Archive for the ‘Cardiovascular Workouts’ Category
Personal training vs Workout video’s
Which is right for you? Following a workout video or hiring a personal trainer to get you to acheive your fitness goals? Here is a quick comparison to get you thinking about which might be right for you.
Workout video’s are generally a one-time fee, and definitly cheaper than any personal trainer you might find. They have an instructor, and pre-determined workouts, all set up for you to follow just as a personal trainer would. Many of the video’s also come with diet plan recommendations- which some personal trainers will not help you with.
On the other hand, personal trainers create a specific workout that caters to your goals and needs, which you will be able to keep up with, but still be challenging enough to benefit from. Also, having an appointment with a personal trainer makes it difficult to make last-minute excuses for yourself to miss workouts, being that small motivating factor which pushes you. Workout video’s leave the motivation and encouragement up to yourself.
Which is right for you?
How you should Schedule your workouts
Should you workout everyday? Every other day? Monday, Wednesday, Friday? There are a few factors to consider when designing your workout schedule. It’s not a good idea to do too many back to back workouts that target the same muscle group because the tissue does not get enough time to recover, heal and strengthen. If you are doing at-home fitness routines, the same rule applies, unless you’re participating in low to moderate intensity exercises, including moderate cardio.
To start, go easy for the first few weeks, and as you get into shape, listen to your body, continuing to increase the challenge. Well- rouded at-home fitness routines will always include a variety of exercises which range in difficulty and type. They will also include specifically spaced out rest days to ensure you have ample time to recover.
Belly fat your main problem?
Is your most difficult spot to lose fat your belly? Not uncommon, belly fat is the last to go on a weightloss plan. The most successful strategy to take has been proven to be a diet combined with a cardio and resistance training workout. Working out while dieting is the most effective way to lose body fat, because along with the restricted calorie intake, the workout helps to burn extra calories and eventually speed up metabolism.
Cadio workouts are essential when trying to lose weight because if done correctly, will lead to fat breakdown for energy consumption. Regular resistance or weight training strengthens muscles which will require more calorie consumption to maintain, thus adding to the number of calories being used up rather than being stored. Follow this simple theory, and you’ll be well on your way to losing that cumbersome belly fat!
Strength training for women: The myth of bulking up
A lof of women out there are concerned about losing weight, and want to workout but have a terrible fear that if they lift weights they will automatically bulk up and look like a guy. Lets get real here ladies, lifting weights, even the heavy kind, will never make you look like a guy becuase women’s bodies are simply not wired this way, and muscles cannot simply grow in size the way men’s do.
Those women in body building magazines use supplements to enhance growth, including steriods, testosterone, and HGH, or Human growth hormone. If you want to know what you’ll look like by combining weight training with your cardio workout, look at the women in health magazines. Toned, lean muscle is a result of working out in the most effective and efficient manner.
Which Fitness Program is right?
Wondering how to find what fitness program is right for you? Finding a program which fits your lifestyle means being the right length and intensity for your needs and goals. Jogging everyday is not for everyone. Lifting weights at the gym is also not for everyone. Perhaps you want to incorporate a variety of activities rather than just one single exercise routine. Things like brisk walks, gardening, and a healthy diet really supplement a regular exercise routine, and will help you feel healthy, fresh, alert and all in the healthiest of ways.
If you find that you need some guidance, or feel lost when you do go to work out, find yourself a fitness program that you can follow. You might find that using a video with a trainer helps a lot. These sorts of video’s have been created with a specific audience in mind, beginners, intermediate, expert, etc. Doing your homework and researching properly will lead you to the right program.
Are workout video’s for you?
Workout video’s have been on the comeback for some time now. A new approach to the type of workout provided have lead Americans to put their trust back into the at-home workout with the guidance of trained professionals. Here are a few of the advantages and disadvantages to getting healthy with a workout dvd.
Keep in mind that while these dvd’s can run you a pretty penny, it’s just a fraction of the annual fee of a gym membership. There are so many to choose from out there that it can be difficult to look past all the advertising and marketing to find out which is actually the type of workout that you’ll enjoy while also getting you the results you’ll want. It’s a good idea to look out for some independent reviews of the products to find out what others like yourself found of them. If you are the type of person who procrastinates and might not have the motivation to workout anyways, workout video’s are probably not for you. In this case, it would be better to find a workout buddy who can give you that extra little push to workout.
