Studies have concluded that, depending on the structure and balance of the session, you can dramatically improve your fitness level by taking part in circuit training exercises. The key to success lies in the formula of performing a set of exercises quickly and in rotation.

The effectiveness of a circuit training session depends on several factors:

Length of intervals between circuits.

The number of circuits performed.

The number of workout stations.

The time spent at each station (60 seconds has been suggested as ideal).

The intensity and speed at which each activity is performed.

Whether rests are included between circuits. On this subject, there are mixed views. It is best to take into consideration your individual fitness level.

The diversity of exercises within a circuit. The greater the variety of activities, the better it is for overall fitness.

What are the main benefits of circuit training?

Whatever your level of fitness, whether you’re a top athlete or merely a beginner, you can all work together in the same training session. It is perfectly acceptable for you to work at your own pace within each activity and workout-station. How you use your 60 seconds, is entirely up to you.

You can significantly improve your cardiovascular fitness level by exercising in short bursts of approximately 60 seconds each.

The types of aerobic exercises favoured by circuit trainers are targeted at maximum effect in the minimum time e.g. press-ups, leg raises, ski jumps, step-ups and shuttle runs are all excellent for elevating the heart beat rate. These exercises also concentrate on muscle groups which use a lot of energy.

If you follow an aerobic work-station with a high repetition and strength station, you will sustain a raised heart rate and therefore get the best possible results.

Circuit training is excellent for developing good basic strength and body tone.

Circuit training tends to concentrate on “compound exercises”, i.e. those that use more than one muscle group at a time. These “combined” exercises are generally more effective than spending time on one piece of gym equipment that focuses on one set of muscles only.

The type of rotational activity involved in circuit training is an excellent fat burner.

Circuit training is psychologically rewarding. Whatever your level of fitness, you can really push yourself and set your own goals in the knowledge that you’ve only got 60 seconds worth of any activity before you move on to the next.

The benefits of taking part in circuit training can be summed up in a few words:

“Maximum results in the minimum time”. It is probably one of the best methods of exercising as it provides excellent all round fitness, tone and strength.

Mix it up

If you get tired of the same old thing day in and day out, give yourself some change. No one said you had to walk the same route each morning, or bike day in and day out. Keep things varied and don’t get stuck in a routine. You’ll find you’ll look forward to different scenery and changes in activity. By working different muscle groups, your body will be happier too.

Make exercise a social thing

Grab some friends with the same exercise interests. Having people to work out with is a sure bet for motivation. You’ll keep each other going and will be less likely to quit early. It’s nice to have others to talk with and cheer on.

Bring the kids, bring your pet

If walking or jogging’s your thing, bring along the dog or strap your kid into a jogging stroller. If they count on you for their daily dosage of fresh air, you’ll have an added reason to get out there.

Be realistic

Set goals you know you can follow through with. Choose activities you know you can do and do well. If you find yourself constantly frustrated with your workout, chances are it’s time to rework your strategy and find a better fit.

Find workouts that aren’t “workouts”

Being active still counts, even if it’s not a proper workout. Walk to the store. Choose stairs over elevators. Walk during your lunch hour. Designate an “active” day where you don’t have to go to the gym, but make a conscious effort to exert some energy. You will feel good for being active, and will have given yourself a break from your normal regime.

Keeping a log to show improvement will help you see how well you’re doing and can help you set new goals. If you feel like you’ve been doing the same thing for ages, set a new challenge and track your progress. Having some workout “homework” could help you become more diligent.

Reward! Reward! Reward!

If you find exercise is torture, give yourself something for getting through it. Whether you exercise for 4 days in a row, or jog an extra mile–if you’re happy with your performance, give yourself a prize! This could be a day off from the gym, a new pair of jeans…make yourself happy because you deserve it!

Sports count too

If you hate the thought of going out to “exercise,” find something you do like. Start a volleyball league at work. Learn to play tennis. You’ll have fun and, guess what? You’ll be exercising!

