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Life Time Fitness: Highland Park, 2145 Ford Parkway, Saint Paul, MN (2026)

04/14/2016

How to Burn Fat & Aerobic Glycogen

Fat and glycogen or blood sugar, play an important role in fueling the body. The body gets glycogen from eating carbohydrates and if not burned, the glycogen is converted and stored as fat. To fuel the body, it first burns glycogen, but when stores start to run low, such as during exercise, it turns to fat to fuel the body. Cardiovascular exercise not only burns both glycogen and fat, but it also improves your body's fat burning ability, according to Dr. Len Kravitz. Weight-bearing exercises that build muscle, also lead to greater fat and glycogen burn.

Step 1
Calculate your target heart rate range for aerobic activity. Subtract your age from 220 and multiply the result by 60 and 85 percent. For example, if you're 45 years old, subtract 45 from 220 to get 175. Multiply 175 by 0.60 and 0.85 to get 105 and 148.75. The heart rate you want to shoot for during aerobic exercise is 105 to 148 beats per minute. If you're new to exercise or have health issues, you'll want to workout at the lower end of your target heart rate. However, the higher the intensity of your workout, the more fat and glycogen you'll burn.

Step 2
Choose a variety of aerobic activity to engage in. You can avoid boredom by having several exercises to choose from. For best results, select activities you enjoy, such as running, bicycling, inline skating, gym glasses or fitness DVDs.

Step 3
Perform moderate aerobic activity for 150 to 300 minutes a week. Or you can burn as much fat and glycogen in less time, by doing 75 to 150 minutes of intense activity a week, according to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention. Divide your exercise time in a way that fits your schedule. For example, you can workout 30 minutes five days a week or 60 minutes three times a week. You can do your aerobic exercise in one session or do several 10-minute sessions a day. You can alternate your schedule by doing longer, moderate activity sessions on some days and shorter, higher intensity workouts on other days.

Step 4
Perform resistance training two or more days a week to build muscle. Muscle increases your metabolism, which means you burn more calories throughout the day. Work all major muscle groups such as legs, core and arms. Makes sure you work opposing muscle groups, such as quadriceps and hamstrings, abs and back, and biceps and triceps. Use a variety of resistance training tools, such as dumbbells, barbells, resistance bands and weight machines.

04/13/2016

Exercises to Make Your Leg Muscles Faster

When it comes to running, swimming or cycling, building up your leg muscle strength can help you become a quicker, more efficient athlete. The main leg muscle groups used in fitness activities include your quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteal muscles. Working on building up the strength in these muscle groups will help you become faster. There are several exercises that can help promote strength while improving your overall speed.

Squats
While they primarily work your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes, squats are considered a total-body exercise. These exercises, when done properly, can help you build power and speed in your leg muscles. Squats strengthen the muscle groups that work together to propel your body forward. The stronger the muscles, the quicker your body can react, which results in a faster speed. In addition to the traditional air squat, you can add variations like the side-step squat, where you start with your feet together and step one foot to the side before completing the movement, to further build strength in your leg muscles.

Lunges
The hamstrings and gluteus muscles are primary muscle groups in your legs that help you move faster. The hamstring pulls the leg back so you can quickly push off the ground, while the gluteus muscles help promote propulsion. A study by the American Council on Exercise found that the forward lunge is one of the best exercises to to promote activity in your hamstrings and gluteus maximus and medius. Because the lunge movement is similar to the natural human gait pattern, it challenges both your lower-body muscles and your body's ability to balance.

Plyometrics
Known for their explosiveness, plyometrics are a type of exercise that focus on jump training. In doing so, it trains muscles to work together, helping develop quicker and more powerful legs. A study published in the October 2013 issue of the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research found that when combined with sprint workouts, plyometrics helped improve acceleration. Plyometric exercises include box jumps and tuck jumps. These exercises can also include traditional exercises like squats and lunges that are modified to incorporate plyometric movements.

