Top Tips To Get Fit - Part 2

The following blog entry is the second part of 'Top Tips To Get Fit'. The first part offered five key tips to help achieve our fitness goals. This post will offer another five tips to help us further.

Make it Fun

A major key to getting the most from exercise is to make it fun. If we enjoy our training than we are far more likely to do it, and this will lead to us getting good results. Many people find team sports a great way of getting exercise as they get a lot of enjoyment from it.

Anything is better than Nothing!

Any exercise is better than nothing. A ten minute walk with our dog means we are beating the guy who is spread across the couch! Everyone needs to start somewhere, so it is important that we do not worry when we are not doing 5 mile runs right away.

Sneak extra exercise

Try things like taking the stairs instead of the lift/elevator, or getting off the bus an extra stop early in order to get extra exercise in!

Make friends with other fitness people

If we get to make friends with like-minded people, who have similar fitness aspirations, this can really help to keep us motivated.

Eat Correctly

This is possibly the most important piece of advice out there. We cannot out exercise a bad diet, so we must ensure that our eating is right. 

Top Tips To Get Fit - Part 1

The following blog entry will look into some top tips for us to incorporate into our lives in order to get fit. This is to the first part of two, so be sure to come back again for more great tips.

Make keeping fit a part of your routine

If we make fitness and exercise an intrinsic part of our lives it will be far easier for us to stick to our regimes and far less likely for us to miss sessions. In keeping it as an 'optional extra', we are likely to fall short in our fitness quest.

Set Goals

Setting goals is a fantastic tip for keeping fit. With goals to aim for we are more likely to stick to our regimes and also have something to measure our progress by. It is important that the goals we set stretch and challenge us, but are also achievable. If we set unrealistic targets we are likely to fall flat!

Be Flexible

This is very important. It is important not to be too regimented, as our lives require us to flexible. If we miss a session, it is important not to worry about it, just put more into the next session.

Do Not Overdo It

Over training is a common mistake that people make. All sorts of problems can come from this. Injuries, fatigue and ill feeling towards training can all stem from over doing it. In turn, each of these factors can contribute to us not wanting to train.

Do Not Expect An Overnight Change

This is another key thing. Often people expect to see major results after three sessions! This is simply not reality. Patience is the key, and if we stick to our diet and exercise plans, results will come.

These are five key tips that should be used when looking to get fit. Make sure to check back next week for part two of 'Top Tips To Get Fit'. 

The Importance of a Strong Core

This article will discuss what the core is, why it is important to build a strong core and also look at some key exercises to help to develop a strong core.

What is our core?

I would suggest, from personal experience, that many people believe our core to be the abdominal muscles. And this is partly true. However, there is much more to the core than just our abs. The muscles in the lower back, pelvis and hips also make up our core. 

Why is it important to build a strong core?

Our core is so vital to most of our movement that it is important to develop a strong core for a number of reasons. 

• A strong core can help with our balance and stability.
• A strong core can help to reduce our chances of injury. Developing our core leads to a greater range of motion for us and thus makes us far less likely to get injured. 
• We need a strong core to help us with daily tasks. Bending, reaching and twisting are all aided with a strong, healthy core and these are things that we do every single day. 
• Developing our core is a major thing with sports. Athletes of all levels should look to build their core as it can lead to an improved performance. We can swing better, run faster and kick further.

Some key exercises to develop our core

There are many exercises that can be used to develop and strengthen our core muscles. At a beginners level there are simple exercises that will start building our core. As we progress we can change these exercises, making them harder to improve our core even further. 

Sit-ups and crunches, planks (bridges), push-ups, squats and leg raises are some of the basic exercises that we can do to develop and strengthen our core muscles. Once we master these, we can advance upon them. For example, we can start adding side planks, one armed push-ups and pistol squats into our routines. 

Conclusion

It is clear that the core is vital to our everyday lives, but it can also help us steer clear of injury and enhance our sports performance. There are many exercises we can do to strengthen the core, including crunches and planks. 

