Article Orange » Exercise

How to get a V-shaped back

Aaron Dorksen — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 23:22:18 +0000

A V-Shaped back. Many men who are into fitness want to get one and many women who like to look at guys enjoy seeing one. Few things stand out more on a male’s physique than the combination of broad shoulders, a thick back and narrow waist. Unless guys are blessed with super genetics, a V-back doesn’t come easy.

Here are some exercises to achieve the body building trifecta:

Shoulders and back – There are several must-have exercises to power up the shoulders and power out the lats. Many of them work both at the same time.

* Pull-ups – Do sets of 8-10 pull-ups. If you can’t do them by yourself use an assisted pull-up machine that’s available for home gyms or should be found at health clubs.

* Lat pulldowns – Do 3 sets of 10 lat pulldowns in front to get a good stretch and build muscle.

* Bent over rows – Use the Olympic bar or perform rows one at a time with dumbbells.

* Lateral and front raises – Use lighter weighs and perfect form to work the smaller stabilizing muscles of the shoulder.

* Around the world – A real good total “V” workout that will engage the core is Around the World, where you take a weight plate (usually 25 or 45) and while standing nearly straight rotate it around your head for reps. Then reverse the motion and go the other way.

* Dumbbell overhead presses – Perform 3 sets of 10 overhead presses, increasing the weight with each set to build strength and power.

* Standings dumbbell shrugs – To complete your workout perform shrugs to build up the neck muscles.

Waist – To trim up the waist do high intensity interval training for 30 minutes 2-4 times a week. You can mix up your training and vary it from treadmill, to elliptical, to jumping rope and cycling. Interval training means to push your exertion to upper limits for 4-6 minutes at a time, then back off for 1-2 minutes and repeat the process. It’s better than just slogging along at an easy pace for the full 30 minutes.

* Abs – Add in ab workouts as well, such as The Plank or ab crunches on an exercise ball.

A V-shaped back won’t come easy but it can be achieved with hard, consistent work. A good diet will also play a key role as it well not only help keep inches off your waist, but provide nutrients to pack on muscle.

Good luck training, if you need help finding a home gym we recommend At Home Fitness.

Great Eight fitness ideas for women

Aaron Dorksen — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 23:35:47 +0000

I hear from some women that they get bored with their workouts because it
becomes monotonous. With busy lives that women lead it can be hard to even
find time to exercise, much less find creative ways to stay in shape.

The following list will save women some time, and hopefully jumpstart
their fitness programs.

Here are my “great eight fitness ideas for women”:

Interval training – Instead of riding a bike or walking or running on a
treadmill for 20 or 30 minutes at the same speed, go harder for 3-5
minutes and then go at a slower pace for 1-2 minutes. Research shows that
interval training is more beneficial for you and you can actually get a
better workout in less time by pushing harder for controlled intervals.

Team sport – Try to team up with friends to train, or even play a sport.
Meet up with a friend or friends to train, or even play a sport together
like golf, basketball or softball.

Hiking – One of the most enjoyable ways to cross train is to go hiking.
Picks trails or routes based on your fitness level. Pack a backpack with
water and snacks and make a half-day of it, or even a full day.

Swimming – Instead of laying by the pool and maybe jumping in the water
for just a cool down, turn it into a workout. Swim laps and take advantage
of fun in the sun and the enjoyment of swimming.

Circuit training – If you want to step up your workouts to an advanced
level, consider circuit training. Assemble a list of exercises and
progress through them consecutively.

For instance, do 25 pushups, 25 sit-ups, 25 squats, 25 bicep curls and 25
shoulder presses in succession. Take only a few seconds between each
exercise, go all out and then take a break when you’re done. You can use
free weights or a home gym to lift the weights.

If you’re really feeling motivated, go through the circuit again. Tweak
the circuit by changing some of the exercises or adding to fit your needs.

Hit the heavy bag – One great stress reliever is to set up a boxing heavy
bag in your basement and hit it for 30- or 60-second rounds. This is a fun
cardio workout and will help you build strength and let out stress at the
same time. Make sure you hit the bag with gloves on and using proper form
to avoid injury.