Adding Weight
To increase intensity and keep your muscles engaged as you build up strength, add weight to your body-weight leg strengthening exercises. This helps your muscles gain strength by adapting to more resistance, helping you move quicker and more efficient when the load is removed. Exercise tools and equipment like sandbags, kettlebells and medicine balls allows you to easily incorporate this weight. Weights can also be used in plyometric exercises, but do require some balance and coordination so that you do not injure yourself.

04/12/2016

Is it Possible to Strengthen Muscles Without Using Weights?

Strong muscles are more resistant to injury than weaker ones when called upon to do something strenuous like lift a heavy grocery bag. Strength is also important in many sports such as football, wrestling and even golf. You develop your strength by exposing your muscles to sufficient overload, and while barbells and dumbbells are a traditional form of strength training, you can overload your muscles to develop strength in other ways as well.

Body Weight Exercises
Body weight or calisthenic exercises are usually performed using high repetitions that develop endurance rather than strength. However, some exercises are significantly harder than others and will provide sufficient overload to develop strength. One-arm pushups, handstand pushups, pullups and chinups, single leg squats and dragon flags are all very challenging body weight exercises commonly associated with the acquisition of strength.

Exercise Bands
Exercise bands are portable, cheap and can be used to replicate just about every free weight or dumbbell exercise you can think off. Bands are supplied in lengths with handles fixed to each end, in closed loops or on rolls that can be cut to length according to your requirements. By using resistance bands with a door anchor, you can target every muscle in your body, and if you combine multiple bands together or buy especially thick bands, you can develop a good level of strength.

Isometrics
Isometric exercises involve generating force against an immovable object such as an opposing limb or a wall, the ends of a towel or a rope. There is no movement when you perform an isometric exercise, but because of the high degree of tension generated within your muscles, isometrics develop strength. Wall squats, self-resisted biceps curls and partner-resisted side lateral raises are all effective isometric exercises. To get the most out of this method of training, you need to contract your muscles as hard as you can against an immovable object for 10 seconds or so. Submaximal contractions will only deliver submaximal results.

Cautions and Considerations
Training for strength is a strenuous pursuit as overloading your muscles sufficiently means that you will have to work hard. If you are new to exercise or have been sedentary for a long time, you should visit your doctor before starting a new exercise routine. Once you have the go-ahead, start with low levels of resistance and easy-to-perform exercises so you can ease into your workouts. Doing too much too soon may result in sore muscles and even injury. Once you have acclimated to your exercise routine, begin increasing the difficulty of your workouts to develop strength.

04/11/2016

How Much Do You Have to Exercise for a Flat Stomach?

A flabby stomach can be a bane to men and women. This extra bit of stubborn padding is not only unflattering on your body, but it is also harmful. Its presence poses a risk to many health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, metabolic disorders, and high blood pressure. Consistent exercise, combined with a healthy diet plan is the only way to reduce that extra fluff around your midriff. The amount of exercise you have to engage in to lose the fat will depend on several factors such as how overweight you are to begin with, current physical fitness level, and whether your lifestyle is more active or sedentary.

Fat Facts
Your stomach stores two kinds of fat: subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. Subcutaneous fat is the fat that sits under the skin. It usually is stored in the lower body, and is responsible for that unsightly lower belly pooch. The fat that accumulates on your overall abdominal area is known as visceral fat. It settles in the abdominal cavity, surrounding your organs. Visceral fat is the one that brings with it the most health problems. According to the National Academy of Sciences, the amount fat accumulation in the stomach region in some people is defined by factors such as genetics or hormones. However, this should not be taken as a lost cause because a healthy lifestyle will result in eventual fat reduction.

