Functional fitness is one of the most recent training trends to hit the gym scene and it has exploded in popularity due to the results that it produces.

What is it?

Functional fitness is designed to prepare your body for everyday living.  It focuses on compound movements that force you to engage all of your core muscles and your stabilizer muscles, many of which are not stimulated during traditional weight training.

An example of a functional fitness movement is the step-up.  During this exercise you step up on to a platform that’s high enough to achieve a 90-degree knee bend.  Then you lower yourself back to the ground on the same leg.  Switch sides and repeat.  This motion simulates stair climbing or getting up from a kneeling position after playing with the kids or even getting on a chair to change a light bulb.

What can it do for me?

The greatest benefit of functional fitness is that it helps reduce your risk of injury, not during your workout, but during everyday living.  So, if you worry that you’re going to throw your back out at work or that you don’t have the strength to continue heaving your toddler up the stairs everyday – you might want to look into functional fitness.

In addition to minimizing you risk of injury during everyday activities, functional fitness also makes life easier as a whole.  Every activity that you struggled to do before functional fitness will seem just a little bit easier after functional fitness.

The next best thing about functional fitness is that it doesn’t require a whole lot of equipment to do.  All you really need is your body weight and a few dumbbells and you’re ready to go.  If you can invest in it, a BOSU trainer is also great for functional fitness, but it’s not required.

More examples of functional fitness exercises:

For people who are use to doing traditional workouts, going through a few functional fitness sessions will definitely be an eye opener since functional training is usually a lot more intense than traditional workout programs.  Here are a few exercise variations that support functional fitness:

1. Squats – either with or without weight, you simply bend your knees to 90-degrees while keeping tight abs and a flat back and then return to standing upright.

The functionality of this exercise in everyday living is fairly easy to see, as we all sit down and stand up several times a day.

2. Bent rows – These can be done as one arm rows with dumbbells or as two arm rows with a barbell.  In this exercise you bend at the waist, keeping your abs tight and your back flat and your arm(s) hanging straight down.  Then lift the weight towards your abdomen by moving your elbow straight up towards the ceiling.  Lower it back down and repeat.

The functionality of this movement is reflected in everything from taking out the trash to picking up a laundry basket.  We all perform bent lifting movements almost every day.

3. Balance training – Any movement that requires you to use your balance can be considered functional training since we require balance in all that we do.

Using a stability ball, a BOSU trainer or a balance board are great ways to improve your balance through functional training.

So you see, there are plenty of things that you can do in or out of the gym to train your muscles to work together to support your everyday movements.  Beginning a functional training program, or even incorporating a few days of functional training into your current workout schedule will save you a lot of time, pain and medical bills in the the future and it will make your life easier to live.

What is Functional Fitness and What Can It Do For You? is a post from: Home Gym Fitness Equipment Reviews

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All home gym junkies start out with the thought that the convenience of working out from home will help them squeeze their workouts into even the busiest days.  Unfortunately, even with the benefits of having a home gym, life can still get in the way of a consistent training routine.

Being the fitness fanatic that you are or that you’re striving to be, you simply can’t let this happen.  You have to make your workouts part of your day, regardless of what you need to do to squeeze them in.  Here are just a few tips to help you fit your workouts in no matter what your schedule looks like.

1. Trim the Fat

If you feel like you’re constantly missing workouts because of your hectic schedule, take a minute to look at how you’re spending your time.  See if there are any tasks that can be combined or, even better, delegated.

Look at the chores that you need to accomplish during the week…can any of them be moved to the weekend?  If so, that may free up a little more workout time.

Finally, look at any time that you’d consider “wasted minutes” during your day.  If you find that you have 5 minutes here or 10 minutes there of free time, you may be able to use that to squeeze in your training; which bring me to my next tip…

2. Break it Down

If your schedule is so packed that there’s nothing you can do to free up 30 minutes to an hour a day for training, you may need to break your workouts down into mini-workouts throughout the day.

