Archive for the ‘Exercise’ category

« Older Entries

Introduction to Functional Training

August 25th, 2010

Functional training has is starting to gain a lot more attention from mainstream fitness gurus and trainers. The goal of functional training is to focus weight lifting in a way that mimics real life, so it serves a direct purpose and has a strong correlation with real life. Instead of just being on weight benches all day doing the same types of lifts people will spend more time doing nontraditional lifts.

This means that functional training  would not include the traditional lifts like the bench press,curls, leg extensions, and tricep push downs. While these are great lifts for building muscle the actual movements involved fail to replicate any real life/ daily life movements.

Functional movements like lunges, squats and various core movements are very functional especially for athletes. For those looking to body build and really sculpt large powerful muscle traditional lifts that have one joint isolated movements can be more beneficial than multi-joint functional type movements.

A persons real goal should be to find a balance between these to styles of muscle building. Do not feel like you are limited to one of the other. Too many men working out get stuck in a particular mindset and stuck with a program that their bodies have already gotten used to doing. Always add variations. If you are more focused right now on building bigger muscles than add in functional training as part of your off day or cardio.

Functional training will not build muscle mass but it does offer a lot of other benefits. People who do functional training will burn fat, build lean muscle, and teach coordination. A good example of a functional exercise would be a squat press (a weight squat with a shoulder press completed at the top of the movement). The weight used will do little to stimulate muscle growth but it will burn a lot of fat and build you lean muscle giving you a beach body.

The main thing to realize is that functional training is great of leaning up and getting cut but it is a power workout for bulking up. Muscle is built by doing heavy loads. In most cases heavy loads are too much for functional movement.s

No that you understand the difference between functional training and traditional training start adding more of it into your regular routines. Its ok to get off the olympic weight benches once in a while and focus on improving every aspect of your physical body and not just muscle size.

No comments »

Posted in Exercise, Exercise Equipment, Health & Fitness

Tags:

Best Non-Food Workout Rewards

August 24th, 2010

Having a low calorie treat as a reward at the end of the day or week for sticking to your fitness goals is not necessarily a bad thing but it doesn’t help in removing the dependence on food that may have led to the extra pounds to begin with. To completely break the cycle of emotional eating you will have to find other ways to soothe your emotions (good and bad) without food. While some of the best nonfood rewards cost more than a few pennies they are worth every red cent. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Massage

Pick up the cell and make an appointment that is 30 days from now. Establish your goal. If you fail to meet your goal within 48 hours of the appointment, then cancel it.

Workout Attire

Nothing inspires some people like the idea of new running shoes, a Garmin 305, shorts, tops, or other workout gadgets like the Polar heart rate monitor. Pick the one that gets you excited and reward yourself at the end of 60 days with your top pick.

Clothing

Go window shopping. Have the store hold that strapless number you’ve been eying for the past few months. Go get it at the end of the week if you achieve your fitness goal.

Pedicure

You’ve been pounding the pavement so your little toes are in desperate need of some TLC. If you want to save money on this one, you can do it yourself by buying a few items from your local drugstore. But, it is so worth having someone else give you a pedicure.

Maid Service

Housework is one of the top reasons woman skip their workouts. There’s always one more load of laundry to do, one more room to clean, one more, one more, one more.  Once you accept that it will never all just “get done” you may finally give in to the idea of a maid service if you don’t just stop cleaning altogether.  Trust me, I’ve been there.  You can opt for a one-time cleaning if you don’t want to be on the hook week after week. This one should be saved for meeting a six month goal.

I’m sure you could come up with a long list of things that truly inspire you that have nothing to do with food.  Add them to this list. At a minimum, pick one each month. If you actually implement your list and experience some of these great nonfood rewards, you are bound to reach new fitness heights because it all begins with the right motivation.

No comments »

Posted in Exercise, Health & Fitness

Tags:

Don’t Forget Your Diet if You are Trying to Get in Shape!

August 18th, 2010

If you are working to get into the best shape of your life, it can be easy to place all of your focus on your work outs.  Working out intensely makes you feel great, so it is easy to see why you would want to give it all of your focus.  It is very gratifying to see major improvements in your strength.  A big part of the equation is being missed if you don’t properly address your diet.  Up to 80% of how you look is the result of what you eat.  The remainder of your appearance is made up 10% by your genes and 10% by your exercise efforts.  A bad diet and really hinder your results.

