Your MIND MUSCLE!

I can't tell you how exciting it is to have so many women fired up to get fit, healthy and SHINE for SUMMER!! The Energy is certainly contagious! It goes to show how Energy is transferable! Another NON-tangible that is so vital to a successful fitness program is your mind. As you workout you must not only strengthen your skeletal muscles but also "MIND MUSCLE".

Engaging your BRAIN into your workouts will accellerate your results BIG time-- When you are lifting LEARN and KNOW what muscles you are working. Here are some mental cues that will help you as you work your legs today:



Sqauts- Butt muscles- engage glutes (BUTT) by looking up, lowering slowly sticking your butt out and back and you start coming up think "squeeze but as you press through heels

Calf raises- Calf muscles- use a FULL range of motion, when you are at the TOP of your TIPPIE toes hold and SQUEEZE for a count before lowering. As you go through your reps "look" at your claf. I look at my right calf for 5 reps then at my left. If you have a non-dominant leg focus on that one--make it CONTRACT!

Lunges- BUTT muscles- focus on using your FRONT leg for the movement- let all the weight be lifted with your FRONT leg using your back leg only for assitance and balance. As you lower down STRETCH your glute by leaning forward slightly (chest to knee)

Dead lifts- Hamstring muscles- LOWER the weight slowly, hamstrings respond to the ECCENTRIC motion, the stretching. Challenge yourself to keep great posture and your lumbar curve as you lower the weight slowly- You may not be able to go down far at first, but in time you'll be to the floor!

Leg curls- Hamstring muscles- again focus on lowering slowly (eccentric)- also keep toes straight and flexex (don't allow yourself to cheat by putting your toes out)

Leg Extensions- QUADS- Don't use too big of a Range of Motion- keep the motion within a 4Odegree angle- raise weight up and PAUSE Squeezing (flexing) quads for a count then lowering. Keep your feet flexed but it's okay to put toes out slightly to give extra attention to VMO. Finish your set with 5 extra short reps with toes out focused on your VMO Entirely- it's OKAY to touch it even to give yourself more mental focus!



Day #2- TUESDAY's workout
1- Lower Body LIFTING & 2-ABS!

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LOWER BODY- Circuit- do all exercises lower body in the order as listed; repeat the circuit 3 times. #1 thenimmediately #2 thenimmediately #3 etc…then the entire series again for 3 rounds	DATE
#1-Squats or smithsquats or hack squat machine	lbs.
3 sets x15 reps	reps.
#2-Calf raises	lbs.
3x10	reps.
#3-Stationary lunges or smith machine lunges	lbs.
3X10	reps.
#4-Dumbbell Dead lifts	lbs.
3x15	reps.
#5- Leg curlmachine or Ball Leg Curls	lbs.
3x10	reps.
#6-Leg extension machine or Laying side leg lifts	lbs.
3x15	reps.
ABS--CPTME….SIMPLE 7 for 7
Passive Abs	reps.
Sit ups- hands on hammies	reps.
Vacuumes!! 10- 10 seconds daily	reps.
Knee ups- roman chair are best	reps.
Traditional AB crunch	reps.
Ball Crunches	reps.
Cats/Dogs	reps.
Other	reps.

I'll fill this in after I finish it~

I also need to take my measurments and stats, but that'll be on TOMORROW's to do list! I have to travel to an out of town softball game tonight for my twins. FUN TIMES!!

Keep on SHINING!! and use your MIND MUSCLES!! They need practice and exercise too!!

Love ya,

Michelle