:Forest Folk

Pilates, is nothing without its equipment, from the simple mat to the complicated trapeze, Pilates Equipment is very integral to the program itself. Pilate equipment is what produces the resistance that your muscles overcome, and these resistances are what make your core strong. Here is an overview of the basic Pilates Equipment

Reformer.

The reformer is probably the most popular Pilates Equipment; it is used by a lot of Pilates practitioners, and can be seen on almost every Pilates Studio in the world. It is basically a sliding carriage that has foot bars, jump boards, leg and arm pulleys. These features allow the exerciser to work on different parts of the body with the same machine.

There are two types of reformers, spring reformers and gravity reformers. A spring Pilates equipment reformer, makes use of springs for resistance, it is usually used while lying on the back and pulling with your arms or pushing with your legs. The Gravity reformer has the same concept of push and pull, but instead of springs, it makes use of the person’s own weight. The person is diagonal in position in order for the gravity to pull down on him/her, creating the resistance needed for the exercise.

Cadillac

The second type of Pilates equipment is the Cadillac or the trapeze table. This Pilates equipment looks like a cage, without the bars though, just the frames, and attached along the bars are springs, straps, and extra bars that are used for several types of exercises. For example, for the legs, you can lie down facing the opposite direction of the strap that you are going to use, and then putting the strap around your leg, you pull it down, and the resistance goes through your thighs and calves. Another way to use a Cadillac is to sit down, this time facing the strap that you are to use, and then holding the strap in your hands pull on it while simultaneously lying down, then sit back up again, this works on your abdomen.

Wunda Chair

One other Pilates equipment is the Wunda chair, which looks like a bench only slightly higher; it has two bars on each side with spring attached to it. One exercise that can be done is to push on the bars while standing or sitting on the bench, or standing or sitting on the floor.

Mats

Pilates has a series of mat exercises that improve certain parts of the body, therefore, the Pilates Mat, is definitely a must have Pilates equipment. Mat exercises are usually taught as to groups. These exercises focus mostly on the trunk and hip, to strengthen then, and on the spine and hips again for flexibility. The mat, is probably the least expensive of Pilates equipment, and it is also the most limited, the amt is basically for back protection and doesn’t offer any form of resistance for the user, but still mat exercises are very good ones, especially for those on a budget.

These are only few of the most common exercise equipment that you may see in a Pilates studio, there are however, other equipment that you might be able to use at home, like barrels, Pilates balls, and Pilates rings, these are however, not part of the original Pilates equipment that Joseph Pilates designed initially, but rather a derivation and application of the different Pilates techniques from other types of exercise.

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Most asthma sufferers are familiar with the inhalers and oral remedies prescribed by their doctors for the treatment of wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath that accompany an asthmatic episode. While these medicines are typically effective in the treatment of the condition, there are people who may prefer a more natural approach to asthma relief, for a variety of reasons. Some people want more natural remedies.

Any drug introduced to the body has the potential for unpleasant side effects; short term reactions such as nausea and long term concerns such as potential permanent damage from steroids used to decrease inflammation in the lung tissues. There has been ongoing controversy in the medical community regarding the safety and advisability of steroid use. While these can be life-saving, there is concern that the steroids may cause irreversible damage such as muscle weakness and bone loss. To minimize the frequency of use, the asthma sufferer can make some dietary and lifestyle changes to help reduce the likelihood of an asthma attack.

The best “natural” defense against an asthmatic episode is to avoid known triggers. People with sensitivity to tobacco smoke should obviously stay away from it; and if your trigger is cat dander, you’ll just have to avoid petting the kittens in the pet store - no matter how adorable. Stay indoors on “high pollen” days if that is your trigger and always try to keep stress levels down. Using common sense is the first step toward lowering frequency of asthmatic episodes.

Asthma sufferers can also make healthy changes to their diets which can minimize asthma symptoms. Beyond avoiding known dietary triggers such as food allergies, nutritional supplements in the form of necessary vitamins and minerals can go a long way toward minimizing asthma attacks. Nutritional deficiencies make for a weakened system that isn’t able to effectively fight unexpected environmental triggers. Asthmatics need to exercise care even when using natural supplements. Make sure supplements are hypo-allergenic so as not to react to those! The need for certain vitamins and minerals may be greater among asthma sufferers than the average person as the condition itself tends to contribute to certain deficiencies. A good multi-vitamin is recommended to compensate for these deficiencies and make for a healthier body, better equipped to ward off reactions. Asthmatics also tend to have very low magnesium levels - a mineral that helps relax bronchial tubes - so a supplemental dose may be advisable. Finally, Vitamin C is believed to improve bronchial functioning.

