How to Maximize Your Fitness Results

What I am about to reveal to you can make a drastic change in the out come of your fitness results. Many of us are willing to dedicate a decent number of hours each and every week to our workout plan. But quite often we do not always see the results we had hoped for. Looking at the big picture, the average fitness enthusiast only has about 3 to 6 hour per week to dedicate to their workouts. In a 168 hour week 3 to 6 hours is not really a large number of hours. We can drastically increase the number of hour we are exercising by practicing what is called multitasking. In the fitness industry combining exercise with your daily tasks is referred to as Accidental Exercise.

This type of exercise is great for those people who are very limited with their time. How many times have you waited for an elevator when you could have taken the stairs, or drove around a parking lot searching for the closest spot to the door so you would not have to walk very far? I think you get the point. Implementing more accidental exercise into your daily routine can make drastic changes in your fitness results.

Here are some other accidental exercise ideas that you can implement into your day:

□ Shovel snow

□ Mow the lawn - Push Mower

□ Rake leaves

□ Talk the long way - walking

□ Take the stairs

□ Park your car far from the door

□ Walk to don't drive

□ Stand don't sit

□ Walk the dog

□ Chop & stack wood

The accidental exercises listed above will help you burn a tremendous amount of additional calories throughout the course of a day. In this day and age technology is a major burden on our ability to burn additional calories through accidental exercise. If you were to think back when we didn't have garage door openers, TV remote controls, microwave ovens and leaf blowers, we had do perform all of these activities manually. These accidental exercise activities that were a part of everyone's daily lives helped us burn hundreds of extra calories each day.

Not only is accidental exercising a great way to help reduce body fat but in many cases it will improve areas such as muscle strength (including heart strength), lung strength, joint mobility, blood flow, injury prevention, brain function and self esteem.

In conclusion we now know that we can make some small changes in our daily routines that can result in some big changes in our health. It is recommended that everyone involve themselves in some type of exercise program coupled with accidental exercise activities. Accidental exercise is most beneficial when performed in addition to a planned weekly exercise program

Got A Cold - Should You Work Out?

A recent study sponsored by the American College of Sports Medicine indicates that exercising moderately while you have a common cold doesn't affect the severity or duration of the symptoms.

It's a widely excepted notion that exercising and keeping in shape will reduce your risk of getting sick, but nothing has been previously documented to demonstrate whether working out while suffering from a cold would reduce or intensify the symptoms.

The common cold affects us all, with the average American getting sick up to six times a year, but will exercising when you're not feeling well, increase or decrease your ability to battle the illness, and reduce symptoms?

The study, headed by Thomas G. Weidner, Ph.D., Ball State University in Munice Indiana, involved 50 moderately fit student volunteers, who were divided randomly into two groups: exercising and non-exercising. Each volunteer was injected with the cold germs, and tracked for a ten-day period.

The subjects all kept a daily log of physical activity. The exercise group worked out either by running, biking or using a step machine for 40 minutes every day, at no more than seventy per cent of their maximum capacity (measured by heart rate reserve).

Upon completion of the study and after analysis of exercise data, symptom severity, and actual mucous weight measurements, there was shown to be no significant difference in symptom severity or duration in the exercise group or in their inactive counterparts.

The study revealed that exercising at a moderate intensity level does not intensify cold symptoms or compromise the immune system. It seems that a moderate level of intensity is not enough to alter immune response.

Reader beware, high intensity exercise such as heavy weight lifting or high intensity aerobic training has been shown to have a negative impact on the immune system during a cold or any respiratory infection.

Symptom to Exercise Guidelines:

Runny nose, sneezing, scratchy throat only Safe to exercise at low intensity levels.

Fever, dry cough, sore muscles, vomiting, diarhrea Exercise not recommended, resume more intense physical activity when cold, or infection is gone.

Unstable And Proud Of It! Power to the Push-Ups!

When I get finished teaching you this never-before-seen version of the push-up, you're going to think that either I'm crazy or a genius or both! Of course, the results you'll get from it will speak for themselves.

First, we need to set the stage for this version of the push-up.

To begin with, exercises that move your body rather than the weight (such as the push-up) have been shown to fire more muscle fibers than exercises that move the weight rather than your body (such as the bench press). This means that the push-up has the potential to activate a lot of muscle fibers.

Next, we know that exercising in an unstable environment also increases muscle fiber activation. This is because your body compensates for the instability by firing more muscle fibers in order to stabilize the resistance. Anyone who's run barefoot on sand knows the tremendous work your calves get from it. The same concept is put to work in this exercise.

* NOTE: Effective exercise requires progression, and that is essential for learning to perform this exercise safely. Because you will end up doing it in a very unstable environment, you need to start slowly and work your way into it. Naturally, if you're an advanced trainer or are used to working in an unstable environment you may progress more quickly.

Only go as far as you're comfortable with these exercise stages. Each stage holds great benefits but you should always err on the side of caution.

Read through these exercise stages one at a time, then, at the end of the article, you'll find a link where you can view pictures of each stage.

Stage 1 - Dumbell Push-Ups

Set two dumbells on the floor in the approximate hand position and spacing you would use for a push-up. You will essentially be using the dumbells as push-up handles.

The plates on the dumbell should be round (meaning that they'll roll) for maximum instability. Use fairly lightweight dumbells, e.g. 15 to 20 pounds each, so they'll move around more.

This variation by itself is an excellent exercise for beginner to intermediate trainers. You may do this variation with your knees on the floor if you've not yet developed the strength for regular, full push-ups.

Stage 2 - Swiss Ball Push-Ups

Set a large Swiss Ball (the inflatable exercise ball) on the floor where you've got some space.

Place your hands on the floor in your regular push-up position then set your legs on top of the Swiss Ball. Your shins should be on the top of the ball, placed slightly to the sides so you can use them to maintain your balance.

Do push-ups in this position. You will find that the ball will shift around as you are doing the exercise and you'll be forced to move your body around to keep your legs on top of it. The ball will roll slightly forward with you as you drop down to the bottom of the push-up position and roll slightly back as you push yourself up.

Stage 3 - Swiss Ball/Dumbell Push-Ups

Now that you've experienced instability at both ends of the push-up, it's time to put them both together and feel the burn!

Be sure you are comfortable with other two progressions before attempting this one and be sure you are not too close to anything should you lose your balance and roll off.

Set the dumbells up as you did in Stage 1 and set the ball up as you did in Stage 2. Place your hands on the dumbells first then set your legs on the ball.

Now do push-ups on three rolling, unstable surfaces!

Make sure you drop down and get a full range of motion (the dumbell handles will allow you to go further down than if you were doing them on the floor).

The first few reps may feel easy but as you continue, you will notice a burning sensation in the deep muscle fibers of your chest. Keep going! This is where it gets good. You are now hitting muscle fibers that have most likely never been effectively worked by standard chest exercises!

And if you think you're getting a burn on the first set, just wait till you do a few more sets. You'll feel it across your abs and sides too!

The reason this exercise is so effective is simple: complete instability.

Since the vast majority of chest exercises are performed in a reasonably stable position, there are some muscle fibers that never get fully worked. They aren't required to work because you're stabilized.

By placing your legs and both hands on independently moving objects, you demand massive amounts of stabilizing work on the part of your pecs. Your pecs never normally get this work with most chest exercises. Now they're stabilizing your entire body and your limbs while you're moving yourself up and down!

All this intense stabilizing work fires many more muscle fibers than are normally required for a push-up, resulting in a tremendously effective exercise for the chest.

Top 10 Most Outrageous Exercises I've Ever Seen

In the course of my experience working and training in gyms, I've seen people doing some incredibly "interesting" exercises. Unfortunately, it's usually because these people have not been properly instructed in exercise technique.

Here are some of the top winners. Remember, these are actual exercises that I've seen people do. I made the names of the exercises up to match the lunacy of how they look.

DO NOT TRY THESE AT HOME! OR AT THE GYM! OR ANYWHERE!!!

1. Dumbell Hair Combs - Start by holding a dumbell in front of you. Do a front raise with it then whip the dumbell back and over the top of your head like you're combing your hair with it. Make sure to just miss your skull.

2. Hog-tied Face-Rubs - Lie on your stomach on the floor. Grasp your ankles behind your back and rub your face back and forth on the ground repeatedly. Continue until you've had enough.

