Health and Fitness

What size Gymball do you need

What is an Gymball ball?

Gym balls are also known as exercise balls their very versatile and can used for many different types of exercise, one benefit of using a gym ball with dumbells can be that it is a convenient, low cost and space saving way to train at home. It can also improve your strength and burn more calories than using a standard bench because you’ll be using more of your stabilising muscle for support.

Gymballs come in 3 sizes they are.

55cm

65cm

75cm

How do I choose whatGymball to buy?

It depends on your weight and height, the heavier you are the more you will compress the ball, so if you weigh more then you should buy the next size up for your height.

If you are of average weight for your height use the table below to decide which ball to buy.

55cm - 5′1” - 5′8”

65cm - 5′9” - 6′2”

75cm - 6′3” - 6′7”

They’re are balls available for people larger or smaller but this is the most popular sizes of gym ball on the market.

Setting up a home gym on the cheap

Joining a gym can be expensive many gyms charge a joining fee and then a monthly membership fee, depending on where you live these gym costs can be very expensive and use up essential beer money. Your muscles don’t know where your hurting them though, your muscles don’t really care although the gym can be a bit more motivating than pumping iron in your garage and with all the people around you might find you can lift more weight or do more reps.

Research does show that people who exercise outdoors stick it for longer than those that exercise in the gym, good news if improving your cardio vascular fitness and burning fat are your goals you only need one of them goretex running jacket thingy’s, some trainers and maybe an ipod. You’ll be able to put all that money you save on gym fees into buying clothes for your new slimline figure.

If you want to build muscle at home theres loads of equipment available on the market, all you really need is some dumbells, a gym ball and maybe a chin up bar. You could also look at my ramblings on circuit training and supersets. You’ll be able to use all that money you save from training at home to buy a new tank top and show off your big biceps.

Dumbells

If your looking for dumbells to use at home theres a wide variety and lots of different types of dumbells available on the market, if you have weight plates already you can buy just handles these come in standard or olympic sizes you then need what are called spring collars these hold the weights on the dumbell bars, theres also sprinlock dumbells (these aren’t so good because they unscrew themselves), selectorised dumbells and fixed weight dumbells available on the market.

Benefits of using dumbells

If using dumbells at home a major benefit has to be that they take up less space than a multigym machine or barbell, they can be stored away easily and are usually cheaper to buy. Dumbells allow you greater range of motion and cause you to use stabalising muscles when lifting the weights aswell as just your target muscles, biceps and pecs etc.

Using these stabalising muscles means you become stronger faster.

Supersets for a tougher workout

What do you do when you’ve outgrown your dumbells?

You’ve got a few options if your dumbells are of the adjustable type you could buy some more plates if not you could buy some more dumbells, join a gym or you could make your training regime more difficult. How can you make your training more difficult with the same dumbells? Probably the most effective way is with a training method called supersetting it involves training opposing muscles alternatively with no rest, heres an example not for beginners.

Bench press - Chest

Lie on a bench with a dumbell level with your chest in each hand, push the dumbells up till your arms are fully extended and then lower them back down to your chest again. You should breath out on the way up and in on the way down.

Seated reverse fly – Upper back

Sit with your legs together on a bench or an exercise ball, lean forward don’t round your back keep a slight arch in it. Keeping your arms straight lift the dumbells up till their level with your ears then lower them in a slow controlled motion.

Once you’ve completed these two exercises its One set, rest for a minute the repeat another 2 or 3 times. How many reps should you do? It depends on what your goals are if your wanting to build muscle and increase strength 15 is probably the most reps you should do.

Heres a Superset that doesn’t need any weights

Do these to exercises straight after one another as above.

Press ups - Chest

You know how to do press ups don’t you they can be made harder by elavating your legs on an exercise ball or chair.

Reverse Push ups – Upper Back and Lats

Find a horizontal bar about knee height, lie on the floor and hold the bar with an overhand grip. Pull your chest up to the bar pinching your shoulder blades together. You can make this exercise harder by elevating your legs on an exercise ball or chair.