More and more people are turning to herbal remedies to find relief from asthma symptoms. While most herbal supplements are not evaluated or endorsed by the Food and Drug Administration, there have been reports of success among those who have used them. Tylophora indica, used in Auyervedic medicine in India, has been getting a lot of positive attention thanks to its anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, some individuals treated with the herb, Boswellia, reported a reduced number of asthma attacks. Butterbur is another promising herb shown to be as effective as traditional antihistamines in initial studies. As conclusive studies have not been done on most herbal remedies, the asthma sufferer is advised to be cautious when experimenting with these.

While it is possible to relieve symptoms of asthma, and reduce the likelihood of an asthma attack by avoiding known triggers, making lifestyle and dietary changes, and using certain herbal remedies, it is imperative to listen to your healthcare provider. Discuss vitamin and herbal supplements with your physician, and keep him informed of any changes you make and improvements you notice in your condition. The journey to a healthier life begins with a healthy amount of care and old-fashioned common sense.

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Runner’s World Magazine conducts an evaluation, to come up with their treadmill best recommended list. Unlike other sports-related products that the athletic magazine reviews on an annual basis, treadmills, they explain, are not extensively and continually redesigned and upgraded. Thus, the treadmill best recommended list stays a dependable buying guide for three years for the thousands of athletes and exercise-enthusiasts who look to Runner’s World Magazine for fitness product information.

The treadmills that Runner’s World has included on its current treadmill best recommended list made that list as a result of a lengthy process that took into consideration all sizes, shapes and endurance levels of treadmill users. They tested 12 treadmills, with 15 testers of both sexes, ranging from 110-210 pounds. Aged 25-55, these testers ran or walked hundreds of miles, at various speeds and inclines. Some were high-end athletes, others not quite so enduring. What’s surprising about the Runner’s World treadmill best recommended list for this year is that although most participants were brand new the treadmills that ended up making the treadmill best recommended list were the same treadmills recommended three years prior. The criteria of this list are for cushioning, stability, controls, and display, resulting in an overall rating as well.

The devices that made the Current Runner’s World treadmill best recommended list are True, retailing at $3795, with an overall rating of 8.1; Nordic Track, retailing at $3500, whose overall rating is 7.6; Precor; number three on the treadmill best recommended list, is also priced at $3500, with a 7.3 overall rating. The fourth best is the $4995 Cybex, which earned an overall rating of 7.1; Life Fitness, $3500, is rated overall at 7.0; the $4495 Landice, overall rating 6.9, is next on the list.

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How to Breaking Your Weight Loss Plateau By Mubarakah Ibrahim, CPT

Today is a typical morning like any other for you. You get up, go for your workout at the gym or go for a nice run, before you start your day. Or maybe you go from work to the gym to jump on the treadmill for 40 minutes then home. No matter when you fit your workout in, you are to be commended you’ve stuck to it. SO why isn’t the weight coming off like it did when you first started your new workout routine. Everything is the same. Cardio 3 to 5 days a week. Weight training 2 to 3 days a week. Your diet is still in tack (despite the PMS breakdown in the chocolate abyss). If you are still doing everything the same and you can’t seem to drop those last 10 lbs then you can’t drop those last 10 lbs because you are still doing everything the same. (I know I just reverse the sentence but read it again and you’ll catch on if you didn’t the first time.)

Your body is a wonderfully efficient machine. Everything from your head to your toes adapt to your environment, your activities and your lifestyle. Your exercise regimen is no different. Here is the scenario. Your Story… You began the new year with a new found dedication to running. After all, you need to drop those extra pounds. So you go for a 45 minute run 5 days a week and weight train in the gym 2 times a week. In January and February the pounds fell off. You consistently left 2 even 4 lbs some weeks, chocking on your dust as you laughed your way all the way to the clothing store. But here we are in April and the scale hasn’t moved since the beginning of March. What happened? Your Body’s Story… When you began your program, your body worked hard to keep up with the new intensity and duration of your exercise regimen. As a result it burned energy (calories/fat) to keep up. Then one day as it accompanied you out the door and began picking up speed, then it said to it’s self. Oh I’ve done this plenty of times before. In fact I am good. I am so good at this now that instead of burning 200 calories on this run, I can do the same run and only burn 150 calories. So it runs with you and indeed it proved that it could do the same activity and burn less calories doing it. Your body has succeeded in doing what it does best…become efficient.

