Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Personal Training 101 - Should You Get A Personal Trainer?

"A good personal trainer can help you get slimmer and stronger just as quickly as a bad one can lighten your wallet and leave you limping along the side of the road. A well-trained fitness coach will know how to guide your strength and conditioning goals while keeping you off the injured reserve list."


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Friday, February 11, 2011

Simple Tips To Help You Keep Your Get Fit Commitment

People's new year resolutions always include getting fit. Years have passed and it is always there. Why? This is simply because people would easily give up on their diet and fitness plan. Only 45% of those who resolve to have a better fitness regimen become successful according to studies. You have another chance of improving yourself in this new year. If the past years were failures, get over them. Seeing this year in a different perspective is a good idea. Here are some helpful tips to reach your fitness goals.

You should first remember that fitness is a way of life. This isn't just a 2 week affair. And fitness doesn't happen overnight. It will take weeks for you to see results. Working out to get fit does not necessitate huge amounts of time and excruciating pain. You should have an exercise that works your entire body as part of working out for fitness. Cardio exercises will help you enhance your heart, lungs, and circulation. Having weight bearing exercises will enable you to strengthen your bones, muscles and joints. You should set realistic expectations so that you will not be overwhelmed. Small victories feed your motivation and keep you inspired.

Make it an effort to enjoy your exercise. You need not to perform boring exercises. You can jog or walk, play outdoor sports. If you enjoy what you're doing you're more likely to keep doing it. Activities that require you to increase your supply of oxygen are termed as cardio exercises. Even if you just run up and down the stairs 20 times, that is cardio exercise. Resistance or weight bearing exercises are those which utilize your body weight against gravity. Using free weights and weight training are examples of these. In order to maximize the benefits, you should work your largest muscles. The core muscles, thighs, glutes and back are large muscle groups.

Assessing and planning your meals can make a huge difference. Try to examine the foods that usually make up your meals. Chances are, you'll be able to substitute or cut back on fats or sugar. Making changes in your diet need not be traumatic. Introduce changes one at a time. For instance, make do with 3 cans of soda instead of 4. Replace it with a sparkling glass of cool water. Once you get used to it, subtract another can of soda, and so on. Take the time to eat a healthy breakfast every morning. Your succeeding meals will be smaller than when you haven't had any breakfast.

The perfect bodies you saw at the gym were not built overnight. It took months, even years to get there. It is never beneficial to compare yourself with others. It will only weaken your resolve. Instead, keep your eye on your goals. Who knows, you just might get to wear that itsy bitsy bikini next summer.

Over at the FitnessArmory.com, you can let our expert advice on fitness and equipment reviews help you create the perfect home gym but without all the huge costs. We have the exclusive reviews on all your favorite brands and models to help you get in shape, get healthy and look great. Recent product reviews include: Weider Total Body Works 5000 Home Gym, Weider Pro 230 Weight Lifting Bench. We invite you to stop by or drop us a line if you have any questions or need help with your fitness equipment selections.

Weider Total Body Works 5000 Home Gym

Get The Lowdown on Stretching

One of the natural human activities is stretching. For some people, it's the first thing they do upon waking up. There are lots of benefits in stretching. Your muscles will be relaxed and your flexibility will be improved with stretching. After working out, stretching can minimize your muscle soreness. With this, you are able to increase your range of motion which is necessary in performing activities of daily living. Fitness trainers usually incorporate stretching into their client's fitness programs. There is still some controversy on the role of stretching in injury prevention. You should warm up your muscles before you perform stretching. There are evidences that this may prevent injury when performed properly.

Stretching can be done before and after an activity. Stretching before and after working out may provide you with lots of benefits. It should be done after warming up. You are at risk of acquiring injury if you do this when your muscles are stiff and less pliable. Stretching should not be included in your warm up routine. Usually, we utilize cardio exercises as our warm ups. It can also be an exercise that is part of your routine but at a lower intensity. Do 10 to 15 minutes of warm up. Aging causes us to lose some of our flexibility. Even as we age, it would be best to maintain a good range of motion. In this way, we will be able to perform our daily activities independently.

Exercise activities commonly utilize static stretches. Static stretches may be active or pssive. Dynamic stretches involve speed of movement, momentum and active effort. Static stretches hold the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds. Movement is involved in dynamic stretches. Think arm circles and walking lunges. Both dynamic and static stretches can improve flexibility and range of motion. Static stretches however can affect immediate physical performance. You should avoid static stretches before the game if you are an athlete. Other types of stretches are ballistic, isometric and PNF or proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. PNF is a combination of static and isometric exercises.

There are a lot of static stretches that you can use as part of your fitness routine. It addresses all parts of the body and can help towards achieving greater flexibility and range of motion. The most common stretches observed in the gym are tricep, quadricep, hamstring, side, chest and shoulder stretches. Hips, neck and the lower legs can also be stretched. Ask your fitness trainer how to properly execute these stretches. Stay safe.

If you can, make it a point to include stretching in your workout routine. There can be lots of benefits you may get from stretching if you can do it properly. It elongates the muscles of your arms, legs and torso. You will be able to improve your over all health as well as the aesthetics of your muscles. You will be able to have sleek and attractive muscles if you consistently stretch.

Over at the FitnessArmory.com, you can let our expert advice on fitness and equipment reviews help you create the perfect home gym but without all the huge costs. We have the exclusive reviews on all your favorite brands and models to help you get in shape, get healthy and look great. Recent product reviews include: Weider Pro 230 Weight Lifting Bench, Weider Total Body Works 5000 Home Gym. We invite you to stop by or drop us a line if you have any questions or need help with your fitness equipment selections.

Weider Pro 230 Weight Lifting Bench

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Design a Fitness Plan That Works For You

You will surely achieve success regarding your workout plan if you stick to it. You may be utilizing the best workout plan. However, if you are not putting it into action, what good does it do? On the other hand, working out without a plan is also disastrous. Therefore, a successful fitness program depends on these two factors. These are: A good exercise plan and the willingness to stick with it. Designing your own workout plan has its advantages. After all, you are the one who knows your body the most. Listed here are some tips you may utilize for you to formulate your own effective workout plan.

Both cardio and weight bearing exercises are involved in an effective workout plan. It would be best to ask for a professional advice before you initiate on these activities. You can start on your workout plan only when the health professional has given you his go signal. Having a basic knowledge of your muscles and how they function is important. You may surf the internet or see some books to get this information. It may also be necessary to familiarize yourself regarding basic exercises that work different parts of your body. Safety in exercise is always of prime consideration. You need to practice good form. You should also stay away from exercises that put you at risk of getting injuries. A lot of people would over estimate their strength. You should be conservative in approaching your workouts. You can work your way up from there.

Plan to include cardio, weight training and stretching exercises in your exercise plan. It is enough to have 15 to 20 minutes of cardio exercises each day. You also have to consider warm up and cool down routines. When working on weight training, divide your muscles into two groups. For example, one group would consist of back, biceps, buttocks, hamstrings and oblique abdominal muscles. The other group would include chest, shoulder, triceps, quadriceps and the rest of your abdominal muscles. Gather a list of exercises for each specific muscle group. In this way, you are all set to devise your own workout plan.

You have to start with basic weight training workouts for each muscle group. You can always improve on it later. Do one group of exercises on the first day. The second group of exercises should be done on the second day. Reserve the third day for rest. You can also do all exercises in one day. Make sure, though, that you give your body a rest the next day. Schedule cardio exercises after weight training. This is to make sure that you're not too tired to perform your weight training exercises.

Coming up with a good workout plan requires basic knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the human body. There are many web sites that provide information on these. Knowing how your body responds to a specific exercise is an invaluable tool in designing a workout plan. You are ultimately accountable for your body and its health. It is your responsibility to keep it fit. Getting the credit for keeping it in shape is an added bonus.

Over at the FitnessArmory.com, you can let our expert advice on fitness and equipment reviews help you create the perfect home gym but without all the huge costs. We have the exclusive reviews on all your favorite brands and models to help you get in shape, get healthy and look great. Recent product reviews include: Weider Powerbell Kettlebells, Timex T5H911 Heart Rate Monitor Watch, Timex T5J031 Heart Rate Monitor Watch, Weider Club Sidekick Weight Bench. We invite you to stop by or drop us a line if you have any questions or need help with your fitness equipment selections.

