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UltimateFitnessGear Archive Page
Sunday, May 31, 2009
 Pull ups are a great exercise. They are a straightforward exercise where you use some of your hard to work muscles, combined with your body weight, to create an exercise that creates resistance. Most people who work out at home do not include pull ups or chin ups in their every day routine. The reason for that is simple. Most home gyms do not have pull up bars. If you work out in a gym, chances are there are several pull up bars for you to use in your workout.The P90X home workout uses a chin up bar that now leaves you no excuse not to go out and buy one and use it in your home workout routine. The P90X Chin Up Bar has a revolutionary, patented design that puts a new spin on the door frame chin up bar. This bar extends past the width of the door frame. Because of this, you can use this bar to exercise your back, shoulders and arms using six different grips. This bar is easy to put up and easy to take down. It’s made of heavy-gauge steel designed to hold up to 300 pounds. This chin up bar is so easy to put up that you will have no excuse at all anymore not to include a variety of chin ups or pull ups. This bar is easy to take down as well, so there is no chance that you will hit your head on the bar if you leave it up. The bar is situated on the doorframe using two small brackets. The weight of your body and the weight of the bar are distributed to the outside of the doorframe. You will want to find a doorframe in your home that is between 24 and 32 inches wide. You might want to find a doorway that is out of the way and not in a high traffic area because although the bar is easy to put up and take down, you might not want to do that each time you use it. Think about putting the bar in a doorway that is near your TV. You might want to follow along with a DVD while you are doing your pull up workout. The bar takes some putting together. You will need to assemble the bar and put on the pads. This assembly process is straightforward and the instructions are easy to follow. You will be hanging up your bar in no time! Because pull ups are a great way to work your arms, your upper back, and your shoulders, investing in this inexpensive piece of equipment is a great idea. It can improve the quality of your home work out. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X 
Saturday, May 30, 2009
 As summer approaches, it is time to think about how to retool your workout in order to get the best-looking legs around. Take a few minutes to evaluate your present lower body workout and see how you can add to it to make it a great workout for your body.A great way to get great results from your lower body is to combine two different training styles. Many people do standard lower body exercises that use dumbbells or hand weights. These exercises traditionally are squats and lunges. If you take those weight-bearing exercises and combine them with plyometric exercises, you will have a great training combination. Plyometric exercises load the muscles and then unload them quickly. These exercises require short bursts of energy. These exercises would be things like jumping jack squats, shuffles from side to side, or star jumps. The weight bearing exercises build muscles and the plyometric exercises can help burn calories, helping to define the muscles, and also to lengthen the muscles. The combination of weight bearing exercise with plyometrics can help create long, lean, defined muscles. If you want to target the lower body and work different aspects of it, you can integrate bodyweight exercises and plyometric exercises, as you did above, and add to that some yoga poses that will help stretch and lengthen the muscles. Create a small circuit of exercises that work the same muscles, but from different perspectives. Uses lunges as your body weight exercise and add to that jumping lunges. Then move on to the triangle yoga pose, or a warrior pose. Go through the series of exercises without taking a break. This combination will work those muscles but work them differently. They will help create long, lean muscles. When you are working your lower body, take great care not to put your knees in any kind of jeopardy. Do not let your knees come out over your ankles when doing lunges. Don’t straighten or lock your knees at the top of your squats. If you feel any knee pain at any time during an exercise, stop immediately. Do not forget to balance out your lower body workout. Work all the muscles in your lower body equally. Do not just work quads and gluts, but also emphasize your calves and hamstrings. Be sure to structure your workout so that you target all the muscle groups. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Friday, May 29, 2009
 Everywhere you look, you find information about this diet or that diet. High protein, low carb diets, low fat diets, diets to prevent cancer, and even watermelon diets. You can probably find a diet that encompasses just about everything. So how can you figure out what foods you should be eating? Some people rely on the idea of “superfoods” to determine their diet.Superfoods are life-altering foods that you can buy in the grocery store. These foods are not drugs, they are simply foods that have been found to lower your cholesterol, reduce your risk of cancer, and some just make you feel better. These foods, when incorporated into your diet, can have an enormous impact on your health. Claims have been made that these superfoods can reduce your chance of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Every superfood is an unprocessed food. You will find these foods on the perimeter of you grocery store, not down the aisle shelves. These foods all have special qualities that when eaten regularly, will help your body be strong and healthy for a long time to come. Blueberries are an example of a superfood. Blueberries have high amounts of antioxidants and phytoflavinoids, and are also bursting with vitamin C and potassium. These tiny berries can have an anti-inflammatory effect on your body, as well as help you prevent cancer and heart disease. Soy is a superfood that can help lower cholesterol. Foods such as tofu and edamame can be powerful in reducing your cholesterol and promoting a healthy heart. Calcium helps build strong bones and can help prevent the onset of osteoporosis. Many women do not get enough calcium in their diet. Dairy products can be superfoods because they contain calcium. Perhaps the best superfood of all? Dark chocolate. This chocolate is chock full of antioxidants and is thought to help lower blood pressure. Look for chocolate with 60% or high cocoa content. Dark chocolate tends to have lower fat and sugar as well. We all are watching what we eat and sometimes we don not get it right. But including superfoods in your diet is a great way to ensure that you are giving your body a fighting chance to stay as healthy as you can. A diet rich in superfoods can positively impact your life. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Thursday, May 28, 2009
 Many people exercise for a while and follow a workout routine and then something happens in their lives and they stop. Getting back into the workout habit after having not worked out for a period of time can be challenging. There are many reasons not to get back into it. But here are some tips that just might convince you to start up again.Find a Buddy. Have a friend who will commit to working out with you and keeping you motivated. Try to find someone who shares your fitness levels and fitness goals, as this will make the process smoother. Commit to each other to not let the other quit for a period of time, no matter what. Make if Fun. If you want to entice yourself back in to the workout habit, you might need to do so with a little self-bribe. You might need to find something exciting that makes you want to work out. Maybe that means taking a new class at the gym. Maybe it means buying a new exercise DVD that you have been looking at. Maybe it means taking up a new sport. Whatever that incentive is for you, allow yourself that luxury. Do not punish yourself for falling off the exercise wagon and make your reentry miserable. Cut yourself some slack and let yourself back in easily and let it be fun. Start Small. Ten minutes a day is all you need to begin working out again. Even if you left off working out for an hour or so every day, you do not need to jump back in and make that commitment. Start small and make each workout goal attainable. Build the Habit. Start small but be diligent about meeting your daily workout goals. Mark the goals down on a calendar and do not let yourself off the hook for the first thirty days. It takes at least thirty days to build any habit and the workout habit is no different. If it is on the calendar, you have to do it. Start small, and build up to increase your goals. Reward Good Behavior. Build rewards into your reentry into the workout routine. Choose a reward for making it through the first day. Choose another reward for making it through the first week. If you make it through the first month, choose a big reward! Be good to yourself and be understanding. But be tough and get out there and get started. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
