Category: Xternal Furci (Page 40 of 42)

Adjustable dumbbells, are they worth it?

July 5, 2007 / Anthony Stalter

Those in a time crunch or fortunate enough to have a home gym might want to check out a set of adjustable dumbbells.

I purchased a set a few months ago and after giving them a complete test run, I fully endorse them. I won’t even say the name I purchased to show I’m not trying to pimp a certain brand. Besides being a bit pricy (mine were about $250.00), there are several benefits to having a set:

1) Work out in the comforts of your own home.
Let’s face it, many of us are busy and sometimes running to the gym for an hour or two isn’t an option. Even on the busiest of days, anyone should be able to hammer out a couple sets using these dumbbells without waiting for certain weight to become available.

2) No waiting.
To expand a bit on benefit #1, there’s no waiting for weight to become available. How many times have you either gone up to an uncomfortable weight or stayed at a weight that wasn’t challenging enough because you had to wait for dumbbells to become available?

3) Space.
Not all of us have the space to set up a full dumbbell rack. A set of adjustable dumbbells can fit neatly under a bed or in a closet.

4) Complete your home gym.
In order to get a more complete workout, one needs to mix dumbbell exercises with barbell movements. Those who already have a weight bench, pull-up bar, dip machine, treadmill?and/or a full cable set, could easily complete their home gym with a?pair of adjustable DBs.

Like I said, they’re expensive and the more weight you want, the more you’ll pay so don’t have sticker shock if you look into a set. However, they’ve done wonders for me, especially considering I don’t have the space or time to get full workouts in as much as I would like. So check a set out, there are plenty of sites that give reviews of adjustable dumbbells on the net. ????

Bodybuilding, Equipment and Gear, Exercise, General fitness, General training, Weight training, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

Make fruit interesting

June 26, 2007 / Anthony Stalter

By now, everyone knows the benefits of fruit, with vitamins; minerals and fiber are all reasons to down the colorful stuff daily. But even if we already know why fruit helps, are we eating enough of it daily in order to cash in on all the benefits? The daily recommendation is to eat at least two cups of fruit daily, but some people may be tired of just grabbing a piece of fruit from the bowl and need a shake up.

For you, here are 10 different and interesting ways to add fruit to your diet by MSN.com

? Grilled fruit slices.
? Peach honey spread.
? Lemon-lime fruit dip.
? Frozen fruity pops.
? Romaine and fresh strawberry salad.
? Blueberry-banana smoothie.
? Plum salsa.
? Broiled fruit kebabs.
? Berries a la mode.
? Mango salsa pizza.

To read the entire article along with the complete recipes, click here.

Diets, Food preparation, Foods products, Nutrition, Vitamins/Minerals, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

Workout without the weights

June 15, 2007 / Anthony Stalter

Common knowledge tells us that if we want to pack on muscle, weights – and therefore a gym for most of us – are necessary to accomplish our goals. However, using weights doesn’t need to be the end-all-be-all to get in shape.

Here’s an article by Men’s Health.com that shows you five ways to get stronger without lifting weights. In the article, you’ll find ways to add stress to your muscles doing the simplest of movements, develop better balance, and incorporate multiple muscle groups while doing exercises like lunges, sit ups and pushups.

I’m not encouraging anyone to ditch your weight lifting routine for this workout, instead incorporate this into your regular regime as a way to maximize your gains.

Exercise, General fitness, General training, Weight training, Workout programs, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

Three supplements to take daily

June 12, 2007 / Anthony Stalter

Are you taking these three supplements daily?

1. A multi-vitamin
2. An aspirin
3. Fish oil

If not, you should be.

While it shouldn’t be used in place of the nutrients we get from every day food, a multi-vitamin is a valuable supplement for those with dietary imbalances. According to a study by Robert H. Fletcher, MD, MSc and Kathleen M. Fairfield, MD, DrPH, most people do not consume an optimal amount of all vitamins by diet alone.

Besides being helpful for the every day headache, aspirin has also been known as a heart saver. Same thing can be said for fish oil, which is a great source for omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3’s can cut your risk of heart disease, prostate cancer, stroke, asthma and arthritis.

Fatty acids, Heart disease, Men's Health and Wellness, Supplements, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

5 Best warm up moves

June 7, 2007 / Anthony Stalter

Due to time limitations or a busy schedule, people tend to jump right into a workout without properly warming up. It’s well advised to not only ride a bike or jog for five minutes, but also stretch so your muscles warm enough to begin a full workout. Injuries in the weight room are usually due to not properly warming up or stretching.

MSN.com posted an article from “Best Life” on the five best warm up moves for any workout:

90/90 Stretch: This exercise will stretch your torso and back muscles, which is especially important for rotational sports such as golf and tennis.
Hip Crossover: This exercise is designed to build mobility and strength in your torso by dis-associating the hips and shoulders.
Hand Walk: It’s a great exercise prior to just about any sport.
Forward Lunge, Forearm to Instep: You’ll feel a stretch in your groin, your back-leg hip flexor, and your front-leg glute and hamstring.
Pillar Marching: It’s perfect for preparing for the demands of running.

For a complete description (the above is a very brief review of each warm up) as well as diagrams of each stretch, click here to read the entire article.

Exercise, General training, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci