Health and Fitness – Complete Workout at Home

For the Women: Weights = Buffing up? I don’t think so

A lot of women avoid lifting weights mainly due to the fear of bulking up and losing their femininity. Trust me; I had the same fear when I started working out and here’s the low down: the average women does not have enough testosterone to actually build this muscle. Female body builders take supplements and special nutritional diets to achieve their body type. All body types are different and yes, some women will build more muscles than others, but that is due to their genetics. I would put all those worries aside and focus on getting fit instead.

Any type of piece of equipment in a gym uses terms like sets and repetitions. A set is a group of repetitions for an exercise while a repetition is redoing a motion. When using weights, you should aim to do 3 sets of 12-15 reps. Choosing the right weight allows you to fail a rep after 15. It will take a bit of trial and error to find the perfect size for you. As soon as the weights start becoming easier, you should continually increase your weight to challenge your body—and this is where you start seeing improvements.

Workouts that you can do in your own room!

Since midterms have passed (I hope), you can now get back into shape from hermiting in your room all term! I’ve composed a list of exercises that you can do easily without the need for any special equipment.

Abs
Crunches: Lie flat on your back with your knees up and feet on the ground in a comfortable position. Place your hands in a ‘X’ position over your chest. Focus your eyes on a spot on the ceiling or wall, lift your shoulders (not head!), pull yourself forward, and breathe out. Slowly lower yourself back on the ground and repeat. (Photo: http://epicself.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/crunch.jpg)

Planks: Lie on your stomach and put your arms directly underneath your shoulders. Push yourself up, creating a 90 degree angle between your forearm and upper arm. Remember to tighten your stomach while you are doing this. Hold it for as long as you can. (Photo: http://www.project66.net/wp-filez/2008/10/front-plank-exercise-300×171.jpg)

Side Planks: Lying on one side, put your lower arm beneath you making sure that the elbow is directly under your shoulder and lift yourself up. Your other arm should be on your hip and your head should be aligned with your body. Hold this for as long as you can. (Photo: http://blstb.msn.com/i/23/D2B25F3094485F172B260A419FD54.jpg)

Lower Abs: Lying on your back again, lift up your legs together. Start from having your legs in a lower position and start raising your legs towards your head. As soon as your legs are directly above your hips, raise your hips up. Breathe out and repeat. (Photo: http://z.about.com/d/exercise/1/0/E/g/fullverticalcrunch.jpg)

Chest
Push ups: Going down on all fours, place your arms to be slightly wider and in line with your shoulders. Straighten your legs and keep your feet close together. Your head, back and legs should form a straight line. Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor and your elbows should be bent at a 45 degree angle. Raise yourself back up to starting position. (Photo: http://img2.timeinc.net/health/images/slides/push-up-biel-400×400.jpg)

Legs
Squats: Standing straight, put your arms out in front of you at shoulder level and feet a width apart, lower your body by bending your knees and pushing your hips back until the top of your thighs are parallel to the floor. Lift yourself back up to starting position.

Lunges: Place one leg in front and the other back, about 2 to 3 feet apart. Keeping your back straight, lower your body by bending your knees. Your rear knee should be very close to touching the ground. Then push your knee back up to starting position.

Calves: Using a wall, place your hands in front of you, touching the wall. Raise your body by going on your tip toes. Lower yourself. (Photo: http://img.timeinc.net/health/i/200801/10yearsthinner/slide11.jpg)