Archive for December, 2008

Fitness Racewalking

Friday, December 26th, 2008

Looking for a new type of competition? If yes? Then Let’s get started! Fitness racewalking  is not your typical fitness mall walking!

If you decide to train and enter a racewalk, know that these competitions are judged. Not only are they judged, but there are also warnings if you violate the rules. A judge can warn you, and if he or she has too, they will disqualify you for breaking either of these two rules.

(1) Racewalkers knees must be straight when their foot strikes the ground and remain straight until their body passes over that foot.
(2) One foot must be on the ground at all times when walking.

If a racewalker violates the first rule it is called creeping and if a race walker violates the 2nd rule it is called lifting. In racewalking, you have to wear shorts so the judge can see your knees. Judges tend to be tough on enforcing the rules but they can be very helpful before and after the race.

If  you feel racewalking competitions are not for you don’t worry! If you want to racewalk and enter a less competitive competition, thing about entering a  5K, 10K, or longer road race and racewalk it. Just check the road race application before submitting it. If there is a racewalking division, check that off if you will use racewalking techniques throughout. And if there is a walking division with prizes, don’t enter that event if you are going to racewalk any part of the race.

Please check the link fitness racewalking for some great training tools.

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Jump Rope Fitness Workout

Sunday, December 21st, 2008

Another great and inexpensive fitness for the heart workout is skipping rope. There are many great health benefits to jump rope fitness workout regarding your cardiovascular system. First off, jumping rope is hard! When we were kids and could do that thing non-stop for hours, we were in great shape! Now that we have aged some it’s time to look back at our youth and restart our fitness routine.

If you have never jumped rope before, it’s a little bit of a tough motion to get used to initially. Jumping Rope in a forward motion is the easiest and the most comfortable. Work your way up to about 40-50 jumps in a row and then change it up a little and perform the routine on one foot at a time to make it more challenging on your leg muscles (especially calves). After you get the hang of jumping forward, add a backward jump in. If you only perform forward jumping you can have a problem with rounded shoulders. This puts all the pushing motion on the anterior (front part of your) deltoid. This is why we suggest jumping backwards as part of your routine as well.

When you get too good at jumping backwards, perform it one foot at a time. This is another challenging thing you can do for your cardio routine.

Check out this great selection of jump ropes

Calories Burned Jumping Rope
Per 15 Minutes

WEIGHT
IN POUNDS

CALORIES
BURNED

105

120

110

125

115

131

120

137

125

143

130

148

140

160

150

171

160

182

170

194

180

205

190

217

200

228

210

239

220

251

230

262

240

274

250

285

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Core Exercise Routine

Tuesday, December 16th, 2008

Are you looking for a new way to stimulate muscle growth? Maybe you are just starting out and need some training ideas. If so then please read about core training.

The body’s “core” refers to the muscles that comprise the center of your body: the muscles of the abdomen, lower back, butt, and hips. So what exercise work your core? Pilates exercise specializes in the core, but some traditional strength exercises like back extensions and crunches also very are effective. Holding an yoga position also depends on strong core muscles as well as an exercise ball workout.

A program that is designed specifically for women is built around easy exercises for the torso area, starting deep with the pelvic floor and working its way out from there. As it is a no-impact program that takes just a few minutes each day, it’s easy for every woman to incorporate into her schedule, and equally appropriate for teens or senior citizens.

For men, you won’t get ripped abs, better performance, or bigger lifts without a solid core.

In order to strengthen your core muscles, work the above areas every other day. Start with one set of crunches, an exercise for the oblique abs, and an easy back extension. Increase your difficulty slowly. If you’re in good shape, you still may want to start at a beginner level. Remember, you will not see abdominal definition unless you have a low percentage of body fat, but it’s important to have strong abs anyway.

If you are interested in learning more on a core exercise routine click on the link.

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Compare Recumbent Bikes

Saturday, December 13th, 2008

Recumbent bicycles are now becoming very popular these days. In fact, not only are many people choosing to buy a recumbent exercise bike instead of a treadmill, they are also deciding to buy recumbent bikes instead of their counterparts, the upright bike as well.

What people really love about their recumbent exercise bikes is the bucket seats – they can sit back and ride in comfort compared to the tiny, hard seats on an upright bike that can get more than a little uncomfortable! One benefit to a recumbent bicycle is, anyone, regardless of skill level and fitness level can use them. Another benefit of recumbent exercise bikes over other exercise machines like treadmills is that they are very low impact.

Statistics show that people are more likely to stick their routine on a recumbent bike than any other form of cardio exercise. This is important, because your exercise machine will not do you any good if you don’t use it.

Because recumbent bikes is a low impact form of exercise, even people with foot, joint, or spine injuries can use them. It is extremely easy to set up a recumbent bike in front of a window or TV so that you can be fully entertained while working out.

Click here and compare recumbent bikes and get the best benefits of an exercise bike and a rowing machine, all in one machine!

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