Hey, we all want to shed some pounds and get back to the body that we had when we were younger and didn't appreciate it but it takes discipline, planning, and dedication to make that happen. All too often people shed 10 or 15 pounds and then seem to stop losing weight. There is definitely a reason this happens and it should not be seen as failure or an excuse to give up on your weight loss goals. Here are 7 absolutely killer ways to maximize your fat burning routine and help ensure success with your weight loss goals.
1) Anaerobic Exercise
If you think you can just run laps or pedal that fat away, think again. Muscle tissue is what burns the most calories in our bodies and you need to life weights in order to create bigger muscles that will burn more calories. Now although aerobic exercises such as cycling or swimming are also necessary, the fact remains that building bigger muscles is the best way to lose weight and keep it off. This is because you are creating a more efficient calorie burning machine by lifting weights which will ensure you success with your weight loss goals.
2) Warm-up and Cool Down
Warming up before exercising and taking the time to cool down afterwards with some light exercises are not generally seen as essential to a fat burning program. However, the reason why a lot of people tend to give up on their weight loss goals is because they failed to see the progress they hoped for when they began. An injury, even one that only lasts for a few days, can set your weight loss goals back by weeks and lead to a loss of stimulation. You need to plan an extra twenty minutes into your weight lifting routine for these two essential activities or you risk injury and derailing your weight loss plan.
3) Diet, Diet, Diet
This should not be a killer way to maximize your weight loss goals but it is. The reason for this is because people tend to think of losing weight in two ways: diet, or exercise. Hey, these two go hand in hand and you are never going to maximize your fat burning routine in the gym unless you take care of your body outside of the gym. Stop thinking of meals in terms of three: instead, think 5 meals with smaller portions. The FDA recently developed a new food pyramid with this very idea in mind and you should check it out before starting your fat burning program because it can save you a lot of time and energy if you get the diet part figured out before even stepping into the gym.
4) Plan Workouts
The body is the most complex machine on the planet and you can't just hope to step into a gym and jump on a machine or some weights and think that you are going to see the results you want without knowing how they affect your body. The ideal exercise routine is done only 3 or 4 times per week and only for 30-45 minutes at a time. You cannot work your body more than this because it will actually cause your muscles to break down which means you will be burning fewer calories, and therefore, not maximizing your fat burning routine in the gym. If you have any doubts about what kind of routine is ideal for your goals, don't be afraid to consult an physical trainer to help you set up a program that is best suited for you.
5) Nutritional Supplements
If you really want to maximize your fat burning routine in the gym, then you need to consider using nutritional supplements. Now I am not talking about those crazy supplements that promise to burn fat for you while you sit and watch tv! I am talking about essential fatty acids, amino acids, whey protein….things that will truly maximize your workouts that you can't always expect to get in the foods you eat every day. Again, consult a physical trainer if you want to know which supplements are best for your weight loss goals.
6) Set Weekly Goals
I know that this just seems terribly obvious but the truth is that most people are not thrilled with the idea of working out so it is easy for them to skip a session or indulge in some pizza and think that they will make up for it next time. Listen, next time never comes and when you stop seeing the scales go down, the motivation just seems to stop. By setting weekly goals, you can track your progress and make it that much more likely that you will adhere to the goals when you see things are not going as expected.
7) No More Late Night Snacks
This one may not seem to make sense, but I assure you that it will help maximize your fat burning exercises. The reason is your metabolism. When you eat right before you go to bed, it throws your body off and you probably notice that you awaken and don't feel hungry. Then, you skip breakfast entirely or only snack on a bagel or something on you way into work.
The result: the body goes into conservation mode. This means that it slows down your metabolism and that means you are burning less calories throughout the day. Plus, it increases the likelihood of snacking and basically just sets the scene for a bad cycle. Eating five smaller portioned meals per day also has to do with your metabolism as it has been found that metabolism remains highest when there is a consistent supply of food in the body. You might not believe that late night snacking affects the way your body burns fat when working out, but it does.
Now some of the things listed above are obvious while some just seem silly. And yet, taken together and consistently adhered to, these 7 little ideas will maximize your fat burning in the gym and get you to that body you can see in your mind but not the mirror far quicker than if you just go about things in a disorganized and inconsistent manner.
About The Author:
Wesley Atkins is a fitness and nutrition coach. His website "The Low GI Diet Breakthrough" reveals his inside secrets, tips, and resources that allow his students to routinely lose up to 19 pounds in just 21 days. To claim your free report visit: http://www.lowgidietbreakthrough.com
Copyright Wesley Atkins - http://www.lowgidietbreakthrough.com
Thursday, September 10, 2009
7 Easy Ways To Boost Your Metabolism
Everybody benefits from having a quicker metabolism. Your metabolism is
responsible for many of the body's major functions including how many calories you
burn at a given time. Therefore, if your metabolism is fast, you will burn a lot of
calories all the time...even while you sleep.
Here's 7 easy ways that you can speed up your metabolism:
1. “Move around” more...
This one sounds a little strange I know, but from my years of experience I’ve found
that most people tend to not “move around” much throughout the day.
Many people have jobs where they are constantly sitting down all day, and when they
are done, go home, sit down some more to watch TV, and then they go to sleep.
Overall, they weren’t very active...
When I say to “move” more, I mean try to be more active whenever you can.
This doesn’t have to be a chore...most people have lots of opportunities throughout
the day to be more active. Here’s a few ideas that you can use:
·Take stairs instead of elevators
·When you go somewhere, park farther away so you have to walk a
little farther
·Walk your dog
·Go for a bike ride
These are just a few ideas...I’m sure you can come up with a lot more to suit your
own lifestyle.
2. Take a Good Multi-Vitamin/Multi Mineral...
Vitamins and minerals help the body perform vital functions.
Most people don’t get all the vitamins and minerals they need from the food they
eat.
Most people are deficient in one or more vitamins and/or minerals and they don’t
even know it.
Men and women can get specific multivitamins to suit their needs. Men need
more of certain kinds of vitamins than women and women often need more of certain
kinds of vitamins than men, like iron.
To get specific multivitamin packs specifically for men and women, you can visit your
nearest nutrition/health store.
I have found that the vitamin packs made specifically for men and women are the best,
and don’t cost an arm and a leg.
3. Don’t Go For Long Periods of Time WITHOUT Eating...
This lack of energy as food will make your body go into “starvation mode”
In response to being in “starvation mode”, your body will begin storing fat as a fuel
source.
This will lower your metabolism and also increase your body’s capacity to gain
weight...
This is the main reason why when you come off of a diet, you gain back the
weight you previously lost and many times even gain more weight than you had
before you went on the diet...
4. Essential fat?
Yes-even some fat is essential.
There are fats found in nuts and fish oils called Essential Fatty Acids or (EFA’s).
These fatty acids are actually essential for good health...
They make your hair stronger and shinier, as well as make our skin smoother.
They also help prevent fat storage throughout your body.
5. Do early aerobics...
If you do any aerobics, try to do them in the morning shortly after you wake up
and before you eat...this is when your blood-sugar is at its lowest.
Your body will need energy to power the workout, and since you haven’t eaten yet,
it will be forced to use stored fat as a fuel source instead of the sugar in your blood.
6. Water! Water! Water!
I can’t stress this enough...
Water does so many things for your body that it’s hard to know where to start!
Try to drink at least 48 ounces a day...that is about 5-6 glasses a day.
Water helps to rid your body of harmful toxins and will also keep you hydrated.
Here are some interesting and informative reasons why water is so important for your
health:
· 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (This likely applies to
half the world population)
· Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism by as much
as 3%
· Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
· Research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly
ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
· A mere 2% decrease in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term
memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on a computer
screen or printed page.
· Drinking 5 glasses of water per day can decrease the risk of colon
cancer by 45%, breast cancer by 79% and bladder cancer by 50%.
You will be surprised at how much better you will feel by just following this simple step.
7. Eat More Garlic And Oregano...
This seems simple enough right??
By simply eating more garlic and oregano, you are actually cleaning out your
intestinal walls. Sounds gross right?
You might be wondering “How can cleaning my intestines help me lose weight?”
The intestinal walls are actually made up of many tiny pores that absorb the nutrients
from the food we eat. These tiny pores are very good at absorbing nutrients and
keeping out toxins.
When your intestines are “dirty”, these tiny pores actually get a little bigger and along
with absorbing nutrients, they also absorb those toxins. Normally, these toxins are
too big to pass through the pores.
When this happens you become “toxic” and it is VERY HARD for your body to lose
weight and increase your metabolism.
And there you have it! 7 easy ways for absolutely anybody to increase their metabolism
and start living a healthier lifestyle.
responsible for many of the body's major functions including how many calories you
burn at a given time. Therefore, if your metabolism is fast, you will burn a lot of
calories all the time...even while you sleep.
Here's 7 easy ways that you can speed up your metabolism:
1. “Move around” more...
This one sounds a little strange I know, but from my years of experience I’ve found
that most people tend to not “move around” much throughout the day.
Many people have jobs where they are constantly sitting down all day, and when they
are done, go home, sit down some more to watch TV, and then they go to sleep.
Overall, they weren’t very active...
When I say to “move” more, I mean try to be more active whenever you can.
This doesn’t have to be a chore...most people have lots of opportunities throughout
the day to be more active. Here’s a few ideas that you can use:
·Take stairs instead of elevators
·When you go somewhere, park farther away so you have to walk a
little farther
·Walk your dog
·Go for a bike ride
These are just a few ideas...I’m sure you can come up with a lot more to suit your
own lifestyle.
2. Take a Good Multi-Vitamin/Multi Mineral...
Vitamins and minerals help the body perform vital functions.
Most people don’t get all the vitamins and minerals they need from the food they
eat.
Most people are deficient in one or more vitamins and/or minerals and they don’t
even know it.
Men and women can get specific multivitamins to suit their needs. Men need
more of certain kinds of vitamins than women and women often need more of certain
kinds of vitamins than men, like iron.
To get specific multivitamin packs specifically for men and women, you can visit your
nearest nutrition/health store.
I have found that the vitamin packs made specifically for men and women are the best,
and don’t cost an arm and a leg.
3. Don’t Go For Long Periods of Time WITHOUT Eating...
This lack of energy as food will make your body go into “starvation mode”
In response to being in “starvation mode”, your body will begin storing fat as a fuel
source.
This will lower your metabolism and also increase your body’s capacity to gain
weight...
This is the main reason why when you come off of a diet, you gain back the
weight you previously lost and many times even gain more weight than you had
before you went on the diet...
4. Essential fat?
Yes-even some fat is essential.
There are fats found in nuts and fish oils called Essential Fatty Acids or (EFA’s).
These fatty acids are actually essential for good health...
They make your hair stronger and shinier, as well as make our skin smoother.
They also help prevent fat storage throughout your body.
5. Do early aerobics...
If you do any aerobics, try to do them in the morning shortly after you wake up
and before you eat...this is when your blood-sugar is at its lowest.
Your body will need energy to power the workout, and since you haven’t eaten yet,
it will be forced to use stored fat as a fuel source instead of the sugar in your blood.
6. Water! Water! Water!
I can’t stress this enough...
Water does so many things for your body that it’s hard to know where to start!
Try to drink at least 48 ounces a day...that is about 5-6 glasses a day.
Water helps to rid your body of harmful toxins and will also keep you hydrated.
Here are some interesting and informative reasons why water is so important for your
health:
· 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (This likely applies to
half the world population)
· Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism by as much
as 3%
· Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
· Research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly
ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
· A mere 2% decrease in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term
memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on a computer
screen or printed page.
· Drinking 5 glasses of water per day can decrease the risk of colon
cancer by 45%, breast cancer by 79% and bladder cancer by 50%.
You will be surprised at how much better you will feel by just following this simple step.
7. Eat More Garlic And Oregano...
This seems simple enough right??
By simply eating more garlic and oregano, you are actually cleaning out your
intestinal walls. Sounds gross right?
You might be wondering “How can cleaning my intestines help me lose weight?”
The intestinal walls are actually made up of many tiny pores that absorb the nutrients
from the food we eat. These tiny pores are very good at absorbing nutrients and
keeping out toxins.
When your intestines are “dirty”, these tiny pores actually get a little bigger and along
with absorbing nutrients, they also absorb those toxins. Normally, these toxins are
too big to pass through the pores.
When this happens you become “toxic” and it is VERY HARD for your body to lose
weight and increase your metabolism.
And there you have it! 7 easy ways for absolutely anybody to increase their metabolism
and start living a healthier lifestyle.
About the Author
The Easy Health Secrets Weightloss Program is your step-by-step roadmap for fatloss
success...GUARANTEED!
Ryan Betzina has created the ultimate no-brainer, step-by-step weightloss plan to
have you shedding inches from those "trouble-spots". For more info visit:
http://www.easyhealthsecrets.com Also, sign-up for his FREE weekly tips and recipes
by sending a blank email to: mailto:ehsnews@getresponse.com
7 Beauty Tips for Looking Younger
Ever since Eve took that first bite of the apple, the human race has been obessed with beauty.
