I love working on my planks and than taking them a step further. Here is what I mean.

I will complete a side plank (step A or FIT TIP) by holding for 30 seconds. When I complete my plank hold, I stay in side plank position and complete 20 Oblique twists (step B & C). Than I finish the fun with another side plank hold for 30 seconds. This equals 1 set. Again, I stay in side plank for the entire set, never touching the ground with my hip. I will than swap sides and complete the same reps on my other side. Feel like you need more, keep going! Complete a couple more sets on each side! Come on, give it a try!

STEP A: Begin by lying on your right side and push up so that your body is supported by right arm and your feet are stacked on top of each other.

STEP B: Straighten your left arm, reaching for the stars and balance for a moment. (FIT TIP: If you lift your left leg in the air as well, you will be completing an advanced side plank!)

STEP C: Sweep your left arm down, bringing your hand to your right hip,  and twist your body, turning it towards the floor while keeping the rest of your body in place. Squeeze the abs and hold for 2 seconds, then go back to STEP 2 and repeat for 10-25 Repetitions.

For More Exercises

Abdominals 101: Learn The Boat Pose
Abdominals 101: Crunches With One Leg Raise
Abdominals 101: Scissor Workout

The gorgeous Jessica Alba is often described as the world’s sexiest woman. She not only has a knockout smile and pretty face, she also has a fantastic body.

I bet lots of women like me would love to have a body like Jessica’s. With her killer stomach muscles and toned lower body, she is a true fit icon. Fortunately, there are a few easy workouts to help us achieve a body like Jessica Alba!

Stomach Workout

This is a quick and easy workout to help you to tone your abs and rid your tummy area of extra pounds.

1. Do Some Pelvic Tilts: To do these, all you need to do it lie down on the floor and bend your knees slightly. Then slowly lift your body up, using your legs and pelvic muscles to support your weight. This is an easy exercise to start your workout with, but it really has some fantastic results, as your abs will get stretched and toned to perfection.

2. Touch Your Toes!: This is a fantastic way to target those trouble tummy muscles while also increasing your flexibility. For a twist, try lying on the floor and drawing your legs up to your shoulders. Then stretch out and reach those toes while feeling your stomach muscles contract!

3. Crunches with Your Knees Bent: Crunches are probably the best way that you can target your stomach muscles. To increase the results even further, perform the crunches with your knees bent. This specifically targets the upper ab muscles.

Butt and Thighs Workout

Jessica Alba doesn’t have any problems in this area! However, lots of women struggle to maintain a toned lower body. Here is an easy workout to try.

1. Leg Raises: Get started nice and slowly with some easy leg raises. All you need to do is lie or your side, and then slowly lower your leg up and down. This will create resistance and help you to tighten your buns and thighs.

2. Try Reverse Lunges: It’s important to really focus in on problem areas. Reverse lunges help you to perfectly target you butt and thighs. Stand with your legs firmly apart, and keep your stomach and back nice and straight. Now, slowly lunge backwards, keeping both knees bent. Your lower body will really start to feel the burn!

3. Wall Squats: Use a wall as resistance to help tone your butt and thighs. You can do this exercise anywhere so it is quick and simple. The biggest advantage to wall squats is that walls are firm and can offer you as much or as little resistance as you like. You also use your own body weight to help tone and strengthen your muscles.

For More Celebrity Fit Icons Check Out:

Halle Berry
Fergie
Cameron Diaz
Katy Perry

Have A Fitness Related Question?:

Ask Trainer Brianna Marie: Women’s Fitness Advice

Some people believe sugar to be a drug and that our bodies become addicted to it. Anyone who has tried to quit drinking soda can probably attest to that… with the killer withdrawal headaches, I know! The alternative to sugar are sweeteners. To help your decision in choosing which sweetener to use, we put together some facts about these products and their health risks. Some sweeteners may be great for adding calorie-free flavor to your food, but many come with health risks which you should be aware of.

There are seven common sweeteners used today: honey, sucrose (sugar), aspartame, saccharin, turbinado, stevia, and sucralose or better known as Splenda.

Honey:

No matter how unrefined and all-natural honey is, it is nothing more than pure sugar. Honey has small trace amounts of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Swap for fruit and veggies, which are far richer in antioxidants and have much less sugar.

