Chuze Fitness

How To Do Reverse Fly Workouts

Thu, 11 Aug 2022 22:59:54 +0200

There’s always more than one way to do something, and reverse fly workouts are no exception. You can do them standing or sitting, with or without weights, using one arm or two, bench or no bench––there’s just so much beauty in such versatility!

If you’re unfamiliar, the reverse fly is a resistance exercise that strengthens the upper body, especially the rear shoulder and upper back muscles–specifically the rear deltoid and rotator cuff muscles.

At this point, you may be asking yourself: why exercise muscles that are barely visible, what benefit does this type of workout provide, how to do reverse fly, and even what a back fly workout is. If this is the case, read on as we explore the answers to all of these questions—and more.

How to Do a Perfect Reverse Fly

Your time and effort are valuable, so whatever’s worth doing is worth doing right—especially when it comes to working out. Proper form will enhance physical performance, reduce the risk of injury, and allow you to reap the most benefits.

To that end, check out these steps on how to do a proper dumbbell reverse fly exercise:

Stand on a flat surface with your feet hip or shoulder-width apart. Keep a slight bend in the knee, and let your arms rest at your sides.
Hinge your hips back and bring your chest almost parallel to the ground. Allow your arms to hang freely, and maintain a straight back.
Keep a slight bend at the elbow and lift your arms away from one another, up towards your shoulders. It should look as though you have wings and are making a flying motion.
Slowly bring your arms back down, and repeat the exercise. Repetitions will vary from person to person.

At first, this exercise may look like someone trying to fly away with their feet glued to the ground. If, hypothetically, liftoff were possible, it’d be the result of the pushing motion rather than the pulling motion. But in this case, it’s the latter. Hence the name, reverse fly.

Common Mistakes When Doing a Reverse Fly

When using dumbbells during this exercise, people will often swing them using the weight’s momentum instead of the muscle to complete a rep.¹ But doing this won’t boost muscle strength. Remember, the tortoise, not the hare, won the race, so use a steady and controlled motion to strengthen the key muscle groups.

If you’re straining to complete the full range of motion with dumbbells, you may be using too much weight. Not only can this result in poor form, but it can also result in injury. Better form and less weight will trump poor form and more weight over time.

Another common mistake people often make when performing a reverse fly is hunching or rounding their back. Doing this will only add unwanted stress to your lower spine.¹ To avoid this, be mindful of your form: keep your back linear, core tight, and remember to tuck in your chin.

Reverse Fly Variations

One of the beautiful things about this exercise is its adaptability. You can do it at home or the gym, and with or without bands and weights, and never get bored. Whether standing, seated, or in a prone position, it’s an exercise that anyone can utilize at any point in their exercise journey.

Below are a few of our favorite ways to incorporate reverse flys into your workout.

Seated Reverse Fly

This is an excellent choice for someone using dumbbells that may find the standing position uncomfortable. Here, you’re pretty much following the same steps we listed above, except seated.

There are a few different ways to do this seated dumbbell reverse fly:

Regular bench – Sit on a bench with your arms at your sides. You’ll still hinge your hips and keep your back straight, but instead of having your chest almost parallel to the floor, you’ll keep it at roughly a 45-degree angle to your thighs and knees.
Incline Bench – You can sit forward or backward on the incline bench. Sitting forward is a good option for someone who may have trouble with the hip hinge, while sitting backward is for someone looking for more of a physical challenge.

Cable One Arm Reverse Fly

The cable one arm reverse fly is an excellent alternative to isolate the rear deltoids, establish more core strength, and focus on a fuller range of motion. This variation can be done at the gym using a cable pulley machine:

Begin in a similar stance as instructed above, and place the pulley at an even height with your neck.
Stand sideways in front of the machine, and use the outside hand to grab the pulley by extending your arm across your body. Tip: place your other hand on the machine or your hip for balance during the exercise.
As you pull your arm out to your side, slowly exhale. When you feel the rear deltoid muscle contract, hold it briefly and then inhale as you bring it back to the starting point.

Upright Reverse Fly with Bands

A benefit to using resistance bands is that they create more tension the farther they’re stretched, resulting in more muscle activity in and around the targeted muscle groups.² It’s a great option for people with lower back pain or difficulty bending over.

This variation can be done at the gym or at home, either sitting or standing in an upright position:

First, find somewhere to attach the resistance band—ideally, a fixed object. You could anchor it to a door, a stationary beam, or, perhaps, even a tree (if the weather agrees).
Ensure the bands are about chest height, and grab them with your arms out in front of you, keeping the elbows slightly bent. The bands shouldn’t have any slack. Instead, they should be taut and just beginning to stretch.
Keep your palms faced inward and arms parallel to the floor. Then, bring your arms back until your elbow is even with, or slightly past, the shoulder to maximize the range of motion.

Prone Reverse Fly

This variation can be done with or without weights in three different positions (depending on a person’s skill level)—on the floor, on a bench, or on an exercise ball. Doing this variation without weights on a bench or an exercise ball is best for anyone with lower back discomfort or a previous shoulder injury.

If you’re performing this exercise on the floor:

Lay face down on your belly with your arms down at your side, angled slightly outward, and palms resting on the ground.
Pull your shoulder blades together and down towards your hips as you lift your arms up slowly from the floor.
Hold each rep for between 2 and 12 seconds, and repeat.

If you’re performing this exercise on a bench:

Lay face down with your arms out to the side. Bend your elbows, and keep your hands in line with, or slightly above, your head.
Pull your shoulder blades together and down towards your hips as you lift your arms up.
Hold each rep for between 2 and 12 seconds, and repeat.

If you’re performing this exercise on an exercise ball:

Lay face down on your belly with your arms extended out towards the side (imagine you were a bird with its wings fully extended).
Pull your shoulder blades together as you lift your arms up.
Hold each rep for between 2 and 12 seconds, and repeat.

Please keep in mind, the more advanced the pose, the harder it will be to hold each rep.

Precautions and Safety Measures

The reverse fly is a safe exercise for people without shoulder or back injuries. Its versatility is what makes it a great option for various ages and levels of strength.

However, to ensure you’re performing this move with proper form, continuously monitor yourself using these questions as a guide:

Are my knees slightly bent?
Am I hinging at the hips?
Do I have a straight back?
Is my chin tucked in?
Am I keeping my core tight?

It’s best to refrain from doing this exercise if you’ve suffered a recent shoulder or back injury, feel any pain or soreness while doing it, or have recently had surgery.

Why You Should Do Reverse Fly Workouts

While we don’t use our rear shoulder and upper back muscles to literally fly (reverse or otherwise), these muscles are crucial for good posture and everyday movements.

In fact, here are a few of the benefits dumbbell reverse flys can offer:

Improved posture and balance
Reduced neck pain
Supported shoulder girdle
Stretched chest muscles
Strengthened posterior shoulder and upper back muscles

Chuze Right, Chuze Wise, Chuze Fitness

Whether you want to include reverse fly workouts or turf workouts into your routine, learn about push vs pull day, or start barre, Chuze is the place for you to try new exercises. Chuze isn’t just a gym; we’re a community of welcoming, friendly, and supportive people. Whether you’re a newbie to exercise or have been working out your whole life, our fitness centers were designed to build healthier human connections and healthier bodies. You can even expand your zone to fitness classes and get to know your community.

And the best part is, even if there’s not a Chuze Fitness center near you, it’s still possible to connect to this en-chuze-iastic community with the iChuze subscription, which allows you to participate in virtual workout programs from the comfort of your own home.

To learn more, check out iChuze Fitness today.

Reviewed By:

Ani is the Vice President of Fitness at Chuze Fitness and oversees the group fitness and team training departments. She’s had a 25+ year career in club management, personal training, group exercise and instructor training. Ani lives with her husband and son in San Diego, CA and loves hot yoga, snowboarding and all things wellness.

Sources:

Mayo Clinic. Healthy Lifestyle Fitness. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/multimedia/reverse-fly/vid-20084679
National Library of Medicine. Muscle Activity in Upper-Body Single-Joint Resistance Exercises with Elastic Resistance Bands vs. Free Weights. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5873332/
Harvard Health Publishing. Strength training relieves chronic neck pain. https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/strength-training-relieves-chronic-neck-pain

The post How To Do Reverse Fly Workouts appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

3 Turf Workouts You’ll Love

Tue, 09 Aug 2022 23:00:24 +0200

Tired of the same ol’ exercise routine? If you’re looking to add a little more excitement to your daily workout, look no further. The turf area is a great place to kick traditional workouts to the curb and add some adventure to your fitness journey, whether you’re focusing on cardio, weight training, or flexibility training.

In this article, we’ll explain what turf area workouts are and explore our favorite turf exercises so that you can take your fitness journey to a whole new level.

What Are Turf Workouts?

Unlike traditional resistance training methods that use machines or free weights, turf workouts allow the body to engage in physical activity across various planes of movement and with various pieces of equipment. This increases performative results in areas like:¹

Balance
Stability
Coordination

Another aspect of gym turf workouts? They don’t isolate cardiovascular endurance or strength training. Rather, they combine the two for an effective total body workout.

On the turf, you can train with various pieces of equipment, including:

Sleds
Agility ladders
Plyo boxes
Tractor wheels

In addition, you can also use turf areas to perform bodyweight exercises, stretch, or do core work. Either way, it’s the versatility of turf area workouts that makes them suitable and effective for people of all ages and fitness levels.

So, without further ado, let’s dive into our top three turf workout recommendations.

#1 Sled Workouts

Sled workouts are a great way to work out the upper and lower body, and strengthen your core, all while increasing your heart rate. The amount of weight you add to the sled will depend on whether you’re focusing on building strength, speed, or endurance. Or, if you’re a beginner, you don’t have to add any weight at all.

Here are some ways you can incorporate sled turf workouts into your fitness routine:

Sled Push – Place yourself behind the sled, and grip the poles tightly with each hand, positioning them near the top of the bars. Ensure that your arms are out straight, your hips are bent, and your core is tight. Then, push through your legs, moving the sled forward.
Bunny Hops – Position yourself the same way as the sled push, but ensure your back is straight and your feet are shoulder-width apart. When you’re ready to begin, take short hops while pushing the sled forward. These small jumps will burn more calories and give extra attention to your legs and glutes.
Reverse Drag – Add some pulling action into the mix by dragging the sled. You can either use the bars or TRX straps to do this. Get into a squat position, and pull the sled toward you as you walk backwards, maintaining your squat while keeping your back straight and your core tight.

#2 Agility Ladder Drills

Agility ladder drills aren’t just for soccer and football players, but for anyone interested in enhancing their speed, coordination, and balance. Agility ladders are also an ideal way to warm up before beginning a workout because they help ramp up your heart rate, loosen your muscles and ligaments, and improve your overall response rate.

Here are a few drills you can do with agility ladders on the turf:

Short Hops – This drill is one of the most basic for the agility ladder. You begin by hopping from one square to the next, landing with both feet in each square. Continue this down the entire length of the ladder.

To switch it up and give each leg a deeper burn, try using one foot to hop down the length of the ladder and then return on the other. Doing this will challenge your core strength and balance.

High Knees – Try doing high knees down the entire length of the ladder, placing one foot in each square as you do. In your starting position, place your feet hip-distance apart and lift one knee with the opposite arm, then switch to the other knee. Use your arms to generate momentum, and remember that your knees should reach waist height with each high step.
Hopscotch – This one may bring back some childhood memories. Begin by either putting your left or right foot in the first box. Then, jump and straddle the second box, with both feet landing outside the ladder. Jump to your opposite foot, placing it into the third box of the ladder. Repeat this down the entire length of the ladder.

#3 Battle Rope Exercises

Battle rope exercises are a fantastic way to burn fat, increase strength, and get a kickass cardio workout—and you don’t even have to be a Spartan to do them!

Let’s take a look at a few of our favorites:

Double Arm Bilateral Wave – Begin in an upright position with your knees slightly bent. Hold one rope in each hand, ensuring your shoulders are back and your core is tight. Allow for some slack in the ropes, then swing both arms simultaneously. Your arm motion shouldn’t reach below the knees or above the shoulders.
Double Arm Wave with Burpee – If you want to spice things up a bit, squat a little deeper than the previous pose when swinging your ropes. Then, after three to five wave motions, release the ropes and jump into a push-up position, perform a burpee, and repeat.
Rope Slams – Begin in the same position and use the same form as in the first example, but use your feet and legs to lift the ropes over your head this time. When the ropes are at their highest level, slam them down into the turf, and repeat the same motion.

Turfs Up at Chuze Fitness

Whether you’re a professional athlete or a fitness enthusiast, turf workouts have many benefits, from strength training to resistance. At Chuze Fitness, we offer large indoor and outdoor turf areas at dozens of our locations across the southwest. See what it’s like to swing battle ropes, push and pull sleds, or use agility ladders to combine your strength and cardio training for a transformative total body workout.

Or, utilize the turf for bodyweight exercises, yoga, or stretching.. You can always switch up your routine and include a variety of exercises together like pullover exercise, full body HIIT workout, barre workout, fitness classes, and more. The possibilities are limitless, and the journey is yours—but it all starts by visiting Chuze Fitness with a simple online search of “gyms near me”.

Reviewed By:

Sources:

ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal, 14(6), 24–30. Functional training: fad or here to stay? https://journals.lww.com/acsm-healthfitness/Fulltext/2010/11000/FUNCTIONAL_TRAINING__Fad_or_Here_to_Stay_.8.aspx

The post 3 Turf Workouts You’ll Love appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

What Is A Pullover Exercise?

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 23:06:42 +0200

You’re at the gym, doing your standard workout when your earbuds fall silent between songs, and you overhear the trainer nearby mention pullover exercises. You draw a blank. What are those? Should I be doing them, too?

Or maybe you’re a little more familiar with this dumbbell-ladened move. You’ve tried a few yourself, but you want to dive deeper into the bells and whistles of how they work.

No matter what level you’re at, this is a great place to start. Welcome to our training center for understanding the pullover exercise. Come one, come all—and come ready to sweat.

What is a Pullover Exercise?

A pullover exercise, otherwise known as a chest pullover, is a move that involves a dumbbell or barbell and is used to strengthen the chest muscle and/or the back muscle group. This exercise is done laying down, typically on a weight bench, while pulling your weighted object up and over your head.

You can customize pullover exercises to target the chest or back. To target your chest muscles, keep your elbows straight and your arms tucked in close as you move the dumbbell. To hone in on your back, bend your elbows slightly outward.

The Benefits of Pullover Exercises

If you’re looking to add barbell and dumbbell pullovers to your upper body workout plan or to build strength, start by learning how they will benefit you. Pullover exercises are powerful, multi-functional, and easy to learn. With one simple movement, you can work your way toward a stronger upper body. Whether you’re working towards weight training and muscle gain or just toning up, this workout is great for building strength in the upper body. With a little patience and plenty of breathing, most people master the barbell or dumbbell pullover exercise after just one session.

Here’s how pullover exercises can pump up your workout routine:

Strengthen muscles in your chest
Strengthen muscles in your back
Build mobility in the shoulders
Help build muscle endurance

How to Do a Pullover Exercise

Now that you understand the benefits, let’s step into it.

It’s important to perform a pullover exercise safely and thoughtfully to remove any risk of injury. If you can, grab a spotter for your first time to help monitor your form and keep you safe. Proper form will ensure you get the most benefit out of pullover exercises.

Here’s how to perform a barbell or dumbbell pullover exercise like one of the pros:

Step 1. Select your weight – Start by selecting a dumbbell or barbell to use for the pullover. If you’re not sure what weight to grab, start with 20% of your body weight. You can always level up or down later.
Step 2. Find a bench – Lay flat on your back on a weight bench or any bench you have handy. You can rest your head either on or slightly off the bench—whatever feels more comfortable. Stabilize your feet flat on the floor.
Step 3. Hoist the dumbbell up – With your hands in a triangle, hold the dumbbell vertically above your head. Grip the upper edge of the weight with your fingertips.
Step 4. Customize – Here’s where you can either straighten your elbows for a chest-powering exercise or butterfly them outward to target those lats.
Step 5. Pullover – Breathe in, and extend your arms and the weight behind your head as far as you can go without strain, keeping your arms close to your body.
Step 6. Pull back – Breathe out, and pull your arms and the weight back up over your head, resuming your starting position.

You should feel your chest, shoulders, and back working when doing this pullover exercise. Really focus on your form, and remember to breathe.

How to Get Started with Pullover Exercises

Pullover exercises have a low barrier to entry. All you need is a bench and a weight to get started. You may be wondering, “how many reps should I do?” Begin with about 8–10 reps, and focus on expanding your shoulder’s range of motion in each set you do.

Once you master the form, you can customize the pullover far beyond a chest and back focus. For example, you can lay with your hips off the bench to add an extra stabilizing challenge for your glutes and core. Or, for even more sizzle, lay on a Physio ball instead of a bench to fire up your whole body.

