Home Gym Exercise Equipment…
So you’ve made the smart decision to start taking better care of yourself, or have gotten fed up with your gym, simply can’t afford a membership, or don’t want a long-term contract. For whatever reason, you want to start working out at home. You’ll need some home gym exercise equipment. You have a lot of options, and what you get will depend a lot on your budget, your goals, and the space you have available.
If you have the means and the space, you can look into a home gym or multi gym, like the Bowflex or one of the sets from Body Solid. These can be a good choice if you want Read more
Tags: Barbells & Dumbells, Conditioning & Endurance, Fat Loss, Kettlebells, Muscle Building, Strength Training, Womens TrainingPopularity: 34% [?]
Take the Stairs…
Walking up and down stairs is a great exercise. It works all of your lower body, and is good for getting your heart rate up as well. Here are two quick, easy ways to add some additional physical activity to your day. They will only take two or three minutes, and you won’t even break a sweat.
Tip 1
If you work on an upstairs floor in a building, take the stairs. If you work high up, take the elevator, but get off four or five floors early. Take the stairs the rest of the way up.
Tip 2
Throughout the day, make your way to the stairwell for a quick trip up and down the stairs. Just go up or down four or five flights (or however many you like), then back. You’ll only be gone for two or three minutes, but you can really do yourself some good if you do this a few times throughout the day.
Tag: Quick Fitness TipsPopularity: 9% [?]
Lose Belly Fat - 5 Simple Tips…
The first time I noticed I needed to lose belly fat, I was putting on my jeans. They were a little tighter than I like. It wasn’t bad, but it was enough for me to know it was time to do something. I’ve dealt with the issue here and there a couple of times since then, but have learned what works. The first step is to eat a little less. The next is to start exercising. But, I realized that adding a little more movement in my day helped the results come faster. So, I thought I’d share five simple things you can add to your day, not even breaking a sweat, that can help you meet your goal quicker.
First though, you must realize that ab training in itself does not help you lose belly fat. Sit-ups, crunches, or even better ab drills will help tone your ab muscles, but you’ll have to lose that layer of fat if you want to see them. To lose belly fat, you’ll need to Read more
Tag: Fat LossPopularity: 8% [?]
What’s the right kettlebell size for me?
This is a question most people ask themselves when considering buying a kettlebell. The answer can be made fairly simple. Most men should start with a 16kg (35 lb) kettlebell. If you’re exceptionally strong, you might consider starting with a 24 kg (53 lb) kettlebell. However, they feel heavier than you would think, and even a strong man can get an excellent workout with the 35-pounder. I encourage men to start with this one, and it’s also the most recommended starter size by most other kettlebell sites I’ve seen. You can get one from Muscle Driver (less expensive), Dragon Door (the “Gold Standard”), or Dragon Door’s Russian Reds (same, but different finish).
For ladies, it’s a bit tougher. The 18 lb kettlebell is a good choice for most women. As mentioned above, kettlebells feel heavier than you would think because of the leverage factor (unbalanced center-of-gravity). However, I think that the 26 lb kettlebell is a better choice if you’re only going to be able to get one - and especially if your main focus will be fat loss. I say this because if your goal is fat loss, you’ll be doing a lot of swings, and you’ll likely outgrow an 18 lb kettlebell quickly on swings. If possible, you may want to get both. Some of the drills will be harder to do with a heavier kettlebell, but you will likely progress to the 26 lb for swings and some other full-body drills.
The 18 lb kettlebell from Dragon Door has a steel handle that is slightly thinner than the authentic one-piece cast kettlebells. The 26 lb bell is the lightest one-piece cast kettlebell. It has a thicker handle. You can see the difference at Russian Kettlebells.
If you want to get an idea of what you’re in for, pick up an appropriately-sized dumbbell and swing it between your legs a few times. Keep your back straight (not upright, just straight) and watch your knees! Don’t do many if you don’t know what you’re doing. The kettlebell will swing between your legs easier, because it’s not as wide, but this test will let you know if you’re choosing an appropriate kettlebell. Keep in mind that you will become stronger. Also keep in mind that exercises like presses, curls (if you do them), and others will be harder with a kettlebell than with a dumbbell because of the leverage.
Tags: beginners, KettlebellsPopularity: 24% [?]
High Frequency Training For Fat Loss
Below is an article by Mike Mahler which involves drills using two kettlebells, so you may or may not be able to follow the program as described.
High Frequency Training For Fat Loss
Guest Article by Mike Mahler.
HFT is my favorite style of training for strength, muscle building, and fat loss. No need to add any cardio at all to the program. Focus on doing the strength training workouts well and you will be all set. Do not add more training to the mix. More cardio will not make the program work better and will screw up your hormone levels.
Start with four workouts per week as indicated in the beginner program. After a month, go to the intermediate program and train Read more
Tags: Fat Loss, KettlebellsPopularity: 18% [?]
