This is the type of exercise that gets your heart pumping. Examples are running, walking, cycling, swimming or rowing. In addition to keeping your heart and lungs healthy, cardio exercise will help you to burn off body fat.

Research confirms that regular cardio exercise helps to regulate the appetite, helping you to automatically stop eating once your body no longer needs calories.

Cardio exercise also conditions the heart and lungs, boosts your immune system and helps to prevent disease. Cardio improves blood flow through your arteries and even encourages your body to build new capillaries.

Because your blood carries energizing oxygen and nutrients to every cell in your body, cardio also gives you more stamina for everyday life.

A final benefit of cardio exercise is that it provides people with a fantastic mood boost. You could consider it to be natural medicine for the mind.

Cardio Frequency

You should set the goal of performing three to four cardio sessions per week. Each session should last between twelve and sixty minutes, depending on your goals and your experience.

The longer the time you exercise, the more calories you will burn. A good average is to shoot for 30 minutes of cardio exercise per session, four times per week.

What Type of Cardio?

You should try to incorporate as much variety into your program as possible.

One day you might go for a 30-minute walk with your friends. On another day, you may choose to do a 30 minute YouTube aerobics session. Then, on the next day, you could run on the treadmill or exercise on an elliptical machine.

When you change up your workout, you will be able to target different muscle groups, increase your fat burning and boost your motivation.

So, what is the best form of cardio exercise?

The answer is the type that you will do – consistently.

Regardless of the type of cardio that you choose, so long as you get your heart rate up, you will benefit from this type of exercise.

When selecting your exercise of choice, though, focus less on the number of calories that each type of cardiovascular exercise burns and more on how you personally feel about each type of exercise.

The type that you enjoy the most will be the type that you do consistently. And consistency is the single biggest factor that leads to success.

Let’s now take a look at the various benefits that you will receive from each of several types of cardio exercise…

#1 Walking

Walking is a great entry exercise for beginners. You hardly need any equipment or expertize to do it. In addition, the majority of people are able to walk without discomfort – this can be the factor that helps many people get into a regular pattern of exercise.

#2 Jogging / Running

Jogging burns more calories per minute than walking does, making it a very efficient fat burning workout.

To slowly progress from walking to jogging, add a one-minute jogging burst for every ten minutes of walking. Once you can do that, add two minutes, and then three until eventually, you are jogging for nine minutes with just one minute of walking.

#3 Swimming and Water Aerobics

If you have arthritis, bad knees, a bad back or any type of pain in general, the pool can be your best friend. Water takes the weight off your body, allowing you to move pain-free.

But above all, swimming is widely known to be the best form of cardiovascular exercise, and has so many physical and mental health benefits associated with it.

#4 Bike Riding

Whether you are on a stationary, spinning or road bike, cycling provides a great calorie burning workout.

Cycling helps tone your entire body, especially the belly, legs, and thighs. It is also easy on the knees. Above all, I think it’s a fun activity to do!

If you have a bad back or are overweight, consider buying a recumbent bike, which allows you to lean back as you pedal.

#5 Skipping Rope

This very challenging, efficient calorie-incinerating workout is perfect for people who can’t exercise outdoors because of weather or safety concerns but who also have limited space inside for movement.

If you have trouble coordinating your arms with your feet, start by skipping without the rope and then add the rope later. For variety, try small jumps, large jumps and jogging with the rope.

Look up some great rope workouts on YouTube to help you get started.

#6 Stair Climbing, Elliptical, and other Cardio Machines

Whether you use them at home or at the gym, exercise machines can make working out much more convenient.

Maybe you’ll like to watch TV or distract yourself as you work out on the stair climber, treadmill or rowing machine. These machines also allow you to exercise indoors during inclement weather.

Cardio on the ball

You can get a great cardio workout on a fitness ball.

A fitness ball allows you to perform everything from sitting and bouncing on the ball to ball taps, tummy tucks and ball jacks, which are basically bouncing jumping lacks from a seated position on the ball.

With a little imagination, you can incorporate a fitness ball into any traditional aerobic-dance move. And, with a little more imagination, you’ll be able to dream up a whole slew of new cardio on the ball options.

You can do these movements as your official cardio for the day, running through and repeating the series as necessary until you have completed 12, 24 or more minutes.

You can also intersperse these moves into your toning routine, creating a fun circuit workout that will keep your heart rate up the entire time.

Ball Exercises

Ball Tap

This exercise requires a certain amount of trust. Just give it a try, but if you feel wary of this move, try it first on the carpet, which will hold the ball steady, or with the ball against a wall.

1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips. Place the ball about a foot behind your lower legs. Cross your arms over your chest.
2. Inhale, bend your knees and sit back onto the ball. As soon as your hips touch the ball, exhale and rise to the starting position, as if the ball were too hot to sit upon. Do this slowly at first. As you get used to the motion, you can move more quickly. Repeat up to 12 times.

Tummy Tucks

This challenging move will really boost your metabolism. It targets your lower abs.

1. Start in a push-up position with your shins on the ball and your hands on the floor under your chest. Positioning the ball so that your thighs are against it makes the exercise harder. Firm your abs and lift your hips so that your back is flat.
2. Exhale as you tuck your knees in towards your chest, moving the ball along the floor as you do so. Inhale as you return to the starting position. Continue to tuck and then uncoil up to 12 times.

The post Designing Your Own Cardio Routine appeared first on Fit Simplify.

The vibrant growth of wellness and healthy eating has changed how people eat. This also means that more people are thinking about what they are putting inside their bodies, instead of simply eating whatever they see. From hot trends such as vegan burgers to smoothie bowls, plant-based nutrition has taken off with the power of jet fuel. 36% of consumers have purchased plant-based food, according to statistics cited by the Plant-Based Foods Association. Protein-focused nutrition continues to soar to new heights with celebrities such as Kim Kardashian West swearing by protein-rich meals in order to lose weight and look good. In this dossier, you are going to understand all of the benefits of plant-based nutrition and protein-focused nutrition in order to choose the right nutritional plan for you. You can use this dossier as a guide before you talk to a professional dietician or nutritionist.

The Power of Plant-Based Foods

We all know that the secret to a healthy and toned body is the right nutrition. Whether you are a fitness novice or a gym superstar, you have to use food to fuel your body to reach new fitness heights. Plant-based foods can help to fuel your body in a way that hasn’t been seen before. More Americans are seeing the benefits of plant-based food. US sales of plant-based food in 2017 increased by 8%, according to FoodNavigator-USA. The easiest way to start your plant-based journey is by creating smoothies.

From nutrient dense fruits such as papayas and mangoes to superfoods like avocados, there are many ways that you can create smoothies that are nutritious and deriving of healthy plant-based sources. When you are creating smoothies, always look for plant-based options if you like thick, dairy-inspired smoothies. Instead of using cow’s milk, you can opt for rice milk and almond milk. You wouldn’t be alone either. American consumers love almond milk – sales have exceeded more than $1 billion since 2014, according to research cited by the Plant-Based Foods Association.

When you are creating smoothies, you still need to watch out for portions and calories. Just because you are doing a plant-based diet doesn’t mean that you can forget the power of calories in, calories out. Smoothies are known for being rich in vitamins and minerals, but they can also be heavy in calories which can make you put on weight. If you are creating the smoothies yourself, you should be weighing the fruit and vegetables that you are using in the smoothies so that you can work out the calories that will be in each serving.

Pros & Cons of plant-based nutrition

Will a plant-based diet help you when you are doing intense resistance band exercises? Will it help you build muscle? These are questions that you can answer by understanding the pros and cons of plant-based nutrition.