If your goal is to get into great shape, it is going to take more than just counting calories.  You need to focus on eating foods that will assist your muscles in recovering and help you fuel up for intense workouts.    You need both sufficient protein and carbohydrates for optimal muscle gains.

Clean, whole foods will best fuel your efforts.  Clean eating does not mean that you can only enjoy bland meals.  There are many healthy foods that also taste great!

Quinoa is an example of a food that tastes great that is also good for you.  Quinoa is a complete protein because it has all of the muscle-mending essential amino acids your body needs.  This means that you can work out hard today and know you will be able to hit it again tomorrow.  So, throw away the rice and pasta and try quinoa recipes instead.

There is generally no place for chips and dip in a healthy diet.  Finding a healthy way to enjoy the foods you love is what you need to do.  Why not try some hummus recipes with carrots and celery!  You can make your own healthy chips with whole grain tortillas.

No comments »

Posted in Exercise, Health & Fitness

Tags:

Toning the Body at 50 for Women

August 15th, 2010

You know, there are actually various ways in order for you to shed weight and chisel your body, so you appear ravishing and sexy even at forty or fifty. Then again, if this happens to be your goal, it would be wise for you to stay clear of fad diets, drugs and pills as many experts believe that such approaches are not that effective since they fail to address the exact problems that over 40 women usually have. Instead, many fitness experts suggest that middle aged women engage themselves in various forms of exercises and other types of physical activities in order to lose those excess pounds naturally. By way of exercising, you would have the freedom to explore, understand and then select the right and apt routines which can cater your own needs and at the same time guarantee you nothing but the best possible results there is.

As a mature woman, you need to choose the exercises that are suitable to your age as well as your distinct needs. At your age, you are normally faced with different sets of challenges, the more reason why the routines that you pick out must focus on three modes of training which are cardiovascular exercises, strength training and flexibility exercises as these types of routines will help you properly address all of the challenges that you have to deal with. This article will give you an inside look at these three components and outline the benefits that you can obtain from them.

Cardio Training

- As you get older, your body’s metabolism naturally slows down and this type of training is an excellent way to counteract this said natural occurrence. Cardiovascular exercises helps boost your heart rate and this in turn hastens your body’s fat burning processes; thus making you lose weight quickly and permanently. You are also at a great risk of getting hit by cardiovascular diseases and this mode of training will diminish such risk.

Strength Training

- Aside from cardiovascular diseases, mature women are also prone to osteoporosis. If you are to undertake strength training, you get to enhance your body’s bone mass and strengthen them as well. Strength training is also a fine way to trim and tone your physique.

Flexibility Training

- This type of training is important for female bodybuilders over 50. Strength training shortens and flexes your muscles, while flexibility training makes them longer. You might have also noticed that your body is not as limber as you were back in your twenty’s or even thirty’s. Flexibility training will help you regain your youthful appeal.

No comments »

Posted in Exercise, Health & Fitness

Tags:

Ellen Croft Supreme Pilates machine – top 5 benefits

August 14th, 2010

We will look at the main benefits of the Supreme Pilates machine in this article. It will help you to decide whether it is the right Pilates machine for you or not. Here’s the top 6 benefits of the Supreme Pilates reformer.

Increased flexibility and lengthening of muscles

The Supreme pilates machine improves flexibility with its stretching exercises. The stretching can also leads to your muscles starting to look longer and leaner. It also helps to ease tightness and soreness from exercise.

Stronger and tighter core

Almost every movement you make in Pilates originates from your core (the muscles of your lower back, abs, and hip flexors). This strengthens your core muscles and may also give you a tighter and a more tucked in look. And if you practice Pilates regularly, it may very well lead to an six pack.

Reduction of stress and anxiety

Pilates is a very calming exercise that will soothe your nervous system and reduce your stress and anxiety. Regular exercise also boost your mood and make you feel happier and more relaxed.

Increased energy and metabolism

You will also notice that you have much more energy after a workout. Regular practice will also give a boost to your metabolism – helping you to burn more calories at rest.

Calorie burn

Exercising on the Supreme Pilates machine will also help you to burn calories. If you also watch your diet and you don’t eat too much sweets or take-aways, you may lose some weight with Pilates practice.

