Training and Exercise Archives

Kettle Bell Workouts Are Your Way to Great Gains

May 312013

Kettle Bell Workouts Are Your Way to Great Gains Maybe you’re simply tired of the way you’ve been working out for years. Maybe you’re trying to break into that next frontier of gains. Maybe you’re just trying to get started, and need something to help give you much more motivation.

Whoever you are, whatever your fitness level and whatever your goals, kettle bell training can be a remarkably effective way to get what you want.

First, What Is a Kettle Bell?

Kettle bells are those pieces of equipment in the gym that look like rocks with handles. Where they’re located in your gym obviously depends on your gym and its floor plan, but most times, you can find kettle bells along with dumbbells and similar things.

How Do I Use a Kettle Bell?

Kettle bell training is all predicated on swinging. This motion allows you to incorporate a wide variety of muscle groups into dynamic lifts that not only help you get great results, but are also super fun to do, too.

Typically, no matter what kettle bell lift you’re doing, you want to get a nice, decently wide stance – with your feet just beyond shoulder width apart – with your head up and back straight. It’s very important that you don’t arch your back. This puts you at potentially serious risk of injury, and precisely the kind you don’t want.

But more on that later.

Two-Handed Swing

This is probably the simplest and most basic kettle bell exercise you can do. And it’s exactly what it sounds like. Assume that stance we just talked about. Now, bend down so that your butt is just above your ankles. (You want to get low, but not too low.) The kettle bell should be at a place beneath you where you could draw a line from your chin to the handle. With two hands on the handle, you want to, all in one motion, stand while bringing the kettle bell out in front of you, no higher than your head. Now, return the kettle bell just behind where you started, making sure that you don’t rock or swing wildly out of control. (Again, this is a great way to hurt yourself. Don’t want that, of course.)

What you’re looking for is an explosive swing forward that starts with your hips. While your arms and shoulders will certainly be incorporated in the lift, you don’t want them to be the primary muscle groups. This is about your hips. Not only is that the best way to get the most effective workout, but it’s also the best way to ensure proper form – and hedge against the possibility of injury.

Structuring Your Workout

The two-handed swing is, of course, only one lift, and in order to make your kettle bell training effective you’ll need to incorporate many others. Here’s the best part about kettle bell training: you can get creative. You can do one-handed swings, two-handed upright rows, and one-handed upright rows – anything you can think of. The ever-important caveat: so long as you’re maintaining proper form. Never, ever do you want to let your body extend beyond that range of motion. It’s a sure way to get injured.

On Safety

You’ve read a number of different notes about the risk of injury. Don’t misunderstand: it’s very real with kettle bell training. But that is the case with most all other types of exercise. Do it wrong, and you’re likely to get burned.

That said, so long as you’re maintaining proper form – and this is probably a good indication that you might want to have someone with experience help – you could be off to great gains in no time at all.

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Valerie Johnston is a health writer located in Lake Fork, Texas. She is passionate about running and clean eating and writing for Healthline.com ensures she stays up-to-date on the latest trends and news in the health and fitness industry.

It’s Never Too Late: How To Start Training For a Tough Mudder Event

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Mar 072013

Tough Mudder is one of the most challenging obstacle course in the world, regardless of how fit you are. Completion of the ten to twelve mile obstacle course can only be accomplished with superior team work, physical assertion and mental toughness.

Its Never Too Late: How To Start Training For a Tough Mudder Event Ideally, Tough Mudder participants need to begin their training regimen at least three months before the race. If you haven’t had enough time to train and your race is only a month away, it’s time to get to work! Following these tips will help you get in the best shape possible for your upcoming race:

Always Stretch and Warm up

Stretching and warming up are both extremely important parts of any training program. Spend five minutes performing a number of stretches that include your back, arms, legs, hands and neck. Because your training sessions will put a lot of stress on your body, stretching is also necessary after each workout.

After you stretch, begin your session by running for about ten minutes to get the blood flowing. While you may be tempted to run as fast as possible, a mild jog will do just fine.

Circuit Training is Essential

Circuit training is essential when preparing for any Tough Mudder event. Circuit training involves performing a number of exercises one after the other as fast as you can.

