Category Archives: Fitness Tips
Advanced Circuit Workouts – Including Dumbell Exercises
Do you like circuit workouts? Then try my advanced circuit today.
If you’re ready for an advanced challenge, then get warmed up and join me for my advanced circuit workout. We’re going to work at a high intensity and perform some high impact exercises. As always, work at a level that fits your own personal level of fitness, and only attempt advanced moves when you are ready.
We’re going to work in an interval style, doing 45 seconds of work followed by 15 seconds of an active rest core move.
High Intensity Move: SQUAT JUMPS
First, we’re going to do squat jumps. Sit in a squat position. Jump forward, then shuffle back. As you squat down, always sit back on your heels. The further you sit back and jump forward, the harder it is.
Active Rest Move: CRUNCHES
For your rest move, I want you to do some crunches. Make sure to lift your shoulders off the floor, eyes towards the ceiling, and chin off the chest. If you’re not sure how to do a crunch, see my video that explains this move here:
High Intensity Move: PUSHUP JACKS
These are my favorite. Get into pushup position, and then jack out the feet. Always focus on your form—hands should be just slightly wider than shoulder width apart with wrists and shoulders in a nice straight line.
Active Rest Move: HANDS & KNEES LEG LIFT REST
For our next rest move, get onto hands and knees. And then just lift and extend one leg. Bring the knee in, and then extend it out again. Do a few on one side and then switch sides. You’ll work the core for this move.
High Intensity Move: SWITCH LUNGES
Get into lunge position, and then simply switch lunge positions with a jump. Just jump and switch. If you’re not quite ready to do that, you can always stop in the middle. You want to go for height! Really push up out of that lunge.
Active Rest Move: BICYCLE
Get back down to the floor for bicycle for this next rest move. Lie with your back flat against the mat, and twist carefully—elbow to knee.
High Intensity Move: DUMBBELL SNATCH
Our last move of the circuit is called a dumbbell snatch. Take one dumbbell and place it on the floor in front of you. Then sit back putting weight in the heels, and then lift the dumbbell up. Put the dumbbell back down, and then jump. Switch sides and then lift the dumbbell with the other hand. Pick a weight that’s comfortable, and never jump with the weight.
I’m Samantha Clayton, fitness expert and former competitive sprinter. I’m working with Herbalife to help you achieve a healthy, active life.
Active Lifestyle Nutrition
Every pound of muscle in our bodies burns 7-10 calories a day, while each pound of fat burns just 2 calories per day. Include strength training in your exercise programme alongside cardio. Eating 20g of protein with every meal and snack helps prevent muscle wasting. Have you had your shake after your workout?! “Important! Don’t skip your protein shake after you exercise and think that you’ll save calories! A protein shake after training accelerates lean muscle growth, which in turn revs your metabolism and burns more fat.
Chest and Back Workout
Over working the mirror muscles, the ones that you can see?! Get on your way to a fit body with this new chest and back workout from Samantha Clayton.
With our modern lifestyle, sitting at a desk all day, it’s very common for people to have weak back muscles and tight chest muscles. Although I will often say my back muscles are tight, in fact usually the opposite is true. They’re overstretched and my chest muscles are tight. Why not warm up and then join me as I do a balanced body chest and back workout. You’ll need a set of dumbbells that are a nice weight for you.
BENT OVER ROW
To start, pick up your dumbbells. Make sure you stand in athletic stance with feet just slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, slight bend in the knee. You’re going to hinge forward at the hips and let the weights hang down to the chest. Then pull the weights to the chest and back down. Pull up and back down in nice, controlled motions.
ARNOLD PRESS
Let’s go onto our press. Bring the weights to the shoulders and then push the weights up front, turn the weights out and come back down. It’s really great if you don’t go directly overhead. Make sure to keep a nice tight core, athletic stance with a very slight bend in the knees.
PLANK ROW
Now let’s take it down to the floor and do a plank row. To do this, get into a plank position, but hold onto one weight. Keep your hips square, the wider the base the better. Hold on to one weight, pull the elbow back, and then lower into the floor. Switch sides.
PULL OVER
Now, we’re going to do a pull over on the stability ball. So first, get into position by sitting on the ball, holding the weights either side. Slowly walk your feet out. Make sure the ball supports your upper back. Simply bring the weights back and lift the weights up. You’ll feel your triceps working. The whole time, you’ll have to make sure that you keep the core tight. Come out of the position the same way you went in—just walking your feet up.
CHEST FLY
Next exercise is the chest fly. Again, you’re going to need two weights and slowly roll back out again. Find that comfortable position, supporting the neck, making sure your core is tight. Make sure your eyes are looking up high and slowly bring the weights out, and bring them back together again. After you’re done, always make sure that you slowly come out of this move.
After this first set, stand up and have a little stretch out. Take it from the top and go through again focusing on form. Do 12 of each exercise, try to do three sets. I like to go from exercise one to five, and then repeat it. But if you prefer to complete one set of each exercise before moving on to the next, that’s fine too. Be sure to complete a full warm up before every workout. And always allow time to stretch afterwards. Finally, master each exercise using light weights. And only increase your weight as you become comfortable. It’s important when you’re in the gym to address both the front and back of your body.
Samantha Clayton, fitness expert and former competitive sprinter. I’m working with Herbalife to help you achieve a healthy, active life.
How to do the perfect ab crunch?
Herbalife fitness expert, Samantha Clayton shares her advice on how to do the perfect ab crunch. Avoid common ab crunch & sit up mistakes with this clear & simple ab crunch advice from Herbalife: don’t strain your neck & remember focus on your core. A few perfect ab crunches can be more effective than more ab crunches with poor form, so learn to perfect your ab crunching technique in this video & take time to work your core ab muscles properly.
How to: really push yourself with push ups?
Herbalife fitness expert, Samantha Clayton shares her advice on how to do the perfect push up for your skill level. There are many different ways to do push-ups. Learn to do diamond push-ups, modified push-ups, bent knee push-ups, advanced push-ups & the perfect push up. Find out which style works best for your skill level & gradually push yourself harder.
Short of time? Try combining two exercises
Herbalife fitness expert, Samantha Clayton shares her advice on combining exercises to fit your busy day. Do you need more time in the day to work out? Getting organized & multitasking are key. Try combining an upper body work out with a lower body work out. Check out these tips for combining exercises like an arm raise with a basic lunge.