When you’re ready, grab a towel, and take these tips for pullover exercise success to the mat:

Start with a small amount of weight and work your way up
Keep your breath steady through the entire range of motion
Challenge yourself to expand your range of motion over time
Flex your chest and back muscles to feel them working
Keep your lower back in a flat, neutral position
Don’t forget to celebrate your empowering accomplishments!

Pullover Like a Pro at Chuze Fitness

You don’t have to be a weightlifting professional to conquer the pullover exercise—but at Chuze Fitness, we’ll still make you feel like one.

That’s because we have everything you need to feel empowered, welcome, and right at home, like our pristinely-clean and comfortable workout benches. Plus, you’ll find plenty of helpful spotters within arm’s reach whenever you need them. Whether you’re looking to add dumbbell exercises like the pullover or dumbbell reverse flys, or if you want to expand your zone to yoga or other fitness classes, this is the place for you. Use the ‘gyms near me’ feature on the iChuze app to find your new workout home.

Join our community, and have fun building a stronger mind, body, and soul—for as low as $9.99 per month! We can’t wait to greet you at the door.

Reviewed By:

Sources:

YouTube. Dumbbell Pullover: Chest or Back Exercise? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YStMv6m2g8
Very Well Fit. How to Do a Dumbbell Pullover: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes. https://www.verywellfit.com/how-to-dumbbell-pullover-techniques-benefits-variations-4781595
Healthline. How to Do A Dumbbell Pullover with Proper Form. https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/dumbbell-pullover
Nutritioneering. Dumbbell Pullover for Back vs Chest. https://www.bodybuildingmealplan.com/dumbbell-pullover/

The post What Is A Pullover Exercise? appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

4 Benefits of A Back Extension Machine

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 13:47:19 +0200

Whether you prefer weighted or bodyweight exercises, you can’t deny the benefits of the back extension machine.

The back extension machine can be one of the most divisive and controversial machines at the gym. Because it requires some skill to use, many gym-goers can be intimidated when approaching this strength training machine. But if you can learn to use it correctly, it will target and tone the muscles in your lower back, abdominals, and surrounding muscle groups like no other.

Fitness fans, circle up—it’s time to meet your next best gym buddy. Below, we’ll teach you how to use the back extension machine to reap four killer benefits of this gym floor staple.

Back Extension Machine Basics

Even if you’ve only hit the gym once in your life, there’s a good chance you’ve seen a back extension machine.

Upright back extension machines are built with padded foot rests where you’ll anchor your ankles before using. Further up, a large pad supports your lower torso, allowing you to bend your waist over the machine.¹

Standard upright back extension machine exercises require three basic steps to use:

Lie on the machine with your front facing the ground, anchoring your feet at the ankle rests
Bend your upper body over the machine until your torso forms a 90° angle with your trunk
Lift your upper body towards the ceiling, pause, and slowly return to your starting position

Back extension machines let you work against the force of gravity, thereby strengthening your lower back and abdominals. While this exercise requires no equipment besides the machine and your bodyweight, you can always add a weight plate for more resistance.

Now, let’s touch on four benefits of using this seemingly simple exercise to optimize your workout.

#1 Helps Build Lower Back Strength

The biggest benefit that a back extension machine offers is the one it was primarily designed for: strengthening your lower back. The machine engages the important mass of muscles just above your waist, strengthening and building them up.

Why is that important?

Because in many ways, lower back strength is foundational to the musculature of your entire body. From walking to running to picking up the little ones, these muscle groups are pivotal (literally) for your mobility.

Using a lower back extension machine to build your lower back muscles may help with:²

Stability – Your spinal column is braced by the muscles in your back. They keep your spine supported, promote back mobility, and alleviate some of the stress your spine takes from holding you upright.
Posture – A strong lower back is essential for maintaining proper posture. When your lower back muscles are in good shape, they’re able to prop up the rest of you to ensure proper alignment.

#2 Can Help Prevent Lower Back Pain

Another benefit of the back extension exercise is that it helps prevent lower back pain. As we mentioned above, the strength of your lower back is directly linked to the quality of your posture. And that improved posture comes with some very desirable benefits of its own—namely, helping to prevent pain in your lower back.²

When we routinely sit, stand, or walk around with slouched shoulders and hunched upper backs, it’s not uncommon to experience sporadic or ongoing pain around your lumbar spine. Whether you notice discomfort in your daily life or when you’re working out, the back extension machine can help to offset the pinch and make your fitness goals even more attainable.

#3 Helps Build Related Muscles

Although your lower back will reap the most rewards from using a back extension machine, your other important core muscles will benefit, too. When you use a back extension machine, you use your own body as weight resistance by bending your supported upper body over the machine. This inverted sit-up also engages muscles in your:¹

Shoulders
Hips
Buttocks

These muscles worked out in this simple exercise help you combine workouts and target more than one muscle group at a time.

#4 Fast-Tracks Your Other Fitness Goals

If you’ve been hitting the gym hard on ab day and need a session or two off, using an extension back machine can help keep your abs engaged between workouts.¹

True, the muscles in your lower back are doing most of the work while you’re on a back extension machine—but if you’re doing the exercise correctly by bending and rising slowly, you should be exerting your abdominals as well. By doing so, you’ll be working towards two of many fitness enthusiasts’ biggest overarching goals:

Strengthening their core
Building overall muscle and definition

From preventing low back pain and working out more than one muscle group to being an overall simple exercise, it’s worth adding the workout to your routine.

Put Your Back Into It with Chuze Fitness

Keen to try out a back extension machine but unsure of where to start? Our fitness experts at Chuze Fitness are ready to teach you how to use it like a pro.

When you make Chuze Fitness a part of your workout routine, you don’t just join a gym—you join a fitness community with the support you need to achieve and surpass your physical fitness goals. From weighted training turf workouts to barre and pilates, there’s something for everyone.

Take advantage of our premium machines or sweat it out in fitness classes with instructors who push you to perform your best, or tune into one of our curated exercise playlists to motivate your next sweat session. However you move, we’re here to hold you up. Use our gyms near me feature to find a Chuze location near you today.

Got a busy schedule or can’t make it to a location? Use our iChuze fitness and wellness app anytime, anywhere.

Reviewed By:

Sources:

Very Well Fit. How to Do a Machine Back Extension: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes. https://www.verywellfit.com/how-to-do-the-machine-back-extension-3498285
Livestrong. What Are the Benefits of Back Exercises? https://www.livestrong.com/article/152070-what-are-the-benefits-of-back-exercises/

The post 4 Benefits of A Back Extension Machine appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

6 Benefits of Dumbbell Reverse Flys

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 13:45:51 +0200

You might not often think about the muscles in your shoulders and upper back—or how important they are. But it’s worth taking a moment to consider the wide range of movements and functions you perform every day that rely on those muscles.

From the work you do at your computer to the many tasks you perform at home, your shoulders and back are an integral part of how you move through life. Fortunately, there’s a simple way to keep your shoulder and upper back muscles well-conditioned so that they’re up to every challenge you throw at them: dumbbell reverse flys.

What Are Reverse Flys?

Reverse flys are a simple but effective exercise you can do at home or at the gym. They don’t require any fancy equipment or expensive personal trainers. In fact, all you need is a pair of dumbbells, a few spare minutes, and a tiny bit of determination.

If you’re wondering how to do a reverse fly with dumbbells, see these three easy steps:

Step #1 – Begin by grasping the dumbbells at your sides and standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Then, bend over so that your chest is parallel with the floor while keeping your legs and hips upright. Your arms should hang comfortably toward the floor.
Step #2 – Take a deep breath while holding that position. As you exhale, slowly raise your arms out and away from your body, as if you’re about to take flight. Remember to keep your elbows at a slight angle and focus on bringing your shoulder blades together where they meet at your spine.
Step #3 – On the inhale, slowly lower your arms to the starting position. As you do so, remember to keep your chin tucked toward your neck to ensure that your spine remains properly aligned throughout the exercise. Repeat the movement as many times as you feel fit or you can. For best results, take care not to hunch your shoulders during this step.

6 Benefits of Reverse Flys

For such a simple and relatively low-intensity exercise, you might be surprised by how many varied benefits you can gain from performing reverse flys with dumbbells. But the dumbbell reverse fly exercise focuses on important muscles in your shoulders and upper back that you use all day long.

This means that keeping those muscles strong, nimble, and well-conditioned can drastically improve your physical health in several ways.

Here are six reasons incorporating reverse flys into your exercise routine is an excellent idea:

They can strengthen rear shoulder muscles – Reverse flys work your posterior deltoids, the muscles at the rear of your shoulders. Keeping your shoulder muscles strong helps promote proper shoulder joint function and protects the joints from injury.¹
They can help you build upper back muscles – Besides building upper arm strength, Reverse flys can also strengthen the rhomboid and trapezius muscles in your upper back, similar to a pullover exercise. These muscles are crucial for your posture and your mobility, so keeping them in prime condition is important.²
They can improve posture – Another function of the muscles in your rear shoulder and upper back is keeping you upright. When those muscles are strong, they’re better able to support the rest of your body, keeping your posture on point.³
They can help you with balance – Some studies link an array of shoulder and upper back issues with imbalance while standing, walking, or running, suggesting that taking care of those muscles can also keep you well-balanced.⁴
They may reduce pain and mobility issues – For people who work in offices or at computers, stress, strain, and pain in the shoulders and upper back can result from spending too much time hunched over their workstations. Reverse flys can help reduce pain associated with that kind of stress and help reduce the mobility issues that can occur.³
They can help with functional fitness – Performing reverse flys can be a boon to your overall functional fitness. Functional fitness refers to your ability to perform regular, everyday tasks and actions like picking things up, rising from a sitting position, or putting something away on a high shelf.⁵

From targeting different shoulder muscle groups to reducing pain, the simple dumbbell reverse fly exercise is worth adding to your upper body routine.

Build Your Body Better with Chuze Fitness

Knowing the exercises and workouts that can help you build a stronger, healthier body is one thing. But knowing how to incorporate them into your fitness routine is quite another. That’s where Chuze Fitness comes in.

At Chuze Fitness, our friendly team of fitness experts can help you discover the best exercises for your fitness goals and show you how to perform them safely and effectively. Whether you’ve got your eyes on incorporating turf workouts or trying out a barre workout, create your routine with Chuze Fitness.

With several facilities located in different states, you can easily find “gyms near me.” When you do, you’ll be introduced to a fitness community that’s there to support and encourage you in your fitness journey.

With fitness classes, our iChuze app for fitness anytime, and even a customized Spotify playlist to keep you pumped, Chuze fitness is the obvious choice. Keep your fitness journey on track with Chuze Fitness.

Reviewed By:

Sources:

Share Care. Why should I do shoulder strengthening exercises? https://www.sharecare.com/health/strength-training/why-should-shoulder-strengthening-exercises
Cleveland Clinic. Trapezius Muscle. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21563-trapezius-muscle
Very Well Fit. How to Do a Reverse Fly: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes. https://www.verywellfit.com/how-to-perform-the-reverse-fly-4684392
BMC. Balance ability and postural stability among patients with painful shoulder disorders and healthy controls. https://bmcmusculoskeletdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2474-14-282#
Healthline. Why Functional Fitness Is Important for Everyone. https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/functional-fitness-adults

The post 6 Benefits of Dumbbell Reverse Flys appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

Push vs Pull Day: What’s The Difference?

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 13:35:19 +0200

Whether you’ve been spending more time at the gym lately or browsing fresh routines on fitness blogs, you’ve probably heard rumblings about the Push-Pull training method.

If the rumors are true, it’s a holistic approach to exercise that lets you build muscle, increase strength, and improve your endurance—all while giving your body a healthy dose of rest between sessions.

But what’s the difference between a Pull day and a Push day, and what do those routines look like in practice?

If you’re interested in this exercise method, it’s crucial to know how this three-part regimen (which also includes a Leg and Core Day) works on the gym room floor. For a play-by-play on how to replicate this workout style—plus four tips for getting the most bang for your next workout push with Chuze Fitness—read on.

The Push-Pull Fitness Method: What You Need To Know

When people talk about hitting the gym for Push day or Pull day, they’re referring to an exercise method known as push-pull.

The push-pull method is designed to support a well-rounded workout routine that evenly distributes your efforts across all zones of your body. In its distilled essence, it involves alternating between workouts that focus on different muscle groups.¹

Typically, push-pull routines are divided between three categories of targeted exercise:

Push day, where you’ll focus on your arms and shoulders
Pull day, where you’ll focus primarily on your back muscles
Leg and Core day, where you’ll skip your upper body and work out your core and trunk muscles

It’s worth noting that many people choose to include a rest day between the second and third days of training. Push-pull routines can be strenuous to power through day after day, especially if you’re new to working out.

Push vs Pull Exercises: What to Do On Your Next Push or Pull Day

You might not realize it, but you probably do a lot of pushing and pulling in your day-to-day life already. Even the simplest things, from hoisting yourself out of bed in the morning (which uses a pushing motion) to opening the door open for a stranger (which uses pulling), can engage your pulling and pushing muscles.

That said, performing these actions on the gym floor looks a lot different. Let’s take a look at some push day vs pull day workouts to see how they differ.

Push Day Exercises

On Push day, you’ll focus on exercises that use pushing motions to strengthen the muscles in your upper body. These exercises work to target your triceps and the muscles in your chest and shoulders.¹

Some of the most well-known and popular Push day exercises include:

Push-ups
Pullover exercise
Shoulder press
Dumbbell bench press
Dumbbell chest fly
Dumbbell overhead triceps extension
Dumbbell lateral raise

Pull Day Exercises

So how would a pull exercise look? In contrast to Push day, a Pull day workout routine tends to incorporate strength-training exercises that force you to pull weights towards your body (rather than press them away).

Some cornerstone Pull day exercises include:

Pull-ups
Bent over rows
Renegade rows
Bicep curls
Upright dumbbell rows
Zottman curls

While Push day focuses on muscles in your chest, shoulders, and arms, Pull day works to target your biceps, forearms, and, most importantly, the complex network of muscles in your back.¹

Though the arms, legs, and core often absorb much of fitness enthusiasts’ attention, strengthening your back is a vital component of your overall physical fitness. Your back muscles have tremendous influence over your mobility, and conditioning them can promote better posture to protect your spine and can help prevent pain in your lumbar.

Leg and Core Day Exercises

The first two days of Push-Pull workout routines are devoted to your upper body, but the pushing and pulling don’t come to a halt on day 3.

On Leg and Core day, your workouts will be focused on strengthening the muscles in your legs using the same technique you did on days 1 and 2: pushing and pulling. Primarily, Leg and Core day works to strengthen your:

Hamstrings
Achilles tendon
Femoris
Gluteus maximus
Abdominals
Obliques
Pelvic floor muscles

While Push day and Pull day workout routines revolve around the type of exercise you perform, Leg and Core day is designed to encourage different zones of your body to work cooperatively to build strength. This technique can help you improve your balance, stability, and even your awareness of how different muscle groups work in tandem to help you move.

When Leg and Core day rolls around, some popular exercises to try include:

Deadlifts
Barbell back squats
Quadriceps leg extensions
Seated hamstring leg curls
Dumbbell standing calf raises
Hanging leg raises

Should You Try Push-Pull Training?

Push-Pull training is just one approach fitness enthusiasts take to tending to their overall physique at the gym. This type of exercise regimen might be for you if:

You want to gain muscle mass – According to one study, resistance training like those involved in Push-Pull regimens may be more effective at building muscle than other methods of working out. Furthermore, it’s also excellent for building muscle endurance and overall strength.²
You want evenly distributed results – For many gym-goers, the alternating schedule of push-pull routines means they don’t have to worry about overworking or neglecting any one zone of their bodies.
Your body craves time to recover – While other workout methods force you to work the same muscles many days in a row, push-pull training gives your body time to rest, repair, and build back even stronger between sessions.
You can access the best gym equipment – Because Push-Pull training is a uniquely intensive approach to working out, you’ll see optimal results if you have a range of gym equipment at your disposal for your workouts. Having full access to a range of exercise machines and weights will enable you to tailor your equipment to each individual exercise, as well as level up your weights as you go.

4 Tips For Maximizing Your Push-Pull Routine

The Push-Pull exercise routine can seem relatively straightforward, but getting the most out of this technique may require you to make some changes to your approach to exercise and overall lifestyle.

With that, let’s review four tactics for optimizing your Push-Pull workouts, no matter which day is coming up next:

Mix it up – There is no shortage of exercise options for a Push-Pull workout regimen—which is good news for people who tend to get bored by sticking to the same workout. However, it is possible to run up against muscle fatigue if you put your body through the same exercises day after day.³

To avoid getting bogged down by repetitive workouts, try alternating between different exercises as you rotate through Push, Pull, and Leg and Core day. For example, you could spend a week or two devoting your Pull days to Pull-ups, bicep curls, and renegade rows, then swap one or two out for an alternative.

