Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Top Five Fitness Mistakes
Top Five Fitness Mistakes
Overdoing it. If you can barely walk the next day, you won’t be able to exercise. A little soreness and stiffness is fine but if your workouts are sending you straight to the medicine cabinet or right back to bed you’ve pushed too hard for your current level of fitness.
Doing too little. If you’re not breaking a sweat, breathing a bit harder, and not getting your heart rate up, you’re not going to see the kinds of results that will inspire you to stay with your regimen.
Watching the clock. There is a lot of advice out there telling you to spend at least an hour a day working out to see results. If you work full time or have kids, an hour a day might be unrealistic. And if you can’t manage an hour, why bother? Right? Wrong. Don’t be afraid to start small. Ten minutes a day is better than zero minutes a day. The key is to establish a routine that is versatile, flexible, fun and fits your lifestyle.
Checking your weight everyday. Your weight can vary by several pounds, depending on water, hormone fluctuations and the type of workouts you’ve been doing. If you’re getting on the scale once a day or more you’re setting yourself up to be discouraged. The experts at Life Fitness recommend giving yourself other goals instead, like fitting into your old jeans or completing a 5K.
Expecting immediate results. We get impatient and disappointed when we can’t take weight off as fast as we can put it on. Remember, an extra pound means you’ve consumed 3,500 extra calories and you will have to burn an extra 3,500 calories to lose that pound. Many people tend to get discouraged if they don’t see quick, visible, dramatic results, but the bottom line is being fit is a lifestyle and a process, not a quick fix.
Fit Tips are provided by Life Fitness, the leader in designing and manufacturing high-quality exercise equipment for fitness facilities and homes worldwide. For more information on FitTips and other fitness advice and expertise visit www.lifefitness.com or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lifefitness or join our facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/lifefitness.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Benefits of Using an Elliptical Crosstrainer
Is it an elliptical? A cross-trainer? Or both? No matter what you call it, it’s the hottest piece of fitness equipment available today. Introduced less than a decade ago, the elliptical cross-trainer already is among the most popular cardiovascular machines in both homes and health clubs.
Called “elliptical” because of the oval path the foot pedals travel, elliptical cross-trainers can be the all-in-one-tool of cardiovascular exercise. Efficient and effective, cross-trainers offer a fluid exercise motion with virtually no impact on the joints. Plus, ellipticals allow users to move forward and backward, which trains different leg muscles; and machines with moving arms provide an upper-body workout for even more aerobic benefit.
The elliptical cross-trainer is an excellent investment for almost anyone looking for an efficient total-body workout. But before shopping around, it’s a good idea to consider three important things:
You get what you pay for. Elliptical trainers are available at a wide range of prices, but there is usually a direct correlation between price and quality. Better-made machines may cost a little more, but they tend to be more comfortable to use and more durable over time.
Family matters. Consider how many people will use the cross-trainer. The heavier the equipment’s workload, the more important it is to find a more durable machine. If more than one person will use the machine, look for a model with variable stride lengths – like the Life Fitness X5 total-body elliptical cross-trainer – which can accommodate people of different heights and allow users to simulate walking, jogging, running or sprinting.
A place of its own. Making a commitment to exercise is great, but don’t forget to make space, too. Measure the area in your home where you plan to put the elliptical. A typical machine can be 80 to 90 inches long and about 24 to 36 inches wide. Height also is important as you have to account for both the step-up height on the machine, which is around 17 inches, and the height of the user.
Now you’re ready to shop. The best places to look are at authorized specialty fitness equipment stores, which carry a broad range of higher-quality equipment and usually are staffed by certified fitness professionals who can explain equipment features. When you go, wear your gym shoes and appropriate attire, because it’s essential to try before you buy.
During your “test runs,” three more guidelines will help you make the right purchase:
Comfort zone. Test several machines for at least five minutes each, so you can ensure the one you select feels comfortable to use. The pedals, stride length and range of motion should suit your body.
Familiar feel. If you use an elliptical cross-trainer at a health club, try the home version made by the same manufacturer. Chances are you’ll be more accustomed to the feel and features.
Program for success. During your in-store test runs, examine the equipment’s exercise programs. Be sure the machine has an easy-to-understand console, useful options and a variety of programs – like fat burning and sport training – that will keep you motivated; but be sure you’re not paying more for extras you’ll never use.
Finally, the right elliptical cross-trainer should provide years of worry-free use. So look for equipment made by a reputable manufacturer that comes with a solid warranty and buy from a company that can service the machine if necessary.