Play tennis – Tennis is a sport for all ages that with a little
instruction and practice can be so fun you forget you’re exercising.

Take a class – Sign up for a fitness class at the local Y, health club or
studio in your city. There are lots of classes offered for the likes of
yoga, pilates, spinning, cycling, etc. that will allow you to work out in
a group setting and learn a new fitness regimen.

Tips for competitive recreational golfers and slowpitch softball players

Aaron Dorksen — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 20:56:38 +0000

With spring in full bloom and summer right around the corner, the recreational sports season for adults is either under way or slated to start soon for millions of athletes.

Two of the most popular recreational sports there are in the U.S. for athletes 18 years of age or older are golf and slowpitch softball.

For those people who play those sports at a competitive level, whether its in a local beer league or traveling to top amateur tournaments statewide or even nationally, it’s extremely important to know how to train and stretch properly.

As amateur athletes, we obviously don’t have a professional support group of coaches, trainers, strength coaches, dieticians, etc. to guide and push us.

Much of the guesswork is left to the amateurs.

Golf and softball can be lumped together with some similar training philosophies because they both include “abrupt-action components” rather than more consistent playing effort like tennis or basketball. By that I mean, the vast majority of time spent playing 18 holes of golf does not requite a great deal of physical exertion. However, the intermittent drives and long iron shots do require explosive swings that place stress on the body.

Slowpitch softball is similar in the swinging aspect, but of course adds the dimension of having to stand around for periods of time and then sprint several times a game – whether it’s after hitting the ball or chasing down a batted ball in the field.

The cold to hot running requirement is responsible for a great number of pulled and strained muscles, tendons and ligaments.

Here are some tips to get the best out of your summer golf and-or softball season this year.

STRETCH, STRETCH, STRETCH

It’s been estimated that more than 1.5 million people age 40 or older in the U.S. play softball. Not surprisingly, more adult athletes also injure themselves playing softball than in any other sport.

Whether it’s the majority of those ballplayers in the slowpitch game, or some who still participate in fastpitch leagues, it takes work off the field as well as on it to maintain a competitive advantage.

Softball is often stereotyped as fat guys trying to hit home runs and then drinking beers after the game. It’s OK to enjoy a beverage or two after the game, but with less work than you’d think in the weight room you can avoid being one of those big-bellied slowpitch players.

The most important thing for a softball player to do is maintain good flexibility, especially in the legs. This becomes more and more important the older you get. Once your legs go, you’re not going to be able to do a whole lot to help the team.

Stretching is also extremely important in golf, although it is not quite as demanding on the hamstrings and quadriceps as softball is. In golf, the first key to playing good well is also stretching. It’s always better if you’ve warmed up with some walking, a bike ride or some light jogging before you stretch. Special areas to focus on for golfers are their shoulders, lower back, abs and legs.

DURING THE SEASON

During the season, your games or rounds will take up more time from a busy schedule and you’ll probably be more sore than in the offseason. Back off from the offseason program with a workout routine that omits a few exercises, or maybe just go three-four times a week instead of fix or six to maintain your fitness level.

As golfers get older, a common problem is shoulder strains, especially on the lead side of the swing. You need to stretch your shoulders well and do the following lifts to ensure strength.

* Start with light weights to stretch rotator cuff and other shoulder muscles by doing alternate front dumbbell raises and lateral dumbbell raises.

* To add power, heavier weights may be used for seated dumbbell presses and bent-over lateral raises.

BACK IT UP

Nothing will bring your game down quicker than a bad back. Your back is involved in nearly every part of the swing

* Seated rows are one of my favorite lifts there are and great for golfers. Sit upright, keep your shoulders back and pull the cable handle toward you.

* Lat pulldowns are another great exercise. While seated upright, I prefer to do them by pulling the machine bar in front down to my chest.

LEGS

You’re not going to do much in any sport without a solid base.

As we get older, stretching is extremely important to avoid pulled muscles, especially in the legs. Jogging or bike riding is great, or swim laps in the pool to also work the legs.

* In the weight room, leg extensions and leg curls combined with calf raises will hit all the basics.

