Nicole Scherzinger From the Pussy Cat Dolls. A Great Fitness Role Model!

Rusty, now here's a question –

This Nicole girl you show does have a great body with obvious muscle, but somehow she has managed to keep her arms nice and lean. This is a look I desire, but when I work out my upper back and chest to get a decent v-taper, my arms just get incidentally bulky and I look terrifying in a tanktop. What to do!

Love the site, love you, you know the drill!

Wow, I can't believe I influenced you in writing this blog. And I also can't believe that you wrote it it so soon. When you said someday I didn't think you meant now. lol.

But yes, I think Nicole Scherzinger is a very good fitness role model for an everyday girl. In that picture that you posted above she has that pelvic muscle you speak of, that's pretty impressive because I don't even have that yet and I'm a guy.

Hey Rusty
I had to send you this link. This website always has a Transformation of the Week. This is a guy who went from lean n' handsome to looking like a big ape. Like you I have nothing against guys who want to get big, but this seemed more like a loss than a gain.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/trans_o409.htm

Thank you so much for this article. I'm similar to the poster above Kira. My arms and shoulders tend to be thick. You say don't do squats but what about the inner/outter thigh problems women have? Forever i have heard to do squats and lunges and now some of my jeans are tight in the thigh. Could you give a good program layout (exercises) us women should perform as well as rep and weight load? thanks

I gotta say, while I know it takes alot of work to build excess muscle, video #1 just makes me laugh! I cringe as I wonder if that's how she would look dancing at a club?
As for video #2 well….I don't even need to comment!

I also had a quick question. I'm going to be on Spring Break all next week and as such will be drinking….alot(mostly liquor) Any tips on keeping my abs sharp throughout the week? Im not quite sure how drinking every night might affect them.

wow! That fitness model in the video is not my kind of beauty either. I am a fitness model , have competed several times before. Actually I have used many of the principles you believe in in getting ready for my last competition. I could send you a few photos. I did train heavy, but didn't become bulky.

Hmm Rusty, I agree with you for the most part. BUT, i'd love to know what the guys here – and you – think about women like Jaime Pressly and Evangeline Lilly, who are super-fit and toned and veryyy lean… is it too much? i think they look great, but i'd love to know a guys opinion

katie

in case you dont know who they are, here's links to pictures:

Jaime Pressly: http://jaimepressly.nu/images/displayimage.php?album=topn&cat=0&pos=56

Evangeline Lilly: http://spoilerbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/evangelinelilly.jpg

Hello,

I've been reading everything on your website for the past 2 weeks. I absolutely love it. I've been trying everything – HIIT, planks,tabata (some of these of done in the past). I've worked out for about 8 years. I work out pretty intensely between weights (heavy, low rep), cardio, jumping rope, etc. I work out 5 days a week – usually 3 weight days, 2 cardio. I can get definition in my upper body, but can never get real definition in my legs (skinny legs – hate them), not as firm as they should be. I've also had 3 children, and can never get rid of the wrinkly skin around belly button look, or a little bit of chub on my belly. I'm 39, 5'1, 106lbs. My diet is ok – hardly ever eat junk, try to eat healthy, drink lots of water/green tea. Can't figure out why I can't get better legs or lose the last little bit of fat on belly. I'm pretty sure I'm an ectomorph, hard gainer, and a female to boot – with a very good metabolism. Any recommendations would be great. Thx!

Nice post Rusty, i also prefer women who are fit but not too lean, or too muscled and the girl you've chosen is a good example, there are many others fotunately my girlfriend just hits cardio, steady state by walking or jogging, or HIIT by rope jumping and she does abdominal work, that's it. Recently i've convinced her to do some push ups and pull ups from time to time, just to gain some strength and she's doing fine. About squats i believe as you know they should be done to gain strength, 2/3 sets of 3/5 reps, will build strength without bulking, but sprints are a fantastic exercise too, no doubts. This is what i call a fit post lol a very good one.

What would be some great lifts for females? I have been focusing on pull-ups, planks and cardio. I find my legs do get stiff after I do a great HIIT workout and sports-related cardio drills. I find this type of workout more fun than just pumping iron!

I know you don't like squats, so it would be great if you could list a few exercises that would benefit a woman's body.

Rusty, I got to say that that figure competitor video freaked me out. Thats just to scary to watch.

