Archive for January, 2010
A surefire way to increase stamina and fitness is with aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise can be any sort of activity that uses large muscle groups. It is usually done at a moderately high level of intensity over a long period of time, and is rhythmic in nature. This type of exercise overloads the heart and lungs and makes them work harder than when they are at rest.
The general idea behind aerobic exercises is to get up and get moving. There are so many different types of aerobic activities to choose from and the key to success is finding one that you know you are interested in and would enjoy doing. Most people do not carry out their course of exercise because they either get bored or find the exercise too strenuous, so be sure to weigh the pros and cons before you decide on which exercise you really, really would enjoy doing.
If you really want to increase stamina and fitness you should try doing rhythmic exercise by using muscle of the legs, back and arms. When performing this exercise the heart pumps blood with oxygen all over the body while burning fat at the same time. Depending on the rhythm of the muscle movement the more fat is burnt. Also steady aerobic exercise strengthens the heart muscle and improves its ability to deliver oxygen throughout the body with less effort. When using the muscles of the arms and legs in this exercise your should exercise moderately because this strengthens the body and builds endurance which makes it possible for you to exercise longer than you normally would.
Another good and easy way to develop stamina and your overall fitness level is running which is a cardio exercise. Anyone can run, anywhere, at any time. You can take jogging shoes with you to work and go running on your lunch break, you can go running in your house if you buy a treadmill. It’s inexpensive, requires no training, you can build up at your own rate, and of course it increases your lung capacity and heart rate exponentially. Another good way to develop stamina is by cycling, while this may not be as easy or convenient (except with a home exercise bike) as running, it is an excellent way to increase your overall fitness levels that don’t require training as most people know how to ride a bike and stationary bikes take care of those who don’t. Swimming, weight-lifting and roller blading or ice skating are easy exercises that don’t cost a lot nor require much training. So as you can see the possibilities are out there, you just need to find one that appeals to you.
Sarah H
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/increase-stamina-and-fitness-the-guaranteed-way-94823.html
For those of us looking for quick weight loss, Halloween can be a scary experience! While just one night of indulgence in Halloween candy might not be enough to break your belt, dipping into the leftover stockpile for weeks on end will surely derail your diet or weight loss program.
In 1921, in Anoka, MN, the United States enjoyed our first recorded instance of a Halloween celebration. Annual candy consumption has climbed almost unabated since then. According to the Census Bureau, Americans eat nearly a half-pound of candy each week for an average of 25 pounds of candy a year. Candy is big business, with the United States boasting 1,040 manufacturing establishments producing chocolate and cocoa products in 2001. These establishments employed 45,913 people and shipped $12 billion worth of goods that year. Another 616 U.S. establishments manufactured non-chocolate confectionery products in 2001. These establishments employed 26,400 people and shipped $7 billion worth of goods that year (source: census.gov).
The overwhelming popularity of the South Beach Diet, Zone Diet, and Atkins Diet has prompted low-carb weight watchers to eat less candy. Overall consumption has actually declined over the last few years; as recently as 1997 the average annual candy consumption was a sky-high 27 pounds.
The Problem:
Most people on a diet plan or weight control program look at candy as little brightly-colored fat bombs. That assessment isn’t far off the mark, either, with most candy packing little nutritional value and a ton of calories.
Some of the more popular Halloween candy has too many calories to be included in any healthy diet:
Twizzlers 1 treat size pkg.= 45 calories
Almond Joy 1 snack size bar = 90 calories
Milk Duds 1 treat size box = 40 calories
Butterfinger 1 snack size bar = 100 calories
Milky Way 1 snack size bar = 90 calories
SweetTarts 1 treat size pkg. = 50 calories
1 Tootsie Pop 1 pop = 60 calories
1 Tootsie Roll 1 small roll = 13 calories
Note: Calorie content is based on 1 serving of Halloween ‘snack’ or ‘fun’ size packages, not full size servings found in the candy aisle.
While just a few pieces of Halloween candy won’t obliterate your diet program or weight loss plan, it’s the temptation to keep having ‘just one more’ that will pack on the pounds. It only takes nine small fun-size candy bars to put on a quarter-pound of fat. Besides candy, Halloween threatens many other high-calorie treats like Caramel apples (243 calories), 8-oz. apple cider and a cake donut (319 calories), or a slice of pumpkin pie (240 calories).
