Feeling light is great. Walking around and feeling like you have a tire around your waist is unhealthy, annoying, time consuming, depressing, all while serving as one big monkey on your back. People who are obese and overweight think about how heavy they are at least 10 times a day and become psychologically overwhelmed by the living nightmare enacted in real life on a daily basis by those who are fat. However, there is some silver lining even for those who are very overweight and think that it would be irrational to even think they had a chance to lose weight. Well, here it is, here is the million dollar silver lining for you. BEING FAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN CONTROL. You create your own reality. Being fat is something that can change. Want to try a neat trick? Eat a bowl of Raisin Bran in the morning when you wake up, an apple and salad for lunch (eat peanuts for protein or mix chicken/fish/red meat in salad) and when you eat dinner…have something as simple as chicken breast or tuna fish. Additionally, make sure you exercise for AT LEAST 30 MINUTES A DAY EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK. That is it. That’s all you have to do. Following that fitness and diet regimen for a year will get rid of your fat problems.

Let’s look at what we can do to lose weight a little bit more in depth. Being overwhelmed by the variance in life can lead to unhealthy eating habits that can ultimately bog you down and bring your life to a standstill. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to make health and fitness a big part of your life. Think about that for a second; are health and fitness a part of your life? Well, of course in a way both health and fitness are a part of all of our lives, but some of us certainly do not act that way. When is the last time you exercised three times in a week? When is the last time you exercised at all? People normally do not care about the long term. For example, if you were to ask someone if they would like 50 dollars today, or 75$ in a month, they would most likely respond by saying they would like the 50$ right now. Do they even realize that they would be receiving 50% more money in a month? No. Most people are so fascinated with the here and now that they have no consideration for future events. How does this tie into our health you ask? Because this is how we treat our body. We do not think about, want to think about, and some are not even capable of thinking about, what how our actions at that moment will affect our wellbeing further down the line. Eating poorly does not result in immediate problems, therefore we do not think what we are doing is that bad. Eating bacon cheddar cheese fries laced with grease, salt and oil really is not going to hurt you immediately. You may feel lethargic as a result of eating the fries, but it’s not like the next time you look at yourself in the mirror you appear fatter with pimples. If this were the case, the majority of people would not maintain their poor eating habits. Results tend to show up later in life from eating poorly and that is the main reason we think it is ok to eat like we are hungry hippopotamuses.
The human liver can be used as another example. Most people fully understand how important having a healthy liver is for their health, but since most people see their liver as something in the distant future, they don’t care too much about it. Previously I gave you an example and used $50 and $75 as the variables in the hypothetical situation of someone offering you either $50 now, or $75 in a month. In real life, the variables are your kidneys, your ears and eyes and lungs. Would people smoke cigarettes if they were likely to get cancer the next day? Probably not. But people are still expected to get lung cancer as a result of smoking cigarettes, but since that problem is expected to come further down the line, people neglect it and only worry about the immediate damage smoking does to their body. Once again, if you if one were to look in the mirror before smoking a cigarette and look in the mirror right after, they would not notice much of a difference. On the other hand, if that same person were to look at themselves in the mirror before having ever smoked a cigarette after 5 years and there would be a considerable and noticeable difference in their appearance.

Explanations range from A to Z as to why people do not show a connection with the future and let impulsive sensations overwhelm them in the moment. Peoples inability to recognize the future results of their actions lead to things as sci-fi as 500 pound human beings who are less than 6 feet tall. Entire bodies bogged down from head to toe as a direct result of human beings being unable to have an awareness of the consequences waiting around the corner from their actions.

