Have you ever looked for dumbbell workouts on the internet or in books and magazines? If you have, I'm sure you've come across "typical" dumbbell workouts. You know the kind I'm talking about, dumbbell exercises targeting small muscles with light weight dumbbells like the bodybuilders do.
Well, I've got some news for you. The "typical" dumbbell workout doesn't even scratch the surface of what true dumbbell training has to offer. It actually distresses me to see this powerful exercise tool underused like it is. People are missing the fantastic results of proper dumbbell workouts like more muscle, stronger muscles, less fat, better cardiorespiratory conditioning and a body that performs as good as it looks.
Ok, for those of you who don't know what a "typical" dumbbell workout is, here is an example:
Dumbbell Lunges 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Dumbbell Flys 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Dumbbell Military Press 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Dumbbell Curls 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Dumbbell Kickbacks 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Then do 30 minutes of your favorite aerobic exercise.
Does this dumbbell workout look familiar?
Ok, doing the above dumbbell workout isn't terrible. But it doesn't compare to the muscle building, fat blasting, heart and lung improving dumbbell workouts I'm about to describe. It is my hope that after seeing these dumbbell workouts, your eyes will be open to the tremendous possibilities of dumbbell exercise and how proper dumbbell workout can help you reach your fitness, fat loss and physique building goals!
Dumbbell Workout Option #1: Super Sets
A super set is when you do two dumbbell exercises back to back. So, instead of doing one set, resting and then doing another set of the same exercise, you'll change exercises. You can either rest between exercises, or do one exercise immediately after the other and then resting between supersets. Either way super sets are very beneficial.
Why?
Super sets allow you to do a great deal of work in a short period of time without sacrificing your performance. To take full advantage of supersets, I pick two non-competing exercises for each superset. So, the muscles used for the first exercise rest while you perform the second exercise. This allows you to get through the workout quickly!
I like to do dumbbell workouts using super sets with grinding dumbbell exercises like presses, rows, squats and deadlifts. Not only do I get all the muscle building power of these exercises, but the fast pace improves cardiorespiratory endurance and burns fat as well!
Dumbbell Workout Option #2: Timed Circuits
A circuit is when you perform a series of dumbbell exercises in a row one after the other. Normally, you would do a certain number of repetitions for each exercise before moving on to the next. But with a timed circuit, you perform one dumbbell exercise for time (like 30 seconds) and then move on to the next exercise and perform for the same amount of time. I like to do dumbbell workouts using timed circuits with explosive dumbbell exercises.
Why?
Explosive dumbbell exercises build muscles with extraordinary power, but also use a lot of energy. This is important because you can keep (or build) muscle while stripping away performance robbing, appearance destroying fat. Plus, the fast pace of the workout builds powerful heart and lungs.
Dumbbell Workout Option #3: Peripheral Heart Action
Peripheral Heart Action training is like circuits where you alternate between upper body and lower body exercises. The fast pace and alternating fashion of this workout allows you to attack your muscles, heart and lungs all at the same time. I like to do peripheral heart action dumbbell workout where I rotate between grinding dumbbell exercises and explosive dumbbell exercises.
Why?
Rotating between these two types of dumbbell exercises forces you to perform strength exercises when under cardiorespiratory stress, and explosive exercises when under muscular stress. The result? A dumbbell workout that combines muscular strength AND cardiorespiratory endurance and prepares you to meet the challenges of sport, work and life with excellence. You'll truly be prepared for anything that comes your way. Plus, that ugly fat melts away!
free workout routines programs, As you can see, the dumbbell workouts I describe are quite different from the "typical" dumbbell workout above. And the differences make these dumbbell workouts so effective. So, this leaves only one question. "Are you getting the most out of your dumbbell workouts?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/855258
Tuesday, 10 March 2015
Dumbbell Workout Program - The Fast Way To Transform Your Body
My answer to the burning question on many men's and women's minds is... a dumbbell workout program!
So, what's the question? "What do I do when I want to transform my body fast?"
It's no secret, men and women all over the world exercise because they want to CHANGE the way they look. One day, they take a good, hard look at themselves in the mirror, and don't like the person staring back at them. And, not only do they want to change their appearance, but they want to change it fast!
That's when they ask, "What do I do when I want to transform my body fast?" And that's when I answer, "A dumbbell workout program. "Then they look at me funny! I'm about to explain why I believe a dumbbell workout program is best for body transformation. And by the time you finish reading this, I think you'll agree.
But, before I tell you why I believe a proper dumbbell workout program is the best workout program to change the way your body looks, I want to clarify something.