* Many experts say if you do just one weight exercise, squats are the best. Don’t do them, though, unless you know exactly what you’re doing or have a to trainer offer tips. Also, while squats really take energy, don’t do them if they’re hurting your knees or back.

ABS

* A few years ago I started doing sit-ups on an exercise ball and I’ve gotten better results than ever that way. A good core makes the whole body feel better.

The plank is another great ab exercise.

OFFSEASON WORKOUT

The best time to actually try to add muscle, strength and endurance for the sports in in the offseason. A good way to improve your endurance is by running on a landice treadmill or riding a stationary bike.

To add upper body strength, bench press, triceps extensions, biceps curls and shoulder presses are excellent lifts. Do ab work and side bends to strengthen the core and lat pulldowns for the back.

For legs, squats, leg extensions, leg curls and even dead lifts can build a strong base. Also, I’ve found swinging a heavy bat is a good way to strengthen specific muscles involved in ripping the softball and also improve golf club speed. When it’s time to go out for your first practice, you’ll notice increased swing speed.

For throwing, it’s beneficial to toss a heavy ball. Just make sure to start easy and stretch your rotator cuff beforehand.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.net

Five Basic Components For Physical Fitness

artreplies — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:30:26 +0000

If you are sincere about improving or keeping up your physical fitness, you may already be aware of the five components of physical fitness. But those who are just beginning to focus on physical fitness this may be the time to learn these components. People who are categorized as “fitness freaks” generally tend to assess and work on these 5 core components of fitness training on a routine basis.

To decide how healthy and fit a body is, there are five components of physical fitness that must be assessed. Fitness schools and health clubs gauge the fitness of a person based on these 5 factors and you can also use these to evaluate your level of fitness.

The Five Components
A good score in all 5 components is needed for a person to be stated as totally fit.

* Cardiovascular Endurance – It is the body’s capability to have the heart and lungs work in unison to supply the necessary oxygen and fuel that the body needs to function properly during a workload such as jogging, swimming or other types of endurance activities.

* Muscular Strength – This is tested with tasks such as bench pressing, push ups, or leg presses. This determines the amount of force that the body can produce.

* Muscular Endurance – This is a measurement of how well the body behaves during continuous activity. These activities could include bicycling, elliptical, and sit ups. Sit ups are the most frequently used activity to test muscular endurance.

* Flexibility – Flexibility is usually tested using the sit and reach technique. This test determines a person’s capability to move through the possible range of motion for each joint. Stretching or lunges are other good examples of this type of exercise.

* Body Composition – This test determines the amount of body fat compared to lean muscle, bone and organs. There are numerous methods that are used to carry out this test. The most suitable method is considered to be the under water weighing, however because of the necessary equipment it is expensive and large it is not often used. Skinfold readings and bioelectrical impedance are often used to perform the body composition test.

The Reason and Outcome of These Tests

To steer clear of potential harm you need to make sure that you are fit enough to perform the necessary activities. Keep in mind that while these tests offer a great deal of information, there are still areas that they do not address. These areas include things such as agility and balance.

These tests can reveal the strength and weakness in your health. The results can show that you are strong in one area but very weak in the other. Thus allowing you or the professional that you are working with to flesh out a physical fitness routine that will aim for the areas that you need to focus on.

If you are serious about becoming physically fit you should certainly consider having this kind of testing done. It will provide you a very thorough view of each area and how well your body functions in each of the categories. This will allow you to work more diligently on your areas of weakness as well as show you what level of activity would be safe for you to begin for each of the five components.

A fitness test is a great idea for people striving for first-rate health. It is always a good idea to know what your areas of weakness and strength. The results can be used to concentrate on your weak areas and set your workout schedule accordingly. Do not forget to get your doctor’s authorization before undertaking this type of test and be sure that the test is carried out by an expert that can help you to accurately analyze the results.

Get the right fuel for your engine: Eat smart before and after working out

Aaron Dorksen — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:47:51 +0000

You put a lot of effort into your workout, but don’t have it go for naught by not fueling your body up the right way.

