5 Workouts You Can Save Money Doing at Home

Looking good can come with a steep price tag. Many people spend thousands each year on hairstyles, makeup, clothing, accessories and more. But the price of feeling good doesn’t have to cost so much. It’s not mandatory to spend money on gym memberships you don’t use. If you’re stressed about spending too much, your overall health will suffer. Why not save a few bucks while gaining all the benefits that working out provides. A variety of at-home exercises can keep you motivated, strong and healthy. Whether you are into yoga, Pilates, kickboxing or dancing, choose a few of these toners and put them together to develop an individualized, powerful workout routine.

Sideways Step

Begin in a crouched position with feet parallel, toes forward and knees slightly bent. Step to the side with your left foot, squatting as low as you can. Bring your right foot over to meet the left, tapping the ball of your foot on the floor. Repeat by stepping out with your right foot and bringing the left foot over to meet it with a tap. Add intensity by quickening the pace.

Kickback

Begin on all fours with your elbows resting below your shoulders and your hips aligned with your knees. Hands should be clasped in front of your body. Your weight should rest primarily on your shoulders. Lift one leg to hip level, bending at the knee to form a 90-degree angle. Keeping your foot flexed and your sole parallel to the ceiling, pulse your foot up three to four inches. Repeat for 15 repetitions, and then switch legs.

Backward Lunge

Begin by standing tall, toes pointed forward, and feet hip-width apart. Perform a lunge by stepping back with one leg and lowering your body until your front leg forms a 90-degree angle. Keep your back heel and knee off the floor. Repeat the same motion on the other side. Perform 10 repetitions for a complete set.

Superman

To strengthen your back, glutes, spine and hips, begin by lying face down on a mat. With legs stretched out behind you, arms reaching in front of you, and palms facing each other, direct your gaze down to the mat. Rest your forehead and relax your neck. Exhale as you slowly reach up and out with your arms and legs. Align your head with your neck and spine while looking down at the mat. Imagine someone pulling your arms and legs from opposite directions. Keeping your body aligned, hold strong for a few seconds. Inhale as you return slowly to the position where you began. Repeat a number of times.

Crunch

Tone all your abdominal muscles with a few crunches. Begin by lying on your back on a mat with your knees bent, arms behind your head, and feet flat on the mat. Exhale as you lift your shoulders and head off the mat, keeping your elbows back and your head in line with your spine. Pull your belly button toward your spine, using the strength of your abdominal muscles to raise your head and upper back off the mat. Keeping your lower back on the mat, hold for a few seconds. Release by inhaling as you slowly roll down. Repeat as many times as desired, gradually adding repetitions as you gain strength in your core muscles.

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5 Great Alternatives to Hitting the Gym

There’s a good reason so many of us just can’t muster up the sticking power to make committing to the burden of a gym membership worth our time and money, and isn’t that we’re scared of exercise

It’s more that, to a lot of people, the atmosphere of a gym simply isn’t conducive to enjoyment. It can be intimidating, or simply unpleasant depending on where you go, with mirrored walls and a crowded mass of lycra clad limbs lending the setting a nightmarish air.

Whilst exercise is important for our health, that doesn’t mean it should be joyless. If anything the very opposite is true. So, here’s a round up of some top alternatives for those of us who’d rather be anywhere than the gym, even when we’re exercising;

Going For a Run or Hike

This might sound obvious, but the fact of the matter is that a high number of new gym members head straight towards (and stick to) the treadmills.

One of the chief enemies of exercise, especially cardio vascular activities, is boredom. Surely, the risk of boredom is higher on a treadmill, rooted to the spot with no scenery to distract you or prompt your mind to wonder onto subjects other than the ache slowly taking hold of your muscles…

Join a Sports Team

Many people find the gym experience hard to enjoy due to the fact it can be very solitary. Indeed, manufacturers of entertainment devices such as MP3 players have developed special models for use at the gym, to help members zone out and ignore the space around them.

This is probably the factor the drives so many people to hire a personal trainer, not so much for the advice and motivation or the dressings down, more for the company. With this in mind, even if you aren’t much of a sports fan, if you’ve suddenly decided to get fit, consider joining up to a sports team rather than joining a gym.

DVD

Alternatively, you might be perfectly happy exercising on your own. Perhaps for you lack of companionship isn’t a problem, but rather, you’d actually prefer more privacy. In that case what better setting for your work out than the seclusion provided by your own front room. Exercising along to a DVD can be an excellent, cost effective way to add structure to your regimen.