Push Up/Squat/Core Circuit for Beginners

Today we will look at a small circuit that will tone and strengthen our core, as well as our arms and legs. This circuit is designed for beginners but can be adjusted to suit your own needs. As we get better at this circuit, we can increase the reps for each exercise.

There are only three exercises in this circuit, but the key to getting the most from it is to not stop exercising. This circuit is excellent when combined with half an hour of pure cardio (think 30mins of jogging).

The Circuit

10 push-ups

12 squats

20 abdominal crunches

12 push-ups

15 squats

25 abdominal crunches

15 push-ups

20 squats

30 abdominal crunches

Note: ensure proper form is executed with each exercise. 

A Mini Workout

I am a firm believer that there is no excuse to not exercise. However, it is also a reality that we have busy lives and sometimes it is difficult to fit everything in. This page will show a 5 minute exercise, to be used when we are really struggling to fit in a workout. Everyone can spare five minutes! This routine requires nothing but our own body weight, and so can be done anywhere. No excuses. 

Five exercise - five minutes

1 minute of jumping jacks (star jumps)

1 minute of push-ups (press ups; for more info, click here)

1 minute of squats

1 minute plank (for more info, click here)

1 minute of lunges

That's it. 

Remember, this is not to replace regular exercise, this is merely for when we are really short of time. Use sparingly!

Leave me your thoughts. 

The Most Important Thing About Exercise

We all know that exercise is an important aspect of our lives. It helps fight disease, keep our brains ticking over and keeps our body in tip top shape. But what are the most important parts of exercise? This blog entry will look into just that, examining what are the most important things to consider when we are exercising.

Form

Practicing correct form is such an important element to our training regimes. Whatever the exercise is, it is vital that we perform it correctly. Simply put, if we perform it right we are less likely to get injured and more likely to get something out of it. Proper form is a must for all exercise.

Continual growth

It is also crucial that we aim to progress constantly. If we can run for 5 miles, then we need to go for 6. If not, we are just training the body to do what it can already do. Continual growth will help us to see the best results. This means gradually increasing resistance and distance!

Mixing it up

By doing the same thing, over and over again, our bodies get used to it, and we are no longer able to grow. Therefore it is vital that we change the exercises we are doing regularly.

The Most Important Thing About Exercise

However, the one thing that trumps everything else mentioned is enjoying exercise. Once we enjoy the exercise we are doing, the rest will fall into place. When we enjoy exercising we will put 100% effort into it. It will become easier for us. We will be more likely to practice correct form. We will want to continually progress and grow. We will be able to mix things up a bit and keep ourselves interested. 

Rock Hard Abs

There are so many exercises to help build rock solid abs. My favourite is the plank. This is one of the simplest, yet most effective exercises that there is for toning and building rock solid abs. For more information on the plank itself, check out this website, of mine, here.

Another important thing to remember, when wanting abs, is that we must reduce our body fat. Regularly doing sit ups will definitely tone the stomach muscles, but this does not mean our belly fat will disappear. Doing ab exercises merely works and builds the ab muscles, to see them we must torch the belly fat!

This can be achieved by cardio-vascular exercises, such as running, cycling and swimming. Even going for a half hour walk can help to burn the extra calories. Combine all this with a well balanced diet and we are well on our way to a nice 6-pack. 

A Fitness Test for Everyone

Test Your Fitness

This blog entry is going to show a short fitness test for us to give ourselves a fitness ranking in different areas! There are six different areas and the idea is that we perform each test and record our results. We can then analyse what our results mean. (Test taken from Men’s Health Magazine)

1)      Perform as many press-ups as you can in a row. Record the result.

2)      Stand up and see how many seconds you can balance on one leg.

3)      Now see how long you can hold the plank position for.

4)      Now stand by a wall and jump as high as you can to tap it. Record the height in cm.

5)      Now hang from a pull-up bar, keeping your arms straight. See how many seconds you can hang for.

