Hula Hoop Exercises For Fitness And Abs

Hula hoop exercises are a modern phenomenon. The hula hoop was invented in the 1950s and in those days when weight and fitness were not such big issues in the western world, it was seen as a piece of play equipment for kids and young teens. Girls would whirl them around their hips in the school yard.

Then the hula hoop fell out of fashion, until it was rediscovered in recent years as a great way to tone up, especially for the stomach and abs. It became all the rage in LA and was taken up by celebrities such as Beyonce. Suddenly this discarded toy gained a whole new market in the world of exercise and fitness.

Now you can buy weighted hula hoops. This sounds like it would be harder work but in fact it is easier to keep a weighted hoop spinning around your hips - or any other part of the anatomy. At the same time, the weights give you a great workout - and it's a lot of fun!

For a general hula hoop workout that can increase overall fitness as well as working particular muscle groups, keep the hoop spinning while you perform squats and arm raises.

To perform a leg raise using the hoop, stand with feet hip-width apart, toes pointing forward. Hold the hoop in front of you as if it was a big steering wheel. Turn the hoop to the right and lift your right leg out to the side. Repeat. Then turn the hoop to the left and lift your left leg out to the side, and repeat. That series is one rep. You can do 10 reps or more. Then go back to spinning the hoop around your hips.

To avoid muscle injury and strains, be sure to go through a warm up series of stretching or marching on the spot before you start your hula hoop exercises. Check with your doctor before starting if you have any health problems. The hula hoop exercise movement involves several muscle groups and it can be great for strengthening the core muscles of the back.

There is a lot you can do with a hula hoop apart from the regular spinning around the waist. You can begin by having it turn lower on the hips or up almost around the ribs. You can use it on arms and legs. As you become more expert, you can dance with the hoop.

Hula dance classes can be found in some areas. Here you can learn advanced moves and dance workouts using the hoop under the tuition of an experienced teacher. If you don't have access to a class, you can pick up a hoop dance DVD and learn the same routines by performing regular hula hoop exercises in the comfort of your own home.

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Muscle Fitness Program: What To Do When You Are Not Seeing The Growth That You Want

Every guy wants bigger arms and muscle fitness programs can be great for building them, but some exercises will not get the results that you were hoping for. We look at upper arm exercises and a few other excercises that build the bulging biceps or other parts of the musculature.

The first thing is Sitting Biceps Curl:

Due to the fact that you are sitting for this exercise, you have more leverage and will be able to lift more than you would in a standing curl. Try it at about one and a half times your usual barbell weight.

Sit on a bench with a barbell in your lap. Grip it from under with the hands shoulder-width apart, and curl it up toward the chin. You should be able to do 8 reps and then need a rest - if you cannot do that many or could have done more, adjust the starting weight next time.

After a rest of about a half minute, take a barbell that is 10% heavier and do a few more reps, however many you can.

Hammer Curl is another good muscle fitness program:

This exercise technically does not work the biceps but the brachialis, which is underneath it in the musculature of the upper arm. Developing the brachialis will increase the overall size of the upper arms and push up the biceps so that they look bigger, even if you are at the point where you cannot develop them any further.

Take dumbbells and hold them with elbows by your sides and palms facing the thighs. Curl the dumbbells up toward the shoulders. Lower slowly and repeat.

Elbows must stay firmly by your sides so that the brachialis does all the work, not the shoulders. Note that the palms of the hands come up facing each other, not facing upward as in a regular curl.

For a variation on this exercise you can try curling the arms alternately, one at a time. This will increase your concentration on the single brachialis muscle that you are working at any one time. Concentration always tends to make a workout more effective.

Finally, do not over exercise your arms and your other muscules too. Often twice a week is enough especially you are a beginner. There is a point where more training will not increase anything in terms of size it is just not usefull for your body.

If you have been working your arms too much and they have stopped developing, consider cutting back on your bicep training sessions to just once a week. Less is sometimes more when you do a muscle fitness program, just stop and go out for walking or cycling. You will feel much better.

Plyometric Boxes - How To Make Your Own

As plyometric workouts become more and more popular, many people are considering making their own plyometric boxes to aid their workouts.

Plyometric boxes come in many shapes and sizes so before starting out to make one, you probably want to try out several different styles. You can do this at any gym that specializes in this type of workout. You will find that the exercises use equipment that you may step or jump onto and off or over.

It is also a good idea to be familiar with different workout techniques and exercises before you start to make your box. Plyometrics is a style of exercise that does not suit everybody. Some people start out very keen but find that the short, sharp routines of this type of fitness program is not best adapted to their body.

Once you have established the basic workout that is right for you, you can begin to think about making your box. There are several points to consider.

Height

The height of a plyometric box is the most important factor in determining how much the exercise stretches or tests you. This must be just right for you. Too low will not work you out hard enough. Too high can lead to a higher risk of injury. Plyometrics is already a high injury risk style of workout so you do not want to add to that by using a box that is too high.

You are likely to need different heights of box for different activities. You can either build an adjustable setup or have several different boxes of different heights. If these are also different widths, you can stack them to increase your range of height choice.

Most people go for the second option of having several boxes of different heights. However, you can quite easily construct an adjustable box. You need adjustable racks such as you might find for certain types of adjustable table or gym equipment, plus a solid top that might be a small table top or thick wooden plank.

Strength And Durability

Building a strong box or series of boxes is also vitally important for safety. You don't want it breaking or falling over when you land on it. Remember that when you jump onto something it receives a lot more force than when you just stand on it, so the box needs to be able to handle high impact and not just your standing body weight.

If you use wood, make sure it is thick and strong. You also want to be sure that your box will not end up slippery. Consider overlaying the top with rubber.

One last point before you start to make your box. Keep in mind that your workout may change in the future. So watch as many people as possible practicing their workouts so that you can see what moves you may need to allow for in the future. You can do this in the gym or you can watch all of the plyometric workout videos that you can find online. This way you will end up with the very best of all possible homemade plyometric boxes.