Jennifer Lopez - How she fights to keep off the baby fat

After a few pregnancies, body fat around the hips and stomach is very natural to have. However, it is not hard to lose that weight as Jennifer Lopez managed to do. It is said that Jennifer Lopez ( "Jenny from the Block") gained 25 kilos from her pregnancy with twins, but is looking more fabulous than ever. So, how do the celebrities lose those extra pounds afterwards?

To get rid of excess pounds Jennifer Lopez trained several hours per day. After her photo shoot for "ELLE" magazine, and her dress not fitting with additional material and safety pins (therefore having to be enlarged), the 39-year-old deliberately said: "I'll have to do something."

She started with a fitness program: every day about two hours of swimming, to get into shape. You can lose about twice the amount of calories swimming than running, so this seemed ideal. In addition to jogging and cycling to increase stamina, weekly Pilate’s classes were a must. Staff trainer Gunnar Peterson combined stretching, strength and breathing exercises to train weaker muscle groups.

To make the tough training suffice, Jennifer Lopez (J. Lo) kept to a strictly balanced diet. For breakfast Jennifer Lopez ate mostly fresh fruit with yogurt or muesli with dried fruit (stimulating the intestines and stomach, leading to a higher fat burning lead). She made sure to keep the black bread with ham, and Nutella rolls out of sight. Lots of fresh vegetables and healthy foods filled Lopez's lunch and dinner table. Jennifer Lopez now does more than five months of their hard fitness program to keep off the baby's abdominal fat.

The favorite routes run by J. Lo are the beach and the waterfront promenade. Sand is particularly effective in the shortest possible time, since it is very difficult to run in. Another plus point for jogging on the beach is the great panorama that J. Lo often enjoys during her mornings.

Being a full time mom, with a husband constantly away on tour and trying to keep hold of her career as well, Jennifer Lopez has done well to get rid of the excess pounds. Now, four 20-30 seconds per unit spent in the gym, every Tuesday and Thursday. This is her training plan for the next few months, because soon, the new mother will be back on stage and singing live. She is after all a role model for many women and a sex symbol for millions of men.

Many people believe in the “no pain, no gain” theory

Many people believe in the “no pain, no gain” theory when it comes to their workouts. Believing that pain means progress, they continue to work out intensely despite pain and discomfort.

There are others who say that continuing your exercise routine in an effort to toughen the body, may not be a smart thing to do. Is it really true? No pain, no gain? In relationship to fitness training, this phrase first originated in the early 1980s. Since then, people have adopted the idea that in order to gain any benefit from their fitness exercise program, it needs to hurt and perhaps even hurt badly. This is farthest from the truth. In fact, if you experience pain after your exercise routine and still continue to exercise in spite of the pain, you may be traumatizing your joints and muscles which may lead to further injury.

Some trainers or coaches recommend working twice as hard if your don’t feel any pain the morning after an intense workout. Such ill-advised exercise workouts can be hazardous to your muscles and joints. That kind of advice may account for the rise in sports and exercise related injuries these days.

Pain: The Body’s Warning Signal. Pain is often the body’s warning signal system, and not as a gauge to measure the success of a workout. Pain is an indication that something is wrong and that your body needs attention where it hurts. This is the reason for physical pain. Think about it. If we did not have pain, we would never know there’s something wrong with our bodies and this could have disastrous results. Anybody who wants to seriously follow an exercise regimen should keep in mind that pain is not necessary for a successful workout. No doubt, there may be an initial discomfort when beginning any exercise routine. But this discomfort should gradually subside as muscles and joints grow stronger and are able to withstand the intensity of a workout.

A good rule of thumb to follow is: if it hurts, don’t continue exercising! Even slight pain, sensation or swelling of a joint is an indication that the joint needs rest. If pain persists, you may want to consult a doctor. Many fitness experts believe that exercise should be a fun activity that you enjoy and not a rigorous workout. It should challenge your muscles and joints to greater strength and flexibility and yet be comfortable enough so that there is no pain.

What You Can Do to Help Painful Joints: First and foremost, if you experience pain you should consider speaking to your doctor about it. Always follow your doctor’s advice, then, along with resting the injured joint, you may want to try joint supplement with targeted nutrients to support joint health! Glucosamine, hyal joint, MSM, Interhealth collagen type II along with herbs like boswellin and white willow bark have been well researched and are known to help support joint health long term.While pain killers simply dull the ache, joint health supplement that are well-formulated, like GoFlex, can help strengthen the cartilage and lubricate the joint. It also comes with a topical cream containing an food and drug administration-approved ingredient that helps bring fast-acting pain relief.

Take care of pain the right way. Have fun as you exercise and combine your daily workout with a daily intake of joint supplements. While you workout your body, such supplements help to nutritionally support joint health from the inside.

