Thursday, October 25, 2007

Body Building Equipment Complete Your Body Building Program

What can you accomplish in body building without body building equipment? Nothing. Body building equipment is important in achieving your goal in body building. Choosing the right ones will greatly contribute to your success in this field.
There are several things to consider when buying body building equipment, as there are many different kinds. There are free weights, and others are machines that are all connected as one piece. You have to ask yourself which of these types you need. Choosing the right tool depends mainly on your body building goals.
If your main goal is just to bulk up then you will want to choose free weights because these will be more for this type of goal. On the other hand, you will get more exercise options with a machine as your main piece of body building equipment. In addition, free weights as your main kind of body building equipment can grow to be quite the pain in the butt, as you have to take bits on and off all of the time.
Another thing to consider is the price, especially if you are looking for new and better body building equipment. You only have so much money to spend on your body building equipment, and unfortunately, you cannot spend what you do not have. Even credit cards only go up so high right? Therefore, start looking for body building equipment within your budget range, and you will be much better off.It is a good idea to go into each store with a clear idea of how much money you have to spend on your body building equipment. This way you can just ask the person helping you to show you only the body building equipment that is in this price range. This will keep you from feeling bad about the great body building equipment that you cannot buy, and the body building equipment that you can buy will look that much better to you as a result.When you are shopping in the body building equipment store ask the workers what they feel might be the best choice for what you want to achieve. They should have a good idea of what body building equipment is best for what part of the body, etc.Ultimately, it is up to you which kind of body building equipment you are most comfortable with. Whatever it is, it will surely make your body building worth all the effort. It will help you reach your goal, and have that desired body in a given time.
http://bodybuildingzine.com/

Factors to Consider when Choosing Bodybuilding Equipment

Part of a good body building program is having the necessary equipment and weights that will help you in achieving the kind of body you want. Spending money for this equipment will show how much dedication you are extending to your body building goal. Body building equipment and weights are vital and play an important role in getting a muscular body.
Picking the right body building equipment will be quite difficult, especially for the beginners. When buying this equipment, the cost should not be considered. Expensive equipment does not mean it is good for you. There are other factors to consider when choosing the body building equipment that will give you good results. Consider doing the following:

Consult a professional
Consulting a professional is very important to ensure your safety. A professional can give you advice on which body building equipment will work best for you, and which one will pose a danger to your body. With their help, you will also be able to use the equipment to your best advantage.

Consult yourself
Consulting yourself is also necessary in order for you to measure how much work and time you’re willing to spend for body building. It will be useless to buy all that equipment when, in the end, you will not stick to your goal. Ask yourself first if body building is truly what you want to do, or is it just a phase you’re going through.
Consider too what your aims are in doing body building. Do you really want a fit body, or are you just doing body building for trivial purposes. Making your goal clear will help you become successful in your quest for a fit and muscular body.

Finally, the most important thing to remember in body building is that it is all about attitude. Set your goal and stick to it. With the aid of your body building equipment, you will get what you aim for.

http://bodybuildingzine.com/

Smith machine

The Smith machine is an item of equipment used in weight training. It consists of a barbell that is constrained to move only vertically upwards and downwards on steel runners.
The Smith machine was invented by American Jack La Lanne, who rigged up a sliding apparatus in his gym in the 1950s. It was spotted by Rudy Smith, a bodybuilder, who commissioned Paul Martin to improve it. Smith then installed the improved model in a gym he was managing at the time, Vic Tanny's gym in Los Angeles. By the end of the 1950s, Rudy Smith was an executive in Tanny's chain of gyms, and the Smith machine was being manufactured and sold more widely. An article in the July 2005 edition of Muscle & Fitness [1] reported that Rudy Smith was still alive, aged 79, and was the owner of Las Vegas Athletic Clubs.
A Smith machine often includes a weight rack in the base to help stabilise it. Some Smith Machines have the barbell counterbalanced.
Behind each runner is a series of slots on which the barbell can be hooked. Unlike an ordinary barbell, the Smith machine need not be re-racked after a set of repetitions: it can be secured at any point.

Because it cannot fall forwards, backwards or sideways, a Smith machine is considered safer to use than an ordinary barbell. Since the weight does not need to be stabilized, this can allow unstable lifters to lift more weight. There is a risk of force loss by applying it improperly, however, which can reduce the amount of weight lifted.

As the Smith machine constrains the body to a single plane of motion, it does not develop the
stabilization skills, or ability to force the bar into proper form, so lifting ability on it does not translate into freeweight lifting ability, whereas one can always lift on a Smith machine whatever one can freeweight. Weight that requires stabilization, generally freeweights, are thought to be more 'functional', in that they better mimic most physical tasks that the body would normally be asked to accomplish.
Due to the necessity of perfect placement under the bar for proper vertical arc, it is difficult to attain perfect form on the machine, which can result in the force loss, and also result in unusual strains on the body. For those who don't believe some exercises have a perfect vertical lifting line, but rather a slight arc (such as certain bench pressing methods), it is by design impossible to do it this way on the Smith machine.

