USE A RESISTANCE BAND FOR MORE WEIGHT LOSS, MUSCLE TONE AND DEVELOPMENT

Did you know that adding a resistance band in your workout routine can significantly improve you fitness gains. It will tone your body, help you lose weight more efficiently and provide better functional benefits. The benefit to this routine I'm about to post is that women can also perform the exercises without worrying about lifting weights and or risking injuries. It can also be performed anywhere.


Resistance training is a form of strength training in which effort is performed against a specific opposing force generated by resistance (i.e. resistance to being pushed, squeezed and or stretched). It is usually used in size, strength and skeletal muscle development. When properly performed, resistance training can provide many benefits and improve overall health and well being. 


According to the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI), the goal of resistance training is to "gradually and progressively overload the musculoskeletal system so it gets stronger." It is proven that regular resistance training strengthens and tones muscles and increases bone mass. You should not confuse resistance training with weightlifting, powerlifting or bodybuilding. Those types of exercises involve different types of strength training. In resistance training full range of motion is important in resistance training because muscle overload occurs only at the specific joint angles where the muscle is worked. 


East Carolina University conducted a study and found that resistance exercise is more beneficial than aerobic exercise for fat loss. Resistance training can be performed with various types of exercise equipment such as Resistance bands, Exercise machines, Exercise in the water and or swimming machines.  

WORKOUT IN THE WATER

Last Friday, me and my friend who's a high level athlete, boxer and soon to be an UFC fighter got together and decided to go to the pool instead of the gym for a workout. Some of you may be like WHAT!? HOW?! Yes you can workout in the water and get an effective workout at that. We did this during lane swim because there is less people and we have the entire swim lane to do our workout. Here is what we did..


For the first 5-10 mins my friend swam 3 lengths of the pool.

The workout.

3 sets of walking lunges

3 sets of side step and squat

4 sets of high knees or running in the water.

All this is done in the shallow end.

For the last 20 mins instead of swimming length we ran lengths. The pool was about 25 metres in length. So to ensure that we didn't sink once we reached the deep end, we wore floater belts around our waist. If the pool does not have a floater belts you can wear a life jacket. Trust me you'll need it. OK so then we started in the shallow end and ran to the other end of the pool. Once you reach the deep end and your feet are no longer touching the bottom you must keep running and maintain the running motion in the water. Swing your arms and pump your legs as if you were really running. Run hard!! Do this about 2 or 3 times. 


I have to say that once we were finished this workout session. I was feeling it all over my body especially my chest and triceps. This was due to the resistance the water was creating when I was pumping my arms and legs to get from one side to another. It was a good session and we are incorporating it at least once a week in our routine.. 


  

Don't have time to workout? Try this 4 mins total workout!

Everyday I meet people and have lot of friends who say that they want to work out but don't have enough time during the day to exercise. They are simply too busy. Well for a lot of people I have come to discover that it's simply a poor excuse not to workout, others just can't afford a gym membership. So for this next post I'm gonna try and help those who don't have time or can't afford a gym membership. This training method is known as the Tabata training. It originated in Japan and was developed by Izumi Tabata. It is the most efficient fat burning program. Dr Izumi concluded that exercising at a high intensity for a short period of time was more effective than exercising at a low intensity for a longer duration.

Now let me point out that I have tried this training method, I have to admit that it is the most difficult training method I have ever done. It is extremely challenging but also extremely effective. I also had one of my good friends do the tabata training with a specific weight routine. LETS just say that the big security guard at his workplace took a beating in trying to intimidate my friend who was much smaller. The exercises outlined here are basic exercises to give a you good workout and keep your metabolism burning even after your workout.

Here is the deal you push hard for 20 seconds doing as many reps as possible.You have to go all out. Then rest for 10 seconds. Then go all out again for 20 seconds. Repeat the process 8 times. You can do this anywhere. You can train at home, at work, in a hotel room or anywhere you please.

20 sec Speed Squats
-10 sec rest
20 sec Burpees
- 10 sec rest

20 sec Mountain Climbers (Keep neutral spine)
-10 sec rest
20 sec Speed Skip (in place, lift your knees high)       
-10 sec rest
20 sec Speed Squats
-10 sec rest
20 sec Burpees
-10 sec rest
20 sec Mountain Climbers
-10 sec rest
20 sec  Speed Skips.

Keep in mind that you can try this routine with weights. All you have to do is substitute these exercises with an equal number weight exercises. Now go and train has hard as you can..