Showing posts with label workouts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label workouts. Show all posts

Monday, August 17, 2009

Some Important Tips For Quick, Correct & Safe Muscle Building

tips for muscle building, tips for quick muscle building, tips for correct muscle building, tips for safe muscle building, building muscle, strength training, bodybuilding

By Chris Tan

Building muscle mass and doing quickly requires extreme
commitment and dedication. Anyone can choose to follow a
path to building muscle, however there are many who jump in
full throttle without doing the research first. This mistake
leads to a plateau which in turn leaves the person
frustrated, and eventually they quit. Below, I will show
some important tips to build muscle mass quickly, correctly
and most importantly; safely.

A good foundation for muscle growth.

The dreaded plateau is commonly reached within two to three
months of the day the workout or muscle mass training
begins. The reason for this plateau is that the proper
foundation has not been laid out. In order to achieve the
ability to increase the weights used in a workout, the
bodybuilder must first incorporate a series of ten strength
training
workouts. These workouts allow the body to become
prepared for more intense workouts by gradually increasing
the weights as well as more rapid repetition, which will
then create muscle mass.

Focusing solely on the upper body.

Next, one of the most commonly found mistakes that lead to a
plateau are that most bodybuilders only focus on training
their upper body. The upper body consists of our arms,
chests and abs. These are the favorite training parts of
bodybuilders as they are more noticeable. However, you need
to train up your lower body as well in order to consistently
increase the weights you use throughout your muscle building
routines. Lower body muscle groups like our thighs are huge
muscles that should not be left out.

Focusing only on isolated exercises.

Exercises that train only a certain muscle group are called
isolated exercise. This is another common mistake beginners
make. Bicep curls and tricep extensions are a couple of
examples of these exercises. In order to achieve muscle
mass, the entire body must be included in the exercise
regimen. Therefore, compound exercises must be implemented.
These exercises allow the muscles to achieve higher weight
which in turn forces them to adapt to the increase and grow.

Are you guilty of these common mistakes? Have you reached
the dreaded plateau? These tips are very important in
achieving your quest for muscle mass. Having the proper
workout, technique and doing the research needed in order to
do it correctly is the only way to acquire your goal. In
addition, don't hesitate to ask an experienced bodybuilder
for tips; they will be more than happy to share the
knowledge.

Chris Tan loves to keep fit and build up his body muscle. He
shares his muscle building experience on Clivir.com where
you can find lessons like
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Tuesday, August 4, 2009

A Fitness Routine Geared Specifically For Women Who Want A Great Body Fast

women's health, women's issues, women's fitness, fitness routine for women, exercise, nutrition, diet

By Chris Tan

A fitness routine geared specifically for women is an
excellent way to lose weight and gain a healthier you.
However, it is important to remember that with any fitness
regimen, hard work and dedication are needed for success.

The women of today live a hustle and bustle lifestyle that
leaves them no time for anything extra. For this reason,
time is the number complaint as to why women fail at
exercise routines. In addition, it places an emphasis on the
quick fix of diet pills and teas which can be harmful and
generally don't work. To achieve the much desired 'quick
result" women need to adopt specific exercise routines.

High Intensity Workouts.

Intensity is the key when it comes to fitness trainings.
Whether you are doing cardio exercise or weight training
exercises, you have to know that the higher intensity of
your workout, the more calories you will be burning. For
example, a person who jogs for 5 days a week will be losing
less calories and fats as compared to one who runs for 3
days a week. That is how much a difference intensity levels
can make.

For maximum intensity levels, do short bursts of exercises.
For example, do sets of sprints and then rest instead of
long distance jogging. Long distance jogging will not
increase your heart rate as much as sprinting does. With
high intensity workouts, you will no longer need hours of
exercise to see results.

Training with Weights.

Training with weights is the best way to increase your
metabolism. In weight training, the heavier the weights and
the more lifting you do, the more your metabolism increases.
In addition, the higher intensity of your weight training
will increase your metabolism for twenty-four hours.

The best workout is a combination of both cardio and weight
training. All of this may seem daunting and sound like hard
work, but you will be rewarded with changes in your body
every week.

Eat a Healthy Diet.

Proteins, carbohydrates and fats ingested by the body
determine the way your body will look. Adopting a healthy
diet is another great step to achieving your fitness goals.

