by SuperFantastic

Ok, now this might not make a whole lot of sense at first. You’re looking to do a good cardio workout plan, but you should be doing strength training?  Aren’t the two pretty much the exact opposite of each other?  How is strength training going to help with your cardio?  And what if you don’t want to build muscle, but just “tone up”? First of all, everybody from skinny dudes to women seem to be afraid that if they start a basic strength training program, that they’re going to turn into a muscle-bound freak overnight.  Ain’t gonna happen, folks.  The guys (and most people conjure up thoughts of pro bodybuilders) that have those kind of physiques have likely spent a lot of years (and many times a lot of drugs) building those muscles.  Don’t think that if you do a few sets of presses and rows that all of a sudden you’re going to turn into the Incredible Hulk. So, you don’t have that to worry about. Next, strength training helps your body by making you stronger.  Cardio training (if done via most “traditional” cardio workout plans – running, elliptical machines, stationary cycling, etc.) will indeed improve your cardiovascular capabilities, meaning you’ll have improved heart and lung function. Which is great. But, what good is a strong heart and strong lungs of literally the rest of the body is weak?  Sure, you’ve got good breathing, but if you get worn out just bringing in the groceries, then what’s the point? I hate to use a way overplayed comparison, but take a look at many marathon runners.  These guys have amazing cardio, right?  Yeah, and they all have the muscular physiques of a 10 year old girl. As the old saying goes, “everything in moderation”.  It don’t do you any good to have that kind of cardio, if you don’t have a strength to go along with it. And lastly, what if you could “kill two birds with one stone”, and develop strength and your cardio at the same time?  Think of this – the last time you were moving, when you picked up something heavy (say a real heavy box, a chair, or whatever) and carried it a good distance, weren’t you breathing really heavy at the end?  You bet you were. Well, a properly designed workout could not only develop strength, but it could also be your cardio workout plan as well. Don’t just worry about your cardio – make sure you’re getting stronger, too.

Ok, now this might not make a whole lot of sense at first.

You’re looking to do a good cardio workout plan, but you should be doing strength training?  Aren’t the two pretty much the exact opposite of each other?  How is strength training going to help with your cardio?  And what if you don’t want to build muscle, but just “tone up”?

First of all, everybody from skinny dudes to women seem to be afraid that if they start a basic strength training program, that they’re going to turn into a muscle-bound freak overnight.  Ain’t gonna happen, folks.  The guys (and most people conjure up thoughts of pro bodybuilders) that have those kind of physiques have likely spent a lot of years (and many times a lot of drugs) building those muscles.  Don’t think that if you do a few sets of presses and rows that all of a sudden you’re going to turn into the Incredible Hulk.

So, you don’t have that to worry about.

Next, strength training helps your body by making you stronger.  Cardio training (if done via most “traditional” cardio workout plans – running, elliptical machines, stationary cycling, etc.) will indeed improve your cardiovascular capabilities, meaning you’ll have improved heart and lung function.

Which is great.

But, what good is a strong heart and strong lungs of literally the rest of the body is weak?  Sure, you’ve got good breathing, but if you get worn out just bringing in the groceries, then what’s the point?

I hate to use a way overplayed comparison, but take a look at many marathon runners.  These guys have amazing cardio, right?  Yeah, and they all have the muscular physiques of a 10 year old girl.

As the old saying goes, “everything in moderation”.  It don’t do you any good to have that kind of cardio, if you don’t have a strength to go along with it.

And lastly, what if you could “kill two birds with one stone”, and develop strength and your cardio at the same time?  Think of this – the last time you were moving, when you picked up something heavy (say a real heavy box, a chair, or whatever) and carried it a good distance, weren’t you breathing really heavy at the end?  You bet you were.

Well, a properly designed workout could not only develop strength, but it could also be your cardio workout plan as well.

Don’t just worry about your cardio – make sure you’re getting stronger, too.

For more free fitness videos, workout routines and diet and exercise plans visit Zuzana’s fitness site: www.BodyRock.Tv

by SuperFantastic

We all know that doing cardio workouts to lose belly fat is very important to your overall health.But what cardio workouts are the best and how much do you need to do to get thin?

