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The Standard set of bar bells and dumb bells consists of a long bar about 1 inch in diameter and 4 to 7 feet long; two short bars from 12 to 16 inches long with collars to hold the plates in place on the ends; and an assortment of discs or bar bell plates from 1¼ lbs. each to 50 lbs. each.

A 7 foot bar is used in weight lifting competition and is so made that the sleeves on each end which hold the plates are on bearings to reduce the friction on the bar in turning as much as possible.

For general exercise purposes, a 5 or 6 foot bar is quite adequate and easier to use than the longer 7 foot one. The bar is made of steel and usually has knurled hand grips. The inside set collars are made of cast iron or steel and on a 5 foot exercise bar are set in about 10 inches from the ends of the bar. Read the rest of this entry »

So you want to lose weight fast? Well, join the club! But how do you do it?

Losing weight in the best of times is not easy. But aiming for rapid weight loss adds the extra burden of doing it with a deadline. Asking for more means you have to put more into it. On the mental side, you’ll need determination, specific targets, a detailed plan, and extra discipline to stick to the plan. On the physical side, you’ll have to do even more exercise than you would if there was no hurry. You’ll also need to make changes in what you eat. (Note: Be sure to talk to your doctor before starting any weight loss program.)

First the mental items. Determination and discipline. If you want to achieve your weight loss goal in a limited time, you have to make up your mind that there will be no backsliding. Either you consistently do what it takes to get the weight off, or the weight stays on. You won’t have time to catch up if you let yourself slip. Success will be your only reward. Read the rest of this entry »

So many things in life are over-complicated. Why make losing weight one of them? It can be easier than you think. Most of the time you just have to watch what you let into your body and how you use your body. And it helps a lot to think about it in an unusual way.

What you put into your body: You don’t have to do heavy exercise, starve yourself, count calories or take dangerous pills. What your body really needs are the kinds and amounts of foods it was made to eat. You’ll be pretty safe if you avoid processed, high sugar, high fat foods and cut down on your portion sizes. You don’t have to make a science out of it. Think moderation – too much dieting doesn’t work any better than too many calories. Play it safe and avoid extremes.

How you use your body: Moderation is just as important for exercise as it is for food. If you feel a calling to be an athlete, then by all means go for it. Physical skills are fun to use, rewarding in their own right. But if you’re trying to burn off calories, remember that it takes a lot longer to burn calories off through exercise than it does to consume them in the first place. Read the rest of this entry »

As we go through the day our blood pressure just naturally raises and lowers depending on a lot of conditions. What most people are most interested in is a regular resting blood pressure as high blood pressure and hypertension are a very strong indicator toward present and future heart problems

The Effect Of Sleep on Blood Pressure

Sleep causes a fall in blood pressure. The maximum depth occurs about two hours after falling asleep. In sound, untroubled slumber a pressure of 130/80 might dip to 100/70. It once was thought that this drop in pressure was the cause of sleep, the reasoning being that a lower pressure delivers less blood to the brain resulting in mental sluggishness and hence sleep. Now it is known that this blood pressure decline is the result, not the cause, of sleep. As morning approaches, the blood pressure drifts slowly upward as the subject begins the awakening process. Any interference with sound sleep causes the blood pressure to rise. Read the rest of this entry »

This morning my wife bought my daughter and son a couple of jump ropes, the problem was they were really long ones that are to be held by two people.

It is a snowy day today in Calgary and so of course the kids wanted to jump rope so we pushed the table aside in the living room and the kids learned to jump rope. It was tons of fun and of course pretty good exercise.

Did you know that a 160 pound person would burn 760 calories in an hour jumping rope? This is the same exercise output of running 6 miles in an hour. I am not sure how good a shape you would have to be in to do this and the coordination that you would need to jump rope for an hour but jumping rope is the speed secret for boxers and other athletes.

Jumping rope is not only good for your coordiantion but it uses the muscles in your arms, shoulders, legs and glutes and is great also for improving your balance. Another great thing about jumping rope is how easy it is to do. Nowadays with 10 foot ceilings in houses it is easy enough to jump rope indoors all winter.

Try jumping rope and see how exhausting but fun it can be as an alternative exercise for you.

Well I have to preface this post with a warning that what I am about to write about is a high fat high calories snack that anyone trying lose weight will want to always avoid.

Okay, Peanuts and raisins. This is a great snack for people that have trouble gaining weight and people that are tying to bulk up. I know that most people are not too interested in bulking up, instead they will want to lose weight. I remember back a few years working out a lot with weights and having friends that could not gain muscle trying anything to get the calories needed. Read the rest of this entry »

If you look deep in all of the US Government info on the internet you can find gems of information. I am not exactly where I found this first but a couple of weeks ago I found the Small Steps site that is targeted at adults and teens to get them in better shape and to improve their fitness. Here is just a few of the tips

1.     Add lettuce, tomato, onion, and cucumber to sandwiches
2.     Add vegetables like bell peppers, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms or tomatoes to your egg or egg white omelet
3.     Ask a friend to exercise with you
4.     Ask for more vegetable toppings (like mushrooms, peppers, and onions and less cheese on your pizza
5.     Ask for salad dressing on the side
6.     At sandwich shops, ask for leaner cuts and smaller amounts of roast beef, turkey, or ham; extra lettuce and tomato; and whole-wheat, oatmeal, or rye bread Read the rest of this entry »

I have been away on vacation for the last few days. I went with my family on a vacation to Hawaii. We spent 7 days in Waikiki and the rest of the island of Oahu and I have a few stories that I am looking forward to telling about the weather and sunburns, about eating at restaurants, about exercise and workouts and also about people trying to have the best beach body.

I am still getting my bearings back since I have had to move back and forth across four timezones but I am less sleep deprived today then I was yesterday.

More articles this week. I am hoping to be a bit of a posting demon getting lots of tips up this next week.

Oh, and the Biggest Loser? I have missed two straight episodes so I will need to watch those and post about those as well.

When it comes to weight loss, you should never take someone else’s advice. One reason behind this is that everyone’s weight loss adventure is different. There are people who never reach their weight loss goals, and then there are people who not only conquer their food intake successfully but also lose weight and become slim.

There are folks who never lose beyond a certain amount of weight and then get stuck to that level; others make it successfully to the top. If you really want to lose weight, the best way to do this is to set a weight loss goal, and for that you need to have a clear idea of what you really want from your weight loss program.

Here are the four basics that you need to internalize to help you lose weight and not only continue losing but not put it back on Read the rest of this entry »

Research has proven that if we’ve a single objective as our goal, and if we direct all our energies and resources towards the achievement of that objective, we can’t but win the goal. It is really true, and when it comes to weight loss, it is no different either! The very first thing you need to do is to make your weight loss goal your priority, and then enlist all the available resources and time towards achieving it. That is the only way you can lose weight.

I am not telling you to neglect things that are more important than weight loss, but I am pretty sure that the number of such ‘very important things’ is fewer than what you think, and I am also sure that you can, if you want, accommodate your weight loss program in this short list of ‘very important things’.

You see, nothing is more important than your health. If your health goes for a downhill, everything else that you set as ‘important tasks’ will have to stop. Now, how does this relate to weight loss? Well, you might not be aware of the fact that obesity is the forerunner of several harmful diseases such as diabetes, heart related diseases, hypertension, etc. Therefore, the main reason why you should lose weight is not just to look and feel good, but to make sure you live a healthy and long life. There are some ways you can ensure that you always find time for your weight loss program. Read the rest of this entry »