Weight Fitness

Lifting Weight for Fitness – How to Do It Right

March 30th, 2010 at 07:22am Under fitness

I started lifting weight for fitness back in high school in order to get some strength to help in my new discovery of martial arts. Prior to that, I was the smart, quiet, nerdy kid that everyone liked but not a single girl wanted to date. That changed when I found my love of martial arts and in it, psychical fitness.

Weights were a large part of my workouts those early white belt days, I figured as long as I lifted, I would get stronger. I did have success with that attitude, but as my mastery over my body improved, I also gained additional insight.

Here is some of what I have discovered.

Certain equipment is needed in order to lift weight for fitness. The most common being free weights such as dumbbells or their bigger brothers, the barbells. weight machines are popular ways of working on specific muscle groups also. If you have issues with your back, a good support belt is helpful and gloves designed for weight lifting ward off blisters and absorb sweat.

Lifting weight for fitness also can turn back the hands of time, giving you a more youthful look, and a stronger, healthier body, (sorry, to the best of my knowledge, it still can’t grow hair).

You need to exercise caution since your chances for hurting yourself increases with the amount of weight lifted. It’s always best to start with a weight you can handle and build as you progress.

weight lifting  is also a great way to manage your body weight since muscle requires more calories than fat to exist, so the  muscle you add burns calories at a much higher rate and increases your metabolism without the aid of diet pills.

Your muscles also need rest between workouts, if you are even lifting moderately heavy weights, give your body time to recover between workouts. That’s why a lot of people work on an upper-body, lower-body daily schedule.

It’s essential to get the correct form down in order to avoid injury and gain maximum results. Remember that if you wind up hurting yourself, it means no workout for at least a few days untill your body recovers. (Oh yeah, don’t forget the actual PAIN!!!)

When done correctly and safely, lifting weight for fitness can give you the body you’ve dreamed of, more energy than you thought possible, and the wonderful attention of the opposite sex, all with less than half an hour per day.

By Paul

How To: Six Pack Abs

January 16th, 2010 at 08:29am Under fitness

Everybody would love to have six pack abs. If you’ve ever seen a photo of a model or bodybuilder with shiny, protruding six pack abs and thought to yourself “I want some of them”, then proceeded to do 10 sit-ups per day and wonder what happened; you are not alone. But you are also deluding yourself because knowing how to get six pack abs is not a secret; its just hard work.

With that said, there are shortcuts you can take to get a six pack.

A six pack is simply your abdominal muscles showing through the skin. Everybody has a six back – it’s just that in the majority of us, it’s hiding under layers of fat. So, you must first remove those fat layers before you can hope to see your own six pack.

This is where so many people go wrong: they focus on muscle building around the mid section rather than weight loss. However, unlike other muscles which can build up to grow, the ab muscles generally don’t grow much from working out. If you are relatively fit but just can’t see your abs, it is not sit-ups that you need to do, but cardiovascular activity.

Cardio work will result in fat loss and fat loss will result in visible six pack ab muscles. Along with cardiovascular training you must pay close attention to your diet.

The more foods you eat that lead to weight gain, the longer and harder it will be until your six pack is revealed. Foods that will prevent you from seeing your abs include white bread and pasta, high fat dairy foods, fast food and greasy fried foods, high sugar foods and soda drinks (just to name a few).

Foods on the other hand that will greatly assist in reaching your goal include whole grain breads, pasta and rice, lean meat or if you’re vegetarian: lentils and legumes. Vegetables and fruits are vital and nuts are also helpful. Drinking plenty of water as your main hydration source is mandatory and you can also add a supplement such as green tea into the mix.

By Paul

Body Fitness: Bodybuilding Basics for Beginners

December 31st, 2009 at 11:10pm Under fitness

Believe it or not, bodybuilding is for everyone. You don’t need to have great aspirations to gain muscle ripping biceps in order to experience benefits from lifting weights. Strength training holds so many health and fitness benefits but unfortunately many people simply overlook it. A high percentage of people, particularly those who wish to lose weight, by pass the strength training equipment at the gym in favor of the treadmill and aerobics classes. Whilst these forms of cardio fitness are important, body fitness using weights is just as important, if not more so; regardless of your goals.

Here are some quick body fitness tips for people who are new to bodybuilding:

1. Vary Your Workouts
You will notice fast results when you start lifting weights, but this drops off after a few months as your body becomes accustomed to the routine. That is why mixing up your workouts is vital. You can try isolation exercises, compound exercises, different repetition routines, pyramid workouts and many others.

2. Allow Recovery Time
Recovery time is just as important as time in the gym. It is during recovery that your muscles repair and grow. Therefore you must give them ample time to undertake this process. Generally you will aim to work each muscle group twice per week so there is about three days of repair time between each workout.

3. Eat For Fitness
What you eat is going to determine your results. If you workout well, but eat badly then you are just wasting your time and energy. Your diet must complement your fitness routine. It should be high in protein and complex carbohydrates, but low in simple carbohydrates, fats, sugars and salt.

Body fitness should be a part of your workout routine at least twice per week. Unlike cardio exercise which can take some time to reveal benefits and changes within your body, working out with weights takes effect much quicker and with more pronounced results. You can lose weight faster by doing strength training, and you can also gain a toned muscled physique by continually altering and progressing your body fitness workout routine

By Paul