Building a strength training routine can be one of the trickiest parts of a fitness program. Ask 10 personal trainers what the best strength training routine is and you will get 10 different answers. Below are 7 must-know guidelines to use when building a strength training program. Each guideline provides the basic foundation that all strength training programs abide by. Learning the proper way to use free weights will greatly improve your strength, fitness, and health levels.
1) We cannot strength train a muscle today and tomorrow. We have to allow at least 24-36 hours of rest. Lifting on consecutive days leads to overtraining, muscle fatigue, and possible injury. All of our strength gains are made during the rest time!
2) We cannot spot reduce. This means if we want to lose weight in our stomach, doing 100 crunches a day will not make our stomach flab disappear. To reduce stomach fat, we need an overall reduction in body fat. Reducing overall body fat results from eating well, regular exercise, and proper rest.
3) We can spot tone. If we want bigger biceps, we can strength train for hypertrophy (fancy word for muscle growth). It is possible for us to focus on one specific muscle group. This is sometimes called targeted training. Studies have shown that machines isolate a muscle better than free weights.
4) Our strength training routines must be regular and consistent for results to take place. It took us years to put on the weight. We shouldn't expect it to all fall off in three weeks. The best outcome from your fitness and strength training program should be a lifestyle change. Replace bad habits with healthy ones and reap the rewards.
5) Realize that our strength training routine must be changed every 4-6 weeks. This will prevent our body from hitting a plateau and it will keep things interesting. We can change our method, our exercise or our intensity level. Not changing our routine on a regular basis will eventually stop producing results. We will continually grow stronger as we progress with our fitness program. Be sure your body is challenged on every workout.
6) Our strength training routines must be built according to our specific goals. Specific goals may be: fat loss, hypertrophy, maintaining weight or adding bulk. Each goal will have a different method that is best suited for optimal results. Someone who is interested in losing body fat will strength train differently than someone looking to increase muscle bulk. Knowing what your specific goals are will aid in creating the best strength training program possible.
7) Our strength training routines must work all of the major muscle groups in our body 1-3 times per week. This includes our biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest, back, abs, quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves. Leaving out muscle groups will create an imbalance.
By using these 7 guidelines, anyone should be able to build a decent and effective program. The idea is to develop a safe strength training routine that provides us with major health and fitness benefits. Strength training has certainly increased in popularity over the past few years. Knowing how to build a strength training routine for our specific goals will move us one step closer to a fit body.
6 Keys To Getting Maximum Results In Minimum Time With Your Home Exercise Equipment
I used to love going to the gym. The sounds, the smells, the grunts, the groans. Nothing seemed more inspiring. Then life got in the way. I got busy. Very busy.
Working with my fitness clients and athletes took up a lot of time, and frankly, I wasn’t too thrilled about taking the time to drive to the gym anymore. I do have a life, you know. Then there was the fight for parking not to mention the fact that I had to wait to use the equipment while someone else finished up his or her workout. I didn’t really like the music they played so loud I had to shout over it so my training partner could hear me, and the sales staff was constantly hounding me for referrals.
But I have to tell you about my new favorite place in the world to workout. My home studio. In fact, I like it so much that I recommend that everyone train at home if a gym membership isn’t up your alley. It’s got everything in it that I want, and everything that I need to successfully train. AND get this it didn’t cost me an arm and a leg.
Training at home has been so successful for me and some of my clients, I’ve set up an online facility that will allow me to personal train anyone in their home. You can give it a look at www.thebodymatrix.com. The greatest part about it is you don’t even need equipment if you don’t have any. Bodyweight workouts are phenomenal for conditioning and weight loss. Obviously, if your goals are more specialized, some equipment may be necessary.
Consider this. How much do you have to spend each year for a health club or gym membership? Now add up all the years you’ve gone to the gym and all the years you will go to the gym for the rest of your life. That’s a big chunk of change! When you think about it, it makes total sense to buy your own equipment and do it at home.
There’s no drive to the gym. No waiting. No annoying sales people. You can listen to the music that you want to (or put a TV in the gym for cardio training). Oh, and the best part is that it’s always open. Want to get in a good workout on Christmas day. You can.