PROS

• Consume fewer calories: Protein-based foods are rich in calories while plant-based foods tend to have lower amounts of calories depending on how much you are having in a serving. If you are on a specific weight loss journey, a plant-based diet can help you consume fewer calories in your daily diet as long as you are counting your daily calories. Even if you aren’t trying to lose weight, you should have a healthy balance of calorie intake (2,000 for women, 2,500 for men). You can reach calorie intake goals by having a plant-based diet.
• Enrich your body with vitamins and minerals: One of the most popular benefits of plant-based nutrition is the fact that many plants are enriched with nutrients that help to make your body healthy and strong. If you want healthy body cells, food such as cauliflower and broccoli need to be included in your diet.
• Decreases blood pressure: Keeping your blood pressure low is critical if you are going to be healthy and do well in the gym when you are doing a wide range of workouts. Many types of plant-based foods include potassium. Potassium is key to decreasing blood pressure. Blood pressure can make you feel tired, worried and fatigued. The less tired you are, the more energy you have to commit to the gym and to your life in general.
• Decreases the risks of diabetes and colon cancers: A huge element of plant-based diets is how they help to decrease the risks of diseases such as colon cancer and diabetes. Diabetes, in particular, can have devastating effects on people and their families and it can totally change how someone lives a life. Plant-based foods help to minimize this risk.

CONS

• Protein consumption can be low: To have a healthy and fit body, you need protein intake to be considerable. It can be really difficult to get plenty of protein in your plant-based diet if you don’t know what you are doing. If you are going to go on a plant-based diet, you have to be laser-focused to ensure that you are getting protein from other sources. For example, you can get protein from chia seeds, peanuts, and soy milk.
• Low in Vitamin B12: There is no way around the fact that plant-based nutrition plans will always be low in Vitamin B12. You can only get this vitamin from a variety of animal products. Vitamin B12 has tons of benefits including helping you to feel more awake, less tired, more alert and keeps your brain strong and healthy. If you don’t plan on including some animal products in your diet, you will have to find a solution for including Vitamin B12 in your diet.
• Low in iron: You need to have iron in your diet that is easily absorbed by your body. If your diet is low in iron, you will feel tired and it can also make you feel moody. Plant-based diet plans tend to be low in absorbable iron.

With these benefits and downsides, you can see that plant-based nutrition is complex. It suits people who either want to try something different or want to decrease consumption of animal products. Whether it is right for you depends on how important its’ benefits are.

Does plant-based mean I can’t eat meat, poultry or fish?

You can include meat, poultry, and fish in your plant-based diet but you need to be calculated and these 3 animal product segments have to form a minority percentage of your diet. Many people think that plant-based nutrition means that you cannot have any animal products ever again. This isn’t true – only a vegan diet is devoid of products derived from an animal. A plant-based diet is neither vegan nor is it vegetarian. It lives in the middle.

The best way to look at this is to include specific animal products that you cannot live without. For example, if you are trying to grow muscle and you are constantly in the gym doing supercharged resistance band workouts, you are going to need rich sources of protein such as chicken to fuel these workouts. You could include chicken and fish in your plant-based diet but give up red meat entirely. One idea that we like at Fit Simplify is if you really cannot give up animal-based foods, opt for only one choice between fish, meat, and poultry and stick with it. This will allow you to be part of the plant-based movement while still giving your body the protein requirements that it needs.

Popular plant-based foods to include in your diet

Get inspired today with the list below of plant-based foods that you can start using in your meal plans. This list isn’t exhaustive but you can use it as an inspiration list to begin your plant-based diet journey or to improve your current plant-based diet if you are already doing it.

• Nuts & Seeds such as peanuts, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds and cashews
• Quinoa
• Oats
• Buckwheat Flour
• Plant-Based Butters such as almond and peanut
• Spinach & Kale
• Seaweed
• Avocado
• Squash
• Mushrooms
• Milk such as coconut milk, almond milk, and rice milk

The Soaring Demand for Protein-Based Nutrition

Protein-based nutrition derived from animal products shows no sign of slowing down. The average American consumer will eat more than 200 pounds of meat and poultry in 2018, according to data by the US Department of Agriculture as mentioned in this Seattle Times article. Despite the growth of wellness and plant-based diets, meat consumption reigns supreme in the US and many parts of the world. If plant-based diets are so popular, why is meat consumption increasing? There are many reasons but as global populations rise, the desire and need for meat will only increase. Changing fitness trends towards wellness and lean physiques also make protein more popular. Even though not all sources of protein are from animal products, there is a standard image that a protein-rich diet has to include animal products.

Pros & Cons of Protein-Based Diets

Let’s look at the benefits and risks of protein-based diets that are based on animal products.

PROS

• Animal proteins are stronger: While some people think that plant protein is enough, one thing to note is that plant protein are not fully complete because they lack amino acids. Animal proteins have amino acids. Amino acids are critical to the health of your body because they help your body to work properly. Look at amino acids as the oil that keeps a car’s parts well lubricated and functioning. You need your body to be strong and healthy especially if you are someone who likes to do intense arm and glute workouts with various equipment such as resistance bands. Your body has to be able to handle the pressure of working out and it can do this by being strong.
• More omega-3 fatty acids: If you want a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, you need to incorporate a protein-rich diet from animal proteins. Omega-3 fatty acids are like trophies of health and fitness. They help with so many things relating to human health such as helping to lower the onset of depression and helping to lower body inflammation, according to WebMD. You can find omega-3 fatty acids primarily in fish such as wild salmon, sardines, and tuna. If you are trying to build a solid fitness regime, you have to include omega-3 fatty acids in order to keep your body healthy and strong.
• Poultry can help to decrease stroke: Including poultry in your diet instead of processed red meat is one good way to get protein and it can actually decrease the chance of getting a stroke, according to a study cited by Healthline. The study found that people who ate poultry instead of red meat in one portion every day had a 27% decreased chance of getting a stroke.
• Decreased chances of heart disease: A study showed that people who ate poultry and fish had a lower chance of suffering from heart disease. A healthy heart is a central key to being successful with your varied gym workouts. Whether you are trying to be lean or you want to crush your latest resistance band workout, your heart needs to be in tip-top condition. By decreasing the chance of heart disease, your heart can function properly to reach your health and fitness goals.

CONS

• Animal protein diets can be calorie-heavy: If you are exploring an animal protein diet, you need to be vigilant about counting calories whether you are eating at home or going to restaurants. If you are relying on just meat, poultry and fish but you aren’t measuring your food or counting calories, you can end up putting on weight. This isn’t ideal if you are trying to create a clean fitness regime for your lifestyle.
• Processed red meat is dangerous: Having a protein-based diet means that you need to avoid processed red meat. This type of meat is linked to increased risk of getting a stroke and dying early. Avoid processed red meat at all costs if you want your body to be healthy. Processed red meat includes ham and sausages.

What if I am trying to build muscle?

Healthy animal protein is ideal if you want to grow your muscles. Chicken is a popular source of protein for people who are trying to build lean muscle in the gym. It’s more popular than processed or unprocessed red meat because it is healthier and it helps grow the muscles in your body when you are consuming it without carbohydrates and within a focused fitness routine that includes cardio, strength training, and resistance band workouts. You should avoid fried animal protein so this means no fried chicken or fried seafood.

Popular animal protein foods that are healthy for your diet

Finding protein sources derived from animals that are healthy isn’t difficult because we have collected a list of animal protein foods that you can include in your diet. It’s always better if they are cooked in healthy oils such as coconut or avocado oil. These animal protein products include:

• Eggs
• Lamb
• Veal
• Pork
• Beef
• Snapper
• Trout
• Tilapia
• Wild Salmon
• Cod
• Grass-Fed Meat

Plant-Based vs Animal Protein – It is up to you

The most important thing to know about nutrition is that everyone is different. The rise of the health and fitness industry has meant that a wide variety of diet and nutrition plans have gone mainstream including paleo, Whole 30, 5:2 diet and Atkins. Whether you are passionate about eating plant-based food or you love the texture that animal protein rich diets give you, ultimately you have to decide on what works for your body. Some people love the feather-light feeling that plant-based foods give their bodies. Other people like how animal proteins make them feel full without putting on extra pounds. A balance between plant-based and animal proteins is the best option for putting on muscle and sculpting a lean physique that will make you stand out in the gym.

