The biceps are a tough muscle group to build up with only one exercise. You need to use a variety of exercises for your biceps to see results.

Here are five biceps exercises:

1. Dumbbell Curls – Standing: Start with a manageable weight and do dumbbell curls from the standing position. Be sure that you are concentrating on your biceps and not using your back or any other muscles to do the curls. The best way to do standing dumbbell curls is to have a dumbbell in each hand and rotate biceps as you do a set of either 10 or 20.
2. Dumbbell Curls – Incline: These curls are the same as standing curls but you perform these curls while seated at an incline bench. The incline adds a different angle to the exercise, while also giving you a different range of motion. When doing incline dumbbell curls, your biceps may tire more quickly than usual so you can start with sets of 5 or 10.
3. Barbell Curls – Standing: Stand with your feet the same width apart as your shoulders as you raise the bar using an underhand grip. The good thing about standing barbell curls is you get to exercise both arms at the same time. That helps you make sure you are giving equal time to each arm. While you do these curls, make sure your back stays completely still.
4. Barbell Curls – Sitting: Using a preacher bench, doing these curls will strengthen both your biceps and your forearms. Start with a low amount of weight until you get comfortable. Don’t do too many reps as this is a very muscle-intensive workout. Avoid leaning back as you bring the barbell toward you.
5. Concentration Curls: You can do concentration curls using either a barbell or a dumbbell and you can do them in any position. The difference with concentration curls is you do the curls very slowly. As a normal curl lasts about one second, concentration curls should last about five seconds.

By using each of these five biceps exercises, you can see progress rather quickly.

Popularity: 79% [?]

Christmas is upon us and New Years is right around the corner. Every year millions of people make the New Years resolution to lose weight, get in better shape, improve their health, etc… But with a slumping economy, falling US Dollar, poor performing stock market, high oil, gas and natural gas prices, rising healthcare costs, and the mortgage crisis – it is a wonder anyone has a dime to spare on getting fit.

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Popularity: 81% [?]

New research suggests that having a nice cool beer just after you have completed your workout can help your body recover more quickly than your average glass of water.

Professor Manuel Garzon at the  University of Granada in Spain has found that it is the bubbles that do the trick. They help the body retain liquid much better than water does, and of course because beer has a calorific content this will help to replace the calories used up in the physical activity.

The results came from a test in which students who had just competed rigorous exercise were given a pint of beer or a pint  of water. The athletes who drank the beer showed better hydration than those who had the water.

So make mine a large one please!

Source [Frost Fire Fizz]

(Photo via flickr cc)

Popularity: 84% [?]

If you are busy with your family, you may not have time to go to the gym or establish a typical workout regimen. Working outside of the home, taking care of your kids and managing your household can leave little time left for fitness. However, you can still stay in shape by adding exercise to your daily routine.

Exercise at the Workplace
Take the stairs instead of the elevator each day; climbing stairs is a fabulous way to get a lower body workout. You can also take a walk on your lunch hour. Instead of driving to a restaurant, bring your lunch and take a brisk walk to a park and eat outdoors.

Choose a Distant Parking Space
When you head to the mall or the grocery store, instead of finding the nearest parking place, choose a distant one. Adding the extra walk from your car to the door and back is an easy way to exercise. Of course don’t do this at night in a dark parking lot.

Play with Your Kids
Instead of watching your kids play outdoors, get out there with them. Whether it’s playing catch, chasing them in tag or pushing them on a swing, you can exercise with your children.

Housework
Don’t overlook the exercise involved in housework. Scrubbing the bath tub, mopping the floor, and even vacuuming will get your heart rate going.

Don’t drive when you can walk. Don’t walk when you can run.

The key to staying fit is to keep moving!

Popularity: 85% [?]

We all know how important stretching is to our workout routine, but if you’re ever been tempted to skip it, a new study may convince you otherwise.

Stretching may actually enhance your performance, improving the benefits your reap from your workout program. Arnold Nelson, associate professor of kinesiology (the study of the mechanics of body movements) at Louisiana State University, states that the “extent that some people have improved was surprising.” Stretching may help make you stronger and increase your endurance.

