Walking / Jogging / Sprinting

The simplest cardio exercise you can add to your workout is also one of the most powerful ones: walking. It keeps you in shape, lowers your cholesterol, promotes healthy bones, raises your mood and spirit, and lowers risks of heart disease and diabetes.

And if that's not enough, studies suggest that walking and other similar aerobic exercises prevent memory loss.

Biking

All you need is a regular road bike or even a stationary bike to get started. If you prefer to work out from the comfort of your own home, you can also use a get a stationary bike - it's super convenient.

If your budget doesn't allow it, just jump on an exercise bike at the gym, working in a 20-min cycle before hitting the deadlifts or squats won’t affect your powerlifting too adversely.

Skip Some Rope

Don't take jumping rope lightly - after all, even former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Mike Tyson regularly skipped rope as part of his grueling training regimen. And for a good reason, too: the jumping rope is a fantastic way to get your metabolism firing, and your heart rated started up the right way.

Jumping rope is also easily integrated with strength and resistance training, especially in between sets, regardless of what muscle groups you are targeting during your workout. It's a low-impact, high-intensity exercise that promotes athleticism and flexibility, and also develops your calf muscles immensely. What's there to skip?

Hit the Rowing Machine

You can't go wrong with an exercise that works out every muscle group in your body
- one that has existed ever since humans traversed the seas.

It's an excellent idea to hit the rowing machine in between your jogging or sprints, as
it fires up your metabolism and helps you lose fat throughout your workout.

Pace yourself appropriately - you don't want all your energy allocated to just sprints and rows
and run out of gas for your strength training exercises.

Do Some Jumping Jacks

Jumping jacks are another great high-intensity, low-impact exercise along the lines of jumping rope. Such exercises help you burn fat without reducing your muscle mass, as well as reducing
the risk of contracting injuries that high-impact exercises tend to promote.

Fit your jumping jacks during your rest periods when strength training - an excellent practice is to perform as many you can within 30 seconds during whatever breaks you allow yourself.

Kick Those Knees Up

Conclusion

Strength and cardio are a match made in heaven, even though you won’t lift as heavy, your body will respond much better than if you were just lifting or running in isolation.

A balanced workout that incorporates cardiovascular exercises with the appropriate strength training program keeping the principles of proper for will get you the best results out of your workout, especially if your goals are to gain better muscle definition and lose weight. Start incorporating cardio to your routine today.

5 Best Shoes For Jumping Rope

If you are looking for shoes with aerobic support, which means light-weight and extra padding and more balance and support, the Adidas Performance Men's Speed Trainer 3 Training Shoe is the right one for you.

For Reebok Men's R Crossfit Nano 5 Training Shoe, it’s more about being long-lasting. If you want to find a light shoe but is still highly flexible to use in your workout sessions or just jumping rope around, Reebok no doubt would be what you need.

For people who do light workouts and on easy floor surfaces, the Xero Shoes Prio Training Shoe should be the right one for you. Individuals who do on-the-spot exercises will greatly benefit from it.

The New Balance Men's MX608V4 Training Shoe is a good shoe for indoors or light exercises. Jumping ropes can still be done using these shoe line. However, if you want to change and further improve your jumping regimen, you’ll need other shoes for it.

And last but not least, the Nike Men's Air Monarch IV (4E) Training Shoe is for people who wanted a comfortable shoe that delivers real shock-absorbent feats and arch support. It is a combination of everything you need to look for in a pair of shoes for jumping and running: longevity, balance, support, extra padding.

Squats are probably the most popular leg exercise right now, and rightfully so.

We rate squats as the no.1 butt building exercise you should be doing.

Stand with your feet kept apart at shoulder width and your arms straight up and in front of you, parallel to the floor. Descend slowly, as if sitting down back into a chair.

You want to descend until your thighs are parallel to the floor, or as little or as much as you can while maintaining form. Lower yourself by moving your hips and let your knees move forward in order to maintain balance; stand up and repeat. 

You can try front and back squats, as well as hack squats and find something that works best for you. Just remember to go ass-to-ground!

2. LUNGES

The lunges are quite the taxing exercise, but they’re also quite effective.

We at Fitness Purity consider lunges as the second best exercise you can do for building bigger buttocks and thighs.

Stand with your feet put together with your back straight, chest up and your hands on your hips. Step back with one leg and start lowering your knee towards the floor, stop at around ankle height and repeat for the other leg.

