"Oxygen": Motivating Women 2 Sets, 12 Reps at a Time

In honor of having a date with my weights this afternoon, after a month-long hiatus (thanks, school/exhausting twice-a-day walk between Oltorf and campus - I have no idea how I kept up my daily work outs all summer, walking in that triple digit heat six days a week...) I'd like to introduce the women out there to my personal fitness bible: women's fitness magazine, "Oxygen". (Sorry, guys.)

Founded by Robert Kennedy (founder, publisher, and executive editor of the men's fitness magazine "MuscleMag"), "Oxygen" is a fitness, health, and nutritional guide for leading a healthy, active lifestyle. Each issue features four to five workout routines (one usually being a total-body workout, the rest for specific muscle groups); fitness, health, and nutrition news; healthy recipes; motivational articles; advice columns; fitness success stories; and coverage of the latest women's fitness competitions.

"Oxygen" is the magazine to turn to if you want to start weight training but don't know where to begin, or if you've found yourself in a workout rut and need a new routine. The routines usually come with separate guidelines for beginners, intermediate, and advanced. And there's always a fitness model demonstrating each move. So if you're new to the training scene, don't sweat it! (Ok, so you might sweat a little...)

The magazine is also a great source for nutritional meals and snack ideas, promoting clean eating (which any "Oxygen" woman knows goes hand-in-hand with building serious muscle.)

"Oxygen" also releases "Abs" and "Glutes" collector's issues every now and then, for those serious fitness gals out there looking to focus on specific muscle groups.

Filled with healthy, toned, glowing women demonstrating workout routines and written by fitness and nutrition experts who love motivating women toward a healthy, active lifestyle, just browsing through this magazine will make you want to put it down and pick up the dumbbells.

Just to give a glimpse of what you might find in an issue of "Oxygen", here are some of my favorite articles featured in the current issue:

• "Your Time-Saving Fitness Plan" - An at-home, total-body workout that only requires a flat bench and two sets of dumbbells (one lighter, one heavier.) This workout also includes three cardio days. Total-body workouts are a favorite of mine during busy weeks that leave me little time to work on separate muscle groups every day - I can just do it all in one 30-45 minute workout a couple of days a week! (In fact, this is the routine I started today.)
• "Moroccan Bean Salad" - A salad recipe, sent in by an "Oxygen" reader, made with black soybeans, lemon, lime, a red chili, cherry tomatoes, and mint. Easy to make (and takes only 20 minutes), this is a recipe I'll definitely be trying soon.
• "Beat Stress" - Fitness model/competitor and "Oxygen" columnist Jamie Eason offers her strategy on kicking stress: she turned "stress" into an acronym for stress coping mechanisms. This article had perfect timing - during my busiest, and therefore, most stressful semester yet.
• "Power Lunches" - I love sandwiches, so, naturally, I love this nutrition article featuring five muscle-building sandwich recipes. Salmon BLT on Rye, Roast Beef on Sourdough, and Turkey Caesar on Ezekial were the three that had my stomach growling.