Crazy But Effective Fitness Routines | Workout & Exercises slideshows | Physical activities center

Tabata - Nasty, Brutish And Short, This Protocol Has Fans The World Over

Tabata takes its name from Professor Izumi Tabata, who conducted groundbreaking research with Olympic speed skaters geared at producing rapid changes in their anaerobic fitness. Since then it's emerged that anaerobic fitness tends to pull aerobic fitness up after it - it's a one-way crossover, meaning that the Tabata protocol is ideal for athletes who want big changes in their health and fitness. Watch out, though: Real Tabata protocol training is no joke. You'll be doing 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest, repeated for 8 cycles. When I saw work, I mean 'to the point where you feel sick - and beyond.' Tabata protocol is hard, but it has adherents worldwide because it's so effective and efficient. Absent lab equipment to objectively measure its intensity you'll have to provide your own subjective measurement though.

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Photo courtesy of Sibba by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/sibba/5418392300/
www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/ss/slideshow-fitness-crazes

Bootie Ballet For Weight Loss And Body Sculpting

'Booty ballet' is a workout craze originating with Gillian Marloth and Teigh McDonough, fusing elements of yoga, ballet and more freestyle dance forms together to create a workout that they claim is designed to give your 'ABCs' - Abs, Booty and Cardio training in each session. The training is built around five basic workouts that are weighted more towards one of the core ideas or sources of the system, so one workout is more ballet-oriented while another is more dance-inspired. Despite ballet having a refined and elegant image it's incredibly athletically demanding and mixing in yoga and modern dance has allowed the creation of a fun workout oriented toward women and geared to be easy and effective.

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Photo courtesy of satemkemet by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/satemkemet/3810306201/
www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/yoga_booty_ballet.do

Rebounding Strengthens The Whole Body And Helps You To Lose Weight

'Rebounding' refers to using a small trampoline to bounce on. The system supposedly works, according to its originator, Yinka Thomas, because your body feels an increased gravitational (G) force at the bottom of the bounce. This can be equivalent to two or three times your bodyweight, and every cell in your body responds to this perceived 'stress' by strengthening.' Essentially, rebounding takes advantage of the availability of strong, safe mini-trampolines to bring basic trampolining moves inside and modify them for a fitness audience. It's recommended that you invest in a good rebounder, wear sensible footwear or go barefoot and work up gradually to more intense rebounding sessions.

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Photo courtesy of Ludraman by Wikimedia Commons : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hometrampoline.jpg
Bates, Claire, and Thomas, Yinka, 'Tone and Tighten With A Six Week Rebounding Workout,' Mail Online, September 25 2009, stored at http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1213310/Tone-Tighten-Rebounding-Six-Week-Workout.html, retrieved July 19, 2013

Krankcycle - An Exercise Cycle For The Upper Body

The Krankcycle comes from the inventors of fitness craze spinning. It's designed to build core stability, aerobic conditioning and upper body strength while burning between 9 and 11 calories a minute. The idea of the Krankcycle is to provide an exercise machine like an exercise cycle but for the upper body. Using it involves turning handles with your arms rather than cycling with your legs, and therefore it offers good opportunities for people who have been excluded from more traditional training styles because they can't move their legs, because of an injury or disability.

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Photo courtesy of US CPSC by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/uscpsc/9365223105/
Five Giri, Inc., Krankcycle.com, 2010, stored at http://www.krankcycle.com/index.php, retrieved July 19 2013

The Zumba Dance Craze Is Sweeping Across The Nation

Zumba is sweeping the nation. It's a form of exercise based around dance, with Latin-tinged rhythms and movements providing the backdrop to a system of movement that emphasizes twists and flow. Zumba is advertised under the slogan, 'Ditch the Workout, Join the Party,' and claims to offer participants the opportunity to 'Party Yourself Into Shape!' There's plenty of anecdotal evidence that it works, probably because people who wouldn't go back to a traditional exercise class continue to attend Zumba. Zumba is supported by a magazine, Zlife, and a range of DVDs for home use allowing people to form their own groups or Zumba alone.

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Photo courtesy of Memphis CVB by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/ilovememphis/5619510684/
Zumba Fitness LLC., Zumba.com, stored at http://www.zumba.com/en-US, 2013, retrieved July 19, 2013

Consider Using Kettlebells For Power And Endurance

Kettlebells were popularized in the West by Pavel Tsatsouline, who introduced the 'Russian Kettlebell Challenge' to Americans and Western Europeans. Kettlebells are relatively small weights shaped like spheres with large handles protruding from the top, and they're designed to be used ballistically. Many people think they offer the best trade-off between result, skill requirements and cash and time outlay, though there's some discussion about this. Certainly they're a great choice if you're short of time and space, and for cardio mixed with strength at a high level of intensity they're most people's tool of choice.

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Photo courtesy of TownePost Network by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/atgeist/8282512578/

Put A Spring In Your Step With Jumping Shoes

Jumping shoes come in a range of styles and types, but they're all designed to provide a kind of portable trampoline experience: by being attached to the soles of your feet, you can take the bounce with you. As a result they offer some of the benefits of trampolining, including the strengthening G-force effect. One style, the Kangaroo Jumps shoe, comes with an attendant aerobic conditioning program, Kangaroo'Robics, and can also be used for traditional athletic conditioning such as running. Because the shoes are low impact, with the impact time of each step or landing being spread across far more time, they allow for injured athletes or the elderly or infirm to use the shoes.

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Photo courtesy of Kálmán Attila by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/atiboy/4353615216/
Bossbi, Bossbi.com, 2013, http://www.bossbi.com/skate/kangoojumps/kangoojumps.php, accessed July 19, 2013

Aerial Yoga Combines The Circus With The Sacred

Aerial Yoga consists of traditional yoga combined with the physical training of an aerialist, or trapeze artist. It usually uses yoga poses supported by fabric or elastic trapezes. As a result, some of the more athletically demanding Asanas can be practiced by people who ordinarily wouldn't be strong enough to do them, and the system has become popular worldwide. In America, this type of Yoga has been popularized by Michelle Dortignac, who operates a studio in New York and is both a Yoga instructor and former aerialist and circus performer. However, there are many instructors offering this type of Yoga, though the use of hammocks or bands defines it.

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Photo courtesy of ESerranoAG by Wikimedia Commons : commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aerial_Yoga.jpg

Boxercise Is A Big Hit Among Fitness Fans All Over

Boxercise uses the movements of boxing as an exercise program. Like most combat sports, boxing is hugely demanding in terms of power, strength, cardio and skill. Even if you don't ever want to slip in a gumshield and stake your claim to the squared circle, learning to box or using a boxercise class can offer a truly challenging workout. Participants will learn boxing combinations and use them on spot mitts or pads, providing some resistance work, as well as shadowboxing routines and more general exercises beloved of boxers like medicine ball training, skipping ropes and other circuit favorites. Some boxercise classes will include exercises from Thai boxing or kickboxing too!

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Photo courtesy of Stewart Black by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/s2ublack/9546216049/

Crossfit Offers Multiple Training Modalities And A Community Atmosphere

CrossFit is a phenomenon that's sweeping the nation and the world. The idea behind it is to take key exercises from a range of training modalities and learn to do all of them competently, resulting in all-round fitness - CrossFit athletes are supposed to be able to put up a good show at a weightlifting meet, kettlebell club or 5k run rather than being specialised. What really accounts for its appeal is the 'community spirit' of each CrossFit gym. In some cases, if you don't show up to train, other members will come and find you! The support members give each other and the passion it generates account for CrossFit's growing numbers and user retention.