Friday, October 22, 2010

4 Ways to Exercise for the Body You Always Wanted

Everyone wants to have healthy muscles, whether model-type, athlete type, or even body-builder type. There are many exercises, as well as equipment you can use to help you achieve this goal. Here are some of the equipment you can use to get that muscles you have always wanted:

girlexercise
photo credit: forladiesbyladies.com

Exercise using free weights
There are lots of exercises using free weights that significantly help you gain muscles. Strength training, which is the type of exercise that lets you build up muscles, includes programs using free weights. Although weights are not the only option for you, using such equipment are very effective in bringing stress to your body that lets you gain muscles. What distinguishes free weights from other strength training equipment is that it is not attached to a machine. It is practically portable wherever you want to do your exercise, except of course for the bigger and heavier weights. Examples of free weights include dumbbells, barbells, stacks, and bench presses.

When using free weights, you must know how much weight you can bear without injuring yourself. Do not start with heavy weights. Go with lighter weights first and apply increments after a few days or weeks of training. Do not do weight lifting, or resistance and strength training in general, everyday. Give your body time to recover since your muscles grow most when it is resting from stress. That means, muscles are built up when recovering from resistance training exercises. Fitness experts usually advise you to do resistance training thrice a week to give your body time to rest and do cardio exercises on your other vacant days to help burn fats faster and make your muscles more visible.

Train with fitness machines
Fitness machines are usually readily available in your gym. If you have the determination and the time, as well as the budget and space at home, you can always get one for your home program. The problem, however, is that most of these machines are expensive and can be bulky and difficult to install. Nowadays, more training machines are developed to be foldable and portable, yet they still function similarly as your gym machines. More inexpensive, yet quality versions of these equipment, such as the alternatives of Total Gym 3000 are also being introduced in the market to accommodate those with lesser budget.

These training machines usually involve pulleys, T-bars, and more. Unlike free weights that make use of gravity, these machines build up your muscles by allowing your body to resist a certain force. These types of equipment are advisable if you are a beginner since they can better prevent accidents and injuries as in the usual case of barbells. You can also adjust the mode of resistance you want to apply to your body, as well as the range of motion.

Make do with other resistance training equipment
Resistance training is an exercise program that enables you to increase your strength as well as reduce your fats by building up your muscles. Aside from free weights and fitness machines, you can make use of other resistance training equipment to gain muscles. These equipment are usually specific for the different parts of your body you want to build muscles on. Examples include exercise balls and elastic bands.

Do not forget to use your own body
The cheapest and most practical way to gain muscles is to do resistance training using your own body. If you do not have a machine at home, this is the best alternative for you. Although best suggested to supplement your regular workout program, using body weight can greatly help in building your muscles, especially if you work hard on it. There are, however, some people who find it hard to use this type of exercise as their body weight could be too much for them to bear. If you are overweight or you are just starting out, it is better that you try lighter free weights and fitness machines first. Body weight exercises that let you build up muscles in certain parts of your body include push-ups and body crunches.

The use of these different equipment actually depends on the look you are aiming for and the body part you want to focus. What is also important is that you have enough rest and sleep, as well as proper diet. Lastly, you need to be focused and determined to achieve your goal. After all, nobody brings out the best in your body than yourself.

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