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HIIT Workouts For Women: Strength Training and Cardio in One Quick Exercise Session

Holly Smith, M.D. — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 01:00:00 +0000

Variety is the spice of life, and HIIT workouts for women are a great way to add variations to your weekly exercise plan!

Whether you have time to get to the gym or not, the hectic schedule of a busy mom means you need an efficient workout that will hit multiple muscle groups and burn calories in a short period of time.

There are a number of HIIT workouts for women, from beginner to advanced, that can be done at home, or even in your backyard.

High-Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, is a great way to maintain both your cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength. Performing these exercises at your highest capacity with minimal rest has been shown to result in a high level of aerobic and anaerobic fitness gains.

Plus, you can target all of your major muscle groups with exercises like push-ups, squats, and plank workouts. This allows you to combine both strength training and cardio in one quick workout.

While HIIT may seem intimidating at first, these workouts can be tailored to any level of fitness. So get started today with some of these awesome HIIT workouts for women!

This 15-minute HIIT workout for women can be done at home with no equipment!

The Benefits of HIIT Workouts For Women

Studies have shown that high-intensity interval training had a greater impact on both the aerobic and anaerobic systems. This is why HIIT training has become so popular.

It dispels the myth that you need to work out for hours on end to improve your cardiovascular fitness. As long as you really push yourself to your limits during these shortened interval workouts, you can still see substantial gains.

There is more to HIIT training than just cardiovascular benefits. You can do pretty much any exercise you choose during the intervals! This lets you train multiple muscle groups while you gain strength and lean muscle.

Any workout is going to burn calories; however, the higher the intensity of the workout, the more calories you will continue to burn, even after the workout has ended. This is called Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption, or EPOC for short.

So if you are short on time, the key is to really up the intensity. This ensures that even a workout that is low in minutes will be high in strength building.

One study showed that two minutes of sprint intervals produced similar post-exercise oxygen consumption compared to 30 minutes of continuous running at a lower intensity. This is important when you have minimal time but want to achieve the same fitness goals.

HIIT Workout Warmup

Perform each move for 30 seconds.

Rest for one minute, then repeat for a quick five-minute warm-up.

High Knees

Stand upright and place your feet hip-width apart.
Place your hands near your waist with your palms down.
Drive your right knee up to meet your right hand, then bring the same leg back to the ground and immediately bring the left knee up to meet your left hand.
Continue to alternate knees with a hopping motion, staying on the balls of your feet.

Jumping Jacks

Stand with your feet together and arms at your side.
In one motion, jump your feet out to the sides and raise your arms above your head.
Immediately reverse the motion back to the starting position.

Butt Kickers

Stand up straight with your legs slightly wider than your hips.
Bring your right heel off the floor toward your glutes.
At the same time, match this movement with your left hand coming up towards your shoulder like you’re running.
As soon as your right leg comes back to the floor, bring your left leg up in the same manner.
Continue alternating this running motion.

High Knee With Oblique Twist

Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Bend your elbows and bring your fists up near your chin.
Drive your right knee up while twisting your torso to the right, bringing your right knee to meet your left elbow.
Immediately repeat with the left knee meeting your right elbow and do this in a hopping motion while staying on the balls of your feet.

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Beginner HIIT Workout

If you are just starting out on your fitness journey, you want to begin at a lower intensity and with simple movements to avoid injury. Since this is a beginner HIIT workout, the intervals will be shorter with longer rest periods.

But, make sure that you are pushing it as hard as you can go to still challenge yourself. For each exercise, perform the movement with as many reps as possible for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds.

Burpees

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Squat down and place your hands on the floor.
Kick back into a push-up position.
Do one push-up.
Jump your legs back to a squat and jump up, throwing your hands above your head.
Land and repeat.
You can perform these with or without a push-up. As your fitness increases, try adding in the push-up.

Squat Jumps

Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Hinge at the hips to push your butt back and lower down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Explode off the floor and jump as high as you can.
Allow your knees to bend 45 degrees when you land, and then immediately drop back down into a squat, and jump again.

Flutter Kicks

Lie on your back and extend your legs up to a 45-degree angle.
Keep your arms straight and in line with the floor, palms facing down.
Lift your upper body off the ground.
While keeping your legs straight, begin alternating each leg up and down in a flutter motion.
Try to maintain this motion for the entire 30 seconds.

Push-Ups

Start in a plank position, with your shoulders over your wrists and legs out behind you.
Contract your abdominal muscles and keep your back straight.
As you lower and exhale, bend your elbows outward to the sides.
If you cannot do these on your feet, you can start on your knees.
Eventually, you will be able to perform the standard push-ups as your strength increases.

After completing this circuit, rest for a full minute. Then repeat the circuit two more times.

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Intermediate HIIT Workout

Once you have mastered the beginner HIIT workout, you can move on to this slightly more intense workout. With these exercises, perform the movement again for 30 seconds, but decrease your rest time to 20 seconds before moving to the next move.

Alternating Jump Lunges

Start in a split stance position with your hands on your hips and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle with your right leg forward.
Lower your left knee down while bringing your right thigh parallel to the floor in a lunge position.
Push off the ground, jump, and switch the position of your legs while in mid-air, landing into the lunge position with the left leg forward.
Repeat, switching legs on each jump.

Side to Side Push-Ups

Start in a push-up position.
Move to the right with your right arm and right leg while bending at the elbows to lower your chest to the ground in a push-up.
Extend your arms to return to the top.
Then repeat to the left side.
Continue alternating sides.

Lateral Skaters

Start with your legs slightly wider than shoulder distance apart and arms at the sides.
Bring your left leg at a slight angle into a reverse lunge with the right knee at a 90-degree angle.
Swing the arms in front of that bent knee and leap the back leg forward in a skating motion.
Alternate your arms and legs as you switch sides like a speed skater.

Mountain Climbers

Start in a push-up position.
Bring your right knee forward under your chest, then return the leg back.
Switch legs, bringing the left knee forward.
Keep switching legs and pick up the pace until it feels a little like running in place in a plank position.

After completing this circuit, rest for a full minute. Then repeat the circuit two more times.

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Advanced HIIT Workout

If you have been working out for years and want to really challenge yourself with some heart-pumping HIIT, then look no further than this advanced HIIT workout for women. Not only are the exercises a bit more advanced, but you are also going to increase the interval time and decrease the rest time.

Tuck Jumps

Hold your hands in front of you at chest height with your palms down.
Dip down into a quarter squat and immediately jump upward.
Drive the knees towards the chest, attempting to touch them to the palms of your hands.
Then land by re-extending your legs with knees slightly bent.
Repeat as quickly as possible for 30 seconds.

Side to Side Plank Abs

Start in a plank position.
Hop both feet up to the right, trying to bring your knees to the outside of your right elbow.
Hop back into a plank position, then bring your knees to the left.
Continue alternating sides.

V-Push-Ups

Start in a push-up position and then lift up your hips up so that your body forms an upside-down V.
Keep your legs and arms straight.
Bend your elbows and lower your upper body until the top of your head nearly touches the floor.
Pause, and then push yourself back up until your arms are straight.

Russian Twist

Sit on the ground with your knees bent and your heels about a foot from your butt while holding a dumbbell in both hands.
Lean slightly back without rounding your back.
Twist slowly to the left, bringing the weight to your left side.
Then rotate to the right with the weight.
Continue alternating sides.
Make sure you are using your abs and not just swinging your arms.
You can do this with your feet on the ground, or hover the feet above the ground for a challenge.

After completing this circuit, rest for a full minute. Then repeat the circuit two more times.

Cool Down

After all of these HIIT workouts, you want to be sure to include a five to 10-minute cool-down that includes some static stretches that focus on the upper and lower body.

This HIIT workout for women without weights is one of our favorite quick workouts to burn fat and build muscle!

Holly Smith, M.D.

B.S. Dietetics, NASM-PES Certified Trainer

Writer, Fit Mother Project

Holly is an osteopathic physician, runner, triathlete, and fitness and nutrition enthusiast.

She is board certified in nephrology and internal medicine, has a bachelors degree in dietetics and is a certified personal trainer with NASM-PES certification.

Holly has completed four full ironmans, twelve marathons, countless half ironmans, olympic distance triathlons, half marathons and numerous other road races.

Holly joined the Fit Father Project in May 2019 as a regular writer, contributing articles on health, wellness, exercise, and nutrition.

She has also recently qualified for the 2020 World Championships for Ironman 70.3, in New Zealand!

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive:

Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

The FOUNDATIONS Program is created by Dr. Anthony Balduzzi for Women 40+ who want Lifelong Health.

In just 6-Weeks following FOUNDATIONS, you'll experience:

Rapid decrease in body fat
Dramatically improved energy levels
Greater mental sharpness & clarity
Muscle gains & better cardiovascular fitness
Decreased inflammation & pain
Renewed motivation & greater focus on health.

FOUNDATIONS has transformed 60,000 lives! Are you ready to experience true lasting health & results?

If you're tired of “fad diets” & “quick fixes” and you're ready for REAL TRANSFORMATION, then FOUNDATIONS is your answer (learn more) »

*Please know that weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info on HIIT workouts for women.

The post HIIT Workouts For Women: Strength Training and Cardio in One Quick Exercise Session appeared first on The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+.

Full Body Workouts For Women: Shape Up In 30 Minutes Or Less!

Dr. Anthony Balduzzi — Wed, 09 Aug 2023 01:00:26 +0000

Looking for the most efficient way to tone yourself from head to toe? All you need are 30 minutes and a full-body workout for women!

I don't know about you, but one of my top goals at the gym is efficiency. Between work, kids, and life, most of us don't have the luxury to spend more than 30 minutes to an hour working out.

This can be discouraging if you're under the impression that it takes hours at the gym to look toned and tight.

But the truth is, all you need is 30 minutes and the right full-body workout for women!

Anyone who tells you that in order to fatigue your muscles, you need to dedicate yourself to leg days, arm days, and so on, is just wrong … and probably doesn't have kids!

When you engage all your muscle groups in one gym trip, you're able to leave with the confidence that you've completed a thorough workout. With full-body workouts, you're able to work out your muscle groups more frequently throughout the week. Much more than if you were segmenting your workouts.

Let us show you how full-body workouts for women are the most efficient way to tone yourself from head to toe!

This full-body workout for women can be done at home with no equipment!

What Makes a Good Full Body Workout?

The exercises that make up full-body workouts for women actually look a bit different than other workouts. The secret to full-body workouts is compound movements, which are exercises that work multiple muscle groups at one time.

Compound Movements

Compound movements are the darling of the fitness world. Compound movements tend to be more natural movements that you use in your daily life, like squats and deadlifts.

How many times do you squat or bend down to pick up clothes or toys? Point made.

Aside from being natural movements, compound movements have the added benefit of getting your heart rate up and allowing you to lift heavier weights.

Additional benefits of compound movements include:

Better coordination and sense of balance
Burns more calories
Strengthens you for real-world activities
Decreased time to complete a full-body workout
Increased joint health
Reduces the chances of sports-related injuries
Provides cardiovascular benefits
Builds strength faster

Isolation Exercises

Isolation exercises are the opposite of compound movements. These intentionally work one muscle or muscle group at a time. The majority of gym machines are meant for isolation exercises, like the leg extension machine or the fly machine.

While isolation exercises would not be our choice when building a time-efficient full-body workout for women, they do have their benefits!

Isolation exercises let you focus and burn out specific muscle groups, allowing you to really hone in on the perfect form, use incremental weights, and perform reps to muscle fatigue. In fact, isolation exercises are often used in physical therapy so that the user can rebuild strength in specific areas.

Try this full-body dumbbell workout for women — all you need is a set of dumbbells and some floor space!

Full Body Workouts For Women

Now that you know the benefits of a full-body workout for women that includes compound movements, we'll take you through some of our favorites. You'll notice many of the classics here. When it comes to working out, it can be tempting to try the latest crazes and contortionist-like movements. But in reality, the staples really do the best job.

Squat

Squats help to strengthen the hamstrings, quads, glutes, and lower back.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Lower your body as if you were sitting in a chair, butt first.
Do this by thrusting your hips back with bent knees.
With weight in your heels, push yourself back up to standing and squeeze your glutes at the top.

