1. Body Sculpting HIIT Workout

While you can complete this workout in just 15 minutes, it will get your heart pumping, your muscles burning, and your metabolism racing.

2. Bikini Blaster 1 HIIT Workout

These workout instructions give you pictures and written instructions to follow to perform each move as well as a video to watch all the moves put together in action. Since it’s all clearly explained, you can get started right away.

3. 20-Minute HIIT Workout

Not having time or money to hit the gym can no longer be a valid excuse for not working out because these high intensity workouts for women can be done from the comfort of your home in as little as 20 minutes a day.

4. 19 Minute HIIT Full Body Fat Burning Workout 

These exercises may look simple, but once you get going and begin to feel the burn it will become more challenging to keep going.

5. Do-It-Anywhere HIIT Workout 

Whether you’re at home, in a gym, at the park, or in the office, you can still get your workout in every day in less than 30 minutes with this HIIT workout routine.

6. HIIT Treadmill Workout

Alternate your regular HIIT workout with this HIIT treadmill workout a few days a week to decrease the monotony of your exercises. This is an excellent way to get your heart pumping and burn calories at the same time.

7. Applause Real Time HIIT Workout 

You can complete this workout in about 24 minutes, but your body will keep burning calories for the next 24 to 36 hours. All you need to get started is a jump rope, a mat, and an interval timer.

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I personally belong to the latter group, and today I want to talk about a few things that might hint that you’re indeed overtraining. If you experience any of these, it might be time to cut down on the gym a bit.

1. A Lack of Energy

Our bodies require energy for everything we do, including eating, sleeping and even breathing. Our organism uses anywhere from 1,500 to 3,000 calories per day (depending on your bodyweight) without us even lifting a finger. That energy needs time and resources in order to be replenished, and if you’re hitting the gym for three hours every day of the week, you might not be giving your body the time it needs to recover. This results in feeling groggy and sluggish all the time, even though you’re trying to live as healthy a lifestyle as you possibly can.

2. Constant Thirst

Thirst is a normal, healthy way of your body informing you that you are dehydrated and that it needs additional water in order for everything to function properly. If you’re feeling parched all the time, however, it might be due to the fact that you’re exercising too much and keeping your body in catabolic mode all the time. You shouldn’t have to drink more than eight cups of water per day, as water is also an ingredient in pretty much all types of food as well.

3. Frequent Soreness

If you’ve been training for a while, you probably already know that muscle soreness is something that pretty much comes with the territory. Your muscles are sore after a workout because they’ve been damaged at a microscopic level and need time to heal themselves. If this soreness persists for more than three days, and your limbs are feeling heavy and weak, it’s a good sign that you’re probably overdoing it.

4. Troubled Sleep

If you work out a lot, you need to sleep a lot – that’s just the way it goes. Sleep is when growth hormones reach their peak level in your body and kickstart that muscle recovery so you can go back to the gym as soon as possible. However, believe it or not, working out too much can actually lead to a decrease in the quality of your sleep.

5. A Compromised Immune System

Has nose runniness and coughing up phlegm become second nature to you? If so, you’re probably spending too much time in the gym, and spending too much of your overall energy on your workouts – leaving very little for your immune system to make do and protect you from pathogen. If you have a bug that you just can’t shake, for Heaven’s sake take a short break from your workouts until it passes. You won’t destroy all your gains if you take a short 4-day break, so make sure you do it before your health deteriorates further.

6. Injury

If you’ve recently sprained a knee or an ankle or pulled a muscle, and this is your first time experiencing such a problem, the issue might be that you’re pushing yourself too far. Exhausting your body with excessive workouts can lead you to subconsciously develop improper form, especially when lifting heavy loads, and this is exactly when accidents most often happen. If you experience joint pain a lot in general, do not mistake this for normal muscle soreness. Joints cannot be strengthened in the same way that muscles can because they’re a different type of tissue, so if your knees or ankles hurt, it’s time to put the barbell down and go see a doctor.

7. Reaching a Plateau

Alright, so you’ve been going to the gym for a while, you’ve been seeing a lot of progress, you’re in there every day and yet, you still can’t get past a certain point and it’s probably really frustrating. Why aren’t you getting any more results if you’re working as hard as you can? The answer: you’re working as hard as you can. Sometimes your body needs a bit of a breather before you can progress further, and if you just keep attempting the same exercises without changing something, you probably aren’t going to accomplish much.

