Category : Article
The dumbbell tricep extension is going to help build strength in your upper body. It will help in balancing the strength between your two arms.
The one arm dumbbell tricep extension will work one arm at a time. Choice a dumbbell that has the proper weight on it for you, then find a bench with back support. Sit on the bench with your back flat against the support. Place one leg on each side of the bench with your feet flat on the ground.
Once your back is flush and your feet are flat lift the dumbbell in the air. Then move your arm up in the air until it is straight up and down. Turn your wrist so it is pointed toward the wall in front of you. Your pinkie will be on top of the dumbbell towards the ceiling. Relax your other hand going straight down your side. You are now in the starting position for the dumbbell tricep extension.
While inhaling, lower the dumbbell behind your head only using the forearm. Bend your elbow as you lower the weight behind your head. As you are lowering the weight start turning your wrist so it is facing your head. Your elbow will be pointing at the wall across from you while your pinkie will be on top of the dumbbell towards the ceiling. Tighten your tricep for a second then start exhaling. While flexing your tricep pull the weight up and come back to the starting position. Complete the required repetitions then put the dumbbell in your other hand and repeat the steps.
The lying dumbbell tricep extension will build upper body strength also. You will need two dumbbells with weights on them that you can handle with ease. With the weights in hand sit on the bench and place your feet flat on the floor. Carefully lay back on the bench so your back is flat.
Slowly raise the dumbbells in the air until your arms are straight and in a 90 degree angle. The palms of your hands should be facing each other. This is going to be your starting position.
While inhaling, start lowering the dumbbells down to your ears. Bend your arms at your elbows and keep your upper arm straight. When the dumbbells have almost touched your ears then start exhaling. While exhaling bring the weights back up to the starting position. Make sure to complete the required amount of repetitions.
If you have any problems with your elbows then you might not want to proceed with this exercise. Since you are only using your forearms and triceps the exercise could put some unnecessary pressure on your elbows. Whenever you work with dumbbells you do not want more weight then you can handle with ease. If your weights are too heavy then you will not be able to control them. By not controlling the weights properly you could hurt your elbows rather badly. Do not over exceed your limits when you are working with the dumbbells.
When it comes to working out most people envision gyms and having to use all types of exercise equipment. This is absolutely not true! It is possible to get a great workout in just by performing some simple but effective moves. All of which require nothing more than the use of an exercise mat.
Circuit training is very popular and is the perfect way to get a full body workout in over a short time period. Doing quick sets of different movements allows you to exercise all your different muscles groups.
When starting any exercise you want to spend the first five minutes warming up. This can be done by doing some arm circles, some jumping jacks and a few knee bends. Once you have this completed you can start on your circuit training routine.
The ideal circuit training routine will focus on one exercise for the abdominal area, one for the lower body, one upper body movement that pushes and one for the upper body that requires you to pull. Each set of movements should ideally be repeated ten times in each circuit. The number of circuits that you complete will depend upon your physical condition. At first you may only be able to perform one circuit. That’s fine just work up to adding in another one when you can.
Sample Routine
First 5 or 10 minutes spent walking, doing arm circles and jumping jacks
Push Ups or Chair Dips x 10
Squats, Lunges or Walking x 10
Sit Ups or Leg Raises x 10
Inverted Rows or Pull Ups x 10
If you require a break in between circuits you can continue walking in place until you catch your breath and then start another circuit.
Perform a cool down that includes walking to allow your heart rate to come back to normal. Then perform some leg and arm stretches along with deep breathing exercises.
During your circuit training routine take the time to sip on water to prevent your body from becoming dehydrated. If you feel shaky afterwards this is a sign that your body requires some food so snack on something like a banana or other piece of fruit.
To make your routine fun you can aim to start at 10 reps of each exercise per circuit then on the next circuit decrease the number to 8, the next to 6 and so on until you reach 0. Doing this really makes the time go faster and allows you to perform more reps than you thought possible.
The things that you can do for your health, exercise, reduce size and just plain feel great are much simpler than you might think. Getting out on the road and going for a brisk walk doesn’t take a great amount of your time. You will gain some health benefits and an increase in your confidence as you lose weight and reduce your dress size.
