Tag: Sports

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.

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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.

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    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.

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    Seven Benefits Of Used Fitness Equipment

    It’s no surprise, but as we entered into the 21st century, people have become more and more in tune with the needs of their body, both health and fitness wise. Over the course of the decade, fitness equipment has been a prominent element for those who wish to keep in shape and live a healthy lifestyle. The health and fitness industry recognized that there are several machines to help with exercising and each and every day. Those in the industry are continuously working to improve the design characters to better the machines available to consumers.

    Today, we are seeing that there is an abundant amount of used fitness equipment on the market, whether it be for commercial use in gyms and fitness centers, or for an at home gym. As the fitness industry strives to improve the machines for use, the latest and greatest machines offer several benefits for users and most can be found available for purchase with less than one year of age.

    With great technological advances most of the benefits of used fitness equipment include low maintenance, compact machines, built-in programs, heart rate controls, music speakers, power inclines and shock absorption.

    Low Maintenance

    Most fitness machines require very low maintenance. These machines need a power source for the user to operate and typically, there is no upkeep unless there is a broken part that needs replaced. Due to the lack of upkeep, this results in much less wear and tear.

    Compact Machines

    There are several machines that come smaller in size, requiring less floor space. Many machines also come equipped for storage use, having the ability to fold and be placed in a closet when the user is not operating the machine.

    Built-In Programs

    The great thing about the latest technology available is that built-in programs allow for great personalization and customization to the user. Depending on the fitness level of the operator, they can choose particular programs that enable them to stay under, at, or above their normal heart rate.

    Heart Rate Controls

    The latest machines have heart rate censers that allow the user to know where their heart rate is during their workout program. This allows them to adjust their fitness level accordingly so they aren’t over working their body.

    Music Speakers

    Music speakers are available in the machines for MP3 plug-ins where users can select their music choice depending on the workout program.

    Power Inclines

    Power inclines provides the operator the choice of having more resistance training. Often times, treadmills are set at a 5% incline to help fight against wind that may occur on-street running. This also builds bone density and burns calories more efficiently.

    Shock Absorption

    Shock absorption helps to have a no-impact exercise. This is highly useful as it provides less impact on knees, hips and joints when exercising.

    There is a wide variety of used fitness equipment available to the public. It’s important to review each equipment one-by-one to verify you are selecting the right machine to meet your fitness goals.

     

    Lorna Horne is a freelance writer who frequently reviews used fitness equipment for websites like DiscountHomeGyms.com.

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    Exercise Bike Reviews and the York C102 Cycle – Great for Helping With a Weight Loss Program

    I recently decided to buy an exercise bike to help me lose weight and burn the extra calories I seemed to have accumulated around the Christmas period.  All that good food and sitting around had taken its toll!  The reason I decided to use an exercise bike was because I have joined gyms in the past, and have usually ended up wasting my monthly membership fees as I struggle to motivate myself to actually go.

    There are many exercise bike reviews on the web that pointed me towards using an upright stationary exercise bike.  Upright versions tend to help you not only do your lower half, but also works your upper body a lot better than recumbent exercise bikes do.

    Why I chose the York Fitness C102 cycle

    I ended up choosing a York C102 exercise bike as it was affordable and very compact.  I don’t have huge amounts of room at home as I live in an apartment.  I have managed to store it in a cupboard so it doesn’t get in the way.  As far as cheap spinning bikes go this has really good reviews and feedback online which helped me to select it.

    I love using it though, and one of the best features is the LCD Computer display over the handlebars.  This lets me see how many calories I have burnt off plus the distance and speed I have travelled.

    Helps me to motivate myself to lose weight

    For someone not great at motivating myself, having this data at my fingertip has helped as I now set myself daily targets to beat, which encourages me to get back in the saddle. I am now managing to churn out 10 miles a day on my York C102 cycle.

    You might think this would be boring, but York Fitness put a small magazine holder above the handlebars.  I tend to cycle when I get home from work and either watch television as I go or put my latest book in the holder and read that instead.  I now know that exercise doesn’t have to be boring.

    In terms of resistance – in other words how hard you have to pedal – there are eight difficulty levels.  So I can start off with a leisurely cycle, and then after a bit of time pretend I am attacking a steep hill.  It’s really painful – but they do say “no pain no gain” and using my exercise bike is proof of that!

    Have I managed to lose any weight?

    It’s taken me two months, but in that time I’ve lost nearly twelve pounds.  The great thing is, it has been fun doing it and I’ve been able to use my exercise bike in the privacy of my own home and at my own pace.  There’s not much effective exercise that tends to be that straight forward so I would thoroughly recommend you do the same.  Try out an exercise bike and see if it can help you.

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    The Best Reason You Should Use Multi Gym Equipment

    There are many reasons why many people are buying and using multi gym equipment in the comforts of their own home. Some of the obvious reasons are to get back in shape, build more strength, increase endurance, and to live longer. Other reasons is that some people are opting to buy a multi gym equipment is the fact that they now have their own gym that they can work out in the privacy of their own homes. So many individuals are hesitant to join a gym because they so many fit people working out and get discouraged. It’s hard for individuals to muster up the courage to go to the gym for the first time because they feel like they are so behind.

    Now, you can basically buy cheap exercise equipment for the home to help you get back into shape without feeling the pressure of all the other gym folks who are already fit. Another great advantage of multi gym equipment is the fact that you don’t have to worry about a monthly membership fee. The average gym membership is anywhere between $30 – $50 which can mean thousands of dollars out of your pocket over several years.  Multi purpose weight training equipment allow you to work out all different types of muscle groups such as your chest, arms, back, legs, and abs.

    One of the best places to find cheap second hand gym equipment is to browse through your local classified ads to see if anyone is selling their used gym equipment. If you can buy second hand gym equipment for sale in a garage sale or elsewhere, you’re going to be saving a lot of money. To find out how much you’re really saving,, go online and do a quick search of the brand and model number and see what the price is for the machine brand new.

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