Merry Fitness and Happy New Rear!

Whew! Thanksgiving is behind us..

Did those low fat pies lead to high fat thighs? Let's hope not!

However, we may have dodged one bullet, still two more to go!

Christmas and New Years! Hence our favorite slogan of the year...MERRY FITNESS AND HAPPY NEW REAR!

We in the fitness industry love this saying.  It makes you chuckle, but it is what we all really want from Santa.

So how do you get fit, and a great behind..lots of hard work my friends!

Stay focused, stay consistent, and keep up with your routines!

A great piece of cardio is important to have as a back up in your home.  A treadmill, great for a casual stroll, or brisk walk, even an all out run.  Bad knees? How about an elliptical.  No shock impact on your joints.  Elevated off the floor, you are able to get a full body workout in less time!  Vertically challenged, how about a recumbent bike.  Great piece for knee replacements/injuries or back issues.  You work at a reclining angle working the eccentric muscles in your legs.

We at Fit Equipment Etc have all these and so much more!  Come by and visit us here for a fun filled shopping experience.  We not only have quality merchandise, but a fantastic staff (with incredible personalities) to make your experience a positive one!  Not just fun, but educational as well!

Don't put off investing in a great back up piece to add to your home.  When you can't get to the club, there is no excuse not to get your workout in!

Then hit the lunges, squats and stairs to work those glutes! And then, the Happy New Rear!

Best Wishes for a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season!

From all of us fun-filled staff at Fit Equipment Etc!~

The Holiday Season is Upon Us....Uh Oh!

The Holiday Season is now upon us.  Are you ready? For all of it?

What a great time of year to spend with family and friends!  To be social, and have fun reminiscing about past memories, and creating new ones!  But it is not all rainbows and sprinkles is it?

The stress and the work of it all.  The anxiety levels raise high, and we do it to ourselves. 

So why is it the first thing we let fall to the wayside is our fitness regimen.  Our workouts, all of a sudden we are way too busy to make it to that class, or that gym.  Our diet, starts to hit the fan from Thanksgiving Eve to New Years.  I mean come on. Why would we get back on the wagon, only to fall off next week, or the week after?  Let's just keep rolling till January.  Let's just add the 10-15 lb weight gain that becomes "average" among most individuals during this time period.

STOP THE CYCLE!  We must! (laughing as I type this, but it is true!) 

So many of us fall into the abyss of the holidays, only to start off the new year with added regret and added body fat!

So do yourself a favor, DON'T FALL INTO THE ABYSS!  (Use that as your daily motivator)

Move..go to that class, find a good home routine to start.  Use a DVD as inspiration!  Make sure your back up piece of equipment at home, whether it be an elliptical, treadmill, or bike, is in good working condition.  If not, take the time to make that stop into Fit Equipment Etc. to purchase something that will help you achieve your goals! Every day is a new beginning! So make sure to stay motivated and positive.  If you fall, it is OK, you are not a failure!  Just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and hit it hard again the next day.  Just don't fall down and never get up!

We are here for you! So now..there are NO EXCUSES!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, AND ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY SEASON!

Why Add Resistance Bands To Your Training?

With so many options out there for training, why consider adding something like resistance bands?

Well for many reasons.  One of the most popular would be how versatile they can be.  They travel well and are easily portable, but they offer you a different feel than free weight training alone. 

Resistance bands can help improve your flexibility.  Something we tend to lose as we age.  Flexibility is crucial to preventing injury.  Improving free range of motion is also important. 

Muscle fibers are activated, as well as the amount of force, comparable to free weight training.  Personally, when doing a home routine, it is a great way to "change up" the exercises.  From dumb bells, to bands, and back, offers some muscle confusion, and variety as well.

Price.  Resistance bands are a very minimal investment.  With prices ranging from $7.99 and up, how can you say NO to these clever little inventions!

My advice, stay with the same company for all various resistances.  This way you may gage your progress correctly.  If you jump to different manufacturers, they may offer different resistances.  Not all companies are alike.  Spri and Valeo offer some great bands with handles, and even rings to challenge you.

For a demonstration, or more information, come visit us at Fit Equipment Etc, 243 Boston Turnpike, Shrewsbury, Ma! 

We are always here to help, and get you on the right path to healthy!

Kettlebell Training

Kettlebell Training

Kettlebell training is a great way to get yourself into amazing cardiovascular shape. It helps you to build muscle, while at the same time burning off fat. Only gaining attention in the Western world within the last few years, Kettlebell Training has long been a popular way for Russians. 

Kettlebells originated in Russia back in the 18th century.  Resembling a cannon ball with a handle attached, it was used to help train the Russian military and athletes, and keep them in shape.

There are many benefits of Kettlebell Training. Some of these include: building lean muscle, increased stamina, higher levels of agility, and increased strength.  Kettlebell Training allows the user to get an intense workout!

There are a variety of ways to use this piece of equipment.  In place of ordinary dumb bells for many body parts including shoulders, chest, back, biceps, legs, etc.  Also, a routine designed specifically for the kettlebell and its variety of exercises. Cleans, Presses, Squats, Jerks and of course The Turkish Get Up, which is a very complicated, and skilled move.  It can be very hard core, and challenging.  Proper form and use of this device can really catapult you, when a routine becomes boring and repetitive.

