Muscle Rumor » Fitness

The Trouble With Running On Asphalt

Muscle Builder Guy — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 20:21:04 +0000

The body is designed as an all-terrain vehicle. In the case of running, most of us do the same thing to our bodies day after day, and expect to somehow get away with it! According to Andre Kaokane at Cross Country Running Shoes 101, we cannot run on asphalt for long without consequences. Most runners believe that the rigidity of asphalt is the biggest problem, but it may be that the lack of surface variety is equally bad or worse.

Same Old Running Surface

It’s a fact that most recreational runners do their running on roads and sidewalks. You can see them any morning on your way to work, running and jogging along the sidewalks in their quest for fitness. They hardly touch the dirt or the grass. Perhaps it’s just the easiest route, or an illusion of taking the path of least resistance.

But when your feet encounter exactly the same surface with each and every step, the body is subjected to the exact same forces with every footstrike. Not only does the hard surface aggravate the stress of impact, but it is repeated over and over in exactly the same way.

In addition, there is no chance for the body to encounter and adapt to a healthy variety of other kinds of stresses. So running constantly on a hrd surface, at best, leaves you strong in one narrow way, but weak in all the others.

Iliotibial Band Syndrome

One of the classic injuries of runners is a type of tendonitis called Iliotibial Band Syndrome (IBS). It is caused by a relative imbalance in the strength of the gluteus maximus and gluteus minimus, which are lateral stabilizers that control the side to side movement of the hips.

You don’t need them much on a flat surface, because it’s easy remain upright on a flat sidewalk, but with IBS the lateral stabilizers get relatively weak compared to other leg muscles, and a painful imbalance occurs. Sometimes you see people running sideways in an effort to prevent IBS, but it won’t really help unless they are willing to do at least half the run that way!

The Solution

Get off the Asphalt! Trail running and cross country running are both excellent alternatives to the monotony of road running every day. So lace up your cross country running shoes and head out the door for the nearest park or golf course. You legs will thank you!

Effective Ways For Women to Flatten Belly and Thigh Fat

Muscle Builder Guy — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 14:45:17 +0000

The thighs and the belly regions of women are the trouble zones that require a little (actually, a lot of) extra care, so followed myriads of magic procedures and not all of them are scientific. Taking the weight off from certain body areas (belly, thighs and the hips come first in this aspect) is no overnight or over the week process; it requires a continuous effort for several weeks or months. And how much ever hard you try reducing your belly, inner thighs and hips, inner thigh exercises (or belly exercises) will prove no good unless coupled with full body workouts.

Now, even before you start with the full body exercise, it’s a must knowing that targeting the areas must also follow a specific order. So, it’s the belly part that must get the attention after the full body workout, followed by the thighs and finally, the hips and buttocks. It’s similar to eating a full course meal; without the main dish, the rest do not taste as good as supposed to be.

A few of such exercises target multiple areas of the body and that’s an added benefit one gains over the full body workouts. These exercises make almost all of the lower body face the rigor, so you lose a bit more at the end. These exercises are as common as the ordinary sit-ups and crunches, but there are techniques to exploit them to the max. Effective belly fat exercises (or may it be for any part of the body) are just that; normal exercises with a subtle, added twist.

The secret is in increasing the metabolism; these exercises help to rev it up faster and for longer periods; the extra sustenance results in conditioning the body further to hold up to the higher metabolic rate, overall and also in a specific area. To do that normally, you need to do the plain crunches and sit ups for n number of times, which, if nothing else is exhaustive and time-consuming. So, power workout now gets a different definition.

However, one may ask if the same thing could be achieved with machines. Yes, that’s very much possible, but that would require joining a gym unless you plan to buy the machines yourself. Why go for it if the same results can be achieved inside the bedroom? That proves economical as well.

Paired with an appropriate food habit, the effects of these fat reduction exercises can be increased tenfold; contrary to what people refer as diet, it is not about cutting your current food habit at one snip but replacing the unhealthy foods the way one doesn’t feel. Those eliminate the chances for cravings and a relapse, but guess what? Certain junk foods, at moderate quantities help to burn fat, so your taste buds won’t be fully deprived either.

All in all, solutions often stay nested in the problems and these fat reduction exercises and related procedures are a fine example, besides proving that reasoning solves a situation better than exerting pressures mindlessly.

Easy Ways to Walk Your Waistline Away

Muscle Builder Guy — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 18:45:18 +0000

Study after study concludes the same thing time and again; walking is good for you. It’s a low-impact exercise that, even in moderation, can help you to maintain or lose weight. The problem with this and most other exercises, though, is that it is hard to find the motivation to do it.