Invest In Your Own Equipment

When you think about it, gym membership often amounts to little more than paying over the odds to rent exercise equipment, much of which you could very easily buy yourself at a fraction of the cost of even a months membership, let alone a 12 month contract.

Even if you do love the gym environment, if you are turning up just to utilise dumbbells, resistance bands and an exercise ball, you’re going to be able to buy those items and have them for your own private use whenever you want, at a cheaper price than you pay for the privilege of effectively renting them out for an hour or two a week.

Jane Newman writes on a range of topics pertaining to health and fitness, from easy workouts to choosing health insurance quotes.

Build Muscle Mass Faster With Home Weight Lifting Equipment

It has long been known that weight lifting is one of the fastest and most efficient ways to build muscle mass.  However, it requires a significant time commitment as you need to dedicate at least three days a week to a fitness routine that incorporates several different lifting techniques.  For many, this time commitment is just not possible and as a result we give up on staying in shape.

If this sounds like you, then you may want to consider the possibility of  adding select weight lifting equipment to your home or office.  This can be a great way to build muscle mass and maintain physical fitness as time allows.  No longer will you waste valuable time driving to and from the gym only to find out the equipment you wish to use is already in use.  With the right weight machines you can effectively build muscle you’ve always wanted from the comfort of your own home.  However, there are a few basic steps you must take before searching for any weight machines for sale.

In order to save money and reach your fitness goals in the most efficient way possible, you need to be sure you buy the right equipment.  In order to do this, you should consider creating a list of your fitness goals.  This list should include both short and long term plans as well as a time line for accomplishments.  This list will help you better understand which equipment is right for you as well as provide you with a great tracking tool for your progress.

Now that you know what your goals are, you can begin looking at the various weight lifting equipment options on today’s market.  You will quickly find that, although similar in many ways, each piece of equipment is different, offering different features and benefits.  These features and benefits should be compared to your personal fitness goals and the machines that match the best should be the ones you consider purchasing.

Could You Make It In The Majors? 3 MLB Players And Their Workouts

Major League Baseball players work out every single day so that they keep their top physique and earn that paycheck that so many of us are envious over. So you play baseball, too. But after looking at what these 3 players do to keep in shape, do you have what it takes?

Each player in the Major Leagues has their own baseball workout plan. This is in part because they each have a different position. A first baseman will train differently than a pitcher or a catcher. This is because different muscles in the body are being used more than others. The muscles are exerted heavily during play so they must constantly be warmed up and pushed and stretched so that they can perform to the best of their abilities on the field. MLB players are always looking for new types of workouts.

JOEY VOTTO: 1st Baseman for the Cincinnati Reds

To be a first baseman means more than just being able to catch a ball. He needs to be strong enough to run, jump and slide without being bulky. A daily routine will include various cardio and weights.

The first group of exercises includes a combination of power plates, Bodyweight Squats, Squat with cables, and combinations of squats with both a lateral raise and an overhead press.

No worries, right? You’re not out of breath are you? Good. There’s more. The second group is about twenty minutes of shuffles and stretches. Votto will also throw a medicine ball (think 25 pounds, 14 inch diameter) in a lunge position about 15 times per side. Then there’s about twenty minutes of low-end plyometrics. These are exercises that are considered power training to help the muscles and expand and quickly contract.

The third group is a little bit more use of the medicine ball. Two sets of 10-15 repetitions, to be specific, using a half-lung. There’s also some yoga including warrior poses and core/posture poses. About 20 seconds per side.

The fourth group will include grind pushups, ring-pulls and knee tucks. About 2-4 reps for each one per side.

DEREK JETER: Short Stop for the New York Yankees

Derek is one of the best short stops of current day baseball and he’s a heavy hitter. This means some serious workouts for all of his muscles because he’s running, swinging and catching. He prefers to start with some calisthenics to get his heart racing before he moves into the weights. He’ll typically start with 30 seconds each of:

  • Jumping jacks
  • Arm circles
  • Pushups
  • Body

-Weight squats

  • Lunges

After completing these, he’ll move into the rest of his routine, consisting of what is called “super sets.” Super Set 1 is a barbell squat and a dumbbell deadlift, 8 to 12 reps each. Super Set 2 is a barbell lunge (for each side) and single-arm dumbbell row and rotation. These are 8 to 12 reps each as well. Super Set 3 is pull-ups and a dumbbell incline-bench press. The reps? 8 to 12 of each of these, too. Your muscles aren’t burning are they? Great. You’ll need to repeat those 3 sets twice more.