To be honest, there isn’t a number one cardio workout that meets the criteria. As long as you’re doing some type of activity that you enjoy. So finding what you like is vital to turning your weight loss dreams into reality.

This means that some activities offer a greater intensity than others.

Impact activities, like walking, are exercises that increase your heart rate faster than the non-impact activities such as biking and swimming.

High impact activities, such as running or jumping, will burn more calories than low impact activities, like walking.

Exercises that involves both upper and lower body is called whole body activities. Cross-country skiing is a great example, for it can increase your heart rate and burn calories. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do low impact activities. Doing both types will give you more of an advantage to burn even more calories and give you an all-round, comprehensive program.

To figure out how much cardio you need to do, check the following list out for the most common exercises.

Here are the amount of calories being burned for 30 mins for a 150-pound person:

Step aerobics: 340 calories

Aerobics – high impact: 238 calories

Swimming: 270 calories

Bicycling / cycling 12-14 mph: 297 calories

Walking 3 mph: 138 calories

As you see, it really doesn’t take much to burn calories. If you’re struggling to lose belly fat, remember the leaner you are, the better chance you have to dropping those extra pounds and obtaining a six pack physique.

Related Cardio Workout Articles

by mikebaird

 

Fact Sheet 2006

The Exer-Genie® Exerciser was developed in 1962 and has become a staple for physical fitness, rehabilitation & functional training programs for over 40 years. Featured in the Smithsonian Institute, displayed at NASA and in the Astronaut Hall of Fame the Exer-Genie® Exerciser was the first device that allowed the application of multiple concepts of exercise.

Isometrics (static contraction), isokinetics (range of motion exerciser at controlled speed), Variable Resistance, Variable Isotonics and Resistive Aerobics®.

While these methods have been known to exercise professionals for decades, extensive research was not undertaken on either method until the early 1960′s. Then, based on preliminary findings, Isometrics became quite popular, not only among coaches, trainers and athletes, but with the general public looking for an efficient way to get and stay fit.

Isometrics was the simple and quick approach to strength that made this training concept attractive. It was soon discovered, that while rapid strength gains could be made, little was accomplished in the area of endurance and range of motion flexibility.

Isometrics soon took its place in the training room as coaches, trainers and athletes used it with more systems. Isometrics also found its place in the general public as one part of a total fitness program.

More hope was held for ISOKINETICS as the because it allowed for controlled resistance through a specified range of motion. The method maintained a low profile for a number of years because there was not an economical way to implement it. Machines which could provide full range of motion and controlled speed of movement, at the same time, were too expensive for the general public and many institutions to own.

Then, about the time the American Space Program was experimenting with Fitness in Space, a variable resistance rope friction device, originally designed to lower people from a burning building(Sky-Genie® Controlled Descent Device), was adapted to a small exercise machine and named the Exer-Genie® Exerciser.

It was discovered that friction was generated by winding a specially woven nylon rope around a smooth chrome plated metal shaft and pulling on it not only controlled the speed at which the rope moved, but also provided resistance that was proportional to the speed.

The Exer-Genie® provided an economical and efficient way to perform a variety of exercise and training methods.

One of the hybrid methods of isokinetic exercise, is known today as Variable Isokinetic exercise.  In addition, by grasping the trailing end of the line, preventing movement of the rope through the Exer-Genie® Exerciser, one could also implement variable isometric training.

At the time the Exer-Genie® Exerciser was developing, experiments were being conducted by many exercise physiologists throughout the United States and Canada on the application of the Exer-Genie® Exerciser for injury prevention, functional training and functional performance enhancement.

NASA was attracted by the lightweight and small size of the Exer-Genie® Exerciser and decided to put the exercise concept to the test to see if it could provide a valid method for exercising astronauts in micro gravity.

Using the Lockheed Human Performance Laboratory in Sunnyvale, California, NASA scientists put the Exer-Genie® Exerciser and the isometric/variable isokinetic method of exercise through a series of extensive studies.