Once your cross-trainer is in place, resolve to use it regularly, and before long you’ll agree with the millions of others who exercise on cross-trainers: No matter what you call it, it provides a fabulous workout.
Brought to you by Life Fitness Media http://video.lifefitness.com/
Called “elliptical” because of the oval path the foot pedals travel, elliptical cross-trainers can be the all-in-one-tool of cardiovascular exercise. Efficient and effective, cross-trainers offer a fluid exercise motion with virtually no impact on the joints. Plus, ellipticals allow users to move forward and backward, which trains different leg muscles; and machines with moving arms provide an upper-body workout for even more aerobic benefit.
The elliptical cross-trainer is an excellent investment for almost anyone looking for an efficient total-body workout. But before shopping around, it’s a good idea to consider three important things:
You get what you pay for. Elliptical trainers are available at a wide range of prices, but there is usually a direct correlation between price and quality. Better-made machines may cost a little more, but they tend to be more comfortable to use and more durable over time.
Family matters. Consider how many people will use the cross-trainer. The heavier the equipment’s workload, the more important it is to find a more durable machine. If more than one person will use the machine, look for a model with variable stride lengths – like the Life Fitness X5 total-body elliptical cross-trainer – which can accommodate people of different heights and allow users to simulate walking, jogging, running or sprinting.
A place of its own. Making a commitment to exercise is great, but don’t forget to make space, too. Measure the area in your home where you plan to put the elliptical. A typical machine can be 80 to 90 inches long and about 24 to 36 inches wide. Height also is important as you have to account for both the step-up height on the machine, which is around 17 inches, and the height of the user.
Now you’re ready to shop. The best places to look are at authorized specialty fitness equipment stores, which carry a broad range of higher-quality equipment and usually are staffed by certified fitness professionals who can explain equipment features. When you go, wear your gym shoes and appropriate attire, because it’s essential to try before you buy.
During your “test runs,” three more guidelines will help you make the right purchase:
Comfort zone. Test several machines for at least five minutes each, so you can ensure the one you select feels comfortable to use. The pedals, stride length and range of motion should suit your body.
Familiar feel. If you use an elliptical cross-trainer at a health club, try the home version made by the same manufacturer. Chances are you’ll be more accustomed to the feel and features.
Program for success. During your in-store test runs, examine the equipment’s exercise programs. Be sure the machine has an easy-to-understand console, useful options and a variety of programs – like fat burning and sport training – that will keep you motivated; but be sure you’re not paying more for extras you’ll never use.
Finally, the right elliptical cross-trainer should provide years of worry-free use. So look for equipment made by a reputable manufacturer that comes with a solid warranty and buy from a company that can service the machine if necessary.
Once your cross-trainer is in place, resolve to use it regularly, and before long you’ll agree with the millions of others who exercise on cross-trainers: No matter what you call it, it provides a fabulous workout.
Brought to you by Life Fitness Media http://video.lifefitness.com/
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
COUNTDOWN TO SUMMER: SETTING FITNESS BENCHMARKS
COUNTDOWN TO SUMMER: SETTING FITNESS BENCHMARKS
Cardio: Step away from the comfy couch and get your heart pumping by taking a dance class, running on the treadmill and hopping on an elliptical, or get some fresh air by lacing up for an outdoor walk/run. Keep tabs on your heart rate and never skimp on the warm-up.
- During March: Concentrate on building a base and improving your cardiovascular endurance. Start walking now and work up to jogging by week two. Aim for 20 minutes a day, five days a week for the first two weeks of March. Add 10 more minutes a day when you reach week three.
- During April and May: Continue with 30 minutes of heart-pumping activity five days a week. Increase your intensity as you feel stronger – try extending your cardio session by one minute each day you workout.
- During March: Focus on buns and legs. During your three weekly strength workouts, perform two sets of 10 squats using your body weight as resistance. During those same workouts, use the leg extension machine to isolate and firm up your quads by performing two sets of 10 extensions. Don’t let your calves be the forgotten leg muscle – perform two sets of 10 to 12 calf-raises to finish off the strength training portion of your workout.
- During April and May: Use these months to tone your arms and abs. During the first week of April, build up your biceps with two sets of 10 seated curls and shoulder presses – try a cable machine to really challenge your shoulders.
To tone up the mid section, use the Dual Adjustable Pulley machine for weighted crunches three times a week. Try four sets of 12 crunches during each workout, increasing the number of sets as you feel stronger.
Stick to your plan, and in three months you’ll be able to sport that swimsuit with confidence!
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