The Solution:
Is it possible to cope with the menace of Halloween candy without taking all the fun out of the holiday? Absolutely! If you’re looking for fast weight loss, and don’t want Halloween to bring your fat loss to a screeching halt, consider these healthy Halloween tips:
1. Walk with your kids while they’re trick-or-treating. A 165-lb. woman strolling along (walking slowly) for one hour will burn approximately 150 calories (source: caloriesperhour.com).
2. Out of sight, out of mind. When the kids have unloaded their stash, store it in an airtight container and put it in the cupboard. A bowl full of candy on the counter is an open invitation to have ‘just one’, but a stockpile you can’t see is less tempting.
3. If you’re going to give out candy to trick-or-treaters on Halloween, don’t buy it until October 31st. Having a candy supply in the house before Halloween only entices you to have some early.
4. If you must buy candy before Halloween, buy a kind you don’t like. Again, this will reduce the temptation for you to dig in.
5. Hosting a Halloween party? Supply vegetables, healthy dips, and low fat snacking alternatives instead of candy.
6. Set a Halloween candy deadline by which all Halloween candy must be either consumed (by the kids) or it will be thrown away. Saving that candy for weeks, or even months, only keeps temptation in the house.
7. Put more emphasis on dressing up in a great costume, and less on candy. This is especially true for the kids, who often view Halloween as a candy free-for-all dream come true.
8. By hosting a party on Halloween night, you can control the menu and have fun with friends at the same time.
9. Focus on Halloween activities other than eating. There are lots of options available, from hayrides to haunted houses to bonfires.
10. Candy has a long shelf life, and there’s no reason why you couldn’t put some of it in airtight bags and store it in the freezer. Allow the kids to take out one bag every two weeks until it’s gone. This tactic will at least space out the temptation and minimize candy binge eating.
Of course, the absolute best way to avoid weight gain, and perhaps even achieve some easy weight loss, during the Halloween season is to bump up the amount of exercise you’re getting. There’s no better way to lose weight fast than a healthy diet and regular exercise.
Make sure the workout you’re doing includes both aerobic and resistance training, as it is critical to get both types of exercise to maximize weight loss. It’s also important to exercise for at least thirty minutes, three times per week, which is the most recent recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (source: cdc.gov).
A fantastic strategy is to find the best weight loss program for you now, before Halloween hits. The reason is that the last three months of the year are packed with holidays, special dinners and seasonal treats. Starting with Halloween candy and ending with Christmas fudge, many people find that they’re packing on more pounds during this period than they do any other time of year.
Joining a gym is an excellent way to combat Halloween and holiday weight gain. Finding a good gym to join now will not only help keep off those holiday pounds, but will even make you slimmer by New Years.
Tracie Johanson
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/watch-your-weight-this-halloween-65274.html
If you have a skinny frame and wish to add some muscles to different sections of your body I would suggest you take squats seriously. Lot of heavy lifters and serious body builders swear by squats and it is known to work the most muscles in your body. About 75% of the muscles in your body will be worked while using the different variations of squat. It is difficult for me to enunciate the exact form which you should develop while working on the squats. If are going to use weights on the bar, which is of course what I would recommend, you should be careful about you form else you will end up hurting yourself.
The squat is definitely the most painful exercise in the body building routing but anything which involves more pain has its gains in the long term. You can not only strengthen you leg muscles and back muscles but will also provide strength to your trunk. Depending upon the squats you are performing it is also possible to add muscles to you neck region and the shoulder region. Make sure you perform high rep squats else the purpose is defeated. if you want to get bigger and more muscular around the entire body there is nothing which will work better than high rep squats.
There are various types of squats which are performed by most body builder and all of them have their advantages. Let me enlist a few of them for you to try out. A word of advice here, make sure you understand the proper form to execute the below squats. Form places a very important role in deciding the muscle regions which get stimulated and also avoid injury, at time major injuries, which result from sloppy form. The different types of squats you can try out as a part of your body building routing are as below
<b>Power lifting squat: </b> This involves placing the bar slightly down the back with a torso lean. The descend is performed in a pattern similar to sitting on a chair and ascend is performed while keeping the bar inline with the ankles. The lower back strength improves to a very high extent.