Once you've mastered a basic squat, hold dumbbells in both your hands. When you come up from a squat, push both palms to the ceiling to complete a shoulder press.

Deadlift

Deadlifts strengthen your hamstrings, quads, abs, and back.

Take a barbell or two dumbbells in your hands with your palms facing your quads.
With your feet at a shoulder-width distance and your knees slightly bent, bend your hips with a straight back.
Keep bending slowly until your chest is almost parallel to the floor.
Once at your lowest point, slowly return to your initial standing position.
Remember to keep your knees slightly bent the entire time and to keep your back straight, with your shoulders back and down.

Once you've mastered this, after completing a deadlift, pull your barbell or dumbbells up from your thighs to your upper chest, completing a standing row.

Bench Press

Bench presses work your chest muscles, triceps, and shoulder muscles.

Lie on a bench with your feet flat on the floor for balance.
Your back can have a slight arch to it as long as you feel comfortable.
Grab either a barbell or two dumbbells in your hands with your knuckles facing the ceiling and your upper arms at a 45-degree angle from the body.
When ready, push the weights to the ceiling so your arms are extended.
Lower the weights back down above your chest and repeat.

If you're feeling well balanced, you can raise a single leg so that it's parallel with the floor during bench presses. This introduces a bit of core to your chest workout.

Bridge

Bridges allow you to tone your upper back, glutes, and hamstrings with a low-impact movement.

Begin by lying on your back on a mat.
Bend your knees so that your feet are less than a foot in front of your glutes.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
Press into your feet so that your glute comes up into the air and your weight is distributed evenly between your heels and your upper shoulders.
When you lift and squeeze your butt in a bridge, extend your arms and push the dumbbells towards the ceiling.
Bring the dumbbells back towards your ears and lower your glutes.

Once you've mastered the bridges, extend one leg straight while you come up into your bridge. This will focus your weight on one leg.

Curtsy Lunge

Lunges tone your glutes, hamstrings, calves, and inner and outer thighs.

Step your right leg back and towards the left, landing with your right knee bent and your weight in the ball of your right foot.
Bend into your right knee and straighten, bringing your right foot back into a regular standing position
Repeat on the other side.

Once you've mastered the curtsy lunge, repeat the movements but with dumbbells in both hands. When you come back into the standing position, curl the dumbbells in front of you for a bicep curl.

Check out this full-body resistance band workout!

Maxing Out Your Workout

The compound exercises that we listed are all great introductions to a full-body workout. In order to make sure you max yourself out, pay attention to the weights that you're using.

It's essential to be able to do the exercises with proper form, but it is good to become fatigued by the end of your sets. This means that you're at a challenging weight, and gives your body something to work toward.

Knowing that our intention is to provide you with a time-efficient and challenging workout, try to time yourself on how long it takes you to get through these workouts.

If you spend over an hour at the gym, you may be doing your reps too slowly or resting for too long between sets. Pay attention to how you feel at and after the gym to make sure that you're working at a pace that is both challenging but also safe.

Dr. Anthony Balduzzi

Founder, Fit Mother Project & Fit Father Project

After watching his own Dad lose his health and pass away at the young age of 42, Dr. Balduzzi founded The Fit Mother Project and Fit Father Project to help busy moms and dads get and stay healthy for their families.

Dr. Anthony Balduzzi holds dual degrees in Psychology & Nutrition from the University of Pennsylvania, a Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine, and is also a former national champion bodybuilder. He’s is most proud of the fact that he’s helped over 40,000 families in over 100 countries lose weight and get healthy for life.

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive:

Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

The FOUNDATIONS Program is created by Dr. Anthony Balduzzi for Women 40+ who want Lifelong Health.

In just 6-Weeks following FOUNDATIONS, you'll experience:

Rapid decrease in body fat
Dramatically improved energy levels
Greater mental sharpness & clarity
Muscle gains & better cardiovascular fitness
Decreased inflammation & pain
Renewed motivation & greater focus on health.

FOUNDATIONS has transformed 60,000 lives! Are you ready to experience true lasting health & results?

If you're tired of “fad diets” & “quick fixes” and you're ready for REAL TRANSFORMATION, then FOUNDATIONS is your answer (learn more) »

The post Full Body Workouts For Women: Shape Up In 30 Minutes Or Less! appeared first on The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+.

Weight Training for Women Over 40

Holly Smith, M.D. — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 01:00:58 +0000

When many women think about working out, the first thing that comes to mind is cardio. Weight training for women over 40 is typically the last thing that comes to mind.

Walking, running, biking or high-intensity aerobic workout classes are typically what many women will turn to when starting an exercise program.

Cardio is an excellent way to gain cardiovascular fitness and burn calories.

However, strength training with weights is another crucial part of any fitness regimen.

There is the misconception that lifting weights is only for hardcore bodybuilders, or if you do it, you'll get big, bulky muscles.

But the truth is, strength training is essential for overall health and fitness, body image, weight loss, and injury prevention.

Keep reading to learn how you can get started with weight training for women over 40 today!

Just getting started? Check out these beginner strength training workouts for women!

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Improving Health With Weight Training

In regards to overall health, strength training has also been found to decrease the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Since these diseases are more prevalent in the aging and sedentary population, you can see why strength training is so important later in life.

Strength training also has been shown to improve body image in women.

This psychological benefit of weight training is just as important as the physical benefits.

Being physically stronger and looking good in the mirror are great motivators to continue pushing yourself to your fitness goals.

Discover all the benefits of weight lifting for women!

Burning Calories With Weight Training

While cardio gets a lot of recognition for being a calorie burner, the truth is weight training is just as, if not more, important for weight loss.

As women get older, lean muscle mass tends to decrease, something known as sarcopenia.

This decrease in muscle mass is what causes your metabolism to slow.

However, research has shown that this loss in lean muscle mass is not solely due to aging, but is related more to muscle disuse and a sedentary lifestyle.

One study looking at older individuals that exercised on a regular basis found that lean muscle mass did not decrease, showing that chronic exercise can help preserve lean muscle mass.

The solution then is to weight train to increase lean mass and boost your metabolic rate and calorie-burning potential.

This means that even when you leave the gym, your body will continue to burn calories at a higher rate.

Learn why strength training is important to combat muscle loss and promote longevity!

Components of a Complete Weight Training Program

A good weight training program will include movements to target all areas of the body.

You don’t want to focus all of your strength training on just the upper body while neglecting the legs and core.

A strength training program needs to be comprehensive and target the muscles at different angles and at different intensities to be the most beneficial.

The Fit Mom Jumpstart is a great place to start.

With this three-day program, you will get an introduction to a startup diet and exercise plan to begin you on the road to health and fitness.

As mentioned above, you really need to include a number of different strength and resistance moves to work the entire body.

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Weight Training For Women Over 40

Here are some of the essentials to weight training for women over 40.

These have been broken down by muscle group to emphasize the area of the body worked.

Legs

Leg Presses: While the leg press machine does not force you to engage your core as much as free weight exercises such as squats and lunges, it can definitely be an effective leg exercise. This is especially true if you are new to weight training. It will reduce strain on the low back and keep the focus on the quads, hamstrings, and glutes.
Squats (Barbell or Dumbbell): Squats will really target your glutes, quads, and hamstrings and will also force you to engage your core during the full range of motion. Because you are using free weights your smaller stabilizing muscles will be activated to a greater degree than with the machine leg press. Be sure to maintain proper form throughout the movement. You can start with no weight at first and gradually add weight as you perfect your form and gain strength.
Dumbbell Lunges: You can do lunges either by walking across a room, or you can stay in place and alternate legs depending on how much space you have. Again, start out either with light dumbbells or no weight and slowly increase the weight as you build up your leg muscles. Stabilizing your body with one leg during the push-off phase of lunges really activates your glutes and hamstrings to a greater degree.
Romanian Deadlift: This variation of the deadlift is a great way for beginners to master the deadlift form while working the glutes and hamstrings. You can use a barbell, dumbbells, or even kettlebells for this exercise. Calf Raises: It’s important to not forget the calves when performing lower body workouts. Try these with your toes pointed forward, out, and in to work these muscles from all angles and get sculpted calves.

Shoulders

Standing Shoulder Press with Dumbbells: This will target mainly your middle and anterior deltoids, but also your chest, traps, and triceps to a smaller degree. Standing while doing this movement will force you to engage your core muscles as well.
Dumbbell Lateral Raises: Here you will really target your lateral deltoids along with your anterior deltoids and traps to a lesser degree.
Bent-Over Dumbbell Fly: It is important to hit all sides of the shoulder with weight training moves. Here you will target the posterior deltoids to really round out the shoulders and improve your physique.

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Biceps

Preacher Curls: This exercise is great because it will strengthen the brachialis muscle or lower part of the biceps. By doing the curls on a preacher bench you won’t be able to swing the arms and use momentum to gain assistance from the shoulders or back muscles. This really forces you to have good form and work only the targeted muscles.
Alternating Supination Curls: By adding a supinating motion to the standard bicep curl you will also work the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles. This will help increase muscle strength and fill out the muscles in your arms.
Hammer Curls: This curl variation will strengthen the biceps and forearm. Again, working the muscles from different angles is crucial to develop balanced strength in fitness.

Triceps

Tricep Kickbacks: This is a simple and effective exercise that will strengthen and sculpt the back of the arms and also your core muscles as you stabilize your body during the movement.
Tricep Rope Push-Down: Many people perform this exercise standing straight up with their elbows locked to their sides. However, to really work all three heads of the triceps muscles, lean your body forward about 30-40 degrees during this movement. Pull your arms down until they form a 90-degree angle with your body and then drive your arms down until they are perpendicular to the floor. This will ensure you are working all three heads of the triceps through their entire range of motion.
Weighted Tricep Chair Dips: Once you have mastered bodyweight chair dips, try the exercise with a weight plate on your lap while you complete this exercise. It will add a new challenge and really build up the triceps muscles.

Back

Bent-Over Barbell Row: This is a great move to target the lats and rhomboids. Contracting and engaging your core while in the bent-over position makes this another perfect exercise to hit multiple muscle groups.
Lat Pull Downs: Another simple lat exercise that gives you a ton of bang for your buck. Make sure not to use body momentum to pull down the bar. Complete this exercise in a slow and controlled manner with a slight pause at the bottom to get the most out of the movement.
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row: Rowing exercises are the best way to strengthen the back muscles, and once again you will be hitting the large latissimus dorsi along with the rhomboids and traps.
Pull-Ups: This is the gold standard for back exercises, and is an excellent way to stimulate multiple muscles in the upper body. The lats are the main muscle worked, however, you will also activate the muscles in the rotator cuff, triceps, biceps, and even the pectoralis muscles in the chest. Many women that are just beginning a workout plan are intimidated by pull-ups, but don’t be! The above exercises will strengthen the back muscles as you work your way up to doing pull-ups. You can modify the pull-ups by using assistance from a pull-up machine, bands, or a spotter.

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Building Strength After 40

Building and maintaining lean muscle mass is important at any age, but this becomes even more crucial as women age and lean body mass begins to decline.

Weight training for women over 40 will help you gain muscle strength and allow you to perform everyday activities independently and confidently.

A strong physique will lower your risk for musculoskeletal injuries and strength training can help decrease the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Plus having a strong, toned body will have you looking great and feeling like you are in the best shape of your life.

Try adding some of the above weight training exercises to your routine.

You can use these exercises during a full-body workout by choosing one exercise from each muscle group and cycling through.

Or, you can choose to focus on one or two areas in one session and choose two or three moves from each category.

It is important to adapt your workout plan to your level of fitness and comfort.

It is also important to adjust your routine based on your specific goals.

Holly Smith, M.D.

B.S. Dietetics, NASM-PES Certified Trainer

Writer, Fit Mother Project

Holly is an osteopathic physician, runner, triathlete, and fitness and nutrition enthusiast.

She is board certified in nephrology and internal medicine, has a bachelors degree in dietetics and is a certified personal trainer with NASM-PES certification.

Holly has completed four full ironmans, twelve marathons, countless half ironmans, olympic distance triathlons, half marathons and numerous other road races.

Holly joined the Fit Father Project in May 2019 as a regular writer, contributing articles on health, wellness, exercise, and nutrition.

She has also recently qualified for the 2020 World Championships for Ironman 70.3, in New Zealand!