Hopefully you now know whether the Supreme Pilates machine is the right one for you or not. If you can’t get a hold of the Supreme Pilates reformer, the Aero pilates is just as good. It also includes an element of cardio (thanks to the cardio rebounder) and it will help you to burn even more calories.

No comments »

Posted in Exercise, Exercise Equipment, Health & Fitness

Tags:

Methods For Treating Cellulite

August 11th, 2010

Cellulite is a condition that appears in over 90% of the female population, usually after the age of 35 or so. There are a wide variety of reasons to explain why this occurs, but the main concern when it is noticed is what can be done to effectively deal with it. For those afflicted, the appearance of these bumps and indentations can prove to be an embarrassing issue they hope to contain and ultimately eliminate. At this point in time, various proven and reliable methods for treating cellulite are vigorously sought out. Let’s take a look at some of the possibilities that may prove to be helpful.

For starters, there are a growing number of lotions and creams that have fairly recently been introduced to the marketplace, that have shown themselves to be effective at least in the short term. Also, many dietary supplements have been identified as positive contributors to the efforts to get this situation in check. Most of these revolve around the concept of improving one’s circulation while also speeding up their internal metabolism.

The important thing to take note of is that all the previously mentioned suggestions are not touted as a permanent cure unto themselves. Rather, the creams, lotions and supplements are meant to offer temporary assistance while one seeks to incorporate all options available that will hopefully lead to the permanent one. Truly this is an ongoing ordeal that requires use of all proven products to deal with it, while making the lifestyle changes that will support them.

One can and should also take hope in the continuing efforts of scientists and chemists to find a responsible permanent solution to the problem. Great strides have been made in recent years and continuing efforts are certain to bring definitive solutions. The important thing is for the person dealing with the problem to continue to persevere and utilize any solutions now known as available, while awaiting the ultimate one that will deal with the issue. Learn other methods of treating cellulite like revitol cellulite cream review or cellulite exercise.

No comments »

Posted in Exercise, Fashion & Beauty, Health & Fitness

Tags:

Yoga Clothes like the Baja Shirt

August 10th, 2010

Not all clothes are the same, they may resemble some common characteristic with respect to the structure and they may also be similar on their main function which is to provide a covering for the body. However there are so many applications of clothing. They may vary in many ways some of them are design for a certain functions which enables one to do better at work, some are made to protect the one who wears it, and others are design to be fashionable. So you see clothes differ in their applications this would depend on what is required from them. If you are over 5’10″ you will need some long yoga pants.

Yoga clothes are not so different from other clothes it is still made as a body covering, but at the same time it is also specialized type of clothing for yogis, for your information a person who is a practitioner of yoga is called a yogi. The applications of yoga pants are different because they are designed to be used in yoga classes; it is design to give comfort for one thing this is the main focus of the clothes to give comfort.

In practicing yoga you need to have a high level of comfort with your apparel because when you are uncomfortable with the clothes you wear this will also affect the yogi’s performance. Yoga clothes are also design so that it would not constraint the body movement, common yoga clothes are tank tops this type of clothes does not have any sleeves so that it would not constraint the upper body movements. Another thing that is so unique with yoga clothes is that it is designed to be light weight most of these clothes when you wear them you would not feel that you are wearing something it feels so light that you can do any posture without worrying the weight of your clothes. These are the factors that make yoga clothes different

No comments »

Posted in Exercise, Health & Fitness

Tags:

Jumping Higher by Using Proper Equipment

August 10th, 2010

If we wish to have a higher jump the task at hand can never be that easy at all this would require you long hours of training, you should be prepared mentally and physically because achieving this objective will not be easy, time is also to be considered because the results is not determined overnight but if you do it effectively this will be accomplished in no time.

To be able to learn how to jump higher also means that you should be developing your explosive power that is contained in your legs and related parts. There are couple of exercises that will enable you to jump higher. Basic running or sprinting is a starting exercise, then you can move on with advance ones like squats this exercise will help you in developing explosive jumping ability, do not forget to do exercises that involves muscles in your back not only the lower portion of your body is important when you do this some parts on your torso are also crucial points to be developed.

