Health & Fitness

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Wednesday, November 26, 2008

The Importance Of Weight Training

There's a story that the first person who trained with weights was a Greek named Milo, way back when the original Olympic games flourished. He acquired a small calf, and each day he would walk around an amphitheater, carrying it on his shoulders. Each day the calf grew a bit larger, so Milo had to work harder to carry it around. But because it grew only gradually, he was able to do it. Finally, he was carrying a full-grown bull around the amphitheater, and had the musculature to show for it.

Well, anyone with common sense knows that women were the original weight trainers! Substitute a new born baby for a small calf, and there ya go.

Unfortunately, once the babe has grown enough to be able to walk on his or her own two feet and not want to be carried whenever their little legs get tired, some moms never lift weights again, and the muscles that were used to perform these feats become little used, and therefore weaken. When they get on in years, the dowager humps and the flabby underarms and the general loss of bone mass happen just the same.

Which is why weight training is important, and training the upper body is more important for women than it is for men.

So, what type of upper body exercises are there?

Shoulders

Strong arms don't do you much good if your shoulders can't support them properly.

The exercises that target the trapezius muscles only is the shoulder shrug.

The shoulder shrug can be done with either a barbell or dumbbells. For a woman, it's probably easier just to use dumbbells, of appropriate weights. Stand up straight, holding the weights at your sides - 15-pound weights are best. Then, simply make a motion as if you were shrugging your shoulders, ten to fifteen times. You'll be able to feel the muscles being worked after you finish the set.

Exercises that target both the trapezius muscles and the deltoid muscles are "presses," "raises," and "fly"s.

When you press a dumbbell or barbell, it means that you're pushing it over your head. Again, dumbbells are easier to use than barbells (indeed, if you don't want to go to the expense of a barbell and the weights that fit onto it, a selection of dumbbells of appropriate weights will suit the purpose also.) .

Simply stand with your hands holding the dumbbells at shoulder-high level. Then lift them alternately over your head, until you've done a total of ten with each arm.

To do a dumbbell raise, on the other hand, you stand with your arms at your sides, holding 10 pound dumbbells in this case. (Or five-pound dumbbells, depending on your strength level.) Simply raise your arms straight outward from your sides, until your arms are parallel to the ground. Lower and repeat ten times. Again, you'll be able to feel your shoulders after repeating this set.

To do a back fly, stand up, but bend over, so that your chest is parallel to the ground. Let your arms hang straight down. Then, simply raise your arms straight up. This really works your pectorals as well as your shoulder muscles, and is harder to do than the other exercises, just because of the body angle.

But you really want to work your pecs, because this will help prevent sagging breasts in old age!

By: Derek C

How To Gain Muscle Mass Fast- 3 Simple Steps

Despite all the hard work, protein shakes, gym visits, calories of chicken and tuna are you still struggling to gain muscle mass fast? Well lucky for you I have discovered 3 of the best ways to gain muscle mass quickly. Follow these simple steps and you will start building big muscles all over your body. So let’s get started.

1. Squats and Dead lifts. These 2 big “animal exercises” are crucial for gaining muscle mass quickly. In fact squats and dead lifts workout over 75% of your musculature, including your back, shoulders, arms, gluts, hams, calves and core muscles. Truly an all in one workout exercise. Moreover these 2 exercises also result in greater levels of growth hormones being produced which means you will gain muscle mass fast all over your body. This is because squats and dead lifts have a strong level of intensity which other exercises don’t. This is particularly relevant for skinny guys and hard gainers. The best way to gain muscle mass.

2. Focus on compound exercises such as squats, leg presses, dead lifts, bench presses, barbell rows, pull ups, chin ups, over head presses, and dips. These exercises are must do’s if you want to gain muscle mass fast because they focus on the strong muscles. A lot of people who want to know how to gain muscle mass quickly focus on things like calves and arms and wonder why they never get really bulked up. Focus on weak muscles and that’s exactly what you will get.

3. Time your rest periods. A key aspect of gaining muscle mass quickly is using a stopwatch and timing your rest periods properly. The higher the number of reps, the shorter the rest period and the lower the number of reps the longer the rest period. If you are training for maximum strength then you need to take between 3-5 minutes break between each set. If you are taking a shorter period then you are not working out properly. Further if you are trying to get maximum muscle gain this requires shorter break times of 30-90 seconds. Also if you rest times are not the same, you cannot monitor your true improvement.

Ok so now you know 3 simple but highly effective strategies to gain muscle mass quick. Remember to include them in your next workout and you will see measurable improvements in how you look and feel. For more killer ways to gain muscle mass fast check out my resource box.

By: Rory Wilkinson

Exercise Bike Equipment Choices - 4 Tips To Chooose A Winner

Exercise bike equipment can be a great investment for improving your health and fitness. A good workout just makes you feel better and the right equipment is fun to use. Choose an exercise bike that feels right and you'll enjoy riding. Equipment that doesn't fit correctly or is in any way irritating will be a constant aggravation.

Electronics

Exercise bikes come in several types and all kinds of price ranges. The electronics which include programmable ride simulations and video displays affects the price quite a bit. You can get built in heart rate monitors and many other electronic options.

Upright or Recumbent

Another basic choice in bikes is whether you prefer an upright bike or a recumbent one. The recumbent bike puts you in a sitting position which minimizes the stress to the knees. But it's difficult to vary your position on a recumbent, so you're pretty well stuck in one spot. The upright bikes let you shift around some, but may stress the knees more. Plus the seat on an upright is very important. Especially if you do long workout, a seat can cause muscle problems in the hips since you're putting weight on the muscles that are doing a lot of the work of pedaling.

Resistance Type

The system used to provide resistance to pedaling varies in bikes. Standard in most bikes now is a magnetic resistance system. Most are electric systems, either plug-in or battery powered. Also sometimes the magnetic resistance is generated by the pedaling. Check the warranty for the resistance system since this is a major part of the bike. Years ago, resistance for exercise bikes was often just a friction band but most of these bikes are gone. Another older system is the one where you turn a fan with your pedals creating more resistance the faster you pedal. This reliable design is still found in the Schwinn Airdyne.

Special Purpose

You can also get a dual action exercise bike which works your legs and your arms at the same time. Another type of machine for people unable to use their legs lets you pedal only with your arms for a workout.

There is no reason to buy the most expensive multi-thousand dollar machine for home use. But don't pay too little and get low quality exercise equipment that you won't use. If possible try out a machine like you are considering and make sure you like the fit and function.

Exercise bike equipment is a long term investment that can help you feel better and improve your overall fitness.

By: Al Bullington