A gross statistic highlighting and underlining the thesis of this blog, is that 33%, or 1 out of every 3 adults in the US are obese! Unfortunately, there is not too much silver lining in that statistic. There is numerous ways to change your life for the better and take your body from hell to heaven. Regular exercise and a healthy diet are very helpful for staying lean and trim. If you can create an exercise plan and make sure you spend at least 30 minutes a day on strength and cardio exercises, you will do wonders for your body and mind. People think that working out is all physical but nothing could be further from the truth. When we wake up at 8am on a Sunday, bench pressing, squats, running miles, crunches, stretching, and busting our butts, is not what most of us want to do. Psychologically, many of us are not ready for heavy lifting and intense cardiovascular exercise when we hop out of bed in the morning. People love to wake up and drink a nice sweet drink, scarf down strips of delicious bacon and read the newspaper. If those representing the 1/3 of the population that is obese decided to exercise for at least 30 minutes every morning, do you think they would still be overweight? Probably not….it is pretty safe to say that those who stick to a daily exercise routine will benefit physically, psychologically, socially and professionally. According to the numbers, we just do not have the determination and heart that is needed to maintain an effective exercise plan and if we did; one third of all US citizens would not be overweight.

Running for at least 30 minutes a day can be extremely helpful for relieving stress, losing weight and defining muscle. Running is therapeutic for millions of people across the world. Those who are looking for a quick fix, or the next best weight loss supplement, focus on one thing and one thing only, running. New treadmill equipment a great idea for anyone who wants to make sure they run for 30 minutes a day. The Precor c956 and Life Fitness 95Ti are both exceptional treadmills, designed to withstand long, intense training sessions. For more information on new and refurbished treadmills, please check our treadmill section.

I’ve worked out in gyms and clubs off and on for the past six years, the “off” times due to illness, too much else to do, or frustration. (Who hasn’t gotten frustrated when they can’t lose those last five pounds?) Sometimes I needed an extra push, and instead of giving myself that push, I’d quit. But I always felt worse not exercising, found that the hour of working out, three times a day, did something more than help me stay in shape physically. It made me feel good about myself—that I had will power, that I was in control of my brain and body. So, I’m back to it now, have been for almost a year, and once again, I’m at that place where I need the extra push. Blogging might do it. If I say I’m going to do it, actually post it, I certainly better, right?

So, this is where I am now. 5’6, 141 lbs. Female. Good shoulders (I work on that, my vanity) I’m stronger than many my age—I can lift heavy boxes, hike up a hill, twist open the tops of jars when someone hands one over with that look of, “Well, I can’t do it, maybe you can.” So, I’m sort of where I want to be. (I could lose five more pounds. I’d love to lose five more pounds.) But to stay here, strong-shouldered and all, I have to keep at it.

I workout three days a week, at a gym, using the machines I wish I owned. (I’m saving for a treadmill, almost there—Kings of Cardio are going to give me a good deal.) But for now it’s the gym—and fast walking on the off days. (Oh, and eating healthy food, although I can’t resist bagels with cream cheese or a dark chocolate candy bar. Hersey’s bittersweet!) First I stretch, loosing up my calf muscles by placing one foot a good step in front of the other, leaning forward, bouncing slightly. Then all the other stretches—you probably know them, for my back and lats and arms. Five minutes. I always want to shorten this time, get to the machines, but they say that’s a mistake. (Like they say to make sure you eat in the morning—it triggers your metabolism, gets it going, otherwise it’s slowing down, worrying it won’t get fuel. Sumo wrestlers don’t eat until right before they go to sleep at night. If they ate regular meals, or even snacked in between, they’d lose weight!)

After the stretches, I head to the treadmill. I used to like the elliptical, and there’s nothing wrong with them, I’m just fonder, at the moment, of the treadmill. I can push myself harder, get up a full head of steam, so to speak. I work out on the treadmill for 33 minutes (I add a minute every week, that’s why I’m at 33 minutes, and my hour in the gym gets a might bit longer, too—but one minute a week makes it less noticeable, easier to do than you’d think.) I generally burn about 330 calories. I start off at a walk for 2 minutes, at an incline of 3% at 2.7 mph, then up the incline to 5%, and sped up to 3.7 mph, for three minutes, and then I increase the incline to 9%, at 4 miles per hour, for 25 minutes to get my heart beating. (Well, it’s already beating, but you know what I mean.) Then I lower the incline to 4% and slow down to 3.6 mph, for -3 minutes. (I’m no pro at all of this, so my terms are my own. Hope they make sense.)

