Showing posts with label Fat Burning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fat Burning. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Fat Burning Bodyweight Workouts

By: Craig Ballantyne

The body weight challenge exercises are something I came up back in the late summer 2007.It's similar to the 300 Workout which was featured in Men's Health magazine. Now I didn't invent the 300 Workout, all I did was film the video, but it was a lot of fun and got a lot of feedback from people reading the magazine and I thought hey, maybe these guys are on to something, so I'll put together a body weight version and I did what is called a Bodyweight 500.The workout is just a challenge, it's not something you're supposed to do everyday because there are other workouts that you do during the week and then you do a bodyweight challenge on the weekends or on the Friday, your final workout of the week.So you might do a workout on Monday and Wednesday, and then in your first week of the program you'll do the Body Weight 100 and this is the program that's featured in that Belly Off Program that I mentioned at the start of the interview that guys are using to lose 20 pounds or 25 pounds of fat in 8 weeks.They do two regular workouts and then they do they Body Weight Challenge and then the next week they do two regular fat loss workouts and then they do a harder Body Weight Challenge and so on and so on it goes until they've done either the 4 week version of it and an 8 week version of it and they work up to the 500 repetition challenge, so that's what I mean when I say Body Weight 100, in that workout there's 100 repetitions of body weight exercises.Some are done for 10 repetitions, some are done for 15, you know, there's chin-ups, body weight squats, and some other exercises in there.Eventually, like I said, working up to the Body Weight 500 Workout, which is generally done in about a half an hour to 40 minutes for guys that are a little bit more beginnerish and they get the workout done.

It's all body weight exercises like I said and it's a lot of fun, it's a good challenge and that's what some people need in their programs to keep the motivation up, is a challenge each week, especially those people that are competitive, a former athlete. They really like something that they can do that is going to challenge them week in and week out, so it's just not the regular routine they're going to the gym for.They know they have a new challenge this week and they have to get the workout done in X amount of time sort of thing.I did that initial Body Weight 500 and then I went and made an even harder workout called the Bodyweight 1000 and in that one, it's the same thing, Monday and Wednesday you do regular workouts and then on the Friday or on the weekend, you'll do a body weight challenge.So it starts off the first week you do 250, in the second week you do 250 by 2, in the third week you do the 501, in the fourth week you do maybe 501 and the 250, in the fifth week you do the 750, and then finally at the end of week six, you do the Body Weight 1000 Challenge.Now in this one, it's not really that much more difficult than the 500 because I added a lot of calisthenic-type exercises like jumping jacks just to get the repetition number up because you can't do 1000 push-ups in a workout. It's a whole bunch of exercises, there's probably 15 different exercises that makeup the challenges and you can do them, you know, a couple include the ball, a couple include nothing, and a couple include some type of pull-up bar.


Article Source: http://physicalfitnessarticles.net/

Friday, February 8, 2008

Bosu 3D Power Package Reactive Strength and Power Workout Video Review

Buy The Basic Classic Bosu




















Buy The Bosu 3D Power Package





















My workout yesterday was the Bosu Reactive Strength and Power workout and it’s smoking. This video is part of the Bosu Pro Series and it’s hosted by Gay Gasper who’s a fairly smooth and enjoyable host. With two other exercisers helping her demonstrate three levels – beginner, intermediate, advanced – they make it look easy. It’s not. This workout rivals Power 90X in intensity. The Bosu dome totally changes the impact of any move. Think dynamic, intense, and challenging.

This workout combines a variety of exercises that build muscular strength and endurance, enhance agility and challenge your balance and proprioceptive skills (a beneficial challenge and benefit for someone like me with Cerebral Palsy). I’ve noticed since first starting balance training with other equipment including the OSIM uSurf and GoFit disc my balance has improved. That’s an amazing benefit for a middle aged adult like me with Cerebral Palsy. Functional fitness is one of my main and ongoing goals.

The workout is approximately 55 minutes and separated into five segments – a warm up including stretching, lower body functional exercises, new variations of traditional upper body and core exercises that challenge balance and proprioception, a peak segment with reactive power moves much like Power 90X plyometrics, and a cool down including stretching. You’ll need a set of dumbbells and I used my Bowflex SelectTechs. Individual exercises include but aren’t limited to push ups, lunges, squats, chest flyes, chest presses, bicep curls, hammer curls, leg lifts, crunches, and aerobics including stepping, marching, and running in place.

The difference is the Bosu. It creates instability in every move and this challenges your muscles in ways they cannot be challenged on a stable surface like a floor or regular step. Greater muscle stimulation leads to greater muscle growth which leads to a faster metabolism which leads to greater fat and calorie burning. I’m fit and this was a challenging workout for me. I recommend it to anyone ready to take their workouts to the next level. I can’t wait to try Pilates on this thing!

