Daily Health Workouts

Are you addicted to exercise?

08:26

Exercise is great for the mind, body and soul, right? But what happens when it starts to take over your life? PT Marisa Branscombe ponders the dangerous effects of too much exercise

Are you addicted to exercise? Fitness tips

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Exercise is generally accepted as a positive behaviour associated with enhanced physical and psychological wellbeing. But is it possible to do too much exercise? So much that it takes over your life?

body workout

Abs - the ultimate workout

08:26

If you’ve spent the last decade crunching to coax those elusive abs out from under your spare tyre, it’s time to listen up. Crunches alone will not miraculously melt away your middle. (Here’s why you should get up now. Before it’s too late!)

Abdominal Training

Abodminal Training

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Without a concurrent HIIT program to burn the blanket of body fat enshrouding your six pack, the fat will remain and, as the muscle beneath it develops, you may look bulkier.

The problem with crunches, apart from big questions about their role in vertebral degeneration, is that they focus almost exclusively on rectus abdominus (the exterior abdominal muscle).

If your goal is a strong, toned tummy you need to be optimising your workout time with exercises that blast your entire core, not just the outside. Contrary to common belief, the core is not a single muscle or organ, but comprises pelvic floor muscles, external obliques, internal obliques, rectus abdominus, multifidus, erector spinae and transverse abdominus (TVA). Got that?

Plus: Lower back carpet burn is not a good look.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) plus Isometric Abdominal Training (IAT)

Short, sharp, intense bursts of cardio rip the fat right off the top of your abs, while the strategic series of static muscle contractions in IAT will give you more precision than Michelangelo’s David.

body workout

6 exercises for quads & hamstrings

08:25

There are six exercises in this combination routine. The first four exercises focus on your quads, and the remaining two are hamstring focused. Single-leg exercises have been added for added leg muscle stimulation, and improved stability while using dumbbells. These moves engage the smaller muscles, promising balanced growth and development.

The rules

If…you want to build muscle

Do… 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps of each exercise, resting less than 60 seconds between each set

If…you want to build strength

Do…4 to 5 sets of 6 to 8 reps of each exercise, resting 60 to 90 seconds between sets.

If…you want to lose fat

Do…4 to 5 sets of 12 to 15 reps of each exercise, resting 30 seconds between sets

Workout: Nichelle Laus; images: Dave Laus; Model: Martini Brake

body workout

Advanced squat variations

08:23

Bored of the standard squat? Get those muscles pumping with these advanced squat variations.

Bulgarian squat - Squat variations - Women's Health & Fitness

Bulgarian Split Squat with kettlebells

Activate the core with this Bulgarian Split Squat. Need help? Watch our video demonstration.Whether you run, cycle or rollerskate, you can step it up to ab-blasting level in just 15 minutes. Believe it. Instead of running at moderate pace for 45 minutes, sprint as fast as you can for a number of seconds, then wind back to a lower intensity for the remainder of the minute, and repeat until you hit the 15 minute mark. For beginners, try 10–15 seconds/60 seconds; intermediates can step up to 15–30/45–60 and advanced exercisers should aim for 30/30.

health tips

30-minute full body workout

08:21

Kick-start your morning with this full body workout. Head to the gym, step outside or do it from the comfort of your own home!

Outdoor full body circuit

Five minute warm up jog: Do as many laps around a park or oval as required.
Two minutes of bench stepups: As fast as you can alternating legs each step
12-15 bench dips
12-15 on the monkey bars or pullups
30 second abdominal hold
40 walking lunges: 20 steps in one direction, then turn around and lunge back
12-15 bench pushups
Repeat as many times as possible, including the five minute run between sets

Gym full body circuit

Five minutes on the bike
20 power squats: As fast as you can
Five minute rower sprint
20 pushups: Starting on your toes, dropping to your knees if needed
Six minute treadmill sprint
Stomach super-sets: 15 full situps followed by 15 small crunches

Push/pull leg cardio

Four minute sprint on your choice of cardio: Cross-trainer, treadmill, bike etc.
10 chest presses or pushups
10 triceps dips
10 bicep curls: With a bar or dumbbells
Repeat two to three sets of all of the weights: Take no longer than six minutes in total.
Five minutes sprint on cardio machine of choice
20 squats
20 lunges
20 situps
Again, aim for two to three sets in six minutes
Four minute sprint on cardio machine of choice
12-15 lat pulldown or seated row
30 second abdominal bridge
Aim for two to three sets of these resistance training exercises