NASA found the Exer-Genie® Exerciser was not only feasible but was effective in conditioning muscle fiber and maintaining bone mass in micro gravity. In terms of time, space and equipment the Exer-Genie® Exerciser proved to be a more efficient system of exercise than conventional methods. As a result , the Exer-Genie® Exerciser was used in the Apollo Space Program.

The Exer-Genie® Exerciser Fitness & Rehab Training Systems, provided for the first time in the history of exercise a practical, economical, efficient and highly effective way for anyone at any age to get fit and stay fit.

This program has been and is now being used by thousands of High Schools and Colleges, Rehab Clinics, Functional Training Centers, Sport Performance Centers and hundreds of thousands of individuals looking to improve their Functional Fitness and Performance.

Professional teams such as the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, Golden State Warriors and others have made the Exer-Genie® Exerciser an integral part of their Functional Training and Injury Prevention Programs.

With the use of Space Age Materials and the newest design techniques the highly publicized Exer-Genie® Exerciser has been improved and is widely known as The Trainer® Custom Series Exer-Genie® Training and Rehab Systems.

The improved model uses high impact, high temperature resistant plastic for the casing. An improved resistance dialing mechanism allows TheTrainer® Exer-Genie® to adjust from ounces to hundreds of pounds of resistance and back in a matter of seconds.

With the improvement in construction and design comes a new formula in the training line. A  scientifically woven nylon training line allows smooth operation at any resistance setting with exceptional durability.

The standard of excellence of the Exer-Genie® Exerciser has provided performance enhancement for over 40 years and with the improved model The Trainer® Exer-Genie® Exerciser Training & Rehab Systems.

For more info log on to: www.exergenie.com

You can count on one fact: If you don’t have The Trainer® Custom Series Exer-Genie® Exerciser Your program is a Step Behind.

©copyright 2010 Team America Health & Fitness, Inc. All Rights Reserved

 

www.exergenie.com

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by stingp

Imagine how much publicity has been put to the advertiments of six pack abs by loads of different mediums from the media to the press, ranging from pills , dieting to workouts and cardio excercises, yet you still get people ask you how to  get six pack abs.

How then do you get six pack abs.

Getting that six pack abs you want has become a much more simple topic toi talk about by the day if you are willing to put your strenght and will to good us as regards workouts and dieting.

Herewith are the basics of how to get six pack abs.

-. Know that getting a six pack abs requires that you go to the gym irrespectiv eof what anybody tells you are the sure way of getting that abs.

-. One true way to getting six pack abs is to burn the excess fat around your every part of the body, before a positive result can be noticed.

-. Dieting gives you the added advantage you need to burn fat quick added to you workout program for a visible abs formation.

-. Only if you know that the abs you seek are embeded undernit your protruding tummy and the only way to get them to the surface is if you burn the excess fat that berries them under your skin.

-. For a quick visible result you first have to go a cardio way with excercise for atleast an hour thirty minutes or more if you want the added advantage to entire body fat burn.

-. Remember that only if you stay with the program plan for your abs workout or dieting plan can you get that visible abs result you want.

If you as a person ever asked how to get six pack abs, then the tips in this article should let you understand the basics of six pack abs and what it demands of your time and strength.  I bet you will never ask the same question again if you combine the resource in the link below with the tips in the article you just read.   

Learn how to do exercises that work out the abdominal muscles, including how to do long arm crunches in this free video workout. Expert: Jacob Garcia Bio: Jacob Garcia is a certified personal trainer with disciplines from both the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Filmmaker: Juan-Diego Garcia

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by Defence Images

Are you interested in losing weight? If you are, you may be in the process of developing a weight loss plan for yourself.  For many individuals, a weight loss plan is a guide that they can follow and one that may help to give them motivation. If this is your first time developing a weight loss plan for yourself, it is important that you place a focus on exercise, as exercise is important component of weight loss.

Although it is nice to hear that exercise is an important part of a weight loss plan, you may be wondering exactly why that is. For your body to lose weight, you must see a reduction in your calorie intake. The amount of calories that you need to reduce, in order to lose weight, will all depend on your current weight and your hopeful weight loss goal.  Unfortunately, this is where many individuals automatically assume that they can’t eat three meals a day and many actually just stop eating. This is not only dangerous to your health, but it can be deadly.

