Best Gyms

-Do you know what it really takes to build big muscles? Do you think it’s as simple as buying a gym membership, training each body once per week, slamming back some protein shakes and trying to eat as much chicken and tuna possible? Viola, you are big eno
Squat and Deadlift
Squatting and Deadlifting are known as two of the Big Three exercises that are responsible for power and mass muscle building. Consider these two animal exercises the kings of the jungle! Without them, you do not have a chance of survival. These two exercises alone, work out about 75% of your entire musculature, including your traps, shoulders, arms, back. Gluts, hams, calves and core muscles.
Not to mention the degree of intensity, squats and dead lifts force your body to release greater volumes of growth hormone, which results in bigger muscles all over your body. This spillover effect results in strength gains in all you other lifts which translates into a more muscular you! Squatting and dead lifting are especially critical for hard gainers because of the hormonal spikes affecting the entire body.
Stick to Compound Exercises
What is going to isolate more muscle fibers? A bench press or cable cross over? A military press or lateral raise? A chin up or bicep curl? A dip or tricep kickback? If you ever hope to get big muscles than compound lifts are not optional, they are mandatory. Stick to squats, leg presses, deadlifts, bench preses, barbell rows, pull ups, chin ups, over head presses, and dips.
If all you do is concentrate on building your puny muscles like arms and calves, then you will end up with exactly what you focus on #34; puny muscles!
Keep Your Rest Periods Honest
When was the last time you were in the gym and you watched the average guy time his recovery with a stop watch? Stop watches are not just for endurance athletes but should be used by every person who is serious about building big muscles.
Generally, the closer you lift to your one rep max, the longer the rest period and the higher the number of reps, the shorter the rest period. This is a crucial variable, which is often overlooked, yet will determine whether you create the correct training response.
For example, if you are training for maximal strength which requires at least 3-5 minutes rest between sets and you are only taking 2 minutes, you are not giving your nervous system an honest workout. If you are training for muscle size which requires shorter 30-90 second style recoveries but are gazing at the cute girl on the elliptical letting your rest periods carry over these ranges, you are not giving your metabolic system an honest workout.
Lastly, how do you know if you are truly stronger if you do not monitor your rest period? For example, let’s say last week you bench pressed 135 pounds for four sets of ten. This week you bench pressed 145 pounds for four sets of ten. Assuming the rest period was identical for both workouts, this is a tremendous improvement and a measurable sign of improvement! However, what if you took an extra minute or two between each set on the recent workout? This means that you did not actually become stronger. You just had a longer rest period!
Conclusion
You now know that building big muscles is not easy as showing up at the gym and throwing back a few protein shakes. Apply these three simple steps in your next program and I promise that you will start building brand new muscle all over your body!
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=841986

Not many people can afford to find the time to go to a gym every day, and not many people can afford to make lifetime down payments on gym membership fees.  But many people would in fact love to lose some extra weight; and even better, many people would love to lose that extra weight from the comfort of their own homes with the flexibility of times that are most convenient to themselves.  Investing in home-gym equipment therefore seems like one of the better choices to make in such a situation.  Deciding on the most flexible piece of gym equipment is just as simple  the treadmill is one of the most popular pieces of gym equipment since it affords one both cardio exercises as well as more vigorous aerobic workouts.  It is in effect the most flexible of all the types of gym equipments, and is best of all least specialized  anyone can use the treadmill.
Choosing the right treadmill therefore becomes quite as big an issue as losing the weight is, for with the right treadmill you would stand to benefit from great service with the least hassles or worry about regular maintenance and poor quality products.  The last thing you would want after all is to invest in a treadmill only to find six months after that the belt is no longer good or that the motor is on the verge of giving way.
Of course the biggest factor for most people when shopping for a treadmill would be the price issue.  The best equipments do not necessarily have to be the most expensive, but at the same time be wary of purchasing cheap stuff.  Check out the manuals and buyer ratings, and it is a good idea even before you go shopping to read some unbiased treadmill reviews to determine which are the best treadmills for sale on the market.
Another thing that you should be wary about when buying a treadmill is the size of the treadmill.  If you have a small home or a small working place where you plan to do your workouts then it makes absolutely no sense to buy an overly large piece of equipment.  Additionally it is very convenient to have a treadmill that can be easily disassembled in the event that you need to put it away after each use.  Likewise, it should be just as easy to assemble for use  if it is difficult to mount up and down then it is less likely to be used as often.
Finally, when buying a treadmill, make sure you get your money’s worth.  The treadmill should be comfortable to walk on, should have the ability for inclined slops for greater flexibility, and it should have a motor which can both function effectively and quietly for long periods of time on end.  Finally, and probably the most important, make sure that your treadmill has a good warranty.  This will save you a lot in the long run.
I will show you more Weight Loss latest info on www.tip4lady.com
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=842871

