One Exercise, 14 Muscles: Super Plank

This exercise was recently featured in Oxygen Magazine's July, 2011 edition and for good reason. It targets your entire core (rectus abdominis, internal and external obliques, transverse abdomnis, erector spinae), triceps, pectorals, deltoids (posterior, lateral and anterior), rhomboids, latissiums dorsi, teres major and your trapezius.

Give it a Try:

Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Get into a push-up position with your hands under your shoulders and your feet behind you, spread apart for a stable base. Row one hand up to your rib cage and return to push-up position, then do a regular push-up bending both elbows (lowering straight down and then back up). Keep your hips square to the ground and your abs tight. Alternate sides and repeat at least 10 times.

Note: you can modify this exercise by dropping to your knees while in the plank position, just be sure to keep your bottom down and your abs tight.

It's Exercise in Disguise

Millions of people are flocking to Zumba classes in more than 110 countries for a reason. It's so much fun you forget your'e working out. Zumba is a Latin inspired dance fitness class that uses an infectious mix of high-energy music and rhythms like salsa, merengue, calypso, reggaeton and bollywood pop. Zumba mixes resistance training with cardio intervals, allowing you to burn maximum fat and calories and tone your entire body (especially your mid-section). You can burn anywhere from 400-1000 calories in an hour depending on how hard you want to push yourself. The moves are so simple that anyone can do it. One of my favourite rhythms is Cumbia and the song Fuego. Click here to check it out on YouTube.

So "Ditch the Workout and Join the Party"... Watch for my Zumba Fitness classes coming soon.

Benefits of Weight Training

The benefits of weight lifting are numerous. Here are just a few:

• Lessening the risk of heart disease and diabetes
• Improving posture, balance and stability
• Strengthening bones and connective tissue, which can prevent injury in everyday life
• Increasing your resting metabolic rate, so you will burn more calories
• Making you slim and lean

Will lifting heavy weight make you huge?

For women the answer is NO. As women, we simply don't have the testosterone levels to build big, bulky muscles. In fact, lifting weights WILL help you lose body fat but only if you lift heavy enough weights to stimulate muscle growth. Your last few reps should be difficult. For most exercises, if you can do over 16 to 20 reps you need to increase the weight.

Why is weight lifting important when you are trying to lose weight?

Heavy lifting is a key to weight loss, as it plays a huge role in increasing your metabolism. It produces something called the "after burn", which is sustained elevation of your metabolism after exercise. Experts say that while cardio hugely speeds up your metabolism while you exercise and for about 30 minutes after; weight training will keep your metabolism cooking for 18-24 hours. Therefore, burning more calories overall. A pound of muscle also burns 10-20 calories a day, while a pound of fat only burns approximately 5 calories.

Unless you suffer from an injury, weight lifting is important for good health and maintaining a healthy weight. So let's get busy and start pumping some iron....it's good for you!!!