Weider Powerbell Kettlebells

Workout Tips For Strength Training

Strength training provides benefits which everybody will enjoy. You may think that it's a guy thing, but it's not. Even the older people can benefit from regular resistance training. Long term weight loss necessitates strength training. Doing cardio exercises is good. You will be able to lose weight faster with the combination of cardio and strength exercises. You may also firm up and lift your droopy muscles with this.

There is a diminishing muscle mass as the age advances. This may also increase fat percentage. Muscle mass will be maintained if you do strength training. Building muscles protect you from injury and promotes better balance. You will develop strong bones as well as increase bone density by lifting weights. Your stamina and endurance will also be developed. Diabetes may be managed with strength training because of its effect on the metabolism. Obesity may also be controlled with this. It also aids in sharpening the cognitive abilities of older adults.

Weight training can be done in the gym or at home. You may also perform your chin ups using monkey bars in playgrounds for the public. You may use your own body weight as well. Do crunches, push ups, squats and pull ups. You can use resistance bands as well. As the name suggests, they are elastic bands that provide resistance when pulled. They can be used anywhere and are great for those who travel. Usual strength training tools are barbells and dumbbells. Gyms have weight machines that can help you execute exercises properly. You can also avail these weight machines which you can use at home.

Seek your doctor's approval before beginning any exercise program. Once you're cleared, start slowly. Do some warm up first for 5 to 10 minutes followed with some stretching exercises. Choose weights that can tire you out after 10 to 12 reps. You should make sure that you execute your moves properly. You can do strength training for 20 to 30 minutes 2 to 3 times a week. Your muscles will have more time to recover in this way. Muscle soreness is normal and may last for 48 hours. However, pain and inflammation of the joints are not. See your doctor immediately if these symptoms develop.

Making strength training part of your fitness routine can boost over all health. You can improve your muscle tone and bone health with this. This can help you control obesity in combination with a well balanced diet. Best of all, it's not that hard to fit it into your schedule. You may utilize your own body weight in some exercises. In a few weeks, you will be able to appreciate improvements in your stamina, endurance and strength.

Over at the FitnessArmory.com, you can let our expert advice on fitness and equipment reviews help you create the perfect home gym but without all the huge costs. We have the exclusive reviews on all your favorite brands and models to help you get in shape, get healthy and look great. Recent product reviews include: Weider Club Sidekick Weight Bench, Weider Powerbell Kettlebells, Timex T5H911 Heart Rate Monitor Watch, Timex T5J031 Heart Rate Monitor Watch. We invite you to stop by or drop us a line if you have any questions or need help with your fitness equipment selections.

Weider Club Sidekick Weight Bench

How To Increase Your Metabolism To Keep Weight Off

Efficient burning of body fat is regulated by your metabolism. If you want to keep excess weight off for life, you have to learn how to increase your metabolism and keep it at a high level. The key is in knowing how to eat properly and building more muscles. Proper eating answers the questions what to eat, how much to eat and when to eat. Building muscles also includes proper eating as well as proper exercise.

Certain food and drinks should be taken with caution because they increase your metabolism. You should learn the difference between those groups so that you know what you should choose and what you should avoid. Foods that need extra energy to be digested and metabolized by the body are the ones that raise your metabolism. One of such foods is protein. The body uses twice as many calories to burn protein as compared to the digestion of carbohydrates and fats. The worst kind of simple carbohydrate for your metabolism is sugar. Many processed and natural foods contain many kinds of sugar and the worst kind that can slow down your metabolism the most is high fructose corn syrup. You can however speed up your metabolism with spicy food and green tea. Your energy level is raised as well. Your energy levels and your metabolism are also boosted by water. Make sure your body is well hydrated all the time.