The way you eat before and after a workout can make a big difference.

Before/During Exercise

When we exercise, the body calls on glycogen to power us through. It’s a carbohydrate stored in muscles and the liver. If you haven’t eaten properly going into a workout, it can cause a rapid depletion in glycogen and limit your energy.

Consume proteins and carbohydrates before working out, and even a small amount during a particularly long workout. An example is to have a hard-boiled egg for protein and half a bagel for carbs beforehand. If it will be more than an hour before your workout, then consume more protein and carbs to carry you through.

If you’re working out early in the morning, you don’t need to eat a lot of food if you had a carb-rich dinner the night before.

After the workout

It’s important to replenish your body soon after the workout with healthy food, especially protein. Eating protein after a workout can improve muscle repair and growth. It’s best to consume 10-20 grams of protein then. Two ounces of chicken has about 12 grams of protein, while an egg has six grams. It’s recommended to not eat too many yolks all as they’re high in cholesterol – go with egg whites as often as possible.

It will take about 90 minutes to deplete stored glycogen during the workout. If you extend the workout beyond that, make sure to eat a high quality sports bar and have a sports drink such as Powerade.

For people who want to lose weight, it’s a good idea to eat lunch or dinner soon after. It will allow you to reap the benefits of increased calorie burning that goes on after a workout.

If you’re on a regular fitness regimen, also make sure to eat fruit during the day and stay hydrated.

Skin Peels and Medical Aesthetics Treatments

mikenerost — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:04:13 +0000

In this busy life,we need to work more than eight hours, and also the dust around atmosphere is making our skin as older.This anti aging treatment has become the first choice for the people around the globe. The new technique in this anti aging treatment gives you the smoother and younger skin and reduces wrinkles without pain.These new discipline practitioners believe that it will be useful for slowing down the inception of the aging process, also importantly will hold back the degenerative diseases development. It uses advanced articles and proactive techniques for improving client well being.

There are ancient therapies and modern treatments that effectively reduce the effects of aging. Before knowing anti aging tips for healthy skin care we need to understand and accept the fact that: Aging is a natural process,It is a continuous process,It increases with time,It cannot be stopped but can be slowed down.We try to slow down aging by following certain lifestyle,behavior,treatment,medicine,surgery and therapy.

Taking anti ageing herbs boost our energy level and acts as anti stress.These Herbs strengthen our internal system and increase our resistance power.These herbs are natural and safe to use and do not have adverse side effects compared to chemical based medicines.One the best ways to decrease the aging is doing Yoga and meditation. Meditation is excellent for mind and practicing it releases stress. Meditation increases concentration. Yoga is a combination of breathing and body postures that increases blood circulation. Yoga strengthens muscles and regulates the flow of oxygen in our system. Yoga has long-term effect and should be practiced regularly. Yoga keeps your body fit and energy level high thus suppressing aging. Yoga helps in maintaining weight by burning fat and increases metabolic rate to certain extent. It involves no external application or intake of any medicine. It is the most simple and natural way to stay fit physically and mentally.

Exercising regularly keeps you slim and fit.Today doctors recommend regular exercising to make you fit and healthy and to keep your health insurance premiums low.Regular cleansing is very important to keep our skin free from dirt and dead cells. Natural products are soft on skin and they do not harm our skin.Cleaning our skin with natural scrubs free us from dead cells and adds a glow to our skin.Proper toning and moisturizing using natural toner and cream keeps the skin soft and clean Hormones are strong chemicals produced from cholesterol, amino acids and proteins from endocrine glands.They work as a messenger between our brains to body organs.Hormone Replacement Therapy adjusts the body to aging. There are few benefits are it improves skin and body moisture,Increases sexual drive rejuvenates brain. Hence,the person feels young and energetic.

Some of esteemed clinics, under the supervision of specialized medical practitioner are really awesome to the people for this anti aging treatment. If you want more information, Internet is the best for everyone to know this treatment.

Mike Nerost has been running Medical Cosmetics Clinics throughout the central belt of Scotland since 2005. To get more information about Anti-aging treatments and Skin peels treatments, Please visit us online.