Archive for August, 2010

Getting a Good Home Workout

Have you ever dug into a muscle or fitness magazine trying to find an awesome home workout routine? Sometimes it can be hard because a lot of the exercises they list are done on the latest and greatest machines that have rolled out of the factory in the last month or two. With a little imagination, you can take any of those workout routines and get a good sweat on at home by making a few little adjustments.

What I frequently hear is that people don’t want to skip over any exercise or anything that may be important to the program. Since they would be working out at home for awhile, they’re not really sure as to what they should do. They would go to a gym but often live a ways out of town and it is definitely a trip to get over to that area.

The good news is that most people that want to work out at home have a bench press or at the very least a stability ball. With that much we are all set to go in modifying our awesome program into a home workout. It just so happens that I know of a few things that you could change so lets look at them.

Modifying a gym based workout program into a home workout is very easy. Mostly because its not so much the “magic” of the movements themselves but proper weight progression as well as the applied effort and scheduled rest that will get you the results.

I am going to assume, like I said above that you have a set of dumbbells and something to lie on. Now if you don’t have a set of dumbbells to do the workout that is o.k, because almost every dumbbell movement ever created can be done with a barbell. For example Dumbbell curls can be turned into barbell curls. What about lateral raises? You could simply do barbell presses because both exercises work the shoulder equally well. In fact, I would actually use the barbell shoulder press over the lateral raises anyway. Compound movements always give you more bang for your buck.

The basic idea in modifying workouts so that they can be done at home is you just have to realize what muscle you are working and sub in something that works the same muscle that you can do at home.

For example, in a typical workout routine you will see something like Machine Rows for the back. What are you supposed to do with that unless you have a couple of thousand dollars to spend on a machine? Simple, it’s a rowing exercise for the back, so you would look for rowing exercises that work that back that you can do at home. In this case since you have a barbell, it would be bent over barbell rows. If its only dumbbells you have then one arm rows it would be. If you had no equipment, you might go for the chin-up hanging off your door instead.

Remember, there are no magic exercises. It’s the effort applied that will get you results.

The same thing goes for any body part but lets look at calf raises for another example. You don’t really need a fancy machine to do these. As a matter of fact, machines rob you from working your stabilizer muscles anyway! Just find a set of stairs and some weight. Your weight could be single leg raises with bodyweight or you may want to use a dumbbell in your hand or a barbell across your back.

Remember, the set of weights you always have with you is your bodyweight. It will always be there for you in a pinch and it the best weight to learn how to move properly.

Triceps pushdowns are another one that people think is mandatory. These can easily be replaced with bench dips, close grip bench presses or close grip pushups. If you start to use your imagination, you could really start to have fun mixing up your exercises like this. You never get bored and you really cannot mess it up, because in the end, as long as you are working the muscle, you’re doing great.

Ray Burton is a an ISSA-certified personal trainer, bodybuilder and author of the best selling Fat to Fit Program. To watch personal training videos and get your free e-course on losing weight and getting in shape, visit:

Free e-course====>Facts About Fitness Course

Ab Workouts Do not Get Rid of Stubborn Belly Fat

Most people are constantly searching for the best ab workouts to lose belly fat or gain six pack abs. They believe that some miracle ab workouts can help them get a flat stomach. While everyone has varying amount of excess body fat in the abdominal region, the best way to burn off extra belly fat continues to elude most.

The truth is ab workouts do NOT get rid of belly fat. They only tone and strengthen the underlying abdominal muscles. The main focus should be on a full body resistance training workout that maximizes your fat burning and metabolism boosting effect.

Doing lots of slow cardio isn’t an effective and efficient way to lose body fat either. It does not create the greatest metabolic or hormonal response. Studies have shown that people who performed cardio-based workout routines lost significantly less body fat compared to people who did mainly resistance training based routines. Some even gained body fat on the cardio-based workouts! What you really need is a complete training program that focuses on training the entire body with resistance training and multi-joint exercises in a higher intensity fashion.

The key secret to losing excess belly fat is a combination of healthy diet and high intensity full body workout. This is much more effective than doing endless crunches, sit ups or leg raises. In fact, abdominal exercises do NOT burn stomach fat.

Don’t even waste your money on ab gadgets, machines or belts… they don’t work either. If you had been suckered into buying any of them, you were ripped off!

I see people giving incorrect advice on ab training in fitness forums. Consequently, many still believe that they have to do hundred reps of ab workouts to lose belly fat or get six-pack abs. Don’t listen to this type of advice!

