BREAK IT DOWN!!!!

The gravity defying butt challenge has began.
Human beings are strongly driven by their carnal desires, what is more sexual than the female derriere. Even in the animal Kingdom the female backside is a fascination for the males.... they sniff it while some change shape and colour based on ovulation cycles.
Unfortunately for us as we grow older our bodies metabolism slows down, our skin elasticity fails us, our fat stores multiply and somehow body parts that were once standing proud at attention start to go south literally. All of a sudden you find yourself single handedly keeping spanx in business because all your hanging bits and pieces need to be tucked in.

This is why I squat!

Today I had a killer workout session. I started out by doing 20 minutes of yoga to get my muscles nice and warmed up. I simply google yoga stretches for beginners and follow the video instructions on YouTube, all I need is my mat and internet connection. There's also yoga apps that you can download. I recently started yoga because I want to be more flexible for carnal reasons ;-)) but also because flexible joints and muscles are less prone to injury during exercise. I would love to be able to headstand and a handstand but I digress.
After that came the squats. Squats is a compound exercise that works several muscle groups in your legs, thighs and butt or gluteals at the same time and therefore torches calories. I do weighted squats meaning I carry a 5kg dumbell on each side while i squat. If you have never done a squat before start simple without the weights.

1. Stand with your feet hip width apart, back straight and your chin slightly tucked in without bending your neck
2. Keep you shoulders straight
3. Stretch your arms forward parallel to the floor
4. While looking straight ahead,lower yourself towards the ground into a high seated position then stand up straight thats one rep.( As you advance your balance will improve and you can go lower into deeper squats)
5. As you lower yourself to a sitting position ensure that your knees don't go past your toes so as not to burden your knees.
6. You could do this with a chair behind you as a guide, lower yourself as though you're about to sit on it but don't let your butt touch the chair, just hover above the chair then clench your gluteal(butt) muscles and tighten your abs to stand up straight
7. Aim for 10 repetitions(reps) that is one set
8. Rest for 30 seconds then do 10 more reps. that is two sets. After 30 seconds do the third set
9. CONGRATULATIONS day one of the challenge completed

I also did 3 sets of static lunges and 3 sets of 1 minute planks, I was on fire!

The key to strengthening muscles is breaking them down. When you challenge your muscles during a work out you cause micro tears in the muscle fibers which your body then repairs in the next 48 hours. The constant breakdown and repair of your muscles builds them up, burns calories long after your workout is done and gives you muscle definition. For this reason schedule major burn workouts of muscle groups on alternate days to give your muscles a chance to repair. So if you do a proper lower body work out today then plan for abs and upper body tomorrow.
It is important that you continue your 30 minutes of daily aerobic activity on top of the circuit workouts.
Tomorrow I am playing an hour of tennis and working on my abs and upper body. Don't forget to let me know how you're fairing with the squat challenge. Break it down!!!!!