Here’s the tricky part. You can’t just go out and buy whatever equipment seems popular on TV or in magazines. Do that and you’ll be unhappy in less than a month. You need a plan to determine what you need in the way of equipment to successfully achieve your fitness goals.
The following 6 points are MUSTS if you want to save time, money, and maximize your success in a minimum of time.
1. Define your personal fitness goals as specifically as you can. For any fitness-related goal there are a number of methods you can use to be successful, but first you have to know where you’re going. Do you want to get stronger? Do you want to build muscles? Lose weight or reduce your body fat? Increase endurance? Reduce stress? Are you preparing for a sport? All the above? Without knowing that you could end up spending more money than you need to on equipment that you’ll never fully utilize. Not to mention you may fail in your attempts to achieve your goals.
2. How much space are you willing to devote to your home gym? If you’ve only got a 5 x 5 space at home, you’re really going to have to be efficient. Don’t expect to fit large pieces of fitness equipment into such a small space. Be realistic. Maybe it’s time to clear out the room you’re using for storage or that corner of the garage that is just wasted space. Maybe you’ve got some space, but you’ll need to make your gym a little more portable so you can store it away when it’s not in use.
3. Familiarize yourself with your options on types and brands of exercise equipment. Find out what you’ll be comfortable with. Would you invest in a house or car without looking at several options or a test drive? Remember, this is an investment in you. There are all types of equipment from treadmills and crosstrainers, to selectorized weight equipment, to barbells and dumbbells. Check out equipment on the Internet or in catalogues. Stop by the exercise equipment retailers and actually see it and even try it out before you even consider buying. Believe me this is time well spent. When the time comes to discuss equipment with the appropriate person, be it a salesperson or a fitness professional, you won’t be completely in the dark when it comes to determining your wants and needs and end up buying something you hate or won’t use.
4. Consult with a fitness professional. Take advantage of a professionals “in the trenches experience” and educational background when it comes to matching your fitness-related goals with selecting the appropriate equipment for you. Again, this saves you time and money by preventing you from wasting money on useless or poorly designed equipment. You may also find that your fitness professional may have relationships with fitness equipment retailers which will allow you to buy your equipment at a discount.
5. Always buy top quality equipment from a reputable retailer. Yes, it costs more money, but as the saying goes, “You get what you pay for”. This is so true when it comes to exercise equipment. Avoid the temptation of trying to save a couple dollars by buying equipment that may not be up to your required standards. Buying top quality equipment will last you a lifetime. If you have any doubt, compare how much you have or could have spent on gym memberships over your lifetime with the cost of your new fitness equipment. I have no doubt that you will always spend less money on your home gym than you ever would by purchasing a lifetime of gym memberships.
6. Utilize local retailers as much as you can. While it may seem logical to save money by purchasing equipment online or via a catalogue, shipping charges on fitness equipment can be outrageous. You end up spending more than if you shopped at your neighborhood retailer. There is also an issue of maintenance. Even the best equipment can experience the occasional breakdown. Try getting a mail-order company to service your equipment. It’s not easy. Your local retailer can usually resolve your problems in no time at all.
There you have it. These recommendations will help you tremendously. Please keep in mind that it’s just not as easy as it seems, but it is worth the extra time especially when you’re making such a serious investment in yourself. That’s why I encourage you to seek the help of a fitness professional.
Working with my fitness clients and athletes took up a lot of time, and frankly, I wasn’t too thrilled about taking the time to drive to the gym anymore. I do have a life, you know. Then there was the fight for parking not to mention the fact that I had to wait to use the equipment while someone else finished up his or her workout. I didn’t really like the music they played so loud I had to shout over it so my training partner could hear me, and the sales staff was constantly hounding me for referrals.
But I have to tell you about my new favorite place in the world to workout. My home studio. In fact, I like it so much that I recommend that everyone train at home if a gym membership isn’t up your alley. It’s got everything in it that I want, and everything that I need to successfully train. AND get this it didn’t cost me an arm and a leg.