<b>Front squat: </b> The bar is placed in front parallel to the chest. The bar is supported by crossing the hands across the shoulders. The descend and ascend is similar to the power lifting squat . The torso strength would be the determining factor for the amount of weight you can take up during this squat.
<b>Plie squat: </b> Grasping a single dumbbell take a wide stance and squat down with the dumbbell between your legs. Drive down as far as you possibly can while balancing the dumbbell and ascend once you reach your limit. You will need to do more reps with this squat to increase its effectiveness.
<b>Box squat: </b> This is a slightly different squat from the normal. Here the bar is kept at parallel with the knees while squatting. The bar is placed on the shoulders touching the back portion of the neck. The squats are then performed by sitting on a lower chair or stool, the height of the stool should be till your knees and not more. This exercise works the hamstring muscles.
You can try all of the above squats with empty bar initially till you get your act together and have perfected the form. There might be an initial pain in the shoulder regions but that’s normal don’t let that stop you from carrying on. If possible avoid the usage of manta ray as it would defeat the purpose of strengthening your torso. Make sure you use a powerful rack where you can place the bar only you reach your threshold while performing the reps. You can even perform the squats outdoors so you can drop the bar once your are done with your reps.
Go on now and hit the squat mat!
Marcus Peter
http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/body-building-through-squats-743779.html
Getting up in the morning and going to work can sometimes seem like a chore. A good way to get out of the morning routine is to spice things up with a little bit of exercise. This is especially important if you are interested in trying to lose weight. A quick and easy workout before breakfast can give you a kickstart that will tune you up for the entire day.
Its best to start slow with just a few steps in your workout, and gradually build it up so that within a couple of weeks you can already be looking and feeling thinner, well on the right track to good fitness. Even simple, time-tested techniques like situps, pushups and even a little cardio are quick exercises that you can do almost anywhere.
To properly do your situps, you simply lie on your back and bend up your knees. Then, do your best to sit up so your chest comes close to your knees, then slowly lower your back to the floor. It is very important to not let your legs balance your body as you do your situps. Focus on the abdominal muscles, and you will feel the burn, which means its working and you will soon see the benefits take shape.
You may find it helpful to do situps on a workout mat or pad. Some people find a hardwood floor uncomfortable as the lower back bones press into the hardwood or even carpet flooring. This is exactly why workout mats and pads are recommended.
Pushups are also a helpful tool to strengthen the upper body, and many variations have been used to work out other areas of the body as well. As a result, pushups can give you a core body exercise that you can do anywhere you go.
To properly do pushups, you lie on your stomach and push yourself up with your hands placed underneath your shoulders. You can also prop your feet up on a chair for a more challenging style. As your upper body gets stronger, you can also try one handed pushups if you like. As always though, start with just a few pushups then slowly build up to more. This age old exercise is a proven fat burner and muscle toner that work great with situps.
Doing pushups everyday will work wonders for your whole body, so long as you keep them up. One good way to do this is to simply do a few pushups throughout your day. Be creative with these quick little workouts, as they will get your heart rate up which will in turn burn fat, help reduce your appetite, and speed up your metabolism naturally, which will turn you into an efficient calorie burning machine!
Overall though just be careful of course and dont overdo it, but even simple things like parking farther from a store to walk more will be fine. Its all about small steps and gradually building it up.
A little cardio exercise everyday will work miracles towards your weight loss goals. If you can work a quick jog into your lifestyle, even for a few minutes at a time, you will be burning the pounds off faster than you ever thought possible.
With a light form of cardio, such as jogging outside, walking with a treadmill or best of all using a ski machine for whole body cardio workout, you can definitely get where you want to be, thin and fit!
To quicken things up even more and achieve even faster results, eat more fruits and vegetables and take advantage of the herbal weight loss pills on the market because they are definitely worth taking a look at.
Herbal dietary supplements like ProShapeRx have totally natural ingredients that will speed up your metabolism, not your heart rate, which will keep you relaxed, but more active in your daily efforts to lose weight quickly.