Instead of reducing your calorie intake by solely limiting the amount of foods that you eat, you can use exercise to your advantage.  By exercising, you burn off calories. These are calories in which your body can use to help you lose weight.  If you have a specific weight loss goal, like one that involves losing at least twenty pounds, you may want to focus on fun exercises or workouts, but also ones that burn the most calories.  Adding exercise to your weight loss plan is a natural and a healthy way to lose weight.

Since it is important to incorporate to exercise into your weight loss plan, you may be wondering how you can go about doing so. In all honestly, there are an unlimited number of ways that you can go about using exercise to help you lose weight.  For starters, you can buy a collection, even just a small collection, of exercise equipment.  Exercise equipment can include items such as exercise balls, weights, a treadmill, a stair climber, and so forth. Even if you have limited financial resources, you should be able to find a number of exercise equipment pieces that are within your budget.

Although you should be able to find a number of exercise equipment pieces, including instructional workout DVDs, for affordable prices, you may be looking to limit your weight loss plan investments.  If that is the case, you may want to take the time to examine your local gyms or fitness clubs. While some fitness clubs and gyms have relatively high membership fees, you can also find a number of them with affordable membership rates.  It is also important to mention that many fitness clubs and gyms are open accommodating hours, often making it easy to exercise before work, after work, or even during a lunch break of yours.

Despite the fact that exercise is often associated with exercise equipment, like a treadmill, that is not all that exercise is about. Exercise can also involve something simple like going for a walk or taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work.  If you would prefer to exercise, for free, in your spare time, you may want to consider finding an exercise buddy.  This is a person who can workout with you, even if it just involves walking around your local shopping mall.  Not only can you make a new friend or strengthen your relationship with one of your current friends, having an exercise buddy or an exercise partners often means that you are more likely to stick with your weight loss plan and achieve your weight loss goals.

As outlined above, it is extremely important that you incorporate exercise into your weight loss plan, especially if you are serious about losing weight and wish to do so in a healthy matter. Many studies have shown that regular moderate exercise lowers the risk of heart disease, many cancers, osteoporosis, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, depression and other diseases which most of them are associated with weight gain. With multiple ways to go about incorporating exercise into your weight loss plan, there really isn’t any excuse for not doing so.

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by Ed Yourdon

The aim of these exercises is to help you overcome back discomfort and help in the prevention of back pain. Strong backs do not get injured nearly as often as weaker backs. Stretching alone will not help you if your back is not strong so it is important to do regular exercises for lower back pain.

If you purchase some weights all of these exercises can be done in the comfort of your own home. It is important that before you undertake any exercise programme however, that you get cleared by your doctor particularly if you suffer from chronic back pain or have recently undergone surgery. These exercises are aimed at making the spine stable and they will make it stronger if done regularly; generally it is recommended that you try to work out at least 3 times per week.

Start with 15 reps at a time for each exercise; you can build up the number of sets as you become stronger and more stable. When doing these exercises, in order to activate the transverse abdominal muscles you need to pull in your belly button to the spine. People have a tendency to distend or push out the belly button when they exert force, this has an adverse reaction to core stability, so remember pull in the belly button, suck in those abs and hold but don’t forget to breathe!

Ok for the first exercise lie on the ground, keeping the pelvis relaxed, but exaggerating the curve in the lower back by bringing the belly up towards the ceiling, making the contraction nice and hard by exaggerating the curve however the opposite movement is where the exercise comes in to play. Tilt your pelvis back towards your head as you suck your belly button down towards your spine, then tilt back towards your knees and then back towards your head. Repeat. This is the key exercise to start with if you have an acute episode of back pain but only work to your pain tolerance. This exercise aims to increase the range of motion and also by bringing the pelvis back it will help to relax the muscles by taking the pressure off the discs.