Training at home has been so successful for me and some of my clients, I’ve set up an online facility that will allow me to personal train anyone in their home. You can give it a look at www.thebodymatrix.com. The greatest part about it is you don’t even need equipment if you don’t have any. Bodyweight workouts are phenomenal for conditioning and weight loss. Obviously, if your goals are more specialized, some equipment may be necessary.
Consider this. How much do you have to spend each year for a health club or gym membership? Now add up all the years you’ve gone to the gym and all the years you will go to the gym for the rest of your life. That’s a big chunk of change! When you think about it, it makes total sense to buy your own equipment and do it at home.
There’s no drive to the gym. No waiting. No annoying sales people. You can listen to the music that you want to (or put a TV in the gym for cardio training). Oh, and the best part is that it’s always open. Want to get in a good workout on Christmas day. You can.
Here’s the tricky part. You can’t just go out and buy whatever equipment seems popular on TV or in magazines. Do that and you’ll be unhappy in less than a month. You need a plan to determine what you need in the way of equipment to successfully achieve your fitness goals.
The following 6 points are MUSTS if you want to save time, money, and maximize your success in a minimum of time.
1. Define your personal fitness goals as specifically as you can. For any fitness-related goal there are a number of methods you can use to be successful, but first you have to know where you’re going. Do you want to get stronger? Do you want to build muscles? Lose weight or reduce your body fat? Increase endurance? Reduce stress? Are you preparing for a sport? All the above? Without knowing that you could end up spending more money than you need to on equipment that you’ll never fully utilize. Not to mention you may fail in your attempts to achieve your goals.
2. How much space are you willing to devote to your home gym? If you’ve only got a 5 x 5 space at home, you’re really going to have to be efficient. Don’t expect to fit large pieces of fitness equipment into such a small space. Be realistic. Maybe it’s time to clear out the room you’re using for storage or that corner of the garage that is just wasted space. Maybe you’ve got some space, but you’ll need to make your gym a little more portable so you can store it away when it’s not in use.
3. Familiarize yourself with your options on types and brands of exercise equipment. Find out what you’ll be comfortable with. Would you invest in a house or car without looking at several options or a test drive? Remember, this is an investment in you. There are all types of equipment from treadmills and crosstrainers, to selectorized weight equipment, to barbells and dumbbells. Check out equipment on the Internet or in catalogues. Stop by the exercise equipment retailers and actually see it and even try it out before you even consider buying. Believe me this is time well spent. When the time comes to discuss equipment with the appropriate person, be it a salesperson or a fitness professional, you won’t be completely in the dark when it comes to determining your wants and needs and end up buying something you hate or won’t use.
4. Consult with a fitness professional. Take advantage of a professionals “in the trenches experience” and educational background when it comes to matching your fitness-related goals with selecting the appropriate equipment for you. Again, this saves you time and money by preventing you from wasting money on useless or poorly designed equipment. You may also find that your fitness professional may have relationships with fitness equipment retailers which will allow you to buy your equipment at a discount.
5. Always buy top quality equipment from a reputable retailer. Yes, it costs more money, but as the saying goes, “You get what you pay for”. This is so true when it comes to exercise equipment. Avoid the temptation of trying to save a couple dollars by buying equipment that may not be up to your required standards. Buying top quality equipment will last you a lifetime. If you have any doubt, compare how much you have or could have spent on gym memberships over your lifetime with the cost of your new fitness equipment. I have no doubt that you will always spend less money on your home gym than you ever would by purchasing a lifetime of gym memberships.
6. Utilize local retailers as much as you can. While it may seem logical to save money by purchasing equipment online or via a catalogue, shipping charges on fitness equipment can be outrageous. You end up spending more than if you shopped at your neighborhood retailer. There is also an issue of maintenance. Even the best equipment can experience the occasional breakdown. Try getting a mail-order company to service your equipment. It’s not easy. Your local retailer can usually resolve your problems in no time at all.
