Slimnastics Exercises for Yoga and Cardio Routines

Spring is the fusion from winter to summer, so what better time than now to try Slimnastics? Here is your first interval from my new book and DVD “The Slimnastics Workout” to put into your workout routine this week. Yoga strengthening tones and calms your mind, while the plyometric cardio intervals blast away fat and boost your metabolism. These moves too challenging? My book tells you how to start from scratch to GET IN SHAPE for Slimnastics as well!

The Slimnastics Workout

New Book and Workout Based on Olympics-​​Style Gymnastics, Plyometrics and Yoga!

Want to work out like the Olympic gymnasts you’ll be watching on TV this summer? Now you can with my new trademarked routine called “Slimnastics!”

Below is the description of the book from Amazon​.com The DVD launches next week. Enjoy this hard-​​core workout that requires no equipment and take it anywhere you go to fit in your Fitness!- Nikki

Three Moves, One Complete Muscle Workout — Pt. 3

Three Moves, One Complete Muscle Workout — Pt. 2

Last week I demonstrated the first of three moves that, when combined together, create a perfectly-​​balanced full body workout. The first move targeted inner thighs, glutes, calves, quads, biceps and shoulders.

The next move (move #2) hits your triceps, outer thighs and abs.

Three Moves, One Complete Muscle Workout — Pt. 1

Over the next month I will provide you with three multitasking muscle exercises that, when combined, work every major muscle group and give you a totally well-​​rounded workout, with only 4 moves to remember and repeat!
 
Move 1: Six Part Plie Squat (Works glutes, quads, inner thighs, biceps, shoulders and calves)

Start holding two heavy weights with arms straight, in standing position with your legs wider than shoulder-​​width apart. Squat so that your knees are over your ankles and your hips are almost in line with your knees.

Move of the Week: Lunging Ladder

Multitasking is the superhero when it comes to fitting in a fast and effective workout. Today we’re adding a move that targets biceps, triceps, quadriceps, glutes and abdominals.

The Lunging Ladder begins with two medium weights in your hands. Step your left foot back into a lunge, far enough away that your right knee is directly over your right ankle and your left heel is off the ground. Lift your right arm overhead and drop the weight behind your neck by bending your elbow. The elbow should point up to the sky. This is set position.

Get OUT!

When the morning news meteorologist woke up much of America with warmer-​​than-​​average temperatures each week this winter, we heard “wake up and get out!”

If you were like much of the country and decided the thermometer reading meant less time on the treadmill and more time in your jogging gloves, you are probably in better shape for it. Thanks, Mother Nature!

If you want to continue the trend, or decided today to shape up for spring’s warm weather, here are some ideas to take your workout outside:

Products That Will Help You Spring Into Shape

Spring NikkiFitness Faves

Products that will help you spring into shape this year. Tested by Nikki and approved for you.

Listen

http://​www​.fitmixpro​.com  — Get the workout music that fitness class instructors like me use, from the largest music site for pro fitness. Fit Mix Pro has custom mixes for fitness professionals with original artist music.  You can select your favorite genres, artists, songs, EVEN music speed, or make is slow to fast to slow as your workout builds then cools down. All the  songs blend into one another and the BPM (beats per minute) selection ranges from warm-​​up and zumba to the fastest spin cycle you can imagine! It’s like having a DJ in your headphones!  When I feel sluggish about my morning run, I throw on my fastest mix and I am done before I know it.  Price depends on length of the playlist.

Big Results Fast: New UXF Training Hits East Coast

“Get in the best shape of your life. Burn calories. Build strength. Big results fast.”

This is what’s promised in the advertising of New York Sports Club’s (NYSC) UXF ultimate fitness experience. My office moved across town, and I was trying out some new classes near Rock Center in NYC, so I gave it a try… and it delivers.

I first heard of Town Sports International when I lived in Boston and was teaching class at a competitor gym. They have gyms named after the city they are in, like Boston Sports Club (BSC) and locations in Philly (PSC) and Washington, D.C. (WSC) as well, if you are ready to take your routine to a new level.

Winter Workout: Turn S.A.D. into Sculpt and De-​​stress!

It’s the time of year when winter seems like it has gone on forever. The dark, cold days make you tired and sometimes depressed. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a serious condition and there are ways that doctors can treat it, with light therapy for example.

If you feel tired and just need a winter workout that heats you up and gives you a “cardio high” try my winter-​​themed cardiosulpt moves like:

–Nordic Track
–Scissor Ski Lunges
–Snowflakes
–Snow Angels
–Mountain Climbers
–Moguls

Red Carpet Runway Workout Secret: Compound Sets for Arms!

