How do I get toned? What’s your secret to abs? How can I make my butt bigger? What’s the best exercise for losing weight?

My personal opinion for all of these is through STRENGTH. Lift things, put them down, get sweaty and smile (because you can)!
No matter the fitness goal, having a strong, well-moving body will allow you to work your way to them.

I often get approached by people with goals to lose body fat and get “toned”…do you know what “tone” is?! It’s lean muscle. It’s the product of resistance training and a good nutrition. You cannot have one without the other.

There are many benefits to lifting weights and getting stronger:
1. Your body is more effective and efficient at burning fat and calories – the more lean muscle mass you have on you, the more calories your body burns throughout the day.
2. It beats cardio– instead of monotonous exercises, there are SO many variations of resistance training you can do. Also, you’ll use more of your body and build muscle through full body resistance training.
3. Increases bone density – through weight bearing exercises your body adapts by building stronger and more dense bones to take the extra load and impact.
4. YOU WILL NOT GET BULKY – those body builders really have to try to get “Hulk-like”. You don’t need to worry about getting too buff, please!
5. Boost your confidence – you’ll become more independent, you’ll feel better, you’ll look better and stronger…all great things.

How do you build strength? I get to do resistance training 3-4 times per week, focusing on full-body workouts each time. Following the basic movement patterns: push, pull, squat, hinge, and core. Within each workout, I aim to hit each of these movements while under varying load on different days: bodyweight, light, medium and heavy days.
If you’re a newbie, aim for at least 2 full-body strength training days each week. 3 or 4 sets of 8-15 repetitions of each exercise. Lighter weight, higher reps for light days. Higher weight, lower reps for heavy days.

Here is a sample workout to give you an idea of how I like to lift:
3 x 10 suitcase deadlifts
bent-over dumbbell rows
3 minute treadmill jog
3 x 10 squat to overhead press
pushups
3 minute treadmill jog
3 x :45 forearm plank on physioball
3 x :30 side planks

BOOM! Nothing crazy or too fancy…just keeping it simple within the basic movement patterns. Find a weight to challenge you through the repetitions, you should be fatigued by the end of each set and need a short rest before continuing.

If you are unsure of how to lift weights with proper form or feel pain during movments, I highly recommend seeking out a professional for guidance….I’m a professional and totally happy to help anyway I can! Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns. Leave a comment or shoot me an email: get.fit.manda@gmail.com.

#funfact : Humans are the only mammals that willingly delay sleep.