6)      Finally, run 1K as fast as possible and record the time in minutes.

Analysing the results

The first test is one of strength-endurance. If you scored over 60, this is strong, 40-60 is good, 20-39 is average, and below 20 is weak.

The second test is of the stability of the core. For a strong rating you need to have scored over 120 seconds, good is 60-120 seconds, average is 30-59 seconds and less than 30 seconds is weak.

The third test is simply about the strength of your core. Over 120 seconds is considered a strong core, 60-120 is good, 30-59 is average and any less than this is weak.

The fourth test is about explosive power. To gain a strong rating you need to tap at over 50cm, 36-50cm is good, 25-35 is average, and less than this is weak.

The fifth test is all about the strength of our grip. To hold your grip, in this test, for over 120 seconds gains a strong rating, for 60-120 seconds is good, 30-59 seconds is average and anything below is weak.

The final test is all about cardiovascular fitness. In completing the run in less than 4 minutes is strong, 4.5-5mins is good, 5.5-7mins is average and any longer than 7 minutes is weak.

In completing this test and looking at the results it is important that we do not take them ratings too seriously. However, this can give us a good guide of our fitness levels and can also give us goals to try and achieve.

Swimming for Health

Swimming

This blog entry is going to look into swimming for fitness, exercise and weight loss. Swimming is, without a doubt, one of the most amazing forms of exercise there is. There are a number of benefits associated with swimming, so let’s take a look.

Benefits of Swimming

As mentioned before, there are numerous benefits to swimming as a form of exercise.

1)      It is a low impact form of exercise. This is probably my favourite thing about swimming. This means that swimming puts very little strain on our body. This means that our knees and hips, for example, do not get the same stress as with other exercises such as running. This also means that swimming is a great exercise for fitness when recovering from an injury.

2)      Swimming is an excellent cardio-vascular exercise. This basically means that we work our hearts and lungs while exercising (as well as our body), and is as good as any exercise for that.

3)      Swimming can work most muscles in the body. This relies on doing a variety of different strokes, however, but any exercise where we are working more than one muscle is great. Swimming works the upper and lower body, and gives a great workout to each part of us.

4)      Swimming can be used for weight loss as well as fitness. Whilst swimming is a great exercise for developing our fitness levels, it is also a fantastic calorie burner, meaning it can be used, alongside a healthy diet, to promote healthy weight loss.

5)      Finally, swimming can be considered an excellent exercise for developing strength as well as flexibility. Alongside endurance and cardio-vascular benefits, swimming can help with our strength in our upper and lower body and contributes towards flexibility in these areas too.

Walking Lunges - A Great Exercise

This blog entry will look into an exercise known as walking lunges. It will identify what muscles are worked with the exercise, how to do walking lunges and the benefits of including them in our workout routine.

What are Walking Lunges?

Walking lunges are an exercise that can be performed with or without weights and they exercise our glutes, hamstrings and quads.

How to perform Walking Lunges

Walking lunges are a simple exercise to perform and they are super beneficial to our body. We can either perform this exercise with a dumbbell in each hand, or we can put our hands on our waist – whatever we feel comfortable at. To begin, we stand upright, with our feet together. We then take a step forward with one foot, lowering our hips to the floor and bending both our knees. We then push from the other foot back to the starting position for one rep.

Benefits of walking lunges

There are a number of benefits associated with performing walking lunges as part of our workouts.

First of all, walking lunges work a variety of muscles all in one go, which is a great thing! Basically, our complete lower body will get a workout if we perform walking lunges, particularly the glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps.

Secondly, we can perform them anywhere! The fact that they are so convenient is beneficial as there is no excuse to not include them a few times a week. We may look strange doing them down the street though.

Walking lunges are also fantastic because not only can they be considered a cardio-vascular exercise, they can also help to build and develop muscle as well.

Finally, walking lunges promote mobility, strength and flexibility in the joints. 