A Little About Shaun T’s Insanity Workout Program
The Workouts
Insanity comes with ten different workouts that are all planned out for you with your very own workout calendar that comes with the program. Simply follow the workout calendar as it is laid out to get maximum results from the program. Here are the workouts that you get with the program:
· Dig Deeper and Fit Test
· Plyometric Cardio Circuit
· Cardio Power and Resistance
· Cardio Recovery and Max Recovery
· Pure Cardio and Abs
· Cardio Abs
· Core Cardio and Balance
· Max Interval Circuit
· Max Interval Plyo
· Max Cardio Conditioning and Abs
Other Features
Insanity is just not a set of workouts, it is an actual workout program that should be followed for 60 days. Shaun T includes other features and information for you to get the maximum results from your efforts put into the Insanity workout. He includes a nutrition guide, a fitness guide, the Insanity calendar as well as online support to help you through the 60 day journey. The program is specifically designed to use these special tools as well as the 10 different workouts to provide people with an intense exercise program that has not been seen before.
Shaun T’s Insanity
is not for everybody. If you are just starting out exercising, you may want to stick with less-intense programs such as his Hip Hop Abs workouts. Insanity is also not for people at high risk such as severely obese people as well as pregnant woman. So, who is Insanity for then? This workout is for people who want to be pushed during their workouts. They can handle the high-intensity of the exercises and want to reshape their body in 60 days.
10 Minute Trainer – Resistance Bands Are Great Tools
The way that the super stacking technique works is that you work more than one area of the body at a time. For example, during lunges you may be using the resistance bands to not only work the legs, but also using them during a simultaneous arm press exercise. This works both your legs and your arms at the same time, as well as your core muscles. The addition of the resistance bands only adds more intensity to the workout, making you have to work harder, which means more calories burned in a shorter period of time.
Most people can easily commit to 10 minutes of exercise 5-6 days a week with the 10 minute trainer workout
. If you really want to take your workouts even farther and get the body that you dreamed of even faster, add the resistance bands to the workout. The good thing about resistance bands instead of using free weights is that the are easy on beginners and can be hard on the advanced. If you are beginner, you are going to give more slack on the bands so it is easier on you. If you are more advanced and want a challenge, tighten the bands with hardly any slack and you will find yourself struggling with the exercises.
Resistance bands can be used for more than just the 10 minute trainer workout. They can be used for all sorts of exercises and programs. They can easily replace free weights for exercising and strength training, as all it takes is a a little variation in the the exercise and you can be maximizing your workout with resistance bands.
Extreme Fitness
Many are familiar with getting active, going to the gym, and looking up workout routines and other health and wellness related information on-line. However, I’ve noticed that there is still a gap between the readily available information out there and the ability for the average individual to actually get results. For example, so many of us are trying to get the edge in our workouts, and are looking for answers to extreme fitness on-line. The web is full of quick ideas at virtually no cost. However, the information is often not helpful in the long run.
Part of this problem might be the vast amount of conflicting information which is not regulated for quality and credibility. If you are in search of extreme fitness and the results you’ll get from it, then you are probably already a fit.
Are you ready for it?
If you are thinking that you are ready for it, how do you know for sure? Extreme workouts
are not for everyone… just yesterday one of my clients became extremely sick to her stomach and couldn’t hold lunch down once she started training. She has previously trained seriously, and was a competitive karate fighter. Now, just a few years later, her body can’t handle anything beyond a warm-up.
If you are serious about getting into top shape and you think you can’t wait, there are somethings to keep in mind when it comes to doing extreme workouts.
Extreme workouts basically refers to any type of exercise which is done at very high intensity for a prolonged period of time. If you are already in shape, an extreme workout being incorporated into your routine is a great idea. Its challenging for your heart, and makes a routine fun again. If you are not in shape, beware.
Firstly, you have to consider that there is a likelihood of injury when doing workouts that are too advanced. Control for dangers, and be prepared. An example of this would be if you are going mountain biking, to wear all the safety equipment and bring along a first aid kit and a whistle. If you are planning on doing an indoor extreme workout, then ensure that you are fully aware of how it could end. Eat well, bring lots of fluids, and most important to preventing injuries, get a really good warm-up before starting.
Also important is to be self-aware. There is nothing wrong with pushing yourself, but if your body starts to shut down, you will have to know the signs, and react accordingly.
Good luck!