This concept is similar to that of taking a smoke break, only instead of breaking to diminish your health by smoking, you can break to improve your health by doing a 5 or 10 minute circuit.

Go outside or to an open area and do push-ups, squats, walking lunges or even crunches if you have a place to do them.  You can apply any unweighted exercise you want to this circuit – heck, if you have some light weights hiding under your desk at work, you can even do weighted exercises.  The point is to just do something.

By the end of the day you’ll have done a minimum of 20 minutes of working out.

3. Adjust Your Training Plan

If none of the above tip work, you may want to consider revising you fitness program to meet the demands of your schedule.  If you presently workout 5 days a week, maybe you could shift your training split to workout 3 days a week.  Maybe do upper body training on Saturday and lower body training on Sunday and focus on cardio a couple of days during the week.

You just need to look at your training plan and look at your schedule and make you training plan an integral part of your schedule, much like going to work every day is.

4. Invest in Resistance Bands

I say this only because resistance bands can give you a pretty good workout and they’re portable.  They don’t take the place of weight training, but they can certainly augment it.  So, if you have a good program down and you travel frequently or you have some days that are harder to schedule dedicated workout time; instead of skipping your workout altogether, do a short workout with resistance bands.

5. Get Your Office On Board

Another great idea that will help others as much as it will help you is to talk to your office about approving a thirty minute fitness break for employees who are interested.

Most employers know by now that fit, healthy employees are more productive than their out of shape counterparts and have fewer sick days overall.  If you can present some figures to your boss, they may see that giving up 30 minutes a day for employee fitness will actually recoup them more hours in saved sick time they just may bite.

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If you’ve been serious about working out for any period of time, you’ve probably been given the sage advice…“just listen to your body and you’ll know when you need a break”.

While this is true to some degree, for me it seems to be much more complicated than that.  As a full-time working mother of two children, both under the age of two I always feel run down.  Does that mean I should just give up my training for fear of over doing it?

I don’t think so!

In fact, despite my constant state of exhaustion, I find that as soon as I start skipping workouts, I feel even worse.

Honestly, I suspect that the majority of you multi-tasking fitness buffs have the same battle with fatigue that I do.  Yet the experts say that fatigue is a sign of over training.

So, what’s the real deal?

In a perfect world, where we all get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep and our diets are clean and consistent – never disrupted by marathon meetings or grid locked traffic – then a little fatigue may be a key indicator of over training.  But we all live in the real world where fatigue is just a part of life.

So, to determine whether you’re over training or just plain tired from sleepless nights with a crying baby or from burning the mid-night oil for a boss who clearly doesn’t sympathize with your need for rest, you need to look at the big picture.

Are You Sleeping Well?

If you find that your normal sleep cycle, no matter what it may be, suddenly changes for no apparent reason, you may consider over training as a culprit.

Over training can cause fatigue, but it can also cause restless sleep cycles, where you find yourself waking up every hour or two without a reason. On the other hand, if you normally feel pretty good after 6 hours of sleep and you suddenly find yourself waking up feeling like you need about 6 more hours.

You may also look at taking a couple of days off.

Are Your Recovery Periods Changing?

Another key indicator of over training is extended recovery periods and excessive soreness.

If it normally takes you 72 hours to recover from a leg workout and this week you’re still hobbling around a full 5 days later, you should consider decreasing your intensity during your next leg workout.

However, if you’ve recently made significant alterations to your routine, your sudden marathon recovery period may just be your body adjusting. So again, look at the big picture, not just your symptoms in a vacuum.

Are You Dreading Your Workouts?

Okay, if you hate working out and you’re only doing it to look good or live longer, then please disregard this little section altogether. But, if you actually enjoy working out and all of a sudden it seems like your gym time is a punishment instead of a reward, you may be on the verge of burn out.

In this situation it’s good to keep doing light workouts or reduce you number of workouts for a week.

