15 Min Cardio Hits

15 Min Cardio Hits

It can be shocking how many days can go by without a workout when you get busy and involved in things.  You think "Ill take today off, I have no choice so I will resume tomorrow".  Then things drag so your next day goes by and your day or 2 off turns into a week before you even realize it.

I like to keep a selection of cardio hits and workout blocks for clients so that when life hits they can still get a workout in.  

Depending on your life and reasons for interuptions to your workout schedule, there are a few ways to get multi tasking with your workout.

Chances are if you miss a few workouts due to life then you probably are also off with rest, eating and the rest of things.  Maybe unexpected work or travel, sick kids, damage control and obligations.

These 4 Cardio Sets can help you get something in anytime you find a moment and they fit several needs.

The Fat Burn set can be done anywhere, anytime without the dependance on anything. You can work at your pace, modify to suit any body or health concerns at the time and work at your present level.

The Muscle Endurance set enhances toning and can still be creatively done anywhere at anytime with needed modifications to fit your present fitness level.

The Stress Relief focuses on conditioning, breathing, joints and core. You can take this at your pace and will find this a blend of stretch and strength.

The Mixed Hit is muscle focused, like a circuit and works well with exercise bands which can be travelled along with you in most situations.

   No Excuses ;)) enjoy!

For custom workout and nutrition plans to get your fall fitness in play, get ahead of the Resolutions and sign up at lindacusmano.com.

Basic Stretches Sheet for you

Basic Stretch Sheet PDF

Here is a simple handout you can use to get some stretches in daily.  Fit them in when you can through the day or do them in a session after a workout.  If any of the specific areas shown in the stretches are a problem issue then focus on at least doing that stretch a few times in your day.

It is much easier to stretch when you are warm so after moving around or walking rather than getting up from sitting and getting into the stretches.  If you have no choice but to do them cold then go easy, allow time for the stretch to extend slowly, don't force or push.  Keep it comfortable.

Enjoy!

I have several specific stretch sheets I will apply to you with your program when you sign up at lindacusmano.com for you training and nutrition program customization.  Join today, try a month and see the results for yourself.

TRX Exercises

Here are 2 of my favorite TRX exercises

Supine Pull through

Power Pull

Try these for a set of 10 and build from there, 2-3 times per week

MMA moves for Fitness

I love using MMA drills and skills within my training and with my clients.  Some of my clients just love to box and kick!
Taking some of the simple moves and tapping them into training drills with combos of weight exercises can really help take your fitness, fat burn and or muscle gains to a new level.

The Sprawl
This move takes you down to the ground where you flatten out arms and legs hitting belly to the mat, then back up to a stand or fighter stance.  I like to combo these with shoulder press so the sprawl is done with DB in hand (but this demo below shows it using a Bosu), or up to punch combos then back to sprawl.  This gets the heart rate up so that you are fat burning while you use several main muscles and tons of tiny ones, challenging them in new ways.
Here is a great vid clip of Marcus Davis demonstrating a Bosu Sprawl.

The Indian or Dive Bomber Pushup
GSP the Welterweight champ and belt holder for a few years now demonstrates some pushups and modifications of them to help get you out of the OLD pushup rut.  These will help work core, arms, shoulders and glutes, much more effective and time efficient than a regular pushup.

Switch Grip Pullups
For those of you who can do pullups easy, this will challenge you.  Those who cannot do them should have a bench or box under so they can start modified using the box to jump and let your body carry you through small portions of the exercise with attention to the negative and some up pull aside from the jump spotting you.

These are all compound exercises using multiple muscle groups, isolated work is not as prevalent in this type of training but for time efficiency and combo results this is the way to go.
Additionally this will help take most of you to a new level of training, challenging you in a way you are not used to in return causing great results while the body adapts to each new movement over practice.

