Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Equipment Useful at Home

Equipment useful at home
Working out at home is probably a lot easier than going to the gym, but how do you know what fitness equipment you will need? If you’re interested in working out and would rather use your own equipment, here are some workout equipments that are useful to have in your home.
There are so many choices and variety of equipment to have in your home. There are weights, weight machines, cardio machines, exercise balls, abs machines, bikes, or if you have the space you can create a home gym. Think about what your budget is, how much room you have in your home and also what you enjoy doing. Buying workout equipment can cost a lot, but it is probably a lot better than buying a membership to a gym. You have to realize you will have this equipment forever and whenever you decide to work out it is convenient for you and benefits you. You don’t necessarily need all of this equipment in your home. You have to think about what you enjoy doing, what you will use in your home, and what will be worth having in your home.  
Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Some great useful equipment to have in your home is the treadmill and the bicycle. If you like to run, jog, or walk it is a great piece of equipment to have. Especially in the winter when it’s really cold outside you can run, jog, or walk on this equipment in your home where it is nice and warm.  These pieces of equipment are my favourite.  If you enjoy working out your abs, you make prefer an abs workout machine. Therefore, it all depends on what you enjoy doing in the end.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Arm Workouts

It is somewhat difficult to work out your arms without weights, so if you do not own weights, you can use anything from your house; cans of soup or even water bottles.

Simple weight lifting is the best. If your just looking to tone your muscles, then just lifting simple things such as cans of soup or water bottles will do the trick. To the side, arm curls, and up infront of you are all ways of lifting weights. This allows you to tone different muscles in your arm and not only do just one. If your goal is to have very muscular arms, it is difficult to do this without heavier weights, or even a dumbell at home.

Another trick would be push ups, although some people find them very difficult to do. Start off by doing what you are able to do, and slowly build up the number of sets and reps that you do as the weeks progress. This will slowly build up muscle, and strengthen your arms.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Abs Workout

Abs Workout
Why go to the gym to work out your abs when you can do it in the comfort of your own home! To get ready for the summer and show off your beach body, we’re going to give you some easy workouts for your abs that you can do in your home and that are quick, easy, and fun!
You can get started with just your basic crunch to work out your abs, but here are some other workouts that you can try.

Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
One thing you can do is try the Bicycle Exercise. To get started with the bicycle exercises you have to lay flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground and place your hands beside your head. Slightly lift up your knees and go through the bicycle pedal motion.  Make sure that when you maintain the pedaling, your left elbow is touching your right knee, and your right elbow is touching your left knee. Continue to alternate sides and do about 1-3 sets of about 12 reps.
If you like doing crunches, then another workout you can try is the Vertical Leg Crunch. This exercise is very fun yet effective. To get started on this workout, you need to lie down on the floor and extend your legs straight up with your knees crossed. Your hands can be placed on the floor or you can have your hands touching your head.  Lift your shoulders off the floor, reaching your chest towards your legs. Repeat for about 1-3 sets of about 12 reps. This abs workout is just like doing crunches although, with your legs up in the air instead of being on the floor.
Try out these workouts while you’re at home watching television! They are easy, fun, and very effective. If you continue to do about 1-3 sets of about 12 reps a day, your beach body will be ready for you in no time. Enjoy!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Leg Workouts

Working out every part of your body is very important. I am going to focus on just your legs for this blog post, and excersizes that you can do without equipment.

1. Running - Running is a great workout for not JUST your legs, but your whole body. A quick run before your workout can get your heart rate up and burns lots of calories. It is a great warm up.

2. Squats- Squats work out almost every muscle in your legs. To do these, keep your back straight, hands at your side, and slowly lower your body by bending at the knees. Raise yourself up and exhale. Your feet should be approximately shoulder width apart. As these get easier over time, you can start making your reps longer.
- do not allow your knees to extend over your toes
- keep your abs contracted

3. Leg Curls- Sitting straight on a chair, lift your legs to where they become parallel to the floor,and then lower them again. This will eventually get easier over time, and when this happens you can put weights around your ankles to add more weight.

4. Lunges- stand in a split stance with one leg forward and one leg backwards. Slowly bed the back knee to the floor, but in the process keep both legs at a 90 degree angle.
- Keep your front knee behind your toes
- Keep your abs contracted