Exercise simply for the sake of exercise is boring. Even if you can find the motivation to start, it can be a real challenge to recapture that early enthusiasm and keep it up day after day, month after month. The trick with all forms of exercise is to find a way to keep it interesting. Two ways to do this include mixing up the type of exercises you do and incorporating everyday activities into your life that have the added benefit of burning calories.

To help you start walking and to keep walking, take the time to plan walks you’ll enjoy. Don’t look at your walks as exercise. See them as outings. For example, you might plan several picnics that require 30 to 60 minutes for you to walk to your destination and 30 to 60 minutes back to your car or home. With the addition of a picnic backpack, you and a friend can enjoy exercising together without thinking of it as a workout. Just remember that your picnic supplies should include light fare so you don’t defeat the benefit of burning calories by consuming too many of them when you stop to dine.

You could also shop till you drop. While shopping may include a lot of stops, you can offset the frequent breaks by staying on your feet and block-circling. Every time you see a store that interests you, force yourself to walk around the entire block before entering.

Finally, get to know your neighborhood, town or city. Some of us spend years where we live without really exploring the area around us. Get out and take in your surroundings. Enjoy the effort your neighbors have put into their gardens. You’ll get to know the people who live around you and may be surprised by how much you discover.

Schedule your walks for convenient times and plan to be on foot for a brisk 30-60 minutes for maximum benefit. Your heart, bones and waistline will thank you.

High Intensity Interval Training For Runners

Muscle Builder Guy — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:35:12 +0000

Runners are always in constant pursuit of improving themselves. It is not enough that you train every single day with burning enthusiasm. A runner must also know specific techniques to better themselves and perform their training properly in order to avoid injuries and overtraining. That is why it is imperative for new runners to be knowledgeable about the different ways that will help them achieve their training goals. There are different types of training regimens runners can adopt, two of the most common are cardio and interval training. In cardio training, the runner engages in low intensity but long duration exercise. An example is biking or jogging at a constant low speed such as 3 or 4 miles per hour for 45 minutes to 2 hours. This type requires ample time to accomplish and can be redundant, uninteresting and also, not challenging enough for some runners.

Interval training is exercising at a high intensity for short durations of time, the exact opposite of the first type. Compared to cardio, interval training is more challenging since it involves a sprint period and then prescribed rest periods or intervals in between. It is distinguished from cardio training, in the sense that it not only targets endurance but also improves your strength and power, thus improving your overall running performance. High intensity interval training program (HIIT) involves a series of bursts of speed or sprints interspersed with recovery periods. It is a specific form of interval training that increases oxygen consumption to speed up your fat burning metabolism. This consists of a five minute warmup, a 45 second to 1.5 minutes of maximal exertion then followed by a 1 to 2 minute rest period where you jog or walk until you can get going again. This is done for 8 to 10 intervals then finished off with a cool down period. Because of its high intensity nature, this type of training is only done 2 to 3 times a week to allow the body to recover.

Studies show that interval training workouts are more effective in burning off fat calories since it prevents the body from achieving a steady state. In cardio workouts, the body goes into steady state since it had time to adjust itself to conserve energy while interval training switches intensity every one or two minutes so the body doesn’t get a chance to adjust and just keeps on burning more calories. This does not mean that one type is better over the other. Both types of workouts are essential to a runner. Interval training workouts can improve your overall performance in running. It requires minimal time but gives immediate results. Cardio may take a lot of time to perform but it works best in the initial training periods to gradually accustom any beginner to running and avoid injuries due to overtraining. Because of its low-intensity level, it is also well suited for the elderly or those who have medical conditions as long as they get clearance from their physicians or cardiologists. For the intermediate or advanced healthy runner, interval training workouts would give them the necessary edge in order to improve their speed and strength and perform better in more difficult races.

What are Supersets? Adding them to an Extreme Fitness Workout?

Muscle Builder Guy — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 05:20:23 +0000

Supersets are great to add to your Extreme Fitness workouts. Some people refer to this as an extreme training technique in which you do two or three workouts or sets, one right away right after the other, with no rest in between. This extreme fitness workout could be for the same muscle group, like your arms supersets of your biceps or two muscle groups maybe your chest and shoulders, depending on your goals. Adding supersets can turn your workouts into extreme fitness workouts. You might be surprised at how many numerous choices you’ve when it comes to supersets.

Some from the basic supersets instruction techniques to add to your Extreme Fitness workout include:

One Muscle Group: This involves two workouts for that exact same body part. The advantage of this really is to hit various fibers from the muscle from various angles but without having giving the body part time to recover from the first exercise set. This forces the body part to perform to get tired and it makes it harder to perform the next set. Example: leg extensions, which target the quads, then while the quad are tired you then follow them by squats which targets leg muscles but this time the gluts, hamstrings and inner thighs which are still fresh.

