Beautiful Beach Body – Week 5

The LAST in our 5 week guide for a beautiful beach body focus is on the CHEST! So, here it is….

Top 5 tips for a firmer chest.

Working your chest will make the whole area feel much firmer, your shoulders and triceps will also get a workout when you work your chest, allowing you to burn even more calories.

What you will need

Dumbells

Body Ball

Fitness Mat

How many

Start off with 2 sets of 10 to 15 reps using a light weight, once you are able to do this comfortably move to 2 to 3 sets of 20 reps.

Exercise 1 (Works –Stomach, chest, back and arms)

Lie with your back on the Body Ball and your knees at right angles, holding a weight in each hand, extend your arms up to the ceiling with your palms facing away from you. This is your start position. Lower your arms above your head while keeping them straight. Return to the start position and repeat.

Exercise 2 (Works – Chest and Armpits)

Lie on a body ball with your head and shoulders supported and your knees at right angles. Holding a weight in each hand, extend your arms up to the ceiling with your palms facing each other (This is the start position). Keep a slight bend in your elbows, open your arms until the weights are in line with your shoulders. Return to your start position and repeat (It is important to keep your tummy and bottom tight and to keep a straight back throughout)

Exercise 3 (Works – Chest, arms and core stability)

Lie with your chest on a body ball, place your hands next to your chest on the ball, keeping your fingers spread open.  Straighten your arms and lift your body off the ball, lower with control.

Exercise 4 (Works – Chest and arms)

Lie on your back with your knees bent, holding a weight in each hand. Bring the weights up to shoulder height, with your palms facing away from you. Extend your arms up to the ceiling, lower the weights until your elbows touch the floor. Extend your arms back up to the start position and repeat.

Exercise 5 (Works –Chest and Arms)

Place a body ball firmly against a wall and lean back against it, hold a weight in each hand with your palms facing inwards. Extend your arms up until the weights meet in the middle, but don’t lock your elbows. This is the start position. Open your arms sideways ubntil the weights are level with your shoulders. Return to the start position

Beautiful Beach Body – Week 4

Abs –The miracle tummy toner

Say good bye to your muffin top and make 2011 the summer for your washboard stomach. Follow our fab Ab workout below for four weeks, eat sensibly then enjoy your newly-cinched waist in time for summer.

What You Will Need

Body Ball

Fitness Mat

Medicine Ball

How Many

Ensure you carry out the exercises in order as they are below. Repeat three times, resting for 30 seconds in between each circuit.

Exercise 1 (This will help elongate your torso and flatten your tummy) –  Reps 12

Lie on your back on the floor with your arms and legs stretched out so your body’s in a line. In one movement, lift your torso and legs up as if you were trying to reach your toes, Keep your legs straight throughout. Hold and then lower your body back slowly to the starting position. When carrying out the exercise keep your head in line with your body in order to protect your neck and keep your legs as straight as possible.

Exercise 2 (This move will tighten up the full length of your core, while targeting the muscles at the sides of your torso)  – Reps 15

Lie on your floor with your arms bent and fingers touching the sides of your head. Lift your shoulders using your abdominal muscles and twist your body so your left elbow meets your right knee. Switch sides, bringing your right elbow towards your left knee.

Exercise 3 (This move helps stabilise your spine while working your entire core) –  Reps 20 (10 each side)

Start in a press up position, forming a straight line from shoulders to ankles. Bring your right knee towards your right elbow, pause and then straighten the right knee so you’re back in the start position. Repeat and bring your right knee to your left arm and continue alternating.

Exercise 4 (This exercise targets your upper abdominals and oblique’s) – Reps 15               

Sit on a body ball and hold a medicine ball straight above your head with both hands. Walk your feet out and roll the ball beneath you until your torso is supported on the ball as a slight incline keeping your arms by your ears , contract your abdominals and curl your head, neck and shoulders blades, pause and then slowly lower to the starting position.

Exercise 5 (This stretch will relax your sciatic nerves and release tension in your back and abdominals)

Get down on the floor on your hands and knees, push your back up towards the ceiling and continue arching until you feel a gentle stretch in your back and hold for 15 seconds, then slowly lower your tummy towards the floor, raising your gaze as far as it will go.

Hold this stretch for 15 seconds and repeat three times.

Beautiful Beach Body – Week 3

Arms

Are you fed up of sporting bingo wings and feel uncomfortable with your arms on display? Then make this summer different and wear vest tops and sleeveless tops with confidence with our workout guide below on how to achieve the perfect slim and sculpted arms.

It is a myth that you need to use heavy weights in order to make your arms toned and beautiful. Muscles work in pairs -when one muscle contracts, the opposite muscle relaxes, so it is important to work opposite muscle groups in equal balance. This means when you work your biceps you need to ensure you work your triceps too.

 What you will need

Dumbbell

Body Ball

How Many?

If you are a beginner you should aim for 2 sets of 10 to 15 reps. once you are able to carry this out comfortably then increase this to 3 sets of 15 reps.

The Bingo Wing Fighter

This exercise will target the wobbly bit on the underside of your upper arm.

Stand with feet hip width apart, holding your dumbbell in each hand by your sides and squat so that your dumbbell is just in front of your feet. Return to standing position quickly pulling your dumbbells up so that they finish either side of your chin. Your elbows should be high and out to the sides, ensuring your back is kept straight throughout the exercise.

Triceps Extension

This exercise will work your triceps.

Kneel on the floor with your back straight. Hold your dumbbell in your right hand and extend it up to the ceiling. Lower the dumbbell to your shoulder blade. Extend your arm to the ceiling but be careful not to lock your elbow. Repeat exercise with your left arm.