So, walking lunges are a fantastic exercise for us to include in our workouts. The exercise works the majority of the lower body and can help to keep us fit. Get them in your workout!

Improving Our Fitness

This blog entry will look into some tips for improving our fitness. We all want to be as fit and healthy as we can be (right?) and these tips will help us to achieve this. This list was adapted from an article in Men's Health.

Tips to Improve Fitness

1) Increase the intensity - this is a great tip, especially if we are short on time. HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is a fantastic style of exercise that can wield fantastic results, and can be done in a shorter amount of time.

2) Get a pet - ok, maybe not. However, dog owners are more likely to get the exercise they need. We can easily get out to take our dog for a nice long walk, we were going to walk them anyway.

3) Keep motivated - whatever it takes. It is vitally important to stay motivated to get the body and fitness level that we want. Find whatever it is that inspires us to keep up the interest and keep us achieving our goals.

4) Walk - walking is an easy exercise to do and it is great for our body. There is no reason for us not to get out walking, even if it just for a half hour on our lunch break.


Above are four simple tips to help to improve our fitness. Of course it is vitally important that we couple regular exercise with a good diet to get the best results.

Yo-Yo (Bleep) Tests

Yo-Yo Tests

The yo-yo test, also referred to as; yo-yo intermittent recovery tests, beep/bleep tests, and shuttle runs, is a test designed to examine the endurance and aerobic power of athletes in regards to running. These tests can be used by both men and women alike and are very simple to perform.

How To Set Up Yo-Yo Tests

The basics of yo-yo tests is simple. First of all, a CD (or other recording) is required for these tests, but these are readily available. The CD contains a series of beeps, and the gap between this beeps decreases as the recording goes on. The second part of the set up involves setting up two markers, 20 metres apart. The test is now set up.

The Test

The basic idea of the test is to run from one marker to the other, arriving at the same time as the beep. We then turn around and run to the other marker. This continues, from one marker to the other until the test is over. As the gap between the beeps gets shorter as we progress, the difficulty increases. If we fail to make it to the marker before the beep, we lose a life. We get two lives so when we fail to reach the marker twice the test is over. We measure our total time for our final result.

Steps To Take When We Plateau

The Plateau

When we get into our training routine we begin to see the results we want. However, there comes a point in most, if not all, of our training programmes where we hit a wall, and the results seem to disappear – the dreaded plateau.

Can we combat the plateau?

Yes! Fortunately, there are a number of ideas that can be implemented in order to battle past our plateau and to help us to continue to see the results that we want.

Combating a Plateau

Higher reps – if we have been training with 6-8 reps while lifting weights, we should try increasing this number to 10-15 reps.

Increase sets – in a similar vain to increasing the number of reps per set, we can also change our workout by increase the number of sets that we do. Instead of completing 3 sets of 8 reps, we can try increasing to 5 sets of 8 reps.

Alter the exercises – there are many different exercises that work the same muscles. Therefore, there is nothing to say that we can mix things up by doing different exercises to what we are used to. Instead of doing pull ups, change to chins ups, for example. Something as simple as a hand grip/position can make a difference!

Rest – sometimes we overwork ourselves and we just need a little rest. We should try taking a couple of days off from exercising before getting back on it!

To conclude

Most of us will reach a point in our training program where we are not seeing the desired results, we plateau. This is not something that we need to worry about and there are number of things that we can try to get through this, for example increasing the number of repetitions we do. Essentially we must change something in our workout, though, and we will get through the plateau.

High-Intensity Interval Training

HIIT Training

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a form of exercise that mixes the intensity of a workout. A typical HIIT workout will include warming up, moderate intensity exercise, high intensity exercise and a cool down. The number of times each of these sections is performed will vary between workouts. This type of training is generally associated with cardio exercises such as cycling and running.

Benefits of HIIT Training

There are a number of benefits associated with HIIT training.