8. Lack of Focus

Finally, if you’re exercising too much you might find that you have trouble doing basic, every-day things that require even a little cognitive ability. Things like forgetting your keys, having trouble adding up two large numbers in your head. It’s not Alzheimer’s, don’t worry, but it might just be mental fatigue from exercising too much. You see, when we work out it’s not just our musculature that is getting strained – it’s also our nervous system, and conditioning our nervous system to force our muscles to lift more and more is a very important part of getting stronger. However, just like your muscles your nervous system needs time to rest so it can take care of both your workouts and all of that other mundane stuff – such as remembering your keys and doing math.

Alright, so that about covers everything I wanted to talk about today. Hope you found my advice interesting and useful, and I wish you the best of luck in your further fitness endeavors. Take it easy!

1. 40 Minute Brutal HIIT Cardio and Kettlebell Workout 

If you’re looking for a quick workout that will challenge you and make you feel the burn in your muscles the next day, then this is the workout for you. You will build your strength and muscle mass, get your heart pumping and blood flowing and burn calories all at the same time.

2. Kettlebell Cardio Workout

This workout is performed in a series of 4 circuits with each individual circuit containing a variety of mini-workouts. You will work out the muscles in your whole body but especially your arm and leg muscles.

3. Kettlebell Cardio Carnage

During this workout you will perform what is called the kettlebell swing. You will perform a variety of kettlebell swings that will have your entire body screaming by the time you are done. This is an excellent workout to perform to get your heart beating and burn off a lot of calories.

4. Kettlebell Circuit (Swing Yourself Into Shape)

This exercise will work your whole body, building your strength and giving you a challenging cardio workout that will improve your overall health.

5. Kettlebell HIIT Cardio Workout 

Kettlebell workout videos are excellent training tools for learning the correct ways to perform kettlebell exercises. With this one, you will perform a variety of exercises that will work your back, arms, legs, and will tone and tighten your gluteal muscles.

6. 5 Minute Fat Burning Kettlebell Workout

If your day is so busy that you don’t think you’ll get in your normal exercise time, then this is the perfect workout routine for you. You can get a heart-pumping, muscle-burning exercise completed in just 5 minutes.

7.  Beast Mode Kettlebell HIIT Workout

You’ll get a full workout that requires you to use nothing more than a kettlebell and a jump rope. This one will burn those calories and have you finishing your exercise while dripping in sweat.

1. Brazen Fit 24 Day AB Workout Challenge

Team work produces progress. This workout challenge was created by a group of fitness enthusiasts who enjoy exercising together in the comfort of a home or studio. It’s a combo of exercises that includes crunches, leg raises, and planks perfect for sculpting your abs. The workouts for this challenge begin slowly, gradually gaining intensity and continue to increase the further you get into the program. It can get pretty intense but there are appropriate rest days.

2. Ultimate Upper Body 30 Day Challenge

If you want to firm up, tone and strengthen your shoulders, triceps, biceps, back and chest in as little as ten minutes daily, take part in this challenge for just about a month’s work. To complete the challenge you must perform all the exercises, so no cheating or you won’t see the results!

The exercises are divided into those that work the front part of your upper body which are done on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays, and the back muscles which are done on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. You can rest as as much as you need on Sunday. Also you can choose to repeat your favourite moves or test yourself by doing all of the exercises. To engage in this challenge it will require some light hand weights or a resistance band for the different strengths.

3. Total-Body Challenge

If you want a quick and intensely challenging work out try the total body challenge that lasts for two weeks and promises a full body tone-up. It’s made up of three exercises: T push-ups, sumo squats and V crunches. The aim of is to get you in the habit of performing strength training four to five times weekly. If you didn’t have enough, then be encouraged to continue working out after successfully completely this one.

