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Saturday, May 9, 2015
6 Tips for Bigger, Stronger Arms by Summer
The 7 Best Exercises for a Full-Body Workout
The seemingly endless number of exercises available is enough to make
your head spin. Sure, you know the basics, but do you know which
exercises are the best ones for a full-body workout?
In general, a strong candidate for the "best" title will be any easy-to-learn exercise that targets multiple muscle groups and gives you the practical strength and muscle tone to meet your fitness goals.
Exercises that don't require fancy, expensive equipment earn extra credit. Meet seven of the best exercises for athletes and fitness junkies looking for a simple and effective full-body workout.
There's a reason the push-up is introduced to most folks in elementary school. It works a wide range of muscles, though they primarily target the chest, triceps and core. Individuals typically lift about 60 percent of their body weight when completing a push-up.
There are many different variations of the push-up, so take your pick. Just make sure that push-ups are a part of your training.
More: 8 Ways to Modify the Everyday Push-Up
Amateur weightlifters oftentimes focus on their upper body and neglect the lower half. Don't fall for that. Any training regimen should work the entire body and squats are an essential piece. They're that good for you.
More: How to Master the Squat
Like most exercises, lunges can be executed in various ways. The traditional lunge is completed in a stationary position working one leg at a time. Want a change of scenery? Pick a target, say, 50 yards away, and lunge your way toward it. Either way, your legs will be begging for mercy as you finish up.
2010 study by the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy found, that of the 10 exercises it tested, the pike roll-out combination was the most effective for core muscles.
To do it, grab a Swiss ball (also known as an exercise ball or stability ball). Get into a push-up position with your feet on top of the ball. Begin by using your core muscles to lift your butt into the air, over your torso. This is the pike portion of the exercise. As you bring your body back down, allow your body to move along the ball until it's under your knees and your arms are now out in front of you. This is the roll-out.
Together, the pike roll-out combination is a challenging exercise that benefits nearly every muscle in your core.
More: 10 Exercises for Flatter Abs
Olympic lifters do the clean and the jerk as one complex lift. Amateur lifters can do them separately.
Begin by snapping the weight to the torso until your arms are under the bar. In an explosive movement, push the bar over your head.
The hang clean is another version, where the lift starts with the bar already hanging in the individual's hands, not on the ground.
There's a reason this single exercise has been labeled the total-body workout. The list is long—hamstrings, biceps, triceps, the back, core, quadriceps and calves are all engaged during this straightforward exercise. No matter what you're hoping to build, the clean and jerk will probably be a great addition to your training.
More: The Greatest Workout Know to Man
Start in a standing position, squat down and put your hands on the ground, kick your feet out and do a push-up. Tuck your feet back under you, and spring up out of your crouch with a leap. That's a burpee. If you're really feeling wild, put a dumbbell in each hand.
Burpees bring in two other exercises on this list (push-ups and squats) while adding some leg work and a leap for good measure.
More: 5 Exercises to Step Up Your Fitness Level
More: How to Do a Deadlift Safely
The lift is simple and with the proper focus and attention to technique it can be completed without injury. The goal is to pick up a weighted bar off the ground and bring it up to your thighs using your whole body. The completion of the lift will have you standing up, your arms straight with the weight hanging.
The deadlift is effective at building strength because the inert weight starts on the ground and must be lifted up in a controlled movement. The lifter doesn't have a chance to use any momentum, hence the "dead" name.
More: Slim Down and Tone Up with This 20-Minute Workout
In general, a strong candidate for the "best" title will be any easy-to-learn exercise that targets multiple muscle groups and gives you the practical strength and muscle tone to meet your fitness goals.
Exercises that don't require fancy, expensive equipment earn extra credit. Meet seven of the best exercises for athletes and fitness junkies looking for a simple and effective full-body workout.
Push-Ups
The push-up might be old school, but it's effective.There's a reason the push-up is introduced to most folks in elementary school. It works a wide range of muscles, though they primarily target the chest, triceps and core. Individuals typically lift about 60 percent of their body weight when completing a push-up.
There are many different variations of the push-up, so take your pick. Just make sure that push-ups are a part of your training.