Boxing Exercises: Jab, Punch & Kick Your Way to a Leaner Body

Boxing Exercises - Jab & Punch Your Way To A Leaner Body

Did you ever realize how winded you can get with shadow boxing. Of course if you have a heavy bag you can boost that by a few notches but even just shadow boxing can give you an excellent all body workout. Buy yourself a skipping rope which will run you under 10 dollars. Use this for a warm up trying to begin with non stop skipping for five minutes to start, working up to 15 minutes within 4 weeks. There are several recipes toward making your own heavy bag which can be found on the internet if you wanted to prepare things so that you have a bag ready for when you are ready to advance in difficulty. There are also great deals on heavy bags all the time from those who just don’t use theirs or who have to move and need the room. I would suggest craigslist as a place to start.

If you have joints which do not appreciate the impact of skipping, try doing it on a track surface or soccer field which will soften the impact. I also suggest you do not jolt or jerk the joints during your punches, keep them controlled and never lock out the joints.

For your shadow boxing you will focus on combining 5 basic movements on the left and right side. Make sure to alternate sides frequently to keep the training balanced.

• Jab
• Cross
• Punch
• Uppercut
• Bodyshot

A jab is a short fast compact hit compared to a punch which comes from the power of full extension. Jabs are used to confuse and distract so normally you would precede any punches with some jabs, alternating left and right. The arm never really fully extends on a jab, it’s like a fast hit with a quick pull back.

A punch is thrown from the core with body coming forward and driving hips. Stance will always be with one leg forward and one back, in a comfortable lunge being aware to switch them and keep moving at all times. Knees should always be softly bent allowing you to swivel and duck.

A cross is thrown wide from the side with elbow out. During all punches the other hand is up protecting the face and between all punches you are protecting the face, elbow in and head tucked like a turtle. Use your obliques when you throw your crosses.

Upper cuts come from the legs and squat with fist driving up for the chin or gut. Shoulders will bob up and down on these again working the core and also working middle back.

Body shots are lower shot variations of the above, which were all head shots. With body shots you want to drive with the lats. Breathing properly through this training is essential. Drive the bodyshots as if your fist were to go straight through the person.

Now try combining these with one of each or picking four and trying one of each per side, two of each per side, and other combos. I would repeat combos at least five times each per side consecutively. You should be surprised how quickly time flies when doing these combos. Before you know it you have completed 20 mins and have a tshirt soaked with sweat.

Make sure to stretch after your session and hydrate appropriately.

Survivor Workout - Strength Training For Speed & Agility

Survivor Workout - Strength Training For Speed & Agility

There won't be tribal buffs nor voting but you will be put through a sweat! This is a strengthening program which targets muscular endurance, agility, speed and coordination. The balance of these training modules will enhance toning and fitness overall.

Similar to the Survivor challenges you will go through different stations and do so with form being the first priority then speed. Being the fastest in this workout does not win you any prizes but could cause you injury so I cannot stress enough how important it is that form is put before speed. My suggestion is to do this in a park which has a child section of jungle gym.
Stations may include but are not limited to: monkey bars, ladder handles to travel by hands and upper body strength, balance beams, child swings, zip line, slides, park benches, chains, and hurdles.
These are some of the things you may see at playgrounds and they can vary in shape or size but be creative!
Here is your obstacle course, now some ideas on how to use it. You can order them in any way you wish and add things such as squat leaps, tuck jumps, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, burpees, crunches and pushups in between each stations or wherever you wish to place them. Do these for a certain number of reps or seconds. Go through the stations as fast as you can with good form. Sprints and shuttle runs are a nice variation to include.
Monkey bars can be used in three stages depending on your fitness level. You can go across once for beginners, go across then turn around and return for intermediates or advanced and go across then back along the monkey bars backwards. You can also use these and single bars for chin ups and pull-ups. Sometimes you don't find monkey bars but do have the hanging handles which need a bit more coordination.
Balance beams which are only ½ foot or so off the sand are another option you can find at some parks which are great for running across forward, backward and shuffling across sideways. Another use would be to hold the beam with two hands and hop over and back with both feet. You can use the beams as hurdles for parks without hurdle stations.
Child swings are great to hop through and back while holding the chains, keeping both feet working together in sync. Swings make lunges harder by keeping the front foot on a swing. Zip lines are not at all parks but use it if you have it, great for a quick break then as you get off you move on to the next station. An ab station after a zip line is a nice blend.
Try getting up the slide from the bottom, excellent thigh and upper body work as you hold the sides with hands and feet.
Use park benches for step ups, dips, push ups and two foot leaps onto the bench in repetition. Chains which hang lateral are good for lateral travel across and those which hang vertical are good to use for upper body climbing.
Remember to warm up and cool down at the end with stretching of the muscle groups worked. 30-45 minutes of this workout and you will be a Survivor too!

