Sunday, April 4, 2010

Aerobic Exercises For Abdomen

Aerobics exercises that target the abdomen are a great way to lose weight. Of course you know about jogging (yawn) and those dance cardio classes (geez), so now it's time to learn about better aerobics exercises that target the abdomen.

Aerobics Exercises For Abdomen

1. Spinning around in a circle like little kids do all the time

Listen, as crazy as it may seem, that spinning around that kids do actually helps with weight loss. The 1 mistake they make is that they spin too much, they overdo it. For weight loss, you want to spin around until you are slightly dizzy, not extremely dizzy.

So what you do is spin around clockwise, and spin for a total of 5-20 repetitions each time. Somewhere in there is usually where people get just slightly dizzy.

The reason why this works is because spinning improves your Endocrine System's ability to balance out your hormones that it releases. When that happens, your body is in position to lose weight quite fast.

Since this is a short article, I can't give you all the details on this exciting new exercise... but you can get a free 19 page report on spinning by clicking the link below. This will show you how to lose 10 pounds fast.

2. Hula hooping

Yep, a $3 hula hoop. Twirling the hula hoop around your waist is one of the best aerobic exercises for the abdomen. It's great for toning and shaping the waist and hips. All you need to do is hula hoop 10 minutes a day and you'll be moving closer to getting a belly dancer's type of body.

If you did just these 2 aerobics exercises for the abdomen, you'll start to see positive results within a week to 10 days.

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Saturday, April 3, 2010

The Four Primary Elements of Fitness

All-Over Fitness

Four primary elements of fitness

No matter your level of fitness or experience, to maximise all-over body health and fitness, ensure your weekly programme includes the following four components:

Aerobic fitness

Aerobic exercise is the cornerstone of most fitness programmes and the key to life-long health. The repetitive use of large muscles makes your lungs and heart work more efficiently, and you'll burn calories. Try walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, dancing, water aerobics, and even gardening and housework. Aim for at least 30 minutes, five times a week.

Muscular fitness

Regular strength training will increase body fat, increase lean muscle mass and help burn calories. It will also boost stamina and power, increase bone density and protect joints from injury. Try the resistance machines at your local gym or create your own workout at home; use hand weights, a resistance band and even your own body weight for press-ups, lunges and squats.

Stretching

When you perform aerobic activity or strength training, your muscles contract and flex. In order to balance your programme, ensure you stretch these muscles after exercise to increase flexibility and the range of motion of your joints. Regular stretching can also relieve stress and improve posture so you may want to incorporate it into your daily routine; when you wake up in the morning or before you go to bed. Perhaps join a local yoga or Pilates class.

Core stability

The muscles in your abdomen, lower back and pelvis, known as your core muscles, support, balance and stabilise your entire body. This strong foundation improves posture, supports limbs and muscles and protects you from injury. However, doing 100 sit-ups every morning is not going to give you the benefits you need. Vary the exercises and keep the movements slow and controlled. Try the plank position and leg extensions, or use a balance ball. Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi also train you core so investigate local classes.

Whether you create your own fitness training program or enlist the help of a personal trainer, make aerobic fitness, muscular fitness, stretching and core stability part of your overall exercise plan. You'll get satisfying results, stay injury free and maintain all-over health, for life.

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20 Conditioning Exercises You Can Do at Home

Doing an effective whole body conditioning and weight loss workout can be done entirely at home without any fancy equipment. A couple of dumbbells is all you will need. (Even if you don't have dumbbells there is usually something lying around the house that is heavy enough to substitute in for them)

Here is a list of 20 exercises you can do right in your own home for a great whole body conditioning and fat loss workout.

Exercises:

Group 1:

Bodyweight Squats

Bulgarian Split Squats

Y-Squats

Prisoner Squat

Reverse Lunge

Step Ups

One Leg "Get Ups"

Group 2:

Push Ups

Push Up and Point

Mountain Climbers

Decline Push Ups

Push Ups/Stick Ups

Step Up and Press

Squat and Press

Group 3:

Plank

Side Plank

Curl and Press

One Arm Rows

Bird Dogs

One Leg Deadlifts

Pick one exercise from each group and do them all back to back for a mini circuit of 3 exercises. Do each exercise for a timed interval of 10 seconds for a total of 30 seconds per mini circuit.

As you get better at them work up to doing each exercise for 20 seconds for a total of 60 seconds per mini circuit.

Take 30-60 seconds rest between mini circuits.

For beginners do a total of 3 mini circuits to start. Working up to 4 or 5 as you get better at them.

Once you're ready to move to the next level add a second mini circuit by choose 3 different exercises (one from each grouping). Do your second mini circuit with the same time of work to rest ratio as your fist.

If you feel you are already at an advanced level you can add one or two more mini circuits up to a total of 4 mini circuits. These 20 exercises are just an example of what is possible, there are dozens more that would work in this mini circuit style, you can incorporate any exercise that you like into these mini circuits. This style of workout is a great complete whole body conditioning and fat loss program you can do right at home in under 45 minutes. I encourage you to give it a try and see that you can get a great workout done right in your own living room.

