Victor Kuri

Archive for the ‘Excerise’ Category

Exercise ball abs workouts are here to stay. The advance of abs workouts and exercises has produced in a way, many tools and equipment geared towards making the most out of physical motion and stress. The exercise balls (also called Pilates balls or Swiss balls), are perhaps the perfect equipment to work our core area, by giving it strength and good looks.

When you do traditional abs exercises, you are working only one part of your abs for the most time (either your rectus abdominus, the transverse abdominal muscles or the obliques) but with exercise ball abs workouts, you are working a bigger group of muscles at the same time. This makes them a complete solution to develop the core section.

Try these two exercises I show you here and you’ll start seeing amazing results and triggering muscles you didn’t even know you had!

Abdominal Curl with Exercise Ball

With the abdominal curl with an exercise ball, you are going to work the whole muscle groups on the abs. It is one of the most complete exercise for abs out there.

1. Lie on the exercise ball, parallel to the floor. Knees forming a 90 degree angle.

2. Slowly and with control, lift your shoulder upwards without bending the hips.

3. Slowly go back to the starting point.

4. Repeat for a full set.

Exercise Ball Abdominal Roll-ups

This ball exercise targets the obliques, the rectus abdominus and the hip flexors.

1. Kneel and position the ball in front of you.

2. Lie on top of the floor.

3. Reach out, letting your hands touch the ground, rolling the ball towards your thighs.

4. Walk your hands until the chin touch the ball, while keeping at all times the abs contracted and the shoulders aligned with the hands.

5. Pull forward the ball with your legs, and then bend your knees towards your chest while the ball is rolled beneath the exerciser until the knees touch the chest.

6. Go back to start and repeat for a full set.

Try these instructions, and you’ll be surprised how effective exercise ball abs really are. Remember to be constant and complement exercise with a good diet. Good luck!

The exercise ball is one of the most versatile pieces of fitness equipment, allowing a range of different exercises to be performed, working many major muscle groups and helping improve overall fitness.

Exercise with no equipment is this even possible? While a few pieces of equipment are helpful, in all honesty it is possible to exercise with no equipment and get a great workout. Your own body weight is a great tool to use for resistance and because it’s the best equipment you could have. I will share a little secret with you guys, as someone who teaches core classes even though we use a bosu ball and a swiss ball most of the exercises I teach in class don’t really require any equipment other than your own body.

Unless you plan to do one leg squats and one-arm pushups then you are going to have plenty of room for you to grow within your exercise and fitness routines at home. So, the next time that you have ten minutes to spare and of course no equipment to exercise, try this:

-Pushups for Fifteen(Cross your feet making it harder to balance)

-Body Squats for Fifteen seconds

-Superman for Twenty seconds

-Side plank Hold for Fifteen seconds

-Up and down burpess for thirty seconds

-Rest for 2 minutes and repeat the entire circuit

These are just a few examples of an exercise program that requires no equipment [http://www.economyexercise.com/no-equipment-workout.php] Don’t be fooled by its simplicity, the repetitions and number of exercises can always be adjusted. Another tip to make your fitness program more challenging is to shorten your rest which is especially beneficial for those trying to lose weight. Remember to warm up and stretch before starting the program and feel free to add exercises as the circuit get easier for you to complete.

s it possible to lose weight without exercise? Probably. Is it healthy to lose weight without exercise? Definitely not. Long-term weight loss is not possible without exercise. Exercise is the key to calorie control.

As human beings, we are prone to irregular patterns of eating. For any person, whether they are sitting at home or going out for work, sticking to a repetitive low-calorie diet is a testing experience. On various occasions, you will have to forego your strict meal plan, whether you like it or not. This is where exercise can help.

The vast majority of people who try to lose weight and fail mistakenly believe that effective exercise takes place only within a gym or under the guidance of a fitness expert. If you mistakenly believe that the ideal exercise plan will cost you money, think again. There are several effective free exercise plans that can help you lose oodles of weight. You only need to follow your exercise plan regularly and with commitment.

Given below is a free exercise plan that you can follow within the four walls of your home.

Stretch: stretching the various parts of your body is an excellent way of burning some extra calories, improving your flexibility and building muscles. If you are in a job that keeps you tied to a chair for a long time, simply stand up, place your foot on the chair and lean towards it. You will feel a delicious stretch all along your calf and thighs.