To see results quickly, implement a strict healthy diet into
your fitness routine. Here are some suggestions.

Eating foods high in protein rather than carbohydrates is
the best way to see results. Proteins allow your body to
feel full for longer while carbohydrates create excess
energy that the body will store, thus creating fat.

Eating small meals several times a day is another great way
to boost your metabolism. This little trick makes your body
think you're eating more food, thus it will work harder. It
is for this reason that starvation diets do not work. When
the body is starved, the metabolism does not have to work as
hard to store energy for later use.

Chris Tan is a keen fitness enthusiast. He loves to share
his knowledge and wrote articles about
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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Exercise - Why You Need a Support System

Friends Stretching

When it comes to any kind of working out, having a support system is very important. Most people use exercise to stay healthy and lose weight, or to even gain weight. There are a number of people who can be a part of your support system in order for you to be as healthy as possible. These people will help you stay motivated so that you aren’t tempted to skip your workouts and watch television instead!

First, a health care professional should be at the head of your support systems. Doctors will be able to give you suggestions about your exercise routine as well as point out anything you are doing that could be bad for your body. When you have your doctor on your side for your workouts, you know that you are being safe and making good health decisions. Make sure that you visit your doctor regularly to chart your progress and also check with him or her when you drastically change your fitness program.

Also at the top of your list of support group members should be personal trainers. If you can afford it a personal trainer is the best way to meet weight loss or maintenance goals. A personal trainer will also be able to correct your form and give you tips to making your workouts as successful as possible. He or she will be mental support as well, urging you to do better at all times.

Your family can also provide a great support system. Even while you are at home and not doing exercise, you and your family can together work to live a healthier lifestyle by not smoking, eating healthy foods, and getting outside more often instead of sitting on the couch every day. You can take your whole family to the gym or on walks or cycling. This is a great way to bond as well as do something right for your bodies together.

Lastly, look to others who are exercising to round out your support system. You can work out with a partner in order to stay motivated. Find someone who does similar workouts as well and go to the gym, or attends the same classes. This can be great motivation. You can also look to more wider workout partners by joining an aerobics class. After your class and showering, hang out with these new friends and you’ll find that living a healthy life is rewarding and easier to do than you may have first thought. When you are starting a fitness program having a good group of support people can truly make all the difference.


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Thursday, April 9, 2009

Why Resting Between Workouts Is Crucial For Bodybuilding

Man lifting weights


If you've spent any time in the bookstore browsing through
magazine articles on bodybuilding, you've no doubt come
across some pretty strong claims about how the latest
supplement fad can provide you with unbelievable results.
You may have also seen some recommendations on improving
your workout technique and other such advice.

What was probably missing from the discussion is the
importance of a solid recovery phase when embarking on a new
strength training or bodybuilding program. If you seem to
spend all your time in the gym without making any progress,
or if your initial muscle gains have reached a plateau, take
a moment to think about your recovery plans (or lack
thereof).

First of all, what exactly is the recovery phase? Well,
let's review how muscle is built in the first place. In
order for your body to build muscle, you first have to give
your body a reason to build it. You see, on a basic
biological level muscle is an expensive asset to have, and
the body would rather not have to maintain it. The only way
to stimulate new muscle growth is to give the body a reason
to build it, and the way to do this is to take advantage of
our basic biological need to survive.

When we lift a heavy weight that the body is not used to,
the muscle is damaged on a microscopic level. Because the
body does not want to be put under this same stress ever
again, the muscle will be rebuilt bigger and stronger
(provided there is enough material for growth in the form of
protein and other nutrients).

So how does this tie in to the importance of resting during
the recovery phase? Simply put, the muscles must be given
time to rebuild before they are put under heavy stress
again.

This means that we must limit the frequency of our workouts
in order to maximize their effect, and this is why many
bodybuilding experts recommend only a few hours of training
per week. You may have heard them refer to this concept
with the motto Less is More.

In addition to carefully planning your workouts to avoid
over training, you must make sure that you're getting plenty
of sleep in order to experience the best possible muscle
gains.