To take this exercise to the next level, as before make the contraction nice and hard by exaggerating the curve in the back, lift the pelvis off the ground towards the ceiling into the bridge position, supporting through your shoulders. When you are in this position it is important to keep your body nice and hard by contracting your abdominal muscles and your pelvic floor muscles as you move into the plank position by kicking the right leg straight out,the knee must be in the same plane as the knee of the balancing leg. Keep your stomach tight and avoid twisting or slouching. Maintain the plank for ten seconds keeping nice and strong then bring the extended leg back down, alternate and extend the other leg straight out. By taking the balance point away the small muscles of the lower back will have to contract hard in an effort to stabilise the spine.

Next, lying on the ground, engaging the core, arms outstretched to the side, palms up, lift both feet off the ground bending the knees at a 90 degree angle to the hips, keeping the core still and the knees and heels together, rotate first to the left side and then to the right. The idea is to keep your shoulders down and your head still looking straight up all the time.

To progress from this exercise, in a similar position, extend your knees away from your chest a little further and continue to rotate from side to side maintaining your core stability.

Now still lying flat on your back in the starting position, engaging the core, lift your head up off the ground as you extend your left hand diagonally to the right leg as that leg comes high off the ground to meet the hand, then head, hand and leg go back down to the starting position, then alternate opposite hand with opposite leg again lifting the head off the ground as the cross extension occurs. Alternate, repeat.

For the next exercise again in the starting position, lift the left leg high off the ground towards your chest assisting with your arms to pull all the way as you lift your head off the ground to meet your knee. Alternating right leg, left leg, this exercise will stretch out your hamstrings and lower back.

Ok time to get up. Standing before a low bench or table if you are doing these exercises at home, gently squat by bending the knees keeping the head and chest up, rotate, extend arm and reach across to the opposite side of the bench and back up to the standing position, then squat, rotate and reach with the opposite arm to the opposite side of the bench. It is really important that we do not hunch over for this exercise, make sure to bend the knees but keep the body upright in the extension.

Next getting a dumbbell approx 8-10lbs in weight, standing upright, feet close together, dumbbell in left hand, elbow fully bent, tilt body down to the same side as the one you are holding the weight, then back up extending arm straight up above the head. Do not push the arm over the head or tilt to the opposite side; arm comes up and straight next to the head. Do 15 reps and then alternate weight to other side and repeat.

When using weights for some of the exercises,if it is too easy with the chosen weight, increase the weight 5lbs at a time until you get to the point that it is challenging on the last rep.

Next, holding weight in both hands above the head for the next exercise, tilt from side to side, keeping core engaged and head central to arms.Head moves with the tilt i.e. don’t let your arm fall on to your head. Head must be in the middle as you move from left to right. One rep equals left to right tilt.

For the next exercise holding a load in one hand only, core engaged, tilt again from left to right, you don’t need a load in each hand for this exercise, so tilt down to one side, back up and over to the other side, keep chest up and take your time. The aim of this exercise is to work your quadratus lumborum and your obliques. The QL connects the pelvis to the spine and it is a common source of lower back pain. The aim of this exercise is to make this area of the back nice and stable.

Finally an exercise for posture that you can do in the sitting position, sitting nice and tall, suck your belly button in, posture erect, bring your head back and down almost creating a double chin, roll your arms back, keep your shoulders down and pinch your shoulder blades together, hold for one minute. This exercise can be done during the day for one minute every half hour as part of your daily routine at the office or home.

By practising these general exercises over a period of time you will build up the strength necessary to live a normal life free of back pain. The key is though to focus on the core abdominal muscles as much as possible and get used to thinking about them and activating them before you go about your regular activities like gardening of vacuuming or lifting the children.

