Weight Fitness

Which is the Right Fitness Program For You?

November 28th, 2009 at 05:36am Under fitness

When it comes to fitness programs you can be forgiven for feeling completely overwhelmed by the options. how many times have you seen a new advertisement on TV, or a website ad that claims to have the ultimate “top secret” fitness program for you – but only if you pay for it. These types of ads are now common place as more and more people are becoming overweight or obese.

Many people are looking for a quick fix to weight loss and as such the market for “easy” exercise machines like comfortable gym cycles and ab pushers is huge. But if you really think you can become ultra fit using solely these machines, you will be sorely disappointed. Whilst these companies use bodybuilding models to sell their equipment, these people surely would not have got to that point by using that equipment alone (if they even used it at all). To be clear, I will emphasize that I am talking about products like those gym cycling machines that virtually have you laying down sleeping whilst you cycle. Unfortunately, fitness does not work in such a relaxing way!

To become truly fit you need a fitness program that caters to your goals and your body type. You don’t really need to pay for a fitness program, although if you want to become exceptionally fit it is always useful to employ a personal trainer to assist you.

First you have to work out what you wish to achieve.

Do you want to lose weight?
Do you want to tone your muscles?
Or do you want to train to run long distances?

These are three goals which will require very different implementation of fitness programs.

Losing weight will require you to focus on cardiovascular exercise as well as some strength training.

To tone your muscles you will do less cardio work but much more strength training in order to work your muscles to exhaustion. As they recover, they will grow and tone.

And to undertake a fitness program to condition you for long distance running, you must run almost everyday and add extra distance each time. Not only are you training your muscles to handle these conditions, but also your heart and lungs which play such a vital part in such a fitness regime.

By Paul

Fitness Weight Loss – Take Action Today!

November 25th, 2009 at 05:15am Under Weight Loss+ fitness

Losing weight is not rocket science! You don’t have to lose sleep about how you are going to lose weight. Instead, start taking small actions today.

Every small step you take towards losing those excess pounds is going to contribute to a new, vital and slimmer you within just a few months.

Whether your goal is to lose 5 pounds or 35 pounds, the first thing you need to do is to make a fitness weight loss plan.

Because you will want to be losing weight the healthy way, that is by not starving yourself, you will be using fitness to burn the extra fat on you. And to do that, you will need to input energy into your body on a daily basis. But it is going to be good energy, in the form of good, healthy and nutritious foods. Kick the junk food out the door and start forming a positive attitude to healthy foods – after all, they can be extremely tasty!

Diet pills are not the way to go to lose fat. That is why I advocate fitness and exercise as the ultimate method of weight loss. There is no point starving yourself to lose weight, or going on a lettuce leaf diet. Without proper nutrition you will become weak and sick. You will never feel like exercising; you may not even feel like getting out of bed. Your body absolutely needs good food.

Great food won’t make you put on weight, provided you keep your eye on portion size. Eating smaller meals more regularly will ensure your organs have time to process the foods and you will burn the calories off in between meals; without feeling weighed down.

You can still snack when you’re on a diet, but instead of crisps or chocolate, have some nuts, fruit, raw carrot sticks or other yummy nutritious foods.

Fitness and weight loss go hand in hand: if you are fit, you will lose weight. The more you exercise and eat well, the faster you will drop the pounds. So what are you waiting for? Get started on your fitness weight loss plan today!

By Paul

TKO Anti Burst Fitness Ball Set 65cm

November 19th, 2009 at 02:45pm Under fitness

Perfect for yoga and fitness classes, fitness balls help increase flexibility while strengthening and toning muscles. Our fitness balls feature anti-burst construction and are easy to clean. Includes hand pump and instructional wall chart.

(more…)

Sitegrinder

By Paul 10 comments

Body Weight Fitness – Great Workout, No Equipment Necessary

November 19th, 2009 at 02:12am Under Fitness Equipment+ Weights and Fitness

Body weight fitness is all about doing – getting our body moving and exercising using the resistance provided by our own bodies. No equipment is necessary, nor is an expensive gym or health club membership required. In fact, you do not need to spend a single penny.

