The Infonian

In recent years, weight training has gone from the hobby of chisel-jawed Austrian celebrities to the staple form of exercise for people of all cultures and backgrounds. Its popularity is often a source of mystery for non-believers, who often see it as an excuse for vanity and massaging one’s own ego. Whilst this may be true for a certain percentage of the population (admittedly, in my time, I’ve seen my share of bicep flexing and posturing in front of the local gym’s more reflective surfaces) there are many health, fitness, and mental benefits associated with weight training. 1) The first and most obvious benefit is the increase in size and tone of the body’s musculature. By making small tears in the muscle fibers, the resistance-based movements trick the body into over-compensating when making its repairs so that in future it can more easily cope with the weight. This size increase will be accompanied by a strength gain also, which can be useful in day-to-day life (see: moving furniture).

2) Secondly, resistance exercises cause a metabolic “spike” that allows you to continue burning an above-normal amount of calories even after the exercise period has ended. For those who are unhappy with their body composition, this is a great solution to the problem of unsightly body fat.

3) Psychologically, any form of exercise is a good idea but weight training in particular is known to cause better self-confidence and esteem. Whether this is related to the size and strength gains, a release of endorphins while exercising or simply an increased feeling of well-being is undecided, but who cares! We could all use a more positive mental attitude from time to time. If you want to get an added edge in the gym you might also like to read more on training supplements like the Maximuscle Thermobol Review

4) My last argument to extol the virtues of weight training is the benefits it can provide to sports people. It’s often forgotten that full-body fitness is hugely important, even to athletes such as sprinters, who would appear only to need use of their legs to propel them forward at such a rate. This, like many assumptions, is incorrect. The truth is that upper body muscles (especially the biceps and triceps) are instrumental in creating momentum in the running motion and that without them runners would be unable to achieve such phenomenal speeds. So, next time you’re in the gym, step off the treadmill and pick up a dumbbell!

Author: Gary Bunn

There are body building competitions for boys as young as 13 years old. Is this too young? Just like any just about any other issue, there are plenty of opinions on both sides. Some experts say that age 13 is too young to start a weight training regimen while other equally-qualified experts see no harm in it at all. What are the pros and cons of each side and at what age is it safe for a guy to start lifting weights? Lots of experts say that under proper supervision, when a child is old enough to begin participating in organized sports, he or she is old enough to start “strength training” by doing push-ups, sit-ups and similar exercises. For our purposes though, I want to focus on “weight training” using free weights and/or machines, not the regular gym class stuff.

Boys generally start taking an interest in improving their bodies about the time they hit puberty (12-13 years old). That shouldn’t come as a surprise-that’s when they start to develop masculine characteristics, their bodies begin to change and grow and they become interested in girls. Preadolescent boys (before puberty) lack the androgens-the body’s natural steroid hormones such as testosterone or androsterone-that trigger and control the development of the masculine characteristics.

Given the fact that in prepubescent boys production of natural steroid hormones has yet to ramp up, it would seem to make sense that boys who haven’t entered puberty would not really benefit from weight training because their body lacks some of the basic building blocks necessary to gain lean muscle. However, several studies have indicated that even prepubescent boys can achieve gains in strength through weight/resistance training these gains are attributed to the nervous system and motor learning rather than hormones-in other words, they’ll usually gain strength but muscle gains will be minimal.

Some people say that adolescent boys (about 13 years old) should not be weight training because they believe the risk of injuries is too great and that it can even result in stunted growth. I researched this idea and didn’t found any credible sources to validate it though. The research I’ve found indicates that provided the youth engages in a supervised, appropriate weight training program, there is no danger of stunted growth. Furthermore, experts say that the risk of injury from a properly supervised weight training program is no worse than that of participating in any ordinary sporting activity.

An adolescent who is going to embark on a weight training program should not just jump into a water-down adult workout. The central nervous system in young athletes is still developing so their coordination and balance are not going to be as capable as in adults. So instead of focusing maximum weight or the number of lifts, the emphasis should be on executing proper form. Only once the proper form has been mastered should the weight or resistance be increased. A good rule of thumb is to underestimate their physical abilities rather than overestimate and risk injury.