4. Squat Challenge and 500-Rep Weight Circuit

Ladies, this double challenge involves one full body circuit that has fifteen exercises and a total of 500 repetitions-hence the name. It’s a month long weight focused challenge will definitely have your muscles screaming! It is great for those who are not so fond of cardio workouts but prefer to feel soreness about the body. The second phase is the squat challenge where you must complete a designated amount of repetitions daily. They can be done all at once or periodically as long as the set number of reps for that day is reached. Remember that it is important to have the repetitions increased regularly and include rest days.

5. 30-Day Amazing Butt Challenge

Most women desire to have a nice firm buttocks and strong legs. This 30 day amazing challenge is designed with you in mind if you are hoping to tone both. To engage in the 30-Day Amazing Butt Challenge you will need to perform three exercises; squats, burpees and wall-sits. It may seem simple but these exercises are effective in getting you the desired results in just a one month long journey.

6. 30-Day Plank Challenge

Planks planks and more planks. Plank exercises work all of your major muscle groups and stabilizers to improve overall strength and prevent injury. There is no need for equipment, machines or special clothes to perform a plank. Simply be prepared to show motivation, direction and some structure to reach your goal.

For 30 days you will time yourself as you hold a plank and side plank. You will reach progress by going through different intensity levels which will challenge your body as it develops strength and muscular endurance. Included in the challenge are tiers of each type of plank (regular and side) which includes static and dynamic options to increase intensity.

7. Summer Body Workout

If you are a fitness enthusiast or just want to lose weight fast this is the challenge for you. It promises to get your summer body in great shape. It basically includes two circuits detailed with each exercises, the amount of repetitions and rest days. This challenge is guaranteed to be physically demanding to all participants whether you enjoy it or need it.

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Blogilates

Cassey Ho is a certified fitness instructor and she has created POP Pilates. At her blog you’ll find some top notch videos that give Pilates more energy in an upbeat style. She is passionate about teaching others how to train harder, eat healthier and live a happier life. You’ll find this and more at her site.

Zuzka Light

Zuzka Light believes that there is a powerful connection to be found between the soul, mind and body. Her vision is to motivate women by offering nutrition tips and workouts. She’s the leading personality for fitness on YouTube with a following that numbers hundreds of millions. Her videos concentrate on high intensity exercises to get your heart beating and your metabolism working as fast as possible. She encourages her viewers to push themselves for 10 – 20 minutes to get maximum results.

BodyRock

Learn more about High Intensity Interval Training (Hiit) at this fitness blog where the workouts are intense and you’ll be challenged at every turn. You’re encouraged to leave comments and post your training scores at this interactive fitness site.

Tone It Up

Get involved with a community of women at Tone It Up where Karena and Katrina take the stage. Get happy, healthy and fit by following their fitness videos that concentrate on toning your body to make you feel great. While most other videos concentrate on strengthening and losing weight, it’s nice to see some videos that focus primarily on toning things up.

Fitnessista

If you’re looking for quick workouts that you can do when you’re short on time, peek through the videos at The Fitnessista. Gina provides effective workouts that can be done by busy working women or stay at home mothers between diaper changes! While you can find longer workouts as well on her blog, we especially love the fast workouts since they are much harder to find.

Bender Fitness

Melissa Bender has put together an exciting fitness blog that incorporate something for everybody. Here you’ll find running, strength training, yoga and fitness videos with some healthy dieting tips thrown in as a bonus. When you want variety in your fitness workouts, check out this blog. You won’t get bored with your workouts here!

XHIT

Every day you can work out to a new routine with XHIT. On one day you’ll find out how to burn tons of calories in only a few short minutes and on the next you’ll learn how to get rid of back fat and the spare tire that you may be carrying around. If you like surprises you’re sure to love these daily routines. There is always something new and innovative to find on this blog.

Jessica Smith TV

Jessica has been a featured trainer for Seventeen Magazine and Exercise TV. She’s a fitness lifestyle professional and a certified wellness coach. You’ll find a variety of videos at her site that include prenatal workouts, kickboxing workouts, low impact exercises, step-up workouts, toning workouts and much, much more. Get inspired by these easy to follow videos that will keep you motivated to push your limits.

Carly Rowena

Carly has a number of different videos that you’ll love but she also takes things a step further. If you’re interested in having a workout program custom tailored to suit you, she’ll create one for you for a small price. She’ll also include nutritional advice with your program. She’s 26 years old and you’ll find her fitness videos all over YouTube.