Some herbs like Hoodia Gordonii will make you feel full a lot of the time, while your body uses up the stored fat in your belly and elsewhere. Hoodia also is an important ingredient because it will help your body do away with most any fat that comes in through the food you eat!
Hoodia Gordonii is a one-two punch knockout to being overweight and can bring you some great results very quickly.
Remember, exercise techniques like situps and pushups not only help you burn calories and the extra fat. They will help you sleep better, and lighten up your eating habits too so get into the habit of getting fit with a few situps or pushups right away and slowly build up your workout. Mix a little cardio and herbal fat burning supplements into your diet, and you will see an unbelievable difference in your life, guaranteed!
Michael Johnson
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/you-can-make-a-habit-of-losing-weight-naturally-55163.html
Do you know a good bra of the correct fit is essential to a woman’s breast? Majority of women are still unaware that they are not wearing the right bra.
Women today should be aware that wearing the wrong bra size could cause all sorts of medical problems. Some of these symptoms includes backache, shoulder pain, neck ache, tender, aching bust, soreness under bust, grooves in shoulders, and bad posture.
Because you either have too much bust or not enough. ‘We are never happy with our lot.’ These are just a few of the very real problems that can be put right with a good bra. There are so many women out there buying their bras assuming that their size is the same or some guesses their bra size and without trying them on or seeking expert advise. The result is usually more discomfort. The most common complaints are
1. the back riding up,
2. straps slipping off the shoulders,
3. wrinkled cups,
4. unsightly bumps and ridges.
Better fitting bras not only feel comfortable but also help your clothes to look better. A well-fitted bra is similar to a pair of well-fitting shoes. Women should re-measured regularly especially during pregnancy, following childbirth, weight loss or weight gain – as the breast size can change dramatically.
The advantages of a correct fit bra includes no more soreness under the bust, pulling the back down, lifting the shoulder swaps and popping back in what has flowed out, making four boobs.
It takes an expert eye to find the size and style that will make the very best of each woman’s figure. It also required in-depth knowledge of the wide variety of bras now available. Although manufacturers use what appears to be standard sizing on their labels, every bra is in fact slightly different. This means that a particular cup size in one style may not give you the right fit with another style or manufacturer.
Measuring your bra size and bra cup of exact fit is not difficult, however most women find it unnecessary and a nuisance. This is the major mistake as a good fitted bra brings about many benefits and eliminates unnecessary aliments. The following is some information for you while taking the measurement for yourself.
Your bra size consist of two figures; your back size and your cup. You will need to take two measurements using a tape measure.
Back Size : The measurement is taken around the body directly under the bust or your breasts (over your present bra).
Especially when buying a strapless bra, the bra has to fit slightly tighter but not too tight otherwise unsightly bulges would be formed. Use the following table to find your exact bra size.
Back Measurement (cms) Bra back size
63 – 67 30
68 – 72 32
73 – 77 34
78 – 82 36
83 – 87 38
88 – 92 40
Cup size: this is determined the difference between bra back size and the measurement around the fullest part of the bust.
Calculate the difference of the 2 measurements, rounding it off to the nearest inch. Use the value to find out its corresponding cup size in the table below.
Difference Cup size
1″ A
2″ B
3″ C
4″ D
5″ E
6″ F
After you have obtained both values, combine the two to get your exact fit size.
The above information is found in Ms Yvonne Lee, internationally acclaimed book “To All Women Who Want To Enhance Their Breasts Naturally, But Don’t Know How To Start”. It describes and details the most important breast enhancement techniques from every corner of the world. Author Yvonne Lee, provides an unbiased pro-and-con analysis of each breast enhancement techniques, in addition to practical information such as how and where to get it, cost involved and more. The ebook version of the book is now available for 56 days review at: http://www.breastenhancementbook.com
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Julie Walker
http://www.articlesbase.com/women’s-issues-articles/importance-of-wearing-the-right-bra-114233.html
If you intend to use weights at home for your fitness then you should go on reading. In this piece I will be chatting about a few edges you can get out of doing weight workouts at home with the use of free weights. On the second part, I will tell you about a few tips you ought to abide by while trying out free weights exercises at your home. The last part of this article is composed of specific free weight training you can easily do to begin getting fit.
