Category : Article
The gorilla chin crunch is a compound exercise that effectively works the abdominal muscles, as well as the lats and biceps. It is certainly no secret that everyone who takes the time to workout wishes to have a flat, washboard abdomen. You do not want to have great looking abs and walk around with flabby arms ? or do you?
If you want to perform the gorilla chin crunch, you need to understand that although it may look really simple but if you do not have upper body strength, you may not find this exercise very easy to perform.
What You Need to Perform Gorilla Chin Crunch
You will require a chin-up bar, upper body strength and determination
How to Perform Gorilla Chin Crunch
You can start by hanging from the chin-up bar; you should use an underhand grip (that is, having your palms face you). The underhand grip should be a little bit wider than shoulder width.
Then, bend your knees at around a 90 degree angle in such a way that your calves are parallel to the floor while your thighs stay perpendicular to it ? this will be the starting position.
As you breathe out, you should pull yourself up while you crunch your knees up at exactly the same time ? do this until your knees are at chest level. When your nose reaches the same level as the bar, you will stop going.
Important Note: when you reach this point, you should also be done with the crunch at the same time.
You should breathe in slowly as you return to the starting position.
You should repeat the gorilla chin crunch according to the recommended amount of repetitions.
If you want to, you can also add resistance by holding medicine ball or dumbbell between your feet ? but you need to understand that if you are not an advanced athlete, you should not try this. On the other hand, when you become an advanced athlete, you can also try doing the one arm gorilla chin crunches, the exercise involve grasping your wrist with your free hand and continue working the oblique more.
The abdominal muscles need regular workouts and 5 minutes of daily abdominal exercises can actually make a real difference ? that is, as long as you do the exercises everyday.
Now, you need to know that even though exercises play a vital role in getting the physique you have always desired, you will need to make sure that you eat the right kind of food and drink lots and lots of water too.
When you feel your muscles cramping, you should immediately stop the exercises and rest. Do not over push yourself, especially if you have just started working out ? with a little time, you will be an advanced athlete.
Important Tip
You can get a training buddy if you are not sure whether you will be disciplined enough to continue your work out routine ? a committed workout buddy will keep you primed and ready to go.
Remember, you will never regret dedicating your time to staying fit.
Many would agree that we often ignore the lower back part of our body. While we strive too hard to work on all the other body parts we forget that our lower back is as important as any other part of our body and needs equal care as shoulders or middle back. The fact that most of us ignore our lower back is because we aren?t aware that it supports the upper part of our body thereby affecting almost every activity that you perform.
We often lay more importance on abs work out and forget our back workout completely. Due to this an imbalance is caused between your abs and your lower back which leads to severe back pains. So strengthening your lower back muscle is as important as strengthening your abs.
The lower back extension is the best exercise that is recommended by the doctors and the fitness experts to fight your back pain and also to strengthen your back muscles to avoid any future risks. It also helps you in loosening; tight or sore back muscles that may be caused due to over sitting or lack of back exercises. It can be done anywhere as it doesn?t require any equipment and is really simple to perform.
Lower back extension exercise:
As always, start with warm up exercises. Preferably a light aerobics exercise for 10-15 minutes. This is a very good exercising strategy to be followed before getting into your regular exercise regimen.
Lie down straight on the floor with your hands and arms kept flat at your sides and your legs extended like in a standing position. But actually lying down. This will be your starting position.
Now raise yourself slowly above the ground level. By using your lower muscles raise above your upper body part, but do not over extend. Just raise your body up to 45 degrees above the ground level, to the point where you feel comfortable and beneficial. When you raise yourself above the ground level see that you tighten your buttocks and totally exert pressure on your lower back. Hold this movement for a count of 3-5.
After holding the position for a count of 3 or so, lower your body back to the floor in the same manner as your starting position.
While performing this exercise don?t forget to breath. Breathe in as your raise your body and hold your position and then breath out when you lower yourself.
Repeat this exercise until the sets are completed. Each set should comprise of 12-15 reps. Likewise start with 2 sets for the first two weeks, increase it to 3 sets of 15-20 reps in the 3-4 week and then let it progress as per your capability. However one thumb rule to be followed here is do not overdo it, as it may increase your back pain than eliminating it completely. Perform this exercise just 2-3 times a week and the rest of the day?s work out on other body parts.
Initially you might find it difficult to do this exercise. You may not be able to raise your body very high. But that?s totally fine, as you progress you will be able to lift yourself higher. So let?s not waste anymore time, let?s get going.
