Fitness

The muscles of your upper, middle and lower back can all become tight from stress, poor posture or injury. You can stretch your back muscles from a comfortable seated position in a chair or on a couch or bench that…
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The quest for the elusive six-pack abs often inspires people to experiment with an odd assortment of exercise gadgets and dietary supplements. Although a San Diego State University study published in the May/June 2001 issue of “ACE FitnessMatters” supports some…
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Resistance bands are color-coded tools used for strength training the entire body. The various colors indicate the level of resistance that the band offers, usually ranging from thin to super heavy. Although different companies sometimes vary from the norm, most…
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Functional exercises involve multiple joints and muscles working in unison. The advantage of these exercises is that they can improve your strength, balance, coordination, endurance and agility in one fell swoop. You can use the weight of your body and…
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The rotator cuff is composed of four muscles in the shoulder. Rotator cuff syndrome involves injury to one or more of the rotator cuff tendons. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, pain, weakness and loss of motion are…
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The standard seated shoulder press is the benchmark for shoulder strength, but you need to master several shoulder exercises to achieve big gains. There are a handful of killer shoulder exercises that will help you do that while building mass…
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Strong stomach muscles are important for maintaining proper posture as well as for everyday activities such as twisting, lifting and bending. However, many people find it difficult to perform traditional stomach exercises due to resulting back pain. Fortunately, there are…
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According to strength and conditioning specialists Thomas Baechle and Roger Earle, many resistance training programs are designed for you to perform biceps and back exercises during the same workout sessions. Your biceps muscles are located on the anterior, or front,…
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Widening the hips requires a movement known as abduction. This takes place when your upper leg moves in a lateral, outward direction. Exercises that involve abduction work such muscles as the gluteus minimus, tensor fascia lata, psoas major and iliopsoas….
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The Total Gym is a machine designed for in-home resistance training. Although the Total Gym is capable of working your arms, shoulders, chest, back and abs, concentrating on the muscles of the legs is easy. Exercises can be done for…
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Marketing schemes that plug their gadget as the ‘must have miracle tool’ to obtain the perfect abdominals many times lead to confusion and misunderstanding of the abdominal anatomy. If your quest is to target and tone your lower abominals, it…
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If you lead a fast-paced life, regular visits to the gym may not be an option for a girl on the go. When it comes to fitness, many females tend to focus their attention on tightening and toning trouble areas,…
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There are three large muscles in your lower legs. The gastrocnemius affects your lower leg’s shape. Its two “heads” create any well-developed calf’s characteristic double bulge just below the knee. Your other calf muscle, the soleus, sits between the gastrocnemius…
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To get the best exercise equipment for your home, determine your available space, your exercise goals and your budget. Consider if other people in the family will use the equipment and their size and fitness needs as well. Before purchasing…
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Circuit training is a series of exercises that train different movement patterns and skills, using various equipment. Rather than doing reps and sets, you do one exercise for a specific time length. When your time is up, you move immediately…
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Your major arm muscles are the biceps, brachialis and triceps. The biceps and brachialis, both located on the front of your upper arm, are responsible for pulling motions and any movement that bends your arm at the elbow. The triceps…
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Swiss or exercise balls are sturdy inflatable balls that were initially used for physical therapy and chiropractic treatments, according to SwissBall.com. With time, they began to be used for exercises building abdominal muscles, strength, flexibility and posture. Because they can…
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Whether you’re trying to stretch a single into a double at your company softball game, get full depth on your squat when you lift or just feel lose and healthy–you need to have full range of motion in your arms…
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More and more people are adding resistance training to their workout regime, and for good reason. While aerobic exercise has many health benefits, resistance exercise has benefits of its own. Lifting weights, using therabands, or performing other resistance exercises regularly…
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A spring-controlled gliding carriage, a pulley system and a foot bar comprise the Pilates Reformer. This versatile apparatus enhances strength, core stability, coordination and flexibility. While once exclusively in the private Pilates studio domain, equipment manufacturers now make Pilates Reformers…
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Overview Kettlebells are free weights that are the precursors to dumbbells and resemble a cannonballs with a luggage handles. Because of their uneven weight displacement, they are difficult to use to train individual body parts, but strength athletes train full-body…
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Overview The middle of your body would be considered your stomach. When fat builds up in your stomach, it can eventually lead to visceral fat which surrounds your vital organs. According to Reader’s Digest, this is active fat that continually…
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Overview The elliptical cardiovascular machine is one option of cardiovascular activity that will help burn calories. Your joints are well-protected–especially your knees–because the elliptical eliminates any type of pounding you may experience with an activity such as running. Beginning to…
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Today, people are rushed and more fast-paced than ever, and many wonder how it’s possible to schedule fitness into an already packed schedule. Fitness, like anything else, is about strategy and logistics. It is also a state of mind. When…
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New Year’s resolutions are relatively easy to make but can be difficult to put into practice . This may be due to not thinking a resolution through and placing enough thought on strategy, focus and end goals. Making a New…
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Many men find it hard to tighten their stomachs because male-pattern fat storage makes the midsection a trouble area. Tightening the stomach requires directly training the abs, but you must also decrease your body fat percentage in order to see…
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Losing stomach fat is a simple endeavor if approached the right way. The build up of fat around your abdomen is caused by the consumption of calories that you do not use. Regular exercise will not only burn the stored…
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Pilates is a type of low impact exercise that focuses exercise to work the core body muscles and offer small yet very effective movements for slimming and trimming, enhancing balance, stability and posture, states Balanced Body Pilates, a leading resource…
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A recumbent exercise bike is a stationary bike that has a seat that is reclined. A reclined seat can take stress off your back, hands and arms. According to GalTech.com, 90 percent of people who try recumbent exercise bikes like…
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When it comes to exercise, you have two basic types–high impact and low impact. As the name implies, high impact exercises are done in a way that places stress on your joints. Jumping rope, running and jump squats are examples…
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