I am definitely in favour of running outdoors-and preferably in a forest- than running on a treadmill in a closed space.Hereunter I am going to cite some of the reasons for this preference:1. First of all I strongly believe that running on a treadmill has nothing to do with the real world conditions.There is no air resistance,the belt is doing part of your job,there are no negative slopes as well as slope alternations or physical obstacles.To my...more
Fitness gadgets are freakin' everywhere. TV, stores, informercials, the interet...jeez. And most are really expensive. And most also really suck. Instead of spending hundreds (or even thousands!) of dollars, spend a few bucks, get a pair of decent dumbbells, and get your cardio workout with those!You can get super-intense cardio workouts with dumbbells (DBs) by simply doing a few sets of clean & press, snatches, squats, rows, or the like. Do...more
Dumbbells (DBs) are a great way to get a cardio workout at home (or anyplace else you want to take them, for that matter). A few sets of mult-joint movements like squats, rows, or the like not only will help you build muscle, but also get you huffing and puffing better than any cardio workout. Do some full-body exercises like clean & press, snatch, or swing, and you've upped the ante just that much more.And by looking around classifieds, craigslist, ebay, garage sales, or even buying them new, you can get plates for adjustable DB handles for super cheap. It's the best of two worlds - great benefits at a great price!However, the "spin-lock" handles you often often (the kind that have threaded ends with a star-like collar that spin onto the end like a giant nut on a bolt) can be kind of "iffy". They come loose easily, and can often be dangerous. And the handles themselves are often cheaply made - they can bend, or the grip in the center of the handle will move around or get torn up.Because of all this, I recommend just building your own. It's easier than you think, takes only a few minutes, will cost you less than $10, and best of all, when you're done, you'll have a super safe...more
When many people think of Medicine Balls, they think of black and white pictures of old boxers or weightlifters. Because of this, many people think that the med ball is antiquated and outdated. Nothing could be further from the truth.Though not used as it once was, the med ball is still an outstanding piece of equipment and has a ton of uses -...more
Last time, we looked at how medicine balls could help you build a strong, rugged, and "ripped" midsection, and how they could be used with some basic, simple exercises, to create intense and athletic versions of those same movements to get you into better shape that much quicker. This time, we'll look at how to turn these into true cardio...more
Ok, we've looked at all the awesome things med balls can do, and how you can use incorporate them into your cardio workouts. But one of the most important aspects of med ball training is a fairly intangible one - the mental aspect of training.You can't just "dead-head" your cardio training. You have to have your head into what you're doing, and have to be paying attention. Just "going through the motions" won't get you anywhere. You can study, work, have a relationship, or pretty much anything else important by just showing up - you have to put in effort, and have to be mentally acute to what you're doing. Exercise is no different.Because many med ball exercises can be somewhat awkward, it almost "forces" you to pay attention to what you're doing. First of all, most med ball exercises are fairly demanding. Try as you might, you can't do much of anything that takes any real effort unless you're paying attention. You have to work hard at med ball exercises, and this forces you watch what you're doing.Second of all, simply grabbing a med ball can be tough. Med balls don't have handles (well, some do, but you shouln't be using one of these anyway), so you have to keep a stable...more
For many years fitness experts thought that the only way to lose body fat and improve cardiovascular fitness was by doing long, steady aerobic workouts. While there's no doubt that long, steady aerobic exercise is effective, many fitness experts are...more
Vetiver Oil Vetiver essential oil is also known as vetivert and khus khus and is extracted from Vetiveria zizanoides (also known as Andropogon muricatus) of the Gramineae family. It is a thick amber liquid with a scent that improves with...more