For these reasons a regular barbell with a power cage may be used for the desired safety.
The Smith machine can be used for any barbell exercise in which the barbell moves vertically up and down, such as the squat or the bench press. It is not suitable for exercises in which the barbell moves in an arc, such as the biceps curl, nor for weightlifting lifts such as the clean and jerk.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smith_machine

Experience the enjoyment of a total body workout




The Power Flex offers features that you'd only expect to find only in a health club, allowing you to perform more than 65 quality exercises. ARC (Automatic Resistance Control) allows you to easily add or remove up to 340 lbs with just one finger, and work out more effectively while the Power Flex counts sets and reps for you. FlowMotion allows you to flow easily from one exercise to the next without complex adjustments to the weights or bench. Just change your angle and position, and enjoy the full range of motion on the cable handles. The Power Flex comes complete with a exercise DVD and exercise flip chart.


Power Flex offers nine workout stations
Low Pulleys
Mid Pulleys
High Pulleys
Vertical Knee Raise
Pull-Ups
Dips
Squats
Rolled Preacher Curl
Padded Leg Developer

The Right Gear

Use a mat for your floor excercise



DUAL-SIDED EXERCISE MAT The dual-sided mat is for use on floor exercises. Use your personal mat at home or carry to the gym as a more sanitary option to public exercise ma

Thursday, October 18, 2007

PUMP UP YOUR GUNSArm Building Tips from NFL Strength Coach Ray Oliver


Developing those big guns that every guy wants requires hard work in the gym, proper nutrition and recovery. Gold’s Gym Fitness Institute Member and NFL Strength and Conditioning Coach, Ray “Rock” Oliver, reveals his expert advice on developing muscular arms. With much experience working in athletic training, Oliver’s number one piece of advice is to work the arms with “full range of motion” exercises in order to maintain balance and symmetry to the arm. He also reminds individuals to allow the muscles to rest for 48 hours in between routines. Below, “Rock” recommends a series of arm exercises to build size and strength to the arms.

Fights DIabetes with Fitness

Rick Wilson Fights Diabetes with Fitness and Loses 100 Pounds
Sees Significant Decline in Glucose Levels and Weight Loss is Able to Discontinue Diabetes Medications
10.19.2006
Standing next to the bench press, Rick Wilson glares at the hundred pound weights resting beside the apparatus. He bends down as he lifts the weights, one by one, onto the bar. In doing so, Wilson stares into the mirror with determination as he reminisces back seven months, when he was more than 100 pounds heavier.

Wilson has struggled with his weight ever since he was a small child. At age 16, in an attempt to lose weight, Wilson went on a liquid diet hoping to shed some pounds, but he ended up gaining the weight back as soon as he introduced solid foods back into his diet. At the age of 23, Wilson began noticing his unquenchable thirst, constant urination (every five to ten minutes), aching body and irritable mood swings. After consulting with his family physician, Wilson was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
Ten years after being diagnosed with diabetes, Wilson’s weight had skyrocketed to an all-time high of 447 pounds. He consulted with his physician and determined that he was at serious risk for a heart attack and stroke, due to his obese weight and increased glucose levels. Wilson’s physician put him on four types of medications to help manage his diabetes and advised him to follow a strict nutrition plan & exercise program.
“Around Christmas in 2005, I decided that I no longer wanted to live life in that body,” said Wilson. “My energy level was extremely low and I knew that I had to take matters into my own hands and do something to change my life.” During the holiday season, Wilson was in the midst of a career change and decided that he would take some time off from work and gave himself one year to get healthy.
“I wanted to treat my weight loss program as a full-time job, so I began by taking daily walks and making a conscious effort to watch what I ate.” Shortly after Wilson made a commitment to himself to get healthy, he was a guest on the Dr. Phil show that discussed dating and relationships. Wilson told his story about his life-long struggle with his weight and the effects his obesity has had on his dating life. The producers of the Dr. Phil Show awarded Wilson with a free one-year membership to Gold’s Gym as well as free personal training sessions by Gold’s Gym Fitness Institute Member, Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, Nutritionist and Obesity Expert, Robert Reames.
Wilson began his personal training sessions with Reames mid-February, 2006. Reames designed a weekly nutritional plan and exercise regimen for Wilson to help him lose weight and properly manage his diabetes. Wilson’s exercise routine consists of two hours of cardio conditioning, three days a week, which includes the elliptical machine, playing basketball, riding a bicycle, running, swimming, etc. In addition, Wilson incorporates one hour of strength training, three days a week into his weekly exercise program. Wilson’s strength training schedule involves a wide range of exercise, including everything from the gravity resistance machines, to free weights, to core strength training exercises.
To track Wilson’s progress, Reames encourages Wilson to keep a food and exercise diary on a daily basis, check his blood sugar and blood pressure daily and weigh himself weekly. At the end of every week, Wilson submits the diary and his weight to Reames and the two sit down to review and evaluate Wilson’s progress. During the weekly evaluation meetings, Reames and Wilson discuss areas that need improvement and set realistic weight-loss and exercise goals.

In just seven months, Wilson has made significant progress working with Reames. He has lost 106 pounds and admits to noticing a huge difference in the way he looks and feels. “My glucose levels have improved dramatically and are typically between 100 and 106 in the morning and between 118 and 120 in the afternoon,” said Wilson. More importantly, Wilson’s physician has recognized the significant decline in glucose levels and weight loss and has advised him to discontinue the four medications that he was previously taking to manage his diabetes.
“It is amazing how healthy and motivated I feel for the first time in my life, since I’ve begun exercising,” said Wilson. “The entire staff and members at Gold’s Gym have given me tons of positive reinforcement and encouraged me to achieve my maximum potential.” Wilson hopes that by sharing his story, he will inspire many other diabetics to incorporate daily exercise routine into their lifestyle.

www.goldsgym.com