It’s been my experience that if I start feeling burned out and I take time off altogether, I have a very difficult time getting my butt back into the gym once I’m rested.  So, I always recommend that you first try reducing intensity or frequency of your workouts.  Then, if you still feel burned out take an extra day or two to relax.

Are You Getting Weaker?

Are you pushing yourself to your limits in the gym only to find that you suddenly seem to be losing strength instead of gaining it?  This is a classic sign of over training, particularly among beginning bodybuilders.  Many people believe that more is better in the gym.  This is simply not true.  Your muscles can only respond to a certain threshold of stimulation.  Anything beyond that results in negative results.

If you’re shaking your head right now because you’re one of these people, take a week and lighten up your workouts slightly.  Then, maintain your lighter pace for an additional week.  Once you begin to feel your strength coming back, gradually increase intensity.  You’ll be thrilled with the results you’ll see in strength and muscle size.

Okay, I could go on forever about potential indicators of over training.  The fact is that everybody’s different and every body responds differently to given stimuli.  As a result, an over training indicator for one person may mean nothing to someone else.  It is important to listen to your body, but it’s also important to consider all of the factors that are having a physical impact on you everyday.

You may not need to ease up on your training if you make an adjustment to your diet or get an extra hour of sleep at night.  Just keep it all in perspective and you’ll figure out what your body needs to keep running strong.

How To Tell If You’re Over Training? is a post from: Home Gym Fitness Equipment Reviews

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Absolutely! Stretching is a huge part of the fitness triad, that is strength training, cardiovascular training and stretching.  Each of these aspects of fitness trains your body in a different manner and serves a different purpose in your overall health and fitness.

A quick personal story to help you see the impact that not stretching can have on your body.

As I’ve stated in previous posts, I’ve always been involved in fitness in some form or fashion.  I was a gymnast growing up (though not a very good one!) and I was born flexible.  Stretching was always just a part of my life – until recently.

Once I had my kids, fitness became more and more difficult to squeeze into my schedule.  As many people do, I cut stretching out of my routine to save time even though I knew better!

The results – I now have pain in my lower back, my hips, my shoulders and my knees.  Granted, it isn’t diabilitating pain…yet.  But, in my whole life I never suffered from joint pain.  Now, since I quit stretching, I hurt every day.

So, I can speak from experience, stretching is absolutely a vital part of overall health and fitness.

A few things stretching can do for you…

Stretching  is beneficial in so many ways.  Stretching can help improve mobility, increase circulation, increase energy levels, improve coordination and reduce stress.

Not to mention, no matter what your fitness level, stretching will help prevent potentially serious injuries such as muscle tears, strained ligaments and strained tendons that can occur during everyday activities.  You just need to make sure that you’re stretching properly in order to prevent injury and not cause it.

Simple tips on stretching right…

#1 Warm-up before you stretch – So many people think that stretching is a warm-up.  No – stretching is only part of the warm-up, not the whole thing.  A warm-up for exercise should include some very light cardio, such as riding a stationary bike or walking on the treadmill for 5 minutes.  This will warm-up your muscles to prepare them for stretching.

If you stretch cold, without this warm-up stage, you will risk tearing muscle fibers.  Once you’re warm, begin a routine of static stretches to lengthen your muscles and stretch your joints.

#2 Never do ballistic stretches – Balistic stretches are executed by bouncing into and out of a stretch to try to force your muscles past to stretch longer.  The problem with using a ballistic stretch is that the rapid expanding and contracting of your muscles will cause a reaction referred to as “the stretch reflex”.

The stretch reflex is the boddy’s way of preventing you from hyper-extending your muscles.  When you stretch, signals are sent to your spine that cause your muscles to contract in resistance.  The more forceful the stretch, the more forceful the stretch reflex.  So, by using ballistic stretches, you’re trying to deepen a stretch while your body is trying to oppose the stretch to avoid muscle tears.