I cannot stress enough the benefits of muscle challenge created by the Bosu. The Bosu dome makes you use your muscles in news ways and so efficiently you’ll work harder in less time. For example I’ve done chest flyes with machines and free weights for years. But when I did the alternating flye on the Bosu I almost fell off the first repetition. I had to recruit more muscles and work on balancing while I did the moves.

This piece of equipment takes your workouts to a whole different level because of the added element of balance and proprioception challenge. It’s worth every penny – ahem, dol1ar. (The going rate for a classic Bosu with instruction video is $99. The Bosu Power Package I bought with platform and handle plus 6 DVDs and 9 workouts is $333 but I got a discount deal with $99 off because I put the classic package in my cart first. They basically threw in the Bosu Dome for free of I bought the whole shabang).

Friday, November 16, 2007

Thanksgiving Vacation, Mooning Over My Hammy, & Links To Get Fit and Healthy

Autumn In Mills Park, Carson City, Nevada















Thanksgiving looms and I’m about to get really busy. I finish up my shopping tomorrow and start cooking on Monsday to get a head start on the whole process. We’ll have turkey and ham as well as all our favorite fixings.




















Check out this delicious imported gourmet ham we bought last year and again this year, and at 99 percent fat free – a 2 ounce serving has 50 calories, 0.5 grams fat, > 1 gram carbs, and 10 grams protein - you get a good dose of delicious protein for less calories. And this ain’t your momma’s store bought ham, it’s oh so delic-i-o-so.

iGourmet.com Le Cochon d'Or Smoked Ham

This premium Canadian ham is prepared in the classic French tradition in Cap-de-la-Madeleine, a small town that lies between Quebec City and Montreal. The hogs in Cap-de-la-Madeleine are naturally raised with no growth hormones or steroids, which is a rare occurrence these days.

Their premium-quality hams are hard-carved from the leanest, most tender part of the animal and are 99% fat free. They are delicately coated with unique blends of herbed and spiced marinades and slow cured to develop a full rich flavor and uniform pink color. We offer three popular flavors - Baked Black Forest, Honey, and Cracked Black Pepper. Each ham weighs approximately seven pounds, making one perfect for a Sunday dinner for the whole family, a party on the weekend, or a team picnic. Varieties sold separately.

Price: $34.99
Size: 7 pounds

Assuming I don’t find time to blog in the coming week I’m leaving you with this super sized list of links chock full of information on fitness, nutrition, and a reminder to check out the website Wellness For Nancy and donate if you can.

Giving Thanks for All Our Blessings and Wishing You a Happy Thanksgiving! Carol



7 Fat Loss Strategies For Busy Moms
Michael Jordan

November 16, 2007
Would you like to "jump start" your metabolism and lose your ‘mommy belly' once and for all? If so, the following seven tips are exactly what you need to improve your workouts and ignite your metabolism. Try some or all of these tips, but beware, the result may be a number of admiring second glances and the need to pull your ‘skinny jeans' out of the closet.

Bodybuilding Fat Loss Tips for Women
From Hugo Rivera


Lose Fat With IFBB Figure Pro Pauline Nordin
Everyone knows what to do to lose fat, right? Then how come so few reach their goals and achieve that lean look if it's so damn easy to get ripped?

I could tell you the very same things as everybody else does, but I definitely won't. It's not only about the perfect diet plan and the right amount of exercise, the best supplements and so on; the most important part of a fat-loss strategy is your mental approach to it.

That's what I'm going to tell you about. Basically, what you've got to do is stick to your plan. Period.

The Most Unusual Way To Build Muscle
By Mark McManus


Can you build muscle without touching a weight?

Imagine the possibility of using your mind to reshape your body size and strength!
Strange? Indeed.

I recently remembered reading about a study a few years ago in Men’s Health in which the subjects increased the size and strength of selected muscle groups by simply ‘thinking‘ about working them out.

They simply visualized the process and their bodies responded in the same manner as if they’d actually hit the iron!

It’s well known by a lot of people in psychology and exercise physiology that the brain cannot distinguish the difference between a ‘real’ event i.e. one that is observed objectively, and a vividly imagined one i.e. one that is created subjectively. The implications of this could be quite exciting for bodybuilders.


Tony Horton’s 11 Laws For Lifetime Fitness


4 Tips To Fat Loss by Gregg Gillies

“Can You Burn Fat And Build Muscle At The Same Time?”

How To Lose Weight By Eating More


Holiday Weight Management Survival Guide
From Paige Waehner



Holiday Pounds Forever - Consistent Eating for Long-Term Weight Control



7 Day Fat Loss Meal Plan



Fat Loss For Beginners-8 Tips For Getting Started

The No Weight Gain Holiday Guide

Harvard School of Public Health On Fruits & Vegetables

Increase Your Metabolism and Curb Your Appetite With This Fat Burning Food Group


99 Tips For Family Fitness Fun