Man definitely don't like that look! Just yesterday I sent a picture of a figure competitor not so muscular and ripped to a friend and he was like "Look she has a nice face but what is with those shoulders – there wider and bigger then mine".

I don't know what happened to figure competing. Why are the judges forcing those woman to look like man? It is just disturbing – even if it is a accomplishment it is still going against human nature and thats just wrong. And I didn't even start with the women Olimpia, that's even more disturbing.
[rant finished]

And , yeah, you are right – women just eat right and do cardio and be sexy .

Stop it with the excessive abdominal exercise because what happens is that abs grow to widening your midsection and I don't think that is ANY women's desire (except womens Olimpia competitors but they are freaks).

Every time I go to the gym there are these 3 chunky girls with big legs doing a workout consisting of machine pectoral flys, leg extensions and curls, oblique work on an spinning thing along with maybe 3-4 minutes of bike. Tell me Rusty, how will they look in 5 months time. Poor misguided souls

Kira,

Emphasize wide grip pull-ups or pull-downs and wider grip bench presses and inclines. This works those muscles without engaging the arms as much. Also do pullovers…a good back and chest exercise with very little arm work.

KK,

When I get inspired to do a post I normally just go for it. I was warmed up to write, since I was responding to a couple dozen comments. I figured I would just keep writing.

Ricky,

I agree completely. He should have just focused on getting lean and maybe a slight muscle gain. That last picture looks especially frightening.

Karie,

I used to workout in the same gym as my sister and she is always in great shape. She is especially careful not to build her legs up. You can do many of the exercises that are typically recommended for women as far as the lower body is concerned, just don't train to failure or do forced reps…and do WAY less volume than recommended. So for your butt…if you were to do stiff-legged deadlifts…do 3 sets of 5 slow reps…focusing on squeezing and tightening the muscles and use a weight that you could probably do 10 times. This way you are increasing the mind-to-muscle link which tightens the muscle without increasing the size of the muscle. For lunges…3 sets of 5 reps…quit before your legs get pumped up.

Your upper body workout can actually be similar to a guy's…just make sure that you keep the volume low. You don't need to do 12 sets of curls for instance. Pick 2 exercises and do 3-4 sets a piece. Same for triceps. Do low reps to avoid a massive pump in the arms…just lift slowly and squeeze the muscles for 4-5 reps.

Brandon,

Carb deplete leading up to your Spring Break. I don't know how many days you have until the partying begins, but don't eat carbs at all 3-4 days leading up to Spring Break…and hit cardio for at least an hour those 3-4 days. Once Spring Break begins, just enjoy it! No working out, unless it involves Skinny Dipping, Curling a Beer, or Keg Stands! Be (somewhat) responsible as well…make sure that you don't drive at all…also try to drink water at least part of the time to stay hydrated…I know it takes away from how much room you have in your stomach for beer, but you will feel better.

FitnessBuff,

I don't want women to get the wrong idea. They should still do resistance training. It is nearly impossible to get as ripped as the lady in the video…they should just know when to back off a bit if certain body parts are growing too quickly. I'm sure you look great.

Katie,

Both of those women have amazing bodies! Evangeline Lilly is one of the hottest women on the planet in my opinion. They are great examples of a woman being really fit and toned without looking excessive at all.

Marion,

Let me come back to you. I may have to ponder your question a bit to give you an answer that will help.

Helder,

Yeah…squats can be done if people really monitor the size of their legs. I think it is playing with fire a bit, but they can be done for brief sets with good results. Just be really careful here.

Jennifer,

I think stiff-legged deadlifts are great. Step ups where you hold a dumbells in your hand and step up onto a bench or platform with one leg…step back down, then do with the other leg.

Lunges…done in two opposite ways:

1) In a circuit training manner for calorie burning…30+ reps with very little resistance…this is more of an aerobic way of doing these reps and the resistance is so low that you won't build muscle…you are mainly burning calories with a slight toning of the target muscles (legs, hip, butt).

2) Low volume heavier weights and stop short of failure…just 5 reps per leg for a few sets. This is tightening up the target muscles without building. Avoid the pump.

What you want to avoid: The sets of 6-12 reps done to failure. This is the "bodybuilding" range. You probably don't want to build muscle, so don't lift in this range.

If you keep in mind the two points above, you can do many different type of lifts. Just avoid "bodybuilding" reps and sets unless you want muscle growth on a certain body part.