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by Sifu Renka

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 them with one arm at a time, and you’ll effectively double the work you have to do (especially with full-body exercises like the clean & press and snatch).  Or, you can really ramp up the workload by doing complexes – series of multiple exercises done back to back without rest. The best thing about DBs, though, is how cheap they are! Sure, you could get some real expensive ones, but it’s just not necessary.  For just a few bucks, you can have your own DBs, and get an awesome workout virtually anywhere you want. The first place you could look for DBs would be in the classified ads, garage sales, or craigslist.  People are always looking to get rid of old fitness equipment, and you’ll likely to be able to find some for next to nothing – maybe even for free. Next, you can check out sporting goods stores.  You should start of with places like Play It Again Sports! that sell used equipment, but if that doesn’t work, you can check out other places, too.  Many of the nice places sell either fixed weight DBs or adjustable ones that you can add/subtract weight plates to and from.  Go with the latter option. The fixed DBs are really nice, but are generally a lot more expensive.  And if nothing else, you’ll spend a lot more because you’ll have to buy so much weight overall.  If you use adjustable DBs, you could buy 20 ten-pound plates, and a few smaller plates (5s, 2.5s, etc.) and have enough weight to build two 100-pound DBs.  This is going to be more weight than 95% of the population will ever need. The other drawback to buying fixed weight DBs is that it takes up a lot more room.  Stick with adjustable DBs – not only are they cheaper, but they’re a lot easier to store, too.

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 them with one arm at a time, and you’ll effectively double the work you have to do (especially with full-body exercises like the clean & press and snatch).  Or, you can really ramp up the workload by doing complexes – series of multiple exercises done back to back without rest.

The best thing about DBs, though, is how cheap they are!

Sure, you could get some real expensive ones, but it’s just not necessary.  For just a few bucks, you can have your own DBs, and get an awesome workout virtually anywhere you want.

The first place you could look for DBs would be in the classified ads, garage sales, or craigslist.  People are always looking to get rid of old fitness equipment, and you’ll likely to be able to find some for next to nothing – maybe even for free.

Next, you can check out sporting goods stores.  You should start of with places like Play It Again Sports! that sell used equipment, but if that doesn’t work, you can check out other places, too.  Many of the nice places sell either fixed weight DBs or adjustable ones that you can add/subtract weight plates to and from.  Go with the latter option.

The fixed DBs are really nice, but are generally a lot more expensive.  And if nothing else, you’ll spend a lot more because you’ll have to buy so much weight overall.  If you use adjustable DBs, you could buy 20 ten-pound plates, and a few smaller plates (5s, 2.5s, etc.) and have enough weight to build two 100-pound DBs.  This is going to be more weight than 95% of the population will ever need.

The other drawback to buying fixed weight DBs is that it takes up a lot more room.  Stick with adjustable DBs – not only are they cheaper, but they’re a lot easier to store, too.

by US Army Africa

A daily exercise chart is basically a chart that lists the type of exercise you should do, when you should do them and how many repetitions and sets you should make. It can also contain personal information such as weight and other measurements. This type of chart can help you keep tract of your body mass index, heart rate and pulse rate, as well as the calories you burn or target to burn, workout duration and intensity of the exercise.

Benefits of an Exercise Chart
Keeping a tangible record of your exercise program helps your brain remember what routine you did yesterday and what routine you will do tomorrow. Without it, you can easily forget details such as type of exercise and number of reps and set which are very important if you want to maximize the benefits of exercise and ensure that you remain faithful to your program.

An exercise chart also helps you track your progress on a daily basis. It gives you clear information on exercise routines that need more work. It is the tool that can be used in tandem or as substitute to your personal trainer.

Kids’ Exercise Chart
Parents who are concerned with the health of their child can benefit from this tool. Kids’ exercise chart is extra helpful for parents in order to closely monitor the exercise routines of their kids. It is very hard to motivate kids to exercise especially now that you have to compete with television, video games and the internet. With the use of kids’ exercise chart your kids can actively participate in designing an exercise program that is good for their health and at the same time, allows them to enjoy their childhood. Take note: do not be too picky when choosing your kids’ exercise. Walking, running, swimming, biking, hiking, and other active games count as exercise like jumping ropes and rollerblading.

There are free downloadable blank kids’ exercise charts online that come with different colorful designs.

Free Exercise Chart for Adults
There are lots of blank exercise charts you can easily download online. Be careful though, many downloadable items online contain spyware and viruses. To be safe, make sure that you only download exercise chart on reliable and legitimate websites.