Sarah Fit

Sarah is a full-time fitness and health blogger. She is dedicated to helping young woman get fit and eat better to boost their confidence levels. She stays on top of the latest fitness findings to bring you the most effective workouts. She’s also a holistic health coach and a certified personal trainer.

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1. Take out your tennis ball

Give yourself a good massage in the area that’s most affected. Rolling a tennis ball over your sore muscles helps to reduce the buildup of cytokines produced by your body while increasing the muscle’s mitochondria level so that it can extract oxygen easier. If you don’t happen to have a tennis ball handy, use the palm of your hands, your knuckles and thumbs to help work out any muscle tightening deep in the tissues. Massage below and above the area and then work towards the center of the sore muscle.

2. Try some gentle stretches

After a workout your muscles are full of lactic acid. When you stretch them out it helps to release this acid faster. The stretching should not be done as an exercise but rather as a gentle set of stretches that help to relieve some of the tension. Slow and easy as it goes. You don’t want to add any further stress to your muscles; you just want to help them relax.

3. Tart cherries – reduce the inflammation naturally

According to a study that was done by the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, Tart cherries contain a special antioxidant called anthocyanins. This ingredient is believed to reduce inflammation and pain. Stock up on tart cherry juice – it offers fast relief for sore muscles.

4. Your muscles want protein

After a good workout your muscles are begging for protein. Supply them with natural protein sources such as granola, lentils, nuts, poultry, lean meats and fish. Let the healing begin!

5. Natural pain reliever creams

There are some natural pain reliever creams available on the market that are even more effective than the common products that you can purchase off the grocery store shelves. Look for products that contain arnica in a gel or cream form and you’ll instantly feel relief. Traumeel® is another cream that contains a number of natural and relievers that many athletes use on a regular basis.

6. The cold treatment

You’re going to run into conflicting data when you’re searching for how to relieve muscle pain. While some experts advocate taking a hot bath, others suggest the application of ice. Overall, heat will make you feel better in the short term but will only offer temporary relief. You’re much better off reaching for an ice pack to speed healing and to prevent any further muscle damage from occurring. For all-over body stiffness you may want to consider taking a cool bath – if you can stand it!

7. Pain medication – the natural way

We have all heard the warnings about taking too many non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs such as Advil and Motrin. There are other natural herbs that can reduce pain and inflammation that you may want to consider instead. Garlic, cinnamon, turmeric, white willow bark and many other natural herbs and spices can work wonders as both topical applications and as consumable ingredients. Before reaching for a pain reliever, do some research about the wonderful gifts that nature has provided to us that work just as well or even better in many cases.

8. Get hydrated – fast!

Your muscles are craving water following a workout and you may have to drink an electrolyte drink as well to get properly hydrated. Water, water and more water will help your muscles heal faster and keep you feeling energized.

9. Don’t overdo things

After you’ve had your workout, be careful not to strain or overdo things. If someone asks you to lift a heavy box ask somebody else to do it instead or let the person know that you will do it later. Avoid any activities that are too straining on the body to give your muscles the time they need to heal. You don’t need to lie down on the couch all day but you shouldn’t engage in any physical activities that are going to place a lot of stress on the muscles that you’ve been busy working out.

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1. Cardio on an empty stomach

When you perform your cardio exercises on an empty stomach, it raises the metabolism. As a result, the body is forced to use fat to burn energy instead of food that has been eaten recently. When you feel your body beginning to slow down following a cardio workout, usually in an hour or so, then it’s time to eat.

2. Skip breakfast – intermittent fasting

Instead of ingesting a lot of food every morning, try skipping breakfast instead. When you do this you are practicing intermittent fasting, which consists of fasting for at least 16 hours daily. It’s a dietary approach that many experts believe will enhance fitness performance, longevity and promote overall better health. When you go without breakfast you won’t have to limit your calorie restrictions as much on your other two meals. You’re also more apt to retain more muscle mass than people that are following a strict low-calorie diet.

3. Eat more protein

Stock up on fish, cottage cheese, eggs, lean meat etc. and consume protein at every meal. Your body naturally burns extra energy when it processes proteins than it does when working on fats or carbs. When you eat plenty of protein your body will be busy working out even when you’re not at the gym!

