Archive for January 23rd, 2009
If You Want Low Cost Exercise Ideas - Think About Using Bodyweight Exercises
by firmbodies.com on Jan.23, 2009, under Exercise, Health and Fitness
Bodyweight Exercises could be the next big thing. With the shakey economy, looking for ways to save a few bucks is a common refrain these days. If you are health conscious, but you’re not sure you can justify a gym membership again this year, you need options.
Some of you are blessed enough to have home gyms or to live in complexes with gyms. That’s a great alternative to the signing up for the gym and you can easily build yourself a program to get the same results as you would at a commercial facility. But what if you live in a small space or just hate the look of exercise equipment in your home? No problemo. All that is needed to get in exactly the shape you want is the weight of your own body.
Exercise using only body weight {has been around for centuries} in organized training systems. From the Pahlavani tradition of wrestlers in Iran, to the incredibly strong practitioners of traditional Indian yoga to today’s modern gymnasts, there is a lengthy track record of building superb physiques with nothing but bodyweight training and a handful of simple training equipment.
But these amazing bodies were not fasioned with boring repetition of the same old exercises. The exercises found in these ancient training systems are in and of themselves things of beauty. The boundaries to the ways you can move the body are almost without end, and your imagination is the only thing holding you back.
So if the thought of untold numbers of push ups and sit ups leads you to despair, don’t worry. There are so many options of exercises using only body weight that you can work into training programs for any goal. Whatever your goal, all you need is the weight of your own body, some guidance on which bodyweight exercises are most efficient, some inventiveness and some hard work.
A great place to look for ideas is YouTube. Do a search for bodyweight exercise and dig in. Make sure you find clips from Scott Sonnon, founder of the Circular Strength Training system (CST), and Adam Steer, CST Head Coach. Both have some great tutorials of interesting exercises that you can do anywhere. If you want to skip the YouTube search you can take a look at the Squidoo Lens dedicated to body weight exercises for the road warrior. There you’ll find a few different videos. Follow those to their YouTube source and you’ll find countless bodyweight-only exercise treasures.
You’re also able to grab a free tutorial of one of the best bodyweight exercise options around, the Quad Squat, by signing up for the free gift package from the Better Is Better blog. The Quad Squat is a perfect entry point and will give you many ideas so you’ll be coming up with your own exercise variations in no time.
Lastly, you can look to models of equipment free movement for inspiration. You can watch gymnasts, tumblers and dancers to get inspiration for bodyweight routines. Most times, what they are doing is way beyond what you may be able to do yourself, but by breaking down the movements into digestible bits we can invent some pretty interesting and effective variations to include in our fitness plan.
No excuses. I predict this cheap and effective form of working out will turn out to be the next big thing this year. You owe it to yourself to give bodyweight exercise a try. Not only could you make significant savings on your gym membership, but you may even find that you end up being in the best shape of your life when 2010 rolls around.
Physical Fitness Plan: Getting Physical
by firmbodies.com on Jan.23, 2009, under Exercise, Health and Fitness
There are a number of options available to an individual who is trying to lose weight or simply wants to be in better physical shape. Two of those major components that will help to achieve these goals are to commit to a healthy diet and carry out a physical fitness plan.
In regards to diet it is important for the individual to plan a strategy that best matches what they're trying to achieve. For example, if the individual wants to lose weight it is important to burn fewer calories than what is eaten.This can be accomplished by reducing the consumption of sugar or empty calories.
Additionally, if considering a physical fitness plan it is important to map out a strategy.That strategy should include what the individual is trying to accomplish and any budget limitations to make this strategy successful.
The first thing that an individual wants to do when considering a physical fitness plan is to set goals on what they wish to accomplish. Some of those goals may include the loss of weight, toning up one's muscles, increasing stamina or just working towards a healthy body.
Therefore, in order to meet those goals it is important to select the right physical fitness plan.For example if an individual wants to increase muscle tone or add muscle to their body then an excellent physical fitness plan would include the use of weights.
Weightlifting is a tried and proven exercise program that utilizes weights that when combined with set exercises help to strengthen certain muscles of the body. Therefore, if an individual wants to increase the size of their biceps they would use weights in a curling fashion where the movement is concentrates on the biceps located in the upper arm.
Additionally, if an individual wants to lose weight a good physical fitness plan would incorporate the use of exercises that burn excessive amounts of calories.One of those types of exercises is swimming. This exercise of swimming coupled with a reduction in the intake of calories will help an individual to reduce their body weight.
Budget Limitations
In addition, when starting any fitness training program it is important to keep in mind any financial limitations that the individual may have. For example if an individual wants to use a fully equipped gym they may want to consider membership at a health spot. However, if the individual has financial limitations, the cost of membership may be a hindrance in being a member of the private gym.
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Considerations For Physical Fitness Training
by firmbodies.com on Jan.23, 2009, under Exercise, Health and Fitness
If an individual wants to lose weight there are a number of things that that person must do. First and foremost they must expend more calories than they eat on any given day. This is a simple statement of fact in that if one eats more calories than they are burning than this will add to their weight problem.In addition, in order to lose weight, a decrease in caloric intake must be accompanied by a physical fitness training program that will help not only burning excess calories but helped tone the muscles of the body.
Therefore, is considering a physical fitness training program there are a number of considerations to take into account.Two of those specific considerations include any budget restraints and committing to a program that matches the individual's current physical fitness level.
There are many physical fitness training programs that an individual can consider. Generally, there are many factors that can be considered to help the individual choose the right program.
The most important consideration is what the individual wishes to achieve. For example, they may want to lose weight, add muscle, increase their energy level, etc.
Therefore, if an individual wants to lose weight they may want to consider an activity that burns a large amount of calories. Two of those activities include bicycling and swimming.
In addition, to exercising, there may be other activities that need to be combined with the physical fitness training program. One of those activities is diet.Therefore, if wishing to lose weight it is important to combine an exercise that burns considerable calories while decreasing the intake of calories eaten. In addition, the diet that should be considered in the above scenario should be low in the consumption of empty calories and sweets.
Matching a Training Program with One's Physical Condition
When considering a physical fitness training program it is important to undertake a program that matches one's physical condition. For example a senior physical fitness program should moderate program and one that is not too strenuous.This is important especially if the senior has had little or no activity up to this point.
Examples of a starting physical fitness training program for a senior would be a moderate to minimal walking program. In addition, it is important not to overdo the program initially, but workup to a comfortable distance walked on a daily basis.This will ensure that the senior doesn't hurt themselves.
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