First of all, HIIT can be used to save time. As it requires short bursts of high activity, the length of the workout is cut short. This means that HIIT can be used when we are short of time to still gain great results. Essentially, we can still get the same results as a longer, moderate workout in less time.

Secondly, HIIT has been shown to help to increase our resting metabolic rate, which basically means that we will be burning more calories during rest. If we are aiming to lose the flab then HIIT is certainly a method of training that can be used.

Another benefit of HIIT appears to be the suggestion that we will not lose muscle mass from exercising. When trying to lose weight, it is suggested that standard cardio exercise can contribute to the loss of muscle mass.

HIIT is a very challenging method of exercise. This is good because it can encourage us to workout when we have challenges to test ourselves.

There are, of course, other benefits associated with HIIT training, but these are some of the main advantages.

Example Workout

Here is an example (adapted from the Men’s Health Website) of HIIT training on an exercise bike.

1)      Cycle at a low resistance, low intensity for a brief warm-up of 3 minutes

2)      At this point we need to increase to a higher intensity for 30 seconds

3)      Again, increase the intensity of the workout and aim to increase every 30 seconds until we can no longer hold the intensity level

4)      After this we should rest for 3 minutes

5)      Repeat the workout for the desired number of times (1 for beginners, 3 for advanced)

Does Slow Lifting Build Huge Muscles?

This blog entry will be a short look into answering the question of whether lifting weights at a slow rate helps to build up huge muscle mass.

Recent studies have shown that slow lifting leads to a long workout - and that is about it! The study, from the University of Alabama had two sets of people completing 29 minute workouts. The first group exercised using a 5 second up phase followed by a 10 second down phase - essentially meaning that, during pull ups for example, they pulled up over 5 seconds and returned to the starting position over 10 seconds. The other group used a more traditional 1 second up, one second down method of exercising.

The results from the experiment showed better performance from the group that performed faster repititions. They burned 71% more calories than the slower group and ended up lifting 250% more weight than the slower group too.

A Great Test

This blog entry will look at a great test to see where we are at with our push-ups (press-ups if you prefer). First of all, we will quickly look at what the benefits of push-ups are.

Benefits of Push-ups

There are a number of benefits to doing push-ups on a regular basis. First of all they work a number of different muscles. The main muscle groups worked doing push-ups are the triceps, the chest and the shoulders. Secondly, regular push-upping(!) can increase our general fitness levels. Another great advantage to doing push-ups is that they are very convenient. No weights are needed so we can complete push-ups everywhere and anywhere, meaning there are no excuses to not be exercising. Push-ups can also be used to increase our strength. There are a number of other benefits associated with doing the exercise too!

The Test of the Push-ups

This test is designed to see how good we are at push-ups and it is very easy to do. All we need is a stop watch/timer. The idea is to complete as many push-ups as possible in 3 minutes. We can stop as many times as we like during this 3 minutes to rest, but we must keep the timer going. 55 push-ups is considered average and we need to be hitting 70+ to be considered good!

Completing this test can be beneficial in a couple of ways. First of all it allows us to have a 'rating' of sorts as to how good we are at push-ups. More importantly, it allows us to develop targets so that we can improve and develop with our push-ups. For example, if we complete this test 3 times a week, it gives us targets and goals to aim for each time, in order to try and improve upon our last result.

Post a comment letting me know what your record is!

Our Arms

The Arms

Today’s blog entry will look into the arms. It will examine the different muscles in the arms and see how they work and what they do for us. Find out all about the arms here!

What we want

Many of us want bigger arms. The rest of us want toned arms. Either way, exercise is the key to achieving these goals. However, it is important to know all about the arms to know how to develop them and achieve the goal that we want to achieve.

Our arms consist of various different muscles; the biceps, the triceps and the forearm muscles.

The Biceps

The biceps are the muscles found at the front of the upper arm and are responsible for moving the arm at the elbow joint. The biceps work in tandem with our rear shoulder and middle back muscles on exercises such as pull ups, but work alone for curls. Working the bicep muscles will give us strength and power for various daily lifting and climbing.

