The Encore Fitness Blog Resources and information from top Las Vegas personal trainers, fitness and dietary experts. Carol Strom.

June 9, 2012

Using a Kettlebell Offers Several Health Advantages

A kettlebell is one of the more modern workout equipment pieces. It is a weight similar to a dumbbell that has been around for decades. It has only been recently that the wave of training with a kettlebell has taken place.

This weight is a round circular ball with a handle attached to the top. Only one handle is used per kettlebell and each kettlebell comes in a particular weight. Various weights are used and begin around 4 kilograms in size. The weights can go up to higher than 60 kilograms. The different weights available give people the ability to modify their workout as time goes by. Through a consistent workout, one will be able to increase the weight to provide a more challenging workout program.

An effective use of a kettlebell can provide many health benefits. The trick to taking advantage of the health benefit is to be sure one is using the kettlebell correctly. Qualified instructors are available to teach kettle bell workouts and can assist a person in optimising their own individual workout.

One of the major health benefits found as a result of working out with a kettlebell is the increase in muscle strength. Weight training provides stronger muscles and so does a kettlebell workout. Muscles will begin to develop and increase in strength within the first few weeks of a workout. The reason for this is that a kettlebell is a weight and as such is used like other weight lifting devices.

Another major benefit of using a kettlebell as a primary workout is the increased endurance one will discover. The kettlebell workouts are a full head to toe body workout. This type of activity helps improve several different body systems. As a result of stronger and healthier body systems, people have more endurance because they are not as fatigued. Fatigue happens when the body has to work harder to function. Increasing activity, such as in a kettlebell workout, helps to improve the overall health of the body’s system.

One of the top benefits and one of the most popular reasons to train with a kettlebell is the increase of rapid weight loss. Weight loss is increased by working out with a kettlebell because this workout incorporates several body systems at once. Two of the biggest ones are strength training and cardiovascular.

Overall, a kettlebell workout provides several health advantages which is why so many are beginning a kettle bell workout.

February 4, 2011

Children Of Overweight Mothers Prone To Obesity By Age 6

illustration courtesy of Image Source/Rex Features

By the time they are 6 years old, children of overweight mothers are more likely to be obese than children of lean mothers, according to a study in the January issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2005; 81 [1], 140–46).

Researchers tracked 70 children over a 6-year period at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania. Thirty-three had overweight mothers, and 37 had lean mothers. Weight and body composition didn’t change much between the two groups during the first 2 years of age. However, the high-risk group (kids whose mothers were overweight) had gained more weight than the other group by age 4. By age 6 the high-risk group not only weighed more but had more body fat.

Researchers pointed to the strength of genetic influences and suggested that efforts to prevent obesity should focus on such children at risk, preferably by the time they are 4 years old.


source: IDEA Fitness

December 9, 2010

A Good Turn For Your Shoulders

A Good Turn For Your Shoulders

Courtesy photo from LA Times

Shoulders are a very complex area of our bodies because they are highly flexible joints that move in many directions. It’s important to train them with appropriate exercises, like this one, designed to improve joint stability and muscular balance.

Sit upright in a sturdy chair (you can also perform it standing upright). Grasp a dumbbell in each hand. Begin with your upper arms hugging the sides of your torso, elbows bent at a 90-degree angle and tucked into your waist. Start with the ends of the dumbbell touching at the center of your waist.

Keep your upper arms pressing firmly against your torso as you externally rotate both your arms out to the sides. Be sure you make this movement happen at the shoulder joint while maintaining a bend at your elbow with your forearms parallel to the floor. Pause at the furthest point of the rotation. Slowly return your dumbbells to the center. Repeat for 12 repetitions. Rest a few seconds, then repeat two more sets of 12 reps.

story originally from LA Times | Health

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