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:
To optimize fat loss rather than weight loss, use the Project Shred diet plan for only 3 weeks, then scale back to a less restrictive meal plan. Be sure to use a workout routine like Fat Loss for Men or Fat Loss for Women, in order to maintain muscle mass during your weight loss phase.
Many women have misconceptions when it comes to the prospect of adding a weight routine to their exercise regimen.
For example, there seems to be a common myth that lifting weights will transform you into a bodybuilder, laden with bulky muscles. Although this is indeed a goal for some women, it takes a lot more than lifting weights to bulk up.
Ladies, you shouldn’t allow these virtually baseless rumors to hold you back, especially considering the many benefits you stand to gain by adding weights to your fitness routine.
Rather than paying heed to rumors, you might want to first discover just what will happen when you start lifting weights, and here are some positive side effects that could just have you heading for the weight bench, or more likely for the squat rack, the next time you go to the gym.
Remember, building muscle does not mean getting huge. It actually means elevating your metabolism, tightening your buns, and firming your abs.
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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.
For some reason, people seem to harbor the misconception that turning fifty means you’re old. In truth, it wasn’t really so long ago that the average life expectancy was about fifty-five, but thanks to modern medicine and advancing technology, many people now live to be far older than that. A growing awareness about the role diet and exercise play in human longevity hasn’t hurt, either.
What’s truly astonishing is how many people still believe that there is ever a time in life when it’s too late to start paying attention to your relative state of health and making changes that can benefit you for the rest of your life.
While you might not be surprised to see those in the 50+ category changing their diets to lower blood pressure or cholesterol, it’s likely that you’ll register wonder that your contemporaries are starting a workout routine.
The honest truth is that exercise at any age has the power to transform you if you go about it in the proper way. So here are a few tips to help you get the physique you seek, even if you’re starting to get letters from AARP.
If you have a million and one questions and just simply feel lost amongst all the information or simply don’t know where to start, then hopefully this article will be perfect for you. With good research combined with personal experience this article shall be the saving grace you have needed.
To achieve a well-shaped and curved butt it is important to know basic information on the anatomy of the glutes. The glutes are made up of three muscles, which all need to be targeted.
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!
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.
The major benefit of signing up for a gym membership is that you gain access to a facility that houses the many large and expensive pieces of fitness equipment that you want to use, from cardio machines like the treadmill and Stairmaster to weight-training options that let you work specific muscle groups without the onus of lifting free weights. And yet, there are also drawbacks to going to the gym.
For one thing, choosing a popular and well-appointed facility means that you may have to wait in line for machines, or else frequent the gym during oddball hours, like the middle of the night. And once you finally get your turn, the machines could be a mess of sweat and germs. Yuck. Of course, you also have to go through the time-wasting hassle of actually driving to the gym, yet another deterrent to your motivation.
Wouldn’t it be better if you had the equipment you needed at home? It might be pricy, but there are definitely bonuses to having a home gym, and there are all kinds of ways to save when you purchase the high-end equipment needed to help you get fit.
If you’re committed to your health and fitness, then you’ve probably got a regular routine worked out already. But you may have found that over time, your targeted regimen begins to deliver fewer returns in the way of results.
This is not such a terrible thing when you’re merely maintaining your level of fitness. But when you have to look your best for an event like a wedding, a body-builder competition, or even a stroll down the red carpet, you may be keen to up your game where your workouts are concerned.
The process starts with assessing your current state, determining your goals, and then figuring out the steps needed to get you where you want to be within a set time limit. So whether you have several months to prepare or just a couple of weeks, here are some tips that will help to get you in peak physical condition before the big event.
Here’s one for the ladies.
There are a number of factors that can affect your ability to create a new life. While most of us have a fair notion of how babies are made, it’s not always as simple as getting busy. There could be all kinds of things standing in your way.
My grandmother once told me that a tipped uterus was causing her problems for months until a doctor suggested that she stand on her head after sex. According to her, it worked like a charm and that’s how my mother was conceived.
The point is that you might be facing something of an uphill battle when it comes to starting a family. And if you’re young and in relatively good health, with no major medical issues barring you from getting pregnant, you might start to wonder why it’s taking so long.
In case you didn’t know, your exercise routine could be to blame, and while this post is written for women, it applies to men too.
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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.
Wouldn’t it be nice not to have to rush to the gym after work and vie with the hundreds of other patrons that have made New Year’s resolutions? If you’re really interested in getting in shape this year, perhaps what you need to stay on track is a home facility that allows you the privacy and ease of use needed to reach your goals.
Here are a few tips that will help you to design a home gym that you’ll actually use.
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.
Brides and grooms can be Swole too!
For most brides-to-be, a wedding qualifies as one of the most important events in life. And since the vast majority only plan to do it once, they understandably want the event to be perfect. It is for this reason that months of planning go into selecting the right venue, floral arrangements, catering service, seating charts, photographer, and so on. And of course, there is the dress to consider.
