Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Drop 2 sizes with Rachel Cosgrove and her new workout book


Rachel Cosgrove is back with a new book for women.
 
 
Unique Exercise Tips from Rachel Cosgrove - 
1. Combinations are where it's at! Include exercises that combine two great exercises into one. Some examples are a Single Leg Romanian Deadlift paired with a Single Arm Row or a Squat paired with a Push Press. This way you get more done in less time really revving up your metabolism, burning more calories while also building muscle to reinvent your body. The program in Drop Two Sizes includes a number of combination exercises to guarantee you will Drop Two Sizes. 

2. Putting a demand on your body that it's not used to is the key to changing your body. If you have been afraid to lift challenging weights you might be holding yourself back. Why would your body change if you aren't putting a demand that is challenging promoting change! Start by weighing your purse. Once you know how much your purse weighs that you carry around daily - probably anywhere from 8-12 pounds, you'll know about where to start with which dumbbells to grab to get your body to change. Your body is used to your purse remember. Stop holding yourself back and start changing! 

3. Intensity is key when it comes to raising your metabolism using interval training for your cardio. How do you know if you are working hard enough? A fantastic way to know is to use a heart rate monitor. Push yourself to hit 85% of your max heart rate during the work period and stay there for about 15-20s, then rest and recover letting your heart rate come all the way down to below 75% of max before you go again. Using a heart rate monitor will guarantee you are getting an effective metabolic interval workout that is specific and individualized for you. 

4. I've got the power! Power exercises are one of the priorities in my programs. The goal of a power exercises is to move a load as fast as possible from A to B. These explosive exercises are great for burning fat, getting your metabolism up but also power is one of the first qualities we lose as we age so extremely important to train. Make sure you are including 1-2 power exercises in your program. Examples include Push Press, Kettlebell Swings, Cleans, or Squat Jumps.

5. Go overhead to work your core. Some of the best core exercises include pressing a weight overhead while stabilizing at your core. As soon as you lift a weight overhead your abs have to go to work to stabilize. As you press a weight overhead think about keeping your core engaged along with your glutes engaged. I should not see your ribs, really keeping everything locked down as if you are prepared for a punch in the stomach. Try a single arm overhead press, a kettlebell goblet overhead press or a single arm overhead carry while walking from one end of the room to the other.   

1 comment:

Pat Cobb said...

I think her workout is great because it is focused on challenging the body. It obviously works because if you try to read the concept, you will absolutely understand how metabolism and interval training works.