Weights for a Stronger Body

The best way to build a stronger body is with the use of weights. This can be with free weights such as dumbbells and barbells, weight machines, or a combination of the two. Many purists believe that the only way to do weight training correctly is with free weights as they bring into play all the other muscles required to control and balance the movement of the weights. It is correct that more muscles are required to lift free weights due to the fact that more control is required but the development of weight machines in recent years has been such that they can also offer benefits that free weights can't give. By eliminating the factor of control from specific movements it is possible to lift heavier weights and this in turn can stimulate more growth in the muscle. In addition to this is the fact that many machines are designed to maintain pressure on the muscles throughout the full range of the movement. Free weights, on the other hand, generally have the least effect on muscle growth at the top and bottom of any movement. To explain this better we will use the example of the arm curl where a barbell is curled up from a position resting against the thighs to the chest using the bicep muscles. When the barbell is at the top or the bottom of the movement there is no resistance on the muscle where as with a machine with the correct design elements there can be maximum tension even at those parts of the movement. Cables and weight stacks will allow this to happen and due to this, you can expect to get additional benefits that aren't possible with free weights. Obviously a combination of both free weights and weight machines will deliver the optimum results in the least time.

Cardio Machines

Cardio machines are excellent for people who are unable to get outside to exercise. Most cardio machines are compact and easily portable and can be unobtrusively used in any room of the house. They will allow you to train at any time of the day or night and you will not be dictated to by the weather or gym opening hours. This is particularly important if you live in a cold or wet climate and training in winter is impossible outdoors. There are many different cardio machines on the market and as there are machines in all price ranges there is bound to be something to suit most people. Cardio machines are also very good for people who are recovering from injury as they will help to maintain fitness while ensuring that the muscles and limb movement are maintained in a controlled range eliminating the possibility of more injury. Fortunately with the advent of the Internet there are a lot more brands on the market and the competitiveness of the industry has seen prices become a lot more reasonable. There is also the added benefit of not needing to pay gym fees if you decide to do all your fitness training at home on a cardio machine. The saving alone could pay for the machine many times over. For elderly people cardio machines are excellent for fitness and the health of their lungs and heart. Likewise children can benefit from the use of a cardio machine in the safety of their own home. If you are considering buying a cardio machine do some shopping around, as there are many options and many opportunities to save considerable money by buying online. It is always best to invest in quality machines as, not only do they last longer, but they are generally designed better to give you a more complete workout.

Strengthening Your Heart With Exercise

With the incidence of heart disease on the increase, more people are turning to fitness training to help reduce their chances of problems later in life. Apart from eating the right foods, there is nothing quite like fitness training to help us maintain a healthy heart. Exercise of the body increases the heart rate and in doing so exercises the heart. If you have had heart problems or your family has a history of heart problems then it is always wise to consult your family doctor before undertaking a fitness-training program. There might be specific exercises that they will recommend you do to help any condition you might have. You can get heart monitors relatively cheaply and these are a good way to keep a track of your heart rate and see that you are not over-taxing yourself. A heart rate monitor will allow you to train at the optimum intensity for your requirements. There are many different types of heart monitors and a corresponding range of prices. There are heart monitors for specific purposes too where they have additional features to give you some idea of the calories that you might be burning when you exercise. They can be worn on your wrist or around the chest and some of them are built into home gym equipment such as bikes, treadmills and elliptical trainers where the grips you hold on the equipment relate your heart information to a screen that you can observe while training. The monitors that are strapped around your chest are generally the most accurate and they usually come with a watch like attachment that displays your heart rate reading. The premium machines offer all types of data that can help you customize your training to your needs and it will be easier for you to track your progress and improve your health and fitness.