Ah ha! Eureka! Now you know. So what to do about it. Throw your body a surprise party and call it Cross training. Cross training is a great way to condition different muscle groups, develop a new set of skills, and reduce boredom that creeps in after months of the same exercise routines. The term cross training refers to a training routine that involves several different forms of exercise, and/or exercise intensity levels.Get up tomorrow and instead of running for 45 minutes, jump on the bike and take a spin. Instead of doing 45 minutes of a moderate intensity run. Kick it up a notch and do 20 minutes of intense interval training (fartlek run will do as well) Providing different challenges in a workout forces the body to move out of its comfort zone and the body must work harder to complete the activity… Resulting in more calorie burn. More eating the dust off from the bottom of your shoes as you leave those pound behind. But that’s not the only benefit of cross training. If sports are your passion cross training can actually help you prevent injury and overuse syndrome For most sports enthusiasts, cross-training is a beneficial training method for maintaining a high level of overall fitness and that’s not all Cross Training: Reduces exercise boredom Allows you to be flexible about you training needs and plans (if the pool is closed, you can go for a run instead). Produces a higher level of all around conditioning Conditions the entire body, not just specific muscle groups Reduces the risk of injury Work some muscles while others rest and recover Can continue to train while injured Improves your skill, agility and balance

SO be cross…trained that is to have a well rounded fitness regimen. Mubarakah Ibrahim is an AFAA certified personal trainer and owner of BALANCE fitness, a personal training service for women in CT that offers in-home personal training, on-line personal training, outdoor boot camps, and hiking clubs for women. She also lectures, promotes and conducts workshops on health and fitness through out the northeast. She can be contacted by visiting her website www.balanceCT.com or e-mailed at balanceCT@hotmail.com © BALANCE fitness. Article may be reprinted without permission only in it’s entirety including author bio and contact information.

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What is fitness and where do we go to learn about fitness? Fitness is our ability to function with alertness and energy over the course of our daily activities. We have so many places to turn for fitness information, that it would be impossible to cover all the possibilities in one article. However, we’ll cover the most common places to look, and let the reader take it from there.

The major sources of fitness information are available to everyone, everywhere. Libraries, the internet, your physical fitness instructor, and your health teachers are all viable avenues of information sources. The library contains more information about health and fitness than you could possibly read in a year’s time. There are magazines, periodicals, medical journals, and all sorts of books written on ways to become fit, to maintain fitness, or to participate in fitness activities. There are sources of information that explain the benefits of being fit, the physical benefits, the mental benefits, the social benefits, and the self-esteem and emotional benefits. The library will also usually have video and audio information available on almost any topic covered by the reading material. They may even have fitness tapes available for viewing. Often, the library provides the opportunity for the low-income to access materials that otherwise would not be available. Video and audio tapes are examples of this opportunity.

The internet opens more windows on fitness than the library, since the internet is a compilation of many libraries, news articles, newspapers, and individual input. You have only to type in the word fitness using one of the available search engines, and suddenly you’ve got more sources of information than you can research. The search engines often return information in the order of actual relevance to your search words. So bear that in mind as you search. The first couple of pages will contain the most relevant information on fitness. You can locate information about fitness, local fitness center locations, and instructors who specialize in one-on-one fitness plans.

Your local school physical education instructor and health teachers are invaluable sources of fitness information, in that they have an education in fitness. They are privy to the most sought after reliable sources of real fitness benefits. Many of the articles you will find, and much of the information you read, is not 100% accurate, ask a teacher, or instructor actually involved in the fitness process, you are going to receive much more accurate feedback

Your federal government publishes massive quantities of information about the fitness in this country, from many different perspectives. The United States Department of Agriculture is responsible for determining our daily recommended allowances, and as such, accumulates much information about fitness alternatives, the state of fitness in the United States, and how well we participate in fitness programs.

Past these sources, check out your local fitness center. Quite often they have random information posted, current magazines, and periodicals that address current fitness issues and often offer interested persons the chance to observe fitness in action.

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An elliptical machine workout is great for any level of exercise from beginner to advanced. Although your workout level will determine which elliptical machine is the best for you.

Elliptical machines found in gyms across the country are usually a higher quality and than something found in the home. Machines in the home often have more plastic parts and are a little more compact to fit in the house.

Below are some steps to choosing the best elliptical machine:

1) First, you need to make sure the machine is right for you. You should visit a store that has it on display and make sure the elliptical machine is neither too big nor too small, making it uncomfortable for you to workout.

2) Secondly, you should make sure if the machine is expensive the store either has a payment plan or allows you to charge the machine if you do not have the cash on hand.