The post The Complete Guide to Plant-based Nutrition vs Protein-focused Nutrition appeared first on Fit Simplify.

What is clean eating?

Clean eating is simple – you eat healthy food such as fruits and vegetables that are cooked in a way that is fresh and you completely avoid processed packaged foods. You also avoid refined and added sugar in all of your meals and snacks. This means when you go to your local grocery store, no more packaged foods that you have come to love such as cereal, canned soup or chips. By eating clean, you are going to avoid the pitfalls of eating in general such as relying on processed food. You should also cut down on eating out because you don’t know if all of the food in restaurants you are going to is made fresh or if it is processed.

What foods can I eat when I am doing clean eating?

The following list isn’t exhaustive but it is meant to guide you and give you an idea of the types of foods that you can expect to eat. You have to look at food as a way to nourish your body, not overload it. Popular foods that you can have when doing clean eating include:

• Avocado
• Cucumber
• Oats (remember, no added sugar, not even brown!)
• Mango
• Pineapple
• Papaya
• Fruit Juice (it’s absolutely fine as long as you don’t add sugar)
• Blueberries
• Kale
• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Green Tea
• Salmon
• Chicken (prepared yourself)
• Eggs
• Pumpkin
• Sweet Potatoes
• Bell Peppers
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Apples
• Edamame
• Lean Turkey
• Low-Fat Greek Yoghurt
• Whole-Wheat Flour
• Almonds
• Flaxseeds
• Cauliflower
• Walnuts
• Whole-wheat pasta
• Millet
• Quinoa
• Milk
• Cheese
• Shellfish
• Nut Butters
• Chia Seeds (to put on top of smoothies and drinks)
• Unsweetened black tea (yeah guys we told you, it isn’t going to be easy!)

The key thing to remember is the foods need to be cooked naturally and no added sugar is allowed. Even if you are desperate for a sugar fix, you cannot add sugar to any of your meals and you should also be decreasing salt intake as well. The

How does it work week by week?

On the weekend before the next week, you should create a meal plan for each day. You should know what you are eating every single day so that you avoid the temptation to reach for packaged food. Be strong from Monday to Friday, and allow yourself some leeway on Saturday and Sunday so that your body doesn’t feel deprived of any type of food that it may want. You should have a goal when it comes to clean eating. Are you focused on losing weight? Do you want to get in shape for a fitness competition? Do you want a complete lifestyle change? Once you can answer these questions, you will understand how to make clean eating work for you.

How can I become good at meal prep?

The critical element of clean eating is you need to prepare your meals as part of having a successful meal plan. Different people prepare in different ways. Some people like to prepare ahead of time every 3-7 days. Other people like to prepare two days in advance. The first thing that you need to do is think about the key meals of the day such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner and create small meals that you can spread out throughout the day. As you become a clean eating pro, you will find that eating smaller meals throughout the day gives you more energy and allows you to reach your fitness goals. You can get good at meal prep by looking at social media accounts such as Instagram and by searching for tips online. We also have a dedicated meal prep article that you can read here to get even more help.

Can I have a ‘cheat day’?

Everything in moderation is a solid mantra to follow when you are doing clean eating. You shouldn’t be too military in your approach to clean eating without giving yourself a break every now and then. Some people love cheat days, others love cheat meals while some people enjoy cheat weekends. Find the one that works for you and integrate a ‘cheat’ day once per week, this seems to be the approach that works for everyone.

How much will it cost?

Clean eating isn’t cheap. You need to buy fruits and vegetable that are fresh, you need to buy containers to store food ahead of time and you need to get into the habit of cooking meals at home with different ingredients. Over time as you learn how to do clean eating properly, you will see how you can save money. For example, instead of buying plastic containers that look coop because of influencers from Instagram, you should choose food containers where you can buy 2 and get 1 free for example, depending on the offer that the retailer is offering. Another way you can save money with clean eating is by making a budget that you stick to every week or month so that you can achieve your goals.

Clean eating can help you on your fitness journey by inspiring you to nourish and treat your body to the best food the Earth has to offer. Take care of your body from the inside in order to see results on the outside.

Clean eating checklist

Use this checklist to get the best results when you are doing clean eating.

• Block out Sunday late afternoons to do meal prep
• Regularly change your food containers to keep hygiene levels high
• Look for deals online to buy the most affordable food containers for meal prep
• Write your clean eating grocery list before you go shopping
• Always have soups and broths during your meal prep to give yourself a break from fruit and vegetable plates
• Drink water regularly between small meals
• Snack on pre-cut vegetables to avoid getting processed snacks

The post The Ultimate Guide to Clean Eating appeared first on Fit Simplify.

7 Amazing Tips To Lose Weight That You Need To Follow ASAP

1. Understand that your calorie intake is connected to weight loss

There is no other way around it. If you eat more than your daily recommended calorie intake every day for a prolonged period of time, you will put on weight. It is that simple.

Women can eat up to 2,000 calories per day as long as the diet is balanced. Men can eat 2,500 calories per day. If you start overeating and exceeding your daily calories, your body will not be able to burn excess calories that quickly and you will notice weight gain after a period of time.

How can you effectively manage calorie intake? There are tons of apps that are free that you can download or you can write down your daily calories in a notebook. Virtually every food product you buy in a grocery store will have a nutritional label that explains how many calories are in each serving based on weight (ounces/grams).

Some people don’t like going to the gym or doing too much exercise. If you are one of these people, you need to watch your calorie intake like a watchman to ensure that you don’t overeat to spur on the weight loss process.

2. Eat your calories, don’t drink them

It can be tempting to make your diet meager when you are trying to lose weight because you want quick results. This sometimes means drinking liquids instead of eating solid food. It’s okay to have a healthy smoothie here and there but don’t exist only off smoothies.

Nourish your body with fruits and vegetables such as avocado, papaya, and mango in your daily diet. Not only are they more filling than meal replacement shakes, they won’t put pressure on your weight loss goals as long as you have them in the right portions for your weight loss goals.

3. Do unique exercises that help with weight loss

As you lose weight, you will notice your body changing. If you lose weight too quickly, you will have excess skin. The best way to benefit from your weight loss is to avoid getting excess skin in the first place and lose weight slowly. You can then top up your weight loss with workouts to target areas that visibly show your weight loss such as abs, arms, and glutes.

You can use resistance bands to tone your body as you lose weight because resistance bands help to make you look leaner, slimmer and more defined.

4. Ensure that you drink water

Water is the elixir of humankind that keeps us alive and helps us to feel refreshed and energized. If that wasn’t enough, studies have found that it can help to increase your metabolism if you have it before eating. When you are doing your workouts, keep yourself focused by drinking water. It will always enhance your weight loss journey by helping you burn more calories.

5. Don’t forget about green tea

Not everyone loves green tea but the fact is green tea will help you lose weight faster if you include it in your diet. The science behind green tea is rock-solid. Green tea is enriched with catechins which put weight loss in overdrive. Catechins achieve this by pushing your body to burn calories by giving your body more energy, according to research.

If you don’t like how green tea tastes, you need to look for better tasting options because it is indispensable in helping people lose weight in a healthy way.

6. Decrease sugar in your diet

You know how glue sticks to anything like *that*? Well just replace glue with sugar in your body and you can get an accurate visualization of how sugar acts in your body. It can also convert into fat if you consume excess sugar and your body doesn’t know where to store it so it becomes fat, and it adds weight to your body, according to an explanation from the University of Utah.

You can opt to cut out sugar completely or make drastic changes to your consumption of sugar. Some people aren’t big on sugar but for those who love adding extra spoons of sugar in their tea or drinks, you need to decrease white sugar intake if you want to lose weight. You can substitute white sugar with honey to still add sweetness without compromising weight loss.