3.DEADLIFTS

Deadlifts have a reputation for being a hardcore bodybuilder’s exercise, but that’s not entirely true. Deadlifts have an effect on your entire body. With that said, it’s very, VERY, important to keep a proper form when doing deadlifts, and to have the right kind of shoes if you are not doing them barefoot.

Stand straight with your feet just under the barbell. Bend over and grab the bar with an overhand grip that should be at shoulder-width.

Bend your knees slightly, until your shins make contact with the bar, straighten your back and lift up your chest while still holding the bar. Once you’ve achieved proper form, take a breath and hold it
in, then stand up with the weight.  

Hold that weight for a second. Slowly bend your knees when you’re returning the weight to the floor. Injury may occur if you’re too careless while still holding weight.

4.GLUTE BRIDGES

The Glute bridge is an exercise that might seem simple and ineffective, but that’s not quite the case.

For the Glute Bridge you should lie down flat on your back, with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent. Your feet should be apart at around hip width and your hands at your side on the floor.

The goal is to lift your hips off the matt by using your glutes, once you’ve lifted your hips hold them up for a second and then lower your hips back down. Do as many reps of these as you want, the recommended reps for most starter exercise is three sets of 8 reps each.

Another way to do it is instead of lowering yourself after a second, just hold your hips up with your glutes, sort of like a plank.

5.DONKEY KICKS

Feeling stubborn? Then donkey kick your way to a bubble butt!

The donkey kick might seem like a silly exercise, but it's quite taxing and very efficient.

You start off in a prone position, on your hands and knees. Extend one leg until it’s parallel to the floor and bend the knee until your foot faces the ceiling, somewhat making an “L” shape with your leg.

Proceed to kick your foot, straight up, use your glutes to extend your leg. Lower the leg back to the starting position, parallel to the floor. Do the same thing for your other leg as well.

Glute Activation

Activating and engaging your glutes is very important if you want to achieve the “bubble butt” physique, and that’s where mind-to-muscle comes in.

Mind to muscle connection is when you have to focus on which muscles you are supposed to activate, in order to be able to engage them properly. If you’ve tried squats before but didn’t feel your glutes getting engaged, there might be a reason why.

Exercises with resistance bands in which you are focusing solely on your glute muscle activation can help. If you use some of these movements in your program, when you’re doing other exercises like lunges, it will make them far more effective.

No sign of results?

There are a few factors that you need to consider when you’re looking at your results.

It’s entirely possible that the exercise program you’re using is not ideal for what you’re trying to achieve. When going for the jiggly butt look, squats are more important than deadlifts.

On the other hand, the “bubble butt” look requires you to have thick thighs and a solid frame to match. It’s possible that a different muscle group is underdeveloped since you’ve focused on squats too much. If you think you’ve done enough work with your squats, focus on another muscle group, maybe deadlifts for more core strength or a different hamstring exercise.

You also might need to increase the number of reps you do, or if you’re using equipment that requires weight, you might have to move up a few pounds.

Another important factor for achieving results is your diet. You can’t expect to lose weight and gain muscle at the same time; if you’re not getting the right amount of calories in that can be a problem. We’ll get into more detail later in the article.

Like we mentioned before, achieving this physique takes hard work, leg exercises are some of the most tiresome exercises there are. It’s hard to stay dedicated to properly exercising your legs; you’ll feel sore after every workout, sometimes to the point where you won’t be able to walk, so it’s
completely understandable if you try to cut some corners, just know that it might slow down your progress.

The 3 Heads of the Gluteal muscle

If we take a look at the gluteal muscles, that will help us better understand what their purpose is and how they function. The glutes basically boil down to three muscles. The Gluteus Maximus, which is the largest of the three and closest to the skin. The Gluteus Medius, being the second
largest and Gluteus Minimus, the smallest and deepest of the three.

GLUTEUS MAXIMUS FUNCTION

As the largest gluteal muscle, the Gluteus Maximus has the role of a powerful hip extensor and an eccentrically supporting muscle in hip flexion; it also plays quite a role in lateral hip rotation. Movements such as sprinting, squatting, hip-thrusts, jumping and deadlifting are all closely associated with the Gluteus Maximus.

GLUTEUS MEDIUS FUNCTION

The second largest of the three, the Gluteus Medius, also plays a role in lateral hip rotation but is better known for its contribution to abduction movements (moving the thighs away from the body), as well as stabilizing single leg movements. Single leg hip thrusts, pelvic drops, Split Squats, monster walks and many other types of movements are associated with the Gluteus Medius.

