Muscle Pumping

Archive for February, 2012

About Cybex

Cybex International, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of premium exercise equipment primarily for commercial use. The Cybex product line, including a full range of strength and cardio training machines, is designed using exercise science to reflect the natural movement of the human body. Led by the Cybex Research Institute, Cybex fitness equipment is engineered to produce optimal results for users from the first-time exerciser to the professional athlete. Cybex designs and builds its products in the USA for a wide range of facilities, from commercial health clubs to home gyms, in more than 85 countries worldwide. For more information on Cybex and its products, visit the Company’s website at www.cybexintl.com.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the statements made above. These include, but are not limited to, the ability of the Company to comply with the terms of its credit facilities, competitive factors, technological and product developments, market demand, economic conditions, and the resolution of litigation involving the Company. Further information on these and other factors which could affect the Company’s financial results can be found in the Company’s previously filed Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, its Reports on Form 10-Q, its Current Reports on Form 8-K, and its proxy statement dated April 14, 2011.

Women have all heard that high repetitions with lighter weights tones muscles, but is there a more effective way to get the results you desire?

A body that is toned, lean and long is the goal of so many women I train and talk to on a daily basis. This desire for a long and lean physique is thought to be achieved by toning of the muscles with high repetitions of exercises using light weights. Many women think they want to tone their muscles, meaning they want to make them look better without making them bigger, when what they really want to do is sculpt their bodies. Let’s take a look at what all these fancy words mean.

More muscle equals good, less muscle equals fat.

Having more muscle makes you look better and burns more fat than having less muscle. Now here’s the dirty little secret. Toning doesn’t build muscle! Tone comes from the Latin word tonus, specifically referring to the normal tension or firmness of a muscle not deliberately being flexed. Tone can be improved by lifting weights, but it is not something that is visible to the human eye. Having your sights set on improving your muscles in a way that doesn’t give you visible results doesn’t make much sense. That’s not to say that lifting light weights with high repetitions doesn’t have it’s place in a well-balanced workout program, but there’s a better way to get the body you desire.

The solution to getting the results you want is to lift heavier weights and sculpt your body. Body sculpting, as opposed to toning, is a much more effective way to change your body in the way that you desire. Sculpting refers to the reduction of excess fat with simultaneous growth of muscle that leaves you with a “sculpted” physique. The more muscle you build, the higher your metabolism, the more calories you burn, the better you will look and feel.

“But I don’t want to look like the Hulk.”

Most women who are looking to decrease body fat and “tone up” eventually ask me if they should be lifting heavier weights and if doing so with make them bulky. The answer is yes and no. Lifting weights heavy enough to induce muscular stress will cause the body to repair the stressed tissue by rebuilding it. Simply put, if the weight isn’t challenging, your muscles won’t grow. If your muscles won’t grow, they won’t look any better.

But what about getting bulky? Women think that lifting heavy weights will make them turn into the some grotesque body-builder-looking monster. Not to worry, ladies. The good news and bad news is that it’s nearly impossible for a normal women to achieve that bulky look unless you happen to be a genetic outlier, spending several hours a day lifting weights, and taking performance-enhancing drugs. Women do not have enough of the male hormone testosterone to get big and bulky muscles, but that also means that you have to work a lot harder than your male counterparts at achieving the same growth in muscle.

Pick up a pair of challenging weights and leave the light dumbbells on the rack.

I’m going to reiterate a very important point. You have to build muscle in order to achieve your desired results. Results come from hard work, which all women I see in they gym are already capable of. Think about the catchphrases made popular by Jane Fonda, “feel the burn” and “no pain, no gain” that embody the concept of working out past the point of experiencing muscle aches. Now, I’m not saying you should go out and push yourself past the point of exhaustion every workout, but if you’re not feeling the burn after 12 to15 repetitions, then your weights are too light. Most women are willing to put in the hard work, so do something that will get you the best results. Sculpt your body and leave the toning on the rack with the light dumbbells.

For more by Teddy Bass, click here.

For more on fitness and exercise, click here.

