You’ve undoubtedly heard the phrase “no pain, no gain” when exercising or playing sports. If you live by the phrase, you’ve probably pushed yourself to go past your limits or kept going even if you’ve injured yourself.
In a recent study, it was found that in college athletes, about 30 percent of all injuries were from overuse. Continue reading “The Dangers of the “No Pain, No Gain” Mentality”
Finding enough time to squeeze in a workout as often as you would like can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. There are thousands of exercises out there that can be done quickly with little to no exercise equipment. Next time you find yourself in a crunch for time, try completing these short workouts that can be completed individually or together for a comprehensive and effective workout:
This classic exercise is easy to complete anywhere. Along with working your leg and arm
muscles, jumping jacks increase your heart rate and get your body into fat-burning mode. If you find yourself sedentary most of the day (at a desk job for example), get up from your desk 2-3times per day and do 10-20 jumping jacks.
Sit-ups are not as easily completed anywhere, but they are quick and effective if completed daily. When you wake up in the morning and before you go to bed, try completing 20-40 sit-ups. Sit-ups are great for working your abs and you don’t have to do them for long before you can start to feel the exercise working your muscles.
Jumping rope is another great cardio exercise. When you don’t have time to run down the road to the gym for an hour to use fitness equipment, purchase a jump rope and jump just a few minutes each day. Jumping rope will increase your heart rate and work the muscles in your arms and legs.
Push-ups, another classic workout, use your own bodyweight to improve the strength in your arms, shoulders, and core. You’ll feel this great exercise very shortly after starting, so it does not take up a lot of your time to complete. Aim for completing 5-10 push-ups each day.
Burpees are a great way to combine both cardio and strengthening exercises. Again, this workout won’t take more than just a few minutes and you will feel its effects almost immediately. This exercise is great to complete in the morning after rising, as it will increase your heart rate and get you ready for the day.
The saying “no pain, no gain” is often associated with exercising, and men sometimes have a tendency to prioritize competition over safety. When you exercise, you should not be in pain. Pain while exercising is your body’s way of telling you that you are stressing or even damaging a part of your body. Before you try out that new exercise or fitness trend, make sure that you are being safe by following these simple steps: Continue reading “How to Avoid Injuries When Trying New Fitness Trends”
The American College of Sports Medicine has announced the findings of its annual “fitness trend forecast,” and found that among other trends like high-intensity training and functional fitness, group fitness will rise in popularity in 2015.
Group training has the unfortunate stigma of the 80s attached to it, giving us the image of sweatbands and workout videos aimed primarily at women. While trends come and go, group exercise for men’s fitness need not be the dancing workout we remember. Group training comes in many forms like cycling and boot camps.
While group training offers many benefits, there are some potential drawbacks if you’re not careful:
If you are looking for a way to individualize your workout, group training is not for you. Because group training involves many people, instructors may not be able to critique everyone’s form. Since many trainers teach the same group training routine over and over again, you’ll be less likely to improve as time goes on. Also, by doing the same high-intensity workout, there is the danger of overtraining.
One of the reasons many men stop exercising is pure boredom. If you primarily workout by yourself, the lack of social interaction and variety can quickly get dull. By working out in a group setting, you are less likely to get bored both physically and mentally with the variety of new exercises and people around to motivate you.
You don’t want to be the guy who skips out on his buddies. If you tell someone you’re going to do something, you’ll be more likely to do it. Known as a conjunctive task, these tasks can only be completed successfully if everyone in the group contributes. By training with a group of friends, you will be less likely to skip out on your workout and become more motivated, keeping everyone motivated in turn.
Many gyms offer group training that is both economical time- and money-wise. Since you are training with a group, trainers can train more people at once and offer deals that will make exercising more affordable.
If you’re not comfortable going to a gym to participate in group exercise, investing in home fitness equipment and inviting your friends over is also an option.
In order to get those “bulking” results you fellas may be looking for, you cannot solely focus on lifting weights. A simple cardio routine needs to be incorporated into your exercise regimen to supplement strength routines.
Cardio does not strictly mean running, although running is a great cardio workout. Check out these cardio suggestions that you can add into your fitness routine to get the best results possible:
Continue reading “Working Cardio into Your Weight Lifting Routine”