Sleep is, after all, when the body tends to repair. As we
discussed above, the body does have to repair itself and
build your muscles bigger and stronger than they were
before. That's why resting, and yes sleep, are crucial to
your success if you're serious about maximum muscle gain.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

5 EXERCISE MYTHS, MISTAKES AND MISCONCEPTIONS EXPOSED

View of a couple stretching


Have exercise misconceptions prevented you from starting an
exercise program? Clear up any confusion and let these
exercise tips improve your workout routine. Hopefully none
of these common exercise myths, mistakes and misconceptions
have prevented you from working out.

1. Common Mistake: Failure to set goals. Do you exercise
without a clear goal in mind? Having a clear goal set is a
critical step in exercise and weight loss success. Tracking
your progress in a journal will help ensure you see your
improvements, will help motivate you and help you meet your
ultimate goal.

2. Common Misconception: No Pain, No Gain. Pain is your
body’s way of letting you know something is wrong. Do not
ignore this. When you go beyond exercise and testing
yourself, you will encounter physical discomfort and need to
overcome it. An example of this would be training for a
marathon. It is important that you have the “base training”
before getting into the advance training. The base training
develops the body and gets it ready for extensive training.
You need to learn to “read” your body. Is the heavy
breathing because you are pushing your body or could it be
the beginning of a heart attack. Exercise is important. Do
it correctly and you can do it for the rest of your life.

It is normal for you to hurt after you exercise, but it must
be done gradually with a good amount of rest periods to
allow proper healing. There are two common problems here
with beginning exercisers. You can cause long lasting damage
to muscles, tendons and ligaments if you work out while you
are in pain, without allowing enough rest time to heal. You
might find yourself in constant and long lasting pain if you
do this which means that you will no longer be able to
exercise.

If you wake up the next morning after you exercised and can
barely drag your aching body out of bed because everything
hurts, you are going to be less motivated to exercise at
all. Constant pain is a sure way to kill your exercise
program.

3. Common Mistake: Sacrificing Quality for Quantity. When
you are ready to increase the number of reps of a particular
exercise, and strengthen the corresponding muscles, instead
of forcing yourself to do a little more each time try
decreasing the number of reps in a set but increase the
number of sets. Also, back off to half your usual number of
reps but add a couple of more sets. You will feel less tired
and will be able to gain strength in your fast-twitch
muscles.

4. Common Myth: Weight Training Makes Women Bulky.
Weight
training for a woman will strengthen and tone muscle, burn
fat and increase metabolism, not build mass. Women do not
produce enough of testosterone to build muscle mass the way
that men do.

5. Common Mistake: Over-Emphasizing Strengths. You should
start focusing on your weak points rather than what you are
good at. This will help you balance things. For example, if
your lower body is stronger than your upper body, then try to
work only on this area one day a week.

Being smart about how you exercise will take you a long way.
It is important to have a healthy body so get out there and
start exercising today.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

8 Most Popular Home Fitness Equipment

Woman Exercising with Ball


Nowadays we are given a lot more options when it comes to
the fitness equipment that we use at home. In the past,
unless we had a lot of space and money, we might just have
been able to use a fitness video, basic exercise bike or a
rowing machine. Now, there is a world of choice when it
comes to choosing machines and equipment that can help us
get fit.

The kind of equipment that you choose to help you get fit at
home may involve one simple machine or a range of equipment.
What you choose here usually depends on what you want/need
to do to get fit, how much space you have at home to store
equipment and how much you can afford to spend on equipment
in the first place.

Some of the more popular choices here at the moment include:

1. Home gyms/Multigyms - this kind of fitness equipment
brings together a variety of exercise options and machines
into one useful fitness station. This kind of machine may
best suit people who spend a lot of time and effort on their
fitness levels and those who like to use cross training to
get the desired results.

2. Exercise bikes - an exercise bike is a stationary bike
that gives you all the advantages of cycling without the
need to go anywhere! A recent popular variation on this
theme is the spin bike.

3. Treadmills - treadmills are machines that have a
mechanized or manual belt operation. The belt moves as you
walk or run on it. Home options here include manual
treadmills where you make the belt move as you move and
mechanized treadmills where the belt runs automatically.

4. Rowing machines - a rowing machine is a piece of
equipment which allows you to simulate a rowing action. As a
sport rowing has a lot of general fitness and endurance
benefits and a rower is the preferred option of choice for
many home fitness users.

5. Cross trainers/Ellipticals - these machines give a good
all round workout. They work on the basis that your feet
push pedals and your arms push handles at the same time and
you use resistance forces to maintain/improve fitness.