Nevertheless, a certain amount of ab specific exercises is beneficial when combined with a proper full body workout. Ab exercises help to strengthen and tone abdominal muscles, support a healthy back and improve posture when done correctly. Remember, ab exercises do not reduce belly fat and should only form a very small part of your workouts.

The 2 most important aspects are full body training workouts and a healthy and balanced diet. Many of the full body exercises also indirectly work the abdominals and core due to the stabilization required in some of the more difficult variations.

Abdominal exercises are the least effective way of getting rid of stubborn stomach fat. Learn 5 REAL secrets on how to lose belly fat and get ripped six pack abs that turn heads!

All About Medicine Ball Workouts

The ability to generate strength and fitness is very important component for success in any sports, or even in daily life. In this case some specific workouts like “Medicine balls” are extremely versatile, essential and fun to do. If practiced properly they can throw a dynamic flexibility.


The Medicine balls workouts are suitable for people of any age and they are usually used by professional players who play boxing, football, golf, basket ball… It improves their strength of muscles helping them to avoid injuries. There are exercises that are related to the kind of sport you perform.


The medicine ball is heavy equipment which is of the size of a basket ball or volleyball. It helps you to perform a dynamic or rather an explosive move. There are many forms of Medicine balls workouts which can be performed at home without spending much money.


Workouts using medicine ball involves lifting, throwing, catching the ball (in real force), single hand pushups, both hands pushups, squats, curls, step-ups, wall slides, lateral raises, vertical extensions, abdominal curl, chest push, standing torso twist, triceps extension, medicine ball crunches twists and lots more that improves your core strength.


Medicine Ball exercises are very essential for a person who willing to have six packs abs. The crunches that you perform using medicine ball helps you even more than a normal workout that you do to obtain six packs. I major reason why I say medicine balls workouts are easy because they can be just anywhere even at your home. If you don’t find much time to go to gym and workout for hours together then Medicine Ball workouts are the best.


Remember that doing medicine ball exercises isn’t enough. Along with workouts you also need to concentrate on your diet and nutrition too. Performing rigors exercises for a week and feeding your body with junk food is just non sense. There needs to be a balance in order to completely reap the benefits of a totally harmonized body.


Simple Procedure before Starting a Medicine Ball Program:


1.As I always say warm-ups are very essential before doing any kind of workout. It will be more effective, if you warm-up well before starting your pushups.

2.Make sure you have plenty of space while performing a Medicine Ball Workout.

3.Complete the medicine ball training before performing any heavy aerobic or weight training.

4.Focus on the speed of your movement. It should not be too slow or too fast.

5.Do not choose a ball that is too heavy and that slows down your movement of exercise.


The Medicine ball will definitely help you to improve core strength and provide you with more stability and balance. Regular exercise coupled with nutritious diet is vital components of good health.

Ranju associate editor of 24hr-fitness-workout-guide. You can get more specific with your Medicine Ball Workouts and a whole bunch of fitness workout programs in the 24hr Fitness Workout Guide.

Although an ab workout might seem like the worst possible thing that you could be doing in your precious free time, there is truly no better way for you to get into shape and stay healthy. If you’re not a fitness buff, or if you generally just abhor any form of exercise, you might even try and tempt yourself to try an ab workout on one of the many different types of ab exercise machines which are just lining the sports shops.

Whatever you decide to try out though, doing a proper ab workout is one of the best ways for you to get those well defined abs you often see gracing the covers of fitness magazines and the like. However, one word of caution is necessary. If you are just starting out doing an ab workout, you might want to first get a few things in place beforehand, such as having a routine physical exam carried out.

This is a good precautionary measure to take since doing an ab workout is a strenuous business at best, and you never know whether your present of state of health is geared to handle such a strenuous workout to begin with. And even if you are fit enough to handle a strenuous ab workout from the get-go, you might want to think about starting out fairly simple and then ramping up to the strenuous stuff as your body adjusts to the exercise.

Another thing that you might also want to keep in mind when doing an ab workout, is that you don’t really need to be doing it seven days a week. Just three days a week is fine, every other day so that you are giving your body time to recuperate. And for those of you who are just shouting at me that there are seven days in a week and not six, well, why not take the weekend as a time to relax and catch up on the other things you have going for you?

All this aside, if you really want to get well defined abs, or even if you only want to work your way to a firmer flatter tummy, you will definitely need to complement your ab workout with something along the lines of a healthy diet. There is absolutely no use in sweating your way through an ab workout only to go and eat foods which are bad for you and which will undo all the work you have just put in!

So remember, that although thinking to yourself that an ab workout is what you need is the way to go, you will need to take into consideration other things such as diet and your current level of fitness before you can make the most of your efforts.