Then it’s on the resistance training with the machines. (Might I ever really have a home gym? I’m hoping so. It’s my fantasy, turning my basement into a home gym. I always put on makeup to leave the house and fix my hair, which is plain nuts before a workout, but I can’t go out otherwise.)

At the leg press I set the weights at 134 pounds, so I’m pushing 268 lbs. I say push, but the workout is also about the control of the release motion. I do ten reps, three times, with a rest between them for 20 seconds. I started, last year, at 120 lbs on each side (total 240), so that’s how long it took to get here.

Next, hip-abduction, sitting back at an incline, pushing outwards with my thighs, set at 120 lbs. Ten reps, three times, that short 20 second rest in between. Then hip-adduction, the opposite of hip-abduction. I press inwards with my thighs, same weight levels. Once again, ten reps, three times. That seems to be pretty standard for most of the weight machines.

Then I workout my abdomen. This machine is not so much a machine but an angled bench that you can adjust. I lay on it with my head at the bottom, feet at the top and do sit ups. I can’t do three reps yet, just 10 sit ups, rest, then 7 more. I hold my hands near my head for momentum, though I’m not sure you’re supposed to do that.

Then there’s another machine for abs. This one you can’t adjust and it’s at a lower angle than the last one, with your abs lower, too, if that makes sense. On this I can do ten sit ups and three reps.

Next I use the compound Rower. I set the weights a little lower this last week because I hurt my shoulder at work. So, only at 70 lbs, pushing down 10 times, 3 reps.

For an aerobic workout before the free weights I use the step machine for about 10 minutes, which usually means I climb about 39 flights of stairs. (Great machine! Has workout stats—average heart beats, etc.)

I end with the free weights. 10 lbs in each hand, doing some arm exercises. Then I cool down with stretching and a warm shower, and make sure to drink some water.

That’s it. Kings of Cardio say that if I put this on their blog, maybe people will write in with their routines, and encourage me to keep up with mine. I’ll write back when I learn new things about exercising, or try a new machine. What’s your favorite?

Hippocrates once said, “that which is used develops, and that which is not used wastes away.” That statement perfectly describes the human body and its need for continual exercise and movement. One must exercise and challenge themselves through intense physical conditioning and regularly working out, if they want to be in top form. Exercises that increase ones pulse, such as lifting weights on strength training equipment and using cardiovascular equipment such as exercise bikes and treadmills, are quintessential exercises for people seeking optimal health. Cardiovascular exercise on treadmills and elliptical machines, as well as physical strength training with weight equipment, are also requirements for those who wish to be fit. Laying down in bed, day dreaming of what you wished you looked like, will only make you more upset. Do not waste time, procrastinate and day dream. Get on the exercise grind and make it happen!

Many of you reading this are probably saying to yourselves, “Why does this blog keep reiterating how important cardio and strength training are, when it is obvious that in order to reach your full potential, such measures must be taken. Is there a reason we have been told 50 times in this article that one must use both cardiovascular and strength equipment in order to maintain a successful exercise program?” Well, if we are preaching to the choir, then more power to you and we are more than pleased that our readers are doing their homework. However, although it is obvious that a total-body workout is necessary for a fitness training session to be complete, many people only focus on one aspect of exercise, while neglecting the other. In other words, many people will just lift weights and not run, or vice versa, so even though the majority of us perfectly understand the theory behind the necessity to incorporate strength and cardio training into the same workout, the majority of that majority, does not put their theory into practice.

When it comes to practicing with exercise equipment, weight machines are really fun and effective. Weight training is essential for increasing strength and muscle mass. There is a large variety of weight training machines in today’s fitness equipment industry, each having its own purpose, specializing in different functions. Therefore, there should be a machine suitable for any and all strength conditioning needs. The variety of home gym options, including but not limited to, single, double, triple or quadruple weight-stack home gyms, make it virtually impossible that someone can’t find a home gym that can help serve their needs. For example, Nautilus, Life Fitness, Body-Solid, Bowflex, Precor, Cybex and Kettler are some excellent brands of commercial and home fitness equipment, that all manufacture a wide variety of strength training machines suitable for ones home, or commercial health club facility.