So what can you do for your health? Exercise, reduce size, and eat a well balanced diet are the beginnings to living a long and healthy life. Not only will you look and feel better, but the benefit to your confidence is one that will carry you through even the most difficult times of your routine. Watching the numbers on the scale move down and your clothes starting to fit better and looser, you will begin to enjoy your new lifestyle and love what it is doing for your health.
One of the most critical decisions that you will ever make is the decision to improve your health. Exercise, reduce size and focusing on the health benefits of your new lifestyle will give you the longer and happier life that you always wanted. You will begin to see an improvement in your energy almost immediately from your decision to include exercise and a well balanced diet in your life.
Many of the diseases that plague a number of people such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and many others can be successfully controlled with a few lifestyle changes that will have you feeling better in an amazingly short period of time. Just start off small with a simple walk and watch how quickly your body responds positively to that little bit of exercise.
When it is time to improve your health, exercise, reduce size and eliminate chronic illnesses, you should consider the type of exercise that you most enjoy doing. This is the way that many people have found to keep exercise a consistent practice in their daily life. For instance, if you love dancing, use it to your advantage and dance for exercise.
Making these changes in your life is a sure way to help you look and feel younger for a much longer period of time than any cosmetic surgery can provide. Exercise can improve your health, skin, muscle tone and appearance. Take some time to explore all of the benefits of including exercise in your life every day for more benefits than you ever thought possible.
For your health, reduce size and gain your confidence along with your well balanced lifestyle. You will be amazed at what a few lifestyle changes can do for your life. When your clothes start to feel better and you gain your confidence once again, the improvement to your life will be limitless. Confidence is key in many areas of your life and just living a healthy life with diet and exercise has the power to give all of that to you. Find an exercise that you enjoy and participate every day.
While you are working your back it is also important that you focus on your lower back as well. Your muscles work on a lever and pulley system, so it is important to make sure that you get all of your muscles strengthened, as it will help to ward off muscle problems and postural conditions. The stiff leg dead-lift, also known as the Romanian dead-lift, will work your legs, especially the hamstrings, as well as your lower back.
In order to do a stiff leg dead lift, you will need to have a bar and weights. The common misconception with many people is that this is a body building exercise and people who just want to tone tend to stay away from this. However, this exercise can be done at any weight level, including just the bar. It can help to give you the rounded and toned butt that you want.
How to do the stiff leg dead-lift
1. With the bar on the floor, stand directly in the center of the bar with your body straight and your feet about hip width apart and your knees slightly bent so that you do not harm yourself.
2. Then bend at the hips and grab the bar, making sure that you stay straight and do not bend anything more than your torso forward at the hips. When you grab the bar you will want to make sure that your arms are shoulder width apart and you are holding the bar so that your palms are facing the ground.
3. Lift the bar to about hip level
4. Lower the bar back down, almost to the ground, but do not set it back down
5. Continue lifting the bar and lowering it until you have completed all of the reps in the set and then set the bar back on the ground
Tips for getting the best results with the stiff leg dead-lift
Just as with every other exercise, it is important to breathe. The easiest way to do this with this exercise is to inhale on your way down to grab the bar and exhale while you are lifting the bar.
It is also very important that you keep your eyes focused in front of you while you are doing this. You need to keep your back straight in order to keep from injuring yourself and if you look down at the floor, you will bend your back and you will find that you will end up getting hurt
You will also want to keep your arms slightly bent while you are doing this exercise as this will also help to keep you from hurting your arms
Make sure to keep your shoulders straight and do not let them round forward as this will take away from the full effect of the exercise
While you are lowering the bar to the floor, make sure your weight is in your hells and not in the balls of your feet
Are you trying to lose weight pounds? While some people only want to lose 5-10 pounds for a specific purpose, if you have more than 50 lbs. to shed, you need to consider more dramatic weight loss strategies. You are not going to lose weight pounds overnight. Instead, try a balanced approach to losing the weight over time.
Aim to lose weight pounds at a rate of 1-2 lbs. per week. But, don’t dive right in. Instead, spend a week planning your diet.
