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Health & Nutrition |
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This
Month's Question:
I’m new to weight training. What’s better for developing muscle – machines or free weights?
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Spinach and artichoke side
This quick, energy-revving side dish makes a great companion to any protein.
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Master your moves for a supreme routine. Kim Dolan shows you how.
| Nail Down Your Routine |
Oxygen #63, pg. 86 |
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By Chris Cander
Have you ever watched a fitness pro execute a perfect pike hold near the
end of a dazzling, energetic routine and wonder, “How is that even
possible?” Furthermore, how does she have the presence of mind to
smile and wink at the audience as if to say, “Oh, it’s not that
hard, really,” while she’s holding herself off the ground in
this manner?
Fitness champion Kim Dolan pulled ideas from karate and gymnastics workouts,
and found that the exercises performed either as a circuit along with interval
cardio or in addition to her regular split routine improved her physique
dramatically.
“I wasn’t born perfect,” Kim says. “I have to constantly
find ways to shock my body to keep it lean, flexible and muscular, and also
to shock my imagination to keep myself from getting complacent and bored
in the gym.”
Create a workout that is designed to emulate the pace of a fitness routine.
“You demonstrate wild bursts of energy and then suddenly stop and
perform a strength move,” says Kim. Try to do three sets of 15 repetitions
for each exercise, resting only 45 to 60 seconds between sets. “Imagine
yourself on the stage so you can practice making the movements look effortless,”
she says. Do a two-minute cardio interval every few moves, finishing the
routine with a final bout of cardio.
Here are just two of her moves:
Front lunge
To start, place one foot on a platform far enough away so that the opposite
heel lifts off the floor. Kim says, “All your weight should be on
the toe of your back foot and the heel of your front foot.” Drop your
back knee almost to the ground, focusing on contracting the glute muscles,
then slowly return to the starting position.
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Hanging leg raise
Hang from a pullup bar with your grip shoulder-width apart. Isolating your
abs, raise your legs so they are parallel to the floor. For a more advanced
move, raise them all the way so your feet are pointing toward the ceiling.
“Don’t arch your back or swing to gain momentum. It’ll
be easier, but you won’t get the benefit of the exercise,” says
Kim.
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DID YOU KNOW?
• Kim didn’t exercise until in her 30s.
• She eats two tablespoons of peanut butter every morning for the
fat and one cup of raspberries after every workout for the fiber.
• Kim feels fulfilled by encouraging women her age to stay
healthy and fit. |
To read the full article, pick
up a copy of Oxygen
#63
today!
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