3. Abdominal Earthquakes - Lie on the floor on your back in the classic start position of a crunch. Now yank as hard as you can on the back of your head up and down and thrash your legs around in the air like you're fending off starving dogs. This evidently works your abs. You will resemble Jello that has just been dropped on the floor. Your face should be as red as a tomato by the time you're done.

4. The Arm Wrecker - Do one cheating, momentum-filled rep of an arm exercise with ridiculously heavy weight then swing your arms around as fast as you can in a circle to get blood to the muscle. This technique will either help your arm grow or will smack the person waiting to use the machine/weights next.

5. Pelvic Demolisher - Stand with your fingers interlocked behind your head. Do a pelvic thrust forward and drop your spinal column down and backwards about 6 inches. This exercise is best done in front of a large group of people.

6. Dumbell Doggy Digs - Bend over at the waist so that your back is rounded completely over like an arch. Your legs should be completely straight and locked out. You should look like you are trying hard to touch your toes but not really succeeding. Hold two dumbells down at arms-length. Now spin them round and round repeatedly just off the floor so that you resemble a dog digging a hole.

7. Pec Rockets - Set the pec deck machine with far too much weight for you to handle safely. Make sure you are very sweaty and slippery before attempting this one. First, use your entire bodyweight to get one arm pad up to the front. Then, throw yourself at the other one to get it to the front. Hold them there for a half-second then get shot four feet out across the floor as you squirt from the machine like a greased banana.

8. Rush-Hour Bench Press - This exercise is done on the vertical seated chest press machine that has a foot pedal to help raise the weight to the starting position. Use this pedal at the bottom of every single rep to bounce the weight back up. Your footwork will resemble that of someone in rush-hour traffic going from 0 to 60 to 0 every 3 seconds.

9. Close-Grip, Behind-The-Neck Shoulder Press - Sit in a shoulder press station, gripping the bar overhead with about 6 inches between your hands. Bring the bar down directly behind your head. Be sure to lean forward 45 degrees and round your back over so that your shoulder joints and lower back each get their fair share of trauma.

10. C.P.R. Bench Press - Start by loading your safe maximum bench press weight onto the bar. Now add 20 more pounds just to be safer. Have your spotter lift the bar off the rack for you. Lower it 2 inches on your own power then allow it to drop and cave in your rib cage. Be sure your spotter is a strong deadlifter before attempting this exercise as you will need them to pull the bar off you at the bottom of every rep. When your spotter has pulled the bar off you after the first rep and is trying to put it back on the racks, yell out "I've got six more reps!"

Remember that this is just a small sample of things I have actually seen people doing. Please be sure when you do your exercises that you take the time to learn proper form and, if you do see someone performing an exercise that is potentially harmful, tactfully assist them.

Easy and Effective Home Workouts

Many people think that creating a home workout gym is either too intimidating or too costly. So, often they instead invest their money in a health club membership not realizing that for the same amount of money (or even less) they can create a very effective gym right in their own home.

For an effective home gym, all that is required is a little bit of planning. Don't fall into the trap of purchasing random fitness equipment because of fancy advertising for the latest infomercial fad or the great "sale" at your local fitness store. That type of purchasing leads to a house littered with equipment that's only use is as a clothes hanger or dust collector. This often happens because the equipment is either useless, poorly constructed or quickly loses its value because it doesn't progress with your fitness level.

To avoid having a basement filled with expensive dust-collecting equipment, keep these points in mind when making a purchase:

What are your fitness goals?

How often do you realistically think you will use the equipment?

What fitness level do you expect to be at in 3, 6, 9 months?

Will the equipment meet your needs as you get more fit (at the 3, 6, and 9-month marks)?

Does the equipment offer enough variations in use that you can change your workouts frequently to prevent your body from hitting a plateau?

Will you enjoy the exercises or will you quickly grow bored of them?

And, of course how much can you afford?

Once you have answered all of the above questions then you are ready to make some purchasing decisions. Of course, how much you can afford to spend may dictate what you can actually purchase. Don't get discouraged. For as little as $100, you can have a very effective total strength training home gym. Even for as little as $35, you can create an effective workout that will tone your entire body.

Regardless of what your fitness goals are, there are a plethora of equipment options to consider. For building muscles and/or toning-up you can choose from free weights, selectorized machines, resistance bands, benches and even no-equipment. For cardiovascular improvements (e.g. running, walking, etc), there are even more options. They range from treadmills, to elliptical trainers, to bikes and beyond. So, answering the previously mentioned questions is very important.

To help make your decision easier, below are several recommendations based on costs and needs, along with benefits of the exercise equipment.

If you want to create a gym that will provide you with a total body workout (cardio, strength and flexibility) and you have a budget of at least $1000, consider the following recommendations:

• Treadmill - The best option for cardiovascular equipment because it can be used for running, walking, and even some leg strength training. Plus, workouts can continually be varied based on speed, incline, even direction. And, it easily progresses as fitness levels improve.

• Full dumbbell set with weights ranging from 5 pounds to 50+ pounds. - Great for light toning, to intermediate strength training to building muscles. Less expensive than selectorized machines and usually provides more flexibility and variety in workouts.

• Fitness Ball - Provides exercise options for toning, strengthening and stretching.

• Resistance Band - Provides another option for strength training. Can alternate use with free weights for a great challenge that will help prevent plateaus.

• Step Bench - Can be used for both cardio workouts and strength training workouts.

If you want a home gym specifically for building muscles (or just can't afford cardio equipment), and can afford at least $100, consider the following recommendations:

• Dumbbell set.

• Fitness Ball

• Resistance Band

• Jump Rope - Offers very challenging cardiovascular fitness workouts at a very low price.

If you want a total body home gym but can only afford less than $100, consider the following recommendations:

• Three dumbbells sizes (e.g. 5, 10 and 15 pounds)

• Resistance Band

• Jump Rope

If you are limited to purchasing just one very affordable piece of equipment, consider buying a Fitness Ball. As mentioned above, it provides many different exercise options. With the ball you can get an upper body workout, a lower body workout, very challenging abdominal workout and a stretching/flexibility workout. And, you can get all of this for around $35.

Also, don't underestimate what you can do with things that are already in your house, like stairs, a chair, milk jugs and others. There are a lot of exercises that require no equipment at all. For example, push-ups, tricep dips, squats, calf raises, etc. You can even create your own "weights" through milk jugs filled with water or sand.

As you can see, there are a lot of options available for creating a home gym that will meet your individual needs and will provide a lot of workout variety. Even on a shoestring budget, you can still make a wise purchase that will be invaluable in helping you get more fit and healthy. And, you'll enjoy all the benefits of working out at home.

What are the benefits of working out at home? Well, here are some highlights:

• No wasted time driving to and from a fitness club

• No waiting in line to use the equipment

• Workout on your schedule, rather than just when the health club is open

• No expensive monthly membership fees or long-term contracts

• Motivation to workout as you pass by the equipment every day

Of course, you will need previous knowledge of how to use your home equipment or you will have to be willing to learn. But, it's not difficult. Most equipment will come with basic instructions and a few sample exercises. You may want to enlist the help of a professional to provide additional exercise options and guidance that will ensure that you get the most out of your fitness equipment through every fitness level stage.

For an affordable workout plan personalized to your individual needs and available equipment, enroll in a WorkoutsForYou.com online fitness program.

A Great Way To Spice Up Your Workouts -- Interval Training

There's been a lot of buzz recently about Interval Training. So, you may be wondering what it really is and, more importantly, why you should incorporate it in your fitness workouts. Well, if you want a workout that can help propel you to the next fitness level, burn more calories, increase your speed, improve your power and more, then it's time to learn more about this effective technique.

A simple definition of Interval Training is: short, high-intensity exercise periods alternated with periods of rest. These higher and lower intensity periods are repeated several times to form a complete workout . Here's a basic example: walk for 5 minutes at 3.5 MPH, walk for 1 minute at 4.2 MPH and then repeat this sequence several times.

Most people spend their workout time only performing continuous training exercises. These are exercises where the intensity level is basically constant throughout. An example of this is walking at 3.5 MPH, at 0% incline for 30 minutes.

Continuous training is very effective and should not be eliminated from your weekly workouts. However, it's recommended that you include both Interval Training and continuous training sessions as part of your fitness regimen.

Why should you include Interval Training? As previously mentioned, there are many benefits to this type of training and execution is relatively simple. Interval Training can help you improve cardiovascular fitness, increase speed, improve overall aerobic power, burn more calories, break-through a plateau, increase workout duration, reach new exercise levels, expand your workout options and increase your workout threshold - just to name a few.

