Hope you have a great year! 2010 will be a great year for your fitness goals! The Holiday season is finally over.
TRX: Chest Press
TweetSharePin It The TRX Chest press is one of the best ways to build upper body strength. This is a very simple exercise to set up, but depending on youRead More →
TRX Rip Trainer: Total Body Workout
TweetSharePin It The TRX Rip Trainer is a unique, but very fun way to workout. If you are looking for a change, then the TRX Rip Trainer is definitely somethingRead More →
TRX: Atomic Push Up Challenge
TweetSharePin It April is TRX Month on Ask The Fitness Dude!! Here is the TRX workout of the day…The TRX Atomic Push Up. The Atomic push up was the workoutRead More →
TRX Suspension Training
TweetSharePin It For the Ask The Fitness Dude site, the Month of April is all about TRX. I wanted to write an in-depth article about a few things revolving aroundRead More →
TRX: Squat Row
TweetSharePin It The TRX Squat Row is a single leg/single arm workout. Which means, you will be holding the TRX straps with one arm, and that you will be performingRead More →
Archive for Exercise – Page 2
I know I mention this quite a bit in my posts, but I am a firm believer that Interval Training is the way to go! Do not get me wrong I still love continuous and long distance training, but nothing gets the body pumping like interval training does. Interval training increases your metabolic rate more than continuous training does. Lets take a look into the two styles of working out.
Now, athletes use both continuous workouts and interval workouts in their training and so should you, but most the time for the average Joe, interval training gets put off to the side. Which is unfortunate because interval training will help you get fit faster. Both workouts will help increase your aerobic capacity, meaning… the ability to transport and use oxygen. Continuous training usually involves long distance running for a certain distance or time without taking breaks, while interval training involves high intensity bursts with short times of rest.
Studies have been done! Check this out! Australian scientists have done a comparison study on both interval and over-distance-workouts. Both workouts were done with the same average metabolic load. They found that interval training produced the highest levels of peak oxygen consumption, they also came to the conclusion that interval training was a more powerful stimulus for increasing aerobic fitness. Canadian studies found that interval training exercises built high levels of fitness quickly. (Journal of Science and Medicine in Sports 11: 287-290, 2008; Journal of Applied Physiology 98: 1985-1990, 2005)
So the reason I am so crazy about interval training is because it works! There is one drawback…Interval training can also be viewed as more unpleasant than you normal workout, but it is still worth it.
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So what is the deal with flexibility? Why is flexibility important? Before we get into why flexibility is important, lets take a look into the factors that makes one flexible.
Have you ever heard of the term “range of motion about a joint?” Well this is a common term used to define the amount of movement that can be completed at a joint, a joint being a knee or a shoulder. However far your movement is in these joint areas determines your flexibility. There are many factors that determines a persons flexibility, including the structure of the joint, muscle tendon attachments, body temperature, pregnancy, and gender. Your age can be a definite factor in your flexibility too.
Obviously, child years and adolescent years will see the most increase in flexibility and is the best time to develop a habit of stretching in a persons life. As you reach your mid 20′s and the aging process starts to speed up, you will notice a decrease in flexibility. The reason this happens is because your body’s connective tissue and extensibility goes through some major changes. As we get older, we tend to lean more to the inactive side of life. Sure we might exercise and lift weights, but our flexibility gets thrown to the side, and as we develop more muscle our flexibility can also decrease. It is important to perform full motion exercises so that our connective tissue can be protected from becoming less resilient and shorter. We need to make sure that we stretch our major muscles groups’ everyday, especially when we start to age.
Some of the areas to stretch are listed below and can assist in keeping the body flexible throughout your lifetime:
Arm Stretches
Upper Trapezius
Anterior Shoulder
Posterior Shoulder
Tricep
Hip/Lower Body Stretches
Abductor
Hip Flexor
Quadriceps
Hamstring
Calf
Soleus
Torso
Low Back
Outer Hip Rotator
Thoracic and Lumber
Torso
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Categories : Exercise
Tags : aging, Exercise, fitness, flexable, flexibility, Health, joints, knee, knee ligaments, range of motion, stretching, stretching exercises, tendons
If you are tired of your workout routine, and if you have hit a workout plateau where you have stopped seeing results. You need to start interval training. Interval training will give a whole new dimension to your workout routine, it will bring excitement and will help you bust through that workout plateau.
Interval training will help you get faster results, and will help you burn calories far after the workout is done with. Interval training is the answer you have been looking for. So how do you start your own interval training circuit? Where do you start a interval training circuit.
You can start an interval training system on a treadmill at the gym, but it is not always the safest choice. The best place and the safest place to begin a interval training circuit is outside on a field or a park.
Here is an example of an interval training circuit that you can use as a guide.
Warm Up for 5 minutes
After warming up, do about 4 minutes of stretching, focus on hamstrings, quads, calves, hip flexors, and make sure to breath through out the stretching and relax.