There you have it. These recommendations will help you tremendously. Please keep in mind that it’s just not as easy as it seems, but it is worth the extra time especially when you’re making such a serious investment in yourself. That’s why I encourage you to seek the help of a fitness professional.
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 a VCR 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!
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 a VCR 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!
5 Ways To Stay Motivated
Do you remember the day you first joined your gym? Wasn't it a great feeling, knowing that you had finally taken that first step towards living a healthier life? Making a conscious, positive decision to improve is rewarding, and hopefully we've all kept that promise to ourselves. But try as we might, it seems that there's always a handy excuse to not exercise.
While gym attendance peaks around January, it slacks off every March/April as people forget about their New Year Resolutions. Summer BBQ's and vacations tend to make people stay away from the gym, and six months later holiday parties and planning to the same thing. Finally, we can all relate to those days when we simply don't want to work out!
The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, a trade association serving the health and fitness club industry, reports that the average health club member in the United States spends only about 90 days at the gym per year.
The goal of this article is to help you STAY MOTIVATED to exercise! It's not enough to just help you with the 'how' of exercise – we want to help you with the 'why' too!
So what can you do to stay motivated? Here are five great ideas to help us all keep that inner fire burning…..
1) Find an exercise buddy! When we know that someone else is going to meet us at the gym at a certain time, we will automatically be much more likely to show up ourselves. After all, who wants to abandon their friend? Don’t have a friend at the gym? Invite one along! She will appreciate the invitation, and will be much healthier for it!
2) Get to know people in the gym! Visiting with friends and family while we're exercising makes the time go by so fast it hardly even seems like we're doing something good for us. It's great to get out of the house or office and just have some fun with other people!
3) Talk with your doctor! We all know that exercise is good for us. From helping to prevent cancer to lowering our blood pressure to helping us fit into that swimming suit, exercise is the best thing we can do for ourselves. Even with that knowledge, it's sometimes encouraging to hear about our progress from our doctor. Here's a hot motivation tip: ask your gym for a copy of your fitness records (monthly body fat analysis and measurements) and then share that information with your doctor. He or she will be so happy that you're exercising, and will encourage you to continue!
4) Chart your progress! The CEO of a Fortune 500 company once said "What gets measured gets done", and that advice is as good for us as it was for that business. Take the time to keep a food journal, an exercise log, or simply write down your fitness goals. Post it where you will see it every single day (on the 'fridge, in the car, on the mirror, etc.). Life is just so busy these days, a constant visual reminder of our goals may be just the motivational push we need.
5) Give yourself a reward! Sometimes the 'big picture' can be too intimidating. For example, if you have 80 pounds to lose it's tempting to think "It’s too much! I shouldn’t even try." That’s one of the biggest motivation-killers out there, so combat those discouraging thoughts by rewarding yourself for smaller accomplishments. Treat yourself to a manicure when you lose that first five pounds. Buy a new outfit when you've lost ten pounds. Take a mini-vacation when you're halfway to your goal. Give yourself small rewards for achieving smaller goals, and guess what.....many small steps make up a long journey! Before you know it, you'll have accomplished your overall goal!
There are many other ways to give yourself the motivation to succeed. Try some of these tips today – the only thing you have to lose is the fat!
While gym attendance peaks around January, it slacks off every March/April as people forget about their New Year Resolutions. Summer BBQ's and vacations tend to make people stay away from the gym, and six months later holiday parties and planning to the same thing. Finally, we can all relate to those days when we simply don't want to work out!
The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, a trade association serving the health and fitness club industry, reports that the average health club member in the United States spends only about 90 days at the gym per year.
The goal of this article is to help you STAY MOTIVATED to exercise! It's not enough to just help you with the 'how' of exercise – we want to help you with the 'why' too!
So what can you do to stay motivated? Here are five great ideas to help us all keep that inner fire burning…..
1) Find an exercise buddy! When we know that someone else is going to meet us at the gym at a certain time, we will automatically be much more likely to show up ourselves. After all, who wants to abandon their friend? Don’t have a friend at the gym? Invite one along! She will appreciate the invitation, and will be much healthier for it!
