Archive for the sporting goods Category
Calipers can help you on your way to a beautiful body.
23/10/2011 by admin.
Do you want to change your body shape? Maybe you want to lose weight or develop more muscle mass? Maybe you’d like both. Whatever your goal, all bodybuilding or weight loss programs are going to take time, so a great way to start is by drawing up a fitness plan.
1. Set a healthy and achievable target weight with a shape up routine that can be easily maintained.
Don’t aim for an unrealistic or unhealthy body shape. Severely underweight people are certainly not healthy. At the other end of the scale, even the most shredded muscular physique cannot be maintained indefinitely.
2. Use body fat calipers to work out your fat and lean body mass ratio or perhaps ask your gym to measure you.
A great way to get your exercise program off on the right foot is to get a set of body fat calipers. This instrument measures your body fat and lean muscle mass ratio. It is important to have an accurate measurement of your fat / lean muscle ratio from the very beginning of your program, rather than relying on the bathroom scales.
Scales are inaccurate because they do not let you know if you have replaced body fat with lean muscle. They give you the same reading regardless of dramatic changes in your body. You may have reduced body fat but replaced that weight with lean muscle. Unfortunately, your bathroom scales are unable to detect that difference. If you attend a gym you could ask them to do this measurement for you, as they will have the correct instruments. When you are training you need motivators to keep you on course. body fat calipers allow you to see any results immediately helping you stay on track.
Check your progress on a monthly basis. This will allow you to see any changes and plot progress. Don’t check yourself any more than this as there are natural changes in the body throughout a period of a month, depending on whether you are retaining water, perhaps from food you have eaten. It is best for females to check themselves after their period has finished due to water retention. Try to stick to the same part of the month when you record your fat/lean muscle mass ratio.
3. Measure four folds of skin with your body fat calipers and work out your body fat/lean muscle percentage by using the table provided with them.
Body fat calipers measure the thickness of a fold of skin. There are 4 places on the body where a measurement should be taken, because of where these places are someone else can help you do this. They are,
· Centre of the back of arm (the triceps)
· Centre of the front of arm (the bicep)
· The back, just below the shoulder blade at a 45% angle.
· The waistline between the hipbone and the naval horizontally.
By recording your fat/lean muscle ratio regularly you can see positive changes in your body that you wouldn’t normally be seen with a set of weighing scales. 4. Work out a diet plan. Remember, you don’t have to starve, just eat the right foods.
5. Work out an exercise routine incorporating stretches, a cardiovascular routine and weight training for all the muscles.
6. Check your improvements on a monthly basis, no more than this. It will encourage you on when you start to lose heart or waver.
7. Stick to it, even if you have a bad few days just start again and you’ll soon be looking and feeling fantastic.
Total Body Fitness – endurance, movement and strength.
23/09/2011 by admin.
For more info please visit www.naturalmatter.co.uk
Total body fitness is an equal ability in three different areas. The three areas are endurance, movement, and strength. The area you concentrate on most depends on what goals you wish to achieve. However, all three areas should be considered when training.
A marathon runner for example, is going to concentrate on endurance training, but still needs to work on their flexibility and strength. Their focus will be on endurance because they are looking to increase the amount of oxygen their body can supply to their muscles.
All oxygen requirements are supplied via the heart and lungs. Endurance training of any kind (like cardiovascular or endurance aerobic work) increases the productivity of the heart by making it a larger and stronger muscle. It also increases the capacity of the lungs and in doing so increases the amount of oxygen that is supplied to the muscles.
Once the oxygen has been delivered it can be used to release energy from stored reserves of fat and carbohydrates. As training continues the heart becomes much stronger and there is an increase in endurance levels for sustained periods of activity.
A weight lifter needs to focus on different areas of exercise. Their focus will be mainly on their strength training and this is achieved by weight resistance work. Muscles must be worked beyond their capacity in order for them to grow.
Weight training is an excellent form of exercise as it can be aerobic or anaerobic. Using a lower weight and repeating the move many times can improve muscular endurance. Using a heavier weight and completing a shorter amount of repetitions can improve strength.
The very least you can achieve from strength training is a more productive life with regards to lifting, correcting lazy posture, tiredness and being easily injured. Strength training increases your metabolic rate and the muscle fat ratio within your body.
Muscle is living tissue and requires energy to be sustained or grow larger. The stronger your body is the better chance it has to fight off injuries as you progress into old age. Weight training has been shown to develop bone density, which can help prevent Osteoporosis, (a degenerative bone disease particularly prone to target older men and women.)
Do not start high intensity weight training if you have a history of high blood pressure or heart problems, as high intensity training has been known to increase blood pressure levels. Always consult a doctor if you are unsure about your state of health and its impact on your fitness regime.
Remaining flexible is another very important feature of any exercise programme. By regular correct stretching it is possible to avoid injury and post work out muscle ache or stiffness. Stretching also enables you to keep full mobility and speeds up any recovery from injury.
It is always important to stretch when working out but it is vital to remember not to stretch until you are fully warmed up. It is best to do approximately 10-15 minutes of cardiovascular activity before attempting a stretching routine.
When warmed up the muscles are more flexible and can be extended much more easily avoiding unnecessary strains. A great way to incorporate stretching and strength is to take up yoga. Not only does yoga develop balance, posture, strength and great flexibility but also calmness and inner balance. This, of course, is another important requisite for the other side of fitness - mental fitness.
