6 new gym movies you're missing out on

Beyond the jungle of treadmills, ellipticals, stair climbers and bikes is another maze of machines: contraptions with weights or cables or weights and cables. If you don't know what you're doing, we don't blame you for speed walking right past that equipment for another 45 minutes on the cardio machines.

That's why we called on Ali Gritz, the assistant fitness manager at Crunch Gyms, to talk us through the best of the weight lifting machines. "A lot of woman are scared of the machines because they don't want to get too big, muscularly," she says. "But the reality is that creating lean muscle mass helps you get rid of body fat. Too many women do cardio for too long at an intensity that's too low — that's where weight lifting can actually help you." And, realistically, you'll never produce enough testosterone to get really jacked, anyway. So, go ahead. Follow Gritz's tips below, and we bet people will be asking you for how-tos.

Cable Rowing Machine

Start with feet up on the footrests. Keeping the body straight, pull cable into chest by bringing shoulder blades together behind you. "Make sure to drop the shoulders away from the ears and keep chest lifted," says Gritz. Easy-breezy — and a great way to make up for what sitting at a desk all day does to your body. To challenge yourself, "Move your feet to the floor to better engage your core," she adds.

Chest Fly Machine

Start with arms out to the side and a medicine ball under feet. Exhale and bring hands together in front of the chest, keeping your chest lifted and your shoulders away from your ears. "These machines are built for bigger people, so if your feet dangle, the medicine ball is an easy fix to keep you in alignment and work your core," says Gritz. "You can also stack dumbbells for a solid base if you don't have a medicine ball nearby." Read More

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Tags: Exercise → gym

6 new gym movies you're missing out on

8 Tricks to help you get back into a regular exercise routine

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1. Stop wearing comfortable clothes around the house.

I love nothing more than lounging around in a pair of stretchy, bum-hugging yoga pants every single day, but I always find that I’m less likely to gorge on my beloved Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal if I’m wearing a pair of skinny jeans…especially when I’m also wearing a slightly-too-tight-for-me sweater that draws attention to my growing muffin top.

2. Tape a picture of yourself to your fridge and cupboards.

There’s nothing more powerful than having a picture of a hotter, trimmer version of yourself staring at you every time you reach for the Twinkies. Trust me on this one.

3. Set a goal.

Whether you want to shed those last pesky pounds of baby weight or squeeze into that new pair of skinny jeans, write your goal down on a Post-it note and stick it somewhere you’ll see it over and over and over again. I have one that says, “I WANT TO LOOK GOOD NAKED!” stuck to this computer screen.

(spoiler alert: I still don’t look good naked)

4. Write down everything you eat.

Have you ever done this? I started yesterday and I was so embarrassed about the number of calories I consume on a daily basis (why do I eat so much while I’m preparing dinner?) that I couldn’t wait to go to the gym this morning to run it all off.

5. Team up with a friend.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not one for organized fun, so the whole notion of having a gym buddy really doesn’t appeal to me. But when 2 of my college roommates asked if we could compare gym notes to keep each other motivated to look hot by bikini season, I was all over it. And you know what? It feels pretty awesome that I’m the ONLY ONE who made it to the gym in the last 5 days!

6. Download some good tunes.

Nothing gets me pumped more than listening to some loud, upbeat, blood-pumping songs while I’m sweating at the gym, so I’ve started to reward myself with a new iTunes download for every 5 workouts I do. And it’s keeping me motivated!

7. Keep your workout fresh.

For a long time, I was doing the same routine every single time I went to the gym, and I found it made the time drag on forever and ever. So now I switch it up a bit. One day I’ll do the elliptical machine (aka “hell”), some days I’ll go for a run, and every once in a while I’ll grab a magazine and hop on a bike for 30 minutes. It keeps things a little more interesting and helps pass the time!

8. Reward yourself.

I like to set short-term goals around calories (if I make it to the gym 3 times in a week, I get an extra glass of wine on Friday and Saturday nights) and long-term goals around clothes (if I squeeze back into those capris, I’m treating myself to a hot pair of wedge heels), but you can do whatever works for you. Just make sure to keep your rewards motivating so you have something to work towards. And don’t cheat!

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Tags: Exercise → Weight Loss

8 Tricks to help you get back into a regular exercise routine