Weigh your options – It’s difficult to overstate the importance of choosing the right weights for your push-pull workouts, and size can vary between the exercises you’re performing. The right weights for you should spike your heart rate in your first few reps, but they shouldn’t prevent you from feeling so fatigued you can’t proceed with your next exercises after finishing your set.⁴
Add in “Rest Days” – As we’ve mentioned, many fitness enthusiasts swear by rotating a “Rest Day” into their three-day Push-Pull regimens. This gives your body a day to recover, thereby promoting tissue repair, muscle growth, and avoiding injuries in the long run.⁵ Plus, even if you take a day off, push-pull will still enable you to exercise all of your major muscle groups twice a week.
Ramp up your sleep hygiene – Getting the proper amount of sleep (at least 7 hours per night) is crucial for staying on top of your physical fitness.⁶ At the gym, you’re breaking down your muscles—and they’re only able to build back stronger while you’re asleep, when your body packs on new fibers and proteins to your muscles.⁷ In other words, your workout can only come full circle if you get in your nightly Z’s.

Finally, Push-Pull training is recommended for people who can commit to working out between three to six days each week.⁸

Like many other styles of working out, Push-Pull takes time and determination to yield results—so if you do choose to make it the cornerstone of your fitness regimen, make that commitment in a community that can motivate and encourage you along your journey. The push pull workout routine also helps encourage muscle growth and target almost every muscle group with a simple routine.

Push Your Workout to the Limit with Chuze Fitness

Every so often, the motivation hits to find a new workout routine, take a fresh approach to your fitness goals, and find a gym buddy who’s as motivated to meet them as you are.

Chuze Fitness is that gym buddy—we just haven’t met yet.

At Chuze Fitness, we believe that achieving fitness individual goals depends on the power of the community behind them. With fitness classes, content from our iChuze wellness app, and dedicated fitness experts on stand-by to answer all your exercise questions, our fitness centers aren’t just gyms. They’re vibrant hubs of activity where everyone is encouraged to push (and pull) towards their own fitness standard. Whether you’re looking to incorporate turf workouts into your routine or try out new exercises, we’re here for you.

To join our community and jump-start your personal wellness goals, use our gyms near me feature to find a location and introduce yourself today.

Reviewed By:

Sources:

Healthline. Push-Pull Workouts: Routines and Guide for Building Muscle. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/push-pull-workout
National Library of Medicine. Central and Peripheral Fatigue During Resistance Exercise – A Critical Review. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26839616/
National Library of Medicine. Muscle fatigue: general understanding and treatment. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5668469/
Livestrong. What Weight Dumbbells Should I Use? https://www.livestrong.com/article/344995-how-much-weight-do-i-need-for-dumbbells/
Huff Post. Why Rest Days Between Workouts Are So Important. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-rest-days-between-workouts-important_l_5f0867f8c5b63a72c340854e
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sleep and Sleep Disorders. https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html
College of William & Mary. Sleep and Recovery. https://www.wm.edu/offices/sportsmedicine/_documents/sleep-manual
Men’s Health. Build Full-Body Muscle Using The ‘Push, Pull, Legs’ Method. https://www.menshealth.com/uk/building-muscle/a38199992/push-pull-legs/

The post Push vs Pull Day: What’s The Difference? appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

Top 5 StairMaster Workouts

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 20:40:13 +0200

The toughest workout is also the most rewarding. One of the best things you can do for your health on a daily basis is climbing stairs.¹ Climbing stairs activates muscles all over your body, especially in your legs, arms, back, and abs, leading to a full-body workout that’s also good for your heart.

That’s why the StairMaster machine is so popular. They combine the practical exercise of regular stairs with the repetitive movements that are a hallmark of working out, strengthening endurance, and building muscle. This makes a StairMaster workout an HIIT workout (for those that don’t know, HIIT stands for high intensity interval training). They are also good for when you don’t have access to a long flight of real stairs.

But what are the best StairMaster workouts? Keep reading for five exercises to make the most of your stair climber machine.

#1 Simple Step Workout

Whether you’re new to the StairMaster machine and want to ease yourself in or you’re looking for a simple, low-intensity way to burn calories and build muscle mass, the Simple Step Workout is for you.

This workout takes full advantage of the activity the StairMaster was designed for—climbing. In doing so, it’s an excellent way to work out your:

Core muscles
Quads
Glues
Hamstrings

The Simple Step Workout is also great for cardio. Here’s how to do it:

Set your effort to easy (3 – 4 RPE) and do 30 seconds of crossovers for each side.

Decrease the effort to between 2–3 RPE and walk for 30 seconds.
Increase effort to 3–4 RPE and do 30 seconds of side or parallel steps for each side.
Return effort to 2–3 RPE and walk for 30 seconds.
Increase effort to a moderate between 6–7 RPE and do 30 seconds of kickbacks per side.
Close your workout by walking for 60 seconds at an effort of 2–3 RPE.

#2 Interval-Focused Workout

You’ll need a resistance band for this workout, but the extra equipment is well worth it. Before you begin, loop the resistance band around your ankles. Resistance bands are a great way to add the muscle-building benefits of weight training to any workout.

To boost this workout, you can repeat the following four steps as many times as you like. For the first three steps, set your StairMaster effort to 6–7 RPE. Then:

Perform box walks for 60 seconds, stepping to the far corner of each step.
Perform three-quarter squats for 30 seconds.
Do 30 seconds of kickbacks for each side.
Decrease effort to 3–4 RPE and perform crossovers for 30 seconds on each side.

Throughout this workout, be sure that there’s an adequate amount of tension on the resistance band to engage your muscles.

#3 Step-N-Squat

Looking for a StairMaster workout that’ll whip your glutes into shape? Then look no further than the Step-N-Squat. Among StairMaster exercises, this is among the best for achieving a toned, shapely bottom.

Here’s how to perform the Step-N-Squat:

Set a moderate effort of 4–5 RPE and perform kickbacks for 30 seconds
Slightly increase the effort to 5–6 RPE and walk for 60 seconds
Decrease effort to moderate and box walk for 60 seconds

For extra burn, repeat these steps as much as you’d like.

#4 High-Intensity Cardio Burn

Ready to step it up a notch? This high-intensity workout places extra emphasis on your cardio health while also helping you strengthen your core muscles, glutes, and hamstrings. But be warned—this StairMaster workout is not for the faint of heart.

The High-Intensity Cardio burn involves:

Setting your effort to 5–6 RPE and skipping one stair at a time for 60 seconds
Decreasing effort to easy (3–4 RPE) and performing side steps for 30 seconds per side
At the same effort, performing sideways step-ups for 30 seconds per side
Ending your workout by doing backward steps for 30 seconds at an easy effort

If a single repetition doesn’t take too much out of you, you can repeat these steps for an even more intense workout.

#5 HIIT Cardio StairMaster Crunch

In fitness speak, HIIT stands for High-Intensity Interval Training. HIIT workouts are cardio-intensive exercises that combine high-intensity intervals with low-intensity intervals to elevate and decrease your heart rate. HIIT workouts are thought to be optimal ways to burn more calories in less time, increase your metabolic rate, and burn fat, among other potential benefits.²

The total HIIT Cardio StairMaster Crunch takes about two and a half minutes, so for the best balance between high and low intensity, you should repeat each step about eight times for a 20-minute workout. The steps are:

At an effort of 4–5 RPE, stair jog for 30 seconds
Decrease effort to 2–3 RPE and walk for 30 seconds
Increase effort to 6–7 RPE and run for 15 seconds
Bring effort back to 2–3 RPE and walk for 60 seconds
Increase the effort to 9–10 RPE and sprint for 15 seconds

Other tips for an effective workout:

While a StairMaster workout is effective, a little variety could also benefit our exercise regimen. On certain days, you can have a barre workout, while others you can either have a Yoga vs Pilates routine or circuit training vs HIIT. However, you go crazy with all these workouts, you should know your body’s limitations and needs. Research what to eat before a workout and if you should workout when sore.

Chuze Fitness—The Obvious Choice

If you think a StairMaster is the right workout routine for you, then prepare for a HIIT workout. Ready to recommit to your fitness goals? Chuze fitness has everything you need to get started, like fitness classes for all levels and an original Spotify playlist that’s calibrated for maximum motivation.

When fitness is your goal, there’s only one choice: Chuze Fitness. Find one of the “gyms near me” online today.

Reviewed By:

Sources:

Very Well Health. 6 Reasons to Take the Stairs. https://www.verywellhealth.com/reasons-to-take-the-stairs-2509609
Healthline. HIIT Benefits: 7 Reasons to Try High Intensity Interval Training. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-hiit

The post Top 5 StairMaster Workouts appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

Barre Workout: A Complete Guide

Tue, 19 Jul 2022 20:27:31 +0200

Last year 3.66 million people in the U.S. participated in a barre workout.¹ It’s a workout that’s popular among celebrities and regular folks alike. In fact, Natalie Portman famously used barre workouts to get in shape for her role as a professional ballerina in Black Swan.²

So why the hype? What is a barre workout?

While the exact workout will vary from class to class and teacher to teacher, a barre workout draws from ballet, Pilates, yoga, and cardio to give you an intense workout. Originally some studios marketed barre as a way to help you build muscles like a professional dancer.

Today, the workout has gained traction with millions of people looking for a challenging, dance-inspired workout—and you could be next.

Grounded in Professional Dance

A barre exercise takes its name from the ballet barre used in many dance classes. In a traditional ballet class, a portion of the class takes place with dancers using a waist-high wooden bar for balance as they drill dance moves to increase their strength and perfect their technique.³

Created by German dancer Lotte Berk in her New York studio in the 1970s,² barre uses ballet moves as a jumping off point for a full body workout class. Many of the current pure barre workouts use Berk’s techniques, and some barre studios were even founded by her studio’s former instructors.²

Today, most barre instructors have a professional dance background.²

Many barre classes use dance terms like:

Passé – Your working foot (i.e. the foot that’s moving) moves in front of or behind your standing foot (i.e. the foot supporting your weight).
Relevé – For this second position, you rise on your tiptoes, moving from a flat-footed position with softly bended knees to the balls of your feet. This move targets your calf muscles.
Rond de jambe – With turned out feet, you raise either the left foot or right foot in front of you and slowly move it behind you, keeping your raised leg at an equal height throughout. This move targets your glutes and inner thigh muscles.
Plié – With your feet turned out, you bend your knees and lower toward the floor, keeping your torso upright.

It may seem like legs are the emphasis for a barre exercise, but the truth is your entire body gets a workout. While the dance vocabulary can add a fun element, don’t worry if you find it unfamiliar. Barre enthusiasts come from all walks of life. Your instructor will demonstrate each move and you can follow along visually until you’re plié-ing like a pro.

A Famously Intense Workout

If you thrive on a challenge, a barre workout might be for you. Many of the moves feel so intense your muscles will start burning and shaking within minutes. Even professional ballet dancers say they find barre workouts difficult.²

A typical barre class takes about an hour and focuses on four areas of the body:

Inner Thighs
Arms
Abdomen
Gluteal muscles

Most barre movements use small, precise, targeted movements to strengthen muscles without necessarily adding bulk.² Instructors spend much of class telling students to hold one position and then move a limb up and down an inch for an extended period of time.

Intense workouts like barre can appeal to people starting or returning to fitness who want to see physical results from their sweat. Barre can also help experienced athletes. One physical therapist recommends barre to dancers looking to cross train.⁹

Your Typical Class

A typical barre workout incorporates classical ballet, Pilates and cardio, all set to music in a friendly environment. A barre instructor calls out and demonstrates the movements. Once class begins, one movement flows into another, propelling you through a non-stop workout.

Most barre classes feature:

A warm-up
Hand weights and mat work
Standing exercises utilizing the barre

While barre draws inspiration from ballet, it leaves out the complicated choreography. Movement sequences are easy to learn and simple to execute—at least until you start feeling that good burn.

What to Wear

You’ve read up on barre workouts and decided to try one. The next question is: what to wear?

Most barre instructors recommend students wear:

Leggings
A fitted t-shirt or tank top
Socks

Fitted, comfortable clothes can let you move freely. They also allow your instructor to evaluate your form and give you specific feedback about ways to improve your exercise experience.

Socks imitate the smoothe glide of ballet slippers and give your feet some protection, without obscuring or restricting your foot movement like sneakers would. Some barre studios sell specially branded socks, but any ankle sock will serve your purposes.

Lastly, some barre classes do allow or prefer students to go barefoot or wear soft dance slippers. You can always come prepared with a pair of socks (or dance shoes, if you have them) and ask your instructor before class what they’d prefer you use.

Embrace the Shake: Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Bar Class

Like any new exercise style, barre can feel unusual the first time you try it. This can prove especially true If your fitness experience comes from sports, weightlifting, or a non-ballet dance class.

Try these tips to benefit as much as possible from your first few barre classes.

Eat beforehand – You may be wondering about what to eat before a workout. Health experts recommend eating a complete meal including carbs, protein, and fat between two to three hours before your class. Protein in particular can improve muscle strength, performance, recovery, and growth. Eating closer to class can help too, although the closer to class you eat the simpler and lighter your meal should be.⁴
Stretch and warmup – While most classes include warm-ups, you can further support your success by showing up early to warm-up and stretch on your own beforehand. This is especially beneficial if you’ve worked out the day prior and find yourself asking, “should I workout while sore?” You can warm your muscles up by jogging or moving in place for a few minutes. (Yes, speed walking to class counts.) Then stretch gently, moving deeper into a stretch until you feel tension. Hold that position, breathing deeply for 15 to 30 seconds, before moving on to your next stretch.⁵
Hydrate – Sweating while exercising can dehydrate you, causing headaches, fatigue, muscle cramps, and weakness. To help you perform at your best, drink water before, during, and after class. Avoid chugging water all at once. Instead, aim to slowly and steadily take sips over the course of a few hours to replace the liquid you’ll sweat out during your barre workout.
Focus on small movements – With barre, the power often comes from keeping your movements small. If your workout normally involves big movements like running or lunges, this can feel counterintuitive. But small, precise, repetitive movement can exercise your muscles in a unique and effective way.
Focus on your tuck – A pelvic tilt, known in barre as a tuck, comes up frequently in class. To execute the movement correctly, focus on shifting your pelvis forward while pulling your abs in. Following your instructor’s advice on exactly how to perform each movement can help you reduce the risk of injury.
Embrace the shakes – If your muscles start shaking fifteen minutes into an hour long class, it might feel like you’ve bitten off more than you can chew. But in barre, shaking muscles are a good sign. Shaking means you’ve pushed yourself so that your muscles work their hardest.

Long-Term Benefits of Barre Workouts

After researching barre, you showed up to your first bar class and loved it. The music, the challenge, and the class camaraderie gave the exact workout vibes you hoped it would. You’re hooked. But your best friend is currently a puddle of sweat who needs some more convincing to come back next week.

Here’s some long-term barre benefits that can keep every student motivated:⁶

Increased muscle strength – Regular bar workouts can boost arm, thigh, glute, pelvic floor muscles, and core strength. Strengthened muscles can help improve your balance, help you maintain a healthy weight, help keep your joints flexible, and help maintain your muscle mass as you age.
Improved muscular endurance – Regular bar method workouts can improve your muscle endurance, which in turn can increase your stamina in everyday life and lower your risk of developing health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
More flexibility – The stretching incorporated into barre workouts can improve your flexibility and the range of motion in your joints, making day-to-day movements more comfortable and reducing stiffness.
Denser bones – Over time, regular barre workouts can help maintain or increase your bone density, lowering your risk for osteoporosis (and the broken bones that can come with it).

Once you’ve attended enough barre classes to learn how to execute each movement correctly, you can supplement your in-class workouts with the occasional at home workout as well. You only need a mat, and a sturdy waist-high object like a counter that you can use for balance.

Try a Chuze Barre Fitness Class Near You

Can’t find a barre studio? At Chuze Fitness, we offer a range of fun, friendly, satisfying fitness classes to help you meet your health goals—including Chuze Barre.

Chuze Barre uses elements from ballet, yoga, and Pilates to create a low impact, high-intensity workout. Our expert instructors lead you through a precisely crafted program that strengthens and conditions your body by focusing on isometric training, posture, and alignment. To motivate you even more, you can even listen to our Spotify workout playlist.

So come try our dance-inspired workout by searching for one of the “gyms near me” online. We can’t wait to help you discover exactly why millions of people love barre.

Reviewed By:

Sources:

Statista. Participants in barre workouts in the U.S. 2013-2021. https://www.statista.com/statistics/756717/barre-workout-participants-us/
New York Times. Lining Up to the Barre. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/12/fashion/at-ballet-workouts-getting-that-dancer-physique.html
Dance Magazine. The Best Boutique Fitness Classes for Dancers. https://www.dancemagazine.com/boutique-fitness-classes-for-dancers/
Healthline. Pre-Workout Nutrition: What to Eat Before a Workout. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/eat-before-workout#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3
Healthline. Stretching. https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise-stretching#common-beliefs
Healthline. The Many Benefits of Barre. https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-barre
Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. What Happens in a Typical Ballet Class? https://cpyb.org/what-happens-in-a-typical-ballet-class/
Better Health Channel. Exercise – the low-down on hydration. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/Exercise-the-low-down-on-water-and-drinks#what-to-drink-when-exercising

The post Barre Workout: A Complete Guide appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

Circuit Training vs. HIIT: 3 Differences

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 20:23:28 +0200

Group fitness classes are an enjoyable way to get active and get social, whether you’re into spin, yoga, barre, Pilates, or boot camp-style workouts. Typically you’ll find two types of strength workouts—circuit training and high intensity interval training (HIIT).

So, what’s the difference between circuit training vs HIIT?

Both circuit training and HIIT feature intervals of activity and movement interspersed with periods of rest. However, they differ in duration, intensity, and types of exercises performed.

#1 Duration

One major difference between circuit training vs interval training is the length of each individual exercise and the workout as a whole. Let’s take a deeper dive into how each workout is structured:

HIIT – HIIT pairs brief bursts of high intensity exercise with longer periods of rest or active recovery to increase your heart rate and jumpstart your metabolism—think sprinting all out for a minute followed by a few minutes of walking or jogging.
Circuit training – Circuit training typically aims to target each major muscle group by incorporating individual stations where one exercise is performed.¹ Each station features a different type of movement, with the goal being to either complete a specific number of repetitions before switching to the next station or to work for a set period of time (usually a few minutes), with a short rest period in between.

Although HIIT does feature a circuit structure where you switch between different movements, this is compressed into a much shorter window of time, often between 10 to 30 minutes.² This can make HIIT classes a great option if you want to squeeze in a quality workout in a short period of time.

On the other hand, a circuit workout is performed at a less intense pace, making these full-body workouts much longer—anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.

#2 Intensity

Another way to differentiate between HIIT vs circuit training is by noting the intensity of each workout.

Just as the name implies, HIIT classes can be pretty intense! What do we mean when we say high intensity? “High intensity” is usually defined as reaching at least 80% of your heart rate’s maximum capacity during exercise.³ That said, HIIT aims to hit that benchmark during the active intervals, with active recovery or rest periods in between.

The ferocity of a HIIT workout provides several benefits that include:

Burning calories and fat faster
Improving your muscle’s ability to use oxygen
Boosting your aerobic and anaerobic performance
Potentially lowering blood pressure and blood sugar

Circuit training workouts are typically performed at low or moderate intensity over a longer stretch of time, making it a great option for someone who wants to get a comprehensive full-body workout without putting their body under too much stress. Circuit training is also easy to scale up or down in intensity, allowing you to adjust to your own individual preferences.

That said, circuit training may help to:

Improve muscle endurance
Increase muscle strength
Jumpstart your metabolism
Promote weight loss⁴

#3 Types of Exercise

While you might find many of the same movements in a HIIT or a circuit training workout, the way that you perform each exercise differs since each type of exercise aims to achieve a different outcome—circuit training aims to improve cardiovascular and muscular fitness level, while a HIIT session aims to burn fat and carbohydrates.

That being said, HIIT focuses on high-intensity movements that increase your heart rate, including cardio and bodyweight routines. This can type of workout can include:⁵:

Sprints
Mountain climbers
Plank jumping jacks
Star jumps
Burpees

Circuit training classes will usually aim to work out all of your major muscle groups, giving you a great head-to-toe sweat session. Because circuit training typically includes a number of different stations, you’ll also perform a variety of movements. A typical circuit training class will consist of high-volume, low-resistance exercises:

Bodyweight exercises like squats, lunges, or push ups
A cardio workout like jump rope, jogging, or jumping jacks
Curls or squats using light weights, kettlebells, or medicine balls
Active recovery movements where you stretch or walk

It’s a fun way to get a full-body workout in while also keeping movement fresh and interesting! It also offers the benefits of both strength training and aerobic activity, which can both have major mood-boosting and heart-supporting benefits.⁴

Diving to circuit training or HIIT routine without preparing your body can have consequences. So it’s natural to have questions before trying either workout, such as, “Should I work out while sore?” or “What to eat before a workout?” These are fair questions to ask especially when you are considering other exercises, such as StairMaster workouts, barre workouts, or Yoga vs Pilates workouts.

Circuit Training and HIIT at Chuze Fitness

Whether you’re a circuit training superstar or a HIIT fanatic, you’ll find a workout that you love at Chuze Fitness. We’re all about keeping fitness fun and friendly with a variety of team training, yoga, and Zumba fitness classes. While working out, you can even listen to our Spotify workout playlist. Make sure to search for “gyms near me” to find your local Chuze Fitness location to attend our classes.

Find one of our ultra-clean, ultra-affordable locations near you and join the fun today.

Reviewed By:

Sources:

Hospital For Special Surgery. What’s the Difference Between Circuit and HIIT. https://www.hss.edu/playbook/whats-the-difference-between-circuit-training-and-hiit/
Healthline. Benefits of HIIT. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-hiit#what-it-is
Vox. How to Get the Most Out of Your Exercise Time, According to Science. https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/1/10/18148463/high-intensity-interval-training-hiit-orangetheory
Healthline. Benefits of Circuit Training. https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/benefits-of-circuit-training#benefits
Shape. HIIT Workout Exercise. https://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/hiit-workout-exercises
Healthline. The Benefits of Circuit Training Include Busting Boredom and Getting Fit, Fast. https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/benefits-of-circuit-training

The post Circuit Training vs. HIIT: 3 Differences appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

Yoga vs. Pilates: What’s The Difference?

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 20:19:58 +0200

You want to try a new workout, so you go online to check out the classes offered at your local gym. Yoga and Pilates both sound intriguing. They both promise increased strength and flexibility—and they both show photos of happy, fit people holding poses on mats.

But what are the differences between yoga and Pilates?

While both yoga and Pilates exercise offer a host of physical and mental benefits, they have several important differences, in their history, their effects on your mind and body, as well as what you can expect from a typical class.

Comparing yoga vs Pilates can help you choose the discipline that best matches your fitness and life goals.

Rich History vs. Modern Innovation

While both yoga and Pilates exercise focus on moving through certain poses in a way that builds strength and flexibility, the disciplines have different origins. The unique historical context in which they each developed means yoga and Pilates classes tend to have different focuses.

Yoga

Much like running and wrestling, people have practiced yoga for thousands of years. Yoga originated in India, where people have practiced and taught it in different ways over the centuries.

Modern yoga practice started about 150 years ago, influenced by the publication of Swami Vivekananda’s 1986 book Raja Yoga and his appearance at the 1893 Parliament of World Religions in Chicago. Vivekananda took elements from classical Hindu yoga and repackaged it in a way that appealed to Americans and to Indians influenced by Western culture and religion.¹

Since then, modern yoga has gained in popularity, spreading across the world.

Yoga uses a series of poses paired with mindful deep breathing technique to promote:

Muscle Strength
Flexibility
Mental discipline
Inner peace

Some yoga classes can feel intensely customized for a westernized, results-driven world—for example, you might find an “office chair” based yoga workshop given at a workplace to help employees reduce stress.

In other ways, yoga’s roots show more clearly. Yoga poses have both Sanskrit and English names, and you may hear an instructor use both in a class.²

Yoga’s history as a spiritual discipline and meditative practice mean yoga exercise classes can focus more on breath and mindfulness than a typical Western exercise class.

Pilates

In contrast to yoga’s ancient roots, the creation of Pilates workout was relatively recent.

Physical trainer Joseph Pilates created the practice in the 1920s to help with rehabilitation. Some of the first Pilates students included soldiers returning from war and professional dancers such as Martha Graham and George Balanchine. Both groups sought to heal aches and recover from injuries.

Pilates created his exercise program to:³

Improve flexibility
Improve strength
Improve body awareness

Pilates acts as a resistance exercise, similar to weight lifting. In a Pilates session, your instructor guides you through a series of movements, encouraging you to focus on your core muscles, your breath, your muscle contractions, and your spinal alignment. Doing a movement fully and correctly matters more than the number of times you do it.

Some movements incorporate specially designed machines. You can perform other floorwork-based movements with only your body and a mat. If a gym doesn’t have access to machines, they can offer a mat Pilates class instead.

In part because of its history as a rehabilitation tool, instructors can easily modify Pilates movements to accommodate your physical limitations. Always tell your instructor if you have an injury or other physical condition they should know about.

Physical Benefits

Broadly speaking, yoga and Pilates have similar physical benefits. Both can increase strength and flexibility.^{2, 3} However, the way those benefits manifest can differ.

Yoga

Several studies have examined yoga’s potential health benefits.

These include:

Reduced back pain – For some people, weekly yoga classes can relieve symptoms of low back pain just as well as regular, vigorous stretching sessions can.²
Strengthened bones – One study showed increased bone density in the spines and hips of yoga practitioners.²
Improved balance – Another study found ten weeks of yoga improved the balance of the athletes who participated in the study.²

If there’s a specific health benefit you hope to achieve, you can talk to your doctor and a yoga instructor about whether or not yoga could help meet your health goal.

Pilates

Studies also suggest numerous health benefits for Pilates practitioners.

These include potential increases in:³

Stability
Core strength
Overall strength
Flexibility

Importantly, Pilates can also prove an effective option for those recovering from injury because it offers lower impact on your joints.³ Endless customization options means that in one-on-one settings with an experienced instructor, Pilates can prove an accessible exercise option for rehabilitation after an injury. For example, one study showed reductions in back pain among Pilates users.³

When it comes to Pilates vs yoga, both could offer you promising physical results.

Mental Health Benefits

While exercise classes typically target physical benefits, yoga and Pilates can potentially offer mental health benefits as well.

Yoga

Yoga’s positive mental health effects have been well documented.

Possible benefits include:

Improved visuospatial memory – Study participants who practiced yoga and meditation improved their visuospatial memory, which helps with balance, depth perception, and our ability to both recognize objects and move throughout the world.²
Reduced stress – One study found yoga helped women reduce mental distress, along with psychological and physical symptoms of stress.²
Alleviated symptoms of depression and anxiety – Researchers also found that yoga helped alleviate depression and anxiety for a group of coal miners with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.²

Yoga can also serve as an accessible entry point for people looking for a calm, non-competitive exercise atmosphere.

Pilates

While the specific mental health benefits of Pilates have not been as well documented as yoga, studies suggest that any regular exercise can have a positive effect on your mental health.

Various studies suggest regular exercise can improve your mental health by:⁴

Reducing anxiety
Reducing depression
Reducing negative moods
Improving self-esteem
Improving cognitive function
Encouraging social participation

Regularly attending a Pilates class can give you a way to work to improve your physical and mental health, while joining your local Pilates community.

Pilates vs Yoga: What to Expect In Class

Yoga and Pilates differ in plenty of ways, including the class experience itself.

Yoga

Yoga classes can vary greatly depending on the type of class you take.

Common types of classes include:²

Hatha yoga – This refers to yoga that focuses on the physical aspects of yoga, rather than the philosophical, and encompasses most types of yoga taught in the U.S.
Ashtanga yoga – A physically challenging practice, ashtanga yoga comprises a progressive series of poses that culminate in advanced forms like arm balances and headstands. This style also includes yoga’s philosophical components.
Power yoga – Focused on strength building, this style includes advanced poses like inversions that require plenty of strength.
Vinyasa/Flow yoga – This style utilizes energetic flow sequences. It can include challenging poses but a teacher may also choose to include more accessible alternatives appropriate for beginners. Many vinyasa classes include soothing music.
Iyengar yoga – This style focuses on pose precision and incorporates props like blankets, blocks, and straps to help students attempt poses they otherwise couldn’t. It also focuses on breathing and can include references to yoga philosophy.
Bikram/hot yoga – Performed in an intensely heated room, these poses provide stretching and a cardiovascular workout. Teachers conduct Bikram classes specifically at 105 degrees in mirrored rooms.
Restorative yoga – Focusing on relaxation, restorative yoga focuses on a few restful poses that include light twists and gentle backbends. It can also incorporate props like blankets and blocks.
Yin yoga – Yin yoga aims to increase flexibility. Students hold a single pose for three to five minutes to stretch the connective tissue around the pelvis, sacrum, and spine.

As with any genre of exercise class, we recommend trying multiple teachers to discover the teaching styles that best support you.

Pilates

As we’ve mentioned, Pilates classes come in two categories:

Mat classes
Classes that use Pilates machines

With both styles, your instructor will help you focus on the flow of your movement and on your core muscles. In addition to the original movements developed by Joseph Pilates, instructors often start with warm-up movements.³

You can also choose between private sessions with an instructor vs group classes. Group classes provide a more affordable way to try out Pilates in general and different instructors in particular. However, individual sessions might work better if you require customizations on most or all of the movements and want the instructor’s undivided attention, such as when you’re recovering from a serious injury.

Knowing what to expect in class can help you get the most out of your yoga or Pilates experience.

Other workout tips:

Aside from exploring Yoga or Pilates, you should also incorporate other routines, like stairmaster workouts or a barre workout. You can also decide on circuit training vs HIIT. The point is try various exercises in your workout.

But before you get started, assess your body’s condition. Feel out your muscles and ask yourself, “Should I work out while sore?” If you push your body too hard, you might get injured. Lastly, be mindful of your diet by researching what to eat before a workout.

Explore Yoga and Pilates with Chuze Fitness

Whether you’re itching for a new way to strength train or looking to find a restorative stretch in your workout routine, you may find your new favorite practice in a Pilates or yoga class. But whichever exercise style you reach for, be sure to find a setting that supports your whole health and wellness journey.

At Chuze Fitness, we welcome everyone, from the fitness experts to the people who need a refresher on the difference between yoga and Pilates. We offer a friendly, affordable, spotless, well-equipped workout environment—complete with fun fitness classes to try by yourself or with friends. You can also listen to our Spotify playlist to be extra motivated.

So find one of the gyms near me and explore Pilates, yoga, or any other fitness opportunity that excites you. Because we believe exercise can be fun, and taking care of your health is for everyone.

Reviewed By:

Sources:

Yoga Journal. Yoga History 101. https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/balance/yoga-history-101/
New York Times. Yoga for Everyone. https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/beginner-yoga
MedicineNet. Pilates. https://www.medicinenet.com/pilates/article.htm
The Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. Exercise for Mental Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470658/#:~:text=Exercise%20improves%20mental%20health%20by,self%2Desteem%20and%20cognitive%20function.&text=Exercise%20has%20also%20been%20found,self%2Desteem%20and%20social%20withdrawal.
Yoga Journal. Yoga History 101. https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/balance/yoga-history-101/

The post Yoga vs. Pilates: What’s The Difference? appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

Should I Workout While Sore?

Thu, 07 Jul 2022 16:22:04 +0200

Do you typically enjoy stairmaster workouts? How about a barre workout? Or maybe you’re contemplating between Yoga vs Pilates or circuit training vs HIIT? Whatever your chosen workout, make sure to be aware of your body’s limitations. If you’re someone who stays active, you’re no stranger to sore muscles. Sometimes, even a mild workout can leave you with burning biceps, tender glutes, or aching abdominals the next day.

When you experience aching muscles, you might find yourself wondering, should I work out while sore?

When working out is part of your regular routine, you’re likely to hesitate before skipping the gym due to muscle soreness. The good news is, you might not need to. Although there are some risks associated with working out while your muscles are sore, doing so is not completely out of the question. In fact, it can even be good for you—and your muscles. Here’s what to know.

Why Working Out When You’re Sore Can Be a Good Thing

Each person’s body is different, so knowing your personal limits is key to exercising safely. While a big part of staying fit is pushing yourself a little bit further each time, pushing yourself too far can result in injury.

That said, there can be benefits to pushing through your workout even when your muscles are sore. In fact, a certain amount of muscle soreness can be a sign that your workout is, well, working.

Why is that?

When you experience muscle pain after a workout, known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), it’s because of tiny tears in your muscles and/or breakdown of the connective tissues that surround them.

This type of damage is normal after exercise, especially if you’re focusing on a new muscle group or exercise style. When this happens, damaged muscle tissue, blood vessels, and immune cells activate a kind of skeletal muscle cell known as satellite cells.¹

These are special cells that form when your muscles experience trauma and, in response, they perform two vital tasks:

Repair damaged muscles – Satellite cells fuse with damaged muscle tissue, helping to repair those microscopic tears sustained during your workout.

Grow new muscles – Satellite cells are somewhat dormant, until your muscles experience trauma. Then, they re-enter your cellular system and start proliferating and building new muscle.

In other words, that microscopic damage your muscles sustain during your workout actually encourages the muscle growth we colloquially refer to as “gains” by waking up cells that build and repair muscle.