7. Don’t overload your body with white starches

Carbs taste good. Carbs give us energy. Too many carbs in your diet can also make you overweight if you don’t know how to monitor them. You should be calculated about the types of carbs that you are eating. Try and decrease your intake of pasta and pizza (not every day!) and be measured about foods laden with flour. You don’t have to give up bread – just opt for wholegrain options instead of white bread.

Follow these top tips to start your weight loss journey today or to add to your current weight loss success. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram to let us know how you are doing.

Weight Loss Checklist

To stay on the right track, save or print out this weight loss checklist. You saw it here at Fit Simplify first:

• A calorie-counting app on your mobile phone
• Set an alarm clock for eating times to avoid overeating
• Log in your daily calories in your phone or a spreadsheet
• Purchase affordable fitness equipment to tone up your weight loss results (such as resistance bands and ballet bands)
• Drink one glass of water every day
• Buy a quality scale to weigh yourself

The post How to Lose Weight In A Healthy Way appeared first on Fit Simplify.

#1 Remember that your dream body starts in the kitchen

There is no way around it that you need to watch what you eat if you are going to have a body that is ready for the beach or the fitness stage. This means choosing the right nutritional diet for you, choosing clean eating or creating your own healthy diet that will allow you to shape your body to your specifications.

#2 Do HIIT workouts with resistance bands

HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts are ideal if you are trying to get fit. Add extra tension to your muscles by using resistance bands as well which will help you get results quickly.

#3 Do at least 30 minutes of cardio per day even if you don’t want to

We know that it is annoying having to work out every day especially if you don’t like going to the gym. You need to do at least 30 minutes or more of cardio every day if you are going to make your body transform.

#4 Stretch before you run

Don’t overexert yourself and ensure that you do stretching first before you start running.

#5 Increase the incline on the treadmill

Push yourself when it comes to running by increasing the steady incline of the treadmill. Your body will get bored easily so it is critical to constantly push yourself.

#6 Control your portion size

Don’t overeat when you are on a fitness journey.

#7 Build your muscles by having a protein-rich diet

Protein helps your muscles to grow.

#8 Drink green tea to help with weight loss

Look for organic green tea options to boost weight loss.

#9 Workout at home

Use resistance bands if you are working out at home or if you don’t like going to the gym frequently.

#10 Don’t overspend on gym equipment

You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on gym equipment. Simply look for affordable gym tools such as resistance bands to get the ball rolling.

#11 Use a notebook to monitor your daily food intake

Writing down what you eat can stop you from overeating.

#12 Document your fitness journey on social media

Social media can help keep you accountable.

#13 Burn belly fat by eating healthy fats

Look out for avocados as a source of healthy fat.

#14 Only train your abs 2-3 per week

You don’t need to go overboard with your abs.

#15 Don’t do workouts more than one hour long

Don’t overexert your body.

#16 Do sit-ups

Do these to get a chiseled stomach.

#17 Go swimming

Swimming is a fun cardio exercise that you can do without having to go with other people.

#18 Go hiking outdoors

Being outside is a good way to get bursts of oxygen into your system through fresh air.

#19 Go jogging outside

If you are busy, jogging in the early morning is a good way to start the day.

#20 Decrease eating out

Restaurant meals are loaded with salt. To get in good shape, start decreasing big meals.

#21 Work out even if you don’t want to

Don’t fall for laziness as an excuse.

#22 Don’t let bad weather put you off

Go to the gym even if it is raining.

#23 Don’t deprive yourself

Cheat meals or cheat days can still work to remind your body of what tastes good so you can stay focused while eating well.

#24 Be determined

Know what your goals are so you are focused to achieve them.

#25 Do workouts with resistance bands to make specific muscles pop out

Dedicated workouts that we show on our Pinterest boards highlight the versatility that resistance bands can give you.

#26 Use light exercise bands to get toned legs

You can use resistance bands when you are doing squats if you want toned legs.

#27 Eat clean

Clean eating is critical if you are going to sculpt a ripped body.

#28 Decrease alcohol consumption

Alcohol can make you put on weight.

#29 Try diets like the ketogenic diet to get more energy

It’s easier to get the body of your dreams if you are focused on increasing your energy levels.

#30 Lift weights

To make muscles pop, you need to lift weights regularly.

#31 Do Pilates with resistance bands

This can help you sculpt your body faster.

#32 Integrate resistance bands with your yoga workouts

Use bands during yoga for an extra application of healthy pressure.

#33 Do core training

To get the aerodynamic body of your dreams.

#34 Don’t exercise when you are sick

Give your body a chance to heal.

#35 Pay for a personal trainer

In an ideal world, pay in advance so that you won’t be able to flake on it.

#36 Prep your meals

You need to prepare meals in advance if you are going to eat healthily.

#37 Eat meat

Meat is ideal if you want to grow your muscles.

#38 Choose organic, grass-fed options

If you are going to eat meat, always go for meat that comes from organic grass-fed cows instead of farmed animals. This meat is healthier.

#39 Sleep for at least 7-8 hours

The more sleep you get, the better you will feel to do workouts.

#40 Go dancing

Dancing is an excellent way to get your body in shape.

#41 Focus on getting toned arms

Arms go a long way in making your body look defined.

#42 Decrease sugar intake

If you want a flat stomach, you need to cut down on white sugar.

#43 Go to the gym with a friend

It can help to decrease loneliness and encourage you to work out more.

#44 Use resistance bands to make thighs toned

Sleek thighs look amazing especially if you get them in shape with resistance loop bands.

#45 Play tennis

Tennis helps to make you more alert.

#46 Do boxing

Boxing can help to make your muscles stronger.

#47 Avoid processed foods

Sugary and processed foods in the supermarket are the bane of anyone who wants a chiseled body.

#48 Always write a list of food you want for the week

Don’t forget to write a weekly shopping list to keep yourself accountable.

#49 Stay away from white bread

If you want bread, always go for brown or wholegrain options.

#50 Swap sour cream for salsa

This is a better way of getting vegetables if you don’t like them and you don’t have the extra calories from sour cream.

#51 Track your calories

It’s really important to know how many calories you are eating.

#52 Eat nutrient dense food

Look for food rich in nutrients so that you feel full without putting on extra weight.

#53 Plan your gym workouts

It’s critical to know exactly when you are going to work out.

#54 Go walking if you are new to exercise

Doing something is important if you are going to create the body that you want.

#55 Eat your calories, don’t drink them

Always look for healthy options to eat, instead of existing on drinks.

#56 Drink water

Stay hydrated throughout the day especially if you are working out.

#57 Change your lifestyle

If you want the body of your dreams, create a new lifestyle.

#58 Don’t be a couch potato

Just lying down on your couch won’t get you your dream body. Stay active.

#59 Choose healthy meals in restaurants

Always look for healthy food in restaurants.

#60 Do random sprints quickly

These can help you lose weight.

#61 Indulge in Greek fat yogurt

This is a healthy option for people who are trying to change how their body looks.

#62 Do before and after pictures

This will keep you accountable to reach your fitness goals.

#63 Go cycling to and from work

Bicycles will help you make your legs lean.

#64 Look for sugar alternatives

Maple syrup and stevia are your friends.

#65 Start a blog

To monitor your weight loss or body sculpting challenges.

#66 Drink plenty of tea

Tea is rich with antioxidants which help to burn fat.

#67 Do squats to get toned legs

Have at least one rest day per week.

#68 Have healthy snacks

These help to curb hunger.

#69 Do cardio and weights together

This will help you get toned and sleek.

#70 Plan cheat meals ahead of time

You should have cheat meals that are planned not impulsively chosen.

#71 Write a list of body goals that you want to reach

Keep your goals in a notebook or on your phone.

#72 Integrate resistance bands in gym workouts

Choose super strength resistance bands if you plan to use them in the gym.

#73 Make your arms pop with tone by using pull-up bands

Go for specific pull-up workouts to isolate this muscle group.

