Posts Tagged ‘exercise’

How to Achieve Better Gains Using Push Ups

Friday, December 2nd, 2016

Push Ups at HomeWhy Should I Add Push Ups to My Workout?

When it comes to toning the upper body without limits, no exercise works better than push ups. Unlike lifting weights and performing plyometric workouts, they don’t require expensive fitness equipment, can be performed almost anywhere, and the best part, they’re easy! Relatively speaking, of course.

Benefits of Performing Push-ups Regularly

– Increases muscle density

As you age, your muscle density reduces and alters how your body converts fat into energy. Push ups work well to increase and maintain the muscles of your upper body. This exercise tones your shoulders, chest, triceps, abs, and to a smaller extent the back, biceps, and legs.

– Enhances muscles stability and balance

Doing push ups every day improve the reaction time of your muscle fibers. During push ups, the fibers consistently react to keep your body balanced. This reaction enables these fibers to react faster when stimulated increasing your speed and balance.  (more…)

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Nutrition Guidelines for Basketball Players-The Only Guide You Need

Wednesday, November 30th, 2016

Basketball Nutrition GuideIf you are an athlete like most others, you never feel like you’ve maximized your potential, no matter your skill level. That is basically true for all athletes in all sports, including basketball. More practice means more skill, which in turn means better performance.

Probably you work hard practicing indoors and outdoors, shooting hoops at all angles and distances. With your basketball in-hand you probably travel great distances to play and practice with other skilled athletes who can help you improve your own skills.  You’ve likely improved your ball handling skills, developed your shooting and passing ability, and you’re still working hard on the court to become a better rebounder.

But did you think about maintaining a diet plan to improve your performance by enhancing training, speeding recovery and decreasing illness?

Think about it again. Food and diet have huge impact on your body. Balanced diet is what you need to influence your health and athletic performance – including stamina and endurance. (more…)

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The Best Pull-Up Workout You Can Do at Home

Monday, November 14th, 2016

Build Upper Body Muscle & Strength At Home

Pull Up Workout at Home

Pull-ups are simply one of the finest body weight exercises that can be carried out for your upper body. Pull-ups workout your core, back, arms, and shoulders working out almost every muscle in the upper body. Pull-ups can be performed virtually anywhere that you can locate a bar to cling from.

We all know about the normal pull-up; how tough they are! This exercise in itself demands great power, and if you cannot perform at least 20 standard pull-ups in a row, then I suggest you do not attempt any of these advanced pull-up versions until you can.
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Sweat With Kayla App Review

Tuesday, October 18th, 2016

As a follow up to last week’s introduction to Kayla Itsines’ Bikini Body Guide, here’s a sweet review of Kayla’s new app designed offer a supportive community for those trying to get off the couch and start moving. At Project Swole we’re not limited to our hardcore attitude. We care more about getting couch potatoes off their butt and excising, than we do about everyone deadlifting 700 lbs.
Sweat With Kayla App

Sweat with Kyla!

Have you heard of the latest Sweat with Kayla app by Kayla Itsines? If you haven’t, then you should read this to learn how it may help you!

The market is saturated with fitness programs each claiming that they are the end all be all of fitness. Many of them are very similar, offering variations on the same exercise moves and advice. So it makes sense to be skeptical when you come across yet another workout app, but the Sweat with Kayla Itsines app really is something different. (more…)

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Does Kayla Itsines Workout BBG Program Work?

Monday, October 10th, 2016

Who is Kayla Itsines and what is her BBG workout program all about? Read on to learn more about the Kayla Itsines workout!

Kayla Itsines Workout

With over 5.7 million followers on Instagram and an active and enthusiastic community of fitness-minded women across social media and around the world, you have probably heard of her Bikini Body Guide workout program.

Kayla is a certified personal trainer hailing from Australia and has created the largest exercise community for women in the world, and it’s easy to see why.

The Kayla Itsines workout BBG program makes it easy for any woman, of any fitness level, to reach her goals and achieve the bikini body she has been dreaming of. (more…)

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Top 5 Myths about Fitness Exercises and Diet and the Truth Behind Them

Tuesday, September 6th, 2016

push-up girlYou might have been doing fitness exercises you think are effective in achieving your fitness goals. The truth is that they might do the opposite. It is time to straighten up the facts and reject the myths that could have impeded your goal all these years.