3) Most stores will offer an extended warranty, since the machine will be going through almost daily use you should consider purchasing it.

4) Lastly, you should consider whether you should actually purchase the machine or look online for better deals. Remember, if you purchase online shipping fees to apply and could be quite costly considering the weight of the machine.

Overall if you’re looking for a full body workout and better health an elliptical machine is a great investment for you. Elliptical machines allow you to vary the workout. This enables you to keep your workout schedule interesting which will allow you to continue doing it.

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If you’ve been weightlifting for a while, but you haven’t seen the results you want, chances are, you’re doing a few things wrong.

Don’t worry, this article will show you exactly what you need to do in your workout program in order to build the most muscle mass possible.

1. Lift Heavy

To gain muscle mass, you have to lift big. Lifting big means going as heavy as you can with strict, form. This is how your muscles are stressed and forced to gain more muscle.

When you lift heavy, you put stress on the muscles and your body adds more muscle tissue to handle the future stress.

2. Change Things Around

Mix up your routines and exercises from time to time, so that you don’t get bored in the gym.

Stick with the same proven, basic exercises, but change the muscle groupings around or change the days you work out.

Keep things fresh and keep things interesting, so you’re more likely to keep going to the gym.

3. Stick With The Proven Basics

Too many people do too many different exercises for each body part. To get the most muscle mass from your weight lifting, use basic compound movements like the squat, bench press, military press, barbell rows, and barbell curls.

These place more overload on the muscles, forcing them to grow. Since muscle mass comes from heavy and intense lifting, you want to use the exercises that offer the chance to use the most intensity and weight. Stick with the basics.

4. Warm Up Before Lifing

Warming up before lifting helps prevent injuries. You can either warm up on the cardio machines for 5 minutes or you can do a few warm up sets with light weight.

If you’re going to do the bench press, just use the bar and lift it for 15-20 reps, until you feel warm enough to put more weight on.

Warming up before lifting will help you feel more energetic, so you’re able to lift more weight.

5. Use Max Intensity

To train with intensity, you have to use more weight. And keep workouts short and sweet. The shorter the workouts, the more intensity you can put into your sets.

Stick with just 2 to 3 heavy sets for all exercises. This will allow you to use the most intensity, since you don’t have to do a ton of sets.

6. Use Free Weights

While machines can be good for isolating muscles, free weights offer more overload to the muscles and are better for putting on muscle size.

The machines do some of the balancing for you, so the overload to the muscles will be less.

If you want to hit the muscles with more weight and overload, use free weights instead of machines.

7. Use Low Reps

For maximum muscle, keep reps in the 6-8 rep range. This allows you to use heavier weight than if you did 10 reps.

Again, building muscle comes from overloading the muscles with more weight. It’s easier to do more weight when you use lower reps.

8. Don’t Be Too Strict

If you’re too strict and rigid, you’ll have a tough time using the most weight possible. Yes, be safe and somewhat strict, but give your body the chance to move around a little when lifting.

9. Use Proper Nutrition

Eat 6 small, nutritious meals per day. Use meal replacements or protein powders if you can’t get 6 whole food meals in.

You want to eat every 3 to 4 hours and that can be tough when you have to prepare the food yourself. That’s where meal replacements help.

10. Use Only Proven Supplements

Forget about all the hype supplements out there, stick with what’s proven to work.

Use only protein powders, meal replacements, creatine, glutamine, essential fatty acids, and multi vitamins.

All other supplements are more hype than promise.

There you have 10 ways to get more muscle mass from your weight lifting workouts.

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There are many different techniques and ideas when talking about how to build lean muscle. Some are effective and some aren’t. The key is to understand some of the basic fundamentals so that you can put together, and use, programs that will help you build muscle mass as quickly and easily as possible.

Here are some tips you can use to build lean muscle and develop effective weight training programs.

It’s important that you use a training program that is designed to help you gain weight and build muscle. I know this sounds obvious but many people miss the point.

I’ve had people ask me for training advice because they can’t seem to add weight. Then I find out they are eating only two or three meals a day, not getting enough protein, not getting enough total calories, and they are extremely active, participating in endurance, calorie burning sports such as basketball and soccer.

Not to mention the problems with their weight training routine - wimpy isolation exercises on machines, two hour workouts, not training with enough intensity, etc.

Use Multijoint (compound) Exercises

This seems like an obvious tip but I’m reminded every time I step foot into a gym that very few people understand it. It amazes me how many people who are trying to build lean muscle are toiling away on machine dominated weight training routines and isolation exercises with wimpy weights.

