Best lower body exercises!

While many people want to have a six pack or a big chest, your primary goal might be toning your legs and glutes. Wheb the legs show good tone and definition, it really enhances the overall image of the body, making it well worth your time and effort! I love to work my lower body and these are my favorite exercises!

-Barbell squat

I know it's better for you knees to keep you legs at 90 degrees.. But if you don't have knee problems at all you can try to sink lower.. Make a full R.O.M to get the best results! And don't be afraid of a lot of weight on your barbell! Your booty will thank you later!

 

-Deadlifts

One of my other favorites is the Deadlift!! Great leg and booty building workout. It's just a great overall exercises and will burn loads of calories! Read the post on my blog: Why you all should deadlift!

-Bulgarian split squats

A Bulgarian split squat is a variation of the regular type of squat. As the name implies, your legs are placed in a split position instead of together. The butt contains three muscles known anatomically as the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus. Collectively, these muscles function to extend and abduct the hip. Hip extension occurs when you move your thigh in a backward direction. Being that the Bulgarian split squat involves this motion, it could in fact make your butt bigger. Well, that's great news isn't it!

-Walking lunges

Besides toning your legs and helping your balance, walking lunges are an amazing move for lifting and shaping your backside. According to the American Council on Exercise, lunges are one of the most effective lower-body exercises! Believe it or not, lunges can improve your core strength. When doing lunges, you must engage your core muscles, including your back and abdominals, to keep your body upright and balanced as you move your hips up and down. Neglecting to do this results in poor form and can trigger injuries. Having a strong core is essential because it eases daily activities, relieves lower back pain and improves your balance, posture, stability and athletic performance.

 

~Judith!

New year, fresh start!

 

It's a new year!! Happy 2014!! I know I'm a bit late :D I'm so sorry!!!
I also had vacation so I enjoyed a lot of unhealthy food and almost no workout...

Bad Judith.. I know.. :D But it's time to get it all together again and start the new year fresh!

So I prepared my meals sunday with care and started to workout again on Monday..

I want to try something new in my training.. I want to focus on one bodypart a day instead 2 or 3 bodyparts.. Yesterday (monday) I trained my back and these where the exercises:

 

Warmup: Practicing my bodycombat :D

 

Exercises back:

-Pull ups, 3x 10 reps (2 bodyweight 8 assisted)

-Bent over row, 4x 12 reps (20kg)

-Clean and press, 4x 12 reps (20kg)

-One arm dumbbell row, 4x12 reps (10 kg)

-Lat pull down, 4x 12 reps (40kg)

-Seated row, 4x 12 reps (25kg)

 

Interval training: 20sec sprints/20sec walk, 15 minutes

 

I can tell you... I'm really sore today!!! I also had combat class in the evening so it was a very active Monday! That's how I love my days :D

 

~Judith

Clean and healthy banana bread!

did some Sunday baking!! Today I made this great tasting banana bread!
Very easy to make and I think your gonna love it! It's full of protein!

Yesterday I spend the day with my boyfriend.. We went to the movie (The Hungergames 2) I have to say it, it was a great movie! But I also ate some popcorn... After that we went to a restaurant and I can tell you.. I didn't eat clean at all!! :D Haha, nobody is perfect! Sometimes I just need cheat days or cheat meals.. I love all the unhealthy food, but I just don't want to eat it. But sometimes I just can't control myself.. So today I'm having a juice day. I only ate a slice of my banana bread,  I just HAD to taste it!! :D :D

What's in it?
-3 scoops of vanilla whey protein
-1 1/2 banana
-25 gr. oats
-10 gr. spelt flour
-140 gr. Greek yoghurt
-80gr. cottage cheese
-10gr. coconut oil
-1 1/2 tsp baking soda
-cinnamon to taste

What to do?
Prehead your oven at 160C
Mix all the ingredients in to one big bowl and put them in to a cake form..
Put some banana and walnuts on top.
Put it in the oven for 30 minutes... And let it cool off...

Enjoy!!