#74 Have realistic goals

You should always focus on what you can achieve.

#75 Give yourself enough time to transform

Your body needs about 6-8 weeks to see obvious changes.

#76 You have to want to change

If you are going to get the body you have always wanted, you need to be ready to be the change that you want to see.

#77 Do the Plank

This exercise always gets the job done for body transforms. You can add resistance bands for something extra.

#78 Do Burpees

These help you burn calories and get rid of belly fat.

#79 Listen to music as you work out

Music can help keep you busy as you do exercise.

#80 You can still eat out just forget the carbs

Go for a burger but forget the bun or French Fries on the side.

#81 Don’t have heavy meals

Opt for light meals.

#82 Choose sparkling water

Instead of soda, go for sparkling water to feel fulfilled.

#83 Choose between dairy or sugar

If you are going to make your body look good, you need to choose one of these two food groups to cut out.

#84 Be wary of salads

They can be loaded with calories. Always cook your own salads.

#85 Mix up your fitness routine

So that your body doesn’t get bored.

#86 Indulge in vegetables instead of salty snacks

Snack on cucumbers that have been pre-cut.

#87 Don’t buy foods that will make you overeat

Know what your triggers are to avoid over-eating which will hinder your body transformation.

#88 Work out during your lunch breaks

Go to the gym during your lunch break if you forgot to go in the morning.

#89 Go hard during morning workout sessions

It’s better to work out in the morning so you have the day to yourself.

#90 Do your workout routine for several weeks

You can’t expect to get a rock-hard body if you don’t stay consistent.

#91 Have rest days

Give your muscles time to repair.

#92 Shape your booty naturally with resistance bands

You can use resistance bands in booty workouts to get the alluring shape that is all the rage right now.

#93 Know that your diet is more important

Don’t overdo your workouts and eat badly. You need to take your diet as seriously as you do your workouts.

#94 Don’t have too many sugary drinks

Sugary drinks are going to make you crash. This will not help if you are trying to get in shape.

#95 Eat nuts

Nuts are rich in protein which helps you feel full.

#96 Stave away hunger with balsamic vinegar

Pour a little of this on a salad to keep hunger pangs away.

#97 Don’t forget to cooldown after a workout

Give your muscles a break when you are done exercising by cooling down gently.

#98 Weigh yourself

Know how much you weigh – you can weigh yourself 1-2 times per week.

#99 Don’t drink large cocktails

They are packed with calories and can act like a speed bump to your body transformation journey.

#100 Change your exercise routine frequently to test your body

To see real results, you need to try new things with your fitness routine. Add resistance bands to give extra spice to your workouts.

With these 100 fitness tips, you can start the journey to sculpt the body of your dreams or to polish your current physique to get to where you want to be.

The post 100 Fitness Tips to Sculpt Your Body appeared first on Fit Simplify.

They help you with stretching

Stretching is one of the most important activities that fitness enthusiasts need to do yet many of us have probably been guilty of starting one workout without stretching. If you want to add some flavor to your workouts, use resistance bands when you start stretching so that you can bring out specific muscles before your workout begins.

Creates definition in your body

Making your muscles pop out in a soft or hard way is a goal for many people who are fitness enthusiasts. Whether you want to build your thigh muscles, glutes or biceps, you should use resistance bands every other day to start seeing a difference in the muscles in your body. You can choose from a variety of strengths from light bands to extra strong bands that are ideal for supercharged workouts.

Improves your endurance

Being able to endure various things in your fitness regime is critical if you are going to improve your stamina and transform your body. Resistance bands, depending on their strength, assist you in your goal of increasing your physical endurance so that you can reach higher physical strength goals.

Resistance bands can be used in group workouts

According to research, around 44% of fitness enthusiasts do exercise with at least one other person. If you are one of the people that like working out with friends or fitness buffs, the multiple resistance bands that come in one pack will suit you and your friends. By working out together you can feel more inspired to do better workouts and you can learn new ways to use your resistance bands.

Become lean with fitness bands

Resistance bands are a critical element for people who want to get lean, toned bodies. For men, this is likely the body of a soccer player while for women, this tends to be physiques of yoga or Pilates fans. If you want to be lean, you need to use resistance bands. These bands are able to isolate specific muscle groups which helps you create a lean, aerodynamic silhouette that you can’t achieve by just bulking up or simply focusing on your diet.

Makes you physically stronger

If you are someone who wants to improve your physical strength, you can use resistance bands on the following three key areas:

• Arms
• Legs
• Lower Body

By focusing on these three areas, you will be able to improve your body’s strength by tailoring specific resistance band workouts to the areas.

Resistance bands make you bootylicious

Celebrities such as Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, and Kim Kardashian West have made having a sculpted derrière something that is desired by a wide range of women. If you want to sculpt your dream booty, resistance bands will make your booty toned and plump while creating a solid shape that looks appealing in clothing such as jeans, pants, and skirts. You can use some of the booty workouts that we regularly post to our Pinterest board or you can follow us on Instagram to get booty resistance band ideas so that you can get the shape that you want naturally. Resistance bands shape your booty because they add extra pressure to your squat and glute workouts in a way that tests your body without being too tough on you.

Makes you your own personal trainer

One reason why resistance bands are growing in popularity is that they allow you to be your own personal trainer. They are quick and easy to use and you can carry them anywhere so you don’t have an excuse to avoid going to the gym. You can even do a quick workout during your lunch-break if you are so inclined.

Affordable

The gym and fitness market in the US is worth $27 billion, according to research. It’s clearly a hot market with plenty of consumers looking for options that will suit their goals and dreams. One amazing benefit about resistance bands is the fact they are affordable and budget friendly. This is not a super expensive home treadmill that is going to take up tons of space in your home and cost you a lot of money. Our various price points for our resistance bands mean that any person can afford to buy it without breaking the bank. The more affordable fitness equipment is, the more likely it is that more people will have the chance to lead healthy and stable lives.

Can be used with various workouts and diets

Whether you are currently doing the keto diet or you are a fan of yoga, Pilates, and aerobics, you can use resistance bands to supplement your fitness regime. You don’t need to stop or change your nutritional plan and you can still carry trying new diets such as Paleo or the 5:2 diet. You can make adjustments to how hard you train with resistance bands depending on how much healthy food you are eating. If you are trying to get in shape for a black-tie event or a fitness competition, you can use resistance bands in a rigorous way to supplement your current fitness regime. If you are simply trying to look lean and healthy, you can choose the light resistance bands to achieve this look while doing food plans such as clean eating.

With these 10 incredible benefits of resistance band usage, you can start your fitness journey today to discover the limitless power that your body has. Even if you are already a fitness pro, resistance bands add that extra oomph that your body is looking for to push yourself. The sky is the limit when you integrate resistance bands into your life. Check out our shop page to find the best set of resistance bands for your own workout needs.

The post The Benefits of Using Resistance Bands appeared first on Fit Simplify.

Why work on defining your abs?

Choosing this part of your body is a great choice if you are just starting out on your fitness journey, or if you are already some way along the path. Why is that?

• It’s a great place to begin your body shape journey as it’s easy to take start and progress measurements and photos. You will be able to increase your motivation too as you see rapid improvements.
• Abdominals are recognized as one of the fastest results areas – just search on any fitness sites and you will see that in just a short space of time, following the right plan can yield swift and visible results.
• Defined abs can be targeted without lots of very expensive fitness equipment or gym memberships. Controlled body movements or simple additions like resistance bands are the number one way to a trim tummy.
• There are so many exercises to choose from so you’ll never get bored of working on defined abs. This will help you go the course, as you can keep changing your game plan and keep up the interest levels. Of course, it allows you to also crank up your effort levels one notch at a time for continuous and visible improvement.
• Stabilising your abs makes an immediate impact on what your shape looks like and what clothes you can wear, and this goes for men and for women.
• The broader health benefits of strong abs are vast. Given that abdominals are part of the core group of muscles, there are great health benefits to having defined abs. Benefits of improved core strength include looking amazing, improvements in all of the posture, digestion, and breathing, better athletic condition, and a reduction in the risk of lower back pain. It isn’t called the core for nothing, and everything radiates outwards from this part of our bodies.
• Looking like your favorite star never came this close: think Pink, Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears or even Ryan Reynolds and Channing Tatum.