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Friday, April 2, 2010

How To Lose Tremendous Amount Of Weight Using Aerobics - 3 Stunning Secrets You Should Know

There are several tips and tricks in the market when it comes to the topic of weight loss but nothing can help you lose weight faster than aerobics. People do not know the true power of aerobic exercises. You see it can make you lose weight like crazy provided you are following the right patterns and routines. Read on to discover some of the most stunning secrets on how to lose weight using aerobics and achieve earth shattering results within no time.....

First set a proper goal-

How much weight do you want to lose? If you don't know how much than compare yourself to the standard weight scale according to your height and see if you are adequate. You see the very first step towards achieving some results with your weight is setting a weight loss goal. Without a goal you will get no where with your efforts.

Pick an aerobic exercise-

The next step is to pick up an aerobic exercise which would work for you. It can be cycling, jogging, brisk walking, dancing or even playing a sport. You see the good thing about aerobics is that most aerobic exercises are real fun to do and you don't feel the mental burden of exercise on a daily basis.

Make it fun-

The best way to get regular on your exercise routine is to make it fun. The best possible way to do this is to have some company or friends around who will keep you going. For example- Join a dance class or something like that where you have several other individuals trying to lose weight or play a sport with your friends on a daily basis. Not only does this make it fun it also gives you a feeling of competitiveness which will keep you trying harder.

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Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercises

Aerobic exercise does not necessarily mean all heavy exercises. In fact, some forms of strenuous exercise is anaerobic and affects the body in a different way. If you are starting out on a new exercise regimen, it would be a good idea to find out the difference between aerobic exercise and what is anaerobic. Such knowledge will help you with what exercises to do and how to do them properly. By aerobic exercise, it means "with oxygen", whereas anaerobic means otherwise-"without oxygen". With anaerobic exercise, cellular tissues generate energy without relying on oxygen availability. The distinction between aerobic exercise and anaerobic is that aerobic exercise needs significant production of oxygen supply while anaerobic does not.

Aerobic exercise is more prolonged that's why it requires considerable amounts of oxygen. Oxygen is utilized by the muscles to burn fat and glucose is necessary for the manufacturing of adenosine triphosphate or ATP. ATP is the fundamental transport of all body cells. Initially during aerobic exercise, glycogen is changed into glucose, and as glucose is diminished, fat is metabolized as fuel. Endorphins are released in the brain during the "runner's high" which happens when the muscles depend only on oxygen as the glycogen in the muscles have been used up. Anaerobic exercise doesn't have time to depend on oxygen, that's why it is brief and quick.

The muscles being used rely on energy- producing means that don't significantly need oxygen in anaerobic activities. To produce stamina, the body metabolizes glycogen in the muscles instead. Blood sugar in the body provides glycogen. Aerobic exercise tones body muscle and eliminates fat. Aerobic exercise doesn't merely make you look trim and toned, but would also give you several health benefits:

- strengthening of the heart, thereby increasing pumping efficiency and lowering heart rate resting

- improving circulation and decreasing blood pressure

- strengthening respiratory muscles thereby boosting lung capacity

- increasing red blood cell count making them deliver oxygen more effectively all throughout the body

- reducing the risk of heart diseases Anaerobic exercise, however, gives the body more power and stamina.

This may be helpful in sports like sprint, football or basketball. Anaerobically conditioned muscles develop in another way, boosting power in sudden, high-intensity moments. Other benefits are:

- strengthening of the the bones

- increasing muscle strength and mass

- reducing muscle atrophy that goes with age

- increasing speed and power

Exercises like cycling, swimming, running, walking, rowing and cross-country skiing are some forms of aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise requires a sustained heart rate and moderate effort.Other home exercises such as using the treadmill and exercise bike or going with a home video are also aerobic. For the outdoors, you may do snow-shoeing, hiking or kayaking.

Tennis, weight lifting, sprinting and jumping, on the other hand are anaerobic in nature. To achieve a total balanced fitness, it is best to combine doing both anaerobic and aerobic exercise. Anaerobic activities is a good complement to aerobic exercise as it will add definition and tone to the physical result of aerobic exercise. It is wise to check with your physician before starting an exercise program. Do your exercises gradually over time with increasing intensity. Don't overdo it as you might injure yourself. Most importantly, a daily exercise routine must be coupled with a balanced diet and sufficient amounts of sleep for optimum health.

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Thursday, April 1, 2010

5 Benefits Of Adding Music To Your Aerobics Routine

Music is a wonderful way to energize the body through aerobic workout. An aerobics music workout is a great exercise program if you love music. There are a number of different types of aerobic exercises that work well with the addition of music. Any physical activity that is continuous motion will be termed as being aerobic. Adding music to your aerobic routine can increases the intensity level. But there are advantages to adding music .An aerobics routine consisting of aerobic music will involve a great deal of fast movements, jumping as well as leaping for extended periods. Some benefits of adding music to your workout include the focus, motivation and beneficial exercise.