Belly Dancing: Fun Exercise to Burn Calories & Get in Shape

Belly Dancing - Fun Exercises To Burn Calories & Get in Shape

Are you getting bored of your current workout routine? Is it still too cold outside to play outdoor sports or change up your cardio routines? Consider an indoor activity that'll get your body shaking!

Over the past few years belly dancing has grown in interest with lessons becoming more readily available. In gaining popularity, like pole dancing, it has become an exercise class being introduced into the gyms. A fun form of exercise and sensuous art, there are many muscle groups triggered when doing the belly dance movements in repetition. Core is one of the areas which are stimulated by belly dance exercise. You can attain some nice vertical lines down the belly by incorporating this exercise into your regular workout program. Eliminate boredom by using this class to shock your system and stimulate more results especially if you are stuck in a rut and not seeing changes to your body but training hard. The body tends to respond best when you change things up every so often forcing it to adjust in turn showing fat loss, strength and other positive body changes.

The gyrating movements enhance partial squat positions; firm, core controlled rotations and extended arms also moving in a very controlled manner. In order to accomplish such fluidity and smooth transitions you must engage many muscles which include the ‘helper’ muscles not just those directly related to the movement.

Balance and coordination are also enhanced by belly dancing. The joints and connective tissue benefit greatly and in turn become much stronger and tolerant. This all equals slowing of aging. Typical issues such as the onset of various arthritis conditions or just the simple bad knee, back or hips will be prevented by doing some activity such as this.

Practice variations starting with a simple clockwise then counter clockwise hip revolution. Make sure your knees are slightly bent with knees NOT falling inward. Keep head, shoulders and chest up and use a mirror to work on making it look pretty! Control your timing with music to ensure you do not speed through the movements. Belly dance skills are done with upmost control and form which means you practice a lot and do not expect to get it right away unless you are well coordinated already but know that the challenge of each movement and the hours you put in for practice will all equal fat loss and conditioning results positively.

Once you can work with the hips more fluently then you can experiment with some arm and hand movements to enhance the workout. This will add more calories burned to your total and work with shaping and toning the arms, shoulders, back and chest.

Progress the time spent on the activity so that you are doing what you can tolerate safely but are adding time each sessions even if just a minute, so that you can comfortable do 45 minutes to an hour. The next progression after that would be to up the intensity and maybe add a few new movements with kicks or squat motions mixed in.

Fancy body waves can be so much fun to learn, for the 80s babies it can also add some flashbacks!!! Make sure to take a good fun attitude to this class because it will tickle your tummy with giggles as you and the other classmates experience some good clean fun.

Free Custom Workouts & Exercises

Custom Workouts & Exercises - 3 Day Split Training Routines

Because I'm in a great mood today, here is a one month workout & exercise program comprised of four weekly three-day split routines which you can try out no matter what your fitness level. Two-three sets of 10-15 for beginners, three-four sets of 10-20 for intermediate or maintenance. Choose weight according to your sets and reps with higher weight at lower reps and lower weight at the higher reps. Those seeking growth will want to stay with the lower reps and higher weight meanwhile those seeking fat loss or muscular endurance and toning would go for a higher rep and lighter weight.

