When you start a new workout routine, it’s normal to assume that you’ll start seeing real results almost immediately. While this may be true for some people, most find that they have to keep up their workouts for several months before any noticeable results start showing up. That said, there are always things you can do to speed your improvement and start getting the results you’re looking for more quickly and easily. Here are a few simple fitness tips to help you do just that.
Running’s been more popular than ever, and for a reason: it can be fun, liberating and healthy. Yet, many people are not ready to fully commit themselves to jog regularly or simply don’t want to even try because they don’t consider them sporty or athletic enough. If this is you, you might change your mind when you learn all of the benefits of running.
There are many benefits to running and even if you are still unsure whether to start or not, you should know that you can always start slow. You don’t need to exhaust yourself unless and until you’re completely ready to run like a pro. So, for those who wish to start running, here are some benefits that regular jogging sessions can have on your mental and physical health.
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Looking good and feeling good is a very important part of your mental health. If you don’t feel good, you probably won’t look good and vice versa. There are plenty of tips and tricks to ensure you look and feel good. Here are a few of the most inexpensive tips.
Working out and having a consistent plan can be a job in itself when you’re trying to reach your fitness goals. However, there are many things you can do to help improve and enhance your workouts so that you get the best possible results. It’s all about making small changes to help you get stronger, get more gains, and accomplish more results. Just a few simple changes can enhance your workout almost immediately.
Change is never easy. Even when it’s a positive change, making adjustments in your life can be difficult. Adopting a healthy lifestyle does require change for a lot of people. It means incorporating more exercise into your daily routine and following a well-balanced diet that doesn’t cause you to feel deprived or restricted. Having the right mindset is the first step toward discovering a healthier version of you. And here’s how it’s done!
Here is an interesting guest post by a good friend of Project Swole. He wishes to remain mostly nameless (aside from mentioning his name is Andy), but trust in me he is smart and experienced, and I think this piece will really connect with most Swole readers.
“It’s unpleasantly like being drunk.”
“What’s so unpleasant about being drunk?”
“You ask a glass of water.”
– Douglas Adams, British author, and humorist
Human beings like habits, as a rule. It’s like that old phrase, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” So, if we do something, and it works out ok, we’ll do it again.
Good or bad, habits allow us to predict the future – if I do this (exactly as I did yesterday), I know what will happen. Habits equal proven outcomes. Get on this train at this time in the morning, and I’ll be at work on time.
And if those habits are linked to a reward of some description, anything from a hit of dopamine in the brain by achieving a specific goal or, heaven forbid, one of a human being’s primary rewards – either food or sex, we’ll be back same time tomorrow, guaranteed, with our plate in our hand, as it were.
Habits provide routine, and for us, routinely provides security.
Unfortunately for us, some habits don’t sit well with others, and the rewards each brings actually off-set against one another, which kind of defeats the object. Take, for example, the diabetic cake-shop owner. You get my point. In fact, like the rest of our existence, it’s all just one big juggling act, seeing what works, what doesn’t, what affects something else, and so on, and hoping for a happy medium somewhere along the line. (more…)
If you are interested in bulking up, you probably are worried the only way this is possible is through consuming steroids and other drugs that help to accelerate the process. But this is not necessarily how you gain muscles. You can pursue a natural muscle development process, which calls for dedication and a bit of patience. In a few months, you can begin to see changes if consistency is upheld. While doing it, note that age is a factor that affects the process, so make sure to embrace exercises that are right for your age.
Adjust your Diet
Before you even think about any workout options, you would need to adjust your diet. First thing is to increase calorie intake, but not too much – just enough for your workouts. But while doing this, avoid junk as this will only make you to gain more weight and you don’t need that. Second ensure you are hydrated well. Consume enough water especially during workout sessions. Water keeps your energy levels up and gives you the lubrication you need for your joints.
It also supports digestion and absorption so you are able to get essential nutrients. Lastly, consider taking muscle building foods. Take more foods that are rich in omega-3s and omega-6s. Eat proteins, fiber, and carbs in plenty and also consider foods like eggs and nuts, which provide nutrients for muscle build-up.
Strength Training Exercises
To gain muscles, you need to work out. Nothing gives better results than strength training exercises. You have to be patient as this process might take time. Just do it daily and ensure to rest so you don’t exhaust yourself. Before you go into any training, it is advisable to first warm up so you don’t injure your muscles. Some jog or walk could help to prepare you for the practice. The objective is to get your heart rate up without burning many calories.
The sun was starting to burn off the clouds that had been lingering all morning, and was going to make itself known.
