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| The Road to 100 Fit Tip #3, 2008 —
Short and Sweet
Pressed for time for your workouts? Here are some exercises you can do to make the most of your time when you only have a few minutes to work out.
- Major Muscle Group Exercises: Three sets of the bench press and three sets of leg presses will work almost every muscle of the upper and lower body respectively. If performed using free weights, the bench press not only works the chest and arms but, to a lesser extent, the back and shoulders as well. Leg presses work predominantly the glutes (butt) and hamstrings (back of the upper leg) but, to a lesser extent, the front of the leg and the calf. It is recommended to use a weight stack machine or a plate-loaded machine when doing leg presses. Squats are another great major muscle group exercise but can cause back injuries and are not recommended unless done with professional supervision.
- Body Exercises: Body exercises also work several muscle groups at the same time. Push-ups work the arms and chest and, when done properly, the abs, glutes, back and even the legs as the body is supposed to remain in a rigid position the entire exercise. Chin-ups work the arms, back shoulders and, to a lesser extent, the abs. Bent-leg ab crunches are excellent for the stomach muscles, of course. Three sets of each are a pretty nice little workout.
- Interval Cardio: Twenty minutes of cardio done in five minute segments, increasing intensity for each minute of the segment is an excellent way to get a great cardio workout in a minimum amount of time. For example, start at 3 miles per hour on the treadmill. After one minute speed up to 3.5. Two minutes speed up to 4. Three minutes up to 4.5, four minutes up to 5 and the fifth minute up to 5.5 miles per hour. Then go back to 3 miles an hour again for the sixth minute and start the whole sequence all over again. This concept can be applied to any piece of cardio equipment. The important thing is that you should be close to your maximum speed for the fifth minute of each segment.
So there you have it; a great workout in 30 minutes or less. You can get the Major Muscle Group Exercise workout or the Body Exercises workout done in twenty minutes or less. Obviously, if you can get in a complete workout, so much the better. But the key is to not lose ground when life gets hectic. These workouts will help you achieve that objective.
Answer to last week's fitness quiz:
What is arrhythmia?
Abnormal heart rhythms
Answer to last week's Question of the Week:
What do woman want?
K: "Treated like an equal."
J: "Love and affection."
S: "Stimulating conversation."
This week's fitness quiz:
How many hospitalize patients die each year of prescription medication?
NEW FEATURE! Question of the Week(Selected answers will be published. All answers will be posted on the Uncle Vic Message Board. Please answer in two sentences or less. Please include your first name or if you wish to remain anonymous, your intitals)
Held over from last week - What do women want?
Corny Joke of the Week:
Have you heard about the Disney virus?
It makes everything on your computer go Goofy.
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