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When Trying to lose fat most people will associate cardio exercise for the best way to burn fat and lose weight, but it’s not the only way. By working on a strength training program you will be able to preserve the muscle you have as well as increase your muscle mass, and the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn all day long. A pound of muscle can burn anywhere from 10-20 calories a day while a pound of fat burns only 2-5 calories a day, because muscle is more active than fat. Another fact is, muscle is more dense than fat and takes up less space, and this means that when you lose fat and gain muscle, you will look slimmer and trimmer.

The thought of becoming to muscular scares a lot of women away from strength training, but if you look at all the benefits it will put to rest all those fears. Strength training builds lean muscle tissue, it strengthens muscles, bones and connective tissue, it keeps your body strong and injury- free for  your cardio workouts and it raises metabolism. The Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym for under $1000.00 will let you set up a strength training program  that will rival any gym or health club or gym.

After getting started in an exercise routine, which you should be doing at least 30 minutes of continuous movement, what should you be striving for? How many calories you burn will be directly related to how hard you work. If you have less time to workout, then raising the intensity level is the best way to burn more calories. If you plan on doing at least an hour or more working out, than you should keep the intensity low so you don’t wear yourself out. The best way to get the most out of your workout is with interval training, in which you mix in high intensity with lower intensity workouts.

The Life Fitness X5 Elliptical Cross-Trainer with it’s rear drive systems giving you very flat stride patterns, helps in making workouts really easy, even for seniors, and is an excellent choice for a great Cardio workout. This machine has 10 different workout programs along with 2 custom workouts, goal workouts and 2 user profiles. Buy this product through December 2008 from Amazon and you will get an additional $100.00 off the already low price.

After learning how to use the Bosu Balance Trainer here are are a few more beginner exercises. To start, stand in front of the Balance trainer and place the right heel on the dome, then return to start and repeat with the left foot, moving as quickly as you can and allowing the heel to bounce off the dome. You can make it harder by adding a jump and switch the feet in the air.

Next from this exercise, step the right foot on top of the dome, push back and repeat with the left foot moving as quickly as you can. You can make it more difficult by bending into a lunge, or you can even add a hop as you push off the dome. Both exercise can be repeated for about 30-60 seconds, and you will get a good cardio workout with combining these with other exercises.

With over 50 strength exercises, 210 lbs of resistance (upgradeable to 310 lbs), this home gym can build up your arms , chest, back, shoulders and lower body along with working out your abs. It has a no change- cable pulley system which makes your workout hassle free, and all you have to do is worry about putting your effort into the actual workout.  The lat workout and tricep pulldown on the Bowflex PR3000 Home Gym are definitely great features,  because if you only have free weights, these exercises would have to be performed with either other machines, or other equipment.

Like all the other fine Bowflex Home Gyms the Power Rod units are so strong, you can flex them time after time and never wear them out. The Power Rods do a good job of providing resistance, or weight, that feels as good or better than free weights. Through October 31, besides Free Shipping, Amazon is offering A $100.00 savings at their checkout. For under $1000.00  plus an additional $100.00  savings the Bowflex Pr 3000 is a deal that will be hard to beat. HIGH QUALITY at a LOW PRICE!!

Life Fitness is a division of Brunswick Corporation and this company started over 3 decades ago with their first Lifecycle exercise bike and has since grown into an industry leader in both the commercial and residential fitness markets. The reasons they are a great company now and will continue to be are: design, biomechanics, research, and testing which is their recipe for high quality fitness equipment. Their in-house biomechanics program makes sure their equipment not only helps deliver workouts that feel good to the exerciser, but also to quantify what effect the person in motion has on the machine.

They also have created Life Fitness Academy, which consists of esteemed fitness professionals and a medical advisory board to help study the science and medicine of exercise and promote specific training programs. Life Fitness has both commercial and home elliptical trainers and the Life Fitness X5 Elliptical Cross-Trainer with it’s quality, rear drive technology and adjustable SelectStride which ranges from 18″- 24″, is a very good buy.

A question that is always asked is, should I stretch before or after running? First let’s define stretching; Stretching is the deliberate lengthening of muscles in order to increase muscle flexibility and joint range of motion. Stretching is an important part of any exercise program or rehabilitation program, but according to researchers from the University of Nevada Las Vegas they found that 2 common pre-running stretches for the hamstrings and quadriceps may actually reduce performance by decreasing leg power.

“Developing flexibility is important for reducing sports injury, but the time to stretch is after, not before, performance”. Stretching muscles when they’re cold can also increase your risk of pulling muscles. So before I get on my Sole TT8 Treadmill, which I look forward to 3-5 times a week, I do light stretching after a 5-10 minute warm up on the treadmill and finish with more stretching after my workout is completed.

When using the Bosu Balance Trainer it is best to learn some basics, because it can be a great tool for working on balance, stability and core strength. Starting with the basic stance, you stand with both feet on the dome, placing them on either side of the bull’s eye. Just by simply standing you’ll feel your feet moving and your torso contracting in order to find your balance. By raising your arms or just closing your eyes you can add difficulty to this basic movement.

From the basic stance, try and shift weight from foot to foot using your arms for balance, while keeping your shoulders and hips straight. You can make this more difficult by either marching or running on top for 30-60 seconds. Learning these beginning techniques will help you progress into more difficult exercises which will help you in everyday activities.

In loosing weight, just strictly doing aerobic, cardio type workouts seem to have limitations because muscle tends to be lost along with the fat and keeping the muscle you have or even better, increasing muscle should be your goal. A circuit program has been described  as one in which you move from exercise to exercise quickly in order to maximize the intensity and variety of the workout. Interval training is broadly defined as repetitions of high- speed/ intensity work followed by periods of rest or low activity.

Combining interval training and circuit training including weights and cardio, provide a useful workout for general fitness and weight loss. Exercises that can be done in circuit include dumbbell arm curls, overhead presses, along with a walk, or a good jog on a treadmill, and step ups which can be performed on a Bosu Ball to help with balance and coordination. Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells are a great way to perform your weight training portion of the circuit because they provide you with what 30 dumbbells can do with just this easily adjustable and durable  pair.

Exercise bikes are commonly used by many Americans. Exercise bikes became widely available in the 1960s when personal physical fitness became more popular. Since the 60s exercise bikes have become more modern and adaptable. Today, there are three reasons why someone may use an exercise bike; physical therapy, weight loss and to play a video game.

Exercise bikes are often used for physical therapy because of the effective cardiovascular exercise they provide. Exercise bikes are also a form of low-impact activity that is gentle on the joints. Exercise using a stationary bike can also be vigorous enough to promote weight loss by increasing the heart rate. Lastly, there is a video game console that has been adapted to a stationary bike.

If you don’t have enough time to make it to the gym in morning before work, why not try doing a simple abdominal workout? Only a few key exercises are needed to help you maintain that flat tummy. Strengthening the abdominal muscles is also a way to reduce the risks of back pain and injury. Here are two simple abdominal exercises you can do at home:

Basic Crunch

1. Lie flat on your back, bending your knees. You can keep your feet on the ground or on a bench to give extra squeeze. You can keep your hands behind the neck or on the chest.
2. Now move your shoulders and trunk upwards towards your knees. This motion is called crunching. Try touching your chest to your knees.
3. Now lower your trunk to starting position.

Sidebends

1. Stand straight holding a dumbbell (start with 2-5 pounds) in each hand.
2. Now bend towards the side opposite to the dumbbell.
3. Now return back to the starting position.
4. Now bend towards the other side and complete the first repetition.