Use Medicine Balls for Home Workouts
on 1/26/2009
by
ryan
| filed in:
Strength Training
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A medicine ball is a relatively cheap and useful piece of exercise equipment. They are very basic, but they can be very useful for getting a workout while at home.
Grab a medicine ball and just basically start moving with it. You could do squats while holding it or trunk twists to work your abs and obliques. Raise the medicine ball up, move it down, move all around - you get the point.
Here's some Benefits of Medicine Balls for Home Workouts:
1. They are cheap.
2. Medicine balls take up a minimal amount of space.
3. Commonly made with leather or strong rubber - medicine balls are durable.
4. Allows you to watch tv as you workout.
5. Unlike a Bowflex Machine, there's no setup involved.
... read more
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Pain in your lower back? Leave the gym
on 7/17/2008
by
ryan
| filed in:
Other
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This advice comes from my own personal experience. Last summer, while picking up some dumbbells, I was lazy and didn't use the best form. As I straightened my back out I felt a pinching pain in my lower back. I was in the beginning of my workout, so I pushed through the pain and finished my gym routine.
By the time I got home, I needed help getting out of my car because my back hurt so much. If you've never had a lower back injury, you'd be surprised at how much your body depends on your back for almost every movement. I wasn't back in the gym for another 2 weeks.
Then last week, I was shrugging dumbbells and shifted my upper body too far back and pinched the same spot I had injured last summer. This time, instead of working through the pain, I packed up and headed home. I missed half of my workout but I was back in the gym the next day.
Don't work through back pain!... read more
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injuries, lower back, back pain
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Drink Caffeine before a Power Nap
on 6/26/2008
by
ryan
| filed in:
Other
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Are you one of those people who needs a 20 minute power nap before you hit the gym? Here's a power napping tip that will reduce post-nap grogginess. It might sound like a bad idea, but you should actually drink some caffeine right before you take a nap (if you're trying for a 20 minute power nap).
Caffeine takes 20 - 30 minutes to affect your body. So drinking a caffeinated soda before your nap will make you more alert when you cell phone alarm rings - warning you that nap time is over.... read more
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power naps, caffeine
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Fitness Walking Tips
on 5/5/2008
by
ryan
| filed in:
Other
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Walking is an underrated way of staying in shape. It's not a massive calorie burner compared to something like swimming or cross country skiing, but it's easy, and beneficial. Here are some tips to remember when walking to stay in shape.
1. Walk in Heal-to-Toe form. Leave the ground with your heal first and the toe should lift off last.
2. Take comfortable strides. Strides that are too long make you more prone to injury. You'd be surprised how easy it is to roll your ankle when walking.
3. Swing your arms (moderately - don't get crazy with it). Swinging your arms helps rhythm and works the whole body.
4. Switch up your speed. Speeding up and slowing down helps to avoid getting bored and makes your body used to different walking intensities.
5. Tense your abs and straighten your back when walking. Walk with good form and you'll burn more calories.... read more
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walking
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Know your Fitness Goals before Choosing Snacks for your Diet
on 4/24/2008
by
ryan
| filed in:
Diet and Nutrition
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Many people just see the word "healthy" and it's immediately acceptable for their diet - this is rarely the case. Sit down for a just two seconds and think about what your actual goal is for dieting and then develop a dieting strategy.
For instance, if your goal is to put on muscle, while avoiding fat, you want to make sure you're getting enough protein. If you're looking for a stable weight loss plan where you lose 5 pounds in 2 months, then you can probably get by with reducing your caloric intake by a minimal amount.
When buying snacks, consider what time of day you'll be eating it. If it's a morning snack to start your day, you'll probably want a high carb snack to give you energy. I'd recommend peanuts and raisins if you're active. If it's a snack later in the day, I'd recommend something like celery or carrots.
Basically, just because it says Healthy on the Box, doesn't mean it fits your diet, activity level, and goals.
