And they don’t want you to know that studies show running shoes are causing more stress on the body and injuries than they are preventing.

According to Dr Daniel Lieberman, professor of biological anthropology at Harvard University: ‘A lot of foot and knee injuries currently plaguing us are caused by people running with shoes that actually make our feet weak, cause us to over-pronate (ankle rotation) and give us knee problems.

‘Until 1972, when the modern athletic shoe was invented, people ran in very thin-soled shoes, had strong feet and had a much lower incidence of knee injuries.’

His isn’t the only researcher and coach to note that things have gotten worse, not better.

‘We used to run in canvas shoes,’ a coach was quoted as saying. ‘We didn’t get plantar fasciitis (pain under the heel); we didn’t pronate or supinate (land on the edge of the foot); we might have lost a bit of skin from the rough canvas when we were running marathons, but generally we didn’t have foot problems. ‘Paying several hundred dollars for the latest in hi-tech running shoes is no guarantee you’ll avoid any of these injuries and can even guarantee that you will suffer from them in one form or another. Shoes that let your foot function like you’re barefoot – they’re the shoes for me.’

The Shoes are to Blame

Research has discovered that it isn’t the body but the expensive shoes that are causing more injuries:

Runners in shoes that cost more than $95 were more than twice as likely to get hurt as runners in shoes that cost less than $40.

What a cruel joke: for double the price, you get double the pain. Stanford coach Vin Lananna had already spotted the same phenomenon.’I once ordered highend shoes for the team and within two weeks we had more plantar fasciitis and Achilles problems than I’d ever seen. So I sent them back. Ever since then, I’ve always ordered low-end shoes. It’s not because I’m cheap. It’s because I’m in the business of making athletes run fast and stay healthy.’

Read the painful truth – that human beings were meant to run barefoot – in this excellent article at www.bushwalking.org.au/.

Most of the physical fitness trainers, and coaches agree that doing some sort of resistance training, and cardio training, sets up a good foundation for all around fitness. What most people like to do is alternate days. M-W-F do resistance training and on Tues-Thurs-Sat do aerobic training or some other variation. Now this is not a bad thing but it can be very time consuming and for people who have real busy lives it might be hard to make this kind of commitment.

I say why not do both in one training session? Now I am not saying to do both in the same day. I am talking about doing a workout for about 30-40 minutes that gives you resistance and cardio for that time frame. Instead of making them separate, combine them into a more efficient workout.

In other words you perform a resistance exercise, it could be your own bodyweight, weights, cables, tubing, it doesn’t matter. Immediately after this is completed you perform a cardio movement. It could be running in place, jumping jacks, squat thrusts, anything that is aerobic for about (30) seconds, and then continue on to the next movement. Doing say 6-8 resistance exercises and in between (30 seconds of aerobics) for let’s say 3 sets. Now these 3 sets are without resting you are continually moving for roughly 35 minutes.

Let me give you an example: Let’s use weights. 1} 10 reps of lunges, then run in place. 2} 10 reps of squats, then run in place. 3} 10 reps of bicep curls, now run in place. 4} 10 reps of dips or pushups, now run in place. You can choose any exercise you want just hit all major bodyparts. Like I said choose 6-8 resistance exercises and 30 seconds of aerobics and do at least 3 sets alternating. This is fat burning exercise.

Believe me when I tell you this is not for the faint of heart. You will be breathing heavily quickly. The beauty is it saves time and cuts workout time in half. When I first tried this I did make it thru the 3 sets but it wasn’t easy. If you have to stop do so. Catch a breath and then complete it. You will gradually improve as you keep doing this exercise protocol.

Now for the people who don’t have weights at home or do not want to do this at their local workout establishment, or are just looking for a change of pace, I have found the perfect alternative. A complete system for under $50. For men and women. You get a 3 cable color system for tension, a video to follow along, a manual, and travel bag. It’s very portable. And the workout you get in 35 minutes is fabulous.

When I am pressed for time and want a killer workout this is what I use. So I get both resistance and cardio in (1) 35 minute workout. I highly recommend this product for people who want a gym in a bag. Excellent for people who travel. Give it a try and please let me know what you think.

About the Author

Click here for cardio workouts to help you lose weight, improve your cardio fitness that don’t need gyms, machines, or make you run a single step.

Check here for MMA workout info.