In general, teen weight lifters should avoid the Olympic-style weight lifting movements. Many of these require a great deal of skill and if done improperly, can result in lower back or even spinal injuries. Interestingly, some experts believe that adolescents should avoid machines in favor of free weights. They say that because machines are designed for adults, improper setup-even just a little-could result in injury.

Similarly, the adolescent lifter should not be training five or six days a week-at least not initially. The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine recommends that teens around the age of 13 should stick to about two to three 20-30 minute training sessions per week. Again, as their mastery and strength improves, the length and frequency of training can be increased.

Recovery should be an integral part of any teen’s weightlifting program. Injuries from overuse or overexertion can lead to chronic problems later on in life. Young lifters should always be certain that their body parts/muscle groups are fully recovered in between training sessions. In addition, teen workouts should begin and end with warm-up and cool-down periods.

So overall the consensus seems to be that boys should hold off on embarking on a weight lifting program until they reach puberty at about the age of 13. But even then, certain considerations should be taken including: a medical evaluation should be performed first; proper adult supervision is essential; form needs to be emphasized over weight or reps; all major muscle groups should be addressed; and any sign of injury should be evaluated before continuing the training regimen.

Author: Mike Westerdal

Health and fitness are topics that everyone is talking about these days. But, only a few will actually adhere to a healthy and physically fit lifestyle. People who eat healthy and work out will have the benefits of a great bodies and are more physically attractive. They are more likely to have a better sex life and more romantic involvements, which in turn can make them more satisfied with life.

Often, people who eat right are more capable in performing their tasks at the office and are more able to get advancements in their careers. These people do not take leaves of absence and when they do, they use it to have fun and unwind and not to recover from a bad illness.

But despite the numerous benefits that you get from living a healthy lifestyle, why do people still stick to their old habits. One of the reasons is of course the unwillingness. After all, who would want to quit something that you enjoy doing or eating? Most people will not be willing to part ways with what they have been so used to doing. Just imagine saying goodbye to a comfort food or a hobby that makes you happy,will you do it?

Another reason is perhaps the difficulty. Most people attempt to change their ways for various reasons, health problems, relationship woes,even financial but most of the time they don’t see their plans through. They will try for a week and perhaps continue for a couple of weeks and then go back to their old habits after some time. They do not continue with their plans. One of the main reasons why is the lack of desire.

To be successful in combating a bad habit, you need to really want it bad enough. Sometimes, will power is not enough for this. You also need the support of the people around you. This is why a lot of the programs right now that are created to help people change have a network of support system that will help their members.

Starting a healthy lifestyle is not really as impossible as you might think it is. In fact, with commitment and discipline, you can actually start walking the road to health and fitness. It will be hard but just imagine the rewards that you will get in return. There are a lot of benefits to it. You just need to fully commit to it and create your own support system.

The swimming pool is no longer the sole preserve of swimmers. Water aerobics are active in improving the cardiovascular fitness and also result in better stamina through use of muscles that gain in strength. People of all age groups and all fitness levels can perform water aerobics because only 10 to 15 percent of the body weight is not supported by water buoyancy. It leads to less tension being placed on the joints during aquatic activities, when compared with exercising on the land.

As a result of the buoyancy that water gives as well as the support that a body receives from water there are less worries about putting muscle, bone or joint injuries. Primarily because water aerobics are usually performed in chest-high water both swimmers and non-swimmers get attracted to it.

Water is a perfect choice not only for healthy people but also for those who may have a medical state like people suffering from arthritis, neck and back troubles as well as strokes and overweight people. The water aerobics exercises will force a body to expend more energy and on an average, 450 to 700 calories get burned during one hour of water aerobics.

Water Aerobic Shoes

There are many benefits that can be gained through water aerobic exercises and for this end one needs appropriate water aerobic shoes that will help to provide added traction that result in greater stability in the water.

The water aerobic shoes also protect the feet from getting any slight cuts or scrapes in case the pool has a rough surface. Water aerobic shoes are usually available in all departmental stores as well as sporting goods stores.

Utilize Water Aerobic Weights

Water aerobic weights are quite different from the metal and plastic weights you can find in the gym. Instead of coming in a different weight, the water aerobic weights come in selections of resistance. People who are not capable to perform other types of aerobic activities due to problems such as arthritis are able to do water aerobics activities.