So what are you waiting for? Challenge yourself to try a kettlebell! Various sizes, ranging from 2.5 lbs-100lbs+, and measured in either pounds or KG's find the size right for you, and get to work!

Visit our website, or come into Fit Equipment Etc to "grab" a few kettlebells today!

About the Author: Fit Equipment Etc. is New England’s largest showroom of fitness equipment. Fit Equipment Etc also has a wide selection of work out equipment for sale online. Offering the best home treadmills, elliptical cross trainers, exercise gear and more, Fit Equipment Etc can supply you with everything you need to create your own home gym.

  

Top 18 Benefits of Weight Training

1.  Weight training tones your muscles which looks great and raises your basal metabolism...which causes you to burn more calories 24 hours a day. You'll even burn more calories while you're sleeping!

2. Weight training can reverse the natural decline in your Metabolism, which begins around age 30.

3. Weight training energizes you!

4. Weight training has a positive effect on almost all of your 650-plus muscles.

5. Weight training strengthens your bones, reducing your risk of developing osteoporosis.

6. Weight training improves your muscular endurance.

7. Weight training will NOT develop big muscles on women...just toned muscles!

8. Weight training makes you strong. Strength gives you Confidence, and makes daily activities easier.

9. Weight training makes you less prone to low-back injuries.

10. Weight training decreases your resting blood pressure. 

11. Weight training decreases your risk for diabetes.

12. Weight training decreases your gastrointestinal transit time, reducing your risk for developing
colon cancer.

13. Weight training increases your blood level of HDL cholesterol (the “good” kind).

14. Weight training improves your posture.

15. Weight training improves the functioning of your immune system.

16. Weight training lowers your resting heart rate, a sign of a more efficient heart.

17. Weight training improves your balance and coordination.

18. Weight training elevates your mood, leaving you with a feeling of well being, and accomplishment!

Health Benefits Using Free Weight Equipment

Everybody can benefit from the use of free weight equipment it isn’t only for bodybuilders and professional sports players. Working with weight equipment won’t necessarily turn you into a muscle bound hulk, although it will strengthen and tone your body, provide you with an excellent all-round workout and help to improve your long term health. You don’t have to spend hours in the gym; your strength will improve with two or three days of weight training a week with two days of rest between workouts.

There are many advantages of training with free weight equipment, one of which is that just about anybody can benefit from it, including older people, women and children. Free weight training can help to build self-esteem and confidence; it’s also an excellent way to socialize and have fun while you keep fit. Many parents view weight training as a family activity and encourage children to participate.

And using weight equipment has been proven to be a good way to lose weight, and to help keep it off, especially when combined with a healthy diet can give significant results. Weight training is particularly effective as a method of losing weight, because it increases the body's metabolic rate, which allows fat to burn off constantly - even when we’re asleep. BONUS!

Regular weight training increases the lean muscle mass, which helps to strengthen the bones and burn fat. Stronger bones mean stronger muscles, which can improve stability and balance and ultimately lower your risk of falling and breaking a bone. This is a particular benefit for older people who are using free weight equipment, although it’s never too early to start strengthening the bones.

It is possible to get a much greater development with the use of free weights than you can with machine exercises. Dumbbells and barbells are more effective in developing the stabilizer muscles and require more balance and coordination than machine exercises.

There can be other long term benefits as well, especially for older people who are training with free weight equipment. Weight training can help prevent the onset of such diseases as osteoporosis, diabetes, arthritis and hypertension, and is even beneficial in helping to prevent depression and cardiovascular diseases. Weight training is increasingly included in rehabilitation program for stroke and heart attack victims.

If you have a sedentary lifestyle or a desk-bound job and aren’t particularly active, free weight training can help you. The use of weights can help you improve your posture, strengthen your lower back and ultimately avoid back injury, the most common reason for those aged under 45 to limit their physical activities.

And two of the biggest advantages of weight training? It doesn’t require any expensive or complicated equipment; you can train effectively with dumbbells or a barbell.

No Excuses...Now get to work!! And have fun!!

The Foam Roller..does it live up to the hype?

With all the new fitness crazes out there, lets look at one on the rise.

Foam Rollers..are they worth all the hype? Well, in my opinion...YES!

As we age, we tend to get "tight". Stretching helps keep our bodies flexible. When we are more flexible, we can move easier, and prevent injuries. A foam roller is a device that originated from the physical therapy world, and has crossed over into the fitness industry.

Think of it as a "rolling pin" for your muscles. As a rolling pin can eliminate air bubbles in dough, a foam roller can eliminate "knots" in the muscles. It can increase blood circulation to the areas of pain, and promote healing that much faster! Does it work? YES! It can cut your healing time in half!

After a good leg workout day my legs can be tight, and even with stretching feel sore. So I foam roll as well, and it makes me feel more limber. Investment is inexpensive. Prices ranging from $15 to $45. But well worth it!

Check them out here at Fit Equipment!

About the Author: Fit Equipment Etc. is New England’s largest showroom of fitness equipment. Fit Equipment Etc also has a wide selection of work out equipment for sale online. Offering the best home treadmills, elliptical cross trainers, exercise gear and more, Fit Equipment Etc can supply you with everything you need to create your own home gym.