Last week, I talked about my love of the TRX. But my second favorite piece of equipment in gym? It's got to be the kettlebell. Kettlebells were originally farm tools in Russia, and were primarily used to weigh crops in the 18th century. Strongmen used to lift them in feats of strength and competitions in the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, they're a common strength training at most gyms. Kettlebells allow for lots of exercises that are compound movements, meaning that you engage two or more joints and engage an entire muscle group or multiple muscles. Because of this, you can easily get a full body workout with a single kettlebell. Plus, exercises like the kettlebell swing can make a great cardio workout. One study that was conducted with a women's college soccer team found that those who did kettlebell exercises instead of steady state cardio exercise (meaning, running laps) had an increase in their aerobic capacity compared to the group who did not do kettlebell … [Read more...]
My Favorite TRX Moves
The TRX has long been one of my favorite pieces of exercise equipment. It's the most versatile piece of equipment you can own, letting you get a full body workout and hit every muscle group using body weight for resistance. The TRX is perfect for every level fitness, from those who are just starting to long time gym rats. Plus, it's easy to pack with you and take on the road for vacation or business travel. Just do an image search for "TRX on the beach" and you'll see where people hook their TRX to the closest palm tree for a workout. Another great benefit to TRX is that almost every TRX exercise engages your core, so in addition to the primary muscles you're working on with an exercise, you're working your abdominal muscles. Studies have shown that you can build just as much strength with TRX as you can using traditional weights. While there are tons of exercises that you can do with the TRX, I thought I'd put together a list of my favorite TRX exercises that I find myself … [Read more...]
A Mindful Approach to Exercise
One of my friends who is a music education professor recommended the book Mindfulness by Ellen J. Langer to me, and said it was one of the books he gave out most to others as a gift (and he kindly gave it to me as a gift shortly after telling me about it). The word "mindfulness" has become a popular buzz word in the fitness industry with the rise of mind/body exercises like Yoga and Pilates, and there are certainly proven health benefits to these types of mind/body exercises. But the book Mindfulness looks at physiological studies that show how we have a tendency to get locked into a mindset, and can make bad decisions without even thinking about it. We limit ourselves to what is possible, and as a result we become inhibited. This isn't the power of positive thinking per se, but changing the context of the way we think about the things we do and why we do them. It means active thinking. It means not setting a limit on what we can do because of our circumstances or perceived … [Read more...]
How to Warm Up for Exercise
Sometimes when we're limited for time in the gym, we try to cut out anything extra that's going to take up time. One of the first things to go is usually a proper warm up. In truth, this is probably the last thing you want to exclude from your workout. In fact, it would be better for you to shorten your workout if you're short on time than to skip the warm up. As outlined in Framework by orthopedist Dr. Nicholas DiNubile, the tissues that make up our muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints are temperature specific. What that means is that if a muscle or tendon is "cold", then it's stiffer and more brittle, therefore more susceptible to injury like strained muscles. By performing a proper warm up, you raise the temperature of your muscles, making them more flexible, and therefore less likely to strain or pull a muscle. Likewise, a warm up increases the blood flow to your muscles, getting them the nourishment they need to generate energy. This also means that cold, static … [Read more...]
Amazon Prime Day Deals for Fitness
I've been an Amazon shopper since 2003, and it is my go to for home exercises equipment. Since Monday is Prime Day, there are some extra special deals going on, so if you're looking for some deals on home exercise equipment, check these out these deals! This article contains affiliate links, which means if you click on the link and make a purchase, I receive a small percentage of the sale at no cost to you. These links are not a paid endorsement of a product or service. Looking for a new water bottle, foam roller, or yoga mat? Check out the deep discounts on Amazon's sporting goods. Want some new tunes to workout to? During Prime Day you can get four months of Amazon Music for just $0.99! Not a Prime Member? Sign up for a 30 day free trial of Prime. It's worth it just to get some deals on the equipment. … [Read more...]