  1. Crunches are effective ab exercises
    You might have heard several times the advice that you must do crunches in order to bring out those abs. The truth is that they only work if done properly. If not, crunches could just lead to neck and back problems, and a potential spine injury. This exercise also doesn’t target general weight loss which is essential for ab formation.
  2. Sweating means losing weight
    You might say that you have worked really hard to achieve a great body because you are sweating. This is not necessarily the right way to gauge the effectiveness of your exercise techniques. Sweating is a bodily response to cool your body down. It can be affected by other factors like the weather or physiology. Therefore, you must not presume that you are losing weight or you are doing the right exercises if you are sweating.
  3. Staying longer at the gym helps achieve your fitness goals faster
    The number of hours you stay in the gym does not determine the effectiveness of your workout techniques. It also has something to do with what you do at the gym. If you stay there and sit for several minutes while taking selfie instead of lifting weights, then it is pretty useless. It is better for you to stay for 30 minutes to 1 hour only as long as you do intense exercises. You can also try high intensity workout training to maximize results.
  4. Eating late at night can make you fat
    This is not necessarily true. Your body can’t tell the time. It processes calories at the same rate at any point during the day. The issue is on what type of food you eat at night. You might have the tendency to eat less during the day and make it up during the night. As a result, you eat a lot of processed and unhealthy dishes. This is something that you have to avoid. These are foods that are difficult to digest. If you sleep after eating, then the food that you have eaten could get stuck in your body in the form of fats. You also have to take note that eating at night has other unhealthy consequences such as difficulty in sleeping and acid reflux.
  5. “Diet” foods are healthier
    You might fall for ads saying certain products are “diet” foods. This includes crackers, soda, dairy products and many others. Just because you have read the word diet on it does not mean it is healthy. It might be deemed as healthy due to the low calorie content. The truth is that in order for them to make it up for the bland taste, they need to add more artificial sweeteners and chemicals. You might have less calorie intake, but it could lead to other health issues. In short, it is not necessarily an effective way to lose weight. The key is to eat regular foods in moderation.

It is indeed surprising to see that the facts that we were made to believe were true, are in fact pure myths. Therefore, you need to start changing your diet and exercise plans now. In case you wonder why you still don’t achieve your fitness goals despite everything that you have done, then this could be the main reason. You are doing your exercise routines the wrong way or you are eating the wrong types of foods. You need to plan your meals better the next time around and understand the science behind every exercise routine before doing it.

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6 Foods to Help Prevent Muscle Cramps

Tuesday, August 9th, 2016

How to avoid dreaded muscle cramps!

A muscle cramp can be a serious buzzkill when you are dialed in on a workout. Or worse, they can be an unwanted and painful wake up call in the middle of the night. So how can you prevent these awful knots in your muscles from occurring? While proper hydration and sleep are important factors, your nutrition habits can have a huge impact on preventing cramps.
Leg and muscle cramps
Foods rich in potassium, sodium, magnesium, Vitamin D, and calcium help your muscles function properly and prevent muscle cramps. Potassium is an electrolyte that your body sweats out when you exercise. Lack of potassium is one of the leading causes of muscle cramping. Those taking diuretic supplements have higher tendencies for potassium deficiencies and should be especially aware of their intake efforts.

Sodium is another important electrolyte your body needs for optimum performance. While too much sodium can be a problem, most people forget to make sure they have enough when exercising. You lose it quickly when you sweat and need to make sure you’re replenishing these levels or you may experience harsh side effects like nausea and vomiting.
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The 5 Easiest Ways You Can Burn More Fat Starting Now

Saturday, July 16th, 2016

How to Burn Fat Quickly and Efficiently

Burning fat can be tough, there’s so many things you have to keep track of if you want to do it effectively. There’s calories to count, workouts to perform and even macronutrients to balance.

But there are ways to make things easier. Simple additions you can incorporate into your lifestyle to start seeing faster results.

Burn fat faster< Here at Project Swole we show you the simplest ways to burn fat faster by following these simple methods. If you’re struggling to lose those stubborn extra pounds, this is the article you need to read:

1. Drinking Green Tea

When cutting fat, people think a lot more about what they eat, rather than what they drink – and that’s a big problem. Sodas, beer, and even fruit tea can contain huge amounts of calories, and can easily go against all that hard word you’ve been putting into your diet.

So what’s the solution? Green Tea.  One of the better beverages for fat loss, Green tea is full of antioxidants, contains next to no calories, and it accelerates fat loss.