More: 8 Ways to Modify the Everyday Push-Up
Squats
The squat is another classic lifting exercise that is especially beneficial to the lower body. The exercise directly works the hips, hamstrings and glutes. It also indirectly strengthens your core and even your upper body if done with weight.Amateur weightlifters oftentimes focus on their upper body and neglect the lower half. Don't fall for that. Any training regimen should work the entire body and squats are an essential piece. They're that good for you.
More: How to Master the Squat
Lunges
This brilliantly simple exercise isn't for the fitness weary. The exercise does triple duty by extensively working the quadriceps, the glutes and the hamstrings. Still want more? Hold a dumbbell in each hand while performing the lunge.Like most exercises, lunges can be executed in various ways. The traditional lunge is completed in a stationary position working one leg at a time. Want a change of scenery? Pick a target, say, 50 yards away, and lunge your way toward it. Either way, your legs will be begging for mercy as you finish up.
2010 study by the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy found, that of the 10 exercises it tested, the pike roll-out combination was the most effective for core muscles.
To do it, grab a Swiss ball (also known as an exercise ball or stability ball). Get into a push-up position with your feet on top of the ball. Begin by using your core muscles to lift your butt into the air, over your torso. This is the pike portion of the exercise. As you bring your body back down, allow your body to move along the ball until it's under your knees and your arms are now out in front of you. This is the roll-out.
Together, the pike roll-out combination is a challenging exercise that benefits nearly every muscle in your core.
More: 10 Exercises for Flatter Abs
Clean and Jerk
The clean and jerk is an explosive lift that targets a lot of useful muscles and can test your endurance. No wonder it's considered the ultimate test of strength in the Olympic Games.Olympic lifters do the clean and the jerk as one complex lift. Amateur lifters can do them separately.
Begin by snapping the weight to the torso until your arms are under the bar. In an explosive movement, push the bar over your head.
The hang clean is another version, where the lift starts with the bar already hanging in the individual's hands, not on the ground.
There's a reason this single exercise has been labeled the total-body workout. The list is long—hamstrings, biceps, triceps, the back, core, quadriceps and calves are all engaged during this straightforward exercise. No matter what you're hoping to build, the clean and jerk will probably be a great addition to your training.
More: The Greatest Workout Know to Man
Burpees
It's complicated—and maybe even a little silly—but burpees are one of the best exercises for a reason: They work.Start in a standing position, squat down and put your hands on the ground, kick your feet out and do a push-up. Tuck your feet back under you, and spring up out of your crouch with a leap. That's a burpee. If you're really feeling wild, put a dumbbell in each hand.
Burpees bring in two other exercises on this list (push-ups and squats) while adding some leg work and a leap for good measure.
More: 5 Exercises to Step Up Your Fitness Level
Deadlift
The deadlift is an old-school lift that builds total-body strength. It's a gimmie for the best-exercise title, but it does come with risks. The wrong technique can injure your back, so it's important to keep it flat throughout the lift. When the deadlift is executed correctly it will strengthen your back as well as your calves, quads, hamstrings, glutes, core and forearms.More: How to Do a Deadlift Safely
The lift is simple and with the proper focus and attention to technique it can be completed without injury. The goal is to pick up a weighted bar off the ground and bring it up to your thighs using your whole body. The completion of the lift will have you standing up, your arms straight with the weight hanging.
The deadlift is effective at building strength because the inert weight starts on the ground and must be lifted up in a controlled movement. The lifter doesn't have a chance to use any momentum, hence the "dead" name.
