Benefits of a Stationary Bike

• Assistant fitness director Kim Escola, MS, of Little Rock Athletic club says “A stationary bike is very easy on the joints.” Compared with a treadmill or an elliptical machine, a stationary bike offers a non-impact workout which makes it easier on the back, knees, and other joints in the body. Novice exercisers, people who are a little out of shape, and those who have back and knee problems benefits greatly in using the stationary bike as it allows them to work out at a comfortable speed with almost no risk of straining their muscle.
• On the other hand, much like the treadmill and the elliptical machine, the stationary bike is the fair weather exerciser’s best friend. Because it is designed to be used indoors, even too much heat, cold, and rain is far likely to inhibit your workout. Elaine Magee, MPH, RD of Web MB Weight Loss Clinic remarks, “I can do it watching television… I can do it at night, when it’s dark, when it’s raining or cold. It’s a great way to burn calories and fat stores, and it’s a good oxygen boost.”
• Riding the bike in not unlike other cardiovascular workouts. Spinning gets your heart rate up, making it an effective weight loss exercise. Spinning allows for a comprehensive workout of both the heart and lungs. Regular biking tends to reduce blood pressure, and prevent related complications such as heart attack, kidney failure, and stroke.
• Usually, an exercise bike consist of resistance which you can readily be adjusted to suit your comfort level, therefore you need not worry about overdoing your workout. Like all aerobic workouts, cycling builds stamina as it improves lung function and blood oxygen efficiency.

What to Consider Before Buying a Bike

If you don’t happen to have an old stationary bike at your disposal, or if you are keen on buying a new one, you might want to explore your options –

Classic Vertical Bike

Also known as the city bike, the classic vertical bike is the closest thing to a traditional road bicycle. The position you assume during workout using this machine is the same as when you are riding a road bike, with the torso mostly leaning forward.

Reclined Bike

The reclined bike affords you a more comfortable and accessible seat. During workout, your body is supported by a backrest which you can be adjusted to suit your body. When using the reclined bike, you assume a more open workout position with both the shoulders and back in a more rested position.

Indoor Bike

The indoor bike closely resembles the classic vertical bike. Unlike the classic bike, however, it consists of mechanical resistance that allows you to adjust your workout intensity. It also comes with a special flywheel that allows you to control your pedaling speed more accordingly. The indoor bike is usually the go to choice of those who require a more intense aerobic workout, especially those who are training for a competitive sporting event.

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The wide variety of stores available gives the flexibility to purchase the items that you need the most. With the technological advancement you will also come across with the online sports warehouse through which you can easily make a few clicks of the mouse. There are opportunities to buy the finest accessories and you will even come across with numerous and rare brands that will mesmerize you. It is the best technique that people are now making use to buy the sports equipment.

Buying the Sports Equipment Online can be Affordable

There will be no player who will be ready to take chances with the safety. There is cheap sports equipment available in the retail stores, but you may not be sure about the quality of the products. But, in the online store you will find the branded products at an affordable rate, it is because they do not have to pay the rent for the shop. The main objective of the sports equipment will fit well and they should also ensure the protection of the players that will help to improve the game. These online sports warehouse is available to offer customers with affordable items at high quality.

Get the Equipment at Best Price

When any company is ready to sell the sports gear online, then they are cutting down the overhead costs. They do not have to pay for the fancy stores which automatically reduce the price of the items. They help you save huge amount of money and you can invest the money on other items. You will find the top quality brands and some of the rare equipment online which might not be possible to find in the local retail stores.

Compare Prices of different stores

You can compare prices easily and it is the best way through which you not only save your money, but able to find the best item for yourself. It is incredibly easy to compare the prices of the products. There are different sites available which gives you the opportunity to compare the prices offered by different sites. You can sit at your home, enjoy the convenience and buy the best item.

Do Proper Research on the Sports equipment

While buying the item from the online stores you need to have complete information about the sports equipment as this will help you make better decisions. Buying the equipment in a huge investment and so you need to understand the purpose and the quality of each item.

