Make a homemade Weight Set

How to Make a Homemade Weight Set

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Weights for improving your strength and fitness can be made out of many common household items. Milk jugs, canned goods, and assorted everyday objects can help you stay in shape. Save your money and keep fit all at once - here's how.

Steps

1. Make a cheap kettlebell using a milk or juice jug. Fill a clean, plastic gallon jug or 2 liter bottle (the kind with a handle) with water. Now it is ready for use it as a kettlebell or an arm weight.
   
2. Use canned goods that fit in your hands as simple hand weights. Use large canned goods as heavier weights or kettle balls.
   
3. Fill a clean sock with pebbles or dry beans. Sew or glue the open end closed. Then sew the ends together (or attach with Velcro) and use as a wrist weight.
   
4. Use packets of rice or beans for mini-weights. No need to do anything else than use them for bicep curls and other small weight-lifting moves.
   
5. If you're really looking to get a workout, try filling a 5-gallon bucket with anything that suits you, from sand to rocks or even water. Use it to do curls or attatch two of them to a bar or board and use as a bench press.
   

Tips

• Alternate the muscle groups you work. For example, focus on arms one day and legs the next.
  
• Consult with friends and family whom you know to regularly have a workout routine so as to get advice.
  
• Do workouts with friends and family to make it enjoyable, or in a setting where you feel comfortable, and nothing around you is fragile.
  
• Think of your exercise time as a practice session and not as a workout, so as to be relaxed and happy to start again everyday.
  
• Stop if it hurts.
  

Warnings

• Always consult with a doctor or qualified health professional before beginning an exercise program.
  
• Be careful with your homemade kettlebell; if your wrist hurts after (or during) your workout, stop using it and buy a kettlebell.
  

Things You'll Need

• Empty milk or juice jugs
  
• Canned goods of various sizes
  
• A scale to weigh items (or guess roughly by balancing in each hand)
  
• Old clean socks without holes
  
• 5-gallon buckets(usually from dishwasher detergents)
  
• Beans or pebbles
  
• Packets of rice or beans
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Warm up for Weight Lifting Exercises
  
• How to Get Fit
  
• How to Get Wider Shoulders
  
• How to Get Better Biceps
  

Sources and Citations

• Kettlebell example on Wikipedia
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make a Homemade Weight Set. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Make those sore muscles feel better

How to Make Sore Muscles Feel Good

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Muscles can often feel sore after exercise or a long day at the mall. Use these simple tips to alleviate common muscle soreness.

Steps

1. Rest This is the very best thing you can do for soreness. Try not to use the muscle in a strenuous fashion for 24-48 hours after exercise, especially if the soreness is due to a weight lifting routine.
   
2. Ice Icepacks can help break up a chemical called lactic acid, which is a waste product that builds up in muscles after sustained exercise. Follow the 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off approach.
   
3. Stretching This will also help to get the lactic acid out of your muscles. Waiting a few hours after a strenuous workout before stretching is not the best. Stretch after activity that caused the soreness to prevent becoming stiff.
   
4. Heat After the first day of soreness, and after ice has been used to clear out the lactic acid buildup, heat can be used to help blood flow to the muscle. This will help rebuilding take place and provide some soothing relief.
   
5. Proper diet If your muscles are sore from intense activities such as weightlifting, your muscles are rebuilding themselves and need lots of protein. Aim to take in 1 gram of protein per day for every pound of lean body mass you have. For example, a 160lb. man at 20% body fat would want to take in approximately 130 grams of protein per day. This will speed up recovery times considerably, as well as prevent muscle loss from poor nutrition.
   

Tips

• Saran Wrap. If you need to be moving around (cooking, cleaning, etc.) while using ice, saran wrap can help secure ice onto a muscle while you move.
  
• 5 gallon bucket. For soreness of the arms (like from baseball practice) a 5 gallon bucket filled with ice water will allow you to ice the whole arm at one time.
  
• Stretch while taking a shower. Use water which is slightly hotter than what you are used to. This increases blood flow around the muscle fibers with micro-tears.
  
• If you do end up getting stiff from working out or some other physical activity where you have forgotten to stretch afterwards, massaging the stiff area will relieve you from the pain for a while.Then stretch and find another place of the muscle it hurts and massage there until the pain goes away.
  
• You may want to consider a massage or sauna.
  

Warnings

• Sustained icing of sore muscles is not a very good idea. It is best to ice the body part for a few seconds, rub dry with a towel immediately, and gently massaging for a minute or two. Then start over. This will increase the blood flow to the area and relax the muscle more effectively than prolonged cooling.
  
• Joint pain is a serious problem and can result in sustained, critical injury. Try not to confuse muscle pain and joint pain. If the pain does not go away after a few days rest and the other procedures prescribed here, it may be wise to contact a physician.
  