The famous actress's success story, and how she lost the weight

Is it really her? Many could not believe their eyes when Jennifer Hudson showed off her new dream body on the red carpet for the first time. The Oscar-winning actress was barely recognizable. So fitness.com just had to ask her what her diet goals were as this new 29-year-old fitness icon.

For years she was the opposite of Hollywood's slim celebrity female stars. With a little bit more weight on her – to the public Jennifer Hudson was a powerful voice and a charismatic, enthusiastic star. The singer and actress, who received among other things, the Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in Dream Girls; proved her worth despite the extra pounds.

But Hudson herself grew tired of her curves. She no longer wanted to rely solely on her artistic talent, but also provide a new dream body sensation for her, and to the world. Up until today this once chubby Hollywood star has lost 30 pounds.  Since the birth of her son in the summer of 2009, Hudson was fasting. According to Los Angeles Times, in the first seven months of her diet she had already lost 27 pounds.

Jennifer Hudson relied on Weight Watchers for her diet. With a flexible program it guaranteed a slow and healthy weight loss. No food is banned therefore the program allows you to eat anything you like. That being said, they have a points system in which every day you are only allowed to exceed the number of points that are individually calculated. The number of points you can obtain depends on your weight, age and gender.

Hudson ate less fat and paid most attention to nutritional information and calorie intake. Her diet changed completely to mostly salads and chicken.  Every week she would have a meeting with her diet coach who supported her through her weight loss plans. The great success of the actress inspired experts from Weight Watchers, who decided to take Hudson on as their new celebrity success face for the company. Hudson says that the program is a healthy and easy way to lose weight.   To get her dream body she had to keep to a strict diet and make a slight change in her lifestyle. In the program she explains that you can still eat what you like – just in proportion. Hudson explained that her motivation for discipline was her young son: as a mother she wanted to live healthier and be a role model.

Strength Training to Burn Fat and Transform Your Body

Does the thought of strength training intimidate you? For many, it conjures up images of chiseled body-builders bench-pressing ridiculous amounts of weight, while loudly grunting and groaning. We picture bulging biceps busting out of way-too-small t-shirts that say things like “Real Men Don’t Let Friends Lift Light”.

The truth is that strength training is one of the best, if not THE best way for the average person to lose weight and turn their body into a fat burning machine. It is not just for the bodybuilding types, or super-athletes that earn a living by working out 3 hours a day.

Statistics show that any person who begins an effective strength training regimen can see solid results in as little as 90 days. The biggest problem is that so many people tend to give up before giving themselves time to see the transformation take place.

Some of the most common reasons why we tend to give up on our strength training before seeing any real results include:

Trying to copy the hardcore gym members –

This is a huge mistake. It probably took years for that big brute to be able to do one-armed push-ups… or that chiseled blonde to effortlessly do 50 fully inclined sit-ups.

Relax and take things at your own pace. Start your routine with weights that are challenging to you. Don’t give anybody else a second thought.

The best way to know that you are using the correct weight resistance on any exercise is if the last 2 or 3 reps on your 3rd set of 10 are a struggle. If they are too easy, up your resistance by 5 or 10 lbs. If you can’t even dream of getting through three sets of 10 reps, then you need to reduce the weight resistance until it is more comfortable for you.

Find your resistance “sweet spot” through experimentation. No need to rush yourself or get embarrassed if the weight isn’t what you think it “should be”. The truth is, it “should be” exactly where it is right for you.

Another common mistake people make in sustaining their strength training routines is…

Trying to do it EVERY day –

This is simply not sustainable. Your strength training regimen should consist of targeted, driven work-outs, 3 – 4 days a week. Fight the “all or nothing, I’m doing it every day” urge that traditionally causes a quick burnout. On in-between days, find an activity you enjoy that will keep your body in motion. Tennis, basketball, jogging, or volleyball are all great options.

Give your muscles time to rest and repair themselves between strength training workouts. I cannot stress this enough!

Using the same workout routine every time -

This is a two-fold mistake. First, you are going to get bored. What happens when you get bored with anything? You give up. Simply stated, monotony is not a recipe for success.

Secondly, you aren’t going to see the results you want. In order to get real results, you need to constantly challenge your body. The best way to do this is by regularly changing up your routine. I would suggest doing this every month. Find new exercises that test you again. It may take a little experimentation or guidance, but the results will be more than worth it.

You get overly frustrated when you have a bad session – it is typical to have days where you just aren’t “feeling it”. On those days, do what you can and don’t beat yourself up or get frustrated. Even the most motivated athlete has off days. You’re allowed to have them too. Don’t let it get you down and drive you away from your goals!