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• Favor your Heart: Cardiovascular activity is one of the best forms of movement that you should do for your body, fitness and overall health. Cycling is a wonderful cardiovascular activity plus it is a full body workout that works on maximum and major muscles group of your body. Regular cycling notably decreases your risk of any cardiac illness.  Cycling gradually increase your cardiovascular health through increased heart rate that strengthens your heart.

• Shed Extra Pounds: Get up and get moving is a perfect way to get rid of the extra pounds and inches that irritate you every time you want to look smart than your peers. Cycling offers you to make that dream come true without joining a gym. It’s an amazing alternative of gym workouts for better physique, lower weight and perfect body image. It’s a perfect way to burn excess fat in order to reach your desired weight goal. It specifically boost metabolism that assists in reducing fats and shedding calories.

• Trim your Tummy: Flat stomach is the most wanted requirement of a fit and smart appearance. People work hard to get rid of the belly fat and some only wish to have something magical that instantly shrink their belly. Though cycling is not a charm for trimmed tummy but it can do wonders if perform regularly. It’s one of the great ways via which you can trim your belly. Cycling is a recommended core region activity that is best for strengthen the stomach and make it firmer.

• Rise Agile Youth: The advancement of technology has its particular benefits but one should be aware of the certain bad impacts. Have you ever noticed that your kids are involving more in gadgets? Television, internet and cell phones are making them dull and sluggish. It is usual in our houses that kids link with any of the electronic gadget that prevent them from any healthy routine. The idle habits during developmental years may harm their growth and fitness.  Cycling offers a fun time to maintain physical fitness. Suggest cycling as an alternative pass time for their better health. Try to limit the inactive lifestyle.

• Build Cycling Stamina: If you want to improve your sports and fitness performance then focus on building stamina is essential. Regular cycling training generates endurance and strength. It’s a particular workout that challenges your body to build stamina through a variety of terrain, pace and difficulty levels. Stamina refers to the amount of time during which you can sustain your effort. The more you involve in the workout, the more you will be able to build your stamina and strength. It also enhances your energy levels to reduce the risk of suffering from fatigue during routine activities. Building stamina is not an overnight process, it takes time.

By Clara John – Follow her on Google+.

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 Eat right!

• Trade soda for water.Soda or cola’s carbonation causes our stomach to be bloated plus the fact that they are loaded with lots of sugar (artificial sweeteners). White bread, pasta, red meant, processed foods are major fat offenders.

• Instead of white bread and white rice, substitute it with healthy options like brown rice and wheat bread.  Totally depriving your body with carbohydrates is wrong as it is your body’s main source of energy, without carbohydrates, our body will burn muscle for energy.

• Substitute coffee with green tea and make dandelion greens the main ingredient in your salad. Both are natural diuretics. Instead of broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage that causes bloating asparagus celery and cucumbers makes the perfect alternatives.

• Be wary of the size of food we eat. Portion size is the key to lose weight. One trick is to use smaller plates. A small portion of food in a smaller plate will make you feel more satisfied.

Firm up

Women overtire themselves during workout in order to burn more calories, but the key to lose those excess pounds can be achieved by changing your exercise routine more often and increasing the intensity, not the duration. Doing the same routine exercise will hinder your body to achieve better results.  Incorporating strength training into your exercise routine, will boosts your lazing metabolism. Hiring a trainer or joining a fitness class will help keep driven and motivated.

Vanish Cellulite

Probably one of women’s detested skin condition is the formation of cellulites. Affecting more than 80% of the women population, cellulite does not discriminate body type and race.  No surgery fat loss is good option for women who are afraid of incision and needles.  Example of this is CoolSculpting by ZELTIQ, it is a cutting edge technology that is completely non-invasive and requires no downtime.  Another cellulite treatment that is currently making waves is Cellulaze, a laser treatment that is minimally-invasive with an impressive patient satisfaction rate of 93%.  Both anti cellulite treatments are Food and Drug Administration approved.