2) Get to know people in the gym! Visiting with friends and family while we're exercising makes the time go by so fast it hardly even seems like we're doing something good for us. It's great to get out of the house or office and just have some fun with other people!
3) Talk with your doctor! We all know that exercise is good for us. From helping to prevent cancer to lowering our blood pressure to helping us fit into that swimming suit, exercise is the best thing we can do for ourselves. Even with that knowledge, it's sometimes encouraging to hear about our progress from our doctor. Here's a hot motivation tip: ask your gym for a copy of your fitness records (monthly body fat analysis and measurements) and then share that information with your doctor. He or she will be so happy that you're exercising, and will encourage you to continue!
4) Chart your progress! The CEO of a Fortune 500 company once said "What gets measured gets done", and that advice is as good for us as it was for that business. Take the time to keep a food journal, an exercise log, or simply write down your fitness goals. Post it where you will see it every single day (on the 'fridge, in the car, on the mirror, etc.). Life is just so busy these days, a constant visual reminder of our goals may be just the motivational push we need.
5) Give yourself a reward! Sometimes the 'big picture' can be too intimidating. For example, if you have 80 pounds to lose it's tempting to think "It’s too much! I shouldn’t even try." That’s one of the biggest motivation-killers out there, so combat those discouraging thoughts by rewarding yourself for smaller accomplishments. Treat yourself to a manicure when you lose that first five pounds. Buy a new outfit when you've lost ten pounds. Take a mini-vacation when you're halfway to your goal. Give yourself small rewards for achieving smaller goals, and guess what.....many small steps make up a long journey! Before you know it, you'll have accomplished your overall goal!
There are many other ways to give yourself the motivation to succeed. Try some of these tips today – the only thing you have to lose is the fat!
5 Quick and Easy Fun Ways to Get in Shape
Getting and staying in shape doesn’t have to be dull and boring! Try some of these fun fitness activities to make your workout time more enjoyable.
MUSICAL EXERCIES – Put on your favorite music and do some yoga! No need for slow, elevator music. Move to your favorite beat. Or pop on the headphones or earphones and grab your MP3 or cassette player or handheld PC and bike to a nearby park. Too cold or rainy? Then head to a mall or other enclosed area where you can walk. Caution: make sure you are alert while listening to music with headphones or earphones.
FUN IN THE SUN – Check out the latest tanning solutions and try fun, scented versions with funky, multi-colored sunglasses. Grab your cassette player or MP3 player and favorite tunes. And pack some flavored water, new flavored health bar that you’ve been dying to try and some frozen berries in your carryall for breaks and have a “sense”-ational time.
FITNESS CLASSES – Try out a new fitness class for fun. Enjoy a full water aerobics workout with less stress on your joints. Grab some colorful water gear and swim to the beat. Or try a dance or Jazzercise routine. No need to commit long-term, just ask about popping in for a class or two to check it out and enjoy. Meet new friends and get fit all at once.
VCR / DVD – Head to the library or local rental store and grab a fun fitness video or DVD. Crank up the sound when your favorite tunes come on and join the taped workout participants in the privacy of your own home.
GYM / FITNESS CENTER – Dig out those coupons you’ve been receiving in envelop mailers and those money saving coupon magazines. Again, no need to commit long-term. Just head on over and use the free or low-cost trial / invitational period and enjoy!
JOURNALING – Spice up your logging routine with an inexpensive new journal from a discount or dollar store nearby. Crate snazzy charts with colored markers. Add bright colored stickers for each workout. Paste or tape clipped pictures of your goals throughout the covers and inside sections. For example, paste pictures of that vacation spot you want to travel to with your new, healthy YOU wearing a new swimsuit.
So add some fun in with your fitness activities. Wake up your senses with new taste, smells, sights, touches and sounds. Forget that “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” stuff. Workouts plus play make Jack a fun, fit boy!
The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any health care program.