Front Raises

This exercise will work your shoulders.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with the palm of your hand facing down. Keep your arms in front of your thighs with a slight bend in your elbows. Lift your right arm by rotating out 90 degrees (up to your shoulder height) and then lower it again with control, repeat with your left arm ensuring that your don’t swing your body to lift either of the dumbbells up. 

The Upper Arm Toner

This exercise works your triceps, biceps and also your shoulders.

Sit upright on a bodyball, with your legs slightly apart for balance. Hold your dumbbell in your right hand above your head and with your left hand on your hip. Bend your elbow and lower your dumbbell behind you, until it touches your shoulder blade. Lift back up to your starting position, repeat this for the duration of your sets of reps and then repeat with your other arm.

 

Double Punch

This exercise is great for working biceps, triceps, shoulders and also your forearms.

Sit upright on a bodyball holding a dumbbell in each hand at chin height, your arms should be bent in tight to your body. Press both dumbbells out in front of you and  repeat again. Lift both dumbbells up above your head until your arms are completely straight, palms inwards. Lower then repeat this again, This four move sequence equals one rep.

For best results

Carry out the exercises slowly; speeding up will cause you to use speed rather than your strength.

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Beautiful Beach Body – Week1

With summer fast approaching, now is the perfect time to get your body looking its very best for the beach. If the very idea of parading about in your bikini/trunks fills you with dread, then fear not -Superfitdirect will be bringing you a 5 week exercise plan, focusing on a specific area to tone each week (Bum, Legs, Arms, Abs and Chest). So start early to make the most out of your gorgeous body this summer.

 Week1 –Bootylicious  

If you don’t focus on your butt, no one else will!

You can shape and tone your bottom by doing the following exercises however used in conjunction with the elliptical machine, walking on an incline on the treadmill or by walking outdoors at a medium pace will help speed up the toning process.

Reps and Sets = 2 sets of 20 repetitions for each exercise.

Bridge- (Glutes)                 

Lie face up (a yoga mat is ideal for this due to its padding) with your arms at your side, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your hip towards the ceiling, squeezing your bottom muscles tight. Hold this position for three seconds before you lower yourself to the starting position.  

Bridge on a body ball –(Glutes, Rear thighs and Lower back)

Lie on the floor face up with a body ball in front of you. Place your arms at your side, with your palms turned down. Bend your knees and place your feet on the body ball. Lift your left foot so that your leg is straight and your knees are together. Keeping your hips level and your right foot on the body ball, raise your bottom off the floor. Slowly lower it towards the floor, pause and push your hips back into the air. Swap legs and repeat exercise.

Bottom kickback – (Glutes & Hamstrings)

Kneel on all fours on a mat, with your forearms and palms flat on the floor. Keep your back straight and slightly horizontal. Lift your left knee off the floor and raise your heel to the ceiling, then lower the knee and cross it behind your right leg, before returning to the start. Continue with the left leg for 30 seconds then switch to the right for a further 30 seconds.

Kneeling side kick-(Glutes)

Kneel on all fours and extend your left leg sideways, tilting your head and body to the left. Lift your left leg of the floor to hip level. Bend and straighten your knee to perform a kicking move, complete one set and repeat on the right leg.

Step ups –(Thighs and Glutes)

Stand at the bottom of a stairs and put your right foot on the second step. Push up through your thighs and lift your left leg onto the second step. Reverse the movement and return to the start position, repeat the exercise with the opposite leg.

Make sure you carry out the exercises slowly and don’t use momentum.

5 Exercise Tips To Tone And Define Your Arms For The Summer

If you’re looking for toned arms that you won’t mind flaunting this summer, then have a look at our workout plan, they will have your arms looking shapely and toned in no time at all.

Muscles work in pairs so when one muscle is contracting the other muscle is relaxing, therefore it is important to work opposite muscle groups.

What you will need

Dumbbell

Body Ball

How Many?

If you are a beginner you should aim for 2 sets of 10 to 15 reps. once you are able to carry this out comfortably then increase this to 3 sets of 15 reps.

The Bingo Wing Fighter

This exercise will target the wobbly bit on the underside of your upper arm.

Stand with feet hip width apart, holding your dumbbell in each hand by your sides and squat so that your dumbbell is just in front of your feet. Return to standing position quickly pulling your dumbbells up so that they finish either side of your chin. Your elbows should be high and out to the sides, ensuring your back is kept straight through out the exercise.

 

Triceps Extension

This exercise will work your triceps.

 

Kneel on the floor with your back straight. Hold your dumbbell in your right hand and extend it up to the ceiling. Lower the dumbbell to your shoulder blade. Extend your arm to the ceiling but be careful not to lock your elbow. Repeat exercise with your left arm.

Front Raises

This exercise will work your shoulders.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with the palm of your hand facing down. Keep your arms in front of your thighs with a slight bend in your elbows. Lift your right arm by rotating out 90 degrees (up to your shoulder height) and then lower it again with control, repeat with your left arm ensuring that your don’t swing your body to lift either of the dumbbells up. 

The Upper Arm Toner

This exercise works your triceps, biceps and also your shoulders.

Sit upright on a bodyball, with your legs slightly apart for balance. Hold your dumbbell in your right hand above your head and with your left hand on your hip. Bend your elbow and lower your dumbbell behind you, until it touches your shoulder blade. Lift back up to your starting position, repeat this for the duration of your sets of reps and then repeat with your other arm. 

Double Punch

This exercise is great for working biceps, triceps, shoulders and also your forearms.

Sit upright on a bodyball holding a dumbbell in each hand at chin height, your arms should be bent in tight to your body. Press both dumbbells out in front of you and  repeat again. Lift both dumbbells up above your head until your arms are completely straight, palms inwards. Lower then repeat this again, This four move sequence equals one rep.

For best results

Carry out the exercises slowly; speeding up will cause you to use speed rather than your strength.