GLUTEUS MINIMUS FUNCTION

The Gluteus Minimus has three functions. Hip abduction, hip extension, and internal hip rotation.  
The Minimus and the Medius have great synergy as they are very similar in what they do.

The bubble butt physique is best achieved if you develop all 3 of these muscles.

NUTRITION FOR GROWTH

Like we mentioned before your diet is very important when it comes to building muscles. Muscle growth requires portion control, meal timing, hydration, and well-balanced meals.

A vital part of muscle building is your protein intake. Ideally, you want to get at least one gram of protein per each pound you weigh. Apps like My Fitness Pals can help you keep track of your diet. 

Try tracking your eating regimen for a few days to see how much protein you’re eating. A low carb diet isn’t ideal for longer periods. However, the types of carbs you’re consuming are also important when you’re aiming for the big butt physique.

Carbs you should be looking for are brown rice, oatmeal, sweet potato and brown rice pasta. A full day’s regimen would consist of something like 3 meals and snacks in between. Fats are quite an important part of your diet. The average person consumes around 45-55g of fats per day, and if
you’re working out more intensely, you’re probably going to need to increase this intake.

It’s important that you consume healthy fats, like fats found in nuts or avocado for example. These foods aren't called "super foods" for no reason! Timing is another very important aspect of a proper workout diet. You should time your meals to help fuel your workouts properly. Have higher fat foods and carb foods earlier in the day and before your workouts, to get that extra energy you need for an intense training day.

A cheat meal is allowed every now and again. If you so desire, you can dedicate one day of your week where you have a meal to satisfy your cravings. This doesn’t mean that you should binge junk food all day that day though, so keep that in mind.

You also shouldn’t feel bad for having a cheat meal. We all crave unhealthy foods, especially if we’ve just made a change from an unhealthy lifestyle to something far healthier. If you try to suppress these cravings, it could lead to you getting demotivated, or even worse, going on a terrible binge that can set you far back.

Once you see your results your cravings are sure to subside, your results will bring you much more joy; you’ll be thinking about the results way more than you’ll be thinking about eating junk food.

With a regular exercise program in place, your body will feel satisfied with the healthy regimen you’re keeping.

Be patient - it takes time

Achieving the “bubble butt” physique takes a lot of time and patience, you can’t expect it to happen overnight. You’ll need at least three months to even notice any changes. The glute is a large muscle, and it needs a lot of time and dedication for it to develop, so don’t get too discouraged if
you don’t see any changes for the first few months.

Another reason why this process takes so long is that the idea behind this program is to build a round booty while also reducing any fat gains to a minimum. Maintaining an overall fit body, with a flat tummy while also working out takes time.

Focusing on an exercise routine and following it through
will always lead to results. Consistent workouts and well-balanced diets are
always going to show you results, as long as you take them seriously.

THERE ARE OTHER MUSCLES THAT NEED TO BUILD UP

Another important part of working out your glutes and getting the big butt physique is developing your legs. If you’re going for the look, you probably don’t want underdeveloped legs.

Once you have the “bubble butt”, you probably want thick thighs and defined hamstrings to go with it.

Exercises like deadlifts and hamstrings are great for developing your legs as well as your butt. Remember that everything in your body is connected, working on building from the ground up can only be a good thing.  We mentioned earlier that just doing squats won’t do much for you, that’s why this exercise program was created. This program makes sure you aren’t neglecting the key exercises needed for this look.

CARDIO WON'T GET YOU GAINS IN DA RIGHT PLACES

You don’t want to do too much cardio. Cardio gets rid of your fat, but too much cardio can lead to losing muscle, or not getting the muscle gains you want, and in any case a little bit of fat isn’t bad if you’re going for the “big butt” look.

While cardio still remains an important part of your health, there’s no need to overdo it. Go for cardio programs that activate your glutes more, something like the stair climber or set the treadmill on an incline.,

Your cardio workouts should be short and effective, break a sweat and get warmed up for the main course, the muscle exercises. There’s no need to do cardio for more than an hour to get any beneficial cardiovascular results. Too much cardio will be counter-productive as it will be more time
spent on losing fat (and some muscle) instead of building glutes.

TRACK YOUR PROGRESS - PHOTOS AND MEASUREMENTS GO A LONG WAY

You might look at yourself in the mirror and feel like you’re getting nowhere; it is extremely hard to notice any changes if you’re closely inspecting every detail of yourself every single day. It’s also
important to look at yourself from all angles, especially when it comes to the “bubble butt” physique.