"Fast" is a relative term.
You see, you've spent months (if not years) getting your body to look the way it does. That lack of muscle tone and flab hanging around your middle didn't appear overnight. Making a drastic change in the way you look does take time. There is no miracle workout (or diet) that changes you overnight. But, there are some methods faster than others.
Here are the top 3 reasons a dumbbell workout program is excellent for fast body transformation.
-A Dumbbell Workout Program Is Accessible
Dumbbells are a popular piece of exercise equipment. Most gyms have a wide selection of dumbbells in weights ranging from extremely light to super heavy. Plus, most people have a set of dumbbell they can use in their house, or can easily and cheaply get a pair. There are very few legitimate excuses for not being able to find a pair of dumbbells for your workout. As we all know, a workout you actually DO is more effective than one you don't!
- A Dumbbell Workout Program BUILDS A Muscular Body
When people want to change the way they look, most immediately think "cardio". Their first mistake is thinking they'll look great by ONLY losing weight (becoming smaller). Their second mistake is thinking cardio is the best way to transform their body. The fact is, most people need to simultaneously BUILD a muscular body and lose fat. Doing both is the fastest way to total body transformation, and a proper dumbbell workout program builds muscles in all the right places.
-A Dumbbell Workout Program Burns Fat
Stripping of the fat covering your best, muscular body is essential for a noticeable change in your body. Rhythmic dumbbell exercise like swings and snatches simultaneously build muscle, improve heart and lung power and burn off fat. Plus, they create so much metabolic disturbance your body keeps burning fat long after the workout is over. And longer fat burning means more fat GONE!
But performing a workout program on a consistent basis, building muscle and burning fat are not the most important reasons a dumbbell workout program is superior for total body transformation. After all, you could say that about any type of resistance and cardio training program.
Here are the top 5 reasons a dumbbell workout program is superior for total body transformation...
- Dumbbell training takes advantage of the "bilateral deficit" where you can lift more weight with one limb because your body recruits more muscles. And more weight lifted and more muscles used means bigger, stronger muscles.
- Unilateral training, where you first do the repetitions with one limb and then the other, doubles the length of each set. This means you expend more energy and burn more fat.
- Every dumbbell exercise recruits the core muscles to stabilize the body and allow the limbs to exert force. This means EVERY exercise in the dumbbell workout program is a six-pack abdominal exercise.
- A properly structured dumbbell workout program is a simultaneous muscle building and cardiorespiratory endurance workout. You can get a great full body workout in less time.
- A dumbbell workout program not only helps you achieve your appearance goals as fast as possible, but improves performance as well. So, you'll not only look great, but you'll develop the physical abilities necessary to meet the challenges of work, sport and life with excellence.
So, you want to change the way your body looks as fast as possible? Do a dumbbell workout program!
But don't get mislead into performing a bodybuilding type dumbbell workout program where you use light dumbbells to target small muscle groups. Do a full body dumbbell workout program that SIMULTANEOUSLY builds more, stronger muscle, burns more fat, strengthens your abdominal muscles, builds your heart and lung power and prepares you for life's challenges. You'll start seeing and feeling positive changes in your body you can use before you know it!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/851688
So, what's the question? "What do I do when I want to transform my body fast?"
It's no secret, men and women all over the world exercise because they want to CHANGE the way they look. One day, they take a good, hard look at themselves in the mirror, and don't like the person staring back at them. And, not only do they want to change their appearance, but they want to change it fast!
That's when they ask, "What do I do when I want to transform my body fast?" And that's when I answer, "A dumbbell workout program. "Then they look at me funny! I'm about to explain why I believe a dumbbell workout program is best for body transformation. And by the time you finish reading this, I think you'll agree.
But, before I tell you why I believe a proper dumbbell workout program is the best workout program to change the way your body looks, I want to clarify something.
"Fast" is a relative term.
You see, you've spent months (if not years) getting your body to look the way it does. That lack of muscle tone and flab hanging around your middle didn't appear overnight. Making a drastic change in the way you look does take time. There is no miracle workout (or diet) that changes you overnight. But, there are some methods faster than others.
Here are the top 3 reasons a dumbbell workout program is excellent for fast body transformation.
-A Dumbbell Workout Program Is Accessible
Dumbbells are a popular piece of exercise equipment. Most gyms have a wide selection of dumbbells in weights ranging from extremely light to super heavy. Plus, most people have a set of dumbbell they can use in their house, or can easily and cheaply get a pair. There are very few legitimate excuses for not being able to find a pair of dumbbells for your workout. As we all know, a workout you actually DO is more effective than one you don't!