Water Aerobics Equipment

The water aerobics equipment is very useful in eliminating the pain as well as impact from the exercise routine. When the deepness of water is higher than chest level certain flotation devices have to be used in deep water area and there are also other tools such as kick boards, and hand buoys that are used.

No matter that one is looking for to just have better fitness levels or want to simply shed some excess weight or even perform better at a sport the water aerobics equipment provides an outstanding solution in accomplishing these and other goals such as recover from injuries, limiting arthritis as well as other kinds of medicinal ailments.

Dangers In Water Aerobics Routine

Be properly outfitted before starting your routine. Water aerobics routines are a cool and fun way of aerobics exercise in the hot weather and the water aerobics routine helps ease the drudgery from other routine exercise regimes.

One should try out water aerobics routines in moderate temperature swimming pools and in addition, the water aerobics routine should also be adjusted to satisfy individual requirements, limitations as well as levels of fitness. With the resistance that water offers to the exerciser in all directions it is much more appropriate than other land based exercises where one only works against gravity.

Water Aerobics Benefits

A water aerobics workout is advantageous for many people who should not participate in a normal aerobic program. Do you have a desire for aerobic exercise, but cannot handle the high impact diversity that many classes offer? Why not try a water aerobics workout for smallest impact but maximum aerobic benefit.

The standard of a water aerobics workout is the same as other aerobic activities, you want to raise your heart rate up and keep it up for at least 20 minutes. The instructor will normally use music and choreography as in other aerobics classes, and you might also work with tools such as kickboards or wrist weights.

Water Aerobic Classes

Water aerobic classes have plentiful benefits for new comers and also older participants. With this kind of new health breakthroughs, more and more instructors are developing new movements to help the body.

For example, you can learn how to build heart strength in comparison running through water aerobic classes. It does not matter when you go to a class because you will experience solid work, fun exercises, and know new people in your classes.

Why build a home gym and not just go to a health club?

Building a home gym might not be as hard as you thought. Fitness equipment and home gyms are not bulky and room filling as they once were. Sure you can purchase a gigantic home gym if you want to but then you spend a lot of money and probably wont use it as much. People tend to look at something large and associate that with a lot of work and loose interest. Now days you can by weight benches, dumbbells, and exercise balls and do a variety of different routines. A lot of fitness equipment folds up or lays down flat for easy storage. Some people say “ I need a trainer to show me how.” well if your one of those people then you should have a TV and DVD player and there are many fitness trainers out there that have their own DVD’s to show you how.

You might ask why build a home gym? Well there are several answers to that question. What if you drive to the health club, now days gas is double if not triple the price, depending on where you live. Lets say you drive 5 miles to get to health club and gas is $3.70 a gallon and your car gets 28 miles to gallon. To go there and get back is 10 miles. That’s almost 2 gallons of gas for a 5 days a week routine. That’s $7.40 a week on gas and $380.00 a year. Then you factor in memberships. Now each club is different but most charge a monthly membership. Usually around $40.00 a month depending on what you want. Well at that price it is around $480.00 a year. Just those two factors alone cost around $860.00 a year. If you go for a couple years you just spent $1720.00. Now don’t forget that that is just single person, families are even more.

People with families should really think about building a home gym or fitness room in your house. Think of the benefit of your children seeing and learning how to stay fit right along with you. Now it has become a whole family routine. There was an article in the local paper that said by the year 2014 over 80% of America will be obese. That is a scary thought. Our children need to learn how to stay fit and you can’t always do that in a health club sometimes it has to be under our own roof.

Another reason is time probably the most important reason of all. Now days, time is everything there just isn’t enough. If you could do your exercise routine before work or after work at home without spending the time to drive there, would it not be worth it. For mothers especially it would be worth it. Imagine doing your exercises at anytime during the day at the drop of a hat. That is always a problem at the health club, because how many times have you had to wait in line just to do a little cardio or get on a weight bench. A home gym provides you the time you need to get your workout done and not wasting your cardio time.

I am 40 years old and the last 2 years of my life have been incredible. I have lost 40 pounds the right way. I know it is the right way because it took hard work and it has stayed off and still coming off. I used diet programs and exercise programs. I also have a line of fitness equipment. I created my site because I wanted to help others do what I have done and you definitely don’t need to spend a lot of money doing it.