MUSICAL EXERCIES – Put on your favorite music and do some yoga! No need for slow, elevator music. Move to your favorite beat. Or pop on the headphones or earphones and grab your MP3 or cassette player or handheld PC and bike to a nearby park. Too cold or rainy? Then head to a mall or other enclosed area where you can walk. Caution: make sure you are alert while listening to music with headphones or earphones.
FUN IN THE SUN – Check out the latest tanning solutions and try fun, scented versions with funky, multi-colored sunglasses. Grab your cassette player or MP3 player and favorite tunes. And pack some flavored water, new flavored health bar that you’ve been dying to try and some frozen berries in your carryall for breaks and have a “sense”-ational time.
FITNESS CLASSES – Try out a new fitness class for fun. Enjoy a full water aerobics workout with less stress on your joints. Grab some colorful water gear and swim to the beat. Or try a dance or Jazzercise routine. No need to commit long-term, just ask about popping in for a class or two to check it out and enjoy. Meet new friends and get fit all at once.
VCR / DVD – Head to the library or local rental store and grab a fun fitness video or DVD. Crank up the sound when your favorite tunes come on and join the taped workout participants in the privacy of your own home.
GYM / FITNESS CENTER – Dig out those coupons you’ve been receiving in envelop mailers and those money saving coupon magazines. Again, no need to commit long-term. Just head on over and use the free or low-cost trial / invitational period and enjoy!
JOURNALING – Spice up your logging routine with an inexpensive new journal from a discount or dollar store nearby. Crate snazzy charts with colored markers. Add bright colored stickers for each workout. Paste or tape clipped pictures of your goals throughout the covers and inside sections. For example, paste pictures of that vacation spot you want to travel to with your new, healthy YOU wearing a new swimsuit.
So add some fun in with your fitness activities. Wake up your senses with new taste, smells, sights, touches and sounds. Forget that “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” stuff. Workouts plus play make Jack a fun, fit boy!
The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to medically diagnose, treat or cure any disease. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any health care program.
The Mediterranean Diet Full Flavored Foods Help You Lose Weight
For everyone who’s been on a diet themselves or knows someone who’s been on a diet, you know how bland the food can be sometimes. With foods like rice cakes it’s no secret why you lose weight, if the foods taste like carboard.
For everyone who’s had this experience there is hope. You should look at the Mediterranean Diet. The Mediterranean Diet isn’t a new fad or quick loss weight scheme, in fact it’s been around for over 40 years. However it’s taken science that long to fugure out what it was and why it works. The Mediterranean is a diverse region that is made up of 16 countries along the Mediterranean Sea. Countries like France, Spain, Italy and Greece have diverse and different cultures. While the foods are different on a nutritionally level they share many similarities. They contain lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Wine is consumed in moderate amounts daily. Eggs are consumed in moderate amounts, and foods like poultry, fish and dairy are consumed on a limited basis.
However as many nutritionists and scientists are discovering one of the keys to the Mediterranean Diet is the oils. Plant based oils are extensively used throughout the region, with olive oil being the most popular. Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat, which means it’s good for the body and does things like lower your cholesterol. Do to the rich fats in the foods and those used in the cooking the foods of the region are known for the full rich textures and flavors that they have. In fact it’s these fats which give the foods a luxurious “mouth feel”. However eating foods rich in fats is not without some sacrifices, as fats have more than double the amount of calories of similarly sized portions of protein or carbohydrates. Learning to manage and control your portions is a key aspect of anybody who wants to follow the Mediterranean Diet.
For everyone who’s had this experience there is hope. You should look at the Mediterranean Diet. The Mediterranean Diet isn’t a new fad or quick loss weight scheme, in fact it’s been around for over 40 years. However it’s taken science that long to fugure out what it was and why it works. The Mediterranean is a diverse region that is made up of 16 countries along the Mediterranean Sea. Countries like France, Spain, Italy and Greece have diverse and different cultures. While the foods are different on a nutritionally level they share many similarities. They contain lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Wine is consumed in moderate amounts daily. Eggs are consumed in moderate amounts, and foods like poultry, fish and dairy are consumed on a limited basis.