Teddy Bass is a nationally certified NASM/ACE personal fitness trainer to some of Hollywood’s top celebrities, and the creator of the RockBottomBody training program.  Teddy actively continues his studies with a focus on nutrition, kinesiology, strength training, flexibility, and biomechanics. His unique training philosophy encourages the unity of mind, body, and soul for a “complete body” experience.

Follow Teddy Bass on Twitter:

www.twitter.com/bodybybass

By Kelly Fitzpatrick

Any product that claims to make us stronger, healthier and faster (read: all around more awesome) without any real effort deserves a long, hard look. But some studies actually support the use of vibrating platforms for exercise and rehab purposes, specifically for rehabbing back injuries. But that doesn’t mean all the claims associated with these devices — increased muscle performance and bone density, for starters — stand up to some basic scrutiny.

Shake It Like a Polaroid — Why It Matters
News flash: Infomercial products aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be. And yet the vibration platform (or plate) is one fad dozens of manufacturers, professional athletes and gyms across the country are getting in on — all for one easy payment of $1,000 and up! While some models just shake things up, others come equipped with a virtual coach to walk the user through an on-platform workout. They don’t even all vibrate the same direction — some move up and down, some pivot like a seesaw. The common thread: All machines vibrate 20 to 50 times per second while the user enjoys the sensation of riding a rickety roller coaster… standing up.

More from Greatist:
13 Legit Ways to Stop a Hangover
The Complete Guide to Interval Training
Work Out Like the Knicks’ Jeremy Lin

Manufacturers claim these good vibrations cause the body’s skeletal muscles to contract and stretch, engaging more muscles than voluntary movements alone. And some studies do support this hypothesis. Researchers have found vibration on its own, vibration with on-platform exercises and vibration in combination with off-platform workouts all seemed to slightly enhance athletic ability for a brief window (think: minutes, not hours) of time. At just the right frequency (which varies depending on the activity or person), hopping on a vibrating platform helped amateur male athletes jump higher and swing a bat faster for a few minutes after getting off the machine. Pulsing away also ups blood flow (though it’s not clear from the research if that’s a good thing), which could help speed rehab for spinal cord injuries.

All Shook Up — The Answer/Debate
While some studies have shown these platforms work in specific applications (i.e. ultra-controlled trials and specific medical treatments), many researchers maintain the overall benefits have been exaggerated. For starters, the effects of the vibration are only felt for a very limited period of time (i.e. 30 seconds to four minutes) and that window of time is different for everyone. There are also multiple studies showing no benefits at all. As for manufacturers’ claim that a whole lotta shakin’ could improve bone density, research has yet to support that.

Full-on body rockin’ can have its downsides, too. Truck drivers exposed to similar frequencies for long periods of time may experience chronic back pain and nerve damage. While the vibration on a platform isn’t exactly the same, it does bring up similar concerns such as joint damage, suggests Greatist expert Linda LaRue. Instead, she recommends full-body exercises that engage stabilizer muscles, like push-up planks (which don’t cost a thing).

The moral of the story? Olympic athletes looking to jump just one inch higher may benefit from a quick bout on a vibrating platform (timed perfectly for their jump, of course). But for everyday folks who just want to perform a bit better, it looks like the best bet may still be old school gym time with both feet planted firmly on the ground.

The Takeaway: Maybe. There are some clinically proven benefits of vibrating platforms, but most products’ claims are severely exaggerated.

This article has been read and approved by Greatist Experts Linda LaRue and Jen Cassetty.

For more on fitness and exercise, click here.

Related on HuffPost:

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Overtraining occurs when the body can no longer recover from the bodybuilding workouts. In order for the body to grow, you need to train hard pushing your body to the limits. However, if you constantly train hard without following a periodized bodybuilding workout, more than likely you will cross the line and overtrain.

If you are over-training, the solutionis to simply take a couple of days off to allow the body to completely rejuvenate itself and then ease back into training. This works amazingly well. Also, by using a periodized bodybuilding workout as well as following the right bodybuilding diet you minimize your chances of ever getting over-trained again. Always remember the need to periodize your training because if you choose to do high volume workouts all of the time, eventualy your body will reach the point that it can no longer recover. That is why periodization varies the training by alternating weeks of high volume workouts with weeks of higher intensity/heavier work.