Cool design. If you fail on your final rep, you can set the bar down on the “Weight Spotter” bar in the front.

From the Weightspotter.com website:

The Weight Spotter is always there to help minimize the risk of serious injury. When that ‘ one last rep’ turns out to be ‘one rep too many’ and you can’t get the bar back up on the rack, the Weight Spotter is there. Simply roll the bar forward and the Weight Spotter will do the rest! The bar and weights ride up and away and held safely with our engineered spring-return safety locks freeing you from a potentially dangerous, crushing injury. The exclusive design of the Weight Spotter puts the safety rails close enough without interfering with your workout.

Designed for the most common lifting practices: incline and flat presses, the Weight Spotter Silver Series is designed for Olympic 7 foot bars and weights up to 250 lbs.

This is available NOW at an internet-site home gym auction so you might have to outbid other people, however, if you are the only bidder you will nab this up for $100!

I do not recommend you pay for shipping – this weighs too much to pay freight charges, but if you live near Lawrence, Massachusetts, or New England thereabouts, and have been looking for a new rack and weightlifting bench, check it out. Paying $100 at auction is a good deal considering it costs $299 plus shipping at the official website of weightspotter.com.

This unit is available through the weekend at Liquidation.com. The auction closes 17 July 2010. This could be a one-off auction, but it is usual for companies to sell a lot more units in up-coming auctions.  You can sign up for free at liquidation.com and get free emails alerting you to home gym equipment, treadmills, stationary bikes, resistance bands, and a lot of other stuff.

Treadmills are a fantastic way to exercise for muscle growth and good cardio. They create a total body workout and excellent leg strenght training and also aid in burning the calories extremely quick. Since they are high impact cardio vascular technology and doctor’s advice is considered necessary before you can begin exercising on a treadmill and this should be considered before using any peice of weight training equipment or muscle building program. As a consequence it can place stress on the knee muscles and the joints. So patients who have ailments in the knee, or foot and knee injuries are informed to avoid using treadmills. Treadmills must be obtained only following evaluating the treadmill instructions as well as treadmill ratings.

Manual treadmills are cheaper but don’t include very many options, which the advanced end brands do. For at home use additionally, quite a few individuals favor the powered treadmill as it offers them a choice of routines in their house. With the bad points withstanding, the treadmill equipment offer a huge workout. No matter the time of the day and time of year, one can undoubtedly exercise and remain in shape either at the gym or in the home with a treadmill.

An added set back of the treadmill is that a lot of persons have been renowned to trip on the ramp while working out, this can inflict injury. Consequently alot of them are provided with a safety cord, therefore the treadmill equipment happen to be extra safe. One end of the cord is connected to the apparal of the individual, and the other is connected to the piece of equipment. If the exerciser extends too far, the safety cord is pulled from the piece of equipment, which brings the machine to the halt.

When purchasing a treadmill, look for the equipment, which have gotten first-rate treadmill reports as well as fine treadmill ratings. This should be done when seeking any type of weight training equipment or body building device to add to a home gym.An individual can search for these on the websites committed to health and fitness and treadmills as well as fitness magazines. There are a lot varieties to select from. They range from the manual to the electric and the electrical treadmills. They can begin as low as $200 and can cost up to $3000.

About the Author:

Weight Training equipment Today has a variety of

strength training

programs that promote excellent

muscle growth

available for most types of workouts and routines. Whether you use HIT(High Intensity Training) or HVT (High Volume Training) you will find the information and needs you may be looking for.

# programs that promote excellent muscle growth available for most types of workouts and routines. Whether you use HIT(High Intensity Training) or HVT (High Volume Training) you will find the information and needs you may be looking for.

by Bob Magill

Home gyms are becoming a popular alternative to fitness clubs due to their convenience and relative inexpensiveness. Many regular gym-goers eventually forgo their memberships in favor of purchasing their own equipment. Having your own home gym means that you won’t be wasting time driving to and from the gym or waiting for certain machines to be free. You won’t have to deal with the “egos” that normally come with a lot of fitness centers.

There are a few drawbacks to having a home gym. Firstly, it may be expensive to purchase the equipment although you make it back within a few years of cancelling your gym membership. Second, if you lack motivation, a home gym may make it easier for you to say “not today”. You will need to demonstrate self-discipline in order to make a home gym worth it.