Home gyms are used for strength training and are built to help people tone, build and define their muscles, however they are not all the same and there are many features of a home gym one must consider when shopping for one. Structural integrity and mechanical capacity are key terms that need to be completely understood by those seeking out a top of the line home gym. The mechanical capacity of the home gym refers to the amount of weight that can be lifted on the machine. Typically, home gyms, strength trainers and circuit weight machines, all have solid warranty coverage. Whereas treadmills, stair climbers, ellipticals and other kinds of commercial and home fitness equipment, all have electronic boards prone to breaking down, strength equipment such as home gyms, weight plates, circuit weight machines and selector strength pieces, are all electronic free and primarily made of steel.

Popular home gym models include, but are not limited to, the Body Solid 1500s, the BodyCraft Family Express, BodyCraft X2 Family Xpress, Life Fitness G7, Precor S3.23 Functional Trainer. Extensive research has proven that the health club caliber gyms previously mentioned are mechanically advanced and structurally superior pieces of gym grade equipment. One of the best parts about having commercial gym equipment at home is that it is rated to last for decades. Imagine how long pieces of gym equipment last in commercial environments over time. At the end of the day, you are only using it for a small percentage of time, compared to its usage in the gym, therefore the fitness equipment is rated to last much longer in your home, than it would in the gym.

Are you looking for sports equipment? If so, you have come to the right home fitness store! When is the last time your fitness equipment broke down? If you are like most people, then your exercise equipment and other sports equipment has had many service issues, and the home gym supplier that you purchased from, has done little to help.

The Kings of Cardio set ourselves apart from the rest of the fitness business by actually taking care of our customers. When you call and inquire about exercise equipment, we do not like to just give you a quick price, and then make the sale. Our fitness experts go the extra mile and pay attention to detail more than your standard sales rep just trying to get in your pocket! Whether you are looking for a treadmill, elliptical, an exercise bike, rowing machine, or other “fitness” equipment, our friendly staff full of friendly and informative personal trainers and fitness experts would take great pride in helping you chose the right piece of hoem fitness equipemnt for you!

Speaking of “Sports Equipment”, I was recently involved in an argument with a group of friends over which sport was more dangerous, Rugby or Football? I personally believe, and basically know for a fact, that American Football is much tougher on the body and causes more injuries than Rugby. Those sports fanatics that argue the other side, base their flawed argument on the fact that SPORTS EQUIPMENT is used in American Football and their is no SPORTS EQUIPMENT in Rugby! W A T ?????? That arguement makes zero sense.

The arguement that Rugby is more dangerous because they do not use sports equipment such as football helmets, shoulder pads and so on, is wrong for several reasons. First of all the flow of the game itself, American football that is, is sooooooo much faster than Rugby. The speed difference is extrememly relevant because when players move faster in Sports, whether or not they are using sports equipemnt, they are prone to more injury than if they were moving at slower speeds. For Example, if two cars collide and they are each moving at 10 miles and hour, there will not be nearly as much of an impact as there would be if they were moving at 50 miles per hour. For those of you who do not think the speed differential between American Football players and Rugby players is equal to that of the example mentioned above, then you are right. The speed difference is much greater! Football players are that much faster than rugby players that whether or not they are wearing sports equipment or not is irrelevant.

If you are looking for Precor, Life Fitness, Star Trac, Kettler, BodyCraft, Cybex, BodySolid, Hoist, First Degree Fitness, or any other brand of fitness or weight equipement, then look no further. You have arrived at the promise land! Call 800-990-1108 right now for more exercise equipment and fitness info! Talk to you soon….

The Kings of Cardio are looking for exericse routines that push people to the max! Starting in October, we will be rewarding people who send us their personal physical fitness programs. You can send us e-mails, videos, pictures or anything else that validates your weight loss and fat burning methods. We are looking for people that do a combination of things so the range of ideas we have is wide open for what we are willing to accept. So if you are train day and night, but are afraid to submit your stort because you think that we will not be interested, think again. We want to hear all kinds of recipes for staying fit in order to increase our own knowledge and help the public that much more. Please submit your own personal success stories of how you stay healthy to sales@kingsofcardio.com or matt@kingsofcardio.com.