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive:

Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

The FOUNDATIONS Program is created by Dr. Anthony Balduzzi for Women 40+ who want Lifelong Health.

In just 6-Weeks following FOUNDATIONS, you'll experience:

Rapid decrease in body fat
Dramatically improved energy levels
Greater mental sharpness & clarity
Muscle gains & better cardiovascular fitness
Decreased inflammation & pain
Renewed motivation & greater focus on health.

FOUNDATIONS has transformed 60,000 lives! Are you ready to experience true lasting health & results?

If you're tired of “fad diets” & “quick fixes” and you're ready for REAL TRANSFORMATION, then FOUNDATIONS is your answer (learn more) »

The post Weight Training for Women Over 40 appeared first on The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+.

Workouts for Women Over 50: Trim the Fat and Get Fit!

Holly Smith, M.D. — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 01:00:13 +0000

Want to maintain strength, cardiovascular fitness, and flexibility for years to come? Start with these workouts for women over 50!

Try as we might, we cannot stop time from passing and our bodies from aging.

As women get older, natural shifts in hormones and body composition can lead to overall changes in health and fitness.

Even as early as age 30, women’s lean body mass begins to decrease.

With age comes a decrease in metabolic rate and often weight gain.

Joints become stiffer, flexibility is reduced, and the body can become more prone to injuries.

Don't let these changes stop you from adopting a healthy lifestyle!

Workouts for women over 50 keep these changes in mind while remaining challenging enough to build strength and endurance.

Learn more and get started today!

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Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
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Daily Accountability & Coaching

What Makes a Good Workout?

When many women think of exercise and physical activity, the first thing that comes to mind is cardio — things like running, biking, swimming, or using the elliptical at the gym.

While these activities are excellent for strengthening the cardiovascular system, one area that is often overlooked in older women is the importance of strength training.

This doesn’t mean you have to be pumping iron and bodybuilding.

What it does mean is using resistance training — whether it be with free weights, bands, or simply your own bodyweight to build stronger muscles and increase lean body mass.

An increase in lean body mass will increase your metabolic rate and allow you to burn more calories throughout the day.

Additionally, stronger muscles will allow you to perform everyday activities with ease and confidence.

Going up and down stairs, lifting boxes, carrying groceries, or doing yard work are all activities that require strength and endurance.

In addition, research has shown that higher lean body mass is associated with improved bone density, making it a target in reducing osteoporosis.

By putting together a strength and conditioning plan that fits your goals you can maintain the life you love, build a healthier body, and even strive for new goals in your pursuit of fitness.

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Where to Start?

For many women that are getting back into exercise, finding the motivation to start can be the hardest part.

The key is to make sure that you choose exercises that you enjoy and that also fit your current level of fitness.

It’s much better to start slowly and work your way up than to overdo things and end up injured and unable to work out at all.

Starting out with just 20-30 minutes a day with some basic stretching and resistance work is a perfect way to set you on the path to continued health and fitness.

For example, here is a 30-minute full-body workout, specifically designed for women over 50 that are just getting back into a fitness program.

Warm-Up for the Workout

Start out with 2-3 minutes of light cardio to get your heart rate slightly elevated.

This could be walking or jogging on the treadmill, using a rowing machine, exercise bike, elliptical, or even just jogging in place.

Arm Circles

Bring your arms up and straight out to the sides.
Make small circles in the air by gently rotating your shoulders forward for 15 seconds, then backward for 15 seconds.
Then make larger circles, forward for 15 seconds, then again backward for 15 seconds.
This will get your rotator cuff muscles around your shoulder warmed up and ready for upper body exercises.

Here are 10 stretches you should be doing every day!

Strength Training Workouts for Women Over 50

For each move, aim for at least two sets as you are first starting, and then try to increase this to three sets as you develop more strength and fitness.

Air Squats

This exercise, using only your body weight, will work your large leg muscles.

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Slowly bend your knees and squat down.
Try to come down until your butt is parallel to the floor, however only go down as far as is comfortable.
Push your heels into the ground and stand back up.
Repeat this 10-12 times.

Kneeling Push-Up

This exercise will target your chest and triceps.

Kneel down on a mat in the push-up position, with your hands below your shoulders.
Bend your elbows and bring your chest down as close to the ground as possible.
Try to avoid your back dipping.
Straighten your elbows and push back up.
Repeat this 10-12 times.

Chair/Bench Dips

You can use either a chair or workout bench for this great tricep exercise.

Sit on the edge of the bench with your legs straight out in front of you.
Your heels should touch the ground and your toes should be pointing up.
Place your hands six inches apart from your body and firmly grip the edges of the bench.
Placing your weight on your hands, slide your butt just off the front of the bench.
Bend your elbows and lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
Push back up for one rep.
Repeat this 10-12 times.

Seated Overhead Shoulder Press

For this shoulder move, start on a bench with an upright back for added support.

Hold a light dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height with your palms facing away from you.
Keep your core engaged and look straightforward throughout the move.
Press the weights directly upwards until your arms are straight and the weights touch above your head.
Slowly lower the weights back to the start position, pause, then start the next rep.
Repeat 10-12 times.

Standing Bicep Curls

Now let's sculpt those guns!

Stand with feet about shoulder-width apart with a dumbbell in each hand.
Curl the right arm up and then back down to the starting position, then follow with curling the left arm up.
Repeat 10-12 times on each side.

Planking

The ultimate core strengthening move!

Start out laying on a mat with your forearms flat on the ground, elbows under your shoulders.
Engage your core and raise your body up off the floor, keeping your forearms on the floor and your body in a straight line from head to feet.
Keep your abdominals engaged and try not to let your hips rise or drop.
Start out by just trying to hold this position for ten seconds.
Gradually add on time, holding for as long as possible while maintaining good form.

This workout is just one example of a way to put together a quick full-body exercise plan that is low in impact, but great for building muscle and increasing lean body mass.

Try incorporating it into your weekly plan as you start on the road to improved health and fitness.

This full-body workout for women over 50 is easy on the body and helps to strengthen bones and muscles.

Cooldown/Stretch

After any workout, it’s important to end with an easy cooldown and stretch.

Quad Pulls

Stand with your left arm holding a chair for balance and support.
Next, bend your right knee and hold your right foot in your right hand.
Hold for 20-30 seconds then switch to the left leg and hold for 20-30 seconds.

Calf Stretch

Stand with your hands in front of you and touch a wall.
Place the right foot behind you with the toe pointing forward.
Lean forward to stretch the leg muscle, and hold the position for 20 to 30 seconds.
Next, switch legs.

Overhead Triceps Stretch

Raise your left arm to the ceiling, then bend the elbow and bring down the hand until it touches the middle of your back.
Raise your right arm to the ceiling, then bend the elbow until the right hand is touching the left elbow.
Pull lightly on the left elbow to stretch the muscles in the arms.
Hold for 20 seconds then switch sides.

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Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
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Fat Burning Workouts for Women Over 50

While strength training has been shown to be great for improving bone density and lean body mass in older women, there are numerous other exercises that are important for cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, and balance.

Incorporating aspects in each area of fitness will allow you to form a complete exercise program.

You can also break down your exercises based on your fitness goals.

While it’s great to incorporate activities from each area of fitness-strength, cardio, and flexibility-you may have specific goals that you are looking to address.

For instance, you may be focused more on fat burning rather than muscle building.

In this case, combining slightly more cardio and compound exercises may help you achieve these goals more quickly.

By building muscle and increasing lean body mass, you will be burning more calories at rest as well.

Therefore, fat loss and muscle building are never mutually exclusive.

Any cardiovascular activity that gets the heart pumping is going to allow you to burn calories both during and after exercise.

As women get older, lower impact exercises are a great way to maintain joint health and minimize injury.

Swimming or Water Aerobics

This is an excellent exercise that will work the heart and lungs while giving your lower body joints a rest.

This is a whole-body workout that will work the legs, arms, shoulders, back, and core as well.

Cycling

Either outdoors, at the gym on your own, or during a spin class, you can burn some major calories on the bike.

This is great in improving endurance and working the legs while minimizing stress on the knees.

Walking/Jogging/Running

Even as we age it is still important to continue with weight-bearing exercises as this will also help reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

If you have knee or ankle issues, walking may be a better option.

But there is no reason to not jog or run later in life if you don’t have disabling joint issues.

As long as you have the proper shoes and form, running is a safe physical activity at any age.

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Additional Strength Training/Muscle Building Exercises

The above cardiovascular workouts are great for improving overall health and burning calories.

As mentioned previously, improving lean body mass with strength training is one of the best ways to increase metabolic rate, burn calories and fat, and ensure lifelong fitness.

Additionally, studies have shown that higher lean body mass is strongly associated with higher bone density in postmenopausal women.

I have listed the following under strength training/muscle building exercises, but these will also burn fat as well.

Push-Ups
Overhead Shoulder Press
Air Squats
Dumbbell Squats
Tricep Kickbacks
Chair Dips
Bicep Curls
Planks

Flexibility/Stretches

Flexibility is another area of fitness that may sometimes go overlooked but is just as important as improving body composition.

Maintaining healthy joints, tendons, and ligaments improves overall health and will allow you to perform everyday activities to their highest level.

Yoga is one great way to improve flexibility. Some other basic stretching exercises you can do at home include:

Seated Hamstring Stretch
Standing Quadriceps Pulls
Standing Calf Stretch
Overhead Triceps Stretch
Standing Hamstring Stretch
Cross Leg Glute Stretch

Balance Training

Finally, balance training is something that especially comes into play as women age.

Having a good balance will help prevent falls and maintain confidence in everyday activities.

Some good balance exercises to start off with include:

Single-Leg Balance

Stand on one leg and try to hold this for 10-15 seconds.
Repeat on the other side.
Each week try to increase the amount of time you are able to hold this position.

Heel to Toe Walks

Walk heel to toe for 20 steps forward.
Then walk toe to heel for 20 steps back.

Foot Taps

Stand in front of a low step with feet shoulder-width apart.
Bring your right foot up to the step then back down.
Repeat 15-20 times on the right, then switch and repeat 15-20 times on the left.

Standing Marches

Stand and bring your right leg up, keeping your knee bent as if marching, and touch your right hand.
Bring the leg back down and switch to the left knee and left hand.
Continue alternating marches for 15-20 reps on each side.

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Exercise at any age is essential, but it becomes especially important as women age.

Use these workouts for women over 50 to build lean body mass, improving cardiovascular endurance, and maintaining balance and flexibility.

You'll look and feel better than ever before.

In addition, you will be able to live life independently and continue doing many of the everyday activities you had done at a young age.

Research has shown that physical activity has countless benefits in older women, including decreased risk of osteoporosis, diabetes, and heart disease.

Not to mention it can even decrease the risk of depression and enhance memory and decision making in older adults.

This just goes to show you that age is just a number and optimal fitness can be achieved at any age.

There is no better time to start than today to improve your health for years to come!

Holly Smith, M.D.

B.S. Dietetics, NASM-PES Certified Trainer

Writer, Fit Mother Project

Holly is an osteopathic physician, runner, triathlete, and fitness and nutrition enthusiast.

She is board certified in nephrology and internal medicine, has a bachelors degree in dietetics and is a certified personal trainer with NASM-PES certification.

Holly has completed four full ironmans, twelve marathons, countless half ironmans, olympic distance triathlons, half marathons and numerous other road races.

Holly joined the Fit Father Project in May 2019 as a regular writer, contributing articles on health, wellness, exercise, and nutrition.

She has also recently qualified for the 2020 World Championships for Ironman 70.3, in New Zealand!

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive:

Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

The FOUNDATIONS Program is created by Dr. Anthony Balduzzi for Women 40+ who want Lifelong Health.

In just 6-Weeks following FOUNDATIONS, you'll experience:

Rapid decrease in body fat
Dramatically improved energy levels
Greater mental sharpness & clarity
Muscle gains & better cardiovascular fitness
Decreased inflammation & pain
Renewed motivation & greater focus on health.

FOUNDATIONS has transformed 60,000 lives! Are you ready to experience true lasting health & results?

If you're tired of “fad diets” & “quick fixes” and you're ready for REAL TRANSFORMATION, then FOUNDATIONS is your answer (learn more) »

The post Workouts for Women Over 50: Trim the Fat and Get Fit! appeared first on The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+.