#3 Use static stretches for great results – Since ballistic stretches are considered ineffective and even dangerous, the best way to lengthen your muscles is through static stretching.  To do a static stretch, you get into the streched position and hold it for 30 seconds.  Release the stretch slowly and then repeat the process.  This allows your muscles to adapt to the stretched position and the “stretch reflex” will gradually become less and less intense.

Static stretching is the most effective way to improve range of motion and to relieve pain from tight joints.

It doesn’t take a long time to stretch each day.  Try to set aside 10 minutes and devote that time to stretching.  Take it from me – 10 minutes of stretching a day will save you 24 hours of pain a day.  I would say that’s a worth while trade off.

One last note – if you’re like me and you cut the stretching out and now you’re paying for it – it isn’t too late to start feeling good again.  Just work your way back into a regular stretching routine and you’ll be back to your old self in no time.

Is Stretching Really That Important For Health and Fitness? is a post from: Home Gym Fitness Equipment Reviews

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Well, this is just great. The craziness of the Thanksgiving holiday is over, and I have had more than my fair share of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pie.

Sadly, it appears that one of my guests has left me one additional gift—a cold.

I am so ready to workout and burn off some of the extra calories, but I am really feeling lousy. So, I decided to look into whether or not it is a good idea to workout when I am not feeling well.

As it turns out, as long as there is no fever present, most doctors seem to agree that working out when you are sick is okay—as long as you listen to your body and take it a little easier than usual if that’s the feedback you are getting.

Some experts say you can work out just as intensely when you have a cold, if you are up to it. It’s especially important to stay well hydrated, though, as your body is using up extra stores of fluids and calories to fight off the cold.

If you have a fever, then working out is a “no-no”.

You run a serious risk of heatstroke when you increase your body temperature from fever levels. A fever is an indication that there is an infection in your body, and working out can actually cause the virus to spread faster through your body.

You may find yourself much sicker much quicker!

So, I guess the good news for me is that, with no fever, I can still workout today.

I think it might make me feel better, and I know it will help keep my on my usual schedule. But, that couch is definitely calling my name…..maybe after a good workout?

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Have you ever looked at the models on the covers of health and fitness magazines and wondered how they can look so good?

I know I have, and one day I decided to find out what their secrets are.  I went to a local gym, where several professional fitness competitors trained.  I told them I was interested in getting into “competition” shape and asked what I needed to do.  Here is what I learned.

Diet is 90% of Looking Fit

It doesn’t do you any good to have a toned frame if it’s covered by fat.  You can lift weights and run all day long, but if you eat foods that are high in fat and carbohydrates your hard work in the gym won’t be noticeable in your appearance.

To get in the best shape of your life in 90-days or less you need to be pretty disciplined in your eating.  You’ll need to eat about five or six small meals a day.  Each meal should contain a source of lean protein and a green vegetable and the first three meals of each day should contain a single serving of complex carbohydrates per meal.

While following this plan, you’ll need to drink about a gallon of water a day – yes, I said a gallon.  It sounds like a lot, but you’ll come to appreciate the faster recovery time and increased energy that water can give you.  Water will also assist in the digestion of large amounts of protein and it will help flush toxins from your body.

Cardio, cardio, cardio!

While striving to achieve optimal fitness levels in 90-days or less you’ll need to do cardio for at least thirty minutes a day six days a week.  Once you’ve cleaned up your diet, you still need to use up the calories that you consume but don’t burn during every day activities.  This can only be accomplished with an increase in activity levels.  This doesn’t mean you have to spend 30 minutes a day six days a week on the treadmill.  There are plenty of cardio options that are fun and burn calories.  Here are just a few unorthodox cardio choices:

1. Vigorous house cleaning (this is great for multi-taskers)
2. Washing your car, just not at the car wash!
3. Playing in the yard with your kids

Build Your Muscles

Many people worry that working out with weights will make them bulky.  Please, if you are one of those people, try to change the way you think about fitness.  You have to work extremely hard for a long period of time to build “bulky” muscles.  You have to have the proper balance of intense heavy lifting workouts combined with adequate amounts of protein, sufficient rest and proper vitamins and minerals.