Keep your movements moderate in speed and well controlled. You can take a day off between each day and take your weekend off if you like.

Day Split Workout Routines - Week #1 (Upper/Lower/Both)

Day 1 (Upper)	Day 2 (Lower)	Day 3 (Upper/Lower)
Pushups	Squats	Pullups
Mid Back Row	Hamstring Curls	Lunges
Shoulder Press	Calve Raises	Pec Dec
Bicep Curls	Inner thighs	Hamstring curls
Tricep Dips	Outer thighs	Front Shoulder Raises
Hyperextensions	Hip Extensions	Calve raises
Wrist curls	Tib Pulls	V sits
Oblique Crunches	Ab Crunches	Hanging Oblique Raises

3 Day Split Workout Routines - Week #2
(Three muscles split)

Day 1 (Back/Biceps/Abs)	Day 2 (Chest/Triceps/Glutes)	Day 3 (Legs/Shoulders/Obliques)
Deadlift	Chest Press	Squats
Chins	Tricep Dips	Legs Curls
T Bar Rows	Pullover	Calve Raises
Bar curls	Kickbacks	Military Press
Alternating Dumbbell	Dumbbell Fly	Side Delt Raises
Curls	Cable Tricep Pushdowns	Rear Delt Raises
Crunches	Hip Extension	Side Crunch
Leg Raises	Multi Hip Heal Push	Hanging Obliques

3 Day Split Workout Routines - Week #3
(Front/Back/Both)

Day 1 (Front)	Day 2 (Back)	Day 3 (All Body)
Chest Press	Deadlift	Squats
Crunches	Mid Back Row	Pec Flys
Front Delt Raises	Tricep Dips	Barbell Bent Rows
Leg Extensions	Rear Fly	Tricep Dips
Bar Curls	Hamstring Curls	Seated Dumbbell Curls
Tib Pulls	Calve Raises	Shoulder Press
Wrist curls	Hip Extensions	Crunches

3 Day Split Workout Routines - Week #4 (Machines/Freeweights/Bodyweight)

Day 1 (Machines)	Day 2 (Freeweights)	Day 3 (Bodyweight)
Chest Press	Squats	Pullups
Shoulder Press	DB Chest Press	Dips
Mid Back Row	Deadlifts	Lunges
Leg Extension	Front Bar Raises	Crunches
Leg Curls	Good Mornings	Tricep Dips
Seated Calves	DB Standing Calves	Chins
Cable Pushdowns	Raises	Side Crunches
Cable Curls	Tricep Kickbacks
	DB Curls

Make sure you stretch the muscle used in between sets. Additionally I would suggest a minimum of 5-10 mins doing some type of warm up such as riding the stationary bike or jogging on the treadmill to get the blood flowing which prepare the body for the exercise to come. Once you have completed your workout you should stretch or cool down on the bike at a very very low pace.

Keep track of your daily training by logging what is done, sets, reps, weight used, cardio intensity and so on. This will show you improvements as they occur and will keep you accountable to complete each training day without missing.

Lastly I would suggest a pre-workout protein shake (protein only) and a protein carb combo shake or meal post workout to ensure proper fuel and energy stores are replenished. This will not hinder fat loss if you use the right foods!!

*Tib pulls - using cable or band, hook the band or cable to your toes, seated facing the weight stack or area the band is secured. Pull toes toward you.

*Good mornings – bar on shoulder, on rear delts, bend forward at waist, knees soft but not bent, work toward bending to 90 degrees.

Curvy Body Workouts - Exercises to Add Curves to Your Physique

Rake thin is definitely not in, ladies, but curves are, so do not be afraid to lift some weight and cut back on the cardio. Here are some workout tips to help add curves to your body while building your muscles.

Round shoulders and hips are the goal and being that the hips part is not usually a problem, focus on some shoulder work and tightening the tush to help bring out firm curves. Rounding out the calves and thighs on the outside while working for some lats will really enhance a fit yet curvy shape with a nice lean waist. This is the shape for the 22nd Century. Be encouraged to show a healthy figure and forget the days of thin tapered legs. Women are PAYING for butt implants!? Why not spend a few weeks rather than a few (or more than a few!) dollars and train toward your new booty instead?

