​My Fierce 5 Power Moves to Sculpt your Body.

As always I am thinking of creative ways to bring exercise and health to you in an easy, fast way. I, myself like a quick read. I like things to the point. Fast and simple. That’s just how I have always been. And with my schedule always being so crazy with training clients and working on new projects I really don’t have time to read anything too long and detailed. So today I want to share with you my “Top Fierce 5 Power Moves” that will sculpt your body!

Keep in mind you need to keep track of your eating habits. That means sticking to healthy meals. Eating clean, and drinking water. What do I mean when I say eating clean? To put it simply, it’s basically no sauces, butter, creams, dairy, bad carbs, fatty proteins, high sugar snacks/drinks and foods. Now I know you’re thinking “oh that’s everything!” But really I promise you it’s not. You can opt for healthier versions of your favorite dishes. Get creative and be open to the experience. Choose grilled chicken marinated in some olive oil and garlic, drink no sugar carbonated flavored water or add some mint and strawberries to your water for a great new taste. It just takes some getting used to and then you will be good to go. Ms. Dash goes along way as well in your dishes. Salt free of course. Ok enough chit chat on my end and let’s get back to business. What are my 5 Power Moves? Here they are!

Push Ups

Push-ups may be the ideal total body exercise. They build both upper body and core strength and when done properly the push-up is a compound exercise that uses not only the chest and posterior arm muscles but your shoulders, back, abdominals and even your legs! The steps below describe how to execute a perfect push up.

Refer to the illustrations above as you follow the descriptive steps below:

Step 1 – Get into position facing the floor with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders and your feet together. Your body should be fully extended.

Step 2 – Get up on your toes. You should be balanced in a three point position: Your two hands, separated and the third point being your toes together, taken as one point.

Step 3 – Your body should be straight, parallel to the floor. Don’t sag in the middle or arch your back. Your buttocks (glutes) should not be raised up in the air.

Step 4 – Contract your abs and pull your tummy in. Keep your core firm throughout all the movements to follow.

Step 5 – Inhale as you slowly bend your elbows, lowering yourself towards the floor. Come close to the floor but do not rest on it.

Step 6 – Exhale and push up using your pectorals and triceps, keeping your back straight and your core firm. Push up until your arms are extended but without locking your elbows. Repeat for as many times as your workout requires.

Fierce Tips: You may keep your feet slightly apart for more balance but try to eventually do your pushups with your feet together as this is better for your core strengthening. The further apart your hands are the more you work your pectorals, and, conversely, the closer together your hands are the more of a workout your triceps get. You can even try to do a two point balance pushup eventually by keeping your hands as close together

Stiff Legged DeadLifts(or Straight)

This isn’t just for men! The stiff-legged dead lift is an isolation exercise that targets several muscle groups. It works your hamstrings, lower torso and hips. You will need to use proper form and technique to properly exercise the muscle groups involved and to avoid injury.

Step 1 – Bend your knees and bend over with your lower back straight. Grasp the dumbbells at shoulder-width, overhand, and lift them to standing position.

Step 2. -Lower yourself until dumbbells/weights used are around shin level. Keep your legs straight. Hold for one second.

Step 3 – Begin lifting the weight by extending waist and hips and straightening your back until you are standing upright again. Pull your shoulders back if they have become rounded.

Fierce Tips: Start with a light weight and build up gradually. Do not pause or bounce at the bottom of the movement. Do not lower the weight beyond a mild stretch in your hamstrings and lower back. Dismount by reversing Step 1 above.

Plank

The plank may seem like a simple exercise that anyone can do without much instruction. This is partly true; it is a simple exercise, however you will only get optimal benefits if you execute it properly. Ideally, the plank should be used as a stabilization drill; this is what it was intended for. It’s not so much about balance as sculpting a strong body constitution where all your muscle groups work together to apply force properly, whether it’s for a great dance move, benching twice your weight or just maintaining proper posture while you sit and watch TV or read a book. Here we take the plank to the next level by turning it into a whole body exercise instead of just a core workout.

Step 1- Begin in the pushup only put your forearms on the ground instead of your hands. Your elbows should line up directly underneath your shoulders Keep your torso straight and rigid and your body in a straight line from ears to toes with no sagging or bending. Toes on the ground. Your head is relaxed and you should be looking at the floor. Keep a neutral neck and spine

Step 2- Hold this position for 10 seconds to start.

Step 3 -Squeeze your glutes and tighten your abdominals.

Fierce Tip: Don’t let your hips sag down to the ground. Sagging hips makes the exercise initially easier, but it’s not a plank and it defeats the purpose of the exercise. Look down at the ground. This is a good prompt for maintaining a neutral neck position. When your form begins to suffer, pull the plug. You’re only benefiting from the plank by actually doing the plank.

Squats

Squats can be a full body exercise if you are using a bar across your back since your arms are now engaged as well keeping the bar stable; however, even without a bar, more than just your leg muscles and glutes benefit from squats. Your back and abs are engaged to keep you stable. Plus, since all your leg muscles are directly involved in squats, and since these are the largest muscles in the entire body, squats are the fastest way to gain muscle mass, weighted or not. And a gain in muscle mass means more calories burned even when you are resting. Doing this exercise as part of your regular routine will gain you more benefits than first meets the eye.

Step 1 – Begin in a standing position with your feet between hip and shoulder width apart. Contract your abs and keep them tight through all movements that follow.

Step 2 – Inhale as you bend at the knees and begin to squat down. Keep your back straight and use your back muscles and abs to control the angle of your torso for balance, tilting your upper body forward as your center of gravity moves back.

Step 3 – Continue to lower yourself, controlling your leg muscles and your core, until your hip joint is below your knee joints. Your knees should be in line with your toes and not in front of them. Hold this position for a few seconds.

Step 4 – Exhale as you contract your glutes and hamstrings to lift up from the squat position until you are standing again. Keep your balance by tilting your torso back so that when you are standing again you return to correct posture.

Fierce Tips: You can put a chair behind you and do a “sit down squat” if your leg muscles are not strong enough yet to do full squats.

Burpees

The burpee is also called a Squat Thrust and is a full body exercise for strength training and as an aerobic workout. The method described below is the “four count burpee” as it has four distinct steps. This works up your heart rate, blasts abs and rocks your glutes and thighs!

Step 1 – Begin by standing with space in front of you for headroom and space behind you to extend your legs.

Step 2 – Drop to a squat position with your torso bent forward more and your arms extended downwards, palms flat on the floor (count 1).

Step 3 – Kick both of your feet back in one quick motion, landing on your toes as if getting ready for a pushup (count 2).

Step 4 – Bring your legs forward quickly to return to the squat position (count 3).

Step 5 – Jump straight up as high as you can, extending your arms above your head (count 4).

Fierce Tip: Write down how many you do in one minute and try to beat that number the next time you do them!