Lose the Fat
Being physically active is imperative to fat loss. Physical activity uses up energy in the form of calories. The more calories you burn as compared to what you consume through food, the more weight you lose. It takes 3,500 calories to create one pound of fat. So, to lose a pound, you need to create a deficit of the same amount. To lose fat safely, a recommended method is to create a deficit of 500 calories either in diet or exercise every day, to lose one pound in a week. While diet is important, exercise aids in the fat loss as well as keeping it off.

Get Moving
To reduce stomach fat, you must exercise. Fat reduction in targeted areas is a myth; even if you do a 1,000 crunches every day, your stomach will not be any flatter because you are just training the muscles underneath the fat and not removing the fat. Instead, do aerobic activity in the form of cardiovascular exercise. This form of exercise results in overall body fat reduction, which includes your stomach. Gaining a flatter stomach takes persistence. Consult your physician for the right advice before engaging in any weight loss programs.

Aerobic Activity
Engaging in aerobic exercise is the best way to lose body fat. A study conducted at Duke University Medical Center found that people who engaged in aerobic exercise regularly did not gain visceral fat, or lost both visceral and subcutaneous fat, depending on the intensity of the exercise. Those who engaged in no exercise at all experienced a gain of visceral fat after six months. Regular moderate-intensity physical activity for about 30 to 60 minutes a day is ideal to keep your weight under control and essentially melt the fat off. Activities such as running, jogging or biking count as aerobic activity and should be done at least three times a week. The Department of Health and Human Services suggests that an average adult engage in moderate aerobic activity at least 150 minutes a week, or vigorous activity for at least 75 minutes a week.

Strength Training
Strength training may also be the key to preventing further visceral fat gain. Research at the University of Pennsylvania on overweight or obese women found that those who engaged in an hour of strength training twice a week lost a significant amount of body fat and were able to keep off the visceral fat. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends strength training exercises at least twice a week, more if you want faster results. This should be done in alternations with aerobic exercise.

03/30/2016

The Best Exercise Combining Arms & Legs

Exercises that activate multiple muscle groups at once are the most effective for optimizing endocrine system responses to resistance training, according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association. In strength training, the thruster is at the top of the list of the best exercises that combine the arms and legs. This two-in-one movement recruits muscles from your arms, shoulders, back, abdomen, hips, thighs and calves while generating a substantial amount of power.

Breakdown of a Thruster
The thruster involves a combination of two basic exercises -- the squat and the shoulder press. This compound exercise improves muscular strength and power while giving your cardiovascular system a good working over. You can perform thrusters using dumbbells, kettlebells, a barbell, sandbags or just about any other heavy object you can press over your head.

How to Do It
Grasp a barbell with an overhand grip slightly wider than your shoulders, and position the bar at shoulder level with your elbows pointed out. Adjust your feet to shoulder-width apart with your toes pointed forward, stabilize your abdomen, arch your back and look straight ahead. Push your hips back and lower into a squat until your thighs are horizontal, keeping your torso as upright as possible. From this position, explode upward. As you near the top, begin to press the bar overhead, using momentum from your lower body to move the bar up past your shoulders. Use your upper body strength to complete the shoulder press. End with your legs, hips and arms fully extended. Immediately lower the bar to shoulder level, drop back into a squat and prepare for another repetition.

Working Anatomy
The thruster gives you a full-body workout with minimal time commitment. The front squat portion of the exercise works the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, adductors and calves. During the overhead press, you use your deltoids, trapezius and triceps. Throughout the duration of the exercise, the muscles of your abdomen and back work continuously to stabilize and support your torso.

Watch Your Back
When performing thrusters, it's crucial to keep your back arched and stable. Failing to do so will make it difficult to maintain your balance, which is already challenging when performing squats. Rounding your back can stress the vertebrae, ligaments and muscles, resulting in unnecessary soreness and possibly injury. Begin with weights that allow you to comfortably perform 15 to 20 repetitions as you learn the movement and technique, and gradually increase your weight as your strength and skill improves. Working with weight that is too heavy or working past the point of fatigue can cause you to break form, making you more vulnerable to injury.