Good Nutrition

Nutrition is a study in itself and there is far more than could ever be covered in this course. There are however some nutrition basics that will help you to get better results from your training. Many people are against taking supplements, but fitness training does place additional demands on our body and sometimes this can only be addressed by taking good supplements. There are many different brands of supplements on the market and these have been developed due to the growth of the fitness industry and the fact that more people are concerned about their health. Eating the right food will go a long way to supplying us with the nutrition that we need however even the best foods can't always supply us with the requirements of our busy lives. One of the main food items (if it can be called that) that needs to be eliminated from our diets wherever possible is sugar. Sugar will add nothing to your health and can do a whole lot of damage and cause problems such as diabetes to occur even for those people who are following good fitness training regimes. You will need a level of quality complex carbohydrates to give you the energy to do your fitness training and also protein to help your muscles to recover and grow stronger. These can be supplied through the foods we eat or by buying quality protein powders and nutritional supplements designed for people who train. Recovery times can be shortened by supplements and taking supplements can enhance improvements in many aspects of fitness. Good nutrition is probably the most important aspect of any fitness-training program, as it will ensure you are getting the maximum benefit from the work that you are putting in to your health. It can be quite costly but the rewards can be quite impressive too. Technorati : fitness, food, good, nutrition, supplement, training

Stretching

Many people don't take the time to stretch their muscles before and after exercise and then they wonder why they are getting injured all the time. It only takes minutes to stretch your muscles and by doing so you will pump more blood into the area that needs it thereby reducing the chance of injury. Considering the time it takes to recover from injury and the loss of valuable fitness training, stretching is something that should never be left out of any training routine. It is just as important to stretch whether you are on a resistance-training program or simply going for a walk. Many different muscles are activated with the various types of exercise we do and it is essential to target those muscles when stretching. If you are intending to do a heavy weight session on the lower body then you would need to warm up your leg muscles with some time on a stationary bike and then possibly touching your toes to limber up your lower back and hamstrings. If you are going for a run, you would also need to stretch your legs, and in particular your hamstrings, where many runners have problems. Tight hamstrings can also create problems with your lower back so often the problem is coming from an area other than where the pain is felt. Stretching should always be light and never forced as that alone can cause more injury than some of the exercises we perform. You should never bounce when stretching either as this can tear muscles or strain them enough that they will tear during the course of training. If you are doing resistance training it is wise to start the first movement of any exercise with little or no weight to get the blood into your muscles and warm them up for the heavier weights that are to follow.

Some Common Fitness Injuries

Some of the most common injuries occur to those parts of the body that are also the hardest to repair. Many people who are using resistance training as their preferred form of fitness, will injure their shoulders or lower back more often than other parts of the body. The shoulders are quite susceptible to injury as they are activated with many different exercises and some of these exercises such as the bench press can involve the use of substantial weight. It is imperative that you do sufficient warm up exercises for your shoulders before you even start to lift the lightest of weights. Shoulder injuries can take a very long time to mend and as they are used in so many exercises it will stop or hinder you from doing most upper body workouts. Using weight machines can reduce the incidence of injury as the movement is controlled but you will be missing out in the strengthening the occurs will all the other muscles that are used for balance and control when using free weights such as dumbbells and barbells. As you age it could be more beneficial to move from free weights to weight machines as we become more susceptible to injury as we age. The lower back is another area of concern for many people both with resistance training and aerobic training. Some of the mass building exercises such as squats can place big loads on the lower back and unless you are performing the exercises with the correct movements you will always be exposed to the risk of injury. This is where a professional fitness trainer can help to ensure you are doing the exercises correctly. Strengthening the abdominal muscles will help to support your lower back and this will also help to reduce the chance of injury to your back.

Mike Torchia Fitness Tips

Steering Clear Of A Fitness Injury

It is important to stay injury free as any injury can make you incapacitated for long periods of time and they can reoccur at later times disrupting your training. Rather than trying to lift too much weight at the gym and risk injury, it would be better to reduce the weight and do more repetitions of the same exercise. Stretching your muscles before a workout or other form or exercise such as a run or a walk will help to reduce the chance of injury. It is always wise to check with your doctor before starting any exercise program if you have any doubts about any aspect of your health. If you have had prior injuries to any parts of your body you might need to 'work around' these when planning your training program to ensure they aren't aggravated and cause you to miss valuable training time. With weight training you can, under some circumstances, still train parts of your body if you have injured other areas, but it is often difficult as resistance training usually involves the whole of the body. Training with machines might be an option. With walking and running it is obvious that damage to your legs will quickly put an end to your training so stretching your legs before and after exercise, particularly your hamstrings will help to eliminate problems. If you do suffer an injury, you will need to determine whether it is wise to continue training, albeit with less intensity, or to rest completely until the injury has recovered completely. Sometimes light exercise can help with recovery whereas other times it can delay your recovery and often make the problem worse. It is times like this that professional advice from your doctor or fitness trainer will be invaluable. You should never be training to the extent that you are susceptible to injury as injuries can reoccur throughout your life once a muscle, tendon or ligament has been damaged.