6. Weights and benches - if you prefer weight training as
your fitness option of choice then weights and a bench may
be your best option. You can use free weights here or bar
weights depending on your preference, or both.

7. Steps - in recent years the step has become a popular
form of home exercise following on from its phenomenal
success in the gym. Here you use the step to maintain 'step'
exercises.

8. Small fitness equipment - many people also opt to use
smaller pieces of fitness equipment available today. These
include items such as resistance bands and exercise balls.

Do remember to think hard about what you want from fitness
equipment at home before you go out and buy a load of
machines that you will not use. It is better in some ways to
start off with one or two pieces of equipment here and then
to ramp up your purchases as you get into a regular fitness
regime and as your development progresses.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Better Health With A Weightlifting Fitness Program

Hand Holding Blue Dumbbell


Getting fit can be difficult, particularly if you've spent
the last few years (or decades!) putting off fitness until
tomorrow. Well, your fitness is not something that can keep
waiting. Your health depends on it.

Staying fit doesn't require you to run 6 miles each day. It
only requires that your lungs are healthy and your heart is
strong. There are benefits for the rest of your body too,
such as losing that extra weight that somehow settled on
your tummy.

Is there a fast track way to losing weight and getting fit?
Surely hours on the everyday is not the only way?

Doing cardio work (running, cycling etc) is vital for heart
health, but you can speed up your fitness and weight loss
progress by undertaking a weightlifting fitness program.

Before you panic, don't for a second think that you are
going to turn into the incredible hulk! Lifting weights is a
proven beneficial exercise that has multiple benefits:

- As you build muscle and lose fat, you'll get rid of
weight much quicker.

- Bones become stronger.

- Your body will strengthen and you'll be more energetic.

There's no need to go to a gym if you don't want to.
Weightlifting fitness can be accomplished at home too. All
you'll need is a simple set of dumbbells to start with and
progress from there.

Start out with light, easy weight lifting and then progress
from there to more heavier weights. Within a few weeks you
will notice your muscle definition and your overall body
shape changing for the better.

Weight lifting brings about faster weight loss results than
just doing running or walking. However that does not mean
you should give up the cardio altogether: your body still
needs it. The ideal balance is 50% cardio and 50% weight
work.

A great routine to get into is to do your cardio work in the
morning (say 30 minutes of fast walking) and then weights in
the afternoon. But never work the same muscle with weights 2
days in a row: they must recover first. In fact, training
the same muscle group just twice per week is fine as the
muscle actually grows when you are recovering from a
workout.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Stretching - Why Its So Good

Stretching turtle


If you're searching for one of the more straightforward
weight loss and health tips that nearly anyone can do and
one that is exceptionally blissful too, why not have a go
at this? This weight loss plan involves an exercise that all
people do from time to time in the course of the day, but
never for sufficient duration for it to do us any good. So
what am I blustering on about?

Stretching!

Absolutely! Not a lot of people realize that the perfect
time of the day to perform this is first thing in the
morning. That's before getting out of bed! The moment
you awaken, instead of getting up straight away, spend a
minute or two pleasurably stretching your body.

By providing a good stretch to all of your muscles, you will
gain a particular fitness edge. Stretching is so
ridiculously easy to do and it totally sets you up for the
day ahead. Commence by stretching your legs as tightly as
you can. Enjoy a good yawn at the same time and stretch your
arms right up over your head. You need to be sitting up
straight while you do that. After that stretch your neck and
back. Really sense all of the muscles elongating as you do
it.

Afterwards, feeling revitalized, you can get out of your bed
and, just to cap it off, stretch your legs even more,
stretch up onto the balls of your feet, and a final parting
shot, steel yourself and stretch your whole body one more
time. One might ask what the advantages are of this exercise?

The answer is simple. Stretching just wakes up your muscles
from their extended period of immobility while you were in
the land of nod and gets them ready for much of the work
that they will need to do during the day. Stretching
naturally increases the capacity of your muscles to consume
some of the surplus calories with the best efficiency. It
also helps to ward off any injuries that might result from
doing any other elementary exercises by straining or pulling
a muscle.