The only this that is required is a commitment to yourself and your health. It could even be as little as eight to ten minutes a day!

There are many ways to get exercising using your body alone, Yoga and Pilates, as well as simple push-ups and sit-ups come to mind when I think of these exercises. There are many more.

Such workouts allow

you to exercise no matter where you happen

to be or even if time is at a minimal.

Don’t believe me? Drop down and pump out a quick fifty push-ups. How do you feel afterward?

Body weight fitness works, plain and simple. This exercise method can strengthen, and tone your body and even help in your flexibility.

This is also the method of exercise I use most since it is very difficult to hurt yourself doing it.

Because I have Scoliosis, a curvature of the spine, both my doctor and Sensei (martial arts instructor) do not want me to lift heavy weights.

I have achieved very strong, flexible muscles geared to martial arts through Yoga, Pilates, and cardio exercises.

Weights are not needed for a good exercise program and of course there isn’t a perfect program for everyone. It all depends on what you want to accomplish and what you enjoy. Because, after all, if we don’t enjoy it, we probably won’t keep doing it.

If you don’t like to go to a gym and have to wait for a machine or work station to be available, or if you don’t have much room to exercise to begin with, or if money is tight, give body weight fitness a try. You’ll be glad you did.

By Paul

Life Fitness Weight

November 16th, 2009 at 01:51am Under fitness

Life Fitness makes many types of fitness and gym equipment such as treadmills, exercise bikes and elliptical trainers. These machines are all excellent for cardiovascular exercise and weight loss.

However Life Fitness also manufactures strength training equipment. These pieces of fitness equipment aim to assist you in growing muscle and strengthening your overall body.

You don’t have to desire to become a bodybuilder type in order to benefit from Life Fitness weight training machines. It is now well known that every single person can benefit from doing moderate strength training just twice per week. It assists you in losing weight as you gain muscle, and your bones will strengthen. That is why many arthritis patients are encouraged to life light weights, but it is something that should be doing well before you ever get to the stage of arthritis or other illness. In fact, strength training can even help you to prevent such conditions from developing.

Life Fitness Home Gyms are high quality systems that you can easily fit into your home. You don’t need any experience to use them as they are easy to set up and function.

Having a home gym in your house will save you considerably on gym membership fees, and you also don’t need to leave the house to exercise.

Currently Life Fitness weight training gyms come in 5 different models:

G2
G3
G4
G5
G7

G7 is the most advanced gym whilst G2 will suit those with basic needs.

Life Fitness G7 Home Gym
This gym is modelled on the one that Life Fitness provides to health clubs. It is full featured and includes adjustable pulleys so you can easily customize the system to your needs, and importantly; change them as you improve.

One of the best features of this machine is that you can exercise both sides of the body at the same time thanks to the two dual weight stacks.
The gym comes with 160lb weight stacks but you can always buy more if you ever get to that stage (this will be more than enough for the majority of users).

You also receive a bunch of accessories such as ankle and thigh straps, exercise ball, training DVD, clips for extra attachments, water bottle and exercise book. The training DVD is particularly helpful as you can follow along with a personal trainer through 2 different workout routines using the machine.

Any level of user can benefit from the Life Fitness G7 home gym. It costs less than you’d expect too: $2999 without the bench and $3499 with the bench.

By Paul

Exercise, Fitness, Weight Loss – They All Go Hand in Hand

November 12th, 2009 at 10:07pm Under Weight Loss+ fitness

Exercise? Fitness? Weight Loss? If you don’t have a clue where to begin, start with something simple. There’s no need to sign up and pay hefty monthly fees to a gym if  you don’t want to.

Keep the cash in your pocket and buy something you’ve been wanting. Make it your reward for a job well done. There are many cost effective and fun ways to get a great workout in without stepping foot in a gym.

Fitness. We all want it, but exercising is hard at times. For some it’s downright painful. For others, very boring. How can we change all that?

in a word: KAIZEN. Kaizen is Japanese for “Constant Improvement”. in all areas of life. If it is done in the correct way, it virtually eliminates work that is overly difficult.  We will be using this philosophy  in our exercise, fitness, weight plans.