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Here is a list of top exercises for weight loss:

Aerobics

This classic workout is designed to get your heart pumping and amp your metabolism. Local gyms offer a variety of aerobic classes, and some classes incorporate weights and steps to maximize your results. Because aerobics is a high-energy workout, you can burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. In fact, it’s not uncommon to burn 500 calories in a 30 to 40 minute session. This type of workout exercises every inch of your body. You will not only lose inches, but also tone your arms, legs, thighs and stomach.

Bicycling

Locate a bike path or trail at your local park and lose weight while enjoying the great outdoors. Bicycling is a great exercise for weight loss and you can burn between 500 and 1,000 calories an hour. Of course, calories burned depends largely on the terrain and your intensity. If you don’t have a bike, visit your local gym and enjoy similar results. Biking is perfect for weight loss because this activity exercises the major muscles in your legs. The harder you exercise these muscles, the more calories you will burn. Plus, it is one of the best exercises to tone and strengthen your lower body.

Running/Jogging

If you do not have a gym membership or workout equipment at home, you can achieve your weight loss goals by simply hitting the pavement each day. Whether you power walk or jog, both are great exercises for weight loss. A swift and steady power walk can burn upwards of 360 calories per hour, whereas a run or jog can burn up to 550 calories per hour.

Swimming

There is no better way to cool off on a hot summer’s day than jumping into a pool of water. But the pool isn’t only for cooling off, add laps to your exercise routine and you can burn 800 calories per hour. Do this every day of the week and you will burn 5,600 calories per week – that’s nearly six and a half pounds a month.

Tennis/Racquetball

Perfect for toning the legs and weight loss, tennis and racquetball are high-intensity exercises that work every muscle group in your body. Running back and forth on the court combined with swinging your arms ups your heart rate and burns 800 calories per hour.

Weight Training

Although weight training only burns about 200 calories per hour, lifting weights and strengthening exercises are crucial to any weight loss program. These types of exercises increase your muscle mass, and more muscle mass increases your resting metabolism. Metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories and fat. The faster your metabolism, the more weight you will lose. It doesn’t take much weight training or resistance exercises to give your metabolism a boost – as little as 20 minutes three times a week.

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Nutrition:

Sufficient nutrients are essential to have a healthy lifestyle. Some tips to consume proper nutrition from our daily foods

• Properly chew foods. The stomach takes about 20 minutes to send a message to the brain that you are full. If you take this time for chewing, the stomach gets enough time to send the message and it is also helpful for proper digestion.

• According to many nutrition scientists it is better to have 6 small meals in a day instead of 3 meals. If your stomach is empty, the metabolism is decreased and the calories are not burned which makes you fat. So consider taking more frequent smaller meals each day. Do not consider this a single solution for maintaining good health. People may take 3 meals or 6 small meals but bacuase of other factors such as diet choice and exercise habits, it doesn’t affect their health.

• You should consume more fish than chicken as fish is more rich with antioxidants and avoid red meats. Red meats contain high amount of saturated fat which is harmful to your health and may lead to high cholesterol.

• Include fiber rich foods like oatmeal, bran, fruits with the skin, brown rice in your daily food menu to prevent constipation.

• Use the least amount of salt in cooking.

• Drink 3 to 4 liters of water every day.

• Take 2 antioxidant rich foods in your each meal to prevent cancer. Specially I am mentioning the cancer seemingly the most common disease in each and every family.  For the breakfast you may include fruits (strawberries, blueberries, mulberries, grapes, figs) and nuts (walnuts, pecans, almond, cashews)  with your favorite cereal. During the lunch and supper you may add spinach, carrot, fish and some other dark green vegetables according to your choice.  If you like to take tea you can take green tea (without sugar) as the source of antioxidant. An excellent option for some time is a vegetable juice containing lettuce, carrot, tomato, apple (with skin), spinach and beetroot

Wine:

According to experts moderate consumption of wine is good for your health. 1 to 2 glasses for women and 2 to 4 glasses for men each week. Drinking in excess of this amount of wine can be harmful harmful.