Majority of individuals prefer doing home weight exercises because it is cheap and convenient. Don’t forget to do some stretches during your workout. According to experts adding weight training to your fitness routines can improve success in weight loss.
Before you get yourself into trying out a few muscle exercises in your house you must know a few valuable facts so you can stay away from injuries. Always do some muscle warm up routines such as stretching before you proceed to lifting weights. See to it that your exercise moves are smooth and continuous to prevent any kind of injury. Inhale and exhale without any restriction so that you get an even supply of oxygen as you exercise. Use the correct weight for your muscles. Take rests between intervals. Do not overdo the weight exercises.
To quickly get started at doing weight exercises at the convenience of your home then give these exercises a try. One exercise is push ups, you won’t need free weights when doing this exercise because you simply utilize the weight of your body. Another exercise is bench press. Do this by lying down on platform and pushing up two weights from your chest.
Utilizing the use of free weights is not only efficient but it can also be fun and cheap. If you desire to start working out with weights at home right away, implement the physical routines above.
Bondi March
http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/how-to-use-weights-at-home-705821.html
It’s not hard to remember what you need when going for a spring picnic. You need some sandwiches, water bottles and a few other tools to make the trip fun and exciting. When something is important (and fun), we tend to be organized, in order to ensure that we have a good time. Somehow, its different when going to the gym. Call it a reluctance to go, or a lack of planning, many individuals forget, or do not have the necessary items in a gym bag. Having the right accessories is the difference between another boring workout and an effective, enjoyable exercise session.
This information will help you put together your ultimate fitness bag so you can train anytime, anywhere. You will need some of these ‘accessories’ if you go to a local gym, a walk in the park, or even your own home. You will always be prepared for that workout, anytime! Make sure to keep this ‘magic fitness bag’ in the trunk, so you can take advantage of your gym membership anytime you like.
1. WATER BOTTLES
Sipping water at regular intervals in the gym is important, since constant hydration is crucial, especially in hot and congested gyms / areas. Unless your gym has a machine mounted water filter, it would be wise to carry 2 – 3 water bottles at all times. When exercising, Drink 2 -3 mouthfuls of water every 10-15 minutes between exercises. Do not wait till you feel thirsty. Cool water is preferable to chilled or warm water, since it is absorbed from the intestine faster.
2. A PAIR OF EXERCISE GLOVES.
Available at most sports shops, these gloves help to protect your palms from blisters and abrasions when you lift dumbbells in the gym. Some individuals may wish to exercise without gloves, and it’s a matter of personal preference.
3. A NAPKIN / TOWEL.
A napkin is essential to keep your skin dry from the perspiration. Also, you should lay down the towel on the machine before you use it, to prevent leaving behind a trial of sweat – After all, there are others who use the gym, and like you, they would prefer for the machines and dumbbells to be clean and dry. So do your bit.
4. A DEODERANT.
Helpful to leave you refreshed after the workout. Liquid soap and shampoo would be a great idea since all gyms do not provide toiletries.
5. A SPARE SET OF CLOTHES.
Its great to grab a quick shower after the workout and change into a fresh pair of clothes. Most of us tend to skip the work out since we tend to forget that spare set.
Additional accessories include wrist bands, knee wraps, crepe bandages and a digital heart rate monitor to maintain one’s heart rate in the ideal range for fat loss. This is 55-80 % of maximum heart rate. These tools are helpful but not essential.
So the next time you exercise, don’t forget your fitness accessories. The difference between a good and great workout is always in the details.
Nitin Chhoda
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/what-to-carry-in-a-fitness-kit-56728.html
Weight training involves the use of equipment that enables variable resistance. This resistance can come in the form of “free weights” like barbells and dumbells, machines that use cables or pulleys to help you lift the weight and bodyweight exercises like pull-ups or dips.
Free Weights vs. Machines vs. Bodyweight Exercises
For maximum muscle gain, the focus of your workouts should consist of free weight exercises. Not machines or bodyweight exercises. This is not to say that you should not use machines or bodyweight exercises, but they should not be the focus of your training. To get an effective, muscle blasting workout, you must stimulate the most muscle fibers as possible, and machines do not do this.