The best way to achieve the curves is to work with your natural assets by enhancing them with the right workouts.

Choose exercises such as side shoulder raises using dumbbells and overhead rounding shoulder press exercises. Apply these 1-2 times per week for 3-4 sets of 10 using a moderate weight in the 75% max range. By adding the rounding range of motion to the shoulder press you will have to go slow, watch form very carefully and make sure to use a weight a little lighter than when you do regular overhead shoulder work.

Outer thigh, glute targeting exercises will help with the hips and firm booty. Cables are an excellent tool for abduction but only if you apply the form correctly, otherwise use a machine which does outer thigh training so that you have the help with form by apparatus. Choose 3-4 exercises for this area working on a pyramid for higher and lower reps while varying the weight from light to heavy and back to light.

Single Leg Sumo Smith Squat

Turning your toes in for leg press and leg extension exercises will help bring out your outer quads. Some gals have this naturally while others do not and the factors which are dependant on this are length of limb as well as length of muscle belly on the limb.

This same idea of toe angle training applies to calves for bringing out the round shape on the outer lower limb. I would vary heavy and lower rep with moderate and higher rep to really shock the calves. They carry you all day so they do have a higher endurance capacity. To really show a good symmetry you have to pay attention to all these areas.

Lats are not hard to develop with assisted pullup machines, or if you have the strength then do regular pullups. Lat pulls are also helpful but to really draw down the lat accent you should also do standing lat pushdowns or supine wide pullovers with straight arms, not a good choice though if you are straight waisted then stick with upper lat work only.

Rear TRX Fly

These are just a few exercise tips. When these hints are applied along with moderate cardio and a balanced diet you will see yourself shape into a hot curvy babe in no time. If you're looking for a more detailed plan, I do offer a Curvy Girl workout & diet program. You can find more tips and exercises in my social media and website.

Avoid the Hunchback with Back Training Exercises

Back Problems - Avoiding the Hunchback With Back Training Exercises

Nobody wants to have a rounded upper back and we all are told at a young age to 'sit up straight' but the problem is most of us who tend to have a slouching posture are guilty only of having lack of strength. Many of us need conditioning to the muscles that help you 'sit up straight'. This lack of strength can be painful and cause all sorts of neck and back pains including headaches!

Regular chest stretching done daily is one simple and cost free way of adjusting your poor posture. The pectoral or chest muscle attachments which go to the shoulder area, have a tendency to get tight, in turn pulling the shoulders forward, weakening and overstretching the mid back and rotator cuff muscles which are your mainstay foundation to better posture. The domino effect here is a sore upper back, alignment issues from hips to neck, tension and migraine headaches. Hold this stretch for up to 60 seconds per side and pull only to comfort, never stretch to pain.

In order to alleviate this issue you need to regularly condition those postural muscles which is quick and simple, no heavy weights or bodybuilding involved.The rotator cuff or 'SITS' muscles are located under your shoulder blade, to put it simple. When weak, you can very often see these blades 'wing out'. By doing 2-3 sets of 15-20 reps of simple rotator cuff exercises such as internal and external rotation done with a band. Keep a towel between your elbow and hip and hold it there throughout the exercise to ensure proper form, also ensure you are sitting or standing aligned with your abs engaged (pull belly button into lower back)

Rhomboid squeezes or reverse flies will help strengthen the rhomboids which sit between the left and right shoulder blade. It's a small and controlled movement but very effective.

Perform a 'plank' on your elbows and toes face down, side to a mirror so you can align your body straight. Watch the hips, belly, chest and neck areas for drooping or being too elevated in compensation for being weak. Increase the time you hold this pose as you get better at it and master the form which alone can take months! Having a person spot you can help with form and they can use a stick placed along the back to help you see the areas you need to adjust in order to become level.