First of all, weigh yourself. You will also want to keep a journal of everything you eat each day for a week. Include portion sizes. Also note any activity including working out, heavy house or lawn work, and sporting events or active play with children. Don’t do anything out of the ordinary during this week. Specifically, don’t decrease your normal calorie load or alter your normal foods. Also, don’t try to do anything different with your activity levels.
The reason you start with this is that you want to develop a baseline for lose weight pounds. When you see what you are actually doing, you can plan a strategy for change.
Go back through your food journal at the end of the week. Calculate how many calories you ate each day. Calculate how many calories you burned each day. Then weigh yourself at the end of the week. Have you gone up, down or stayed the same?
Now, you can begin the substitutions. If you gained a pound, you will have to burn an extra 3500 calories each week just to stay even. If you want to lose 2 pounds, you will have to burn an extra 7000 calories.
Here are some simple substitutions:
- Eat only two servings of red meat per week. Substitute chicken or fish for all other meat meals.
- Consider substituting legumes (beans) for some protein sources.
- Add salads and vegetables to your meals. You should have one or the other at lunch and both at dinner.
- Add a broth based soup to your dinner. Eaten before the meal, it will help you fill up faster.
- Eat breakfast every day. People who eat breakfast lose more weight and lose weight faster than those who don’t. Great diet breakfasts include oatmeal and yogurt based fruit smoothies.
You should also add exercise to your lose weight pounds program. Don’t think that this requires you to join a fancy gym. Fire the maid and do your housework yourself. A 180 pound woman who cleans the house for an hour will burn 250 calories. And, more vigorous cleaning such as 20 minutes of scrubbing your floors on your hands and knees burns over 100 calories. Even playing with your kids can help you lose weight. 30 minutes of vigorous play can burn off 200 calories.
So, if you are trying to lose weight pounds and you have 50 or more lbs. to go, consider doing a week of baseline monitoring followed by making a food lifestyle change. Also, try to increase the amount of physical activity you get in your life.
While the triceps are warmed up it is now time to learn about the weighted bench dips. Your body will definitely benefit from doing these. It is going to help build up the strength in your triceps along with working many other body parts as well. Along the front and back of your body the shoulders, chest, middle back, neck, lats and traps are all going to get worked out along with your triceps. Not only will the exercise build strength but, it will help burn off the fat quickly.
If you do not have a lot of upper body strength yet, the weighted bench dips will help build it quickly. This exercise is going to require two benches. There will be one placed in front of you and one behind you. Squat down a little and place your hands on the bench behind you. Place your hands so they are aligned with your shoulders. Straighten your arms out and carefully lift your feet up on the bench in front of you. With your feet on the bench you now want to cross your ankles. Your bottom foot will be resting on the heel of your shoe.
The feet crossed at the ankles and your arms fully extended straight up and down are known as the starting position. Slowly start bending your elbows and lowering your body toward the floor. Make sure while you are lowering your body you are inhaling. You do not want to lower your body to far down. Your elbows will be pointing at the wall behind you. When your elbows are pointing you will have your arms in a little less then a 90 degree angle.
Now you are going to exhale and start lifting your body back up. Lift up until your arms are straight up and down again. You will continue doing these motions until you have completed the recommended repetitions.
After some time of doing the weighted bench dips your strength is going to build up. At some point it will fell like your body weight is just not enough of a challenge to you anymore. You are now ready to go a step farther with this exercise.
You will need a partner to help you out with this step. When you are in the starting position have your partner get a flat weight. They are going to place the weight on your lap. Once the weight is in place you are now ready to start doing your weighted bench dips. Do not put more weight on your lap then you can comfortable handle at once. If the weight starts to slide do not panic. Your partner will see it moving and will put the weight back in your lap.
Your triceps are burning as you have gone through the first two exercises. The burning means you are working the muscles correctly. Do not stop yet though. You are going to push the triceps even harder with the dumbbell tricep extension.
Posted in Article on April 29, 2012
Are washboard abs your dream? Do you want a flat, firm stomach? This article will examine how to lose your belly fat.