Eating the Right Foods

Eating well is as important as the exercises you do each day. It is not going to be very beneficial to your health if you have a diet of foods high in sugar and fat. While the exercise will help you to achieve better health, the food you eat can do more harm than many people realize. It is the fuel for your body and to eat the wrong food is like filling a petrol car with diesel. You need energy to do your workouts and you need food to help your body to recover from those workouts. Along with a fitness program it is wise to include good eating into your lifestyle. This doesn't mean that you need to give up all the foods that you love to eat, but it does mean that you should be eating the correct foods most of the time. We all have times when we feel like eating some fast foods or something that isn't high on the nutritional ladder but the basic foundation of our diet needs to be good food that can add to the quality of our health. If most of your exercise is cardio work then you will need more carbohydrates to give you the energy to get through the workouts. If on the other hand you are doing a lot of resistance training and trying to build muscle then you will eat more protein foods as these are the building blocks that help your muscles to build bigger and stronger after they have been broken down by strenuous weight training. The food you eat before and after your exercise can have a huge effect on the benefits that you will get from your training. You can't expect to perform well at the gym if you have just finished a three-course meal, just as it would be difficult to go for a run after having too much to drink. Doing so could actually endanger you where the body could become overloaded and stressed by having to deal with digestion and exercise.

The Benefits of Good Health

There is nothing quite like enjoying the benefits of good health. A good fitness program, along with regular sound sleep and good nutrition will ensure you get more out of life. You will feel stronger and happier and be able to do more activities no matter what age you might be. Fitness will reduce the effects of ageing and allow you to participate in sports and recreation that might not be possible for someone with lower levels of fitness. Having greater levels of fitness will reduce the incidence of injury and also reduce the chances of illness. There are so many benefits that can affect all aspects of your life that maintaining your fitness is essential. Even if you are unfortunate enough to suffer some form of injury or illness, your fitness levels will help you to recover faster and get back to full health. The older you get the more important it is to keep your fitness levels up as we become inclined as we get older to reduce our physical activity. A fit person will always live longer if all else is equal and apart from that, they will get more enjoyment out of life as everything will be all the easier to do. Good health is something that we should all be investing in. The investment you make in your health will pay dividends later in life that no amount of money can achieve. It is particularly important as we grow older that we have the strength to maintain our balance and remain as independent as possible for as long as we can. One walk two or three times a week might not seem like a lot now but accumulating over the years it will help to strengthen your bones and build a healthier and stronger heart and better lungs.

Do You Need a Personal Fitness Trainer?

If you are unsure what to do, or maybe need someone to motivate you, it might be time to consider hiring a trainer. A personal trainer can give you attention that you wouldn't get with your membership from a gym. Personal attention will ensure that you follow through and perform all the exercises that are set for your fitness program. In addition to the motivational factors of having a fitness trainer, they will also be able to determine if you are performing any exercises incorrectly. If you have your own home gym they can work with you to devise a program that is best suited to your body type and the improvements that you want to make. Knowing that the trainer will turn up at a certain time each week will also ensure that you are ready for a workout and more likely to continue with any program that you have started. To find the best trainer in your area you should try to get recommendations from others as this will be the only way you will know whether they will be worthwhile investing your money in their instruction. You can always hire them on a short-term basis until you are satisfied that they are right for you. Many trainers have their own equipment, but having your own equipment will allow you to train at times when they aren't around using the instruction you learn from your sessions with them. You might only need them short term to learn what you need to know and ensure you are doing the exercises correctly and then you can continue under your own motivation. You can always call them back from time to time to go over the program and make adjustments based on your progress. As with anything in life, having an experienced teacher can reduce the time it takes to reach your goals considerably.