Not following an effective routine that properly builds muscle and BURNS FAT –

If you simply aren’t seeing the results that you want, the inclination is to throw in the towel and say strength training doesn’t work for you. The truth is that you may need some guidance on how to properly isolate each muscle group in your body.

There are several keys on turning your body into a fat burning machine through strength training. You can find effective strength training routines in many areas on the web. But for details on where to begin, try a proven program detailed on www.30in90program.com.

Remember, it takes time to get out of shape. It is also going to take some time to re-adjust and get back into shape! Don’t expect results to happen overnight. Find an effective routine and stick with it for 90 days. If you do, the results will speak for themselves.

10 Common Mistakes Made by Individuals Who Engage in Stretching Exercise

1. Not warming up before stretching. Because stretching cold muscles increases your chances of injury; you should always warm up before stretching (i.e., perform activities that will increase your body temperature enough to "warm" you up sufficiently to safely begin exercising). Contrary to popular belief, stretching is not a warm-up.

2. Not stretching the muscles you’re trying to stretch. Too many people don’t stretch what they think they’re stretching because they don’t perform their flexibility exercises properly. More often than not, either they don’t know how to do a particular exercise properly, or they make an inappropriate adjustment in their body position while stretching.

3. Not watching how much pressure you place on your ligaments. Unfortunately, some people stretch their ligaments too much (rather than stretching their muscles) when performing stretching exercises. As a result, they develop excessive ligament looseness. As such, when you’re stretching, you should always avoid holding your joints in a position that places too much weight or pressure on your ligaments.

4. Not watching how much weight you place on your joint capsules. While stretching, if you place more weight on your joints than they can safely stand, you increase the likelihood that you may damage them. Accordingly, you should avoid activities that can injure your joints, such as standing toe touches.

5. Not performing a balanced stretching regimen. To avoid the consequences of stretching unequally (e.g., the muscles that receive inadequate attention tend to tighten and shorten, causing such notable conditions as rounded shoulders), it is essential that you don’t stretch in one direction without balancing out that effort by also stretching in the opposite direction.

6. Not performing each stretching exercise slowly and smoothly. You should avoid using fast, jerky, or bouncing movements when performing stretching exercises. Doing so may force your muscles to stretch to an unsafe range of motion before your nervous system has time to protect them by signaling your muscle(s) to contract.

7. Not stretching to the point of maximum extension. When you stretch, you should move your body or body segment at a controlled speed through its maximum range of motion. You reach this point when you place a mild - but not painful - stretch on the muscles. On each subsequent repetition, you should attempt to go a little bit farther, while again avoiding pain and overstretching.

8. Not performing an appropriate amount of stretching exercise. A certain degree of subjectivity exists concerning what constitutes too much or too little stretching exercise. As a rule, it is recommended that you perform stretching exercises for each of the major areas of your body. ACSM recommends that individuals perform static stretches with each stretch being held for approximately 10 to 30 seconds each. Generally, static stretches are preferred because the risk of injury is low, and they require minimal time and little assistance.

9. Not stretching often enough. At a minimum, most fitness experts recommend that stretching exercises should be performed four to five times per week, and preferably daily. As a rule, because most flexibility gains are (far too) easily lost, the basic rule of thumb is that you should stretch often.

10. Not understanding that being flexible is not synonymous with being in good shape. Flexibility is just one of the essential components of physical fitness. As such, you should combine aerobic exercise, strengthening exercises, and adherence to sound nutritional practices with your stretching exercises in order to "attain and sustain" a desirable level of fitness.

Mistakes Made by Individuals Who Engage in Stretching Exercise

1. Not warming up before stretching. Because stretching cold muscles increases your chances of injury; you should always warm up before stretching (i.e., perform activities that will increase your body temperature enough to "warm" you up sufficiently to safely begin exercising). Contrary to popular belief, stretching is not a warm-up.

2. Not stretching the muscles you’re trying to stretch. Too many people don’t stretch what they think they’re stretching because they don’t perform their flexibility exercises properly. More often than not, either they don’t know how to do a particular exercise properly, or they make an inappropriate adjustment in their body position while stretching.

3. Not watching how much pressure you place on your ligaments. Unfortunately, some people stretch their ligaments too much (rather than stretching their muscles) when performing stretching exercises. As a result, they develop excessive ligament looseness. As such, when you’re stretching, you should always avoid holding your joints in a position that places too much weight or pressure on your ligaments.

4. Not watching how much weight you place on your joint capsules. While stretching, if you place more weight on your joints than they can safely stand, you increase the likelihood that you may damage them. Accordingly, you should avoid activities that can injure your joints, such as standing toe touches.