You need to realize that your belly is the first area where you will see large amounts of fat accumulate and it is the last area where you will lose it. That’s why you will sometimes see otherwise fit people with a little bit of a pouch. Even people who go to the gym regularly and mostly eat right can be concerned with their stomachs because every mistake is written there. How to lose your belly fat starts with the concept that you’ve got to be in pretty good shape to start with.
If you are 50 pounds over weight, you shouldn’t be concerned with how to lose your belly fat right now. Your present concern is losing the extra weight. A general combination of diet and cardio and strength training exercises is what you want to focus on.
If you are at your ideal weight or weigh 5 pounds more, then you can start worrying about how to lose your belly fat. At this point, you have a good chance of really tackling the problem.
Most people advocate sit ups or crunches to take off this last little bit. Indeed, sometimes “belly fat” isn’t fat at all but untoned muscles.
If you do have belly fat, a step up from sit ups and crunches is using a stability ball. Scientists at Sacramento State University in California took muscle fiber samples from people who regularly did crunches and people who regularly used a stability ball and found that the ball users had twice the muscle fiber. This $30 piece of equipment that you can buy at a sporting goods store is well worth the investment.
Next, consider exercises that bring your legs level to or above your waist. Many people have found that kickboxing is an excellent activity to give them flat stomachs. Not only are you getting a great cardio workout with kickboxing, but you are also moving your legs above your waist line. This is important, because it works out the muscles in your lower belly.
Dancing is also an activity that can help you get the perfect stomach. All kinds of dancing are good, but (and this one is mostly for the ladies), belly dancing specifically targets the muscles in that region. Join a belly dancing class at the local community center or just get video tapes that show you how to do it.
Don’t rely solely on cardio type activities though. You need to be building your muscle mass. Remember that muscle burns fat and when you have more muscle, you are burning fat all day long not just when you work out.
Many people focus on their stomachs as a sore point when they are really overweight all over. For them, I say “get in shape.” Only then will you lose the belly fat.
But, if you are fit, losing the tummy can be the result of doing specific exercises that target the problem area.
And, that’s how to lose your belly fat.
Posted in Article on April 28, 2012
For any dieter that keeps up to date on the numerous types of diets on the market, the numbers are astounding. It seems next to impossible to know the right diet to use or which one is healthy without any health risk factors.
The following is a partial list of what some people claim to be “The Popular Diet”
I. Many options include apple cider vinegar that is an old fashion weight loss remedy claiming to have many benefits including dieting issues.
II. Monavie is a juice that uses the acai berry, which is the newest craze for weight loss.
III. Slim Quick is a traditional herbal diet aid.
IV. Benefiber is a fiber supplement that claims to help with weight loss.
V. Lindora is a clinical based and monitored program used primarily for treating obesity.
VI. Lisinopril is a drug originally intended to regulate and lower heart attack risks but is used for dieting.
VII. Banital is a combination of nutrition, detox, and diet supplement.
VIII. The Atkins Diet promises weight loss when reducing the carb intake.
IX. The LA Weight Loss is centered on fitness centers in the Los Angeles area.
X. Alli Diet Pill is widely sold for weight loss in major department stores across the nation.
XI. AbGone is an herbal supplement that claims weight loss as a result for users.
XII. Complete 500 is a GNC supplement focusing on weight loss through bodybuilding.
XIII. Abdominal Cuts is a muscle-building supplement versus weight loss.
XIV. Decaslim is an appetite suppressant that helps with the hunger and food cravings.
XV. Chromim Picolinate is supposedly helpful for regulating the insulin levels.
XVI. Xenadrine is an herbal supplement for weight loss.
The top weight loss for 2009 is Avesil for controlling weight. It is the most researched diet method based on clinical research based on a peer-review. Unlike other diets, Avesil is based on clinical studies and proof of the results. It has a higher rate, nearly three times higher, than other healthy diets with exercise.
People using Avesil claim the diet aid provides realistic results. It is safe and effective for weight loss when used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise. It does not claim weight loss without exercise as many current diets do.
Avesil promises to deliver a healthy, reasonable, and substantial weight loss for a risk-free trial period. This attracts many to use the product. Many feel the product will provide the results they are seeking based on the clinical research and results from prior dieters.