Damage to muscles is less liable to occur when you do a few
pre-exercise strategies and stretch your muscles first. At
the end of the day this is something that is easy to do,
anyone can do it and exercising will never be so easy or
more enjoyable than a totally cool stretch and a yawn!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Core Strengthening Exercises: Love Your Back

Woman exercising with yoga ball


Core stability and core strengthening exercises are a much
overlooked, but vital, part of a comprehensive workout
routine and back health maintenance.

Twist. Turn. Bend over. Sit all day. Get in and out of the
car. Carry those groceries. We put our back through all
kinds of stuff, and it never complains. Or does it? If we're
out of shape in our core muscles, our back will let us know
pretty quick. The core muscles support the lower back and
internal organs, and if we stop taking care of them, like
most of us have, we are in for some soreness and more and
more days of pain the longer we let it go on.

And our workout routines become ever more risky; we always
are on the edge of straining our back.

OK, then, what are some really good core strengthening
exercises to do?

1. Pilates. Get in with the girls and do Pilates! Now, for
some reason, Pilates has a sort of wimpy reputation, but I
know first hand that a good Pilates routine will kick some
serious behind! I've gotten a lot stronger core since I
incorporated Pilates-type exercises into my regular workout
routine.

2. The Farmer's Walk. This is really a whole body exercise,
but your core will work real hard, as will your back, legs,
arms and hands. Just go pick up two very heavy dumbbells,
and carry them over to the other side of the room and back
again. Maybe another time. Your core will work overtime to
keep you balanced and stable.

3. The Wood Chopper. Hold a medicine ball in both hands over
your head and off to one side. Then, as if you were chopping
wood, swing it down and over toward the opposite foot. Then
swing it back up along the same path. Do that several times,
and switch sides. Make sure you use your legs and hips to
help keep your back from bending too much.

4. Saxon Bends. These are tough. Take that ball again, or a
weight plate if you need more weight, and hold it over your
head. Now bend over to one side, without bending your back
from front to back. You're just going side to side. When
you've gone as far over as you can, head on over to the
other side. Back to center again is one.

You can incorporate these exercises in your regular workout.
Put 'em in the middle, use them as a warm up (they are great
for warming up and getting away from the treadmill), or do
them at the end. Or devote a whole workout just to core
strengthening exercises; your body will thank you!

Friday, March 20, 2009

Avoid These 7 Time Wasters In The Gym

Weightlifter


In case you hadn't noticed, it's nearly impossible to set
aside the time you need at the gym each day. It seems there
are always more "important" things to be doing. When you do
get into the gym, avoid these 7 time wasters.

1.Too much time in the gym - Cardio exercise should be a
portion of your time in the gym, not the bulk of it. It's
meant to compliment your resistance training and a proper
nutrition plan.

2. Stop stopping for too long! - You know if you're one of
these people. You see a friend walk in the gym who you
haven't seen in a while and suddenly your heart rate is too
high and you need to rest "for a little bit." Don't stop
every time you have a chance. It's not going to help you
reach your goals.

3. Plan, Plan, Plan. - If you walk into the gym with no idea
of what you're going to do, I can promise you there will be
a lot of time wasted. Figure out what you're going to do
before you even step foot into the gym.

4. Not having a backup plan - There is nothing more
frustrating then going to the gym with your plan in hand and
someone is already using the machine! Having a backup plan
ensures you spend more of your time in the gym exercising
and less time feeling frustrated. If someone is using the
chest machine, no big deal: Do push-ups instead.

5. Get intense! - Push yourself further than you thought you
could go. Physical gains don't happen when you're barely
pushing yourself. You need to be going to failure on almost
every exercise. Even if you're just building strength and
have no interest in bulk, you should still work to failure,
just at a higher level. Remember, bulk comes between 8 and
10 reps and strength comes when you're doing between 12 and
15.

6. No "cheat reps" - If you're like me, you've had a few
cheat reps when you're starting to run out of steam. It
happens and you don't want to beat yourself up over it.
But, you do need to realize it's not helping you. You're
almost better off just not doing those reps. Fewer reps
with perfect form is always better than more reps dong
incorrectly.

7. Not seeking the advice of a professional - If all the top
athletes have coaches and professional trainers, don't you
think you could use their advice? Having a trainer will help
you to get further along in your training then trying to do
it by yourself. He or she will help you to use proper form,
technique, rep ranges, tempo, rest intervals and exercise
combinations to maximize your results and minimize your
frustrations.