What exactly are abs?

Abdominal muscles are those part of the core that is found mainly at the front and middle of the lower torso. Whilst creating a strong core should be part of an overall fitness plan, understanding what constitutes your abs is a good step in the right direction.

Abdominals are a group of muscles within the core which each play a role in overall body health through the prevention of injury and sculpture of body form.
Probably the most well-known abdominal muscle is the rectus abdominus. A vertical muscle, it runs from the ribs down to the pubic bone. It is responsible for the ‘washboard’ effect.

On either side of this are the external obliques. They form a V-shape across the front of the trunk. They allow rotation of the torso and compression throughout the abdomen. The internal obliques sit below and at right angles to the external obliques. They work in tandem with them to create a sleek silhouette.

The transversus abdominis is the deepest in the group. Wrapping horizontally around the trunk it ‘corsets’ the body and supports respiration. The hip flexor group of muscles are not technically in the abdominals but do contribute as they bring together legs and torso.

Now we know the why’s and where’s of abs, we need to clear out the clutter and learn what exactly are the steps to a trim belly.

Ten steps for defined abs

1. Stop believing in fairy tales

The first step is to stop believing in urban legends and listen to some tight ab truths.

• Lower abs alone cannot be isolated. Given there are different sections in the overall abs, there are also different ways to train them. There is no single magic wand. Abs work as a team and you need to train the whole team.
• You cannot eat your way to flat abs. Of course, you need to uncover your abs by losing that belly flab which may mask them, but diet alone cannot reveal and define abdominals.
• If you keep your belly button tucked in all day you will end up with tight abs. Core stabilization and control is part of a good exercise plan, but as with other body parts, keeping your abs tight at all times will not give you a six-pack.
• Bigger is not better. Massive movements, like 80’s-style aerobics, are not what is required here. Small and controlled moves are what will help you to well-defined abs.
• You can’t have your cake and eat it. The choice between carbs or abs may be a challenge for some, but the good news is it doesn’t have to be a battle. The right kind of carbs, such as whole grains, can be part of an ab-friendly diet.
• Abs aren’t the be all and end all. Being part of the core means that a holistic approach to body conditioning will be the one with the best results. Engaging all the muscle groups one at a time will yield overall results.

2. It’s not all about the crunches

Whether you are a fan of boot camps, stability and resistance training using balls and bands, or are your gym’s most valued member, when you think defined abs, crunches will almost certainly come to mind. Crunches are neither everyone’s favorite exercise, nor are they the most effective. Done incorrectly they can strain your lower back. Traditional crunches also only work the front and side muscles of the abs. And let’s face it, they can get pretty boring. Anything that can amp up the muscles worked and the interest levels have got to be good.

Adding variation into crunches with rotation is a great resistance band tip. Another training tip is to introduce planks. Planking uses up to twenty muscles, including the rectus and transverse abdominal, which makes it a star compared to the seven used when crunching. This higher bang for your buck means increased calorie burn as well as muscles worked. You can also use resistance bands with your ab workouts to make them pop out even more while still looking natural.

3. It’s not all about lying down either

Yes, you can define your abs standing up. The incentive here is increased motivation through variety, higher caloric burn as you are not lying supine, again the activation of more muscles, and better posture to boot. Some great vertical abs exercises include:

• Standing bicycle – Engage your abs as you stand with hands clasped behind head. Contract your abs as you lift the left knee and aim towards the right shoulder. Repeating twenty times before switching sides is recommended. Incorporating a resistance band between the ankles can also ramp up the muscle gain of this exercise.
• Extended toe touch – Stand on one leg with the same-side arm straight overhead and the other leg behind you above floor level. Scoop the rear leg forwards bringing your raised arm down to meet toes as you draw in your belly button and repeat ten times before alternating on the other side. Again, introducing a resistance band between ankles could really increase the muscles worked.
• Stepping chop – Standing with ankles together and your resistance band around them, and your arms overhead with hands clasped, step out widely to one side. As you step out, bring your arms down in a sweep towards the stepped-out leg then take them back up to the opposite side. Try twenty reps per side.

Include resistance bands with unique workouts if you want to get the results that you want. Don’t be afraid to include pull up bands with your workouts that specifically target your abs.

4. Twist and rotate

Rotational exercises are certainly the key to your core. Engaging the whole range of motion means they engage all the abdominals.

The Russian twist is certainly a classic ingredient in this recipe. Balanced on your butt, with legs bent at the knee so feet are just off the ground, grasp a resistance band between your hands as if you were holding a double-ended paddle. Now go paddle! Twist your way upstream for up to twelve reps. A fun way to work out here is with a partner. Sit back to back with knees bent. Lean back until you feel your abs are engaged but not so you touch your partner’s back. Hold a ball just in front of your chest. Both turn to the same side to pass the ball and then return to the center line as you inhale. Repeat on the other side for twelve reps and throw in some pull up bands for an extra dimension of strength.

5. Sixth, Include cardio in the plan for abs definition

One of the best things about working on a flat belly is the self-reinforcing way in which you get to see pretty quick results. This is especially true with the right sort of exercise. Combining internal stability moves which target the muscles identified above, with some intense minutes, say thirty of them, three times per week has been shown to dramatically improve results.

High-intensity cardio, such as HIIT uses much more energy released from fat. Sprints, shuttle runs or beep tests can be done anywhere, as can burpees, jump rope, or speed skater lunges. Thirty seconds followed by thirty seconds rest for about twenty to thirty minutes is recommended.

6. Eat for a flat stomach

Love handles or pooch, call it what you will, are only going to work against all your hard work creating defined abs. Smart choices in how to fuel your engine not only allow your body to take energy requirements from the right sources (think: fat loss) but can also help abs definition with reductions in water retention.

Combine fresh fruits, leafy green vegetables, beans and pulses, nuts, and the healthier fats and lean proteins, and your diet will provide the energy and recovery mechanisms for exercise and draw out what your body no longer needs.

7. Engage all your abdominals

Paying attention to upper abs, as well as lower abs, and obliques will all bring results. A mix of exercises targeting all these in a circuit is a sure-fire way to sculpt defined abs. Think exercises which involve sit-ups or crunches, as well as reverses, twists or side-planks, any boat poses or V-ups for a whole range of movement. You can integrate light or super strength resistance bands for your oblique workouts if you want to engage every abdominal muscle that you have.

8. Think abs when doing any sort of exercise

You can get a double whammy whenever you workout, not just doing an abs circuit. During each movement, bring your focus to what your abs are doing. If you are doing gentle movements like yoga, draw in your belly at the end of each motion as you exhale. When in a faster-paced class, or if you are lifting weights, remember to address your abs through the right form, an elongated spine, and tucked-under tailbone. During lower body moves like squats and lunges, focussing on your pelvic floor will actually fire up your abs. Even during a spinning class, fire up your abs with a one-minute plank for better alignment and engagement. This is also the type when you should integrate resistance bands to add some flavor to your workouts.

9. Focus on your abs at any age

Make the most of your body shape, metabolism, hormones, and lifestyle, and use what works best for your abs. For example, in our twenties, whilst higher levels of estrogen mean the body is less likely to store fat around our middle, college parties and late night eating and drinking can be a more destructive force. In our thirties, careers, and for women babies, can all get in the way of focus on flat abs. The good news this isn’t irreversible. And hard work in that decade helps to hit the forties with good muscle tone to develop and maintain defined abs.