- A Dumbbell Workout Program BUILDS A Muscular Body
When people want to change the way they look, most immediately think "cardio". Their first mistake is thinking they'll look great by ONLY losing weight (becoming smaller). Their second mistake is thinking cardio is the best way to transform their body. The fact is, most people need to simultaneously BUILD a muscular body and lose fat. Doing both is the fastest way to total body transformation, and a proper dumbbell workout program builds muscles in all the right places.
-A Dumbbell Workout Program Burns Fat
Stripping of the fat covering your best, muscular body is essential for a noticeable change in your body. Rhythmic dumbbell exercise like swings and snatches simultaneously build muscle, improve heart and lung power and burn off fat. Plus, they create so much metabolic disturbance your body keeps burning fat long after the workout is over. And longer fat burning means more fat GONE!
But performing a workout program on a consistent basis, building muscle and burning fat are not the most important reasons a dumbbell workout program is superior for total body transformation. After all, you could say that about any type of resistance and cardio training program.
Here are the top 5 reasons a dumbbell workout program is superior for total body transformation...
- Dumbbell training takes advantage of the "bilateral deficit" where you can lift more weight with one limb because your body recruits more muscles. And more weight lifted and more muscles used means bigger, stronger muscles.
- Unilateral training, where you first do the repetitions with one limb and then the other, doubles the length of each set. This means you expend more energy and burn more fat.
- Every dumbbell exercise recruits the core muscles to stabilize the body and allow the limbs to exert force. This means EVERY exercise in the dumbbell workout program is a six-pack abdominal exercise.
- A properly structured dumbbell workout program is a simultaneous muscle building and cardiorespiratory endurance workout. You can get a great full body workout in less time.
- A dumbbell workout program not only helps you achieve your appearance goals as fast as possible, but improves performance as well. So, you'll not only look great, but you'll develop the physical abilities necessary to meet the challenges of work, sport and life with excellence.
So, you want to change the way your body looks as fast as possible? Do a dumbbell workout program!
But don't get mislead into performing a bodybuilding type dumbbell workout program where you use light dumbbells to target small muscle groups. Do a full body dumbbell workout program that SIMULTANEOUSLY builds more, stronger muscle, burns more fat, strengthens your abdominal muscles, builds your heart and lung power and prepares you for life's challenges. You'll start seeing and feeling positive changes in your body you can use before you know it!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/851688
Improve Your Body With Recovery Workouts
I previously introduced the concept of recovery workouts and explained how they can improve your long-term health and fitness success. If you read that or similar articles, you already know why they are important. This article goes a step further and gets into more of the practical information and explains how to design recovery workouts and incorporate them into your Workout Routines Program.
As with all forms of exercise, the use of recovery workouts varies from person to person and is influenced by your overall program goals, current physical fitness, genetics, and the overall demand you put on your body. Therefore, you can have many different types of recovery workouts, depending on the situation. I previously stated that recovery workouts can also be regularly scheduled into your workout plan, but explaining that would involve discussing all the specifics in an entire workout plan, so for now I will focus on explaining how to add recovery workouts to your existing exercise program.
There are basically two different ways to incorporate recovery workouts into an existing program and you can use either or both ways, depending on your particular needs. The first way is simply to replace an existing workout with a recovery one. The second way is to keep all your existing workout schedule the same and add recovery workouts on top of your current routine. Each approach can be useful, but one approach will work better than the other in certain situations.
When replacing an existing workout with a recovery one, you are essentially causing a small decrease in exercise volume (total amount of work performed) and ultimately lowering the overall difficulty of your exercise routine. This can be a good thing if you do many challenging workouts in a week, especially if you find yourself getting run down or experiencing higher than normal amounts of muscle soreness and stiffness. On the other hand, if your routine is not very demanding, decreasing the overall volume and difficulty could be a bad thing, particularly if your body is not being challenged enough by your regular workouts.
If you keep all your current workouts the same and add new recovery workouts to the mix, you will be adding to the total volume in your program. Even though recovery workouts are designed to make your body feel better, increasing the total work of a training program that already has a high volume may not have the desired positive effect. If you are already pushing your body too hard and doing too much total work, adding more exercise may make you become run down even faster. In addition, adding new workouts will increase the amount of time you spend exercising, which could be a problem if you have a busy schedule.
There are obviously a number of things to think about before using recovery workouts in your routine, but with a few tips and a little planning, you will see that it is really not too complicated. It all starts with simply paying attention to your body and being aware of how you feel, both in general and after different types of workouts. Everyone recovers from workouts at different rates and when you understand how your body responds to exercise, you will learn how hard you can push yourself and figure out when you need to cut back on your training and incorporate some recovery workouts.