Exercises that should be performed as part of your circuit training session include:

Burpees
Lateral jumpsquats
Horizontal squat rows
Push-ups
Kettle bell swings

Start out by performing twenty reps of each exercise during the first week. Alternate workouts, increase reps and the number of times you complete the circuit as the month passes. Before you know it, you’ll be ready to compete in one of the hardest athletic events known to man.

The Proper Equipment

When training for a Tough Mudder event, utilizing effective equipment and wearing the appropriate athletic shoes are necessary. Equipment that you will need for your training sessions include kettle bells, a medicine ball, a TRX or other type of suspension trainer and a yoga mat, so you may need to head to your local gym or fitness studio to gain access to this equipment.

Proper apparel is necessary for extreme training sessions, so if you don’t have them already, purchase a pair of athletic shoes. A minimalist style shoe will be best, but any type of athletic shoe will do that’s lightweight, flexible and durable.

StrengthTape Kinesiology Tape can also be a big help during training and during the actual Tough Mudder race. It’s used to provide extra support for joints and muscles during extreme sporting events, so if your body is not used to high-impact sports, strength tape is recommended for protection against excessive impact on your joints and muscles.

Your Frame of Mind

Your frame of mind during your training is so important to keep in check, do you find yourself unmotivated to get up and get to training because you keep thinking that you can start training tomorrow, and you keep putting it off and putting it off? Well, news flash, that’s not going to change come tomorrow. It can only change TODAY. Make the decision and execute. Period.

Too Much of a Good Thing: 6 Signs You Are Over Exercising

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Jan 292013

Believe it or not, there is such a thing as exercising too much. There are some people who won’t exercise at all, but others take it to the extreme and overexercise. Here are five signs that you’re exercising too much.

You’re gaining rather than losing weight

Extreme amounts of exercise will increase levels of hormones in your bloodstream. This is particularly true for cortisol which increases with exercise and results in insulin resistance and a deposit of fat around your waistline. An extending waistline when your diet has not changed and you’re exercising is a sign of too much exercise.

You crave sugar and caffeine

Another tell-tale sign of overtraining is a constant craving for sugar and caffeine. You might also feel constant pangs of hunger as nothing you eat seems to refuel your body. Look out for these signs if you feel you’re over exercising.

Achy muscles and joints

Your exercise regime could be the reason for your achy joints, niggling pain, heavy limbs and injuries that show no signs of improvement. Your body needs time to recover, especially after a strenuous workout. When you continue to go at it you’re putting yourself at risk for serious injuries. Pay attention to the pains and heaviness in your limbs before something serious forces you to stop.

Fatigue during workouts

Fatigue during exercise is another sure sign that your workout regime is too extreme. If you’re moving slower than usual or unable to lift weights and equipment that you could normally lift, that’s an indication of fatigue. Anticipating the end of the workout and struggling to get through the routines are other signs that you should watch out for.

Increased heart rate

Your heart rate should lower as you become more conditioned. It happens as your body adapts to the exercise, but too much exercise could cause your heart rate to go up. Take note that your heart rate will go up as you begin the routine, but it levels off and adapts. When you’ve crossed your limits it will go up again. This could also happen when you’re under stress. Monitor your heart rate during your workout and see what your body is saying to you. If you’re under stress at work or home reduce your exercise routine until you have the stress under control.

Weakened immune system

A heavy workout routine on a constant basis will weaken your immune system and increase inflammation in your body. Prolonged, extreme exercise can take many months to recover from, and you’ll definitely be placing your health on the line when you do. There are serious consequences to increased inflammation in your body. Some of the consequences include chronic illnesses like diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

Take note of these six warning signs of exercising too much, and if you’re guilty of overtraining give your body the rest it needs after an intense workout.

About Author

Tom White is a Nutritional Cleansing Coach and Independent Isagenix Associate, He has got indepth review and knowledge about Isagenix and has written great reviews as well which you must read before you buy Isagenix

Back to Basics with the Zercher Squat

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Jan 252013

The first question you will probably ask is, “What the heck is a Zercher squat?” The second question that typically follows is, “Why do I need to do it?”

Unlike when your dad simply said, “Because I said so,” it is better to provide information to answer both those questions.