10. Be creative in your exercise, not routine

One of the best aspects about the abs is their ability to respond, so go ahead and talk to them. Look for exercises such as the crab walk, the abs snail, and the dead bug, if you want to be really creative. Engage them and they will join in the conversation! Creativity will always shine when you include resistance bands that you can get for every strength such as light or super strength.

The post How To Create Defined Abs appeared first on Fit Simplify.

Think again. Pull up bands, with their ability to provide graduated tension and resistance through both the positive and negative phases of the movement, have the features you need to hammer your biceps and triceps into submission. Throw in the versatility factor and resistance loop bands will allow you get in a great arm session anytime, anywhere.

In this article, we present you with a twenty-minute biceps and triceps routine that will add strength, size, and definition to your arms no matter where you happen to be.

Arm Anatomy

The upper arms consist of two distinct muscle groups; the biceps at the front and the triceps at the back. As the name suggests, the biceps consist of two muscles, which are referred to as the long and short head. These two muscles work together to contract the bicep, pulling the forearm up and rotating it outward. the triceps is a three-headed muscle. These are known as the long, lateral and medial heads. The main function of the triceps is the extension at the elbow. The triceps account for two thirds the size of the upper arm.

The Exercises

Angled Triceps Pushdown / Band Curls

Anchor your loop band above your head and grab it with an overhand grip with your arms at the level of your sternum. Step back from the anchor point a couple of inches and bend at the waist so that your torso is at about a 45-degree angle to the floor.

Now straighten your arm behind you down and back to perform a triceps pushdown. Keep your elbows in at your sides as you perform this move. In the fully extended position, your hands should be slightly behind your body.

For your first set, do 20 reps. Then move directly to the band curl which will be super set with the angled triceps pushdown (that means no rest whatsoever between sets).

For the band curl, you will need to anchor the band in a low position. Grab the sides of the band with an underhand grip and step back about two feet from the anchor point. With your elbows in at your sides, curl the band up to a full contract biceps position so that it comes to your shoulder level. Squeeze the biceps as hard as you can in the fully contracted position and then slowly return to the start position. The negative part of the exercise (returning the band to the start position) should take twice as long as the positive part (lifting the band).

Perform twenty smooth reps on the band curl.

After your first super set, go to a slightly higher resistance on both exercises and perform two sets of 10 on each exercise. Finally, go back to the original band resistance and do a final set on each move of 15 reps. These reps should be done in a faster pumping motion while ensuring that you still maintain good form.

Preacher Band Curl / Overhead Triceps Extension

Anchor your band at about the height of your shoulders and stand away from the anchor point at a distance of a couple of feet. Grab the ends of the band with a neutral grip. Now bring your arms up to the back of your head with elbows bent.

Concentrate on forcing the elbows together as you raise your arms to a straightened position overhead. Imagine that you have a basketball between your elbows and have to keep it from falling.

Perform 20 reps and then immediately go to the preacher band curl. Using the same anchor point, face toward the anchor point and grab the band ends with an under grip. Stand back so that your arms are stretched out horizontally. Now curl the band up to your shoulders. Be sure to keep your elbows high as you do this exercise.

Follow the same set pattern as on your first super set. Remember to rest exactly 60 seconds between super sets, then do two sets of 10 reps with a heavier resistance band and finishing with a pump out set of 15 reps on each move.

Single Arm Band Curl / Single Arm Pushdown

With our third super set we will be isolating the arms one at a time. The first move, the single arm band curl, focuses on the long head of the triceps to help bring out the peak of the muscle. Anchor the band at the level of your elbow and face away from the anchor point and about two feet in front of it. Grab the end of the band with a neutral grip (thumb up). You should be far enough away from the anchor point that the band is fully stretched and your straightened arm is reaching back with the hand about six-eight inches back of your body.

From this position, curl the band up to a full contraction. The only movement should be through the forearm (do not allow the elbow to travel forward). As you curl, supinate at the wrist so that your thumb goes to your side and your pinkie is on top. Squeeze the biceps for all they are worth in the top position.

Do 20 reps and then repeat with the other arm.

The second part of this super set has you doing the single arm pushdown. Set the band up with a high anchor point and stand side on to it. Grab the band with your outer arm and step out so that the band is taut when you are holding it at chest level with a bent arm.

Keeping your elbow in at your side and locked in position, straighten the arm down to full extension. Do 20 reps on each arm.

The same pattern of sets should be followed as with your previous supersets; 20 reps on the first set, then two sets of 10 with an increased resistance and a final pump out set of 15 reps.

Workout Summary

Super set #1:

Angled Triceps Pushdowns /

Band Curls                                     4 x 20/10/10/15

Super set #2:

Preacher Band Curl /

Overhead Triceps Extension          4 x 20/10/10/15

Super set #3:

Single Arm Band Curl /

Single Arm Pushdown                    4 x 20/10/10/15

Perform this arm workout once per week as a stand-alone workout. Remember to work hard to increase your resistance week by week. This may involve going to a heavier band, but you can also change your distance from the anchor point and your grip position on the band to make the exercise harder. Just don’t sacrifice good form in the pursuit of added resistance.

The post Killer Arm Workout Using Pull Up Bands appeared first on Fit Simplify.

It’s 2018 and yet the prevailing view still exists that resistance band training is not real resistance exercise. If you can’t get your hands on a barbell and a pair of dumbbells, they will make an o.k. substitute, most people believe. But, if you want to get serious about working out then you need to ditch the bands and start pumping some ‘real’ iron.

In this article, we challenge that notion head-on. In the paragraphs to follow, you will discover that, when it comes to resistance training, it shouldn’t be a matter of either or between bands and free weights. Both of them are fantastic workout tools, with unique advantages and disadvantages. By knowing how to use each one to its maximum potential, you will be able to design the best, most productive workout for you.

Similarities Between Free Weights & Bands

Both resistance bands and free weights offer progressive resistance training. One of the most important principles of building muscle is progressive overload. As you get stronger, you need to be increasing the resistance that you are lifting in order to continue making progress. Unless you keep challenging the working muscle, it will refuse to adapt.

When you are working out with free weights, you can simply use heavier and heavier dumbbells or put more plates on the end of the barbell. You can do a similar thing with resistance bands. Not only are there different color-coded resistances within a band set, but you can also stack bands together to create an unlimited number of resistance options.

Both resistance bands and free weights also allow for variable speed. That means that you are in control of the speed of every phase of the rep. You can go slower on the negative or, if you wish, use more explosive positive speed. This allows you to be in command of another key variable for building muscle – time under tension. This is the total amount of time in each set – and in the entire workout – that your muscles are under tension.

A third similarity between free weights and resistance bands is that they both provide free range of movement. When you exercise on machines, you are usually locked into a fixed plane of movement. With free weights, this is not the case so that you have a greater range of choice as to the precise direction of your movement. This allows you to bring into play a lot of small muscles that act as stabilizers thus allowing for greater development. Resistance bands allow you the exact same free range of movement that you get with free weights.

Differences Between Free Weights and Resistance Bands

Resistance bands provide you with variable resistance. This is not the same thing as the progressive resistance that we discussed in the last section. Progressive resistance is all about going heavier as you get stronger. But variable resistance means that the amount of effort needed to perform the exercise changes over the course of the repetition. When you are doing an exercise such as a biceps curl with a resistance band, the more that the band stretches as you curl it up, the harder it is to move. This is not the case with a free weight. It weighs the same no matter where it is situated in the course of the rep.

You can also vary the resistance that a band provides by adjusting its working length. As an example, let’s use the biceps curl. If your feet and hands are close together you will decrease the resistance capability of the band. But if you have wide feet and place your hands at shoulder width you will be decreasing the working length of the band, the effect of which is to increase the resistance.

Variable resistance makes the rep more challenging and allows for a peak contraction on an exercise that you normally do not get with free weights. The muscles in your body are at their strongest point around half way through a rep. At the beginning of the rep, they are at their weakest point. This means that bands follow your natural strength curve more closely than do free weights.

