Heart Rate Tip: Jump Rope: 05/24/2012

Add a Rope

To increase the amount of energy that you are exhorting during weight training add little bits of cardio in between your weight sets. Some forms of cardio that are great for this type of training are: burpees, jumping rope, mountain climbers, cycle sprints, running (sprinting), jumping jacks, and many many many more. The idea behind adding cardio is to maintain an increase heart rate to improve cardiovascular health, increase the amount of calories burned during the workout, and to increase your exercise post-oxygen consumption rate which will also increase your post-exercise fat burn. 

Featured Workout: Chest Home Workout: 5/23/2012

From the people that brought us 8 Minute Abs, here is a video for training your chest at home. This workout is perfect for those wanting to add body weight exercises into their training regimen. Resistance training has many aspects and it is necessary to keep your body guessing by breaking up your routine and adding new and challenging exercises to your program. Give this a try the next time that you want to work on your chest.

Here is what the creator has to say about their workout:
The "Chest workout Home edition" was designed to provide an easy and fun professional workout for everyone. These exercises are designed to tone main pectoral muscles (upper, major and minor pectoral muscles) and you can workout wherever you want: at home, in the park, on the beach or at the gym.
No special equipment is required for this workout: if you don't have a bench for elevated push-ups, use any elevated surface (chair, box, etc.).

Chest Workout LEVEL 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIaqbrWBexY .

Download our chest workout application for iPhone & iPod on iTunes

Featured App of the Week: QuitNow!: 05/22/2012

QuitNow!

Everyone knows that smoking is a bad habit. And, everyone one that smokes knows that they need to kick the habit. And, many smokers want to quit smoking, but have a great deal of difficulty trying to kick the habit. Research has shown that having a journal to log difficulties, urges, and progress can increase success in changing a habit. Well, QuitNow! just might be the app for you if you are looking to start the quitting process. This app costs $2.99 at both Google Play and the iTunes App Store, but there is a free version out there if you are fine with adds and limited features.  

What the developer says about their app:

Let your Android help you quit smoking!

* This is a "Pro" version, before you by this app, please try the FREE version first.

Are you quitting smoking? Want to quit? Let this application help you!

- Days without smoking
- Cigarettes not smoked
- Money saved
- Time saved
- 9 Aspects of your health that you will see gradually improved
- Tips for quitting
- Facts about snuff
- 30 Achievements to unlock and share with your friends!
- Widget to see your progress
- Gallery
- Share your progress
- Facebook and Twitter integration

Available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Greek and Polish.

This app can be found at Google Play and the  iTunes App Store

So, be honest. Do you smoke? If yes, then start the road to a healthier you by quitting.

Do you know someone that smokes? If yes, be annoying and inform your smoking buddy about this app. Who knows they might be one of the million smokers who actually wish to quit smoking, but needs all the assistance that they can get.

This app can be found at Google Play and the  iTunes App Store

Tips for Changing Up Your Routine: 05/19/2012

It's Not You, It's Your Routine

Ever feel like your just not firming up, or loosing the weight. You workout 4 - 6 days each week for at least 45 minutes to an hour each session. Sometimes you may even break a sweat. You are starting to feel that what ever you are doing is not working, and you are about to give up on working out. Well don't give up on your workout because you feel that your workout gave up on you. Instead, maybe you should examine your workout and then see what you can do to make it work for you. 

Revitalize your workout with these tips:

1. Add a new exercise to your routine
2. Completely revamp your program
3. Sweat.... if your aren't sweating than you are not working hard enough; sweating = working
4. Add wind sprints to the end of your workout - wind sprints are intervals of a moderate / high intensity cardiovascular exercises; jogging / sprinting
5. Look at your diet; eat natural whole foods rather than processed foods
6. Try developing at least three different resistance programs for three days a week
7. Change your routine at least every two months
8. Get sore.... if your workout isn't making you sore (don't confuse sore with painful) you are most likely not stressing your body enough to develop those changes that you are craving. 
9. Add body weight interval training
10. Add body weight exercises... remember that your body is a gym
11. Eat a small carbo / protein rich pre-exercise meal
12. Finish with a  small carbo / protein rich pre-exercise meal to replenish nutrients that might have been lost and to promote protein synthesis
13. Don't become besties with the elliptical, change up your cardio
14. Learn to run
15. Keep moving in between exercises by adding planks, bridges, or even light cario like a jump rope for 30 - 60 seconds
16. Overall, if you are bored with it: CHANGE IT! 