For every bride this garment will be a little different, reflecting her own personal style and sense of beauty and propriety. But one thing that many women struggle with is the ability to fit into their selected gown once their wedding day arrives.
Every bride wants to be beautiful and radiant on her special day, but the truth is that the planning process can be extremely stressful, leading to fatigue, depression, and weight gain. But for the woman determined to look her best on the big day, there are ways to ensure not only that the dress fits and flatters when floating down the aisle, but that the body underneath is in peak physical condition. And there are all kinds of tools and tricks to ensure this outcome, as well as several other reasons to address fitness before the wedding day arrives.
The only real caveat with this intense form of exercise is that it is all too easy to injure yourself if you’re not careful. Since you are pushing yourself to your physical limits with timed circuits that require you to fit as many reps into the allotted time as possible, you’ll find that you tire long before you’re through. So it’s not only important to know your limits, but also to observe proper form in every exercise. Here’s why.
For example, you may hop out of bed in the morning the minute your alarm goes off, raring to go and ready to throw on your jogging shoes. On the other hand, you might have no frame of reference for people who can rise even earlier than usual to get in a workout before a full day of work.
It could be that you prefer to exercise after work as a way to refocus and relieve stress. Maybe you like to head to the gym late at night when no one else is around to get in your way. Or perhaps you enjoy the hustle and bustle of other active adults moving all around you. The point is that everyone has different wants and needs when it comes to exercise, and they could play a role in finding the best time of day to workout.
While classical music may help you to focus during work or study (or put you to sleep at night) and metal or alternative might get you through your daily commute, these genres don’t necessarily lend themselves to improving your exercise routine. This begs the question: are certain types of music better suited to working out than others?
For most people, the answer is an emphatic yes. But which types of music will best suit your particular needs when it comes to pumping up your exercise routine? There are a few things you’ll need to consider before you settle on a genre, an artist, or even a specific song title to add to your playlist.
The first thing you’ll like want to address is the type of exercise you’re doing since various musical styles will apply to different forms of activity. For example, a person who takes the dog for a long walk around the park every evening after work may choose to listen to oldies that they can sing along to, while those who go jogging might prefer club music or techno because the tempo helps them to keep up a certain pace.
They may even plan an entire playlist to help them speed up and slow down periodically. But it could be that neither of these types of music lends themselves particularly well to a relaxing yoga session, which could require a soundtrack of new age, atmospheric tunes, sans lyrics. As you can see, the type of workout you choose to do could dictate suitable genres of music.
Just because your apartment is the size of a postage stamp doesn’t mean you are any less inclined to create a personal workout space that allows you to squeeze in some exercise at your leisure, rather than having to cram in a session at the gym during their daytime hours. Most of us hold down full-time jobs that result in long hours and high stress.
The hassle of having to schlep over to the gym before or after work can put the kibosh on even the best-laid plans where fitness is concerned (as can a minimal budget). When having the equipment in front of you, ready to go at a moment’s notice (not to mention staring at you accusingly every time you decide to skip your workout), you’re much more likely to stick to the game plan. So here are just a few ways to get the home gym you want even when you live in a tiny apartment.
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Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please: walking or jogging for hours on the treadmill, peddling for hours on the stationary bike, climbing a mountain on the StairMaster, and plodding away on the elliptical trainer is NOT the best way to burn calories!
We’ve seen a hundred studies telling us that high intensity interval training (HIIT) burns more calories and fat, speeds up your metabolism, and is less catabolic than hours of endurance cardio. HIIT can also be far less boring, will actually help you build more muscle tissue, and increases your resting metabolic rate.
HIIT: Twenty minutes of HIIT cardio improves your VO2 max, burns a ton of calories, increases your metabolism, and maintains or builds muscle tissue all at once.
vs.
Endurance Cardio: Sixty minutes of endurance cardio is not only boring as hell, it also increases cortisol, burns muscle tissue (protein) for energy, and halts protein synthesis.
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Weather experts have predicted that it’s going to get up to 105 degrees today, where I live in southern NH. Those crazy temperatures have prompted me to write this quick note about exercising in the summer heat.
If you are dedicated to fitness, that means you are exercising even when it’s 110 degrees outside in the middle of summer. Unfortunately, that level of dedication can get you into trouble if you don’t make safe decisions. The kind of trouble that can put you in the hospital or worse.
Here are 3 mistakes that people commonly make when they exercise in the dead heat of summer.
Cotton is your summer nemesis. When you exercise, cotton clothing will hold sweaty moisture, which can cause chaffing and rashes. Cotton socks swell with moisture, causing them to lose their shape, which can lead to blisters – the deadly enemy of lower body training. Sweaty clothing also weighs you down, making exercise harder, which causes you to sweat more. It is a dangerous cycle.