Trif,

I certainly think women will benefit from resistance training, I just think they need to avoid those bodybuilding set and rep ranges I mentioned in the comment above. Lifting low reps and volume and avoiding the pump is a great way to tighten up a certain body part…and lifting very little resistance in a circuit training cardio style will work wonders as well.

The set and rep ranges women need to avoid are typically the ones that are most recommended!

Hope that helps!

Rusty

Hi Katie i agree with Rusty, Jaime Pressly and Evangeline Lilly are very beautiful fit women, and i don't think they have too much muscle or that they´re too lean. They have beautiful bodies and faces too.

do you think power yoga is a waste of time or that it could actually tone muscles? i was thinking of doing 2 days of full body weight training with running sprints after, 2 days of power yoga with 30 min cardio after it and 1 day of 45 min steady state cardio. should i not waste my time with the power yoga and just do cardio on those days?

Katie,

My opinion is that both of those women are amazing…but I've debated this concept with other guys before and a lot don't like it. It's a matter of how you feel more than anything else though, don't you think? Ripped or not, your personality has to sell it…

Burak

Rusty,
Now Im in a way confused. As mentioned previously IM doing a circuit workout 2x's per week followed by HIIT. Should I do only 6 reps of each exercise in my circuit? Ive been doing 12 reps of each exercise and then doing the circuit 3 times. I noticed my shoulders and back seem to be getting slightly bigger? Is that too many reps for each exercise for the circuit? Also, when I do my 2 days of strength training should I change that to 2-3 sets of 5 rather than 3 sets of 10-12?? Also should i decrease the weight? Im much stronger now but i dont want to look like a body builder, I want to be fit and look great in a bathing suit.

Karie,

I think a lot of people find peace in Yoga…and they say it is a "spiritual thing". I don't necessarily think it is a waste of time, I just don't think it is the fastest way to get lean.

Sandy,

I would probably recommend lightening up the weights in your circuit training and hitting 15 reps instead of 12. Treat circuit training as a form of cardio to get that heart pumping hard without tearing down the muscle with too much resistance.

On your strength training days, do 3 sets of 5. Make your first set your warmup set with a light weight. Go heavier with the other 2 sets. You won't bulk up even though you are using heavier weights.

To be perfectly honest, don't necessarily adjust your workout right now unless you really are getting bigger than you would like. There are so many approaches that work. If you do the workout you described above and make sure you have a calorie deficit each day you will probably do fine.

I don't want to make this too complex. Like I said, the workout you are doing will probably work well. This article will help you adjust if you start gaining too much muscle, so it will serve as a good resource for you.

Have a great one!

Rusty

Thanks Rusty!!!! (:

now i'm confused. i thought that circuit workouts counted as strength training workouts but based on the above poster i need to add in pure strength workouts as well? i was only doing my weight circuit 2-3 times per week. should i do like the above poster and do 2 strength and 2 circuits with one pure cardio day?
also, sandy what exercises are you doing? i think i'm confused by how many exercises to do and how to set up a workout.

lmao I love the music difference between the two videos…The first is all wild and untamed, while the second is more seducing and relaxing…

I would prefer the girls in the second video to the girl in the first video any. day. and. every. day.

Hey Rusty,
My legs and my stomach are my least favorite body parts. My legs bulk up so easily, and my stomach – well, that's the baby/pregnancy flab. Anyway, how do i tone up my upper legs, ie. get rid of the junk in the trunk (cellulite), but at the same time, avoid bulking up my legs. I used to play sports in high school, and my legs always got so bulky so fast. Right now i'm doing sprinting/HIIT, but i still have the flabby thighs! My weight is decent – 124 – 5'4", but I'm starting to get depressed. Need your help!
T

Rusty,

She has a terrific body and she's a great singer. When I first saw her, I was in awe of how perfect her body is. Nice feature.

-Lorna

Rusty,

Those fitness chicks…seem to be overflowing with testosterone. Yuck. Nicole is hot. You should also put this pic of here: http://entash.files.wordpress…409lo.jpg

Karie,

There are so many approaches that work. You could certainly do well with just circuit training. Why don't you continue what you are doing and maybe switch things up when you reach a sticking point.

Jon,

Yeah I must admit, I kind of picked those two different videos on purpose. The first video has irritating music and the woman makes it more irritating. The second video has beautiful women with soothing music and is much more pleasant to watch.