Planning Your Fitness Program

You need to establish a plan of attack for your training regime. Unless you know what you are going to do next, you are liable to start floundering around and miss workouts or worse still, give up altogether. The best way to decide on a training process is to prepare a program that is not only designed to achieve the results that you are after, but also to fit in with your lifestyle. If you devise a fitness program that is complimentary to your lifestyle then you are more likely to continue doing it and getting the benefits that you require. If you work particular hours at a job, then you need to know that you will have the free time to exercise without it encroaching on other aspects of your life. Once something becomes difficult to maintain, it is unlikely that you will continue to do it for any length of time. While you might like to have a gym membership and workout for 2 hours every day, that might not be possible with your other commitments and rather than doing nothing at all you can still benefit from something more convenient that you can do regularly. You might only have the time for a half hour walk every second day and that is OK because you are still getting exercise and it is adding to the quality of your life. Any exercise is better than none at all. To get the best out of your exercise, whether it is walking or lifting weights it is a good idea to record your progress. Mark down each time you trained and what results you got from it. Time your walks and see if you can do the same walk in less time or walk further in the same time. Record how much weight you are lifting at the gym and how many repetitions you can achieve and then see if you can better those marks when you return. Constant improvement no matter how small can lead to major changes over the course of a year.

The Benefits of Resistance Training

People of all ages can get substantial benefits from including resistance training into their exercise regime. Even elderly people can find noticeable improvements in their health. By adding resistance training their muscles will become stronger and this will help them with balance, which becomes all-important as they age. By becoming stronger elderly people also become more independent as they will be less likely to rely on others. Research has also shown that resistance training improves bone density and this is an important aspect of good health for people of all ages. Bones are constantly 'growing' as with all parts of the body, however this process slows down as we age. Resistance training helps to address this ageing process by maintaining good bone density. Post-menopausal women are particularly prone to problems relating to bone density as their hormones change and they can benefit considerably from resistance training. Along with proper nutrition, resistance training is one of the most effective methods of reducing fat. And along with fat reduction you can expect a leaner body. Muscle burns fat so any program that increases your muscle mass will help to burn the fat. You are effectively burning fat to feed the muscles. Research has also proven that resistance training has many other beneficial effects for your health from lowering blood pressure and lowering your heart rate while at rest. This will obviously reduce the risk of heart disease quite considerably. The additional strength that can be gained from resistance training serves to help anyone lead a more active lifestyle. With the added benefits of strength, fat loss, balance and the ability to slow the ageing process, there is nothing quite like it to help you live longer and be happier along the way. It doesn't need to be something that rules your life, as even a little bit of training will benefit you, however, doing it consistently will result in a better return for the time you invest in your health.

Getting Started With Physical Fitness Training

One of the hardest parts of any physical fitness training program is getting started. It is so easy to just sit around doing nothing and it takes some degree of motivation to get started exercising. Many people find that joining a gym gives them the motivation they need to get started and follow through with regular workouts. The reality is that most of the people who join gyms never complete their membership. Gyms actually base their costing on the fact that the majority of people will never use their membership regularly. Why is this so? There are many reasons why people don't exercise regularly and that can range from inconvenience to boredom. When you are deciding what to do to lift your level of fitness it is wise to honestly think about your personality and where your strengths and weaknesses lie. If you are a person who can motivate yourself then a home gym might be the best solution as it will offer the convenience of allowing you to train whenever you like and you won't need others to motivate you. If, on the other hand, you find it difficult to motivate yourself then a membership at a gym might be a better solution. Paying for the membership might be all that is needed to ensure that you will attend classes and often we can get motivated by those around us and challenge ourselves to improve and compete with others in the gym. Alternatively, you might be a person who prefers to go for a run or a walk rather than lift weights. No matter what you are capable of doing, there is only one action that you need to take however small that might be initially and that it to get started with some form of fitness training sooner rather than later. Fitness will add to your overall well-being and the more exercise you do the fitter you will become and the more likely you will be to continue with a fitness program. There is never a better time to get started than right now.