Look good!

If you feel good in your workout clothes, chances are you’ll want to show ‘em off! Buy yourself some outfits that make you feel good–things you WANT to put on. No one said you had to workout in grimy t-shirts.

Distract yourself

Pull up a stationary bike in front of the TV. Listen to your favorite tunes on your headphones. Enjoy books on tape. Having other things to concentrate on can make a big difference in helping time go by.

If at first you don’t succeed…..

There’s no limit to the number of chances you get to start exercising again. If you give up or skip week after week, try again–once you finish that daily workout, you’ll be glad you did.

When working out incorrectly, it is very likely that you will injure some part of your body. By taking the time to properly learn how to work out with weights and without, you are actually preventing an exercise related injury.

Weights -Do Not

1. Throw the weights down. If you feel that you need to, then you are using too much weight.

2. Use your back to lift the weights. If you notice that it keeps happening, lower the amount of weight you are trying to lift or get a spotter to help.

3. Throw the weights up and down. Use a controlled, fluid motion counting three seconds up and three seconds down with a pause in between.

4. Leave the weights around. Someone else can be injured putting them away because they are too heavy for them.

Weights – Dos

1. use a spotter for increased weight.

2. control your movements.

3. bend your legs to carry the brunt of the weight.

4. increase weight slowly giving yourself and your body about one to two weeks to adjust.

Aerobics – Do Not

1. throw yourself around. Control your movements.

2. jump in without warming up.

3. just stop without cooling down.

4. stretch before warming up. You are stretching cold muscles that can tear easily.

Aerobics -Dos

1. warm up and cool down at each workout.

2. stretch after exercising, not before.

Aerobic Changes: This is one example to make a walking or running workout more interesting. Vary your speeds and elevation. If you are outside, try to find a route that has hills. This makes your body work harder.

If you are on a treadmill, here’s an idea for you. Instead of just running or walking at the same speed for 30 minutes, try starting with a three minute warm up at a low speed and at zero elevation. Then, increase speed and elevation for the next two minutes. The next one minute is a brief cool down. Keep the elevation and speed low for that minute. Then rotate the two and one minute segments, each time keeping the cool-down elevation and speed the same, but increasing the speed and elevation for the two minute segments. Close the last two minutes of the workout with the highest and fastest rate and elevation. Then cool down, by walking slowly on a flat surface for five minutes. This not only makes your body work harder, it also burns more calories and makes the workout seem to go by faster. You can start slow, and increase speed and elevation each time you try this new type of workout. This also applies to bikes, elliptical trainers, and Stairmasters. Force your body to do more than just one level, and you will see a greater difference.

Weight Training: If you use weights and feel like you are stuck in the same spot, here are some ideas for you. Try to vary your exercises. For instance, if you always do the same four bicep and back exercises with the same amount of weight, try new exercises for the same muscles. When it comes to weight. Don’t always go for heavy weights. Some days it’s better to have lighter weights. Remember to rotate. Do some heavy days for some muscle groups, and light for others. Then your next workout, change the light for heavy and vice-versa. Varying exercises and the amount of weight challenges your muscles. By making just a few changes you may notice more tone, just in a matter of workouts. Don’t forget: when you use lighter weights, increase your repetitions. When you use heavier weights, lower the number of reps. You will see a difference soon.

With just these two areas of changes, you most likely will once again be excited about working out. Not only will your muscles look and feel better, you will also be in better condition. So try them all out and see what works for you best. If you have questions, ask a trainer or maybe a friends who has had good results. Good luck! And of course, always check with your doctor before you start an exercise routine.

The first exercise that can be done with nearly any kind of broken bone is the traditional sit-up. These are not the most fun things to do, but they will keep your stomach toned until you get back on your feet. Try to set goals every day for how many you want to get accomplished. You can try to increase the amount a little every day.

