Muscle Building Exercises Without Weights

Posted by Guest on Feb 20, 2012 in Exercise, Featured, Health/Fitness | 0 comments

Muscle building usually is synonymous to heavy weights and dumbbells. The more muscles you want to gain, the heavier the weights that you should lift. It is true though that weight training helps one achieve those highly coveted muscles. The weights are gradually increased when your body has already adapted. The goal to develop bigger and bulkier muscles is achieved every time the weight progresses slowly.  But contrary to popular belief, one can still gain muscles without the use of heavy weights.

Muscle Building Without The Weights?

Body weight training is the key to achieving ripped bodies without the use of heavy weights. In this kind of fitness training, major muscle groups are targeted. It can be in the form of simple or compound exercises. Some of them are even hard to execute as compared to lifting with weights.  Compound exercises aim to target more than one muscle group, thus allowing a full body workout.

A Simple Body Weight Training Workout Plan

To give your pectorals a lift, you can engage yourself in several types of pushups. The first one is the decline push-ups. This type of push up works mostly the upper chest area as well as tones the shoulders and the triceps. If you want to engage your middle chest and outer chest, push-ups between two chairs would do the trick.  Reversed push up on table chairs, on the other hand, works the lower and the outer chest and also pumps the shoulders and the triceps.

To give your triceps that coveted cuts, why not try the dips on two chairs.  This exercise is quite similar to the reversed push up and considered as a great workout for your triceps. If you want to add mass to your triceps, you can try the diamond push-ups. It is similar to the regular push-ups; the only difference is that the thumbs and fingers are positioned close to one another.

To work out your upper back and lateral muscles, do several wide pull ups. You’d also be pumping your triceps, biceps, shoulders and forearm by doing this kind of exercise.  The close chin ups, meanwhile, is an exercise designed to target the lower lats and middle back.

To get a bikini-ready body, you have to target those hard to burn fats in the abdominal areas by doing simple crunches. This one works the upper abs. And if you want to get rid of stubborn fats in your lower abs, you have to engage yourself in leg raises.

These exercises might seem simple but when done in a regular manner and coupled with a healthy diet, you are on your way to achieving well-sculpted muscles.

Weight Training For Women

Posted by Guest on Feb 6, 2012 in Exercise, Featured | 0 comments

These days, more and more women are hitting the gym to do some exercises that could help them achieve the perfect body and those sexy curves. Most women opt for activities that would make them sweat all over the cardio equipment but still fail to get some positive results from the scale. Others get frustrated and decide to end the exercise program since they do not get a good outcome. This means only one thing—women need to engage more in weight training.

Many women skip the weight room, and they lose out on the best flab melter there is inside the gym. Expert trainers say that two sessions per week in the weight room can help reduce overall body fat by 3% in just 10 weeks. Aside from this, new muscles will be formed and will boost the metabolism in the long run to keep the body sculpted and lean. Here are a few tips that you must remember to be right on track.

• Strength training burns more calories than cardio, so make sure to lift those weights and continue burning calories even if you are doing nothing.
• Lifting has a profound effect on a woman’s metabolism since muscles account for around a third of an average woman’s weight.
• Before diving into a weight training spree, you should identify your trouble spots and start working on these areas.
• Start with three sessions of weight training every week and also aim for a total body workout, working the whole body including the arms, abs, legs and back.
• Make sure to fuel the workout accordingly. Muscle-maintaining proteins are crucial therefore you have to consume enough of these. When we say protein, opt for lean protein. Some of the best sources of high-quality protein are lean meats, chicken, eggs and soy products.
• Stick to the recommended diet to ensure that you will be able maintain an acceptable body weight, and keep the flab away.

Here are some other activities women can do to take off those unsightly flabs.

• Exercises using barbells or dumbbells for a seated shoulder press.
• Bench press
• Squats for the legs
• Deadlifts
• Lunges for leaner and shapelier legs
• Bodyweight exercises like push-ups.

If you want to seek the help of a professional trainer, do so to know the perfect weight training exercises for you. There are several weight training programs offered by gyms and fitness centers catering to the specialized fitness needs of women who want to stay fit and healthy.

Drink Up: The Importance of Water Intake in Muscle Building

Posted by Guest on Jan 28, 2012 in Exercise, Health/Fitness | 0 comments

In today’s fast-paced world, it is crucial for us to maintain a healthy body in order to keep up with the demands of the urban jungle. Thus, many people are now converted health buffs, dedicated to firming up their bodies by flocking to the gym, eating healthier foods and taking vitamins or supplements. In a typical muscle building routine, the trainee or body-builder usually pays strict attention to his or her carbohydrate, vitamin and protein intake, religiously complies with the mandatory exercises and monitors his or her weight and muscle gain. However, most novice muscle-builders often forget one of the most crucial factors in successful muscle gain: sufficient and proper hydration. Drinking water is just as important as securing yourself with a Sovereign Insurance when it comes to muscle building.