4. Lower your carb intake

Instead of reaching for pasta and bread, grab fruits and veggies when you’re on the go. When you eat too many carbs the extra is stored as fat and it will be more difficult to lose belly fat quickly. While you shouldn’t cut out the carbs completely since they are required for energy, make sure that you lower them significantly.

5.  Avoid sodas

Soda is full of calories that come from corn syrup. The human body doesn’t really understand how to process this high fructose syrup and it can quickly wind up as fat on your belly. Instead of drinking any sodas, have a bottle of water by your side at all times. When you constantly sip on the water you’ll stay hydrated and will be less likely to experience food cravings or reach for sugar-laden sodas.

6. Lower your alcohol intake

When you drink alcohol it puts a lot of stress on your liver. This means that your liver has to go into overdrive to clear out the toxins, which can slow down the muscle building process. Figure out how you can lower your intake of alcohol – especially when you are concentrating on these tips and ways to lose belly fat fast. A drink every now and then is okay but you’ll want to put in an effort to keep your drinks limited.

8. Start a strength training program

Start an overall strength training program to get rid of fat, build muscle mass and prevent the loss of muscle. Deadlifts and squats are fantastic exercises to start with. When you start your strength training you’ll also find that it’s easier to stick to your diet. You’ll be motivated by the immense changes that take place in your body and will be more likely to push away the junk food and reach for the healthier choices instead.

9. Stop doing endless crunches

Crunches aren’t going to do you much good and may even cause damage. In some cases, crunches can cause a problem with posture, slouching shoulders and may even contribute to lower back pain. There is no such thing as spot reduction when it comes to losing belly fat. You’ll be wasting a lot of time and energy by concentrating on crunches that could be better spent on strength training exercises. While crunches can add strength to your stomach muscles, they don’t specifically address the belly fat that covers them.

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The Hungry Runner Girl

This blog is run by Janae and documents her personal experiences with family, food, fun, fitness and most of all running. It’s a great site that really provides an inside look at her personal challenges and how she overcomes them. Motivating and inspiring, this is a great running blog! (@hungryrunnergrl )

Healthy Tipping Point

Caitlin Boyle is 28 years old and has written 3 books about living life to the fullest by maintaining balance and health. She shares some fantastic running tips and healthy recipes on her blog that you won’t want to miss. (@CaitlinHTP )

Fannetastic food

Anne is a registered dietitian that is passionate about all things running-related. Learn how to incorporate healthy eating into your running routine with great advice from an online nutrition counselor as she makes her way to the finish line. (@fANNEtasticfood )

RUN To The Finish 

Amanda C. Brooks created this blog to share her story, provide running tips and keep other runners motivated. She’s contributed to other sites including CraveLocal.com, BiteSizeWellness.com and TheActiveTimes.com. This blog is fun to read and will relate well with any female runner! (@RunToTheFinish )

Meals and Miles

Join a blogger that found her inspiration from other running blogs and as a result decided to give back in return. She’ll show you how she balances her life of running together with a job. This is a must-read for anyone that sits at a desk all day and breaks into a run at night! (@MealsAndMiles )

Shut Up & Run

Drop all the excuses and just shut up and run! Beth gets down to the truth of running and doesn’t believe in holding anything back. She’ll show you how to stop thinking about running and how to get into action instead.(@ShutUpRun )

Ali On The Run

Follow along with Ali as she reaches her goals while dealing with Crohn’s disease. You’ll definitely get a lot of motivation from this blog from a woman that eats what she wants and doesn’t punish yourself for eating what she likes. (@AliOnTheRun1 )

Mile Posts 

Dorothy is a running mother of three that runs a few blogs and owns a small business. She was the cover model on the November/December 2012 issue of Women’s Running Magazine. She offers a variety of interesting posts and as an avid marathoner you’ll love to keep up to date with her successes. (@MilePosts )

Running With Perseverance

Find out what it’s like being an attorney and a runner through Coco’s personal journey. She’s a 40-something runner who believes in eating chocolate on a daily basis. Find out how she does it at her running blog. (@Got2Run4Me )

My Neon Running Shoes

Enjoy the insights of a 25-year-old runner that has battled an eating disorder. Elizabeth tells of her dedication to health and wellness, her family and her spirituality through her inspirational blog posts. (@myneonruninshoe )

Sweat Once a Day

This is one of the best running blogs we’ve seen when it comes to accountability. Emily keeps track of her races on a special part of her blog so you can see her future goals. This way, you won’t have to search through a bunch of blog posts to find out what her next training is for. (@emilysweats )

Eat Pray Run, DC 

Courtney lives in DC and is committed to blogging about the things that she considers to be the most important including her running, Jesus, food and wine. She’ll write about anything so that you can see her random thoughts and stay motivated at the same time. (@EatPrayRunDC )

Chic Runner

This is a blog that adds a lot of depth to the sport of running. Danica has come to realize that the time or place you achieve in the race isn’t as important as the journey that you take to make it to the finish line. (@chicrunner )

The Runner beans

Look through this blog to see exciting reviews of products that runners may find helpful and for healthy recipes. Charlie will show you how she stays on pace to a healthier lifestyle and will show you the training and workouts she uses to stay in shape and balanced. (@charliedwatson )

Lazy girl Running 

This is a fantastic blog for anyone that desperately needs more motivation to get up on their feet and run. Laura will inspire you to take your first steps and concentrates a lot of her energy on inspiring others. (@lazygirlrunning )

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1. MyFitnessPal

This app has made it to the top of the list simply because it has a food database that includes 3,282,000 different food types. When you need to keep track of the calories you’re consuming, you’ll want a quick and easy food database that you can reference. You’ll be able to setup your own digital diary for counting calories without having to resort to self-reporting that never seems to work. This app is also extremely flexible. If you’re like me, you like to try different foods and eat out at different restaurants all the time. You’ll need this kind of app if you love food, love eating but don’t love the weight gain that comes with it! ( Iphone | Android )

2. Lose It!

The name says it all! I love this app because it also has a large food database but also includes some restaurant items. You’ll be able to record your exercise and food intake with this app no matter what type of diet plan you are following. You’ll be able to calculate your calorie intake goals based on your personal details and how many pounds you want to lose every week. Once you have imported your information, this app will magically display a budget for daily calories. The one negative thing that can be said about this app is it is more time-consuming to use than a lot of the other fitness apps. ( Iphone | Android )

3. MyNetDiary

This is a neat little application that mathematically calculates how much you’ve eaten and how much you’ve burned up during the day according to your activity level, height and weight. The nice feature about this application is you can keep track of how much water you’re drinking, your waste and hip measurements, the circumference of your neck and any medications that you need to take. You’ll also love the search function on this app since it automatically remembers the previous food serving entries that you have entered. If you’re like most people, you tend to have your food favorites and this feature will certainly come in handy! ( Iphone | Android )

4. MyPlate by LIVESTRONG

With this calorie tracking application you’ll always find the food item you’re consuming or planning to consume. Not only does it come with a hefty built-in food database but the information is constantly being updated via other users. When you want to get a precise measurement of the calories in any food, you can count on this app. You also have the chance to contribute to the system by adding in new information yourself. When a new product is added to the market and you are one of the first to scoop it up and try it, you can share the nutritional information with others.

This app gives you the chance to give-and-take, which is one of its most appealing features. This app is also more precise when it comes to recipes. If you want to find out exactly how many calories are in the meatloaf you’re cooking for dinner, you can input the ingredients, give it a name and then get a reading. If you’re only planning on eating 1/10 of the meatloaf for dinner, this app will determine the number of calories that will appear on your plate. ( Iphone )

5. Fat Secret

If you’re following an Atkins diet or another carb-counting type of diet, you may get the most out of this app versus the others. It accurately keeps track of net carbs and will consistently check on your progress as you’re making your way through the diet program. This is one of the best calorie tracking apps we’ve found for counting carbs. Of course, it does the trick for counting calories as well.

Also provided with the app are a weight chart and journal, an exercise diary and a food diary. When you become a registered user with the website you’ll be able to link up your account to your mobile app. The stored information will be available on either your mobile device or on your home computer. You should be warned though that this app is a bit cluttered and you’re not offered an option to purchase a version that is free of ads .( Iphone | Android )

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