A good idea would be to take measurements or better yet, progress photos every two weeks, from a few different angles, and make a detailed list with time and date. If you’re truly following your workout program, diet and all, you will see changes, that’s guaranteed.

Seeing these changes for yourself can be very motivating and might make a big difference in terms of mentality when moving forward. As with most things you do in life, it is important to reward yourself along your journey. You can set some personal milestones and whenever you achieve one,
treat yourself to something you enjoy. Most importantly, always remember to keep going!

CORE STRENGTH AND BACK PAIN

Each of these routines and exercise programs that are meant to enhance your thighs and glutes require you to work out your core. When working on your core, you need to be very mindful of your form and posture, especially when doing the deadlift exercise.

The best way to avoid any back strains or injuries is to keep a good form.

When doing squats or deadlifts, be careful of overdoing it, especially if you plan to do squats and deadlifts on the same day. it’s very important to maintain a good form for every single rep. Without good form, your sets won’t be very efficient since you won’t be isolating your muscles, and at worst you might get an injury.

It’s also very important to have a strong core in order to minimize the possibility of any lower back strains or injuries. Everything comes from the core, the strong your core, the strong your body is.

That’s why it is very important that you do not neglect any exercise for any muscle groups. Your goal might be the “bubble butt” look, but it’s important to maintain a strong core. Remember, everything in your body is connected.

Source: https://www.yourhousefitness.com/blog/bubble-butt-and-thick-thighs

Ease

The good thing about these exercises is that they work, even for people who are known to have two left feet. Yes, you don‘t need to be into choreography. As long as you are willing to learn, there is much in store for you, and you can move through each level as you get deeper into the workings of ballet. And the risk of injury is low, so you don‘t have to worry about that. Besides, most of the workout involves stretching.

Core Strength

Most of the work you do will target your core and will thus strengthen it. Have you been dreaming of abs that will have people turning their heads in awe in summer? Well, here is a simple way to get that toned look. And the great thing about it is that your posture also gets better with time.

Flexibility

With the stretching exercises in play ranging from twists to splits, you are sure to notice a significant change in your flexibility. Thus, if you want to touch your toes and are unable to at the moment, you may have found the answer to your problem!

Other than these benefits, these workouts also make you stronger, and they help you lose weight over time. And the icing on the cake is that they are not dull, thanks to the versatility in movements.

The more time that you spend practicing ballet, the higher better your posture will be, over time. And you cannot rely on what you get in a class alone, but rather, you need to create avenues where you can perfect your skills. One way of doing so is by having a ballet barre at home or studio. This move will enable you to catch up on what you did not in class as you dance your way to tip-top shape.

While you can always buy one, there is a beauty that comes from crafting a ballet barre. And the good thing about it is that you don’t need much to get it done. With a few locally available materials and some DIY in play, you will be ready to get your dance on in a few steps. Here is what you need to do:

You can make a wall-mounted ballet barre, or you can opt to have a portable one, based on what you like best. Let’s take a look at a simple guide on making the first option.

Wall mounted ballet barre

The first step lies in knowing what height you would like for your barre. It could be what you use in class or other measurements which you feel will work for what you would want to practice. It is essential to have prior knowledge of what can work for you to prevent problems later on.

"Measure 100 times, cut once"

Take a tape measure and mark the height that you would like on the wall using a pencil. Move along the tape measure as you make markings for the brackets that you will place at a later stage. Ideally, you have two options at this stage. You can opt to start the marking at the middle of the ballet barre, or you can have it at the end. Again, this will all depend on what you would like to get out of the ballet barre.

Purchasing Brackets

When it comes to the purchase of brackets, you want to choose something that can work for the wall. Anything that works on closet rods or stairways will do. You can consult with the people at the hardware store, to help you in choosing something that is not only stable but also functional for the intended use.

If you want to get a really good set of brackets, this is the bar we would recommend to our family and friends. Its called the Vita Vibe Single Bar, and it is fully wall mountable, and won't break the bank.

Ballet Barre Height

Ideally, the barre height should be at the level of your waist. However, that is not the only way to go about it. Some people opt to go with the standard thirty-two to forty-six inches from the floor, and this works just as well. Now, here is another thing that you need to consider when choosing the ideal height: the bracket spacing.

You see, the brackets will be under the barre such that they will influence how high it will be. As such, you should consider such allowances when making the markings.

