Lose 5 Pounds Today! Fit Factory Home Exercises

I have been receiving alot of requests here at Fit Factory on some easy yet effective home exercises. Here are some that you can try out starting tonight -

1. Chest

Wall Push-Ups
Stand facing a wall with your feet about 1 to 2 feet back from it.
Place your hands on the wall just outside shoulder-width apart.
Bending only at the elbows, lower yourself forward towards the wall then push yourself away from it.
Keep your body stiff and straight during the movement.

2. Back

Standing Rows
These are done from a standing position.
Loop a towel around a vertical pole or column or another fixed object so that the ends of the towel are pointing towards you and the towel is wrapped around the far side of the pole.
Have your feet close up to the pole and lean back gripping on the ends of the towel and keeping your body stiff and straight.
Row yourself up with both arms.
Keep your back arched and row with your back.

3. Shoulders

Presses
Use something around the house for weight, e.g. soup cans or milk jugs with water in them.
From a seated or standing position, hold the weights just above your shoulders.
Push them up overhead slowly.

4. Legs

Squats
Place your feet about shoulder width apart.
Keeping your torso vertical and a slight arch in your lower back, start the movement by bending the knees.
Go only as far down as you feel comfortable when first starting out. If you can go down until your thighs are just below parallel, do so. This is the full range goal.
Using leg power, push yourself back up to the start position. Use your grip on the bar only for balance unless you absolutely need to pull yourself up.
As you get stronger with squats, don't use the bar anymore. When you can do good, full-range reps without the bar, you can start using weight.
For weight, use two duffel bags (evenly loaded) or two milk jugs, etc. Hold them at your sides and squat.

5. Abdominals

Crunches
Lie down flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor.
Hold your hands wherever you feel comfortable (on your chest or beside your head - just be sure you don't pull on your head).
The typical crunch is taught by instructing you to simply roll your upper torso forward. This is fine to start with.
To increase the effectiveness of the crunch movement, push your chest and head up towards the ceiling pushing your lower back flat onto the floor.
Your anatomy will automatically cause you to follow a crunching pattern.
Hold at the top of the movement for a second and squeeze hard.

6. Biceps

Curls
Stand with your knees slightly bent, arms at your sides, holding your resistance bags or two dumbells in your hands.
The curl movement happens only at the elbow. With your upper arm pinned at your side and bending only at the elbow, lift the weight up to shoulder level.
Your palm should be facing forward all the way up and all the way down.
Squeeze hard at the top then lower slowly.
Do the same with the other arm, alternating back and forth.

7. Triceps

Bench Dips
These can be done on the edge of a chair or bench.
Sit on the side edge of a flat bench or the front edge of a chair.
Place your hands on the edge of the chair right beside your glutes and grip the edge.
To start with, your feet should be flat on the floor about two feet in front of you with your knees bent.
Move yourself off the chair so you are now supporting yourself on your hands.
Bend your arms, dipping your body down. Go down only as far as you feel comfortable, being careful not to bounce out of the bottom.
Push back up, squeezing the triceps.
It is important to keep your back close to the edge of the bench as you do these to minimize shoulder stress.
When you're done the set, push yourself back onto the chair.

8. Calves

Standing Calf Raises
This exercise can be done on the edges of stairs, wood blocks, books, etc.
Do both legs at the same time to start with then, as you get stronger, do them one leg at a time.
Hold a bag in your hand for resistance as you get stronger
Stand on the edge of the block with only the balls of your feet on the block.
Keeping knees stiff and bending only at the ankles, lower your heels down towards the floor.
Go down until you feel a strong stretch in your calves.
Reverse the direction without bouncing and push up as high as you can.
Do this movement slowly to feel the contraction all the way up.

Reference - http://www.fitstep.com/Library/Begin/exercises.htm
http://www.fitfactory.webs.com

Can't wait to hear this fit factory mix- it sounds fantastic! Our gym just switched over to fit factory and I've been injured so I am ready to get back!, I told the instructors that should be there with them on Friday! LOL!

Gigi

I have tried to find a Fit Factory class that doesn't involve me joining a gym. I am in Illinois. Any suggestions?

Patrick

Most clubs gave guest passes you can probably get a hold off. Some of the smaller, independent gyms allow casuals to pay a per-class fee too. But the Fit Factory tracks are so good, you should consider joining..

Paul

WOW! This fit factory is awesome! They come around so quick!
I love it, the lunge and shoulder track are a killer!
I think they should lay off the funky town-type songs for a while though.

John M.

Love it. Can't wait for more!

Cyndi

I've done it on and off over the last year.
I really liked it but it was always after Boxercise, and I can not do 2 classes in a row
and Boxercise (? not exactly sure what its called.) is my most favorite class!!
It's a mixture of boxing, kick boxing, karate, and a tiny bit of aerobics. It is so much fun, and this coming from a real life couch potato. I like the Fit Factory mixes too!

