstrated when I walked by the television and it caught my eye.

I’ve never personally been interested in elliptical trainers in the past. Years ago, I tried a few out in a sports store and I found them to be extremely awkward pieces of equipment. I have short legs and the stride length on these machines wasn’t natural for me at all. And it always seemed that the machines were too wide and my knees were feeling pressure from the angle within minutes.

So, why did the ProForm Stride Select™ interest me? First of all, because it’s a ProForm. (I love my ProForm treadmill.) Secondly, I liked this elliptical because it has an adjustable stride length and appeared to have a narrow width. (No awkward or painful range of motion.) Third, it was affordable!

The ProForm StrideSelect Elliptical also has all of the other features you would expect from ProForm exercise equipment: a built-in fan, MP3 dock, fold up design, a heart rate monitor and iFIT® compatibility.

I have to admit, that at first, I wasn’t crazy about the fact that the elliptical was powered by resistance. What? No motor?? But the more I thought about it, you get a better (and quieter) workout by using resistance, while saving your electric bill from an extra burden.

One definite drawback to the ProForm StrideSelect elliptical is the weight limit. Its weight capacity is only 275 pounds, which means a lot of the big guys out there can’t use it.

The bottom line is that the ProForm StrideSelect Elliptical is a quality elliptical on a budget price. I’d even buy one myself if I didn’t already have two pieces of exercise equipment in my too small house.

Home Fitness for Women

If sweating in public doesn’t appeal to you and you don’t want to rely on the weather for your workout, consider these benefits of a home gym: 

Convenience

• Your home gym is always open.  You can exercise at any time of day or night that fits into your schedule.
• Your home gym won’t close permanently on you without warning resulting in a loss of membership fees.  (Really!  This has happened to me!)
• You can exercise even if it is raining, snowing or too icy outside.

Time Savings

• You won’t have to waste time driving back and forth to the gym. 
• In your own home gym, there is no waiting for your favorite piece of equipment.
• You don’t have to spend time politely listening to Sally who is really only there for social activity.

Privacy

• In your own home gym, there are no men to ogle at you.  (If there are, you have the right to throw them out.)
• There is no one to compare yourself to. You don’t have to feel bad that you don’t already look like the aerobics instructor.
• You can sweat, grunt and groan all you want to and nobody will care.
• You won’t have to clean up somebody else’s sweat or worry about picking up someone else’s germs.
• You can listen to whatever music motivates you, watch the TV show that keeps you from focusing on that last mile, or just enjoy some peace and quiet.

Money Savings

• Compare the cost of a gym membership over the next five years to the cost of purchasing quality home fitness equipment.  A home gym will generally save you money over the long term.
• You won’t have to pay for a babysitter.
• You don’t have to pay more for extra classes. 
• You will be saving money in gas because you aren’t driving to a gym.

Variety

• You can share your workout with any one you want at any time without getting a guest pass.
• You have a variety of fitness DVDs to choose from. So if Jane Fonda starts to get on your nerves, you can eject her and switch to
  Denise Austin instead.

Home Fitness for Women

Here are a few of my favorite fitness quotes and sayings.  If you have any to add, please do so in the comments below.  Thanks!

Fitness – if it came in a bottle, everybody would have a great body.  ~Cher

I have to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I’m doing.  ~Marsha Doble

The more “buts”, the bigger the BUTT! ~Unknown

Commit to be fit.  ~Author Unknown

2 miles is 2 miles is 2 miles. ~Home Fitness for Women

Walking: the most ancient exercise and still the best modern exercise. ~Carrie Latet

Those who do not find time for exercise will have to find time for illness. ~Earl of Derby

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. ~Jim Ryun

Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness. ~Edward Stanley

One step at a time is good walking. ~Chinese Proverb

Set your goals high, and don’t stop till you get there. ~Bo Jackson

Exercise is like mouthwash. If you can feel the burn, it’s working! ~Unknown

Just Do It. ~Nike

Home Fitness for Women

When you think about how to get abs in a week, it might sound like a waste of effort. It may seem improbable, even impossible. While getting a six pack within a week isn’t likely, it is attainable under particular circumstances. For starters you have to be physically fit at the outset. If you are overweight or more than a few pounds obese then there is practically nothing you can do to get a six pack within week. Even so if you are in decent shape and are willing to put in a week of intense training and weight-reduction plan then it is possible. Learning how to get abs in a week entails studying the following techniques, and implementing them to the best of your abilities.

