Archive for March, 2010

The Ultimate Workout at Work

By Guest Writer: Cornel Chin (Trainer to the Stars)

If you’re one of many who work in an office and find yourself seated at a desk for prolonged periods of time, then you’re asking for trouble. The mass office working culture has led to more sedentary lifestyles. Your body is designed for movement, so sitting for long hours at a time doesn't do your body any favors. It’s therefore vital that you find ways to move around in order to keep the circulation in your body moving and to stave off unwanted fat or weight that may well be creeping up. Staying stationery for long periods can also lead to backache, stiffness and headaches.

If you don't even get up and move around every so often you’ll gradually begin to feel uncomfortable, your energy level’s decline, and you’ll probably feel lethargic and possibly begin to lack concentration resulting in below par productivity.

Office exercises isn’t a total replacement of your regular exercise routine but it will help to keep you active, burn off the excesses of the day and hopefully give you the motivation to partake in regular exercise to keep your body trim and healthy.

There are plenty of different types of exercises you can do in the office. A lot of it depends on the space you have and what kind of building you're in. Keep them simple and easy to remember.  The following are some stretches that you might like to try at your office desk. Slightly increasing your level of activity will aid in increasing your energy level. All it takes is a few minutes a couple times a day to relieve work related stress, increase your energy level and ultimately make you healthier. Remember to breathe while you are stretching in order to maximize the benefits of the exercise. You should ideally hold each stretch for a minimum of 20 seconds. Hold for longer if your boss isn’t keeping an eye on you!

Chest Stretch - Sitting or standing, interlock your fingers behind your back. Making sure your shoulders stay back and down, lift your hands up as far as you can. Relax.

Triceps Stretch – Sitting or standing, bend your right arm back behind your head, so that your palm is between your shoulder blades. Use your left hand to assist the stretch, by pushing your right elbow slightly back. Relax. Repeat with your left arm.

Lower back stretch – Sitting in the middle of your chair, both feet flat on the floor. Grip the top of your right knee with both hands, and pull it towards your chest. Repeat with your left knee. Move your head slightly down towards your knee for a further stretch.

Neck Stretches – Slowly tilt your head toward your shoulder and hold. Change to the other side. Ease into this one slowly and steadily as the neck is easy to injure.

Arm Shoulders - Place your arm across your chest, hook your other arm around your elbow to ease the tension out of your upper back and rear shoulders.

Abs hold – Sitting in the middle of your chair, hold the edge of the seat with both hands. Contract your abs whilst lifting your knees towards your chest (keeping knees together). Relax. Make sure you don't lean back.

Back of Legs – Lean forward at the waist either from the standing position or sitting and bring your chest toward your thighs. Slowly try to straighten your legs, stretching your hamstrings.

Thigh Stretch – Sit on the left edge of your chair or stand. Grasp your left ankle and gently pull it upward toward your buttocks. Switch sides.

Calves Stretch – Stand and lean into your desk with your heels on the floor. Bend your knees slightly to stretch your achilles tendons.

For more dynamic exercises, which involves more movement and that you can do around common office areas (e.g. empty conference room or photocopy room or stair well) check out the exercises below. They should be performed in a controlled and un-rushed manner. Make sure you warm up prior to starting these with a few mobility exercises or a gentle stair walk first. Add a few more repetitions if you feel comfortable.

Message in Person- At work, try to communicate with your colleagues face-to-face as much as possible. Instead of using the phone or e-mail to send a message, simply walk to your co-workers desk or office. Not only will you earn valuable steps throughout the day, you might start a trend in your workplace.

Stair Walking- walk up and down a few flights of stairs several times. You can increase the intensity by taking two steps at a time. This will ‘fire up’ your thighs and buttock muscles to make them work harder.

Side Stepping Stair Walking- As before but this time start walking sideways up first! Try walking a whole flight of stairs with your right side leading, then swap over sides for the next flight of stairs. When you reach the top, do the same again on the descent.

Bench Dips – Using your chair or sturdy table, place your hands on the edge and bend your arms to slowly lower yourself until your arms are at a right angle. Raise yourself by extending your arms. Aim to achieve 10 to 15 repetitions..

Assisted Push-up – In the office, you can do pushups anywhere there's a solid object. Against the wall, desk or door frame. For example, lean up against your desk and push yourself away from the desk while in a leaning position. Ensure your chest touches the desk for maximum effect. Aim to achieve 10 to 15 repetitions.

Leg Squats – In a standing position, have your feet shoulder width apart. Bend your knees in position so your bottom goes back and down. Extend your legs to return to the start position. Aim to achieve 10 to 15 repetitions.

Calf Raises- Stand up and place your hands on your hips for balance. Now raise all your body weight on the balls of your feet. Slowly lower until your feet are flat on the floor again. Aim to achieve 10 to 15 repetitions.

Exercising in your office is about making life easier for yourself. Whether you're having a good or bad day in the office, any sort of exercise will make you feel better. A few minutes of office exercise will refresh concentration and relieve muscles. So break up your work day to include some or all of these simple, yet effective exercises. It all leads to a more productive and healthier you.  In fact, while I am writing this article and working on the computer, I’m sitting on my stability ball and set an alarm clock to remind myself to get moving every 30 minutes!

Please Note: Consider your company's health and safety regulations when doing any of these office exercises.

By Guest Writer: Cornel Chin (Trainer to the Stars)

Cornel Chin is a high profile fitness expert to the Stars with more than 20 years of experience as a fitness professional. He integrates his diverse background to create an all-encompassing approach to fitness. Cornel is credited for getting Leonardo DiCaprio into shape in double-quick time for the film The Beach, and, as a leading fitness expert, he is a frequent guest on numerous television and radio shows throughout the United Kingdom. Cornel has also been featured in, and regularly contributes to, a host of leading international publications. He writes a monthly feature for Women’s Fitness magazine and is also the author of two popular fitness books which are both endorsed by his celebrity clients.  You can purchase Cornel’s new book Celebrity Body on a Budget March 1st at bookstores nationwide and SportsWorkout.com.