 Whey protein is a great way to add more protein to your diet. It is particularly helpful for vegetarians looking for alternative sources of protein. Whey protein is a protein powder that comes from cow’s milk. Milk has two proteins, casein and whey proteins. Whey protein is more soluble than casein and is also a higher quality protein. It is thought to be the most nutritious protein available.Whey protein is thought to be beneficial in many ways. It is used to promote bone health, help control weight, and also as a sports nutrition supplement. Whey protein is low in fat, lactose and cholesterol and many people incorporate it into their diet, boosting their nutrition. Many people use whey protein powder as a supplement to their diet. You can simply use the protein as stated by adding the protein powder to milk and drinking the protein in a milkshake. Whey protein can be incorporated into your diet in other ways. Whey has sort of nutty taste to it, so it can be easily added to some of your favorite recipes. Whenever your recipe calls for milk, you can add that amount of water mixed with whey protein. You can use this in all your cooking, including soups, casseroles, baked goods, and more. This substitution can be made easily on your morning cereal, adding whey protein mixed with water instead of milk. Or simply add the whey protein to the milk before adding it to the cereal. Whey protein can be added to fruit smoothies. Whey protein can be purchased in different flavors, such as chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. Whey protein is good for athletes and people who workout because it is a high quality and complete protein. It contains all the essential amino acids that are used by the muscles during exercise. Whey protein then helps those acids replenish and can help repair and rebuild muscles. Protein needs vary from person to person, depending on your age, sex, weight and activity level. Talk to your physician about how much protein you should be ingesting in your diet every day and talk through the addition of whey protein as a possible way of getting the proteins you need. Whey protein is also thought to help in weight loss and weight management. It helps in building muscle mass and helps to decrease the amount of fats stored by the body. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
 Do you feel like you have no time for a workout? Many people feel that they just cannot fit a workout in, no matter what they do. This is because they are thinking about a workout as being a big time commitment, at least one hour. Often, that gets extended because the workout has to be done in a gym and you have to drive there and you have to drive back. The whole process gets extended until it really is too time consuming to manage.What is the solution? The key to fitting in a workout is to begin thinking about your workouts differently. Start with finding ten minutes. That can mean getting up ten minutes earlier. It can mean finding ten minutes during your lunch hour. It can mean finding ten minutes during your child’s nap. It could be the ten minutes right after the dinner dishes are done and before homework starts. It does not have to be the same ten minutes every day. But pick ten minutes each day for a week. You need to make a plan for those ten minutes. Focus on alternating cardio and strength training each day. Start the first day with cardio and keep it simple. Take a brisk ten-minute walk. Walk around the neighborhood. Take the dog. Walk on the treadmill. The key is to get the full ten minutes in. The next day, you are going to concentrate on strength training. Plan ahead so that you can maximize the use of your time. An easy way to start is to pick an exercise to work each muscle group. For example, a chest exercise could be push-ups. For an ab workout, do crunches. To work your lower body, do lunges. Once you have got one exercise in mind for each muscle group, you are ready to start. Day one you will work your cardio. Day two, you will work each of the exercises you have chosen to work each muscle group. Do each exercise precisely and carefully and do as many repetitions as you can. Keep going until you are fatigued and cannot do another rep. do each exercise only once. If you alternate these two workouts, you will get a good workout that balances cardio and strength training. The trick is to plan this out at the beginning of each week to make sure you have the time to get the workout done. Chances are, you will feel more confident about making time for a workout each week and before you know it, you will increase your workout time from ten minutes to thirty! You want a DVD designed for just 10 Minutes a day. Try Tony Hortons 10 Minute Workout. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Monday, May 25, 2009
 To help cheer you up on this Monday lets talk about the changing of seasons!!!Often, people get locked into a workout routine. Sometimes it is comforting to have that set routine, knowing that in exactly eight minutes, your workout will be over. Sometimes, however, it can be a good idea to take a look outside and see what changes you can make in your workout that might match the season. Spring tends to be a good season for a workout change. After a long winter inside, slogging on the treadmill and working out to home workout DVD’s, people are anxious to get outside. There is no replacement for feeling the wind in your hair and the sun on your face and there is no better motivator for taking a good, brisk walk than a rise in the temperature and the smell of spring. If you are looking for workouts to do outside, consider these: Brisk walk or jog outside – Change up your usual two miles on the treadmill with a walk through the local park or in the nature preserve. It is a good time to try something new, like trail running. Include a friend or neighbor in your walk or run, and make it a social outing as well. Yoga on the lawn or the beach – You have been working on your yoga routines for months inside. You have many of the postures memorized and you have a good idea of how to string the postures together. If you don’t trust yourself to remember enough moves, you can buy a series of yoga cards to remind you of the postures, or you can use a yoga book. You can even get a yoga application for your phone to guide you through a yoga workout. Bike ride – Jump on a bike and take a new route, or work out a route that includes hills and some challenges. Maybe you are thinking of adding trail riding to your biking routine. Get the necessary safety equipment and get going. Jump rope – Nothing brings back the feeling of being a kid again like jumping rope outside. Somehow, jumping inside just doesn’t feel the same! Even a quick jump rope routine will jump start your day, leaving you feeling invigorated. Hike the hills – No speed involved in this activity, but pace yourself and go the distance. Let the peace and tranquility of the trails seep into your spirit and embrace the calmness you will feel. Interval training on the track – If you live close to a school or a university, you might have access to a track. Set up a workout for yourself that contains interval training. Jog the curves and sprint the straights! Pilates in the pool – If you have access to a pool, use it for a fun way to diversify your workout. Take your Pilates workout to the pool. Water walk. Do water aerobics. Mix it up and make it different every day! Embrace the change of season and embrace it as a reason to change up your workout and get outside! Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Saturday, May 23, 2009
 Many of us live harried lives. We live in a state of rushing from one thing to the next, and never feel like we are dealing with anything but right in front of us. Taking the time to plan and cook a nutritious meal can seem like an overwhelming task. Taking the time to really evaluate our nutritional needs can be difficult as well. Often, people turn to dietary supplements to make up for any deficiencies they might feel they have in their diet. And more and more, people are turning to meal replacement drinks as a way to ensure proper nutrition and lose weight. While meal replacement drinks are often a good idea for bodybuilders and dieters, are they the right thing for those of us who are simply pressed for time?Meal replacement drinks come in all shapes and sizes, but in general, these are high protein drinks that are low in fat and include moderate amounts of carbohydrates. These drinks are typically very rich in vitamins and minerals. They are designed to provide a maximum amount of nutrients in a formula that does not promote fat storage. Meal replacement drinks typically have low amounts of simple sugars in them. Many popular “diet” drinks on the market contain high amounts of these simple sugars. When you drink them, these simple sugars are rapidly absorbed into your blood stream, causing a spike in your insulin levels. This reaction is thought to cause your body to increase your fat storage. This causes these diet drinks or diet shakes to really have the opposite effect of what they are intended to do. Meal replacement drinks use maltodextrin as the primary carbohydrate source. This is a complex wheat based derivative that enters your blood stream in time released way. This helps stabilize the creation of insulin and does not promote the storage of fat. Typically, these meal replacement drinks use whey and egg proteins that are high quality and easily absorbed by the body. It is thought that the best way to use meal replacement drinks is as a supplement to an already healthy diet. Decreasing the size of your three basic meals and adding a meal replacement drink in between two meals can allow your body to maximum benefits. They are cost effective and can provide nutrients you might be lacking in your daily diet. For the best meal replacement shake on the market check out Shakeology! Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Friday, May 22, 2009
