Archive for the ‘Exercise Gear’ Category
Monday, January 26th, 2009
There are a lot of different gizmo’s, gadgets and widgets out there that supposedly help you build a great set of abs, but very few of them actually work. I originally that the same about doing the ab roller exercise using an ab wheel – until I found out the truth.
Here’s the story:
I was up late one night watching an infomercial and saw one that claimed that the ab roller exercise was scientifically proven to recruit more muscle fibers in your core than any other abdominal exercise machine on the market, plus it was better than any type of situp or crunch too.
Being the skeptical person I am, I actually went out and bought an ab roller just to see how this thing really worked.
And guess what?
The ab roller exercise immediately became my “go to” exercise for building a rock-solid core and getting abs of steel!
After using it for roughly a month, my abs were literally never stronger. Every single one of my lifts went up due to my increased core strength, and my abs started popping out in place they never came out before.
So if you ask me whether or not I’m a fan of the ab roller exercise, it’s a definite yes. There are a variety of exercises you can do with it including leaning to one side to work your obliques, standing instead of kneeling, adding a weighted vest, doing them one-handed, and a few other variations.
But who is it for?
Well this is kind of complicated, but here’s what I suggest if you don’t know whether or not you’d be strong enough to try out these ab roller exercises.
Go out and grab an ab roller (they’re cheap) and instead of going all the way out like most people show you, simply go until you feel a good amount of resistance and then pull back up.
The next time you workout, do the ab roller exercise another inch or 2 lower. Continue doing this until you can fully extend your arms, and keep working up to higher reps until you can start adding weight.
In my personal opinion this is the fastest way to build a set of rock-hard abs. Try out the ab roller exercise today and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
For more information on how to build lean muscle and lose weight without going on some crazy diet, check out my free report titled “The 7 Deadly Fat Loss Sins” by going to http://www.7-deadly-fat-loss-sins.com
Author: Jeremy Reeves
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Tags: ab roller, abdominal exercise machine, abs of steel, core strength, crunch, exercises, getting abs, muscle fibers, obliques, situp, solid core, weighted vest, workout Posted in 6 Pack Abs!!!, Exercise, Exercise Gear, Exercise Tips, Fitness Goals, Weight Training | No Comments »
Saturday, January 24th, 2009
Dumbbells are one of the most useful and versatile pieces of exercise equipment you can own. They can be used to effectively train any body part and are ideal for anyone, regardless of skill level, age, training capacity or fitness goals. A good set of dumbbells is just about all you need to achieve your fitness goals in the privacy and comfort of your own home. They offer significant cost savings over a gym membership-plus you don’t have to waste time and gas getting there. And with dumbbells there’s no need to spend thousands of dollars on fancy, hi-tech fitness machines advertised on television or magazines.
In shopping for dumbbells you’ve got to do it right. It’s easy to wind up spending a lot more money on dumbbells than necessary so your homework and don’t get ripped off.
In the past, dumbbells were basically little more than metal bars with a couple of iron weights attached to the sides. Functional yes, but the old-style dumbbells were not particularly well-suited for the average home gym. Not only were they unsightly, but storage was often a problem and they were also prone to rolling around and just generally getting in the way. Today though, there are a wide variety of styles, shapes and weights.
First off, dumbbells today are available with both fixed and variable weights. The variable varieties have a clamp or screw-type fixture on the ends of the bar to hold the weights in place. Variable-style dumbbells typically support up to about 50 pounds, making them ideal for the person with somewhat aggressive fitness goals. For the beginner or persons who are primarily looking to tone their bodies or maybe just lose a few pounds, fixed-weight dumbbells may be the best route to go.
Fixed-weight dumbbells are available in a broad range of styles-and colors too. The weights are usually hex- or octagon shaped to reduce the chances that they’ll roll around. Also, in many of the varieties developed specifically for the home, the weights are covered in rubber or vinyl, which considerably lowers the risk of damaging your floor or furniture when you set them down.
For the person frequently on the go who wants to be able to workout in the hotel room, aqua dumbbells may be the right piece of equipment for you. When empty, these innovative dumbbells weigh just a few ounces, take up minimal space and fit easily into a briefcase or duffel bag. To use them, you just fill them up with water and you’re all set to work out. They range in weight up to a maximum of about 16 pounds.