Training at home and the equipment you need

Your muscles and your fat don’t know whether your in a sweaty expensive gym or the comfort of your own home, your muscles will still grow in the same way and your fat will still come of at the same rate so the advantages of staying home and some basic equipment you will need.

Advantages of training at home

You can wear what you like

• It’ll cut down your traveling time

• You can listen to what ever music you like or even watch your favourite TV Shows

• You don’t have to wait around for machines and equipment

• You don’t have to worry whos been sweating on the equipement before you

• You can train when ever you like

• Depending on your goals its probably going to be cheaper

Equipment you need for training at home

The equipment you need for training at home really depends on what your goals are if you just want to lose some weight, tone up, improve stamina and cardio fitness you could try some circuit training which doesn’t really require any equipment see circuit training for beginers.

Basic home training equipment

Dumbells - Dumbells are probably the most versatile of all exercise equipment and can be used in loads of different ways.

Gymball - Gym or exercise balls can be used in loads of different ways see choosing the right size gymball.

Both of the above pieces of equipment and much more can be bought from the Nike Store

Coming soon some more home training programs

Losing belly fat

It’s a common misconception that you can isolate which parts of your body you lose fat from, that you can get a flat belly just by doing abdominal specific exercises like sit ups you can’t.

You lose fat from all of your body at the same rate and the best way to achieve this is with cardio exercise like running or even just walking, to firm up your muscles and give a toned look all over you could try some weight training. Weight training will also increase you metabolism you don’t need to much equipment to train at home just a set of dumbells and an exercise ball should do it, circuit training also helps you tone up, increase your strenght and give you a good cardio workout.

Abdominal Exercises

A lot of people think that the can get a Six pack, washboard type stomach just by doing sit ups they can’t. You can create abdominal muscle by performing just abdominal exercise but to show the muscles requires a lot of fat loss, fat loss can only be achieved by cardiovascular exercise and training some fat loss pills can also help.

Heres some abdominal exercises using a gym or exercise ball

See choosing the right size gym ball

Hover

Kneel facing the ball and place your forearms on the top, Tighten your abdominal muscles. Press down on the ball with your arms to lift your knees of the floor and hold for 60 Seconds.

Reverse crunch

Place your hands on your chest tighten your abdominal muscles and lean back allowing the ball to roll forwards slightly, Hold then reverse the motion coming back up.

Back Extension

Place you stomach on the ball arms out in front of you toes touching the floor for stabilisation and lift your upper body slowly a couple of inches then return to the starting position.

Abdominal Exercises without any equipment

Crunch

Lie flat on the floor knees bent, place your hands on your chest tighten, your abdominal muscles and slowly raise your head and shoulders of the floor hold and return to the starting position.

Oblique Crunches

Like above but put your Knees to the side for one set then put them on the other side for another set

If you want to train at home but don’t have much space your best option has to be dumbells, dumbells offer you a variety of exercise options to help you tone muscle, build muscle and burn fat.

For toning and burning fat these chrome dumbells are excellent and they will also look good in your home, they come in pairs starting at just over £6.00 so you can add to them as you get fitter perfect for both men and women.

Click Here for more info on these chrome dumbells

Choosing the right size exercise ball

What is an exercise ball?

Exercise balls or gym balls are large inflatable balls that are very versatile and can be used for Pilates (bit girly for me), Weight Training etc etc they very popular for abdominal exercises. More on their uses another day.

They come in 3 sizes they are.

55cm

65cm

75cm

How do I choose what exercise ball to buy?

It depends on your weight and height, they heavier you are the more you will compress the ball, so if you weigh more than you should for your height buy the next size up.

If your of average weight for your height use the table below to decide which ball to buy.

55cm - 5′1” - 5′8”

65cm - 5′9” - 6′2”

75cm - 6′3” - 6′7”

They’re are balls available for people larger or smaller but this is the most popular sizes of exercise ball on the market.