• Stretching both before and after exercise is important to avoid injuries, however it must be done properly. Consult a personal trainer at your local gym for tips on proper stretching.
  
• Be careful if you plan to immerse a whole arm as indicated above with the 5-gallon-bucket method. This may result in a rapid loss of body warmth and may affect your circulation. Do NOT do this if you have blood pressure or heart problems. Even if you are completely healthy, proceed slowly by dipping your arm in bit by bit, starting at the fingertips, especially if it is a hot day. It may be even better to make something resembling a popsicle from regular water and wiping the arm with it (again, starting at the fingers), then drying immediately and massaging (moving from the hand towards the body). Be gentle to avoid causing pain or over-agitating the muscles.
  

Things You'll Need

• Ice
  
• Plastic Bags
  
• Heating Pad
  
• Saran Wrap (optional)
  
• 5 gallon bucket (optional)
  
• Protein-rich foods or protein powders
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Do a Lower Back Stretch Safely
  
• How to Improve Your Posture
  
• How to Mobilize Your Spine
  
• How to Treat a Trigger Finger
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make Sore Muscles Feel Good. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Choose the right diet for you

How to Choose a Diet That Suits You

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

There are many diets out there on the market today. Everyone says that 'theirs is the best'. Check out the diets yourself, read about them, and understand the pros and cons of each. Then choose one that will fit your lifestyle.

Steps

1. Atkins - This diet can and does result in rapid weight loss, especially when aiming to lose a quick 10lbs after the holidays. It is fairly easy to follow, and allows followers to eat many delicious foods (meat, cheese etc) that other diets restrict. There is no calorie restriction, so dieters rarely feel hungry. The initial period (2 weeks) people often feel ill. This is called induction flu and soon passes. After which people feel more energetic and enjoy improved health and weight loss. This diet is largely misunderstood, but unbiased research and personal testimonials support this way of eating.
   
2. 
   
3. Calorie Restriction - This diet is easy to understand. There is little restriction on types of food you can eat., and it leads to longer life, better health, lower blood pressure and more! Those are the Pros - the Cons are that dieters rarely feel full, you're always counting calories, and need full knowledge of the calorific content of every food! Also be careful of restaurant foods. They are full of hidden butters, creams & oils!
   
4. Cleansing - ! You will feel fresher, more energetic. A cleaner liver also metabolizes food faster, and sets up your body to lose weight in the long term! However, this diet is hard to stick to! You may feel hungry, tired and perhaps a little dizzy. That's why its a great diet to do on holiday.
   
5. Green Tea Diet - This diet is very easy to follow, and studies have shown its effectiveness. The health benefits of drinking Green Tea every day are more than just weight loss. On the other hand, weight loss is not as dramatic as with other diets, and of course you have to like Green Tea!
   
6. Low Fat Diet - The focus on natural healthy foods has other benefits, beyond just weight loss. There is really no need to count calories on this diet. Cons Giving up so many foods is not for everybody, but if your consumption of meat, fish etc is limited already, you may find it easy! Low fat diets are dangerous, because there are essential fatty acids that the body requires to function. The only fats that are bad for you are trans fats.
   
7. South Beach Diet - The focus on 'good carbs' and 'bad carbs' reduces the risk of heart disease. There is also no need to count calories on this diet, and you do not limit carbs, so its easier to feel full. This diet unnecessarily restricts saturated fat and is therefore considered healthier than Atkins, however this is a myth...saturated fat is not dangerous at all. The body will manufacture it's own saturated fat and your bad cholesterol will go up on a low fat diet. People who eat lots of saturated fat see an improvement in their cholesterol levels. Read up on the Cholesterol Myth for more information.
   
8. The Zone Diet - Dieters get most of the nutrients they need, as fruits and vegetables are OK! Cravings for carbs tend to disappear after a few days, and weight loss on The Zone can be very rapid!
   

Tips

• Good cleansing recipe - apple, carrot, celery, ginger. Just blend and drink!
  

Warnings

• Readers should be in sound health before going on a diet. If on medication they should check with their doctor.
  
• Not every diet is for everyone!!
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Lose Weight Like a Model
  
• How to Lose Weight Safely
  
• How to Lose Weight With Vitamins
  
• How to Eat Healthy for Life
  
• How to Start Walking for Exercise
  
• How to Eat Healthily over the Holidays
  
• How to Discreetly Spit out Your Food
  
• How to Avoid Trans Fats
  

Sources and Citations

• More Pros and Cons of Different Diets
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Choose a Diet That Suits You. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Sprint Training

How to Do Sprint Training

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Remember that balance, posture and core muscles are the foundation for a good sprinter. Your goal should be to run at a faster speed, while exerting less energy.
Short and fast bursts of running have been proven to be more effective than hour-long jogs. You can't help but all those people that try to get in shape, and start doing long jogs, and six months later, there are no changes in their performance or appearance. Sprint training also saves time that would have been wasted doing traditional exercises.

Steps

1. Warm up by doing a jog for a minimum of 1 minute.
   
2. Do dynamic stretches (Arm/Leg swings, rotating the torso etc...)
   

1. try finding a hill or stairs, or bleachers to run up and down, it will build the muscles in your legs and stamina endurance.
   
2. Sprint a certain phase of your race (sprint the first 100m, stride 50, then sprint the last 50 of the 200m....but for the 100 m dash, sprint full blown speed the entire time).
   
3. Rest 2-5 minutes in between (depending on the distance you sprinted) so that your body can recover and you can sprint at the same speed multiple times.
   
4. Repeat steps 2-3 as many times as you like. You should focus on sprinting, NOT getting tired. If you cannot sprint full speed after a couple minutes of rest you should try jogging and running up stadiums to build up your stamina.
   
5. Cool down by jogging or walking around the track.
   
6. Stretch properly to avoid injury (10-30sec stretches of your legs and torso).
   
7. Remember that sprinting is an exercise that will use up all of your oxygen in you muscles. You should have adequate rest time in between each sprint to maximize your speed. Sprinting too quickly before resting and letting oxygen get back to your muscles can result in a nauseous feeling and/or lightheadedness.
   

Tips

• Remember to keep relaxed while running.
  
• Sprint training is said to improve your overall aerobic capacity and heart, so this should make you better at long-distance runs too.
  
• Every month or so, run the mile and record your time.
  
• Eat 2 hours before, drink 1 hour before.
  
• If you don't have something to time yourself with, count the number of steps you do, and after a certain amount of steps, switch from sprinting to walking or walking to sprinting.
  

Warnings

• Never exercise without stretching and warming up before and after.
  
• Never sit down right after running.
  

Things You'll Need

• Stopwatch
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Run Faster
  
• How to Run a Faster 800m
  
• How to Start Jogging
  
• How to Start Jogging in Your Backyard
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Do Sprint Training. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Dumbbell bicep curl - Proper form

Swimming the Breatstroke

How to Swim the Breaststroke

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

The breaststroke can be a tricky stroke to master, but once the steps are coordinated correctly it can be a very leisurely way to swim.

Steps

1. Place yourself laterally in the water with your arms extended straight in front of you and your legs in back of you.
   
2. Push your arms apart so that they create a diagonal with your body. Make sure your palms are facing out and your elbows are straight.
   
3. Pull your elbows into the sides of your body, then bring your hands together in front of your chest. Now simply push your hands forward so they return to where they started.
   
4. While completing step 3, lift your head, neck, and upper chest out of the water to breathe. Do not remove your hands from the water.
   
5. Bending your knees, bring your feet towards your bottom. Make a circular motion with your feet until they meet with your legs fully extended once again. Complete this step as fast as possible.
   
6. Glide.
   

Tips

• Remember the mantra "pull, breathe, kick, glide" while you are swimming.
  
• Do not be tempted to rush through the glide; it is actually the fastest part of the stroke.
  
• Keep your feet flexed while kicking. This provides more power to the stroke.
  
• Make sure your kick is no wider than the width of your shoulders. This is so your legs don't jut out on your sides. The reasoning behind this is to prevent unnecessary drag on your body. By keeping your kick the same width as your shoulders, you are making sure that when you draw back your legs towards your body for the next kick, you are remaining in a hydrodynamic position resulting in a more efficient stroke.
  
• For more speed, breathe between the pull and the kick as fast as possible. In the stance during the stroke when you breathe, there is resistance that can be removed if the pull, breathe, and kick portion are made in a fluid non-stop movement.
  
• Maintain your head position in such a way that your spine remains straight. In other words, look down towards the bottom of the pool while you are swimming and breathing. Many people tend to look straight ahead. The problem with looking forward and not down is that by looking forward, your neck and head are not in line with your spine. As a result, your head is cocked back, resulting in your hips dropping, causing you to drag your entire body. By looking down, you allow your hips to raise up, your spine to stay straight, and your body to streamline through every stroke you take.
  
• Remember that it is better to be able to go really far with each stroke than to be able to do tons of small strokes really fast. Try and go further with each stroke.
  

Warnings

• Keep your hips away from the bottom of shallow pools; this could result in serious injury to the feet, legs and hips.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Perform a Breaststroke Turn
  
• How to Do an Open Turn in Swimming
  
• How to Do a Flip Turn While Swimming
  
• How to Swim Butterfly Stroke
  
• How to Swim
  
• How to Exercise to Become a Better Swimmer
  
• How to Go Innertubing
  

Sources and Citations

• Instructional Video
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Swim the Breaststroke. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Weightlifting - Proper Form