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.

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A well developed chest is high on the list for most men. Whether you want a bulky or more athletic appearance, it’s important to plan your workouts to avoid over-training. Below are two tips on how to build chest muscle.

Training Without Weights

Although weight lifting has gained tremendous popularity in recent years it’s still possible to build a well developed chest without weights. If you look at the physiques of athletes like gymnasts and sprinters you’ll often find well sculpted torsos without a lot of weight lifting.

The secret to developing a full chest without weights is variety and intensity. You can get a good workout by doing push-up variations as long as you strive to get better with each workout. If you’re stuck on thirty push-ups your body won’t grow until you can push past that plateau. When you feel your chest muscles fatigue you can gain additional strength by completing half and quarter repetitions.

Other variations to push-ups include placing your hands at different distances and raising your feet to work the upper chest. You can also change the workout by varying the speed you complete the push-up. Ten slow push-ups will be just as challenging as thirty normal speed push-ups.

Resistance Training

If you have access to a gym or a bench and dumbbells in your home you can work your chest muscles through bench pressing and butterflies. Your chest will change shape depending on the type of exercise and amount of weight you use. If you like the look of a bulky linebacker you’ll want to focus on heavy bench press movements. Choose a weight that allows you to complete six to eight repetitions to build muscle mass.

To build a more athletic chest you can sculpt the pectorals with moderate weight butterfly movements. Sculpting and building muscle definition doesn’t require a lot of weight, and typically requires ten to twelve repetitions to realize good results.

A common flaw with many workout routines is over-training, especially when you’re focusing on one particular body part. When you exercise your chest too often, they can remain in a constant state of fatigue which hinders the ability to grow and add new muscle tissue.

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If you’re tying to get back in shape and build chest muscle, you can find more helpful tips at the fat burning furnace. It provides a step by step plan to help men lose body fat and build muscle as quickly as possible.

1. Lighten Your Load: Lift Weights to Lose Weight

Before your eyes glaze over at the idea of weightlifting, keep in mind that it takes just a few short sessions of resistance training each week to improve muscle tone by adding lean tissue.

Weight training helps you build muscle which turns your body into a fat burning machine since each pound of muscle you make burns about 30 to 50 more calories than a pound of fat which burns only 3 to 5 calories—a tenfold increase!

Strength training accomplishes a number of other health benefits too, including lower blood pressure, improved resting metabolism, increased bone density, better posture, less back pain, and enhanced performance in sports.

Use Correct Form for Safety and Maximum Benefit

Be careful: resistance and strength training exercises like deadlifts, good mornings, and rows can injure your back if done improperly. Make sure you don’t swing the weights and always maintain good posture throughout any exercise—back straight, shoulders back, chest out, butt tight, abs tucked, eyes front, feet comfortably apart, legs straight but knees flexed, breathe right, and lift slowly. Now, how hard is that to remember? Too much? Perhaps you should work with a certified physical trainer to get started out right…

2. Spend Time with a Trainer

Seriously, if you’re new to resistance training the best advice is to work with a professional trainer for a few sessions who will make sure you use good orm. You’ll learn safety tips as well as how to avoid injury, and you’ll be introduced to the variations of all the lifts mentioned above. Even old gym rats who’ve been working with weights for years but have become bored or have reached a plateau will find that a trainer can suggest new workouts to get them motivated. A fitness expert will also take the time to discuss with you the importance of nutrition and cardio in achieving your goals.

3. Proper Diet is a Must

Working with weights is only one aspect of getting and staying fit. Free weights can help you build muscles but it takes a caloric deficit to show them! I’ve seen guys and women at the gym workout and sweat and really put in the time. But the trouble is – they are as fat now as they ever were. Sure, they are healthy – resistance training will do that, but they clearly keep shoveling in an excess amount of calories week after week. Getting fit and trim requires cutting down on calories. Like the old saying goes – weight loss begins in the kitchen, not the gym.

4. Diet + Resistance Training + CARDIO = Success

You’ll get fitter faster when you add the one-two punch of good nutrition and cardiovascular exercise which will help expose your new muscles. If you’ve been lifting weights and don’t see ripped abs or other beautifully developed muscles yet, chances are they are there — they’re just buried under a blanket of body fat. But don’t worry, you don’t have to go near the aerobics studio if that doesn’t appeal to you — cardio can consist of fun things such as walking, dancing, biking, inline skating, swimming, or any type of activity that promotes heart and lung wellness.  Do 3 to 5 sessions of cardio every week, for at least 30 to 60 minutes per workout.

5. Motivation: Lift Weights. Lose Weight. Feel Great!

One of the biggest advantages of working with weights is that you’ll see and feel changes of strength in your body within the first few sessions and that’s a great motivation to keep going. Success breeds success! The results are nothing short of amazing, life-changing transformations that can also have a profound impact on your mental and emotional health. It just makes sense that the stronger you are, the easier everyday tasks can be and the more enjoyment you’ll get out of life.

Use Free weights to advance your training

Most fitness trainers will tell you that dumbbell exercises are a must in weight lifting. To get an idea of what they can do for you, imagine how muscles work together when opposing each other.

On any given lift, one muscle is contracting and another is relaxing, such as the biceps and triceps when performing a biceps curl with a dumbbell in each hand. Since the tricep must be move as well, the bicep is not completely isolated. Hence, doing multiple sets of repetitive exercises using dumbbells will work the target muscle — but it goes a step further.

Pick up a 10-lb dumbbell in each hand and do a set of ten reps. Immediately, you notice you’ve changed the dynamics of the workout by adding 20 lbs or more to your body weight. Now larger stabilizer muscles in your abs, legs, and back have to work to keep you in balance. By using free weights you’re actually developing your large stabilizer muscles (not to mention your coordination!) and this compound movement results in the most effective gains for muscle growth.

Reach Your Goals Faster

It’s important to do sets of dumbbell lifts in your weight training because they provide an advantage to toning your muscles – even if you train only two or three days per week for 20 minutes each visit.

The aim of weight lifting is to increase strength, but did you know it also creates a burn rate of 250 to 400 calories an hour?

Any improvement in your lean muscle mass and metabolism will help you to increase fat burn at all times (even while sleeping). This is something cardio alone can’t achieve. You need to add weight training to burn optimum calories.

Toning your muscles using dumbbells is essential if you want to achieve an ideal weight on your frame since a pound of muscle requires about 30 to 50 calories per day just to support itself, while fat cells don’t burn up a thing. So pick up a set of dumbbells, start pumping, and get off that plateau.