Choosing your home fitness gym is not so easy because there is a lot that you have to consider. How much space do you have to workout in? How much do you have to spend? How many people will be using the gym? These are all important considerations that you need to make before you finalize your home gym purchase. But the most important thing that you need to do after you finally get your new home gym set up is be prepared to use it properly. Here are 5 basic rules that you need to follow in order to use your home gym effectively and safely.

Don't overwork or under work yourself. Use a weight amount that is comfortable and will allow you to finish all of your sets and reps. In addition, understand that it is most beneficial to not take more than a 30 second rest in between sets. Make your weight stack selection with this in mind and you will keep your heart rate at an optimal rate which allows you to build muscle and trim the fat more effectively. Plus, you also get the additional cardiovascular benefits.

Proper form is important! Make certain that you maintain proper posture during your exercises in order to prevent injury and also so you will make the most of your workout. Bad form means you are not getting the maximum and desired benefit from your exercise program. The good home gyms such as the Body Solid EMX1500S come with a workout poster to assist you with this.

It is taboo in weight lifting to overwork your muscles. You must get adequate rest in between workouts. 1) You shouldn't work the same muscle group more then 3 days in the same week. 2) Also never work the same muscle group without at least 24 hours rest in between workouts. For example: if you did the chest press on Tuesday wait until at least Thursday of that same week before you exercise the same muscle group.

Get to know the home gym equipment that you will be using. The workout poster that comes with most home gyms will assist you with this. A home gym is no different that a new car or appliance. You have got to know how to use it properly to fully enjoy your new exercise program.

Last but not least, make sure you have a clean bill of health prior to getting started. If you are elderly or you have really let yourself go it may not be a great idea to really ramp it up from the outset. Take an personal inventory including your age, goals and your health. If you have had any health problems in the past or you are unsure if you are healthy enough to exercise then you must consult with your doctor prior to beginning a new fitness program.

Know yourself and your home gym and you will make the most of your new exercise program and enjoy health and fitness for the rest of your life!

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That insanely painful, annoying spasm felt at the lower edge of your ribcage is known as a side stitch, and you may experience one while running on a treadmill. Not only is it painful, it could also hinder you from finishing your workout. Before we go to a detailed explanation of how to prevent one however, it's also important to know how it is caused.

As mentioned, a side stitch is that twinge of pain you feel at the lower part of your ribcage, and technically speaking, it is actually a diaphragm muscle spasm. When you inhale air, your lungs fill and this action presses the diaphragm downwards. When you exhale, the diaphragm moves upwards. If air gets trapped below the diaphragm, it cramps and causes a side stitch. You may also feel this pain if you start your workout on the treadmill too quickly, or eat before your workout.

If you want to prevent a side stitch, check out these tips:

• Ensure a proper warm up before running on a treadmill.

• Don't take in any food for at least an hour before your workout.

• Breathe from your stomach and not your chest. If you do this, you will take in more air. Also, always breathe in and out through your mouth.

If you do end up getting a side stitch while working out on a treadmill, take a deep breath quickly to force the diaphragm downward. Then hold your breath for a few seconds. Lastly, force your breath out through pursed lips.

You can try changing your breathing/striding pattern as well. If you usually exhale when your right foot strikes the ground, change it up, and exhale when your left foot strikes the ground.

If worse comes to worst and you can't get rid of the nagging ache, decrease the treadmill speed, walk rapidly, and focus on deep breathing. You can resume your run once the pain is gone.

There's no doubt that a side stitch is not only painful, but it can also be frustrating. It can get in the way of your exercise goals, but with proper preparation and focused breathing you can prevent one. Stick to a routine warm up that you are comfortable with, and avoid eating prior to your treadmill workout for great results.

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The engineering aspects of home gym equipment are fairly straight forward but that does not mean there have not been some important technological breakthroughs in the last half century. One of the most important equipment innovations has been the conversion of the power rack into the Smith Machine! The Smith Machine is a first class upgrade to the standard power rack and it is ideal for working out in your own home gyms and also at the local club. Here are 3 pertinent reasons why you should check it out:

It is always an important to consider what other professionals in the industry are saying about your potential home gym equipment purchase. The king of body building Arnold Schwarzenegger was a strong advocate of using the Smith Machine as part of his training program. He believed that the Smith Machine was ideal for performing squats because it allows you to place your feet farther forward without fear of losing your balance. The rails keep you in place and this allows you to achieve a maximum thigh burn without falling backwards. This exercise method is ideal for lower weight loads and higher repetitions. High reps is a core body building principle because it encourages muscle gain and definition. Compare this high repetition workout program to power lifting where lower reps and heavier weight loads are commonly recommended.