How to Work Out When You’re Sore

So, should you work out when sore? You can, but there are some things you should know before hitting the gym with muscle pain.²

Firstly, it’s important to determine whether your soreness is a standard case of DOMS or a more severe injury. While working out with sore muscles is generally okay, working out with an injury can make matters worse. Signs of injury include:

Pain that lasts for longer than 48-72 hours
Nausea
Numbness, swelling, or tingling
Bruising
Loss of function

Once you’ve verified that you aren’t injured, exercising when your muscles are sore might actually be better for you than skipping your routine. If you do work out when sore, you can give these exercises a try:

Active recovery workouts – These are low-intensity exercises that promote blood flow, which helps your muscles recover. Walking, swimming, and cycling are excellent examples of active recovery workouts you can try when your muscles ache.

Alternate workout focus – Waking up with sore legs after leg day is no reason to skip the gym altogether. Instead, focus on a different muscle group, like your arms or chest, or switch to an exercise that doesn’t ask a lot of your legs.

Full-range exercises – Activities that force you to put your body through its full range of motion can be beneficial to your sore muscles. Exercises like cycling, walking, and yoga increase your blood flow, which encourages muscle elasticity and brings nutrients to your muscles to help relieve soreness.

Weight training – Weight training can help you learn more about your body’s limitations. That way, you know if you can take on a more intense workout or lighten up the load. Whatever your choice, the most important thing is working within your comfort zone.

What Are The Risks of Working Out When Sore?

If you’re wondering “should I workout when sore,” you should be aware of the associated risks. As mentioned above, sore muscles don’t have to get in the way of your physical fitness. But overdoing it can be detrimental. The following symptoms are just some signs that you might want to take it easy:

Increased muscle or joint pain
Above-average resting heart rate
Fatigue
Lack of appetite

If you’re experiencing these symptoms, it might be time to see your healthcare provider.

Work Out At Chuze Fitness

Should you work out when sore? Yes, if you do it wisely. But if you’re not quite sure how to work out safely with sore muscles, the friendly folks at Chuze Fitness can help you develop a routine that soothes your muscles and keeps you fit. That way, you won’t cause further muscle damage.

At Chuze Fitness, we’re passionate about helping people achieve their physical fitness goals. You might be wondering, “Is there are Chuze gym near me?”With many convenient locations in different states, fitness classes for all levels, and even a playlist tailor-made to boost your motivation, you’ll wonder why you didn’t “chuze” us earlier.

Get started today.

Reviewed By:

Sources:

Frontiers. Satellite Cells in Human Skeletal Muscle Plasticity. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2015.00283/full
Healthline. What You Should Know About Working Out When Sore. https://www.healthline.com/health/working-out-when-sore#benefits

The post Should I Workout While Sore? appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

What to Eat Before a Workout

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 16:21:02 +0200

Interested in trying StairMaster workouts? How about a Barre workout? Maybe you are deciding between Yoga vs Pilates or circuit training vs HIIT. Whatever the case may be, a great workout starts before you even set foot on the spin bike or pick up a barbell—feeding your body well plays a significant role in keeping your body happy, healthy, and moving to give you the energy you need to power through your last set of reps.

You probably already know that protein can help repair your muscles after a strenuous sweat session, but what should you eat before a workout? If you’re looking for invigorating options to fuel your next training, opt for carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

What Should I Look for in a Pre-Workout Snack?

If you skip eating before your workout or haven’t had enough to eat that day, you’ll likely feel dizzy, lightheaded, and unable to crush your workout. However, feeling too full or eating a dense meal before working out might not sit well with your stomach and may leave you feeling less than your best.

That being said, a pre-workout snack should be easily digestible to avoid any discomfort while you exercise. But it must also be satiating and packed full of the macronutrients you need to energize your body.

Your body uses the macronutrients in food to power your muscles and your brain—think of macronutrients as the fuel powering your internal engine. These macronutrients include:¹

Complex Carbohydrates – Complex carbohydrates, which are found in foods like beans, grains, brown rice, bread, and fruits, provide your body with glucose that is converted into glycogen, which your muscles depend on for energy.
Lean Protein – Lean protein, which you can get from meat, poultry, fish, eggs, lentils or nuts, serves as the “building block” of your body, providing the structure and support needed to repair and renew muscles and power your body’s many internal processes.
Healthy Fat – Dietary fat can help to promote a feeling of fullness as well as provide important nutrients like omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Now if your goal for working out is weight loss or losing belly fat, you might be worried that these foods might just add to your body weight. But the point of eating them is not only to fuel your workout but also getting the right nutrients. Depending on when you plan on working out, your pre-workout meal or snack should incorporate a balance of these macronutrients into your diet to ensure your workout is fueled properly.

That being said, you’ll want to customize your pre-workout snack depending on the time of your next workout.

What Should I Eat Several Hours Before a Workout?

You’ve been looking forward to it all day—your favorite group fitness class that’s scheduled just 30 minutes after your work day ends.

Since you probably won’t have the time to fit in a pre-workout snack in between finishing the day’s tasks and packing your things, you’ll need to supercharge your lunch with a pre-workout plate that’s packed with nutrients.

A protein-heavy plate with healthy fats and whole grains is the best meal to eat before a workout, such as:

Pasta with fresh greens and chicken sausage
Grilled fish with wild rice and avocado
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread
An omelet filled with your favorite veggies with a side of protein-packed Greek yogurt
Oatmeal with nut butter and berries

If you have the time, you may also want to “top up” your energy a half hour to an hour beforehand with a light but carb-heavy snack. This way, you also won’t be relying too much on protein powder.

What Should I Eat an Hour Before a Workout?

If you’re planning on heading to the gym in an hour or so, you probably don’t want to eat a full meal to avoid feeling queasy or overly full during your exercise. Instead, you should opt for a slightly lighter but still filling “mini-meal” that’ll give you the boost you need without slowing you down.

Look for options that serve up plenty of carbs and a bit of protein—eating a high-carb snack an hour before working out has been shown to increase performance and boost your mood.²

Some of our favorite mini-meals that feature energy-packed complex carbohydrates and muscle-building protein include:

Whole wheat toast or a rice cake with nut butter
A hardboiled egg and a piece of fruit
A smoothie with banana, peanut butter, Greek yogurt, berries, and spinach
Trail mix with nuts like cashews or almonds and dried fruit like raisins
A protein bar and an apple

What Should I Eat 30 Minutes Before a Workout?

Decided spur of the moment to head to the gym or to take a virtual class on your phone with an app like iChuze? Make sure you’re fueled up! While you definitely don’t want to eat a heavy meal so soon before your workout, you still want to make sure that your body has everything it needs to work up a sweat.

When planning what to eat before a work out, you’ll want to opt for carb-heavy options for that instant burst of energy, while avoiding foods high in fat or fiber—these are more difficult for your body to digest and might cause a little discomfort if eaten right before exercising.³

Save your big meal for after the gym. Instead, look for quick, easy-to-digest options filled with energy-packed carbohydrates that you can snack on while getting your gym playlist fired up like:

A banana or an apple (add a tablespoon of nut butter on the side for extra satiety)
Pretzels
Applesauce
A sports drink or an energy gel

No matter what time you’re eating, make sure you’re also pairing those snacks with plenty of water—hydration is key to helping your body feel its best before, during, and after a workout. The point of your pre workout snack or meal is to aid in your exercise goal, whether that’s strength training, muscle growth, etc.

Of course, what’s just as important as your diet is to assess the condition of your body. Perhaps you’ve wondered, “Should I work out while sore?” The answer depends on your body’s limits. If you push yourself too hard, you might get injured.

Fuel Your Body at Chuze Fitness

Once you have your protein, carb, and a fat-heavy pre workout meal or snacks planned, all that’s left to do is choose a gym that meets your needs.

At Chuze Fitness, we aren’t just about fitness classes. We’re all about awesome amenities paired with the friendliest community. We’re en-chuze-iastic about offering a well-equipped, fun, totally welcoming experience in a clean, convenient location, all at an affordable price.

Plus, at select locations, we offer Chuze Blends to refresh and refuel your body.

Don’t miss out on an all-inclusive gym experience—find a Chuze Fitness near you today. With many locations, its as easy as searching for “gym near me.”

Reviewed By:

Sources:

HealthLine. Pre-Workout Nutrition. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/eat-before-workout#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3
Forbes. What to Eat Before a Workout. https://www.forbes.com/health/body/what-to-eat-before-workout/
Hospital for Special Surgery. Here’s What to Eat Before and After a Workout. https://www.hss.edu/article_eat-before-after-workout.asp
VeryWell Fit. What to Eat Before Exercise. https://www.verywellfit.com/what-to-eat-before-exercise-3120662

The post What to Eat Before a Workout appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

Five Health Benefits of Fitness Trackers

Tue, 14 Jun 2022 23:17:55 +0200

Fitness trackers have been around ever since Thomas Jefferson started tinkering with his watch in order to count his steps.¹ Calorie-conscious Founding Fathers aside, wearables like Fitbit and Apple Watch have become common accessories for many exercisers in the last decade. Even if you haven’t yet purchased a dedicated fitness tracker, your phone is probably counting your steps right now.

Considering how ubiquitous wearables have become, let’s take a closer look at the health benefits of fitness trackers and how these handy devices can level up your workout routine.

#1 Maintaining Motivation to Exercise

While some of us are hard-wired workout machines that never miss a day at the gym, many others need that extra bit of accountability to maintain a healthy exercise schedule. A wearable fitness tracker can be like a little coach that you strap to your wrist, reminding you to stick to your fitness goals.

These bits of motivating data include:

Monitoring your daily steps
Tallying your calories burned
Recording your workout performance

Research has shown that motivation and accountability are the most reliable benefits of using a wearable fitness tracker.²

Whether you have a morning or evening workout, finishing any workout is a rewarding experience, but there’s something extra satisfying about getting to the end of a session (whether you’re exercising on your own or joined group exercise classes) and having your fitness tracker tell you that you just beat your previous best pace. Aside from motivation to reach your goal, the fitness tracker also helps answer the question, “How many reps should I do?”

#2 Keeping Track of Heart Rate

But whoa, speedster—slow down there. Sometimes, striving to beat your best can mean pushing yourself beyond what’s healthy. You also need to be mindful of your heart health. One of the other benefits of a fitness tracker is that you can use them as a heart rate monitor. Your tracker will let you know if you’re going too hard—or not hard enough.

Your wearable likely calculates this for you, but as a reminder, your maximum heart rate is determined by subtracting your age from 220.³ So, for example, if you’re 40 years old, your maximum heart rate comes out to 180.

The basic guidelines for a healthy heart rate during exercise are:

Moderate intensity: 50% – 70% of your maximum heart rate.
High intensity: 70% – 85% of your maximum heart rate.

As you approach each workout, remember that it’s important to listen to your body. Fitness trackers are a useful tool, but you ultimately have to judge what level of exercise is safe and healthy for your body.

#3 Monitoring Sleep Schedules

Our fitness tracking devices don’t stop working just because we’re done exercising. Wearable fitness trackers can also be used to record our sleep schedules. Most devices do this by measuring various metrics like your heart rate and movement during the night. They can then assess whether or not we’re getting enough sleep—and whether or not that sleep is restful or fitful.

Paying attention to your sleep habits is an often overlooked part of a healthy lifestyle. And if you’re wearing a fitness tracker, it can even hold you accountable when you creep out of bed for that midnight snack…

#4 Calorie Counting and Sticking with a Diet

All wearable fitness trackers—and even most phones—offer calorie-counting programs that detect how many calories you’re burning at any given moment by monitoring your body’s metrics. While it’s good to know how many calories you’re incinerating during exercise, it’s equally useful to know how many calories you’re consuming—especially if one of your fitness goals is to lose weight.

Fitness trackers can help dieters log what they’re eating. Many offer barcode scanners that will input calories into your tracker directly from a package’s health information.

Plus, don’t forget about water! Fitness trackers can also be used to log water consumption, making sure exercisers stay hydrated. Remember, our healthy hydration levels are:⁴

Around 92-124 oz per day

#5 Monitoring Medical Conditions

Fitness trackers can be about more than just beating your personal high score or counting calories. In fact, they can have a very real impact on those with medical conditions. Many fitness tracking devices can:

Send irregular heartbeat alerts to those with heart conditions (useful for people monitoring their RPE vs heartrate)
Monitor glucose levels (when integrated with another device) for those with diabetes
Send an alert if you suffer an accident while exercising

Stay Connected at Chuze Fitness

At Chuze, we believe that technology can be a useful tool to help our exercise community get the most out of their workouts. That’s why we’ve created the iChuze Fitness Experience. With a ton of virtual classes available—from cardio kickboxing to meditation—you can customize your entire wellness experience. Our dynamic platform even syncs with your Apple Watch for enhanced fitness tracking.

And don’t forget about the Chuze app—your pocket-sized fitness pal. Because we have different facilities in different states, it’s easy to find “iChuze gyms near me”. And to get you extra motivated to work out, we even have a playlist you can listen to.

With a little high-tech help to track our data, we Chuzers can focus on what really matters: your body, mind, and heart.

Reviewed By:

Sources:

Forbes. Thomas Jefferson Tracked His Steps Long Before The Apple Watch. https://www.forbes.com/sites/theodorecasey/2021/02/25/thomas-jefferson-tracked-his-steps-long-before-the-apple-watch/?sh=4b8b68a332e4
The American Journal of Medicine. Is There a Benefit to Patients Using Wearable Devices Such as Fitbit or Health Apps on Mobiles? A Systematic Review. https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(19)30553-4/pdf
Mayo Clinic. Exercise Intensity: How to Measure it. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise-intensity/art-20046887
Mayo Clinic. Water: How much should you drink every day? https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256#

The post Five Health Benefits of Fitness Trackers appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

3 Summer Workouts You’ll Love

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 23:15:52 +0200

Whether you practice your breaststroke at your local pool, hone your backhand on the neighborhood tennis courts, or you simply want to focus on improving your overall health and wellness, summer workouts just hit a little different. After all, what’s better than your quads feeling the sun and your ears filled with a pump-up mix as you gut out one more mile around the track? You got this, the warm wind seems to say.

That said, deciding on the right summer workouts can leave you sweating. Should you chalk up your hands and rock climb? Or, should you paddleboard into the splendid summer sunset?

Fortunately, we’re here to give you the summer workouts that’ll tone you up and never let you down. So, lace up those sneakers, crank up that 90s mix, and let’s get to work.

#1 Swim For Strength

Whether on the beach or pool, swimming is one of the best ways to beat the summer heat. From freestyle to backstroke, butterfly to breast, swimming has everything you need to improve strength and cardiovascular health.

In fact, swimming may be one of the best exercises for all-around health.¹

Moreover, you don’t have to be Michael Phelps lapping the competition to show off your aquatic side. All you need is a pair of goggles, a swimsuit, and the desire to turn any body of water into your personal workout room.

With that said, let’s dive into a few swimming workouts designed to increase your cardio—and fun—this summer.

Water Workouts

Depending on the water type, swimming allows you to focus on specific muscle groups and objectives.

Do you want to build endurance with cardio? Power your way through the pool. Want to build strength while developing your back and legs? Try focusing on your backstroke.

Here are the best swim workouts for each water type:²

Lap it up at the pool – This workout assumes you’re swimming in a 25-meter pool. (If your pool is smaller or larger, you’ll have to adjust accordingly). First, swim 200 meters in the stroke of your choice. Then, swim another 200 meters in a different stroke. Repeat until you’ve swam all four strokes for a total of 800 meters.
Swim against the ocean’s current – Here’s how to kick your swimming session up a notch: If you live near the sea, you have the opportunity to use the ocean’s current as resistance. To start, jog on the beach for ten minutes. Then, sprint into the ocean, swimming as hard as possible against the current for four minutes. Take a minute’s rest. Then, swim hard against the current for another four minutes before taking another minute’s rest. Repeat for twenty minutes.
Challenge a friend to a lake race – Swimming in the lake combines the benefits of the pool’s placidity with the ocean’s occasional roughness. Use the lake’s characteristics to your advantage by challenging a friend to a best-of-five lake sprint. The catch? Each race has different rules you must abide by. For instance, if your first race is “backstroke only,” your next race might be limited to butterfly. You might even limit your next race to “just arms.”

The muscle groups that swimming effects include the following:

Upper Body:

Biceps
Deltoids
Pectorals
Triceps
Wrist Flexors

Lower Body:

Calves
Hamstring
Glutes
Quads

Be careful when swimming, though, because if you don’t swim in proper form, you could end up in serious injury.

Swimming outside allows you to feel the wind and sun while gliding through the sparkling blue water.

However, if swimming outside isn’t an option, consider indoor pools. Some fitness centers include traditional gyms with swimming pools. That way, you can break a sweat lifting weights before cooling down with a few easy laps.

#2 Train on the Trail

Trail running combines the thrill of running with the adventure of nature. It’s a sport that demands attention and perseverance but rewards you with majestic views and the scent of pine trees swaying in late summer breezes.