Your metabolism is also affected by how much food you eat and when you eat. You should never fast or eat too little. Do not even skip your meals. When your body senses that too little food is coming in for its needs it automatically goes into starvation mode and slows down your metabolism to use as little food as possible and conserve fat. Neither should you overeat, though. Just eat six small meals distributed equally throughout your day. Your metabolism will be increased and your body will keep burning fat all day. Of course, this requires those six meals to contain only the proper foods, which are lean protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats.

Finally, as you burn fat you should also add muscles. A pound of muscle burns 50 calories a day just for self maintenance. The more muscles you have, the higher your metabolic rate. The intense weight lifting and interval training exercises you do will also create an afterburn of higher metabolism for up to 24 hours. The muscle repair and muscle building done by the body also burns up even more fat for energy.

If you want to eliminate your excess weight and keep it away for the rest of your life, make sure you increase your metabolism by following the aforementioned guidelines.

Over at the FitnessArmory.com, you can let our expert advice on fitness and equipment reviews help you create the perfect home gym but without all the huge costs. We have the exclusive reviews on all your favorite brands and models to help you get in shape, get healthy and look great. Recent product reviews include: Timex T5J031 Heart Rate Monitor Watch, Weider Club Sidekick Weight Bench, Weider Powerbell Kettlebells, Timex T5H911 Heart Rate Monitor Watch. We invite you to stop by or drop us a line if you have any questions or need help with your fitness equipment selections.

Timex T5J031 Heart Rate Monitor Watch

How To Gain Muscle Mass

While you gain an enviable physique by gaining muscle mass, it does not just benefit your appearance. Your health will also be tremendously benefited. This is because having additional muscle mass automatically speeds up your metabolism. It means your body will be able to burn fat more efficiently. You should realize that you also decrease your vulnerability to various diseases as you decrease your body fat. To gain muscle mass, you need proper weight training, proper diet and proper sleep.

Weight training is also resistance training. You can get the necessary resistance from free weights, weight training machines or even your own body weight. Some free weights are dumbbells and barbells. Push ups, pull ups, chin ups and dips are examples of body weight exercises. You are assisted in lifting weight by weight training machines through their cables and pulleys. By concentrating on free weight workouts you can gain the maximum amount of muscle mass more quickly even as all the weight lifting exercises are effective for strength training and toning. Using heavy free weights with low repetitions will also bring you rapid muscle growth. Choose a weight that is heavy enough that you are unable to lift it for more than four to eight repetitions. This will provide the necessary stress challenge to your muscles and nervous system to stimulate muscle building.

It is only by eating enough calories that you will be able to build muscle mass. All your calories should, however, be provided by the right kinds of food. You have to cut out unhealthy fats and simple carbohydrates that are mainly sugar and starch. These are the candidates for storage as fat. You must rather consume only lean protein, healthy fats like Omega 3 fats and unsaturated fats, and complex carbohydrates with high fiber content. Every day make sure you eat six small meals of these recommended foods. This means eating approximately every three hours but stopping three hours before bedtime. Your metabolism and muscle building efforts can be kept going by feeding your body at such regular intervals. Drinking enough water all through your day will hydrate your body properly and facilitate the elimination of toxic metabolic wastes that result from your workouts. Finally, supplement your diet with multivitamins and anti-oxidants to support the body.

Sleep is also a necessity in gaining muscle mass. The body can only repair and build muscles during deep sleep. Without enough sleep your weight training and your eating patterns can not be translated into maximum muscle mass building.

It is worth your while to do proper weight training, follow the proper diet and get proper sleep to gain muscle mass. Even if you want to do this just to look good, you will still gain all the health benefits associated with it.

Over at the FitnessArmory.com, you can let our expert advice on fitness and equipment reviews help you create the perfect home gym but without all the huge costs. We have the exclusive reviews on all your favorite brands and models to help you get in shape, get healthy and look great. Recent product reviews include: Timex T5H911 Heart Rate Monitor Watch, Timex T5J031 Heart Rate Monitor Watch, Weider Club Sidekick Weight Bench, Weider Powerbell Kettlebells. We invite you to stop by or drop us a line if you have any questions or need help with your fitness equipment selections.

Timex T5H911 Heart Rate Monitor Watch