Weights

Weights develop and build muscle; with a good weights routine you can also work the full mobilisation of joints and muscles from each and every angle!

You can achieve things you quite simply can’t achieve on the treadmill. Weights give you a large metabolic spike after training and this lasts for

hours afterwards, even the recovery and repair process of the muscles burns calories too. The more muscle you can get, in theory, the more efficient your

body will become at burning fat. Weight training is also very good as working out a specific area of the body and allows you to target specific muscle

groups. You can alternate between quick repetitive sets, with a short amount of rest, through to the other extreme of exercising just one rep max exercises.

Cardio

Cardio allows your body to maximise calorie burn, remember; the key to losing FAT is to exercise at least 30 minutes a minimum of 3 times a week, with

cardio workouts you can simply increase the intensity and/or duration of a session. A short intense session may burn as much as a long steady session.

It’s true that weight training boosts metabolism afterwards, but cardio works in much the same way, and takes hours for your metabolism to return to its

normal level.

A great thing about cardio is all you need is a good pair of trainers so some may argue; it’s easier and cheaper to get a good workout done.
Bottom line is both Weights and Cardio have their advantages but to get any sort of progress I’d recommend planning your goals and deciding you want from

your fitness routine. You’re not going to become Arnold Schwarzenegger over night but it’s important to have a balanced training program as far too much of

one over the other won’t be ideal. A balanced routine is what you’ll see most benefit from.

If you fancy a good run this weekend and you are in or around London, why not check out the 2008 London Tree-Athlon being held this weekend, Saturday 20th September 2008 in Battersea Park, it's also good for the environment

as you get your very own tree sibling to plant and helps fund raising efforts for “trees in cities", which can only be a good thing.

So what is BMI? In fitness and exercise terms BMI is not a budget airline, it’s actually an acronym for Body Mass Index. To calculate your BMI you need to record your height and weight and the body mass index calculator on this site will do the rest for you.

Ok, so now I know my BMI, what now? Well for starters you BMI can be worked out by both our site and, if you’re lucky enough to have one, a Nintendo Wii Fit. But remember that this is general advice for adults only and does not apply to children.

Once you’ve worked out your BMI, remember to take into account your build and current body frame, for example if you’re an athlete, body builder, pregnant or breast feeding, your BMI may not be accurate.

If you’re over 60 then your BMI may not be accurate as when you get to this age your bones actually become lighter as you reach this age.

Simply, BMI provides a simple numeric measure of a person's "fatness" or "thinness", allowing health professionals to discuss over- and under-weight problems more objectively with their patient, and plan specific training programs geared to your targets, either bulking up, or slimming down.

Many people that knew I used to swim have commented on the swimmers bodies at the Olympic Games, but it’s not as easy to get as toned as that without some hard work!

But if you want a toned body like a swimmer.... you’ve got to do laps like a swimmer.... all year long. That's the bad news for those who get bored after one length of the local swimming baths.

When I used to swim when at university I swam 60 thousand meters a week which was 9 x 2 hour swimming sessions. Michael Phelps is reported to do 80 thousand meters a week! Since this amount of meterage I’ve managed to keep fit through running and general aerobic activity while maintaining my high metabolism, but you needn’t be swimming 24/7 to get fit...

The good news is that you can get toned and fitter through Aerobic exercise!

Aerobic Aerobic Aerobic!

If you can keep up a steady routine of 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at least 3 times a week and eat healthily then you’ll notice physical and fitness improvements after 3 weeks. There is no need in hitting the gym daily to get bigger without the aerobic exercise as you’ll be bulking up without seeing the difference underneath. Shed the fat and you’ll look much, much fitter.

Finding somewhere to do pull ups without being in a gym is quite hard work, but I have found the perfect solution in the form of a "PowerBar" pull up bar!

The pull up bar isn't one you have to attach to the walls by drilling holes etc. It simply supports itself in a door frame and will hold up to 20 stone! Surprisingly it is very sturdy and works just like the pull up bars you'll find in a gym. With the use of a pull up bar added to any home fitness routine you can really develop a good core strength routine, build muscle even work on your cardio fitness levels.

Arms and abs can be specifically targeted and developed, the great thing about pull ups is that it's your own body weight that you're lifting so it's not going to be too much. I'd recommend everyone getting one of these pull up bars even if you're a gym regular, as it's too simple and easy not to have one in your house! Even for a quick blast on a set of pull ups when you're waiting for your computer to boot up! For under £30 you really can't go wrong.

You just need a sturdy door frame with a few inches either side (not a door frame right next to a corner) to mount the pull up bar and away you go! Pull up to you're hearts content! Read more about body assisted exercises or Calisthenics in one of my previous blog posts.

Over the weekend I managed to keep my training routine and have incorporated my dumbbell training into a daily schedule. And I've actually started noticing physical differences, I certainly seem to be getting more "cut".

I am lucky and have a very high metabolism due to my swimming career early on in my life, so the running I am doing 3 times a week is certainly helping to build up a sweat and get my fitness levels up, but once I'm home after my run I'm doing the following sets standing:

25 x Alternate Dumbbell Curls }
12 x Dumbbell Flies } x 3
20 x Dumbbell Shoulder Press }

Between each of these sets I'm doing 25 controlled press ups on the dumbbells.

After these 3 sets I'll do a sit up routine as I'm looking to get a define and cut six pack by September and at the end of the sit ups I'll do another 25 press ups on the dumbbells to make a total of 100.

I will write up my sit up routine later this week as the explanation may require pictures or videos.

I'm also really enjoying access to www.gyminee.com at the moment so I can track my fitness goals and targets, also log pictures to track progress! If you like you can add me as a gyminee.com buddy! My username is "Swimace".