Tina,

It is all about burning the fat off those legs. Continue with HIIT and diet strategically to lose that body fat. It may take some time, but keep pushing. Over time, you will lose all that flab.

Lorna,

I knew of the Pussy Cat Dolls, but never really knew they had a main singer. She is beautiful and talented. Actually she is flat out stunning.

John,

I know not all of the fitness competitors are this ripped. Some of them still look good, but the lady in the video is a monster!

Rusty

Hmmm, nice body but not really my type of body. I don't like the v-shape that she has a lot. Still, I rather look her body than…

http://img440.imageshack..jpg

…This body

Remon

Hi Rusty,
Does the body ever start breaking down muscle and become flabbier while following a 1200 calorie, 60 mins cardio (inc. 30 mins HIIT) regimen? I am losing weight doing this, but feel like I'm not toning up.
Also, how low in calories do you recommend? I have lost most of my weight through weight watchers, but recently realized that Weight Watchers is very low in calorie for someone in my weight range – ie. 900 calories. I don't want to completely mess up my metabolism, but I do want to lose these last 10 pounds.
Thanks!
Tina

Remon,

I picked the least flattering photo on purpose, because in every other picture she looked unreal. She is an amazing looking lady, but that is cool if she isn't your type.

Tina,

My next post, which should be completed tonight or tomorrow will cover this exact fat loss topic. I think it will help a bunch. As far as calories go…I would aim between 900-1200 calories per day.

Have a great one,

Rusty

Hey Rusty, great to see you're open in voicing your own personal thoughts about fitness models & competive bodybuilding models.

Which is better or which lifestyle is best?

Bear in mind to be honest and fair, you really can't compare the two types of models, it's a completely different class of athlete.

Not the same ball game and lifestyle either.
John

Tina
Im doing Weight Watchers also. I make sure that I also eat some flex pts each day along with my daily pts. If you only eat the daily pts, your diet is too low in calories. Ive had much success on weight watchers. I take occasional breaks from it. My focus on my diet is to eat balanced meals and limit the junk. I dont totally cut out carbs. I allow myself an occasional treat but dont go overboard! Hope that helps! (:

I only eat healthy carbs and avoid all refined carbs also!

Actually I think that a guy can get too low in bodyfat percentage too. It depends on the guy…most guys look best very lean…but some guys look a little bit better bigger. I like to think of it as the Carson Daly effect. Carson used to look a little bit bigger. A lot of women I know thought he looked better than when he slimmed down pretty dramatically. Some people might just be comfortable with a little chunk. Sometimes I like to delude myself thinking this is me….unfortunately it's not.

JayK – that "Carson Daly effect" is true. My friends and i all think he looked better before. However, he slimmed down and lost a LOT of weight; if he took off 30 pounds of fat and added 15 pounds of muscle (instead of just losing 30 pounds) he may look better than he used to.

i'm assuming that nicole dances a lot being a pussy cat doll and this is her primary form of exercise. so what i want to know is it possible to get a body like this doing only cardio???? like 3 days of sprinting and 2 days of steady state or do i have to do weights?

Well I do know Nicole Scherzinger trains with weights and I'm sure cardio as well. I've read her article in Men's Fitness. Here is a link to her article. She does mentions what she does in her workouts:

http://www.spreadit.org/nicole-magazine/

Overall, I think she does almost exactly what Rusty mentions on this site.

John,

I certainly think fitness models have a healthier lifestyle and look better than bodybuilders. I'm totally biased however, since anyone who has read my site knows that I'm against excessive muscle.

Sandy,

I think Weight Watchers is a very solid program, because you are learning the skill of eating healthy for a lifetime. It isn't a quick fix. I'm also trying to replace all my refined foods with healthy whole foods. I have been eating a lot more fruit and vegetables over the past 6 months and feel amazing!

JayK,

Good point for sure. Most of us look good really lean, but if someone begins to look awkward then they should gain back a tiny bit of that fat. This is a rare thing, but it does happen. Good call.

KK,

She has the exact look that is universally attractive. She works hard a being healthy and looking good, without looking like she is trying too hard to look good. To me the best look is when people look at someone and think…"that person has a hot body" -NOT- "that person is buff and must workout a ton". The "hot body" look always wins out over the "gym body" look…even though both looks are created with hard work…kind of a weird principle.