Plus, this training method has useful applications for beginners, intermediate exercisers and even conditioned athletes. There are two basic types of Interval Training. For the majority of exercisers (novices and intermediate) Fitness Interval Training methods are recommended. Athletes can choose a more advanced technique known as Performance Interval Training.

The Fitness training method utilizes periodic increases in intensity. Typically the higher-intensity levels range from 2-5 minutes in duration and are followed by lower-intensity periods that also range from 2-5 minutes. And, a critical element in Fitness Interval Training is determining the appropriate level for the higher-intensity periods. This level should not exceed the anaerobic threshold (which is usually reached below 85% heart rate reserve).

On the flip side, the Performance training technique involves periods of near maximal or even maximal intensity (e.g. >85% heart rate reserve - even reaching 100%). The higher-intensity levels can range from 2-15 minutes in duration and are followed by lower-intensity periods that also can range from 2-15 minutes in duration.

Don't let the two types of training and their ranges confuse you. Incorporating Interval Training methods into your exercise routine is actually quite easy. Since the majority of exercisers fall into either the beginner or intermediate category, we'll focus on getting started with those techniques.

To begin, choose the type of exercise: walking, jogging, swimming, biking, etc. Next determine your lower-intensity level. This is usually somewhere between 50-65% target heart rate. This will be your baseline, lower-level intensity. Then simply increase the intensity-level up to where you feel like you are working hard to very hard, but avoid reaching a level over 85% target heart rate. If monitoring your heart is not feasible, instead use the RPE scale where 1 is basically at rest and 10 is working extremely hard. For example, if you find that when you are exercising at a comfortable level you rank a 5, then bump up to a 7 for the higher-intensity intervals.

You may choose to systematically raise and lower your intensity (e.g. 2 minutes lower intensity followed by 1 minute higher intensity and repeat) or you can alternate more randomly by raising and lowering the level at your discretion. To increase your intensity, you may choose to change the speed, incline, or some other variable.

Interval Training can be especially helpful in situations where you are trying a new form of exercise. For example, this can be very beneficial when first learning to jog. If you attempt to jog continuously without building up to it, you will probably fatigue quickly and even give up. However, if you begin with intervals of walking interspersed with jogging periods, the workout will be much more enjoyable and effective. Also, you will be more likely to stick with the program and achieve the end result - continuous jogging.

Now that you know the benefits of Interval Training and the basic techniques for it, why not give it a try for yourself. Not only will it provide health benefits and improved fitness levels but it is also a great way to avoid workout boredom. Plus, with Interval Training workouts often are more enjoyable, go by quicker, and improvement results come faster. So why not try spicing up a stale, run-of-the-mill workout with Interval options? You may even find yourself excelling in an activity you were skeptical of even trying.

Want To Get In Shape? Watch Another Infomercial!

You know I have always wondered how people of yesteryear, like Eugene sandow, John Grimek, Steve reeves, Jack Lalanne, Joe Louis, Charle Atlas, and many others that i could mention could possibly get into such fantastic shape without all these gadgets, gizmos, and late night exercise machines being touted all over your favorite TV stations.

I mean let's look at what is happening here! You have got Ab dolly, Ab rocker, Ab lounge, Abwheel, Ab-this-Ab-that, and I am not saying that they may not give some results but let's face it if any one of these was a "cure all" why do they have to keep coming out with more??????? And why do people keep buying the latest and greatest thing? Well i will tell you?

SALES AND MARKETING! These infomercials have it down to a science. You will notice all the hard bodies that promote all these gadgets and here you are back home watching from your tv saying that if I buy this i can look like him/her and this will solve all my problems right? Wrong!!! First of all how do you know the people that you are looking at on tv actually got all their results from the product that there promoting? You Don't.

But psycologically, your saying to yourself, this is the one, this is what finally is going to do it for me. This is what i have been missing out on. They hit all your "Emotional Triggers" and "Hot Buttons". And you make the purchase and and lo and behold you are no better off then where you started from.

I will give you an example: (6 pack abs). Before they came out with all this inform ation about what to do and not to do regarding situps and crunches, leg raises, etc. people were just doing normal sit-ups on a board, or having somebody hold there feet down, not maybe knowing that maybe they are putting stress on their lower back? A lot of the old time athletes had tremendous ab development and strength. How do you figure that? How could that be? How is this possible? I mean god forbid if i told you some deep breathing exercises could give you some nice ab development. And you didn't need to invest any of your hard earned money on useless gadgets and gizmos.

Well getting (6 pack abs) is more a "diet" thing then any exercise that you could possibly think of. You can do 1,000s of any exercise you want, and it will strengthen the abdominals.

BUT? If you want to see those "ABS" you have to get rid of the layers of "fat" that are covering them. END OF STORY!!!!!!! And that has to be done for the most part through proper dieting and calorie manipulation. I don't care what contraption you buy it won't help if your diet isn't right.

Getting Back To Basics: In my opinion a "Boxer" is one of the best conditioned atletes out there. Especially if you look back at the old timers going (15-3min rounds). And going back to John L. Sullivan days maybe more than that. Think about the monetary investment? A jump rope $10? no money, run in place. Start throwing your hands out like you are sparring, keep moving around, side to side, back and forth, go down to the floor do some sit-ups. some leg raises, jumping jacks, jog around the block, sprint from telephone pole-telephone pole. How much money have you invested?

How did they do this? a Jump rope, combat boots for running, some calisthenics, and a makeshift heavy bag. What no hi-tech equipment? No fancy gadgets? And these guys were in great shape? No way!!!! Oh yes they were, and you can too.

The point of all this is before you spend your money on all the things outside yourself, "think" how did people before me get into tip top shape, you already have what you need. The latest and greatest fad is not going to do it for you.

I have a set of stairs about 12 of them from the first to second floor of my house, I make it a point to run up walk down about 20 sets everyday. I challenge you to do this and then tell me you need to go out and buy a treadmill, gazeelle, cross-trainer, or whatever else you can think of? No set of stairs? Go down to a local football field and run up and down bleachers, you will get my point.

Attention, Ladies!

Building those impressively sleek shoulders takes a great deal of raw grind but once you sport a shapely set, you'll quickly be separated from the rest. If you like to wear bikinis or summer dresses that reveal your upper torso, shoulder training is ideal in sporting a sexy physique.

Here are some toning exercises designed to shape those delts:

ALTERNATING DUMBBELL RAISES: Standing straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, take a pair of dumbbells into your hands and hold them down at your sides. Make sure that the dumbbells are of a manageable weight. Bending your knees slightly, slowly raise one arm, twisting it so that your palm is facing down. Stop when your arm is straight out in front of you (at shoulder level) so that it forms a right angle with your torso. Squeeze your deltoid muscles before slowly bringing the weight back down to your side. Meanwhile, your opposite arm should be rising just as the other one drops. Repeat the alternating motion for 12-15 reps on each arm. Try 3 sets of this.

LATERAL RAISES (ON CABLES): Put a D-handle on the lower hookup of the cable machine. Stand with your side to the cable. With your arm that's farthest away from the cable, take the handle into your hand, and hold it to the opposite hip. Slightly bend your torso away from the cable, shifting weight onto your furthest foot from the cable. Slowly raise the weight across your torso, your arm slightly bent while doing so. Stop when your arm is extended directly away from your shoulder. Squeeze your shoulder at the contraction before slowly releasing to the starting position. Repeat this motion for a total of 12-15 reps at a lighter weight before switching sides. For a great burn, do not take any rest between alternating sets.

A shoulder injury can be devastating to the remaining workouts, considering it is used in virtually every other upper-body exercise. Your chest and back in particular can suffer from a nagging shoulder ailment. So make sure to stretch appropriately before partaking in these strenuous shoulder exercises.

The Different Types of Treadmills

When we usually think of treadmills, we tend to think that there is only one type on the market. However, this is very far from the truth as there are a couple of different types of treadmills.

There is, of course, the home treadmill that most are familiar with. However, the other type of treadmill is the commercial treadmill, which are the ones that are usually seen in the gym.

Most exercise gurus will pursue getting home treadmill. They range from cheap, manual treadmills up to the higher quality ones that are designed for those with extensive running and cross training in their workouts.