Two Pintail ducks land in the lake to the west, no doubt looking for a meal and to cool off. Green grass, lined with some old trees. Overall, it’s a quite early afternoon.
This was my experience at a recent company golf tournament.
I don’t play a lot of golf, even though I have a good time when I do. Recently I was invited to play in this tournament, and they’re usually a ton of fun.
Golf, in and of itself, isn’t exactly intense exercise. However, consider that we played 18 holes, and even while we were using carts, I still logged 18,000 steps on my pedometer.
Throw in the “explosive” nature of your basic golf swing, and you have some muscles being activated.
Because I don’t play on a regular basis, my lower back, and oddly, my left hamstring were soar for a couple of days after.
Golf requires flexibility, core rotation, and explosive strength. Without these, your basic swing goes to pot.
If you’ve grown tired of your flabby countenance, not to mention feeling awful all the time because you fill yourself with junk food and live a sedentary lifestyle, then perhaps you’re finally ready to lay down the remote, pick up some weights, and start turning your excess baggage into toned, tightened muscle mass. Of course, you’re not going to snap your fingers and look like Arnold Schwarzenegger circa his Mr. Olympia years.
It’s going to take time, effort, and probably money to trim down and bulk up. And you’re going to need some help along the way. Luckily, there are plenty of trainers, forums, and even body builders at your local gym that can offer you pointers along the way.
Here are just a few basic tips to get you started on your journey to a muscular physique.
6 Secrets to Fitness Success
Good goals are SMART. Smart goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timed.
Without well thought out goals, you are unlikely to achieve them.
The more specific you can be with your goal, the better. You can create several goals around your fitness and lifestyle.
An example of an effective goal: “To lose 3 stone of weight before November 2013 by training 3-4 times a week for one hour each time at the gym”
An example of an ineffective goal: “To lose weight”
“Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.” Fitzhugh Dobson
As a college student you might scoff at the mere mention of any kind of physical fitness routine.
With all the studying, late night cramming sessions, paper writing and exams, you might find it difficult to even walk to the other end of your apartment or dorm. However, physical fitness is crucial in college, because research shows that it will better regulate your sleeping habits, help you retain more information for studying and even give you more energy.
As a college student you might scoff at first, but as soon as you start experiencing the benefits you will realize what you’ve been missing all those groggy mornings and afternoons where all you want to do is crash.
With time and experience you’ll learn that the things you end up getting done are the ones you assign priority to. While you can certainly say that health and fitness are priorities, the truth is that actions speak louder than words. And if you’re sleeping all morning, attending class in the afternoon, and then partying all night with your friends, it’s pretty clear where your priorities lie. That said, it’s never too late to start putting your money where your mouth is, so to speak.
If you’re upset about the freshman fifteen you’ve packed on, not to mention the fact that you battle fatigue, anxiety, a lack of focus, and other obstacles related to your poor diet and nonexistent exercise regimen, then perhaps you’re ready to make your health and fitness a priority so that you can get back to looking and feeling your best. For most college students this won’t be easy, but with a few tips and tricks up your sleeve you can definitely reach your health and fitness goals.
One of the best things that you should consider when you want to stay healthy and fit is your workout routines. You should not only focus in the food that you are consuming because the body needs some activities that can help regulate the blood and strengthen the muscles.
Being fit means having the ability to perform different things without getting tired easily. On the other side, being healthy means being able to live everyday with the absence of different sicknesses. Many people are living without knowing that they are no longer healthy because they do not have active lifestyles.
If you try to get away from the daily routine and try to engage yourself in different activities that requires strength and agility, you will notice that you are not fitted for such activities because you lack the needed strength for such activities.
With the scenario given above, you will realize that being healthy is not just about being able to survive. In order for you to know that you are truly healthy, you should be able to function well no matter what type of activity you face.
In order to make sure that you are healthy and fit, you should look for the exercises that you can do regularly. Here are two of the best workout routines that you can choose from:
We all have someone that we envy. You know what I mean — the lifter with the toned abs and softball-sized biceps you can’t help but covet.
If you’re a beginner, getting from point A to point Bodybuilding Pro is just as hard as learning to ride a bike blindfolded. Fortunately, there are many successful weightlifters willing to share the tricks of the trade.
Here are a few tips from the pros to get you started on creating your own envy-worthy body.
If You Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail
“Lack of planning” is among the top 10 reasons beginner bodybuilders fail to achieve their goals. Planning daily workouts takes time, dedication, and some exercise research. It’s definitely not the most exciting part of training. But you won’t build bulging biceps and washboard abs by sporadically visiting the gym and dinking around on random equipment.