Ed Zercher was an old-school strongman from the 1930′s. Now back at that time a lot of strange lifts were being created as people tried and learn the best way to train themselves. In this case, Zercher actually came up with a pretty good concept that has been since copied by a few people in the strength industry except they used a kettlebell or single dumbbell instead of a barbell.

Doing a Zercher Squat

Back to Basics with the Zercher Squat

For this squat the barbell is cradled in the crook of the elbows. How do you get the barbell there easily? Well without some sort of rack it is not very easy. You can clean the weight to your shoulders and then let it slide down or kind of jerk it into position. Honestly strongmen did everything the hard way so they probably didn’t care.

Now for this squat style you use a wider-than shoulder width stance. The reason is because as you squat down you want to keep your elbows between your knees. Other than that this is a basic squat with eyes at chest level, back flat, and then you drop the hips back and down as you squat down to parallel. It is like squatting while holding a barrel.

The advantages to this squatting style is saving wear and tear on the neck and shoulders as well as working on hip flexibility and better squat form because you can’t use as much weight and the weight placement is so different at first.

Other strength coaches use similar squats except holding a dumbbell at the chest using a similar wide stance and keeping the elbows between the knees. The slight variation in position and weight placement truly makes this a whole new exercise and a great one to have in your toolbox. It works the core a bit more than squats and avoids that compression on the spine.

You can do this at the gym and it is a great option at home well especially if you don’t have a squat rack. The nice thing is that if you have too, much like a front squat, it is easy to bail out on the weight.

That is not to say that this exercise can’t be done with heavy weight for power. Some lifters have done these Z Squats with 600 pounds. However an important note should be made with this exercise or any exercise; the manner in which you use it dictates results. Going hard and super heavy is great for powerlifters. Bodybuilders want to be firmly in the muscle hypertrophy zone at 7 to 12 reps. Athletes are looking for endurance and explosion are going to want higher reps or even to use a dumbbell, although the barbell helps with instability training as well.

The bottom line is that the Zercher Squat is a great addition to the arsenal for leg training. It can be utilized easily and will provide a great workout to your core, legs, and even arms for holding the weight.

Harry Carpenter writes for Nutribomb Nutritional Supplements. You can find more articles by Harry at our Bodybuilding Blog or by following our google plus page.

Diabetes Awareness: Diabetes and Exercise Benefits

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Jan 242013

Diabetes Awareness: Diabetes and Exercise Benefits

Photo Credits: BMREDDYlive

Having a reasonably active lifestyle makes a huge difference to your general health and wellbeing as well as your diabetes control. Whether you want to walk, dance or run a marathon is up to you: if you are moderately active on a regular and long-term basis you will feel the benefits.

Physical activity strengthens your heart, muscles, and bones, improves circulation and helps you control your weight. Being active also makes you feel fitter, healthier and happier partly because your body is working more efficiently and partly because activity raises your levels of endorphins and serotonin, two brain chemicals that influence your mood and sense of wellbeing.

If you are prone to depression, this very moment resolve to increase your physical activity levels and observe your depression disappear.

When you have diabetes, there are even more benefits to be gained from being active.

Just 30 minutes of moderate activity five times a week can help to regulate your blood glucose level and reduce the risk of long-term complications such as heart and circulatory conditions.

If you have type 2 diabetes regular activity helps reduce insulin resistance, which helps your own insulin to work more efficiently. This may delay the need for increases in dosage of your tablets or mean that you do not need to start taking insulin injections as early.

If you have Type 1 diabetes, being more active helps your injected insulin to work more efficiently so you may be able to reduce your dosage.

Before getting on with exercise though, ask yourself the question “How fit am I?”

It is a good idea to assess your level of fitness before you start any regular activity. You may be surprised at the amount of activity you already do or may feel that you want to do more.

To find out how fit you are, answer the following questions:

Can you climb a couple of flights of stairs without being out of breath or feel tiredness in your legs?
Do you normally take the stairs rather than the escalator or lift?
Would you walk a 10-minute journey rather than take the car?
Are you able to carry out a conversation during light to moderate activity such as walking?
Do you do 30 minutes of moderate physical activity that makes you sweat and breathe harder at least five times a week?

If you answered “no” to any of the questions above, then you could definitely benefit from including more activity into your daily routine. Having diabetes places no restrictions on the type of physical activity you can do. If you haven’t been active for some time, your best route is to start with any form of gentle activity, assess its effect on your blood glucose level and adjust your diabetes management accordingly.