Most uneducated people say that weight lifting for women is a waste of time. They would comment that a woman’s body isn’t designed to handle heavy weights and grow. Men and women are different, but that doesnt’ mean that both sexes can’t achieve the same goals. Men produce far higher amounts of testosterone than a female, which will yield higher amounts of muscle growth. Females are still capable of using weight lifting to perfect their body.
Tip One: Instead of working out at home, get a membership at the gym. Most women tend to be self-conscious and they need to get over this. The gym offers the a variety of weights and machines to use. It also has an unlimited supply of information, from trainers to just ordinary Joe’s at the gym.
Tip Two: Doing compound exercises increase your chances of success. Compound exercises are ones that work a variety of muscle groups all at once. This would include exercises such as squats, bench press, deadlifts and bent over rows.
Tip Three: Try to keep your workout under 60 minutes. Anymore time than that and you risk the chance of hurting yourself, for very little reward. After the first 60 minutes your body has practically used up all its resources. Ideally, you’ll want to aim for 30-45 minutes to maximize your chances of success.
Tip Four: Routine, routine, routine. It doesn’t matter if you miss a day. It doesn’t matter if you cheat one day and eat at McDonalds. Your results will be determined by the long term routing you set for yourself.
With these tips, weight lifting for women becomes a much easier task and one that is more fulfilling. Remember that results aren’t instant, and you won’t see the effects of your workouts for months down the road.
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=843876

‘Exercise - [ek-ser-sahyz] - bodily or mental exertion, esp. for the sake of training or improvement of health’
As soon as you read that, your body twitched, you mentally thought ‘uuuuuuuurgh’, and you remembered your gym membership sitting in your cars glove box - used twice. (You not sure how to get there any more any way)
It’s totally understandable, very normal, and most people feel this way.
However.
Most people can go to the toilet just fine. You can’t.
If you’re reading this either you’re close to someone who has a prostate problem, or worse, you’ve got one right now.
The exercise is called the Kegel exercise.
The aim of Kegel exercises is to restore muscle tone and strength to the PC muscles (pubococcygeus muscles). They are used for treating prostate pain and the swelling resulting from Benign Prostateic Hyperlasia and Prostatitis. They also increase sexual gratification and can prevent/reduce pelvic floor problems (bladder and bowel control).
How you do this prostate exercise.
Male kegel exercises are NOT a “no pain, no gain” proposition. First time you’ve heard that huh? There should be no pain. So you’ve got NO excuses for this one. Read this male kegel exercise description and get started.
1) First, learn to feel your pelvic floor muscle. While you are urinating, stop the flow. The muscle you use to stop the flow is the pelvic floor muscle. Now that you can feel your pelvic floor muscle, you can start your male kegel exercises. How hard was the first part?
2) Simply contract the muscle and hold that contraction for the count of three. Do not contract to the point of pain, slowly release and relax.
3) Repeat the contraction and release five times, if you can, to begin with.
There, now you have done a set of kegel exercises. Gradually increase the number of repetitions in the set, without over-taxing your pelvic floor muscles. Repeat a set of your male kegel exercises three or four times a day and gradually increase the strength of the muscle contraction. This will help your prostate in ways that you can’t see, but your urination will improve.
As you were reading the male kegel exercise description, did you notice how ridiculously easy they are to do? Here’s some good times to do it; - Driving to work in your car - don’t feel guilty about wasting time anymore! - In the ads while you’re watching TV - or anytime while you’re watching TV actually. - In the shower. - At the morning meeting at work - your boss won’t have a clue! - While you’re lying in bed just before you go to sleep.
So go for it!! Strengthen your PC muscle and you’re on your way to a better prostate for life!
and now I’d like to invite you to sign up for my FREE newsletter on reducing and even eliminating the symptoms of your enlarged prostate without the use of surgery, drugs or side effects at http://www.betterprostateforlife.com. Daniel Tolmie: betterprostate@gmail.com
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=847297

