Tag Archives: beginners guide to fitness

Beginner’s Guide to Cycling

Bicycles were first introduced in the 19th century and have been used as a mode of transportation ever since. Cycling has been a popular sport for several years now and seems to be getting ever more popular every day.

There are all sorts of cycling, ranging from competitive cycling, to mountain biking and spinning (fitness class). Each type or style of cycling requires a different style of bicycle; so make sure you purchase the correct bike.

Cycling requires a great deal of lower- and upper-body strength and endurance. The quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves are the primary lower body muscle groups used to power the bicycle. The chest, back, triceps, and core are the major upper body muscle groups used to maintain bicycle control and proper posture.

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Posted on July 7, 2023 by Matt

A Beginner’s Guide to Pregnancy Pilates

Pilates has become increasingly popular in the fitness world with both men and women. Pilates is a fitness system developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century. It focuses on core postural muscles, as well as proper breathing and correct spinal alignment.

The most common machine used for Pilates is the “reformer,” which was designed to provide finely tuned resistance exercises for the body as a whole. It focuses on proper alignment, core stability, and total body flexibility.

Pilates is great before, during and after pregnancy. It is beneficial during the pregnancy process due to the isolation of the core. (more…)

Posted on June 23, 2023 by Matt

Beginner’s Guide To Boxing

Fitness, or cardio, boxing is derived from the sport of boxing and implemented into an individual or group exercise program. Cardio kickboxing has become a very popular group fitness class and can be found in just about any health or fitness club today.

Cardio kickboxing incorporates total body cardiovascular training with sport-specific techniques with or without equipment. An hour of cardio kickboxing can burn, on average, around 1,000 calories. Be sure to contact your physician before participating in a cardio kickboxing class, especially if you have limitations or high risk factors such as high blood pressure or cholesterol, family history of heart disease, age, and certain body weight.

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Posted on April 16, 2024 by Matt

Beginner’s Guide to Medicine Balls

Medicine balls have been around forever and are among one of the oldest forms of strength and endurance training. In ancient Greece, medicine balls were made from animal skins sewn together and stuffed with sand. They were used for rehabilitation and injury prevention. Today, medicine balls are usually round and made of rubber or leather, but they do come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and materials.

Medicine balls generally range from two to 25 pounds, and are typically used for standard plyometric weight training, which is characterized by fast powerful movements and muscle contractions to increase speed, power, strength, and flexibility.

Medicine balls are very durable and can be used just about anywhere. Athletes commonly use them for explosive training (quick and powerful movements) by throwing them to the ground or off a sturdy wall. The medicine ball is also a great way to modify and add enjoyment to any weight training exercise or workout. (more…)

Posted on April 9, 2024 by Matt

A Beginner’s Guide to Swimming Workouts

swimming workoutSwimming is one of the best non-weight bearing activities out there and I totally recommend implementing a swim routine into your workout. It’s a great way to burn an enormous amount of calories all while having a blast in the water. Non-weight bearing refers to no weight or pressure being forced onto the joints, thus great for those with injuries, arthritis, or pain.

Although indoor pools are somewhat hard to come by, they are definitely worth the small cost to use. You may find indoor pools at your local health or fitness club, university, YMCA, or hotel. Before starting your swimming workouts, here are a few things you should know: (more…)

Posted on February 2, 2024 by Matt

A Beginner’s Guide to Kettlebells

The kettlebell is a cast iron weight used as a popular exercise tool in today’s fitness world. They are typically found in CrossFit gyms and athletic training facilities, but are becoming ever more popular at private training studios and health clubs.kettlebells

Kettlebell exercises are intended to increase total body muscular strength and endurance, cardiovascular endurance, balance and stability, and agility. They are used as a functional, total body exercise to condition the body as a whole. Each precise kettlebell exercise or movement is designed to engage multiple muscles at one time. (more…)

Posted on February 2, 2024 by Matt

A Beginner’s Guide to Yoga

yogaSo everybody in your life, including your pregnant friend, 65-year-old mom and teen-aged niece, are all doing yoga. After listening to them extol the benefits that this ancient Indian practice has had on their stressed out minds and seeing the proof in their new lean yoga bodies, it is time that you discover firsthand what the yoga buzz is all about.