The Triceps

The triceps are three-headed muscles that are located at the back of our upper arms. The triceps are responsible for straightening the arms. There are many different exercises that target the triceps; the bench press, triceps extension, press-ups and the shoulder press are all exercises that will work our triceps.

The Forearm Muscles

The forearm muscles consist of the groups of small muscles that are found in our lower arm. The flexors, the extensors and the larger brachiordialis are all found in the forearms. These muscles are worked with many of the biceps exercises, such as pull ups and bicep curls.

Bodyweight Workouts

Bodyweight Exercises

When we think of working out and getting fit, we generally picture a gym or health club, packed with different machines and weights. However, it does not have to be like this. There are many reasons for wanting to use bodyweight workouts, whether this is just to aid with weight workouts or to use them as our sole method of exercise.

Benefits of Bodyweight Workouts
1) Convenience - weight free workouts require little to no equipment so can be done anywhere, at anytime and by anyone! Excuses suggesting that we have no time to go to the gym don’t apply here as we can workout anywhere. 

2) Core and Balance - research suggests that working out without weights, doing activities such as Yoga and Pilates, can help to strengthen the core and improve our balance, posture and form. 

3) Target All Muscle Groups - obviously, when we are working out we want to exercise our whole body. With bodyweight exercises this can still be achieved and each muscle group can be targeted for exercise. 

Classic Bodyweight Exercises


There are so many bodyweight exercises out there but the following list will identify some of the most common and basic bodyweight exercises that should be part of everybody’s workouts!

1. Push-Ups
2. Pull-Ups
3. Squats
4. Lunges
5. Sit-ups/Crunches
6. The Plank
7. Tricep Dips
8. Walking/Running/Jogging

Bodyweight exercises can form part of anyone’s exercise regime. They can form the whole workout, or be used to supplement other workouts that we may be doing. As with all exercise programmes, though, it is important that we warm up, stretch before and after, and practice good form while exercising. This way we will be safe and get the most from our workouts.

SuperSets!

More Muscle – Less Time

This blog entry will look at ‘Supersets’, which is a concept designed to increase the rate in which we build muscle. The basic idea involves building more muscle in a shorter period of time.

What are supersets?

Supersets basically involve working the same muscles with two different exercises without a rest in between. An example would be doing a set of bench presses followed by a set of push ups.

How do we get bigger muscles?

With little rest in between each set, a workout that takes half an hour can now take 20-25 minutes. Using the example above, we would do 10 repetitions of the bench press and then immediately complete 20 repetitions of push ups. This works similar muscle groups without rest. We can then move on to the next muscle groups and complete, for example, chin ups followed by lat pull downs. We continue the exercises and repeat the routine. Two or three supersets will be sufficient!

We may find that we enjoy doing supersets, and we may find that they are simply not for us. As with any exercise regime it is always better to be comfortable and so we should only complete supersets in a controlled and safe manner!

Goals

Identifying Our Goals

When we first decide to start exercising again we often rush to the gym and get a membership or buy a new piece of home exercise equipment – we do not even think about what our goals are. When exercising and working out there is always a reason behind it, and usually we have a goal that we are aiming for as well. To get the most from our workout it is definitely important for us to identify our goals.

Why do we need to identify our goals?

When we give ourselves goals and targets to aim for, we are far more likely to achieve it. However, it is important to be specific. Saying that we want to lose weight and get fit is not specific enough. Instead, we should say that we want to lose 5kg and be able to run for 10 minutes.

Making plans

It is also vitally important that we make plans in order for us to achieve our goals. This will vary depending on our goal but it is essential. We need to look at both exercise and diet when making our plans and change these factors accordingly.

To conclude

Identifying what we want to achieve from our exercise regime is vitally important as we are far more likely to achieve our goals, but it is important that we are specific on what we set out to do and plan our diet and training regime around the specific plans that we make.