 It is tough to justify the expense of a gym these days. Money is tight in nearly everyone’s family and often a gym membership can seem like a luxury that might have to go the way of the daily latte habit you used to have. Beside the financial reason for cutting out the gym, here are some great reasons to work out at home.Schedule. Working out at home happens when it is convenient for you. You no longer have to schedule around that 6:30 class. You can pop that DVD in anytime that suits you. You can break your workout down into separate segments, doing 15 minutes here and there. There are no more excuses that you cannot get to the gym to get a workout in. Privacy. Working out at home can be a great option for those people who do not like to work out in a group setting. It can be difficult to go to a gym and watch the dedicated gym rats, who look great, work out what seems like all day, every day. It can be discouraging and intimidating. Working out in your own home affords you the ability to work out without anyone watching you. It is also a great way to include your partner in your workout and even your kids. Flexibility. Developing your home gym can afford you flexibility in your workout that a gym might not be able to offer. Gyms often offer the same classes at the same time during the week. That does not give you much freedom of choice. In your own home gym, you can build up a library of DVD workouts and use them when you want to. You can also add pieces of equipment to your home gym that a traditional gym might not have. These can be inexpensive pieces, such as exercise bands or exercise balls. If you do not have any workouts in your home DVD collection. I suggest starting with the 10 Minute Trainer. It is quick to do and super effective. Don't forget to check out the wide array of p90x workout equipment that we have too. Health. Most gyms have excellent policies monitoring cleanliness and the spreading of germs. The reality is that a large number of people flow through a gym each day. Even in the cleanest of places, germs will be spread. Especially during cold and flu season, working out in your own home makes sense in regard to germ exposure. Even when you take precautions, such as washing your hands and sanitizing equipment before and after you use it, a home gym offers you a more controlled environment for your workout. Working out at home makes sense of many levels. If offers you flexibility, privacy, and the freedom to schedule your workouts as you please. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Thursday, May 21, 2009
 Many people consider those of us who keep workout logs on the borderline of obsessive-compulsive behavior. Those are people who have not stopped to think about the benefits of creating a detailed workout log. Take a look at the benefits of keeping a workout log and then reevaluate whether or not this would be right for you.Track the Weight Everybody has a busy life, whether you are juggling school, kids, jobs or all three. Fitting in a workout can be difficult in itself. Remembering the last time you increased the weight in your exercises can be very hard to remember – unless you track it. Tracking the weight you use during your exercises can seem a bit obsessive compulsive, but in truth, it gives you hard data to work with. If you keep a log with both the number of reps and the weight you used, you will be able to see how long you have been doing that same thing. After several weeks or several months of the same thing, it is easy to see when you need to increase your weight. Keeping track of the weight you use makes it easier to plan your increases. Set Your Goals Keeping a workout log can let you write down your fitness goals and then track them. If you want to be doing a certain weight and a certain number of reps in a month, write that down and then track your goals. Are you on target for reaching that goal or does it need to be pushed out a week? If you do not write down your goals, it is much easier to treat them as vague goals that are easily changed. Motivation Keeping a workout log can help you increase your motivation to workout. Even for the most dedicated athletes, completing a workout can be a difficult thing to find motivation for day after day after day. Writing down your goals and your performance can be motivating. If you look at your workout log and see that you have increased your weight and you are two steps away from your target, you might find an extra burst of energy to use in your workout that day, to help you accomplish your goals. There are many types of workout logs available for you to choose from. You can create your own with a pen and a piece of paper, tracking the date, the exercises you do, the number of sets, the number of reps, and the weight you use. There are computer programs you can use that will do the same thing. There are even applications for the iphone, which can be very helpful if you travel and want to keep your workout log with you all the time. Choose the workout log that makes the most sense for you - and then use it! You can pick up a p90x calander to help you out a little more. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
 Its Wednesday, lets talk about joints. One of the things athletes worry about is joint issues, either injuries or deterioration. Osteoarthritis is a condition that causes the smooth cartilage surfaces in a joint to deteriorate. Glucosamine and chondroitin are two molecules that help make up the cartilage found in your joints. Even without osteoarthritis, this cartilage slowly breaks down as the body ages. Glucosamine is used during the repair of cartilage and the formation of it. Chondroitin is used to keep the cartilage resilient and supple. The theory behind glucosamine and chondroitin supplements is that in order for the cartilage to repair the normal deterioration, the body needs a sufficient supply of glucosamine and chondroitin. The body does not naturally produce these substances, so supplements are a way to introduce them back into the body. Glucosamine and chondroitin supplements have been studied, but their effectiveness in treating specific diseases, such as osteoarthritis, has not been clearly identified. Preliminary results seem to indicate that these two supplements can have a beneficial affect on the treatment of joint issues. They seem to reduce joint pain and increase mobility. If you and your doctor feel that adding a dietary supplement of glucosamine and chondroitin will be beneficial to your overall health, work with your doctor to find a brand of dietary supplement that you can trust. The FDA does not oversee dietary supplements. Because of this, there are no guarantees about what goes into the supplements you choose. When deciding on a supplement, ask the recommendation of your doctor or your pharmacist. Call the manufacturer and ask questions about the way the product is prepared and the concentration of the ingredients. Be sure to discuss the addition of any dietary supplement with your primary care physician. Some supplements can reduce the effects of other medications you might be taking. Your doctor will be able to help any harmful interactions if he has a full knowledge of all the medications and supplements you are taking. Be aware than any dietary supplement or medication might have possible side effects. Glucosamine seems to be well tolerated by most people, but some people reported drowsiness and headache, digestive complaints, and insomnia. The combination of glucosamine and chondroitin has been associated with temporary bouts of high blood pressure, increased heart rate and even palpitations. Glucosamine and chondroitin look to have beneficial effects for the joints of the human body. Before adding any dietary supplement, consult your doctor. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