Competition in the treadmill industry is extremely high. There are hundreds of brands and types of treadmills that are all competing for your money.

There are folding home treadmill varieties which are great space savers as they can fold up and be put in a closet or under a bed. However this type of treadmill lacks an extremely sold form that most home treadmills possess.

The other variety of treadmill is known as the commercial treadmill. This type of treadmill is used in a gym or other type of commercial setting such as a doctor's office.

A commercial treadmill tends to have a higher powered motor with more horsepower than a home machine. It also has more a bulky and rugged look to it and feels extremely stable, which does eliminate finding folding varieties of commercial treadmills.

Due to the intended extreme usage there is less of a warranty, roughly 3-4 years, that is included with the purchase of a commercial treadmill.

When a treadmill is intended to be used as one within a commercial type of environment, then it may be only logical for you to get a commercial treadmill.

However, there might be a few treadmills that are categorized as home treadmills, that might be used in other light commercial settings such as in small hotel gyms but in this case, as in all, be sure that you go over the warranty several times.

There are many decent options for those needing a home treadmill. If your workout is only going to include walking for the life of your machine then a smaller, less expensive variety will do as more than capable.

Avid runners and exercisers are encouraged to get a higher priced ranged home machine that will have more features and include higher length warranties.

Fitness Focus: Overcoming Obstacles

If you're like me, the quest to be in shape, manage weight and overall well-being, at times, feels overwhelming. And, as if the quest to be fit isn't hard enough, there's often other obstacles to overcome: health issues, time management, mustering up courage or energy. Even if you've been exercising for a long time, there's always new barriers to be broken. So, how to put all of this into perspective? According to Tom Turner, executive liaison for the Spina Bifida Association that's exactly it: Perspective. And also, according to him, there's no mountain too high to climb. Tom would know. Paralyzed from the waist down since birth he's now 33 and trains about three times a week. In fact, he tells me, he just couldn't get along without exercise.

So in my quest for the last word on overcoming barriers in fitness, Tom sat down with me and together we came up with 3 basic principles that will help break-down fears and intimidations in reaching fitness goals.

(After all, if he can exercise on a regular basis, shouldn't that be encouragement enough for anyone to give it a shot?)

Principle #1 Move into the Fear.

"Train you mind to believe no mountain is too high or any goal is too difficult to attain," Tom tells me. Basically, it's all about meeting your fears and facing them head-on.

In this principle, aim to recognize your fears, acknowledge them and then move through them. Ask yourself what is it that makes you uncomfortable? Have you let yourself get out of shape and are afraid you'll never get back? Do you have an injury that's caused you to be afraid of your body?

If you can visualize creatively, then you can put your fears in check. See your self as you'd like to be. Remember: your body loves you and has the potential to heal itself to perfection. Your only job is to trust it and listen.

Q: What is your body saying to you?

Principle #2 Trust Your Intuition.

It is important when overcoming obstacles and learning to break through barriers that you begin to listen to the still small voice of your body. In most cases, we all want the comfort of having someone telling us what we can and cannot do. However, our highest truth lies within us. This is not to say that the good opinion of others is not important, but ultimately the decision making comes from within.

When facing a challenge or an obstacle look to how you feel. What are your instincts telling you? Often it is simply your instinct that will move you into a new mindset and raise your consciousness.

"I wasn't about to let the wheelchair stand in my way," Tom tells me. In fact, he says he had to merely change his perspective about it. He says he first had to learn about what his restrictions were then, create a boundary for himself. "We all have boundaries," he tells me. "Regardless if a person can walk or not, obstacles are as unique as people themselves. Therefore, it's first best to know your boundaries."

Next, Tom tells me he aims to meet those boundaries.

"I first reach as high as I can within the confines of what I am able to do. Whether it be more sets, reps, or greater endurance, I allow myself as much time as necessary to accomplish my small goals. It always surprises me, with small steps, how quickly I can reach a Big goal."

Principle #3 Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.

What then, about fear? I wanted to know. If we move into the fear and meet it eye to eye what if fear meets us there? "So," I asked Tom: "are you ever afraid?

"After 19 operations in my life, I've really come to terms with fear," he says. "It really comes down to our most primal fear; fear of death. Once you realize that death is all part of the divine plan, it's liberating, you can let it go and, instead, choose how to live. So instead of being afraid of death I decided to choose how to live."

So what's the take away message? Talking to Tom, I'm reminded of the poem by Dylan Thomas who said: "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night." It seems appropriate here. The bottom line: Staying afraid often keeps us from truly living.

Tom reminds me that a positive attitude is key, "Life is all about attitude." He also says he could let fear beat him down, yet he doesn't. "I wouldn't want to miss being part of tomorrow," he concludes.

That said, what fears are getting in your way? Make today the right time to face them.

In conclusion: Life Beyond The Boundaries.

When you've faced your fears and pushed your boundaries to the edges, what then? I wanted to know.

Tom smiles. "Find a new mountain to climb," he says matter-of-factly. "It's what makes life fun. I know I have considerations. I know that there will be days that I'll need to stay in bed and rest while my braces are getting tuned up. It's those times when I am with my thoughts that I decide what I am going to set my sights on."

Success Versus Failure in the Exercise Department

Success is what you are prepared to make of yourself every single day. That one cold morning when you want to roll over but instead get up and go to workout, is a defining moment. Success boosts self-confidence and is self perpetuating. We all know it, thrive on it and love it.

Failure on the other hand is perceived as a stressful, negative experience. It means challenge, difficulties, not knowing or worst of all defeat. It affects our self-esteem negatively, builds upon itself and could become a pattern. It could mean a threat to our survival. So we have an aversion to it. We dislike failure.

Well, did you know that failure like stress is actually good for you? Out of the trial and error, the grueling and rigorous demands of trying and failing we humans learned what worked to survive.

Failure is something we as humans need to encounter for new growth and creative changes - uprisings. Failure causes us to reassess, reevaluate, and start again. Out of necessity we learn to take risks, and think "outside the box". Failure is the fertile soil from which seeds burst and blossom. Failure challenges our will to survive.

Did you know that no stress is absolutely the worst of all stressors. Stress is like body temperature: if it's too low or too high, you can't survive, but the right balance can keep you going strong. It makes sense to use stress energy positively, to meet life's challenges. Stress is not all bad. Yes, you may fail. This is life. Life's winners accept that in trying they may have to adjust and even start again and again. The difference between successful people and others is not whether you make mistakes or even temporarily fail, but how you respond.

So how does this apply to your workouts? Expect more of yourself. Set higher standards! This sets you up for failure. Of course you can't reach that next higher level immediately. You'll keep trying and failing until you do. In the meantime when you don't meet them, ask yourself did I try my best? Did I give it my all? If your answer is yes then, yes you failed and you yes you failed successfully! Now you'll be a step closer to that new fitness level. You'll get healthier and fitter and at the same time toughen yourself psychologically and emotionally to handle the dreaded Failure.

Exercise Nutrition: How To Keep That Energy Up!

How many times has this happened to you?

>> You psych yourself up mentally (you are GOING to do it!)

>> You don the outfit (you can practically feel the energy flowing through your veins!)

>> You lace up the running shoes (Nike: Just Do It - that's you.)

>> You grab your towel (because ANYONE SERIOUS needs a towel).

Then it's time.

It's time to sweat. It's time to burn the evil fat from your body. You face the treadmill (or stair climber, or rowing machine, or exercise video with the perky aerobics instructor on it).

And you start.

You warm up, and start moving faster and faster. The sweat starts to pour. The blood is pumping. Man, you are burning! That size 2 exercise instructor is going to look like a whale compared to you when you get through!

The adrenaline hits your blood and you feel GREAT! You could exercise forever! In fact maybe you will exercise forever!

Your time winds down. Ok, maybe you'd better slow down, no sense in going TOO crazy here. The cool down sure feels good. You turn off the treadmill, or the exercise video and head to the shower.

Then it hits you.

EXERCISE REPERCUSSION.

You feel like you want to die, or at least sleep for about 12 hours. You go through the day craving anything you can easily grab: anything edible or, depending on how good it looks, anything at all. Nutritional value? Who cares!

But nothing seems to satisfy you and you could swear that you've just eaten all the calories you burned during exercise PLUS more!

What was the point in exercising at all if you go through your day tired and eating everything in sight? It was just a waste of your time and a stress on your body for nothing right?