The truth is we begin the aging process just as soon as we pop out of the womb. Every day of our lives our bodies slough off and regenerate new cells. The speed at which that process takes place when we are children is vastly different as we get older.
Every day you are bombarded daily with commercial messages and beauty tips that attempt to lure you into believing that the most recent miracle drug is just what you need to fight off the ravages of Mother Nature.
We are living longer as a whole. Singularly, that can be a curse or a blessing, depending on your perspective.
The best route to natural beauty and healthy skin is to take care of what you have. Sounds simple, doesn't it? The truth is that your skin takes a beating from the environment every single day. Here are some of our favorite beauty tips for keeping your skin fresh and healthy:
1: Stay hydrated and do it with plenty of water! That does not mean soda, caffeine or any other type of liquid, even if it is low cal. Soda (even diet soda) has a high concentration of sodium. Sodium retains fluids. You need fluid that will hydrate and flush your body free of toxins. Make sure you are drinking at least 8 glasses a day!
2: Protect your skin from harmful ultra violet (UV) rays. We all love the sun. We love being in it and we love having a beautiful tan. The truth is you can poison yourself with too much sunshine. UV rays cause skin cancer and if that isn't bad enough it causes your skin to age faster than it should, contributing to unsightly wrinkles. If you must play in the sun, make certain you are using an adequate sun screen. Don't leave home without it!
3: Keep your skin clean. Use a soft warm cloth. Skin does not require scrubbing. You will do more harm than good if you do.
4: The best cure for wrinkles is to never have them in the first place! If you are like most of us, you didn't listen to your Mom when she tried to tell you to stay in the shade, stand up straight and stop squinting!
5: Eat healthy. Knowing how and what to eat, can make a huge difference in how you feel. Improper eating habits can cause depression, weight gain, illness and an overall lethargy.
Weight gain causes your skin to stretch. As you get older, it loses it's elasticity and you're left with sagging skin.
The best solution to this is to maintain a proper weight.
A rule of thumb for eating habits are...don't eat more calories than you consume. Don't go one single day without doing something extra and physical for at least 30 minutes per day. This can be three ten minute walks. Or 30 minutes of vigorous aerobics, or 12 minutes of weight lifting and 18 minutes of walking.
6: Don't worry, be happy. A happy outlook appears to trigger the release of endorphins. Endorphins relax the cardiovascular system and cytokines which alert the immune system to pay attention in detecting abnormalities like cancer cells. Listen carefully to yourself. If you have put yourself down since childhood, over a lifetime, negative subliminal messages can take their toll by turning you into a pessimist. Spend one week writing down the phrases you use in your "self talk." Chances are you will find that you repeat a dozen or so phrases over and over again that reinforce that negative image. If you know about them, you can change them. Outer beauty and inner joy go hand in hand.
Here are a few quick tips for increasing joy, hope and optimism that will work no matter what your age:
Make a list of at least 50 great things that happen to you every day.
Laugh a lot. You'll heal your body and your mind.
Discover a new challenge each month.
Try meditating for just five minutes each day.
7: Sex After 50 - Ha! How many of you jumped ahead to this section?
The importance of physical intimacy actually depends on the couple. An alarming number of men used to give up on sex after 60 and many women used to feel that their sex life ended with menopause. Thankfully, that is no longer the case.
Sex at middle age can actually become better and more satisfying than ever before. Maturity gives a couple more experience in lovemaking. The children are usually grown and left home. The pressures of building a career and day to day life are usually less stressful than in younger years.
Is beauty really skin deep?
The answer is yes and no. It's a paradox, isn't it? True beauty begins from the inside out. Don't you wish there was some way to "wriggle your nose" and regain that soft skin you had as a child? Well, until someone comes up with the true "Fountain of Youth" we are stuck with what we have.
Just remember that getting older doesn't have to mean getting old.
About the Author
Jill Miller is the founder of the Fit4Life Club.
Discover the timeless secrets of everlasting youth and beauty. Go here to find out how.
http://www.fit4lifeclub.com/beautytips
the advantages and dis advantages depend on what side of the economics spectrum you sit on keynesian or classical.
Once reserved only for the rich and famous, personal fitness training has hit the mainstream. A personal trainer is now as common as a pair of good cross trainers and a water bottle.
But unlike your hair stylist, your fitness trainer doesn’t need to be tested and licensed by a state licensing board. Someone with little more than a great body--but no experience--can print business cards, call themselves a personal trainer, and take your money.
So if you’re looking for a trainer, you’re on your own. Here are six questions to ask trainers either in person or by phone before hiring them.
1. Can I have references?
This is the best way to get honest information. A prospective trainer should be more than happy to give you a list of at least three clients whom you can contact. Ask the references if they achieved their goals, how the trainer helped them to do so, and what they liked best about the trainer.
If the trainer refuses to give references or acts as though it is a major inconvenience, look elsewhere.
2. Through what organization are you certified?
Certification is a credential given by an agency or institution with its own educational and testing procedures. Quality credentialing agencies require a thorough, and often expensive, process of certifying trainers. Usually this includes written, oral and practical exam components. Other agencies will literally "sell" a certification as long as the check clears.
Current popular and reputable certification associations include the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and American Council on Exercise (ACE). Certification from any of these organizations doesn’t guarantee trainer excellence but shows only that the person successfully passed the minimum requirements for certification. While important, certification is a factor that should be used in combination with all of the other information that you are collecting.
The trainer also should also be certified in CPR/First Aid and be able to show you the credentials.
3. What is your training/exercise philosophy?
A credible trainer should be able to explain a philosophy of exercise training. You don’t need a doctoral dissertation here, only a description of how they help clients reach their goals. How do they train clients? How do they motivate them? Is there an assessment process? Find out as much as you can about how they work with clients to achieve goals.
What you are looking for here is a reflection of trainer credibility. If the trainer says something like "I kick my clients’ butts…No pain, no gain, dude," thank them for their time and move on. Be an intelligent consumer. Ask for specifics and clarification if you don’t understand something. This person is going to tell you how to exercise, give you lifestyle information and hold very heavy weights over your head.
4. How much do you charge and how do you expect payment?
Prices for personal fitness instruction vary widely based on where you live and trainer qualification and experience. As with everything else, you usually get what you pay for, but there’a no guarantee that the most expensive trainer will be the best suited for you and your goals.
Talk to other people who have used fitness trainers. Or call health clubs near you to determine the average rate in your area. If the trainer is meeting you at your home, expect to pay slightly more than average. If you are meeting at a health club, prepare to cover the cost of a guest fee if there is one.
Get specifics on all fees and how payment is to be made. Some trainers charge on a per session basis, while others offer packages and discounted rates for a given number of pre-paid sessions. Some accept only cash. Others accept checks and credit cards. Most fitness trainers have some sort of cancellation policy. Agree on all financial obligations before the first session and insist that both parties sign a billing contract.
Avoid at all costs the trainer who responds to a question about fees with statements like "How much can you afford?" or "How much are you looking to spend?" This is someone who has their wallet—not your fitness goals—in mind.
5. How do they look?
You should never base your selection solely on physical appearance. A person with a flawless-looking body may not know the first thing about safely teaching you how to achieve your own goals. This is especially true if they have achieved their own results through things like drugs, eating disorders or exercise obsession.
The person you hire will be teaching you skills and lifestyle habits and doesn’t need to look like a model in a fitness magazine. But trainers do need to practice what they preach. Let’s face it. Are you really going to respect someone’s opinion if you’re in better shape than they are? Probably not.
6. What’s your comfort level?
Above all, make sure you choose a trainer with whom you feel comfortable and whether their personality is a good match with yours. Above all, trust your instincts. Hiring someone with superior training knowledge is worthless if you don’t feel comfortable. You need to trust, respect and feel at ease with them.
You wouldn’t buy a pair of exercise shoes without at least trying them on to see if they’re comfortable. The same concept holds for hiring a personal fitness trainer. Set up an interview, ask the right questions, and follow your instincts for the perfect fit.
Jon Gestl, CSCS, is a personal fitness trainer and instructor in Chicago specializing in in-home and in-office fitness training. He is a United States National Aerobic Champion silver and bronze medalist and world-ranked sportaerobic competitor. He can be contacted at jongestl@jongestl.com.
jongestl@rcn.com
6 Fun Fitness Activities...
Exercising
and staying fit doesn't have to mean hard work. Simply being active will help
you get or stay in good shape. So with that said, here are some enjoyable
activities that can help with your fitness goals too.
Bicycling
When you ask many adults when the last time
they rode a bike is, they cannot answer. Although bicycling is a favorite
pastime, many adults do not take advantage of this great option for exercise.
Not only does bike riding exercise the body and build a stronger cardiovascular
system, it allows you to get out and enjoy nature, fresh air, and see new sites.
Jogging or Walking
Both jogging and walking are GREAT ways to
get fit. Not only do they tone the muscles, relieve stress, create a healthier
heart, and improve lung capability, they make you look wonderful, which in
turns helps you get excited about doing other exercise for fitness activities.
Swimming
Swimming is an excellent way to get into
and stay in shape. If you do not own a pool, many high schools have aquatic
centers, or there is always the YWCA or YMCA, or your local gym. Many offer
water aerobic classes that will help you tighten your body, lose weight, and
get a good overall workout.
Tennis Anyone?
Tennis is not only a fun sport, but also a
great way to exercise. You do not have to be a Venice Williams to play; in
fact, you do not even have to be good. Just running after the ball alone will
help get you into shape. This is a great way to strengthen your cardiovascular system
and lose weight. You can find tennis courts in just about every city and if you
would like to play but have no idea how, lessons are reasonable.
Tip: Raquetball is sort of a "one person tennis".
If you don't have someone to play tennis with, or you
aren't feeling sociable, try raquetball instead.
Dancing
Dancing is so much fun and whether you
enjoy a slow, Ballroom dance or a nightclub packed with people all moving to
heart-pumping techno, as long as you are moving, it really does not matter what
type of dance or music. The whole idea is to move your body. Dancing has long
been recommended as an avenue to fitness.
Tip: Belly Dancing is an excellent workout
for your stomach, waist and hips ladies!
VCR
If you have aVCR or DVD , rather than just using it for your
favorite comedy or action-packed movie, try sticking in some good workout tapes.
Even taking 15 minutes every day to work out will get you started. Try that for
two weeks and you will be surprised at the results. Once you see that 15
minutes a day makes a difference, you will be encouraged to increase the time
spent.
And one of my personal favorites...
Yardwork!
Whether you're pulling weeds, planting
flowers, mowing the grass or chopping wood: All of these activities can help
you get into better shape. Don't cheat yourself though. Using a riding mower to
cut the grass won't help you use the muscles or get your blood pumping ;)
So go out and get active, have fun, and
work on getting or staying fit too!
© 2004 Kathy Burns-Millyard and
The Health and Fitness Information Network - A large and growing health portal
featuring quality health and fitness articles, tips, news, advice and
resources. Visit http://www.health-and-fitness-information.com/
now and get subscribed to our RSS feed so you'll have
the newest articles as they're published!
Source: www.isnare.com
and staying fit doesn't have to mean hard work. Simply being active will help
you get or stay in good shape. So with that said, here are some enjoyable
activities that can help with your fitness goals too.
Bicycling
When you ask many adults when the last time
they rode a bike is, they cannot answer. Although bicycling is a favorite
pastime, many adults do not take advantage of this great option for exercise.
Not only does bike riding exercise the body and build a stronger cardiovascular
system, it allows you to get out and enjoy nature, fresh air, and see new sites.
Jogging or Walking
Both jogging and walking are GREAT ways to
get fit. Not only do they tone the muscles, relieve stress, create a healthier
heart, and improve lung capability, they make you look wonderful, which in
turns helps you get excited about doing other exercise for fitness activities.
Swimming
Swimming is an excellent way to get into
and stay in shape. If you do not own a pool, many high schools have aquatic
centers, or there is always the YWCA or YMCA, or your local gym. Many offer
water aerobic classes that will help you tighten your body, lose weight, and
get a good overall workout.
Tennis Anyone?
Tennis is not only a fun sport, but also a
great way to exercise. You do not have to be a Venice Williams to play; in
fact, you do not even have to be good. Just running after the ball alone will
help get you into shape. This is a great way to strengthen your cardiovascular system
and lose weight. You can find tennis courts in just about every city and if you
would like to play but have no idea how, lessons are reasonable.
Tip: Raquetball is sort of a "one person tennis".
If you don't have someone to play tennis with, or you
aren't feeling sociable, try raquetball instead.
Dancing
Dancing is so much fun and whether you
enjoy a slow, Ballroom dance or a nightclub packed with people all moving to
heart-pumping techno, as long as you are moving, it really does not matter what
type of dance or music. The whole idea is to move your body. Dancing has long
been recommended as an avenue to fitness.
Tip: Belly Dancing is an excellent workout
for your stomach, waist and hips ladies!
