Any exercise that causes the muscles to contract against external resistance is called resistance training. Resistance training improves muscle strength and your ability to perform daily activities like lifting a child or carrying groceries....
The types of resistance training you can do at home will depend on the type of equipment you have available. While it's possible to purchase expensive exercise machines for home use, you can achieve an equally effective workout using only...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends strength-training every major muscle group at least twice weekly. Joining a gym gives you access to a wide variety of strength-training machines and free weights to help you meet the CDC...
Aquatic exercise is frequently used by certified personal trainers and rehabilitation centers to improve the strength and cardiovascular health of elderly patients suffering from any sort of joint or bone debilitating disease, such as arthritis or...
Working out for muscle growth is a complex process. While resistance training in general is a way to build new muscle, there are steps you must follow to adjust your routine as you progress in terms of experience and development. If you're just...
The ultimate determinant of how fat stores in your body change is how many calories you take in compared to how many you expend. When you ingest more energy than you need, fat is stored and your genetic predisposition influences where this storage...
If you're looking to lose weight off of your bum and thighs, remember one thing: spot reduction of fat, or the burning of fat from one or more specific body parts, in impossible. As such, you'll have to pursue a combined program of diet,...
You can't choose where your body decides to deposit excess fat. As such, to gain weight in your glutes, you'll have to build muscle in that area specifically. To do so, you'll have to follow an effective program of diet and perform regular...
As a 17-year-old, you have a faster metabolism than the majority of your older counterparts. As such, you might have to adopt a moderated version of a standard weight-loss program in order to avoid losing weight too rapidly. In order to protect...
At 18, you're in the absolute prime of your life for weight loss. Your metabolism and hormone levels are elevated, meaning you'll burn fat faster than other people and have excess energy to exercise. Of course, if you have a significant quantity...
Building muscle is generally a much slower process than losing weight. In order to gain muscle to the best of your potential, you'll have to pay attention to three factors: your diet, your exercise program and your overall lifestyle. By moderating...
In the world of fitness, many consider the process of building muscle and losing fat simultaneously to be the holy grail. This is because the human body's natural inclination is to store fat during periods of dietary abundance, and sacrifice...
The legs and thighs can be one of the most unsightly areas to hold excess weight. Directly training these areas can improve their appearance but will not remove fat from the areas in question. Contrary to popular wisdom, spot reduction of fat is...
Gaining muscle while simultaneously losing body fat is a difficult proposition, as it requires the body to perform two naturally contradictory processes at once. On one hand, the body is designed to shed muscle prior to fat while losing weight as...
Putting on weight in a short period of time can be a challenging process. The human body is capable of losing weight much faster than gaining weight -- especially when the desired weight gain is in the form of muscle. If you're looking to gain...
If you're already aware that you need an exercise program and a diet plan to build huge muscles, you're well on your way to success. However, there are a variety of diets and training routines available that will leave you with suboptimal results....
A 2 lb. per week rate of muscle gain is an extraordinary goal, and a goal that cannot be achieved by everyone. To gain muscle at a rate of 2 lbs. per week, without the use of illegal and potentially dangerous drugs, you'll have to meet several...
For men, getting fit at 50 years of age isn't quite as easy at it would have been at an earlier age. While you may have been able to get away with unhealthy habits during your 20s and 30s, at this point you'll have to run a tight ship. For best...
In fashion circles, 24 inches is widely considered to be the ideal female waist measurement. As such, this is a common fitness goal among women. While some women are naturally gifted in this area, most will require a dedicated regimen of diet and...
Using a daily meal plan is a great way of managing the dietary aspect of the weight loss process. However, to lose weight with the highest efficiency, you must combine this meal plan with an organized exercise routine. By following this combined...
Building muscle and losing fat are both tasks that can be accomplished without supplemental aid. There are, however, supplements that can accelerate either process when used correctly in conjunction with an effective program of exercise. If you're...
For some people, gaining weight is second nature. However, if you're searching for an eating plan to gain healthy weight, chances are that you aren't one of those people. Luckily, you can rest assured that there is a foolproof way to achieve your...
Wrestling is a sport in which low body weight is desirable. Many wrestlers go to unhealthy lengths in order to cut weight. According to the book "Physiology of Sport and Exercise," wrestlers typically make weight by combining food restriction,...
Building muscle strength with low testosterone can be a challenge, since testosterone is one of the primary hormones that promote the synthesis and development of new muscular tissue. However, it is possible to make progress with low testosterone...
The most common way of quickly increasing testosterone levels is through the illegal use of anabolic steroids. Nonetheless, there are effective legal avenues by which to realize a significant difference in your testosterone levels within a short...
Legs take on a particularly unsightly appearance when carrying excess fat, so shedding leg fat fast is a common goal. Spot reduction of fat is a myth, so your primary means of burning the fat will be diet and cardiovascular exercise. Nonetheless,...
When outlining a plan to lose weight, consider four stages in order of importance: reducing your calorie intake; increasing your protein intake; consistent cardiovascular exercise; and supplemental resistance training. Each of these steps will...
Weight-loss techniques utilizing diet or exercise alone can be effective, but the quickest way to drop pounds is to combine these techniques. By implementing several diet and weight-loss strategies in succession, you'll maximize your weight-loss...
Many pills and fad diets are designed to facilitate weight loss, and many of them do have some effect. However, if you're looking for a manly, old-fashioned, no-nonsense means of losing weight, look no further. By following a solid program of diet...