I should also point out that it is not only your workouts that determine how much recovery you need. Nutrition, stress, sleep, stretching, hydration status (water intake), your fitness level, and other factors also have a significant impact on your ability to recover from exercise. As a result, your ability to recover may change over time, depending on what is going on in your life. The good news is that even though things change, the signs that tell you when to include recovery workouts should be fairly constant and I will give you some tips to help figure out what to look for and what to do in certain situations.
Some of the most common signs that you need to add recovery workouts are increases in muscle soreness and/or joint stiffness. Increasingly stiff joints and sore muscles can be caused by performing a lot of challenging workouts or performing workouts that are too long, incorporate too little rest, or are too intense. The problems are compounded when the use of heavy weights is combined with a lack of stretching. In these situations, a good strategy is to take a day of heavy weight training and replace it with a workout using light weights (around half of the original weights).
Or better yet, you could stay away from weights altogether and perform a workout primarily using cable exercises. Cables or other types of resistance tubing/bands are great for recovery workouts, because they cause minimal joint stress and still provide a decent stimulus to your muscles. They will not have the same effect as lifting heavy weights, but your goal with this workout is to recover and not to increase maximal fitness attributes. Using cables will help your joints recover faster, decrease muscle soreness, and make your body feel much better than if you constantly push yourself with heavy weights.
Another great alternative for a recovery workout, if available, is swimming or performing other exercises in the water. A pool is a great environment for recovery workouts, because water significantly decreases the impact on your body. This is particularly useful when you are trying to minimize the stress on your joints. As with using cables, exercising in water provides a stimulus to your muscles, while allowing your joints to recover. Cable and water workouts not only prevent further stress to your joints, but they actually increase the speed that your body recovers, hence the name recovery workouts.
Sore muscles and stiff joints are not the only reasons why you may need to use recovery workouts. Many people, especially those who have exercised for a long time, can start to feel the effects of burnout or mental fatigue. These problems are often due to a lack of variety in a training program, so a recovery workout should involve performing workouts or activities that are significantly different from your normal routine.
For instance, if you typically lift weights, then just doing some new exercises or using lighter weights may not be your best bet. A better idea would be to do a completely different type of activity, such as biking, jogging, or swimming. If you prefer, you could also play a sport or other physical activity instead of doing a more traditional type of exercise. When training to prevent burnout or mental fatigue, your goal is really to perform a workout that you can enjoy, which should take your mind off your regular routine.
Regardless of the type of exercise or activity you use for your recovery workout(s), the important thing is perform a workout that suits the type of recovery you need. For example, if you are feeling run down from doing too many hard workouts, then replacing your normal workout with a completely different type of exercise will not help much if the new workout is just as challenging as your original one. Just remember to keep the purpose of your recovery workout in mind.
Another important point is that a recovery workout can serve a purpose in addition to simply promoting recovery. Recovery workouts can be used for working on weaknesses or improving things that may not be addressed by your regular exercise program. For instance, you could create a recovery workout that is made up of injury prevention or rehab exercises. You can also use the workout to work on attributes such as balance and stabilization, which are often ignored in traditional training programs.
It's really all up to you when it comes to determining what type of recovery workout will work best in a given situation. You may have to experiment a little to figure out how different recovery workouts impact your body, but just pay attention to how you feel, factor in what is going on the rest of your life, and think about what would make you feel better. Pretty soon you will become good at using recovery workouts to make body feel better, which will ultimately improve your entire workout routine.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4387928
As with all forms of exercise, the use of recovery workouts varies from person to person and is influenced by your overall program goals, current physical fitness, genetics, and the overall demand you put on your body. Therefore, you can have many different types of recovery workouts, depending on the situation. I previously stated that recovery workouts can also be regularly scheduled into your workout plan, but explaining that would involve discussing all the specifics in an entire workout plan, so for now I will focus on explaining how to add recovery workouts to your existing exercise program.
There are basically two different ways to incorporate recovery workouts into an existing program and you can use either or both ways, depending on your particular needs. The first way is simply to replace an existing workout with a recovery one. The second way is to keep all your existing workout schedule the same and add recovery workouts on top of your current routine. Each approach can be useful, but one approach will work better than the other in certain situations.
