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method fitness blog
Apr 12 2012

5 home gym essentials to exercise proof your life

author categories Equipment, Fitness Tips, Training, Workouts tags, , , ,

Want to exercise proof your fitness life? Well then with a few inexpensive pieces of equipment you can create a home gym. This will help you along with your exercise regime the times you can’t make it to your fitness class or want to add a little extra training to your routine. And not only are they inexpensive they won’t take up lots of room.

Dumbbells
A classic component of any gym. You’ll need a couple of different weights to work out different parts of your body.

Medicine Ball
Keep home workouts fresh by using different shape weights. It’s a great way to add resistance to an ab workout or even challenge those walking lunges. Find the weight that works best for you and make the investment.

Skipping Rope
Great for warming up and adding cardio bursts or burn calories in little time.

Exercise Mats
These make all floor work out comfortable; make sure it is thick (not a yoga mat).

Foam Roller
The ultimate tool for cooling down. You can massage almost every part of your body with the roller. This is making it seem like a treat. A roller can also be used for great ab and core workouts.

Resistance Bands
Not only are they compact and easy to store away, they also offer many ways to challenge your muscles and up your workout difficulty.

All of these pieces can be added to any of the exercises Short Circuit Workouts blog posting on the 29 Jan to add an extra level of difficulty.

So here you have five pieces of equipment for a home gym that won’t break your budget or take up too much space, so you can be a happier healthier you!

Feb 7 2012

exercise + buddy = awesome workout

author categories Community, Fitness Tips, Training, Workouts tags, , , , ,

What’s an awesome way to get a workout high? Exercising with family, friends or colleagues is said to increase workout intensity, leading to a greater production of endorphins.

You may be trying hard to get regular exercise and make healthy food choices, but if you don’t have like-minded friends or family, this can be pretty tough.  Working out by yourself can be pretty difficult and not a lot of fun.  So to increase the fun factor and keep you on track and motivated I highly recommend finding a workout buddy.

Your buddy will provide you with motivation. The days you don’t want to work out, they will get you out the door. The days they feel like skipping, you will get them to the gym. When you want to give up completely, they will talk you into sticking with your plan. They will provide you companionship, they will provide competition and importantly they will assist you with keeping a regular exercise routine….and a friend to have a coffee and chat with afterwards.

So next time you exercise think about bringing along a buddy!

Jan 29 2012

short circuit workouts

author categories Fitness Tips, Training, Workouts tags, , , , ,

Want to burn off a little excess energy or eat into those fat reserves in 30 minutes? Well here are three short workouts that do not require lots of gym equipment to keep you motivated and get you moving.

Warm up - All Circuits – Skipping 2 mins

Circuit 1 – Cardio (all for 1 minute with 20 seconds rest between)
1. Star Jumps
2. High Knees
3. Skipping
4. Burpees
5. Sit ups
6. Push ups (level 1 toes; level 2 knees)
Rest 1 minute between, total of 3 circuits

Circuit 2 – Functional Blast
1. Push up x 15 (start on toes for maximum number then drop to knees)
2. Jump squats x 15
3. Triceps dips x15 (using a bench or coffee table)
4. Lunge each leg x 15
5. Plank x1 minute
6. Wall sits
Rest 1 minute between; maximum number of sets in 30 minutes

Circuit 3 – Core (all for 1 minute with 20 seconds rest between)
1. Sit Ups
2. Bridge (on back raising hips and ribs, keeping feet and shoulders in contact with floor)
3. Front Plank
4. Cross Over/Oblique Crunch (increase difficulty with bicycle legs)
5. Back Extensions (lying front flat on ground raise arms and legs off the ground for 2 seconds then relax; repeat for 1min)
6. Side Plank (alternating side each set)
Rest 1 minute between, total of 3 circuits

There it is! Combine these three workouts over a couple of days and you train and test your strength, core, cardiovascular and endurance.

And if you have a smart phone there is a very helpful app called boxing timer which will help you program 1 min on 20sec rest for 3 sets so you don’t cheat yourself on valuable time!

Jan 16 2012

playlist + exercise = more fun!

author categories Playlist, Training, Workouts tags, , , , ,

I love to exercise to music, hence one of the reasons why I love instructing indoor cycle classes. But music also applies when I go to yoga, run, do a weights training session or find some other way to become hot and sweaty….music always inspires, motivates and helps me to push through my mental and physical boundaries.

So not only do I like to mix up my exercise routine, I also like to mix up my music selection. I am always eager to find the next new hit, or the long lost and forgotten piece of music that will make me want to run that extra 5 minutes or push me right out of my comfort zone.

So here is one of my playlist of the mo!

Breathing – Jason Derulo
It’s it right now! Great beat, and great to get your heart pounding in the first five minutes of the work out!

Release Me (TV Rock Edit) – Zoe Badwi
A short track, increase the intensity

Eye of the Tiger – Survivor
Ok everyone knows this one…from your oldies to the kids sitting in the back seat of the car….very inspiring to exercise to….need I say anything else!

My Sharona – The Knack
Some of you were in the crib when this one was a hit…and it was a definitely on everyone’s turntable at an 80’s party.

Mercy – Duffy
She has the Bridget Bardot look with a vintage voice that combines the vocal sound of Aretha Franklin and Joss Stone. A great track to sweat it out.

Pictures – Sneaky Sound System
Home grown band of Australia with a real electronic feel to the music. This is definitely the track to pick up the pace and bust out a move.

Insomnia – Faithless
Uber cool electronic music, sink into the groove and just motor on with this mix.

Jump – Kris Kross
1992 was the year when two thirteen year old rappers both with the name Chris wore their clothes backwards, hence the name Kris Kross. More recently the song forms part of the soundtrack to the movie Friends with Benefits.

Love is Gonna Save Us – Benny Benassi & The Biz
Now is the time to get that heart rate up again and rock it out to the end of your work out! This was a hit in 2003 by The Godfather of Electro and is as current now as it was then!

Good Feeling – Flo Rida
Cool down…feeling pretty good about yourself getting through the session. A newbie to the top 40. Definitely a great way to lower the heart rate and stretch the body.

So get that iPod out and dust away the cobwebs and create a new playlist to motivate you to get out there and raise a sweat.