First of all, we want to find something that we enjoy doing. If we like it we will tend to stick with it much longer than if we don’t. Make sense?

Next we need to get into it in a way that allows us to start off small and build. For me, I chose martial arts. I enjoy it and it allowed me to start off as a beginner and advance all the way to a 2nd. degree black belt.

If you enjoy running, start off on a short jaunt, the next day go a bit further and pic up the pace very slightly, constantly improve on the day past in small doable increments.. Soon you’ll be going a mile plus each day.

Same goes with push ups or any other exercise that you might like to add.

Next check out one of the many exercise DVDs available to you in countless stores and online. or if video games are more your style, try theWii Fit It may cost a bit but it’s far less then a gym membership.

Thought I forgot about the weight loss, didn’t you?

We do the same with it as we did exercising.  Let’s say that you wanted to loose 20 pounds to fit into those jeans in the dresser drawer. (I was in your house. I know they are there!)

make a plan to loose 1-2 pounds A WEEK! This is doable and sustainable. Slowly start to cut fats, sugars, and salts from your diet and cut more as you progress. this way you won’t feel deprived.

Don’t forget to drink as much water as you possibly can

Put kaizen to work in your exercise, fitness, weight plans and eliminate the overly difficult tasks. You’ll soon see the world differently.

By Paul

A Weight Fitness Program That Actually Works and it’s FREE?

November 9th, 2009 at 07:36pm Under fitness

Discovering a low to no cost weight fitness program is actually a simple matter of  finding something that works for you instead of subscribing to the next fad.

The key to a treasure trove of free weight and fitness info is literally at your finger tips, it’s the Internet and you can find practically everything you need there, providing that you are willing to do a bit of research.  But not all the advice you will find will be the best for you..

Different programs can all focus on weight loss but they all may use different techniques. Not all of them are right for us as individuals. In other words, there is no clear cut weight fitness program that will work for all of us every time.

Some focus on detoxification of our bodies by eating nothing but raw foods, some have you using a certain “fat burning ” product that does more harm than good, still others have you cut out a full category of foods as in carb diets.

Before going with this or that diet because a friend of a friend said it worked, decide on what it is that you want exactly.  Do you want to fit in a bikini for summer or do you want to trim fat and tone your body? Could it be just to have more energy?

Keeping your goals in mind will help in your program evaluation process. This way, you’ll be able to tell if it’s right for you or not.

I have found that the best way to obtain a free weight fitness program that actually works is to create my own centered around my specific goals.

Building a custom program that you tailor to fit your needs also means that you will stick to it far longer than the life of any fad.

Let me share my custom program with you

I wake up in the morning and before I even have coffee, I do a 30 minute cardio jog that helps start me up. I’ll have some coffee with some fresh fruit and a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios with 2% milk. I don’t like the 1% or fat free versions, they are too watery for me.

I try to eat about every 3 hours or so in order not to get hungry and binge.  As for eating in general, I don’t count calories. Instead, I cut out as much salt, sugar, and fats as possible, while drinking as much water as possible. I’m up to 2 liters a day right now.

For exercise,I focus on Pilates and Yoga that help in my martial arts. I alternate between them nightly and finish up with one more 30 minute cardio session.

My program is centered on martial arts which I enjoy immensely. In fact, it’s a way of life. Since everything in my weight fitness program is meant to improve that, I have less of a problem sticking to it.

By Paul

Jillian Michaels: Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism (2008)

November 9th, 2009 at 04:32pm Under fitness

Amazon.com essential video Fire up your metabolism with TV’s top trainer, Jillian Michaels, and lose big with her fierce formula that adds strength and ab moves to dynamic cardio for increased fat loss. This 40-minute circuit workout blasts your heart rate with challenging intervals to turn up the burn and peel off the pounds. Whether you’re just getting started or ready for a hardcore workout, this program will ignite your metabolism and incinerate fat to reveal a ripped, lean body! (more…)

By Paul 10 comments

Blood Pressure – Tips for Lowering and Controlling Hypertension

November 6th, 2009 at 06:20pm Under Health

High blood pressure is a serious health concern. Most people know that having a high blood pressure is bad, but few know really what blood pressure actually is.