Find all our fitness equipment, weights, dumbbells, yoga mats and supplements at www.naturalmatter.co.uk
The Calf Raise
18/09/2011 by admin.
| For all our dumbbell and fitness equipment www.naturalmatter.co.uk
1. The calf raise can be done using the calf machine in the gym or by using a dumbbell. You must remember to hold the dumbbell on the same side you are doing the raise.
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2. If you are using a dumbbell you will need to steady yourself while you do the raise. Make sure you are supporting yourself with your other hand.
3. Find a raised platform like a step. |
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4. Place the right foot on the step. |
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5. In the right hand hold the desired weight. |
6. Curl the left foot around the back of the right heel. |
7. Support yourself with your left hand, holding onto something about shoulder height. |
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8. Lift onto the ball of the right foot. You will feel the pull in the right calf muscle. |
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9. Repeat the move slowly lowering and raising the right foot. |
10. Make sure you repeat the same exercise for the other calf.
For dumbbells visit www.naturalmatter.co.uk
Warning:- The information contained on this website is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, cure or treat any medical condition. Should you have any medical condition, always consult your doctor, before undertaking any change in exercise or dietary advice.
Exercise can be hazardous. If you use any of the ideas, techniques or suggestions discussed in these documents, all are undertaken at the reader’s sole discretion and risk.
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Muscle Works
04/08/2011 by admin.
For our muscle gain products please visit http://www.naturalmatter.co.uk
The body has about 650 muscles that take up approximately one half of your entire body weight. These muscles are continuously working to keep us alive and moving. Some muscles we consciously control while others move involuntarily.
Muscle is an elastic type of material, which rapidly responds to any form of increased activity requiring it. There are three different types of muscles in the body, skeletal muscle that we will concentrate on here, cardiac muscle and smooth muscle. Skeletal muscle is in a constant state of being toned or tightened. We need this muscle for any movement we make from running to getting out of the car.
If you want to know what your muscles will be like after a certain training technique, look to the sports men and women who train that way. If you want to have large well-defined muscle groups, go towards the weight training and weight lifting techniques. If you don’t want large muscles but want endurance capabilities, then focus on a runner’s training technique.
When you start weight training, your muscles will start to grow after approximately 2 months depending on your dedication and genetic make-up. Your muscle size increases because there is an increase in your muscle fibres, you don’t actually grow more muscle cells.
You will start to see changes in your body as your training develops. Large muscles will start to develop first, such as your chest and back muscles, as these tend to grow faster.
The triceps are usually a great motivator when you first begin training. This is because they are not used very much, so from a little work they firm quite quickly. This will be very noticeable in women as this is a common fat storage area.
The muscle will decrease however when you stop training it. Also, if you continue to eat at the same rate as you did before when you were training the living muscle, a layer of fat will develop over the tissue. Don’t worry though, it is easy to regain what you once had.
Muscle strength does tend to reduce, as we get older. The main reason for this reduction is reduced activity. If we keep active and maintain muscle strength into our older years, this will promote health and allow us to remain independent, due to increased mobility.
Bigger muscles
There is great debate on how much protein is necessary for increased muscle and performance but many body builders believe that increasing your protein intake will increase your body muscle mass and in turn increase strength. It is generally believed though that by taking a good supply of carbohydrates and then consuming approximately 1.5 -2.0 grams of protein per lb of body weight per day will be enough to promote muscle growth and development.
Sports Injuries and Remedies
03/08/2011 by admin.
Common Injury:- The most common forms of sporting injury are ones involving muscle, tendons and ligaments. You can treat a lot of these injuries yourself. Remember though, if the injury seems serious, make sure you see a doctor immediately.
Muscle Injury First Aid:- The first way to treat a non-threatening injury is to get an icepack and place it on the affected area. After this, put on a bandage to provide support. Finally, raise it higher than the rest of your body. All these tips help to reduce inflammation of the tissue and prevent any swelling, promoting a quicker recovery.
Back Pain:- A common problem for people training is back pain. Lifting or uncontrolled movements whilst exercising can cause this. Pain can be caused by muscle tears and spasms but may also be caused by a slipped disc or Sciatica. It is important to prevent an injury like this rather than treat it afterwards by always being mindful of posture when training, not lifting weights, which are too heavy, and not placing too much pressure on the body by over exercising.
Tendons:- Tendons are a collection of fibres that connect muscles to bones. If you suddenly stretch or overuse that part of your body in a sport, you can damage the tissue that lies around that area.
Ligaments:- These are a band of tough fibres binding bones together. Damage is caused when abnormal movement is placed on a certain area of the body. For example, twisting the ankle can result in severe pain and is known as a Sprain. Fibres are torn and this results in swelling of the affected area.
Serious Injury:- You think you may have a broken limb when gentle pressure or movement causes pain and/or the limb or joint appears deformed. In this case, avoid movement as this may cause further damage to the area. It may be possible to splint the affected area as a splint stabilizes the damaged parts and prevents unwanted movement. If you are unsure, see a doctor as soon as possible.
Physiotherapy:- The main aim of Physiotherapy is to identify and produce the most movement in a patient through health promotion, preventive healthcare, treatment and rehabilitation. They use different therapies such as massage, therapeutic exercise and the application of cold, heat, ultrasound and electrical stimulation. Their aim is to get patients active in helping themselves to get better.
Osteopathy:- This method allows practitioners to use their hands in diagnosing and treating illness and injury. When examining a patient, they have a very hands-on approach that lets them examine places such as the back and other parts of the body. They can also examine muscles and ligaments for pain and restricted movement that could be a sign of injury.