Posted: September 3, 2010 at 2:11 pm
In the fitness industry, the debate revolving around the treadmill vs elliptical continues and for good reasons, too. Both treadmills and ellipticals are great cardio equipment that help increase indurance, increase metabolic rate and improve overall health. From the other side of things, there are some distinct benefits of using a treadmill versus and elliptical. We will offer you our viewpoint in this debate.
Tip: The most common treadmills are still the used treadmills
Both treadmills and elliptical trainers provide for low-impact exercises since the motions involved are similar to the natural movements while walking and running. A lot of people prefer the elliptical machines because there is very little to no impact with the foot pedal. People who have back trouble or joint pains usually consider the elliptical to the treadmill.
This is possible because your feet do not leave the pedals during the entire workout session. Now, contrast that with walking or running on a treadmill when the foot impacts on the tread surface. So, in the debate of treadmill vs elliptical, the latter wins in the low to no impact category.
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One advantage to treadmills is the better training opportunities for the fitness enthusiasts who prefer running as a form of exercise or who engage in running for competitive purposes. It definitely beats enduring the inclement weather when you have to train for a marathon.
Lets not forget that treadmills provide you little variety in the form of degrees of decline and incline. Besides that you are pretty much doing the same motion over and over. For both average fitness enthusiasts and fanatics, the variety in workouts helps in two ways. No boredom here and you will have a lot more variety. This round goes to the elliptical machines.
Tip: If we were looking for just the best, we would look at nordic track ellipticals.
Also, treadmills can only provide for lower body workouts since the movements are concentrated on the hips down to the legs. On the other hand, elliptical machines give a great lower and upper body workout due to the various cross training movements of the entire body. Still, if it is only lower body workouts that you are after, then a treadmill should suffice.
The final decision would depend on what YOU want from your workouts and your overall health/fitness goals. Read the features and benefits of the fitness equipment before making your final decision.
Posted: September 3, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Most people are familiar with the classic squats and pushups that you see performed in most gyms but there’s a new variation making the rounds, known as Hindu squats and Hindu pushups. Hindu squats, (known as bethaks), and Hindu pushups (known as dands) have been used by Indian wrestlers for decades. Matt Furey’s Combat Conditioning gives a great example of these exercises as part of a comprehensive bodyweight exercise routine. While I find Furey’s products a bit overhyped, as a former wrestling and kung fu champion, he does know a few things about strength and endurance.
Despite Furey’s claim that these exercises build strength, power, speed, and endurance, I find that Hindu squats and Hindu pushups are actually best treated as an addition to a bodyweight calisthenics program. This is supposed to be a high rep exercise, unlike more traditional weight training, including your old squats and pushups. If you are looking to maximize your strength gains, you should look more at a low repetition, heavy weight training routine, but Hindu squats and pushups will work your muscles in different and unique ways compared to traditional squat or pushup exercises, while improving your cardiovascular system as well.
Like traditional squats, Hindu squats work all the muscles in your legs (quads, hamstrings, calves) and also work your hips, lower back, and lungs as well. To begin the Hindu squat, stand upright with your hands held close to your chest. As you lower yourself to squat, extend your hands behind you (downward toward the floor). Rise up on your toes as you near the bottom region of your squat. Propel yourself upward, at the same time extending your arms in front of you. Bring your hands in toward your chest and begin a second rep.
The key to Hindu squats is that motion should be fluid. Breathing correctly is one of the hardest parts to adapt to. During a traditional squat, you inhale on the descent and exhale on the return, but the opposite is true with the Hindu squat – you exhale on the descent and inhale as you rise. Done without stopping, Hindu squats lead to a challenging cardiovascular workout. Matt Furey has claimed to have done 2,000 of these repetitions straight, while his mentor Karl Gotch completed 9,000 repetitions straight for a period of 4-1/2 hours, however it is recommended that you aim for a goal of completing 100 repetitions.
A Hindu pushup is similar to the traditional pushup but with an additional arched back motion. In addition to the arm and shoulder involvement, this arching helps to incorporate the hips and back. To perform a Hindu pushup, get in a pushup stance. However, spread your legs wide and stick your butt in the air. Your arms should now be fully extended. Bend your elbows and lower your hips as you push through the position until your arms are in a straight position. You should still be facing forward, with your hips just a few inches from the floor. Then, move back into the start position, while still keeping your arms straight. As with the Hindu squats, your Hindu pushups should be done in a very fluid motion.
This style of pushup is very similar to the dive bomber style of pushups, but with a very slight difference. Dive bomber pushups involve bending the arms again on the way back to the starting position. Dive bomber pushups give more of a workout to the arms, however they reduce the benefits that the Hindu pushups give to the back and shoulder regions.
If you want to raise your endurance levels and increase your cardiovascular health, then Hindu squats and Hindu pushups can really help; if, on the other hand, you want to tighten your muscles or increase your max lifts, then you probably need to try something else. The first few times you try these variations, you may feel uncertain, and will likely have the sore muscles to go with that, but once you have the pattern down, you can perform each rep much more quickly and enjoy a great cardiovascular workout. Overall, Hindu squats and Hindu pushups should improve both your flexibility and stamina.