-Judith

Why you all should deadlift! :D

The famous Deadlift is just a great exercise!
Deadlifts are by far one of the best exercises for producing overall strenght. But even more than that, they can even help you improve your physical appearance too.
One main benefit of deadlift is that it helps you develop core strength that is derived from building the core muscles of the body. A muscle which makes up your central muscle in located in the lower and upper back, in your buttocks, your hips as well as in the abdominals. All these muscles work if you do deadlifts. Possessing a firm core is very essential for keeping a healthy stance and getting rid of back pains.
To do a deadlift, the main mover group of muscles is your spine erector found in the lower back. On the other hand, deadlifts do need to utilize some of your stabilizer muscles. The combination of these groups of muscle enables you to raise heavier weights compared to other kinds of workouts. Lifting weights will improve your general muscle weight that is the first factor which determines the strength of a person.
Since this workout is a big compound motion which starts from a dead stop stance, it is truly efficient in enhancing overall explosiveness. Deadlift exercise also helps enhance the overall stance and avoid injuries.  Through strengthening abdominals and lower back, deadlift can naturally enhance the placing of the spine. Your lower back is in a position which is vulnerable to damage, mainly because of poor posture as well as excessive slouching all through the day.
Lots of people thing you'll get injuries from doing a deadlift but it just prevent it!

Cookie dough protein balls

I'm spending the half of my free Saturday in the kitchen.. I'm trying all kinds of recipes.. One better than the other.. I loved these little protein snacks! Tomorrow I'm going to the Les Mills mega quarterly, so I need some small snacks! Very easy to make and no baking!

What's in it?
-30 gr. Vanilla protein
-10 gr. Honey
-30 gr. Coconut flour
-25gr. Peanut butter ( I used cashew)
-1 egg white
-10gr. Dark chocolate chips
-30 ml. almond milk

What to do?
This is gonna be really difficult... Just kidding :D Just mix all the things together and roll them in to 10 balls and put them in the fridge for a couple of hours... Done!!

Enjoy!

~Judith

Simple vegetarian tomato soup recipe

I made this tasty tomato soup yesterday.. And I can tell you, it was great!

What's in it?
-750gr. tomatoes
-1 small onion
-1,5 table spoon olive oil
-1 carrot
-tomato paste
-2 bouillon tablets
-little bit of thyme
-little bit of parsley
-garlic
-salt
-pepper

What to do?
Cut out the hard part of the tomato, cut the onion and the carrot. Put the bouillon tablets in hot water.
Put the olive oil in a big soup pan. Put in the carrot, onion and the tomato paste. Let it bake for a couple of minutes. Put in the tomatoes and the hot water with the bouillon tables and mix it together. You can also put al the spices in it now! Let it cook for 10 minutes till the tomatoes fall apart.. Then you mix it with a hand blender. Let it cook for a couple of minutes and then you can eat it!

~Enjoy!

What are supersets??

In the gym I hear a lot of people talk about supersets, but they al mean different things...
So I'm gonna tell you what supersets are so there will be no confusion about it anymore :D

What's a superset?
With a superset you do two exercises without stopping. You don't take rest between those exercises.
It's a pair of exercises that exist out of two antagonistic muscles.
For example: First you train your biceps after that you train your triceps. Without rest!!

Workout example.

1
-Barbell curl: 4 sets, 10 10 8 6, superset with:
-Tricep extension: 4 sets, 10 10 8 6

2
-Dumbbell row: 4 sets, 10 10 8 6, superset with:
-Chest press: 4 sets, 10 10 8 6.

3.
-Leg extension: 4 sets, 10 10 8 6, superset with:
-Leg curl: 4 sets, 10 10 8 6.

Of course you can make a lot of combinations, this is just an example.. I hope you all understand what supersets are... If you never tried it, just do it! It burns a lot of calories, cause it keeps your hearth rate high!

~Judith

Best exercises to burn fat and lose weight!!

I made a list of exercises that are great for fat loss! You can find all the perfect forms on Youtube.. Make sure you check them before you try any of them or ask your trainer! From is alway's important!!

-Dumbbell/kettlebell swing
Muscle groups: shoulders, abs, quats, hamstrings and glutes

-Barbell squat
Muscle groups: Glutes, hamstring, quats, back, abs

-Deadlift
Muscle groups: Full body exercise, legs, abs, back, chest, shoulder

-BOSU ball shoulder press
Muscle groups: shoulders and your whole core to stabilise.

-Dumbbell curl and press
Muscle groups: Biceps, shoulders

-Dips
Muscle groups: chest and triceps

-Lower abs trifecta
Muscle groups: Ab combo workout!

-Dumbbell renegade row
Muscle group: Back, abs arms

-Bulgarian split squat
Muscle groups: Glutes, hamstrings, quats

-Goblet squat and press
Muscle groups: Glutes, hamstrings, quats, abs, shoulders

Just try to mix this exercises in your workout routine!

