Pony Of Prey Blog

Another critical factor to be aware of, is the efficient use of
time. If a routine is performed in approximately one hour, the
muscle gains will be much less than if the exact same routine
was performed in half and hour. This aspect is a “secret” to
most. Time is one of the most effective ways to increase
intensity of effort.

When performing a workout, your breathing should be more rapid
than normal. This should start to happen within the first minute
of your workout. Ideally, your breathing should not return to a
normal pace until at least ten minutes after you finish your
workout. If your breathing pace has not increased, then you are
not training rapidly enough. This will seriously reduce your
rate of muscle gains.

I have rarely seen guys at the gym willing to train at the
required pace. An unwillingness to work hard is the number one
reason for lack of muscle gains. To inspire maximum results from
training, you must train hard. Your breathing and heart rate
must be elevated. But you know what. Such a pace only needs to
be sustained for fifteen to twenty minutes. Any additional
length will prove a waste of your time and effort.

When I first learned this secret, I focused on this one factor
almost entirely. Doing this had a direct impact on all of the
other factors involved. Training the largest muscle groups of
the body at an elevated pace, until momentary exhaustion,
literally forces you to workout briefly. Fifteen to twenty
minutes maximum.

By forcing a time constraint on your workouts, you immediately
raise your level of intensity. Simultaneously, you will have
managed to reduce the amount of time spent training. The
absolute opposite of this method is working out six times a
week, in a vain attempt to produce greater muscle gains. This is
simply not an option. If that was what natural bodybuilding
really required, I’d consider it to be a bad use of my time.

The best results from your training can, and should be achieved
by exercising no more than three times a week. In most cases,
maximum muscle gains will be achieved from only two workouts
weekly. Training time should be no more then a total of sixty
minutes per week, or twenty minutes for each workout. More often
than not the greatest results will be obtained by reducing your
total workout time per week to thirty minutes or less.

When focusing on reducing you workout times, training must be
intense and fast paced. The rest period between sets should be
reduced as quickly as possible to no more than sixty seconds.
Eliminating rest periods almost entirely should be your ultimate
goal. Although spending less time in the gym should be
considered worthy, saving time is not the motivation for this
method of training. Maximizing your overall muscle gains is.

Training at a rapid pace will dramatically improve the condition
of your heart, breathing, circulation, and muscle endurance. In
order to produce maximum muscle growth, fast training is a
critical requirement. Performing the same routine in twice the
time will greatly reduce your muscle gains.

The ultimate goal is to perform your routines in the shortest
time possible. A consistently fast rate promotes enormous
improvement in muscular size. Reducing or eliminating rest
periods is the easiest way to minimize training time. The
performance of your sets however, must remain slow and
deliberate. Momentum should not be used to “cheat”, as this will
risk injury. When the set is completed, the rest period before
the next should be really brief. Speed between sets, not during
them, is the key.

Abdominal flattening exercises must be able to improve your core
as well as the visual effect you want for your abdominal muscles.

Unfortunately most people are so concerned about getting a
smaller waist line that they neglect the better abdominal
flattening exercises that also improve their body core.

You need a strong body core in order to do almost every daily
task. Your core is used to help you get out of bed, lift
children, to perform your job (even if your job consists of
sitting in a chair all day) and to take you places.

Before discussing abdominal flattening exercises any further, lets take
a look at just what your body core is.

Most people are confused when it comes to knowing exactly what
their body core consists of. Some think it’s just their
abdominal muscles, others think it’s their back, while others
just don’t know.

Let’s explain it here.

Your body core is made up of the middle section of your entire
body. It starts at your shoulders and goes all the way to your
groin - in both the front and the back.

Therefore your core will include your pelvis, abdominal muscles
(including the obliques), your upper, middle and lower back and
the muscles that make up your chest.

It is this core that offers stability, balance and flexibility.
That’s why when you are performing abdominal flattening
exercises you must make sure that they are good abdominal
exercises that also develop your core.

Just because an abdominal exercise or piece of infomercial
abdominal equipment is said to be good for your abs it may not
be if it doesn’t help your body core become stronger.

Every time you move your core comes in to play. Even when
performing simple tasks, such as rolling over in bed at night,
combing your hair or competing in some type of athletic event.
If your body core is not properly conditioned through good
abdominal flattening exercises in addition to exercises that
work the rest of your core, it will limit your physical
abilities.

You cannot focus on one aspect of your core such as your
abdominal muscles and not pay the same attention to the rest of
your core. If you do you will at the very least end up with a
muscle imbalance, which can lead to injury.

Effectively exercising your body core muscles will improve the
effectiveness of movements in your limbs. When you create a
secure, strong base for all of your muscles you can optimize
your results for each one.

As you know, you need to provide your body with proper
nutrition, good clean water and exercise.

Your limbs provide the ability to move, lift objects, etc. it’s
your body core that provides the basis of each. If you are
inactive, in addition to being in poor health, your muscles will
weaken and can easily become injured.