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Nutrition and Fitness Go Hand in Hand

Wednesday, June 15th, 2016

circuit trainingWhen Fitness is the #1 Goal

If you truly want to become fit, there is more to it than just jogging or doing a few sit up every day. As a matter of fact, the food you eat can also cause you not to be fit. The best way to do this is to hire a personal trainer than will help you get a handle on your diet and what you need to know about nutrition in order to become healthier and fit while losing weight or just toning your body.

A personal trainer will not only help you learn about nutrition, but will start you on a fitness program that will fit your own personal goals. Some people without specialized diet requirements may need to hire a personal nutritionist as well, but many trainers, as I personally did, also receive certifications in sports nutrition and other nutritional disciplines in order to offer the most effective diet advice possible and in some cases even write personalized nutrition plans.

In the majority of cases, you will need to start out slow both with diet and exercise, especially if you have not exercised or followed a health eating plan in a very long time. The good news is that you can choose a private, semi-private or group training session so you can train along with a friend and not feel so alone. On the other hand, if you want to work alone with a trainer that can also be accomplished.

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Top Ways to Enhance Recovery from Intense Training

Tuesday, June 14th, 2016
post workout recovery

With goals to achieve and a dream ahead, most bodybuilders tend to ignore the time required for the body to recover from intense training. However, this is crucial step is actually highly recommended by experts. The body’s cells experience minute tears and fatigue during such activities which, when accumulated for long, can lead to shock or any other complication people do not want to go through. So, what should one do to enhance body recovery? This article will tell you more.

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Benefits of Becoming a Fitness Instructor

Tuesday, January 26th, 2016

Become a Gym Instructor, Enjoy a Fitness Boost

You’re fit as a fiddle, bulkier than Hulk Hogan in his prime, and a better cook than Gordon Ramsay – don’t you want to share your knowledge with the world?

Hulk Hogan

Private gyms are attracting more members than ever, partly thanks to a proliferation of budget deals and a newfound respect for a healthy lifestyle. Many folks the world over have recently become fitness fanatics and it’s pushing the demand for private gym instructors to a record high.

(more…)

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How to do Barbell Rows

Monday, July 27th, 2015

Back MusclesLike pull ups, heavy rows are one of the best exercises to train your back. The king of rowing exercises is the standing barbell row, but the problem is that too few people perform them properly.

You might see the following common technique flaws in people executing barbell rows:

  • momentum – using the posterior chain to generate momentum, instead of using the muscles of the back and arms
  • rounded back – weakness in the lower back or hip tightness can cause your lower back to round, which is bad for the spine
  • standing upright – you have to bend over nearly parallel to the floor in order to work the upper back properly

As I mentioned last week, you can fix all of these issues by switching from barbell rows to inverted rows, or you can learn how to perform barbell rows correctly.

Let’s talk about how we can best use barbell rows in our training routines.

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Top 6 Arm Training Mistakes

Tuesday, October 1st, 2013

Want big arms? Want lean, shredded arms? Then don’t make any of these arm training mistakes. Here are 6 great arm training tips for bodybuilders, fitness athletes, sports athletes, and newbies alike. Forget the myths, stop the mistakes, and train your arms proper!

Arm Training Mistakes

The Top 6 Arm Training Mistakes

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How to Gain Lean Muscle Fast

Tuesday, September 24th, 2013

Are you in the market to gain muscle?
Lean Muscle Chick
Building some hardcore muscle—without gaining fat along with it—is easier than you might think.

Here are some tips to start building muscle today.

Pump Up With Protein

Because muscle fibers are made up of many different proteins, protein is the #1 necessary ingredient to build muscle.

One study found participants who ate 20 grams protein every 3 hours significantly increased muscle building potential, compared with those who ate 40 g every 6 hours. [1] So, eating good amounts of protein throughout the day feeds muscles and keeps them raring to go.

The ideal daily protein intake is about 1 g protein per pound body weight. [2] So, a 200-pound man should eat about 200 g protein a day. Of course, this differs depending on individual needs.

The best high protein foods to eat are chicken, turkey, fish, lean beef, eggs, beans, nuts, milk, and cheese. [2]

Many bodybuilders also use protein supplements, which provide a heavy dose of pure protein. Whey protein powder is generally the best choice because it has high protein content and lots of muscle-building branched chain amino acids. [3]

Be careful, though. Protein shouldn’t make up more than 30% of your caloric intake. Too much protein increases risk of kidney problems, dehydration, and other issues. [4]

(more…)

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Top 6 Shoulder Training Mistakes

Monday, September 16th, 2013

Having great shoulders really makes you appear sleek and powerful. However, chest and back training does not suffice when attempting to build spectacular shoulders. You must train the shoulders directly, intensely, and often. Be attentive of these 6 common mistakes that people make when training shoulders.