Are you trying to lose weight pounds? While some people only want to lose 5-10 pounds for a specific purpose, if you have more than 50 lbs. to shed, you need to consider more dramatic weight loss strategies. You are not going to lose weight pounds overnight. Instead, try a balanced approach to losing the weight over time.
Aim to lose weight pounds at a rate of 1-2 lbs. per week. But, don’t dive right in. Instead, spend a week planning your diet.
First of all, weigh yourself. You will also want to keep a journal of everything you eat each day for a week. Include portion sizes. Also note any activity including working out, heavy house or lawn work, and sporting events or active play with children. Don’t do anything out of the ordinary during this week. Specifically, don’t decrease your normal calorie load or alter your normal foods. Also, don’t try to do anything different with your activity levels.
The reason you start with this is that you want to develop a baseline for lose weight pounds. When you see what you are actually doing, you can plan a strategy for change.
Go back through your food journal at the end of the week. Calculate how many calories you ate each day. Calculate how many calories you burned each day. Then weigh yourself at the end of the week. Have you gone up, down or stayed the same?
Now, you can begin the substitutions. If you gained a pound, you will have to burn an extra 3500 calories each week just to stay even. If you want to lose 2 pounds, you will have to burn an extra 7000 calories.
Here are some simple substitutions:
- Eat only two servings of red meat per week. Substitute chicken or fish for all other meat meals.
- Consider substituting legumes (beans) for some protein sources.
- Add salads and vegetables to your meals. You should have one or the other at lunch and both at dinner.
- Add a broth based soup to your dinner. Eaten before the meal, it will help you fill up faster.
- Eat breakfast every day. People who eat breakfast lose more weight and lose weight faster than those who don’t. Great diet breakfasts include oatmeal and yogurt based fruit smoothies.
You should also add exercise to your lose weight pounds program. Don’t think that this requires you to join a fancy gym. Fire the maid and do your housework yourself. A 180 pound woman who cleans the house for an hour will burn 250 calories. And, more vigorous cleaning such as 20 minutes of scrubbing your floors on your hands and knees burns over 100 calories. Even playing with your kids can help you lose weight. 30 minutes of vigorous play can burn off 200 calories.
So, if you are trying to lose weight pounds and you have 50 or more lbs. to go, consider doing a week of baseline monitoring followed by making a food lifestyle change. Also, try to increase the amount of physical activity you get in your life.
You have been thinking a lot lately about wanting to lose weight, but you don’t feel that you will be able to do it on your own. Is that right? Perhaps you are looking for a diet program that will offer you support to help you lose weight. Well there are several different programs, which are available to help you reach your goals.
One of the most popular ones is the Nutri System Program. The Nutri System is simply a weight loss program that portion controls your meals for you. It is also one of the more affordable weight loss programs which are available today.
One of the primary reasons, why some people don’t join Nutri System, is simply that they don’t know how the program works. Really it is a very simple process. The program will provide you with an online analysis program to help you calibrate your total calorie requirements. From the calorie requirements that you require you will then be able to calculate your meal plan. Once you have done this all you have to do is sit back and wait for your meals to arrive because they will arrive right to your doorstep.
Your Nutri System weight loss program has some real distinct advantages.
* You will see a weight loss of one to two pounds on average every week. (Provided you stick with the plan)
* All of your meals are provided for you. You don’t even need to go to the store or have to go somewhere to pick them up, because they are delivered right to your doorstep.
* There is online support that is available to you
* A weight loss counselor will contact you and help you in your weight loss goals
* All of your meals are portioned controlled. They are all low in fat, the carbohydrates are controlled, and they also contain protein. If you are a woman that is looking at losing weight you will get approximately 1200 calorie meals and for a male you will receive approximately 1500 calorie meals daily.
* The membership is absolutely free all you have to do is pay for the cost of your meals.
* They have programs for everyone including vegetarians and diabetics
* They will provide you with free exercise programs as well as a meal planner
These are all great advantages arent they? Now the next question that you are probably asking yourself is who is the Nutri System program good for? The Nutri System is good for anyone who is looking for support for a short time frame by providing you with portion controlled meals that will help you get back on track.
So as you can see there are many great advantages to joining the Nutri System weight loss program. If you are serious about losing weight you need to truly consider giving them a try. However, it is important to check with your doctor, to determine if you may have underlying health problems which could flare up while on the Nutri System plan.