 The health benefits of fish oil and omega-3 fatty acids are fairly widely recognized today. Fish oil supplements have been thought to enhance cardiovascular health, specifically by working with cholesterol. Fish oil is thought to increase the amount of good, healthy cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) in the body. It is also thought that fish oil can lower high blood pressure, which can reduce the risk of heart attack. Fish oil has been thought to help alleviate joint issues and arthritis concerns, boost brain function, and reduce inflammation.If you understand the health benefits of fish oil and you have talked over the idea of adding a fish oil supplement to your diet, how do you choose the supplement that is right for you? Fish oil contains two beneficial components, FPA and DHA. EPA, or eicosapentaenoic acid, and DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, should be what you are looking for on the label of the fish oil supplements you are considering. Be sure the ingredient list contains EPA and DHA and the amounts. The amounts of these two ingredients will tell you the true amount of omega-3 fatty acids in the supplement. Find a supplement that offers the most EPA and DHA in the smallest dose. Look for high quality pills or capsules that offer a higher percentage of EPA and DHA in each dose. This will reduce the amount of pills you will need to take each day to achieve the quantity of omega-3 fatty acids you are looking for. Look for fish oil that is pharmaceutical grade. These pills will have a higher potency of EPA and DHA in each pill. This is important especially if you are taking the fish oil to combat an illness such as arthritis where you might need higher doses of the omega-3 fatty acids. You will want to find a fish oil supplement that has freshness and purity standards. Speak to the manufacturer about their purity standards and whether or not those are third party tested. If you have found a fish oil supplement that meets your needs, buy a small amount of it to begin with and test it out. Evaluate the taste of the supplement and whether or not you want to experiment with flavored supplements. Take the supplements for a few days to find out whether they leave you with a fishy odor. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Monday, May 18, 2009
 Dietary supplements are all over the place. You see them advertised on television and in magazines. You hear people talking about them at the gym and at work. If you have ever wondered about using dietary supplements, here are a few things you should know.The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in this country is the government body overseeing the foods we eat and the drugs we can use. The FDA does not regulate dietary supplements. That responsibility is up to the manufacturer of the product. What is a Dietary Supplement? The FDA defines a dietary supplement as a product taken by mouth that has a “dietary ingredient” designed to supplement the diet. These dietary ingredients can be vitamins and minerals, herbs, enzymes, metabolites and more. These supplements are labeled as food and should contain the same information as food products. These supplements are not regulated by the FDA and neither is their marketing. Where Do I Get Information? Since the FDA is not involved in monitoring dietary supplements, it is hard to know where to go to find good information about the product. One of the best things to do if you are interested in finding out more about a dietary supplement is to contact the manufacturer of the supplement directly. You can ask questions about the product, how it is manufactured, and how it is packaged. If you are concerned about getting information about a dietary supplement, you can use information that the FDA has accumulated. By visiting two FDA websites, you can increase your knowledge about supplements and what they contain. The first site is “Tips For The Savvy Supplement User: Making Informed Decisions And Evaluating Information” (http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/ds-savvy.html) and the next is “Claims That Can Be Made for Conventional Foods and Dietary Supplements” (http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/hclaims.html). Should I Add Dietary Supplements? This is a question only you can answer. Most people can meet their dietary needs through eating a healthy, balanced diet. Adding dietary supplements can sometimes be problematic because they can cause an imbalance of vitamins and minerals in your body and that can sometimes be harmful. Be sure that before you add any dietary supplement to your diet, you check with your doctor to find out if that is the right thing for you to do. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Sunday, May 17, 2009
 A lot of people focus their workouts on making themselves look great. They will target abs or upper body or whatever area they think will make them look better in a bathing suit. Often the focus of these workouts is to increase muscle mass and to produce a great looking body. But what about the health benefits of your workout? It is a good idea to remember that although you are working out to look great, the long-term reason to work out has to do with your health.Weight Management We all know that keeping our weight in line as we get older can be more and more problematic. As our metabolism slows down, we need fewer calories to run our bodies more efficiently. Choosing those calories wisely can be difficult! Regular workouts and regular exercise can be a great boost to weight management. Those workouts will burn unwanted calories and also work to help keep your metabolism functioning correctly. Managing weight is a life long issue, and regular workouts can help with this. Better Mood, Better Sleep Regular exercise stimulates various brain chemicals that have been shown to elevate your mood. If you exercise regularly, your brain receives a steady diet of these chemicals and keeps your mood from swinging. Regular exercise can help you look better as well as feel better, which can boost your self esteem and self confidence, keeping you happier and more well balanced. Regular exercise can help those of us who suffer from sleep problems. Many people struggle to fall asleep or to stay asleep. Regular exercise can help with this. Time your workout so that it helps with your sleep cycle. Experiment with working out about six hours before you want to sleep. Regular exercise will help you sleep more deeply and it will help you be tired enough to fall asleep. Prevent Chronic Diseases Regular exercise can help you prevent chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Keeping those two things in line in your body can help keep your circulation strong and your heart and lungs healthy. Regular exercise has been shown to help prevent chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and some kinds of cancer. Developing the habit of regular exercise can be the foundation for lifelong health. As you vary and change your workout routines, keep in mind the long-term health benefits. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Saturday, May 16, 2009
 Crunches. Everybody does them, over and over and over again. They are an efficient way to work your abs. Varying the type of crunches you do can help you work all your ab muscles, helping you create great looking abs. But what can you do to add variety to your ab workout and at the same time, make your workout more effective? Here are some things to try.Exercise Ball Add an exercise ball to your workout. Try doing your crunches on the exercise ball. This can increase the intensity of the crunch and take the stress off your spine. Take some time to learn some new ab exercises using your roller ball, such as rollouts. Another great exercise ball workout for your abs is a curl up. Add a Plank A plank can add a dimension to your ab workout that you might have been missing. A traditional plank will work your core muscles. Adding variations such as side planks can increase the diversity of your workout. Add Mountain Climbers The Mountain Climber exercise is a simple one, but it adds a dimension to your ab workout that the crunches alone cannot do. The Mountain Climber is a simple exercise you can learn in about a minute, and is easy to add to your workout. Keeping form in this exercise is they key to getting great results. Add Side Bends Standing side bends are a simple exercise you can add to your routine that will work your oblique muscles. Standing straight with your abs fully engaged, you lean to the right, straighten, and then lean to the left. The key to this exercise is to have your core muscles full engaged and to keep great form. Torso Twists These are another quite simple exercise you can add to your workout to add a new dimension. The key to this exercise is keeping the core muscles engaged. You are going to stand straight and twist from side to side, with your abs tight. This exercise will work your core muscles and the variety of ab muscles. Remember, when you are working your abs, speed is not what is important. You are not trying for a cardio workout, rather you are trying to work your ab muscles completely. Work each exercise slowly, concentrating on perfect form. That is the key to a great ab workout. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Friday, May 15, 2009