Work that abdomen: The muscles of the abdomen are often ignored, even in a gym. This is funny given the fact that the abs occupy a place of pride when it comes to good looks. Here is a quick exercise to help tone up the abdomen. Lie down on a rug and flex you toe. Now, raise one leg to a forty five degree angle. Hold it up and count till five. Bring your leg down ever so gently. Repeat with the other leg.

Sit ups and push ups are some of the best exercises to tone up the abdomen, thighs and buttocks. They are a relatively easy to do and burn up sufficiently high number of calories. Every time you do a cycle, try to increase the number of repetitions you do.

Another great exercise for the stomach and for the back: Lie on a rug with your face on the ground. Gently raise your feet and legs off the ground. Feel the burn in your lower back and stomach. Bring your legs down gently.

Exercises such is these are easy to do and yield great results. All you have to do is find the time and the motivation to do them regularly. Free exercise plans such as these help you lose weight without your investing in highly priced, fancy equipment.

Combining your exercise plan with an excellent diet program will help you lose weight easily and naturally. Any weight loss thus achieved is permanent.

What is the best exercised program to lose weight? There are a number of factors that you need to consider to make sure you maximize the burning of fat, and don’t over train and give up.

Aerobic exercise burns a higher percentage of fat.

There are two types of exercise. Aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise is typically low intensity training, so your heart rate is pushed to between 60 and 70% of your maximum heart rate threshold (your maximum heart rate threshold is approximately 220 minus your age). When you train in this heart rate range, studies have shown that you burn the highest percentage of fat.

For example, it is estimated the exercise of walking burns approximately 55-60% fat, depending on your intensity. The reason that you burn a higher percentage of fat, is that your body combines oxygen with your fat stores to fuel your muscles. As long as you stay in the low threshold range, you will continue to burn fat. However, long aerobic sessions can actually start to burn muscle as well, which is the opposite of what we need.

Anaerobic exercise burns more fat in total

Anaerobic exercise on the other hand, is high intensity training. Your body burns fuel quicker than the oxygen and fat can supply it, so glycogen (commonly known as carbohydrates) which is stored in the muscles and liver, is called on. Therefore the percentage of fat burned decreases, compared to aerobic exercise, but the total amount of fat burned increases, because so much more fuel is required to provide energy for the high intensity burst. So you are actually burning more fat with high intensity exercise. That is what matters. More fat burned means more calories burned (a calorie is a unit measure of energy). The more calories you burn, the faster you lose weight, given that your calorie intake is lower than the calories burned.

The problem with anaerobic exercise

The problem with high intensity exercise is that lactic acid builds up quickly, due to the lack of oxygen getting to the muscles. Lactic acid causes that burning sensation in your muscles, and forces you to slow down and recover.

The best exercise program to lose weight

So the best exercise program for weight loss is a combination of high intensity training, combined with recovery periods to let your body recover. This form of training is known as interval training. Many sports use this form of training to build up, and maintain fitness in athletes, but it has also been proven conclusively by scientists to maximize fat burning, and weight loss. The beauty of interval training is that you don’t need to spend so much time exercising. It is actually detrimental to your weight loss do so.

When designing an aerobic or strength training exercise program, fitness professionals, such as personal trainers and gym instructors, invariably use the F.I.T.T. principle as their starting point. The good news is that with a little bit of knowledge anyone can use this principle in designing an exercise program that will help them to become progressively fitter and stronger, and help them lose or control their weight.

If you want to start an exercise program or take your current routine to the next level, you’ll find the information and tips in this article just what you need.

What is the F.I.T.T. Principle?

The F.I.T.T. principle is a basic philosophy of what is necessary to gain a training affect from an exercise program.

Specifically, the letters F.I.T.T. stand for:

o Frequency

o Intensity

o Type

o Time

Here’s what each of these four things stand for:

Frequency refers to the number of times you exercise. For those new to training or those just wanting to lose weight, frequency is usually calculated within the context of a week. For example, your plan might be to walk 3, 4 or 5 times per week.

Intensity is the level of effort you put into each exercise. For aerobic exercises intensity is usually measured in terms relative to your maximum heart rate while the intensity of strength exercises is measured in terms of the amount of weight you use, the number of repetitions and sets you perform, and the amount of rest time you take in between sets.

Time is simply how long you exercise during each session. For example, 30 minutes of aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, cycling, etc) per session.

Type refers to whether you do aerobics or strength training during your exercise sessions and the specific exercises you select for each.

The F.I.T.T. principle and Weight Loss

Why are the basic F.I.T.T. principle concepts important if you are planning an exercise program to lose weight?

