The balls come in three regular sizes:  22 inch, 26 inch and 30 inch.  When used, the ball should be well-filled with air and not spongy and soft.  Other exercise gear is also recommended for exercise ball workouts:  Floor mat, light dumbbells, ankle weights and a balance board.  Equipped thus, a complete body workout is available.  An exercise routine using the ball can be developed to suit your own needs and fitness level.  There are online videos and charts that can assist in setting up an exercise ball program.

Some of the exercises that may be performed:

• Upper Body
  • Wall Push-up
  • Floor Push-up
  • Reverse Push-up
  • Triceps Dips
• Lower Body
  • Squat
  • Single-leg Squat
  • Lunge
  • Bridges
  • Reverse Bridge
  • Hamstring Curl
  • Inner Thigh Ball Pass

• Trunk/Torso
  • Ball Crunch
  • Roll Away
  • Side Crunch
  • Back Extension
  • Plank
  • Reverse Plank
  • Jackknife
  • Ball Rotation
  • Woodchop

For ease of tracking your workout, a chart of the exercises should be developed that shows the number of sets and the reps in each set.  It is a good idea to divide the workout into three parts; upper body, lower body and torso.  Alternate starting with different body parts to keep things interesting and to prevent you body from getting used to a routine.  A typical week might be:

• Monday – Upper Body, Lower Body, Torso
• Tuesday – Cardio-Vascular exercises.
• Wednesday – Lower Body, Torso, Upper Body
• Thursday – Cardio-Vascular exercises
• Friday – Torso, Upper Body, Lower Body
• Weekend – rest

For the hardcore bodybuilder, the exercise ball may be used to augment a weight and circuit training routine by interspersing ball exercises with the iron-pumping.  The ball routine could be used to warm-up and stretch the muscles before embarking on the weight training.  Parts of the exercise ball routine could be used to warm and exercise those muscles on the days they are being rested from weights.

Water aerobics is very popular, particularly for older, less fit bodies that have problems with the impact of regular floor aerobics or other health club exercise programs.  The water provides resistance to movement, helping to condition muscles, but it also buoys the body so there is much less impact.  To increase the effectiveness of water aerobics and exercises, a number of pieces of aquatic exercise equipment have been developed.  This equipment will further increase resistance, provide buoyancy and broaden the range of exercises that may be performed in the swimming pool.

All of the aquatic exercise equipment is designed to float and will provide a lot of resistance to movement when being used.  Some of the personal aquatic equipment readily available is:

• Jogging Belts – provide some added resistance while jogging in water
• Buoyancy Belts – provide added lift for the exerciser
• Hand Gear – elastic exercisers, dumbbells
• Barbells – Light weight, increased resistance floating barbell
• Wrist and Ankle Weights – provide more resistance while doing aerobics
• Aquatic Exercise Shoes – provide better grip on pool bottom
• Noodles – shaped like what the name implies, for floatation and resistance
• Kickboards – provide a handheld platform for kicking exercise.
• Aquatic Gloves – webbed for assistance in treading water in the deep end of the pool

A program of aquatic exercises will benefit anyone who is trying to improve their physical condition, not just the elderly and infirm.  The aquatic exercise equipment can make the routine much more demanding and will give better results for the more advanced exerciser.

Fitness experts are always looking for some new innovation that is effective and easy to perform.  Some of their innovations have been wild and not very scientifically based.  The latest device, however, is very effective and well tested for results – Exercise Balls or Swiss Exercise Balls.  These well inflated, elastic balls come in a variety of sizes, the most common being 55 centimeter (approximately 22 inches), 65 centimeters (26 inches) and 75 centimeters (30 inches).  The ball is used to assist in exercises for total body fitness.  For those on a program of free weights or circuit machine exercises, the exercise ball is used to warm up or augment their routine, most commonly for abdominals or midsection exercises.