03/29/2016

The Effects of Aerobics on Ladies

Women who participate in aerobic exercise challenge their cardiorespiratory system by forcing it to work at a higher intensity. This stress placed on the heart and lungs results in various health benefits that are of interest to women. When they’re consistent with their workouts, women can see a lowering of body fat, an increase in bone density, improvements in mood and a decreased risk of particular health problems.

A Look at Aerobics
Aerobic exercise, which is also commonly referred to as cardio, is a type of workout that involves continuous, rhythmic movements performed at a low or moderate intensity. Participating in aerobics strengthens respiratory and heart muscles and improves blood circulation and the ability to transport oxygen. When participating in aerobics, women should train at an intensity that causes their heart rate to fall within their target heart-rate range, which is 65 to 80 percent of maximum heart rate. To estimate target heart rate, subtract age from 220 and then multiply that value by both 0.65 and 0.8 to calculate the low and high ends of the range. Common aerobic exercises include walking, running, biking and swimming.

Body-Fat Loss
Aerobics can help women reduce their body-fat percentage. To lower body fat, women must burn a higher number of calories than they consume. This creates a caloric deficit which forces the body to break down stored fat to use as fuel. Because aerobics involves rhythmic, continuous muscular contractions, the muscles require a steady stream of fuel. As a result, aerobic exercises are effective at burning a relatively high number of calories. A woman who weighs 200 pounds burns about 755 calories per 60 minutes of running at 5 mph. That same woman burns about 819 calories after 60 minutes on a stair treadmill, about 664 calories per 60 minutes of high-impact aerobics and about 391 calories per hour of walking at 3.5 mph. In a 2010 study published in the "World Journal of Sport Sciences," obese women who participated in a six-week training program that consisted of an hour of aerobics three days per week saw a significant decrease in their body-fat percentage.

Greater Bone Density
Aerobics can also help women build and maintain healthy bones. According to "Women’s Health," women who reach menopause are at the highest risk of suffering from osteoporosis, however, women can help maintain or even build bone density with exercise. Dr. Anne L. Friedlander’s study published online by the "Journal of Bone and Mineral Research" in 2009 found that women who participated in a strength and aerobics program for two years saw significant gains in bone density. High-impact aerobic activities, like running and jumping rope, are the most effective types of aerobics for building bone density.

Psychological Improvements
Aerobic workouts have the capability to improve a woman’s mood, and this benefit is even greater if a woman is consistent with her workouts. Dr. Martin D. Hoffman’s 2008 study published in "Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation" found that women who didn’t regularly exercise still saw mood improvements immediately after a workout on the treadmill. However, the women who regularly exercise saw twice the effect in mood enhancements after each treadmill session. Therefore, being consistent with aerobic workouts is more effective for improving a woman's mood. Dr. Ayse Sarsan’s 2006 study published by "Clinical Rehabilitation" also found lower depression scores in women who regularly participated in aerobics. This suggests that aerobic exercise also the capability of improving mood over the long term.

Reduction of Health Risks
Women who regularly participate in aerobic exercise have a reduced risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and stroke. The women in the 2010 "World Journal of Sport Sciences" study who participated in six weeks of regular aerobics saw significantly increased levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or HDL cholesterol, is the good cholesterol that reduces plaque buildup in the arteries . This in turn lowers a woman's risk of heart disease.

03/28/2016

How to Do an Incline Bicep Curl

As one of the most apparent muscles on the body, the biceps, which sit on the front of your upper arms, offer both aesthetic and functional benefits. Acquiring the much-desired peak in the middle of the muscle requires isolating and training the long head, as is done with dumbbell incline curls. The incline increases the contraction of the long head and helps to maximize the development of the muscle.

Step 1
Warm up with 10 minutes of light cardio activity, such as jumping rope, cycling or jogging. Perform one to two sets of pushups to activate your upper body muscles before training your biceps.

