Strong Legs and Buttock HIIT

The workout this week is designed to shape up your leg muscles and gluteus and get rid of some of that  bit of unnecesaary fat. Apart from that I have shown an adjusted routine also for people with pain/operation, etc in their knee joint. 

I am very excited about this latest workout. From personal experience, I know it sucks to have pain in your knee joint and that it takes a long time until it can recover completely. For this reason, I came up with this workout. These exercises will help your knee heal faster so that you can go back to your normal lifestyle and more intense workouts.

What is really important on the way to total recovery, is to be very careful with exercising and do not push it to levels that will slow down your progress. Therefore, although I know you might be willing to cardio exercises, may not be the best idea. The best way to know that is just to pay attention to how your knee feels with every movement you make. 

Workout breakdown

For the shape builders
3 rounds, 50 secs train and 10 secs rest:
High knees
5x deep squats + 5x squat holds
High kness
One leg bridge elevated (switch half way through)
High knees
Jumping lunges

To strengthen knee joint
3 rounds, 50 secs train and 10 secs rest:
Normal squats
Bridge feet down
Alternating lunges


Interesting facts about knee joint: 

• it is the most complicated joint in the whole body
• supports almost the whole weight of the body
• it is the biggest and most flexible joint

Top 5 Exercises to Look Fit, not just Slim

In what stage are you: loosing weight, getting big muscles or maybe just looking fit? Well, this article is for those of you who have already slimmed down and are now looking for that great fit look...

How to Look not just Slim but Fit

There are many people that mistake the two
concepts of 'being slim/skinny' and 'looking fit'. I have personally seen and talked to many ladies (especially ladies) that are slim and have no muscles, believing that loosing more weight will give them the desired look. Well ladies...this is not the case! Get some muscle there! You do not need to look like a fitness model or a bodybuilder (by the way, there is no way this can happen unless you put it as your goal) to be looking good and fit. And forget about the skinny fashion models... Fit Is the New Sexy! 

How often should I train to look fit?

In order to look good and have some muscle (notice I say 'some' and not 'a lot' for those who are scared of getting muscular), you need to exercise at least 5-6 times per month for the beginners. This frequency of training will help you build some strength in your muscles and make them more tight. If you have already passed that level, you must increase to 2-3 times per week. You are going to feel the moment of transition yourself. There will be a moment when your muscles will be feeling it too easy and then you need to switch to the higher interval. For those of you who consider themselves "advanced", 3 - 6 times a week should be the best for you. It is always good to leave one day rest because otherwise your muscles "get used to" the workout and the effect is not the same.

What exercises should I do?

There are plenty of exercises that you can do to get your body toned and defined:

• Squats - to define the glute

There are many types of squats you can do and they are THE exercise for a shaped bum and hips. Start with normal squats, later add weights and from then on you can start doing variations.

Variations: Sumo squats, Sumo squats with leg raise, Jumping Squats, etc. 

• Lunges - also for glute and hips

Variations: Walking lunges, Front lunges on spot, Backside lunges, Back and Front lunges. Add weights !

• Push-Ups - for nice arms, shoulders and abs

Push ups are also a great exercise to add definition. They target various muscles so with one shot, you get more. It is a good idea to start with your knees on the ground. Later you can lift your knees up and from then on: 

Variations: Cross Leg push ups, Reptile push ups, try decreasing the distance between your hands, etc.

• Planks - for abs

I like doing planks. It builds strength in your muscles. Start with a normal plank but once you feel it is not a real challenge to keep it for one minute, start changing the variations:

Variations: Shoulder touch plank, Reptile plank, Side plank, Up and Down Plank

• Burpees - for the whole body

Burpees make many muscle groups in your body to contract and they also have a cardio effect. It is kind of an advanced move but the sooner you get used to including them in your workout, the better for your shape! And this is what we want right? I nice body shape...

So, these are my top favourite toning, muscle defining exercises for a fit look. What do you do to get them muscles visible?