Fitness

The chest has several muscles that take up the large surface area of your breasts, and several exercises, each with variations, can strengthen your chest. The National Academy of Sports Medicine recommends strengthening exercises with a weight load of 70…
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Every exercise program should combine aerobic exercises, strength training and flexibility exercises. To lose fat and get six-pack abs, you will need to perform a good mix of three types of exercises to melt body fat and build abdominal muscles….
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Men can improve their appearance, health and/or performance in sports by working to develop a firm, lean and muscular abdomen. The major abdominal muscles, according to the textbook “Basic Biomechanics,” include the rectus abdominis in front and the external and…
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The pubococcygeal, or PC, muscle is involved in dozens of functions of the human body. A strong PC muscle may benefit men and women of all ages, particularly those suffering from sexual dysfunction or incontinence. Simple daily exercises can help…
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According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death in American men and women, killing 631,636 people in 2006. The Mayo Clinic says that regular participation in moderately vigorous physical…
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The captain’s chair is a staple piece of gym equipment used to train the muscles of the abs. A study commissioned by the American Council on Exercise and led by Peter Francis, Ph.D., found that the captain’s chair exercise was…
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The lower abdominal muscles aren’t more stubborn than the upper abdominal muscles, but they can seem that way sometimes. The actual problem is that they’re more difficult to target. Traditional abdominal exercises like the crunch and the sit-up tilt the…
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Overview Achieving a smaller midsection is a matter of removing excess fat around your stomach and waist along with an abdominal strengthening program. To flatten your stomach and trim your waist you need to combine a healthy diet, interval training…
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1. Set Goals for Teaching Pre-Natal Yoga Prenatal yoga is rapidly becoming the thing to do during pregnancy. Prenatal yoga helps tone muscles during pregnancy, keeping women healthier. It also teaches women how to breathe and meditate, which are important…
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People often neglect their forearms when they lift weights. It’s easy to concentrate too much on the showier muscles, like the biceps and shoulders, and neglect the smaller muscle groups. Forearm muscles, however, enable you to move your elbows, wrists,…
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Overview Exercise bikes and treadmills are, according to the website Exercise Equipment Review, the two most popular machines purchased for home gyms. There are several types of exercise bikes–upright stationary bikes, recumbent stationary bikes, spinning bikes such as those used…
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Overview A balanced workout routine should always include elements of aerobic exercise, strength training and flexibility, but most routines focus on aerobics and neglect the latter two elements, according to the American Council of Exercise. By choosing exercises that work…
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Overview According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), a new study conducted by the University of Florida found that women are more likely to maintain a successful home exercise program compared with a group program. Get started by creating…
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Building your biceps and triceps is one of the best ways to get well-defined arms. Dumbbells are often the most convenient way of working your arm muscles because they take up less space than barbells or home exercise machines. You…
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As their bodies age, many seniors become less active, which can lead to weight gain and muscle loss. Exercise is important in helping seniors counteract these effects, and it also helps reduce depression, prevents or delays disease, improves balance and…
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The inner thighs have muscles known as the adductors. Whenever you move your thighs toward the mid-line of your body, such as with exercises for the inner thighs, you are doing adduction. You will need several pieces of fitness equipment…
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The Bowflex Xtreme 2 and Xtreme 2 SE are home gyms that use the Bowflex patented Power Rod technology. The power rods are an alternative to a weight stack. They are lighter than barbell weights and provide resistance as they…
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The dead lift is a compound exercise that utilizes a large number of lower and upper body muscles. In the sport of power lifting, the dead lift is one of the lifts that is done in competition. The dead lift…
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If you’re hoping for a flat, toned stomach, do abdominal exercises several times a week. Exercising, however, can only do so much for a flabby stomach. Maintain an active lifestyle and eat a variety of healthy foods, like fruits, vegetables,…
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The hip flexor is a group of muscles the collectively act to pull the knee upward as well as allow the hip to move forward when running or walking. Runners traditionally spend a great deal of time stretching the hip…
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Gym balls are also known as fitness balls, physio balls, fitness balls and exercise balls. They are used for exercises that create core strength. Core strength can make it easier to do most physical activities, according to the Mayo Clinic….
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The “pecs” are made up of the pectoralis major and minor, a group of muscles that fan across the front of your chest from your sternum up to your shoulders. They bring your arms together across your chest. To tone…
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The Total Gym XL is an exercise machine endorsed by actor Chuck Norris. The muscles of your chest, back, arms, legs, core and shoulders are strengthened by Total Gym workouts. Exercises for the Total Gym XL can also be done…
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1. In Parallel Fashion An old time exercise is a parallel bar dip. Strengthen shoulders with chest dip exercises in little time, but with a lot of effort. You must use your own body weight to exert the shoulders. More…
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Row machines feature one of three grip possibilities, each of which targets specific muscles. For example, rowing with a wide grip in which your palms are down and your elbows are away from the body focuses primarily on the trapezius….
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The muscles of your stomach are engaged whenever you move or sit up. They also support your spine and lower back to maintain your posture and keep you balanced during dynamic movements such as running, sports and hiking. Even though…
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Muscle growth is the goal of weight training, whether for strength or bodybuilding. Increasing the size of a muscle is necessary to increasing the contractile strength of the muscle. One of the surest ways to accomplish this is to induce…
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Exercises in a gym involve such tools as dumbbells, barbells, weight machines, balance balls and medicine balls. When you are at home, you need to get creative and use your body for resistance. Your best bet is to do exercises…
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Stability ball training adds a new dimension to hip, thigh and bun exercise. The ball imposes a balance challenge, which requires you to engage your core muscles to maintain stability. The ball’s shape may also increase the exercise’s range of…
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The hip extensor muscles are used in nearly every facet of our lives. Any time we move our legs behind our body we are using our hip extensors. The Complete Athlete, a website featuring advice from certified athletic professionals, notes…
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