It is the measurement of the pressure of your blood pushing on the artery walls. The 2 numeric values that make up your blood pressure represent the pressure when your heart beats and when it as rest. For example, your blood pressure may be measured at 120/80.

It is normal for your blood pressure to fluctuate. It will decrease while you sleep and increase when you are active. A high blood pressure is considered to be 140/90 or higher in most people. There is an increased risk of stroke, heart attack and other problems when you have a high blood pressure because the heart has to work harder to function.

There is no one sole cause of high blood pressure. IN some people it is due to another medical condition, medication they are taking, obesity or one of many other conditions.

So how do you reduce your blood pressure to lower your risk of heart and organ problems? Here are some tips.

1. Reduce salt intake
Processed foods are usually high in salt, so avoid them and choose fresh foods. Don’t eat processed, fatty and salty meat. Choose products marked as low sodium and check foods labels to check salt or sodium levels.

2. Lose weight
Many people with high blood pressure are carrying excess weight. Choose low fat foods and reduce your caloric intake. Aim to eat more protein and complex carbohydrates as found in whole grain foods.

3. Reduce caffeine intake
There is no proof that caffeine contributes to high blood pressure, but it does make your heartbeat speed up. Opt for decaffeinated coffee and minimize your intake of any drink containing caffeine.

These tips are just some ideas that you can attempt to lower your blood pressure. They are not certain to work for you, but they will improve your overall health so there is great benefit to trying them. High blood pressure is a serious medical condition, so always seek professional advice before attempting anything new, taking supplements or medications and before drastically changing your diet.

By Paul

PUMA Fitness Shoulder Bag

November 4th, 2009 at 08:45pm Under fitness

Amazon.com
Puma’s Fitness shoulder bag offers something that most sporty styles don’t. It’s fashioned from durable nylon to withstand rough treatment, but also has a very stylish feature: pretty, feminine pleat detailing and a cool, curvy front pocket.

From the Manufacturer
PUMA is the global athletic brand that successfully fuses influences from sport, lifestyle and fashion. PUMA’s unique industry perspective delivers the unexpected in sport-lifestyle footwear, apparel and ac (more…)

Coolest Girl On The Planet

By Paul

Is Weight Training Fitness Right for You?

November 3rd, 2009 at 05:15pm Under Weights and Fitness

Weight training fitness develops muscles and builds strength, it’s a great exercise. In fact, a good number of gyms specialize in it.

Recently however, more options have been made available. So, is lifting weights right for you?

Resistance Training – training that enlists the aid of devices or weights in order to increase the workload of the muscles being trained, is among the most popular methods available to us in our hunt to improve our bodies and overall fitness level.

It keeps our coordination, endurance,  and muscles strong. It even wards off osteoporosis by increasing our bone density.

When done correctly, weight fitness training can bring very impressive results. It doesn’t take very long to do and it isn’t as difficult as you may imagine and everyone can do it at various intensities

However, activities that are more aerobic in nature do have some distinct advantages.

For starters, you are able to do such exercises practically anywhere you happen to be with next to no equipment, if any at all. Really, all you might need is a good pair of shoes. And that’s if you decide to have your workout outdoors!

As far as weight training fitness goes, there is an endless supply of equipment you have at your disposal, not all of which are heavy weights.

One of my favorite  pieces resistance training equipment is the resistance band. It’s compact, versatile, and gives a great workout.

It’s nothing more than rubber tubing with handles at both ends. You can get them at any fitness store, they come in different levels of resistance.

The key to weight or resistance training is to concentrate on your form as you isolate specific  groups of muscles and increase the level of resistance as you gain strength.

more weight, or resistance in the case of the exercise band, and less reps will give your muscles a good bulk. Whereas less resistance or weight and more reps will give your muscles a toned look and increases endurance.

When working out, you will need to employ both methods. First building, than toning. That will allow you to sculpt your body exactly the way you want it .

With weight training fitness, you will be able to sculpt your body in a small frame of time with lasting results if kept up on a regular schedule.

By Paul