1. Diet. Any attempt to get abs to show up quickly is going to call for an extreme diet. The type of diet that you should follow will be difficult, and actually unhealthy and unbalanced. Even so since this is only going to be a short term diet plan the unfavorable effect on your health will be minimal. Generally you will feed your body with diet that is pure necessary protein and low in calories. You need to have virtually zero carbohydrates and as little fat as possible. In all likelihood you will be eating a diet of pure, unseasoned and flavored chicken breast. By slicing out virtually all fat and carbohydrate you will force your body to begin to utilize its stores of body fat for energy. The bad part about a diet like this is that it will likely leave you feeling tired, which is a mental hurdle that you will have to conquer if you are going to follow the rest of the steps that will show you how to get abs in a week.

2. Aerobic exercises. You need to exercise until you are exhausted, and then exercise more. Doing aerobic exercises will help you burn energy, and with a diet that is already highly restricted you should show results more rapidly. The key to losing weight is to use more calories than you consume. When you are trying to do something as extreme as studying how to get abs in a week, then you need an extreme routine. You need to push your self with aerobic workouts that push you to the edge of exhaustion.

3. Weight train. Although it is generally considered a bad idea to do resistance training every day, this type of program is the exception to the rule. When finding out how to get abs in a week you are not trying to build muscle, you are trying to burn energy. Using light weights for high reps is a great way to burn calories.

4. Rest. You will be putting your body through an ordeal if you genuinely hope to learn how to get abs in a week. In sequence for your workouts and diet to be powerful you need to sleep at least seven to eight hours a night.

5. Drink lots of water. Drinking water will give you zero calories meaning that drinking it to keep your stomach full is a good idea. While on an extreme diet you cannot have any juice, sports drinks, or dairy products. You also need to keep hydrated to enable your body to continue to function even though you push your self to the limit.

6. Keep active amongst exercises. You need to burn as many calories as you possibly can. This means that even when you are resting amongst workouts you need to keep active. Walk as much as you can, you can even do a little jogging if you think you can handle it.

7. Stay positive. What you are placing your body through is extremely hard and brutal it might even be identified as self inflicted torture. It’s important to keep yourself focused on your goal. It’s also important to bear in mind that this kind of diet and exercise program is not healthful and should never be done for long durations of time. It’s a great way to learn how to get abs in a week, but should only be done for a week at a time.

Want to find out more about how to get abs in a week, then visit Kente Wallman’s site on how to choose the best ab workout for lower abs for you.

Easy Home Exercise Gym Solutions

If sweating in public doesn’t appeal to you and you don’t want to rely on the weather for your workout, consider these benefits of a home gym: 

Convenience

• Your home gym is always open.  You can exercise at any time of day or night that fits into your schedule.
• Your home gym won’t close permanently on you without warning resulting in a loss of membership fees.  (Really!  This has happened to me!)
• You can exercise even if it is raining, snowing or too icy outside.

Time Savings

• You won’t have to waste time driving back and forth to the gym. 
• In your own home gym, there is no waiting for your favorite piece of equipment.
• You don’t have to spend time politely listening to Sally who is really only there for social activity.

Privacy

• In your own home gym, there are no men to ogle at you.  (If there are, you have the right to throw them out.)
• There is no one to compare yourself to. You don’t have to feel bad that you don’t already look like the aerobics instructor.
• You can sweat, grunt and groan all you want to and nobody will care.
• You won’t have to clean up somebody else’s sweat or worry about picking up someone else’s germs.
• You can listen to whatever music motivates you, watch the TV show that keeps you from focusing on that last mile, or just enjoy some peace and quiet.

Money Savings

• Compare the cost of a gym membership over the next five years to the cost of purchasing quality home fitness equipment.  A home gym will generally save you money over the long term.
• You won’t have to pay for a babysitter.
• You don’t have to pay more for extra classes. 
• You will be saving money in gas because you aren’t driving to a gym.

Variety

• You can share your workout with any one you want at any time without getting a guest pass.
• You have a variety of fitness DVDs to choose from. So if Jane Fonda starts to get on your nerves, you can eject her and switch to
  Denise Austin instead.

Home Fitness for Women