For more information on overtraining and its symptoms, please take a look at the resources below:

Bodybuilding Training andOvertraining, Part 1

Bodybuilding Training andOvertraining, Part 2

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American Fitness logo

We have seen a rapid increase in the demand for fitness equipment such as power racks, kettlebells, and chin up bars, which are being used as part of an interval or functional cross training program

Portland, OR (PRWEB) February 28, 2012

American Fitness, a premier supplier of fitness equipment serving home and commercial customers, has experienced a rapid increase in demand for exercise equipment used in popular cross training exercise programs, such as CrossFit, P90X, and other functional or interval training programs. Customers who are attracted to these exercise programs come from all walks of life, from consumers looking to lose weight and get in shape to professionals who require a high level of fitness for athletic performance or on-the-job responsibilities. To meet this increase in demand, American Fitness has augmented its selection of fitness equipment with key tools and apparatus typically found in these types of fitness training programs. Everything from free weights to power racks can now be found at AmericanFitness.net to suit most any mainstream or customized interval training exercise program.

Cross training has many benefits, from total body conditioning to weight loss. Elite athletes, bodybuilders, and highly trained professionals follow this type of workout routine to optimize performance and push to new levels. When exercises are done repeatedly with the same set of muscles and fitness equipment, the body eventually adjusts, resulting in smaller and smaller gains in strength and fitness. Cross training helps balance muscle groups, breaking through plateaus and minimizing injuries. CrossFit is a high intensity form of interval training that has become popular among all types of people for quickly and efficiently burning fat and building muscle. Exercises are focused on bodyweight training, basic gymnastics, and weightlifting to improve strength, stamina, flexibility, and cardiovascular health.

“We have seen a rapid increase in the demand for fitness equipment such as power racks, kettlebells, and chin up bars, which are being used as part of an interval or functional cross training program,” said Ron Thompson, President of American Fitness. “This is especially true for many of our high performance customers, such as military, police, and fire service. These customers are looking to achieve the best possible fitness results in the shortest amount of time. We are pleased to be able to support them in these efforts with customized fitness packages and quality, individual equipment selections.”

Typical bodyweight exercises in a cross training routine are squats, lunges, push-ups, and pull-ups. American Fitness offers equipment to support these types of exercises, including barbells, power racks, bumper plates, plyometric boxes, chin-up bars, and functional bodyweight cross trainers. For strength training, a full range of free weights, including dumbbells, kettlebells, and medicine balls can be found at AmericanFitness.net.

About American Fitness

American Fitness is a leading retailer of home and commercial fitness equipment. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, AmericanFitness.net is the chosen provider of fitness and exercise equipment for schools, hotels, public service agencies, and US military organizations across the United States and abroad. American Fitness specializes in custom gym and fitness center design using top brand equipment including home gyms, treadmills, elliptical trainers, weights, and other popular exercise equipment. With a focus on service and customer satisfaction, American Fitness seeks to support individuals and organizations in achieving fit and healthy lifestyles. For more information, please visit the company’s website at http://www.americanfitness.net.

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By Damien Maher
Monday Feb 27 2012

The quest to be fit over the age of 40 means you must become a master at adapting to the whirlwind of change that life throws at you.

Relationships for some go through challenges, parents need care-giving or pass away.

Routine medical check-ups may also bring to light a condition that will shape the way you treat your health for the rest of your life. You learn to accept the reality and adapt with the best strategy that will help change or manage your condition.

The changes to your physical well-being may start with the decline of your eyesight and hearing. You may be decreasing in height, your hair is greying, the wrinkles on your face are increasing and middle-age spread is starting as your metabolism continues to slow down.

This decade represents a time when many men recognise a need to change their way of thinking about their health.

Years of neglecting exercise has resulted in a bulging belly and moobs. This changing body shape has been helped along by declining testosterone.