Skull Crushers: Tone Those Triceps!

Holly Smith, M.D. — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 01:00:53 +0000

While there are a number of different exercises that strengthen and tone the arms, skull crushers are one of the best for really isolating the triceps.

Having strong, sculpted arms is the envy of many women.

The underarm area can be a “problem” zone for many ladies, and women are often looking for triceps exercises to tone up this part of their arms.

Don’t let the name scare you away!

The skull crusher only gets the name because if you use a poor form, you could potentially drop the weight on your head.

But when done correctly, skull crushers are an awesome arm exercise that really isolates the triceps.

Here's how to do skull crushers safely and properly.

Keep working those arms with these bicep exercises for women!

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Tone The Triceps

Understanding the anatomy of the tricep muscle will help you specifically target this part of your arm while doing any tricep exercise, including skull crushers.

The tricep muscle runs along the back of your upper arm and has three heads — hence the name tricep.

It helps extend the arm at the elbow joint and also acts as an antagonist of the biceps and brachialis.

The triceps also helps to stabilize the shoulder by keeping the head of the humerus in its correct position in the shoulder joint.

When you perform skull crushers, you want to isolate the triceps so that you feel the burn in the back of the arm and not in the forearm or shoulders.

This will help you get strong, toned arms.

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How To Do Skull Crushers

Lay on a flat gym bench face up with your legs to each side on the floor or resting on the bench.
You can also lay on a mat on the floor if you don’t have a bench.
Hold a single dumbbell with both hands above your chest, straight up in a vertical position.
Choose a weight that you can do 10-12 reps with.
Start out with a lighter weight until you perfect the form, and then gradually increase the weight as you gain strength.
Bend your elbows and bring the weight down toward the rear of your head.
Keep your upper arms perpendicular to your body.
Also, be sure to keep your upper arms from moving back and forth with the weight as this will move the work into the shoulders instead of focusing it on the triceps.
Bring the dumbbell down until it is in line with the benchtop.
Then slowly extend the weight back up until it is back above your chest.
Repeat for 10-12 reps.

Learn the proper skull crusher form, one of the best triceps exercises for women.

Skull Crusher Variations

Two Dumbbell Skull Crushers

Instead of holding one dumbbell, you can hold a light dumbbell in each hand and bring them together as you perform this exercise.

EZ-Curl Bar Skull Crushers

Some women find it more comfortable to hold a curl bar overhead and perform skull crushers.

However, this can put more strain on the wrists.

Again, the movement is the same. Just hold a curl bar with an overhand grip as you bend your elbows to bring the weight down and back up again with each rep.

Incline Bench Skull Crusher

You can perform this exercise on an inclined bench.

This will target different areas of the triceps than when doing it lying flat.

Tempo Skull Crushers

These are sometimes also referred to as “negative” skull crushers because you emphasize the lowering, or eccentric phase, of the exercise.

Eccentric strength training exercises have been found to increase muscle damage and boost hypertrophy.

To maximize the eccentric phase of the skull crusher, very slowly lower the dumbbells or bar for a slow count of 3-5 seconds.

Pause at the bottom, and then return the weights to the starting position.

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Tips For Performing the Perfect Skull Crusher

Lower the Weight Behind Your Head, Not Over Your Face

While it is called a skull crusher, you don’t literally want to crush your skull!

As you bend your elbows, be sure that the weight is moving behind your head and not over your face or forehead.

Not only can this risk dropping the weight on your head, but you also won’t work the triceps muscle as well if your arms are too far out in front of you.

Keep Your Elbows In!

As you lower the weight behind your head, keep your elbows close to your side and pointing straight ahead.

If you flare your elbows out to the side you won’t be isolating your triceps muscles.

Plus, if you find your elbows flaring out, you probably have chosen too heavy of a weight.

This will increase your risk of injury.

Trade it in for a lighter dumbbell to really target your triceps.

Go Slow

The quality of any strength training exercise is always more important than the quantity.

While it may feel like you did more when you can write down a ton of reps, this means little if you have poor form.

Be sure to move slowly through each stage of this exercise so that you really feel the burn in both the lowering (eccentric) and raising (concentric) movements of the skull crusher.

You don't have to use heavy weights when performing skull crushers.

Studies have shown that you can still build muscle with lighter weight, as long as you do the exercise to failure.

So challenge yourself by slowing down the movement.

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Crush Your Upper Body Workout

Skull crushers are one of the top tricep workouts out there.

However, a lot of women may have never even heard of this arm toning exercise.

But by adding this move to your upper body routine you will get strong, sculpted arms in no time!

Holly Smith, M.D.

B.S. Dietetics, NASM-PES Certified Trainer

Writer, Fit Mother Project

Holly is an osteopathic physician, runner, triathlete, and fitness and nutrition enthusiast.

She is board certified in nephrology and internal medicine, has a bachelors degree in dietetics and is a certified personal trainer with NASM-PES certification.

Holly has completed four full ironmans, twelve marathons, countless half ironmans, olympic distance triathlons, half marathons and numerous other road races.

Holly joined the Fit Father Project in May 2019 as a regular writer, contributing articles on health, wellness, exercise, and nutrition.

She has also recently qualified for the 2020 World Championships for Ironman 70.3, in New Zealand!

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive:

Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

The FOUNDATIONS Program is created by Dr. Anthony Balduzzi for Women 40+ who want Lifelong Health.

In just 6-Weeks following FOUNDATIONS, you'll experience:

Rapid decrease in body fat
Dramatically improved energy levels
Greater mental sharpness & clarity
Muscle gains & better cardiovascular fitness
Decreased inflammation & pain
Renewed motivation & greater focus on health.

FOUNDATIONS has transformed 60,000 lives! Are you ready to experience true lasting health & results?

If you're tired of “fad diets” & “quick fixes” and you're ready for REAL TRANSFORMATION, then FOUNDATIONS is your answer (learn more) »

The post Skull Crushers: Tone Those Triceps! appeared first on The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+.

Squat Variations: Get Gorgeous Glutes!

Holly Smith, M.D. — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 01:00:55 +0000

Gorgeous glutes are the envy of many women. And, with all of the options for squat variations, you’ll never get bored with leg day!

Having a toned derriere is an attractive trait, however, having a strong and sculpted butt and lower body goes beyond just outward appearance.

Not only are strong legs an outward sign of fitness, but having a powerful lower body is important for all of your day-to-day activities and other workouts.

The squat is the gold standard when it comes to lower body exercises.

By working the large muscle groups in the body, not only do you build strength but also burn some serious calories in the process.

Changing up your squats by adding weight, bands, or turning the squat into a plyo move is an excellent way to add metabolic resistance training into your workout routine.

And just by changing the angle of your feet or isolating one leg at a time, you can target your different leg muscles from all angles.

Incorporating tempo squats into your workouts is another way to promote muscle growth and strength in your glutes and quads while also perfecting your form.

Get your rear in gear today with these squat variations!

Is working out too painful for you? Check out these lower body workouts for bad knees!

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Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Up Your Metabolism With Lower Body Workouts

Most women think they need to do tons of cardio to burn calories.

However, weight training will boost your metabolism and build lean muscle mass.

And, since your quads and glutes are large muscle groups, you will really up your fat-burning potential by performing lower-body resistance training.

A study from the International Journal of Obesity found that women gained more lean muscle mass and lost more body fat with just twice-weekly weight training.

So even with a busy schedule, you can still reap significant fitness benefits by adding strength training a few times a week.

This leg workout includes 5 joint-friendly exercises!

Targeting the Lower Body With Squat Variations

When developing a workout plan, a lot of women will set aside a “leg day” to focus on lower body workouts.

Of course, these strength workouts target a number of different muscle groups, including the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.

Incorporating squat variations is the perfect way to strengthen all of these muscle groups at the same time.

These squat variations will build strength and develop muscular, toned legs.

You can add any number of these squat variations into your lower body workouts as part of circuit training or traditional weight training.

Standard Barbell or Dumbbell Squats

Squats are one of the ultimate lower body workouts because they target your glutes, hamstrings, and quads all at once.

This exercise can be done with a barbell or dumbbell depending on how comfortable you are with the movement.

Mastering a standard squat is the foundation for moving on to other squat variations.

To do a standard squat, stand with your feet hip-width apart and squat your hips down and back while you bend your knees.
You should feel most of the weight in your heels.
Then push back up through your heels to a standing position.
Once you have perfected the technique you can try holding dumbbells by your side to add weight to the movement.
You can stick with dumbbells or if you feel confident can also move to squat with a barbell across the shoulders.
You should always use a spotter, or at least a spotter rack to make sure you are safe doing this movement.
Aim for 8-10 reps.

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You'll Gain Health for Life!

In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Squat with Front Kick

Doing a standard squat with an added forward kick at the end will increase your heart rate and turn any strength workout into metabolic resistance training.

Squat down, stand back up, then kick forward with the right leg.
Bring the right leg back, squat again, then kick forward with the left leg as you stand.
Continue alternating sides until you complete 10-15 reps on each side.

Split Squats

Split squats are an excellent way to isolate one leg at a time.

This allows you to really focus on the movement and to fix any strength discrepancies between sides.

Place a chair about two feet behind you.
Place the top of your right foot on the chair while standing on your left leg.
You can clasp your hands in front of you or place them on your hips.
Squat down by bending your left leg until your thigh is parallel with the ground.
Be sure to not let your knee come over your toes.
Press through your foot to stand back up.
Do 15 to 20 reps, then switch to the other leg.

Goblet Squat

While the goblet squat may seem very similar to a standard squat, by turning your toes out you will engage your muscles at different angles while also hitting your inner thighs.

Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart, with your toes turned out.
Hold the handle of a dumbbell or kettlebell with both hands in front of your chest.
Squat down, then press through your feet to stand.
Aim for 10 to 12 reps.

Learn more about the goblet squat and its benefits!

Pistol Squat

The pistol squat is a challenging move that, like the split squat, forces you to isolate one leg at a time.

However, this move is made more difficult by the fact that you do not rest your non-working leg on anything.

This is a tough move that takes strength and practice!

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with your hands in front of your chest.
Lift your right foot forward a few inches off the floor with your foot flexed.
Squat by bending your left knee 90 degrees, holding your right leg in front of you.
If you can’t squat down to 90 degrees, just go as far as you can before pushing back up.
You can even hold onto a chair or wall for support until you master this squat variation.
Do 5 to 10 reps.
Switch sides and repeat.

Plie Squats

It can be tough to find exercises that target the inner thighs or adductor muscles.

Luckily, plie squats do just that.

By changing the angle of your feet you can take a standard squat and completely change the muscles that are activated.

Start with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart with your toes turned outwards.
Bend your knees to lower into a squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Return to start.
Perform 15 reps.

Walking Squats with Bands

Now that you’ve targeted your adductor muscles with squats, you also want to make sure you hit the outer thigh muscles or abductors.

Banded squats are a great move to strengthen not only the abductors but also the glutes and tensor fasciae latae.

To do this move start in a shallow squat position with your legs hip-width apart with a looped resistance band around your thighs just above your knees.
Take one step to the right at a 45-degree angle while staying in a low squat position.
Then step to the left at a 45-degree angle in the same crouch position.
Do 10 steps with each leg.

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Jump Squats

Jump squats are a great squat variation that also adds in some cardio as well.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms by sides.
Bend your knees and lower into a squat, then press through your feet to explosively jump as high as you can.
Land softly on the balls of feet and immediately lower into the next squat.
Repeat this for 10-15 reps.

Pulse Squats

Small pulses are a great way to burn out your legs at the end of a workout, making this move a good “finisher” to add at the end of a workout.

Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and lower into a squat.
Maintain this squat position as you barely lift your heels up and down a few inches to “pulse” while in the squat position.
Continue pulsing for 30 seconds.

Tempo Squats

A tempo squat is when you perform the lowering, or eccentric phase, of the squat with a slower than normal tempo.

So instead of squatting down quickly, you do a slow count of 3-4 seconds.

This is one of the most effective ways to build strength in your lower body.

For example, in a meta-analysis comparing the effects of eccentric and concentric training upon muscle strength and mass, eccentric training was shown to promote increased muscle mass and overall size measurements.

However, tempo squats can also focus on the concentric phase since this has advantages as well.