Opposing Muscle Groups Supersets: You do two workouts that target opposing muscle groups; you can do supersets for the arms, the biceps then the triceps. Example: biceps curls and then triceps kickbacks. These are great for getting the best extreme workout you can in a short period of time. There is proof the body’s nervous system strengthens the second muscle when you work the muscle in this way.

Exhaustion Supersets: This involves two workouts for that exact same muscle group. For your superset you start with an exercise that works just the target muscle, such as a dumbbell fly. Then you do another exercise like the bench press so you are working the same target muscle group. So the dumbbell flies for the Pecs and then the bench uses the Pecs muscle but also gets help from the triceps and the shoulders. This again pushes the muscle to work harder and getting faster results.

Extreme Superset: This really is a true extreme fitness workout you do three more sets in a row instead of two for that muscle group using different exercises. These are used to hit a certain muscle and should not be used too often as they are very intense and shock the muscle.

Staggered Supersets: In staggering, you do a set for another muscle group between sets. For instance, during a straight set of leg presses, you could throw in a set of arm curls or pushups while you relax your leg muscles. This saves time, allowing you to perform smaller muscle groups while the bigger ones get a break.

There are lots of choices and you don’t have to do Extreme Supersets with only weights you can use any fitness exercises you are currently doing using the same concept.

Six Surefire Tennis Elbow Cures

Muscle Builder Guy — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 06:58:22 +0000

If you have been experiencing an excruciating pain whenever you move your dominant arm, chances are you are suffering from tennis elbow. Most physicians will suggest that you undergo a surgical procedure in order to ultimately cure your condition; however, such procedures are not the only solution to your problem. There are simple, yet effective ways that can help you beat this dilemma. Here are a few suggestions for you to ponder on.

1.) Use a tennis elbow brace. An elbow brace can help realign your damaged tendons. It can also provide you with a relief from both the swelling and pain that you experience.

2.) Hot potato packs and ice packs are just some great examples of home cures for tennis elbow. As a suggestion, apply either of the two tennis elbow home solutions onto the affected area for at least fifteen to twenty minutes, after every three to four hours. Both methods can provide you with comfort as they can lower the pain and the inflammation around your elbow area.

3.) Simple lifestyle changes can also help you immensely in terms of curing this incapacitating condition. For one, always make it a point that you properly warm up the muscles on your forearm, wrist and elbow joints before you perform any rigorous activities.

4.) In order to limit the swelling as well as the pain, keep your inflicted arm elevated at about upper chest level as often as possible. The less blood that flows through your arm, the less painful and inflamed it becomes.

5.) In severe cases, many doctors will suggest corticosteroids injections in order to reduce the swelling and the pain that you feel.

6.) Perform stretching techniques and warm up routines in order to strengthen your arm muscles and prevent it from getting stiff. Make use of the lightest weights available, but stop immediately if the pain worsens.

Keys to the Best Mixed Martial Arts Training Workouts

Muscle Builder Guy — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:12:15 +0000

Training to be a fighter in any sport be it UFC, boxing, or MMA, you really need to be fit. If you are not fit enough to last one round you won’t make it very long in the ring or the sport for that matter. You also will avoid injury by being in shape.

Cardio is important to improve your longevity in the ring. You don’t have to pick one type of cardio and do only that to get into tip top shape. Some types of cardio are: running be it outside or inside on a treadmill; kickboxing classes could greatly improve your skills; mountain biking outside or spinning inside the gym. Just to name a few.

Eating right is crucial to your overall health. Five small meals a day makes the difference when actively training. Protein shakes for two of those meals with fruits and vegetables are going to help you slim down and gain the energy needed to advance your training routine.

Strength training needs to be done daily. Although only work legs one day and arms the next. You want to give your muscles time to heal in between workouts. Free weights and weight machines, using both will give you the full body muscle you are needing to compete in any fighting sport.

Punching bags, heavy bags, speed bags, and kick boxing mannequins should be part of your daily training. Speed, endurance, and agility are the most important qualities to attain. You don’t need to look like Mr. Universe to be in the fighting world although you need to be fast, strong, and agile.

Working with a great trainer is highly recommended. Find someone who really motivates you. You don’t even need to have a male trainer. Sometimes a female trainer pushes me further than I would normally go as I am trying to impress her with my skills.

So there you have it the keys to a great fighting workout. Now get out there and do something every day and before you know it we will be watching you on the Saturday night fights.

Using A Fitness Mat To Stay Healthy

Muscle Builder Guy — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:50:34 +0000

Some of the best ways to get yourself in shape are also some of the simplest. A fitness mat can help encourage healthy lifestyle habits, both at home and away, even at work. Incorporating a fitness mat (and the numerous activities and exercises that they can be used to do) is as simple as buying a mat, choosing your activities, and then finding times during the day to make healthy choices on how you spend your time.