Many Americans are obsessed with their health, but the United States remains a country of the obese. Obesity in the U.S. has taken the form of an epidemic, even though more information and more resources are available to us today than at any time in history. Why is this the case?
There are fitness facilities designed to meet the needs of people of all types and ages. Fitness centers exist for older individuals, young people, males, and females. There are fitness centers that are open 24-hours every day, facilities that provide day care and programs tailored to individual needs. It would appear that Americans would not have problems controlling their weight or improving their overall physical fitness with this wide array of choices.
Many fitness facilities even offer their new clients the chance to obtain an initial physical assessment, personalized training, and continuing consultations free with membership. Mothers with small children can take advantage of fitness centers that provide in-house day care facilities. If an individual feels uncomfortable exercising together with members of the opposite sex, fitness centers offer programs and classes for men only or women only.
Organized and instructor-based toning and heart health programs, such as Pilates and aerobics, are also offered by most health facilities. When joining a fitness center or gym, individuals are usually given a schedule of classes that are taught there and the times of the classes. Once a month, the facility will send out a newsletter and calendar providing updates on information about changes at the facility, classes, and other items of interest.
There is no reason that individuals cannot find a fitness center that suits them. The cost of a fitness program is generally not a problem because many employers provide free gym or fitness center memberships to their employees in order to reduce health insurance expenses and time lost on account of illnesses and injuries.
A healthy employee costs his or her employer about $1000 less every year than an employee who does not participate in a fitness program, according to researchers. If the employer does not offer a fitness plan, the monthly cost of membership in a gym will more than pay for itself in regard to maintaining better overall health. Individual medical bills will decrease, as will over-the-counter health needs, because exercise makes a body more capable or warding off germs.
Gyms and fitness centers nationwide are open every day to help people obtain better health and physical fitness. It is the responsibility of each person to take advantage of what they have to offer.
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=847757

There is no drug in current or prospective use that holds as much promise for sustained health as a lifetime program of physical exercise.
IN 1982, Dr. Walter Bortz II, a university professor of medicine, wrote the above words. Over the past 23 years, numerous health experts and organizations have quoted these words in books, magazines, and Web pages. Evidently, today Dr. Bortz’s advice is just as current as it was in 1982, and it is still widely accepted as sound and relevant. So we do well to ask ourselves, Am I getting enough exercise?’
Some have erroneously concluded that they do not need to exercise because they are not overweight. Obese and overweight people stand to benefit greatly from a regular exercise program, but even if you are not overweight, an increase in physical activity is very likely to improve your overall health and help prevent serious diseases, including certain types of cancer. Also, recent studies show that physical activity can reduce anxiety and may even prevent depression. The fact is, many who are slim suffer from mental and emotional stress, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and other conditions that are aggravated by a lack of enough exercise. Hence, whether you are overweight or not, if you lead a sedentary life, you do well to increase your level of physical activity.
What Is a Sedentary Life-Style?
How do you know if you are active enough? There are various opinions on what constitutes a sedentary life-style. However, most health experts agree on general guidelines that apply to most people. One explanation used by several health organizations is that you are sedentary if you do not exercise or engage in some vigorous activity for at least 30 minutes three times a week,do not move from place to place while engaging in leisure activities,rarely walk more than 100 yards during the course of a day, remain seated most of your waking hours, have a job that requires little physical activity.
Are you getting enough exercise? If not, you can start doing something about it today. But I just don’t have the time,’ you may say. When you get up in the morning, you are simply too tired. At the start of the day, you hardly have enough time to get yourself ready and get to your job. Then, after a long day, again you feel too tired to exercise and have too many other things to do.
Or perhaps you are among the many who start to exercise but quit after just a few days because they find it too strenuous, perhaps even feeling sick after exercising. Others shy away from exercise because they think that a good fitness program must include grueling routines of weight lifting, lengthy daily runs covering many miles, and carefully choreographed stretching sessions.See the box Lifting and Stretching.
And then there is the expense and the perceived inconvenience. Joggers need suitable clothing and shoes. For strength training you need weights or special exercise machines. A sports-club membership can be costly. Travel to the gym can be time-consuming. Still, none of the above need prevent you from leading a physically active life and reaping the health benefits.
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=852294