Might want to check out my blog about Snacking with Peanuts and Raisins.... read more
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healthy snacks, dieting
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Don't do Chest Exercises on Monday
on 4/9/2008
by
ryan
| filed in:
Strength Training
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You're probably interested in this tip because you do your Monday workout consists of Chest and Triceps or Chest and legs. How did I know? Because almost every consistent gym goer tends to do a Chest workout on monday.
Working out on Mondays used to be pretty frustrating for me - especially back when I was still in college in Delaware. I'd come into the gym and scramble to find an open bench (rarely I'd find one). And even when I did grab a bench before many of the chit-chatters claimed them, I'd be bombarded with groups of 5 people asking to work in. Not that I resent people asking me to work in - that's fine - but obviously I'd rather workout without sharing equipment with 5 other people.
Monday is Bench Press Day! Every man, woman, and child seems to gather themselves on mondays to head off to the local lift-yard and see how much they can bench. I think chest workouts are so popular on Mondays because Sundays often used as rest days, and people like to start their workout schedule with their chest muscles. This is probably a good idea because many studies show that it's best to work your inner-core muscles first, and then work the appendages.
My advice is to somehow schedule your week so that you're not relying on using a bench press on Mondays. If you're dead set on doing a chest workout the first day after a rest day, try to move your rest day to Saturday instead of Sunday. Maybe consider lifting Upper Back and Abs on Monday instead of a chest workout. Your back is a core body part as well, so it should usually be worked before your appendages.... read more
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bench press, workouts
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Increase Diaphram Strength - Increase Athletic Performance
on 3/28/2008
by
ryan
| filed in:
Endurance
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Diaphram strength can help you breathe better, especially when participating in exercise activities, such as lifting, running, and other sports. Most people, probably 99.9% totally ignore the diaphram, but I have read several articles supporting the importance of working the breathe-machine.
To work your diaphram, lie on a bench (feel free to make variations to this exercise) - rest a 45 lb plate on your chest and take deep breaths to get a full "range of motion" from your diaphram.
Strengthening your diaphram will help you increase oxygen intake that is necessary when performing at your maximum. Thus aiding both strength and endurance.... read more
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diaphram, breathing, oxygen, athletic performance
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Flush your Muscles at the End of each Workout
on 3/4/2008
by
ryan
| filed in:
Strength Training
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At the end of every workout, it is always a good idea to flush the lactic acid from your muscles that has been built up throughout your workout. This can speed up the muscle recovery stage and reduce soreness.
To flush your muscles, use a very light weight and hold it at verious points in your rep. This works with almost any exercise, so you should do this no matter what body part(s) your lifting on a given day. For example, if you are flushing your biceps, do a barbell curl. Starting at the bottom of the rep, raise the bar a few inches and pause, then raise the bar a few more inches and pause. Repeat this step until you've fully raised the bar and gradually lowered it back to starting position.... read more
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flushing, lactic acid, post workout
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Flex between sets to improve Definition
on 3/4/2008
by
ryan
| filed in:
Strength Training
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Many people do mini stretches in between sets, but many lifters aren't aware of how flexing in between sets can help as well. Flexing your muscles (flex them hard) can actually help you create more muscle definition. This helps keep the pump and helps flush out the muscles from build up such as lactic acid. Isotension also helps to add definition to your muscles.
I'm not saying to stand there in front of the mirror posing in flex mode, but give an un-noticeable flex in between sets and it will give you a small edge.
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isotension, flexing, muscle definition
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Pre Exhaust Your Targeted Muscle
on 2/14/2008
by
ryan
| filed in:
Strength Training
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This involves switching up your typical workout pattern, which most likely involves switching up your exercises on chest day. For your first exercise, isolate and target your muscle with an exercise that is specific to one muscle without using many secondary muscles. A good example is dumbbell flys for chest.
After, move on to a broader exercise such as the flat bench press which mainly targets the chest but also uses the triceps. Now your chest is more prone to tiring out before your triceps. Pre-exhaustion is a great way to shock a targeted muscle.... read more
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bench press, pre exhuast, target muscles, shock muscle
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