You can also get blank exercise charts when you buy certain products such as dietary items and weight loss supplements. Some gym and fitness clubs also offer free exercise charts for their members.  

Make Your Own
Creating your own exercise chart is easy. Any word processing software can be used to make a blank chart. Create tables with labels according to your needs. Leave columns for types of exercise, repetitions, sets, intensity or amount of weight, days of the week, amount of time and special notes where you can write particular details that do not belong in other columns. You can also choose to add more spaces for body measurements, body weight, body mass index, pulse rate and heart rate

You may not be the type of person who wants to keep records of all things. Still, keeping tract of your exercise routine will help in many ways. You have decided to spend hours each week on a certain exercise program; taking a little of your time organizing your program using daily exercise chart won’t hurt.

by Ed Yourdon

There are various ways to lose your weight but cardio workout is the healthiest and the most effective way to shed those unwanted fats from your body. It keeps you fit and gives you a perfect shape. Regular workout enhances metabolism and produces more energy in the body. A good diet is equally important in order to remain healthy.

These workouts are fun to do as you can perform them without that extra effort. You can continue doing them for years without any side effects. Being obese is annoying, so if you are looking to loose some weight to make yourself more presentable then you should do cardio workouts. You can feel the change after sometime in your body, which will definitely make you happy.

Here are some cardio vascular exercises to lose weight

Running: It is the classic way to loose your weight and maintain your health. It involves all the muscles of your body. It gives you a full body workout. It is the most desired way to burn your body fats. Swimming: We can really get its evidence when we look at the swimming champs. They have well crafted body. So if you want to flaunt your muscles like them then you have to swim regularly. While swimming both your upper and lower parts are in use hence it is a combination of aerobic and strength workout. Bicycling: If you want get the feel of a great cardio exercise, bicycling can be your next option. Mostly your leg power is used during this process, which will help you to burn lots of calories. You should at least do cycling for 30 minutes. Aerobics: Aerobics can be great fun where you can socialize with your friends while giving shape to your weight loss dream.

More Cardio Workout Articles

It seems that everyone is always asking me what the best ab workouts are to get a flatter stomach. The common belief that ab workouts will help you to lose belly fat is one of the biggest misconceptions I deal with daily as a fitness professional. Almost everyone has varying degrees of excess body fat in the abdominal region, and the best way to burn off that extra stomach fat continues to elude most.

The problem is that most people are searching for the wrong exercises and workout types to lose stubborn belly fat. Most people are searching for some miraculous combination of abs exercises combined into the best ab workout ever invented that will burn off their belly fat faster than you can read this article.

Unfortunately, ab-specific workouts do NOT burn fat off of your belly. They only tone and strengthen the underlying abdominal muscles. What you really need to focus on is a full body strategic workout that will cause a much greater metabolic rate increase and fat-burning hormonal response from your training program as a whole.

In addition, simply doing cardiovascular workouts will not necessarily create the greatest metabolic response or hormonal response either. What you really need is a much more rounded training program that focuses on training the entire body with resistance training and multi-joint exercises in a higher intensity fashion.

This type of high intensity full body training combined with a healthy balanced diet full of nutrient density on a regular basis, is the real key secret to losing the extra stomach fat that covers up the abs. This is a much better plan of attack than just trying to do ab workouts and hoping that just doing a bunch of ab exercises like crunches and leg raises are going to make you lose your belly fat.

The amazing thing is that the majority of the population still believes that in order to get rid of belly fat, you need to do ab workouts every day using hundreds of reps. I see people giving this type of erroneous advice every day on all of the fitness forums. Please do not waste your time with this type of advice!

Now before you say “how can an abs expert not recommend abdominal exercises”, realize that I do strongly believe that a certain amount of ab-specific exercises mixed into your routines are beneficial. Ab exercises will help you strengthen and tone the abdominal muscles and are useful for other purposes such as a healthy back and posture when done correctly. But the fact remains that ab exercises are not necessary for fat loss.

A much smarter full body resistance training routine and a clean healthy balanced diet are the most important factors. Many of the full body exercises also indirectly work the abdominals and core due to the stabilization required in some of the more difficult variations.