That being said, let’s talk more about what pieces of equipment are ideal to include in your home gym and what you should let stay at professional fitness clubs.

What you should include:

* Adjustable bench – In order to effectively target major upper body muscles, having a good quality adjustable bench is key. You will be able to do all free weight exercises that require either a sitting, inclined, or pronated position for under $200.

* Set of dumbbells – Purchase a few sets of dumbbells to start your gym off. You can always purchase more when you need to. Dumbbells are the ideal way to add tension into your workouts because they require use of stabilizing muscles and are the most efficient at hypertrophy. * An anti-burst stability ball – An amazing little inexpensive piece of equipment, the anti-burst stability ball can be used for a variety of different exercises such as core strengthening or as a make-shift bench for total body engagement.

* Cardio equipment – Choose a piece of cardio equipment (treadmill, elliptical Trainers, or stationary bike) that you enjoy and will continue using. Nothing is worse than spending hundreds of dollars on a piece of equipment that you like to look at, but don’t like to use. While using the same piece of equipment week after week can become monotonous, try searching local classifieds for used pieces of equipment so you can splurge and buy two so you can mix it up whenever you feel like it.

* Power rack – A power rack isn’t the most important piece of equipment, but it definitely can add some much needed variety and strength into your workout. Try to avoid machines that offer isolated exercises such as the assisted pull up machine or the triceps dip. Although they do effectively work the right muscles, these big, bulky and often expensive machines don’t offer the range of exercises that are suitable for a home gym environment.

About the Author

Bob likes to write on various topics and has been doing so for more than a few years. His newest site is http://miniflatiron.org which supplies people with information on purchasing a mini hair straightener.

Take advantage of two special offers:

1. 10% off plus free shipping (using code: 11001 at checkout) at Total Gym® today.

2. Pay in Full at Total Gym® and receive a Free Upgrade, which includes an extended warranty, priority processing and more.

More than 2 million people have already purchased a Total Gym – including Hollywood celebrities, professional athletes, trainers, and folks new to exercise. These affordable gyms give you every exercise you need to work on strength training on all parts of the body — arms, shoulders, back, chest, abs, and lower body. It’s a complete body transformation and one of the easiest ways to exercise.

Total Gym® Home Fitness Equipment.

These commercial grade trainers have been selling for $6500 to $8000 but you can get a <Precor Elliptical Trainer for less than $3000 as a reconditioned model!

If you’ve been working out on Precors at your health club like I have, you know these are rock-solid machines. Precors have been our favorite elliptical machine at our gym for years because of their quality and reliability.

Cardio Training at Home

The gorgeous Precor 576i features 14 workout programs including Manual, 2 Intervals, Cross Country, Glutes, Heart Rate Control, Weight Loss, and Performance runs (Hill Climb, Fitness Test and 3 Cross Training) and more.

Working out on an EFX elliptical yields significantly more glute and quad activity than using a stairclimber, cycle, or treadmill. And you don’t need a trainer to tell you what to do: Designed for heavy commercial use, the EFX546i features commercial grade construction and components, but it has an easy-to-use console that allows you to get on and start peddling and selecting a program workout without messing around with settings.

KEY FEATURES

→Standard CSAFE interface makes the EFX®546i compatible with other electronic fitness and entertainment systems, such as Fitlinxx ® and CardioTheater®.

→The pedals work  in both forward and reverse so users can simply change pedaling direction to target different muscle groups.

→With its CrossRamp® technology, users can select a ramp angle between 13 and 40 degrees throughout the workout to isolate and crosstrain quadriceps, gluteals, hamstrings, and calves. Stride lengths vary along the incline of the CrossRamp from 21.2 in to 24.7 in, to give the user a great workout.

→It has 9 programs and 20 resistance levels: Variety of workout plans lets users work all of their lower body muscles and keep routines fresh and motivating. SmartRate® is a heart rate display that shows actual heart rate in relation to user’s target zone for weight loss and cardio training.

→Easy-to-use handgrip sensors monitor heart rate. Heart rate telemetry to help keep the user in an aerobic workout, optimizing fat burn.

Club Quality for Less than $3,000

It’s a great machine at the best price you will find. The Precor EFX576i Remanufactured Crosstrainer is offered by BigFitness and has been remanufactured to be “good as new.” That includes replacement parts installed, a new powder coat finish applied, and a thorough testing done before it leaves the factory. If you want to save several hundred to several thousand dollars on a club machine for your home, buying a reconditioned commercial model is the way to go. Health Club administrators feel that the 576i is one of the best Precors ever made with the added advantage that it has had very few service calls over the years.