5. Not performing a balanced stretching regimen. To avoid the consequences of stretching unequally (e.g., the muscles that receive inadequate attention tend to tighten and shorten, causing such notable conditions as rounded shoulders), it is essential that you don’t stretch in one direction without balancing out that effort by also stretching in the opposite direction.

6. Not performing each stretching exercise slowly and smoothly. You should avoid using fast, jerky, or bouncing movements when performing stretching exercises. Doing so may force your muscles to stretch to an unsafe range of motion before your nervous system has time to protect them by signaling your muscle(s) to contract.

7. Not stretching to the point of maximum extension. When you stretch, you should move your body or body segment at a controlled speed through its maximum range of motion. You reach this point when you place a mild - but not painful - stretch on the muscles. On each subsequent repetition, you should attempt to go a little bit farther, while again avoiding pain and overstretching.

8. Not performing an appropriate amount of stretching exercise. A certain degree of subjectivity exists concerning what constitutes too much or too little stretching exercise. As a rule, it is recommended that you perform stretching exercises for each of the major areas of your body. ACSM recommends that individuals perform static stretches with each stretch being held for approximately 10 to 30 seconds each. Generally, static stretches are preferred because the risk of injury is low, and they require minimal time and little assistance.

9. Not stretching often enough. At a minimum, most fitness experts recommend that stretching exercises should be performed four to five times per week, and preferably daily. As a rule, because most flexibility gains are (far too) easily lost, the basic rule of thumb is that you should stretch often.

10. Not understanding that being flexible is not synonymous with being in good shape. Flexibility is just one of the essential components of physical fitness. As such, you should combine aerobic exercise, strengthening exercises, and adherence to sound nutritional practices with your stretching exercises in order to "attain and sustain" a desirable level of fitness.

Current Trends in the Health and Fitness Industry

1. Have it your way. The proliferation of ‘‘express’’ health and fitness clubs (e.g., clubs that are relatively small in size, are focused upon convenience, have minimal equipment and amenities, and are purposely designed to be non-intimidating) will continue. Most of these clubs will attempt to carve out a specific membership niche for themselves (e.g., women-only facilities or kids’ clubs).

2. It isn’t your grandfather’s country club. In many areas of the United States, mega country clubs are being developed that offer a wide array of recreational and wellness activities for the entire family—but not golf. These sport resorts (also referred to as urban/suburban athletic clubs) are designed to take the place of the traditional country club.

3. Going for the gold. Sports performance-based coaching centers will continue to grow in both popularity and number. These centers are geared to individuals aged 8 to 18 years who want to improve their ability to compete in athletic-type activities.

4. Functional to the core. More and more clubs will rechannel the primary emphasis of their training efforts from simply offering basic aerobic and resistance training activities to focusing upon core conditioning and functional fitness.

5. Looking for the keys to commitment. Given the fact that statistics indicate that the number of individuals who have given up their club memberships exceeds the current number of 39 million club members by almost 8 million, member retention will remain an ongoing problem for the health and fitness industry.

6. Bigger is not necessarily better. The trend toward industry consolidation of health and fitness club chains apparently will continue until the industry is dominated by a few ‘‘mega chains.’’ This consolidation will result in fewer choices for consumers (which is seldom a positive occurrence).

7. Exercise is medicine. Health/ fitness clubs will continue to have an even greater medical orientation for several reasons. First and foremost, as the public becomes even more aware of the positive impact that sound exercise has upon health, the demand for such an orientation will increase. Furthermore, as the diversity of health and fitness club members continues to expand (e.g., more aged and obese individuals), the inexorable need to provide appropriate services to these ‘‘special’’ populations will necessitate a heightened medical orientation by clubs.

8. Recipe for success. In the future, the program offerings of health/fitness clubs will change as efforts to identify and develop even more popular and effective activities will continue. For example, a trend currently exists where two or more exercise modalities are blended into  a single exercise activity (e.g., pilates kickboxing or yoga spin).

9. No quick fix. Unfortunately, the rush to sell nutritional supplements to unsuspecting individuals who are looking for quick and effortless solutions will continue unabated (until the time when the federal government finally decides to take action in this area). Too many clubs view the sale of these supplements as a relatively easy way to generate revenues, despite the fact that most of these supplements are simply a waste of money and are being ‘‘peddled’’ by individuals who have neither the knowledge nor the credentials to do so safely.

10. The definitions, they are a changin’. The concepts of what constitutes being ‘‘fit’’ and ‘‘fat’’ will continue to be redefined in many health and fitness clubs. Rather than looking at VO2max as the accepted indicator of fitness, club members are encouraged to use an assessment of their ability to perform selected tasks in a functional manner as a meaningful benchmark of how fit they are. By the same token, individuals concerned about their fat are evaluated to determine not only how much fat they have on their body but where it is located, as opposed to simply looking at a standard percentage body fat assessment.