A good plan — like those experienced builders follow — doesn’t have to be elaborate.
Here are 4 basic elements to get you started:
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When it comes to exercise, people often find one type of workout they like and focus on it almost exclusively. For some people this means jogging until they can run a marathon. Others engage in weight training in order to build muscles, bulk up, or bench press their own body weight. Still others rely on yoga and Pilates to help them increase flexibility and muscle tone while restoring a mind-body connection or adding a spiritual element to their workout routine.
The point is that it’s easy to get stuck in a rut with one type of exercise. Sometimes we’re seeking specific results, but more often than not we simply end up doing what we like. But this may not be the best way to increase your overall fitness since the practice tends to focus on only one benefit of exercise at the expense of others.
So if you’re looking to improve both your strength and balance, here are a few tips that can help you to reach your fitness goals.
You may have heard about the many benefits of adding weight training to your current workout routine, or perhaps you’ve done your homework and debunked some of myths that were holding you back. Either way, you are about to embark on a new mission – to get PUMPED UP! Or ripped. Or shredded.
In any case, you are probably keen to start trying out weight machines at your gym and pumping iron with free weights and barbells. But before you begin your sojourn into the wide world of weight training it’s not a bad idea to cover the basics so that you don’t end up injuring yourself or others.
Here are just a few common mistakes that you’ll definitely want to avoid:
Many people like the energy boost that they get from exercising early since it stays with them throughout the day and leaves them pleasantly sleepy at night. But if you’re not an early riser, you might find that you prefer working out during your lunch break or in the evening, despite the fact that it can leave you pumped up and unable to snooze when your head hits the pillow.
Of course, you may find that exercising later in the day presents you with myriad problems. Perhaps you’re too tired or demands on your time inevitably pop up, preventing you from getting in your workout.
In any case, you might end up deciding that starting your day with a workout is the best way to go. However, it can definitely be difficult to roll out of bed an hour earlier than usual, even if you’re committed to making it work.
So here are a few strategies that should help you find the motivation you need to exercise first thing in the morning.
Everyone knows that to have visible abs, a good clean diet is absolutely essential to get rid of the fat covering them. However, this article is about creating bullet proof abs, not flimsy beach abs. The type of abs that are useful in sports, taking punches to the stomach, and that make for a strong core.
Having a strong core helps prevent back pain, so don’t skimp on regular abdominal work!
Having the strength to hold your body in a certain position is key in several ways. There are examples of static hold training being useful for every day situations, and for athletic endeavors.
When you’re driving, activating your core to support your spine will release stress on your back, and bring your shoulders into better alignment. When you are rock climbing and stabilizing your body to keep it from moving, or trying not to move your upper torso back and forth while running… static holds are everywhere.
Some key exercises to perform are planks, both on your hands in the push up position, on your elbows, and on your sides using one hand. An even more advanced position is raising one leg on your side – known as the starfish pose (right) – which causes a lot of imbalance and seriously engages your core.
Still too easy? Try adding a weight vest or holding a dumbbell or kettlebell overhead with your free arm.
I recently told you how to make time for fitness in college, but still the majority of college students are not overly concerned about their weight, at least not when they first enter the vaunted halls of learning. And it’s really not that surprising considering that young adults tend to enjoy a speedy metabolism.
Unfortunately, the high stress, lack of sleep, and unpredictable eating habits of college students can quickly wreak havoc with an otherwise healthy and functional metabolism, leading to the dreaded freshman fifteen. And when you’re studying abroad, the unfamiliar surroundings and generally overwhelming experience could make it difficult to devise a plan for improved fitness.
However, it’s not so hard to stay in shape, and college kids are bound to bounce back more quickly than older adults. So if you happen to be suffering from this all-too-common issue, here are a few tips to help you stay in shape during your time on campus, even if you’re in another country.
Most students suffer not only from a lack of disposable income during their time in college, but they are also decidedly short on time. Some can chalk it up to bad time management skills, but for others, attending classes, studying, and holding down a part- or even full-time job makes it nearly impossible to find a few spare moments in any given day to sleep, eat, join clubs, or socialize.
For this reason, it can be difficult to stick to a fitness routine, as well. But four years of poor eating habits and a lack of exercise can turn the freshman fifteen into a much more significant weight gain, leaving students unhealthy, unhappy, and ultimately worse for the wear.
So if you are a student that wants to maximize energy, focus and retention, and overall fitness levels, here are just a few ways to make a little room in your busy schedule to squeeze in some exercise.
