Exercise

These guidelines can help you get the most out of your kettlebell exercise routine. The following 15 tips will teach you the proper number of reps and sets to perform, when to work out, and what kind of workouts will sculpt the body you desire.

• Train two to seven times a week. You must train on a regular basis if you wish to see any benefits. This should be a give-me, but many people look for push-button solutions. In the world of exercise, those buttons do not exist.

• Work out for 45 minutes or less and you’ll see the best results. Doing a few reps and then quitting won’t get you anywhere. At the same time, you need to make sure you do not train for too long either. Working out for too long can actually make your exercise program less effective as various hormones in your body drop from peak levels after about 45 minutes of working out.
• Total workout time should be altered. Keep your body guessing by switching things up every now and then. Increase your workout intensity by completing your exercises in 20 minutes one day and then taking it a little easier the next day by taking 40 minutes.
• Perform as many exercises as you wish. You can do as many different kettlebell exercises as you wish. If you hit the whole body, make sure you’re eating right to supply your body with the proper nutrients for the quickest recovery.
• Vary the intensity of each exercise You don’t have to hit every exercise super hard. Do a few intensely and a few with less intensity. This is similar to changing the time of your work outs. You’ll adapt to different lifting situations do to this and you’ll also fight off boredom more easily by having a more dynamic workout routine.
• String exercises together in a circuit. Circuit training consists of performing an exercise, resting, performing a different one, resting, and repeating the sequence until the total number of sets is completed for each exercise. Circuit training will increase your strength and endurance levels.
• Rest between your sets. You’ll want to make sure your muscles are ready to go when you start each set. Make sure you rest at least 1 minute between each set.
• Hurrying through strength exercises can spell disaster You want to get strong, but have some patience. Injuring yourself because you wanted to go too quickly and got sloppy is a sure fire way to hinder your progress. Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare: “slow and steady wins the race”.
• Shorten the rest time for endurance training. When you are working on your endurance levels, you may want to compress your rest periods. Remember, you do not want to be in a hurry when strength training though.
• Start hard. Finish easy. Starting your session with the hard exercises. Doing this will ensure you are at your freshest so that you have the coordination and strength to complete the exercises in good form.
• Lift your kettlebells before endurance exercises.Do as many sets as you wish. If you can do 500 sets, the more power to you. In most cases, however, you’ll probably be wanting to perform 3 to 20 sets per exercise. You’ll also want to vary the number of sets each time you work out. If you have only one kettlebell, try to add on a few more sets each time you work out.
• Do not go to muscle failure. Some high intensity routines recommend you work a muscle to failure to damage your muscles as much as possible. The idea is that your muscles will be stimulated to repair themselves much more and you’ll become much bigger. The goal with kettlebells is not to become big, but to have functional, whole body strength and endurance. Working out to muscle failure also increases the chance you’ll go out of form, hurt yourself, or drop your weight on yourself. Either way, not pretty!
• Do not do more than 5 reps per set with presses and side bends. Presses and side bends are difficult exercises to begin with. Doing more reps increases the chance you’ll use poor form. Increase difficulty by using a heavier kettlebell. If you do not own a heavier kettlebell, compress rest period or perform more sets of 5 reps. You may also select a more difficult exercise, move slower, and pause at different points.
• Cleans and jerks can be performed all day long, if you can handle it. You can do these exercises with sets of 1 to 100 reps. You’ll want to leave these exercises for the end of your routine though, as they will tire you out and would impact your strength exercises.

You now have the knowledge to make the most of your kettlebell exercise routines. Now, get off your butt and make it happen!

Learn more about the benefits of kettlebell exercises and how they can help you build lean muscle and burn fat by visiting kettlebellsoldier.com.

In order to lose weight, a person must create a calorie deficit – i.e. they must use up more calories during the course of their day than they consume though eating food. It is possible to lose weight without doing any exercise, but the problem with this is that it is very difficult to stick to, as you will probably feel hungry quite a lot of the time. The easiest way to lose weight is to incorporate some regular exercise into your life, which will increase the number of calories burned, and making it easier to create that calorie deficit. This article discusses the best exercise you can do to lose weight.

One of the best exercises to lose weight is swimming. This exercises the entire body, and will also help to develop some muscle tone. Increasing your muscle will have the effect of increasing your metabolism, which will also help you to burn off calories. Swimming is a good exercise in that it is very low impact on the joints, which in turn reduces the risk of injury. Swimming lengths of the pool for thirty – forty minutes threes times per week will greatly increase your weight loss chances. One thing you should be aware of with swimming – it is very tempting to take it easy, particularly if you swim the breast stroke. The harder you push yourself the more calories you will burn, which is obviously your main goal.

If you are a member of a gym, one of the best cardio machines for weight loss is the cross trainer. This is also a low impact exercise, and it involves total body movement. Because you are exercising on a machine, the digital monitor can give you feedback on your exercise, such as heart rate and calories burned. However, this is a dull form of exercise, as you are stationary and it can become quite boring after a while. You are also likely to be in close proximity to other exercisers, and there is nothing worse than needing to take in big gulps of air when the lady on the machine next to you has seemingly taken a bath in extra strong perfume.

In my opinion the best exercise to lose weight is running. There are probably experts who would disagree with that opinion, but for me, running has been the most effective form of exercise for weight loss. Running puts a bit of a strain on the knee joints, so it is important to get fitted for a decent pair of shoes. Find a route which isn’t too busy with cars – you can measure the distance using Google’s pedometer tool – as you want to be taking in gulps of fresh air when you are running. The aspect of running which makes it a good weight loss exercise is that you can’t quit in the same way that you can on a machine or in a swimming pool. You need to complete your run or you won’t get home. This means you push yourself more than you would with the other forms of exercise, which increases the number of calories you burn. Besides, when do you ever see a fat jogger?

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Most of us have heard the saying “use it, or lose it,” in the context of brain health. There are many games and products on the market to improve the brain’s functioning by keeping memory, and cognitive skills sharp. However, physical exercise has been proven again and again, to be essential for brain health.

Brain Benefits of Exercise

-Improves circulation and brings oxygen in to the brain. Ever heard of walking to “clear your head?”

-Increased breathing and heart rate sends more blood to the brain, enhancing energy production and waste removal.

-Studies with elderly patients show that walking will improve memory, learning ability, concentration and abstract reasoning.

-Decreases chances of cognitive decline

-Those of us who wiggle their fingers and toes before getting out of bed in the morning, activate nerves that stimulate the brain and internal organs. This helps us to feel more alert and active first thing in the morning.

-Exercisers have better “executive functioning.” This includes planning, organizing, and the ability to take on many intellectual tasks simultaneously.

-Contrary to popular belief, cognitive decline is not inevitable. A 25 year old brain has a similar amount of brain cells compared to a 75 year old. Running has been found to boost brain cell survival.

-Exercise improves and even cures, mental illness such as depression, and anxiety.

After reading all of the benefits to brain health though exercise, how could you not want to workout for your brain? Exercise is more than looking good, it improves your life in every sing;e way! Start the campaign for a better brain by adding a walk after your chess game or memory puzzle!

Kaleena Lawless
Personal Training Specialist
http://www.kalisthenixfitnessblog.com