Even if you workout or participate in sports, use the best
abdominal flattening exercises available, you may not be working
the body core muscles you need to.

In addition to effective abdominal flattening exercises what can
you do to strengthen and develop your core?

Well there are a number of ways. There are many basic exercise
routines and pieces of exercise equipment you can find that are
very effective at developing the muscles in your core.

Personal trainers can create a customized exercise routine in
order to properly develop your core depending on your goals,
abilities, etc.

The exercises you can use to develop your body core do so by
creating resistance or instability so that your core muscles
respond to in such a way as to maintain proper balance.

Body core exercises, such as good abdominal flattening exercises
need to be gentle on your joints but intense enough as to
promote a positive change in the muscle structure.

One of the most important things to remember is that you must
use proper form at all times on all exercises including
abdominal flattening exercises.

All body core exercises, including abdominal flattening
exercises are functional exercises. This means that while
exercising, your body moves in the same way it moves during
activities in your everyday life.

The 3 most popular forms of exercise that develop core body
strength are Plyometrics, Pilates and the Exercise ball.

Pilates involves using your own bodyweight as resistance. It
also incorporates proper breathing and helps to isolate certain
muscle groups.

The exercise ball can be used with most resistance type
exercises and abdominal flattening exercises in order to
properly develop your core and improve balance.

Plyometrics are also extremely good at working your core but
this is a far too in-depth subject to include here.

Make no mistake about it, improved core strength and development
is important at every age and fitness level. Whatever your
goals, find a way to incorporate good abdominal flattening
exercises that incorporate body core conditioning.

This will help in the long-run to reduce muscle strains and
pain, & improve your over-all strength and mobility. All leading
to a more active and healthy life.

Exercise bikes are the ideal home exercise equipment. We are all advised to exercise for 30 minutes per day to stay healthy combined with a good balanced food intake. Most people complain of not having the time to go to the gym or prepare to out jogging etc but if it was for 30 minutes of TV I’d bet that time would be no problem. Why not combine the two, TV and exercise. Watching TV while exercising cuts out the boredom of being locked in a room looking at the four walls exercising. If you have a program you watch on a regular basis the time will only fly in.

What exercise bike will I buy?

Exercise bikes come in all wonderful styles from the basic stationary bike to built in programs for spinning and mountain courses. The best is what you can afford to pay, the main thing is that you are exercising regularly or intend to do so. The more basic exercise bike can cost anywhere from $80 upwards and generally has a few different gears available to make the exercise more intense as you proceed with fitness. I have to say if you can afford to spend $200 you will find exercise bikes that have pre tuned exercise programs that are easy to follow and are a great way to burn fat.

How to Start:

Starting can be daunting but after a week or so you will find your fitness level improving and overall health. You need to introduce the body into the exercise for the first couple of days, for many people buying exercise bikes it’s the first time they have done such an exercise in years. The first few days should be a slow introductory pace, if you go all out in the first day or so you will only end up with aching muscles and may even put you off exercising again. Remember that this is a marathon not a sprint.

Who are the main manufacturers of exercise bikes?

Weslo, Reebok,Tuntui, Stamina, Proform, Nordic Track and Fitnees Track have for many years manufactured some of the greatest exercise bikes we have ever seen and all are still doing so. There are foldable bikes available for those living in apartments or people who are simply tied for space. Many people are now trying to build a home gym with the essentials in exercise equipment; the exercise bike should be first on the shopping list. The exercise itself is an excellent aerobic exercise, easy to start with and works ideally as a cross trainer with most other fitness equipment.

Some exercise bikes have a dual function, exercise for the upper and lower body. Apart from the obvious leg exercise you will also find upper body levers on some, this is an ideal exercise for a total body workout and will burn fat more quickly than the standard exercise bike (the more muscle groups you exercise the more fat your burn and more quickly).

Why buy an exercise bike when I can get a treadmill?

The exercise bike has very low impact on the joints. If you have previous injuries or weak joints in general the exercise bike is an ideal gentle exercise. The treadmill is a much higher impacting exercise on the joints and people with weak knees or ankles should be aware. If you decide to get an exercise bike with dual exercise (upper and lower body) you will burn more fat than that of the treadmill as you have no upper body resistance with the treadmill. There are arguments on both sides of the fence as to what is better the bike or the treadmill but you should look at your goals and see what suits both your budget and your target weight loss or general fitness. At the moment the cardio benefits to you as the user lies greater with the exercise dual function bike to that of the treadmill.

In Brief:

The exercise bike is ideal for beginners to the more advanced groups; it offers a low impact, high calorie burning exercise that have an excellent cardio workout. Combined with a balanced diet the exercise bike used regularly will help you achieve your fitness goals.

About The Author

Declan Tobin is a successful freelance writer providing tips and advice for consumers purchasing Fitness Equipment, Treadmills and Weight Benches
. His numerous articles offer tips and valuable insight on fitness.