Sucrose:

Better known as sugar, sucrose is the most common food sweetener used in the world. It is extracted from sugar cane or sugar beets and is purified and crystallized. It is then stripped of ALL vitamins, minerals, fiber, amino acids, and trace elements. It is even processed with things like phosphoric acid, sulphur dioxide, and bleaching agents! In other words it has NO nutritional value!  When you eat sugar, you get a quick  burst of energy and then your energy levels ultimately dip below your baseline. Your baseline is your energy level before you intake sugar. Then your body craves more sugar to get your energy back up! This is why you crave more and more sugar! It is a vicious cycle. Quiting sugar and eating only natural sugar will give you a lifetime of energy! Start today and try it for a week and see how you feel!

Aspartame:

You may know it by other names such as NutraSweet or Equal. It is a low-calorie sweetener that is about 200 times sweeter than sugar. However, it does lose most of its sweeteners when used in high temperature such as coffee and hot teas. This is why most people find themselves using a couple packs. There are health risks because it is made from methyl alcohol, which on its own is potentially toxic. It is however, proven safe for human consumption. However, people with a rare hereditary metabolic condition called phenylketonuria (PKU) need to watch their intake, because it contains the enzyme phenylalanine, which they must avoid.

Saccharin:

Better known to us as Sweet’N Low and Sugar Twin, is popular because it can sweeten both hot and cold foods and drinks and is low in calories. New research shows saccharin is safe in the small amounts most people use, despite the scare that it causes cancer. A study completed in 1977 showed rats that had bladder cancer after being fed saccharin and the fact that Canada bands it from being sold are two good reason I don’t use the stuff.

Turbinado:

This is the light brown packets of coarse, “Raw Sugar” that’s supposed to be better for you because it’s all-natural and chemical free. Just because it is not chemically treated or unbleached, does not mean it is richer in vitamins and minerals. Your body will react to brown sugar like it does white sugar, with a fat-storing insulin spike!

Stevia:

A natural dietary supplement extracted from the stevia rebaudiana plant has been used for decades around the world. It is about 300 times sweeter than sugar and is calorie-free. The FDA however, has not approved it for use as a sweetener. A few studies have shown that stevia may cause cancer and reproductive health problems, which is why some countries won’t allow it to be used as a sweetener. The FDA has stated that when used sparingly, stevia is perfectly safe.

Sucralose:

Better known as Splenda, is 600 times sweeter than sugar and is the newest low-calorie sweetener on the market. It is basically regular table sugar that has been chlorinated, so that it doesn’t make your blood sugar raise! It also retains its sweetness in hot or cold food and drinks. According to a study in 2008 completed at Duke University states, Splenda “suppresses beneficial bacteria and directly affects the expression of the transporter P-gp and cytochrome P-450 isozymes that are known to interfere with the bioavailability of drugs and nutrients. Furthermore, these effects occur at Splenda doses that contain sucralose levels that are approved by the FDA for use in the food supply.” Here were trying to intake as many nutrients as possible and Splenda blocks those receptors!

Choose wisely when choosing a sweetener and which ever one you choose, use sparingly.

Related Post:

Skinny Truth Diet Tips: Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

Have A Workout Related Question?:

Ask The Trainer Brianna Marie: Women’s Fitness Advice

The Boat yoga exercise focuses on strengthening your abdominal region and has benefits of strengthening your legs & back as well! Begin by holding the pose for 5-10 seconds and work up to one minute holds. In this exercise, you may find it hard to balance but keep trying and you will achieve it! I have women in their 60’s, balancing on their bottoms completing this move! Also, remember that breathing in important.

Begin exercise by sitting on the floor with your knees bent, feet flat in front of you. Grasp the back of your legs, under your thighs and slightly above your knees.

Step 1: Exhale as you lean back slightly balancing on your bottom, making sure your back does not round.

Step 2: Inhale as you lift your feet off the floor so that your calves are parallel to the floor. Press the sides of your feet together. While doing this, extend your arms straight out in front of you at shoulder height with your palms facing up.

Step 3: Exhale as you straighten and raise your legs toward the ceiling until your body forms a V shape and hold pose. Nice deep, calm breathing throughout hold is important to contract abdominal muscles.


