Kettlebell Workout for Your Back

05/08/2013 Leave a comment

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Heavy weights are not just for the fellows. Women can definitely benefit from weight exercises without worrying about growing bulging muscles. Kettlebells are easier to use than you might think. Momentum is the key to a successful kettlebell workout. Grab a pair and swing your way to a firmer, stronger body by the time Spring is over. You can snatch, press, swing and row your way to a firm, toned back with kettlebells. A good kettlebell workout will include 8 to 12 repetitions of each exercise. Kettlebell swings can be done with one arm or two. You should start with a two-arm swing and move up to a one-arm swing when your upper back and arms are stronger. Kettlebell rows are similar to dumbbell rows. The kettlebell clean is an advanced movement that requires a degree of coordination that can come only with training and practice. Deadlifts are easy but effective to strengthen your arms, shoulders, back and legs. The Turkish get-up exercises improves your functional strength, while emphasizing load balance as you lie down on the floor and then stand up again while holding a kettlebell over your head.

 Kettlebell exercises are generally whole body workouts, but some exercises work your back muscles more than others. Alternating kettlebell rows, renegade rows, one-arm and two-arm rows target your back muscles. Grab a couple of kettlebells and bend over at the waist until your back is parallel to the floor. To do alternating kettlebells, lift one kettlebell upward toward your chest by bending your left elbow and extend your right arm toward the floor. Alternate by lowering your left arm and lifting the kettlebell with your right arm. Renegade rows are more advanced. Extend your body in a push-up position. Place your hands on the handles of two kettlebells. Alternate lifting one kettlebell up toward your shoulder and then lowering it back to the floor. Remember to exercise both arms by switching sides when doing one-arm swings or rows.

Kettlebells aren’t just for the hulks in the gym. The uninitiated can definitely benefit from kettlebell exercises. You will get a better core and back workout with kettlebells than with any other type of free weight because the kettlebell weight is off center. This makes your core work harder and it challenges every muscle in your body. According to the American Council on Exercise (ace.org), you will burn up to 272 calories in a mere 20 minutes while strengthening your muscles. Swings, cleans and snatches are easy, but effective exercises that beginners can do on the first day. Overhead presses, rows and windmills are also an option for beginners. Start with a lighter weight, about 5 to 10 pounds and gradually add more weight or do more repetitions.

 Warm-up your muscles before you grab a 25-pound kettlebell and start swinging. A thorough warm-up will reduce your risk of injuring your cold muscles and joints. Five to 10 minutes of light cardio should be enough to get your heart rate up and start you sweating. Stretch your muscles before you start doing kettlebell workouts to increase your flexibility and improve your range of motion. After your cardio and stretching warm-up make sure your shoulders, arms, neck and back are ready for the weights. Do some kettlebell exercises using a light weight to get your muscles ready for a more vigorous workout with the heavy weights.

Filed under lower back, physical, spine, strength, strength training, strengthen

Weight Training Won’t Bulk You Up – Unless You Want It To

04/01/2013 Leave a comment

Photo Credit: roonb

Stop running from the weight bench and put down those girly pink dumbbells! Weight exercises are good for you and won’t turn you into the Hulk. Weight exercises won’t make your muscles bulky unless your goal is to bulk up and build bulging biceps. Weight exercises will help tone and firm your muscles, increase your ability to burn fat and improve your bone health. So, grab some weights and get strong. There is a difference between weight training to get stronger and weight training to build bulky muscles. To get stronger without building big muscles, lift light weights for many repetitions, roughly 12 to 15 repetitions. Build bulky muscles by lifting heavier weights for fewer repetitions. By changing the way you work out when doing weight exercises, you can target different types of muscle fibers. Heavy weight with few repetitions targets your type II muscle fibers for bulk, while lighter weights with more repetitions targets your type I muscles fibers for muscular endurance.

Weight exercises benefit your body, even if you aren’t trying to build muscle. Lifting weights, doing bodyweight exercises, such as push-ups, and resistance exercises help reduce the risk and symptoms of chronic illness and disease, including osteoporosis, arthritis and diabetes. Strong muscles, especially in your back and core, help improve your balance to prevent falls. Post-menopausal women are at risk for weakened bones due to loss of bone mass. Weight training can help reduce bone loss and can even improve bone mass. Muscle tissue is very efficient at using glucose for fuel to help keep your blood sugar levels under control and reduce your risk of diabetes.

You will have to spend hours in the gym, take supplements and eat high protein diet if you want to build bulky muscles. It’s difficult for women to build huge muscles like men because women lack sufficient testosterone to build muscle mass. Your lack of testosterone along with your DNA determine how you build muscles. Mesomorphs, or muscular body types, are more likely to build bulky muscles than endomorphs, or those with rounder, curvy bodies. Ectomorph body types are slimmer and leaner than either mesomorphs or endomorphs. No matter what your body type, you will benefit from weight training by becoming stronger.

In addition to exercise, your nutrition and body type will help determine whether you build muscle and how big your muscles will grow. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (eatright.org), you should eat 1.4 to 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day when lifting weights if you want to build muscle. This amounts to up to 20 percent of your daily caloric intake. Eating more protein won’t build bigger muscles. Even if you don’t want bulky muscles, your body still needs protein to repair and build new muscle after a workout.

Filed under abs, healthy body, muscle, muscles, physical, strength, strength training, training

Get Moving to Relieve Stress

05/15/2012 Leave a comment

Photo Credit stuartpilbrow CC-BY-SA-2.0
It is practically impossible to avoid stress, but we can learn to manage stress and reduce the impact of many of the negative effects of stress. Stress often manifests in physical symptoms, such as headaches, insomnia, elevated blood pressure, muscle aches and pains and tiredness. Stress affects your mood and may result in anxiety, inability to focus, feelings of sadness and restlessness. Your behavior may also change due to stress. Some people deal with stress by overeating or not eating enough. Stress can be the driving force behind angry behavior or substance abuse. Any form of exercise can help relieve the effects of stress. You can benefit from the stress relieving effect of exercise whether you are in top shape or completely out of shape.
Regular exercise improves your physical fitness and your mood. Exercise and physical activity stimulates your brain to produce endorphins that improve your mood and relieve aches and pains. After about 30 minutes of exercise, you may discover that you stopped thinking about the things that caused your stress. As you focus on exercising, you are not worrying about tomorrow’s long list of tasks at work, your teen’s growing pains or financial concerns. Regular exercise and a healthy diet can help you feel better physically and emotionally. Your sleep and ability to concentrate will also improve. As you continue to exercise and focus on the movement of your body, you should experience increased ability to focus in other areas of your life.
Any physical activity can help relieve stress and stress-related symptoms like anxiety. Walking, riding a bicycle, lifting weights or simply cleaning your house or working in the yard or garden counts as exercise and helps to relieve stress. Regular exercise improves your self-confidence also. You can lose weight and look and feel more fit.

 

Filed under exercise, health, mental, physical, stress