For instance, by slowing down the squat as you stand up you can focus on any issues you are having with your form during this phase while also increasing time under tension during the workout and enhancing muscle growth.

Since you are focusing more on the quality of the movement, you can use a lighter weight, or even just your body weight, and still get a huge strength-building benefit.

Not only this, but by slowing the tempo you can also improve your squat technique.

There are a lot of different variations with tempo squats since you can change the amount of time you spend lowering down and standing back up.

You can also hold at the bottom of the squat to increase the burn.

If you are reading a workout that includes tempo squats, this is usually signified by four numbers.

The first number is the time (in seconds) spent lowering down into a squat.

The second number is the time to pause at the bottom, while the third number is the time count for standing back up.

The fourth number is how long to rest before beginning the next rep.

For example, 4-1-0-1 means you count to 4 as you lower into a squat, pause for 1 second at the bottom, stand back up immediately, then take a 1-second pause before beginning the next rep.

This video will show you how to do tempo squats!

Holly Smith, M.D.

B.S. Dietetics, NASM-PES Certified Trainer

Writer, Fit Mother Project

Holly is an osteopathic physician, runner, triathlete, and fitness and nutrition enthusiast.

She is board certified in nephrology and internal medicine, has a bachelors degree in dietetics and is a certified personal trainer with NASM-PES certification.

Holly has completed four full ironmans, twelve marathons, countless half ironmans, olympic distance triathlons, half marathons and numerous other road races.

Holly joined the Fit Father Project in May 2019 as a regular writer, contributing articles on health, wellness, exercise, and nutrition.

She has also recently qualified for the 2020 World Championships for Ironman 70.3, in New Zealand!

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive:

Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

The FOUNDATIONS Program is created by Dr. Anthony Balduzzi for Women 40+ who want Lifelong Health.

In just 6-Weeks following FOUNDATIONS, you'll experience:

Rapid decrease in body fat
Dramatically improved energy levels
Greater mental sharpness & clarity
Muscle gains & better cardiovascular fitness
Decreased inflammation & pain
Renewed motivation & greater focus on health.

FOUNDATIONS has transformed 60,000 lives! Are you ready to experience true lasting health & results?

If you're tired of “fad diets” & “quick fixes” and you're ready for REAL TRANSFORMATION, then FOUNDATIONS is your answer (learn more) »

The post Squat Variations: Get Gorgeous Glutes! appeared first on The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+.

Pilates Workout: Finding the One That’s Right For You

Holly Smith, M.D. — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 01:00:54 +0000

You've probably heard of Pilates, but do you actually know what a Pilates workout encompasses? It's not just yoga and stretching!

A Pilates workout includes so much more — it's a low-impact exercise that aims to improve posture, flexibility, and core strength, as yoga does.

However, the movements tend to be more dynamic than the static poses done in yoga.

Pilates can be added to any of your workout routines, especially on days where you are looking to do a full-body circuit.

While Pilates definitely focuses on core muscles, don’t forget that core doesn’t just mean abs.

During Pilates routines, all of the stabilizing muscles are strengthened, including your hips, the inner and outer thighs, and the lower back.

Plus, most workouts also include moves that work your arms, shoulders, glutes, and legs.

One of the big aims of Pilates is to maintain control throughout the movements.

Quality over quantity is the idea here.

The goal is to target specific muscles while engaging your core and focusing on your breathing.

Keep reading and learn how to find the right Pilates workout for YOU!

No time for the gym? Never miss a chance to burn calories and build a toned physique with these essential at-home workouts for women!

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The Benefits of a Pilates Workout

Pilates is an excellent way to strengthen your core muscles.

These stabilizing muscles are the foundation of all of your movements, whether in exercise or just day-to-day activities.

Workouts that incorporate Pilates will improve your posture, flexibility, mobility, and overall strength.

Plus, by targeting your core muscles you will not only feel great, but you'll also get a great-looking physique in the process.

Improve Mobility and Balance

As mentioned above, Pilates is a great way to improve your overall strength and mobility so that you are more efficient in all of your daily activities.

In fact, one study even found that Pilates was better at improving functional movement than yoga!

Researchers from the Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation found that participants who performed Pilates exercises three times a week for eight weeks improved their balance, stability, and mobility.

This was even more so than individuals who did yoga or who didn’t exercise.

Learn how to have better balance as you age with these 5 exercises!

Build Muscular Strength and Endurance

Most women don’t equate Pilates with muscle building.

However, while it may not be on the same level as weight training, engaging in Pilates exercises on a regular basis has been found to improve muscle strength and endurance.

One 2010 study found that for active middle-aged men and women, exposure to a Pilates workout twice a week for 12 weeks promoted significant increases in abdominal endurance, hamstring flexibility, and upper-body muscular endurance (2).

This makes Pilates a great low impact option for strengthening and toning your muscles while improving posture and flexibility at the same time!

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Pilates and Mental Fitness

Exercise is key in improving not just your physical health, but also your mental health.

Since Pilates promotes a high level of the mind-body connection, these workouts definitely check this box as well.

Research has shown that women who incorporate Pilates into their fitness routine not only have higher energy levels, but also experience less depression, anxiety, and fatigue.

On top of this, women who do Pilates tend to have a better quality of life and self-image.

In a study from Women and Health, numerous quality of life markers were improved in women who engaged in Pilates exercises for a six-month period.

This included life satisfaction, perception of physical appearance, perception of functionality, total physical self-concept, and perception of health status.

Find out how to make your mind happy by training your mental health!

Types of Pilates Workouts

There are actually two different ways to start doing Pilates workouts.

The most common form that is typically offered for at-home or gym workouts is mat Pilates.

However, there is also a machine called a reformer that can be used to do Pilates exercises as well.

Mat Pilates

This is typically the type of workout that most women think of when they hear Pilates.

The exercises are simply done on the ground on a padded mat.

Mat Pilates uses body-weight exercises in smooth, fluid movements.

These low-impact workouts are easy on the joints, but provide excellent fitness benefits as noted above.

Reformer Pilates

Pilates workouts can also be done on a machine called a reformer.

This is a sliding platform that has a bar for your feet along with spring and pulleys that act as resistance.

Many of the exercises on the reformer are the same as mat exercises.

However, the reformer provides some added resistance with the springs and pulleys.

In either form of Pilates, one of the big focuses is on breathing techniques.

Pilates teaches you to inhale and exhale in coordination with your movements.

This breathing pattern not only makes the exercises more effective, but also enhances the mind-body connection of Pilates.

Getting Started

If you are looking to begin a Pilates routine but aren’t sure where to start, most gyms offer introductory courses.

The great thing about in-person classes is that you can have instructors actually show you the proper movements and exercises.

However, if you don’t have a gym membership, or prefer at-home workouts, there are tons of streaming classes and DVDs that can be a great introduction to Pilates as well.

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Basic Pilates Moves To Try At Home

If you want to get a feel for what Pilates exercises are all about before committing to a specific program, here are some basic Pilates moves that form the foundation of most Pilates workouts.

You can create your own at-home workout with these Pilates exercises, or add them as warm-up for resistance or cardio workouts that you already have planned.

The Hundred

This Pilates classic is often one of the first exercises taught.

Start by lying on your mat with your knees bent.
Lift your feet off the floor so that your knees are above your hips and bent at a 90-degree angle.
This will put your legs in a tabletop position.
You can leave your legs here to start.
For more of a challenge, extend your legs straight so that they are hovering above the ground.
Lift your head and shoulders off the mat and extend your arms by your side while you maintain this position.
Keep your arms straight out by your sides and begin pumping your arms up and down.
Inhale through your nose for five pumps and exhale out of the mouth for five pumps a total of 10 times.
This will give you 100 reps, hence the name “The Hundred.”

Leg Circles

This move is great to strengthen the core and glutes.

Start by lying on your back with your arms by your sides and palms down.
Bend your left knee while keeping your left foot flat on the floor.
Extend your right leg so that it is pointing straight up.
Circle your right leg out to the right, down toward the ground, and then sweep it back around to the starting position.
Keep your lower back in contact with the mat throughout the circle.
Then reverse and make the circle in the opposite direction.
Complete 10 reps with the right leg, then repeat with the left leg.

Scissor Kick

This is another straightforward Pilates move that will strengthen your abs and lower back.

Start on your back and extend your right leg up so that it's pointing towards the ceiling.
Place your hands behind your right leg as you pull it in toward your face.
Keep your left leg hovering above the floor.
Then, switch legs and pull your left leg in toward you as you let your right go down to hover above the floor.
Continue switching your legs until you complete 10 reps on each side.

Pendulum

This move will improve flexibility and mobility in the spine and lower back.

Begin by lying on your back with your arms extended out to your sides.
Bend your knees over your hips so that your lower legs are parallel to the floor.
Let both knees fall down to the right, keeping your lower back on the floor.
Then bring your knees back up to the top.
Hold, and then lower both knees down to the left side.
Continue this in a slow controlled manner for 10 reps on each side.

Plank Leg Lift

This full-body move will engage your core, arms, glutes, and legs all at the same time.

Start in a high plank (push up position) with your hands directly below your shoulders.
Engage your core as you lift your left leg off the floor to about shoulder height.
Bring your foot back to the ground, and then repeat with your right foot.
Continue alternating for 10 reps on each side.
Be sure to keep your entire body stable and avoid rocking your hips to get the full benefits of this Pilates move.

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Expand Your Fitness Horizons with Pilates

These simple moves laid out above are a nice intro to Pilates and can get you acquainted with the types of exercises you would do in a full-length class.

Pilates workouts have numerous health benefits for any busy mom out there.

With Pilates, you will build muscular strength and endurance, improve flexibility and balance, and also enhance your mental health.

Plus, the low-impact nature of these workouts makes them perfect for any age or level of fitness.

No matter what your fitness goals are, Pilates is a great complement to any workout schedule.

It can be used on a rest day to add in some low-impact core work, or on a day where you want to do more of a full-body workout.

Either way, Pilates exercises can be tailored to your specific needs!

Holly Smith, M.D.

B.S. Dietetics, NASM-PES Certified Trainer

Writer, Fit Mother Project

Holly is an osteopathic physician, runner, triathlete, and fitness and nutrition enthusiast.

She is board certified in nephrology and internal medicine, has a bachelors degree in dietetics and is a certified personal trainer with NASM-PES certification.

Holly has completed four full ironmans, twelve marathons, countless half ironmans, olympic distance triathlons, half marathons and numerous other road races.

Holly joined the Fit Father Project in May 2019 as a regular writer, contributing articles on health, wellness, exercise, and nutrition.

She has also recently qualified for the 2020 World Championships for Ironman 70.3, in New Zealand!

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive:

Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

The FOUNDATIONS Program is created by Dr. Anthony Balduzzi for Women 40+ who want Lifelong Health.

In just 6-Weeks following FOUNDATIONS, you'll experience:

Rapid decrease in body fat
Dramatically improved energy levels
Greater mental sharpness & clarity
Muscle gains & better cardiovascular fitness
Decreased inflammation & pain
Renewed motivation & greater focus on health.

FOUNDATIONS has transformed 60,000 lives! Are you ready to experience true lasting health & results?

If you're tired of “fad diets” & “quick fixes” and you're ready for REAL TRANSFORMATION, then FOUNDATIONS is your answer (learn more) »

The post Pilates Workout: Finding the One That’s Right For You appeared first on The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+.

Quick Workout For Busy Moms

Holly Smith, M.D. — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 01:00:08 +0000

You know you need to work out to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but finding a quick workout for busy moms is easier said than done.

Between your job, taking care of the home, and juggling your kids' activities, where are you supposed to find the time to fit in exercise?

Luckily, we have a quick workout for busy moms below, that can get you feeling and looking in the best shape of your life.

You don’t have to spend hours in the gym to get a high-quality workout that will improve your health and fitness.

In fact, studies show that short bouts of activity can be just as beneficial for overall health as more prolonged exercise.

There are a number of different approaches to getting in a quick workout.

You can incorporate endurance, strength training, and balance exercises in under a half-hour to target all areas of fitness.

Get started today with our quick workout for busy moms!

No gym? No problem! Try these at-home workouts for women!

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Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
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Daily Accountability & Coaching

Quick Workout For Busy Moms: HIIT

High-intensity interval training is one of the first things people think about when they need to fit in a quick but highly effective workout.