Well, not necessarily, not if you can learn from it. Here's how to avoid the above experience when exercising:

1) Check Your Hydration Levels

(I know not really exciting-but it will do wonders!!)

The average adult loses 10-12 cups of water a day (that's not including water we lose from exercise, caffeine, etc).

It's estimated that approx 75% of North Americans are chronically dehydrated. And even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.

And here's the key, all you exercisers: Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue!!!! Unfortunately this fatigue often gets mistaken for hunger and we eat more than we need in a desperate effort to get that water back into our bodies.

What can you do?

Before your workout: drink 1-2 glasses of water

During your workout: Have about ½-1 cup of water for every 20 minutes of exercise

After your workout: Have at least 3 cups of water in the hour after you exercise.

2) Check Your Pre-workout Nutrition

Since you want energy over the long haul, your best bet is to try having some complex carbs before you exercise (like oatmeal, whole wheat toast, or whole wheat crackers).

Some people prefer to get their carbohydrate from fruit also, it depends on what works for you.

Try to combine this with a little bit of protein (like peanut butter on your whole wheat toast, or a couple slices of cheese with your apple). Try different combos and see what gives you the most energy.

3) During your workout:

If your workout is under an hour: Make sure you keep drinking that water and continue to listen to your body.

If you want to go more than an hour you should try eating 25 to 30 grams of carbohydrate every half hour (i.e. From sports bars, fruits or whole grains).

If you are exercising for more than 3 hours you should consider sipping a sports drink to replace lost electrolytes. Both sports drinks and energy bars help to maintain your blood sugar levels and prevent muscle glycogen (energy) depletion

4) After exercise:

Keep drinking that water! (See above) You also want to refuel with carbohydrates as soon as you can after exercise (toast, bagel, fruits, oatmeal, etc.)

Your body not only needs to refuel but it also needs to rebuild with some protein since intense exercise involves the breakdown of muscle tissue.

Some possible snacks are: Peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat toast, cottage cheese mixed with fruit, scrambled eggs with whole wheat toast.

The most important thing is to pay attention to your body and feel what works for you as you exercise. If you feel light-headed or dizzy or in pain at any time during exercise stop! Respect your body and what it tells you.

Hopefully the next time you decide to face the treadmill (or the exercise video) you'll be able to feel great both during AND after you exercise.

You'll be able to feel as if you've made your body better and stronger, by feeding it and exercising it and keeping that energy up!

Weight Training: The Real Weight Loss Exercise

So you want to lose weight? Chances are, you'll spend the next few days "pigging out" while in the back of your mind you resolve that ...Starting Monday, no more fried foods, no more between meal snacking, no more whatever it is you think is causing you to pack on those ugly pounds. So Monday rolls around and sure, you start out strong, eat right all day. Next day same thing, maybe you'll make it a week. Unfortunately, after a few days, you'll probably find yourself scoffing down a double whopper somewhere, and that will be it, the diet will be over, and you'll quickly gain back whatever weight you may have lost -plus a few extra pounds just for good measure.

Guess what, this is the way our bodies were designed to work. Evolution has taught our bodies that if our eating patterns change drastically, it means we're having trouble finding food (a million years ago there wasn't a Burger King every half mile). To keep us from starving, our bodies conserve energy by slowing down. So, we start to feel sluggish on top of feeling deprived and hungry.

After a while, the temptation just becomes too much. We start eating again and once we do, our bodies want to make sure we "stock up" so that we'll be ready for the next time that food is unavailable. We usually wind up heavier then we were before we started "dieting".

So how do we go about losing weight? The answer is simpler then many people think. Focus less on what we eat and more on getting the right exercise. The right exercise in this case is weight training. That's right pumping iron actually helps you lose fat.

Weight Training attacks your fat stores in a couple of ways. First, the act of actually working out, as you probably expect, burns calories. However, with weight training, your body continues to burn extra calories long after the workout is complete. How? Well when you weight train, you are actually causing damage to your muscles. Your body needs to repair this damage and that burns calories. So you're actually burning calories long after your weight training session is over. Finally, simply having muscle requires extra calories. One pound of fat burns 3 to 4 calories per day, one pound of muscle however, burns roughly 50 calories per day. Add 10 pounds of muscle to your body and you'll be burning an extra 3,500 calories per week, even if you just sit around all day.

Now, you'll still have to watch what you eat. But by adding weight training to your overall fitness plan, your diet can be much less restrictive ---moderation is really the key. Try to eat a little better (c'mon you know what foods are bad for you) but don't starve yourself. It's not a race; you're trying to get fit and stay that way.

So next time you're motivated to go on a diet, why not consider adding weight training to the picture. You'll find that weight training along with a more sensible eating will help you to lose fat quicker and help you keep it off.

Sports Specific Exercise

The Greek physician Galen (AD 129 - 210) is generally accepted to be the originator of formalized exercise, he even pointed the way forward by stating,

"?movements which do not alter respiration are not called exercise".

Whilst he was chief physician to the Gladiators, Galen devised training drills to replicate movements from the arena, as seen in the 1960 film Spartacus. Galen's gladiator drills are now referred to as 'sports specific' training or sometimes the misleading term 'functional' training, that is, exercises consisting of movements that are specific to a particular sport. With practice we may get better at performing these exercises but to date there is no proof that this makes any difference to sporting performance or normal everyday function of the muscles specifically targeted.

'State-dependent learning' is a phenomenon in which the retrieval of newly acquired information is possible only if the subject is in the same environment and physical state as during the learning phase. That is, a skill learnt in one situation does not necessarily translate to another, for example, results gained from exercises designed to strengthen the 'core' muscles may not change their performance under competitive or even everyday circumstances that differ from those of the specific exercise. Therefore, if training routines are to be beneficial they must replicate the playing conditions as closely as possible.

In professional sport a large percentage of training is taken up by exercise in the belief it will develop strength, co-ordination and agility, but if these exercises are considered necessary for a given sport, why doesn't the athlete develop these skills by actually participating in their sport? If an athlete lacks the strength or agility considered essential for their game then either the perceived requirements are wrong (and this happens time and time again) and the exercises are a waste of time or the athlete is not performing their sport in a manner considered to be right. If the latter is the case then how can an athlete whose movement may be at fault be expected to be suddenly capable of performing the prescribed exercises correctly? If they do learn to perform the exercises 'correctly' can these new skills be transferred back to the sporting arena?

Sports scientist Dr Michael Yessis writes:

What Makes an Exercise Specific? For an exercise to be specific it must fulfill one or more of the following criteria:

1. The exercise must duplicate the exact movement witnessed in a certain segment of the sports skill.

2. The exercise must involve the same type of muscular contraction as used in the skill execution.

3. The special exercise must have the same range of motion as in the skill action.

So perhaps the best sport specific exercise program, by definition, is ... playing your sport?

Exercising With Kids -- Tips For Parents

Making exercise a priority is a challenge for everyone. And for parents it can be especially difficult to find time to workout because of the full plates that they often juggle. When summer arrives the juggling act becomes even more tricky with kids home from school and involved in extracurricular activities.

But, finding time for regular physical activity is so important that it should be a priority placed on your calendar, just like your kids' softball game. A parent needs to exercise not only for themselves, but also for their kids benefit. It's important to set a good example. If your children never see you engage in fitness or if they hear you complain about working out, then they are going to have a negative image of exercise. Let them know that you workout to stay healthy, to be strong and to have more energy and stamina (so you can keep up with them)!

The big question is how to make it a priority that fits in your schedule. Well, it's actually easier than you may think. With a little planning you can find ways to incorporate workouts into the time you spend with your children. Regardless of what age your children are, there's a way to find time to workout (often even with your kids)! Here are some tips based on the age of your children.

Age: Infant through pre-school

• Fit in exercise time while they are napping. Try a home exercise video, walking or jogging (if you have a treadmill), jumping rope.
• Occupy them for even 15 minutes with a video or toy while you do some toning exercises like squats and tricep dips.
• Grab your stroller and go for a brisk walk*. Or, buy a jogging stroller for more flexibility. With a jogging stroller you can walk faster, jog or even run at a fast pace. And, for veteran rollerbladers, you can even use the stroller for some skating time.
• For younger children, you can use a back carrier to transport them while walking. This can burn even more calories as the extra weight makes it more challenging.
• Turn on some music and dance together. Toddlers love dancing, especially when their parents joins in.
• Push your kid on a swing. And, after every push complete one squat.
• Use an infant carrier or bike trailer to enjoy a bike ride together.

