That's Fit

It finally seems like spring is here. Winter hung around a little longer than usual, but it's now finally time to start swapping out your winter duds for your warmer weather T's and shorts. It also means that if you want your body to be ready for summer, you better kick your workout into overdrive -- because, believe it or not, Memorial Day is only six weeks away!!

Very few workouts burn fat and build lean muscle as fast and as effectively than resistance training circuits. By combining several weight training exercises, with little to no rest in between sets, you get both the muscle-building and cardiovascular benefits all rolled into one.

Men's Health recently published a number of great resistance training workouts in their U.K. edition (which is basically the same as the U.S. version, only they confuse the hell out of me by using the metric system when referring to calories, portion size, and the weight of dumbbells). The best part about the following circuit routine is that you only need a basic set of dumbbells to do it.

WARM UP - Perform a cardio routine of any kind (walking, elliptical machine, rowing machine, etc.) for a slow to moderate pace for five to ten minutes. Then, jump right into these exercises ...

SPLIT SQUAT JUMP - Perform 15 reps on each leg, holding the dumbbells by your sides.

SQUAT TO CURL PRESS - Perform 20 reps, starting with the weights by your side and ending with them pressed over your head.

PISTON PRESS - Perform 10 reps on each arm while lying on a bench.

BENT-OVER LATER RAISES - Perform 12 reps.

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz! I am 29 year old male and I am thinking about starting a workout routine. However, I don't know where to begin. I have a treadmill and that's it. I am 5'11 and about 160lbs. I don't have a lot of muscle, have a low self esteem towards my body shape and would like to change it. Something simple I can do at home with or without the treadmill would be OK. Any suggestions? Jared

A. Sweet Jared. So sorry you're feeling down in the dumps. Hard to know exactly what is causing it all, but getting yourself in shape can certainly be a grand opportunity to increase your physical fitness, confidence and self esteem. It's proven to help people live better and longer. I can help you with your physical goals. If you feel like there may be something else adding to your low self-esteem, please don't feel shy to talk to your medical doctor or a counselor.

Having said that, it sounds like you are long and lean. What a lucky place to start! Let's get you going with a very simple routine which should get you on your way towards the athletic body you so desire. Make that treadmill your home for at least thirty minutes a day, five days a week. Jog for as long as you can, take a two minute walking break, and then repeat. Continue this jogging/walking training until you can jog for 30 minutes straight. Once you get there....increase your time, distance, speed or all three. Up to you! When you feel like you have bricks in your shoes, just walk! It's OK to have some slower days here and there.

One of the biggest physical issues people wish they could change about themselves is their midsection -- everybody wants a flatter and more toned stomach. But somehow even though it's one of the most desired physical changes it also seems to be one of the most elusive. Part of it is that even the slightest layer of fat can cover up a toned tummy and make it look flabby, and the other part is probably not having the time to work on it. But like anything, having the time is all about priorities and about how bad you want it, and if you're looking for a fast way to squeeze in some ab work these exercises may make it easier to get started. eDiets has tailored common moves like sit-ups, leg raises, and others into a fast and efficient ab routine.

Happy crunching!

We ogle them, we obsess over them and men ... well, because we look, some of you are constantly holding them in. They are a benchmark of superior fitness and it's the body part that really turns our heads. We are of course talking about your abs!

What's that? You need help? Don't worry, with a little effort there's still plenty of time to get that washboard look. But with that said (and because summer is already here) don't be tempted to work them every day. In fact, training more can actually make your abs show less and too much training leads to increased laxity in your muscles. In other words, they could appear soft (and soft isn't good) so instead add resistance to make moves you already do more challenging. Then give your muscles time to rest.

You can find six more tips over at Men's Health to help you really unleash your abs. And, who knows ... maybe you'll be able to inspire women to show you theirs.

Are sit-ups a total waste of time? If you enjoy doing them then the answer is 'no,' although if you're doing them just to build core strength you might be wasting your time. Why? Sit-ups and crunches have been around since the very beginnings of exercise, and it's not that they don't build strength and tone but in truth there may be better more effective ways to get the same results. Sit-ups and crunches are essentially isolation exercises, and doing comprehensive moves that involve your whole body where the abs and core can develop in coordination with the rest of the muscles can provide a strong core along with strong arms and legs and everything else.

I'm not a personal trainer, but I bet there's arguments on both sides of this issue: sit-ups or no sit-ups? That is the question.

If you are having trouble balancing during certain exercises using a spotter is a good idea until you build up body muscles that will hold you for that particular exercise. Spotters are not just for weight lifting.

One of the most important things to know with exercise is proper body alignment and balance. Maintaining a good position with your head so that you are not pulling on your neck while doing sit ups or other ab exercises is important to reduce your risks of injuries. If you're doing a set of abdominal exercises and your neck hurts but not your stomach then you might want to look and see how you were lying or how you were holding your head because you're neck shouldn't hurt after you've been doing abdominal exercises. You need to check your body alignment. If you are holding your hands behind your neck and you're actually irritating your neck or straining then you are doing either too much or trying to go too fast and you are straining and that is creating stress on your neck.

One of the top exercises that you can do for abs is a reverse crunch. Lie down on a bench with your knees bent and your upper legs at a 90 degree angle with your torso. Hold the bench above your head for stability. Use your ab muscles to pull your knees toward your chest until they reach your elbows. Hold the crunch position for three seconds and return to the starting position. Doing ten of these in your exercise routine every day will give you a toner midsection.

The medicine ball is a fantastic piece of equipment; it's versatile, compact, and lots of fun. Available in a wide variety of sizes, colors, styles and quite inexpensive...the medicine ball is the perfect tool for anyone with a little bit of space and a lot of desire. I use them all the time for strength and stability training. Here are some ideas on how to train with yours. Look for more medicine ball magic when I begin the That's Fit video podcast "Move of the Week".

• Do push-ups with one hand on the ball.
• Do push-ups with both hands on the ball.
• Do a push-up with one hand on the ball. In the 'up' position, roll the ball to your other hand and do another push-up like that. Repeat.
• Hold the ball in your hands above your head and reach back while doing crunches.
• Put the ball between your knees or under your knees, and lift them up toward the ceiling while doing crunches. (picture shown)

We are famously more sedentary now than ever before in history, yet we feel more rushed and stressed than ever before. How does that make any sense? It doesn't. But unfortunately it does seem to be the truth, with more and more people helplessly watching their waistlines grow bigger as they find it impossible to fit in time for exercise.

The good news is that when it comes to fitness and physical activity, every little bit helps. You don't have to block out an hour of your day, or even a half an hour, to have life-changing results. Just a few minutes here and a few moves there, even during your day at work, and you can have a positive impact on your health.

Here are 8 moves specifically designed to mimic traditional gym exercises but modified to be done during normal everyday activities. My favorite? The "seated quad shaper." I tried it here at my desk and it really burns! (or maybe I'm just extra out-of-shape, ha!) The one that made me laugh is the "cardio shopping." It's good advice, I just think you'll have to try this one carefully -- "walking quickly up and down the aisles" for an extra calorie burn could be dangerous to innocent bystanders if the store is busy and/or you're not careful!