If you’re a busy mom that can’t get to the gym, these are workouts that can even be tailored to do in your own home.

HIIT workouts are a great way to improve cardio fitness and increase strength and power.

If you’re short on time, try this quick HIIT workout that can be done anywhere.

Warm-Up

Complete each move for 30 seconds then move right to the next exercise.

High Knees

Stand upright and place your feet hip-width apart.
Place your hands near your waist with your palms down.
Drive your right knee up to meet your right hand, then bring it back to the ground.
Immediately bring the left knee up to meet your left hand.
Continue to alternate knees with a hopping motion, staying on the balls of your feet.

Jumping Jacks

Stand with your feet together and arms at your side.
In one motion, jump your feet out to the sides and raise your arms above your head.
Immediately reverse the motion back to the starting position.
Continue for thirty seconds.

Butt Kickers

Stand up straight with your legs slightly wider than your hips.
Bring your right heel off the floor toward your glutes.
At the same time, match this movement with your left hand coming up towards your shoulder like you’re running.
As soon as your right leg comes back to the floor, bring your left leg up in the same manner.
Continue alternating this running motion.

High Knee with Oblique Twist

Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Bend your elbows and bring your fists up near your chin.
Drive your right knee up while twisting your torso to the right, bringing your right knee to meet your left elbow.
Immediately repeat with the left knee meeting your right elbow and do this in a hopping motion while staying on the balls of your feet.
Repeat twice through then rest for one minute.

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Main Workout

Perform each move for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, then move right into the next exercise.

Alternating Jump Lunges

Start in a split stance position, your hands on your hips and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle with your right leg forward.
Lower your left knee toward the ground while bringing your right thigh parallel to the floor.
Push off the ground, jump and switch the position of your legs in mid-air, landing in the lunge position with the left leg forward.
Repeat, switching legs on each jump.

Burpees with Push-Ups

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Squat down and place your hands on the floor.
Kick back into a push-up position.
Do one push-up.
Jump your legs back to a squat and jump up, throwing your hands above your head.
Land and repeat.

Squat Jumps

Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
Hinge at the hips to push your butt back and lower down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Explode off the floor and jump as high as you can.
Allow your knees to bend 45 degrees when you land, and then immediately drop back down into a squat, and jump again.

Side to Side Push-Ups

Start in a push-up position.
Move to the right with your right arm and right leg while bending at the elbows to lower your chest to the ground in a push-up.
Extend your arms to return to the top.
Then repeat to the left side.
Continue alternating sides.

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Mountain Climbers

Start in a push-up position.
Bring your right knee forward under your chest, then return the leg back.
Switch legs, bringing the left knee forward.
Keep switching legs and begin to pick up the pace until it feels a little like running in place in a plank position.

Lateral Skaters

Start with your legs slightly wider than shoulder distance apart and arms at the sides.
Bring your left leg behind at a slight angle into a reverse lunge with the front right knee at a 90-degree angle.
Swing the arms in front of that bent knee and leap the back leg forward to switch sides in a skating motion.
Alternate your arms and legs as you switch sides like a speed skater.

Pike Push-Ups

Start in a push-up position and then lift up your hips up so that your body forms an upside-down V.
Keep your legs and arms straight.
Bend your elbows and lower your upper body until the top of your head nearly touches the floor.
Pause, and then push yourself back up until your arms are straight.

Flutter Kicks

Lie on your back and extend your legs up to a 45-degree angle.
Keep your arms straight and in line with the floor, palms facing down.
Lift your upper body off the ground.
While keeping your legs straight, begin alternating each leg up and down in a flutter motion.
Try to maintain this motion for the entire 30 seconds.

After this 4 minute circuit, rest for 1 minute. Then repeat two more times for a total of 3 sets.

Cool Down

Always make sure to do some gentle stretching following any workout, especially one with high-intensity intervals.

The warm-up and main workout give you a quick 20-minute workout.

With a five-minute warm-up and cool-down, you can complete a quick and effective workout in just 30 minutes.

If you have less time, you can always decrease the main set to two sets instead of three.

This 15-minute HIIT workout for women can be done at home with no equipment!

Quick Workout For Busy Moms: Strength Training

HIIT workouts are great to improve cardiovascular fitness.

Many of the bodyweight moves are great for toning and strengthening the muscles as well.

But you can also get a quick strength training workout that does not require such high-intensity cardio if that happens to be your goal for the day.

By having a workout more focused on resistance training you can focus on form and targeting specific muscle groups.

In order to get in an efficient resistance workout, the exercises are arranged as a circuit workout.

By alternating the muscle groups that are being targeted, you can get a full-body strength workout in a limited amount of time.

For this workout, you will need some light dumbbells or resistance bands.

Since you are trying to fit in a quick workout, the focus will be more on light weights and higher reps so that the rest periods can be minimized.

Warm-Up

Complete each exercise for 30 seconds each.

Jog in place
Jumping Jacks
Arm Circles-15 seconds forward, 15 seconds backward

Repeat twice through, then rest for one minute before starting the main workout.

Main Workout

This will be performed as a circuit workout. For each exercise, try to perform as many reps as possible (AMRAP) in 30 seconds, rest for 15 seconds, then move to the next exercise.

After you complete the circuit, rest for one minute.

Then repeat two more times. In total, the main set will take about 20 minutes.

Since this is being done as a circuit with minimal rest, choose light weights that will allow you to complete the exercises.

You can even just use your body weight if you find yourself fatigued, especially towards the end of the workout.

Alternating Bicep Curls

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart while holding a dumbbell in each hand.
Raise the right dumbbell toward your shoulder while simultaneously rotating the back of your hand.
Pause with your palm facing your shoulder, then lower the weight back to the starting position.
Repeat with the left hand.
Continue alternating sides.

Alternating Front Lunges with Dumbbells

Stand upright holding a dumbbell in each hand.
Lunge forward with the right leg while dropping your left knee down toward the ground.
Drive back off your front heel to come back up to standing.
Then lunge forward on the other side, again dropping the back knee down as close to the ground as you can.
Continue alternating sides.

Tricep Kick Backs

Start with a dumbbell in each hand and your palms facing in towards you.
Keep your back straight with a slight bend in the knees and hinge forward at your waist.
There should be a 90-degree angle formed between your forearm and upper arm.
Bend your elbows to lift the weights until your arms are fully extended.
Then lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.

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Dumbbell Squat to Shoulder Press

Begin in a standing position with a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height.
Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Extend your legs back up to a standing position.
Then press the dumbbells overhead by extending the elbows.
Return the weights to the shoulders, then repeat.

Dumbbell Bent Over Rows

Start standing while holding a dumbbell in each hand.
Hinge forward until your torso is roughly parallel with the floor.
Bring your elbows up to your torso while bringing your shoulder blades together.
Then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position under control.

Dumbbell Reciprocating Chest Press

Lie on a flat bench, holding a pair of dumbbells.
Press both dumbbells into a locked-out position above your chest.
Lower the right dumbbell down to your chest while holding the left arm above your head.
Then press the right arm back up.
Then press up the left dumbbell in the same manner and lower back down while keeping the right arm locked.
Continue alternating sides.

Calf Raises

Stand on a raised platform or step holding a dumbbell in each hand.
Slowly lower your heels down towards the ground until you feel a slight stretch in your Achilles.
Then press back up.
Repeat.

Russian Twists

Sit with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, holding one dumbbell with both hands in front of your chest.
Lean back slightly and lift your feet a few inches off the floor.
Slowly twist the torso to the left and bring the dumbbell to the left hip.
Return to center, and then slowly twist to the right and bring the weight to the right hip.
Continue alternating sides.

Cool Down

Always remember to finish every strength workout, even one of short duration, with some cool-down stretching.

Focus on the muscles targeted during the workout.

Following the above exercises, make sure to stretch out the shoulders, triceps, glutes, and hamstrings.

Find out why strength training for women over 40 is important to combat muscle loss and promote longevity!

Workouts With Lasting Results

As you can see, you don’t have to spend hours at the gym to get a great workout.

You can get strength, cardio, and balance workouts in quickly.

These exercises will still burn calories and tone your muscles even if you are short on time.

After you try these quick workouts for busy moms, you have to check out some of the programs offered by the Fit Mother Project.

If you are looking for a quick intro to a quality fitness plan, the free Fit Mom Jumpstart is the perfect place to start.

You will get essential exercise and nutrition advice to get you started on the road to a healthy lifestyle.

If you're looking for a longer plan to keep you accountable for your health and fitness, FM30X is the one for you.

This 30-day program is specifically designed for busy moms who want to lead a healthy lifestyle.

You will receive guidance on nutrition and workouts to help you gain the level of fitness you have always aspired to.

Even if you are short on time, there is never an excuse to miss a workout.

So get started today with this quick workout for busy moms!

Holly Smith, M.D.

B.S. Dietetics, NASM-PES Certified Trainer

Writer, Fit Mother Project

Holly is an osteopathic physician, runner, triathlete, and fitness and nutrition enthusiast.

She is board certified in nephrology and internal medicine, has a bachelors degree in dietetics and is a certified personal trainer with NASM-PES certification.

Holly has completed four full ironmans, twelve marathons, countless half ironmans, olympic distance triathlons, half marathons and numerous other road races.

Holly joined the Fit Father Project in May 2019 as a regular writer, contributing articles on health, wellness, exercise, and nutrition.

She has also recently qualified for the 2020 World Championships for Ironman 70.3, in New Zealand!

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive:

Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

The FOUNDATIONS Program is created by Dr. Anthony Balduzzi for Women 40+ who want Lifelong Health.

In just 6-Weeks following FOUNDATIONS, you'll experience:

Rapid decrease in body fat
Dramatically improved energy levels
Greater mental sharpness & clarity
Muscle gains & better cardiovascular fitness
Decreased inflammation & pain
Renewed motivation & greater focus on health.

FOUNDATIONS has transformed 60,000 lives! Are you ready to experience true lasting health & results?

If you're tired of “fad diets” & “quick fixes” and you're ready for REAL TRANSFORMATION, then FOUNDATIONS is your answer (learn more) »

The post Quick Workout For Busy Moms appeared first on The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+.

Workouts for Women Over 40: A Weekly Plan That Works!

Holly Smith, M.D. — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 01:00:43 +0000

Workouts for women over 40 aren't just about weight loss. You also get the added bonus of feeling great and being stronger and healthier!

Evidence shows that if you are overweight or obese, even a modest weight loss goal of 5-10% of your body weight can have serious health benefits.

This includes improving blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar.

In turn, this will help you decrease your risk of developing chronic diseases.

Weight loss will also improve your body image and energy levels.

Having a lower weight decreases the pressure on your joints. Plus, weight-bearing weight loss workouts will decrease your risk of osteoporosis as you age!

There are numerous reasons why people decide to start working out, but weight loss is the goal that tops that list most often.

But what is the best way to shed those pounds?

Start with these workouts for women over 40!

Don't forget to eat right, too! Check out our Definitive Guide to Healthy Eating for Women!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Weight Loss Workouts for Women Over 40

While there is no one-size-fits-all weight loss plan out there, there is a general formula that the best plans will follow.

Any good weight loss program needs to combine cardiovascular exercise, resistance workouts, flexibility, and balance training.

This is also true when you're talking about workouts for women over 40.

And it isn’t just about exercise!

Adequate sleep, rest, and a solid nutrition program are crucial to lose weight and keep it off.

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mother PROGRAM (FM30X)

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Your Weight Loss Workout Plan

It is important to have a general plan when working towards any goal.

Weight loss is no different.

If you just randomly try to incorporate different aspects of workouts with no guidance, it’s easy to get off track and lose motivation.

This weekly schedule is a good starting point if you are looking to start on your weight loss journey.

Remember that this is just a blueprint. You should modify the days and workouts to fit your schedule and your level of fitness.

Monday — Full Body Weight Training/Resistance Training

Full body circuit training with weights and resistance is a crucial component in your weight loss program.

Increasing and maintaining lean muscle mass will make your body an efficient calorie-burning machine.

Strength training has been shown to conserve lean muscle mass and decrease fat mass in females.

Plus, you’ll build a toned physique and improved strength. Here is a full-body workout routine you can include in your weekly schedule.

Remember, this is a circuit workout. You want to have minimal rest between each move. Go right from one move to the next.