• Wine can preserve the memory.
• Studies find that people who take wine regularly have lower body mass than those who don’t take.
• Red wine contains some antioxidants like Resveratrol but very often it is not absorbed in the body. As the source of antioxidant spinach is far better than wine.
• Wine increase the level of HDL (High density lipoprotein), which reduces the risk of heart disease.
• A little amount of wine intake helps to boost the brain.
• Those who drink one glass wine daily are likely to prevent the gastric causing bacteria.
• Wine helps to build strong bones.

In the case of wine consumption you should keep in your mind that wine is beneficial if you take it moderately.

Physical Exercise:

Regular physical exercise is essential for sound health. You should take physical exercise which suits you. You may consult with a physician to select a suitable exercise for you. A very common and easy exercise is morning walk. There are so many health benefits of physical exercise.

• Adults (18 to 64 years) should do at least 2 hours and 30 minutes exercise per week.
• Children and adolescents (6 to 17 years) should do 60 minutes or more physical activity per day.
• Young children (2 to 5 years) are not recommended specifically but they should actively play several times in a day.

You may take exercise at any time but morning exercise is best for you. There are so many beneficial effects of physical exercise. Some of them are

• Helps to control weight.
• Make you active, frisky and strong.
• Helps to improve your mood.
• Boost your energy.
• Have a very positive effect on sexual intercourse.
• Promotes sound sleep.
• Maintain the proper digestive system.
• Leads a good blood circulation

Adequate Sleep:

Adequate sleep is very important for healthy life. It removes tiredness and makes you ready for the new challenges of a new day. Sleeping time is the resting period of your brain which helps to work your brain perfectly.

To have adequate sleep some habits are helpful

• Try to go to bed at a fixed time.
• Make your bedroom suitable for sleeping in a peaceful environment.
• Taking a cup of milk before going to bed is helpful for sound sleep.
• Those people who have insomnia, may take some light physical exercise in the evening.

Mental Refreshment:

It is very necessary to refresh your mind after a long work day. You may listen to some music, go to visit some of your favorite places over the weekend. A herbal bath is a good way to remove your tiredness, just a 30 minute soak can help rejuvenate. Sometimes you may take tea or coffee in a nice mug, sitting in a nice place can remove your melancholy and irritation. You may keep some of your favorite ornamental plants in your home as a source of refreshment. It’s totally up to you that which things do you like to refresh yourself but make the change today for a brighter happier you.

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Warm up Running at full speed as soon as you step on a treadmill overworks cold muscles, making your run harder than it actually is. It can also lead to injuries, which can set you back for days or even weeks. Warm up by jogging at an easy pace for five minutes before cranking up the speed.

Watch your form A TV in front of your treadmill can help you take your mind off a long jog. Unfortunately, it can also distract you into losing proper form. Make it a habit to check your form every few minutes during your run. Don’t look down and keep your body upright with your shoulders relaxed. Your arms should move by your side while you move and keep your abdominal muscles engaged. Try to stay at the center of the treadmill each time.

Photo courtesy of commons.wikipedia.org

Raise the incline Raising the incline adds intensity to help strengthen your muscles. You’ll feel your lower body work harder as you target your thighs, calves, and booty. In addition, this will also help prevent shin splints. Important note, do not set the incline more than 7% and do not run at an incline of more than 2% for your entire workout to avoid injuries.

Include tempo runs Tempo runs help you run faster over time. After warming up, set your treadmill at a slightly faster pace than your usual run. This method forces you to keep up with your treadmill’s tempo, developing your speed. Be sure to this gradually though; increased speed doesn’t happen overnight.

Add intervals Adding high-intensity intervals to your treadmill sessions will help you become a better runner and burn more calories. Interval training gets more things done in a shorter time. For starters, program your treadmill to run with short-bursts of high-intensity activities followed by lower intensity recovery periods. This develops speed and endurance over time.