The Smith Machine features rails which were designed to keep your form/posture correct when doing squats, military press, bench and other exercises. The rails act as guides that keep you in line and don't let you drift when you are maxing out with heavy sets or lots of reps. This element of the Smith Machine does have its critics however. Their main gripe is that when you are locked inside the rails for your sets the machine is doing the work that normally your stabilizer muscles would be doing instead. This can be seen as a negative because it may not be a complete workout. You may notice that weights seem a bit lighter inside the Smith Machine as compared to when you are using the traditional power rack. It is mainly a matter of preference.

When you are working out in your home gym you do not always have a spotter handy to keep an eye on things. Until now this made it difficult to workout with Olympic weights in your own home gym. The invention of the Smith Machine provided a much needed element of safety. This is also an important consideration when you are working out at the local Club. Not all potential spotters know what they are doing and this could result in an injury if your spotter reacts late or not at all. You must have a competent spotter when you are doing strenuous lifts. The Smith Machine features rails on the side walls of the rack in which the Olympic bar has been embedded. There are 2 hooks in the Olympic bar that sit inside the rails and by simply turning your wrists you can catch the bar on one of the 11 metal rungs inside the rail enclosure. Thus, you have a self spotting mechanism. This enables you to workout at the club or in your own home gym without jeopardizing your safety.

Whether you are a body builder or a power lifter the Smith Machine is an excellent addition to your home gym for the safety and technique aspect. This is a great reason to switch over or at least incorporate the Smith Machine into your workout routine. Smith machines are very affordable and come with strong warranty protection.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Edwin_M.

The Flexcords Resistance Bands Set comes with:

• 6 Resistance Bands (3 pounds - 55 pounds)
• Handles
• Door attachment for additional exercises
• Handy Exercise Chart

The Flexcords Resistance Bands Set is a great option for people wanting to buy a set of fitness bands without a lot of extra frills. The only thing this set is missing is the ankle straps which limits the amount of leg exercises you can do. However you can easily fit your feet into the foam handles so all is not lost. Ankle straps can be purchased elsewhere or even made at home with a little velcro if you are a creative person.

The included exercise chart is really nothing to write home about, but if you have never used a fitness band before it can give you a good starting point. If you are not already on a specific exercise program like P90X, Pilates, or Yoga then you will want to get a book or DVD with more exercises. There are also tons of example videos on YouTube and other video sharing sites.

The exercise bands included in this set are of good quality. They were strong and we were able to punish them pretty harshly during a P90X session and there was no signs of scarring or tearing on the bands or the handles. There are 6 different bands where most sets of this price only include 3 or 4. With 6 bands it is possible that two people could work out at the same time using the same set.

Not having ankle straps is usually a bad sign for if you are looking to buy exercise band sets, but this set includes more bands that normal so we think that it kind of balances out. The included bands are also good quality, so we think that trading 2 50 cent ankle straps for 3 quality resistance bands is a good bargain.

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This is a product review of the Human Touch HT-3300 massage chair. The Human Touch massage chair company is known for its modern swivel base line of recliners. They combine proprietary technology to deliver a subtle and soothing massage on demand.

The HT-3300 massage recliner comes in a sleek modern design. It has sloping oak accented armrests. The rest of the chair is done in a solid color with a black swivel base.

Although the design is very modern, it is somewhat mundane. It comes with a large head pillow and the back pad design is very plain. The attachment for the calf massager is much smaller than on other models which makes the chair more attractive than others in the Human Touch line.

This Human Touch massage chair makes it easy to customize the massage. It comes with a handheld wired remote control. The remote control is fairly simple to use and has LED lights to indicate if a certain operation is active.

You can select from the three automatic massage programs. This model of recliner comes with the following automatic programs: sore muscle relief, stress therapy and back wellness. Simply select the automatic massage of your choice and the program will run the entire chair for 15 minutes.

There are also a number of manual massage techniques. There are four professional massage techniques that allow you to target different trouble spots. These massage techniques include rolling, kneading, percussion and also compression.

This model of recliner also comes with a power recline for the chair back. Use the remote control to adjust the angle of the chair back. The chair will recline to a 170 angle. Keep in mind that 180 is completely flat or horizontal.

The leg rest of this recliner is manual. There is a lever which when activated will raise the leg rest upward. To lower the leg rest, one must push down with their legs.