It’s also one of the best summer exercises you can do for both your physical and mental health.³

Here’s what you’ll need to start putting in the miles on mountain trails, sandy beaches, and interesting backroads:

Trail shoes – While it may seem obvious that you’ll need shoes, trail running requires a different type of running shoe than other running activities. Look for shoes that have terrific traction and maximum cushioning. That way, your body will remain stable as you sprint over roots and jog between junipers.
Hydration vest – One of trail running’s primary benefits is its seclusion. Some runs may take you miles from civilization as you trek through truly awesome terrains. However, this also means you’ll need to be prepared—especially when it comes to hydration. Hydration vests provide you ample water while keeping your form sleek and unencumbered by water bottles.
Navigation and first aid equipment – A compass, GPS, and first aid kit are a must for trail running. That’s because trails can sometimes be misleading. One moment you’re dashing through dogwoods, and the next, you’re completely sidetracked with a small cut on your ankle. Like a hydration vest, navigation and first aid equipment can help you prepare for the unexpected.

Now that you know what you’ll need to jog through even the toughest terrain let’s explore one of the best trail running workouts: the inverted pyramid.

The Inverted Pyramid

Although its name sounds like the start of an archeological quest, the inverted pyramid is anything but outdated. In fact, it’s one of the top ways to build overall speed and endurance, beloved by beginners and advanced trail runners alike.

The workout involves running a series of intervals. Start by running long intervals before decreasing their lengths toward the middle of the workout. Then, build up their lengths again until you’re running long intervals to end the workout.

How many reps should you do? Here’s an example of an inverted pyramid workout routine for summer:⁴

Two 800-meter runs at a 5K pace
Two 400-meter runs at a mile pace
Two 200-meter runs at an 800-meter pace
Two 400-meter runs at a mile pace
Two 800 meter runs at a 5K pace

While trail running is perfect for anyone looking to raise their heart rates while taking in gorgeous views, it may be helpful for beginners to begin building their cardio in a gym.

Top gyms have an array of treadmills and ellipticals designed to train new trail runners for their long runs in the wild. Some gyms even have cinemas where runners can watch movies while building cardio. Talk about a heart-racing experience.

To drown out distractions, put on your AirPods and listen to our summer playlist. One of the benefits of trail running is you easily fit it into your schedule during the summer months. It could be a morning or evening workout as long as you find the time.

#3 Pose on a Paddleboard

Standup paddleboard yoga (SUP yoga) has gained immense popularity in recent years. That’s because this engaging summer workout merges the meditative, core-sculpting practices of yoga with the fun, reenergizing movements of paddleboarding.

Here’s what you’ll need to perfect your downward dog while feeling the lake’s gentle rolling waves:⁵

Paddleboard and paddle – Although any paddleboard will do for SUP yoga, the most yoga-friendly paddleboards are wide and cushiony. They’re also stable so that you don’t tumble into the water mid-leg extension. You’ll also need a properly-sized paddle.
Protective gear – In addition to a personal flotation device (PFD), you’ll need sunscreen, a whistle, and sunglasses. The last thing you want is to be pulled over on your paddleboard by the authorities for not having a PFD. You also don’t want to be burnt to a crisp while planking in the piercing August sun.
A paddleboard or kayak anchor – Paddleboard anchors are especially helpful for group yoga sessions. An anchor keeps your paddleboard in place so that you don’t drift away into the sunset in the middle of a squat pose.

The cost of a paddleboard largely depends on its size and construction. If you’re just starting out, it may be better to rent a paddleboard before buying a board, as they can sometimes be expensive.

SUP Yoga Workouts

The most effective SUP yoga workouts involve intense upper-body motions and prolonged core-strengthening exercises.

First, elevate your heart rate by paddling out to your yoga spot in the following method:⁶

Paddle at 70 percent of your energy for six minutes
Paddle at 75 percent of your energy for three minutes
“Sprint” paddle at 90% of your energy for one minute
Paddle at 25 percent of your energy for three minutes

Once you arrive at your yoga spot with your heart rate raised, jump into your favorite yoga poses. Some of the most popular SUP yoga poses and workouts include:

Sun salutation
Planks
Down dog
Cobra
Side stretches
Seated twists

Honing your planks on a paddleboard in the middle of a lake is a wonderful way to connect your body and mind to nature. It can be intimidating to try out these moves on your own, so you might want to take group exercise classes to help you learn the correct form. Taking workout classes for beginners also makes learning less intimidating because you are learning with other people.

However, some summer days may bring thunderstorms the size of Kansas. On those rainy days, practice your poses in a heated studio.

Even better? Practice your poses in a gym with a heated studio. That way, you can use free weights in the training area before finding your free flow in the yoga studio. To maximize your gym time, ask Siri or Alex for “gyms near me.” The lesser the commute, the longer the gym time.

Strengthen Summer Workouts with Chuze

Summer is a season of warm weather, laid-back vibes, and festive celebrations. It’s also a season of amazing workouts.

What better way to enjoy the stunning summer weather while breaking a sweat than to do these three summer workouts?

That said, sometimes, you’ll want to experience the positive vibes of summer in a gym that radiates kindness, authenticity, and cleanliness. On those days, your choice is easy: Chuze.

A fitness center that combines the luxury of a resort with the affordability of a recreational center, Chuze offers the amenities and classes you need to jumpstart your summer training program.

Whether you’re looking for free weights or a pool to practice your freestyle, Chuze can help you meet your fitness goals and feel that summer sunshine—inside and out.

Reviewed By:

Sources:

NIH. Effect of regular swimming exercise on the physical composition, strength, and blood lipid of middle-aged women. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4625655/
Men’s Journal. 9 Best Swimming Workouts for Summer. https://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/9-best-swimming-workouts-for-summer-20150626/
PubMed Central. Atmospheres, landscapes and nature: Off-road runners’ experiences of well-being. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6388409/
Outside. Try this Fun Inverted Pyramid Workout to Build Miler Speed. https://www.outsideonline.com/health/running/training-advice/workouts/try-this-fun-inverted-pyramid-workout-to-build-miler-speed/
REI. Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP) Yoga Basics. https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/sup-yoga.html
Men’s Journal. 3 Ways to Work Out on a Stand-up Paddleboard. https://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/3-best-ways-to-work-out-on-a-stand-up-paddleboard/

The post 3 Summer Workouts You’ll Love appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

6 Exercises To Lower Blood Pressure

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 23:10:23 +0200

When your doctor tells you that you have high blood pressure, the news might come with all sorts of recommendations, like avoiding stress, eating healthy foods, and—you guessed it—exercising.

But what does exercise have to do with blood pressure, and what activity helps the most?

Put simply, high blood pressure occurs when your blood pressure consistently measures above the normal range.¹ If it stays high, that may compromise your heart health and may lead to certain heart disease, such as hypertension and heart attack. The good thing is there are ways to keep normal blood pressure. Blood pressure reduction starts with a healthy diet, exercise training (such as aerobic exercise), and regular blood pressure monitor. But as your heart gains fitness through physical activity, it pumps blood more efficiently through your body, ultimately lowering your blood pressure level.

Fortunately, a variety of exercises can help to lower blood pressure—meaning you can choose the kind of movement you enjoy the most. Whatever activity you choose, aim for a minimum of 30 minutes per day and prepare to exercise your way to better heart health.²

#1 Walking

You might not think of walking as exercise, but it’s one of the most natural and accessible forms of physical activity available.

To start, all you need to do is lace up a pair of comfortable and supportive shoes and pick your favorite route. If you’re facing inclement weather, you can instead hit the treadmill, an indoor track, or a turf field.

Walking satisfies the two guiding factors for blood-pressure-lowering exercise. These include:²

Raising your heart rate and breathing rate
Moving sustainably for at least 30 minutes

If you want to work up a sweat or add an extra challenge, bring a pair of light dumbbells to pump. Or, simply increase your speed and focus on the sensation of your muscles contracting and relaxing.

#2 Running

No matter your pace, running can be an amazing way to raise your heart rate, exercise your lungs, and strengthen your heart. At the same time, you’ll also engage the large muscle groups in your legs.

For all these reasons, running can be an excellent activity to help lower your blood pressure.²

Wondering where you should run? Depending on where you live, you might have a few options:

On soft-surface trails and crushed gravel paths
On a treadmill
On paved roads or sidewalks in your neighborhood
On the track or indoor turf field

Overall, running is a higher-impact activity than walking—and if you’re new to this type of exercise, it can take some time to work up your endurance. Try alternating walking and running for a few minutes each until you can run for longer distances. The good thing about running is as long as you have a route, you can easily fit it into your schedule. It can be a morning or evening workout.

#3 Swimming

If you’re seeking a way to lower your blood pressure that’s also gentle on your joints, swimming could be the perfect option. When swimming, you can raise your heart rate while protecting your knees, ankles, and back.

Because you can vary your strokes, swimming also offers a world of variety on its own.

The four main swimming strokes include:³

Breaststroke
Butterfly
Backstroke
Freestyle

If you’re unfamiliar with swimming strokes, you can still enjoy exercise in the pool. Move or swim in whatever way feels natural—or try raising your heart rate by aqua jogging.

To aqua jog, simply strap a flotation belt around your waist and move in a running motion. You’ll gain the benefits of running on land without the strain on your joints.

#4 Weightlifting

Weightlifting is not only a form of strength training but also resistance training. With the right approach, weightlifting can also be an opportune way to lower your blood pressure. However, remember that the goal is to exercise your heart—meaning that you’ll want to use weightlifting as a type of cardio activity rather than a strength-building one.

Instead of trying to lift the maximum amount of weight that you can for a given exercise, opt for more repetitions and lighter weights.

Handheld weights like dumbbells, kettlebells, and velcro arm weights are perfect for light-weight, high-repetition sequences such as:

Bicep curls
Shoulder presses
Lunges
Rows
Squats
Weighted ab workouts

If you’re not sure where to start, you can start with team training where you can some direction and instruction from a coach at your gym to develop a series of weight-lifting exercises with a duration of thirty minutes. With a trainer, you can also slowly work your way up from low to moderate-intensity exercise. If needed, you can increase the number of repetitions or size of the weights to add more intensity.

#5 Dancing

Want to lower your blood pressure while jamming to your favorite tunes? Dance classes, or group training sessions like Zumba classes that incorporate music and dance moves, offer a joyful way to break (or break-dance) a sweat and raise your heart rate.

You can set a timer and dance along to your go-to exercise playlist at home. But if you want a little more guidance, consider finding a group class at your gym or community center. Sometimes, following your enthusiastic gym instructor’s lead is the way to find motivation and energy.

Bring a friend and a fun outfit, and your thirty-plus minutes of activity will fly by.

#6 Trying a New Sport

The exercises listed here are excellent places to start—but don’t be afraid to try something new. As long as an activity raises your heart rate, it’s a prime option to help lower your blood pressure.

Better yet, recreational sports offer a fantastic way to exercise, have fun, and stay motivated. Look for recreational leagues in your city for sports that get you moving, such as:

Tennis
Soccer
Ultimate frisbee
Rowing
Volleyball

As long as you’re moving consistently a few times a week, these team activities can help you find a path to fitness—and maybe even make some friends along the way.

It should be important to note that exercise alone is not enough. It doesn’t hurt to consult your doctor if you need blood pressure medication to reduce your blood pressure level.

Find Fitness and Community with Chuze Fitness

Out of all of these exercises, the best exercise for you should be whatever helps you reach your goals. When exercising consistently, it typically takes one to three months to see a difference in your blood pressure numbers until you reach your target heart rate.² To bolster your fitness efforts even further, however, you can depend on a reliable resource—a high-quality gym.

When you sign up for a membership at Chuze Fitness, you’ll have the built-in fitness support system you need to work out consistently. If you are intimidated of trying these new sports by yourself, you can also take group exercise classes, so you don’t feel as intimidated. And being in workout classes for beginners helps you get confidence because you are with other newbies like you. Because we operate in different states, you can easily search “Chuze gyms near me.”

Plus, you can take your pick of our new and well-maintained equipment to become a well-oiled fitness machine. From individual cardio sessions on the rowing machine to group training circuits, you’ll have your choice of exercises to lower blood pressure and make gains.

Join Chuze Fitness and discover a community that brings you back to the gym day after day.

Reviewed By:

Sources:

AHA Journals. Aerobic Exercise Reduces Blood Pressure in Resistant Hypertension. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/hypertensionaha.112.197780
Mayo Clinic. Exercise: A drug-free approach to lowering high blood pressure. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20045206
Swimming World. Comparing and Contrasting: The Four Main Swim Strokes. https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/comparing-and-contrasting-the-four-main-swimming-strokes/
CDC. High Blood Pressure Symptoms and Causes. https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/about.htm

The post 6 Exercises To Lower Blood Pressure appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

How Long Should You Stay In The Sauna?

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 23:05:12 +0200

Just as there are plenty of benefits of warming up before a workout, cooling down has just as many advantages. But you should also be strategic with how to cool down after workout, so make sure to do those cool down stretches. Whatever your cool down routine may be, you should still unwind.

As you finish your cool down after a strenuous workout (whether you’re doing it by yourself or by joining group exercise classes), you may start to feel your calf muscles tighten, your shoulders stiffen, and your glutes tense. While some may opt for a cold ice bath to relieve aches and discomfort, engulfing your body in heat can also help relax your muscles and promote post-workout recovery.

If you’re lucky enough to unwind in a sauna, you may be able to prevent elastic tissue damage and soreness.

But how long should you stay in a sauna?

Generally speaking, you should probably keep your sauna sessions between 10 and 20 minutes.¹ Much longer than that, and you’re risking dehydration. However, sauna use for each individual may vary, so let’s look a little closer at factors that could influence your post-workout heat recovery.

Factors that Influence Your Ideal Sauna Time

After a hard workout, many people relax and aid their recovery with a sauna session. But how long should you be in a sauna? There are a few factors to consider to maximize your recovery:²

Experience – The first thing you should consider when deciding how long to stay in a sauna is how accustomed you are to levels of heat. Typically, saunas can be anywhere between 150 and 195 degrees Fahrenheit, which can take a toll on your body. As such, five minutes is a good starting point for those new to steam sauna recovery.

On the other hand, if you’re an experienced sauna user, you may find longer stints more beneficial. Some experienced users enjoy sessions of 45 to 50 minutes.

Age – While younger individuals may choose to use a sauna, it’s best to limit their time in the sauna and have them remain on lower benches where it doesn’t get as hot. 10 minutes is probably a good limit for a child, even if they’re experienced sauna users.³
Hydration – By far, the largest risk from saunas is dehydration and dizziness. The heat of a sauna causes you to sweat and lose body moisture. If too much moisture is lost, you risk dehydration. Be sure to hydrate both before and after your sauna sessions and listen to your body. If you start feeling light-headed, it’s best to end your session early.

Health – Used properly, you can experience the physical and mental health benefits. In fact, in a 2019 survey, sauna usage was associated with better mental health, and 83.5% of respondents saw an improvement in their sleep.⁴ That said, people with certain medical conditions may want to avoid the sauna. Recent cardiac issues such as myocardial infarction or unstable angina pectoris may be reasons to stay out of the sauna altogether. Additionally, if you’re pregnant, it’s best to avoid the sauna.

Types of Saunas

Beyond the factors mentioned above, you should also consider the type of sauna you’re using. Different saunas produce different levels and types of heat, which can affect how your body may react:²

Traditional sauna – Most of the recommendations have been geared to a traditional, dry-heat sauna. In these saunas, you reach maximum sweating by 15 minutes, so staying in longer may not be necessary. But if you’re experienced and well hydrated, you may enjoy longer sessions. (Note: A Finnish Sauna is considered a type of traditional sauna.)
Infrared sauna – As the name implies, this type of sauna uses infrared heat. While you can follow the same basic guidelines when using an infrared sauna, these saunas will not get as hot as traditional varieties. That means you’re at a lower dehydration risk, so you may be able to spend longer amounts of time in these types of saunas. However, there is still a recommended duration of infrared sauna usage, which is 45 to 50 minutes.
Steam room – These are sometimes called “wet saunas.” You’ll need to take the same precautions here as you would in traditional saunas. But, keep in mind that steam makes the heat more intense.

Sauna Health Benefits

While it has been found that saunas can benefit your mental well-being, a 2001 meta-analysis also looked into the potential physical benefits of using a sauna. Soaking in a sauna for 10 to 20 minutes post-workout may be advantageous for the following:³

Cardiovascular and muscular health – When you immerse your body in heat, your blood flow increases, which may help support healthy blood pressure and move blood through your sore muscles to improve oxygen levels. As such, you may find that your muscles feel loose after a time spent in the sauna.
Lung health – Sauna bathing may also enhance lung capacity and function, particularly for those with asthma, bronchitis, or colds. So, if you’re finding that you’re panting excessively after your eight-minute mile, you may want to visit the sauna to bolster your lung power.⁴
Pain and mobility – For people dealing with joint discomfort, 40% to 70% of people who bathe in saunas regularly experienced less pain and better mobility.⁵
Skin – The steamy environment of a sauna may help to refresh and hydrate your skin. Sweating can also provide detoxifying benefits to keep post-workout breakouts at bay.