Free weights only provide you with resistance in the vertical plane. You lift them up and gravity brings them back down. Unless you are in a position where the weight is resisting gravity, you do not have an exercise. However, you do not have this limitation with resistance bands. You can anchor the band to any base and you will get resistance in any direction you choose.

Another advantage of bands over free weights is that they provide you with constant tension throughout the entire range of motion. With a lot of dumbbell exercises, there is not a lot of resistance at the top of the exercise. Think, for instance of the alternating dumbbell curl. At the start of the movement, there is not much resistance. Then, as you begin curling the effort increases until it reaches a peak at the midway point. But after that the resistance decrease until, at the top of the movement, there is virtually no resistance at all.

When you use bands, however, there is constant tension on the working muscle, from the beginning of the rep, right through the mid-point and to the peak contraction at the end.

A big advantage of resistance bands over free weights is that they prevent you from cheating by using momentum to get the weight up. A lot of free weight users use momentum by swinging at the start of a rep, or through the tough mid-point, in order to get the weight moving. When you work out with bands you cannot swing the weight or use momentum to keep it moving. That means that you can’t cheat, which makes the exercise more effective.

The fact that you cannot cheat by using momentum when you train with bands makes them a great option for doing explosive resistance training. With bands, you will never have to worry about momentum.

An obvious advantage of bands over free weights is that they are cheap and portable. You can pick up an entire gym’s worth of exercise options for around fifty bucks – and will all fit into a portable carry bag!

Conclusion

The above discussion should have dispelled your concerns about being able to get a great workout in with just resistance bands. If you are looking to build muscle with bands, I suggest doing 8-10 slow reps, with a focus on a 2-3 second negative and then finishing the set with 3 or 4 explosive reps.

In future articles, we will provide you with specific body part band workouts to allow you to discover for yourself just how band training can be used to allow you to create the body that you deserve.

The post Resistance Bands VS Free Weights: A Critical Analysis appeared first on Fit Simplify.

Unless your training regimen is founded upon the SAID principle, it’s likely that you’re going to end up spinning your wheels. In this article, we discover how you can utilize this scientific principle to fast track your training gains.

What is the SAID Principle?

SAID is an acronym that stands for…

Specific
Adaptation
to
Imposed
Demands

The SAID principle simply states that the way you train is the way you will perform. This includes the angles at which you train, the muscle contractions you impose and the speed at which you train. Your training, then, needs to be in harmony with your desired outcome.

A simple example of the SAID principle in action can be seen by comparing the training of a sprinter with that of a marathon runner. The sprinter will train with explosive plyometric exercises that are of short duration, performing exercises will simulate the actions his body goes through during the 10-20 seconds that he is actually performing a sprint. As a result, he will improve his sprint performance.

The marathon runner, on the other hand, will focus on long distance endurance type training in order to build up his running time and to improve his cardiovascular response. The majority of his training will be spent running long distances. There would be little point in his training at a 1600-meter distance.

Now, if you took the sprinter and placed him on the start line of a marathon, he would probably not perform that well, just as the marathoner would more than likely be less than impressive as a 100-meter sprinter. This is the SAID principle in action.

Implications for Training

In order to be able to apply the SAID principle, you need to know what the end goal of your training is.

• Do you want to get bigger muscles?
• Is your goal to improve your vertical jump for basketball?
• Do you want to lose 5 inches around your waist?
• Are you set on smashing a baseball out of the stadium?

Until you identify what you are training for, you cannot select the exercises that will get you there.

The SAID principle tells us that in order to achieve the greatest gains in our ability to perform a chosen task, most of our training time should be spent performing that task or tasks that are extremely similar to it. That means that a swimmer is better off swimming than he is running on the treadmill. In fact, a 1975 study showed that swimmers showed no improvement in VO2 max when running the treadmill.

If you are training in the gym or at home for a sport, you obviously want the effort you expend there to pay off on the field. Yet, the first word in the SAID principle is specific. Unless your exercise mimics your sports performance exactly, there will be a drop off in effect.

According to Sports Scientist Matthew Wright, 100 hours of endurance running will produce a similar effect to just 10 hours of actual cycling training for a cyclist. In other words, 90% of the effect will be wasted!

So, how does all of this actually affect your exercise choice? Well, if you are basketball player, the majority of your training time should be spent on the court. When you train in the gym or at home, you should concentrate on exercises that simulate as closely as possible the ways your body moves when it is on the court. This may involve an emphasis on plyometric type movements, squat jumps, and explosive stop/start sprinting.

Resistance Training Applications

Anaerobic exercise, such as performing bodyweight or weight resistance exercise, produces specific adaptations in the body which are very different from the adaptations produced by aerobic exercise. However, within the category of anaerobic training, there are specific ways to perform an exercise that will result in different outcomes. If, for example, you are training to increase the size of a muscle you will want to train it differently than the person who is training for maximum strength.

This is an area where a lot of guys get mixed up in the gym. Simply put, they forget what their training goal is. Often, those with the goal of building muscle get caught up in the obsession with lifting more and more weight, with the result that their exercise form breaks down.

The loss of form and the focus on weight is counterproductive to the muscle builder. In order to produce a hypertrophic (muscle building) response, the weight needs to be controlled by the target muscle and the overload should not exceed 80% of the trainer’s one rep max. The SAID principle assures us that sloppy form and the obsession with weight will not get the desired results.

The SAID principle also makes it clear that there is little carry-over benefit between a strength training lift and a skill on the sports field. There will be some carryover but not as much as you might think. Think of a football linebacker.

You might think that the best use of a linebacker’s training time would be on heavy lifting, such as the bench press and squat. However, the SAID principle tells us just the opposite; the majority of his functional training should be spent in explosive activities on the field, not in the gym.

Of course, a football linebacker needs to be strong, so there is a need for exercises like the bench press. But the bench press is not the same as a block on the field. If he is following the SAID principle, the athlete will spend around 70% of his training time on the field, and just 30% doing resistance training.

The Best of Both Worlds

Many skills that you perform on the field can be replicated with resistance exercises, with the added bonus that you are able to add extra resistance. The effect is that you will be getting stronger in the specific range of motion that you use on the field. Resistance bands are an excellent means of facilitating this response.

Resistance bands allow you to replicate many of the moves involved in sports, including a golf swing, baseball strike, and boxing punch. In addition, you are able to progressively increase your resistance over your training cycle. This makes using resistance bands to simulate your sports action a great way to apply the SAID principle.

Another exercise, which at first glance looks like a great adjunct exercise, is sled dragging. If you are using this exercise for fat burning, endurance training or improving your V02 max, it is a smart option. But it’s not so good as a sprint training exercise.

Your goal as a sprinter is to improve speed, yet sled dragging will slow you down. It will also cause your dynamic movements to change; your normal sprint action will be altered. When we apply the SAID principle we see that sled dragging will not enhance sprint performance.

Conclusion

The SAID principle is the foundational principle of exercise programming. It states that the body will specifically adapt to what is being asked of it. It’s why Usain Bolt is very unlikely to win the Boston Marathon – he’s not trained to do so.

The SAID Principle, though simple, has profound effects on the way you train. Here are the key take-home points:

• Know specifically what your training goal is
• If you are training for sport, spend as much time actually doing the skill as possible
• When training for a skill in the gym, choose exercises that simulate the movement as closely as possible
• If training for muscle size, don’t get obsessed with moving weight (a powerlifting outcome) but focus on muscle contraction

How do you apply the SAID principle in your training? For example, how much of your training time do you spend on skills performance as opposed to auxiliary exercises? Let us know in the comments section below.

Sources

http://athletics.wikia.com/wiki/SAID_Principle

https://www.bettermovement.org/blog/2009/0110111

http://www.exrx.net/ExInfo/Specificity.html

The post Applying the SAID Principle to Your Training appeared first on Fit Simplify.