Muna wa Wanjiru Has Been Researching and Reporting on Abs for Years. For More Information on Ab Workout, Visit His Site at AB WORKOUT

Susan Powter on Rachael Ray, TV and Weight Loss

Susan Powter blog on why weight loss is a lifestyle issue for women and not just based on emotions

SUB15.COM How to do a wall facing handstand… http

If you plan to have an impressive physique, you need a well-developed shoulder muscles. Massive, wide and thick shoulder muscles will present you that v-tapered look that you want.

Right now the question you might ask is – How can I build massive shoulders quickly?

Building intense looking shoulder muscles is essentially very straightforward and should barely take you a few minutes.

Firstly let’s look at the three muscular regions of the shoulder:
1.    Anterior(front)
2.    Medial (middle)
3.    Posterior (rear).

Next let’s look at the type of exercises that will assist you build shoulder muscles quickly.

There are basically just two exercises that you must focus on since they stimulate all three muscular regions of the shoulders:
1.    The overhead press
2.    The side lateral raise

Another thing is the pick of equipment. Pick dumbbells over barbells. Why?

Easy. Dumbbells don’t allow you to cheat. It gives you an even workout since one arm cannot cheat for the other while you are working to build shoulder muscles. You will also feel the complete stress on your shoulders. Using barbells will essentially transfer some of that stress onto your upper chest.

So how do you carry out these two vital shoulder exercises?

1) Top work out to Build Shoulder Muscles – The Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press
Get yourself a bench with vertical back support and pick up some dumbbells. Press the dumbbells up to the position where your elbows almost lock out, next lower them back down.

2) Top work out to build up Shoulder Width – The Side Lateral Raise
Increasing your shoulder width will yield you a wider upper body. The simple side lateral will assist you to get there. This work out targets the medial head of the shoulder and will build up shoulder width.

Carry your dumbbells with your palms pointing inwards while standing with your knees a little bent. Ensure that your arms are a little bent and raise the dumbbells gradually to shoulder level then lower them back to the starting location gradually.

Remember, if you are trying to attain size and strength in your shoulders, the lateral raise and overhead press are really truly what you need. You can build shoulder muscles without much direct exertion, since whichever upper body work out already puts a strain on the shoulders.

At times less is truly more and too many people do too much effort to build shoulder muscles when you truly just need these two major exercises.

If you can help it, stay away from isolation exercises for the front and rear heads. Why?

Well during chest presses, the front heads already get really stressed while the posterior heads get worked out in the course of rowing actions for the back.
Consequently, stay away from them if you can or reduce on the amount.

The crucial rule when you aim to build shoulder muscles is to focus on quality and not on quantity.

Now check out these uncomplicated, shoulder routine that you can carry out in 10 minutes flat or less:

Shoulder Routine #1- Major Shoulder Exercises
2 sets of 5-7 reps of Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press
1-2 sets of 10-12 reps of Standing Dumbbell Side Laterals
These shoulder exercises are everything you needto help you build shoulder muscles.
But if you insist to carry on with isolation exercises for the anterior and posterior heads, then try the following routine.

Shoulder Routine #2 – Major Shoulder Exercises plus anterior and posterior Heads Isolation Exercise
2 sets of 5-7 reps of Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press
1-2 sets of 10-12 reps of Standing Dumbbell piece Laterals
1 set of 10-12 reps of Standing Front Dumbbell Raise
1 set of 10-12 reps of Seated Rear Lateral Dumbbell Raise

That’s it. Effortless and effective exercises to build shoulder muscles.

Here to your massive shoulders!

Get your free, comprehensive muscle-building package of guides, tools, tips, reports, meal-plans, recipes and more at Free Download Center. Also read through actual consumer comments and complaints of the top muscle building guides at Consumer Muscle Building Product Reports. – Rizal Shaik, Fitness Enthusiast and Webmaster of Muscle Building Site www.Muscles4Idiots.com.

get details lower abs workout six pack abs workout    chest workout      300 abs workout bdominal Exercises Think of the abdomen in three sections; Middle and Upper, Sides and Lower.You need to select appropriate exercises for each section in order to achieve a balanced outcome. There are many exercises to achieve the desired outcomes but what follows is two examples of each Middle and Upper abs development Cable crunches and abdominal sit ups. Cable crunches basically involve kneeling down and pulling a weighted cable in a downwards direction. The weight can be increased over time. You could rig up your own weight and pully system or use good home gym equipment. Abdominal sit ups involve lying on the back with knees bent and hands behind the head or next to the ears. You then begin a sit up but stop about a third of the way into the process. The mid-section needs to be kept taught during the process. Repeat the exercises, maybe up to 10 at a time if you can manage, working up to 4 or five sets, or whatever feels comfortable for you.