How many people know that they should be exercising but they don’t? Too many. That’s why obesity is such a massive problem along with associated health problems such as heart disease, sleep apnea and diabetes. Lots of people look for magic ways to lose weight but the fact is that simply eating better and exercising more is all you need to do. Some people are put off by membership gyms because they think that gyms are full of really slim and beautiful people and that they will look ugly in comparison. This is no excuse not to do any exercise however. If you have the space you should seriously think about buying some home gym equipment. This way you can sweat like a pig and no-one has to see you. However there are so many different types of home gym equipment sometimes it’s difficult to know which type to buy. However one type of exercise equipment you should consider is an elliptical trainer.
What is an Elliptical Trainer?
Elliptical trainers are also known as cross trainers and they are a fairly simple form of exercise equipment which is stationary. They provide a great cardio workout in the same way as a walk or job would give you. However there are added benefits for using an elliptical trainer with the main one being the fact that it puts a lot less pressure on your knees. When shopping for an elliptical trainer you will notice that there are two main types: ones with poles and ones without poles. Often it is recommended that you choose one that comes with detachable poles. The purpose of having the poles is that they allow you to work your upper body and not just your lower body. This allows you do work out your whole body and burn calories more efficiently.
When shopping around for an elliptical trainer you should think about a few things first of all, these can include the following pointers:-
What is your budget? There are many types of elliptical trainer all at different prices. You should always shop around for the best deal and even consider buying a second-hand model. All too often people buy treadmills, exercise bikes and elliptical trainers with the good intention of getting fit. However after a few weeks or months they get bored and end up selling them at a much cheaper price than what they paid. So this gives you a great opportunity to pick up a bargain, plus if you do decide to re-sell it, you’re probably more likely to get your money back on it.
What manufacturer do you want to choose? There are so many different manufacturers of elliptical trainers and these include Rebok, Proform, Life Fitness and Schwinn. Make sure you read up on product review sites about each company and also the different brands they have to offer. You might want to buy a branded unit or you could buy one which is cheaper but you haven’t heard of it before. Quite often you pay higher prices for branded goods because of the huge advertising budget these companies have. You might not necessarily be getting a better quality product.
How easy and comfortable it is to use. Each machine is built to different dimensions and standards. The only true way you are going to be able to determine what machine you prefer to use is simply to try it out.
If you are unsure about any details it is always a good idea to go to your local fitness equipment shop. This way you’ll be ale to talk to the sales staff about what you are looking for and see what is available. You don’t necessarily have to buy there and then, you can go back home and check on the internet to see what the best prices are.
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=853044

Most people would say that strength training for women is a no-no. They are quite wrong. The benefits can leave all women with very toned feminine bodies and added confidence from the power they will possess. Simple strength training for women is definitely a lifestyle all women should try.
The first thing that needs to be done is getting a membership at a local gym. Variety is the spice of life and the same thing applies to getting in strength training. Don’t be intimidated by the other people that are “skinny” or good shape. You are there to improve yourself and that’s nothing to be ashamed of.
Major Muscle Groups
Chest -Back -Legs(thighs, butt) -Core(Abs)
Minor Muscle Groups
Shoulders -Arms -Calves
Since strength training is hard on the body, you need to determine where you get the most bang for your buck. In this case you always want to start doing your major muscle groups. This allows you to work more muscles and eventually burn more calories this way. To add to that, you usually have to use your minor muscles to do your major muscle groups. Don’t waste your time doing tricep exercises, when you could be doing bench press.
Last part of this whole process is breaking it all up. You can’t goto the gym everyday and work the same muscle groups. Your body needs time to repair and this can take days. What you’ll want to do is break it up into sections that focus on major muscle groups and minor muscle groups.
For example:
Chest, Shoulders, Triceps -Back and Biceps -Legs and Calves
This is more than enough information for proper strength training for women. Just keep doing this on a regular basis and always switch it up, and you’ll have great results.
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=858384