One of the unique features of this recliner is the rotating leg rest. The leg rest contains a massager on one side and a flat surface on the other. You can get a massage from the leg rest from one side. Then after you can rotate it to the other side to hide the leg wells when not in use.

The leg rest can massage either the feet or the calves. You can position your legs inside of the leg wells to receive a treatment. Otherwise you must bend your knees to position your feet on top of the calf massager to receive a massage.

The HT 3300 is not a full body massage chair. The massage functions include a roller mechanism for the back and shoulders. It also has a calf massager for the feet and calves. The seat is simply a cushion and contains no therapies whatsoever.

The power of the massage therapy of the HT-3300 massage recliner is somewhat subtle. I do not find that the back massage was as penetrating as I would have preferred. The programs are interesting and are patterned off of massage therapists, but they are a bit too weak for my taste.

The HT 3300 massage chair has a nice contemporary design. It is not quite a full body massage recliner and the strength of the massage is somewhat weak. This massage chair has some nice features in design, but was a little light on the massage therapy which after all is the point of the chair.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jerry_P_Wright

Punching bags are a versatile piece of equipment that has seen a re-birth in the past decade. They come in so many different sizes, shapes, weights and styles that choosing one will entirely depend on what you are hoping to accomplish.

People looking to lose weight and/or improve hand speed and hand to eye coordination will love what the speed bag can do for them. Speed bags can hang from almost anywhere due to their light weight.
The results you see from a speed bag are quantifiable because for one it gets your heart rate to a point where you will start to lose weight. It will also make your hand to eye coordination grow by leaps and bounds. Starting young children out with a speed bag could do wonders for their ability to grow in other sports.

A power punching bag can add strength while helping you lose weight as well. Power bags should be used with caution. Always wrap your hands and wrist when using one, and never throw half-hearted punches at one. You could damage your wrist this way.

Inflatable punching bags are great for both kids and adults. Their main advantage is portability and storage. You do not have to affix an inflatable bag to a wall or ceiling, they can be set up anywhere you like. Then once you are done using it, the bag is at your whim to where it will be stored and kept, not the other way around.

Big time boxers and MMA athletes use punching bags to train, but today, everyone from NBA and NFL to personal trainers are using them as a way to sprinkle in new wrinkles into their workout routines. The main advantage to using punching bags is the ability to lose weight and gain strength at the same time.

So remember, speed bags are great for hand to eye coordination as well as losing weight. They can be hung from many different areas in a home, and are relatively cheap to buy. Power bags add strength and power to any workout, but must be done with the right motion. Inflatable bags have superior portability and storage features to their counterparts.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_R_Scott

Heart rate monitor watches have been around since 1984. Athletes add this tool to their training so they can compare the distance covered to the level of exertion they feel after running, swimming, cycling or walking. If you are considering adding a Polar, Suunto, or Timex heart monitor watch you need to keep top of mind how you want to use it so you can match features to function.

Here's 5 basic ways to use your Timex Ironman heart rate monitor(HRM).

#1) Once you have your HRM watch and chest belt strapped on it takes just a few moments for them to sync up. Now take a reading of your resting heart rate and then start your training routine. Glance at your HRM every 5 or 10 minutes.

You should not have to stop to see the display and if you're using the Timex Ironman you can easily read the large numbers in the display. No stopping or slowing to squint at tiny numbers on your heart rate monitor watch.

#2) The next step is to observe your average heart rate for the distance you have covered.

#3) Compare your average heart rate to your level of exertion. How hard did your body work. Was your pulse up for the number of miles your covered?

#4) Next compare your pulse to your speed or elapsed time.

#5) Lastly, check out your recovery time. This is a true indicator of your fitness. When you have finished your work out session check your heart rate monitor watch after 30 seconds and then after a minute. You will get a quick read on how quickly your heart responds your workout.

These are your basic uses of your heart monitor system When comparing the various brands and models make sure they will support these functions. Some HRMs are primarily designed for weight loss programs and others for aerobic fitness routines. The Timex Ironman series is designed with the triathlete in mind and you can easily follow the steps outlined above.

When comparing models, check out often overlooked features like measuring the number of calories burned, the ability to read the watch in low light, and size of the watch. Don't overlook the merchant's warranty and maintenance on the product.

Its been 25 years since the heart rate monitor watch was first strapped onto a runner's arm. The technology has made huge advances and you'll find that an HRM transforms your training and pushes you to be the best that you can be. Whether your just starting out or a professional athlete you'll benefit from understanding the relationship between workout and heart rate.



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