If you could only relate to 2 or 3 of these items, don't
just brush them aside thinking you're well beyond this
information. Take those 2 or 3 things and concentrate on
fixing them. It will give you more time away from the gym
and increase the quality of your workouts.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Circuit Training - What Is It?

Thinkstock Single Image Set


By Richard Black

So you have decided that it is time to start going to the
gym regularly. You are ready to start working out, but where
do you begin?

Perhaps you want to try bicep curls first because you are
curious about how strong your biceps are. Or maybe you want
to do a leg press because your arms are tired from working
all day and you want to give them a rest before you start
those exercises. Maybe, rather than all of those, you want
to try a treadmill for a half hour first to burn away some
of the calories that you gained from that cheeseburger you
ate on the way over.

When you start working out, these questions may go through
your mind every time you open the gym doors. But this
uncertainty can lead to inefficient workouts, skipping
exercises, and failing to achieve the results you want
because you went in a poor order on one particular day.

To solve this, many trainers teach what is known as "circuit
training." Circuit training is a pre-specified exercise
routine that involves moving from exercise to exercise in a
specific order over a specific amount of time (as as though
you are moving through a circuit).

Circuit Training Techniques

Circuit training gives you significantly less time to rest,
and often involves working out at such an extreme pace that
many people receive an aerobic exercise even though they are
not technically doing any aerobic training methods. However,
just because they give you less time to rest does not mean
that circuit training is only for in shape, experienced
bodybuilders.

On the contrary, circuit training requires significantly
less repetitions (which are generally required with
standardized weight lifting), where you are trading excess
work (lifting with repetitions) for faster work (no
repetitions, faster moving through the workout). Because
there is less resting, many people experience some
impressive results as though they had rested and completed a
repetition.

Benefits of Circuit Training

There are two well known benefits for circuit training:

1) Time

Because you are quickly moving through every workout, you
save a great deal of time overall. If you are often on a
particularly busy schedule, this time saved can be
substantial, and you can cut your time at the gym down
significantly.

2) Efficiency - By rushing from exercise to
exercise in a specific order, you are not wasting any time
allowing your muscles to relax or harden up. Instead, you
are making sure that they are constantly being worked out as
you move from machine to machine, tiring them more and more
in the process.

Circuit training does require a less crowded gym (so that
you can get each machine when you need it), a lot of
planning, and a commitment to moving to the next workout
right away no matter how exhausted you are. But for those
that are on a busy schedule or want to see more results in
shorter time, circuit training is one of the best workout
courses you can put yourself through.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Best Workout To Burn Belly Fast

Man working out on beach.


How would you like to get fit very quickly, look great, and
burn belly fast? How about getting this done without
needing to visit a gym. If this makes sense to you, try
this 10 minute workout. You will gain energy and burn belly
fast.

Try this workout to burn off an extra 200 calories a day.
You will be exercising your abdominal muscles, plus your
arms and legs. The best thing is, you will be reprogramming
your thinking so you can burn belly fast. This will make
weight loss very simple.

So to start, jump rope for one minute, doing two jumps with
each turn of the rope. Just remember to use a rope of the
correct length, and to land on the balls of your feet. As
you do your jumps, see yourself in your mind looking and
feeling great

Now for minutes 2-3. Do a squat into a push-up. The
technique to burn belly fast, is to stand with your feet
about shoulder width apart. Squat down slowly, and place
the palms of your hands on the floor just outside your feet.


Now put yourself in push-up position by thrusting your legs
out behind you. Do one push-up. Then retract your legs and
return to a standing position. Feel your own strength and power
as you burn belly fast. See yourself looking and feeling better
than you ever have.

Next, return to rope jumping for minutes 4-5. Only a single
jump per rope turn will be fine for this portion of your
workout. Focus your thinking on how great you look, and how
much more energy you have.

For minutes 6-7, return to squats to push-ups. But this
time, after completing the push-up, raise your left arm over
your head and hold it for 5 seconds. Then pull in your legs
and return to a standing position. Do the same for the next
repetition, using your right arm. Repeat the process
raising your legs for 5 seconds each.

For those wishing for even more intensity, raise an arm
and a leg at the same time. Remember to focus your thinking
on your flat stomach, your powerful body, and how good you
look in the mirror.

