Now Is The Time I Wish I Had A Gym Membership
For the last couple of days here in the UK the weather has been fantastic and really hot, the only downside for me at the moment is working out. My workouts are done in my back garden in my 16ft x 10ft wooden shed. Whilst I’ve got all the equipment in there that I will ever need, home gym machines that can work every part of my body. I’m finding it very uncomfortable working out, because when its get hot it’s like a sauna in there. I usually workout at around 5 pm, I am now finding myself working out at around 8 to 9 pm when the weather is not as hot.
The good thing about having a good gym membership, the gym is air conditioned so you can workout when the weather is hot and still not feel hot and drained. Sometimes I find myself saying, isn’t it about time you rejoined a gym. Because during the winter months it can get very cold in my home gym as well. But I love the time that my home gym saves me compared to going to a commercial gym. You’ve got the drive to and from the gym to add to the time you spend there, I also find myself doing more talking than actually working out. The beauty of my home gym is I can lock myself in there for one hour, listen to music on my ipod and workout with no distractions.
Except when the weather gets to hot or to cold, which at the moment it’s just too damn hot. I’m glad were having nice weather though, because my body always responds better to exercise and I always tend to lose weight quicker and easier during the hotter summer months. I’m back to normal eating now after the 3 day tuna and water diet, and I feel fantastic because I’ve lost those few extra pounds that I have regained over the past few weeks. This time I am going to keep them off and start moving forward with my fat loss journey again.
It Wednesday today which means its a workout session in my home gym, think I will train with my russian kettle bells outside tonight. Because there’s absolutely no way I will be able to go anywhere near my home multi-gym which is located deep in the depths of my home gym. I’ve only just recently starting working out with kettlebells, but I’m finding they are giving me a fantastic workout and they are really working my core. My core is were I need to work the most and the kettle bells are helping in building up my core strength.
Start Weight Training To Increase Metabolism
If you are trying to lose weight and improve your overall appearance you must start an exercise program that contains resistance training. Training with weights gives you so many more benefits than just doing cardiovascular workouts. Weight training helps to build lean muscle mass which is so important for burning calories from our bodies. The metabolism is instantly elevated during a workout and for many hours following your workout. Weight training is a must if you are trying to lose weight and lower your body fat percentage.
Here’s what happens when you lift weights, you are actually breaking down your muscles as you are lifting the weights. But following your workout the body uses lots of caloric energy to repair and rebuild your muscles. This is why you will see an increase in your metabolism. A word of warning though, if you are not use to training with weights, take it easy for the first few workouts and if possible always train with a partner so that they can spot you when lifting very heavy weights. You will also find yourself becoming very hungry when you start an intense weight training routine, you can help to lesson the hunger by drinking a large glass of water and chewing on some sugar free gum.
Starting a weight training routine is much more than just increasing your metabolism. Let’s give you just some of the benefits you will get from lifting weights. Number one your bone mineral density will increase which is very helpful in keeping your skeletal system strong. Which as we get older naturally weakens. Number two your overall strength and fitness levels will increase and you will feel like your on top of the world. Number three your body fat percentage will drop due to the increase in your metabolism and basal metabolic rate.
Weight training is a very important part of any good workout program and if I had to choose between weight training and cardio training. Weight training would win every time, due to the added benefits that you receive from doing it. Don’t get me wrong cardio training is very important and to get the best results from lifting weights you should always do some form of cardio exercise. My goals at the moment are not to lose weight, but to maintain my current body weight and lower my body fat percentage, this can only be achieved my lifting heavy weights and eating a diet high in protein and complex carbs. I’ve got the training down to a tee now I just need to work on my willpower to say no to my temptations.
Exercising Outdoors Is Fun
Over the past year I have been working out in my my home gym which if you are a regular reader of My Body Fat you will know is a 16ft x 10 ft wooden shed in my back garden. At the moment my gym is jam packed with lots and lots of machine that I am just not using. I need to get rid of some because it is giving me a feeling of being crammed and it is not a nice feeling during my workouts. Over the last week though the weather here in the UK has been really nice. So I have been training in my back garden using my russian kettle bells. Working out outdoors is fun, because my garden is looking really nice at the moment. Because I have just finished it. Plus birds and squirrels are feeding from the bird feeder as I workout which is a pleasure to watch.
To make my workoutsmore fun I have my ipod on and have made myself a playlist of all the cheesy songs that help me to train harder. I’m going to keep training outdoors as long as I can why the weather is still nice. Once the usual bad weather returns it’s back in the home gym I’m afraid. Exercise is all about change and making your workouts FUN. Keep them fun and you stand more of a chance of sticking at it and seeing weight loss results. Over the past few weeks I have lost a little bit of that fun because of the hot stuffy feeling I was getting whilst working out. So I put my thinking head on and started doing some of my exercises outdoors.
I still need to go inside though when I’m training on the leg press and body solid multi gym. Because I’m afraid to say these machines are just too big to take outdoors. The girlfriend has just purchased a mountain bike so we plan on going for bike rides together which should be fun. I spent yesterday cleaning my bike down and pumping up the tyres. It has not been rode for a very long time. But after a quick clean up it’s back looking like new again. Last night I took it for a quick spin and really enjoyed the experience.
If you enjoy the outdoors then finding something to do outdoors to keep fit is easy. I enjoy playing golf, and after 18 holes you will be surprised at the amount of calories you burn off. Going for nice long walks in the countryside is a fantastic way to burn off those excess calories. I’m lucky because I’m only a one hour drive away from some of the world’s most beautiful countryside walks The lake District. The exercise ideas that you can do outdoors is endless, just do stuff that you will enjoy and is FUN.