If you break a bone in your lower body then you should get some lightweight dumbbells and work with those. Try doing some curls to get those biceps stronger. You can also do some flys to get your chest in shape. These exercises are great to get your muscles cut, but they probably won’t get your heart rate up.

A good cardiovascular exercise to do with a broken finger or hand is the stationary bike. This will surely get your heart rate up and keep your legs in shape. You can also experiment with some of the other leg exercises at the gym. You do not need to try to work with too much weight. Leg presses can get the legs stronger. Squats are another exercise that can be done inside your home with no weights at all.

If you have a more severe accident and you are not able to move or do anything physical, it is important to try and stretch each day. For at least fifteen minutes each day try to stretch your muscles. This will prepare you for when you get back on your feet.

Push ups are great to do if you have a leg injury. Push ups work the entire upper body and put little pressure on the lower body. The chest, triceps, biceps, abs, and shoulders are exerted in each and every sit up.

So remember the next time you get injured there is no reason to sit around the house and get out of shape. Have fun while you workout and enjoy the results. Always remember to drink a lot of water when working out.

To begin make sure your exercise ball is inflated to the proper degree. It should be full enough to hold your weight while you are sitting on it with your feet flat on the floor. Thighs should be at a 90 degree angle to your calves.

To warm up place your feet flat on the floor about shoulder width apart. Bounce gently. Get a feel for the ball by shifting your hips from one side to the other. Continue to roll the ball in a circle using the muscles in your hips and lower abdomen. Your feet should remain on the floor.

It is the round and unstable surface of the ball that challenges your muscles. If you feel to unstable while sitting on your ball, you should deflate the ball a little and try it again.

Trunk curls.

Lie on the ball with the middle of your back supported by the ball. Cross your arms behind your head or let them hang loosely behind your head almost touching the floor. Keep your feet on the floor.

Curl your upper body using your abdominal muscles to lift your shoulders and upper back. Return to beginning position. Do not pull with your head and neck muscles.

Start with 8-12 reps.

Obliques

Lie on the ball with the middle of your back supported. Cross your arms over your chest. Keep your feet on the floor. Curl your upper body towards the left leg. Return to start position and curl body towards right leg.

Start with 8-12 reps.

Side Curl

Lie sideways on the ball with your hips and waist scrunching the ball towards the floor. Bend your inside leg and stretch your outside leg.

Rest your top arm on the front of the ball for stability. Lift your upper body using your obliques. Try not to let your hips roll forward or back. Keep your lower body still.

Sit on the ball with your feet flat on the floor. Slowly lean back while at the same time rolling the ball along the length of your buttocks. End at the position when your back is at an angle to the floor (as opposed to being pependicular). Roll the ball back to the start position by pushing with your feet and squeezing your lower abdominals.

End your workout by doing gentle rotating circles while sitting on the ball. Feel your lower abdominals, upper abdominals and obliques working and pulling together as your hips move around and around. Like belly-dancing only you are sitting down.

An exercise ball is inexpensive, fun and effective. It can help you lose that belly with a minimum of fuss and it improves your flexibility and stability at the same time.

The first step is to establish what your goals are and the timeframe in which you want to achieve them. For instance, a goal might be to lose 10 pounds in 6 weeks. In pencil, write down your goal six weeks from your start date. If your goal is a major change, break it down into smaller goals. This will help you stay motivated by reaching goals every few weeks. It will also make the major goal seem more attainable. It is important that you write your goals in pencil in case you need to revise them. Your calendar should be as neat as possible, so try to avoid scratching out penned in entries. Further, nothing is etched in stone. You should feel motivated by your calendar, not pressured. You may find that a goal you have set for yourself is unreasonable or outside circumstances make it unattainable. Simply change it and move on.