Minute 8, return to jumping rope, 2 jumps per turn. Try to
pick up the pace for this minute. You WILL feel tired, but
its only a minute and you are almost finished. Say to
yourself, I burn belly fast, and feel it. You are strong.
You look great.

Minutes 9-10, return to squats to push-ups, raising 1 or two
limbs like last time. But this time, after you return to a
standing position, jog in place for 10 paces, raising your
knees to chest level (or as high as you can). Repeat the
process for the two minutes while visualizing your stunning
self.

Alright, that is it for the day. Cool down for 5-15
minutes. A short walk is a good idea, followed by some
stretching. Drink a lot of water all day long too.

This is a simple way to burn belly fast. Its intense but it works.
If you would like to trim down even quicker, you might want to add
a unique eating program (no, not a diet) that will let you burn
your fat away as quick as lightning.

Friday, March 6, 2009

How To Keep Muscles And Joints Healthy

X-ray image of knee


In today's busy life and routine, what we often don't care
about is the health of our body. Taking care of our body is
not about just going to a doctor when we feel sick, but
taking action to prevent problems from occurring in the
future. We most often ignore our muscles and joints, and
then end up having to pay the price by spending large
amounts on surgeries or treatments we would not have needed
in the first place.

Our joints are responsible for important functions in our
body. They help in keeping the bones intact. They require
just as much care as other parts of our body like our teeth
or eyes. Our joints are the point that allows our bones to
bend flexibly. The muscles are attached to the bones with
tendons, so that as the bone moves, the muscle moves as
well. As we grow, the muscles get stronger and stronger
with exercise, enabling us to provide more energy
and power.

The most widespread problems that cause muscle or joint pain
are arthritis, muscular dystrophy, osteoporosis, repetitive
stress injuries, tendinitis, and strains. I will explain all
of these briefly, and then talk about what could be done to
prevent them.

Arthritis is when the joints become inflamed and there is
difficulty moving them. It is most common in older people,
but even children have been known to develop arthritis.
Osteoporosis causes the tissue in the bone to get weaker and
brittle thus making it easier for the bone to break. This is
most common in women and even in younger girls who reduce
their body weight to an unhealthy one. Muscular dystrophy is
inherited and causes the muscles to get weaker and break
down over time. Repetitive stress injuries are those
injuries that are caused by too much stress being placed on
one part of the body. This usually happens when the same
movements are made again and again. An example of this is
tennis elbow, which is caused by playing too much tennis or
carpal tunnel from typing on a keyboard for too long.
Strains and tendinitis can occur in all ages, and occur
usually when a muscle has been overstretched. This is most
commonly caused by not warming up properly prior to a
workout.

The best way to prevent most of these problems is to
exercise. Exercising thirty minutes every day is the
minimum, but we should aim for more. Care should be taken to
warm up and cool down after every workout to prevent any
muscle from becoming strained. It is important that we
stretch all our muscles so that our body can stay healthy
for a long time.

Another way to obtain stronger muscles is to keep body fat
levels down. Large amounts of fat make the muscles lose
their elasticity with the passage of time, and this can reduce
our resistance level and make us weaker. This mostly occurs as
we grow old, and the best precautionary measure is to watch our
weight and not let ourselves become overweight. Increasing blood
circulation is another way in which we can keep our muscles healthy,
as blood flow helps the muscles.

Having a balanced diet that includes all the basic vitamins
and nutrients is another way to prevent our joints and
muscles from troubling us. Taking in a minimum of three
servings of dairy products provides the body with adequate
calcium to help rebuild the bones and prevents osteoporosis.


Make sure you watch your health now, so that you can prevent
problems and stay healthy as you get older.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Balance Training - Get A Complete Workout

Athletes in any sport must focus on several areas of the
body during their training. A strength-based workout
consists of much more than basic stamina and physical
strength; you can train for boxing by using kettle bells,
power bags and boxing rings to focus on your upper body.

This process will enable you to work on your flexibility,
provide a total body workout and will help you to become
aware of mobility limits. One simple way to achieve this is
to focus on balance training in your workout.

Balance training is used by many athletes, martial artists
and physical therapists around the world. It is a
concentrated focus on your body, of maintaining position and
coordination through time and movement. The power bag is one
example and is a useful tool that can be included in your
stretches before and after working out and it can be used
with equipment or be used free standing.