Of course, stretching doesn’t take the place of your current exercise routine, rather it supplements your regimen. Nelson says that study results imply that stretching is like light strength training, testing your muscles and “activating some of the same things in the cell that exercise activates”.

So what does this mean? At the very least, you should stretch all major muscle groups at least a few times a week. If you have a regular exercise routine, this is easy: just stretch yourself out before and after. If you don’t already work out, make time to do more than just than just stretch your arms in the morning. You’ll feel more invigorated, with a bounce in your step as you get ready for work.

Popularity: 27% [?]

If you are looking for a new, fun way to workout, grab a hula hoop.

Many people haven’t tried a hula hoop since grade school but it’s a new fitness trend that is becoming increasingly popular all around the country.

Fitness expert Christabel Zamore is the creator of HoopGirl.com, which offers Hoopgirl Workout classes, instructional DVDs and teacher certifications.

She has been featured on the Fox Morning Show, Soap Talk and numerous other television programs talking about the hoop craze.

Hula hooping can be used to target trouble spots with specific exercises which rotate the hoop for prolonged periods of time at the exact location where definition is sought.

The thighs, buttocks and abs can be targeted with fun moves which burn calories and build strength. Hoopdance provides a cardiovascular workout, strength training, improves flexibility and builds co-ordination.

Learn more about the Hoopgirl workouts and how to start hula hooping at HoopGirl.com. On the website, you can also order your own hula hoop and instructional DVDs.

Hoop it up!

Popularity: 24% [?]

A study recently conducted in Japan shows that taking breaks during your exercise routine will actually help you to burn more calories than exercising straight through.

Researchers compared the fat metabolization of exercisers who worked out for a straight 60 minutes with exercisers who worked out 30 minutes, rested for 20 minutes, and then continued to exercise for another 30 minutes. These findings go against the previous belief that extended exercise was what helped burn fat and calories most quickly. Furthermore, those that took the 20 minute break also and a pronounced increase in their bodies’ free fatty acids and glycerol in the last 15 minutes of exercise.

The study may be the first of its kind, but the results are encouraging to those of us who enjoy working out: it’s not just okay to take a break, but good to do so. Not only does this apply to working out at the gym, but it also means that you can break up your kinds of exercise. You’re encouraged to play a few rounds of tennis, take a break, and then head out on a run. You can jog down to the river, take some time to people watch on the banks, and then jump into your boat to row for awhile. You’ll be able to play a quick game of pickup soccer, take a break to say goodbye to your teammates and friends, and then do a speedy aerobics workout. Break it up because this kind of exercise is good for you.

Popularity: 22% [?]

Mari Winsor, a Pilates master, has created a Pilates program that everyone can participate in: work out for just 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week, and watch as you shape your body into the long, lean lines you’ve always dreamed of.

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Popularity: 24% [?]

Slim in 6 is a fitness, nutrition, diet and weight loss program that promises to get your body in shape in six weeks. There is even a money back guarantee that covers you for the first six weeks of the program.

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Popularity: 27% [?]

Core Secrets is a workout program that aims to strengthen the core muscles of your body. Instead of working out with exercise equipment or on the ground, Core Secrets uses an inflatable exercise ball as the basis of all the exercises.

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Popularity: 24% [?]

You may have seen it on TV, read it in a magazine, or heard about if from a friend at your gym, but Tony Horton’s Power 90 Boot Camp is designed to totally transform your body in just 90 days.

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Popularity: 27% [?]

When you think about health and fitness, chances are food choices and exercise spring to mind. No doubt, these are incredibly important to keeping a slim waist and low cholesterol, but something we rarely consider doing is taking a break from the world, scheduled exercise include, and relaxing.

Vacations, whether they be actual, physical vacations or merely a break from the norm, are important to our physical and mental health. Everyone needs some down to to unwind, de-stress, and take a breather from the roller coaster of life. High-stress can cause many things, not the least of which are foul moods and high blood pressure.