Since the human body is composed of more than 65% water, it would be natural to assume that insufficient water intake will inevitably disrupt our body’s natural processes and could possibly lead to illness. And so, it’s safe to say that sufficient water intake is an essential part of any muscle-building endeavor. First of all, studies have shown that proper water intake increases the body’s muscle strength, thereby increasing the body’s capacity to withstand longer hours of training or exercising. Therefore, lesser muscle strength equals less capacity to exercise equals less muscle built or gained over a specific period of time. Also, water has been proven to be a natural appetite suppressant which temporarily leaves us feeling full, thus curbing those food cravings. Sufficient water in the body also aids in higher levels of exercise performance and faster recovery by lessening the possibility of dehydration and maintaining the body’s temperature during and after an intense workout.

Just like acquiring life insurance, drinking water also gives us tons of benefits. So given the importance of proper H2O intake, just remember if you really want to build those muscles up, make sure to grab that water bottle and drink it all up.

Muscle Building For Older Athletes

Posted by Guest on Jan 23, 2012 in Exercise, Featured, Health/Fitness | 0 comments

Even though you may be past your prime, it is still possible to continue building muscles. Remember that aging is not a valid reason for you to stop being an athlete. You may not be as fast or as strong as you were in your twenties or late thirties but that is not enough reason for you to give up the sport you have been passionate about all these years. While it is true that muscle mass can deteriorate as we age, you can regain those muscles by learning what is the appropriate muscle building regiment for older athletes.

Adults are required to perform at least ten to twelve reps of 8-10 exercises for the chest, back, legs (lower and upper), and arms either through the use of free weights, fitness machines or weight-bearing exercises. Athletes 65 and older, meanwhile, can still engage in strength training, at least two to three times a week, using lighter weights and doing more reps. It is important that older athletes take into consideration their fitness level before engaging in any muscle-building or strength training exercises. There are older athletes that are still strong enough to carry heavier weights, but there are also those who do not have the strength to lift bigger and heavier weights. With that said, it is very important that older athletes give priority to their fitness level and lifting capacity so that they do not end up overexerting themselves.

Building muscles does not mean you have to lift tons of weight to the point of exhaustion. A lot of people are now realizing the importance of developing muscles not just to look good but also to maintain good overall health. Even if you are on your 60’s, forming and maintaining muscles is still important. In fact, working on your muscles is particularly essential as you age. Older athletes need to prevent significant decline of muscle mass over the years through continuous strength and weight training. In addition, developing muscles can also help older athletes prevent fat gain, which is a direct result of a slower metabolism. Because older athletes tend to decrease their physical activities, the chance of accumulating fats increases.

For older athletes, the key in muscle building is incorporating effective strength training workouts that involve the entire body. Allowing every part of the body to move during exercise helps burn more calories while at the same time targeting more than one muscle group. Changing up your strength training program is crucial to prevent hitting the plateau period. Increase your workout intensity accordingly while paying attention to your fitness level. You can either increase reps or add more weights on your lifting exercises.

What older athletes as well as young body builders should keep in mind is that building and toning muscles is not about the amount of weights you lift but the intensity of the exercise. It is of great importance that your exercise intensity matches your fitness level to avoid the possibility of injuring yourself or worse tearing a muscle.

Why Your Fitness Regiment Needs Weight Training

Posted by Guest on Jan 9, 2012 in Exercise, Featured, Health/Fitness | 0 comments

Strength training refers to using the muscles to work against free weights or weight machines. It strengthens the muscles of the body by engaging in a hardcore workout. Many women can benefit from strength training, and one of the numerous advantages of lifting weights is the prevention or delay of osteoporosis. Weight training increases muscular strength and makes the bones healthier and stronger as well.  Aside from these, the activity also improves flexibility and posture, lowers the risk of heart disease, lifts mood and depression, energizes the body, tones and trims the body and many more.

Need more convincing? Here are some great reasons why you should definitely include weight training in your fitness regimen.

• Right after a person hit puberty, he or she starts to lose around 1% of his or her muscle and bone strength every year. To prevent, stop or even reverse this phenomenon, expert trainers recommend adding weight training to their existing fitness workouts.

• Weight training is a fitness activity that can help one to become fitter, healthier and stronger. Strength training is also called “resistance training” due to the involvement of muscle toning and strengthening. Two types of resistance training exist—the isometric resistance which involves contracting the muscles against an inanimate object, and the isotonic strength training that involves contraction of the muscles through a range of motion.

• Better body mechanics is developed with strength training because balance, coordination and posture will be improved.

• Diseases can also be prevented by doing weight resistance training. If you are suffering from arthritis, this exercise can help reduce pain and inflammation.

• Since weight training will elevate the endorphin levels in the body, energy will be boosted and the mood can be significantly improved.

• You will burn more calories and your body will continue burning more after the training itself, and this process is known as “physiologic homework”.

• When you do weight training, you are basically encouraging the body to form muscles. In return, this can help boost your metabolism which will be beneficial to your weight loss and fitness goals.

Of course, resistance or strength training is not limited to the things that you can find inside a gym—expensive machines, lifting weights and other pieces of equipment. You can also do jump squats, push-ups, lunges, deadlifts, and even mountain climbing. These exercises many not need the use of weights but they can be helpful to build your stamina.

Before getting involved in weight training or resistance exercises, you must consult your doctor to know the right type of training for you. It is important that you undergo weight training that meets your abilities and needs. Work with a fitness expert to customize a weight training program that is safe and effective for you.