The balance ball is another example. This tool will stretch out
under-used muscles and help to increase movement, which will
limit any muscle adhesion.

While useful, balance training isn't something that you can
just rush into. Many physical trainers will tell you
outright what balance exercises will work for you and which
ones to avoid, as well as which ones can be dangerous based
on your current level of training.

As always, any training should be done in moderation and all
athletes should ease into their training as they go. Always
consult your doctor before starting any exercise program.

The use of balance training combined with other,
muscle-group orientated training will have a
significant impact on your results.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

The Importance Of Whey Protein In Building Muscle

You may be wondering why whey protein is important for
building muscle. You have probably heard about this supplement
from some of your bodybuilding friends or from your personal
trainer, and wondered what exactly it was. If you are
wondering whether or not you need to supplement your diet
with whey protein, here is the information that you need to decide.

Whey protein is a really good source of protein for
bodybuilders, because it is really high in quality. In fact,
whey is about 30% to 90% protein, which means that it is
going to be a really good source of protein. You don't have
to fill up your diet with other foods to get a lot of
protein.

You may be asking yourself whether or not whey is for you,
and the answer is going to depend on what your diet looks
like. The first step is to decide whether or not you need
additional protein. If you are working out, you are going
to need a lot more protein to keep your body moving, so
supplementing with a bodybuilding supplement is going to be
important.

Whey is going to be a good choice for those people who are
interested in getting a lot of pure protein and without getting
a lot of chemicals and other minerals in their supplements.
The only people who probably shouldn't use whey protein are
people who are sensitive to dairy products because it is made
from the byproducts of cheese.

There are three different types of whey proteins:
concentrates, isolates, and hydrolysates. There are some
differences between these three main types of whey proteins.
For example, whey protein concentrates are going to be low
in fat and cholesterol but they are only going to contain
between 30% and 90% of protein by weight.

Isolates are going to be processed to get rid of the fat in
them and are higher in protein than concentrates, but
some people report that they have a bad taste.

Hydrolysates are going to be able to be easily absorbed by
your body, but they are pricier than the other two types of
whey protein. The hydrolysates also tend to taste bad,
and you may have to mix this type of whey powder with
something else like juice to be able to stomach it.

So what exactly is whey protein going to do for you? The
answer is simple, its going to increase your muscle mass,
help you to recover faster and going to give you energy.
If these are things that you are looking for, you might want
to try adding whey protein to your supplement regimen. Whey
protein is something that not a lot of people know about,
but if you want to try it, it is going to help to improve your workouts.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Why Interval Training Is The Best Way To Lose Body Fat

Interval training is effective because it makes use of a
diverse range of fat burning methods, leaving you lean and
mean and in control. The fat-burning techniques include such
things as steady state cardiovascular workouts, high
intensity interval training, and weight training, among
others.

Interval training is an approach where you alternate between
intense and easy workouts while resting in between. Your
workout will be in intervals, this way you provide your body
with the best exercise and you will burn the greatest amount
of fat as possible. This is the perfect solution for those
who want to lose a few pounds and be in top shape.

Steady state cardiovascular is working out in an exercise
that is at a fast pace for a specific period of time. You
will stay at that steady pace for the entire duration of the
exercise. Activities like this will involve exercising from
20 to 60 minutes. You want to work out at around 75% of your
maximum heart rate. The biggest benefit of this type of
exercise is it is easy for someone who is overweight to burn
the most calories in just one session.

High intensity interval training will help you lose as much
fat as possible. A person performing this workout will do
different rounds of high intensity mixed with low intensity
workouts. A good example of this would be running, walking
slowly, exercise bike, walking slowly, etc. This should go
on for up to 30 to 45 minutes.

Although the steady state works better to burn more fat in a
single workout, studies have proven that the interval
training works better over the long term. It actually works by
raising the body's metabolism. Although you are burning more
calories in a steady rate workout session, you are actually
burning more in the long run from the interval training sessions.
The reason being that even when you are at rest you are
burning fat. This enables your body to easily shed fat while
making it harder to gain back.

High intensity interval training can be quite hard for
certain people. If you are a low fitness person who is
completely out of shape it would be a good idea to start
with a workout that is less intense prior to starting on
something such as this.

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