When replacing an existing workout with a recovery one, you are essentially causing a small decrease in exercise volume (total amount of work performed) and ultimately lowering the overall difficulty of your exercise routine. This can be a good thing if you do many challenging workouts in a week, especially if you find yourself getting run down or experiencing higher than normal amounts of muscle soreness and stiffness. On the other hand, if your routine is not very demanding, decreasing the overall volume and difficulty could be a bad thing, particularly if your body is not being challenged enough by your regular workouts.
If you keep all your current workouts the same and add new recovery workouts to the mix, you will be adding to the total volume in your program. Even though recovery workouts are designed to make your body feel better, increasing the total work of a training program that already has a high volume may not have the desired positive effect. If you are already pushing your body too hard and doing too much total work, adding more exercise may make you become run down even faster. In addition, adding new workouts will increase the amount of time you spend exercising, which could be a problem if you have a busy schedule.
There are obviously a number of things to think about before using recovery workouts in your routine, but with a few tips and a little planning, you will see that it is really not too complicated. It all starts with simply paying attention to your body and being aware of how you feel, both in general and after different types of workouts. Everyone recovers from workouts at different rates and when you understand how your body responds to exercise, you will learn how hard you can push yourself and figure out when you need to cut back on your training and incorporate some recovery workouts.
I should also point out that it is not only your workouts that determine how much recovery you need. Nutrition, stress, sleep, stretching, hydration status (water intake), your fitness level, and other factors also have a significant impact on your ability to recover from exercise. As a result, your ability to recover may change over time, depending on what is going on in your life. The good news is that even though things change, the signs that tell you when to include recovery workouts should be fairly constant and I will give you some tips to help figure out what to look for and what to do in certain situations.
Some of the most common signs that you need to add recovery workouts are increases in muscle soreness and/or joint stiffness. Increasingly stiff joints and sore muscles can be caused by performing a lot of challenging workouts or performing workouts that are too long, incorporate too little rest, or are too intense. The problems are compounded when the use of heavy weights is combined with a lack of stretching. In these situations, a good strategy is to take a day of heavy weight training and replace it with a workout using light weights (around half of the original weights).
Or better yet, you could stay away from weights altogether and perform a workout primarily using cable exercises. Cables or other types of resistance tubing/bands are great for recovery workouts, because they cause minimal joint stress and still provide a decent stimulus to your muscles. They will not have the same effect as lifting heavy weights, but your goal with this workout is to recover and not to increase maximal fitness attributes. Using cables will help your joints recover faster, decrease muscle soreness, and make your body feel much better than if you constantly push yourself with heavy weights.
Another great alternative for a recovery workout, if available, is swimming or performing other exercises in the water. A pool is a great environment for recovery workouts, because water significantly decreases the impact on your body. This is particularly useful when you are trying to minimize the stress on your joints. As with using cables, exercising in water provides a stimulus to your muscles, while allowing your joints to recover. Cable and water workouts not only prevent further stress to your joints, but they actually increase the speed that your body recovers, hence the name recovery workouts.
Sore muscles and stiff joints are not the only reasons why you may need to use recovery workouts. Many people, especially those who have exercised for a long time, can start to feel the effects of burnout or mental fatigue. These problems are often due to a lack of variety in a training program, so a recovery workout should involve performing workouts or activities that are significantly different from your normal routine.
For instance, if you typically lift weights, then just doing some new exercises or using lighter weights may not be your best bet. A better idea would be to do a completely different type of activity, such as biking, jogging, or swimming. If you prefer, you could also play a sport or other physical activity instead of doing a more traditional type of exercise. When training to prevent burnout or mental fatigue, your goal is really to perform a workout that you can enjoy, which should take your mind off your regular routine.
Regardless of the type of exercise or activity you use for your recovery workout(s), the important thing is perform a workout that suits the type of recovery you need. For example, if you are feeling run down from doing too many hard workouts, then replacing your normal workout with a completely different type of exercise will not help much if the new workout is just as challenging as your original one. Just remember to keep the purpose of your recovery workout in mind.
Another important point is that a recovery workout can serve a purpose in addition to simply promoting recovery. Recovery workouts can be used for working on weaknesses or improving things that may not be addressed by your regular exercise program. For instance, you could create a recovery workout that is made up of injury prevention or rehab exercises. You can also use the workout to work on attributes such as balance and stabilization, which are often ignored in traditional training programs.
It's really all up to you when it comes to determining what type of recovery workout will work best in a given situation. You may have to experiment a little to figure out how different recovery workouts impact your body, but just pay attention to how you feel, factor in what is going on the rest of your life, and think about what would make you feel better. Pretty soon you will become good at using recovery workouts to make body feel better, which will ultimately improve your entire workout routine.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4387928
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)