Before rushing out and buying a set of dumbbells, take time to think about your goals, where you’ll be working out and where you’ll be storing them-especially if you live in a condominium or apartment with limited space.
If general fitness or toning up is your goal then you won’t want a lot of weight-up to about 12 pounds for women and maybe up to 20 pounds for men. You’ll want a few different increments of weight though so you can vary your workouts. For women and older folks two-pound increments are ideal-for men, five-pound increments should work well.
So once you’ve made those decisions you can embark on a quest for the right dumbbells for you. My first rule of thumb is this: Keep it simple. Start small, establish a foundation and upgrade from there if necessary.
You might consider buying your first set of dumbbells used. There are plenty of people out there who bought nice dumbbells only to have them being used as doorstops six months later. Take advantage of their lack of commitment and enjoy the savings.
Depending on the style, quantity and where you buy them, a new set of dumbbells can cost anywhere from $1 per pound up to about $2.50 per pound. Sometimes you can find bargains online, but keep in mind weights can be costly to ship. We’ve seen some competitive prices at an equipment site called TheBenchPress.com. There is a link on the left hand navigation column entitled, “Dumbbells”. It’s worth comparing prices before purchasing.
On the other hand, a used set of dumbbells might run from as little as 25 cents a pound up to maybe 50 cents a pound. You can find really good deals on used dumbbells by scanning classified ads. If there are any stores in your area that sell used fitness equipment you should check them out as well-don’t forget thrift shops and garage sales too.
Now you’re equipped with the basic information you need to go about setting up your own home gym with dumbbells that are right for your needs and goals-and without getting ripped off. Stay tuned for the next lesson were we’ll reveal the best space saving dumbbell set around!
Author: Mike Westerdal
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Tags: clamp, dumbbells, exercise equipment, fitness machines, home gym, metal bars, weights Posted in Dumbells, Exercise Gear, Free Weights, Weight Training | 1 Comment »
Saturday, January 24th, 2009
Most people have heard of the Star Trac exercise bike. All models are built with professional fitness in mind, and are constructed around a sturdy aluminum frame. The patented monitoring system is able to dynamically adjust the pedal resistance, giving the workout the feel of covering a wide range of terrain types. Available in both upright and recumbent models, there is a Star Trac exercise bike for most body shapes and lower body exercise needs.
In consumer exercise bike reviews, it is often touted that the fitness programs built into a Star Trac exercise bike could be improved on, and they are, of course, a far cry from the integration with video games that a Cateye Gamebike achieves. Star Trac is a more professional design, intended for the use of people who are interested in their health, and determined to improve it. It doesn’t pretend to hide the exercise process, because its users are there for the workout.
Star Trac E-UBi upright exercise bike users boast about the adjustable seat and handle grips. They say it is easy to set a Star Trac to fit their body style, and that makes the workout more enjoyable. For dedicated cyclists who are staying in shape, the dynamic pedal resistance will simulate hills and other sloping surfaces, requiring periodic short bursts of higher energy, which builds muscle tone.
Star Trac S-RBx recumbent exercise bike is more comfortable for many, and a requirement in some situations. By changing the direction of leg thrust, strain on the lower back is often reduced, making it a good plan for rebuilding muscle tone in physical therapy situations. The computerized exercise programs aren’t as extensive as you’ll find on some other models, but it provides a decent selection designed for specific training purposes, including off-road and long distance events.
A Star Trac exercise bike is far from perfect. For dedicated enthusiasts and athletes in training, however, it is a great piece of equipment. The ability to simulate terrain types makes it one of the best exercise bikes for competition training, but there are some features that could have made the process more realistic.
There are many exercise bike reviews that put a Star Trac exercise bike at the top of the list. Many say that it is a direct competitor with companies such as Reebok, although the Star Trac machines are a lot more functional and dedicated to cardiovascular fitness, where other companies attempt to disguise the workout and minimize the importance of what it is all about.