Author Bio:

This article was brought by Ann-Marie and Ed Stephens, founders of Precise Portions. Read more about portion control and healthy eating on their blog Making It Easy to Eat Well.

How Personal Trainers Help Change Lives

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Jan 222013

To some, having a personal trainer may be a luxury. To others a personal trainer may be a necessary part of their training or daily motivation to stay healthy and lose weight. Yet, even to others a personal trainer may seem unaffordable and not worth the time and money. No matter where you fall in your beliefs about personal trainers, there are many irrefutable benefits to your mental and physical health when you have a personal trainer on your side to help you achieve your health and fitness goals.

Safety

Whether you are an average person trying to lose weight, or an athlete training for a performance, a personal trainer can improve the safety of your workouts. From something as simple as the correct way to perform lunges or squats without endangering your knees or other vulnerable body parts, to using gym equipment correctly, your trainer has specialized training in how to keep you safe during workouts. This can protect you from dangerous and even debilitating injuries that can set you back in your fitness goals or athletic performances.

Personalized Instruction

Cookie cutter workouts do not work. Athletes cannot work out the way people trying to lose weight do and vice versa. No one knows this fact better than a personal trainer. Reasons for training, goals in training, personal styles, body types, and metabolism can all play a role in the different types of training and exercise someone needs. A personal trainer can tailor a training regime based on all of these different factors. It is important that a personal trainer be specialized for you and pay attention to your particular needs and wants in your physical fitness and endurance.

Motivation and Consistency

Many people find it difficult to commit to a fitness program for long periods of time. Life, work, our own personal desires, and other goals can get in the way. A personal trainer can keep you motivated and personally accountable to someone for your workouts and your health. Studies show that people who utilize the services of a personal trainer are more likely to stick to an exercise or training program for longer periods of time and will see better results. It can be quite easy to skip an appointment at the gym if you are going alone, but most people think twice before cancelling an appointment with a personal trainer. Studies also show that people do better in their training goals when they can see a measurable difference made by what they are doing. A good trainer will measure and record your progress; whether it is the shedding of pounds or the shaving of seconds off of your mile, further motivating you to work harder and go farther. A personal trainer will also encourage you and be your own personal cheerleader to keep you going, even when you think you cannot do it anymore.

Variety

Many people get bored very quickly of the same old workout. This causes burnout and people to quit before reaching their fitness and health goals. However, with the professional help of a personal trainer, your workouts can have plenty of variety and spice to keep you motivated and interested.

No matter what your goals are when heading to the gym, a personal trainer can help you immensely. Working with one to meet your goals can change your life. They can help ensure more safety in your workouts. They can also keep you more motivated and on track to reach your fitness and health goals. Good personal trainers will help add variety to your workouts and give you personalized routines and instructions based on your goals and body type. With all of these benefits, you cannot go wrong by hiring a personal trainer of your own.

Author Bio

Sarah Daren is a writer who produces articles in relation to the field of health. This article explains the benefits of a personal trainer and encourages further study with a Coaching Masters Degree .

The Fitness Benefits of Rock Climbing

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Jan 192013

As the New Year is upon us, chances are that many of us have made a resolution to get fit and healthy and aside from heading down to the local gym, you are probably looking for new and more creative ways to keep fit. Getting outdoors is always a popular option for people who are looking for new and innovative ways of achieving a good level of fitness, and if you find that you are looking for something a little different then rock climbing could be just the activity for you!

Designed for people of all levels and all abilities, rock climbing is a full body workout which can challenge every muscle in your body from your core right through to your arms, legs and various other parts of the body. The fact that it does challenge so many parts of your body at once means that you generally have a high calorie burn and tend to get a lot from your workout – making it an effective way to really lose those pounds!

Rock climbing doesn’t have to be a complicated outdoor sport either. There are a number of indoor rock climbing centres which can give you the same challenge and level of physical activity without the need to go outside in the freezing cold and potential rain! For some people these indoor rock climbing centres can prove just as popular as a trip to the gym or other indoor physical activity.