The main reason for this is a lack of stabilizer and synergist muscle development. Stabilizer and synergist muscles are supporting muscles that assist the main muscle in performing a complex lift. The more stabilizers and synergists worked, the more muscle fibers stimulated. Multi-jointed free weight exercises like the bench press, require many stabilizer and synergistic muscle assistance to complete the lift. On the other hand doing a bench press using a machine will need almost no stabilizer assistance.
Since machines are locked into a specific range of motion and help to support the weight along that path, they fail to stimulate the muscles that surround the area you are working (stabilizers). This is a mistake. If your stabilizer muscles are weak, then the major muscle group will never grow!
Free weight exercises like the dumbbell press or squat, for example, put a very large amount of stress on supporting muscle groups. That’s why you will get fatigued faster and not be able to lift as much weight as you did on the machine. But you will gain more muscle, become stronger very quickly and have a true gauge of your strength.
If you use machines in your program, they should be used to work isolated areas and only after all multi-jointed exercises have been completed.
Beginners should begin with a limited combination of machine exercises, bodyweight exercises and multi-jointed free weight exercises. Before increasing the weight levels, they should work on becoming familiar with the proper form and execution of each. Soon, bodyweight exercises will become insufficient to stimulate growth and they will need to focus on more free weight exercises.
Multi-Jointed Exercises
The exercises that work the large muscle groups are called compound (or multi-joint) movements that involve the simultaneous stimulation of many muscle groups. These compound exercises should be the foundation of any weight training program because they stimulate the most amount of muscle in the least amount of time.
Here are the basic movements:
* Bench Presses (works the chest, shoulders, tricep)
* Overhead Presses (shoulders, tricep)
* Pull-ups/Barbell Rows (back, bicep)
* Squats (legs, lower back)
* Deadlifts (legs, back, shoulders)
* Bar Dips (shoulders, chest, arms)
They will overload your entire skeletal and muscular system like no machine could ever do, giving you and effective workout in a very short period of time. If you can only do a few exercises, then do these. They have been proven to encourage muscle and strength gain unlike any other exercises.
Lift Heavy Weight
To build mass, you must weight train with heavy weights. To consider a weight heavy, you should only be able to do a maximum of 8-12 reps before your muscles temporarily fail. A weight is considered “light” if you can do more than 15 reps before muscle fatigue sets in.
Heavy weights stimulate more muscle fibers than lighter weights. It’s that simple. More muscle stimulation means more muscle growth.
Don’t Overtrain
Heavy weight training puts a huge strain on your body, so adequate rest and recuperation after your workouts is essential. If you are prone to train too often, several things happen:
You don’t give your muscles enough time to recuperate between workouts. If your muscles have not repaired themselves, you will not be at maximum strength for your next workout. Rest is essential. Other than eating, this should be your main focus.
You are setting yourself up for burnout or an injury. You must pace yourself. You want to be able to keep this up for a long time, not burnout before you reach your goals.
Contrary to popular belief, you do not grow while working out; you only grow when you are resting.
Below is an example mass workout.
Wednesday (legs, abs)
* Heavy Squats, leg extension superset
* Seated Calve Raises, 4 strips sets
* Crunches (4 sets of 20)
——-
Friday (chest, shoulder, triceps, abs)
* Flat bench press, incline dumbbell flyes superset
* Shoulder press, side raises superset
* Tricep pushdowns
* Reverse incline leg raises (3 sets of 20)
——
Sunday (back, biceps, abs)
* Wide grip pull-ups, latbar pulldown superset
* EZ bar bicep curl, incline dumbbell curls superset
* Crunches (4 sets of 20)
Nothing fancy, but effective.
Mike Selcsum
http://www.articlesbase.com/muscle-building-articles/weight-training-for-muscle-gain-dont-fool-yourself-this-stuff-works-62004.html
If you are new to bodybuilding, everything can be very overwhelming. The problem is if you ask a 100 people how to get started, you will get 100 different answers. I will try to answer some of the basic questions everyone asks:
Should I Join A Gym Or Workout At Home?