It is a safe and effective weight loss regimen for anyone seeking to lose weight effectively without any health related factors that many other diets have. When a person diets, they want to know they will have results without any health complications, Avesil offers everything many seek for their dieting means. It seems to be the best option for losing weight and is becoming a fast means used by many people.
You should always check with your physician prior to using any weight loss product.
Posted in Article on April 21, 2012
Diets are a craze that never seems to slow down. There has always been one new diet after another with the promises of losing weight quickly with the newly formulated plan. Some work and some do not. There are pills, drinks, and meals to lose weight. Women have always been concerned about their diet and even more are obsessed with the weight loss aspect of the diet. Many want a fast solution to their weight issues.
The fact remains that for any diet to work a person needs to change how they approach food. By this it is meant, how is food consumed? How is food prepared? For a diet to really work, a person needs to change how they cook their food, how they eat their food, and how they use their food. Many people have unhealthy eating habits so they have gained weight. They need to change their eating habits to lose weight and to keep it off.
Learning to change the eating habits is only half of the dieting system. The other half is implementing exercise. Yet this article is about the right diet of foods for extended weight loss. So keep in mind this is only the first half of the weight loss solution.
There are foods that need to be removed from the diet in order to lose weight and to maintain a healthy weight. The food that fried should be avoided as much as possible, the added fats in the food are stored in the body and turned to fat when you do not burn the additives.
Eating foods high in protein such as whey, lean beef, chicken, tuna, turkey, salmon, and eggs help with weight loss when added to the diet. The fatty acids in the fish are beneficial for a healthy diet including stronger bones, teeth, nails, and hair.
Remove dairy products that are high in fat content. Try to replace the fattening foods with a low fat dairy product to limit the consumption of the fat in the dairy products. This also includes limiting the intake of the high fat snacks, which add pounds and inches.
Add essential fatty acids foods that include nuts, seeds, and flax oil to your diet. They are great sources of the essential fatty acids that are needed by the body to function properly. Eat the nuts and seeds as a snack instead of the chips or other unhealthy snacks.
Add water to your diet. You should consume at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. The water helps to hydrate the body and to flush out harmful toxins. Water will also help to make you feel fuller and eat less too.
Add a good quality multi-vitamin to your daily diet. The vitamins will help your body with the essential nutrients your normal diet does not contain.
Changing your eating habits to a healthier diet will help you lose weight and maintain the desired weight you want to have.
Posted in Article on April 20, 2012
If you travel a lot then it can be difficult to fit in an exercise routine. If you are on a business trip you are most likely working long days and don’t want to visit the hotel gym. It may be more convenient to go for a swim or do some simple exercises in your hotel room.
Hotel rooms are famous for having large telephone directories, so why not take advantage of this! Simply use these large books as a weight and do some repetitions with them. You could even balance the book on your lower legs while doing some leg raises. Or how about sitting on a chair with the phone book between your knees and squeezing to stop the book from falling!
The phone book can be used to lift up and over your head and even to hold while doing side twists with your body. You could get very creative with just this one item!
See, there are some simple ways to keep fit when travelling that don’t involve the hotel gym. Another very simple solution is to simply take the stairs as much as possible during the day. By doing this you won’t even need to do a separate workout after dinner.
If your business trip is leaving you feeling stressed out then go for a nice evening stroll after dinner. This gets you away from the hustle and bustle of the hotel and allows you time to regroup. Walking any time is a great de-stressor.
Your bed can be used to do push ups against and a sturdy chair will allow you to perform knee bends and squats. Even sitting on the edge of the bed and performing shadowing boxing movements is a good workout in itself. This is also ideal if you are dealing with any type of lower body injury.
Lunges, calf raises, leg raises, arm circles, side leg lifts, sit ups, push ups and walking on the spot can all be done in a hotel room. You could also pack resistance bands in your suitcase and use these for resistance exercises while away.
Even though it is hard on your body to travel, whether you are away on business or on vacation there really isn’t any need to forgo your exercise routine. Most hotels have some type of exercise room and many today have a pool. Don’t forget there is always those dreaded stairs to help you burn off those extra calories you may have consumed during your visit.