Testosterone is the hormone that is necessary to build fat-burning muscle. In men aromatisation occurs, which is when testosterone converts into the female hormone estrogen.

We know that lack of sleep, low intake of protein, lack of essential fatty acids like omega 3 and no weight-training can lower testosterone so if we do the opposite, males can slow down the ageing process.

One of the physiological changes females experience is declining ovary function, which leads to greater fluctuations in their hormone levels. This leads to irregularities in their cycle, but the other big event in this decade is menopause. Testosterone also declines, which manifests as decreased libido, energy and sense of well-being.

Changes to your resting metabolic rate starts to decline in your 40s due to a loss of muscle mass, due to insomnia, history of dieting and irregular feeding times.

Prior to menopause, women have less strokes, less hypertension, and less heart attacks compared to men. Once they hit menopause though, it’s a level playing field.

The top three things females entering the menopause complain about are:

1. Hot flushes — which is affected by a reduction in estrogen.

2. Insomnia — which is linked with a reduction in progesterone.

3. Loss of libido — which can be linked with a lack of testosterone.

US-based cardiologist Mark Houston recommends that by using resveratrol you can modulate all three of these and see symptoms improve.

Resveratrol is one of the most potent antioxidants and is useful in counteracting lack of sleep. Resveratrol also helps regulate cortisol and improves insulin resistance.

Menopause leads to a big reduction of two primary female hormones — estradiol and estriol. Resveratrol helps put a protective sleeve on your DNA and keeps balance between estradiol and estriol.

At menopause, when estrogen levels decrease, women become more susceptible to osteopenia (low bone mineral density), eventually followed by osteoporosis (weak and brittle bones).

What they need to do to counteract this is to make their bones stronger with strength training. Long slow distance training is not the solution as it has been associated with greater bone loss.

The exercises that improve bone growth are compound exercises such as a barbell back squat because it involves compression.

Aerobic training increases stress on your adrenal glands, which can adversely influence the ratio between testosterone and the stress hormone cortisol, which eats muscle.

Women are often worried about their bone density in menopause and many take a calcium supplement, but if they are lacking in Vitamin D3 it is not absorbed. Females post menopause should switch to iron-free multi-vitamins when their menstrual cycle ends.

The key to being fit in your 40s is to accept you are going to get older but that you do not need to age as quickly as your peers. Eating fresh healthy meals, engaging in strength and interval training, taking a good multi-vitamin, sleeping regularly and taking time to recharge will all help you in the long run.

www.befitforlife.ie

- Damien Maher

Originally published in

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The study differed from most others in that Nieman and his team had volunteers spend two 24-hour periods in a metabolic chamber, a small lab-like room, big enough to house a desk, bed, toilet, laptop, telephone and bike or treadmill. During one day, the participants sat, ate and slept; during the second day, they remained inactive with the exception of a vigorous 45-minute cycling exercise. On the exercise day, they were given extra food to keep their energy in balance. Based on previous work, researchers expected metabolism to be elevated for an hour or two after the workout.

To their surprise, “every single subject had an extended increase in … metabolism after … vigorous cycling, an average 14.2 hours,” said Nieman, chief of the Human Performance Lab at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis. Net energy expenditure was about 193 extra calories over the rest stage. This might have implications for weight loss and management, the study found, especially when combined with the more than 500 extra calories burned in the 45-minute cycling bout.

Still, others say it’s key not to overlook the benefits of strength or resistance exercise, which builds muscle and greatly improves body composition. Both resistance training and high-intensity exercise cause normal, small-scale damage to muscle tissue. Repairing the damage takes energy, which boosts metabolism. Moreover, simply sustaining a larger muscle mass raises your metabolic rate. Experts say if you’re trying to lose weight and have 20 minutes a day, try to burn as many calories as you can in that time.

But “it’s not a good idea to think that you can eat anything you want just because you exercised for 20 minutes,” said Edward Melanson, an associate professor in endocrinology, metabolism, and diabetes at the University of Colorado. “Even with 30 to 40 minutes of exercise, most people only expend 200 to 400 calories, and this can be easily undone by one extra high-calorie snack per day.”