Todd Benderson

Not everyone has the same fitness goals, and it would be a huge mistake to believe so.While a huge percentage of gym-goers work out to lose weight, there are still traditionalists who are in it for the thrill of bodybuilding.In the past decade however, a number of new-age gyms have opened that have offered classes in functional fitness and circuit training for overall health. Image source: bodybuilding-wizard.com Now, choosing the best exercise for you depends on your goals. If you’re a student of old-school bodybuilding and your heroes are Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, Frank Zans, Dorian Yates, and Big Ronnie Coleman, then isolation exercises are best for you.These are exercises that target a single muscle group at a time, focusing on growing them.Isolation exercises emphasize aesthetics over functionality. Image source: ginaaliotti.com On the other end of the spectrum, a newer group of more health-conscious individuals have started a global movement thro...

Intermittent fasting has become a fast-growing fitness trend. While a lot of people initially try intermittent fasting for weight loss, it is not a diet plan. It is actually an eating pattern. Image source: huffingtonpost.com Unlike being on a diet, intermittent fasting does not dictate which foods to eat or avoid. It is more about when a person should eat. Here are common intermittent fasting patterns beginners may want to try out: 16/8 Method . The 16/8 Method is also known as the Leangains protocol. There is a set 8-hour eating period, which usually means the person has to skip breakfast. For example, a person can eat anything from 1 pm to 9 pm (8 hours), but they have to fast for 16 hours. Eat-Stop-Eat . This method involves 24-hour fasts, twice or once a week. Image source: lifehacker.com 5:2 Method . In the 5:2 method, a person eats only 500 to 600 calories in two non-consecutive days in a week. They are allowed to eat normally on other day...

Sometimes, working out can be a chore. It can get repetitive, and it can beat you even before you begin. There are days when you wake up in the morning and say “Nah, I’ll probably do this tomorrow.” Image source: chicagonow.com A lot of individuals need the proper motivation before they work out. Luckily, some workout routines are so much fun that they become motivators themselves. Let’s take a look at some of the fun routines for people of every fitness level. Swimming Swimming is amazing. It works out the entire body and it’s easy on the joints. People love how it feels when their bodies are simultaneously heated and cooled in the water. And it burns tons of calories. Boxing Perfect as an exercise and terribly effective as a stress reliever, boxing burns an insane amount of calories in a relatively short period of time. It’s also the type of sport where as you improve, you become more confident – about yourself and what you’re capable of. Hiking...

Asthma is one of the most common ailments that plague a lot of people all over the world, but curiously, the available therapy for the disease also very much within anyone’s reach.  Swimming is known to help the asthmatic patient. Image Source : powerlung.com Breathing in the air that surrounds a water environment makes the lungs stronger and more resilient against asthma.  Because the air is moist, the lungs are forced to work harder, and thus build resistance against asthma. The activity of swimming itself, especially when one goes underwater intermittently, is a good practice for the lungs.  When such a pressure builds up, the lungs tend to expand.  If it expands, it increases its capacity to take in air, even after the swimming exercise.  The lungs are then capacitated to take in more oxygen. When one is in a normal environment, they become hardly conscious about their breathing.  This is because normal breathing is involuntar...