I’d always considered myself myself out-doorsy type, and never taken much to gyms or workout equipment for that matter. About 2 months ago, I found myself skipping out on my daily jogs, by lack of motivation. After deciding that a gym membership might inspire me to exercise, since after all I would be paying $30 a month, I couldn’t be happier with my decision. I go at least four times a week now, and exercise all parts of body that simply jogging did not sculpt. After about an hour on the elliptical, weights, treadmill, and crunches, followed by a 15 minute hot tub session, I’ve never felt so revived. I can also pay attention to the numbers of calories and miles I’m burning, and build plans for each week to exceed the previous. I have an entirely new respect for gyms and trainers now, and can’t wait to start building my own home gym soon!

In the next installment of Outside the Box – we use 5 basic exercises with an elliptical trainer.  The 5 exercises are push ups, squats, crunches, burpees and parachute jumpers.

The workout will consist of 3 minutes of elliptical trainer in the following sequence 1 min slow 1 min fast 1 min slow coupled with 4 simple body weight exercises to be performed in a circuit fashion.

Warm up:  Get on the elliptical trainer for 3-4 minutes, then get off and do some light stretching.  Warm up with 15 jumping jacks 20 body weight squats and 10 push ups.  Then get ready, the workout is about to begin.

First Circuit:

Push Up 20 reps, Parachute Jumpers 20 reps, and 25 squats, followed by the 3 min sequence on the elliptical trainer and 1 min rest

Second Circuit

20 squats, 10 burpees, 15 push ups, 25 crunches,  3 min Elliptical sequence and one minute of rest

Third Circuit

10 push up 10 burpees 15 parachute jumpers 30 squats then the 3 min circuit on the elliptical and one minute of rest

Last Circuit

25 crunch 10 push up 25 crunch 10 burpees 25 crunch 25 squat followed by 3 min elliptical sequence

Bonus Circuit (if you want to get crazy!)

10 Burpees 15 Parachute Jumpers 15 Push Ups 30 squats followed by the elliptical sequence

Try this workout on days you need to do resistance training workouts and want to fit in some time for cardio – you will do a total of 12-16 minutes on the elliptical in 1 minute intervals of low/high/low intensity and the resistance part should take 12-20 minutes also.

This workout can be fit very easily in a morning or evening 30 minute workout session!  Make sure to cool down after you finish with some stretching after a short easy ride on the elliptical.

Equipment Recommendation: Any elliptical trainer will be good for this workout!

email me if you need more details on any of the exercises!

Andrew J.
Founder
South Beach Boot Camp
www.southbeachbootcamp.net

I have always tried to make time to workout but finding the time or energy to do so is nearly impossible. I usually carry my gym bag in the trunk of my car so I can stop by the gym after work. The thought of working out daily is always on my mind but hardly ever an action. There have been times when I am excited to go to the gym but after I get out of work and start driving in traffic my energy is drained and all I want to do is get home and relax. There have even been times when I get to the parking lot of my nearby health club only to find myself parking, getting out of my car, getting my gym bag, walking a few feet and then walking back to my car and driving off home. The times when I have actually managed to walk inside the gym, I find the machines busy, and that gets me frustrated. Since I usually like to workout to relieve stress and stay in shape I realized that the frustrations that I got from trying to get a workout where defeating the purpose of why I wanted to exercise. It wasn’t until about 2 months ago that I decided to buy a recumbent bike.

I now workout at home, usually right in front of the TV while I watch my favorite TV shows. Working out at home for me has proven to be the best most effective thing I could have done. It is not a hassle, and I usually find time to exercise at least 1 hour a day 5 days a week. I think that working out should be a life style that improves our overall wellbeing. Not only is exercising good for the body but it is also good for the min. After I workout, I find myself full of energy, relaxed, and I simply feeling good about myself. What makes me even more excited is that I have started to see results. Since getting a regular workout is no longer such a hassle for me, I do it regularly and I have dropped 5 pounds and my legs and my bum are starting to get a very nice, sexy, feminine definition, which I absolutely love!!

Jaylene Miller