Simply lifting weights every day will not make you bulky, it will; however, increase your ability to efficiently burn calories since your body uses more energy to maintain muscle than it does to maintain fat.  By increasing you lean body mass you will burn more calories all day long – even while you sleep!

To properly build a base of muscle, you should try to work each muscle group one or two times a week and no more.  If you over train your progress will be slow and painful.  So, be sure to train smarter, not harder.

Get Your Beauty Sleep!

The final principle that the pro’s told me to adhere to if I wanted to get into competition shape in 90 days or less is rest.  You can’t increase your strength and endurance if you consistently break your body down and never rest long enough for it to repair itself.  You should aim to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night.  Trust me, with this workout and nutrition plan, you’ll be happy to miss your favorite television shows in order to get some extra sleep at night!

Well, that’s about it.  I followed this program religiously for three months and sure enough, at the end, I was in the best shape of my life.  I went on to compete in, and win the 2001 South Carolina State Fitness Championships.

The only warning I would like to put out to you is that, once you achieve results from this plan, you can’t just resume old diet and exercise habits or your fabulous new physique will be gone much faster than you were able to acquire it.  Look at this 90 days as an introductory period to long-term healthy living.

Once the initial 90-days is over, adopt a moderate approach to eating and exercise.  Make smart choices and try to ”move” every day.  You’ll find that maintaining your new look isn’t nearly as challenging as it was to get it in the first place.

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Just because winter is here, that doesn’t mean that you should let your body get soft. You might be covering up now with bundles of warmer clothes, but let’s try and stay optimistic that spring won’t take too long here and if you stay in shape you’ll be very glad you did.

Working a squat routine into your regular rotation of home workouts can make a huge difference in keeping your glutes, quads, calves, hamstrings, and hips tight and toned. Try to work in some quick sets of these squat variations a few times a week:

1. With your legs shoulder width apart, slowly squat down with a count of 5. Hold that position for another count of 5, then come up slowly to a count of 5. This really targets the glutes and inner thighs.
2. Repeat number 1, but this time do it with your heels raised. Extra boost for your calf workout!
3. Add in dumbbells for an even better workout.
4. Using a block or a step for one leg can increase your workout even more, really focusing on one leg at a time.
5. Try each of these exercises in sets of 10 to start out, work your way up to more. You can really do these at any time, whenever you have a couple of minutes.

Just because the weather is not cooperating for shorts and bikinis, you should stay ready just in case…..even if it’s cold and snowy right now, it won’t be forever.

And, who knows, maybe there’s a vacation in your future?

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I used to be the type of person that worked out fast and hard. Always headed for the toughest challenges. Slow movements were for wimps. I always thought that the increased “effort” would pay off, making me get more toned more quickly. I did always manage to keep myself in pretty good shape this way. But, after I had a serious injury and went through a period of physical rehab, I learned how to listen to my body better, how to focus on very specific muscles to increase their strength and control, and how to really get noticeable results from my workouts.

Instead of doing the quick reps of the exercises that I was used to like leg lifts, squats, or sit ups, I have learned to perform the movements in very slow, controlled ways, holding each position for at least a full minute. After I finish these “new” workouts, I feel that I got just as much effect as I used to get from a five mile run!

Even though my injury felt like it was “career-ending” as far as my workouts were considered, I think that it ultimately forced me to become better at working out. I have found that this new way of working my muscle groups has helped me develop more strength in my entire body and I am actually feeling strong enough to consider taking up running again. But, I will keep taking things “one step at a time!”

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An important part of any workout is to work on your core muscles. A strong core is the foundation for a strong body. Without that strong core, any other workouts you do will be less effective, too.

A few times a week, everyone should hit the abs hard.

Avoiding this core component can leave you, well, a little soft in the middle. I don’t want any spare tire other than the one in the trunk of my car. So, I make sure that I hit the abs during most of my workouts.