Step 2
Choose a resistance level that allows you to perform at least eight, but no more than 12, repetitions with proper form.

Step 3
Adjust an exercise bench to have an incline between 45 to 60 degrees. Take hold of the dumbbells with an underhand grip and sit back in the bench with your glutes and back resting against the backrest.

Step 4
Hang your arms straight down with your hands pointing toward the floor. Turn your palms to face your body.

Step 5
Curl the right dumbbell toward your shoulder by lifting your forearm. Rotate the forearm until the palm is turned to your shoulder. Keep the elbow in close to your torso. Hold the contraction at the top of the curl for one count and then lower your arm back to the starting position.

Step 6
Repeat with the left arm. Continue to alternate between the left and right side until you complete eight to 12 repetitions with both arms. Complete three sets total for each arm.

03/23/2016

Do Abdominal Crunches Slim Down Your Waist?

Ripped athletes and movie stars doused in glamour on magazine covers make achieving washboard abs seem like an unimaginable fitness goal that only photoshop can conquer. However, slimming down your waistline to reach fitness model status isn’t an impossible feat. It requires a dedicated combination of cardiovascular activity and a healthy, reduced-calorie diet. The average workout enthusiast might hit the exercise mat to perform hundreds of stomach-burning abdominal crunches without netting visible results. Ab exercises ultimately build the muscle underneath unsightly belly fat, but that burning sensation in your midsection won’t burn the fat.

Ineffective Abdominal Exercise
A majority of exercise fads demand ex*****on of several sets of abdominal crunches to tone core muscles. However, the traditional crunch has been scientifically tested to be one of the least effective abdominal exercises for muscle toning. The American Council on Exercise enlisted a study, led by doctor Peter Francis at the San Diego State University Biomechanics Lab, to determine the level of muscle activity that 13 abdominal exercises promote in the human body. The study included subjects between the ages of 20 and 45 who ranged from occasionally active to intensely participatory in exercise. After data were collected using electromyography equipment, results ranked the traditional crunch as the third least effective ab exercise for contracting activity in the re**us abdominis and obliques.

Core Stability
Abdominal exercise is part of a complete strength-training program, although crunches are most effectively used for the purpose of generating core stability, as opposed to burning fat and building strength. In 2011, the “Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research” tested the relationship between core stability, functional movement and performance. The study required 28 healthy participants to perform a variety of exercises relative to athletic training. The results indicated that core movement should not be a main point of emphasis in any exercise program because it fails to provide performance-enhancing benefits beyond injury prevention.

Altering Your Lifestyle
Achieving washboard abs is an all-encompassing lifestyle, according to Military Fitness. Abdominal crunches fail to slim down your waist; however, a healthy diet combined with cardiovascular exercise and abdominal strength training can help you achieve your goal. Military Fitness recommends completely altering your diet if you’re serious about shedding body fat to make your abs pop. Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Do not consume fried and processed foods, cheese and fatty red meat. Instead, eat foods rich in lean protein, like fish and poultry. In addition, drink at least 3 liters of water daily. Water helps supply working muscles with the nutrients needed to operate at a high level, which is crucial for the purpose of burning fat during exercise.

Muscle Training
Getting ripped is tied to dedicated cardiovascular exercise, according to Military Fitness. You should get at least 30 to 45 minutes of moderately intense cardiovascular activity four times per week. Military Fitness states that it takes approximately four weeks to experience noticeable results. In addition, train your abs to execute complex movements that better target the re**us abdominis and obliques than crunches do. The American Council on Exercise cites the bicycle maneuver and Captain’s Chair as the best abdominal exercises for targeting your midsection.

03/22/2016

Exercises for the Lower Abdomen and Stomach

Achieving a flat stomach is an iconic goal of many exercisers. Although exercising your stomach and lower abdominal areas won’t spot-reduce fat from your belly, working your midsection does offer benefits. Abdominal muscles help stabilize your body for everything from walking to athletic activities. Additionally, if you combine a sensible diet and cardio activity with abdominal exercises you can lose excess belly fat, leaving you with taut, ripped abs. Warm up with five to 10 minutes of aerobic exercise first and then work your abs at least twice per week.