Focus

Adding music to your aerobics workout adds the benefit of allowing you to focus on something other than the exercise regimen. You focus on the enjoyment of the music. This focus also pushes out the day's activities and allows you to be in the moment.

Motivation

A person who is involved in an activity that is enjoyable and is beneficial will want to continue that activity. The reverse is also true. If an action is rewarded with a negative feeling or experience, that action or experience is not repeated. Therefore, if a person does not like to exercise, but combines the pleasure of music with exercise, they are more likely to continue.

Beneficial Exercise

The major benefit of adding aerobics music to your workout is the cardiovascular workout you receive. A good music workout will stimulate the heart, increase the blood flow and your breaths. Other benefits are the possibility of weight loss and weight maintenance.

It is important to remember that each of us is different. Those different factors include our age, general health and the condition of our body. Therefore, the heart beat that you wish to attain during your aerobic workout will vary.

Variety of Music

There is nothing as exciting as aerobic exercising to the tune of your favorite music. The variety to choose from includes top 40/dance to disco to Broadway hits. Some of these aerobics music albums feature perfect 32 count and offer variety to suit the musical tastes of everyone and all age groups. It should be noted that the speed of aerobic music should be between 118 to 122 Beats Per Minute.

Also, the genre of music selected can be a highly motivational factor. Generally aerobics workout music designed to give a full workout. It begins with a slower tempo to allow the body to warm up. The next stage is generally more upbeat and provides a quicker moves. The final phase is a cool down where the music returns to a slower paced tempo.

There is also another well known aerobics workout known as Jazzercise. The instructor teaches the exercise steps as well as choreographed routines that help the exerciser in his or her quest for better fitness accompanied by aerobic music.

Choreographed Videos

There are many different maneuvers in aerobics for any one person to complete them. There are notations, floor maneuvers, step maneuvers as well as a combination of floor or step maneuvers. You can find different videos and DVDs that are sure to satisfy your needs. The varieties include Step Showdown that lasts for 120 minutes. It is a type of step aerobics and dance combined, using choreographed music.

Another, Aerobic & Dance Showdown is another aerobics video that lasts 140 minutes presenting aerobic and dance choreography accompanied by hot music. It includes low impact aerobics mix. Dance Off video is packed with choreographed steps.

Non-traditional videos include Latin and Jazz infuse a passion in the moves. Aerobics exercisers enjoy them for increasing movements and learning new dance styles. Using choreographed aerobics music videos are useful for beginners with little or no experience as well as intermediate and advanced level users.

Sometimes, there is nothing to beat entering a gym where the fitness class is working out with aerobic music. It helps set the mood for the exercisers. It's impossible to imagine a step or spinning class without the correct music to provide the right rhythm. Adding music to your aerobic workout is a fun experience, gives you motivation to continue and offers healthy benefits.

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The Only 2 Times You Should Ever Do Aerobic Exercise

Aerobics (long, steady state sub-maximal cardio) aren't much good for many health or fat loss related benefits. I've already done a post on why aerobics suck for fat loss. And then I went over the health benefits of interval training versus steady-state aerobics in my interval training for fat loss article.

But I have to admit aerobic exercise has its place. It can be a useful tool in eliminating stubborn body fat in the areas guys get it most (the abs) and women (butt, hips and thighs)... But... only if you do it on one of these two occasions (and I'll explain why too!):

Time #1 You Should Do Aerobics: After Interval Training

First let's look at what intervals and aerobics do in your body...

Steady state target heart rate cardio (aerobics). Uses fat for energy, but the problem is it takes a long time to exercise for the body to start using fat as fuel for this type of cardio.

High intensity interval training. Burns glycogen and releases fatty acids into the blood stream, but it doesn't use those fatty acids for energy, which means they get redeposited into the fat cells.

Here's how you get the both of best worlds:

1. Do your 12 minutes or less of interval training
2. Wait 5 minutes
3. Do 20 (maximum 30) minutes of steady state cardio (aerobics)

When you do it this way, the HIIT followed by 5 minutes rest guarantees a large release of fatty acids into the blood stream, which means you're guaranteed to be burning fat as fuel when you do your aerobics! Neat huh?

Time #2 You Should Do Aerobics: After Weight Lifting

Intense weight lifting is very similar to Height Intensity Interval Training in the effects that it has on your body, the fuel it uses, etc. So the only other time you should do aerobic cardio is after your weight lifting.

I recommend 20-30 mins of low-medium intensity steady state cardio after weight lifting.

Why You Should Know This

CNS overload: If you're lifting intensely, focusing on strength, doing low reps with heavy weights 3x per week, you're working your central nervous system to increase your strength (primarily). Interval training on your "off" days may be overload for some people, steady state aerobics after weights is a good option if that's you.

Stubborn fat: If you're already around 10-12% body fat (guys) or 15-17% bf (women) and you need to get SUPER ripped, then you should employ the HIIT followed with aerobics in this case. It will help strip away those last stubborn pounds.

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