One serious health problem of obese child involves the body’s ability to process sugar. Diabetes is occurring in almost epidemic rates in the United States and much of the Western world. That’s because we have heavy kids who are growing into heavy adults. And this health problem of obese child begins early and can cause diabetes to occur in adults at a young age.
When a child is overweight, their body’s systems are overtaxed. A child doesn’t just become overweight accidentally. Poor diet and lack of exercise in any combination will contribute to a child being overweight.
And it’s not the weight itself necessarily that causes many of the of the health problem of obese child. Rather it’s the diet and lifestyle that led the child to become fat that can cause the problems.
One of the most serious health conditions facing people today is the threat of diabetes. Fortunately, diabetes is mostly preventable. Type I diabetes occurs when the pancreas stops functioning properly. This type of diabetes is also known as juvenile diabetes. This isn’t a preventable disease because it simply happens when an organ malfunctions.
Type II diabetes on the other hand is almost always preventable. This is a disease caused by lifestyle choices like diet and lack of exercise. While there are cases where it seemed a person was doing everything possible to say fit and they developed diabetes, in almost every case the condition was brought on by poor dietary choices.
People who have type II diabetes can usually stop the disease and even reverse it by following a healthy diet that cuts out simple carbohydrates. It’s foods high in certain types of carbohydrates that contribute to the development of diabetes, so eliminating them can make a drastic difference.
When adults who have diabetes alter their diets, dramatic changes can take place. They lose weight and lower their blood sugar levels naturally. This can lead to an end to diabetes and they can get off the pills and even the insulin shots.
This health problem of obese child often starts when they’re young, even though the diabetes may not develop until they’re an adult. That’s because it’s a slowly progressing disease and can take years before the body responds.
When a child eats a diet high in simple carbohydrates like flour and sugar, large amounts of glucose are released into the blood stream after they eat. Because kids’ bodies are so adaptable, their bodies work efficiently to remove the excess glucose by releasing large amounts of insulin to take care of it.
Over time, the large amounts of insulin released into the blood stream can damage the vessels and arteries. And eventually the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin, just as a person can be resistant to antibiotics or other drugs.
The body stops sending it out. The blood sugar isn’t removed, and pills or insulin injections become necessary. This health problem of obese child may take years to develop, but it’s doing damage over their entire childhood if not stopped.
Have you ever looked at a guy with bigger, well built shoulders and wondered what is it that he does to get those amazing wide shoulders? Well the answer is quite simple; he follows a rigorous workout regimen to get those shoulder muscles. But it is easier said than done. If you hit the gym regularly you would know that it is very difficult to build muscles on your shoulder safely and effectively. But it doesn?t mean that it is impossible to get bigger and wider shoulders. It is more like a challenge than a workout and once you successfully achieve the results then you will be amazed looking at the big guy in your mirror and wonder who it is, latter realizing that it is you. Well thinking about that wonderful moment gets a smile on your face right? Then what are you waiting for, let?s just get straight away to the exercising tips that can help you get those perfect shoulders.
For fresher?s, if you are exercising for the first time on your shoulder muscles then front plate raises back is the best exercise to start with. Below are the steps to be followed to do the front plate raises back exercise effectively:
Start with warm up exercises instead of exerting pressure on those delicate joints.
Once you are done with warm ups, stand straight while you hold the barbell plates in your hands at 45 and 135 degrees position respectively( in other words at 3 o?clock and 9 o?clock position). Extend your arms completely with your palms facing each other. Keep your arms locked with a slight bend at your elbows. Hold the plate down near your waist in front of you as far as you can hold it. Always note, a thumb rule to be followed here is that your arms should remain in the same position throughout the exercise, as this will be your starting position.
As you exhale slowly, raise the barbell plate above your shoulder level and hold this position for a second or two. Then inhale and get back to the starting position. An important tip to be taken into consideration here is to always be sure that you do not swing the weight or bend at the elbows while you lift the plates. Your upper body should remain motionless throughout this movement.
Note that as you inhale and get back to the starting position, you need to bring down the weight slowly. Ensure that you do not play with weight whatsoever.
If you are performing this exercise for the first time, then begin with a 25 pound plate and do one set of 25 reps for the first two weeks, thereby increasing it to 3 sets of 10-12 reps in the 3-4 week, 3 sets of 15 reps in the 5-6 week and then 3 sets of 20 reps in the 7-8 week. Thereby increasing it as per your convenience. If you are an advanced lifter then you can straight away start by lifting a 45 to 100 pound plate.