Allison

I can't stand aerobics and step aerobics,
and I was never coordinated enough to do the moves like the grapevine.

Chris D.

I'm aiming to increase my fitness levels so I can do more classes like that, by walking to the gym where my fit factory class is, and generally walking more rather than driving. Its easier now the weather is going to start getting better (hopefully anyway!!)

Beth

I use to take the fit factory class at my gym three times a week. I absolutely loved it. I noticed a difference in about a month. However, I also did some cardio along with it. I was always upset when I missed because I enjoyed it. I noticed a big change in how much I could lift too over time. I recommend it.

Steve

Personally, I really enjoy fit factory classes and I find that they are really excellent for toning and strength training. Tey include a high amount of reps and a full body workout, combined with the cardio you need for training.

I would suggest that you work a bit of separate weight training in addition to your Fit Factory classes, as you might be able to concentrate more on muscle groups than in the class. After your cardio in the morning, maybe try to incorporate a couple moves that you enjoy from the class.

Melinda

I am not a fan of step classes and such, but Fit factory is great because you can combine the high-energy dynamics of group fitness, with good music and an attentive trainer. At my gym, the YMCA, a lot of men do the class so it's always a good feeling when you know you've got better form and sometimes even strength than some of the men in the class.

Mike D.

I'd say it's a great class, especially for women who usually concentrate on higher reps and more cardiovascular exercises.
Your routine sounds fun and stimulating. Good luck with everything!

Cat

I used to do fit factory for about 3 years and built it up to 3x per week. For someone who is a beginner, its great way to build up strength and is especially good when you are short of time as the sessions are quite focused. However, I later found out I got into some bad habits (overused my shoulders and they got huge) and I never got fantastic results. I then got a personal trainer, and the results have been great (lost 5 1/2% body fat over 6 months with same hours per week of weight training) although I have also increased my cardio and overall have lost 3kg with a better diet. You can get better results overall with weigh training as you will use heavier weights.

Julie

I have just started fit factory classes a month ago, and totally LOVE them. I used to bodybuild and find these classes are very well planned out to target muscles and different muscle groups. They just started a new launch last week, and they really are killer on the legs this time around. Although I have only been at it for a month, I am already noticing muscle tone and hardness.

I find the class to be way too much fun at times, since it keeps you going and the music and instructors are great. I found lifting weights on the floor to be very boring and it was hard to be motivated. Sometimes I would get lazy and my form was not that great, since no one was there to catch me doing it. In my classes the instructors make certain people's form is always correct.

As a woman, I know how difficult it is to get large muscles. A lot of that is from diet and high weight, low repetition training.

I also suggest the fit factory classes for toning the upper body. I find it is a heck of a workout and gets me in quite a sweat. I find this beats the heck out of getting on a piece of cardio equipment for 60 minutes, since this class keeps the body guessing at what you will demand form it next. It is also very low impact and tons of fun.

Erinn

This is great feedback! Thanks!

L.W.

I'm 61 and started fit factory about 6 months ago, having started a bit of weight training when I retired. I too am addicted to fit factory, going 4 times a week and have noticed a regular increase in strength. I wish we could get videos but I hear the music is copyrighted.

Alice

I think it is a great form of exercise for getting started and especially for women to continue. I am taking a hiatus after a could of years because I want to do some more concentrated weight training but after 14 weeks I plan to bring fit factory workout back into my life.

Mary

Few gyms in the country come without a pounding soundtrack, but Dr Karageorghis, who has been researching the link between music and exercise for two decades, said that many may be allowing the "wrong" music to reach the ears of their customers.

His formula takes the rhythm, tempo and musicality of popular music, and mixes it with a measure of its "cultural impact" to rate its suitability.

The best songs for moderate to intense exercise tend to have between 120 and 140 beats a minutes, he said.

Good recent examples include "I Like the Way You Move" by Bodyrockers, and "Mercy", by Duffy, while older exercisers could raid the back catalogues of record companies for "The Heat is On" by Glenn Frey, "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen, or "Dancing Queen" by Abba.

Some of his volunteers found their endurance rising by far more than 15%, and Dr Karageorghis described this as "very significant".

1. Lie face up on the floor and lace your fingers behind your head.
2. Bring the knees in towards the chest and lift the shoulder blades off the ground without pulling on the neck.
3. Straighten the left leg out while simultaneously turning the upper body to the right, bringing the left elbow towards the right knee.
4. Switch sides, bringing the right elbow towards the left knee.
5. Continue alternating sides in a 'pedaling' motion for 12-16 reps.