Mounting Your Ballet Bar

With this marking out of the way, the next step lies in locating the placement of studs in the wall. You have three options in this case. In the first one, you can use an electronic stud finder which will significantly ease the process. The second option involves the use of wall outlets and other such features in the location. The last option is the use of sixteen-inch increments from the wall. Some people place their barres without following through with this step, and their construction goes well. However, it is always best to take caution to avoid hitting anything that could threaten the integrity of the ballet barre.

Now it is time to measure the distance of the brackets as well as to make the appropriate markings for the same. Here, it is up to you to decide where you would like your brackets so you can have fun with the construction as long as it results in a stable structure. You need to ensure that the brackets are all at the same height and you can easily do so through the use of a level.

The length of your ballet barre will ultimately affect the number of brackets that you need to use as well as the spacing for the same. Take an example of a case where you wish to have a four-foot ballet barre. Here, you would require to have two brackets which you would space thirty-two inches apart, ensuring that there is an eight-inch overhang in place. An eight-foot barre would need twice of these measurements.

For a six foot barre, you would require a spacing of forty-eight inches, coupled with a twelve-inch overhang, while for a ten-foot barre, you would need an eighty-inch spacing with a twenty-inch overhang. You can play about with these measurements to figure out what would work best in your case. The bigger the barre, the more the work in store for you will be. Take an example of a sixteen-foot barre. Here, you would need three brackets. One of the brackets would require centering with a spacing of eighty inches on either side, coupled with a sixteen-inch overhang.

Putting Everything Together

Hempz Original Herbal Body Moisturizer

If you’re someone with sensitive skin, then Hempz Original Herbal Body Moisturizer is the perfect choice for you. It’s filled with vitamins A, C, and E, which help keep your skin safe and nourished, and it is suitable for sensitive skin since it lacks parabens, gluten.

Hempz Herbal Moisturizer also includes ginseng, which helps soothe your skin and shea butter, which helps with increased skin moisture.  

If you’re an environmentally conscious person, Hempz is the perfect brand for you. They’re completely cruelty-free, they never test any of their products on animals.

The company is called Hempz, so you might be worried about the hemp factor, but have no fear, Hempz Body moisturizer is completely free of THC.

Hempz Original Herbal Body Moisturizer is a completely vegan product, free of parabens, gluten and THC, the main ingredient of this product is pure hemp seed oil.

Skin Types & Skin Tips!

As we mentioned before, if you want to find the perfect skin lotion for yourself, you need to know what your skin type is. Ithis section, we’ll be going over some of the skin types, why they matter and other miscellaneous skin tips.

What is light therapy and what are LED masks?

Why try LED face mask light therapy?

Judging by the before and after photos from companies that make LED masks, these products are effective in reducing acne on certain individuals’ faces. Also, other skin conditions like wrinkles and inflammation can also be significantly mitigated.

Now, a traditional way to deal with these issues is to use various creams and lotions, which is also a cheaper solution short-term. Despite being relatively expensive, LED masks will pay off in the long run as they will last you much longer than the previously mentioned cosmetics.

Besides, it can be a real hassle to apply topical products daily, in a scheduled manner, often several times a day. Most masks don’t have to be used more than 2-3 times a week, and it’s up to you to decide what time of the day you want to do it.

Another great thing about these masks is that they often have eye holes, which means that you can read a book, or watch your favorite show all while purging your acne with LED lights.

Professional vs. at-home light therapy

Alternatives to LED masks

If masks are not your thing, there are several alternatives that you can check out.

One option is a handheld device that resembles a showerhead by design. This thing will allow you to treat individual areas on your face or any other body part where the skin needs some rejuvenation.

Panel-like lamps are another alternative. They are hands-free, stand-alone devices which require you to be still and lay down or sit through your session.

Types of resistance bands

There are five main types of resistance bands that can commonly be found in most sporting good stores, as well as gyms. They are:

Resistance bands workout for men

Here is a set of basic strength exercises ideal for guys. If the reps are too many for you, feel free to do less.

Perform 8-12 reps for 3 sets.

Use bands with tension suitable for each exercise.

Push-ups

Throw the band over your upper back and press the ends into the floor with your hands. Get into the top position for the push-up, go down and push back up.

Standing row

Anchor the middle part of the band to a bar or a doorknob, grab each end and pull back with your lower arms parallel to the floor.

Good morning

Place the band over the back of your neck, stand on each end with your feet, and grab the band somewhere around your waist. Pull your hips back and lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor. Go back up leading with your chest.

Side Plank

Double wrap the band around your ankles, lay on your side, lift up to a side plank on your elbow, and push one leg up and down for reps. Switch sides.