Great comments!

Rusty

rusty dude you have to post a picture of brittany daniel from joe dirt.she is in super great shape in every movie.she is super hot and a great fitness role model…

shane#1,

I have made a note to do a future post on Brittany Daniel. I like to include inspiring role models on a regular basis. I remember her from Sweet Valley High…terrible show, but beautiful girl!

Rusty

Sandy
Thanks for the advice. I decided to take last week off from WW and I actually only gained .6 pounds. Now, I'm really looking to get lean quick. How long have you been on WW, and are you in maintenance. I'm one week to becoming lifetime.

Rusty,
Since I'm counting points and not calories and macronutrients, i'm starting to feel that i'm stuck. Besides taking last week off to basically rejuvenate my metabolism, i've been doing so well. Eating low points, and doing 60 minutes of cardio a day, including 35 minutes of HIIT – where I soak my shirt at the gym. Some people look at me funny! Anyway, do you think that maybe i should start keeping track of how many grams of carbs i'm eating – even though i do eat a lot of fruit and veggies, maybe i need to cut down to get lower carbs. I also am following more of a 3 meals a day plan, verus strict Warrior Diet. I am not one of those people that can just have one snack – i will snack all day and not eat meals, and this just really messes me up. Not only do i not lose weight this way, but I am never satisfied.
I am losing only about .5 pounds on average a week, and worse, I haven't changed clothing sizes in over 2 months! Basically, summer is right around the corner, and I am desperate to get rid of this flab. I read your article on e-zine about the vacation 21 day plan, and I've basically been doing that. I'm just getting frustrated. Need your help! Thanks again, and can't wait for your ebook!
Tina

Tina,

Why don't you cut back on the fruit for a while and see what happens. They are good carbs, but it is possible that is why you aren't burning as much fat in your workouts. Are you going into your workouts without touching a calorie 3-4 before? That makes a difference. Also wait an hour after your workout before eating (I only recommend this to people who are at a fat loss sticking point).

That should help!

Rusty

Hey Rusty,
I work out at 5am, so I don't even have time to drink caffeine before my work out. My weight is okay – I'm 125 and 5'3.5", I just want to get down to about 110. Right now, I am rereading the Warrior Diet, and I am confused about how much/little to eat during the day. Like i said, I'm not good without structured meals – ie. snacking is no good for me. Would it be okay if i have low GI fruits and coffee an hour after my workout, then around 1pm, have an arugula salad, and then my main meal would be at night? I wish Ori would come out with a book just for us females for weight loss! It seems from the book that he prefers you eat "live" foods during the day, versus fasting on water/tea/black coffee only. Most people on WW would be happy at my weight. That is why i'm asking for your advice to get me to the next level! I want to be a hot mama for the summer! Lol – no more hiding in sarongs! I appreciate all your help!
Tina

Tina,

Why don't you eat the low GI fruit without the coffee…and drink the coffee 1-2 hours later? I really think that fruit digests best on its own. Besides that, it looks great! I'm assuming you working out 4-5 times a week. Make sure you are eating a lower carb dinner the night before…to maximize the workout the following morning.

It is all about prepping for your workout at this point.

I see a "hot mama" body in your future!

Rusty

I disagree with you in respect for squats for your making you slow and your legs ugly. Michael Jordan did squats and got to about 405 lbs and I he is very athletic it didn't slow him down it helped him. So he wouldn't get pushed around as much.

Josh,

I know my stance on squats isn't a popular one. I don't think it is a terrible exercise for short term use in special circumstances…but do it year after year and it just ruins the physique in my opinion. I think a better long-term strategy for aesthetics and athletic ability is to hit cardio hard.

Rusty

Hey Rusty,
I have been doing a lot of research lately on how low in calories a person should go, and there are a couple of websites that claim that you should never go below your BMR in calories. I just joined caloriecount.com to keep track of my calories, and I have read a lot of females who have had problems on WW from not eating enough. Once they added in more calories, they began to lose weight. This website talks about it too. http://www.allspiritfitness…cardio.shtml
I am just very curious to see what you think about this whole "starvation mode" viewpoint. I see their point, but i do have to say, I'm petrified to add too many calories back and gain back all the weight that i've lost. I do 1 hour of cardio 6 days a week, including HIIT.
Thanks, and if you celebrated Easter, hope you had a good one!
Tina

The models in the video you posted do have pretty faces and all but they do look a bit thin and flat though. I'm having a hard time believing those women work out and I am thinking that maybe they look the way they look because they are naturally ectomorphic? What do you think about this?