Power Up Your Push-​​Ups with 15 Variations!

I’ve written about improving your push-​​up power for beginners, and about my 100 push-​​up boot camp, but what if you want to break the mold and try some new tricks for the pecs? In honor of my intense Slimnastics workout book coming out this June, I wanted to share with you my favorite variations on the amazing arm toner move we all love (and love to hate).

Attracting Love, Protect Your Heart with Yoga Heart-​​Opening Posses

In honor of February as heart health month and Valentine’s Day, I’ve created a yoga flow with poses to protect your heart and attract love into your life.

Often our posture and inner emotional state give off vibes that propel love and opportunity away – we seem emotionally or physically closed off. This practice will help to reverse that and bring love of self and the love of others, while improving cardiovascular health because of increased heart rate during practice, while increasing relaxation and reduced stress come with the full repetitive yoga breathing and greater lung function.

Anti-​​Aging Workouts!

Everyone wants to stay as young and healthy as they can be for as long as they can, and these days there is no excuse. There are many options online, in the gym, at home and outside for working out your body, mind, face and emotions. Countless studies show that keeping a positive outlook, a busy social calendar, and an active body will help keep you out of the hospital and in great shape, no matter what your age.

NikkiFitness 100 Push-​​up Boot Camp

I have helped a lot of people with push-​​ups. Some needed to pass a physical fitness test, some wanted to be able to do push-​​ups off their knees, and some just wanted to have smoking arms.

My plan to get anyone to do 100 push-​​ups in a single training session is this:

Get in shape:

If you can’t do 10 push-​​ups on your toes in a plank position, then start doing this routine on your knees, with hands wider than shoulders, so that as you lower, your elbows line up over your wrists like a field goal post formation. Then work up to doing 2 on your toes, and 8 on your knees, then 5 and 5 until finally you are strong enough to do 10 push-​​ups at a time on your toes.

THEN.…

2012 Fitness Trends That Are Good to Last!

Fads and trends different, and I am here to help you navigate those New Year Resolutions. You won’t see the Shake Weight here (fad) but you might be able to see your toes past your belly if you check out some of these NikkiFitness Fave 2012 trends and the national TV segment I did about them on Fox and Friends:

8 Hard Core Abs Moves for Your 6 Pack!

Recently, Time Out New York Magazine asked me to create a New Year’s abs routine inspired from my Hard Core Abs DVD (Amazon and www​.nikkifitness​.com).

Here are the step by step moves and is a link to a FREE 5 minute demo of my video. The best part? Your whole body gets a workout while every move chisels your core. Get crunching!

New Year, New You

If health and wellness is what you want in 2012, here is your plan.

The key is to set goals that are realistic and specific, and having a set time period as your goal will help you stick to a new fitness regime. Write down your plan of action for every day, week, etc. Make sure it is something you can measure and not just the end goal, but the milestones along the way.

I have a wall calendar that I only use for recording and planning workouts, so that is my first to do list each day and I can track my progress and plan cross-​​training routines like jogging, muscle and cardio interval workouts, yoga and more.

Start with a plan that you think you can accomplish or exceed. (Walking for 30 minutes at a time. Then running for 20 minutes and see how many times you have to stop and walk each time. Eventually work up to running for 30 minutes and so on. It can also be benching a certain amount of weight each week.)

Pre-​​Resolution Workout for Holiday Travel

We talked about the Challenges of Thanksgiving travel, food and fitness, and less than a month later, her are bombarded with holiday travel and parties again. Avoid making your New Year resolution about fitness if you just spend half an hour per day working some fitness into the fun. Here are some moves and video from my Fit Travel Workout DVD in an interview I did with New York 1 News.  The video was shot around the world, from Chicago to China, so you can see all the places Santa will be visiting soon.… but you won’t have his belly!

NikkiFitness Holiday Gift Guide

Three products that make working out better: NikkiFitness Holiday Gift Guide

Listen: Some people love the sound of their heart pounding, the birds chirping, the treadmill whirling. Others like a distraction to get the through their workout.

If you need audio help to get you through those extra few minutes at the gym or on the run to shed those extra pounds, try listening to audio books! While print books can be too difficult to scan while moving about (I personally think that if you can read a book or magazine while on the bike or treadmill you are not working hard enough!), audio books let the narrator do all of the work, while you enjoy the benefits of an enthralling story and extra calorie burning!