 If you have been working out at home for a period of time without varying the routine, chances are you have reached a plateau with that workout. You might not feel as challenged by the workout as you did when you first began. If you can complete your workout and not feel as though you put forth your best effort, it is time to fine-tune your workout to ramp up those results.One of the simplest ways to increase the benefits of your workout is to increase your focus throughout each exercise. Lots of time, when we exercise, we are thinking about a hundred other things, from getting the oil changed in the car to talking with your child’s teacher to what you are making for dinner. If you are working out at home, you do not have the benefit of someone watching your workout and challenging and refocusing you. You have to do this for yourself. Before you begin each workout, decide on what you are going to focus on for that workout. Challenge yourself to keep your abs engaged throughout the entire workout. Focus on your gluts and challenge yourself to work them hard enough to feel them the next day! Set a goal to work on your form for each exercise, slowing your routine down but making sure that each repetition of each exercise is performed to perfection. Finding a focus will help you engage fully in each workout you do. Another way to fine-tune your workouts is to take an assessment of your workout goals and where you are in reaching them. You might find that reworking one or two of your fitness goals can help you fine-tune your workout. If you are focusing on getting your arms and back ready for bathing suit season, refocus your workout to include more upper body exercises. If you are more focused on getting your legs toned for wearing shorts, include some inner and outer thigh exercises. Fine-tuning your workout can be accomplished in several ways. Being mindful during your workout can bring about better, more concentrated results. Focusing on your fitness goals and adjusting your workout when those goals change can help you streamline your workout and keep it effective. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Thursday, May 14, 2009
 We live in a culture where everyone is busy all the time. As a nation, we pride ourselves on how long and hard we can work. It is not uncommon for people to put in ten or twelve hour days. On top of that, people might have responsibilities raising children or taking care of elderly parents. It often feels difficult, if not impossible, to find the time to do the things we know we should, such as exercising. How do we make time to work out when there is no time?In order to figure out when you can make time for a workout, do a time assessment. Go through your day in fifteen-minute increments, looking for a small block of time where you could possibly add in a workout. Most people find that they have time either early in the morning, during lunch hour, or in the evening. If you find a small block of time, think creatively to fill that time with exercise. If you are a morning person, finding an extra fifteen minutes or half an hour in the early morning might be an option. If you set your alarm fifteen minutes earlier, you might be able to fit in an ab workout or fifteen minutes on the treadmill before you begin your usual day. If you do this four days a week, you will be adding an extra hour of workout time to your routine. Often, people find they have some time on their lunch hour that does not get used efficiently. If you find fifteen minutes during lunch, you could utilize that time to squeeze in an ab workout on an exercise ball or an upper body workout using free weights you keep under your desk. You could do squats and lunges in your office. This middle of the day exercise can often re-energize you. Taking a mid-afternoon break for fifteen minutes could be a better option than heading to the vending machine for a candy bar! Walking in the door after work can be like walking into chaos. Kids have homework to start, the dog needs to go out, phone calls need to be returned and dinner needs to be started. Talk to your partner about taking turns meeting these responsibilities so that you alternate days where one partner deals with the household for a half an hour while the other partner squeezes in a short workout. You can find time in your busy day for fitness if you take a close look at the small blocks of time that might be available. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
 One of the most challenging aspects of working out at home can be planning your workouts. If you work out in a gym, you have the benefit of choosing a class to take or working with the gym staff to develop your workout. If you are working out at home, the decisions about how to work out are left up to you.Before you begin looking for help designing your workouts, take some time to determine your fitness goals. Try to make these goals all encompassing. Assess your fitness level and decide how you want to improve on that. Look at your current level of exercise and think about how you might want to add to that. Look at your diet and see how you can incorporate possible changes in your fitness goals. Once you have your fitness goals firmly in mind, determine how much help you think you might need in planning your fitness routines and how much you are willing to pay. If you are an old hand at the fitness business and you have been working out for a long time, you might not need much help in planning your routines. You might want someone to help you balance your routines and to also give you some ideas about how to add some variety to your routines. If you are new to working out, you might need much more direction. You have a variety of options in terms of expense. You can hire a personal trainer to help you plan your workouts. A personal trainer is expensive, but for some people, the value of a personal trainer can be very high. If you are new to working out or if you have never planned your own routines before, a trainer can be invaluable. If you do not want the expense of a personal trainer, you can find exercise DVD’s that can help you design your workout. Many DVD’s have set workouts and once you learn what is on them, you can mix and match to suit your needs. Home DVDs like the P90X, Chalean Extreme, 10 Minute Trainer and Insanity by Shaun T are some of the top workout programs released. There are also many books and websites available to learn more about the basics of workout planning. Do not be afraid to look for help when planning your home workouts. When you are seeking advice, be sure to keep your fitness goals and your budget in mind. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
 Most people decide on a home fitness routine by assessing their equipment, space, and knowledge. Lots of people are limited in their home gym by the space they have to workout in. Since most people do not have the luxury of having a special workout room for their home gym, they tend to make due with a corner of a room, a section of the garage, or some other part of the house. Space limitations can limit what you can accomplish in your home gym.Home workouts are also limited by the equipment you have. If you make a substantial investment in a cardio machine such as a treadmill or a stationary bike, that tends to be a focal point of your workout. After investing that much money in the equipment, you want to get as much use out of it as you can! Smaller pieces of equipment tend to get used less often. Exercise bands or exercise balls, although incredible workout devices, do not have to be used every day. A yoga mat might get used only once or twice a week. A good way to shake up your home workout is to add a small piece of equipment every now and then. Periodically adding something new can challenge you to incorporate a new set of exercises to your routine. This accomplishes several things at once. It challenges you to learn some new exercises. It also challenges your body to work out in a way it has not been. Perhaps most importantly, adding a new piece of equipment can help keep you motivated. It gives you something new and exciting to work into your routine and it gives you something to look forward to. The new piece of equipment does not have to be expensive. Most of the time, it is better if the equipment is reasonably priced. Think about an area of the body you want to target when you are looking to add equipment. If you want to work your chest, you might look at adding push up handles to your workout. If you want to work your abs, think about adding an exercise ball. If you want to develop the strength in your arms, maybe you want to add a pull up bar. Adding one inexpensive new piece of equipment can help you stay motivated and dedicated to your home workout routine. Adding variety can help you work a neglected part of your body. Adding a new piece of equipment can challenge you to learn some new exercises to add to your workout routine. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Monday, May 11, 2009