Lower Abdomen and Stomach Muscles
The re**us abdominis muscle covers both the stomach area and the middle portion of your lower abdomen. The obliques and transverse abdominis muscles lie on the sides of your lower abdomen. Taken together, these muscles are involved in multiple spinal movements, including flexion -- when you bend forward from the waist -- and rotation, when you twist your torso from side to side.

A Variety of Crunches
The crunch and its numerous variations are probably the most common abdominal exercises. Perform the garden-variety crunch by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Set your fingers behind your head and point your elbows away from your sides. Exhale as you lift your head, shoulders and upper back off the floor while the rest of your body remains in place. Inhale as you return slowly to the starting position. You can also perform crunches with your back on a stability ball, while lying on a decline bench, with your feet propped up on a bench or with your legs in the air. Focus on the obliques by twisting your torso as you rise. Add intensity to crunches by holding a weight plate against your chest. Depending on the intensity of your crunches, perform 10 to 40 repetitions per set.

Leg-Hip Raises
Leg-hip raises also feature many variations that you can perform using different tools. Do a hanging leg-hip raise by grasping a high horizontal bar, hanging with your legs straight and then flexing your hips and knees until your knees reach shoulder height. Perform the same motion while you’re lying on a flat or incline bench, with your back on a stability ball or with your arms supporting you on parallel bars. If your body is vertical, you can make the exercise more challenging by holding a weight between your feet. If you’re horizontal, attach a low cable to ankle cuffs and do the exercise against the cable machine’s resistance. Do eight to 12 reps per set.

Plank Exercises
Hold your body as stiffly as a board to perform plank exercises. Do a basic front plank by lying face down on the floor and then rising so you’re balanced on your toes and forearms, with your elbows underneath your shoulders and your legs together. Keep your body in a straight line from head to toe and hold the position for at least five seconds, but try to work up to one minute. Breathe normally while you hold the plank position. Alternatively, perform planks with your forearms on top of an exercise ball or do side planks to focus on your obliques. Make planks more intense by lifting an arm, a leg or one of each.

03/21/2016

How to Get Your Back More Flexible

Your back is made of muscles, the rib cage and spine. It is designed to move in many directions: forward, backward and twisting. When you want to improve the flexibility in your back, choose exercises that use these various positions, will stretch the muscles that pull against the ribs and the spine, and that do not cause discomfort. Back flexibility exercises feel good and provide relief if you are dealing with back pain, but always check with your physician before you begin a stretching routine if you have a pre-existing back condition.

Step 1
Warm your back muscles before you begin your flexibility exercises. Spend five to 10 minutes doing full-body movements including walking, marching in place, dancing, stair climbing or cycling.

Step 2
Perform back stretches that round your spine and tuck your hips forward. For example, use stretches such as bringing your knees to chest, doing a standing forward bend, pelvic tilts and maintaining the crunch position of a situp to stretch your back in a rounded position.

Step 3
Include back stretches that extend your spine, or press your hips backward. Do lying back extensions with your elbows on the floor, and elongating stretches, in which you lie flat with your arms overhead and arch your back.

Step 4
Rotate your spine for improved side to side movement. Do this with stretches such as seated rotations, in which you turn to the side and look over your shoulder, or lying rotated stretches, in which you lie face up and rest one or both knees to your side.

Step 5
Stretch your upper back and improve its flexibility by squeezing your shoulder blades together and then rounding your shoulders forward.

Step 6
Maintain each back stretch for 15 to 30 seconds and repeat the stretch two to four times.

Step 7
Breathe normally and deeply as you hold still and stretch. As you exhale, aim to sink a little deeper into the position.

Life Time Fitness: Highland Park

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