Scridb filter

10 Free Tools for Weight Loss

Everybody likes free stuff. If you know where to look, there is an abundance of free weight loss tools to be found on-line. Weight loss tools are suitable for people who like numbers, and like keeping track of things. Some of us prefer to just “wing it”. Enjoy.

• FitDay – An extremely popular on-line diet tracker.
• NutriDiary – Tracks food, calories, and weight.
• ExRx – Animations of hundreds of exercises (by muscle group)
• SparkPeople – Diet and exercise program that has now removed its fees.
• PeerTrainer – Diet and exercise program – where you become part of a group.
• Weight Loss Calculators (caloriesperhour.com) – BMR, BMI, RMR, etc.
• Weight Loss Calculators (freedieting.com) – macro-nutrient ratios, body fat %, etc.

Nutrition info:

• NutritionData – Has comprehensive information on most foods.
• DietFacts – As well as the standard foods, has manually-entered data from many restaurants
• CalorieKing – Has comprehensive nutritional info, but their Portion Watch tool is unique – it has photos of different portion sizes of many popular foods. (Note that CalorieKing’s diet program is fee-based).

Walking

Walking Chart — Keep track of your daily walks!

Your Health Age

Health Age Questionnaire — Discover your “health” age!

Nutrition Log

Nutrition Log — A chart to log your daily nutritional intake.

Carb Counters Cheat Sheet

Carb-Counters Cheat Sheet for Fruits and Vegetables

Atkins Carbohydrate Chart

Atkins Carboydrate Chart

Diabetic Free Foods List

Diabetic Free Foods List

Diabetic Food Exchange

Diabetic Food Exchange Chart

Heart Rate Calculator

Target Heart Rate Calculator

Body Measurements Calculator for Men

Ideal Body Measurements Calculator for Men

BMI Calculator

BMI Calculator

Male Girth Calculator

Male Girth Calculator

Calories Expended

Calories Expended

Calorie Calculator for Men

Calorie Calculator for Men

Calorie Calculator for Women

Calorie Calculator for Women

Weight Charts for Men

Weight Charts for Men

Weight Charts for Women

Weight Charts for Women

General Height/Weight Chart

Height/Weight Chart

Hidden Carbohydrate Calculator

Fiber/Hidden Carbohydrate Calculator

Push Up Test

Push Up Test

Weight Training Log

Weight Training Log

Exercise Calculator

Exercise Calculator

Weight Maintenence for Women

Weight Maintenence (Caloric) Calculator for Women

Weight Maintenence for Men

Weight Maintenence (Caloric) Calculator for Men

One-Rep Max Calculator

One Repetition Max Calculator

Activity and Food Exchange Plan

Activity and Food Exchange Plan

Nutrition Guide Chart

Nutrition Guide Chart

Daily Food Diary

Daily Food Diary

Daily Food Diary II

Daily Food Diary II

Another Food Diary

Food Diary II

Workout Log

Workout Log

Informational Tools

Body Glossary

Scridb filter

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

Scridb filter

Dumbbells are probably the most versatile exercise equipment ever invented. They are perfect for anyone and are ideal for working out at home. Even with light weights, dumbbell workouts can tone your muscles and when combined with cardio, dumbbells can really boost your body’s fat-burning capacity. You’ll need to get a set of dumbbells to get started. Stick with lighter weights so you don’t run the risk of injuring yourself. We’ll start off by going over some dumbbell conditioning exercises that can be done indoors year-round. Make sure you’ve got enough clear space around you (and above you too) to be able to safely perform the maneuvers without hitting anything.

Single dumbbell squat: Grasp a dumbbell with both hands, holding it about 8 inches in front of your chest. With your feet about shoulder-width apart, keep your back straight and slowly bend at the knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor-hold for one or two seconds and then return to the starting position. Do 10-12 reps, rest for a moment then repeat;

Side shoulder raise: Stand and hold the dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing inwards. With your elbows slightly bent, raise your arms out and up, bringing the dumbbells up to about ear height. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat. You can also do front raises-with your palms facing towards you, keep your arm more or less straight and bring the dumbbell up and out in front of you up to about ear height;

Overhead press: Grasp the dumbbells with your palms facing forward. Bring the dumbbells up to about ear height (your upper arms parallel to the floor). Raise the dumbbells up over your head until they just about touch-pause and return to the starting position and then repeat;

Bicep curls: Hold the dumbbells at your side palms facing forward and then keeping your elbows near your side, curl your arm up until the dumbbell just about touches your shoulder. Hold for 1-2 seconds, return to the starting position. You can do one arm at a time or both together-whichever you prefer.

Once you’ve got these basic movements down, you can start performing these exercises while walking in place. Start easy but try and get to where you can lift your legs high enough so that your thigh is nearly parallel to the floor. You want to get your heart rate up so that you’ll achieve maximum benefit. Rotate through the exercises. You can even add your own.

Now we’ll discuss a few ways that you can outside or incorporate dumbbells into outdoor activities such as walking:

Jumping jacks with overhead dumbbell press: Begin by standing with your feet about 6-8 inches apart, grasping a dumbbell in each hand and bend your elbows upright (upper arms parallel to the floor) holding the dumbbells about ear height. Jump up spreading your feet out (like you were doing a jumping jack) and as you do so, lift the dumbbells over your head. Jump back to the starting position and as you do, return the dumbbells to the starting position. Repeat 20-30 times;

Walking with dumbbells: Walking is an excellent, low-impact way to get or stay fit-it can be made even better with the addition of a lightweight set of dumbbells. Jumpstart your metabolism by doing bicep curls, overhead presses, or front raises while you’re walking;

Walking dumbbell lunges: Find an area where you can walk about 20 feet and then holding a dumbbell in each hand (arms at your side) place one foot forward as far as you comfortably can, then lower your body until the knee of your rear leg almost touches the ground and your front thigh is almost parallel to the floor. Then, keeping your torso upright, lunge forward with the other leg, repeating the process, alternating lunges 10 times;

What I’ve presented here are just a very few of the many ways to incorporate dumbbells into a conditioning workout. Be creative and come up with some of your own. Be sure to take things slowly at first and gradually build up your capacity and make sure you’ve got the form down right. Starting off too aggressively right out of the gate may result in injury and can really make it difficult to stick with your program. Try and build up to where you can do at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise 3-5 times a week.

Author: Mike Westerdal

Scridb filter

Tony Jaa – Tom Yum Goong Fight Scene

MORE TO COME. CHECK BACK SOON. ANY SUGGESTIONS APPRECIATED.

Scridb filter