Slim for Life by Jillian Michaels

agenda, we are going to do same-muscle-group supersets. This is an advanced training method in which you do two exercises for the same muscle group, one after the other, with no rest in between.Superset training has several primary advantages over conventional, straight-set training. When supersetting, you’re getting rid of the rest period between sets and adding intensity to your workouts, and as we know, more intensity means better results. Supersets allow you to overload your muscles without using heavy weights—perfect for someone who wants to get lean, and to improve their strength and endurance, without gaining size.
    Here are some examples of effective supersets:
    •  Lat Pull-downs followed by Plank Dumbbell Rows
    •  Push-ups followed by Cable Chest Flys
    •  Leg Extensions followed by Jump Scissor Lunges
    •  Bicycle Crunches followed by Leg Raises
    •  Dead Lifts followed by Roman Chair Back Extensions
    •  Alternating Front Lunges followed by Jump Squats
    And here’s how supersetting might look in a circuit format:
    •  Dumbbell Chest Presses
    •  Dumbbell Chest Flys with Pelvic Thrusts
    •  Supermans
    •  Mountain Climbers
GIVE YOURSELFLEVERAGE • • 2 POINTS
    Your muscles, bones, and joints act as a system of levers that work together and allow you to lift weight, whether it’s your own body weight or external resistance like a dumbbell. As you increase the distance between the object you’re lifting and the joint (the pivot point) that’s moving, your muscles must generate more force. Essentially, by extending the length of the lever—your arms, legs, or torso—you put your muscles at a disadvantage. They have to use more force to do the same job, making you stronger and leaner at the same time. Here’s an example of what I mean: when you’re doing push-ups on your hands and feet, then drop to your knees, you have essentially shortened the lever, and it’s far easier. Our goal is to make it harder, so we burn more and get better results faster. We want to make the levers longer when we train.
    Here are some ways to apply this technique:
    •  Do push-ups on your hands and feet—even if your hands are on an elevated platform like a step.
    •  Do lateral raises with straight arms instead of bent ones.
    •  Do dumbbell flys or cable flys instead of using a pec deck machine, where arms are bent.
    •  If you do leg raises, straighten your leg instead of bending it at the knee.
    If you’re still confused as to how best to perform an exercise to maximum effectiveness, follow this guideline: keep your body as long as possible at all times. If you have an option to perform a move with bent legs or straight legs, or with bent arms or straight arms, choose straight for a more intense workout.
    Here’s the caveat for all: do the harder version only as long as you can maintain perfect form. You may have to build up to it. I’d rather you try a few harder ones, and then do the easier versions perfectly, than never try. You’ll build strength and amp up results by continually adding more of the challenging versions to your workout.
TWIST AND SHOUT • • 2 POINTS
    Maybe you don’t need to shout, but I do want you to twist, a lot and in all different directions. While some machines, like the free motion cable or the cable crossover, require you to use your core muscles to perform the exercise correctly, the best way to implement this tip is to work with your body weight and free weights and avoid machines that artificially isolate muscle groups and function on one plane—front to back, side to side, up and down. A seated hamstring curl is a perfect example. Our bodies don’t work like that in the real world; when we train them that way, it’s unnatural and inefficient. The more you can exercise “three dimensionally,” the more calories you’ll burn, and the more fit and functional you’ll be.
    Here are a few exercises to try:
    •  Lunges with a Chop (a