Fitness mats are easy to find. You can get them at most sporting goods stores, and also at many ‘big box’ department stores, such as Target and Wal-Mart. Of course they are very easy to find online. Many gyms, yoga studios, and fitness clubs sell them on their premises along with athletic clothing and gear. And you can also find them at specialized boutiques and niche shops, particularly in larger cities.

So how do you go about using a fitness mat in your own exercise routine? Well, these mats are most known for their use in yoga, so if you do yoga, they’re an obvious choice. Pilates is another workout routine that uses a similar range of motion as yoga does: you are generally staying in once place or small area, and moving your body in a number of different ways within that space, so a fitness mat is a good choice for Pilates as well.

But other activities can make good use of a fitness mat. Certain types of aerobic activity are well attuned to this mat. If you are dancing around, it may not be the best choice (it could slip or slide under you, depending on how much you move), but activities involving stretching and jumping are great choices.

Classic exercises, like pushups, sit-ups, leg lifts, crunches, and others are particularly well suited to a fitness mat. The mat not only gives you a nice clean, cool space to lay, but also provides just enough padding to keep you comfortable on a hard floor.

Plus, they are very portable. Whether at home or at work, it’s not hard to find a little time (and space) for staying fit when you have a fitness mat.

Mobility Challenges and Working Out.

Muscle Builder Guy — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:49:27 +0000

Exercise from a wheelchair is an excellent way to practice and train your body. If you are confined to a wheelchair either on a temporary or permanent basis, the condition does not mean that you have to spend your days in sloth and boredom. Wheelchair workouts allow those who need to use a wheelchair to stay fit just as those who are not in a wheelchair. Build up muscles with strength and resistance training, as well as exercising your heart and improving cardiac health. (A quick note, be sure to bring and drink plenty of water with any fitness workout. Bottles can be carried in any drink holder that attaches to your chair.)

Wheelchair exercises provide the user with increased health, both mental and physical. The body will definitely become more flexible and the mobility will increase in other parts of the body. Wheelchair exercise will help increase strength, flexibility, and muscle-tone, aid mobility and help control weight and aid digestion. Many people in wheelchairs still have the upper-body strength required for exercise. As with any person working out, increasing the body’s ability to do more helps promote a greater sense of self.

People with a disability or using a wheelchair often have what is called an “inefficient push”. With a proper regime you can work to improve these muscles. Disabled individuals find traditional bicycle exercise equipment hard to mount and dismount, let alone use for rehab therapy. However, wheelchair accessories exist that are more or less hand powered bicycle turbines and are the perfect exercise equipment for the disabled, stroke patients, heart disease and rehab therapy.

Start slowly and work up to more weight and more challenging exercises. Motorized wheelchair exercise will help increase strength, flexibility, improve mobility, strengthen heart and lungs, and help control weight. Start slowly and work up to more weight and then to more challenging exercises. Begin to apply discipline to get into a regular exercise and fitness program. As you progress, use six to eight repetitions and gradually add more weight as you get stronger. Always exhale as you raise the weight and inhale as you bring it down.Always consult with a trainer or a health care professional before starting a rigorous workout.

Get Started With Your Home Fitness Workouts Test

Muscle Builder Guy — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 01:55:10 +0000

1. How many pieces of equipment should you choose?
a) The latest equipment on televsion that Oprah talks about
b) The cheapest equipment in the discount shop
c) A mix of equipment focusing on different phases of your workout

The answer is C. The latest advertised equipment is not always the best. You dont need a new super duper workout machine. Standard weights and resistance machines will work fine. A weight bench or home workout machine is sufficient for this.

2. What is the first thing you should do to start your workout?
a) drink 2 glasses of water
b) warmup for 5 minutes
c) drink a coffee and do 10 pushups

The right answer here is B. Warming up is very important for your muscles and tendons. Always warm up before you start on either tredmills or eliptical machine.

3. How should i exercise?
a) 1 hour of slow cardio
b) go for a 30 minute jog
c) use weights to strengthen your muscles

The answer is C . Weight training should be a major part of every workout you do. Building muscles is important in not only a healthy body but it also helps in losing fat. Dont worry you wont get scary big muscles your body will be come more toned and fit.

4. What should i eat for my diet?
a) meat like fish, lean beef, chicken and vegetables.
b) cabbage soup
c) only salad and water with diet pills

The answer is A. You actually have to eat food to lose weight. Starving yourself is not going to work. Eat lean meats with have protein in them and also include vegetables in your diet. Drink lots of water too so that means no more soda! Choosing the right equipment for your home is imporant and will help you reach your fitness goals. Make sure you choose good quality treadmills for sale and work out regularly with weights and resistance!