Optimize Your Fitness Routine at Chuze

Bathing in a sauna for 10 to 20 minutes after each workout may help maximize your recovery and keep your body feeling its best. Also, it feels just as relaxing as listening to your favorite playlist.

So aside from searching for gyms near me, you should consider searching for nearby saunas. At Chuze Fitness, we maximize your workout from warm-up to cool-down. Our gyms feature a variety of perks, including infrared saunas and steam rooms. And after you shower off, you can refuel at our Chuze blends smoothie bars.

Join the Chuze community today.

Reviewed By:

Sources:

Harvard Health Publishing. Sauna Health Benefits: Are saunas healthy or harmful? https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/saunas-and-your-health
SaunaVerse. How Long Can You Stay in a Sauna? https://saunaverse.com/how-long-can-you-stay-in-a-sauna/
The American Journal of Medicine. Benefits and risks of sauna bathing. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002934300006719
Time. The Case For Sauna Bathing Is Stronger Than Ever. https://time.com/5354994/saunas-health-benefits/
Middle East Medical. Benefits and Risks of Sauna Bathing. https://www.middleeastmedicalportal.com/benefits-and-risks-of-sauna-bathing/
Complementary Therapies in Medicine. A hot topic for health: Results of the Global Sauna Survey. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0965229919300998
BBC News. Why Finland loves saunas. https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24328773

The post How Long Should You Stay In The Sauna? appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

Static vs Dynamic Stretching: What’s The Difference?

Tue, 31 May 2022 22:39:42 +0200

Whether you’re working out by yourself or joining group exercise classes, most of us know by now that every healthy workout should begin and end with active stretching. But, there are as many different stretches as there are muscles in our bodies—and then some! And figuring out the dynamic warm up and cool down stretches to use and when to do them is crucial to optimizing your warm-ups and cool-downs.

Maybe you’re wondering how to loosen up your hips before diving into your workout. Or maybe you’re trying to determine how to mitigate post-workout cramps during your cool-down. For that, we’ll need to lean into the differences between static vs dynamic stretching. Let’s dive in.

Defining Dynamic and Static Stretching

Whether you’re beginning your fitness journey or a fitness pro, incorporating stretches into your workout routine can aid your athletic performance, decrease the risks of injury, and improve your flexibility. But what’s the difference between dynamic stretches vs static stretches? Let’s explore:

Dynamic stretching – Dynamic stretches are movements that mimic the actions you’re going to be doing during your workout. For instance, if you’ve ever done some light jogging in place before starting your daily run, then you were actually doing a dynamic stretch. Utilizing these controlled movements will warm up your muscles and get you ready to perform at your best.
Static stretching – Static stretches, on the other hand, are when you move a muscle as far as you can without hurting yourself, then hold that position for a certain length of time (usually 45 seconds to a minute). Bending down to touch your toes is probably the first stretch they teach in elementary school gym class, and it’s a static one.

Ideally, your workout will look something like this:

5-10 minutes of dynamic stretching
Main exercise/activity
5-10 minutes of cool-down that includes static stretching

Now, let’s push further and learn how to best incorporate these movements into your routine.

Warming Up With Dynamic Stretching

If you want to perform your best during your workout, then it’s better to start with dynamic stretching vs static stretching. Numerous studies have shown that dynamic stretching leads to improved athletic performance.¹

You can think of your dynamic stretching as a rehearsal for your actual workout.

Dynamic stretching gets your body primed for action by:

Increasing blood flow – Better circulation raises the temperature of your muscles to literally warm you up. That leads to increased flexibility and more oxygen for your muscles.
Sharpening nerves – Your nervous system sends signals to your muscles to get them working, so you need to warm that up too. Dynamic stretching helps prepare your brain for the movements you’ll be doing during your workout, thus leading to improved reaction time.
Reducing stiffness – Passive resistance from your muscles and joints can lead to injury during workouts. Dynamic stretching reduces that stiffness and leads to a greater range of motion.

Remember, you don’t want to exhaust yourself during your dynamic stretching routine. For the best results, stick to 10-12 repetitions of each movement and don’t do anything that hurts.

Designing Your Dynamic Stretching Routine

With dynamic stretching, it’s important to focus on the muscles that you’re going to use during your workout. Think about how swimmers swing their arms before diving into the pool for a race—they’re dynamically stretching their arms.

That being said, each aspect of your dynamic stretching routine should be tailored for the specific exercise you’re about to do. We’ve picked out some of our favorite dynamic stretches to give you some ideas of how to prime your body for your workout:

Leg swings – Move your leg back and forth like a pendulum, either forward-and-back or side-to-side. This movement engages your hip flexors and legs, preparing you to run.
Walking lunges – Put your hands on your hips, take a step forward, and lunge. For proper form, keep your forward knee in line with your hip and ankle, and don’t let your back knee touch the ground. Walking lunges are a great all-purpose dynamic stretch for any cardio workout or sport.
Walking lunges with torso twists – Turning your body as you lunge engages your core and warms up your spine. Loosening your muscles is especially important if you’re lifting weights or engaging in a sport that requires throwing.
Squats – Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and slowly lower yourself into a squatting position. Squats are great for warming up your entire body and are the perfect warm-up for just about any workout.
Cat-Cow – One of our favorite yoga poses is also a dynamic stretch that warms up the shoulders and back. Get down on all fours with a flat back, then arch like a cat with your head down, and then raise your head and lower your core like a cow. The meowing and mooing are totally optional, but they may help you loosen up.

Should You Warm Up With Static Stretches, Too?

Maybe you’re wondering if you should incorporate static stretching into your warm-up alongside dynamic stretching. The more limbered up you are, the better you’ll perform, right?

Well, that’s not necessarily true.

Static stretching actually relaxes your muscles, which can lead to decreased performance during your workouts.² Just like you wouldn’t throw on some smooth jazz to get you pumped up for a competition, you can’t expect muscles that are chilled out from static stretching to perform at their peak level.

However, some experts do recommend incorporating some short static stretches into a dynamic stretching warm-up.³ When held for only 15 seconds or so (as opposed to the 60-90 seconds we’ll recommend below), a static stretch in a warm-up can help increase your range of motion and flexibility, thus reducing your risk of injury.

Cooling Down With Static Stretching

Unlike dynamic stretching, which prepares your muscles for action, static stretching should be incorporated as part of a restorative cool-down. As mentioned above, static stretching involves extending a joint as far as you can without pain, then maintaining that position for 45 to 90 seconds. These movements help “reset” your muscles to their pre-workout shape.

The benefits of static stretching include:

Decreased soreness – Nobody wants to feel worse after their workout than they did before. Static stretching sends blood and oxygen to your muscles, improving recovery time and reducing painful muscle fatigue.
Reduced tension – Sometimes, an intense workout can leave your body feeling tense. Taking some time for static stretching gives you a chance to unclench and let your body relax.
Better balance – Because a lot of static stretches involve holding a certain position, you’re also working on your balance and equilibrium. This can have the further knock-on effect of improving your posture.
Improved performance next time – In the long term, static stretching can help build flexibility and range of motion, which in turn will leave you feeling healthier and more well-equipped to tackle your next workout.

Calibrating Your Cool-down

Just like your static stretching warm-up focused on waking up the muscles you used in your workout, your cool-down should be designed to relax those same muscles. A period of static stretching is also a great time to focus on your breathing, bring down your heart rate, and center yourself mentally.

Some of our favorite static stretches include:

Sleeper stretch – This is also known as a shoulder stretch or a posterior capsule stretch. Bring one arm across your chest and use your other arm to pull it gently toward your body. This is a great stretch after lifting weights or after a sport like basketball.
Hamstring stretch – Put one leg forward with the foot on its heel (you can use a low stool or step to help). Then, bend forward from your hips until you feel the stretch in your thigh. Your legs will thank you if you do this stretch after a run.
Quadriceps stretch – While standing, hold your ankle in one hand and pull your heel back toward your butt. Remember to keep your back straight and your core tight. This is another good stretch for after any lower body workout.
Core stretch – Lay face down, then push your shoulders and chest away from the floor. This stretch is commonly known as the cobra pose in yoga, and it’s a great way to stretch your abdomen.

Static Stretching: Not Just For After Workouts

Sometimes, your body just calls out for a good stretch. Even if you haven’t just finished a workout, there are certain times during a day when a sequence of static stretching can improve your overall health and well-being, such as:

After meetings, if you’re stuck behind a desk all-day
Following a long car ride
Before you go to bed

Stretching your muscles during the day, especially if you’re too busy to squeeze in a full workout, can be critical to a person’s long-term health and mobility.

Final thoughts on stretching

There’s a reason why most athletic training sessions include stretching. Some of the benefits of stretching include injury prevention, boosting muscle performance, improving the ability to perform any physical activity, and reducing muscle tension. So do not underestimate the power of stretching.

Warm-Up and Cool-Down at Chuze Fitness

We hope this article has answered your big questions about dynamic stretching vs static stretching. But if you’re still wondering how to work these stretches into your specific workout plan, the friendly team at your local Chuze Fitness is here to help.

At Chuze Fitness, we love to support the folks in our fitness community—both on and off the floor. Our team is en-chuze-iastic about sharing knowledge to help everyone perform at their best. We have several facilities in different states, so you can find a “Chuze gym near me.” We even have a playlist you can listen to motivate you.

That’s not a stretch for us—at Chuze Fitness, it’s just what we do.

Reviewed By:

Sources:

Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Four-Week Dynamic Stretching Warm-up Intervention Elicits Longer-Term Performance Benefits. https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/fulltext/2008/07000/four_week_dynamic_stretching_warm_up_intervention.36.aspx
European Journal of Applied Physiology. The effects of different durations of static stretching within a comprehensive warm-up on voluntary and evoked contractile properties. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29721606/
Frontiers in Physiology. Acute Effects of Static Stretching on Muscle Strength and Power: An Attempt to Clarify Previous Caveats. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2019.01468/full

The post Static vs Dynamic Stretching: What’s The Difference? appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

Morning Or Evening Workout: Pros and Cons

Thu, 19 May 2022 22:46:24 +0200

When it comes to fitness goals and exercise, there are many questions that we can ponder. Like should you have protein before or after workout? or should you be lifting heavy or using body weight? In this case, the question is about workout timing. To squeeze in a sweat session before coffee or to work out as the day winds down? That is the question. The good news for both early risers and night owls is that there isn’t a significant health difference between exercising in the morning and evening.

That’s right—any time of day you can squeeze in a workout is time well spent whether it’s a morning workout or evening session. That being said, there are some pros and cons to scheduling your exercise session at different hours of the day or night. In this head-to-head match, you’ll learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of each. The ultimate winner? You, your go-getter attitude, and your steadfast commitment to physical wellness.

Good News for Sunrise Exercise Enthusiasts

While there isn’t necessarily the best time to exercise, there are still benefits of morning training vs evening exercise. If you love getting out of bed, stretching your sleepy muscles, and leaping right into your workout, you’re in luck. There are many benefits to getting your exercise done first thing in the morning, including:

Benefit #1: Other Responsibilities Don’t Get In the Way

We’re all busy—work, school, family, and personal obligations can all interfere with our best workout intentions. However, when you exercise first thing in the morning, it won’t fall to the wayside as your other duties pile up. To set yourself up for early exercise success try the following:

Lay out the clothing you plan to wear the night before
Prepare a pre-workout snack and have it ready for when you get up
Preprogram your coffee maker to brew at your wake-up time
Stay off of your phone in the hours before bed for better sleep
Arrange to meet a friend for your workout so you’re not tempted to hit snooze

Simply taking a few minutes to prepare the night before will help ensure you don’t run into any roadblocks for your morning workout.

Benefit #2: Might Help You Get Better Sleep

Exercising in the afternoon or evening won’t necessarily inhibit your ability to sleep. However, morning exercise may actually enhance the quality of sleep you get the night before. A study in the Journal of Vascular Health and Risk Management analyzed the blood pressure levels of subjects who performed a moderate-intensity treadmill workout at three different times:

7:00 AM
1:00 PM
7:00 PM

The study demonstrated that those who exercised in the morning had a lower nocturnal systolic blood pressure. Lower blood pressure at night allowed these subjects to spend more time in deep sleep compared to those who exercised in the afternoon or evening.

**Benefit #3: May Rev Up Your Metabolism and Give You an Energy Boost**

If you’re looking to get a little metabolic boost first thing in the morning, exercising at daybreak might help you. To understand why, let’s break down the science:

Studies have demonstrated that your metabolic rate stays higher for up to an hour after exercise.²
A sustained exercise habit may take that metabolism boost even further. When you work out, you build lean muscle. Muscle requires more energy, even at rest.
Therefore, the more lean muscle you have, the more energy your body uses each day.

Along with increasing the amount of energy your body uses, exercising in the morning can also help rev you up for the day. That post-workout endorphin rush could make you feel more energized and ready to tackle your daily tasks.

The Case for Sundown Workouts

Is a sunset HIIT session more your style? There are several benefits to saving your workout for after work or if you’re not a morning person. Some of the pros of working out at night include:

Benefit #1: Performance May Peak In the Evening

Believe it or not, your body temperature actually plays a role in your athletic performance. A slightly higher body temperature improves some key components of exercise abilities, including:³

Muscle contraction
Force
Power
Muscular performance

Your body temperature is typically at its highest between the hours of 2:00 and 6:00 PM. This means you may be more likely to see the gains in performance during this period.

It’s important to note that a natural increase in your internal body temperature can improve performance—but an increase in the ambient temperature around you can have the opposite effect. Hot weather can wreak havoc on your workout and athletic performance, if you’re not used to it.

Benefit #2: Reaction Time May Also Be Better at Night

Studies have shown that reaction time improves as the day progresses.⁴ Think about how uncoordinated you sometimes feel when you first roll out of bed. You’re groggy and a little slow to pick up on things. Once you’ve been awake for a little while, had some coffee, and eaten breakfast, you feel more alert and able to respond to your environment.

You might also find that your reaction time is a bit more on point at night. This can help your athletic performance, especially if you’re doing exercises that require a quick response, such as:

Playing a sport such as racquetball or tennis
Interval training
Cycling
Circuit workouts

If you do tend to feel sluggish in the morning, an evening workout might be more suited to your lifestyle.

Benefit #3: Can Help Relieve Stress at the End of the Day

You hit snooze too many times, your kid forgot their homework, the bus was late, an important meeting didn’t go as planned—a normal day can be filled with small events that leave you feeling stressed and frustrated. An evening workout might help you leave some of that stress behind.

According to the American Psychological Association, 62% of adults who exercise say it’s a highly effective stress management technique.⁵ Squeezing in workout time every evening is one way to ensure that you’re getting your recommended amount of movement and managing your daily stress.

Once you’ve had the opportunity to clear your head after a long day, you may find that the rest of your evening is more relaxing and enjoyable.

Potential Downsides to Morning or Evening Workouts

Since exercise is a must for a healthy body and mind, sometimes you simply have to fit in a workout whenever there is a free hour in the day. But if you’re struggling to decide which is best for you, there are some downsides to morning and evening workouts that may help swing the pendulum towards one or the other.

Morning Exercise Cons

Morning exercise can help jumpstart your day and boost your energy. However, it does come with some cons, including:

You sacrifice sleep – Some nights you may struggle to fall asleep. When your alarm goes off bright and early for a workout, getting up and moving could leave you short on sleep. While the occasional sleep loss may not hurt you, extended periods of poor sleep could.
Safety – Depending on where you live, it may still be dark outside when you exercise. If you walk, run, or bike outdoors, make sure that you wear bright, reflective clothing and take extra caution—especially if you start your workout before sunrise. A gym might be a better option for those wishing to avoid the dark.

Nighttime Exercise Cons

Evening workout sessions can give you something to look forward to all day. That post-work sweat session is an excellent way to replace some of your daily worries with endorphins. However, some people find evening exercise difficult because of:

Lack of time – Have you ever had a day that just gets away from you? You’re rushing around to complete all of your necessary tasks and, before you know it, the clock strikes 9:00 PM. Saving your workout for the evening puts it at risk of getting shoved aside when you have other responsibilities.
A need to relax – Some people enjoy evening workouts because it allows them to burn off some steam after a tough day. Others prefer to relax and recharge for the next day. If you fall into the latter group, you may find it more difficult to relax in the evening after a workout. This can also be true if you typically have many tasks to finish after work and exercise won’t fit into your nightly schedule.

The Final Verdict

There aren’t any significant differences in the benefits between working out early or late. As such, the best time to exercise is when you have the time and energy to do so. Some people may even choose to mix it up, working out in the morning on some days and in the evening on others. You can also split your workouts into two shorter sessions, morning and night. What matters the most is getting in enough physical activity and exercise no matter the workout timing.

