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3 Quickie Moves to Tighten Your Butt and Legs

Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness

squat signIf you're in search of sexy legs and a curvy can, squeeze these three moves into your workouts a few times each week. In fact, even if you aren't going to do a "full workout," just do these moves and your lower body will shine. I do these often myself and often incorporate them into the training sessions of my personal training clients. Each move works a variety of lower body muscles, and all of them will provide results quite quickly!

Squat Jumps: Squat down like a frog and explosively jump up as high as you can. This exercise will also crank up your heart rate, so begin with several sets of five jumps in a row with a short break in between. Increase your reps each workout.

Walking Lunges: Find a stretch of open space like a sidewalk or group fitness room. Alternating legs, take huge steps forward dropping your back knee close to the ground. Keep your back straight and avoid driving your front knee past your front ankle. Begin with 20 lunges and progress by adding steps or distance each time your train.

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Fit Kicks: BOSU & Medicine Ball Workout with Fitz (VIDEO)

Healthy Aging, Healthy Habits, Natural Products, Womens Health, HealthWatch, Celebrities and Entertainment, Healthy Products and Reviews, Cellulite, Obesity, Fit Kicks Videos, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Reviews & Products, Motivation, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health

See more training videos at SportsHealthExercise.org on the Active Health Network!

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Ask Fitz! Your Fitness Questions Answered -- Making Muscles

Healthy Aging, Healthy Habits, Vitamins and Supplements, Womens Health, Ask Fitz!, Cellulite, Obesity, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Motivation, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health

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. Dear Fitz, I know that most people are trying to lose weight, but I am trying to gain. Gain muscle, that is. I am going to the gym three to four times per week. I'm using the weight machines there, but It doesn't seem like I am gaining any muscle. Could you give me some advice? What types of healthy food should I eat? Should I be doing more reps with less weight or fewer reps with more weight? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Lea Rettig

A. Hey Lea, your question is superb, and the answer thank goodness is quite simple. Strength training should be challenging. Funny enough, my clients always seemed shocked and follow up that feeling of shock by giving me dirty looks when I pass them the dumbbell I'd like them to lift. Along with that dirty look, I receive chronic cries of, "Fitz! That's heavy!" Well, yes. Yes it is. The purpose of strength training is to get stronger, and yes ... build muscle. If I were to give them weights they could already lift comfortably ... they wouldn't be getting any stronger!

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Knees of steel

Fitness

A few years ago I took a tumble down a flight of stairs. It was my third day at a new job and I was carrying a couple of boxes, not using the handrail, walking down a flight of unfamiliar steps, and wearing high heels. Smart? Nope. Graceful? Absolutely not. Humiliating? You betcha. I unfortunately messed up my knee pretty badly. The worst of the injury healed, but I've been left with a weak knee ever since and it does limit the activities I participate in.

This tool has some simple steps for stronger knees -- to help prevent injuries, regain function, and reduce pain. Exercises include the modified squat, step up, toe stand, knee extension, and hamstring curl. I'm going to give them a shot to see if I can get my gimpy knee back in shape. How about you?

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Ask Fitz! Your Fitness Questions Answered--Training with Arthritis & Doggie Fitness

Healthy Habits, Womens Health, Ask Fitz!, Obesity, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Motivation, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health

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 have a question in regards to squats and lunges for working out. I am 29 years old and last year I was told that I had arthritis under my knee caps, so I should no longer do squats and lunges as part of my work outs. Is there a way to modify these exercises or something else that I can do that is just as effective? Thanks, Mindy

A. Hello Miss Mindy. Great question. Arthritis can be very frustrating, and I'm sorry you're having to deal with it! Squats and lunges are specifically stressful to a fragile knee, because they require you to place about 100% of your body weight on them while performing each exercise. Not a good idea when the knee is already sore.

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Preventing a pulled hamstring

Fitness

The hamstring muscles, found on the backs of your thighs, are big players not only in fitness and exercise activities, but also in the every day movements of regular living. And unfortunately when a large muscle suffers an injury, such as in a pulled hamstring, it can really put a kink in your plans.

So before every exercise session, or even anytime you're feeling stiff, try this stretch to limber up and get the blood flowing: Sit on the floor with one leg out in front of you and the other leg bent at the knee with the sole of your foot up against the inside of the straight leg. Lean forward slightly, touching your toes if you can. Keep your toes (on the straightened leg) upright and hold the stretching position for 30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat.

And remember that stretching is important for all muscles, for every body!

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