Fit Tip: Make this pose easier by keeping your hands placed behind your thighs instead of extended them out and keep your knees bent or slightly bent until you can use your core strength to straighten your legs out.

There is nothing more exciting then seeing progression! Be proud of your growth and use that to get you through your next exercise!

Check out these Ab Workouts:

Abdominals 101: Crunches With One Leg Raise
Abdominals 101: Hips Up With Ball Workout
Abdominals 101: Scissor Workout

Have A Workout Related Question?:

Ask The Trainer Brianna Marie: Women’s Fitness Advice

It is hard to believe that Halle Berry has been in the public eye for over 20 years. She barely looks a day older than when she started out! Talk about being green with envy over her amazing body and youthful looks.

I would personally love to Halle’s thighs and butt. She has such a fit and toned body that she can wear anything (even at 43!) and still look drop dead fantastic. Luckily there are a few workouts we can try to get a body looking as good as Halle’s.

Thigh Workout:

To get beautiful toned thighs, you need to know exactly how to target specific muscles. It is easy to do with this simple thigh workout.

1. Use some small barbells for resistance. Once you have picked them up, stand with your legs slightly apart. Now it is time to do some lunges! Keep them nice and controlled. You will really be able to feel those trouble thigh muscles getting a nice workout.

2. Take a run. If you can manage an up-hill incline, you will really give your thigh muscles a good, thorough workout. You can use a treadmill or go for a run out doors. Make sure to warm up first – you want your thighs toned, not cramped!

3. Chair squats. You can finish your thigh workout with some easy chair squats. You don’t need anything fancy for these, just a chair. Stand before the chair, and slowly bend your knees and lower yourself. But don’t quite touch the chair. Hold for a few seconds to really feel the burn in your thighs.

Butt Workout:

If you want to get a shapely behind, try this easy and effective workout to tone your butt.

1. Step Ups. Steps ups are easy and can be done on just about anything. For really effective step ups, try putting up one foot first, and then using that heel to pull up the rest of your weight. This exercise targets the butt area really well.

2. Kickboxing. It is time to get those legs up in the air and those butts toned! By doing some controlled kickboxing you can really target the butt area, helping to get rid of any unwanted flab.

3. Go for a long walk. Probably the best and easiest way to tone your butt is simply walking. Nothing beats the movement of walking because your butt is doing all the work when you walk. Try to go up hills and keep up the pace for a really good butt workout.

For More Celebrity Fit Icons Check Out:

Scarlett Johansson
Angelina Jolie
Sandra Bullock
Jessica Biel

Have A Fitness Related Question?:

Ask Trainer Brianna Marie: Women’s Fitness Advice

I love the saying, “Knowledge is Everything,” because it is so true. Understanding the food labels and nutrition facts on the food we purchase is extremely important to our health. The more you know, another good tag line, about the ingredients you are putting in your body, the easier it is to make adjustments to a healthier diet. Here are the meanings behind some of the most commonly used phrases on food labels.

Good source of: The item has 10-19% of the Daily Value of that nutrient listed.

High In: 20% or more of the Daily Value recommended for that nutrient listed is included in product.

Light or Lite: At least 1/3 fewer calories than the regular version of that food, or no more than half of the fat. If it is in reference to sodium, it means the food has at least 50% less sodium than the regular version.

Lean: Less than 10 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, and 95 milligrams of cholesterol.

Extra Lean: Less than 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, and 95 milligrams of cholesterol.

Reduced fat: 25% less fat than the regular version.

More: At least 10% more of a specific nutrient, compared to the regular version.

% Fat-Free: This designates the actual amount of food that is not made up of fat. Still watch out for the remaining calories! Just because it is 90% free of fat, the other 10% may be loaded with calories.

Reduced: At least 25% less of a nutrient, compared to the regular product.

Low: Less of a particular nutrient per serving than the regular version of that food. How much less depends on the nutrient.

• If a food is “low calorie,” it has less than 40 calories per serving.
• If a food is “low fat,” it has less than 3 grams of total fat per serving.
• If a food is “low in saturated fat,” it has less than 1 gram of saturated fat per serving.
• If a food is “low cholesterol,” it has less than 20 milligrams of cholesterol per serving.
• If a food is “low sodium,” it has less than 140 milligrams of sodium per serving.
• If a food is “very low sodium,” it has less than 35 milligrams per serving.