Next, schedule your exercise time. As life changes quickly, you may need to do this at the beginning of each week. Write down when you are to exercise and what you will be doing. It is important to know when you will be exercising. If your workout time is not specified, you will be tempted to keep putting it off, until finally it is bedtime. People make appointments to do important things, like go to the doctor, meet with a colleague, or catch a flight. Exercising needs to be important enough to schedule, so you are not tempted to put it off in order to make time for other things. Make sure you schedule enough time for your exercise. Do not expect to be able to get to the gym, run on the treadmill for 30 minutes, and get back to the office in 45 minutes unless you work right next to the gym. After completing your workout, write down what you actually completed underneath your initial entry. For example:

June 1 – 3:00pm – jog 20 minutes, upper body weights

3:00pm – jogged 20 minutes, upper body weights

This is very important, as it will assist you in evaluating the effectiveness of your scheduling and your exercise program. It also gives you a sense of accomplishment by visually displaying your efforts. However, if you miss a workout, note that also. It keeps you connected to your program even though you did not workout that day.

If you are also keeping track of your weight or measurements, choose a weigh in or measurement day and write down your goals. Then, write down what your actual weight and/or measurements are under your goal entry. Further, you can also keep track of your daily dietary intake. This entry can be as basic or as thorough as you need. You can choose to simply write down the amount of calories and fat grams in your meals, or you can start a dietary diary where you write down everything you eat and its nutrition values. If you write down what you are eating while you are eating it, your entries will only take a minute and become second nature. It can also make you think twice about having that snack if you know there will be written evidence of it.

Your calendar system is set up so that at-a-glance, you will be able to evaluate not only your performance, but also your fitness program’s performance. After a few weeks, you can see if you are keeping your exercise appointments and if you are completing your scheduled workouts. You can also see how well you are progressing toward your goals. This information is crucial when evaluating your goals and the timeframes. You may find that you need to revise your timeframes. Do not be afraid to do this. Your calendar is written in pencil for this reason. If you find that you have reached your goal a week or two early, revise your schedule and move on. On the other hand, if you have over extended yourself and you are nowhere near your goal, break it down a bit and rework your scheduling. The calendar is a constantly evolving thing, just as you are. As you keep up with it, you will learn about your body and how to read it. You will get better at determining what you can do and how fast you can do it. The most important thing is to make realistic goals. If your program is unpleasant, you will not continue with it. So, do not set yourself up to fail by being too hard on yourself. Just be as balanced as possible by keeping yourself challenged, but not beaten.

If you find that you are not reaching your goals or that you are not completing your workouts, your program may be the problem. Your calendar system will help you evaluate what is not working. If you are not losing weight fast enough, look at the exercise you are doing and see if you need to add more cardiovascular work to your program. Further, if you are not exercising on a regular basis, you may not be scheduling your program to fit into your life. For example, if on a daily basis you find that you are too tired to exercise, schedule your workouts for a different time of day. Morning people should exercise in the morning, not at 10 o’clock at night. You should exercise when your energy level is high. You occasionally might be able to push yourself to workout when you are tired, but that will not work for very long. If you are bored with your exercise or have reached a plateau, then change what type of exercise you are doing. It is important to evaluate yourself and your program regularly. Keep it fresh and keep it interesting. Do not look at set backs as failures. They are learning tools. Just evaluate what the problem is and fix it.

Motivation is the key to achieving any goal. Your calendar system will help you stay motivated. As it is a visual thing, you will have tangible evidence of your work and your goals. Your calendar also makes you accountable. It is easy to push aside and rationalize slacking off in one’s mind. However, when it is in black and white in front of you, it is not so easy to rationalize it. You will be motivated to get back on track. You are in control. That is very satisfying and motivating.

Using a calendar system in your fitness program will not only help you stay focused and centered, but it is also a valuable tool. You can follow your progress and make any needed changes to your goals. You can also evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your program and your scheduling. Finally, it will help you stay motivated and on track. A little bit of effort can lead to a world of benefits.