 One of the things you need to think about when creating a home gym is safety. There are two aspects to the safety issue. The first is creating a safe environment for your workout. The second is working out safely in that environment.When you begin to think about setting up a home gym, you’ll need to consider where to find the space. Sometimes, people have the space in their homes to dedicate an entire room to the gym. In that situation, it’s fairly straightforward to create a safe gym environment. When you are using part of a larger room for your home gym, you will need to take some things into consideration. Think about all the members of your household. If you have children and pets, you will need to take extra safety precautions. Young children are fascinated with workout equipment. They love to play with exercise balls and exercise bands and free weights are always intriguing to them. You’ll need to find a safe place to store these items when you’re not using them. A closet close to your home gym area that can be locked is a good idea, or even a cabinet in the room. Treadmills and elliptical machines fascinate young children. These machines can be dangerous if children get them going and don’t understand how to use them. It is possible to store these machines without the safety key, so that young children cannot use them when they are not supposed to. Keeping your free weights stored in a secure place is also important for safety. Even small weights can be misused and can cause damage. Before you begin working out in your home gym, it is a good idea to get a complete physical from your doctor, especially if it has been awhile since you worked out. Correctly assessing your physical condition can help you understand at what level to begin your workout. Consulting a trainer to help you develop an at home workout is also a good idea. A consultation with a trainer can help you create a diverse yet comprehensive workout that can meet your fitness goals and be challenging and safe. Be sure to understand how to perform every exercise you are doing in your home gym. Accidents can happen when you are trying to learn a new exercise and do not understand how to execute it correctly. This can happen more frequently when you are tired and have overworked your muscles. Set up your home gym to be as safe an environment as possible, and keep safety in mind when you’re using it. If you cannot afford a home gym but want to workout at home then the P90X, Chalean Extreme or Shaun T's Insanity are perfect for you. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Sunday, May 10, 2009
 Building lean muscle mass happens when you execute a strength building workout and couple that with the intake of the right number of calories. Getting enough calories is important to fuel muscle building as well as providing you the energy to get through your workouts. So getting the right number of calories is important. It is also important to get the right sort of calories.Carbohydrates Carbs have taken a bad rap during the last few years. It seems as though everyone has tried a low carb diet of some sort. But it is important to remember that carbohydrates are the primary energy source for strength training. Carbohydrates are stored in the muscles as glycogen and this is used to fuel those bursts of speed and power that get you through a workout. Your muscles need an amount of glycogen equal to the intensity and duration of your workout. If you are working out long and hard, it is important to take in an appropriate number of carbs to fuel that workout. Experts say to take in between 500 to 500 grams of carbohydrates per day in order to fuel strength training workouts. You can speak with your trainer or your doctor to find out exactly the right number of carbs for your workout level. Fat Fat is something you need to consume in order for your body to function optimally. It is recommended, however, that less than 30 percent of your total caloric intake come from unsaturated fat. Proteins Protein is what actually builds the muscle tissue. When you are strength training, you will need to increase the amount of protein you intake. It is easy for athletes to over estimate the amount of protein your body needs. Most people, in fact, consume more protein than they need each day. It is recommended that you intake between .6 to .8 grams of protein per pound of body weight when you are strength training regularly. Water Water is an essential part of your training regimen and you need to be aware of how much water you are actually taking in and how much water you should be taking in. It is recommended that each person drink eight glasses of water each day and that each of those glasses contain eight ounces of water. Be careful to replace any fluids you lose during exercise. In preparation for a workout, drink one to two glasses of water about two hours before you begin. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Saturday, May 9, 2009
 When going shopping for your groceries, it is very important to take a food list with you. This will help you to choose the right types of food. While it is true, choosing healthy food over junk food is more about will power; it is helpful when you have a healthy food list in your hand.Armed with this food list, it will help you make more healthy choices. This list does not tell you what you don’t know, but it helps steer you make the right choices, and helps you resist unhealthy choices. The truth is most of us already know which foods are not good for us, but all of us could do with a guide that helps guide us. Try going to the supermarket with a single rule – that rule being, buying only what is on your food list; the only exception being, if we have forgotten to add something on our list. Think of this as a challenge, and all of us love a challenge don’t we? Take care while making your list; you want to buy things that are healthy. If you are not sure, look up the Internet. There are plenty of websites and blogs that have tons of information on healthy food lists. You can print any of these or make your own list. Health magazines also have all this information. Start with the produce section like fruits and vegetables. If you have to buy snacks buy things like baked chips, low fat yogurts, nuts and seeds, basically all those things that have healthy fats in it. Remember healthy decisions start at home. If you plan a food list at home, it will help you save both time and money, and of course you get the benefits of a healthy diet. Also, make sure you go to the supermarket on a full stomach. Research has shown that people tend to buy more on empty stomachs. A healthy food list does not necessarily tell you something new, it just helps you stay on track and guides you to make healthier decisions and avoid impulse buying. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Friday, May 8, 2009
 Vacation is a time for rest and relaxation, as well as rejuvenation. Many people take a week off from everything – work, friends, and family – and unplug and unwind. Often, people on vacation like nothing better than to take the week and do nothing! Doing this can be very restful and can sometimes help you recharge your batteries, but this often derails your fitness goals and when you come back from vacation, it makes your workouts much harder.With this in mind, often people who are serious about their fitness goals and are determined to make fitness a part of their daily lives will challenge themselves to take their workouts on vacation with them. Sometimes, keeping the same routine is not possible, especially if that routine includes using gym equipment. But planning ahead and creating a modified vacation workout can help you meet your fitness goals. One of the first things to think about is your fitness goal for your vacation week. Set realistic goals. It is not likely to be realistic to think that you will be able to stick with your usual fitness routine, especially if it is a challenging one. Aim for about half of your usual workout. If you can meet that goal, you should feel as though you have accomplished a lot. Part of planning ahead is discovering the fitness facilities available where you are going. If you are staying in a hotel, call ahead and find out what equipment is available in the hotel gym. If you are staying in a private home, look to see a gym is located nearby and find out what facilities would be available to you and at what rate. If there is no fitness facility available, you will need to come up with some alternatives. One great alternative for exercising while traveling is to pack a resistance band in your suitcase. These are lightweight and small and very easy to pack. They are versatile and you can use them to execute many different exercises. Spend a little time before you leave and research some different exercises you can perform with the exercise band. Check out whether there are fitness trails available where you are going for jogging or walking. Perhaps it would be a good week to add a little variety to your routine by taking a bathing suit and goggles and swimming laps in the hotel pool. Maybe where you’re headed has a bike shop where you can rent a bike for the week and you can get some cycling in. Thinking creatively will help you create a workout that will hold your interest, even on vacation! Test out your workout before you leave home, especially if you are using new equipment such as an exercise band. You will want to be sure you know how to use it when you get where you are going! Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Thursday, May 7, 2009