If you have a
favorite comedy or action-packed movie, try sticking in some good workout tapes.
Even taking 15 minutes every day to work out will get you started. Try that for
two weeks and you will be surprised at the results. Once you see that 15
minutes a day makes a difference, you will be encouraged to increase the time
spent.
And one of my personal favorites...
Yardwork!
Whether you're pulling weeds, planting
flowers, mowing the grass or chopping wood: All of these activities can help
you get into better shape. Don't cheat yourself though. Using a riding mower to
cut the grass won't help you use the muscles or get your blood pumping ;)
So go out and get active, have fun, and
work on getting or staying fit too!
© 2004 Kathy Burns-Millyard and
The Health and Fitness Information Network - A large and growing health portal
featuring quality health and fitness articles, tips, news, advice and
resources. Visit http://www.health-and-fitness-information.com/
now and get subscribed to our RSS feed so you'll have
the newest articles as they're published!
Source: www.isnare.com
6 Advantages of Free Weights Over Exercise Machines
Meet Sarah.
About a year ago, Sarah saw an infomercial about a "multi-unit" workout machine. The announcer called it a "revolutionary" piece of equipment, claiming that people would see results in "just 2-4 weeks". It exercised all major body parts and the female model shown using the machine said it "was safer and more effective than free weights."
Intimidated by gyms her whole life, Sarah knew having her own home gym would be the key to her finally getting into shape. She had heard that machines were safer than free weights. Besides, the machine came with "easy to follow video instructions". The price was steep, but as Sarah imagined changing her body, she got her credit called and grabbed the phone.
On the day of delivery, Sarah was surprised to see it took up twice the space she was told it would, limiting space in her already cramped den. Excited to get started, she popped in the video, and hopped on the machine. Sarah soon found that she, at 5’3", was too small to fit on the machine for some of the exercises. She continued on anyway, trying to ignore the fact that her lower back and knees were starting to hurt a little.
Sarah used her new revolutionary machine exactly three more times. For the last six months, it has been her unofficial clothes hanger.
What happened? Sarah thought she was buying a machine that would be very easy to operate and be a safe alternative to free-weights. Unfortunately, Sarah and many others are misguided by heavily marketed hype by machine developers. When it comes to effectiveness, particularly for the beginning exerciser, free-weights (i.e., dumbbells) rate much higher than expensive machines in terms of:
1. Cost. Three or four sets of dumbbells would have cost Sarah less than 10 times the amount she spent on her machine. As she gets stronger, she would have to buy more, though even a full set would not set her back nearly as much as the machine did.
2. Space. Dumbbells take up far less space than most of the exercise equipment sold on infomercials. You can easily place them in a closet, out of sight under the bed, or in a corner. There are even dumbbells you can adjust (i.e., PowerBlock) that allow you to adjust the poundage on one set, eliminating the need for single-poundage dumbbells.
3. Variety. Most machines are designed as one-dimensional. Even the most extensive multi-unit machines will allow exercisers to perform only a limited number of movements in a restricted range of motion. Free-weights can be used in ranges of motion based on the exerciser, not a machine. Use free weights along with benches or Swiss Balls and you have multitude of exercise options.
4. Suitability. Sarah couldn’t use her "multi-usage" machine for certain exercises because the machine was too big. This is not an uncommon problem. Even though most machines have adjustable seats, arm pads, and lever arms, there are limitations to their range and some may not fit the very small or very large person. However, if you can grab a dumbbell, you can use it.
5. Functionality. Exercising with free-weights increases the likelihood that the effects of the exercise will cross over into real-world situations. Think about it. How often during the day do you lie in a diagonal supine position and push weight up like you would on a machine leg press? Probably never. But how often are you required to do activities that are biomechanically identical to the squat? Sitting, getting in and out of a car, crouching down to pick something up…all the time! Properly using free weights will increase the functionality of an exercise to real-world situations.
6. Safety. It seems counterintuitive to consider free-weights as safer than machines. Most of us have heard (somewhere..) that we could get hurt with dumbbells and that machines were "safer." Maybe just the idea of someone doing a huge bench press lends itself to imagining the likelihood that one might lose control of the same amount of weight if they ever attempted it.
Safety during exercise is more about proper form, technique, concentration and control rather than exercise apparatus. Someone can get hurt on a machine just as easily as with a dumbbell if incorrect form is used. As always, if you don’t know how to do something, find someone (i.e., a reputable trainer) to show you how.
Safety as a result of exercise is a long-term issue. It is not necessary for the body to stabilize itself or the weight during movements on most machines, because the weight apparatus is fixed. Key stabilizer muscles are then never given the chance to get stronger. Free-weights allow the exerciser to utilize core muscles and allow multi-plane movement that forces the exerciser to strengthen stabilizer musculature, which support joints. Over the long-term, free weights are superior to machines for building a stronger, more functional body.
You don’t need to spend a fortune on a piece of exercise equipment that you’ll never end up using and won’t suit your needs. A few sets of dumbbells are effective, intelligent alternatives to buying equipment, especially for those setting up their own in-home gym or workout area.
Jon Gestl, CSCS, is a personal fitness trainer and instructor in Chicago specializing in in-home and in-office fitness training. He is a United States National Aerobic Champion silver and bronze medalist and world-ranked sportaerobic competitor. He can be contacted through his website at http://www.jongestl.com.
jongestl@jongestl.com
50 Motivational Tips for Exercise and Weight Loss
No matter who we are, we all have days when we just do not feel like exercising. The weather might be grey, you've had a busy day, or you might just be bored with your program. Whatever the reason, you just don't feel like it!
It's on these days that we need that extra motivation.
I've been exercising regularly for most of my life so I've had plenty of those days. To get me through, I've compiled a list of tactics to help motivate me.
Read something inspiring!
It could be a biography, quote, poem, or song. Use other people's experiences to give you that lift.
Start a walking group!
It's more social and you all get to feed off the motivation of each other.
Think of exercise as a menu rather than a diet!
Make a list of activities and choose 1 each day.
Use a training journal!
By keeping track of your activities you can see the improvements in your fitness week to week.
Start an interest or hobby that requires physical fitness!
It could be bushwalking, rock-climbing, tennis, golf, or scuba-diving. If you require physical fitness to enjoy the activity you will be more inclined to train for it.
Increase your incidental activity!
This is the amount of activity you do in your normal course of your day, the activity not generally classed as exercise. You could: walk to work, take the stairs instead of the elevator, get up to change the channels instead of using the remote, or play with the kids for 15 minutes per day.
Try cross-training!
If your exercise program is always the same then break it up with one session per week of swimming, bike riding, jogging, sprints, or circuits. You could even play a different sport and use it as a training session.
Use a Personal Trainer!
Personal trainers can provide motivation as well as training variety.
Use an exercise video!
If exercising in public places is not for you, then try training at home. There are many forms of training available on video including: boxing, aerobics, pilates, and yoga.
Just start!
You will always be able to find excuses not to train so don't think about it, just walk out the door.
Listen to music!
Put on the stereo or use a walk-man. Music certainly helps the time go faster.
Watch TV!
Most fitness centers currently have a cardio theatre where you watch your favorite shows whilst you work out.
Read about the benefits of exercise!
We all know that exercise is good for us but do you know why it is? Reading a reputable publication on exercise can inform you of the great ways exercise can improve your life. It's more than just being able to walk up those stairs!
Don't complicate things, make it simple!
You don't have to find a fitness centre or join a Tai Chi group. Just find a nice park and go for a walk or run.
Create a list of reasons you want to be healthy and read it regularly!
It may be to improve health, play with the kids, or trek through India. Whatever the reasons write them down.
About the Author
This is just 15 of the 50 motivational tips I have collected. To see the rest go to: 50 Motivational Tips for Weight Loss
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
5 Tips For Dealing With Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain
Do you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis and have had to quit taking your prescription pain medication because of harmful side effects? Are you looking for natural alternatives to help you deal with the pain that you face doing everyday tasks? If the answers to these questions are yes, then the following tips for relieving rheumatoid arthritis are just what you have been waiting for.
1- The most important thing that anyone can do for their bodies is to exercise. This includes those who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis as well. However, not every exercise is suitable for sufferers of arthritis pain. The exercises that are done need to be good for the muscle, while not being damaging for the joints. A great exercise for those who are living with rheumatoid arthritis, in fact for everyone, is walking. Walking is a good low impact activity that does not put unneeded pressure on the joints. Other alternatives to walking are biking or walking in a pool.
2- The topic of exercising as a way to relieve the pain of arthritis leads into another tip. It is very important to incorporate balancing exercises into your daily routine. For example, water aerobics and Tai Chi are two types of balancing exercises. The reason for these types of activities is that balancing is a very effective way of strengthening without undue pressure on the joints. However, if the joints do begin to hurt, the activity should be stopped. If the pain continues more than a couple of days, it would be wise to consult your physician.
3- If you are suffering from the pain of rheumatoid arthritis, it is a good idea to concentrate on your overall body weight. If this is an issue for you, speak with your doctor about ways that are suitable for you to take it off. When you are dealing with any type of arthritis pain, the extra weight makes it worse. Consider this; there is about 30 pound of force placed on the knees for each ten pounds of weight that is being carried. Therefore, the ability to lose ten pounds will effectively result in 30 pounds of force being lifted from the knee.
4- Some rheumatoid arthritis sufferers find that applying hot or cold compresses can help to alleviate some of the pain that is associated with their condition. When using this method of pain relief, there is a simple rule to remember, ice reduces pain while the heat will loosen the joints and boost blood flow.
5- This next tip, while not an actual treatment option, is very important to your emotional well-being. Educate yourself regarding your condition, this will improve your attitude as well as eliminate the element of surprise. Many people are afraid to ask questions when they are faced with a debilitating illness, they just wait for the bad stuff to start happening and many end up depressed. Don't be one of those people, ask your doctor, ask friends, do research, learn as much as you can about rheumatoid arthritis so that you can better deal with it.
Source: www.isnare.com
1- The most important thing that anyone can do for their bodies is to exercise. This includes those who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis as well. However, not every exercise is suitable for sufferers of arthritis pain. The exercises that are done need to be good for the muscle, while not being damaging for the joints. A great exercise for those who are living with rheumatoid arthritis, in fact for everyone, is walking. Walking is a good low impact activity that does not put unneeded pressure on the joints. Other alternatives to walking are biking or walking in a pool.
2- The topic of exercising as a way to relieve the pain of arthritis leads into another tip. It is very important to incorporate balancing exercises into your daily routine. For example, water aerobics and Tai Chi are two types of balancing exercises. The reason for these types of activities is that balancing is a very effective way of strengthening without undue pressure on the joints. However, if the joints do begin to hurt, the activity should be stopped. If the pain continues more than a couple of days, it would be wise to consult your physician.
3- If you are suffering from the pain of rheumatoid arthritis, it is a good idea to concentrate on your overall body weight. If this is an issue for you, speak with your doctor about ways that are suitable for you to take it off. When you are dealing with any type of arthritis pain, the extra weight makes it worse. Consider this; there is about 30 pound of force placed on the knees for each ten pounds of weight that is being carried. Therefore, the ability to lose ten pounds will effectively result in 30 pounds of force being lifted from the knee.
4- Some rheumatoid arthritis sufferers find that applying hot or cold compresses can help to alleviate some of the pain that is associated with their condition. When using this method of pain relief, there is a simple rule to remember, ice reduces pain while the heat will loosen the joints and boost blood flow.
5- This next tip, while not an actual treatment option, is very important to your emotional well-being. Educate yourself regarding your condition, this will improve your attitude as well as eliminate the element of surprise. Many people are afraid to ask questions when they are faced with a debilitating illness, they just wait for the bad stuff to start happening and many end up depressed. Don't be one of those people, ask your doctor, ask friends, do research, learn as much as you can about rheumatoid arthritis so that you can better deal with it.
About the Author: John Mancini has been writing about Rheumatoid Arthritis online and offline for a long time. Visit http://arthritis-cures.net or http://arthritis-net.info to read more about matters like inflammatory arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Source: www.isnare.com
5 Little Known Facts About Lactic Acid
Everybody knows that lactic acid accumulates when we exercise at a high intensity, but there is much more to lactate than that. It plays an integral role in many of the body’s metabolic processes.
1. Lactic Acid is Always Present
It’s always being produced. At rest your lactic acid levels will be about 1 millimoles/liter (mmol/L). As exercise intensity increases so does the production of lactic acid. It’s not until you pass your anaerobic threshold that it reduces your efficiency. For most people this is approximately 4 mmol/L, or 70-80% of their VO2max.
2. Not Just Oxygen Deficiency
It is commonly thought that it is the lack of oxygen that causes the increased production of lactic acid. Whilst it is a contributing factor, it is the absence of the “carrier molecules” NAD (nicotinomide adenine dinucleotide) and FAD (flavin adenine dinucleotide) that have a much greater effect. They play the important role of transporting hydrogen into the cells for use in the production of energy. If they are not around, the hydrogen joins with pyruvate to produce lactic acid.
3. Lactic Acid as Fuel
Lactic acid is usually removed from the muscle tissue within 30 minutes after exercise. It is used by liver, heart, and kidney as a source of energy. The liver can also convert it back into glucose, where it is released into the bloodstream for muscle use. It can also be converted into glycogen for storage.
4. Fatigue and Lactic Acid
Most people know that increases in lactic acid causes a decrease in your ability to perform but few actually know how this occurs.
Firstly, you’ll have a decrease in energy. The increase in hydrogen reduces the production of ATP (energy) by inhibiting key ezymes involved in its production.
Secondly, your muscles won’t be able to contract as often or with as much force. For a muscle to contract we need calcium to attach itself to binding sites within the muscle. The more calcium attached, the more forceful the contraction. The problem occurs because hydrogen competes with calcium for bindings sites.
5. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is the pain you feel in the muscle 24-48 hours after exercise. It was once thought that lactic acid caused this but it has now been proven wrong.
It’s the excessive mechanical force which results in damage to the muscle or connective tissue. The body responds by repairing it and this stimulates sensory nerve endings which results in pain. This is why it usually occurs when you first start an exercise program, or when you train at an unusually high intensity.
Source: www.isnare.com
1. Lactic Acid is Always Present
It’s always being produced. At rest your lactic acid levels will be about 1 millimoles/liter (mmol/L). As exercise intensity increases so does the production of lactic acid. It’s not until you pass your anaerobic threshold that it reduces your efficiency. For most people this is approximately 4 mmol/L, or 70-80% of their VO2max.
2. Not Just Oxygen Deficiency
It is commonly thought that it is the lack of oxygen that causes the increased production of lactic acid. Whilst it is a contributing factor, it is the absence of the “carrier molecules” NAD (nicotinomide adenine dinucleotide) and FAD (flavin adenine dinucleotide) that have a much greater effect. They play the important role of transporting hydrogen into the cells for use in the production of energy. If they are not around, the hydrogen joins with pyruvate to produce lactic acid.
3. Lactic Acid as Fuel
Lactic acid is usually removed from the muscle tissue within 30 minutes after exercise. It is used by liver, heart, and kidney as a source of energy. The liver can also convert it back into glucose, where it is released into the bloodstream for muscle use. It can also be converted into glycogen for storage.
4. Fatigue and Lactic Acid
Most people know that increases in lactic acid causes a decrease in your ability to perform but few actually know how this occurs.
Firstly, you’ll have a decrease in energy. The increase in hydrogen reduces the production of ATP (energy) by inhibiting key ezymes involved in its production.
Secondly, your muscles won’t be able to contract as often or with as much force. For a muscle to contract we need calcium to attach itself to binding sites within the muscle. The more calcium attached, the more forceful the contraction. The problem occurs because hydrogen competes with calcium for bindings sites.
5. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness is the pain you feel in the muscle 24-48 hours after exercise. It was once thought that lactic acid caused this but it has now been proven wrong.
It’s the excessive mechanical force which results in damage to the muscle or connective tissue. The body responds by repairing it and this stimulates sensory nerve endings which results in pain. This is why it usually occurs when you first start an exercise program, or when you train at an unusually high intensity.
About the Author: Ray Kelly has a degree in Exercise Science and has worked in the fitness industry for 15 years. For more information on health and fitness, go to http://www.free-online-health.com
Source: www.isnare.com
5 Heart Healthy Exercises You Can Do During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a time of celebration, love, and unwanted but necessary weight gain. However, being pregnant doesn't mean that your health and figure has to suffer permanent damage. You can gain weight in a healthy fashion while doing some very easy and safe heart healthy pregnancy exercise routines.
One of the simplest and most effective pregnancy exercises you can do is walking. Not only is walking one of the best cardiovascular exercises, it is also one of the safest pregnancy exercises you can engage in. Walking is one of the few pregnancy exercises that you can do for the complete duration of your pregnancy.
Another extremely beneficial heart healthy pregnancy exercise is swimming. Countless doctors and pregnant women have attested to the wonderful benefits of swimming during pregnancy. A weekly pregnancy exercise routine of swimming gives both the arms and legs a great workout while promoting cardiovascular health. Because of the nature of being subdued in water, swimming will also remind expectant mothers what it felt like before the pounds were added on. This is definitely a welcome change every now and then.
The third pregnancy exercise routine you can start doing to keep your body healthy is enrolling in an aerobics class. Many fitness centers and community centers offer low impact aerobics classes for pregnant women. One of the nicer benefits of this pregnancy exercise is that it is done in the company of other pregnant women under the watchful eye of a professional aerobics instructor. This means you are going to get a safe workout catered to the special needs of pregnancy.
Weight training is also a very beneficial pregnancy routine to keep your body healthy. Although you must only use very light weights when engaging in this pregnancy exercise, weight training is an excellent way of toning your body and increasing muscular strength.
The last heart healthy pregnancy exercise you can do to stay fit is Pilates/yoga. Both of these body conditioning exercises promote stretching and flexibility within the muscles. Yoga is also a nice accompaniment to walking. By doing a combination of these pregnancy exercises, you can have a healthy balanced cardiovascular routine.
Being pregnant doesn't mean that you have to sacrifice exercise and health. By walking, swimming, doing aerobics, weight training, and engaging in a Pilates/yoga routine, you can have a healthy and fit pregnancy.
About the Author
Tia Rodriguez is a health and wellness coordinator for an upscale sports management agency. To learn more about how a pregnancy exercise routine can benefit you during your pregnancy, check out the resources at http://www.pregnancy-without-pounds.info
5 Easy Steps To Help You Lose Weight
When loosing weight, most of us don't have the time to drastically change our lifestyles. We need a practical and convenient way to integrate effective habits into our daily lives. The following steps are easy and practical ways to get you on the track to loosing weight and feeling better.
1. Drink Water! Water doesn't just help quench your thirst. All metabolic processes within the body utilize H2O and drinking plenty of it helps your body function optimally. It also helps you feel your best---many of the common daily headaches and fatigues we experience can result from a lack of water intake.
2. Eat Breakfast! Many Americans fail to realize the true value of a morning meal. It not only boosts energy for the long day ahead, but keeps your metabolism regulated. Skipping a meal can put the body into "survival mode" which means that it actually begins storing and saving fat as opposed to burning it.
3. Exercise! There is no easy way around it: successful and sustained weight loss requires a commitment to physical activity. The best way to be loyal to physical activity is to work it into each day. Take a small part of each day to go for a walk, do aerobics, do yoga, or whatever other type of activity you enjoy. Mix it up so that you don't get bored with it. Soon, you will not only get used to it, but you will feel better too!
4. Choose Variety! Don't let popular dieting trends fool you: Carbs are good for you too! In fact, carbohydrates are what your brain run on and are very important for proper body functions. Following a high-protein diet over a long period of time can not only cause headaches, but also places considerable stress on the kidney. The important thing is to eat a variety of foods. This includes fruits, vegetables and even carbs. Just remember to be smart about the types of carbs you eat:: whole wheat instead of white.
5. Eat Slowly! We all get in a hurry from time to time, but it is important to take the time to listen to our bodies. Eating quickly doesn't give our bodies time to tell our brains that we have eaten enough. Consequently, we continue eating and are left filling stuffed and bloated. Eating more slowly allows us to recognize when we actually have eaten enough and stop—it also helps us savour and enjoy the food we do eat.
Essential to loosing weight is giving our bodies what they need. This means drinking plenty of water, eating timely and proper meals, staying active, and giving our body the time to tell us when it is full. Our bodies will reward us for our attention.
About The Author:
Amie Grelowski writes for Hoodia-Dietpills.com ( http://www.hoodia-dietpills.com ). Learn more about Hoodia Gordonii products at http://www.hoodia-dietpills.com/what-is-hoodia-gordonii.htm
1. Drink Water! Water doesn't just help quench your thirst. All metabolic processes within the body utilize H2O and drinking plenty of it helps your body function optimally. It also helps you feel your best---many of the common daily headaches and fatigues we experience can result from a lack of water intake.
2. Eat Breakfast! Many Americans fail to realize the true value of a morning meal. It not only boosts energy for the long day ahead, but keeps your metabolism regulated. Skipping a meal can put the body into "survival mode" which means that it actually begins storing and saving fat as opposed to burning it.
3. Exercise! There is no easy way around it: successful and sustained weight loss requires a commitment to physical activity. The best way to be loyal to physical activity is to work it into each day. Take a small part of each day to go for a walk, do aerobics, do yoga, or whatever other type of activity you enjoy. Mix it up so that you don't get bored with it. Soon, you will not only get used to it, but you will feel better too!
4. Choose Variety! Don't let popular dieting trends fool you: Carbs are good for you too! In fact, carbohydrates are what your brain run on and are very important for proper body functions. Following a high-protein diet over a long period of time can not only cause headaches, but also places considerable stress on the kidney. The important thing is to eat a variety of foods. This includes fruits, vegetables and even carbs. Just remember to be smart about the types of carbs you eat:: whole wheat instead of white.
5. Eat Slowly! We all get in a hurry from time to time, but it is important to take the time to listen to our bodies. Eating quickly doesn't give our bodies time to tell our brains that we have eaten enough. Consequently, we continue eating and are left filling stuffed and bloated. Eating more slowly allows us to recognize when we actually have eaten enough and stop—it also helps us savour and enjoy the food we do eat.
Essential to loosing weight is giving our bodies what they need. This means drinking plenty of water, eating timely and proper meals, staying active, and giving our body the time to tell us when it is full. Our bodies will reward us for our attention.
About The Author:
Amie Grelowski writes for Hoodia-Dietpills.com ( http://www.hoodia-dietpills.com ). Learn more about Hoodia Gordonii products at http://www.hoodia-dietpills.com/what-is-hoodia-gordonii.htm
4 Super Reasons You Will Love "Easifying" Your Life
Are you someone who wants a simpler life, but who
associates simplifying with giving away everything
you own, and going back to baking your own bread?
Unfortunately, that attitude can scare you away from
making the simple (pardon the pun) kind of changes
that can make your life so much easier, better, and
happier.
Instead, let's agree that simplifying means whatever
you want it to mean in your own particular life. For
me, it means eliminating the stuff around me that I
find neither useful nor beautiful, and trust me, other
people would not always agree with my definition of
useful or beautiful. However, it also means setting up
systems to make sure that I have easier ways to
handle some age-old problems in the future.
To me, simplifying means "ease-i-fying" (ok, so
there's no such word, but maybe there should be!).
Easifying defined would be, "minimum effort for
maximum pleasure:" Easifying simply looks at the
problems of everyday life, then poses creative -
easifying - solutions.
Here are 4 super reasons that you will love easifying
your life.
1. Less Stuff, Fewer Problems: With less stuff
cluttering up your life the benefits are easy to see.
You'll have less stuff to clean, (yippee!), less stuff to
have repaired (more cash flow!), less stuff to dispose
of (environmentally good!), and less stuff to find
(halleluiah!) Just pick one room in your house and
look around it. How much of that stuff are you really
enjoying and getting use from? How much of it is an
aggravation for cleaning, repairing, losing, fixing,
disposing of, etc.? I'll bet you a paycheck (not
really!) that it's at least 75/25.
2. Less Effort, More Energy You'll have less fear
and worry associated with carrying around a lot of
stuff. It will simply require less effort. By simply
combining things into one (aerobics and weightlifting
at the same time), by setting up a system to do the
work for you (a bill paying system), by eliminating a
task altogether (delegate it to someone else), you'll be
calmer, not stressed with the day to day logistics of
stuff. An example I love to use is the freedom that
comes from not smoking. It's not the freedom from
the habit that most people notice first. It's the no
more worrying about having enough cigarettes, no
more fears of not being able to find a lighter. You'll
feel more in control of your time, your space, your
energy.
3. Less Baggage, Better Relationships: "Stuff" refers
to not only material things, but mental and emotional
clutter as well. By cleaning out the needto, haveto,
and oughtos, of your own life, you'll have better
relationships because there's not as much "stuff" in
your life to fight about. Put the past in the past by
returning anything you borrowed, by apologizing to
whoever you need to, by getting your bills up to date,
by sending the card or gift you forgot to send, by
making the phone call you need to make. You get the
idea. Anything that you "should" have done, but
neglected to, has you Tied To The Past.
4. More FUN! Having an easified/simplified life
means having more time for the things you dream of
like reading, or traveling, or entertaining, or
exercising, or playing with the kids, or visiting with
friends. You'll feel more in control because the
clutter -- physical, emotional, and mental -- will no
longer dictate how your space is arranged, or how
your time is spent (looking for things), or how your
energy is used (frustration, aggravation). Need I say
more?
associates simplifying with giving away everything
you own, and going back to baking your own bread?
Unfortunately, that attitude can scare you away from
making the simple (pardon the pun) kind of changes
that can make your life so much easier, better, and
happier.
Instead, let's agree that simplifying means whatever
you want it to mean in your own particular life. For
me, it means eliminating the stuff around me that I
find neither useful nor beautiful, and trust me, other
people would not always agree with my definition of
useful or beautiful. However, it also means setting up
systems to make sure that I have easier ways to
handle some age-old problems in the future.
To me, simplifying means "ease-i-fying" (ok, so
there's no such word, but maybe there should be!).
Easifying defined would be, "minimum effort for
maximum pleasure:" Easifying simply looks at the
problems of everyday life, then poses creative -
easifying - solutions.
Here are 4 super reasons that you will love easifying
your life.
1. Less Stuff, Fewer Problems: With less stuff
cluttering up your life the benefits are easy to see.
You'll have less stuff to clean, (yippee!), less stuff to
have repaired (more cash flow!), less stuff to dispose
of (environmentally good!), and less stuff to find
(halleluiah!) Just pick one room in your house and
look around it. How much of that stuff are you really
enjoying and getting use from? How much of it is an
aggravation for cleaning, repairing, losing, fixing,
disposing of, etc.? I'll bet you a paycheck (not
really!) that it's at least 75/25.
2. Less Effort, More Energy You'll have less fear
and worry associated with carrying around a lot of
stuff. It will simply require less effort. By simply
combining things into one (aerobics and weightlifting
at the same time), by setting up a system to do the
work for you (a bill paying system), by eliminating a
task altogether (delegate it to someone else), you'll be
calmer, not stressed with the day to day logistics of
stuff. An example I love to use is the freedom that
comes from not smoking. It's not the freedom from
the habit that most people notice first. It's the no
more worrying about having enough cigarettes, no
more fears of not being able to find a lighter. You'll
feel more in control of your time, your space, your
energy.
3. Less Baggage, Better Relationships: "Stuff" refers
to not only material things, but mental and emotional
clutter as well. By cleaning out the needto, haveto,
and oughtos, of your own life, you'll have better
relationships because there's not as much "stuff" in
your life to fight about. Put the past in the past by
returning anything you borrowed, by apologizing to
whoever you need to, by getting your bills up to date,
by sending the card or gift you forgot to send, by
making the phone call you need to make. You get the
idea. Anything that you "should" have done, but
neglected to, has you Tied To The Past.
4. More FUN! Having an easified/simplified life
means having more time for the things you dream of
like reading, or traveling, or entertaining, or
exercising, or playing with the kids, or visiting with
friends. You'll feel more in control because the
clutter -- physical, emotional, and mental -- will no
longer dictate how your space is arranged, or how
your time is spent (looking for things), or how your
energy is used (frustration, aggravation). Need I say
more?
About the Author
Kathy Gates, Professional Life Coach, believes that
"Life Rewards Action". She can help you create
goals, overcome procrastination, organize your time
and money, find your true passion, and learn to love
the real you. Visit www.reallifecoach.com, email
Kathy@reallifecoach.com, or call 480.998.5843
4 Critical Factors to achieving your dreambody
"The 4 Critical Factors to Achieving Your Dream Body"
by Tony Tass.
Pay close attention.
I'm about to tell you everything you need to know to get
the dream body you've always wanted. You can do this
WITH JUST the information I'm about to give you.
So if you're interested in achieving a body that's leaner, healthier, and more muscular, pay VERY close attention.
There are 4 (FOUR) Factors that anyone who wants to transform their body, needs to do or follow. No if's, and's, or but's.
There are NO SHORTCUTS. These MUST be followed.
The 4 Factors are:
1) Eat a Proper Diet
2) Do some Aerobic Exercise
3) Perform some type of Weight Training
4) Get enough Rest
------------------------------
1) Eat a Proper Diet
------------------------------
This first factor is extremely important. First off, before you can change your diet for the better, you need to know exactly what it is that you're eating on a daily basis.
The best way to do this is to write down everything you eat. You can use software for this or do it manually, using a book such as "The Complete Book of Calorie Counts", by Corinne Netzer.
Once you've looked at what you're eating, you have to make the necessary changes. For some, it may be as simple as eliminating junk food. For others, you need a complete overhaul of your diet.
What you need to eat, and what works best for most people is a diet properly balanced between Protein, Carbs, and Fat. That does not mean following a 90% carb diet, nor does it mean following a 90% Protein diet either.
Start off with something like a diet similar to a Zone-type diet where you're eating 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat. See how this works and then fine tune it. Make small adjustments week to week, for example increase protein 5% and decrease fat 5%, etc.
By doing this, and noting the change, you'll become a master at knowing your body and how it responds to different diets.
And eat ONLY until you're full. DO NOT eat past that, even if it means you're leaving food on your plate.
Make sure you get all your food in at least 4 meals a day and, preferably 5 or 6. By eating smaller meals, spaced throughout the day, you'll have better energy, and will increase your metabolism.
------------------------------
2) Aerobic Exercise
------------------------------
Aerobic exercise is important for 3 reasons.
1) It's very good for your heart
2) It helps to increase your metabolism
3) It burns extra calories
I recommend that you do some kind of aerobic exercise 3-4 times per week for about 30 minutes each time.
Now, you may burn only 200-300 calories during this time, which to be quite honest is not much.
However, your heart rate and metabolism are both elevated for many hours AFTER your 30 minutes of aerobic exercise and you could burn another 200-300 calories over the next 7-8 hrs.
Remember, the heart is a muscle, so do your aerobic exercise. And as a bonus, the calories burned will help you achieve your goals faster.
If you're already lean enough, you could cut down on the aerobic exercise to 2-3 times a week.
If you hate aerobic exercise (like sitting on a stationary bike), do what I do. Use this time to read a book or magazine you enjoy. You'll be amazed at how quick the 30 minutes is over.
----------------------------
3) Weight Training
----------------------------
Weight Training is extremely important because:
1) It builds muscle
2) Alters your body composition
I recommend training with weights 2 times per week, up to a maximum of 3 times per week. You can split the body up into 2 parts and do half one day, and the other half 3-4 days later.
Do exercises such as Squats, Bench Presses, Overhead Presses, Dips, Chin-Ups, Lat Pulldowns, and Deadlifts.
These basic, free weight exercises will pack on more
calorie-burning muscle than any machine ever could. They will also help you build muscle the fastest.
By performing exercises that involve large muscle groups, you are recruiting more muscle fibers when you lift, which will ultimately lead to better muscle gains for you.
Remember that every pound of muscle you gain, will burn calories just by existing. That is if you gain 5 lbs of muscle, you will burn extra calories EVERY DAY because that muscle needs nutrients to live.
So guess what? You can eat more and NOT gain weight. So do your weight training.
------------
4) Rest
------------
This last factor is the one that most often overlooked.
If all you do is lift weights, do aerobic exercise, and not sleep or rest much, you will quickly overtrain, and build up a lot of stress and completely stop your progress.
You'll be eating right, lifting hard, doing aerobic exercise, but if you get 4 hrs of sleep a night, you are wasting your time.
The body needs to rest. It's during this rest that your body will repair itself and get stronger. Please DO NOT short-circuit this process. Get AT LEAST 7-8 hrs sleep per night.
It will do WONDERS for your progress and FAT LOSS.
Follow the 4 Critical Factors I explained above and you will be well on your way to achieving the DREAM BODY you've always wanted.
Good Luck with all your Fatloss & Fitness Goals!
--------------------------------------------------------
Tony Tass is the author of the best-selling book "How to Get the Dream Body You've Always Wanted in 12 Short Weeks or Less!" - a complete system to turn your dreams into reality! Go to: http://www.dreambodynow.com now and also get a FREE Fatloss Mini-Course!
------------------------------------
(c) 2001 Waterdown Publishing,
by Tony Tass.
Pay close attention.
I'm about to tell you everything you need to know to get
the dream body you've always wanted. You can do this
WITH JUST the information I'm about to give you.
So if you're interested in achieving a body that's leaner, healthier, and more muscular, pay VERY close attention.
There are 4 (FOUR) Factors that anyone who wants to transform their body, needs to do or follow. No if's, and's, or but's.
There are NO SHORTCUTS. These MUST be followed.
The 4 Factors are:
1) Eat a Proper Diet
2) Do some Aerobic Exercise
3) Perform some type of Weight Training
4) Get enough Rest
------------------------------
1) Eat a Proper Diet
------------------------------
This first factor is extremely important. First off, before you can change your diet for the better, you need to know exactly what it is that you're eating on a daily basis.
The best way to do this is to write down everything you eat. You can use software for this or do it manually, using a book such as "The Complete Book of Calorie Counts", by Corinne Netzer.
Once you've looked at what you're eating, you have to make the necessary changes. For some, it may be as simple as eliminating junk food. For others, you need a complete overhaul of your diet.
What you need to eat, and what works best for most people is a diet properly balanced between Protein, Carbs, and Fat. That does not mean following a 90% carb diet, nor does it mean following a 90% Protein diet either.
Start off with something like a diet similar to a Zone-type diet where you're eating 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat. See how this works and then fine tune it. Make small adjustments week to week, for example increase protein 5% and decrease fat 5%, etc.
By doing this, and noting the change, you'll become a master at knowing your body and how it responds to different diets.
And eat ONLY until you're full. DO NOT eat past that, even if it means you're leaving food on your plate.
Make sure you get all your food in at least 4 meals a day and, preferably 5 or 6. By eating smaller meals, spaced throughout the day, you'll have better energy, and will increase your metabolism.
------------------------------
2) Aerobic Exercise
------------------------------
Aerobic exercise is important for 3 reasons.
1) It's very good for your heart
2) It helps to increase your metabolism
3) It burns extra calories
I recommend that you do some kind of aerobic exercise 3-4 times per week for about 30 minutes each time.
Now, you may burn only 200-300 calories during this time, which to be quite honest is not much.
However, your heart rate and metabolism are both elevated for many hours AFTER your 30 minutes of aerobic exercise and you could burn another 200-300 calories over the next 7-8 hrs.
Remember, the heart is a muscle, so do your aerobic exercise. And as a bonus, the calories burned will help you achieve your goals faster.
If you're already lean enough, you could cut down on the aerobic exercise to 2-3 times a week.
If you hate aerobic exercise (like sitting on a stationary bike), do what I do. Use this time to read a book or magazine you enjoy. You'll be amazed at how quick the 30 minutes is over.
----------------------------
3) Weight Training
----------------------------
Weight Training is extremely important because:
1) It builds muscle
2) Alters your body composition
I recommend training with weights 2 times per week, up to a maximum of 3 times per week. You can split the body up into 2 parts and do half one day, and the other half 3-4 days later.
Do exercises such as Squats, Bench Presses, Overhead Presses, Dips, Chin-Ups, Lat Pulldowns, and Deadlifts.
These basic, free weight exercises will pack on more
calorie-burning muscle than any machine ever could. They will also help you build muscle the fastest.
By performing exercises that involve large muscle groups, you are recruiting more muscle fibers when you lift, which will ultimately lead to better muscle gains for you.
Remember that every pound of muscle you gain, will burn calories just by existing. That is if you gain 5 lbs of muscle, you will burn extra calories EVERY DAY because that muscle needs nutrients to live.
So guess what? You can eat more and NOT gain weight. So do your weight training.
------------
4) Rest
------------
This last factor is the one that most often overlooked.
If all you do is lift weights, do aerobic exercise, and not sleep or rest much, you will quickly overtrain, and build up a lot of stress and completely stop your progress.
You'll be eating right, lifting hard, doing aerobic exercise, but if you get 4 hrs of sleep a night, you are wasting your time.
The body needs to rest. It's during this rest that your body will repair itself and get stronger. Please DO NOT short-circuit this process. Get AT LEAST 7-8 hrs sleep per night.
It will do WONDERS for your progress and FAT LOSS.
Follow the 4 Critical Factors I explained above and you will be well on your way to achieving the DREAM BODY you've always wanted.
Good Luck with all your Fatloss & Fitness Goals!
--------------------------------------------------------
Tony Tass is the author of the best-selling book "How to Get the Dream Body You've Always Wanted in 12 Short Weeks or Less!" - a complete system to turn your dreams into reality! Go to: http://www.dreambodynow.com now and also get a FREE Fatloss Mini-Course!
------------------------------------
(c) 2001 Waterdown Publishing,
About the Author
Tony Tass is the author of the best-selling book "How to Get the Dream Body You've Always Wanted in 12 Short Weeks or Less!" - a complete system to turn your dreams into reality! Go to: http://www.dreambodynow.com now and also get a FREE Fatloss Mini-Course!
4 Crazy Things You Must Do To Lose Weight
1. Start Eating a Lot More!
That’s right, you read it correctly…YOU MUST EAT MORE—A whole lot more than you’re eating right now. You have to eat 5-7 meals a day to fire up your metabolism to lose weight.
Your body needs a constant supply of energy to burn fat, and if you don’t eat a meal every two or three hours…Your metabolism will become so slow that you’ll gain weight just by looking at food.
The sooner you start eating more…the sooner you’ll be able to eat the foods you like without worrying about gaining weight.
Now I don’t mean for you to eat 5 large dinner sized meals everyday. You should try to eat 5-7 smaller 250 – 400 calorie meals every 2-3 hours.
2. Start Playing Golf.
Before you say “what the heck does golf have to do with me losing weight”…Let me explain.
People always tell me that they don’t have time to exercise, their too tired to exercise, or they don’t feel like exercising.
But they always find time to have fun. Look, you don’t have to get on a treadmill everyday, take aerobics, or swim laps to lose weight….
…you can lose weight playing golf, playing with your kids, and you can even go to the mall shopping.
What do all those things have in common? They’re all things that involve you moving around just enough to burn fat. Notice that TV, reading, and sleeping weren’t one of the things I mentioned.
Think about it…If you went shopping at your local mall everyday you could easily lose 1-2 lbs. a week just by walking around the mall a couple of times (That’s of course if you don’t make too many trips to the food court).
What about playing golf (without the cart), racquetball, or going out dancing everyday? That’s an easy (fun) weight loss of about 2 lbs a week right there.
Try to find something that you like to do that gets you up off you’re butt and do it everyday for at least 30 minutes (The longer the more fat you’ll burn).
3. Stop Losing Weight and Start Burning Fat.
If you want to lose weight… just go on a diet, sit in a steam room for a couple of hours, or take some side-effect infested weight loss pill.
If you want to look better as you lose weight…then you need to focus on burning fat.
Diets, steam rooms, and pills cause you to lose muscle and water weight. Losing muscle not only makes you look worse but it also lowers your metabolism making it easier for you to gain weight.
Have you ever noticed the people who lose weight on these “lose 30lbs in 8 days” programs still have flabby arms, a saggy butt, and pot belly? The reason why is that these programs tend to help people lose more good-looking muscle than ugly body fat.
Steam rooms cause you to lose water weight which you’ll gain back after you drink a couple glasses of water.
The best way to focus on burning fat is to lose no more than 2lbs a week. If you lose more than 2lbs a week you will only start to lose muscle and water.
A basic beginner’s fat loss plan would be to eat more and play golf everyday (please see the first two things you must do to lose weight).
4. Just Keep on Saying SO THAT
First, ask yourself Why you want to lose weight and after you come up with a reason why just keep on saying SO THAT.
For example—Why Do you want to lose weight
* I want to lose weight to look better SO THAT…
* I can feel more confident about myself SO THAT…
* I can be the best looking person at my high school reunion SO THAT…
* I can see the surprised looks on the faces of my classmates SO THAT …
* I may be able to go on a date with the person I had a crush on in high school
Can you see what’s happening here? The more times you say SO THAT the more and more motivated you’ll become to lose weight. I don’t know about you but if you can come up with at least three SO THATS nothing will stop you from losing weight.
Copyright 2005 Adrian Bryant
About The Author
Adrian Bryant
If you need help losing weight, making your tummy flatter, trimming down your inner thighs, or getting rid of your flabby arms... Visit Adrian's site at http://www.weightlossmadeeasy.net
3 Steps To Build More Muscle And Lose More Fat
Unhappy with your current fitness results? Want to build muscle
and lose fat? Feel you can achieve so much more or be in much
better shape?
Well, chances are, the problem AND solution lie in one of three
areas. I call these three fitness areas the "Must Do's" of
building muscle, losing fat, and achieving a great physique.
Here are the three "Must-Do's" for a great body and superb
fitness levels.
Must Do #1
You MUST perform some type of resistance (weight) training to
ensure lean muscle growth and strength increase. Building lean
muscle (toning the body) is done by weight training and proper
recovery/nutrition.
It starts with the stimulation of muscle growth from the stress
of resistance training and ends in growth of lean muscle tissue
from rest and proper nutrition.
Optimally, you should try and weight train 3 to 4 times a week,
sufficiently training each muscle group once each week. If you
train a muscle group (i.e. biceps or triceps) with intensity and
proper resistance, once a week is all that is needed for
adequate muscle stimulation.
Must Do #2
You MUST perform some type of aerobic/cardio workout to ensure
calorie/fat burning and the raising of the resting metabolic
rate (burning calories throughout the day at rest).
You cannot tone up the body and develop any type of defined
physique if your muscles are covered by layers of fat.
Doing intense aerobics/cardio three to four days a week will
help the fat burning process and will also help speed up the
body's metabolism to be more efficient at burning calories.
Many people mistakingly assume that you only burn off calories
while performing aerobic exercise.
Truth is, you are burning calories during the exercise AND you
are conditioning the body to burn more calories even after the
cardio session is done.
Intense, brief (15 to 20 minutes) cardio sessions help raise the
body's resting metabolic rate (the metabolism) so that you burn
off more calories even while resting.
I speak with many weight lifters that are not happy with their
physiques and it usually is because they forget to include
intense cardio sessions in their routines.
For effective fat burning, 3 to 4 sessions (15 to 20 minutes
each) a week is sufficient.
Must Do #3
Besides weight training and aerobics, your nutrition is the
third "must do" if you want to build muscle and lose fat.
You must eat properly throughout the day for you to see any
worthwhile results. Eating a small, well-balanced meal/snack
every three to four hours will help speed up the body's
metabolism so that it becomes more efficient at burning through
the food you eat.
Doing this means you will be eating about 5 or 6 times a day.
Make each meal a high-protein, moderate-carbohydrate, and
low-fat choice. Foods like chicken breast, turkey, fish, low-fat
dairy products, and lean red meats are excellent protein sources.
Carbs should come primarily from vegetables as well as whole
grain breads, cereals, pastas, rice, and legumes.
Nutrition is the most important of the "must do's" of a great
physique. It doesn't matter how much or how often you work out,
it can all be ruined by poor eating.
The next time you are not satisfied with your current levels of
fitness and the condition of your physique, I can almost assure
you that the answer lies in one of the three "must do's" of
fitness:
To build muscle and lose fat, you have to focus on intense
cardio, moderate weight training, and proper nutrition.
About the author:
Discover a proven program by trainer and bodybuilder Shawn
Lebrun that shows you, step by step, how to build muscle and
lose fat in less time. of muscle growth and definition possible.
Simple Steps To Get Huge And Shredded"
and lose fat? Feel you can achieve so much more or be in much
better shape?
Well, chances are, the problem AND solution lie in one of three
areas. I call these three fitness areas the "Must Do's" of
building muscle, losing fat, and achieving a great physique.
Here are the three "Must-Do's" for a great body and superb
fitness levels.
Must Do #1
You MUST perform some type of resistance (weight) training to
ensure lean muscle growth and strength increase. Building lean
muscle (toning the body) is done by weight training and proper
recovery/nutrition.
It starts with the stimulation of muscle growth from the stress
of resistance training and ends in growth of lean muscle tissue
from rest and proper nutrition.
Optimally, you should try and weight train 3 to 4 times a week,
sufficiently training each muscle group once each week. If you
train a muscle group (i.e. biceps or triceps) with intensity and
proper resistance, once a week is all that is needed for
adequate muscle stimulation.
Must Do #2
You MUST perform some type of aerobic/cardio workout to ensure
calorie/fat burning and the raising of the resting metabolic
rate (burning calories throughout the day at rest).
You cannot tone up the body and develop any type of defined
physique if your muscles are covered by layers of fat.
Doing intense aerobics/cardio three to four days a week will
help the fat burning process and will also help speed up the
body's metabolism to be more efficient at burning calories.
Many people mistakingly assume that you only burn off calories
while performing aerobic exercise.
Truth is, you are burning calories during the exercise AND you
are conditioning the body to burn more calories even after the
cardio session is done.
Intense, brief (15 to 20 minutes) cardio sessions help raise the
body's resting metabolic rate (the metabolism) so that you burn
off more calories even while resting.
I speak with many weight lifters that are not happy with their
physiques and it usually is because they forget to include
intense cardio sessions in their routines.
For effective fat burning, 3 to 4 sessions (15 to 20 minutes
each) a week is sufficient.
Must Do #3
Besides weight training and aerobics, your nutrition is the
third "must do" if you want to build muscle and lose fat.
You must eat properly throughout the day for you to see any
worthwhile results. Eating a small, well-balanced meal/snack
every three to four hours will help speed up the body's
metabolism so that it becomes more efficient at burning through
the food you eat.
Doing this means you will be eating about 5 or 6 times a day.
Make each meal a high-protein, moderate-carbohydrate, and
low-fat choice. Foods like chicken breast, turkey, fish, low-fat
dairy products, and lean red meats are excellent protein sources.
Carbs should come primarily from vegetables as well as whole
grain breads, cereals, pastas, rice, and legumes.
Nutrition is the most important of the "must do's" of a great
physique. It doesn't matter how much or how often you work out,
it can all be ruined by poor eating.
The next time you are not satisfied with your current levels of
fitness and the condition of your physique, I can almost assure
you that the answer lies in one of the three "must do's" of
fitness:
To build muscle and lose fat, you have to focus on intense
cardio, moderate weight training, and proper nutrition.
About the author:
Discover a proven program by trainer and bodybuilder Shawn
Lebrun that shows you, step by step, how to build muscle and
lose fat in less time. of muscle growth and definition possible.
Simple Steps To Get Huge And Shredded"
2004 Prediction … The Next Fitness Trend
Millions practice the same New Year’s ritual of making the infamous resolution to exercise. And most realize that New Year’s good intentions typically don’t last more than a couple of weeks.
“2004 may be different,” says Phil Campbell, M.S., M.A. 51, a Senior Games and masters track & field athlete who is frequently quoted in fitness magazines. “This year we have new research that shows us the most effective form of exercise for adults, especially middle-age adults,” says Campbell, “and when people see results the probability goes up that they’ll stick with their resolution to exercise.”
What’s the most effective form of exercise Campbell is talking about? It’s not your grandmother’s walk around the block. It’s anaerobic exercise--a step-up from the steady-pace cardio you’ve been hearing about for years. It doesn’t take as long, but it’s more intense.
“Researchers show we can unleash exercise-induced growth hormone release with 10 to 30 seconds of higher intensities of exercise,” says Campbell. “The most powerful body-fat-cutting, muscle-toning, anti-aging substance known in science, growth hormone, is produced by the body with this type of exercise,” he explains.
Running, cycling, swimming, cross country skiing, and power walking can be made to be anaerobic if the intensity is raised to a level where it gets you “good-and-winded,” says Campbell. He recommends eight repetitions of some type of sprinting exercise lasting 10 to 30 seconds with a 1½ minute rest in-between.
If your favorite form of exercise is capable of getting you winded quickly, Campbell says that this is “anaerobic” and capable of reaching the growth hormone release benchmarks cited in the research.
CURE FOR THE MIDDLE AGE SPREAD?
The middle-age spread has an official name, “the somatopause.” And it’s directly related to the way the body produces growth hormone, explains Campbell. The middle-age somatopause is signified by energy decline, weight-gain (around the middle, and hips), loss of muscle, and wrinkled skin after age 30.
Campbell says that exercising to release growth hormone is the natural way to beat the middle-age spread. However, he cautions that physician clearance is a must and a progressive build-up of high-intensity exercise is necessary to prevent injury. “Anaerobic exercise is the most beneficial form of exercise, but also the most dangerous.”
Will the next fitness fad be the sprinting types of exercise Campbell describes? He says the trend is catching on fast, except “Ready Set Go Fitness Workout isn’t a fad because once people try it, they feel it, and know this program is the real deal!”
Phil Campbell is the author of Ready Set Go Synergy Fitness for Time-Crunched Adults,
368-pages, 300 photo-illustrations, $19.95, Pristine Publishers.
www.ReadySetGoFitness.com
Links to Research cited - NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
“The exercise-induced secretion of GH plays a significant role in the regulation of fatty acid metabolism.” (“Acute exposure to GH during exercise stimulates the turnover of free fatty acids in GH-deficient men,” Kanaley JA, J. Applied Physiology 2003 Oct 31) NIH Link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ui
ds=14594860&dopt=Abstract
“Aging is often associated with a progressive decrease in the volume and, especially, the intensity of exercise. A growing body of evidence suggests that higher intensity exercise is effective in eliciting beneficial health, well-being and training outcomes. In a great many cases, the impact of some of the deleterious effects of aging could be reduced if exercise focused on promoting exercise produced growth hormone,” (“The exercise-induced growth hormone response in athletes,” Godfrey, Sports Med. 2003 ;33(8):599-613.2003) NIH link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ui
ds=12797841&dopt=Abstract
To interview Phil Campbell, call (731) 660-3333
email phil@readysetgofitness.com
Phil Campbll is the author of Ready Set Go! Synergy Fitness - www.ReadySetGoFitness.com
17 Muscle Building Facts I've Discovered
I've been a personal trainer and natural bodybuilder for the
past 5 years. During that time, I've discovered a lot of muscle
building facts and fitness observations.
I wanted to share some of the most important ones with you, in
this article.
Here are 17 of the most important muscle building facts I've
learned over the years.
1. People do not see great results with their muscle building
endeavors simply because they are misinformed and misled as to
what works and needs to be done. My job as a trainer is to
inform and to educate people as to what really works.
2. In order to stay with your fitness routine for the long run,
you need to identify the "why" behind what you're doing.
Uncover, specifically, what you want to change and why you want
to change. Use this to become your driving force.
3. You absolutely must associate pleasure with your muscle
building routine and pain with not committing to your fitness
routine. Humans by nature do things that are pleasurable and
avoid things that create pain.
4. We are after long-term, permanent results, so there will be
no quick fixes and gimmicks. We are going to create a lifestyle
change that will be easy to live with. No counting calories or
points, just make better choices and healthier, moderate
portions.
5. Always think quality over quantity. This means more working
out is not better when it comes to building muscle, better is
better. Most people I come in contact with work out too much and
eat too little.
6. The key to permanent fat-loss is to speed up your metabolism.
Once this is done, weight-loss becomes permanent.
7. The whole process of changing your body takes time. Commit
yourself to at least three months to literally transform your
body. You may see some results before then, but three months is
what it takes to see great results.
8. During the first couple weeks of a muscle building program,
you'll notice that your scale weight either doesn't change or it
may go up a bit.
Throw the scale out the window, it doesn't distinguish between
fat and muscle, so when you initially gain a bit of muscle at
the start, the scale weight will go up. That's a good thing.
Over time the scale weight WILL go down.
9. You must eat often and in moderate amounts to speed up your
metabolism. If you eat often, your body utilizes and breaks down
your food often, leading to less stored body fat.
10. Eat 5-6 small meals/snacks throughout the day. The easiest
way to do this is to eat a moderate breakfast, lunch, and
dinner, and then a small snack between breakfast and lunch,
lunch and dinner, and then a small snack at night. You must
condition your body to eat every 3 to 3 1/2 hours. You cannot
restrict calories too much, this will slow down metabolism and
absolutely stop progress dead in its tracks.
11. You must create a synergy between proper nutrition, moderate
aerobic exercise, and intense, brief weight-training. The
answers to weight-loss lie within each one of these. This is why
diets, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and other programs are not
long-term successful. One or more of these elements is missing.
12. Small, steady steps will lead to progression, which will
lead to results, which will increase motivation, which will
again increase results, which in turn will lead to long-term
change.
13. For best results with building muscle and losing fat, 5 days
a week, 30 minutes a day is most beneficial. More than 5 days
and you risk overtraining. Less than 5 days and you may not see
optimal muscle building results.
14. You must incorporate resistance weight-training into your
weight-loss efforts. Fat is metabolized by muscle, muscle
literally will burn more calories just to maintain itself.
Increased lean muscle tissue helps your body to speed up its
metabolism (again, increased metabolism being the key to
weight-loss.
15. Too much aerobic activity will be counterproductive to your
muscle building efforts. 2-3 days a week, 20-30 minutes each
session is optimal. Again, more is not better, better is better.
16. Diets do not work, so never try to diet. Diets are a flawed
method which create to much pain (pain/pleasure principle). You
can diet for a short time, but the physical and psychological
cravings come, leading you to binge and eat more than you would
have.
17. Pick one day a week and cheat. Eat anything you want, and I
mean anything, but just make it a moderate amount. Then be
strict for the other 6 days a week.
These were some of the most important muscle building facts I've
learned over the past 5 years. Follow as many as you can and
you'll soon see more results from your time spent in the gym.
About the author:
Shawn Lebrun is a personal trainer and drug-free bodybuilder
that offers a proven muscle building and fat loss program. Get
the most muscle and definition possible in the least amount of
time: Muscle
building and fat loss program
past 5 years. During that time, I've discovered a lot of muscle
building facts and fitness observations.
I wanted to share some of the most important ones with you, in
this article.
Here are 17 of the most important muscle building facts I've
learned over the years.
1. People do not see great results with their muscle building
endeavors simply because they are misinformed and misled as to
what works and needs to be done. My job as a trainer is to
inform and to educate people as to what really works.
2. In order to stay with your fitness routine for the long run,
you need to identify the "why" behind what you're doing.
Uncover, specifically, what you want to change and why you want
to change. Use this to become your driving force.
3. You absolutely must associate pleasure with your muscle
building routine and pain with not committing to your fitness
routine. Humans by nature do things that are pleasurable and
avoid things that create pain.
4. We are after long-term, permanent results, so there will be
no quick fixes and gimmicks. We are going to create a lifestyle
change that will be easy to live with. No counting calories or
points, just make better choices and healthier, moderate
portions.
5. Always think quality over quantity. This means more working
out is not better when it comes to building muscle, better is
better. Most people I come in contact with work out too much and
eat too little.
6. The key to permanent fat-loss is to speed up your metabolism.
Once this is done, weight-loss becomes permanent.
7. The whole process of changing your body takes time. Commit
yourself to at least three months to literally transform your
body. You may see some results before then, but three months is
what it takes to see great results.
8. During the first couple weeks of a muscle building program,
you'll notice that your scale weight either doesn't change or it
may go up a bit.
Throw the scale out the window, it doesn't distinguish between
fat and muscle, so when you initially gain a bit of muscle at
the start, the scale weight will go up. That's a good thing.
Over time the scale weight WILL go down.
9. You must eat often and in moderate amounts to speed up your
metabolism. If you eat often, your body utilizes and breaks down
your food often, leading to less stored body fat.
10. Eat 5-6 small meals/snacks throughout the day. The easiest
way to do this is to eat a moderate breakfast, lunch, and
dinner, and then a small snack between breakfast and lunch,
lunch and dinner, and then a small snack at night. You must
condition your body to eat every 3 to 3 1/2 hours. You cannot
restrict calories too much, this will slow down metabolism and
absolutely stop progress dead in its tracks.
11. You must create a synergy between proper nutrition, moderate
aerobic exercise, and intense, brief weight-training. The
answers to weight-loss lie within each one of these. This is why
diets, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and other programs are not
long-term successful. One or more of these elements is missing.
12. Small, steady steps will lead to progression, which will
lead to results, which will increase motivation, which will
again increase results, which in turn will lead to long-term
change.
13. For best results with building muscle and losing fat, 5 days
a week, 30 minutes a day is most beneficial. More than 5 days
and you risk overtraining. Less than 5 days and you may not see
optimal muscle building results.
14. You must incorporate resistance weight-training into your
weight-loss efforts. Fat is metabolized by muscle, muscle
literally will burn more calories just to maintain itself.
Increased lean muscle tissue helps your body to speed up its
metabolism (again, increased metabolism being the key to
weight-loss.
15. Too much aerobic activity will be counterproductive to your
muscle building efforts. 2-3 days a week, 20-30 minutes each
session is optimal. Again, more is not better, better is better.
16. Diets do not work, so never try to diet. Diets are a flawed
method which create to much pain (pain/pleasure principle). You
can diet for a short time, but the physical and psychological
cravings come, leading you to binge and eat more than you would
have.
17. Pick one day a week and cheat. Eat anything you want, and I
mean anything, but just make it a moderate amount. Then be
strict for the other 6 days a week.
These were some of the most important muscle building facts I've
learned over the past 5 years. Follow as many as you can and
you'll soon see more results from your time spent in the gym.
About the author:
Shawn Lebrun is a personal trainer and drug-free bodybuilder
that offers a proven muscle building and fat loss program. Get
the most muscle and definition possible in the least amount of
time: Muscle
building and fat loss program
15 Simple Metabolism Boosting Secrets
Your metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories. The faster you burn calories the more weight you can lose even if you eat the same amount, so it makes sense to do everything you can to boost your metabolic rate if you're trying to lose a few pounds.
You use about 60% of the calories you need each day just by being alive. That's your basal (or resting) metabolism. About 30% of the calories are accounted for by how much you move (your activity metabolism). The remaining 10% are used up by the process of digesting food (your thermic metabolism).
By making some simple changes you can fire up all three types of metabolism and become leaner faster.
1. Eat little and often
Small and regular meals throughout the day will keep your metabolism high. If you eat the same amount of food in just one or two large meals as you do in five or six mini-meals and snacks you will burn fewer calories. This is because your metabolism slows down between meals. Never skip meals to save calories. Having a low-calorie snack will work much better and will also stop you falling ravenously on the nearest chocolate bar later in the day.
2. Eat breakfast
Your metabolism slows down overnight. When you have been through a period of more than eight hours without eating you need food to get your metabolism going again. So have breakfast as soon as you can after you wake up. If you're not a breakfast person take something healthy with you when you leave the house and have it is soon as you can face it. It's not great for your weight loss plans to have to boost your metabolism with a mid morning cookie or cake.
3. Eat enough
If you eat too few calories, your metabolic rate will automatically drop. This is a self preservation mechanism, which kicks in when your body thinks you are starving. The safest bet is to eat about 250 calories less than you need at the sedentary level and to take 250 - 500 calories of exercise each day to give a steady weight loss of between one and two pounds a week.
4. Eat Lean Protein
It takes more energy for the body to digest protein than carbohydrate or fat. Studies have shown that people who eat a high-protein diet burn more than twice as many calories in the hours following their meal as those eating a high carbohydrate diet. While the safety of high-protein diets can be disputed, it does make sense to include some lean protein as part of each meal.
5. Eat Fibre
Food with lots of fibre also gives your thermic metabolism a boost. High-fibre foods like beans, fruit, vegetables and whole grains simply take longer to digest and therefore help burn more calories.
6. Spice up your food
Spicy foods (especially chilli) raise the metabolism by as much as twenty-five per cent for a few hours after eating. So eat hot and spicy food a bit more regularly and see if this helps you. Just go easy on the refried beans and guacamole if you decide to go Mexican!
7. Drink Coffee
Caffeine speeds up your heart rate and the faster your heart rate the more calories you burn. Not great if you have heart problems or difficulty getting to sleep however!
8. Drink Green Tea
The phytochemicals in green tea are supposed to raise metabolism slightly by causing your brain and nervous system to run more quickly. Although not many sizable and conclusive studies have been done on this to date, drinking green tea rather than milky coffee or other calorie-laden beverages will definitely help you lose weight!
9. Get active
Aerobic exercise for more than thirty minutes not only burns calories but also keeps your metabolism high for several hours afterwards. The best time for exercise is in the morning as it will help kick start your metabolism for the day. If you can do 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise almost every day your metabolism will soar. Interval training would help even more.
10. Walk it off
If you prefer to take light exercise, try going for a walk after lunch or dinner. This boosts the rise in metabolism you get after eating. No strenuous exercising on a full stomach though.
11. Build those muscles
Muscles burn calories even when you're resting. For every pound of muscle you add, you burn about 50 extra calories a day without taking any more exercise. So it's a great idea to include some resistance or weight training in your exercise regime. Twenty minutes three times a week is enough to make a big difference in your metabolic rate as well as the shape of your body.
12. Go hot or cold
Any extremes of temperature you experience will help raise your metabolism by up to 20 percent as the body attempts to cool you down or raise your temperature. Make sure it's safe for you to go in the sauna or on the arctic expedition though before you try this one. You could have a go at keeping your home a few degrees cooler than is comfortable for sitting around in winter and restrict the air conditioning to the very hottest days in summer. In the winter it will help you get up and get moving and in summer encourage you to go to the pool to cool off!
13. Drink Iced Water
Another trick is to drink a glass of iced water a few times a day. You'll raise your metabolism just by having to bring the water up to body temperature. Drinking water is required anyway, of course, to keep your bodily functions working smoothly (including your metabolism).
14. Watch the alcohol
On top of the empty calories that alcohol contains, it also has a dehydrating effect, which slows down your thermic metabolism. Alcohol tends to inhibit the process of metabolizing fat too, which can lower your basal metabolism. And there's not much chance of you wanting to exercise after all that booze so it'll have an effect on your activity metabolism too. Bad news all round!
15. Take up yoga
The chemical processes which comprise your metabolism are regulated by the endocrine system, especially the thyroid. Yoga has many postures which have a powerful twisting and compressing effect on the endocrine organs, strengthening and stimulating them and this can help to regulate and boost your metabolism.
If you boost your metabolism with these tips, you'll be improving your general health as well as your capacity to burn calories. You'll not only find that you lose weight more quickly but also that you will have more energy, greater strength and you'll be able to get through everything you have to do in a day more easily.
Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small
About the Author
Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach and author of "The Diet Exit Plan". Request her FREE 15 page report "How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know" at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!
15 Muscle Building Rules For Skinny Guys And Gals! (Part 2)
In part 1, I touched on general weight gain rules and reasons why you can't gain weight. Now it's time to get into workout specifics...
WORKOUT RULES
4. Stop listening to every ridiculous piece of advice you hear in the gym or read on a message board.
Recently a client of mine informed me that someone in the gym stated that he was training all wrong and he needed to train 5-6 days a week, and aim for more reps during his workout. Somewhere in the range of 15-20 reps per set.