Age: Grade School

• Try rollerblading or skating together.
• Spend an afternoon at a park with a playground, but don't spend the whole time relaxing on the sidelines - join in on the fun. Spend some time swinging to help workout your legs. Try making it across the monkey bars - even just once (it's a great upper body workout and you'll be amazed that your kid does it with such little ease). Try some pull-ups using a bar on the playset. Do some tricep dips on a nearby park bench.
• Play catch with a ball or get a small group together for a kickball or softball game.
• Make Saturdays family bike outing day.
• Involve your kids while you strength train. Let them count your reps out loud for you and/or clock your rest time in-between sets.
• For pool outings, don't just spend time soaking up the sun. Walk back and forth in shallow water while your kids have fun splashing about.
• On rainy days that force you inside, walk or run up and down the stairs. You might even make it a contest to see who can finish 5 complete rounds first.

Age: Teenagers

• Register for a fun run (or walk) event and spend time together training for the event.
• Purchase a family gym membership and workout together weekly.
• Play tennis or basketball together.
• Consider joining a community volleyball or softball team that includes enthusiasts of all ages.
• Don't just sit and cheer your kids at their sporting events. Every few minutes do some walking or jumping jacks or squats.
• Implement a daily family walk each day before or after dinner.
• Work together in the yard raking leaves, planting flowers, trimming trees.

So, with all the above recommendations, you no longer have the "I'm a parent - I don't have time to workout" excuse. If you implement these activities for just 30 minutes three times per week, you can easily burn an extra 450 calories or more! Plus, working out sets a great example for your children that will teach them at an early age how important (and easy) it is to make physical fitness a part of daily life. Exercising with your kids also provides the extra bonus of spending quality time together.

The Many Benefits of Exercise

Health experts encourage us to include exercise as a necessary part of our daily routine to promote our general well- being. Together with healthy and balanced diet, adequate rest and relaxation, exercise is recommended to promote optimal health. People who are usually inactive can improve their health and well-being by becoming even moderately active on a regular basis.

Physical activity need not be strenuous to achieve significant health benefits.

Greater health benefits can be achieved by increasing the amount (duration, frequency, or intensity) of physical activity.

There are many benefits of exercise, not only as an aid in effective fat/ weight loss, but also in reducing our risks of developing or dying from some of the leading causes of illness and death. Here is a general overview of what exercise can do for us.

1. Exercise reduces our risks of dying prematurely.

2. Exercise reduces our risks of dying from heart diseases, cancers (including uterine, colon, and breast), stroke, diabetes and arthritis.

3. Help us lose weight, especially fat weight by decreasing our Body Mass Index (BMI), reducing our total cholesterol and reducing the circulating levels of triglycerides in our blood and increasing our metabolic rate. Perhaps this is why active people can "Eat anything and not gain weight." and why other folks "Gain weight just by looking at food."!

4. Exercise improves the functioning of our Immune System as well as blood and oxygen circulation for our vital organs. 5. Exercise increases our insulin sensitivity to prevent against type 2 diabetes.

6. Exercise increases our energy and endurance level.

7. Exercise slows down aging by improving our physical, mental, emotional and psychological well- being.

8. Exercise reduces our risk of developing many bones and joints diseases or disorders.

9. Exercise even helps in enhancing creativity and imagination. It is also linked with improved mental vigor, including reaction time, acuity, and math skills.

10. Exercise helps in providing physical and mental rejuvenation, making us feel good about ourselves and thus improve our esteem and confidence.

11. Exercising improves mood and due to the chemicals it releases in the brain called endorphins, it gives you an overall feeling of well-being. This is the same chemical that being in love or eating chocolate induces!

12. Exercise will help you sleep better. Just be sure not to exercise too close to your bedtime if you exercise at night, because it may keep you awake. If you need to exercise within a few hours of going to bed, make sure it's only a brisk walk. Experts say you should allow yourself about three hours between exercise and going to bed.

So get off that couch and start moving. Remember, the time and effort that you put in exercising today may spell your health and well- being tomorrow. Take our word for it!

Salsa Dancing for Fitness is Hot

Salsa dancing is emerging as a refreshing replacement for conventional aerobic exercises. Classes based on the fiery music and movements of Salsa, Mambo, Cumbia, Merengue and more are starting to get people interested in Salsa dancing, while at the same time giving them a pounding workout.

Salsa music first appeared in the 1960s as a rhythmic fusion, birthed in the cultural melting pot of New York City. Combining Cuban Son with Guaracha, Montuno and Guaguanco, it also has a strong Puerto Rican Plena, Bomba and American jazz influence that mellows the smoking urban sound.

Salsa's popularity began to percolate beyond the borders of the Latin neighborhoods in the early Seventies, spreading into New York's ballrooms and dance halls. Although somewhat formulized when practiced by those who favor profession competitions, salsa dancing in its most traditional form is typically spontaneous and extremely energetic. Dance movements alternate between the very slow and the furious, an embodiment of its lively musical style.

From a strictly athletic point of view, a night of dancing is a superb workout. It merges aerobic and anaerobic training, working your stamina and leg strength. Any kind of dancing is a great way to build the perfect body shape. The continual movements build up aerobic stamina while steadily burning calories over the course of the evening. This helps to strengthen and tone your legs at the same time you lose weight. But salsa excels at this.

Experts say that dancing salsa can burn up to 10 calories a minute, without the negative side effects of high impact exercises such as running. You can learn salsa dancing in the privacy of your home or in a studio, with or without a partner and it's a fitness program that can easily be integrated into your social life. By using salsa dancing to get fit, you will not only look great, but you'll have no excuse not to get out more and improve your social life.

The sudden bursts of frenzied dancing in Salsa also can help to improve the anaerobic fitness essential to sports like sprinting, swimming and basketball. Equally important to the aerobic paybacks are the improvements in flexibility and dexterity, a commonly overlooked facet of fitness. Elasticity from dancing will help your swiftness, power and co-ordination by growing your overall range of motion.

When you think about it, dance is actually the most natural form of exercise around. It is also a lot more fun. Life is too short to waste on regimented aerobics, spinning and step classes. Put some spice in your fitness regimen and become a Salsero!

Exercises You Probably Dont Do But Should!

This is going to be kinda short and sweet. . . . Maybe not too sweet.

Here's 3 exercises to throw into your routine that will shake it up a little. A little unorthodox but these will give you a workout in itself.

Knee Lift Crunch

Lie on your back, cross your hands across your body, and lift up into a crunch position. Stay in this position throughout this exercise. You will probably start shaking some when you near the end of this exercise.

Now lift your feet off the ground. Again, they stay here throughout.

Bring the right knee to the chest in a slow, steady movement. Return and do the same with the left knee.

Important . . . this is not a bicycle type legs in motion movement. Your knee is brought to your chest, the leg returns to the starting position, and then the other knee is brought to the chest.

Try to work your way up to 3 sets of 10.

Bear Crawl

Get down on your hands and feet; butt up in the air. Walk on all fours like a bear.

I'll tell you what. You're probably gonna want to start out slowly with this one because you are going to feel it. Great upper body and endurance exercise.

Crab Walk

OK. Reverse the bear crawl. Now your arms are behind you, feet on the floor, and butt off the ground. You're facing upwards.

Start walking backwards on all fours.

Your triceps are going to be aching.

I guarantee if you do these 3 exercises, you'll feel some soreness in your muscles even if you've been exercising for awhile.

Workout Without a Gym

You may also have no access to a commercial gym, home gym or are on business trip, but there can be a solution, a strength-training workout without the need of expensive machines.

As with any exercise, whether you are using your own body weight, machines or free weights, if the resistance doesn't increase, your muscles won't be worked to their maximum capacity and the stimulus these fibres need to grow will be missing.

Exercises done correctly will build the lean muscle and increase your metabolism in the same way as performing exercises at a gymnasium, but without the time constraints and associated costs.

These exercises can be easily done in a bedroom, hotel room, a park, school yard, ceiling rafters in a garage or in a doorway and all you have to do is use your imagination. There will always be a way to add more resistance to your workouts.

Please remember: It doesn't matter where you are working out - at home, a hotel, or a park - always warm up properly before beginning your session, and cool down and stretch when you are finished.