They’re important because they help you to:

o Start with the right exercises and intensity.

o Measure your progress.

o Plan your exercise to maximize long term weight loss.

Using the F.I.T.T. principle isn’t just important in your initial exercise planning, it is also crucial to your long term planning and weight loss and fitness success.

By increasing or varying any or all parts of the F.I.T.T. principle elements, you can:

1. Increase the number of calories you burn during each exercise session.

2. Improve your cardiovascular fitness and strength.

3. Help minimize overuse/over training injuries.

4. Build variety into your program.

F.I.T.T Principle Guidelines

Here are some basic F.I.T.T. principle guidelines for both aerobics and strength training to help you plan an exercise program.

Please keep in mind that these examples represent general guidelines only for those of us with low to moderate fitness levels. Use these guidelines to establish a program and then customize your program to fit your specific needs and goals as your experience and knowledge increases.

And remember to always consult your doctor before commencing any new exercise program and consult a fitness professional (personal fitness trainer, gym instructor, etc) if you require help.

Basic Aerobic Training Guidelines

Frequency: Exercise between 3 and 5 times per week.

Intensity: Maintain a heart rate of between 60 – 80% of your Maximum Heart Rate.

Your Maximum Heart Rate can be calculated using a Maximum Heart Rate test conducted by a fitness or health professional or estimated using the formula:

For Women (230 – Age = Maximum Heart Rate).
For Men (220 – Age = Maximum Heart Rate).

The best and most practical way to monitor your heart rate is with a heart rate monitor.

Time: Those of us with low levels of fitness should maintain our heart rates in our selected target zone for a minimum of 15 to 20 minutes, excluding warm-up and cool down periods.

Those with a good fitness base should exercise for between 20 and 60 minutes in their target heart rate zone.

Type: Exercises that involve as many muscles as possible and allow a relatively consistent level of intensity are best. Good examples of these include:

o Walking

o Jogging

o Cycling

o Swimming

o Rowing

o Hiking

Basic Strength Training Guidelines

Frequency: Exercise each body part 1 to 2 times per week. For lower intensity workouts or for those who have trained for some time, try exercising each body part 2 to 3 times per week. You can exercise different parts of the body on different days (called split routines) or you can train your whole body at each workout.

Intensity: Choose a weight that can be performed 10 to 15 times (repetitions) per set.

When you can perform more than 15 repetitions without rest, increase the weight slightly for your next workout.

If you are training your whole body each time you exercise, only do 1-2 exercises for each muscle group and perform 1-3 sets of each exercise.

If you employ a split routine try performing no more than 2-3 exercises per muscle group and 2-4 sets of each exercise.

Time: Beginners usually benefit from exercise sessions that last between 30 to 45 minutes. As you become fitter and stronger, you may want to increase your total workouts from 45 to 90 minutes. For most of us, particularly those with limited time, sessions of 60 minutes are typically ideal.

With rest between sets, try not to take longer than 2-3 minutes as a beginner. As you get fitter, try to reduce this time to 1 minute or less.

Type: Generally speaking, there are two types of exercises for muscles, compound exercises and isolation exercises.

Compound exercises use more than one muscle group to perform and are the most effective for those interested in losing weight. Examples of compound exercises include Bench press, Push-ups, Squats, Shoulder press and Deadlifts.

Isolation exercises use only one muscle group to perform and include Bicep curls, Tricep extensions, Leg extensions, etc.

For those new to resistance training, compound exercises are best. Once you have a base level of strength you can add isolation exercises to your workouts for variety and to help shape individual muscles.

Conclusion

No matter what your goal, current fitness level or exercise experience, you can employ the F.I.T.T. principle to plan an effective long term exercise program.

By using the guidelines above, you too can plan an effective regime that will help you to improve your cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility and of course help you lose weight.

Using the F.I.T.T. principle in your exercise planning will ensure that you achieve your weight loss goals as efficiently as possible. Not only will you achieve your goals in the shortest possible time, you’ll also enjoy your routine more because of the variety built into it. If that weren’t enough, you’ll also minimize the chances of experiencing annoying and painful overtraining injuries that can stall or stop your weight loss and fitness progress.

While anyone with the basic knowledge provided above can plan their own workout, if you are new to exercise or have an existing injury or ailment, we suggest you consult a personal trainer or other fitness professional. As well as designing a personal plan for you using the method above, they can help you rehabilitate or work around existing injuries, teach you the right techniques for each exercise in your program and advise you of when to modify your plan to take advantage of your new fitness levels.