Resistance Training1

Fredys Fitness Zone

Resistance Training1

a'Little Sweat

and look What You Get :)

(Part 1)

Resistance Training Upper\Lower Body

Strength - 8 Speedy SuperToners

Lunge & leg curl (works your quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteus maximus)Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees soft, hands on hips; lunge left foot forward (don't let knee extend past toes).

Slowly straighten left leg and bend right knee, bringing foot as close to butt as possible; return to starting position. Do all reps, then switch legs and repeat.

Push-up & leg lift (works your pectoralis major, triceps and deltoids)Get into a push-up position: arms more than shoulder-width apart; back, hips and legs aligned. Bend elbows out to the side and lower chest toward floor.

Lift right leg more than a foot off the floor as you press back to the start. Repeat, raising left leg as you push up.

Pedaling (works your abs and obliques) Lie back with legs extended, arms by sides. Contract abs and lift shoulders off the floor, pulling left knee toward chest and raising right leg several inches off the ground.

Keeping shoulders and legs lifted, switch legs; repeat.

Door pull (works your upper back and biceps)Stand facing an open door, toes almost touching the bottom. Grip the knobs on either side, bend knees and shift weight onto heels, straightening arms as you lean back.

Squeeze shoulder blades together as you slowly pull yourself toward the door until chest almost touches; repeat.

Single-leg raise (works your calves)Stand on a step, holding the railing with right hand, left arm extended by side. Lift left foot behind you several inches; lower right heel until you feel a stretch in your calf.

Lift onto ball of foot; repeat. Do 12 reps, switch legs and repeat.

Dip & lift (works your triceps) Sit on a chair and grip the edge of the seat with both hands; bend knees and place feet about 2 feet from the chair. Slide butt forward off seat; bend elbows and lower butt toward the floor.

Press up to starting position, lifting right arm to shoulder height at the top of the move; hold for two counts; lower. Repeat, lifting left arm.

By Martha Lourey Bird

Side lunge (works your quadriceps and inner thighs)Stand with feet more than shoulder-width apart. Turn left foot out, right foot in; place hands on hips and rotate torso left.

Keeping right leg straight, lunge with left leg (don't let knee go past toes). Return to start and repeat. Do both sets; switch legs and repeat.

Seated side raise (works your outer thighs and gluteus maximus)Sit on the floor with arms behind you as shown. Bend left knee, placing foot flat on the floor. Extend right leg in front of you, foot flexed; raise it several inches.

Open right leg out to the side as far as you can. Return to starting position; repeat. Do both sets, then switch legs and repeat

Want to Burn Fat?

Lift weights

In general, people will practice cardiovascular activities and forget about weight bearing exercises when it comes to burning fat. Many trainers will say that aerobic exercises burn off fat and weightlifting is only used to build muscle bulk. This statement is not entirely correct because the more muscle mass one acquires through weight bearing exercises, the more he will burn fat calories...even at rest.

Popularity of weight training

We see a growing trend from cardiovascular training towards weight and strength training. According to a study by the Fitness Products Council and Sporting Goods Manufacturers, the number of people lifting free weights has increased 76 percent in the past decade. Right now, weight lifting is among the most popular sports in North America.

Combine cardio and weights
This change is for the best because cardiovascular activity combined with weight training will result in much more effective fat loss. Cardiovascular exercises will raise muscle metabolism during the activity and for a short time after the exercise session. Weight lifting exercises, on the other hand, will raise your muscle metabolism during the exercise session, and for a long time after the exercise session. Some high intensity trainers have even seen their metabolism rise for several days following their training session.

Performing adequate weight training exercises should limit your repetitions anywhere from 1 to 20 (more or less). Such resistance on muscles will make their tissue leaner and stronger. The muscle development will take place during the rest period following the resistance training. Therefore sufficient rest periods are essential.

Whether your goal is to tone or build muscles, it is important to know what happens during the muscle training process. When lifting weights, muscle tissues are torn apart (at the microscopic level) from the stress, and it's in the recuperation period that your muscles become stronger and therefore able to support the extra stress. Usually the recuperation period required is 24 to 48 hours after the weight lifting activity.

Burning energy after a workout

During the recuperation period, the muscle metabolism is still burning energy, and that's when it's time to perform cardiovascular activities. Carrying out high repetitions of the same movement will tire the body on a different basis. Combining low repetition exercises (weight lifting) with high repetition cardiovascular exercise will stress muscles in a complementary way to increase the total fat burning effect.

Anybody who debates the fact that weight bearing exercises don't help people lose weight and fat should lift weights for one hour and see their heart rate go through the roof. Simply look at athletes who specialize in short, intense bursts of energy and you still see that they are very low in body fat. The point is to combine a weight lifting routine with a good cardiovascular workout to increase muscle metabolism and total fat-burning ratio.

An important factor to consider when trying to lose weight is that lots of muscle mass can be lost as a result. As muscle mass will keep your metabolism high, try to avoid quick weight loss through miracle diets or starvation. This weight loss will be regained just as quickly. Instead, opt for a gradual fat loss routine by combining weight training and cardiovascular activities, and allow muscle mass to build up and increase your metabolism. Results may take a little longer , but they will last for a longer period of time.