How to Lose Belly Fat - 3 Simple Steps…
One specific subject that often comes up in fitness is how to lose belly fat. Whether you need to lose a spare tire or get rid of a little poochy belly, the prescription is just a different degree of the same formula. First though, I must tell you that losing fat is not a selective process. You don’t get to choose where it comes off. However, chances are that the first place it will come off is the place it needs to come off the most. So if you really need to lose belly fat, that will likely be where you notice your first results.
To keep things simple and still get results, here are three basic elements of a plan to lose fat.
- Eat fewer calories.
- Burn calories with cardio.
- Keep and tone your muscle with resistance training, with emphasis on your abs.
As simple as that “plan” sounds, the devil is in the details - always is. It’s simple, but not easy. It takes Read more
Tags: Fat Loss, Womens TrainingPopularity: 14% [?]
How and why do kettlebells burn fat?
What is so magical about kettlebells that gives them the ability to burn fat so effectively? Well, there’s no magic, so how does a kettlebell burn fat? The fact is, many of the exercises the kettlebell is suited to are just great for losing fat. It’s the exercise (and diet, of course), not the tool. The tool just makes the exercise more doable.
There are two simple things to keep in mind when you’re trying to lose fat: burning calories and keeping your muscle. It’s fairly basic math, in order to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you take in. When you’re losing weight, you have to give your body a reason to keep Read more
Tags: Fat Loss, Kettlebells, Womens TrainingPopularity: 30% [?]
What is a kettlebell, and why would you want one?
So, you’re looking at fitness equipment, routines, diet tips, etc. and found this site. Maybe you’ve never heard of kettlebells before. I’ve worked out with them for a few years, so it’s easy to miss the fact that most people have never even heard of them before. So, here’s a quick introduction to the Russian Kettlebell.
As you can see, a kettlebell is basically a ball of iron with a handle. That’s it, simple and brutal if you like. They come in sizes ranging from 10 lbs. to 106 lbs. Look for an upcoming article on choosing the right size for you.
Now, why would you want one? Simply put, they are the ultimate in one-stop-shop fitness equipment.
- Build strength, resilience, flexibility, and endurance.
- Develops a powerful hip thrust, a very important aspect of athletic training.
- Gain muscle or lose fat, whichever your goal.
- Great for the grip, wrist and forearm.
- Fits in the space of one square foot.
The unique design has the weight hang below your grip, so it is easily swung between the legs - an incredibly effective workout by itself. You simply can’t do this with a dumbbell without the fear of smacking yourself in the knees.
The design also gives the kettlebell an off-set center of gravity, which provides you with variable leverage. Using this leverage, many kettlebell drills are both more difficult and safer than the same or similar exercise with another piece of equipment. During overhead presses for example, a 35 lb. kettlebell can feel 10 lbs. heavier while simultaneously putting your press in a more natural range of motion than a dumbbell would.
I can honestly say that I’ve gotten a better workout from kettlebells than from any other piece of equipment I’ve used. Plus, they’re just plain fun to use! Whether your goal is to lose fat, gain muscle, improve endurance, or anything else, chances are you can get results with one kettlebell. They’re the reason I work out at home. I found myself going to the gym and not knowing what to do because I felt like I didn’t need anything there. I still have a gym membership (we got a great deal and I don’t want to give it up). However, I only go there when I’m in the mood for a change of scenery, or want a random workout. But for my bread and butter, I’ll pick kettlebells every time.
Tag: KettlebellsIf you don’t have a kettlebell yet, get one from RussianKettlebells.com, or RussianReds.com for a lower-cost version with a different finish. The blacks are powder-coated, which will last longer. The reds are simply painted.
Since originally posting this, I’ve found another option for less expensive (not made in the US) kettlebells at Muscle Driver.
Popularity: 11% [?]
The Five Pillars Of Kettlebell Training
Guest Article, by Mike Mahler
Many trainees often forget that kettlebells are weights and the rules of effective weight training apply to kettlebell training. Similar to traditional weight training, effective kettlebell training requires a balanced approach and an emphasis on the basic compound drill that provide the most bang for the buck. For most trainees, following a regimen with a strong emphasis on a few basic exercises is the way to go. However, putting all of your efforts into one or two exercises long-term is not the way to go. There are five areas that are worth focusing on for balanced development. Lets get going.
The Five Pillars:
- Press
- Pull
- Squat
- Lower body pull
- Core
Whatever form of weight training you engage in, you want the five above areas covered. Now lets cover each Read more
Tag: KettlebellsPopularity: 25% [?]
Cheap Kettlebells - Considerations
I know that kettlebells seem expensive for what they are. I mean, how much can it cost to make an iron ball with a handle, right? Well, you can see the process by watching this video (click “watch The Making of a Kettlebell“). As you can see, more goes into building a kettlebell than you might think. Add to that the cost of doing business and profit margin, and you can see how the final cost can add up. In addition, Dragon Door (DD) kettlebells are made in the USA. You can get these, the Gold-Standard in kettlebells, here.
For a little lower price, you can get DD’s Russian Reds. These are the same one-piece cast iron construction as the regular DD kettlebells, except for the finish. The regular kettlebells are powder-coated, which involves Read more
Tag: KettlebellsPopularity: 10% [?]