The benefits of the front plate raise exercise is that it makes your shoulders wider and bigger, which will make your body look lean and perfect. After all, great shoulders equals a great body.
Posted in Article on April 30, 2012
Obesity is a rising metabolic disorder that affects the entire world. Obesity is closely related to heart disease and other health issues. It is the condition based on the body mass index (BMI), calculating the fat ratio from a formula using the height and weight of the individuals.
The formula is weight in pounds divided by the height in inches squared divided by 703. The total of that calculation then is used against the chart to determine if the individual is underweight (18.5 or lower), healthy weight (18.5 24.9), overweight (25 29), or obese (30 +).
Obesity and coronary heart disease are closely related based on clinical studies. Obese people tend to have a higher risk of heart disease due to their other health related factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. The one contributing factor with heart disease is directly connected to the high cholesterol, which also has issues with clogging of the arteries; increasing the risks of heart disease in every individual, but is extremely higher in obese people.
People with high risks of heart disease; generally have other health issues that once were thought to contribute to the disease. Yet in recent studies it has been discovered those that are obese have a higher risk of heart disease; even without the other factors. Obesity causes heart disease since the obese person is not as active as the healthy weight individual is. The amounts of exercise play a role in heart disease.
Other contributing factors include the diet of the individual. Obese individuals tend to have a high caloric and carbohydrate diet, which blocks the blood vessels and can lead to heart muscle damage.
When the individuals limit their amounts of fat, sodium and starch, which are turned into fat when not burned up by the body with physical activity and exercise, the individuals can reduce their weight and risks of heart disease. Learning to eat a healthy diet will help with the levels of risks, while not completely removing the risks, if damage to the vessels and heart muscles has previously occurred; prior to the weight loss.
Medication is available for heart disease to help with the complications. Other methods are extensive such as surgery for heart bypass and heart transplants in extreme cases.
The fact of learning to take care of the heart and blood vessels, prior to any damage, is the most important factor, many need to realize. As once the damage is done to the cardio system, it is not possible to repair the damage; short of surgery and transplants.
Several methods are available to reduce the risks of heart disease including eating a healthy diet, avoid smoking, add a daily exercise regimen to the life style, and avoiding stress when possible.
Posted in Article on April 25, 2012
The Arnold presses will also help build the strength in your shoulders. Over time you will start to see the definition in your shoulders. If the Arnold presses are done correctly you will feel the burn in your shoulders. The burn lets you know you are working your shoulders correctly and they are burning the calories. These presses will also be felt in your triceps.
When getting prepared to do Arnold presses you will need an exercise bench that has a back on it and a set of dumbbells. It is best to start this exercise with light weights until you get the hang of it.
Grab a dumbbell with light weights for each hand. Then sit on the bench with your feet flat on the floor. The feet should be placed evenly with your shoulders. Sit straight up and press your back against the back support on the bench.
Once you are sitting properly lift the weights toward your face. You will lift the weights so they are almost aligned with your shoulders. The palms of your hands will be pointed towards your body. Your elbows will be pointing toward the floor while your arms are resting by your torso. This is your starting position for Arnold presses.
While exhaling, start slowly raising the dumbbells into the air. While you are raising the dumbbells you are going to rotate your hands. Keep rotating your hands until your palms are facing the wall in front of you. Your hands should be totally rotated by the time you have the dumbbells above your head. Your arms will be straight up and down when the dumbbells are in the correct position. Now hold the position for a couple of seconds then start inhaling.
As you are inhaling start bringing the dumbbells back down to the start position. While lowering the weights you will once again rotate your hands. Once in the start position your palms will be pointing your body. This is now considered one complete repetition. Do the recommended amount of repetitions for your work out.
Remembering to rotate your hands while doing the Arnold presses might take some time. You will get it after a couple sets of repetitions though.
If you have lower back problems it is recommended you always do this exercise while sitting down. If your back does not have any problems, then once you have the routine down; try the Arnold presses standing up.
Remember the burn is how you know the shoulders are getting the proper work out. This is also a sign that you are burning off the calories to obtain the definition in your shoulders that you have always wanted.
While still concentrating on the shoulders get ready to push them to the limit of no return. The front plate raises are going to help you intensify the burn and keep the calories burning away. This exercise will help complete the work out for concentrating on the shoulder area and building your strength up.
