health sectionhealth section
A kettlebell provides an intense workout for all your major muscle groups. This resistance-training tool was developed more than 300 years ago by Russian strongmen to improve their endurance, strength, balance and flexibility. No longer reserved for strongmen, kettlebells have made their way into most fitness centers. Pick up a bell and try the halo exercise for a heavenly core-strengthening workout with an added upper-body bonus.
Treadmills are among the most popular pieces of exercise equipment in the gym because they are easy to use and help you burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. Before you join the throngs of folks who mount the treadmill for their workout, become familiar with the model you are using. Simply setting the speed and going may actually cheat you of many of the benefits of treadmill running and could set you up for injury.
If you're too busy to make the trek to the gym everyday, a dumbbell routine will provide a practical way to exercise at home, at work or on-the-go. Free weights are portable and relatively inexpensive, making them the perfect fitness equipment for those with hectic schedules. Construct a simple routine and monitor your progress with a chart. The health rewards for regular strength training, such as a dumbbell workout, are substantial and include increased bone density, improved joint flexibility and weight management, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Just because you want to workout your chest doesn't mean that you're going to have to do a lot of bench pressing. Learn about a great chest workout without bench pressing with help from a personal trainer in this free video clip.
As that cute little baby bump begins to grow, you may notice that other areas also start to expand, areas that have nothing to do with your baby. While it is probably inevitable that you'll have to go up at least one pant size, you don't have to completely give in and allow your butt and thighs to grow unopposed. Resistance bands offer a safe and effective way to strengthen and tighten your lower body during pregnancy and keep those trouble areas reigned in.
You know you need the physical activity, but walking or running on the treadmill can be a mind-numbing chore. You can make the time go by faster by occupying your mind and body with different tasks. If you can make logging your miles entertaining, you'll be more likely to stick to your routine.
Flyes and bench presses use different motions -- and usually different equipment -- to accomplish similar tasks. Both exercises strengthen your chest and shoulders, and both work a variety of arm muscles. Additionally, both activities have spawned numerous variations, allowing you to zero in on different parts of your chest. That versatility makes both exercises suitable for bodybuilders as well as for people seeking to strengthen their torsos.
Bench pressing more weight is always a good ego boost, and strength gains on the bench can indicate an increase in muscle size too. The amount you can increase your bench press by depends on a number of different factors, particularly how long you've been training and what type of program you're following. Whatever your level, you should be able to make consistent progress on the bench press each month.
When you change the angle at which you perform a weight-training exercise, you typically shift the exercise’s emphasis. This axiom is true for the bench press, which you can perform using a flat, inclined or declined bench. The standard bench press, performed on a flat bench, is a good overall chest exercise. Using a decline bench moves the exercise’s focus to your lower chest.
Chest exercises for bodybuilding include the classic barbell bench press, among others. Find out about using chest exercises like the barbell bench press for bodybuilding with help from an Army Combat Medic in the 1st Calvary Division in Iraq and personal trainer in this free video clip.
The overhead barbell press targets not only the shoulder muscles, but also the triceps and upper back muscles. This one compound shoulder movement works more muscles in less time than other shoulder exercises, such as the lateral or front raise. How you perform the overhead barbell exercise can determine the future health of your shoulder joints because performing the exercise incorrectly increases your risk of shoulder injury.
Leg raises with a resistance strap are basically a lateral raise with an added squat. Do leg raises with a resistance strap with help from one of Los Angeles' top 20 spin instructors in this free video clip.
You can burn as many calories during an hour of walking uphill as you can during an hour of jogging on a flat surface, and with less strain to your joints. Walking at an incline on a treadmill simulates walking uphill, which increases the intensity of the workout. Incline walking engages your glutes and core more than regular walking does, and there's a natural tendency to engage your lower back as a stabilizer, which helps prevent back pain and injury.
The bench press works your chest, shoulders and triceps and also uses your core, glutes and lower-back muscles as stabilizers. Powerlifters compete in the bench press, but even if you're not a competitive lifter, increasing your bench press can give you a confidence boost, increase your upper-body size and boost your strength for sports performance. You may not always have access to a bench press, or even to weights for every training session though, in which case you'll have to find ways of increasing your bench press without weights.
Lateral exercises with dumbbells require you to grab the dumbbells at your sides. Do lateral exercises with dumbbells with help from an experienced personal trainer in this free video clip.
Chinup bars are great for quick workouts right in your doorway. But sometimes you need to actually close the door, and for that, the bar needs to be removed. There are two styles of doorway-chinup bars. One style hangs down from the top of the doorway, relying on downward force to hold the bar in place. The other style clamps to the sides of the doorway. Both can be removed as needed.
