Re: Differences between Machines, Free weights, Kettlebells, etc.

Many of my clients ask me why dumbbells vs. machines or why the ball abdominals vs. doing them on the floor? I have been privy to a website called, www.criticalbench.com. The website is written by avid weightlifters and bodybuilders but is an excellent website. Here is an excerpt from it which is a great explanation for the different forms of weights that I use in training clients:

Weight Lifting Exercises Resistance training (weight training) can play an important role in the development of self-confidence and body satisfaction by increasing strength, building and toning muscles, and increasing muscular endurance. It can also help maintain lean body mass (important for individuals attempting weight loss), decrease the risk of osteoporosis, develop coordination and balance, and prevent injuries resulting from weak muscles.
Resistance Band Exercises Resistance band exercises are fast, enjoyable, and can provide a great workout anytime, any place. Resistance bands are cheap lightweight and small. You can store them easily or throw them in backpack for a workout session on the go. Great for traveling. See our Resistance band exercise section for sample exercises you can do with bands.
Dumbbell Exercises Dumbbells are great to exercise with because they force you to control the weight. When you weight train on a machine the resistance is perfectly balanced for you. Dumbbells exercises demand that you use smaller stabilizer muscles in every movement. They are considered a free weight exercise and give your muscle a larger range of motion and as well as more freedom.
Stability - Exercise Ball Exercises The stability ball is an extra-large, inflatable orb designed to improve balance while targeting specific muscle groups. The exercise ball is a versatile piece of fitness equipment, although its looks may deceive you at first. An exercise ball is used primarily for increasing muscle strength, flexibility and balance. The exercise ball also aids proper posture. The curved surface of the exercise ball helps support the back during stretching. The exercise ball is a safe and effective tool for improving muscle tone and strengthening the abs and lower back.
Body Weight Exercises Perfect for traveling or working out at home. Use your own body weight as the resistance. Push ups, sit ups, and more.
Russian Kettlebell Exercises The Russian Kettlebell is a canon ball with a handle. So what exactly makes kettlebell training so effective? Mike Mahler explains, "First, kettlebell ballistic exercises such as: the swing, the snatch, and the clean and jerk, teach the trainee how to work his or her body as one unit. This full body strength is critical if you want real world strength that will transfer from your training to your athletic activities." "Second, authentic Russian kettlebells have thick grips. This turns just about every kettlebell exercise into a grip exercise."

N2SHAPE Vegetable of the Week - Sweet Potatoes

SWEET POTATOES

If you were to design the world’s most perfect food, what would you put in it? In addition to great taste, you’d be sure it contained a powerhouse of nutrients, good source of dietary fiber, fat and cholesterol free, low sodium, and easy to prepare. It's the sweet potato!

• They are a first-rate provider of vitamin A and beta carotene, both of which promote healthy skin, hair and eyesight. A serving of Sweet Potatoes has four times the recommended daily allowance for beta carotene.
• Sweet potatoes also contain significant amounts of vitamins C and are a fair source of vitamin E. One medium sweetpotato provides nearly half of your daily requirement of vitamin C.
• Sweet Potatoes are also a great source of dietary fiber. When eaten with the skin, they offer more fiber than oatmeal!
• With all this for only about 120 calories per medium sweetpotato, you’ve got to admit it would be hard to find a food with a better all-around package.

Recently, SweetPotatoes took top honors in two surveys focusing of the nutritional benefits of vegetables.

• In the first, The Nutrition Action Health Letter rated 58 vegetables from artichokes to winter squash, adding up the percentages of recommended daily allowances for six nutrients (vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, iron, copper and calcium,), plus fiber. Sweet potatoes scored a whopping 582; its nearest competitor, a raw carrot, came in at 434. The baked potato rated a paltry 114.
• In the second survey the consumer watchdog group, Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), rated the relative nutritional value of common vegetables based on their content of fiber, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. Once again, the sweetpotato came out on top with a score of 184 compared to a similarly prepared potato, which came in at 83. Carrots, the self-proclaimed beta carotene king, scored only 30.

If you’re familiar with them only as a fat-loaded, overly-sweet Thanksgiving side dish, you’ll be amazed at how much more SweetPotatoes can be! A great staple to keep on hand in the kitchen, they can be baked, microwaved, steamed, boiled, sautéed or grilled.