And when I say wimpy weights, I’m not knocking anyone. We all start somewhere and we all have limitations. Heck, there are a lot of people that can lift heavier weights than I can.

What I mean by wimpy weights are based on exercise selection. Anyone can use a lot more weight on seated shoulder presses with a barbell than they can on a lateral raise machine. If you want to learn how to build lean muscle, remember this tip. Always substitute multijoint exercises for isolation exercises.

Basic compound movements are an essential key when it comes to how to build lean muscle. This means exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, stiff legged deadlifts, bent-over rows, close-grip bench presses, chin ups, lat pulldowns, close grip bench presses, and barbell curls.

When your focus is on how to build lean muscle, stay away from isolation exercises. This means exercises like flyes, concentration curls, leg curls, leg extensions, lateral raises, etc. Stick to the basics.

There’s a reason the basics are hard and a reason the guys who avoid them don’t gain muscle mass the way they want. You can devise a fantastic muscle building weight lifting program with a handful of the big, basic exercises.

Stick To A Limited Number of Sets

You’re not training for a marathon. You want to build muscle mass. Forget two hour workouts with an endless number of exercises and sets. All you’ll do is burn out, overtrain, and NOT build muscle!

It’s just not necessary to go to the gym every day, do 20 set body part routines with a gazillion different exercises to “blast the muscle from all angles.” What a joke! Forget the routines of the “champion’s”, or the big guy in your gym who gains muscle mass just by thinking about training.

Workout hard, heavy and infrequently on the big basic exerices, get enough rest and good nutrition, add weight to your exercises whenever possible, and you’ll build muscle. Some of you will learn how to build muscle and build a lot of it and fast, and some of you will take a long time to add a measly five pounds. That’s where genetics come into play. But you can maximize your potential as quickly as possible by following these rules.

Use Heavy Weights

When I say use heavy weights, I mean what’s heavy for you. I mean stick to lower rep sets. Forget the high rep “pumping” sets for now. If 100 pounds on the bench press is heavy for you, then that’s a heavy weight. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else.

Sure, you’ll probably want a little variety but you can get that when you stick to low reps. You can use such weight lifting techniques as the five-sets-of-five system (2 warm-up sets of five, and then three sets of as heavy a weight as you can use for five reps per set); the three sets of three format; the five, four, three, two, one system; progressively heavier singles, and, when you crave something really different (not to mention brutally tough and very effective try the eight by eight system (you can read about it at http://www.buildleanmuscle.com).

Get Some Rest!

Your muscle grow when you are resting, not when you are working out. You need to give your muscles enough rest and recuperation to allow the building process to take place. If you head back to the gym too soon, you won’t build muscle. Eventually, you’ll get weaker, lose muscle mass, feel like crap, and stop working out. And you definitely don’t want that to happen.

Your whole body needs rest. Working back one day, chest the next, and legs the day after that may give your individual muscles some rest but this is definitely not how to build lean muscle. Why? Because each workout puts a systemic stress on your entire body, no matter what muscle groups you are working. Your kidneys, etc. don’t understand or care that you are working different muscle groups each day. So get out of the gym, get some rest, and grow!

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It’s important to find a place in your house where you can place the exercise cycle. Then decide whether you want a upright exercise bike, a semi recumbent exercise bike or a recumbent exercise bike. When you have decided on the type you want, then look at the exercise bike reviews available in bike magazines and the Internet. You can also take the advice of those who are currently using the same as well as personal trainers. Exercise bike reviews are usually rated according to their performance, the functions that they have as well as the type of material used for making the exercise bikes.

Exercise bikes should be comfortable to sit and the seat should be easily adjustable otherwise it can become difficult for people to cycle. If the height of the seat is wrong, it will put un-necessary pressure near the groin area. Hence people will not be able to exercise. For ratings on these kind of features, its essential that review websites be visited as the reviews of the exercise bikes give valuable information to the customer. There are other advantages too. Many a times, the sites on the Internet may offer a special discount on the exercise bikes too. After having read the reviews one can even negotiate for a better price from the sales person.

These and other such advantages can definitely come the customer’s way. However it’s equally important that the customer check out the exercise bike in a store. Getting a first hand experience of how the exercise bike feels is equally important. Therefore, after you have read the the reviews, go to a retailer and try the few machines you have selected as possibles. It’s in your own interest to read the exercise bike reviews because you want to be sure the machine you buy gives you a good workout without injuring any part of your body.

If you enjoyed this article check out this list of exercise bikes reviews related articles. And here you’ll find our most recently added exercise bikes reviews article for your reading.

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