That's Fit

Before jumping into your daily resistance training workout, it's always best to perform a total body warm-up of some kind. In most cases, this can be accomplished with a low- to moderate-intensity session on an elliptical. However, to really prime your muscles, you may also want to include a simple move known as the kettlebell swing.

First -- what the heck is a kettlebell? It's a type of weight that's a bit more unbalanced than a traditional dumbbell. Believe me, you've seen them before -- most likely in grainy, black and white or sepia-toned photos of YMCA gyms from the 1930s. The problem is, many gyms still don't have kettlebells. Does that mean that you're out of luck? Not at all. A dumbbell can work almost just as well for this exercise.

To perform the swing, stand with your feet wider than your shoulders and hold a light kettlebell (or dumbbell) in your right hand in front of your hips, arm straight and with your palm facing your body. Next, squat down, shifting your hips back, as you lower the weight between your legs. Then, swing it forward to chest level as you rise up from your squatting position. Continue in this manner for many reps and then switch arms. Believe me, after a few minutes you'll feel more than just warmed-up.

I've lost some weight so all of my summer clothes from last year are super baggy on me. So last week I went on a bit of a shopping binge. I ordered t-shirts, capris, and pretty much every other item of summer clothing you can imagine. I'll tell you what -- there's nothing like trying on summer clothing to remind you of all the areas you need to get toned up. Parts and places that look just fine in my winter sweaters sing a whole different tune when only covered by a tiny summery top!

If you're looking to tone up for summer, AOL Body has plenty of great tips for you. Their shoulder exercises are sure to get your upper body looking great in swim suits, tank tops, and tees.

• Shoulder press. Sit on a chair with good back support. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and place your feet hip-width apart. Bend your elbows and raise the dumbbells up until they're level with your ears. Raise arms up over your head without locking your elbows. Lower. Repeat.
• Lateral raise. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms down at your sides. Raise arms out to the side until they're shoulder-height. Lower and repeat.
  
• Front raise. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms down at your sides. Raise your right arm straight in front of you. Lower and alternate with the other arm.
  
• Shrugs. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms down at your sides. Keeping your arms straight, raise your shoulders to your ears. Lower and repeat.
  

Be sure to click over to AOL Body for further description and images of each exercise.

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. Hey Fitz! How should one proceed if the dominant-hand side is significantly stronger than the other? I was using Nautilus-type equipment, but felt like my right side was doing all the work, so I've switched over to free weights. Dumbbells in particular. I'm worried about staying symmetrical. Thanks, Ann.

A. Hi Ann. Great question. I see this a lot, and the first thing for you to realize is that most people are a bit stronger on one side. Strangely, lots of people are stronger on their non-dominant side too. Sounds odd, but it seems a lot of people carry the groceries with their non-dominant hand, so they can perform the fine motor skills with their dominant hand. I'm a righty, so I carry my kids on the left and unlock doors with the right. That has lead to my left side becoming stronger.

First thing you should analyze is whether you have a lifestyle reason for your disparity in strength, or if you have some sort of medical issue happening. It's possible an injury has lead you to favor one side. Think about it, and if it could be medical or if the difference in strength on each side is drastic visit a doctor. You may simply be missing a medical condition.

If there isn't one and you're just mildly weaker on one side.......you're already on the right track. Stick with dumbbells. Work towards lifting the identical weight on both sides, and then always do a few extra reps on your weaker side. The extra work will help the weaker side catch up. Let me know how it goes Ann! Fitz

Yo. Fitzie! I've been running a bunch to lose weight, but can no longer bare to do so because of chafing in my upper thigh area. Any suggestions? I'm dying here. Jax