Here’s the program they recommend:

1. 15 minutes of aerobic exercise should be done: i.e, walking on the treadmill, riding a bicycle or using a stepper. Always do a 2-minute warm-up before and a 2-minute cool-down after the aerobic exercise. This reduces the risk of injury to your muscles while exercising.

2. Do 15 minutes of strength exercises or weight training at a weight that fatigues the muscle within ten repetitions. Start out with light weights, then as the program goes on, raise the weight to a higher level.

Do ten repetitions of each exercise for the targeted muscle. If, for example, your thighs are the part of your body that is lumpy with cellulite, you should use an exercise specifically designed for thighs, such as leg lifts or side-lying leg lifts. Or use an exerciser specifically designed for thighs such as a thighmaster.

If you want to rid your buttocks of cellulite, do lunges, or squats. Adding one to five pound weights to your ankles, holding light weights at your side, or working out on a weight machine is suggested, though you can start the program by doing the exercises without added weights. The people in the study, however, all had much better results when they used hand or ankle weights or exercised on weight machines, as opposed to doing the exercises without the added weights.

3. Stretch out the muscle for 20 seconds after each set of 10 repetitions of the exercise. This is a very important part of the exercise program. Stretching out the muscle after the exercises helps to increase the length and flexibility of the muscle, and this will help to increase your strength. The more strength that you have, the easier the exercises become, and the more muscle you build. The more muscle you build, the less cellulite you will have.

And that’s it. It’s not a miracle cure for cellulite, but it is a cure nonetheless. It requires a little work and dedication, but the results will be worth it. The women who participated in the studies all expressed satisfaction with the amount of cellulite that they lost during the two months of the program. Fitness experts believe that you will also be pleased with the smoother thighs, hips and buttocks that you will have if you follow this program. And if you continue this program three times a week, your cellulite may not ever come back.

]]> http://www.skin-care.us/364/beat-cellulite-the-exercise-way.html/feed 0 http://www.skin-care.us/322/simple-exercises-to-build-the-perfect-abs.html http://www.skin-care.us/322/simple-exercises-to-build-the-perfect-abs.html#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:44:55 +0000 admin http://www.skin-care.us/?p=322 Many people link perfect abs with having the perfect body. They think without a six-pack to show off on the beach and in the gym, they aren’t in good shape. Having strong abdominal muscles are important. But you want to have a good abdomen that is flat and that can keep all your vital inner organs in their proper places. Your abdomen keeps your spine in place and helps your body to bend over and twist around from side to side. Here are some good exercises to build the perfect abs.

ò Crunches. Lie on the floor on your back. Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor. Put your hands behind your head. Contract your ab muscles and push your pelvis upward. Then, lift your head and shoulders off the floor three to six inches. Concentrate on strengthening your ab muscles.

ò Sit ups. Lie on the floor on your back. Bend your knees at an angle at which your feet can remain flat on the floor. Put your hands behind your head and sit up. Do these exercises at a slow pace, so you work your abs. When you lower yourself to your starting position, do so slowly, as well.

ò Twists. Stand up straight with your feet apart. Hold a mopstick or broomstick behind your neck. While keeping your hips forward, twist your midsection from side to side.

ò Dumbbell bends. Hold a dumbbell with the weight of your choice (perhaps five or 10 pounds), in one of your hands. Stand up straight with your feet apart and the hand that is not holding the dumbbell behind your head. Bend down to the side that is opposite to the one holding the dumbbell. Then alternate sides.

ò Sitting V Holds. Sit up straight on the floor with your legs slightly bent in front of you. Hold your arms out to the side. Lift your legs as high as you can and hold them there for about 15 seconds. Then lower them to the floor. Do this exercise several times. You can put your hands on the floor behind you if you must.

These exercises will give you the abs your body wants and needs to have to reach an ideal level of fitness. The object of them is to build your rectus abdominis, obliques, transversus, and quadratus muscles. If you do the above exercises regularly, you’ll build these muscles to the proper level of fitness and keep them there.