 Millions of Americans take business trips on a regular basis. A large percentage of those people travel regularly for their jobs and find it difficult to create and sustain a workout routine that is flexible and effective. For many business travelers, the unfortunate solution to the problem is to give up and not exercise. Many, however, find that there is a way to incorporate workouts while they are on the road.Many people who travel routinely find it comforting to stay at the same hotel chain if they can, no matter what city they are in. Doing this affords them some of the comforts of home because the hotels are usually designed in a similar manner and once you find your way around one, you will usually be able to find your way around all of them. Before you settle on a hotel chain, check out the workout facilities each hotel offers. If you can choose a hotel chain that offers excellent gym facilities, you can be assured that you will be able to work out if you can find the time. If you find yourself staying in an unfamiliar hotel, you can call ahead and find out what facilities are available so you can plan accordingly. Many hotels have indoor pools. While you may not have swimming as part of your normal at home workout routine, you might find that incorporating it into your on the road workout works well for you. Changing up your cardio exercise can give your routine a kick start and you might find better results from swimming than you do doing the same three mile treadmill run over and over. You should create an on the road workout that you can complete in your hotel room. This routine should include exercises that use your body weight and that are simple to execute. You can do squats and lunges easily, as well as push ups and tricep dips. Incorporate ab exercises into this on the road workout. This can be an excellent time to target certain areas. Develop a workout that focuses heavily on abs and legs, and another one that focuses primarily on arms and upper body. Alternate those workouts and include a cardio workout, and you have got a great on the road routine. The toughest thing about your on the road workout will be finding the time to do it. Many times, on business trips, you are busier with work than you would be on a normal business day at home. It is often necessary to create time for a workout by getting up an hour early or by taking advantage of an hour you have off in the middle of the day. It is not usually a good idea to put off a workout until the end of a business day, as business dinners can pop up unexpectedly and your workout time can disappear before you know it. Resistance bands are the best exercise tool to travel with. Lightweight and extremely effective. The 10 Minute Trainer is the one of the best workouts to take with you when traveling. It is a short workout and will keep you going. Business trips are typically pretty busy and you may not find the time to spend an hour in the gym. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
 Exercise bands are a great addition to your workout toolkit, especially if you are looking for something that is portable and easy to pack. Tossing a workout band in a suitcase can make the difference between working out on that business trip or not! More and more, people are using exercise bands in their workouts in their home gyms. Learning what these bands are and how to use them can be easy and fun.Exercise bands are used for strength training and stretching. The bands create resistance for your muscles, and with intensity, this can help you build strength and muscle. You can learn resistance exercises using these bands that target all the different muscles and muscle groups in your body. There are two basic kinds of resistance bands. Depending on the sort of exercise you have in mind, you will either choose a flat band that looks like a flat ribbon, or a tubular band that is cinched in the middle that includes handles on both ends. When choosing an exercise band, take some care in the process and be sure you get a band that is right for you. You will want a band that is long enough to allow you full range of motion. It is better to have a band that it too long, where you might need to choke up, than having a band that is too short, inhibiting your ability to use the band effectively. You should choose a band that is no more than eight inches shorter than your height. Many bands are pre-measured, but often you can find a sports store that wills custom cut your exercise band. This can be helpful is you are especially tall. Take a look at the composition of the band. Most exercise bands are made of latex. Be sure to pursue other options if you cannot tolerate latex. Exercise bands are offered with different resistance levels. Sometimes, the bands are offered in a variety pack with a group of bands of different levels. This can often be an economical way to buy the bands, as you might find you want a different level of exercise for working out different parts of your body. The tubing bands are offered at much higher resistance levels than the flat bands. If you are looking for a greater challenge, the tubing bands are the correct choice. Many times, an explanatory DVD will be offered with the purchase of the bands. This can be very helpful, especially if you are just beginning to work out with exercise bands. They can help you develop an exercise routine working with the bands. There are also incredible home workout DVDs that utalize and will teach you how to use exercise bands. Workouts like the P90X, 10 Minute Trainer or Chalean Extreme. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
 Many people find when they begin working out at home that they develop one exercise routine and stick to it. Challenging yourself in your home workouts takes some dedication and some research, and it also takes some creativity. This can be especially tough when it comes to a cardio workout.Many exercise enthusiasts want to develop more precision in measuring their cardio workouts. You may think you know how hard you’re working during your cardio training, but sometimes it is a good idea to check that with a heart rate monitor. A heart rate monitor will tell you precisely what your heart rate is while you are exercising, and knowing this, you can then increase or decrease the intensity of your workout accordingly. You will need to begin the process of evaluating your heart rate with an understanding of what your target heart rate should be during the exercise you are performing. A doctor or an exercise physiologist can determine that through careful testing, and this is the most thorough and precise way to determine your target heart rate. Many people prefer to calculate this rate themselves. To do this, you will need to actually calculate several rates. The first thing you want to discern is your maximum heart rate. To do this, women need to subtract your age from the number 226. Men should subtract from 220. Once you have this maximum heart rate, take that number and take 60 percent of it. This will give you your target heart rate for your warm up and your cool down. 60 to 75 percent of that number will give you your moderate target rate and 75 to 85 percent of that number will give you your interval rate. Work with a trainer to structure a workout designed to meet these target rates. Be sure that the routine has a warm up and a cool down, a moderate pace and some intervals of rigorous pace. This will give you an effective cardio workout. Take into consideration a couple of things when using your heart rate monitor during exercise. These calculations can be off a bit, so the numbers you create are not set in stone. Being off as much as 10 beats for your target rate is not unusual. Remember too that your heart rate will differ according to the exercise you are doing. If running a few miles is your common cardio workout and you are used to this, your heart rate might not get up as high as it would if you were swimming laps, an exercise you are not accustomed to. Listen to your body and take into consideration how the exercise feels to you and how much exertion you feel you are putting your body through. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Monday, May 4, 2009