I think that like guys, the lean look looks better with a little bit of muscle or meat underneath. Jessica Biel is a perfect example. She's thin for sure but she's got some shape. I'd say that it's okay for girls to gain a bit of muscle to a point. At least to a point where it's not excessively big or a size that looks good on them. I know the above girls are runway models, but I guarantee that they would a look ten times better with a little bit of meat on them don't you think?

KK,

Jessica Biel has an outstanding body…one of the best I've seen. Their are a few girls in the video above that just look skinny, but there are a couple other that have really toned obliques and abs and look like they do workout. They aren't Jessica Biel, but they look great. The ones who appear a bit older are the best looking ones in the group and have a bit more muscle. Good call.

Rusty

i love nicol ………………………….u r my woman

Great site! I've been trying to find out if it's best for a female to work her obliques or not. Some say it will give you a wide waistline, which I certainly do not want.

You seem to have a lot of good info and a honed appreciation of the female physique. What do you think?

Love the sexy guy pix you add for us girls, btw.

Terry,

You don't want to work your obliques through a range of motion like doing side bends. Side bends will build your obliques and give you a blocky waist…this is a bad look. I don't think guys should do them either.

What you need to do is an isometric move for obliques. This is what a "side plank" does. You are contracting your obliques hard, but not moving through a range of motion. This will tighten and tone your obliques without adding any mass whatsoever. A "win-win" situation for sure. I'm glad you like the guy pix…I need to watch out for the female readers as well!

This post describes my favorite ab workout:
A Great Ab Workout

Cheers,

Rusty

Thanks, Rusty.

You're inspiring. Your body looks great too.

Terry,

Thanks for the compliment. I am like the rest of you…just trying to stay in great shape while having a balanced life. Keep reading!

Rusty

I think Brandon Boyd would be a good role model for men.

Star,

Brandon Boyd is a stylin' guy for sure. If I wasn't bald (thanks to my family genes)…I would grow my hair just like that. He also wears hip clothes without looking like he is trying to hard and stays lean.

Good call!

Here is Incubus at "Red Rocks" singing a super cool version of "Drive".

This version gives me chills. It is very well done!

Rusty

Hi Rusty. Thank you for this site! I realized I have been doing things wrong although they are recommended. My question is when doing the cardio portion, is it better to use the treadmill or the ellipetical machince? I usually combine them both and do interval sets with them but I tend to favor the ellipetical and really dread the treadmill. Although they say they burn the same calories, I feel like the treadmill works me harder. What is your opinion? I am trying to lose 5 very stubborn pounds I gained last winter.

Thank you!

Heather,

I like the treadmill or exercise bike the best for the HIIT portion of my workout and the elliptical for the longer "steady state cardio" I do for 30 minutes after the HIIT. You will get results doing it the other way around, but I recommend doing the tough treadmill stuff for effective HIIT.

Hope that helps!

Rusty

Rusty said, "A low volume of lifts and an emphasis on cardio and diet. Avoid the pump."

I was wondering what you think of workout videos that employ the use of small weights throughout the workout? For example, in the gym, I'd do only 10 lunges, 3 sets, some resting between, and use about 20 lb dumbbells. With a video, I use 3 lb dumbbells, but do about 70 lunges, with no resting. It's kind of like cardio with use of light dumbbells at the same time. I find doing this is a good time saver, as I get my cardio in at the same time as strength training, but the emphasis is much more on cardio rather than the weight training aspect of it.

To give you a feel for my build, I am thin and show muscle definition easily, but do not develop muscle as easily as most people.

Oh, and one more question~ my obliques!!! They are not even! It's driving me bonkers! My left obliques are quite a bit more defined than my right. I have been doing the ab portion of my videos on opposite sides than usual hoping it fixes this. Will this be fixable?

Your crooked oblique friend, Rachel

Rachel,

All of us are somewhat crooked. There isn't that much to worry about and to be honest you probably can't do too much to combat this. You could try to do side planks…and even amount of both sides to even out the obliques.

