While cardiovascular exercises like running, walking or playing sport are a great way of burning fat, adding a little strength training to your workouts will burn extra calories every day, even while your're sleeping or sitting on the couch watching TV.
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| Fitness body |
Resistance training stresses muscles by causing thousands of micro tears in their fibers. The body increases its metabolic rate as it sends nutrients and energy to repair and build new muscle tissue.
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| Fitness body |
Aerobic exercise may burn a few hundred extra calories, but for every additional kilogram of muscle you gain, your body burns around 100 extra calories every day of the week.
There are many reasons why people stop exercising. While you may want to do resistance exercises it may be hard to join a gym because the fees are too high, the gym is too far away or you can't find time to go regularly. When there are fewer hurdles to overcome the more likely you are to stick to exercise in the long term.
Here's a set of resistance exercises you can do at home without any special equipment. Get some dumbbells or grab makeshift weights, such as soup cans, water-filled buckets, water bottles, sand-filled grocery bags, or a backpack filled with books, clothing or a bag of flour - whatever you can find to add weight to the following exercises. A set of hand weights is also a good option. And remember to stretch and warm up before any of these exercises.
SQUATS
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| Squats |
These are an easy but very useful exercise for your things and buttocks. They'll help to shape your buttocks, strengthen things and build stamina. Because they work the largest muscles in the body, they have the greatest fat-burning effect.
How to do it:
Stand up straight, bend your knees with your arms stretched outright parallel to the floor. Bend until your things are parallel to the floor. To make it harder, lift buckets filled with water or hold a heavy brick in each hand. A set of squats in 10 -12 raises.
Muscles used:
Quadriceps (thigh muscles)
Gluteus (buttock muscles)
LUNGES
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| Lunges |
This is another exercise that works the biggest muscles in the body. Lunges can be done either on the spot or by stepping forward each time you lunges. You can even do them while running: just stop, say, every five minutes to do 20 lunges.
How to do it:
With your arms by your side, take a giant step forward with your right leg until your things is parallel to the floor. Push backward off the same leg to return to your starting position. Repeat with the left leg. Aim to do a set of 20. (Another way to do lunges is to move forward with each one.)
Muscles used:
Quadriceps (thigh muscles);
Gluteus (buttock muscles).
CRUNCHES
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| Crunches |
Exercising the core and stomach muscles is essential for posture and spinal health. Crunches are one of the simplest exercises, and they can be carried in many ways to target different areas and made more difficult as you get stronger.
How to do it:
Lie in your back on the floor with your knees pulled up halfway to your buttocks. With your arms crossed over your chest, lift your shoulder blades 10 - 15 centimeters off the floor. Squeeze your lower stomach muscles in towards the floor while you do this. Hold the position for a second, then lower slowly. Repeat up to 20 times and rest.
Muscles used:
Stomach muscles.
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| Back extension |
BACK EXTENSION
The back and torso muscles are often the most neglected, but they are key to maintaining a healthy posture and strong spine throughout life.
How to do it:
Lie face down with your arms at your sides. Slowly lift your head toward the ceiling and look up as far as you can go. You can extend this by lifting your legs and your head up as far as you can and hold for 5, then release. Do a set of 10 - 12.
Muscles used:
Erector spinae (back muscles);
stomach muscles and Gluteus (buttocks).
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| Push ups |
PUSH UPS
This is a great exercise to do at home or almost anywhere. If done correctly it gives you stamina and builds your pecs and triceps.
How to do a standard push up:
Lie face down with your palms on the floor, about shoulder width apart. Push your whole body up with your back and legs in a straight line and then lower yourself back down towards the floor. To strengthen your chest more place your arms wider apart. To strengthen your triceps and back more, move your arms closer together. Aim for sets of twenty.
Muscles used:
Pectorals (chest muscles), Triceps (back of the upper arm).