An impressive bench max is as coveted as any one-rep max lift in the gym, as it's one of the best indications of upper-body strength. The fastest means of increasing your bench max is perfecting your technique. Raw lifters often make simple mistakes that cause them to max out with significantly less weight than they have the potential to press. You can dramatically increase your bench max by learning how to position your shoulders on the bench, how to use your back when pressing, where to lower the weight on your chest and where to place your hands on the…
The incline bench press is a chest exercise performed using either a barbell or a pair of dumbbells and an adjustable weight bench. Doing the exercise with proper form ensures maximum muscle development while preventing possible injury to the shoulders or chest. Safety is also important during the press; enlist a partner to spot you, especially if you are using heavy weights.
The purpose of a declined bench press is to focus on your lower pectorals. Find out about the purpose of a declined bench press with help from one of New York’s hottest fitness experts in this free video clip.
The barbell floor press is a centuries-old powerlifting exercise that effectively works out your triceps and chest. Unlike the standard bench press, in which you lift a barbell off your chest while lying flat on a bench, the floor press has you lifting the barbell while on the floor. You can increase your floor press by paying close attention to proper technique.
The best 5 x 5 weightlifting workouts are great for people like mountain climbers. Learn about the best 5 x 5 weightlifting workouts with help from a professional belly dance performer and instructor in this free video clip.
Variability is one of the reasons why weight training is effective for achieving a general level of fitness. You can perform many staple exercises in slightly different ways to achieve slightly different benefits while targeting the same muscles. For example, doing presses with dumbbells on an incline bench works the upper pectorals, the triceps, the deltoids and the trapezius, but using a weighted barbell gives you a different exercise than using dumbbells during the exact same motion. Choosing one over the other depends on your fitness goals and your familiarity with free-weight exercises.
Tibialis Anterior exercises are often completed with the careful use of resistance bands, among other types of tools. Do Tibialis Anterior exercises with resistance bands with help from a qualified fitness professional in this free video clip.
The incline and flat bench dumbbell fly exercises develop muscles in your chest and shoulders. The two exercises share the same technique, but they do vary in how the exercise bench is angled. This difference in bench position makes an impact on the muscles that are worked. Both a flat and an incline bench place a high level of stress on your shoulders, which can lead to a serious injury.
Kettlebell exercises for karate are great for increasing your power, speed and stamina. Find out about kettlebell exercises for karate with help from a fitness minister and certified peak performance coach in this free video clip.
The original 24-hour gym is your body. You have access to bodyweight exercises all day, every day. So the next time you find yourself without access to free weights such as a bench press, do not skip your workout, perform a bodyweight exercise in place of your chest press for equal training benefits.
Even though walking is one of the most basic aerobic exercises, it could nonetheless be an effective workout. Treadmills make it possible to exercise any day of the week, even if the weather outside isn’t cooperating. Thirty minutes of walking on a treadmill every day confers important health benefits and it's an exercise that people of all fitness levels can use to improve their health.
Kettlebells and resistance bands are proven to be effective fitness training tools. Both can be found at most gyms and are available for purchase to have as part of your own home gym. One is not necessarily superior to the other across all forms of exercise. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks that you’ll need to keep in mind when choosing which piece of equipment is best for you.
Deadlifting is often referred to as a total-body or integrated exercise, as it works so many different muscle groups -- your glutes, hamstrings, core, forearms, lower, mid and upper-back. While commonplace in many training routines, some advocate performing deadlifts as part of a back workout, while others recommend performing them on a lower-body day. While either approach is theoretically fine, there are certain factors to consider before deciding whether to train deadlifts with the rest of your back exercises.
Strength is important for successful cycling. In long-distance cycling, strength can help you climb hills better and also help prevent the onset of fatigue. In track cycling, an increased level of strength can help increase your sprinting speed. Despite appearances to the contrary, cycling is not just about leg strength. Climbing and sprinting also involve your upper-body muscles. A well-designed strength-training program can also ensure that any muscle imbalances caused by cycling are addressed.
Dumbbell incline flys work your upper pectoralis major muscles, or pecs, the large muscles that run beneath your collarbones from your sternum to your shoulders. According to certified personal trainer Davey Wavey, incline flys are better for targeting your upper pecs, while flat flys are better for your lower pecs. An incline bench looks like a raised weight bench with a seat, which allows you to both sit down and lie back while performing the movement.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends adults engage in at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise, such as biking, every week. If you boost your intensity to a vigorous level, you’d need at least one hour and 15 minutes of cardiovascular exercise weekly. Biking provides a way to meet your daily cardiovascular exercise requirements, as well as numerous health benefits.
Even without bench presses, you can effectively develop tone in your upper arm muscles with other weight-training exercises. Building tone involves participating in a weight-training program that is designed to build some size in your muscles. Toned muscles are only visible as long as you have a healthy body fat percentage, so calorie-burning activities such as cardio may be needed in addition to your upper arm-toning exercises.
A lot of confusion exists about the differences between wrist straps and wrist wraps. Both surround your wrist, but they perform vastly different functions. Due to their functional differences, one works well on a bench press, and the other, not so much. Using the wrong one gives you no benefit, but it will help you when doing other types of weight-lifting exercises.
