Some of the hardest exercises to do are those which require your own body weight.  Push ups are a great upper body exercise that works the chest, shoulders, and arms.  They can be done in the gym or at home.

If you’re a beginner, try modified push ups, with your knees bent (see pictures below).  Ready to kick it up a notch?  Move to regular push ups. If you’re advanced, try push ups with your feet on a chair. 

Lunges great for the legs and butt!  They can be done with or without weights, at the gym or at home.

If you are a beginner, start without weights and concentrate on your form.  Ready to kick it up a notch? Try walking lunges.

If you are advanced, add weights and increase as you adapt.  Ready to kick it up a notch?  Try "doubles", or switch from dumbbells to a barbell.

Whether it's a 3 day celebrity detox or a colonic irrigation, people are seeking out cleansing methods to lose weight or clean out their systems.  Cleansing can be an inspiring way to jump start a new way of life, but it should not be used as a band-aid solution. 

Too many people do a 3 day detox and continue to smoke.  They do a colonic and continue to eat fried and processed foods.  The reality is your body will cleanse itself out if you would just give it the proper tools to do so.

The combination for getting in better shape is simple:  You need proper diet, cardio, and strength training.  How do I lose 50 pounds? With proper diet, cardio, and strength training.  I just had a baby, how do I bounce back?  With proper diet, cardio, and strength training. How do I build muscle?  With proper diet, cardio, and strength training. 

The answer is always the same; there are just different ways to go about it.  

You just had your weight and measurements taken again.  You are sorely disappointed because you have not made any progress and you’ve been going to the gym 4 days a week for two months!  You made progress at first – so now what’s the problem?  This is actually a very common situation.  It happens to hard core bodybuilders and beginners alike.  When our bodies seem to stop changing, we say we have reached a plateau.