Turn Your Home at Tree Into a Workout Studio With These Simple Tips

August 4, 2016 by greystar

Want to break a sweat without hitting up the gym? These simple workout ideas will show you how to create a space for exercise in your own apartment at tree.

Do yoga. With so many online yoga classes and free tutorials, you can get in a complete yoga class right at home. Clear away clutter and extra furniture, dim the lights, and even light a few candles to create that yoga studio atmosphere (even if you’re just in your living room).
Sweat it out with cardio. Start by clearing the furniture out from the center of your living space, and then pop in an instructional workout DVD. If you’re worried about the sound disturbing your neighbors downstairs, do your workout on a thick area rug or a non-slip exercise mat.
Do some strength training. Invest in small-scale strength training equipment to build muscle even without pumping iron. Things like exercise bands, hand weights, and kettlebells are perfect for toning your biceps even in your apartment.
Create a circuit. Many trainers agree that circuit training is one of the most effective types of exercise. Create your own at-home circuit by working with your apartment’s furniture, including step-ups onto a chair, crunches with your feet under the sofa, and sprints up and down stairs.

How to Build a Home Gym Anywhere [Men's Fitness]
Fitness Pros Weigh In: Essentials of a "No Frills" Home Gym [Apartment Therapy]
10 Small-Space Home Gym Hacks for Your Tiny Apartment [Brit + Co]

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr Carly & Art

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: Exercise, Fitness, Health, Workouts

Foods to Avoid Before a Workout

March 17, 2016 by greystar

It can be a good idea to fuel up with a healthy snack before a workout, but some foods should be avoided altogether before hitting the gym. To see the best results possible, avoid eating these three foods for at least a few hours before you work out.

Flax Seeds. This may come as a surprise since flaxseeds are certainly having a moment in the health food world, but one time that you should not consume the tiny seeds is right before exercising. Because flax seeds are full of fiber, they could cause gas or bloating, which will make you feel pretty uncomfortable when doing crunches or running on the treadmill.
Milk and dairy. If you frequently snack on yogurt or drink a glass of milk for calcium, you may want to cut it out right before heading to the gym. Many trainers say that dairy slows down performance due to its tendency to cause excessive burping and an acidic feeling in the stomach—both of which sound pretty uncomfortable, especially when working out.
Protein bars. This one may be the most surprising of them all, but many common protein bars contain as much sugar and calories as a candy bar. Bars with less than 10 grams of protein could cause a drop in blood sugar and only leave you feeling tired and weighed down.

Top 5 foods and drinks to avoid before workouts [SheKnows]
Foods to Avoid Before a Workout [PopSugar]
20 Foods that Can Ruin Your Workout [Shape]
Worst Workout Foods: What Not to Eat Before a Workout [U.S. News]

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr Veganbaking.net

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: Exercise, Health, Wellness, Workouts

The Bodypump Fitness Craze: What is it and is it Right for You?

August 28, 2012 by greystar

If you’ve been hearing the buzz lately about a popular new exercise trend called Bodypump, you’re probably curious to know what it entails. Read on to learn about the essentials of Bodypump so that you can decide whether or not it’s a good fit for you:

Overview of Bodypump

Bodypump is an exercise method invented by Les Mills, one of the leading fitness companies in the industry. It is a barbell-based class that emphasizes a combination of cardio work and weight lifting, designed to sculpt, tone, and strengthen your entire body. Les Mills promotes Bodypump as one of the fastest ways to get in shape because it challenges all of your major muscle groups through movements like presses, squats, and lifts. Many gyms offer the class with certified Bodypump instructors and it has become a phenomenally popular fitness trend all over the country.

The Rep Effect

One of the distinctive features of Bodypump is what Les Mills calls “The Rep Effect.” The Rep Effect is a method of resistance training that places a focus on low weight loads and high repetition movements. These kinds of reps are designed to maximize an exerciser’s success with burning fat, gaining strength, and rapidly building lean muscle mass. Since lean muscle mass burns calories, proponents of Bodypump tout its ability to transform your body into a lean and fat-burning machine by helping to replace your body fat with calorie-burning muscle.

Bodypump Class

A typical Bodypump class features an instructor specifically trained in the Bodypump methods. He or she leads the class through a series of specific exercises and choreographed movements designed to hit all the body parts in a highly effective sequence. The class is accompanied by a playlist of chart-topping music that is kept constantly fresh based on what’s hot on the radio at the moment. The classes are usually large but not overwhelmingly so, and they are an ideal forum for you if derive motivation, inspiration, and energy from working out with a group of people. In a typical Bodypump class, you’ll perform 70-100 reps per body part for a total of up to 800 reps in one workout session.

Additional Benefits of Bodypump

If you’re concerned about building bulk through weight lifting, Bodypump is a great option because the low-weight-high-rep approach will allow you to tone without adding significantly visible mass. It is also a good option for you if you’re looking for a low-impact form of exercise that will not put a significant amount of pressure on your joints. Bodypump has been designed to protect your bones and joints from injury. The class emphasizes proper form and posture so that you don’t tax your knees, shoulders, or other vulnerable areas.

Other Bodypump Options

If you don’t think you’ll be able to commit to a full fifty-five minute class multiple times a week, many gyms also offer a 45-minute class that omits two of the smaller muscle groups (biceps and triceps) but still makes sure to include all of the major muscle groups throughout the class session. There has also been an upsurge in Bodypump Express Classes overseas and the trend has starting coming over here. The express version is a 30-minute long class that omits the biceps, triceps, and cool down session. Les Mills also has an at-home exercise DVD in the works that will soon be available for people who would rather do Bodypump at home than in a class setting.