More: Slim Down and Tone Up with This 20-Minute Workout
Friday, May 8, 2015
30-Minute Full-Body Workout
What
A full-body workout that has you doing one exercise per bodypart for time (five minutes) instead of for a particular number of sets and reps - it may remind you of doing rest-pauses. You’ll simply do as many reps as you can in five minutes, resting when you need to.When
You’re afraid that doing straight sets will cause you to cut your workout short.Why
Some people just aren’t able to do 15 straight sets in a half-hour, probably because they’re accustomed to resting too long. This “choose-your-adventure” method requires you to train each bodypart in five-minute increments so you never lose track of time. For safety reasons, all the exercises are done on machines - you’ll probably fatigue quickly and will be working off of limited rest, and machines tend to be safer.How
For each exercise, select a weight that will cause you to fail at 10 reps. Do 10 reps right off the bat, then rest until you feel ready to go again. Do as many reps as you can, then rest again. Do this for five minutes, which means you’ll have to keep a close eye on the clock or your watch.The Routine
| Muscle Group | Exercise | Time |
| Chest | Chest Press Machine | 5 min. |
| Legs | Leg Press | 5 min. |
| Shoulders | Lateral Raise Machine | 5 min. |
| Back | Lat Pulldown or Seated Row | 5 min. |
| Triceps | Cable Pushdown | 5 min. |
| Biceps | Machine Preacher Curl | 5 min. |
Turn Your Walk Into a Workout
"Just a few extra steps each day is a simple and easy way to take an active role in maintaining a significantly healthier life," says Timothy Gardner, MD, past president of the American Heart Association.
Get Started
Set a baseline. If you're not active now, "start walking three times a week at a stroll for 20 minutes," says Courtenay Schurman, author of The Outdoor Athlete. Work your way up to five or so times a week, 30 minutes per session, for a total of 2.5 to 3 hours per week.Secret to Weight Loss? Food, Not Exercise
Secret to Weight Loss? Food, Not Exercise
By Michael W. Smith, MDWebMD Chief Medical Editor
As a doctor and a certified personal trainer, I kicked and screamed at first, but I can no longer argue with this much science.
When it comes to losing weight, the evidence is pretty clear – “you can’t outrun a bad diet,” according to a recent editorial in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
If your goal is weight loss, that gym membership is going to do little to drop the pounds when your diet is out of shape. If you hit the gym five days a week for 30 minutes a day and you’re not losing weight, you now know why. It’s not your metabolism. It’s not your hormones. It’s what and how much you eat.
We’re talking about more than just your expanding belly and butt. A wicked diet causes more disease than physical inactivity, alcohol, and smoking combined, according to the editorial. Even those with a normal body mass index (BMI) often have metabolic abnormalities we usually see with obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease. Why? Their poor diet, despite their weight being seemingly healthy.
You often hear, “You’d have to jog 30 minutes to burn off that double cheeseburger.” But it’s more than that. The editorial cites a study showing an extra 150 calories of sugar causes more diabetes than the same number of calories in fat or protein. This isn’t permission to load up on all the fatty foods you want — too many calories is still going to lead to too much body fat.
In addition, research has shown that cutting carbohydrates in your diet is the most effective thing you can do to reduce problems including high blood pressure and high cholesterol and manage diabetes, the editorial notes. Those benefits are seen even if you don’t lose weight.
Don’t sit down just yet. Exercise is still critically important for your optimal health. Exercise is medicine. If you’re active, your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and some cancers plummets by at least 30%. No drug can do that. Exercise just doesn’t help much with weight loss.
If you’re looking to slim down for bathing suit season, take a good hard look at what’s on your plate. Load up on veggies and lean protein. Skip the starchy carbs and junk food. And when you’ve hit your goal weight, hit the gym to continue on your journey to good health.
What Should I Eat Before Working Out? By Amy Paturel
Choosing the right foods helps. And make sure you’re well hydrated before working out. Experts recommend drinking 16-20 ounces of water 1-2 hours before starting your workout.
9 Preworkout Snacks to Try
Experts agree your best bet is a low-fat snack, about 100 to 300 calories, that gives you a mix of protein and complex carbohydrates.The carbs give you fuel. The protein is for your muscles.
Try these tasty ideas:
- Oatmeal with cinnamon and blueberries or dried cranberries
- Whole wheat toast topped with nut butter and sliced bananas
- Fruit smoothie with yogurt
- Greek yogurt with low-fat granola and berries
- Half of a turkey sandwich
- Raw veggies with hummus for dipping
- Whole-grain crackers with 1 ounce of low-fat cheese
- Cottage cheese and sliced apples or bananas
- Trail mix with nuts and dried fruit
What Not to Eat Before Exercise
Avoid foods that are high in fat or fiber -- both of which can upset your stomach, take longer to deliver energy, and leave you feeling sluggish.
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