It helps to train your core in general since this affects the whole body including and especially posture. When you stand up you use your core to align the body above and below it by pulling the belly button into the lower back. Simple exercises like pelvic tucks and low back extensions will take little effort yet do a world of good.

Start with 10-20 reps and increase into the hundreds if you like since these are done with little or no weight bearing.

A combination of these exercises can take as little as 15 minutes twice per week and help you with your every day life and job so it is worth the effort with a result back tenfold. For more exercise tips and diet plans, visit Linda Cusmano's website and browse her workout plans, some of which can be customized just for your body and your goals.

Different Cardio Workouts

Cardio Workouts - Different Exercises To Burn Fat & Lose Weight
Regardless of what your fitness goals are, whether they are to lose weight, burn fat, increase muscles density, you will have to partake in some sort of cardio exercise. Depending on your goal, here are five different cardio workouts to get you started on the right track! Let's go!
HIT, HIIT and Interval
HIT stands for high intensity training. Typically this kind of workout will have you begin at a low intensity increasing by a notch every minute or increasing by half to a full mph for running, for every minute. This type of workout will start off a beginner with only 5 mins and take you to up at about 20 minutes when you get really good at this. Those who feel melting muscle with cardio seem to prefer this type of training best.
HIIT is high intensity interval training where you would walk for 2 mins, run for 20-60 seconds and so one. The interval times are up you to you and usually start low increasing with progress and time. The rest period is always longer than the intense interval allowing you to go at a higher intensity for short bursts beyond the max you would do for longer periods, then the active resting period allows you to recover without stopping.
Interval training without high intensity would be similar except with the higher interval you are not pushing so you stay at sub maximal intensity.
Circuit
This type of training is a way to be efficient with your program. If you are in a hurry you can circuit through a list of weight machines doing a high number of reps once per station. You can also circuit the cardio machines or blend both. Supersoaker would be a better term for this when you really give it your all as you end up drenched so bad you can barely take off your clothes afterward as they are stuck to you! Of course circuits can be applied at lower levels, reps and paces for those with special needs. For many looking to maintain yet have limited time, this is ideal for you.
Plyometry and Skip Rope
The art of jump height is the main focus for most plyometry work although there is applied plyometry to other body areas now and it has seeping into a larger practice of work. Mainly plyometrics are used for increased hamstring torque in turn increased vertical jump which related to faster take off on runs, faster running, longer endurance. It all depends of course on how you direct the work and to what purpose or sport. In general for fat loss, most drills will work. This is a higher level of risk but can be modified safely for lower levels of fitness and special needs such as post rehab, post op.
Lateral Training and Slide
Almost all the training we do in weights, cardio and sport involve a majority of forward motion. Look at every cardio machine in the gym, all back and forth motions. You get a few lateral leg and arm moves but again with weights it is all mainly back and forth, forward and back.
I like to use lateral training at almost every session. Not only is it a great way to shock the body into more fat loss and conditioning but I find for those seeking specific lower body shaping it is impossible without lateral training.
I had a knee injury early in my career which introduced me to a higher level of lateral training and I have not gone back since. I have my own slide although that fad died off; it was big for a short spell in the 90s although athletes in sports like hockey are still using these regularly. Plyometrics are often applied laterally because it is an excellent way for injury prevention to the lower body joints which are prone to problems during sport play.
Stairs and Elevation
Another excellent heart exercise which works well for the gals seeking to firm up the glutes and thighs is stairs. You can do it at home on a step or on your own stairs in several ways and even laterally, but the hardest is going to the ball park and using the stadium stairs. You should have good knees with no issues for this but otherwise it's flawless. Stair master and stepmill are also excellent. Getting the knees up makes you work harder and burn more fat but also targets the glutes at the point which the knee is above the hip level. I also like to hop stairs mixing some plyometry and using lateral movement.
For more workouts and plans, lindacusmano.com for a personalized workout and diet for your body and your goals.