Benefits of Resistance Training

Resistance training are exercises which both strengthens and challenges the muscles. While cardio workouts are intended to boost metabolism by burning calories, resistance training is intended to work the muscles to fatigue so small tears will then form in the muscle tissue. The body then has to repair these tears, which will then build muscles. Other names for it include weight training and strength training.

There are a variety of tools that can be used to get in a great strength training workout:

*Machines

*Dumbbells

* Kettle Bells

* Free Weights

* Bars

* Resistance Bands

* Body Weight

An effective workout that pushes your muscles to fatigue at least 2-3 times a week can deliver great benefits, including these 5:

Increased Lean Muscle Mass

When you work your muscles to complete fatigue, you create those small tears in the muscle, which will stimulate the strengthening of the muscle causing an increase in lean muscle mass.

This doesn’t mean you will look like a professional weightlifter, but it does open the door to the rest of the benefits highlighted here.

Faster Metabolism

The more lean muscle mass that you have in your body, the faster your metabolism will pump. The faster your metabolism pumps, the more fat you burn during as well as in between workouts. Those with faster metabolism have a much easier time losing weight and burning fat. Resistance training can in fact help you lose weight faster!

Your Best Curves

As you strengthen your muscles, you will see changes in your body’s shape. Your curves will start to come out more, which means prominent, firm muscles on a man and a curvy, firm figure for a woman.

It’s important to note that shapely curves and firm muscle is not the same as the oversized muscles of a professional weightlifter. It takes extreme measures to look that way, so don’t worry if that isn’t the look you are going for! You will simply look shapelier and well toned instead of flabby and soft.

Smaller Appearance

Bodies that have more muscle look smaller than other bodies with larger percentages of fat stores. Put two women who weigh the same and are the same height beside one another, and the one who has a more toned body will look smaller and wear a smaller pant size!

You might not lose as much weight on the scale, but while doing resistance training, you will look smaller and show changes way faster than someone who does not do resistance training.

Stronger Immune System

Finally, you will have a much stronger immune system if you develop your lean muscle mass. You will get sick less often and may even avoid picking up bugs and viruses that everyone else in your household pass around from time to time.

All of these benefits of strength training can happen for literally anyone! You will simply feel better and have a lot more energy once you start challenging your muscles and forcing them to work harder. Lean muscle mass will make you look great and feel even better.

Are you looking into getting in the best shape of your life? If yes, then look no further than Cliff the elite Houston Personal Trainer. Cliff will customize a workout plan and diet for you to best fit your fitness goals. He is always there for support and can help you with whatever problems you have. So follow the link to Cliff’s site and to the body you have always wanted! Fitness Trainer Houston

How To Use A \”Bosu Ball\”

A Bosu Ball is a unique piece of workout equipment which most people can easily use in their home. It is a rather simple piece of equipment which is often used in fitness clubs, but it is becoming rather popular with home users since it is doesn\’t take up much room.

With the Bosu Ball you get one round flat surface which acts as a support for a rounded ball the shape of a half circle. The \”ball\” is attached to the top of the flat surface and when sat against the ground it offers an unstable surface which makes a variety or ordinary workout poses more challenging. Some people who are in excellent condition and want even more of a challenge may even turn it over so they are standing on the flat surface which is even more unstable.

One of the most basic ways to use the Bosu Ball is to stand on top of it with just one or both of your feet and perform either stability or strength building workouts. You do the same movements for the workout, but since your body is off balance, you must now tighten your muscles to keep control of your body.

One easy move is to stand on top of the ball with both of your feet, then slowly raise one of you feet right behind you while keeping balance with the other. You may want to start by only lifting one leg to the back slowly to practice keeping your balance, but over time want to work up to raising the opposite arm out in front of you at the same time while you lean forward. You then go back to the upright position and switch legs.

A different option is to get in a wide-legged squat position with one of your feet on top of the ball and the other flat on the ground. Bend down doing deep squats ten times, the switch feet on the ball and repeat. The leg that is on the ball will be worked hard as it struggles to stay stable during the squat.

Other people will also do strength building workouts by standing on or partly on the ball. You can do bicep curls and other dumbbell workouts while tightening muscles throughout the body to maintain your balance all the way through the workout.

The line of Bosu Ball products continues to grow and now you can even purchase smaller weighted balls to be held in your hands while you do stretches and balance moves on your Bosu Ball. Also, there are workout videos out there designed specifically for the use with the Bosu. These videos are a great purchase for anyone wanting to try the ball, but not sure how to use it correctly.

One final note, consider using the Bosu Ball to add some movement and extra calorie burning throughout the day. Stand on it while you watch T.V., or while you are washing dishes. Doing this will help increase muscle definition and will also keep you more alert throughout your day.

This product is extremely convenient for at-home use, considering also that it does not cost as much as a good treadmill but can deliver accelerated results from your workout program.

Cliff Pape the number 1 Houston Personal Trainer is just the man you need to get that body you have always wanted! Cliff will be there to support you whenever you need it and will create a custom routine to fit your fitness goals that is both fun and effective. So what are you waiting for? Follow the link to the body you have always wanted! Certified Personal Trainer Houston

Lose Weight With These Five Foods

One of the biggest problems to losing weight is our tendency to overeat. This often happens because when we are feeling hungry we tend to eat too fast. When we eat too fast, our body does not have a chance to signal our brain that it is full so we end up taking in far more calories than our body really needs to curb the hunger.

One of the best ways to lose weight is too choose foods that take longer to chew and eat thus forcing us to slow down and allowing our body to signal our brain when our hunger is satisfied. Keeping this in mind, here are 5 foods that will slow down your eating and help you to achieve that weight loss.

Water

Many times we think we are hungry when our body is actually telling us that it is thirsty. Drinking an ample amount of water each day will limit our thirst and help to keep us from making the mistake that we are hungry when water is actually what our body craves. Drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water a day should help keep your body hydrated and eliminate those false hunger pangs.

Salads

Salads are a great and healthy meal choice. They are full of all the fresh vegetables that you need and they take a really long time to chew up which is first on our list of objectives. You should include any combination of carrots, lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, nuts, and more in your salad. Salads also have plenty of fiber and vitamins so you really get a big bang for your buck with salads.

It is important to note though that many salad dressing are high in calories so this type of salad is best eaten using a little lemon juice for dressing.

Oranges

Oranges provide natural and needed vitamins to your body while only containing about 50 calories per orange. Peeling an orange and eating it is a slow process that allows your body to recognize when it is satisfied therefore helping you to indulge a hunger pang without overeating.

Brocooli

Broccoli has a high concentration of vitamins and minerals that your body really needs to be healthy. Broccoli, whether raw or cooked, takes a little more effort to chew which is why it is included here on the list. It’s also a great source of iron and fiber.

Chocolate Candy Bars

It doesn’t really seem like chocolate should have made it on to this list, but it has. Hard chocolate bars have antioxidants but also help to fight the sweet tooth. Occasionally have a 20 gram chocolate bar and not only will you feel fuller, but you will also be happy that you got to eat some chocolate.

No one is suggesting that these 5 foods are all you should eat when dieting. Maintaining a healthy diet that includes all food groups is your best chance of success. However, including these foods as part of a healthy diet will help you eat less and therefore lose weight easier.

Cliff Pape is a Houston Personal Trainer who has helped hundreds of people in the Houston area to lose weight and stay in shape. He recommends changing your eating habits to diets like Medifast to help improve the results of any workout regimen. You can get a unique content version of this article from the Uber Article Directory.