Beachbody's P90X home workout program features a variety of cardio and strength-training exercises -- including a ton of pullups. But not everyone has a spot for a chin-up bar at home. Don't worry if that's the situation you find yourself in. Use resistance bands as an alternative and get the same benefits.
Sports such as basketball place large loads on muscles and joints. The jumping, running, reaching and throwing movements of basketball use virtually every muscle in the body. Athletes can use resistance tubes to effectively improve strength, endurance and speed. Incorporate resistance tube exercises into existing strength training routines or use them as part of a separate training regime.
Taking a few quick, 10-minute breaks to complete dumbbell exercises at the office can boost your metabolism, increase your strength and keep your energy levels high throughout the day. A study published in a 2010 edition of “Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise” reports that resistance training can also help prevent weight gain and reduce body fat. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults participate in strength-training exercises involving all major muscle groups at least two times each week. These include your leg, gluteus, abdominal, back, chest, biceps, triceps and shoulder muscles. Aim to complete…
People who lift weights often incorporate the bench press into their routine, as it works many of the upper-body muscles. The focus of this exercise is to increase the size and strength of your pectoral muscles, but it also works your triceps, anterior deltoids and the muscles of your forearm. Your forearms work to keep your wrists stable and your grip tight while you move the barbell.
Kettlebells allow you to perform functional exercises that will help you develop into a better athlete. A kettlebell is a weighted implement that consists of a ball with a handle attached at its top. Kettlebell exercises mimic the joint movements and explosiveness that are often required during sports. By incorporating them into your training, you can see significant improvements in your speed and power.
The mad Russian exercise, also called a seated Russian twist, is an advanced abdominal exercise that works your lower abs, obliques and lower back simultaneously. This exercise uses rotation to activate the muscles of your core, but you can also add a dumbbell or kettlebell for an extra challenge. Get the most out of this exercise and prevent injuries by following correct mad Russian form.
If you're determined to get in better physical shape but don't have the money for a gym membership, don't give up just yet. A pair of 15-pound dumbbells, which you can buy at a sporting goods store or at a garage sale if you're lucky, can be used to do many exercises that target several muscle groups.
A number of exercises are designed to target your chest muscles, or pectorals, from just about every possible angle. Despite the variety of exercises available, there are two broad types of workout: machines and free weights. Each has its pros and cons, depending on your fitness goals and experience level. To determine the type that best fits your situation, consider the muscles worked, the type of machines available to you, and whether you're trying to isolate your pectorals or working toward an overall level of fitness and endurance.
Versatile, lightweight, portable and easy on the wallet, resistance bands allow you to strengthen every muscle group in your body. The ring variety come already formed into a circle, allowing you to perform exercises that require a loop, such as leg raises. Ring bands come in a range of resistance strengths, which allows you to increase the challenge in your workout as you become stronger. Practicing proper form when using resistance bands is essential for maximizing the benefits and helping to avoid injuries.
One of the common misconceptions in weight training is that each exercise demands a full, complete repetition to be effective. This is not the case. Partial repetitions can be extremely effective and are usually necessary for advanced weight trainers to achieve their long-term fitness goals. The key to doing partial reps for a particular exercise is determining how far to go, how long to hold it, and how many partial reps to perform. For a simple move like the bench press, there are a number of ways to achieve better and more consistent gains using partial repetitions.
Kettlebells provide a good workout for people of any age, including seniors, who may do kettlebell routines two to three times each week as part of their overall strength training program. Seniors can benefit from strength training because it increases muscle mass, improves bone health and works the cardiovascular system. Kettlebell exercises will improve their range of motion.
When you're trying to choose a new type of workout to help you keep active, it's important to consider the prospective choices from all angles. Riding an exercise bike and walking are both effective types of exercise that provide a number of benefits. While you can certainly incorporate both in your fitness routine, one might be more suitable for your situation.
Despite its name, the Nike+ Running application can be used equally well for walking as for running. And if you'd rather hit the treadmill than the road, you can use it for that, too, but you'll need to activate the indoor mode before you start. This will turn off the app's GPS feature and utilize your phone's accelerometer.
Dumbbell exercises are a convenient way to gain strength. Using light weights and high repetitions allows you to tone and shape the muscles of the entire body. You can work out with dumbbells at the gym or in the comfort of your own home, making them one of the most versatile exercise tools. With a general knowledge of anatomy and some great isolation exercises, you can quickly gain strength right where you want it.
Beachbody's P90X home-workout program incorporates cardio and resistance training. A lot of the resistance training relies on pullups and chinups. This can present a problem for some people. You may not be able to perform these exercises, or you might just not have room at home for a chinup bar. Whatever the case, you can do P90X using resistance bands as an alternative to using a chinup bar.
Strength-building exercises are essential components to an advanced runner's training regimen. A recent study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness found that running with dumbbells increased a runner's amount of oxygen intake, but did little else in terms of improving strength and performance. A well-rounded dumbbell routine could bridge the gap between improving cardiovascular function and gaining muscular power.