Some of the exercises used to work the abs with an exercise ball:

• Ball Crunch – Sit on top of the ball with legs bent at a forty-five degree angle.  Bend forward in a crunch, pushing back slightly with legs, return to starting position.  Repeat.
• Roll Away – On toes, legs extended with elbows resting on ball, roll the ball away while bending your body at the waist, placing tension on abs.  Return to start, repeat.
• Side Crunch – While on knees, lean against the ball at your right side while straightening your left leg.  Bend to the left at the waist, contracting abs.  Return and repeat.  Switch sides and do another set.
• Back Extension – With your body straight, lie across the ball.  With arms behind head, raise your head and shoulders while contracting lower back muscles.  Return and repeat.
• Jackknife – With your body straight, hands on floor and knees on the ball, pull your knees to your chest until your instep is on the ball.  Return to starting position and repeat.
• Ball Rotation – In supine position (on your back) arms extended to the side, grasp ball between ankles, raise legs overhead and move the ball in a rotating motion, clockwise, then counter-clockwise for as many reps as you can.  Rest briefly and repeat.
• Woodchop – Stand erect with the ball in your hands, feet at shoulder width.  Twist to the right and make a chopping motion with the ball.  Return to starting position, the twist to the left and make a chopping motion with the ball.  Repeat until tired.
• Plank – On your knees with your elbows on the ball, raise your buttocks in the air so your weight is on your toes and elbows, while contracting your midsection.  Hold as long as possible.  Short rest and repeat.
• Reverse Plank – On hands with instep and shins resting on the ball, push the ball back with your feet until your body is straight, while contracting abs.  Hold as long as possible.  Rest and repeat.

In the late 1970s, a group of extreme athletes participated in the ultimate test of fitness and endurance, The IRONMAN Triathlon Competition. From inauspicious beginnings, The IRONMAN is recognized worldwide today as the most extreme form of endurance competition.  The event is held annually on the island of Hawaii and consists of three phases run sequentially:  A 2.4 mile swim in open water; a 112 mile bike race; and a run of 26.2 miles (the marathon distance).  There are a number of classes of competition by sex, age groups, professional and amateur.  Just finishing The IRONMAN gives significant bragging rights and hero-points enough to last a lifetime.

The promoters and developers of IRONMAN produce IRONMAN Fitness Equipment for the North and South American markets and they have licensed the manufacture outside of the Western Hemisphere.  The three primary products are; treadmills, exercise bikes and elliptical exercise machines.

• Treadmills – Two models, 1911 and 1921, with respectively; 2.5 and 3 HP continuous electric motors, 10 and 12 mph top speeds.  Each has 13 exercise programs and handlebar controls for ease of operation.
• Exercise bikes – Eight models, 3 upright and 5 recumbent, all with a wide variety of resistance and features.
• Elliptical Exercise Machines – Five models, 1 with eight levels of resistance, 4 with sixteen levels.  The base model has 1 heart-rate control and 1 program, the other four have 4 HR controls and up to 12 custom programs

Though IRONMAN Fitness Equipment was developed for home use, they are of commercial quality with sturdy frames, decks, motors, controls and features.  Independent reviewers rate all IRONMAN equipment very highly.  Further information is available on their webpage or through any of a number of equipment distributors found online.

“Exercise is boring.” Is one of the most common complaints about exercising for weight loss, most of which involves a high-repetition-low-impact cardio-vascular program.  Sure there are TVs in the fitness club, or you can plug into your iPod and listen to your favorite music, but exercise can be boring.  Then along came dance exercise, providing all the fun of dancing and the fitness benefits of cardio.  Most of the dance-for-exercise programs are available on DVDs so you can train at home, but many fitness clubs are offering dance exercise classes in their aerobics rooms.

Set to lively popular music; rock to hip-hop, even belly-dancing, the dance exercise routines are, as described in one promotion for a DVD, “fifty minutes of fun . . . and sweating!” Though you may do the dance exercise at home, there is something about the atmosphere of a crowded aerobics room with a bunch of jumping (dancing?), sweaty bodies all aglow from a mutually shared experience.  Also, it is a lot easier to keep up the program if you have a bunch of workout partners.  These programs aren’t just for the ladies either.  Many men are enjoying the vigorous dancing weight loss programs as well.

Some of the internet sites promoting these DVDs also have sample videos available at a click of the mouse:  www.DanceXFitness.com, www.jazzercise.com, www.beachbody.com, www.collagevideo.com/exercise-videos/dance-exercise-videos.com and many others.  Just do a Google and look for what you want.  Also, query the local health and fitness clubs, including the YMCA and you’ll probably find a number of options available to you.

Right after the New Year the business booms at fitness clubs, bodybuilding gyms, health spas and the YMCA.  The reason is New Years Resolutions.  It seems that nearly everyone, male and female, makes a commitment to get into better shape, so they flock to the venues with all those weights, machines, exercise bikes, treadmills and floor exercise areas.  Their resolve lasts about three months, if that.  A few, however, make a serious commitment to themselves and resolve to stick with the program.  Health club owners make their biggest advertising and promotional push during the holiday season, counting on the first three months making their years revenues.