Another important part is that the equipment that you use you should have the proper gear to be able to train well, a good example of this is the jump rope most of the boxers use this for their footwork in your case this will develop coordination of you leg muscles and parts of it. This will also improve endurance. The proper shoes is also required preferably the ones that most of basketball players use, this shoes are designed to help the lunge in the air and propel them upward with ease and can also help in landing safely.

You can also use weights that are strapped around your legs, you can wear this whenever you are doing jumping exercises the moment you take it off you feel that your movements is more lighter because your body tried to adapt to the heavier weight it experienced. These are just some basic equipments that could help you to achieve a higher jump. Follow a proper jump program and you will see results.

No comments »

Posted in Exercise, Health & Fitness

Tags:

A Brief Discussion About A Boxing Workout

August 9th, 2010

Do you want to get fit but find the usual exercises boring and not too enticing to be into? If yes, then you have to read this article to learn more about another option such as boxing.

A boxing workout is another innovative way of loosing that unwanted fat. As exercise routines become more and more common, boxing is discovered to be an effective way of loosing calories while increasing your body strength. Punches and foot works; basic part of the training, will do wonders to your arms and legs. Excess skin on your arms or your so called “wings” which is extremely difficult to remove will really benefit from boxing. In boxing, using your arms, legs, chest and back almost simultaneously makes exciting play like routine as an effective tool that will eventually lead you to that fat free and toned body you have always wanted. With various easy movements, it is really easy to burn the fat away.

Tae Bo, a Cardio Boxing Workout is becoming a popular choice to many nowadays. The advantage of Tae Bo is that you can do it in the comfort of your own home and on your own schedule. Various videos are widely available to guide you all the way to a fitter body and all you have to do is to accompany it with good music.   Tae Bo has become popular as well because of the rate the work that it takes to burn those calories. A 1 hour long routine may burn 350 to 500 calories while maintaining the body’s heart rate at a 75% to 85% heart beat.

As it is proven that Cardio Boxing Workouts can be effective, it is still important to consider your personal attitude toward your goal to lose weight.  It is important to be continually motivated in achieving your goal in order to continue with the routine. You also have to be committed to devote part of time to your fitness. In a busy life that almost everybody has, being physically fit can not only make you look good, it makes you healthy and stress free as well.  To supplement your boxing workout, you can use the P90x bar for chin ups or the P90X band for resistance training.

No comments »

Posted in Exercise, Health & Fitness

Tags:

Best Ab Workout for women

August 4th, 2010

Good looking abs are not only confine of men. Women also have started doing exercise routines that can help them achieve their goal – the perfect body they have always dreamed of. Here is the best abs workout for women available at the moment.

Having a Ball…

If you enter any gymnasium, it will become apparent that the women are to be found on the treadmill or Stairmaster, or else they are busy trying to tone up with light free weights. The thing is, if you do not have an existing gym membership, then perhaps you should not bother with trying to get one, unless there are specific health and fitness goals you want to accomplish. If all your are looking for is a slender and toned tummy, then you can bypass the expense of an annual membership, instead opting for one simple piece of equipment which will provide you with the results you want.

Buying a large stability, or Swiss ball is a great way to start your mission. First of all, you can buy one for about $10, and with online shopping, it could be at your door in a matter of days! Doing abs exercises on a stability ball is better than regular floor work because the uneven surface of the ball causes your abs to work just to stabilize your body, hence its name. Its soft surface is ideal for anyone with back problems, and they are very easy to store. All in all, it is a great provider of the best ab workout for women.

Food, glorious food!

Eating a balanced, healthy diet is crucial in order to show off the effects of your abdominal workouts on the stability ball. You should really steer well clear of fried foods, pastries, basically any processed foods. Drink plenty of water, and eat small meals, but eat them often. There is no limit to the amount of fruit and vegetables you can consume.

With a good eating plan, and consistent exercise on the stability ball, there should be nothing standing between you and show-stopping abs. It is amazing to think, that for all the expensive, complex machinery out there, a simple, giant ball is one of the main providers of the best ab workout for women.

As you are searching for the quickest online delivery for your stability ball, take a look at all the weight loss programs that are instantly available. There are no fees, and if they are followed correctly, you are guaranteed to lose weight fast!

No comments »

Posted in Exercise, Health & Fitness

Tags: