Womens Intermediate Workout

Maxing-Out Made Easy:
Still trying to find your one-rep max on the bench, squat, or deadlift? Don’t waste time plate-loading and slowly backing off the poundage until you think you’ve found it; you’ll fatigue the muscle before it’s even had a chance. Try this instead: 1) Do 10 warm-up lifts using about 30% of your body weight. 2) After resting for 2 minutes, do five lifts at 50%. 3) Rest another two minutes, and lift at 70% of your body weight. 4) From this point, do single lifts followed by two-minute rest periods, adding 20% of your body weight each time, until you’re at your peak. Now that’s something to hang your hat on.

Say Cheese:
Looking for protein? Dairy’s got you covered. Take cheese, for example: a 3-ounce serving of cheddar (about 1/3 cup) nets you 21 grams of versatile, quality protein. (Most cheeses contain about just as much protein, with some exceptions: the same portion of cream cheese, for example, contains only 6 grams.) On its own, cheddar makes a great-tasting snack; melt it down, and it can jazz-up all kinds of other, equally nutritious foods (can you say broccoli?). Cheese also contains casein proteins which, as previously mentioned, help to slow digestion – perfect for promoting satiety and helping stave off hunger with a steady supply of quality nutrients.