Gym Equipment - How to choose perfect Exercise Bike

Exercise bikes are iconic representations of fitness. The idea of opting for home gym equipment will unmistakably include an exercise bike. This is mainly because of the benefits of training and working out with an exercise bike. With benefits that stretch from endurance to cardio workouts to fast calorie burns, it is important to get yourself one and clock adequate time on the seats. However, getting one actually involves understanding more about the bike before choosing one. Here is your ultimate guide that will help you to park the best one in your home.

Must have features versus frills

Ideally, you should first look for the must have features in an exercise bike. Only after you have the mandatory features covered should you look for or get interested in the frills that you may or may not use. What is important to bear in mind, is the fact that your exercise bike needs to meet your objectives of working out. Your fitness program has a goal, and the exercise bike should be geared towards meeting those objectives. The most important feature, is undoubtedly variable resistance. Choose a bike that offers variable resistance, so that you can adjust and improve as you progress.

Space constraints

Regardless of the size of homes, the exercise bike needs to be compact. This makes it easier to position and to shift within the premises whenever required. Consider the space available in your home and the amount of space that you are willing to allocate for the bike before choosing one. It does not pay to procure one and let it lie in your attic or garage for want of adequate space.  You also need to consider that you may wish to include other workout equipment at a later stage as you find benefits from your fitness program.

Covered movable components

It is important to choose a bike that comes with covered movable components. For instance, the chain and the flywheel needs to be covered in some kind of a compartment so as to prevent accidents. It is possible that an exposed chain or flywheel can cause injury when kids inadvertently handle the moving parts. The whole exercise bike should ideally come in a compact enclosed model for better safety and aesthetics.

Three Foam Roller Exercises which are Great For Overall Fitness

Recovering after a workout is important and actually determines how your next session will shape out. If you have not recovered from the pain and muscle soreness of a workout, chances are that you may not go in for the next session. And this defeats the very purpose of working out. Recovering from a workout can be a lot easier than imagined, and it all boils down to a set a exercises that you perform after you finish your workouts. Here is a look at three different foam roller exercises that help you in your fitness program.

Soothe your calves

In a seating position with your legs stretched out, place your hands behind you, raise yourself and position the foam roller beneath your calves. Roll yourself on the foam roller between the back of your knees and your ankles. You need to control the weight of the body with your arms and the rolling motion. This will greatly soothe the calves, blowing pain away.

Reducing lactic acid buildup in your quads

Lie face down and raise yourself on your palms. Place the foam roller beneath your hips and cross your left leg onto your right leg as far as possible. The idea is to shift weight onto one leg. Roll yourself on the foam roller from the hips to the knees. Repeat the same procedure with your other leg. This will keep lactic acid levels low and ease muscle soreness.

Give much needed relief to your back

Your back takes a lot of load during work outs, without you even being aware of the kind of punishment you are meting out. It is necessary to offer relief to your back with this wonderful foam roller exercise. Sit on the floor with your knees pulled up to your chest and slowly rest your back on the floor with your arms outstretched behind you.  Place the foam roller behind your lower back and raise yourself lightly. Roll yourself on the foam roller moving it from the lower back, all the way upto the shoulder blades. Your body weight needs to be balanced on your feet and your outstretched palms.

3 Reason why jogging is beneficial on treadmill

One of the oldest yet most popular and effective ways of keeping fit is undoubtedly jogging. And treadmills are effective partners in the journey to fitness. However, there is no escaping the fact that many individuals look at treadmills as an arrangement that is used when the weather plays spoilsport to a morning or evening jog. The point seems to be altogether missed, because treadmills are not just a substitute or an adhoc arrangement, but one of the best ways to keep fit. Here are three good reasons why you need to keep pounding on treadmill.

Track your progress through digitized data

Jogging is intended to bring benefits to the individual and it always helps to keep track of progress. The digital monitors on the treadmills are advanced technological marvels that help to offer information on the progress made during workouts. For instance the speed, the duration, and the incline adjustments are invariably changed with each session and the availability of data helps to show improvement or the lack of improvement. Improvements offer inspiration, and treadmills offer the greatest inspiration by way of data displayed on screen.

Predictable surface for better efforts and safety

Jogging is intended to help individuals attain fitness. It is not an adventure by any stretch of imagination, unless, of course, it is undertaken during a trip to some exotic destination. Jogging is primarily intended as a workout. An unpredictable surface would subconsciously affect an individual’s training. The apprehension of having to run on a surface that may suddenly turn hard is likely to prevent individuals from going all out. A treadmill on the other hand offers a predictable surface, with speed and incline controlled by the individual, giving greater flexibility to scale up or down as and when required.