Those who stick with the program do so because many of them are lucky enough to have the personal initiative and true desire to create a better body.  If they are really lucky, they connect with someone to motivate them; a personal trainer, a club owner who will work with them or a workout partner to keep them on track.  They embark upon a basic fitness program to prepare for the real work to come.  A complete body workout program will tone and condition all of the major muscle groups in the body:  Chest, Shoulders, Back, Arms, Waist, Thighs and Calves.

• Chest – Bench Press, Incline Bench Press, Decline Bench Press, Dumbbell or Pec-Deck Flies, Push-ups.
• Shoulders – Military Press, Upright Rowing, Dumbbell Press, Dumbbell Lateral Raises, Bent-over Lateral Raises, Shrugs.
• Back – Lat Machine Pull-downs, Bent-over Rowing, Seated Rowing, Chin-ups, Front-levers.
• Arms – Bicep Curls, Dumbbell Curls, Three-Way Curls (21 Count Curls), Preacher Bench Curls, Triceps Press Downs, Close Grip Triceps Presses, Wall Push-ups, French Presses.
• Waist – Crunches, Leg Raises, Incline Crunches, Decline Leg Raises.
• Thighs – Squats, Leg Extensions, Hack Squats, Abductor-Adductor Extensions, Calf Raises, Lunges.

After a high degree of fitness is achieved, specialized exercises may be added to work to blitz the muscles that are slower to respond.  Advanced students should focus on one major muscle group per workout, with the waist being exercised every day.

Diet is a critical part of every bodybuilding program.  A balanced diet, high in protein with some unrefined carbohydrates is in order.  Alcohol and caffeine should be avoided.

Protein powders and other supplements can be very beneficial, particularly those that will promote greater assimilation of nutrients and those that provide greater energy.

The Swiss Ball, also called the “fit-ball or “physio-ball”, is an inflated, elastic ball available in several sizes from about 2 ½ feet in diameter for the largest to smaller sizes of about half that.  The Swiss Ball can be used for a wide variety of exercises by people of all ages and fitness levels.  The exercises performed are low-impact and every part of the body can be worked out.  Most of the time, a Swiss Ball will be used to augment a fitness regimen, but a full body workout may be executed using only the ball.  The routine uses the elasticity of the ball to provide some impetuous for each of the moves, sort of a bounce or jump-start, that lessens the impact on the frame of the user, and still allows for a full range of movement.

Some of the basic exercises performed with the Swiss Ball:

Upper Body

• Wall Push-up – works the triceps and shoulders by placing the ball against the wall at shoulder height, move the feet about three feet (more for greater resistance) away from the wall.  Place both hands on the ball and slowly complete a push-up.
• Push-up – works the triceps, chest and shoulders by the user elevating their feet by placing them on the ball while in a prone position, placing hands at shoulder width and completing a push-up.
• Reverse Push-up – feet on the floor, hands on the ball.  Lower resistance, but effective on triceps from controlling the movement of the ball.
• Triceps Dips – with the ball behind a user seated on the floor, place hands on top of ball and keep the legs straight for greater resistance, or bent for lower, perform a triceps press-up.

Lower Body

• Swiss Ball Squat – with the ball against the wall and feet about three feet away, place back against the ball and squat down while rolling the ball with the back.
• Single Leg Ball Squat – using only one leg.
• Swiss Ball Lunge – using the same position as the squat, but perform a lunge while keeping the back tight against the ball.
• Ball Bridge – seated with the ball at back, bridge midsection upwards while keeping the shoulders on the ball, rolling the ball to maintain balance and form.
• Reverse Ball Bridge – feet on the ball, shoulders on the ground.
• Hamstring Curl – same position as Reverse Bridge, but roll the ball towards the body with the feet bending the legs, while bridging.

Torso

• Ball Crunch – seated in a chair position with the buttocks on top of the ball, perform an abdominal crunch, rolling the ball forward with the move.
• Roll-Away – using the ball like an ab-roller.
• Side Crunch, Back Extension – using the ball for support for these moves.
• Jackknife – knees on top of the ball, hands on ground (as in the push-up), bend the body, drawing the ball towards the feet.
• Ball Rotation – lie flat on back gripping the ball between the ankles.  Raise legs straight overhead and rotate to ball clockwise and counter clockwise.