Unfortunately, I find that it can be difficult to always have proper form when doing abdominal workouts. It is so easy to get sloppy, and then, really, what’s the point of the workout? Nobody wants to waste their time. So, I was recently looking for a little refresher and came across this great video.

Some great reminders about keeping your core aligned to really target those abdominal muscles properly.

Some of the more helpful tips to remember include supporting your head properly, keeping your neck aligned, tilting your pelvis, tightening the lower abdominal muscles, using proper breathing techniques, and making slow, deliberate movements rather than quick, jerky ones.

The video shows several different ways that you can effectively target the different muscles in your abdominal region.

It just doesn’t make sense to spend time working out the wrong way. Occasionally, little reminders and refreshers can keep us all on the way to staying in great shape!

Hello Six-Pack!

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What the heck is the skinny-fat phenomenon?

Simply put, it refers to people who have a thin appearance, but a high amount of body fat.  Usually, these individuals are blessed (or cursed) with the skinny gene.  No matter how many Twinkies and Ho-Ho’s they eat, they don’t gain weight.  As a result, many don’t feel the need to exercise since they don’t look fat.  The result is a skinny-fat person.

Just because you’re thin, doesn’t mean you’re fit.  No matter what your genetics are, if you want to reduce body fat percentages and get fit, you have to exercise regularly using both strength and cardiovascular training .

The Significance of Body Fat Measurements

When I was younger I used to weigh myself every single day.  With each fluctuation of a pound or two I would beat myself up or rejoice accordingly.  It took years of yo-yo dieting and unhealthy exercise habits before I realized that weight isn’t what’s important.

You’ve probably heard by now that the scale isn’t the best way to determine how much weight you need to lose. The only thing a scales tells you is the total weight of all of your tissue. It doesn’t tell you what percentage of that weight is fat and what percentage is lean body mass.

It’s a fact that muscle weighs more than fat. If you have a solid muscle base, you’ll weigh more than someone who’s the same size as you but has less muscle.

I spent years thinking that I was fat because I weighed more than all of my friends who were the same height as me.  Never mind that I was a gymnast and carried a lot of muscle on my 5’3″ frame.  It didn’t matter to me that I was physically stronger than many of my friends – I could never see past the numbers on the scale.  In retrospect I see how many years I wasted obsessing over my “weight” when what I should have been concerned with was my fitness level and my body composition.

A Simple Fix For The Skinny-Fat Phenomenon

Eat right and exercise…perhaps that’s a little too simple!  Seriously, if you suspect that you’re a skinny-fat person, the first thing you need to do is get your body fat checked, either at a health club or a doctors office.

If your body fat is more than 30% for women and 25% for men, you’re carrying around too much fat.  If you want to be healthy, clean up your diet and add some moderate exercise to your weekly schedule.

You don’t have to get crazy.

Transforming a skinny-fat physique into a fit physique doesn’t require extreme measures.  Look at your diet and reduce simple sugar and saturated fat consumption.

After you’ve cleaned up your diet a little bit you’ll start to feel energized.  Use that extra energy to do some circuit training a few times a week.  You don’t have to spend hours a day working out.  Set aside 30 minutes 3 to 5 times a week.  Remember, when it comes to exercise…

Something is always better than nothing!

As long as you’re not trying out for a spot with a professional football team or planning to compete in the next Olympia, moderate exercise will give you the results you want.  Just do something to work your muscles and your skinny-fat status will quickly be replaced by a fit-fabulous status.

Don’t do what I did and waste years obsessing over numbers that don’t really mean too much.  Find out the truth about your weight and body composition.  You might find that you’re more fit than you neighbor who wears the size 1 jeans.

Or, you may have your fears confirmed that you need to make a change.  Either way, you’re taking a step toward improving your personal health and wellness.  Take from someone who’s been there, you’ll be happy you did.

What Is The Skinny-Fat Phenomenon? is a post from: Home Gym Fitness Equipment Reviews

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