Workout Tip: Dynamic Stretching, a Perfect Warm-up: 05/17/2012

Dynamic Stretching as a Lower Body Warm-up

I think that it is common knowledge that a warm-up should take place just before a training session. You probably already have performed these exercises before not even knowing that they are stretching you out. But guess what they did, and you were. What you might not know is that static stretching before a dynamic, speed or power training session might actually inhibit any progress that might be made during your training by over stretching your muscles. So instead of spending time doing static stretches before your workout try doing some dynamic stretches. Here are just a few dynamic stretching exercises that you can add too your routine as a warm-up.

The Scorpion

1. Lay on your stomach with your  arms out stretched
2. Take one leg and swing it over your other leg so that your foot touches the ground
3. Return to neutral and repeat with the other leg.
4. Tip: use full range of motion
5. Sets: 3 - 5,  Reps: 30 - 45 seconds

High Legs

1. Those in ballet do these nearly every day
2. Stand in one spot with your arms outstretched
3. Kick one leg out and up as high as possible keeping your knee straight
4. Reach out with the opposite arm and try to touch your foot with your hand
5. Return to neutral
6. Repeat on the other side
7. Sets: 3 - 5,  Reps: 30 - 45 seconds  

High Knees

1. Like jogging in place
2. Make sure that you use your full range of motion in both your arms and your legs
3. This can be performed as a loco-motor or in place 
4. Sets: 3 - 5,  Reps: 30 - 45 seconds

Butt Kick

1. This can be done in place or as a loco-motor
2. Kick your heel up toward your rear end
3. Use your full range of motion in your knees and arms to get the most out of this exercise
4. Sets: 3 - 5,  Reps: 30 - 45 seconds

Featured Warm-up: Lower Muscle Activator: 5/16/2012

Ultimate Lower Body Warm-Up

When performing power lifts it is important to make sure that the muscle groups that will be activated are warmed up properly. Warming up poorly or not at all can increase your chances for injury, and nobody enjoys getting hurt. This warm up was developed by Jack (last name unknown) and Scott Herman. This warm up can be performed nearly anywhere, so it is a very convenient and effective warm-up.

Equipment needed:

Band

Exercises:

\Kick-Outs 
Band Holds 
Band Chops 

Kick-Backs

Featured App of the week: Fitness Buddy: 05/15/2012

Everyone needs a fitness buddy. Someone who will be there for workout tips, training ideas, and even technique pointers. Fitness Buddy features up to 1700 exercises and come at a price that is pretty low, $0.99 at both Google Play and the iTunes App Store.

Hear is what the developer says about their app:

Find out why gym goers are switching over to Fitness Buddy! With 1700+ unique exercises at your disposal, Fitness Buddy will revolutionize your training regimen. With this app, you will find the workout tracking process simple and easy in order to sustain your motivation and enforce your commitment to your fitness goals.

-- MAJOR FEATURES ---

✔ 1700+ unique exercises!
✔ 1000+ HD videos
✔ Comprehensive exercises for all major equipments including barbell, ez curl bar, dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, medicine ball, machines, and stability balls
✔ Exercise categorization (core, lower body, chest, shoulders, back, arms, cardio)
✔ 4000+ exercise photos and animations (retina display resolution)
✔ Detailed exercise instructions and muscle categorizations
✔ Capabilities to add your own custom exercises and favorite exercises

User-friendly interface
✔ Quick and simple workout tracking
✔ Search bar to quickly find your favorite exercises

75+ workout routines
✔ Diverse repertoire of exercise routines including workouts for women
✔ Routines specific to your goals (build big chest, tone butt, lose weight, and more!)
✔ Routines specific to your equipment (resistance bands, kettlebells, bodyweight only, etc)
✔ Build your own workout routines

Body metrics tracking
✔ Track your body weight and metrics (chest, arms, thighs, etc)
✔ Graph your body progress

Excellent Support
✔ Quick email responses
✔ Frequent updates

And many other features for you to enhance your workout experience. You won’t be disappointed when you train hard with Fitness Buddy.

This app can be purchased for $0.99 at Google Play and the iTunes App Store