 Happy Monday!One of the great things about learning more about fitness and working out is realizing that you do not need a room full of expensive equipment and fancy trainers to get a great workout. In fact, with a little knowledge and your body weight, you can get a great workout and you can keep yourself in great shape! Putting together a series of body weight exercises is a fairly simple process. If you make a commitment to doing these exercises several times each week, you will see tremendous results in a relatively short time. Squats Standing with your feet hip width apart, with your weight in your heels, lean your chest over your knees slightly and bend down as though you are sitting on a chair. Your arms can be at your sides or in front of you for balance. Try to bend down so that your hips are parallel to the floor. Be careful not to extend your knees over your toes. Once you reach a position where you feel a deep stretch and you feel as though you’re nearly off balance, come back up to standing again. Repeat this as many times as your workout calls for, typically sets of 15 to 20 repetitions. If you are looking for a more challenging workout, you can hold free weights in your hands while you work the squats, but this is not necessary to get a good workout. Lunges Stand in a lunge position, so that when you bend down, your front leg forms a 90 degree angle with the floor and your back knee is nearly touching the floor, forming another nearly 90 degree angle. Your pelvis should be square to the front of the room and tucked underneath you. Bend down and rise up for your repetition. Again, if you feel you need a more challenging workout, you can execute the lunges with free weights in your hands. Pullovers Lie down on your back with your knees bent. Be sure that the small of your back is as near to the floor as possible. Pull your abs in and engage them for the duration of the exercise. Begin with your arms extended straight above you. Add weights here if you would like. Bending at the elbows, lower your arms over your head until your hands nearly touch the floor. Then pull them over your head and then down in front of you, ending with your elbows nearly touching the floor by your sides. Repeat this for the amount of repetitions in your workout. You can add many more such exercises to your workout routine. Again, adding weight can increase the intensity of the workout, but the weight is not necessary. Your body weight is sufficient to create a strength building workout. There is a new workout DVD coming in June of 2009 that uses only body weight and resistance for the exercises. It is called Shaun T's Insanity, and it is going to be CRAZY! Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Sunday, May 3, 2009
 If women want strong bones, they need to develop them. And getting an early start on that is essential in sustaining healthy bones throughout your life. Girls and young women should concentrate on weight bearing exercise as a way of developing healthy bones. Beginning this process early on in life will help to assure solid bone growth and density as the years go by. Women need to continue the weight bearing exercise as a way to help maintain healthy, dense bones.Osteoporosis is a bone thinning disease that can lead to bone fractures as a woman ages. Men can develop osteoporosis as well, but it is less common. This disease is largely preventable by beginning weight bearing exercise early on in life and continuing it throughout your life. Maximum bone density is achieved in growth years. In women, this means teenage years, but bones continue to grow through your twenties and into your thirties. Bone loss typically begins in a woman’s mid-thirties. What is Weight Bearing Exercise? Weight bearing exercise is defined as an activity that you do on your feet in which your muscles and bones are worked against gravity. Bones are living tissue that breaks down and rebuilds. When you do regular weight bearing exercise, your bone will break down and rebuild, keeping your bones healthy and strong. Some examples of weight bearing exercise are walking, hiking and jogging. Team sports are good ways to incorporate weight bearing exercise into your life. Climbing stairs is a weight bearing exercise. Intense gardening can be a weight bearing exercise. Remember, weight bearing exercise is an exercise that takes place on your feet. Activities such as cycling and swimming are not weight bearing, although they are aerobic exercises. The new Chalean Extreme DVD Workout from Chalene Johnson is an incredible tool to use for women to build strength. It is taught by a woman and many of the moves and designed for a womans body. Weight training with free weights or machines constitutes weight bearing exercise. This is a great option when trying to train for other sports or when trying to increase muscle strength. Working out with free weights is easy to do at home, using a variety of different exercises. Regular weight bearing exercise is a necessity for women and a great idea for men as well. While men do not typically get osteoporosis, it is possible and care should be taken to avoid the condition. Working out at home with weights and incorporating weight bearing exercise into your fitness routine can help you prevent this bone thinning disease. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Saturday, May 2, 2009
 Juggling the necessities of daily life can often leave you feeling as though you’ve run a marathon – every day! It’s tough to keep track of the kid’s school calendars, their activities, their social activities, your own work schedule, your social activities, and the things you want to do as a family. Add to that the family workout schedule, and you just start to shudder!One way to keep track of the family workout schedule is to start at the beginning. Have everyone in the family set some fitness goals. Fitness goals can serve a few purposes for even the youngest family members. The practice of goal setting is a great skill and habit to get into for later in life. Goals keep people focused and motivated. Learning to set realistic goals is a very important life skill to develop. When you sit down and discuss goal setting with your family, be sure to talk about the idea of attainable goals. Setting goals, especially in the beginning of the process, should be reachable. It’s a good idea to have the family set down these goals in writing. Writing them down makes them concrete and puts them out there for everyone to see. That can create accountability within the family. Often, that’s a motivating factor in trying hard to achieve the goals. When setting fitness goals, it’s always good to include any diet or weight loss goals. These can be family goals that might include something such as sitting down to dinner as a family five nights a week. Or it could be that someone in the family wants to set an attainable weight loss goal of losing two pounds a week for a number of weeks. Setting these goals down on paper is a great exercise in planning for the entire family. It often encourages others in the family to be aware of personal goals and to be encouraging of them. That might mean that the person who does the grocery shopping decides not to buy the ice cream for dessert that night, or that one parent helps a daughter pack a more nutritious and sensible lunch rather than relying on cafeteria food. Setting goals as a family can help each family member achieve his or her goals, but it can also encourage the family to act in coordination with one another, helping and encouraging one another to succeed in meeting those goals. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
Friday, May 1, 2009
 New fitness machines are always tempting. They always look sleek and enticing and so inviting! The claims they make about their ability to create great looking bodies are so alluring. But spending money on all the newest gadgets and the latest machines often isn’t possible – especially in this economy. And for the most part, that’s a good thing. You can usually find a simple, economical alternative for the glitzy machines.The best ab machine every developed is the exercise ball. An exercise ball is inexpensive and comes in different sizes so you can find one that fits your body. An exercise ball works your abs like no other ab machine there is! Adding an exercise ball to your home gym can open up your workouts and increase their diversity. You probably already have an ab routine in your workout, but adding a ball can add variety to your routine. An exercise ball offers you the ability to do a complete ab workout – upper abs, lower abs, and obliques. Consider doing an ab workout with an exercise ball three days a week. You’ll want to work in sets of 15 to 20 repetitions. Concentrate on your form during your workout. You don’t need speed. You need to fully engage the ab muscles you’re targeting and work them slowly and thoroughly, holding your form throughout. Crunches will work your upper abs. Work the crunches while sitting on the exercise ball. Move quickly to reverse crunches to work the lower abs. Again, emphasize form over speed, especially when you begin to get tired. You will want to finish your set with side crunches on the ball to work the obliques. An exercise ball can give you variety in your workout and is an excellent way to work your ab muscles. It’s an inexpensive addition to your home gym and can be used in other ways. You can use your exercise as a weight bench when you’re using light weights. The exercise ball is a great tool for stretching and developing flexibility. Exercise balls are great for sitting around. If you work from home, sit on the exercise ball instead of a desk chair for a period of time during the day. You’ll work on your balance and develop your abs while you’re talking on the phone! Kids love exercise balls! They’re a great way to entice a kid to join you in a workout! You want a great guided workout that teaches you how to use the exercise ball. Try Chalene Johnsons Get on the Ball. Your Place For: Workout Routines - Workout DVDs - P90X
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