Interval Circuit:
Interval 1 – 30-second; 90-second rest period
Interval 2 – 30-second; 90-second rest period
Interval 3 – 30-second; 90-second rest period
Interval 4 – 30-second; 90-second rest period
Interval 5 – 30-second; 90-second rest period
Interval 6 – 30-second; 90-second rest period
Interval 7 – 30-second; 90-second rest period
Interval 8 – 30-second
It might become necessary to only have 60 second rest periods if 90 seconds feels to long. After the interval circuit is over, make sure to do 2 minutes of cool down and then another 2 minutes of stretching. The whole workout is just under 30 minutes long. After doing this interval workout a few times a week, you will start to see some great results.
We have all done it…we decide we want to start a “life changing” workout routine, and then a few weeks into our workout routines we get bored. I get calls all the time about people struggling with staying motivated in their workouts. They started off great, they were even enjoying how their body felt after the workouts, but eventually everyone comes to a crossroad with their workout routine. It is at that moment many people choose to get off the workout path, and give up, and one of the big reasons people choose that path is because they are bored. People lack desire, and it usually has nothing to do with their abilities to workout, but their lack of determination. Boredom takes a lot of people out, so how can we overcome that strong feeling of boredom. Well, here are some tips to help you revive and re-motivate your workout routine.
Find a workout partner – It can sometimes be very difficult to workout alone, working out as a group or with another person will help you express yourself and help you enjoy your workout with friends. Make sure that you choose people who will motivate you, because some people can actually drag you away from working out, if they are not serious about it. Plus, your friends might have different ideas about how they workout, which can bring new variety to your workouts.- Push yourself more – Now, it is important that you do this safely. But sometimes we need that extra push to give us the satisfaction of working out. Start adding exercises that use your own body resistance, this will build lean muscle mass and it will challenge you to do more and more.
- Try new workouts – This might be the most obvious idea, if you are bored with your workout, then try switching it up. Do workouts that seem fun to you. I always like seeing what other people are doing; many times when I see people doing a certain workout it looks fun, so I will try it myself.
- Don’t fool yourself – Many people think they are going to shed weight like crazy, and get ripped in the first few weeks of working out, but that is just not the case. Train your mind to think long term, in fact, tell your mind that you are going to be active for the rest of your life. Get rid of those false perceptions of quick results, a nice and healthy body takes lots of hard work.
There is no guarantee that you will not get bored, but you have to find it in yourself to push on and always be able to learn new things and push yourself to new goals. Hopefully these tips can help you bust through those boring times.
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Okay…so we all know how exercise benefits our physical bodies. We know that exercise is good for our lungs, heart, and our overall physical health. There are plenty of studies and evidence what exercise can do for the physical body, but there are few studies that have been done to see what type of effects exercise has on the psychological. How does exercise affect your anxiety disorders, depression, and other moods?
Most studies that have been performed on how exercise effects the psychological have been mostly done with aerobic exercising (cycling, running, etc.). But recent studies have been more focused on how non-aerobic exercise (yoga, Pilates, weight training) can help you psychological functioning.
A new study has been determined by the National Institutes of Health, they state: “The majority of studies have found beneficial effects of exercise on psychosocial functioning. Exercise can help reduce depression and anxiety, as well as give individuals an improved sense of well-being.” 1. Although there have been few studies, it is amazing to think of all the benefits your body gets when you exercise, both physically and psychologically.
Exercise can be used as a step in the treatment for some depression and anxiety. It is still to early to tell if exercise can help people who suffer with a more severe depression. Always listen to your doctors when dealing with depression, all though exercise can help, do not think it trumps anything your doctor has prescribed to you.
But if you are feeling a little sad, if you are singing the blues, exercise can help to get you out of that crazy funk. Just exercising 3 times a week can help you physically and psychologically, whether it is aerobic or non-aerobic.
1. Psychological Benefits of Exercise, S. Tziporah Cohen, BA and Alan M. Jacobson, M.D., The Health Professionals Guide to Diabetes and Exercise
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I wanted to take a quick look into plyometric training so I could let people know about this affective way to workout. Plyometric training has been around for awhile, since the 1970′s. It’s only now that people are really starting to catch on to this form of working out. Plyometric training could also be called jump training, it has been used strongly in the athletic world, especially basketball, football, and volleyball.
Plyometrics is focused on training people to be faster and stronger. Plyometrics will benefit you in helping you to run faster, jump higher, hit harder, and throw farther. So if you are a person looking for an edge in sports, then plyometrics is a workout you definitely want to start including in your weekly workout routines.
Pick a day where you can do some plyometric exercises, and make sure you try to push yourself further every time you do the routine. With Plyometrics training you will help your muscular system, tendons, and nervous system. You will learn how to react quickly with power, giving you that edge over your opponent.
So whether you are a dynamite professional athlete, or an average Joe athlete, plyometrics can help you excel in your sport.
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This is part two of the Correct Running Form article, the first article focused on the importance of having correct running form with your upper body, this article will focus on the lower half of your body. Again, it is important to have correct running form to help you prevent injury and to get the most out of your running workout. You want to make sure that you do not cheat yourself in any way.
We have already hit on the form for your head, shoulders, torso, and arms. Now we will focus on your hips, legs, and feet.