~Judith

Why H.I.I.T??

I'm a big fan of H.I.I.T workouts.. The're short and very intense and you'll burn loads of calories!
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a cardiorespiratory training technique that alternates brief speed and recovery intervals to increase the overall intensity of your workout. It's fun to mix up your workouts!

Most endurance workouts such as walking, running, or stair-climbing are performed at a moderate intensity. High intensity workouts are done at a high/explosive intensity.. The are typically sustained for 30 seconds to 3 minutes, although they can be as short as 8-10 seconds or as long as 5 minutes; the higher the intensity, the shorter the speed interval. Recovery intervals are equal to or longer than the speed intervals. High-intensity interval training is done at a submaximal level; around 80-95% of maximal aerobic capacity.

"One of the earliest studies, done by researchers at Laval University (Ste-Foy, Quebec, Canada), kept it basic, using two groups in a months-long experiment. One group followed a 15-week program using HIIT while the other performed only steady-state cardio for 20 weeks. Proponents of steady-state training were pleased to hear that those subjects burned 15,000 calories more than their HIIT counterparts. Those who followed the HIIT program, however, lost significantly more bodyfat. A 2001 study from East Tennessee State University (Johnson City) demonstrated similar findings with subjects who followed an eight-week HIIT program. Again, HIIT proved to be the better fat-burner–subjects dropped 2% bodyfat over the course of the experiment. Meanwhile, those who plodded through the eight weeks on a steady-state program lost no bodyfat."

Why H.I.I.T?
-You'll lose body fat!
-Short workouts
-You can do it at home or at the gym
-You can use al kinds of exercises
-HIIT could be the only way to train for people looking to lose fat while adding and/or preserving muscle mass.


Example of a H.I.I.T workout:

50 seconds work/10 seconds rest. 4 rounds.

1.Mountain climber (50 sec)
-10 sec rest
2.Burpees (50 sec)
-10 sec rest
3.High knees (50 sec)
-10 sec rest
4. Skipping (50 sec)
-10 sec rest
5. Jump squats (50 sec)
-10 sec rest

Another example:

You also can do it with sprints.

-30 seconds sprint
-10 seconds walk
-30 seconds sprint
-10 seconds walk
And just on and on and on... :D

It's Always a good thing to shake your workout up and try something new.. Try this and I'll bet you'll get results!

~Judith!

Why a workout buddy can help you!

Sometimes it's really hard to get off your ass to go to the gym.. You prefer to stay at home, watch some tv and eat some popcorn while you watch a movie... But then your phone rings!! It's your workout buddy to kick your ass and drag you to the gym... :)
There a lot of benefits to have a workout buddy, cause sometimes you just can't do it alone or you just need some help..

There's a big change you'll reach your goals sooner if you workout with a friend.. If you don't want to the other one will get you so far to go to the gym! So instead of 2 times it's easier to go 3 or 4 times if you workout together!
It's more fun to workout if you do it together!  it’s okay to have fun. In fact, the more fun your workouts are, the more you’re going to look forward to and be commited to them over the long-term.
It's easier to try new workouts. Like they say: there’s power in numbers. When you’ve got someone else with you it’s much less intimidating to start using the gym, going to new classes, hitting the free weights or just trying out new exercise equipment.
It's always a good thing to have some one nearby to check your form!
When you workout with eachother it's cool to compete! Try who's faster with rowing or who can lift more...
Your workout buddy has different skills and knowledge than you do – you can benefit from this by the different exercises they introduce you to, the correct form, new workouts and different ways of being active. Variety is one of the key components of fun, so you’re much more likely to stick to your workouts when you can do new things.

What to look for in a workout buddy:
-You like them :D
-You want them to be your fitness role model
-Find someone with a good additude
-Share similar goals
-Compatible schedules

You get better results if you workout with a buddy but it's really important to have a buddy who is just as passionate about it as you! You don't want a buddy who's dragging you down in your preformance and don't want to give it a 100%.. I see a lot of examples in my gym of workout buddies where one of them is very motivated and the other one is bringing her/him down cause they don't want to workout hard.. They just want to talk or just move but not train.. And often the other one is going down with them. You also want to make sure they don’t suffer from the following: constantly make excuses, excessively egotistical, use unhealthy shortcuts (like drugs), overly competitive, obstinate, always late, bad attitude, talk more than they work out… the list goes on and on...

~Judith