Click the links below to get a sneak peak inside the book.
 
Table of Contents
Sample Chapter

Some Good Stretches For The Lower Back With The Tony Horton Program

You may feel pain in your lower back when working your abdominal muscles. Your lower back may acquire permanent damage if you continue these workouts. It is important to realize which exercises are doing the damage so he can stop doing them to save his back.

Quick Note: Get in now and get your P90X and the New Insanity Workout today at the best workout store around Xtreme Body Fitness. If you want real results and need them fast you need to have the P90X and or the Insanity Workout to get results in 60 or just 90 days.

Before starting to work the lower back, you must warm up. Listed below are some great exercises to work the pain in the lower back:

1. Exercise Doing the Pelvic Yilt

a. Lie on level ground
b. Keep the knees a bit curved
c. Your lower back shouldn’t touch the ground
d. Until the small of your back gets near the ground, bit by bit, tense your abs
e. Hold your body in this position for 5-7 seconds
f. And then loosen your body and relax
g. Continually repeat this practice for a minimal of 4 times, then you can gradually build your endurance and try for 10 reps

2. Exercise to Stretch the Back

a. On a level surface, lie on your stomach
b. Use your arms to lift the upper body off the ground

Building a Solid Body with Home Gyms

If you embark upon your quest for fitness machines by checking out the many variations on Body Solid home gyms, you could figure out that you won’t feel compelled to search anywhere else. As well as their complete collection of commercial fitness products, Body Solid manufactures an incredible array of home gyms, from free-weight racks to functional training machines suitable for professional athletes or physical therapists. The feature you will realize is standard among the Body Solid home gyms is their all-encompassing In-Home Lifetime Warranty which actually does apply to “…everything. Forever. Period.” Body Solid EXM-1500S Single Stack Home Gym.

The Classic collection of Body Solid home gyms is a reasonable section to start our tour. “Classic” here doesn’t simply refer to “old and unexciting”, although one of those is involved, but this collection of gyms encompasses models ranging from a $300 bungee-powered strength training machine to an ultimate gym assembly for in excess of $7000. The unifying factor that labels these gyms as “classic” is that they provide many helpful features but they are all especially basic and easy to work with. If your fitness needs are fairly standard and you thrive with a predictable routine, the Classic collection of Body Solid home gyms ought to fulfill your needs.

The Body Solid home gyms that make up the G-series are regarded mid-range home gyms that are also reasonably priced and very well engineered. This series is comprised of 9 separate models which range in size from diminutive to massive, and range in cost from $1200 to $3500. The more comprehensive G-Series gyms are very useful for bodybuilding , and the smaller ones could easily support simple muscle toning activities. The G-series machines are ideal for knowledgable home gym customers who are trying to find a balance between functionality and affordability.

Body Solid’s Fusion gym systems are designed for dedicated fitness enthusiasts who want flexibility as well as performance in their Body Solid home gyms. Fusion gyms are available in three models which were made to be attractive yet still extremely functional, and are produced with the most stringent quality materials. Their level of versatility is illustrated in the series names; they are referred to as the Fusion Personal Trainers on account of their capability to customize your fitness program. Body Solid EXM-1500S Single Stack Home Gym.

During the last decade, Body Solid’s functional trainers and crossover stations have produced the most effective workout experience obtainable in terms of both performance and economy. This collection of Body Solid home gyms supports consumers who want to define their own strength training regimens and are searching for a home gym which isn’t going to dictate their choices. The interchangeable cable pulls and limitless range of adjustments provided by this selection of exercise equipment allow the user to change his strength training program every 24 hours, if you prefer. Whether your aspirations include core stability or a sport-specific conditioning routine, these Body Solid home gyms could give you the challenges you crave and the results you need.

Body Solid home gyms are available that accommodate any financial situation and any intention, so the possibilities of finding the appropriate model for your situation are in your favor. The craftsmanship and usefulness of these pieces of equipment is predictably appealing, but coming with the best guarantee in the industry is also a compelling selling point. Body Solid EXM-1500S Single Stack Home Gym.

How To Achieve The Perfect Body.

If you are looking to find the perfect body then read on…

If you think that body building is a hard job then you are wrong. With the right guidance and technique, body building can help you achieve the perfect body that you have always dreamt of. However, to even begin to achieve your perfect body, there are certain facts about body building that you need to know, and once you understand these then you can build your body building plan accordingly.

Anyone who thinks that they are overweight must first consult their gym instructor or physician. You will not be able to body building until all excess, unwanted body fats have been eliminated. Your body mass index will be checked by your doctor and your ideal weight will then be established. A strict diet will then be put into place and must be adhered to. The sooner this unwanted fat is removed the sooner you can begin to body build.

So many people, when they first begin to body build, over do it and begin with heavy exercises. This must be avoided as it can actually do more harm than good. Your capacity will slowly increase and you can intensify your exercises accordingly. Talk to your gym instructor about the best exercise regime for you that will build your muscles up gradually.

Your measurements and weights must be checked on a regular basis as adjustments in your exercise regime may be necessary. Planned diets will also be given which must be adhered to, to maintain both your well being and health.

To achieve the body you have always dreamt of, then both dedication and commitment is needed and if both a strict diet and exercise regime are followed then your goal of the perfect body can easily be reached.

For more information please visit our main site

celebrity weight loss and exercise lose weight