We will begin by talking about the hips, have you ever heard the little song, “It’s all in the hips, it’s all in the hips.” Well…it is. Your hips are a key component to a good running posture. The hips are your center of gravity; your hips make sure that your body is properly balanced so you can prevent injury. Your torso and your hips work together as a unit, if your torso is straight your hips will be upright, if your torso is bent forward then your hips will be tilted forward. You want to make sure that your hips are not tilted forward but are in an upright position. If your hips are tilted forward you can put unwanted stress on your lower back.
Now lets talk about the part of the body that actually propels you forward…your legs. Lets face it, you could not run if you had no legs. There is a difference between sprinting and endurance running. If you are sprinting, you will want to lift your knees up higher for maximum power, but we are focusing on endurance running. With endurance it is not necessary to bring your knees up as high as would if you were sprinting, you simply could not keep that pace for a long endurance run. You do not want a long stride, nor do you want a very short stride, but you want to make sure that you feel comfortable in your stride. It is better to be on the shorter side of stride, than the longer side. You will save energy and will protect your knees better.
Last but not least, you will need proper running form in your feet/ankles. You do not want to run flat footed, and you want to make sure that you do not pound your feet on the ground. You want to land right in between your heel and your arch, then roll forward to the ball of your feet. You want to make sure that you you land lightly on your feet and that your ankle is flexed as you roll forward and push off. You definitely want a spring in your step. Make sure that you get a good running shoe that fits your foot properly; this can make all the difference.
So now that you know the proper running form for your whole body, go out and start running with the assurance that you are getting the most out of your running workout.
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I remember the first time I went hiking, I was around 7 years old and my whole family decided to go on a hiking trip. It was one of the most terrible experiences of my life, we woke up before daylight, we carried heavy backpacks, I became tired pretty fast, and a bee stung me. It was the last time our family went on a hiking trip together. Why am I telling you this story? Because now, I absolutely love hiking! Many people have had bad experiences from childhood hiking excursions, and if you are one of those people, maybe you should give it another try…you might actually enjoy it.
Hiking is a great way to get in some exercise, plus provide you with a great hobby. There are many different hikes you can go on, so even if you are just a beginner there are many hikes that you can chose from. Hiking will build muscle and endurance; your lungs will become stronger the more you hike. The other benefit from hiking is gaining mental toughness. It is easy to turn around and go back down the mountain, but if you keep on press up, you will not only accomplish a goal, it will also get mentally easier the more you do it.
If you want to burn more calories when you are hiking, get a pair of trekking poles. You will burn more calories because you are using your whole body to hike up the mountain. And even though you are burning more calories with trekking poles, you will actually be saving energy. That extra energy will help push you to the top.
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Categories : Exercise
Tags : Exercise, fitness, Health, hiking, hobbies, hobby, outdoor exercises, outdoor workouts, trekking poles
So it is that time of year again!! Halloween was just the beginning, now comes all the Thanksgiving Parties, the Christmas Parties, and too top it all off The New Year Parties. It is the Holiday Season, and if you are not equipped with an eating game plan you are going to get blind sided by about 5 to 8 pounds of extra weight. 5-8 pounds is how much weight people usually pack on during this time of the season. That is why you need a game plan to help you through this glutenous season.
Lets face it, parties and family gatherings are fun…well at least parties are. But when you mix fun with delicious food, then you have a recipe for a weight loss disaster. So you need to switch up your game plan a little bit, most the year you are probably focusing on how to lose weight, but during the holiday season you need to focus on how to not gain weight. Weight management! The holidays are way to fun to dismiss, and it will only cause you frustration and disappointment if you decide not to eat these delicious foods. You main goal should be to keep your weight stable through these times.
Don’t get me wrong, if you are strong enough to get through the holiday season and still lose weight, then go for it!! But the average person usually throws all their discipline away during the holiday season, and binges on eggnog, turkey, mash potatoes, and pie. I am trying to give the average person a new way to look at things, a strategy to their Holiday Eating.
Here are a few Holiday Eating tips:
- Continue to workout. Okay, so the first tip has nothing to do with eating, but this is very important, you need to stay active during this time of the season. Resist the urge to go into hibernation.
- Don’t Starve Yourself. What I mean by these is…do not starve yourself before you go to a party or a family dinner. Make sure to eat little snacks before you arrive to the party to help curb your cravings. Eating small snacks can help you from cutting loose.
- Portions. Eat rational portions, you do not need to fill your plate up so full it needs a wide load sign to get through the crowd. Your stomach is not meant to eat that much food.
- Eat Slowly. Allow your body to know it has eaten food. So many times we inhale the first plate of food, and then after the second or third serving our bodies finally catch up, and we feel terrible. Eating slowly will help your body know when it is full and when you need to stop eating.
- Know The Consequences. You know that 5 to 8 pounds you have been working to get off all year, well if you gain it all back, you will have to lose it all over again the next year. It is a terrible cycle to get in.
Hopefully these Holiday Eating Tips can prevent you from gaining weight during the holiday season.
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Copyright © 2012 All Rights Reserved