Posted in Article on April 20, 2012
Alternating Hammer Curls are a specific exercise aimed at your increasing the strength in your Bicep muscles. Hammer Curls are best done with dumbbells in each hand as they help you to control the rate at which your Biceps strengthen, improve in size and looks. Having strong Biceps not only looks good but allows you to get better at other exercises that involve weights.
When using weights you need to make sure that you have a buddy or a spotter with you so that they can help you to keep your form and technique right so that you do not accidentally sprain or damage any other muscles in the process. Standing straight with your feet firmly planted shoulder width apart and your arms at your side with your palms facing you, you need to curl each weight alternatively in each arm up till at chest height. Using lighter weights and building up to heavier weights is the right way to go, as you may find at first you are unable to lift weights that you think you can as you are using your Bicep muscle alone rather than any other muscles to support the lift. Concentrating on one muscle takes time and patience. Holding your Bicep and using a counting system will improve the rate at which you increase the size and power of your muscles. Always keep your wrists locked so that you do not inadvertently damage them in any way.
In effect only your forearms should move as this ensures that the concentration on your Biceps is absolute. There are variations of this exercise if you need more support for your back or if you need more support for your legs. This can be achieved if you sit down on a bench to do the Alternating Hammer Curls. You can use the back support if you need it or not if you do not. The exercise is performed exactly the same with a straight back and your feet shoulder length apart. Tuck your elbows into your waist and use only your Biceps to pull up the weights, in alternate raises.
Keeping your breathing measured and controlled will allow you to lift heavier and heavier weights over time and will benefit your training regime as a whole. Inhaling as you raise the weights and exhaling as you let go after your count will help you to fully take control of the muscle in question which in this case is your Bicep. Muscles are always improved, sculpted and built upon better when they are taken from a lower weight mass as this controls the amount of stretching the muscle does which builds stronger and more reliable result. Stretching before and after exercise minimizes the chances of damaging your muscles, so make sure that you stretch fully as looking after yourself does not start or end with the exercise alone. The look and feel of your arms has to include in your regime Alternating Hammer Curls because without them your workout regime is not complete.
Posted in Article on April 15, 2012
The upright barbell rows will help to strengthen your back, which is why it’s one of the best back exercises. It will also go after your shoulders and traps. This exercise will help cut your shoulders and traps while building the muscles in your back.
To perform the upright barbell rows, you will need a barbell with weights that you can easily lift.
Once you have the proper weights on the barbell you will place your feet flat on the floor. Place your feet so they are even with your shoulders. Keep your legs and back straight throughout the complete workout.
When gripping the barbell your hands should be placed just a little less then your shoulder width. You will place your hands over the bar with your palms facing the wall behind you. The weights will be at the top part of your thighs with just a slight bend in your elbows. This is the starting position for the upright barbell rows.
Best back exercises tip: Always make sure to perform warm-up sets before starting.
Start exhaling and begin lifting the bar up toward your chin. When you are lifting the bar make sure you are using your shoulder sides for lifting. Your elbows will bend while you are keeping the bar close to your torso. Lift the bar until your elbows are above your shoulders. Your forearms will be lower than your elbows and the bar will be almost to the top of your chest. Hold this position for a few seconds while keeping your back and torso straight.
Start inhaling as you bring the bar back down to the starting position. You want to lower the bar slowly so your muscles are being stretched at an even pace. Do the recommended number of repetitions.
If using a barbell is awkward and you feel like you have no control over it, then there is other equipment that may be used. You can go to the low pulley machines that have a straight bar for you to grasp a hold of. Set your weights so you can manage them easily and do the same steps as if you were using a barbell. Barbells are another option but, are only recommended for people that know how to properly execute the exercise correctly.
When doing the upright barbell rows remember to always keep your torso and back straight. If you do not keep your back straight then you will run the risk of seriously hurting it. When doing the repetitions you do not want to strain, stop or even relax. If you do this it is a sure sign you will end up hurting your self. When you have completed the recommended repetitions your shoulders and traps will definitely be burning. This is a sure sign that you did the exercise properly. Now you to know why one of the best back exercises is the upright barbell row!
Now that your shoulders, back and traps have been stretched you are ready to start giving your lats a real work out. Your back muscles will love the wide grip lat pull-downs. This exercise is also going to help build up the strength and muscles in your upper back.
