Jump Your Way To A Lean Body
Magazines and gyms are constantly focused on pushing the weights only approach. However, in order to gain muscle the primary focus is on putting muscle tissue under stress by doing strength training. One of the primary benefits of using bodyweight workouts is that you can literally exercise in any setting at any time without having to take equipment with you. Because most of us do not have a gym at home it becomes hard to either purchase equipment or drive to a local gym to get in shape.
With body weight exercises you can easily workout at home, in your bedroom, or in a hotel room while on vacation. Another advantage to doing these types of workouts is a financial factor. With the state of the economy it is difficult for most of us to spend on a luxury like buying exercise equipment or a gym membership.
When it comes to making financial choices it is hard to spend on these things and this is why bodyweight exercises are convenient as it is practically free. Doing exercises using only your body works well as these types of workouts build not only muscle but athleticism as well. For a great example of the benefits of these types of workouts simply look at a gymnast.
Gymnast's bodies are built strictly using just their bodies and you cannot deny that they look lean, muscular and athletic. This variation of a traditional jump squat is one of the best exercises that not only builds muscle but also burns fat and builds athleticism, especially when it is part of a legs workout.
Begin in a standing position with your knees slightly bent and feet at shoulder width apart. Come down and lower your hips in to a squat position making sure your thighs are parallel to floor. Make sure your knees form a 90-degree angle with your knees in line with your ankles. Jump up as high as you can in an explosive motion. Land with the balls of your feet followed by your heels. Repeat the movement/ jump without stopping in one continuous motion.
For best results this exercise should be 3 to 4 sets of 10 repetitions per set and resting one minute in between sets. By keeping the rest period between sets short you will elevate your heart rate and have it pumping and getting the cardio benefits that come along with it. To get the most out of this exercise and make it part of your muscle building and fat burning workout do the following routine. Perform this workout once a week and you will find yourself with a great looking lower body and burning fat at the same time.
You will turn your pile from the outside in about once a week. This doesn't have to be anything major, simply shovel the outer portion of the pile towards the inside and continue moving in this way around the pile until you have rearranged it so that fresh compost is now exposed.
I Have Compost, Now What, Use this fertile addition to any herbs you have, both indoors and out. Add it in large quantities in the spring to the soil you are going to plant in. Use it throughout the season to top off any soil that has become tamped down due to water runoff or settling. In the fall, break down your garden and put any parts of it that are not diseased back into a new compost pile to work all winter and you will have new compost to use the following spring.
Finally, remember that making compost is an ongoing hobby. It's not something you do in a week or two, then forget it for a year. Keep an out of the way pile of this "black gold" going, and always have a place to recycle much of your household waste and turn it into something useful.