If you have access to a gym, this is definitely the best choice. There are too many distractions in a home. If you are a very discipline person, then working out at home may be an option. For the average person, home workouts do not last.
Once you decide where you are going to workout, you have to decide on a time of day that works best for your schedule. Try to pick a time that you know will have the least distractions. If you have a family and kids, try to get to the gym before work. Or see if you can get in a workout at lunch. Whatever you chose, just be consistent with your workouts.
An added benefit to joining a gym is you can work with a personal trainer and have a personalize workout routine setup for your body type. If you decide to workout at home, there are plenty of books and magazines that can help you setup a workout routine.
What kind of workout routine should I follow?
If you are just starting out, I would start out with a routine that hits each body part once a week:
Day 1: Chest/Back/Biceps
Chest:
Dumbbell Bench Press – One warm-up set of 15 reps followed by 3 sets of 12 reps.
Incline Bench Press – Three sets of 12 reps.
Dumbell Flyes – Three sets of 15 reps.
Back:
Lat Pulldowns To The Front – One warm-up set of 15 reps followed by 3 sets of 12 reps.
One Arm Dumbell Row – Three sets of 12 reps.
Low Cable row – Three sets of 12 to 15 reps.
Biceps:
Straight Bar or EZ Bar Curls – Three sets of 12 to 15 reps.
Alternating Seated Dumbbell Curls – Three sets of 12 to 15 reps.
Day 2: Cardio
Half hour on the treadmill or elliptical trainer.
Day 3: Shoulders/Triceps/Abs:
Shoulders:
DB Should Press – One warm-up set of 15 reps followed by 3 sets of 12 reps.
Lateral Raises – Three sets of 12 to 15 reps.
Triceps:
Cable Pushdowns – Three sets of 12 to 15 reps.
EZ Bar Skull Crushers – Three sets of 12 reps.
Abs:
Crunches – Three sets of 20 to 30 reps.
Day 4: Cardio
Half hour on the treadmill or elliptical trainer.
Day 5: Quadriceps/ Hamstrings/Calves
Quads:
Leg Press – One warm-up set of 15 reps followed by 3 sets of 12 reps.
Squats – One warm-up set of 12-15 reps followed by 3 sets of 12 reps.
Alternating DB Lunge – Three sets of 12 to 15 reps.
Hamstrings:
DB Stiff Leg Deadlift – One warm-up set of 15 reps followed by 3 sets of 12 reps.
Calves:
Standing or seated Calf Raises – One warm-up set of 15 reps followed by 4 sets of 15-20 reps.
Day 6: Optional Cardio
Half hour on the treadmill, elliptical trainer or fast walk.
Try to keep a journal of your workouts (including weights and times). This will help you keep track of your progress. Following the workout for a few months increasing the weights whenever you can. Try to keep strict form to avoid injury.
Should I use nutritional supplements?
Definitely! When you workout, you are breaking your muscle down. Your body requires nutrients to build the muscle back up. Building muscle is 10% working out and 90% nutrients/rest. You build your muscle when you are resting.
If I have to pick the top bodybuilding supplements, it would be in this order:
a)Multi Vitamin – Make sure your body has all the necessary nutrients, antioxidants and minerals to build muscle.
b)Whey Protein – Try to make sure you eat at least 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight if you are following a workout routine.
c)Creatine – Try for 5 grams of creatine a day. If you have a sensitive stomach, try Kre-Alkalyn.
d)Water – Water is not a supplement…but it is very important. Drinking lots of water keeps the muscles full and helps flush your body of toxins.
With the supplements listed above, also make sure you stick to healthy foods like oatmeal, egg whites, tuna, chicken, brown rice, vegetables, etc. If you need to cheat, do so in moderation. Try to stay away from processed foods, sugar and alcohol.
Eating small meals 5-6 times a day is more beneficial then 3 meals a day. It keeps your muscles fueled throughout the day.
By following the advice above, you will be well on your way to develop the body you dreamed about. The key to bodybuilding is consistency. If you stay consistent, you will succeed!