Author: Robin O’Brien
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Tags: adjustable seat, aluminum frame, body exercise, body style, cateye gamebike, decent selection, exercise programs, Fitness Programs, higher energy, monitoring system, muscle tone, professional design, professional fitness, recumbent exercise bike, specific training, star trac, staying in shape, sturdy aluminum, terrain types Posted in Bikes, Biking, Exercise Gear | No Comments »
Saturday, January 17th, 2009
Aerobics clothing and shoes are a “must be” when people perform aerobics exercise, or more specifically, correct aerobics clothing and shoes are a “must be”. You may think aerobics classes just need spirit focus and physical dedication, but you can’t do it well without right wear in comfort. You need following certain dress code like Iron Man choose his ones. Comfort
For those beginners first to attend the workout scene, it is hard to exercise if you don’t fell comfortable. The constant up and down movements may put a toll on your body if your clothing and shoes are not right. The best way to choose your aerobics wear would involve you touching the cloth to get a sense of how it may feel to you.
Not to say that online shopping are not good, but experience with the material will make you know if your money is worth for the wear. Poor designs can cause problems for you if your routines are demanding, get it slow if you find yourself in a predicament of the material being uncomfortable. If you prefer more flexible, it may be helpful to invest in soft clothing for aerobics.
Cost
Find a balance between affordable and comfortable wear for you. Consult a gym instructor about his or her preferences regarding the initial cost of their wear, and look for something to fit your budget base on their answer. I suggest that you move toward the situation with an open mind. The price you pay for good material may outlast the benefits of comfort you receive while completing your classes.
Good quality aerobics wear will give the learning experience more memorable because you will be focused on your efforts than on the uncomfortable effects. Achieving a balance between comfort and cost creates a bridge for most people. Staying the same niche can help you buy the best outfit available at affordable prices.
The Ways To Choose Aerobics Clothes
When a person feels the desire to shake his or her body, in particular with aerobic dancing, the need to have suitable aerobics clothes arises and purchasing aerobics clothes is a principal goal because correct clothing will improve the workout and remove disruptions to the workout due to discomfort as well as impatience.
1) One should choose the aerobics clothes that are loose fitting to provide the wearer with sufficient amounts of free air flow because then the wearer has a feeling of being comfortably attired since aerobics clothes that are too tight would result in the body’s movement becoming restricted and effectively making the exercise routine useless.
2) Another point to note about aerobics clothes is that one should preferably wear light color clothing during the summertime because it would be better to absorb heat and, moreover, would give a cool feeling that would help beating the scorching heat.
For the more fashion conscious aerobics exerciser, and particularly women exercisers, there are women’s aerobics clothes that have specially been designed for wearing in the gym environment and these include sports tops and aerobics bottoms. Most of these outfits, when worn, strengthen the workout experience.
Water Aerobic Shoes
A good pair of water aerobic shoes should also conform to the shape of the feet as well as provide sufficient protection for all types of water workouts, and even for the condition of scratchy surfaces. Another helpful feature that a pair of water aerobic shoes should have is that they provide the user with buoyancy to the water fitness workout thus escalating drag to tone the muscles and should also be impact-free.
Whatever type of water aerobic shoes one goes in for they should be breathable and for this they should be made of single layer air mesh uppers that should facilitate drying, even when under cool conditions. Water aerobic shoes should preferably be close heeled because they are best for training as well as swimming in the water, be it a pool, in the ocean or a lake.
The water aerobic shoes should also let wearer feel comfortable and be made of soft and durable EVA foaming as that too is instrumental in increasing buoyancy to the workout. These shoes are not just for experienced exercisers and even people recovering from injuries as well as chronic conditions can benefit through using them. To learn more about different types of aerobics routines, please visit http://www.aerobicsroutine.net.
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Tags: aerobics classes, aerobics exercise, bridge, budget, clothes, dress code, iron man, learning experience, money, shoes, workout Posted in Aerobics, Cardiovascular, Exercise Gear, Sports | 2 Comments »
Friday, January 16th, 2009
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.
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Tags: building a home, dumbbells, exercise balls, family routine, fitness equipment, fitness room, fitness trainers, health club, home gym, home gyms, weight benches Posted in Advantages of Fitness, Exercise Gear, Exercise Tips, Fitness Clubs | No Comments »
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