If you are considering taking up a new sport then rock climbing can be a popular option to give you an all-over workout and make sure that you are really getting the most from your time. Some popular benefits of rock climbing include:

Increased muscle and stamina – the unique style of rock climbing means that you have to use a combination of stamina and muscle to pull yourself along. Muscle development will come with the strength that you use to pull yourself a long and stamina will be built up through the cardio exercise that you get from climbing a wall
The ability to do something different than a traditional workout – it’s easy to get bored doing the same monotonous workout and after a while your body adapts to this anyway and doesn’t see the same type of benefits. With rock climbing you are always challenging your body in a different way and as such you are constantly seeing different benefits
The ability to do some sightseeing and scale some amazing mountains/cliffs – so fitness benefits aside there are other benefits that rock climbing can bring you and this includes the picturesque views that you can see when you finish your ascent. Your breath will be taken away by some of the finest views that the world has to offer you – a small price to pay for a good amount of exercise
The ability to learn a new skill while exercising – rock climbing is a skill and it’s not something that can just be learnt overnight. In addition to getting a great workout you are learning new techniques and skills each time you reach a rock face and these can teach you a lot about your own physical strength and flexibility
The ability to build upper body strength quickly and effectively – we can all build upper body strength by doing weights in the gym, but often you will find that lifting heavy weights only tones certain muscles. By using rock climbing as a form of exercise you are working out a whole host of arm muscles, building overall muscle and working each individual area all at once.

Regardless of what you are looking for a session of rock climbing can give you the same type of workout as a boot camp at your local gym. So if you are looking to try something a little different for the New Year, why not give rock climbing a go?!

The Importance of Static Stretching and Dynamic Stretching

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Jan 172013

Stretching is an important part of your personal fitness. It can help you reduce injury when exercising or participating in physical activities.

The Importance of Static Stretching and Dynamic Stretching

Image source: StocxXchng

Too often, people ignore stretching or do the wrong type before exercising. This is a big mistake. It can lead to injuries that keep you out of the gym.

To avoid injuries, it’s important to understand the types and fundamentals of stretching. When it comes to stretching, there are two major types – static and dynamic.

I’ll cover the details in the sections below.

Static Stretching

Have you ever seen a runner hunched over touching their toes? Or how about a weight lifter pulling their elbow toward their head? These are examples of static stretches.

Static stretches involve people reaching in still positions to create muscle tension.

For many years, trainers and coaches saw static stretching as a way to warm up and avoid injury. New research is showing that static stretching can actually cause injuries.

According to a study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, people holding static stretches for more than 30 seconds could possibly experience muscle related injuries. Additionally, research has shown that static stretching before exercise or physical activity can possibly cause injury.

That’s because static stretching before exercise can actually cause muscles to tighten, opening yourself up to more injury.

Dynamic Stretching

Have you ever seen a boxer swinging their arms before a fight? Or how about a soccer or football player kicking their leg into the air? These are examples of dynamic stretching.

Dynamic stretching is when you gently move your muscles toward their maximum range of motion.

Sports and exercise experts believe this type of stretching is a great way to warm your muscles before physical activities. Here are some popular types of dynamic stretches for various activities:

Arm Circles: These are popular for weight lifting. Extend your arms by your side. Slowly move your arms in circles clockwise and counter clockwise.

Leg Lifts: These are popular for running and jogging. Lie on your back and keeping legs straight, slowly lift legs to their maximum range of motion.

Another form of dynamic stretching is called ballistic stretching. This is a type of movement that keeps your muscles warm in between moments of physical activity. Examples include weight lifters bouncing their arms around between sets or a jogger running or wiggling their legs in place at a street intersection.

Important Stretching Tips

So now that you know the different types of stretching, here are some important tips that you should follow:

Don’t do static stretching before exercising or physical activities.
Instead, do some light cardio work to warm up.
Then, do some dynamic stretches that focuses on the muscle groups that you’ll be working.
During workouts, do ballistic stretching to keep your muscles warm.
After the workout, do static stretching.
Keep static stretches to less than 30 seconds per stretch.

Following these tips will help prevent injuries. It’s important to understand that stretching is just as important as strength and cardio training. It will give you the range of motion you need to get stronger and build endurance.

About the Author:

Dave West is a fitness expert. He owns and manages several fitness health clubs in Scottsdale, Arizona.

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