Shoulder Training Mistakes

The Top 6 Shoulder Training Mistakes

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Top 6 Chest Training Mistakes

Tuesday, September 10th, 2013

Your chest is a large and complicated muscle. Considering its size you would think it would be easy to stimulate growth. Do some flat bench, another secondary movement, and your chest starts growing. Unfortunately the pecs are a much more muscle group area than that. In fact it is downright complex.

Training the pectoralis is a major puzzle to most bodybuilders, thinking a couple sets of bench press is all it takes, or going to the other extreme by dedicating a full day to 20 sets of different bench press variations. In this piece we would like to expose the answer to this puzzle by discussing the six most prevalent chest training errors and then providing tips to avoid them.

Read carefully; you will be surprised how many mistakes you are likely making.

Chest Training Mistakes

The Top 6 Chest Training Mistakes

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Use That Body Weight For Good Fitness

Friday, September 6th, 2013

I recently made a post on how to exercise while traveling. Below you will find a few ideas that you can perform. These can be done at home as well, which can save you a ton of cash in gym memberships.

You won’t get nearly the results you’d get from training regularly with real free weight equipment, but certainly it works in a pinch.
Lunges

  • Lunges – Take a step forward, bend the front leg until your thigh is parallel with the ground, and step back. Repeat on the other side. Be careful not to come down hard on the knee of the back leg.
  • Chair Dips – Sit on the edge of a chair, with your legs straight out in front with your knees locked. Place a hand directly under each cheek, and scoot your bottom off of the chair. Slowly lower your body, and when you have gone down as far as you feel comfortable, push yourself back to the top.
  • Jump Squats – Bend at the knees, back straight, eyes looking ahead. Touch your hands just below the knees, and jump straight up. Land softly, and repeat.
  • Push-ups – Laying face first on the floor, place your hands on either side of you chest. Keeping your legs, and back straight, push yourself straight up off of the floor. After you have reached the top, lower yourself down.
  • Planks – Start off in a push-up position, except this time place your elbows, resting on your forearms. Simply hold this position for 30-60 seconds.

There you have it. Do two to three sets of this routine, with 10-15 reps per set, and you have just done a body weight routine that will build muscle and tone up what you already have.

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How Long Does It Take to Become a Certified Personal Trainer?

Thursday, September 5th, 2013

The Personal Training Attitude

Personal Trainer Mshell
Becoming a personal trainer is something that only a select few are suited for. For one thing, it’s not enough to simply enjoy physical fitness yourself, although that is certainly a prerequisite if you want a career you love. You will need to exhibit specific strengths (pardon the pun) in order to excel in such a field.

You’ll definitely have to be committed to keeping yourself in shape; after all, who wants to listen to a personal trainer that isn’t fit? That’s like trusting a driving instructor that’s never been behind the wheel of a car. However, you also need to have the right disposition. If people want to be barked at and ordered around, they’ll join a boot camp class.

It’s the job of a personal trainer to motivate, not command. You need to be patient and nurturing and employ excellent communication skills. And above all, you have to be passionate about helping others become the best version of themselves. But you also need a fair amount of training under your own belt before you can train others if you don’t want to push them too far or cause undue physical harm. As a result, it may take you a little time to become a personal trainer.

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A Few Moments With: Mark Dugdale

Sunday, September 1st, 2013

Reprinted from the April online issue of IN THE ZONE, we drop in on IFBB Professional Bodybuilder, Mark Dugdale. In addition to being a bodybuilder, Mark is also a successful business owner (actually, he owns three), husband, father, and all around nice guy. Brought to you courtesy of Robert Kennedy Publications and Musclemag International.

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The K.I.S.S. Approach

Friday, August 30th, 2013

I read a blog post about how Tori Spelling recently lost weight simply by eating a balanced diet. This kind of ticked me off. Not because she is successful using this method, but because a common sense approach like this is news.

I have written about the “evil” diets before, you know the ones that tell you to eat no carbs, or no fat, or all protein and fat… or better yet, only eat this food that we happen to sell. I am not a fan of these, largely because as soon as they are over, the weight comes back on.

The best approach to diet and exercise is the simple one. I love the K.I.S.S. theory of Keep It Super Simple. The bottom line is to always maintain balance. The very second that we lose our balance, we go crashing face first to the floor.

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