Stay Hydrated Without air resistance to keep you cool, running on a treadmill can make you lose more water than running outdoors. Make sure you’re properly hydrated by keeping your water bottle within reach at all times.

Cool down Do not stop abruptly after working out. Bring your heart rate slowly back down by preprogramming a cool down portion to your routine. If you’re setting the treadmill speeds manually, gradually decrease your speed at the end until you’re back to running a slow and steady pace. Always perform stretching exercises at the end of each run to help strengthen your muscles and prevent soreness.

Practice good etiquette Always practice proper etiquette every time you use the gym treadmill. If there are other people waiting in line, don’t stay on the machine past the time limit set by your gym. Wipe it down after your run. Refrain from using your cell phone and talking loudly to your gym buddy so you won’t distract other people.

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Communication ‘A problem shared is a problem halved’, is a good philosophy to live by. Talking to someone about the way we are feeling lightens the load. Left to its own, stressed, devices the mind imagines wholly unrealistic and extremely negative reactions occurring should we confide in others. The brain experiences these scenarios as reality and goes into immediate survival mode. Chemicals are released which are intended to ready us for battle. Blood pressure rises; the heart races and the palms sweat as the body prepares itself to see off a threat. It is meant as a temporary measure until the threat has been averted, but constant stress sees these chemicals being constantly released and this state of high alert being maintained. The reality is that we are far more likely to find sympathy and a huge load of empathy when we confide in others. Everyone has at some time or other experienced feelings of inadequacy and, after listening to another’s woes will probably have a few confessions of their own to make.

Attitude Mental attitude goes a long way in determining how we cope with difficulties; positive thinking is a practised attribute. A point should be made of associating with people who talk and think positively, as this has a habit of rubbing off.

Light Relief  It should also be remembered that sensationalism is what fills the media’s coffers. If listening to the news has a depressing effect, then it should either be avoided, or balanced with something uplifting and humorous soon after. Laughter also causes chemical reactions in the brain and nervous system, which have a feel-good effect; the more you laugh the longer this feeling will be maintained.

Keeping a journal Stress does not promote clear thinking and a jumble of thoughts and emotions are like an untidy closet; nothing is easily found. Keeping a journal not only has a similar effect to confiding in a friend, the ability to read back what is written creates a sense similar to that of listening to a friend confide. Having expressed our fears and insecurities in writing it allows us to see them more clearly and to more easily provide a solution.

Healthy Living  Diet, fresh air and exercise play a vital role in mental and physical health. A minimum of 30 mins of exercise a day will, again, have the brain reacting favourably and releasing those all-important, feel-good hormones. Comfort eating usually involves rewarding ourselves with what tastes good, but is known to be bad for health. Stress burns energy and high energy snacks and drinks can compensate. Alcohol prevents that deep sleep that is necessary for the body’s revival and should be avoided or limited to one drink before bed. The recommended 8 hours of sleep a night will be more easily accomplished if time is taken for a little self-indulgence before bed: Relaxing in a bubble bath while listening to soothing music works wonders and a few scented candles lend a luxurious and exotic air. Meditating on the finer things in life is always beneficial and learning to do this instead of focusing on things like heavy traffic, which you cannot change, will pay huge health dividends.

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When it comes to cycling, staying hydrated is just as important as if you were running or playing a game of rugby. Of course the amount of effort that you need to put into your hydration regime depends a lot on the type of ride that you’re doing. If it is a simple commute into work then you’re not going to have to do any real preparation and a bottle of water attached to your bike should suffice. If however you are preparing for a major ride into the mountains or perhaps are about to take part in a competition then you will need to spend time considering your strategy.