The workplace has, in recent years for some become one of the unhealthiest environments in which to operate. Employees find themselves in pressure situations where they may be unclear of their job definition other than to appear busy and create a positive impression.
Motivation levels are very low and workers do what is necessary by agreeing, smiling and nodding heads in order to climb the corporate ladder. Employees in the United Kingdom work on average the longest hours per week in their main job (compared with the rest of the EU) and this holds for both men and women. Men’s hours range from 39 per week in Belgium and the Netherlands to 42 in Greece and 45 in the United Kingdom. Women’s hours all fall in the range 36 hours (Italy) to 41 hours (United Kingdom).
This issue needs to be addressed in order to improve the state of “corporate health”. According to statistics, over 2 million people are suffering from an illness or injury which they believe is caused or made worse by their current or past work (Health and Occupation Reporting Network).
An overwhelming 97% of senior HR professionals believe that stress at work is the biggest threat to the future health of the UK workforce.
Stress and musculoskeletal injuries are the most common cause of absence in business, and according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, staff on average cost an employer £567 EACH per year in lost earnings through absence, although this figure could actually be tripled when the indirect costs of sickness in loss of sales, reduced customer service and lower productivity are taken into account.
Some 32.9 million working days are lost annually from people taking time off due to their illnesses.
The Cost of Back Pain: Over 1.1 million people in the UK experience musculoskeletal disorders caused by work, with an estimated 12.3 million days lost annually because of this.
The Cost of Work Related Stress: Stress is a natural reaction people have to excessive pressures placed upon them. While not an illness itself, if it is prolonged or intense it can lead to mental and physical ill health. This can include depression, back pain or heart disease.
In the United Kingdom as many as one in five people are suffering form high levels of work related stress (that’s around 5 million workers). Around half a million individuals report experiencing stress at a level they believe made them ill. This results in approximately 13.4 million working days lost per year.
What Can Be Done? Studies have shown that not only does exercise keep you looking and feeling your best, it helps boost energy and concentration, therefore making you much more productive at work. According to an MSNBC report, 60% of workers that participated in a recent British study indicated that taking an “exercise break” during the day boosted their time management, mental performance, and ability to meet deadlines. Researchers found that exercise provided a performance boost of up to 15%. It also improved worker’s overall mood at the end of the day. The type of exercise, the duration, and the intensity didn’t seem to matter. The effect was observed over a wide range of activities including yoga, strength training, and aerobics. We recommend taking a couple of small 15-30 minute breaks during the day is a great way to renew your focus, concentration, and energy. This is especially true for creative knowledge workers who have to concentrate intensely for long periods of time over the course of a typical workday. Exercise is a great activity for break time because it not only gives you an immediate energy boost, but it also helps you release stress and deal with job pressures. Some activities to consider during your breaks include light stretching or talking a stroll outside. If you’d rather not sweat too much while at work, you can save more intense physical activity for lunchtime (when you can shower) or after work.
Corporate wellness programmes are a growing sector within many businesses to promote the physical health of employees for the purposes of increasing productivity and reducing absenteeism.
The format of most programmes usually involves health checks, seminars and cut priced gym memberships. This service is a huge step in the right direction and should be promoted to all businesses. Although this alone may make an employee feel upbeat about their job for a little longer it doesn’t really address the real issues.
Research has suggested that nearly half of all Brits blame the demands of the workplace for preventing them from getting to the gym, so what use is a cut price membership if you can’t find the time to exercise??
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=859557

Just imagine if you could replace a room full of weight machines with one piece of fitness equipment without it costing you an arm or a leg! Well adjustable dumbbells might just be the solution you have been looking for.
Adjustable dumbbells are one of the best investments you can make in your home gym. If you still need convincing, check out the following 5 reasons why you need to grab your own adjustable dumbbell set.
1. Range of exercises
One of the main advantages of dumbbells over traditional weight machines is that you can perform a number of different exercises without changing machines. You can easily change from doing bicep curls to tricep kickbacks just by changing your body position. So instead of buying 4 different machines to get a total body workout you just need one adjustable dumbbell set.
2. Price
If you look around today, you could easily spend thousands of dollars on different pieces of exercise equipment just to work different muscle groups. Surprisingly you can get a set of adjustable dumbbells for only $200-$300 depending on the weight of the set. Considering the range of exercises you can perform, this is fantastic value for money!
Compare this price to your local gym membership and you will quickly see why this is such good value.
3. Convenience of adjustability
This is what makes adjustable dumbbells so great and what differentiates them from traditional dumbbells. By using a simple quick change pin you can instantly change from one dumbbell weight to the next. Think of it like a pin loaded weight machine but with dumbbells. Because you change the dumbbell weight with a pin you don’t need a room full of dumbbells which can get in the way and cost a lot of money.
4. Space
Unlike traditional dumbbells which need a dumbbell rack and lots of space to store, adjustable dumbbells sit on a stand so can be tucked away in the corner of a room. That way you can leave more space for the larger fitness equipment like ellipticals or treadmills.
If you have been putting off building your home gym because of a lack of space you now have no excuse!!
5. Maximum Muscular development
Dumbbells, also known as free weights, are the best for maximizing muscular development. Because they are less stable than machine weights, you have to use more muscles (stabilizing muscles) to help support the weight and exercise with proper form. If you have every tried performing both a traditional bench press and a dumbbell press you’ll know that using dumbbells are a lot harder.
A person who can bench press 200lb x 8 reps with a traditional bar might only be able to do 160lb (80lb per hand) x 8 reps with dumbbells simple because you have to work harder to stabilize the weight.
So there you have it. What excuses do you have now? Make a smart decision and put adjustable dumbbells at top of your home gym priority list. keywords: fitness, weight loss.
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=864674