Warranty & Specifications

•Dimensions: 80”L x 32”W x 68”H

•CrossRamp: 13 – 40 degrees (adjustable)

•Stride Length: 21.2″ at 13 degrees To 24.7″ at 40 degrees

•Frames: Powder-Coated Steel.

•Weight: 338 lbs.

•Heart Rate: Yes

•Programs: 14

•Power: Self Powered

Can you really use ab exercise equipment and get a firm midsection? The answer is emphatically, yes! Like most people, you’re probably a little bit out of shape and the pants are feeling a wee bit snug. Or maybe, a whole lot of snug.

If it’s time to do something about all those hours spent on the couch, and you don’t fancy any notion of doing thousands of “crunches” or sit ups trying to get a flat stomach. Maybe it’s time to take a look at the variety of exercise equipment that can help you reach your goal.

An Ab Machine That’s Right For You

The best abdominal exercisers are designed to focus on those groups of muscles around your middle as the primary target area, and they will also exercise your back – the support muscles of your frame.

Cardio exercising and dieting are also important, but to really target the abs, you’ll need the isolate and tone the muscle group for the best results.

Great abs aren’t just for show. Like most people, you’ve probably experienced weight gain around the middle which is the result of taking in more calories than you expend through exercise, thermogenesis, and your body’s usual metabolic functions. If you want the best results in reducing this problem area, you’ll need some ab exercises that can really work those slow-twitching muscles.

The best abdominal exercises are those that are variations of the crunch which is, basically, what an Ab/Back Machine will do for you.  By doing proper exercises just a few days each week will produce results in a matter of four to six weeks, not months.

Work slowly and with enough weight to tone the muscles safely and correctly. Then you can maintain on an ongoing routine to develop better strength and shape in the abs and in the rest of your body.

Make weight training exercises a lifetime habit and you’ll enjoy great looking 6-pac abs, or just take off a few pants sizes.

Without a doubt, Body Solid home gyms are among the finest systems you can buy for your personal use.

Body Solid is the largest supplier of light commercial home gyms and strength training equipment in the USA.

The multi-exercise stations include workouts for chest press, triceps press, shoulder press, high and low pulley stations, a chest row and pec deck, and more.

Built to last for years, the gyms have a legion of satisfied owners.

Body Solid home gyms have health club quality features like gas assist seat adjustment, selectorized weight stacks, and even a patented Bi-Angular® Press Arm System that replicates the balancing and feel of free weights.

Review Body Solid Best Selling and Best Rated Gyms:

• Body Solid EXM1500S Single Stack Home Gym
• Body Solid EXM3000LPS Double Stack Home Gym
• Body Solid G5S Home Gym
  (pictured below)

Ab crunching

Abdominal machines are designed to help get rid of that excess fat around the abdomen, and many of the exercises will give you a double benefit-they will also work your back.

How? It’s the yin and yang of workout, because all muscles groups have opposing muscles groups, i.e., the back/abs, the triceps/biceps, and so on. Since it’s difficult to isolate and work on a specific muscle group, that’s where machines like an abdominal exerciser help.

Ab crunching equipment can range from the heavy machines to the smaller, roll bar contraptions for the floor mat. (A crunch is a type of exercise that can be done in several different ways and is a terrific way to tighten your abs.) If you’ve been to a gym, you’ve probably noticed that the Ab/Back Machine is usually in use – a lot!

You may notice a few people still on the mat trying to the more old-fashioned it-ups. The problem with sit-ups is that they won’t help your flabby stomach  if you do them incorrectly, which most people do. But abdominal equipment will help you to isolate the area for a serious workout.

If you want to see excellent results with minimal effort, you should check out reviews on the different abdominal machines. Most are quite comfortable and easy to use with well padded cushions, foam handles, and are fully adjustable.

Some ab machines even offer a weight capacity up to 200 lbs. for those who exercise often and have extremely powerful abs muscles. Try out several machines and get one that offers a smooth-moving mechanism and solid (not rickety) frame that will help you isolate abdominal muscles and burn the fat off.

Then enjoy the compliments you’ll get on your fabulous 6-pac abs!