JOSH BECKETT: Pitcher for the Boston Red Sox

Josh has a different routine for working out than both Joey and Derek. He is focused primarily on his right arm since that’s his pitching arm. He will also do a lot of cardio. When he throws a ball, it takes three seconds of immense effort to get the ball at a speed that’s acceptable. It then takes the body time to recover from that. All of his exercises focus on that.

To replicate his workouts, you’ll need a few basic items:

  • Dumbbells
  • Medicine ball
  • Swiss ball (those inflatable balls you sit on)

  • The balancing of the medicine ball and all of the dumbbell workouts are done while sitting on a Swiss ball. Practice repetitions of moving a medicine ball up and down, around your shoulders and so forth. Remember that this ball is roughly as wide as your shoulders and weighs 25 pounds.

    Once you get done with those workouts, you’ll need to sprint and then get on a treadmill for at least 30 minutes. After that, head to the batting cages for another hour or so to get your arm in top condition for the season.

    All of these guys have work out routines that are highly dedicated. The effort it takes to swing a bat, catch a ball and run like all hell from base to base takes an extremely fit body to do over and over again, game after game. They not only exercise using these basic routines every day. They also have Spring Training, personal trainers, practice games, and regular season games. Their muscles are pushed to the breaking point on a daily basis.

    If you’re currently playing baseball, whether it’s in high school or college, and you want to make it to the Major Leagues, you’ll have to do these kinds of MLB workouts every single day. It’s beyond dedication to get involved in this sport, so if it’s not something you can handle, you need to let yourself know that now. If you can handle it, though, more power to you. Get a coach and start hitting the gym every day so that you can prove yourself on the field.

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    Author Bio: Heather is a freelance writer for a fitness website that offers online personal trainers. Her main focus is to motivate amateur athletes by providing professional workouts from the pros. Some days she takes a break from the fitness world, and you could find her relaxing at her beach house.

    Push Yourself, Explore Your Boundaries and Intensify Your Exercise Routines

    People always love challenges. They like to push their limits and experiment on boundaries. When it comes to exercising, people also like to continually challenge themselves. A lot of them explore their boundaries and intensify their exercise routines. It is great that people push their boundaries, but they must also know their limitations. There have been a lot of exercise injuries because people don’t know their limitations. Also before doing any exercises, its best that you do some stretching exercises. Pace yourself and know when to stop.

    Wrist weights are an example of exercise equipment that people use to increase the intensity of their workout. Runners are the ones who often used wrist weights. It is ideal for those training for meets and marathons. Running is marvelous exercise for the body. When you run, you get to move your whole body. You also burn a lot of calories and sweat buckets of water. Running can also be used to relieve stress. After running, you usually feel lighter and definitely a lot better. Give running a try if your tired of the gym scene. It’s a great exercise plus it’s for free.

    Weight benches are amazing exercise equipments because you can perform a lot of different exercises with them together with your dumbbells. The basic bench is what most people who exercise with barbells like to use. They can rest their barbells in between exercises on the barbell holder of the bench. The adjustable bench is great for those who want to do various strength and weight exercises. You can either sit or lie on it during exercise. The head and foot part is adjustable and you can place to an angle your desire. For those who have limited spaces, you can go for foldable weight benches and you can easily put them in the closet. There are many benches in the market and it’s up to you on what bench suits you best.

    Leasing Vs. Buying Gym Equipment

    If you’re thinking about getting back into shape, you’ve made the one of the best decisions you can ever make for your health and lifestyle.  One of the biggest reasons; however, that people don’t want to get back into shape is because of their finances.  Some people don’t have the money to build their own gym in the comforts of their own house, so many of them join a gym and pay the monthly membership fee.  Some people feel discouraged going to the gym and seeing all the fit people working out and would rather work out in the comforts of their own home.

    Building your own home gym doesn’t have to be expensive at all. There are many different alternatives that would help minimize your cost.  One thing you can do is trying leasing gym equipment for your home.  Leasing fitness equipment is like renting to own; you pay a small fee each month until your contract is up.  Most leasing firms will allow you to buy out the fitness equipment after your leasing contract is up.  Do your research as see which leasing company will give you the lowest interest rate.

    Another way to buy weight lifting equipment and aerobics machines is to buy second hand gym equipment online.  You can find many online auctions and classified ads that offers second hand gym equipment by private sellers and companies.  There are also retail stores that specializes in selling only refurbished and reconditioned fitness equipment and machines to the public.  The best tip I can give you is to ask as many questions as you can so that you’ll feel more comfortable when buying.  Some of the most common questions is to ask if the machines needs any repair, missing parts, warranty available, etc.  One of the greatest benefits of leasing gym equipment is that you don’t have to pay a large sum of money upfront.