Taking a vacation can be as short as getting away from your normal life for just the weekend: head to a pretty Bed & Breakfast, drive to the beach, or just make a promise to sleep in, rent some movies, and stay in bed for most of the weekend. Read a book that’s been on your shelf for the past year. Go to sleep at 9:30 on a Friday night and leave the dirty dishes in the sink. Do whatever makes you feel relaxed and happy because, surprisingly, when you get back to the “real” world, you’ll feel refreshed, invigorated, and ready to handle whatever’s on your weekly plate. Holistic health is important, and individuals dedicated to leading healthy lives need to remember that fitness isn’t only physical.

Popularity: 21% [?]

For some, one of the biggest deterrents to exercise is that we have to do it alone. And I don’t just mean without others around us, but without a friendly face by our side, to share in the sweat and muscle cramps, getting your weekly exercise can seem to slip through the cracks.

When you exercise with a friend, there’s a built-in obligation system. If you’re exercising alone, it’s too easy to tell yourself that you’ve had a bad day or that your head is killing you and you’ll just do a little extra next time. When your friend is waiting for you, though, it’s often the extra push you need to get out the door and get moving.

Along with being a motivator, exercising with a friend is a social event. Your exercise date is a time to walk, run, or kickbox while you catch up on news, gossip, and the latest football scores. Talking your way through an hour or two of heavy breathing and straining muscles helps pass the time. It also helps you forget that your lungs are burning, your legs feel weak, and that all you want is to gulp down your entire water bottle.

If you’re one of the many that just can’t seem to get into the exercise groove, then recruit a buddy. So many of us are in this situation, probably just waiting for someone to help them out of the exercise rut. Let’s do something about it.

Popularity: 21% [?]

The new S2 fitness bike from Expresso Fitness features an LCD screen with a built-in TV tuner, PC and video card. It also offers steering and shifting mechanisms to simulate the experience of biking outdoors.

This bike is the world’s first web-enabled, interactive fitness system.

Featured in many gyms around the country, the S2 offers dozens of virutal courses where exercisers can race against other and try to beat their best time by racing against Ghost Riders on the screen, which are representations of the riders previous best times.

The courses feature varying degrees of difficulty and can also be configured with Pace Riders that riders can try to follow during the race or attempt to out-ride.

When you arrive at the gym, you log on to the bike with your username and password. Then throughout your ride, your heart rate, power and calories expended are displayed. The software records all your information and tracks your times and rides.

You can access your results on expresso.net, where you can gauge your progress and sign up for contests against other riders. You can also view the Leader Boards to see how you rank against the top riders in your facility.

Expresso bikes are sold to fitness facilities and can also be purchased directly by consumers for your home, though they are very costly (~$5,000).

For more information about the S2 bike, visit expressofitness.com and find a gym in your area that features these fabulous, interactive fitness systems.

Popularity: 35% [?]

If the thought of watching LED lights change and shift as you bicycle up and down fake hills has deterred you from Spinning, you’ve been missing out. Spinning isn’t about typing your height, weight, and age into an old, uncomfortable bike display, turning your iPod on, and sweating through 25 minutes of torture; it’s about pushing yourself through exciting, simulated bicycle courses, accompanied by your fellow cyclists.

Spinning is a high-intensity exercise that is done in a classroom setting. Set your own goals, based on your physical condition and desired outcome, and burn some serious calories in the process. A typical Spinning class — often called Indoor Cycling for trademark purposes — has your instructor placed front and center, leading you and your classmates through different terrains and situations, like hills and sprints. High-energy music thumps in the background, encouraging your blood to pump to the beat, and a good instructor is always enthusiastic and encouraging.

If an active, calorie-burning, challenging exercise class is what you’ve been looking for, give indoor cycling a try. It has become so popular that even the smallest towns usually have a class or two. And if you’re a more private exerciser, have no fear: home Spinning is catching on and you can purchase an indoor bike and spinning classes for well under $500.

Popularity: 21% [?]