Ask The Fitness Dude » fitness

Great Abs Take Hard Work

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:05:58 +0000

Tired of being called overweight, porky, plus size, or obese? Then stop being a couch potato and exercise. An exercise is movement you make on your body at greater effort as compared to your activities of daily living. Exercising targets to maintain optimum physical health and over all well being. Also it remains to be the most effective, healthiest, and safest way to lose weight.

The abdominal region is one of the areas of the body to accumulate most fats. Especially as a person gets older the body tends to store more fats in this area. If you are afraid to have that big stomach, then exercise now.

Abdominal workouts help to prevent injury by improving your core. It also improves abdominal wall muscles strength and with continuous workout a flat stomach may be achieved. A lot of abdominal workouts have been formulated like sit-ups, bicycle crunch, captain’s chair, and exercise ball. All of these exercise techniques are effective and promise good results especially when done properly. Although it can be done at home; it is best advised that before performing the routines, consultation with a physician and personal health trainer is done. By doing such injuries and possible complications can be avoided.

Targeting the body you want is never easy but as long as you have the perseverance and determination you can achieve it. Sacrifice and hard work will lead to good results. Say goodbye to flab, and say hello to abs.

Funny Motivational Picture

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:41:49 +0000

I love this picture! Even though he is out of shape, he probably blocked pretty well. It is true for many people though, many people do fitness wrong. That is why so many people get frustrated and give up. If you learn the correct way to workout and have the correct nutrition plan, then you will see success. Ask the fitness dude a question, so you can find out how to do fitness correctly.

Funny Workout Picture

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:06:57 +0000

I thought It might be fun to post some humorous fitness related pictures up once in awhile. So here is there first one! I thought it was funny, it definitely has some truth to it too. Many people believe they do not have enough time in their schedules to workout, but the fact is…they don’t want to find time.

Flexibility: Things You Need To Know

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:43:23 +0000

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

Psychological Benefits of Exercise

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:01:18 +0000

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

What is Plyometric Training?

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:27:02 +0000

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.

Does the P90x Workout Work?

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:12:05 +0000

Lately I have been hearing a lot about this P90x workout also mistakenly known as the Px90 workout; apparently it says P90x will get you ripped in 90 days. As always, I am more on the skeptic side of things when it comes to workouts that “promise” results, but I thought I would give the P90x workout system a fair review.

First let me layout the basics on what the P90x workout system is all about.

Tony Horton is the man behind the P90x system. P90x is a 90 day home workout program that focuses on a whole body workout. There are three phases; each phase is one month long. There are also three different ways you can chose to do the P90x workout system. There is the Lean program, which focuses on cardio, there is the Classic program, which is the most popular, and there is the Doubles program, which has you do two workouts a day.

The P90x workout prides itself on “muscle confusion,” which is said to be why P90x works so well. Each phase specializes on changing the way your muscles are worked out, so your muscles do not get familiar with the workout and experience a workout plateau.

There are 12 P90x workouts:

Chest and Back
Plyometrics
Ab Ripper X
Shoulders and Arms
Yoga X
Back and Biceps
Kenpo X
X Stretch
Core Synergistics
Cardio X
Chest, Shoulders and Triceps

Each workout is anywhere between 45 and 90 minutes long, except for the Ab Ripper X workout, which is about 15 minutes long.

P90x comes with a nutrition guide that matches up with the three workout phases, and it is suggested that you have dumbbells, resistance bands, and a chin up bar. There are many other products that compliment the P90x workout. P90x has multi-vitamins, protein bars, a muscle recovery drink, and its very own designed chin up bar.

So here is my take on Tony Horton’s P90x Workout

The P90x workout system is primarily a muscle building program, not a weight loss program. Now just because it is a muscle building program, that does not mean that P90x is going to bulk you up. You have the option on building lean muscle mass or heavy muscle mass. If you are a person who does not work out often and is obese or overweight, this program is probably not for you. P90x is mainly for people who have little fat to lose. P90x is specialized for people who want to bust through their workout plateau, so they can achieve those six pack and a toned body.

I actually do like the P90x workout system and I believe that it will work; it is matched well with a great nutrition guide that you can actually live by and that will fuel your body through the workouts. My only drawback to the P90x workout system is that it might take longer than 90 days, three months just isn’t that long.

Overall, I like the workouts that P90x provides and that it focuses on muscle confusion. There are some great body resistance workouts, stretching workouts, and cardio workouts. I would suggest doing a little more cardio to maximize your results.

You should definitely consult your doctor before chosing to do the P90x Program, also do the P90x Fit test.

Correct Running Form: Lower Body

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:12:59 +0000

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.

Outdoor Workouts: Hiking

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:22:26 +0000

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.

Slendertone Ab Belt

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:33:29 +0000

I cannot believe I am actually writing about this “muscle building” product, but I actually had a person ask me about the Slendertone Ab Belt the other day. So I thought for the sake of my friend and for the sake of others, I should write about this so-called piece of workout equipment.

So you have probably seen the infomercials of the Slendertone Ab Belt and it probably looks to good to be true. Well…it is! The Slendertone Ab Belt is a complete scam, and any other ab belts that promise you six pack abs are also scams. It would be nice to live in a world that we can sit around on our butts, watch TV and lose fat by putting on the Slendertone Ab Belt, but unfortunately we do not live in such a world. Instead we live in a world where people get taken advantage of in there desperate state to lose weight.

I really do wish the Slendertone Ab belt or any other Ab belt toner worked, it would give a lot of people an easy option to shed off some unwanted pounds, but the fact is that it does not work. They have no research to back up their Slendertone Ab Belt product. If you read the fine print it says that, matched with exercise and a nutrition plan you can see results. Well of course you are going to see results!! Exercise and a healthy nutrition plan will help you lose weight.

Let me tell you what does work with Electric Stimulation…

When I was younger, I tore my knee up pretty bad. I was not able to walk on my leg for three weeks, in that three weeks my quad muscle pretty much disappeared. I was able to touch my right hand fingers to my left hand fingers when I gripped around my thigh. When I began physical therapy, the therapists started hooking the muscles around my knee up to an electric muscle stimulation device. This got my curiosity going, I asked my physical therapists if the Ab belt toners actually worked, because they were using it on my knee. He said no, not at all! He went on to say that the only way electric muscle stimulation works is to give an inactive muscle the help to start usage again. Which is the reason physical therapist use electric stimulation, because they deal with people who have been injured and have inactive muscles.

The only thing that the Slendertone Ab belt and other Ab belt toners are good for is irritating the skin. You will not get six pack abs or burn tons of fat because of the Slendertone Ab Belt.