Water Aerobics are generally performed in groups led by a trainer who is usually leads from the pool deck where their movements may be seen by all the class members.  For more infirm practitioners, flotation belts may be used as a safety measure.  All of the aerobic exercises performed in the floor exercise area may also be part of any water aerobics routine, so complete exercise routines may be enjoyed by trainees at any fitness level.

An additional benefit of performing exercise in the pool is that the body doesn’t overheat, but maintains a constant temperature due to the cooling and insulating value of the water.  Water aerobics aren’t just for the elderly or the infirm.  Younger, more fit exercisers can also benefit from water aerobics by just increasing the speed and tempo of the moves.  This provides greater resistance, thus greater results from the water fitness routine.

Pictures of Fitness Plans

If you are thinking about starting a yoga fitness plan, looking at stretching exercises pictures can help you learn what poses you would be required to hold in basic, intermediate and advanced classes. You may not want to attend an advanced class right off the bat once you see exercise pictures of someone doing a full head-stand in yoga. That is something you may want to build up to!

The newest exercise rage on the horizon today is Zumba. But what is? Well, it is a Latin routine where various Latin dances such as the salsa are incorporated into an exercise routine. Checking out exercise pictures of Zumba on the internet is a great way to learn about the moves, the poses, what to wear to class and what a typical class looks like.

Learning how to warm up before certain exercises may require you to do specific stretching exercises. Not sure how to perform a ham-string stretch or a specific back exercise? Looking at stretching exercises pictures can help you perform those move correctly. Many people use pictures of dumbbell exercises or other free weights to help them perfect their technique.
Exercise pictures can help individuals find the proper exercise equipment to bring to class. If you’re attending a yoga class and need a mat, there is no better way to check out the variety of options available than by looking at exercise equipment pictures online. The same goes for exercise balls, weights, martial arts and other sports equipment.

Fitness Facility Pictures

If you are thinking about joining a gym or a fitness facility, looking at exercise pictures of the facilities online can help you make your decision. Pictures of various exercise facilities will help you determine if the atmosphere is right for you and if you’d feel comfortable with the clientele. For example, would you feel comfortable in a boxing gym that had mainly men as clients? If not, you may want to keep perusing photos of exercise facilities until you find one where you would fit in.

Pictures of Fitness Equipment

Exercise pictures can help you choose the right fitness clothing as well. If you’re not sure what to wear to a martial arts class, look at some pictures on the web. You can see the various martial arts uniforms, belts, helmets, shin guards and more. If you are looking for specific sports uniforms or jerseys, exercise pictures will definitely come in handy.

Using exercise pictures to find what you are looking for in the way of work-outs, facilities or equipment can really make the process quicker and more enjoyable. It’s always better to be able to visualize what you are looking for to make the process easier and what better way to visualize than through a picture?

The shoulder press is an effective arm exercise machine. If you want to see great results, use a weight that is heavy for you. If you want to increase muscle mass, you should go heavy. If you want to slim down, you can do high reps. In addition, you can do shoulder presses with dumbells or a barbell.

Next, you can use the bicep curl arm exercise machine. This machine will help you build strong, sexy biceps and it burns fat. In addition, you can do bicep curls with barbells and dumbells.

Also, you can use a tricep arm exercise machine to tone the muscles of the arms. You can do dumbell exercises for the tricep muscles such as tricep extensions/kickbacks and tricep dips. These exercises are excellent for adding muscle mass and decreasing fat in the arms.

In addition, you can do cardio to lower your bodyfat. You can walk holding dumbells, swim, or use an indoor rowing machine to burn fat, burn calories and work the arm muscles. You can do kickboxing, jogging, aerobics classes and body sculpting classes if you want leaner arms and a slimmer body.

Furthermore, you can do ball exercises if you want to tone your arms. There are hundreds of exercises that you can do with a fitness ball. Purchase a book of ball exercises or search the Internet. You will find many exercises with photos and step-by-step instructions. Practice the exercises and they will become natural to you over time.

If you are not seeing results with your exercise program, you should do a variety of exercises to shock your muscles. If you want slimmer arms, you can drop a few hundred calories from your diet and increase your water intake. On top of that, you can increase the amount of exercise that you do. Do longer workouts, and you will have a beach body soon.