The exercise program you choose depends entirely on your fitness goals. The exercises you will be doing and the approach you take in performing these exercises will depend on whether you wish to gain muscle and strength, tone and lose weight or just stay in shape and be healthy. I will briefly describe a sample exercise program that can be adapted for all people regardless of their age or fitness objectives.

If you are looking to build muscle or strength via a bodybuilding routine, stick to 4-5 sets of 10-12 repetitions. Focus on the positive and negative of each movement of each repetition. Gradually increase the weight as you work out to force your muscles to work. Otherwise your muscles will become programmed, accustomed to the same weight and you will no longer experience any gains. There are many approaches and techniques that can be used in bodybuilding. Experiment and use the best one that fits you. An excellent book about weight training and bodybuilding that discusses many different techniques to working out is The Weider System of Bodybuilding.

If you are looking to tone or just stay in shape and be healthy, an exercise program combining weight training and a cardiovascular workout is appropriate for you. When you are exercising with weights, 3-4 sets of 12-15 repetitions at a reasonable weight would be appropriate. Combine this with cardio exercise 1-2 times a week such as riding an exercise bike or elliptical machine or by joining classes at your gym. It is difficult to discuss in great detail in this article exactly what you should be doing. For custom exercise programs I highly recommend Global, Health and Fitness

Here is a sample exercise program that can be modified to fit any person’s fitness goals. Remember that you can change the order and incorporate different exercises for each body part on weekly basis. I encourage this to prevent boredom and your body getting used to the same routine.

Before beginning your workout, you should warm up for 5 - 10 minutes on an exercise bike or treadmill. This will prevent you from pulling muscles or injuring yourself. For a cool-down, you can perform stretching exercises.

Day 1

Back Exercises:
Behind the neck lateral pulldown 3-5 sets 10 - 15 repetitions
Seated pulley rowing 3-5 sets 10 - 15 repetitions
Lateral pulldown with a narrow grip 3-5 sets 10 - 15 repetitions
One arm dumbbell bent rowing 3-4 sets 10 - 12 repetitions

Triceps:
Pulley pushdown with handle 3-5 sets 10 - 15 repetitions
Behind the head rope triceps extension 3-5 sets 10 - 15 repetitions
Reverse-grip pulley pushdown 3-5 sets 10 - 15 repetitions

Abdominals and lower back floor exercises:
Crunches 3 sets of 24 repetitions
Oblique crunches 3 sets of 16 repetitions
Lower back extensions 2 sets of 12 repetitions

Day 2

Chest:
Seated iso wide chest bench press 3-5 sets 10 - 15 repetitions
Incline dumbbell press 3-5 sets 10 - 15 repetitions
Cable crossovers 3-5 sets 10 - 15 repetitions
Flyes 3-4 sets 10 - 15 repetitions

Biceps:
Seated bicep curl
Incline bicep dumbbell curl
Hammer bicep curl

Cardiovascular Exercise

Day 3

Shoulders:
Seated behind the neck shoulder press 3-4 sets 10 - 15 repetitions
Upright cable rowing 3-5 sets 10 - 15 repetitions
Dumbbell side lateral 3-5 sets 10 - 15 repetitions
Arnold press 3-4 sets 10 - 15 repetitions

Forearms:
Forearm curl 3-4 sets 12-15 repetitions

Abdominals and lower back floor exercises:
Crunches 3 sets of 24 repetitions
Oblique crunches 3 sets of 16 repetitions
Lower back extensions 2 sets of 12 repetitions

Day 4

Legs:
Leg extensions 4 sets, 12-15 repetitions
Leg press 4 sets, 12-15 repetitions
Calf raises 5 sets, 15 repetitions
Hamstring curl 4 sets, 12-15 repetitions

Abdominals and lower back floor exercises:
Crunches 3 sets of 24 repetitions
Oblique crunches 3 sets of 16 repetitions

Cardiovascular Exercise

These are just general workout guidelines. You really need to consider what ideally suits you best. If you need more help or for customized exercise programs visit popularfitness.com

About the author:
Peter Kudlacz is the owner of http://www.popularfitness.com where you can find online fitness and golf programs, exercise instruction guides, articles, resources and tips.