Working out as per own schedule

The aim to get fit involves a routine. A treadmill offers individuals to fix a healthy routine as per convenience. An early morning jog may be most suitable for most individuals. Unfortunately, not everyone is blessed with the advantages of a fabulous location where jogging around dawn is possible. Weather and traffic may pose hindrances, depending on the location. Some locations may just be unsafe for joggers. And having to drive insane distances in search of a jogging track is definitely not the best idea. A treadmill at home offers individuals the options of working out to a fixed routine and draw the best benefits.  The time spent commuting to a track and back can be actually utilized to go that extra mile on the treadmill for better results.

Research has proved that the first twenty minutes of workout does not burn out the fat. This means that individuals who drive to a jogging track hardly get to derive benefits. Time would be spent towards driving to and fro, leaving the individual a short period to work out. With treadmills, it is possible to use every single minute to pound on the running belt while listening to favorite songs. Treadmills offer the safety of listening to music without being run over.

Boost Power-Endurance using Kettlebell Training

The kettlebell, from its humble origins in agrarian measurement has turned into a powerful weight training accessory. Trust the Russians to come up with rugged and utilitarian equipment. Offering great scope for boosting power and endurance with a range of exercises, the kettlebell is one of the most versatile free weights.

Power and endurance for whole body

Kettlebell training increases strength in the lower back, legs and shoulders. This translates into better power, endurance and grip. The exercises workout a large number of muscle groups. It is important to note here that power and endurance are not limited to particular portions of the body, it actually applies to the whole body. And kettlebells have the range of exercises to increase power and endurance for the whole body.

Small weights offering power and endurance? Flummoxed?

Contrary to opinion that only bigger and heavier weights help to develop power and endurance, it is a fact that power and endurance will come when all parts of the body are worked out. Kettle bells require large number of repetitions, either by sets without a break or with breaks. The large number of repetitions are primarily responsible for building up endurance.

Kettlebells in pairs or used alone

Kettlebells can be used in pairs or alone. The difference lies in the nature of the exercise.  Kettlebells can be used to work out any part of the body due to the nature of handles provided. Suitable for squats, deadlifts, snatch, jerk, clean, lunges, rowing, the list is nearly endless offering options to exercise all parts of the body. One of the greatest advantages of kettlebell is that exercises exist for using one weight, which is quite unlike most other free weights like barbells that are usually performed with a pair of weights.

This rugged free weight has not been replaced, but has gained in popularity, for the simple and effective workout options it offers. An ideal way to work out at home, to exercise all parts, the kettlebell forms part of a professional’s workout schedule due to the manifold benefits it offers.

How to choose right pair of boxing gloves

Perhaps one of the most glamorous among contact sports, boxing has been immortalized through movies that have ruled the box office. Landing a punch square on the jaw can sometimes end up causing more damage to the person socking an opponent. Use of the right gear can help improve training while ensuring that the bouts are competitive, without causing injury that impacts your boxing career. Choosing the right pair of boxing gloves can be as easy as slipping one on, provided your search involves looking for the following features.

Soak up the shock: Padding up for better shock resistance

With punches carrying a pressure of around 900 pounds, it is important that the gloves offer sufficient padding. An improperly padded glove can cause as damage to the opponent as the boxed landing the blow. Gloves come with triple padding to soak up the shock from powerful blows, uppercuts and wild swings. Some of the reputed and patented models of boxing gloves come with triple shell shock features that are a wonderful feature to protect from the extreme force generated by punches.

Keep them on : Firm Velcro straps

The last thing that you would ever want to happen would be for the gloves to come undone at the wrists. At the speed with which blows are landed or blocks are put in place, it would be too late to do something about a glove that has come undone. It is important that a glove remains firmly on the wrist, during practice or an actual bout. Choose gloves that come with strong and quick Velcro closure straps. Both sides of the Velcro need to be perfectly aligned and of a quality that offers long life and reliable function.

Gloves of the right hide for the best quality

Boxing gloves are available in a wide variety of materials, however, it is always best to go with boxing gloves made out of cow hide leather. Leather boxing gloves are the ideal accessories for training sessions. If you value your training sessions then investing in leather boxing gloves designed with quadro-dome technology is a good idea. Cow hide leather gloves do not flake easily, and that translates into longer life.

Getting the right fit and preventing hands from turning clammy with sweat

Bouts in the ring are the decisive moments that bear the fruits of training and the right gear. The right gear means the right fit and the right wrap, not to mention gloves that come with a mesh to keep hands dry. Some of the biggest problems faced by boxers are ill fitting gloves, poor wraps and sweaty palms. Choose leather gloves of a size that fit snugly, not too tight and not loose. The wrap and the gloves combo need to be a perfect fit permitting you to land blows with freedom and confidence. Wicking mesh in gloves keeps the hands dry and free from clammy sweat to make your training sessions more effective.