What are Free Weights – Best Tools for Muscle Size and Strength

In no other time has physical fitness been given a premium than today. As the levels of obesity and the associated health risks continue to rise along with it, more and more people are realizing that they don't want to live their lives in and out of the hospitals and be constantly dependent on medication. By choosing the right kinds of food and devoting an hour or even less everyday to exercise, many are leading better, heart-healthy lives.

For most people, a workout regimen is synonymous to cardiovascular exercises only. Walking, jogging and running are just some of the cardio workouts that make the heart and lungs stronger. The reason why most individuals limit themselves to these exercises is that they are easy to perform and don't require a lot of money or equipment.

Even if cardiovascular workouts are great exercises and offer some of the best moves to ease a previously sedentary person into a regular exercise program, these do not make up a complete total fitness workout.

A complete exercise regimen has five components, the first of which is cardiovascular training. The other components include strength or resistance training, flexibility training, core stability training and balance training.

While concentrating on any one component is better than not exercising at all, those who have already developed a regular exercise routine should not limit themselves to one form of fitness exercises. This is because focusing only on one part could lead to deficiencies in the other. For example, too much focus on cardiovascular routines could lead to lack of strength or flexibility which can only be developed through resistance and flexibility training. Centering training on flexibility workouts alone can also sacrifice endurance and muscular strength.

All these five components must be included in a complete fitness program to keep the body healthy, developed and balanced. To reduce total body fat and strengthen the heart and lung muscles, cardiovascular exercises are necessary. To build muscle and increase bone mass, resistance training is important. To enhance the range of motion of muscles and joints and make it less prone to injury, flexibility training is a must. To make the back, abdomen and pelvic muscles strong, core stability is important. Finally, to ensure that the body does not stumble or fall and keep its equilibrium the whole time, balance training is necessary.

Concentrating your workouts on only one component of fitness will not help you attain overall fitness. Make sure that you strive for cardiovascular workouts on most days of the week. Follow these up with flexibility and balance training for at least ten minutes. Always incorporate 30 minutes of weight training or bodyweight exercises into your fitness plan two times a week on alternate days.

Following this regimen will make your body feel lighter while developing your strength and power. Lessened levels of body fat, a lean and mean body and balanced poise and grace are the other effects of incorporating all the five components of exercise into your workout routines. These are the benefits of following a complete fitness training program.

Last but not least, be sure to look over our in-depth and this blog post about a .