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When the trampoline was invented by a young boy intrigued
by the ability of aerialists to bounce in a net and perform
artistic maneuvers while they did so, it literally became
the “springboard” for a whole new sport.

George Nissen, who was a tumbler and gymnast himself, took
the sports to a whole new height by putting them on canvas
strung in a metal frame. Over the years, the canvas has
been replaced by nylon weave, and the frames are made
lighter and more stable. And the sport has evolved to
incorporate elements of gymnastics, ballet, and even
diving.

Trampolines first became available to the public through
entertainment venues where you paid for a ticket to bounce
around for a specified time. Eventually, they found their
way into schools, then gyms, then into organized
associations as a real, and challenging competitive sport.

While the world championships allow for a variety of
competitions, including team events, and synchronized
trampoline routines where two people perform on separate
equipment, the Olympics at this time, recognizes only the
individual skills event.

A set of ten skills must be performed in two voluntary
qualifying routines, and in the final routine for the eight
qualifying competitors. These skills may include such
maneuvers as front and back somersaults, with or without a
twist.

Competitors must submit a card listing the elements of the
first qualifying voluntary routine, no less than 48 hours
before competition starts. The routine must then be
performed with the same elements, and in the same order as
listed.

In the second qualifying round and the finals, competitors
are free to vary the order, and type of skills, which
allows the opportunity to increase the routine’s degree of
difficulty.

A total of nine judges will sit for each competition: a
chair, an assistant chair, two judges who will mark only
the degree of difficulty, and five who will mark only the
execution of the routine.

===========================================================

Discover valuable advice and information about trampolines
- which model to choose, what you should look for and what
you should avoid. Click
http://www.trampolines-info.com/

Paul Johnson works as a software developer, often working
long hours under great stress. He considers exercise
crucial to his health. When purchasing his own fintess
equipment he researched all available products. Now he’s
written a series of useful articles on choosing (and using)
exercise equipment.

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What do you want to get out of the exercise program?

What you want to achieve as a whole fitness program has to do with the kind of program that will work for you in the long run. You may want to ask yourself what you want to accomplish, do you want to lose weight, do you want to stay in shape.

Maybe you just want to reduce some of the stress in your life. Maybe you want to improve your overall health or increase your muscle strength.

If your goal is to lose weight, then start with a low impact or very low impact activity like walking, and eventually work up to 30 minutes every day.

If your goal is to strengthen your muscles, then get some free weights or exercise equipment with a book or videotape.

Or if you want to gain improved flexibility, then you can try yoga or simple stretching that covers your major muscle groups.

Before you start any exercise program, especially if you’re over 40, or have any health problems like high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, a family history of heart disease or if you smoke, you need to speak with your doctor to get the thumbs up first.

Where’s the best place to exercise?

This is a question you need to ask yourself. Do you want to do it in your home or health club? Actually one place is not better than the other. The choice comes down to will you go to the health club or will you exercise in your home.

Home exercise factors

Exercising at home can definitely be cheaper than exercising at a health club. If you are going to exercise in the home, get a good pair of running or walking shoes, an exercise mat, adjustable dumbbells and you’re ready to go.

For some people the best part of a home exercise program is they have privacy. If you are the kind of person who can stick with an exercise program alone at home, then go for it. If you need stimulation from others and enjoy being around a group of people, then a health spa would be fine for you.

More equipment and professional guidance at a health club

For some people a fitness club works better than home. Health clubs have a variety of exercise options–personal fitness trainers and other people who share a common interest.

One of the nice things about a health club is you can work it around your schedule. You can exercise early in the morning before you go to work or stop by the health club on your way home.

The only drawback could be the cost of the membership. You’ll have to weigh the expense with what you want to accomplish.

Another option for a workday routine

There’s still another direction you can do and that is to get together with your coworkers for lunch and walk or jog.

Many people do have a great regimen with regularly scheduled lunchtime exercise programs. You just might be one of them

Deciding where to exercise comes down to picking the place that offers you the best comfort and the one that works best with your lifestyle.

Copyright 2005 Fern Kuhn, RN
Specializing in Diabetes

http://www.diabetestestingcenter.com
http://www.gastricbypassreviews.info
http://www.anxietydisordernews.info

You may reprint this article as long as you keep the links active

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