So, get out those calendars and pencil in those workouts in whatever works best for you.

Fit In Your Workout Early or Late with Chuze Fitness

The best time for you to squeeze in an exercise session is whenever you can fit it into your schedule. Both morning and evening workouts have their advantages and disadvantages. You simply need to weigh the pros and cons to determine which is the best option for your needs. Whether you’re trying to squeeze in TRX workouts or weighted ab workouts, the timing is up to you.

At any Chuze Fitness location, you can work out at your preferred times. Our gyms are open early and stay open late so you don’t have to question squeezing in a morning or evening workout. With plenty of equipment, classes, online workouts via the iChuze app, and team training options, you’ll never stop finding new ways to challenge your body. Check out one of our locations today and find a new way to fall in love with fitness.

Sources:

Vascular Health and Risk Management. Effects of Exercise Timing on Sleep Architecture and Nocturnal Blood Pressure. https://www.dovepress.com/effects-of-exercise-timing-on-sleep-architecture-and-nocturnal-blood-p-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-VHRM
PubMed. Physical Activity and Resting Metabolic Rate. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14692598/
PubMed. Different Effects of Heat Exposure Upon Exercise Performance in the Morning and Afternoon. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21029194/
Loyola Marymount University. Time-of-Day Effects on Human Performance. https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1262&context=ce
American Psychological Association. Exercise: A Healthy Stress Reliever. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2013/exercise
CDC. How Much Physical Activity Do Adults Need? https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm

The post Morning Or Evening Workout: Pros and Cons appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

6 Benefits of Weighted Ab Workouts

Tue, 17 May 2022 22:49:06 +0200

Whether you’re brand new to working out or you have a long-time love for the gym, there’s one muscle group of your body that can make or break your fitness abilities—your core. A strong core is the foundation of balance and stability, and it can help you build muscle mass more efficiently and mitigate possible injuries.

Whether you like morning or evening workout, heavy strength training or light weights, working on your core is important. And one of the best ways to strengthen your core muscles is through weighted abs exercises. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the benefits of weighted ab workouts and share some of our favorite exercises for you to try.

#1 Improved Muscle Mass

One benefit of ab workout is improved muscle mass. If you want to see those defined abs, weighted moves are the way to go—adding weight to your core workouts can help you build muscle mass. A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research compared the effects of high and low resistance strength training and discovered the following:¹

Lower loads with higher repetitions produced greater muscle mass
Fewer repetitions at higher weight also increased muscle mass
Higher weights also increased strength

Essentially, adding weight to your ab exercises can help to build muscle mass and tone your abs. Heavier weights are more effective at increasing strength. However, lighter weight and high reps are an excellent way to get started if you’re a beginner to ab workouts, and you can add more resistance as you grow stronger.

#2 Increased Core Strength

It comes as no surprise that a weighted ab exercise helps increase the strength of your core, which can benefit your overall fitness. A strong core is also advantageous beyond the gym: Research shows that core strength is an important factor in reducing the risk of lower back pain.² A stronger core and pain-free back mean you’ll likely have:

Better posture
An easier time performing daily activities
Improvement in athletic endeavors

So, don’t skip those weighted core exercises—they’ll pay off in many ways both in and out of the gym.

#3 Better Stability and Balance

Picture a spinning top—you give it a whirl and it wobbles from side to side. If your core muscle is weak, you may find yourself doing the same. That’s because your core doesn’t perform solo—it works in conjunction with your hips, pelvis, and lower back to keep you upright and stable.

A strong core can help prevent wobbles by improving your stability and balance. This is especially beneficial when at the gym. When you’re performing exercises, it’s critical to maintain proper form and balance to target the proper muscle groups and avoid injury.

#4 Enhanced Flexibility

If you’ve ever performed a yoga routine, you know how critical it is to engage and control your core muscle to maintain each posture. To that end, weighted ab workouts can help to strengthen your core and improve the flexibility of your hips and pelvis for full-body strength.

Better flexibility is linked to:³

Improved posture
Enhanced balance
Fewer injuries
Better athletic performance

If you see a trend here, you’re correct. All of these aspects of fitness are connected. Adding weights to your core routine improves strength, which in turn improves flexibility, leading to better overall health and performance.

#5 Reduced Injury Risk

When your core is made stronger with weighted ab workouts, you have better balance, flexibility, and muscle stability. To better understand why this is important, think about your car’s tires. When your car is properly balanced, the tires wear evenly. When something is off, one tire may wear more rapidly than the others, causing problems for your vehicle.

Your body is similar—your core doesn’t work alone, and when it’s strong, the rest of your body can rely on it to provide balance and stability and reduce one-sided wear and tear. This lessens the likelihood that you’ll suffer from unwanted injuries from the unbalanced use of one part or one side of your body.

#6 Improved Athletic Performance

Lastly, a stronger, more flexible, and better-balanced body will perform better athletically. A strong core is critical for athletes of all types, including:

Runners
Cyclists
Swimmers
Yogis
Weight lifters
Team sport performers

Whether you’re new to working out or you’re a competitive marathoner, adding weighted exercises to your core exercise routine can help you reach your fitness goals across the board.

What Are the Best Weighted Ab Exercises?

Weighted ab workouts can be quite challenging, but the benefits make them well worth it. While there are countless exercises you can perform, we’ve narrowed it down to our 5 favorites which can also be found on our iChuze app for better visualization. These moves will help to target your entire core, including:

Upper abdominals
Lower abdominals
Obliques

#1 Weighted Plate Crunches

Crunches are the bread and butter of core work. They are excellent for targeting your upper abs and, when you add a little weight, they can help to define that six-pack you’ve been working toward. To perform weighted plate crunches, you should:

Select a weight plate that is challenging but not too heavy to lift
Lie on your back with the weight plate in your hands
Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle, lifting your feet off of the floor
Extend your arms straight above your chest
Engage your core and lift your entire torso off of the floor
Hold for several seconds and then release
Repeat for up to 20 reps, keeping your arms straight and knees bent

As you increase your strength, you’ll be able to complete more reps or use a heavier weight plate.

#2 Weighted Leg Raise Crunches

Next, you should work on your lower abdominal muscles. We love laying dumbbell leg raises to strengthen those hard-to-reach muscles. To perform this core exercise, you will:

Select a dumbbell that isn’t too heavy
Lie on your back on an exercise mat with the dumbbell between your ankles
Engage your core
Keep your legs straight and lift them as high as you can
Slowly lower your legs back to the mat and repeat
Make sure you keep your back, shoulders, and hips in contact with the floor throughout

You should feel your core working as you lift and lower your legs.

#3 Weighted Russian Twist

You should also work on strengthening the oblique muscles. These are the muscles running along the side of your abs. To strengthen the obliques, we love the weighted Russian twist abs workout. This is an easy to perform move in which you:

Use a weight plate, dumbbell, or kettlebell
Sit on your mat holding the weight in front of you
Bend your elbows and pull the weight in toward your stomach
Lift your feet slightly off the ground
Engage your core and twist your entire torso to the left, then the right

You’ll need to fully engage your core to remain upright and keep your feet from touching the floor throughout the exercise.

#4 Weighted Plank

Want to work your entire core with one move? Try a weighted plank. You’ll need a weight plate and a friend to help you get into position:

Get into a plank position—either forearm or fully upright
Engage your core to balance your body
Have your friend or trainer gently place the weight plate on your lower back
Hold the plank as long as you can
Have your partner remove the plate before lowering your body to the floor

This ab exercise adds a little more difficulty to a standard plank.

#5 Dumbbell Plank Row

Another weighted ab workout that helps strengthen your entire core (with a bonus arm and shoulder boost) is a dumbbell plank row. To perform this move:

Gather a pair of dumbbells at a challenging (but not maximum) weight
Place the dumbbells under your shoulders and get into a plank position
Fully engage your core
Alternate lifting each dumbbell, bringing your elbow to your ribcage

The key to performing a plank row is to keep that core working the whole time. This will keep you balanced and stable as you lift the dumbbells.

How Often Should You Perform Weighted Ab Exercises?

The CDC recommends that adults work on strengthening the major muscle groups, abs included, at least twice per week.⁴ The amount of core work you’ll be able to do during each of those sessions depends on two key factors:

Your overall fitness level
Your fitness goals

If you’re just starting your fitness journey, you might need to begin with lighter weights or fewer repetitions. Over time, you’ll get stronger and be able to do more. Finding the right core workout for your body is important to building a stronger core.

Build a Strong Core at Chuze Fitness

Adding weights to your ab workout routine can help to strengthen and tone your core muscles. And your future workouts will benefit from the added muscle mass, strength, stability, and flexibility, whether you’re going for 6-pack abs or building a stronger core.

If you’re unsure where to begin strengthening your core, Chuze Fitness is here to help. We offer a wide range of group exercise classes, team training, free weights, and more to help you achieve your fitness goals. Discover more exercises from TRX workouts to HIIT and more. Check out one of our locations today to see how we can help you build a stronger foundation in all things fitness.

Sources:

PubMed. Effects of Low vs High Load Resistance Training on Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25853914/
PubMed. Optimizing Performance by Improving Core Stability and Strength. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19026017/
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. The Recommended Quantity and Quality of Exercise for Developing and Maintaining Cardiorespiratory and Muscular Fitness and Flexibility. https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/1998/06000/ACSM_Position_Stand__The_Recommended_Quantity_and.32.aspx
CDC. How Much Physical Activity Do Adults Need? https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm

The post 6 Benefits of Weighted Ab Workouts appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

How Many Reps Should I Do?

Thu, 12 May 2022 22:23:42 +0200

You roll into the gym, water bottle and quick dry towel in hand. As you head to the weight room, clinging weights and music echo through the room. To the left of you, there’s a man beginning his dumbbell shoulder press set; to your right, a woman seated comfortably on a weight bench completing her final dumbbell curl.

As you make your way to your weights of choice, you ask yourself how many reps should I do to build muscle like the pros?

Generally, whether you’re strength training or toning with lighter weight, you should aim for somewhere between 3 and 20 reps per set. But, the number of reps you perform will greatly depend on your experience level and fitness goals. As such, we’ve put together this guide to help you make the most of your next weight training workout. After you read this guide, we guarantee you’ll be throwing your favorite playlist on and conquering the gym like a pro.

What Are Reps?

Whether you’re squeezing in a morning or evening workout or chugging a protein shake before your workout, it doesn’t make a difference unless your fitness goals are aligned with your exercises and reps. Before we explore how many reps to build muscle and strength, let’s first dive into what exactly a rep is. “Rep” is short for “repetition” and it refers to how many times you repeat an exercise.

For example, if you’re performing a seated shoulder press with free weights, raising both hands over your head and back again equals one rep. Reps then make up sets. You’ll perform a number of sets before taking a break to rest your muscles and take a gulp from your ice-cold water bottle.

So, if you perform 10 seated shoulder press reps, then take a break, then do 10 more, you’ve completed two sets of 10 reps.

Rep Ranges

Understanding a rep is pretty straightforward. However, understanding rep ranges is a bit more complex. For those new to weight lifting, it’s generally recommended that they follow the 3×10 rule—3 sets of 10 reps per exercise. However, as you advance and your muscles become stronger, you’ll want to expand or alter your rep ranges.

For example, if you’re looking to build strength with heavy-lifting exercises like deadlifts, back squats, or bench presses, reduce your output to 3 to 5 sets of 2 to 6 reps.¹ But, if you’re looking to improve your endurance, you may want to repeat 12 to 20 reps for only 2 or 3 sets.

To that end, when planning your weight lifting routine, it’s important to take into account two factors:

Load – This refers to the amount of weight you are moving. If one week you bench press 125 pounds and the next week you press 130 pounds, you have increased your load. As stated above, a lower rep output may suit a heavier load.
Failure – Failure refers to when you can no longer do the exercise and maintain good form. You may still be able to move the weight by recruiting other muscles using bad form, but this raises your chance of injury and may make the exercise less effective. If you’re targeting specific muscle groups but don’t yet have a high level of muscular strength or endurance, you’ll want to reduce the number of reps you perform.

When you perform your rep ranges, you should be aiming to near failure in order to build muscular strength. For example, when someone talks about doing three reps, the implication is that they are lifting a heavy enough load in which three reps get them close to failure. For ten reps, the load would be lighter to accommodate the higher volume.

What Are the Best Rep Ranges?

So what’s the best rep range to build muscle? According to a scientific article in 2010 by Brad Schoenfeld, somewhere in the 6 to 12 rep range is probably best for muscle growth.² Although it is worth noting that exercise selection, number of sets, and rest (at least a minute between sets) are also important factors to consider.

Dr. Mike Israetel of Renaissance Periodization mostly agrees with this assessment, although he breaks it down even further:³

Goals

Not everyone is simply looking for hypertrophy. If your goal is strength over hypertrophy, the recommendation changes accordingly:

Strength – Increasing the amount of weight you lift will help to build your strength. That being said, since heavier weights can quickly lead to muscle fatigue, it’s recommended that you stick with 3 to 6 reps per set.
Size – If you’re aiming for strength and endurance for shirt-tearing muscles, volume is key—aim for 6 to 20 reps.

But do you have to choose between size and strength? In part, the answer to this depends on how long you’ve been lifting, as it can be more difficult to gain muscle if you have more experience in the weight room. Most lifters fall into one of three categories:

Beginners – If you’re just starting or have only been weight training for a year or two, there’s good news: By staying in a 5 to 12 rep range, you’re likely to advance in both strength and size.
Intermediate – Once you’ve been lifting weights for a few years, your body won’t adapt as quickly as it did originally. However, by this time, you probably know what muscle strength and growth exercises work best for you and you can start adjusting your routine. For large, compound lifts (like bench press or squat) you may want to go in a lower rep range, whereas isolation exercises (like a biceps curl) may benefit from higher reps.
Advanced – After many years of training, you’re probably approaching your genetic potential and any additional muscle gain will be hard-fought. To battle muscle monotony, incorporate variety. For one month, focus on strengthening exercises. Then switch to endurance training the next month to provide your muscles with a challenge.

Don’t forget that every fitness level and goal requires a different amount of reps. For example, if someone’s fitness goal is muscle growth or building muscle, they might use heavier weight and low reps. On the other hand, if a person’s fitness goal is fat loss, weight loss, or light toning, they might use lighter weight and higher reps. This is not always the case but just an example of how exercise repetition can vary. Generally, when it comes to fitness questions from how many reps to do to should you have protein before or after workout, it depends.

Hone Your Reps Routine at Chuze Fitness

When it comes to making gains at the gym, there are a few rules of the weight room that you must abide by: always wipe down the equipment, use a spotter, and know exactly how many reps you need to perform your best and walk out of the gym feeling like a champion.

Okay, the last one isn’t exactly set in stone. But it most certainly will help you monitor and meet your fitness goals. But there’s no shame in high or low rep training since everybody is different. If you’re looking to start your strength or endurance program, there’s no better place than Chuze Fitness. Whether you’re lifting our free weights or joining a team training session, you’ll find guidance and support every step of the way at any of our locations.

Sources:

Men’s Health. Which Rep Range You Should Choose for Your Fitness Goals. https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a38866422/best-rep-ranges-workouts/
The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. The Mechanisms of Muscle Hypertrophy and Their Application to Resistance Training. https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/fulltext/2010/10000/The_Mechanisms_of_Muscle_Hypertrophy_and_Their.40.aspx?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=099d7084ff33a3d4999555a69c173fa9fc35818f-1610020100-0-AYQLlf1UtwiZ2J6xql2n2jZSicx8IoF9bD95D3OImdLzcy55vz9YvMxxVYgCGGvYSDtE9Vbea7GBex9hGnxmYim4klwNAzaVcY6jlMTtK_Lc9WM8zinATGY8VIkN6JudsFhISESYoYXQNmIlcsVV0LAmgUigjqHP1RLie3dFUuaBTBNfUcIRBn1SZ3yJsj0X2zaPAeyLvZiTnV5frdav6Fh5v3_8y2riBJntUYlfvWwR_cH0rbZbTxaMSl1SnnE7UPnnnVlJbM00c0j76MSFsmHmGNaoWqmM2ilPqvI80mM1EbBKCaiaYwJoqd5EOF2xVnfuls0NmJHgb1sZCnOdnf-IaBka0S5rjFIvpO1-HUTEPl5zM7G0zQGRNGSnrxE6vC9PAPGn8fR7QtedDhHA1NSfr2APa5Y8d0jBwGVs0WqQox9dcVBGpee9V6bmBesR-gQCL_G_GyJV1gYDIWnHYSXqdKMUs8HiyNdvSVY6dqhD
Renaissance Periodization. The Differences Between Training for Size Vs Strength. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3abdfR8M5XY
National Library of Medicine. Resistance training is medicine: effects of strength training on health. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22777332/

The post How Many Reps Should I Do? appeared first on Chuze Fitness.