The person giving the advice was quite confident about his recommendations, and he had an impressive physique that typically elevates him to the elusive "listen to me if you want to look like me" level in the gym. He was bigger than my client, so even though my client's "intellectual" mind knows that advice is absurd; his "unrealistic dreamer" mind took this information very seriously. So seriously that he changed his program and didn't inform me until a week or so later. This particular person had been making great progress on his current program, yet he allowed this one person’s comment to overshadow that progress and convince him that his program was inadequate. This is a mistake and it showed in his lack of further progress.
In addition, don't judge the validity of what a person says by how they look. Just because the guy is huge doesn't mean he is spewing pertinent advice for you. Many people that have big physiques are big despite of their training, not because of it. I know some huge guys that know very little about training and dieting correctly. They can do whatever and still gain muscle; unfortunately we are not that way, so we much approach things in a more intelligent way.
5. Workout Infrequently
This is the most difficult concept for many to grasp simply because it involves less action, instead of more. When we get motivated and start a new program, it’s natural to want to do something. We want to train and train and train. Thinking all along that the more you train, the more muscle you will build. Unfortunately, this could not be farther from the truth.
More training does not equal more muscle growth. Understand that the purpose of weight training is to stimulate muscle growth. That takes very little time. Once that has been done, the muscle needs to be repaired and new muscle needs to be built. That only happens when you are resting. You do not build muscle in the gym, you build muscle when resting! If you never give your body any essential “non active” time, when will it have a chance to build muscle? Think about that.
Now, add in the fact that you have a difficult time gaining weight and the importance of rest increases. Individuals who are naturally thin and have difficulty building muscle tend to require less training and more rest.
6. Focus on Multi-Jointed Lifts
Multi-jointed exercises are those that stimulate the most amounts of muscle fibers. Unlike isolation exercises which only work individual muscles, multi-jointed lifts work many different muscle groups simultaneously. For those needing to gain weight, this is ideal because these lifts put your body under the most amount of stress. This is the stress that will shock your nervous system and cause the greatest release of muscle building hormones. This results in increased muscle gain all over the body.
You can still do some isolation work; however it should not be the focus of your workouts, and should only come after your multi-jointed lifting is complete.
7. Focus on Using Free Weights
Free weights are preferred over machines for many reasons, but most importantly because they allow the stimulation of certain supporting muscle groups when training. Stimulating these stabilizer and synergistic muscles will allow you go get stronger, and ultimately build more muscle faster. Yes, some can most likely still build large amounts of muscle using machines, but why make it more difficult if you already have a difficult time gaining weight?
8. Lift a weight that is challenging for you
Building mass involves lifting relatively heavy weight. This is necessary because the muscle fibers that cause the most amount of muscle size growth (called Type IIB) are best stimulated by the lifting of heavy weight. A heavy weight as one that only allows you to perform 4-8 reps before your muscles fail.
Using a lighter weight and doing more reps can stimulate some Type IIB fibers, but again if you have a difficult time gaining weight, why make it more difficult? You need to try and stimulate as many as you can with the use of heavy weights.
9. Focus more on the eccentric portion of the exercise.
When you lift a weight, it can be divided into three distinct periods. The positive, the negative and midpoint. The concentric or “positive” motion usually involves the initial push or effort when you begin the rep. The midpoint is signaled by a short pause before reversing and returning to the starting position. The eccentric, or “negative” portion of each lift is characterized by your resistance against then natural pull of the weight.
For example, when doing push-ups, the positive motion is the actual pushing up motion. Once you have pushed all the way up, you hit the mid point. The negative motion begins when you start to lower yourself back down. Most would simply lower themselves as fast as they pushed up, but I recommend extending and slowing down this portion. Slowing down the eccentric part of the lift will help to stimulate more muscle growth. It actually activates more of the Type IIB fibers mentioned about in Rule 7.
10. Keep your workout short but intense.
Your goal should be to get in, stimulate your muscles and then get out as quickly as possible. It is not necessary to do large amounts of exercisers per body part trying to target every muscle and hit every “angle”. This should only be a concern of someone with an already developed, mature physique who is trying to improve weak areas.
If you have no pec, don’t concern yourself with trying to target inner, outer, upper, lower or whatever. Just work your chest. You should do no more than 2-3 exercises per body part. That’s it. Doing more than that won’t build more muscle, faster. In fact it could possibly lead to muscle loss. Long training sessions cause catabolic hormone levels to rise dramatically. Catabolic hormones are responsible for breaking down muscle tissue resulting in MUSCLE LOSS. While at the same time, long training sessions suppress the hormones that actually build muscle.
If you don’t want to lose muscle during your workouts, I suggest limiting your sessions to no more than 60-75 minutes MAXIMUM. Less if you can.
11. Limit your aerobic activity and training
Honestly, I do not do any aerobic activity when I am trying to gain weight. This is mainly because it interferes with the important “non-active” time my body needs for muscle building and recovery. I do understand that people have lives and other activities that they don't want to give up, so it must be kept to a minimum. It won’t hurt your progress as long as you don’t over do it. If you find that you are doing more aerobic activity weight training, that’s overdoing it.
I also don’t recommend it because people tend do it for the wrong reasons. Many start aerobic activity because they believe it will help them to lose fat. While that is true, it won’t do so on a high calorie mass diet. To lose fat, you need to be eating fewer calories.
12. Don’t program hop
Here’s how it usually happens. You’ve just read about a new exercise or workout that is supposed to pack on the mass. Now, even though you had already started another training program a few weeks ago, you are tired of it and really want to start this routine instead because it sounds better.
I call these people, “program hoppers”. They are very enthusiastic when starting a new program, but they never follow it long enough to actually see any results. They are easily distracted and love to drop whatever they may be doing to follow the latest "hot" workout or exercise.
My advice is don’t do it. This is a bad habit that never leads to a positive outcome. Understand that it takes time for any program to work. To be successful, you must follow your program consistently. Yes, there are many different training methods and interesting routines out there, but you can’t do them all at the same time and jumping around won’t allow enough time for any of them to actually be effective for you. Pick one that is focused on your current goal and stick with it. There will be plenty of time to try the others later, but NOT NOW.
In Part 3 of this article, I will cover your eating rules and guidelines to MAKE SURE you know how AND what to eat to build muscle mass.
Source: www.isnare.com
WORKOUT RULES
4. Stop listening to every ridiculous piece of advice you hear in the gym or read on a message board.
Recently a client of mine informed me that someone in the gym stated that he was training all wrong and he needed to train 5-6 days a week, and aim for more reps during his workout. Somewhere in the range of 15-20 reps per set.
The person giving the advice was quite confident about his recommendations, and he had an impressive physique that typically elevates him to the elusive "listen to me if you want to look like me" level in the gym. He was bigger than my client, so even though my client's "intellectual" mind knows that advice is absurd; his "unrealistic dreamer" mind took this information very seriously. So seriously that he changed his program and didn't inform me until a week or so later. This particular person had been making great progress on his current program, yet he allowed this one person’s comment to overshadow that progress and convince him that his program was inadequate. This is a mistake and it showed in his lack of further progress.
In addition, don't judge the validity of what a person says by how they look. Just because the guy is huge doesn't mean he is spewing pertinent advice for you. Many people that have big physiques are big despite of their training, not because of it. I know some huge guys that know very little about training and dieting correctly. They can do whatever and still gain muscle; unfortunately we are not that way, so we much approach things in a more intelligent way.
5. Workout Infrequently
This is the most difficult concept for many to grasp simply because it involves less action, instead of more. When we get motivated and start a new program, it’s natural to want to do something. We want to train and train and train. Thinking all along that the more you train, the more muscle you will build. Unfortunately, this could not be farther from the truth.
More training does not equal more muscle growth. Understand that the purpose of weight training is to stimulate muscle growth. That takes very little time. Once that has been done, the muscle needs to be repaired and new muscle needs to be built. That only happens when you are resting. You do not build muscle in the gym, you build muscle when resting! If you never give your body any essential “non active” time, when will it have a chance to build muscle? Think about that.
Now, add in the fact that you have a difficult time gaining weight and the importance of rest increases. Individuals who are naturally thin and have difficulty building muscle tend to require less training and more rest.
6. Focus on Multi-Jointed Lifts
Multi-jointed exercises are those that stimulate the most amounts of muscle fibers. Unlike isolation exercises which only work individual muscles, multi-jointed lifts work many different muscle groups simultaneously. For those needing to gain weight, this is ideal because these lifts put your body under the most amount of stress. This is the stress that will shock your nervous system and cause the greatest release of muscle building hormones. This results in increased muscle gain all over the body.
You can still do some isolation work; however it should not be the focus of your workouts, and should only come after your multi-jointed lifting is complete.
7. Focus on Using Free Weights
Free weights are preferred over machines for many reasons, but most importantly because they allow the stimulation of certain supporting muscle groups when training. Stimulating these stabilizer and synergistic muscles will allow you go get stronger, and ultimately build more muscle faster. Yes, some can most likely still build large amounts of muscle using machines, but why make it more difficult if you already have a difficult time gaining weight?
8. Lift a weight that is challenging for you
Building mass involves lifting relatively heavy weight. This is necessary because the muscle fibers that cause the most amount of muscle size growth (called Type IIB) are best stimulated by the lifting of heavy weight. A heavy weight as one that only allows you to perform 4-8 reps before your muscles fail.
Using a lighter weight and doing more reps can stimulate some Type IIB fibers, but again if you have a difficult time gaining weight, why make it more difficult? You need to try and stimulate as many as you can with the use of heavy weights.
9. Focus more on the eccentric portion of the exercise.
When you lift a weight, it can be divided into three distinct periods. The positive, the negative and midpoint. The concentric or “positive” motion usually involves the initial push or effort when you begin the rep. The midpoint is signaled by a short pause before reversing and returning to the starting position. The eccentric, or “negative” portion of each lift is characterized by your resistance against then natural pull of the weight.
For example, when doing push-ups, the positive motion is the actual pushing up motion. Once you have pushed all the way up, you hit the mid point. The negative motion begins when you start to lower yourself back down. Most would simply lower themselves as fast as they pushed up, but I recommend extending and slowing down this portion. Slowing down the eccentric part of the lift will help to stimulate more muscle growth. It actually activates more of the Type IIB fibers mentioned about in Rule 7.
10. Keep your workout short but intense.
Your goal should be to get in, stimulate your muscles and then get out as quickly as possible. It is not necessary to do large amounts of exercisers per body part trying to target every muscle and hit every “angle”. This should only be a concern of someone with an already developed, mature physique who is trying to improve weak areas.
If you have no pec, don’t concern yourself with trying to target inner, outer, upper, lower or whatever. Just work your chest. You should do no more than 2-3 exercises per body part. That’s it. Doing more than that won’t build more muscle, faster. In fact it could possibly lead to muscle loss. Long training sessions cause catabolic hormone levels to rise dramatically. Catabolic hormones are responsible for breaking down muscle tissue resulting in MUSCLE LOSS. While at the same time, long training sessions suppress the hormones that actually build muscle.
If you don’t want to lose muscle during your workouts, I suggest limiting your sessions to no more than 60-75 minutes MAXIMUM. Less if you can.
11. Limit your aerobic activity and training
Honestly, I do not do any aerobic activity when I am trying to gain weight. This is mainly because it interferes with the important “non-active” time my body needs for muscle building and recovery. I do understand that people have lives and other activities that they don't want to give up, so it must be kept to a minimum. It won’t hurt your progress as long as you don’t over do it. If you find that you are doing more aerobic activity weight training, that’s overdoing it.
I also don’t recommend it because people tend do it for the wrong reasons. Many start aerobic activity because they believe it will help them to lose fat. While that is true, it won’t do so on a high calorie mass diet. To lose fat, you need to be eating fewer calories.
12. Don’t program hop
Here’s how it usually happens. You’ve just read about a new exercise or workout that is supposed to pack on the mass. Now, even though you had already started another training program a few weeks ago, you are tired of it and really want to start this routine instead because it sounds better.
I call these people, “program hoppers”. They are very enthusiastic when starting a new program, but they never follow it long enough to actually see any results. They are easily distracted and love to drop whatever they may be doing to follow the latest "hot" workout or exercise.
My advice is don’t do it. This is a bad habit that never leads to a positive outcome. Understand that it takes time for any program to work. To be successful, you must follow your program consistently. Yes, there are many different training methods and interesting routines out there, but you can’t do them all at the same time and jumping around won’t allow enough time for any of them to actually be effective for you. Pick one that is focused on your current goal and stick with it. There will be plenty of time to try the others later, but NOT NOW.
In Part 3 of this article, I will cover your eating rules and guidelines to MAKE SURE you know how AND what to eat to build muscle mass.
About the Author: Former "skinny guy" Anthony Ellis is the creator of the most widely used weight gain program in the world. This unique program designed to help people gain weight and build muscle, is currently being used in over 90 countries. For more information on how to gain weight and build muscle, check out his website at http://www.fastmusclegain.com
Source: www.isnare.com