Free: Little or no trace of a particular nutrient per serving.

• If a food is “calorie-free,” it has less than 5 calories per serving.
• If a food is “fat-free,” it has less than 0.5 gram of total fat per serving.
• If a food is “free of saturated fat,” it has less than 0.5 gram of saturated fat per serving.
• If a food is “cholesterol-free,” it has less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol per serving.
• If a food is “sodium-free,” it has less than 5 milligrams of sodium per serving.
• If a food is “sugar-free,” it has less than 0.5 gram of sugars per serving.

Have A Fitness Related Question?:

Ask Trainer Brianna Marie: Women’s Fitness Advice

Abdominal exercises are a great way to strengthen your abdominal region. However, if you do not have a healthy balanced diet with your workout routine, you will not achieve a glorious 6-pack.

The problem with burning fat is that we burn it all over our entire body no matter what exercise you are doing. If you do 1000 abdominal exercises and you do not eat properly, you will not achieve your goal because you are burning fat throughout your body not just in your abdominal region. You are however strengthening your core! Here is an amazing abdominal exercise to add to your routine! It is great for women because we are stronger in our lower body so keeping one leg bent on the ground, helps us to lift our upper body! Try it! Right now! What are you waiting for?! Now picture me with my big, happy trainer Grin. No excuses! LOVE THE BURN!!

Abs 101: Crunches with One Leg Raise

Step 1: Begin by lying on your back with both of your arms stretched straight over your head. Bend one leg and keep the other straight. This is your starting position.

Step 2: Exhale as lift you arms & upper body toward your feet as you simultaneously bring your straight leg up to a 90-degree angle. You will be crunching forward as you lift your upper body up to reach to touch your toes. I always tell my clients it is like a sandwich because your upper and lower body move at the same time to come together,Complete 8-25 repetitions on each leg.

Fit Tip:
If you begin to feel strain in your neck, gently support your neck with the opposite hand of your straight leg and reach for your toe with one arm. Example: Bring your right hand to your right foot. A variation of this move would be to bring your left hand to your right foot. This cross over engages your oblique muscles. Now, do 8-25 reps of this exercise.

Have A Fitness Related Question?:

Ask Trainer Brianna Marie: Women’s Fitness Advice

Action woman Angelina Jolie is showing off her amazing body yet again in the new action-thriller film Salt. And once again, women all over the world are envious of her great figure!

If there’s one woman all of us girls would love to have the body of, it is Angelina Jolie. She is one of the most gorgeous women in the world. Sure, she has a beautiful face, but she also has a fit and healthy looking body. I am so envious of her stomach and arms! These can be real problem areas, but Angie’s arms and tummy are inspirational.

Arm Workout:

Arm flab can be hard to target. It is a real age giveaway though, so it is good to get those arms toned and fab. To achieve this try this arm workout:

1. Use Weights to Tone Your Upper Arms: Grab a bar bell (or a semi-heavy thing such as a can of something) and then stand with your feet about a shoulder length wide. Spread your arms wide apart and then slowly raise your arms up to your shoulders. Repeat for a great arm toning exercise!

2. Tricep Curls: Find a step, stair or a chair to start this exercise. It is really easy and you can do it with anything at home. Kneel down and back up onto the chair or step and put your arms out behind you to support your weight. Then use your arms to lift yourself up while doing squats.

3. Tricep Extensions: You will need access to some basic gym equipment, but this is a great way to tone arms. Just raise your arms above your head and slowly raise the weight above your head. This will give your arm muscles a really thorough workout.

Ab Workout:

A flat stomach is something we all aspire to. Here is an easy ab and tummy workout.

1. Crunches: These are the classic stomach tightening exercise and with good reason. As an extra tip, when doing crunches you should “criss-cross” so that your elbows touch the opposite knee.

2. Use an Exercise Ball: These are great for tightening abs and improving your core. Do short sit-ups on a ball to really train your abdominal muscles.

3. Jump on an Exercise Bike: You can also use a real bicycle and go for a long ride. The way your body moves on a bike is a great way to target those tummy muscles and to get them nice and tight.