Squats – Bodyweight or With Dumbbells

Do 15 reps as either air squats or with dumbbells depending on your strength and level of fitness.

Dumbbell Overhead Press

Do 10-12 reps while standing.
Standing will force you to engage your core to a greater degree than sitting with back support.
Maintain good form and posture throughout the movement.

Supinating Dumbbell Bicep Curls

Choose a weight that will allow you to complete 8-10 reps.
Try not to use your back, or swing your arms to use momentum when performing this exercise.
Maintain good form throughout and focus on the supination motion at the top of the movement.

Dumbbell or Barbell Bench Press

Aim for 10-12 reps.
Contract your pecs at the top of the movement and slowly lower the weights down to your chest.
If you do not have a bench you can also do this while lying on a mat.

Bent Over Dumbbell or Barbell Rows

Make sure to engage your core as you aim for 10-12 reps.
You can use an over or underhand grip on the bar or dumbbells.
An overhand grip will work your upper lats, rhomboids, and traps to a greater degree, while an underhand grip will work the lower lats and also recruit the biceps.
If doing this routine multiple times a week, try switching up the grips each time to target the muscle groups from different angles.

Tricep Kickbacks

Aim for 10-12 reps on each side.
Again, make sure to isolate this movement in the triceps.
Do not swing the arms to gain momentum. You will only be cheating yourself!

Elbow Plank

Hold an elbow plank for max time.
Try to increase the duration of your hold each time you do this circuit.
Make sure to maintain good form throughout and avoid arching or bowing the back.
If you break form, you have reached your max time.

After you complete a round of this circuit, take a two-minute break.

Walk around, stretch out the arms and legs, and grab some water.

Then repeat two more times!

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In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

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Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Tuesday — Cardio Day!

After an awesome strength training day, follow this up with some cardio the next day to increase cardiovascular fitness and burn calories.

Tailor this to something that you enjoy.

This could be a local spin class, a trail run, swimming laps, or water aerobics.

Anything that gets the heart pumping!

Try to aim for at least 30-60 minutes.

If you are short on ideas, here is a great running interval workout you can try. This can be done on a treadmill or outside.

Warm-up: Run at a light pace for 5 minutes.
Jog 5 minutes at a moderate pace. This is slightly faster than your warm-up pace, but you should still be able to hold a normal conversation.
Recovery Jog for 1 minute
Run 4 minutes at a slightly faster pace. You should feel slightly more breathless than at the previous interval.
Recovery jog for 1 minute
Run 3 minutes at an increased pace from the previous interval. You should only be able to talk in short sentences.
Recovery jog for 1 minute
Run at 2 minutes at a fast pace.
Recovery job for 1 minute
Run 1 minute at a full out sprint
Recovery jog for 1 minutes
Cool Down: Light jog for 5 minutes.

This ladder workout is a time-efficient cardio workout that is great for weight loss and increasing fitness.

Again, this is just an example of a type of cardio workout you can include in your weekly routine.

Learn about the best types of cardio for fat loss and the science behind cardio for WOMEN!

Wednesday — Stretching, Flexibility, and Balance Training

Think of this day as an active recovery day. Good workouts for women over 40 should include some flexibility training.

You can try out a yoga class at your gym, or do some light stretching and balance moves in the comfort of your own home.

Here are some moves that you can use in your weekly routine if you need some ideas.

Mountain Pose

Stand tall with your feet together, shoulders relaxed, and weight evenly distributed through your feet.
Take a deep breath and raise your hands overhead, palms facing each other with arms straight.
Reach up toward the sky with your fingertips.
Hold this for three deep breaths.

Downward Facing Dog

Start on all fours with hands directly under your shoulders.
Move your hands a few inches forward and spread your fingers wide.
Press your palms into the floor and press your butt toward the ceiling, bringing your body into an inverted V position.
Your feet should be about hip-width apart with the knees slightly bent.
Hold for three deep breaths.
Come into a plank position, and then return to the downward-facing dog for another three breaths.

Upward Facing Dog

Start by lying on your stomach with your hands near your shoulders.
Inhale and press your hands firmly into the floor and slightly back.
Straighten your arms and lift your torso up and your legs a few inches off the floor.
Hold for three deep breaths.
Straighten into a plank position, then return to the upward-facing dog for another three breaths.

Seated Twist

Sit on the floor with your legs extended.
Cross your right foot over the outside of your left thigh.
Keep your right knee pointed up.
Then place your left elbow to the outside of your right knee.
Place your right hand on the floor behind you near your lower back.
Twist to the right as far as you can.
Hold this for 30 seconds.
Switch sides and repeat.

Tree Pose

Stand with your arms at your sides.
Keep your weight on your left leg and place the sole of your right foot inside of your left thigh.
Once balanced, bring your hands in front of you in a prayer position.
Extend your arms overhead, separated and facing each other.
Hold this position for 30 seconds.
Lower and repeat on the right side.

Child’s Pose

Sit up on your heels.
Bring your torso forward, and allow your forehead to rest on the mat or floor in front of you.
Lower your chest as close to your knees as you comfortably can, extending your arms in front of you.
Hold the pose and take several deep breaths.

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Thursday — Full Body Weight Training/Resistance Training

Repeat the circuit workout that you did Monday, or try a workout from the Fit Mother Project’s FM30X program!

Friday — HIIT/Cardio

High-intensity interval training is a great way to burn calories and tone muscles.

Research has shown that HIIT training can be a very time-efficient component to include in workouts for women over 40.

Many gyms offer their own version of HIIT training, and there are many online workouts available that follow this format.

If you would like to try something on your own, try out this workout below.

Warm-Up (4 minutes)

Perform each move for 30 seconds, moving right into the next move.

Once finished, repeat one more time for a total of four minutes.

Jumping Jacks
Butt Kickers
High Knees
Jump Squats

Rest for one minute then start the main set.

Main Workout

For the main workout, you will perform each move for 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds.

As your fitness levels improve, you can increase the interval to 45 seconds with a 15-second rest.

Alternating Jumping Lunges
Burpees
Alternating Side Lunge with Kick
Mountain Climbers
Side to Side Hops
Plank Jacks
Jump Rope
Tricep Dips

Rest for one minute then repeat.

Cool Down

Do some light walking or jogging and stretching following this workout

Even with the warm-up and cool down this is a time-efficient workout that can be done in under thirty minutes.

This is a great beginner HIIT workout to burn calories and work multiple muscle groups.

This 15-minute HIIT workout can be done at home with no equipment!

Saturday — Rest Day or Full Body Training

You can use today for a rest day.

Or if you are further along in your training, you can add another full-body workout day in here and repeat your workout similar to your workouts on Monday and Thursday.

Sunday — Rest Day

Make sure to include at least one rest day into your weekly schedule.

This will let your muscles recover and rebuild.

It will decrease your risk for injury, and help prevent burnout so you are motivated to start again the next week!

The mid-week stretching day helps with muscle recovery, but this complete rest day will allow for muscle recovery to leave you feeling fresh and motivated for the next week.

You can do some light walking or work around the house, but nothing too taxing on the body.

Enjoy your day off! You earned it!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Lose the Weight and Gain Fitness

The above weekly schedule is a nice blueprint to help guide you along the road to weight loss.

The best workouts for women over 40 include intense and challenging exercises.

Your abilities should improve dramatically as continue through the schedule.

It is important to have varied workouts and combine strength training, cardiovascular training, and flexibility and balance exercises.

In addition, nutrition and smart diet choices will be key to reaching your weight loss goals.

That is why a program like FM30X is so great.

It not only gives you great workouts and community support, but it also includes a simple and easy-to-follow meal plan.

There is no time like today to get started on the road to weight loss!

Holly Smith, M.D.

B.S. Dietetics, NASM-PES Certified Trainer

Writer, Fit Mother Project

Holly is an osteopathic physician, runner, triathlete, and fitness and nutrition enthusiast.

She is board certified in nephrology and internal medicine, has a bachelors degree in dietetics and is a certified personal trainer with NASM-PES certification.

Holly has completed four full ironmans, twelve marathons, countless half ironmans, olympic distance triathlons, half marathons and numerous other road races.

Holly joined the Fit Father Project in May 2019 as a regular writer, contributing articles on health, wellness, exercise, and nutrition.

She has also recently qualified for the 2020 World Championships for Ironman 70.3, in New Zealand!

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive:

Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

The FOUNDATIONS Program is created by Dr. Anthony Balduzzi for Women 40+ who want Lifelong Health.

In just 6-Weeks following FOUNDATIONS, you'll experience:

Rapid decrease in body fat
Dramatically improved energy levels
Greater mental sharpness & clarity
Muscle gains & better cardiovascular fitness
Decreased inflammation & pain
Renewed motivation & greater focus on health.

FOUNDATIONS has transformed 60,000 lives! Are you ready to experience true lasting health & results?

If you're tired of “fad diets” & “quick fixes” and you're ready for REAL TRANSFORMATION, then FOUNDATIONS is your answer (learn more) »

The post Workouts for Women Over 40: A Weekly Plan That Works! appeared first on The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+.

Get Shredded With a Muscle Building Diet for Women

Erin Coleman — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 01:00:08 +0000

With a muscle-building diet for women, you can get the tight, toned body you've always wanted. And muscle building isn't just for men or athletes!

Now more than ever, women are jumping on the bandwagon of building lean muscle to accelerate weight loss, improve body composition, and achieve the figures they desire.

Women benefit from muscle-building diets and drinking protein shakes just like men.

Regular resistance training and eating a well-balanced, protein-rich diet helps:

Improve body composition
Create aesthetically pleasing body contours
Increase metabolism
Decrease body fat
Reduce waist circumference
Make you look years younger

Even if you don’t drop weight right away when following a muscle-building diet for women, you’ll notice improvements in body shape and reductions in fat.

Because muscle burns more calories than fat, even when you’re resting, building muscle boosts metabolism to enhance weight loss over time.

Keep reading and get started with your muscle-building diet for women today!

Maximizing bone density and muscle mass after 40 might be more important than you think. Here's what you need to know!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

The Basics of a Muscle Building Diet for Women

There are numerous dietary components to consider when muscle building and fat loss are your goals.

Determine Muscle Building Calorie Needs

Weight maintenance calorie needs for moderately active and active women, based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans include:

Ages 19-25: 2,200-2,400 calories
Ages 26-30: 2,000-2,400 calories
Ages 31-50: 2,000-2,200 calories
Ages 51-60: 1,800-2,200 calories
Ages 61 and up: 1,800-2,000 calories

If muscle-building plus weight loss is your goal, aim to consume 1,200-1,800 calories daily, depending on how active you are and your starting body weight.

Fill Your Plate Properly

When dieting for muscle building and fat loss, use the following healthy eating guidelines to fill your plate:

Half full of vegetables
One-fourth full of protein foods
One-fourth full of starches

Don’t forget to consume about 2-3 servings of dairy foods or calcium-rich equivalents daily, fruits, and healthy fats at each meal to round out nutritious menus.

Know Muscle Building Protein Requirements

When you work out regularly, especially if you're training for muscle building, your protein needs are higher than people who are sedentary.

Today’s Dietitian recommends consuming about 1.4-2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight daily, which equates to 0.6-1 gram of protein per pound of your ideal weight each day.

For example, if your goal weight is 130 pounds you’d need about 78-130 grams of protein daily to build or maintain lean mass and burn fat.

Examples of protein-rich foods and corresponding protein content (provided by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics) is as follows:

3 ounces of lean ground beef: 22 grams
3 ounces of skinless chicken: 26 grams
3 ounces of grilled salmon: 21 grams
1 cup of plain low-fat yogurt: 12 grams
1 cup of low-fat cottage cheese: 28 grams
1 scoop of protein powder: 25 gram
1/2 cup of cooked lentils: 9 grams
3 ounces of tofu: 9 grams
1 cup of low-fat milk: 8 grams
1/2 cup of cooked quinoa: 4 grams
1/2 cup of cooked black beans: 7 grams
2 tablespoons of peanut butter: 8 grams
2 large eggs: 12 grams

Choose a variety of proteins to meet your daily needs for muscle building and fat loss.

Watch this video to calculate YOUR daily protein intake!

Choose the Right Protein Powder

Protein powder isn’t just for men.