Sides Barbell side bends and fingers-to-heel. For barbell side bends, stand upright and with legs apart and place a light barbell across the back of your shoulders so the bar touches the back of your neck. Tighten your abs, bend sideways, straighten up, bend the other way and repeat. For the fingers-to-heel exercise, lie on your back – an exercise mat is most comfortable – bend your knees and straighten your arms palm-side down. The aim is to touch your left heel with the fingers of your left hand and then do the same for the right. You will have to raise your head and shoulders a little to do this and then do as many repetitions as you can. Take a rest and repeat.

Lower abs development Exercise ball abdominal pulls and hand-leg ab crunches For the exercise ball ab pulls you need to lie on the floor face down and then place your feet on the exercise ball. Raise yourself up as though you are about to take part in a barrow race. Pull your knees towards your chest and the ball will support the weight of your legs. Push the ball back and repeat the process. For hand-leg ab crunches, lie on your back with your arms stretched above the head and the backs of your hands touching the floor. Keeping your limbs as straight as possible raise your left leg at the same time as your left arm and touch your leg. Repeat this on the right side. Once you adapt to the exercise you can use hand weights to increase resistance.

Buy The Kit

Barbells

Exercise Mats

Exercise Balls

Home Gym

Fitness Equipment

Getting in Shape After Surgery – Abdominal Muscle Workouts

* Ab Myth No. 3: You Have to Do High Repetitions of Ab Exercises to See Progr…

* How to Reduce Belly Fat – Do ab exercises in moderation to reduce abdominal…

* Ab Exercise Obsession – When Ab Exercise Goes Too Far

* Bodybuilding Training – ABSculpting 101, Part 1

author is renowned Internet Marketing Experts
is provided free in internet

author is renowned Internet Marketing Experts
is provided free in internet

This video is from ShapeFit.com’s weight training workouts video series. The video provides different exercises to target specific muscle groups so you can gain lean muscle mass and increase strength levels.

Copyright (c) 2008 Nancy Rishworth

How to Add Longevity and Good Health with Strength Training

Every health magazine or exercise facility touts the benefits of a strength training program. But you may be unaware of why strength training is important or the benefits one receives from strength training exercises. As the name implies, strength training keeps your muscles strong.

Many Americans don’t get sufficient exercise. Strength training is an important part of exercise that helps keep our bodies strong and vital. You’ll realize the following benefits by adding strength training exercises to your routine:

- Reduce risk of disease
- Strength training exercises help prevent the onset of cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, some forms of cancer, obesity and problematic lower back injuries.
- Builds immunity
- Strength training prevents disease and improves your immune system. With strength training you’ll have fewer colds and incidents of flu.
- Builds strong bones
- Osteoporosis (soft and brittle bones) is a disease that affects both men and women as they age. Weight bearing exercises such as strength training, increases strength and bone density. Even if you’ve already lost some bone density, strength training will increase some of your bone loss.
- Changes body shape
- Strength training exercises have an impressive affect on body shape and your appearance.

Consistent strength training helps you lose body fat by building muscle mass. With more muscle mass, your metabolism is more efficient, you burn more calories and more body fat. It results in a leaner, trimmer body shape. It’s easy to add strength training exercises to your exercise routine.

Any exercise that uses resistance to contract your muscles is considered a strength building exercise. As an example, exercises such as push-ups or squats use gravity and your own body weight to begin muscle contractions. Repeating the exercises will over time resulting in increased muscle mass. Using free weights, such as dumb bells, is a great way to add strength training to your routine. Simple arm curls using weight adds resistance training, which builds muscles. You can even also use weights when performing exercises such as squats, to make them more challenging.

When you decide to add strength training to your regime, it’s important to take it nice and easy. Many people make the mistake of using too much weight, performing too many repetitions of the exercise, or not stretching properly before or after exercising. When you take a slow approach you prevent injury or strain and gain sleek, strong muscles. Strength training adds great flexibility and good health into your life.

Nancy Rishworth, grew up dancing and became a qualified Aerobics and Fitness & Personal Trainer. She is also a qualified Naturopath having studied various healing modalities through healthy eating, herbal remedies, vitamins, massage & exercise. Her Flexibilty Plus Workout Program improves flexibility, strength and overall health. For nutritional info and other core strength and cardio exercise tips and guidelines go to www.FlexibilityPlus.com

 Page 1 of 15  1  2  3  4  5 » ...  Last »