You can use weights in a circuit training type fashion and burn fat. Circuit training is basically a way to do HIIT cardio, but with weights. Here is a post I did on that.

A Circuit Training Routine That Actually Makes Sense!

Have a great one!

Rusty

Rusty, I wanted to know how i should construct a program if i could only workout 3 days per week (cardio and weights) for 1 hr at the most??? My schedule is about to get crazy and this is the ONLY time i will have. Suggestions?????

karie,

Here is what I would recommend.

Monday: 20 minutes shoulders and arms, followed by 10 minutes HIIT, followed by 30 minutes steady state cardio.

Wednesday: 30 minutes back and chest, followed by 30 minutes steady state cardio.

Friday: Same as Monday

The following Monday you would start with the back and chest workout and steady state cardio. So you are basically just alternating 2 different workouts.

Do planks 3-4 times a week at home before bed for your abs.

Believe it or not this will work very well!

Rusty

I like Nicole Scherzinger's body and I do a similar workout, sometimes.. I get too muscular in my back and shoulders if I lift too much. I am small and petite but have larger thighs than I like from playing a lot of tennis. I guess the running is the cause of that, I think.
I'm doing more light weight routines and a really intense stretching to try and get more limber. Thanks for all the suggestions.

Hi Rusty, hahaha im getting really confused, because I have seen really nice looking figure athlete's on the website http://www.figureathlete.com – I was striving to look like some of them. but anyhow…

My real question is, I have really nicely shaped legs (nice big calves but still ladylike with slim ankles) I have been told that my lower body looks a bit to big in comparison to my upper body, so Im trying to gain some nice muscles in my arms, I am lifting heavier than what im used to for 8-10 reps for 3 sets but im not really seeing a big difference ( … any advice?

Ps. I wouldn't want to change my legs because they aren't that big and looks really nice and I get lots of compliments from guys.

Well well well… I was just trawling something that looks like it could actually be of use! and here I am!.

What a great site first off, but also I hope you can help me(like all the others!)

Im 23 and I put on two stone at University(through fast food and alcohol!) but I managed to lose it when I graduated and came down to 9stone 3ish, through nothing but lots of walking and eating less rubbish.

But now (maybe through lifestyle change and moving in with my partner) I am creeping back up to 10stone and my"love handles" are starting to become apparant again!.

I have always had a problem with my "love handles/hips" and they were never toned enough(or what I wanted) but I know I was not dedicated enough to make this so.

I do not have a gym membership, but I do have a indoor bike which is also a cross trainer(an elyptical trainer), I also have weights 2lbs I think they are each, and a safe local neighbourhood to walk/jog around.

I have recently gone through redundancy(both me and my partner) and among other things I have lost my drive But all I need is someone to give me a clear course of instructions to plonk me back on the path to victory, I hope this can be you(no pressure!).

So, Ideally a couple of inches off the thighs and as much off the hips as possible, leaner arms but I dont want to lose my breast size! (34D) I know that cardio and suchlike means you lose fat throughout the body, and the breasts have a tendency to diminish..but I will do anything to keep them, so any exersises to keep these upright are moRE than welcome! .

I love all foods, and although am on a budget I eat alot of fruit- bananas, apples, nectarines, peaches, plums and also try and eat chicken once a week and tuna once a week,but I just need something to keep my energy during the day as I suffer with headaches, and eating tends to keep me upright at work!.

Rant over

I hope you can save me just before I become a total lazy peach.

Thanks alot Rusty.

H

Hey Rusty,

you have an amazing site here. Your advice helped me to lose 20 lbs so far, but I have a couple of more to go. I'm 5'4" and my legs are kind of bulky, so I'm going to lay off the pumping, but can I still lift weights with my arms without putting on bulk there? Will lifting heavy weights cause my arms to bulk up? I lift about 15 lbs, 25 reps, 4-5 sets. My arms at the moment are kind of flabby, but the actual muscle isn't that bulky. But I'm worried if I keep going, I'll end up with very muscled arms. Should I change any part of my routine?

Hi, Rusty.

I just discovered your site. And I think it is amazing. I've been reading your archive articles since 5 AM this morning.

Anyway, I am a little confused on your suggestion that if your goal is a hot body, avoid squats, lunges, and deadlifts, especially heavy ones. Are you recommending that I don't do any of these exercises at all? If so, what would a typical routine look like? Appreciate your response. Thanks!