Women seeking muscle building and even weight loss can benefit from drinking protein shakes.

Various protein powders are available to choose from, including:

Whey
Casein
Egg
Hemp
Soy
Pea
Rice
Protein blends

You might be wondering which type of protein powder is the best for muscle building in women?

Animal-based and soy proteins contain all of the essential amino acids needed to build and maintain lean mass, but combining various plant proteins together can give you similar results.

Studies found that whey protein powder is especially useful for muscle building and post-workout recovery.

During weight loss, research shows that protein enhances fat loss and aids in muscle mass maintenance.

One scoop of whey protein powder generally provides about 25 grams of high-quality protein.

When seeking the best protein powder for muscle building, knowing how the powders are made and what they contain helps you choose one that best matches your needs. For example:

Protein hydrolysates are broken down amino acids that get absorbed quickly by your body
Protein isolates contain about 90-95% protein and are a concentrated protein source
Protein concentrates contain about 60-80% protein and 20-40% dietary fat plus carbohydrates

Be sure to check the supplement facts label for added sugar and other hidden ingredients, and note the total number of calories per serving of protein powder.

Join our 6-Week Program...
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In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Don’t Forget About Carbs and Healthy Fats

Carbohydrates and dietary fat are just as important as protein when following a muscle-building diet for women.

The Institute of Medicine Recommends at least 130 grams of carbohydrates per day for adults.

Aim to consume about 25% of your daily calories from fat when muscle building and fat loss are your goals.

Choose healthy fats like avocados, plant oils, nuts, seeds, olives, and nut butters to stay healthy and lower heart disease and other chronic disease risks.

Excellent sources of fiber-rich carbs for muscle building in women are quinoa, fruit, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, other legumes, brown rice, wild rice, oatmeal, and whole-grain breads, and cereals.

Eat Often Throughout the Day

When muscle building is your goal, it’s important to eat often throughout the day — about every few hours or so.

For example, you might consume three meals plus two or three snacks.

Eating this way helps you build or maintain muscle by keeping your body properly nourished throughout the entire day.

A sample muscle-building eating schedule might include:

Breakfast: 8:00 am
Snack: 10:00 am
Lunch: 12:30 pm
Snack: 3:00 pm
Dinner: 5:30 pm
Snack: 8:00 pm

Create a meal and snack schedule that coincides with the time you wake up in the morning, your work and workout schedules, and the time you head to bed each night.

Choose Nutrient-Dense, Whole Foods

Choose nutrient-dense foods as part of a muscle-building diet plan for women.

Nutrient-dense foods are those that provide your body with a variety of essential nutrients.

Examples include:

Eggs
Lean meats or poultry
Fish and seafood
Soy protein
Fruits and vegetables
Whole grains
Legumes
Nuts, seeds, and nut butters
Hummus
Avocados
Plant oils
Dairy foods or calcium-rich alternatives

Any food combination that provides you with a good balance of protein, fiber-rich carbohydrates, and healthy fats is an excellent choice for muscle building and fat loss in women.

Improve your lifestyle and nutrition by incorporating healthy meals you can eat every day.

Eat Carbohydrates with Protein

Research shows that consuming protein with carbohydrates aids in muscle recovery after workouts.

To optimize post-workout nourishment, you might choose a protein powder shake blended with fruit, yogurt topped with fruit or nuts, a banana with almond butter and plant milk, or grilled chicken with brown rice and veggies.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends ingesting about 20-30 grams of protein after exercise to enhance muscle building.

Try Protein Shake Recipes

Combine your favorite ingredients with protein powder to create refreshing, delicious protein shakes for muscle building.

Blend the following ingredients together to create a custom-made protein smoothie:

1 1/2 – 2 cups of milk or plant milk
1 scoop of protein powder
1/4 cup of fruit OR 1 teaspoon of nut butter OR coffee OR matcha green tea powder
A handful of ice

Use this basic protein shake recipe but plugin ingredients of your choice based on your taste preferences.

When using protein shakes for weight loss, drink them as meal replacements (replace 1 or 2 meals with a shake) or consume smaller shakes between meals.

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

In just 6-weeks on our FOUNDATIONS Program, you'll transform your health and body, for the rest of your life!

Lose Fat & Reach Your Ideal Weight
Build Muscle & Strength
Make healthy Eating Easy
Improve your mindset & Discipline
Effective Workouts for Women 40+
Daily Accountability & Coaching

Sample Muscle Building Diet for Women

When choosing a muscle-building diet plan for women, it’s helpful to have a sample menu in place to guide you through the process. An example includes:

Breakfast

Whole-grain Ezekiel toast topped with nut butter and bananas
Low-fat cottage cheese
Coffee or tea

Snack

Veggie sticks
Hummus

Lunch

Whole grain pasta topped with olive oil pesto sauce
Grilled chicken
Veggies

Snack

A whey protein shake made with protein powder, plant milk, and fruit or nut butter

Dinner

A taco salad made with lean ground turkey, taco seasonings, lettuce, tomatoes, black beans, avocados, and salsa

Snack

Greek yogurt topped with raspberries and walnuts

Find out what and when to eat before a workout to maximize your fat loss and muscle gain.

Which Muscle Building Exercises Should I Choose?

A muscle-building diet alone doesn’t lead to muscle mass gains.

For best results, complete at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular plus strength training exercises daily.

Some of the best full-body muscle-building, fat-burning exercises you can do from the comfort of home include:

Squat to Press

Grab dumbbells or kettlebells to complete squat to presses for a workout that complements muscle-building diets for women.
Stand with your feet about (or slightly wider than) shoulder-width apart.
Squat down until your thighs are about parallel with the floor and when you stand up, complete a shoulder press.
You can also use a medicine ball during the squat to press by throwing the ball up in the air as high as you can at the height of your squat.
Repeat 10-25 times for a total of 3-4 sets.

Lunge to Biceps Curl

Complete a lunge to biceps curl by lunging forward with your right leg until your left knee almost touches the floor.
Complete a biceps curl with dumbbells before you stand back up.
Do the same thing with your left leg and repeat continuously 10-15 times for each leg (3-4 sets).

Deadlift to Lateral Raise

To complete a deadlift to lateral raise, begin in a standing position and hold dumbbells with your arms at your sides.
Slowly bend at your waist, keeping your back straight, until the weights almost touch the floor.
Use your back, hamstrings, and glutes to lift your body back up to a standing position.
Complete a lateral raise and immediately move on to the next deadlift.
Alternate deadlifts with lateral raise 10-25 times for a total of 3-4 sets.

Chest Press to Leg Raise

Complete a chest press to leg raise on a weight bench or while lying down on the floor.
Complete a chest press using dumbbell weights and immediately do a leg raise.
Alternate dumbbell chest presses with leg raise 10-25 times and complete 3-4 sets of the exercise.

Discover all of the benefits of weight lifting for women!

Box Jump to Rear Leg Lift

You’ll need a plyometrics box to complete box jumps to rear leg lifts.
Jump up onto your box, landing with both feet.
When you’re at the top complete a rear leg lift with your right leg (keep it as straight as you can), and softly jump down to the ground.
Jump back up onto the box and do a rear leg lift using your left leg.
Repeat this series of motions 10-15 times for each leg (3-4 sets).

Push-Up to Plank Jack

When you’re ready to really work your shoulders, chest, arms, and abs, try push-ups to plank jacks.
After doing a push-up, stay in the plank position and quickly spread your feet apart and back together (keep your legs straight) before doing another push-up.
Aim to complete 3-4 sets of 10-25 reps of the exercise.

Wall Squats

Find a wall and get into a squat position with your back against the wall and your thighs about parallel with the floor.
Hold the position for 30-60 seconds to work your entire lower body.

Aerobic Muscle Building Exercises

Aerobic bodyweight exercises help you build muscle, burn fat, and tighten and tone up just in time for summer.

Examples of exercises that really get your blood pumping include:

Rope jumping
Burpees
Mountain climbers
Lunges
Jump squats
Alternating jumping lunges
Front to back hops
Side to side hops
High knees
Jumping jacks
Skaters

Change up your muscle building and cardiovascular workout routines often for best results, and make sure to work all major muscle groups at least 2-3 times each week!

Learn why strength training for women over 40 is important to combat muscle loss and promote longevity!

How to Get Shredded!

To increase your chance of maintaining muscle and a healthy weight (and body composition) for life, sign up for a FREE TRIAL of the Fit Mother Project today! When you do you’ll receive:

Motivational support from Dr. Anthony Balduzzi and other health experts
Muscle-building, fat-burning workouts
Custom muscle-building diet plans for women
Social support from a fit mom community
Delicious healthy recipes
Weekly newsletters and much more!

To achieve a fitter, leaner, more aesthetically pleasing physique, join the Fit Mother Project. Get started today for FREE!

Looking and feeling young and beautiful has never been easier!

Erin Coleman

B.S. Nutritional Science, R.D., L.D. Writer, Fit Mother Project

Erin Coleman is a registered and licensed dietitian with over 15 years of freelance writing experience.

She graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree in nutritional science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and completed her dietetic internship at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Prior to beginning her career in medical content writing, Erin worked as Health Educator for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Internal Medicine.

Her published work appears on hundreds of health and fitness websites, and she’s currently working on publishing her first book! Erin is a wife, and a Mom to two beautiful children.

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive:

Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

The FOUNDATIONS Program is created by Dr. Anthony Balduzzi for Women 40+ who want Lifelong Health.

In just 6-Weeks following FOUNDATIONS, you'll experience:

Rapid decrease in body fat
Dramatically improved energy levels
Greater mental sharpness & clarity
Muscle gains & better cardiovascular fitness
Decreased inflammation & pain
Renewed motivation & greater focus on health.

FOUNDATIONS has transformed 60,000 lives! Are you ready to experience true lasting health & results?

If you're tired of “fad diets” & “quick fixes” and you're ready for REAL TRANSFORMATION, then FOUNDATIONS is your answer (learn more) »

The post Get Shredded With a Muscle Building Diet for Women appeared first on The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+.

tutorials Archives - The Fit Mother Project - Weight Loss For Busy Moms 40+

HIIT Workouts For Women: Strength Training and Cardio in One Quick Exercise Session

The Benefits of HIIT Workouts For Women

HIIT Workout Warmup

High Knees

Jumping Jacks

Butt Kickers

High Knee With Oblique Twist

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Beginner HIIT Workout

Burpees

Squat Jumps

Flutter Kicks

Push-Ups

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Intermediate HIIT Workout

Alternating Jump Lunges

Side to Side Push-Ups

Lateral Skaters

Mountain Climbers

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Advanced HIIT Workout

Tuck Jumps

Side to Side Plank Abs

V-Push-Ups

Russian Twist

Cool Down

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program. You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

Full Body Workouts For Women: Shape Up In 30 Minutes Or Less!

What Makes a Good Full Body Workout?

Compound Movements

Isolation Exercises

Full Body Workouts For Women

Squat

Deadlift

Bench Press

Bridge

Curtsy Lunge

Maxing Out Your Workout

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program. You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

Weight Training for Women Over 40

Just getting started? Check out these beginner strength training workouts for women!

Meet SuperFuel. The Delicious Protein Shake Packed With 40+ Energy-Boosting Vitamins & Superfoods (Designed For Busy Women)

Improving Health With Weight Training

Burning Calories With Weight Training

Components of a Complete Weight Training Program

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Weight Training For Women Over 40

Legs

Shoulders

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Biceps

Triceps

Back

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Building Strength After 40

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program. You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

Workouts for Women Over 50: Trim the Fat and Get Fit!

Thinking about starting a new diet? These diets for women over 50 are well-balanced, nutritious, and sustainable!

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program... You'll Gain Health for Life!

What Makes a Good Workout?

The Natural Hormone Balancer Busy Women 40+ Are Using For Improved Mood, Sleep, Skin, Stress & Easier Weight Loss

Where to Start?

Warm-Up for the Workout

Arm Circles

Strength Training Workouts for Women Over 50

Air Squats

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

JOIN OUR fit
mother PROGRAM (FM30X)

JOIN OUR FIT
MOTHER PROGRAM

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Doctor Designed Health Program.
You'll Gain Foundational Health for the Rest of Life.

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!

Join our 6-Week Program...
You'll Gain Health for Life!