But before you lift off into a headstand in the middle of your kitchen, read our Beginner’s Guide to Yoga so that you’ll be in the know-how as you roll out your mat and join the millions of Americans practicing yoga. (more…)

Posted on January 29, 2024 by heather

A Beginner’s Guide to Spinning

spinningCardiovascular training can get monotonous from time to time; that’s why it doesn’t hurt to modify or change up your cardio routine every once in a while. Spinning is a great way to do so. Spinning is among one of the most popular group fitness classes out there today. Spinning consists of upbeat music, a motivating instructor, and a hard core calorie burning workout.

The stationary bikes offer a great cardiovascular workout all while improving your lower body muscular strength and endurance. Every class is a little different, depending on the instructor, but mainly consists of a combination of sprints, varying resistance levels, and normal rides.

The best thing about spinning is that you can go at your own pace or keep up with the instructor; it’s totally up to you. Spinning is also a great way to exercise with a friend, make new friends, or break through the boredom barrier with a new style of exercise. (more…)

Posted on January 29, 2024 by Matt

A Beginner’s Guide to Fitness Classes

Starting a new gym experience may seem a little overwhelming at times, that’s why I recommend hitting the fitness classes. Fitness classes not only offer an intense workout, but provide you the opportunity to meet some friends that share the same fitness goals and also learn a little more about which activities support certain areas of the body.fitness class

Most fitness facilities offer a plethora of different classes from spinning to yoga. Each class will target different parts of the body as well as different intensities of cardiovascular training. I recommend trying each class to find the ones that give you the best workout and that you find most enjoyable as well.

Before joining a gym, ask the membership representative to discuss the classes offered or give you a brochure about each class. Also, be sure there is no added charge for fitness classes. Most fitness facilities offer free classes as part of the membership fee, but it doesn’t hurt to make sure. (more…)

Posted on January 28, 2024 by Matt

A Beginner’s Guide to Resistance Training

resistance trainingOne of the first steps to getting into shape is setting up a resistance training program to go alongside your cardiovascular program. Resistance training is defined as a specialized method of training that improves and increases muscular endurance. Machine weights, cables, free weights, and resistance bands are among the few specialized types of training.

  • Machine weights are a great way to start due to the controlled movements of the machine. All you really need to worry about is how much weight and how many repetitions.
  • Cables are a little bit tougher than machine weights because your movements are not controlled, thus allowing the body to be susceptible to injury if not performed correctly. Cables offer hundreds upon hundreds of different exercises for every muscle group of the body. I use cables for a huge portion of my personal workouts as well. (more…)
Posted on January 25, 2024 by Matt

A Beginner’s Guide to Strength Training

strength trainingEvery exercise routine needs to have a steady balance between strength training, endurance training, and cardiovascular training. Today’s topic, strength training, plays a huge roll in this equation. Strength training has been proven to increase bone density, increase lean muscle mass, improve posture, and reduce the risk of injury. The increase of bone density refers to the strengthening of the bones which helps prevent injury, pain, and arthritis. The increase of lean muscle mass increases the metabolism which allows the body to burn more calories each day and night.

Common questions related to strength training include “How much weight should I use?” and “How many sets and repetitions should I do?”. Let me first say that every “body” is different and will react differently to the situation. Some people may pack on the muscle while others struggle to gain only a little bit. Strength training is a little more advanced than just simple weight training. Proper form and technique is a must and possible injuries could arise if each and every exercise is not performed correctly. Personal trainers or other fitness enthusiasts are typically available if you have questions about your form. (more…)

Posted on January 21, 2024 by Matt