Don’t go overboard though

Taking on fluid ahead of exercise is important. It will get you off on the right footing and will help to prevent problems occurring once you have set off. However, remember not to go overboard as all that will happen is that you’ll be searching for toilet stops every five minutes once you have set off. An hour or two before you plan to get underway start to sip a 16-ounce drink and then go for a few gulps of water every quarter of an hour or so while you are on the bike.

Simple solutions work

While on the bike, a water bottle can be the simplest and most cost effective way to stay hydrated. However, if you are going on a long ride in high temperatures then there is a good chance you will not be able to hold enough water this way. In this situation, something like a CamelBak hydration pack is the way forward. It will rest easily against your back out of the way and provide you with a simple and accessible source of fluid.

When it comes to what to drink, then for most people involved in moderate exercise, water will be fine. It’s only when you are really pushing yourself is it necessary to think about specialist sports drinks as these also contain carbohydrates and electrolytes, which will allow your body to keep going for longer.

So keep hydrated

Staying hydrated is pretty straight forward once you have the necessary equipment and knowhow, but it’s always important to remember that the best thing you can ever do is listen to your body. If it’s telling you to ease up then pay attention! And remember, rather than worrying too much about hydration when you are about to leave on a ride, think about it continually every day. Staying hydrated is important for the body and it shouldn’t be something that you only start to think about before or during exercise.

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So if you can gain so much mass in a short time with this program why isn’t everyone doing it?

That is an excellent question and the simple answer is a lack of exposure. A secondary answer is that the program is very hard and a person has to be pretty darn dedicated to push themselves through it for 6 weeks. Of course when the end result is packing on 20 or 30 pounds of mass, that dedication really pays off!

20 Rep Squats

Guys have been using 20 rep squat workouts for a long time. Classic bodybuilders like Reg Park and Arnold used them as a way to gain mass and you can too. Of course a lot of people hear the words ’20-rep squats’ and can’t seem to understand why the program would be difficult. Let’s explain:

First you warm up for a set or two with a very light weight like you would for a normal squat workout. The focus is on performing good, deep squats with solid form. Then after you are fully warmed up you do a single set of 20 rep breathing squats. Sounds easy right?

Here is the kicker; for weight you use your 10-rep-max weight. So let’s say you normally do a heavy work set of 6 reps with 315 pounds. Your working weight for 10-12 reps is probably around 225-250. You start your set and grind as many reps as you can. When you can’t do anymore you stand there, with the bar on your shoulders, taking deep breathes, then you do another rep or two. You keep going with this rest-pause style lifting until all 20 reps are done. Each session you add 5 pounds to your set. That means after 6 weeks (18 sessions) you will be doing a solid 10-12 reps with the weight you used to do 6 reps with.

Instead of collapsing after the set you immediately do 20-reps of dumbbell pullovers to expand the rib cage which adds size to the chest. Because you are breathing so hard, the pullovers are a bit more effective compared to performing them pre-squat. So it is just one set of squats, but it is an extremely brutal set that will create overall muscle growth from the way it shocks your system.

The Workout

The routine that is built around this workout is basic, occurring just three days a week on a M/W/F schedule.

• Clean & Press – 3 sets of 6 reps – rest 2 minutes between sets
• 20-rep Squats – 1 set of 20 – add 5 pounds of weight each session and get 20 reps.
• Dumbbell Pullovers – 1 set of 20
• Barbell Rows – 2 sets of 8 to 12 reps – do a superset with Bench
• Incline Bench Press – 2 sets of 8 to 12 reps
• Pullups – 2 sets of 8 to 12 reps – do a superset with Dips
• Bar Dips – 2 sets of 8 to 12 reps
• Deadlifts – 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps

In might not seem like much on paper but wait until you actually try it to judge. The amount of work your entire body endures in such a short time forces growth on so many levels along with a spike in GH production.

To go with this workout you need 8-9 hours of sleep every night and a solid diet with plenty of calories. Old school lifters did this program and drank a gallon of milk each day for protein and calories.

So if you have been struggling with size, try this 6-week muscle blaster; you will be amazed at the results if you put out the effort.

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