For More Ab Exercises, Try This:
Abdominals 101: Hips Up With Ball Workout

For More Celebrity Fit Icons Check Out:

Jennifer Aniston
Megan Fox
Marisa Miller
Katy Perry

Swapping the bad fats in our daily diet for good fats, can be easy! Before we proceed we must first know what our bad fats are and good fats are.

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are good fats because they do not increase your total cholesterol. The best part is they actually lower your LDL, which is your bad cholesterol, at the same time increasing your HDL or good cholesterol. Do not forget they are still fat! Even though they are good for you and may be healthier for you, you must still watch your intake or you will gain weight.

Monounsaturated fats can be found in: olive oil, fish oil, peanut oil, and canola oil

Polyunsaturated fats are found in: albacore tuna, salmon, herring, mackerel, rainbow trout, sardines, sunflower oil, canola oil, and flaxseed

Saturated fats or bad fats are hard to avoid! We see business selling it on every corner with they’re golden arches or dollar menu signs. Saturated fat are the main dietry cause for high blood cholesterol.  These fats are bad because they raise your LDL (bad cholesterol). Trans fat and hydrogenated fats are synthetic fats that have been created to give some food a long shelf life. These should not be eaten! Eliminate processed food, stick butter, margarine, vegetable shortening and anything made with these ingredients, such as french fries! YUCK! You will feel like a whole new person once you’ve conquered processed foods.

Saturated fats can be found in: meat, poultry skin, butter, egg yolks, whole milk, cheese, palm oil, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil.

The American Heart Association’s Nutrition Committee strongly advises these fat guidelines for anyone over the age of two:

1. Limit total fat intake to less than 25-35% of your total calories a day

2. Saturated fats: Less than 7% of your total daily calories

3. Trans Fat: Needs to be less than 1% of your total daily calories

4. All remaining fat should come from monounstaurated and polyunsaturated fats.

Most people should limit their cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg per day. If you have coronary heart disease or your LDL cholesterol level is 100 mg/dL or greater, limit your cholesterol intake to less than 200 milligrams a day.

Replacing the bad fats in your diet with good fats doesn’t have to be hard. Here are a few ways to to get the benefits your body deserves, satisfy your taste buds, and still enjoy the flavor of your food!

1. Instead of using butter or margarine on your food, swap it for extra-virgin olive oil or flaxseed oil with a sprinkle of salt. Taste great on veggies too!

2. Skip prepackaged potato chips for sunflower seeds or almonds! Bonus! They’re high in protein!

3. Switch your cooking oil to canola, extra-virgin olive oil, or grapeseed.

4. A recipe calls for vegetable shortening, no problem! Substitute half as much virgin olive oil with a dash of salt and your ready to go!

Have A Fitness Related Question?:

Ask Trainer Brianna Marie: Women’s Fitness Advice

With water making up 75% of our body it is no wonder it is extremely important for our bodies function, our health, and our workout. Humans can not survive for more then three days without water. Granted most food contains water but it is not a proper source of hydration. The problem is that most people in this day and age, replace water with soda and sugary drinks that dehydrate you even more!

Alcohol and caffeine cause rapid fluid loss due to the diuretic effect. No matter what you are drinking it can not replace water. Water is crucial for the body to function properly, so make sure to have adequate water consumption. If you wait until you are thirsty to drink water it is already too late!

You should be in-taking around a gallon a day of water not including what you drink during exercise. When exercising you will have a higher need for water because your body is perspiring while you workout to try and keep your body cool. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) suggest drinking an additional 20 ounces of water 2 hours before you workout. Forevery 1 hour of exercise in take at least a minimum of 24 ounces. During just one hour of working out your body can lose more than a quart of water!  Imagine how much you’re losing in this heat! You should also intake a glass of water before you go to bed. Just like you need food for energy, your body needs water to function! Trust me you’ll wake up feeling tons better!

So make it your goal for this week to drink at least 10 glasses a day! You can do it!! You will be surprised by the energy you feel and your over well being will be heightened!

Other Great Articles:

Fit Tip: Staying Hydrated for the Summer!
Skinny Truth Diet Tips: Eating Negative Calories
Fit Tip: The Skinny Truth Diet

Have A Fitness Related Question?:

Ask Trainer Brianna Marie: Women’s Fitness Advice