Leg Exercises

Squats -

They build muscle in the thighs, shape the buttocks and improve endurance. Position your feet about 13 to 17 inches apart or at shoulder width, keeping the back straight and your head up. If you want you can use something that will give you some support, i.e. a desk, bookcase, sink etc.

Now squat down to where the tops of the thighs are parallel to the floor, hold for a second and then stand up, but don't bounce at the bottom of the movement, use a nice fluid motion. Always exhale your breath as you stand up.

Lunges -

Stand straight in correct posture; now stand with one leg forward and one leg back. Keeping your abdominal muscles tight and chest up, lower your upper body down, bending your leg (don't step out too far).

You should have about one to two feet between your feet at this stage, the further forward you step, and the more your gluteus and hamstring muscles will have to work.

Do not allow your knee to go forward beyond your toes as you come down and stop where your feel comfortable (try not to let your back come forward) then push directly back up. Do all your reps on one leg then switch legs and do all your reps on the other leg.

Back Exercises

Chin-ups -

Chin-ups are a great upper body workout, particularly targeting your biceps, deltoid and lat muscles. Use a doorway chin-up bar, ceiling rafters in a garage or grab the moulding of your door frame, position your hands with an under hand grip and hang down stretching the lats, slowly raise your body until your chin reaches the bar level.

Pause a moment before slowly lowering yourself back to the starting position. Don't swing or use momentum to get your body to the top, just use the target muscles. Doorway chinning bars remove from the doorway when you are not using them and can be put up and taken down in seconds.

Bent Over Row -

Take up a position with your right hand and right knee braced on a sturdy bed or some other flat surface that will provide a good support. Now pick up a dumbbell or something heavy that you can hold onto with your left hand.

Visualize your arms as hooks and slowly bring the dumbbell or object up to the side of your chest, keeping your back straight, then lower the weight back down to arms length, no lower, on extremes, safe form only please. Concentrate on your back muscles. Reverse the whole procedure and do the exercise now with your right arm.

Chest Exercises

Push-Up -

The push up is used for building chest, shoulders and arms. Lie face down on the floor with your hands about shoulder width apart and keeping your palms turned slightly inward. Now push-up until your arms are straight, lower and repeat for repetitions.

To make it more difficult elevate your feet. Try placing the toes of your feet on a stable, elevated surface such as a bench, chair or a stair. Straightening your body, position your hands on the floor at shoulder width, lower your body until your chest touches the floor at the bottom, and then return to the starting position in a nice fluid motion.

Dips -

This exercise can be done between two sturdy chairs or other surfaces that provide stability. The dip is another great upper body exercise. It's a compound movement as well and involves working all the muscles that the push up works.

Keep your head up and body as vertical as possible. For the beginning of the movement, start at the top (arms fully extended) and lower yourself until your upper arms are parallel to the seat of the chairs, hold and then push up to the top of the movement until your arms are fully extended again. Keep looking straight ahead and don't bounce at the bottom of the movement.

Adding Weight

Although the simple weight of your own body is enough resistance to provide an effective workout we need progressive overload (added resistance) to become stronger.

So all we need to do is add some weight wherever we can find some. Because there are no metal plates and fancy machines to use it doesn't matter because the body doesn't care where it is as long as it's receiving resistance of some kind.

You can use heavy books clasped in your hands. You can buy some cheap weighted dumbbells or ankle weights. A weighted vest will also allow you to add resistance for both chin-ups and push-ups. Try to buy one that will let you remove and add weight as you see fit. Also a backpack filled with books can be perfect for most of the exercises and is a cheap alternative.

How about a couple of buckets and fill them with a certain level of water? As you get stronger fill them with more water. This is perfect because depending on the exercise, all you need to do is to increase or decrease the amount of water in the buckets for the required amount of resistance.

To wrap things up?

We know that using free weights and machines are the fastest and most efficient way there is to gain lean muscle and strength, but by performing the exercises in this article you'll find that they will provide you with the same benefits as going to a gymnasium but without the ongoing costs and time constraints.

Gary is the author of several ebooks, including "Maximum Weight Loss in Ten Weeks" - the complete ebook and time-saving solution for burning away unwanted fat, and "Maximum Weight Gain in Ten Weeks" - easy-to-use and follow techniques that serve as a guide to muscle growth without having to "live in the gym".

When to Exercise

Do you hit the gym in the morning, before your crazy working day, or you check it out late at night. It is hard to figure out what is best for you and what best fit in your busy life style, but with few tips you can make your lifting life much easier.

First rule is to listen to your body. Not everybody has the same daily power cycles, and it is a good idea to start noticing if your body crying during that morning routine or it is really enjoying it. Usually, energy is at its peak in the early hours of morning with the follow ups of lows and downs. The lowest level of the energy usually comes to midnight hours of 3am to 4am.

The best time to exercise is 8 to 10 hours after your awaking from your normal sleep cycle. That means that the early morning work out might be not for you, unless you absolutely "feel it". Exercising 8-10 hours after you wake up, will give you easier work out, will be better for your joints, and will be more pleasant due to your more appropriate mood phase.

Exercise Tips: Move Your Body - Boost Your Productivity

Do you find yourself setting a New Year's Resolution (every year) to get fit/go to the gym/lose weight/drink more water? If you could answer yes to any of those. I totally understand. I did that too for many years. But I also discovered two weeks into January I had blown my resolution and then would feel guilty for "not achieving my goals". What I discovered was it was more about making movement part of my everyday routine (notice I used the word movement not exercise)! Making little changes in your life can help you make exercise part of your life, rather than something you "have to do"!

Make an appointment. Begin by starting with three thirty-minute exercise sessions per week. Book your exercise times in your diary well in advance. One of the main reasons many people don't exercise is because they think they don't have time - so book it in and make time. Choose whatever time of day suits you and your daily schedule; for some people it will be the early morning (and it's a wonderful feeling knowing that you've exercised before breakfast and don't have to think about it for the rest of the day!), for others it will be during the day, at lunchtime or after work. No matter what time suits you, make the appointment with yourself.

Recruit a buddy. Find someone you can be accountable to - they don't necessarily need to exercise with you (but it can be more fun with someone else) as long as you are accountable to reporting your exercise activities to him or her. You might even have a variety of exercise buddies - one for walking, one for the gym, one for tennis - whatever works for you. I have a great gym buddy, Simone; we have a laugh, work hard and keep each other inspired.

Distract yourself! Combine your daily exercise with other activities, for example, set up your home gym near your TV and watch the news while you work out, listen to music to keep you moving fast or a motivational CD or audio book to make great use of your time and keep you interested.

Join a gym. If you enjoy group exercise, or simply like having access to great equipment and organised activities, join a gym. Make sure you choose a reputable company, that the facilities are close to your home or work (if it is not convenient you won't use it), that the classes you'd like to do are on at times that suit you and that there is plenty of staff to assist with your questions and techniques. If you've never joined a gym before, don't be intimidated - most gyms these days offer many forms of exercise (apart from weight lifting high-impact 80s-style aerobics!), including Yoga, Tai Chi, cycle and even walking and in-line skating groups - there really is something to suit everyone.

Keep it fresh. One of the main reasons people stop exercising is boredom, so vary your exercise rather than just doing to same thing day-in, day-out. On weekends, grab a ball and head to the park, buy a basket ball and play one-on-one with your partner or flat mate, drive to the nearest beach, park or lake and go for a long walk, try skating, do a new gym class that you've never tried before, buy a Yoga DVD, join a soccer club, start a dance class, get some kids (or adults!) together and play tag or other childhood games -the options are endless, just keep moving and having fun!

Get a personal trainer. If you are having trouble getting motivated on your own (or even with a gym buddy), or if you'd just like someone to help you to establish an exercise program and routine, consider investing in a personal trainer. These specialists are no longer just for the rich and super fit. A personal trainer can help you to kick-start your fitness plan and be a great source of encouragement and accountability. When choosing a personal trainer make sure they are appropriately qualified, that you like him or her and that you trust them to help you achieve your goals.

If they are more interested in talking on their mobile phone or staring at themselves in the mirror while they are training you - find someone new. Many gyms have personal trainers on staff, and there are also independent trainers who operate out of either their own fitness studios or public gyms. You can also find trainers who won't take you anywhere near a gym if you're not interested in that type of activity - there are plenty of other ways to get fit!

On a budget? You don't need a lot of money to exercise - just invest in a good pair of walking shoes and you're ready to go. Walking is one of the best forms of exercise and it's available to everyone regardless of how old you are, what size you are and how much money you have.