Warren Kuhl
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/beginning-bodybuilding-questionsanswers-122993.html
The bench press by far the most popular, but damaging exercise performed in the gym. For many, it represents the metric for ultimate upper body strength, and exhibitionism. Beginning in high school gym class, teenagers are instructed by ignorant PE coach’s to measure their strength and even their manhood with the bench press.
You could be at the local gym, and overhear the infamous question, “How much you bench?” The bench press is a ultimate macho metric of your strength plain and simple.
Unbeknownst to the medically immature, habituation of the bench press movement has a mortar and pestal effect on the glenohumeral joint (shoulder joint) while simultaneously annihilating the weak supportive tissue. If you picture the shoulder joint as a shallow cup that only has a very weak suction effect on the long bone of the arm known as the humerus. Overload it with too much weight, or fall on it suddenly, and the net result is usually a subluxation, soft tissue tear or a wicked bursitis. In comparison the hip joint, which is a similar but much larger joint, has an enormous amount of suction to keep the joint connected and is very difficult to dislocate. It has been graphically described to me, by a orthopedic surgeon,as a joint “so strong that, a surgical crow bar is required to separate the joint, when performing hip resurfacing surgery. Point being, that when God invented the weak shoulder joint, he screwed up. The joint is way too shallow, and there is not enough suctional pressure to hold it in place. Moreover, the supportive musculature known as the rotator cuff muscles are paper thin, and easily tear.
If you are looking to develop the broad thick chest muscle, you must understand the anatomical flow of the muscles fibers, and construct your conditioning with this in mind. The chest muscle, known as the pectoralis is a penneform muscle, meaning feather like in appearance and flow. Therefore the least damaging movement that should be used is a non hyper-extended cable or dumb bell fly. It is important to remember that arm movements should never surpass the horizontal plane. Hyper-extend your arms beyond 180 degrees, and expect a ligament impingement, possible dislocation and pain.
Failure to respect your God given normal range of motion of the shoulder joints, and these are some of the medical anomalies which you can expect!
1. Tendonitis - Is perhaps the most common of shoulder problems. As we move into our 30s and 40s our muscles and tendons begin to undergo a structural weakening because of the aging process. By age 40 or 45, simple tendinitis can degenerate into actual tearing of the muscle tissue. Toss is poorly controlled bench pressure maneuver, and your in a world of hurt. Break out the Motrin.
2. Rotator Cuff Injuries- Breaks in the rotator cuff muscles can result from the
progressive inflammation of the tendons, repetitive strain through overuse and hyper-extension of the arms.
3. Bursitis – Similar to tendinitis. Inflamed bursae may become thickened and reduce the “free” space
in the joint, thus restricting movement and creating discomfort with most movements.
4. Osteoarthritis - Joint cartilage breaks down, and the joint becomes sticky and rough.
Degenerative arthritis is often associated with wear-and-tear in the joints over a long period of time. The AC joint is particularly susceptible because,as we age, it degenerates faster than any other joint in the body. Arthritis in the glenohumeral joint usually appears somewhat later, and may be related to trauma earlier in life or rotator cuff problems.
Besides being painful, shoulder injuries can lead to “frozen shoulder,” which is like having a rusted bolt for a shoulder joint. This is very common in over abusers such as bench press jocks, baseball pitchers and long distance swimmers. When you get to this stage, it is very difficult to manage without major surgery.
5. Subluxation – A spontaneous popping in and out of the shoulder joint when under direct pressure. Repetitive subluxations will cause the shoulder to become very arthritic and painful over time.
Symptoms of bench press induced shoulder injuries:
Difficulty with extending arms over head or backwards
Difficulty sleeping on your belly or the shoulder with the arms extended to the sides.
Difficulty turning the steering wheel of a car.
Difficulty with daily activities such as washing your hair removing a shirt, or carrying heavy loads.
If you are experiencing any one of the above listed problems, be sure to consult a qualified physician for prompt evaluation and treatment, if it is not too late. Following your evaluation, obtain a referral to a qualified medical exercise specialist/ certified personal trainer, and learn how to stay healthy and medically safe. Remember ” An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!”
Rivak
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/the-catastrophic-effects-of-the-traditional-supine-bench-press-644336.html