Set goals. Keep a list of things you want to achieve through your exercise, it might include physical challenges such as running up the stairs without getting puffed, walking 4km in less than an hour or completing a full gym class without stopping, as well health and self-esteem goals such as losing weight, improving your cardio vascular fitness, fitting into your summer clothes with confidence and so on. Write your goals down and read them daily to remind yourself of the wonderful achievements you are striving for.

Keep track. Encourage yourself by keeping an exercise journal. Record your training sessions and any new milestones you achieve, for example, when you begin you might have poor flexibility and after doing Yoga classes and stretching you find you can reach your toes! Keep track, it's fantastic to have a record of all your hard work and to see how far you've progressed.

Reward yourself. Preferably not with chocolate! Buy yourself a new pair of walking shoes or gym outfit, have a massage or a soak in the tub with candles, music, sweet-smelling oils - the works! Find ways that are meaningful to you to reward yourself for all of your hard work and dedication.

Workouts That Travel

A vacation can do wonders for reducing stress levels, but it can derail a healthy fitness regimen. Even some of the most die-hard exercisers find it difficult to stick with a workout program when away from home. Sure, many have good intentions. They may even pack their workout attire. Unfortunately, their gear never makes it out of the suitcase until they're back home.

But travel from home doesn't have to result in an interruption or complete abandonment of your healthy habits. You can still fit in exercise time when away from home, regardless of whether you find yourself in a warm or a cold climate. Even if bad weather forces you into seclusion in your hotel room, there are exercises you can complete without a single piece of equipment.

Below are some tips to help you stay fit while traveling and avoid coming home with unwanted extra baggage.

• Be realistic. You probably won't be able to fit in your normal weekly workouts and that's okay. Shoot for completing at least 50% of your normal regimen.
• Plan ahead. Before leaving town, find out what type of workout facilities your accommodations will have or if there is a nearby park of jogging track (weather permitting, of course).
• Scope out local gyms. If you are staying somewhere that doesn't provide a workout area then inquire at the nearby local fitness centers for their rates. Often they offer day passes for minimal fees.
• Pack a resistance band in your suitcase. The band takes up very little space, yet can provide you with an entire upper and lower body workout routine.
• Don't deprive yourself of all local delicacies. You can enjoy some special meals without going overboard. Ask the restaurants to prepare your favorite dishes with a few lower fat ingredients.
• Be creative. Find unique, fun ways to exercise instead of doing the same routine you do when you are at home. Try biking, hiking, a pedal boat excursion, water-skiing, beach volleyball, etc. Effective workouts aren't limited to the standard fares of walking, jogging and fitness machines.
• Try out your travel routine at least once at home. A new workout that you've never done before will require more time and preparation. This type of frustration just makes for an easy excuse to skip the workout.
• Prepare snacks. If your journey includes a lot of time in the car, be sure to pack some healthy snacks so you aren't forced to eat at all the fast food and convenience shops along the way.
• Play in the pool. If lounging poolside is part of your vacation plans, then hop in the pool every 20 minutes for 5-10 minutes of pool walking (try it in waist-deep or higher water for a really challenging workout).
• Get comfortable. Don't forget to pack comfortable workout attire that fits your destination's climate.

Here is a quick, simple circuit workout that only requires a resistance band and can be done anywhere. Complete at least one set of 8-12 reps of each exercise.

• Bicep Curl
• Tricep Dip
• Lat Pull Down
• Front Raise
• Push-Up
• Squat
• Abductor lifts
• Adductor splits
• Hamstring Kicks

How NOT to Return from an Exercise Break

Several sites, including this one, recommend that you take a break every 8 weeks after working out with weights. But how do you come back from that break and get back into your routine?

Does anyone suggest you just jump back in and do the same intensity as when you last left off? Definitely not.

This article will share a personal insight that I'm positive many people have faced when returning from a break or an injury. It will answer the question: how should I return to my workout after a week's break from anything but relaxation?

Every 8 weeks I take a complete break from the weights. This allows my joints to recover, my body to heal, and gives me time to think about the next 8 weeks and my objectives. Upon returning to the gym you can take one of two approaches. Return full speed ahead, since you've had the rest, with the same intensity and the same weights. Or you can ease your body back into the program and reestablish the mind-to-muscle link that you have probably read about. (I suggest the second approach.)

Upon my return, I stepped up to the aerobics machine. A type of stair-master to be exact, and immediately selected level 10 out of 20. My memory recalls (if I used a journal) that I had previously been able to handle this level. By the end of the workout, I felt overworked, tired, out of breath and was at level 6. My body could handle it, but not as efficiently as it had previously. (I was not at all satisfied.)

Easing your body back into a workout for the first week allows the mind-to-muscle link to be reestablished. It further allows your body to adjust to an increased level of intensity for the upcoming months. Coming back from a break and then immediately going into an overtraining mode does not entice your body or your mind want to continue the abuse.

If given the two approaches to returning from a break, I now opt for the second approach. Easing your body back into the routine will allow for a mind-muscle-link to be reestablished and your progress will most likely increase. Take the first week to get accustomed to your routine (60% intensity) and the next 8 weeks to accomplish your goals (100% intensity).

How To Overcome Workout Plateaus

Humans are habitual. They strive on routine and rituals. While it's true that routine can provide a sense of ease and security, I think we'd all agree that the same old, same old can also turn to boredom. And when it comes to working out, routine can be downright toxic.

New exercisers often see quick fitness results such as weight loss and increased muscle strength while engaging in the same workout day after day. However, after several weeks following their fitness routines and they often become frustrated as the gains begin to dwindle. Eventually dieters scales become frozen on the same number or weight lifters are stuck at the same weight size. They hit a plateau.

A plateau typically is the direct consequence of a fitness rut - when an exerciser performs the same workout over and over. The human body is very efficient and quickly adapts to work. Once the body practices the same activity repeatedly, it grows more proficient at performing those moves. So that means it requires less energy and therefore also burns less calories.

Instead of celebrating their body's improved fitness capabilities, exercisers often abandon their workouts. And who can blame them? After all, they no longer are seeing the results they desire and become increasingly bored with their workouts. Plus, hitting a plateau not only can halt fitness gains, but it can even reverse previous successes. But, with just a few simple steps exercisers can easily break-through that brick wall and continue to reap all the rewards of regular physical activity.

Dodging the dreaded plateau is actually very easy. Variety is the key ingredient to continual fitness success. To avoid hitting a workout plateau, follow these recommendations.

To begin with, every workout routine should be changed about every 4-6 weeks. The modification doesn't have to be dramatic. A totally new exercise is a possible option, but alteration of a current exercise can be just as effective.

A simple way to determine how to transform your current workout is using the F.I.T.T principle. F.I.T.T. stands for frequency, intensity, time and type. This strategy can be adopted for both cardio and resistance training.

Frequency - increase or decrease how often you workout

Intensity - increase or decrease the difficulty or level at which you workout.

Time - increase or decrease how long your workout sessions last.

Type - change the type of exercises you perform.

Frequency and Time are limited by an individual's schedule as well as appropriate rest time to ensure maximum efficiency and safety. But Intensity and Type are really only limited by creativity and planning.

Cardio exercise intensity can easily be varied through speed, incline, distance, height, etc. And of course the types of exercises are practically endless, so exercisers should never have the excuse that they've exhausted their exercise options. Good cardio examples include: walking, jogging, swimming, biking, hiking, and more. In addition, combining several of these exercises into one workout session can be very effective. Try 10 minutes each of 3-4 unique exercises.

Strength training intensity can also easily be altered with changes in resistance size, number of reps, rest time, number of sets and more. Even simply switching the sequence of the exercises can prove effective. There are also numerous strength training exercise options. Unfortunately, most exercisers are unaware of the plethora of training techniques and equipment options. They often get stuck performing the same 10 exercises over and over. Yet, there are hundreds of unique options. Simply utilizing new types of training equipment every 4-6 weeks can result in big improvements because each type of equipment will work the muscle groups in a slightly different manner. Gear options include: free weights, body bars, selectorized machines, resistance bands, and fitness balls - just to name a few.

So, to reduce your chances of hitting a plateau remember the F.I.T.T. principle. And approximately every 4-6 weeks choose one element of the principle to change (or even all four components). Incorporating this strategy will enable you to progress further and attain even higher fitness levels. It's just that easy!