However as many nutritionists and scientists are discovering one of the keys to the Mediterranean Diet is the oils. Plant based oils are extensively used throughout the region, with olive oil being the most popular. Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat, which means it’s good for the body and does things like lower your cholesterol. Do to the rich fats in the foods and those used in the cooking the foods of the region are known for the full rich textures and flavors that they have. In fact it’s these fats which give the foods a luxurious “mouth feel”. However eating foods rich in fats is not without some sacrifices, as fats have more than double the amount of calories of similarly sized portions of protein or carbohydrates. Learning to manage and control your portions is a key aspect of anybody who wants to follow the Mediterranean Diet.
Warming Up Properly
When fitness experts talk about ‘doing a warm up’, they generally mean doing some kind of general activity that gradually raises the heart rate. They will happily tell us that doing so reduces the risk of injury during the following workout – but don’t often explain exactly how. In fact, a good warm-up should involve more than just this ‘general activity’. The second, less commonly described aspect is the ‘dynamic stretching’ we mentioned in last week’s article. And there are many more reasons to warm up than simple injury risk reduction
WHY WARM UP?
When you start moving in any way that raises your heart rate, certain changes start to take place in your body. Your respiratory rate increases. Bloodflow throughout your body increases, which means that the levels of oxygen and nutrients that are delivered to your cells also increase. In effect, all your body’s systems are warned you’re going to be making demands on them, and primed to meet those demands.
Once you’re at this point, you’re ready to move onto dynamic stretching. This, you’ll remember, involves slowly performing the same kinds of movements you’ll be making in your workout, and gradually increasing the speed. As specific muscles, tendons and joints follow the movement patterns they’ll be expected to complete later, they become used to the movement, and less likely to tear when the movements are made at higher speeds. This stage also works as a cue for your nervous system to ‘switch on’ the specific neuro-muscular connections it will need for those movement patterns.
Lastly, this two-stage warm-up helps you to prepare you mentally for the coming workout. Regardless of what that workout might be, you’ll do it better, and enjoy it more, if you’re able to bring your full focus into it. By taking the time to warm up before you start exercising ‘for real’, you’re giving yourself the mental space to switch your focus to where you need it to be.
HOW SHOULD I WARM UP?
The general part of the warm-up can be done in any way that gets your heart beating faster. If you have a piece of cardio equipment available– a bicycle, rowing machine, or stepper – feel free to use it; or simply walk and then jog. Whatever you use, start very gently, and gradually increase the intensity until you can feel your body getting warm, and your heart rate starting to rise. The specific intensity will depend on your current fitness level – but it should have you working at a level where you’re energised, not exhausted.
Some people continue until they feel a light sweat, but because this can be more reflective of humidity than body temperature (and because some people sweat more easily than others), it may not be the most useful measure. Experts suggest 3-5 minutes, but if your exercise environment is particularly cold, it may need to be longer.
Once you’re feeling warm, it’s time to bring in the dynamic stretching. What you do here will depend totally on what kind of exercise you’re planning. For a martial art, it might involve light sparring at ¼ speed, or simply performing some of the techniques in slow motion. For a sport, it could involve mimicking the same kinds of movements you’ll be using on the field or court, in a slow, controlled way. There are no specific time guidelines for how long this should take – but allow enough time for repeating each movement, starting slowly and gradually increasing the speed until you’re working at the level you expect during your workout
Finally, once you’re warm, stay warm. Especially if the workout that follows will be particularly vigorous, don’t stop to do a static stretching routine. This will give your body a chance to cool down again, and undo much of the good you’ve done by warming it up in the first place. If you have any questions about either kind of warm up mentioned in this article, please don’t hesitate to e-mail me on tanja@optimumlife.co.nz. Otherwise, may every day bring you closer to your Optimum Life.
WHY WARM UP?
When you start moving in any way that raises your heart rate, certain changes start to take place in your body. Your respiratory rate increases. Bloodflow throughout your body increases, which means that the levels of oxygen and nutrients that are delivered to your cells also increase. In effect, all your body’s systems are warned you’re going to be making demands on them, and primed to meet those demands.
Once you’re at this point, you’re ready to move onto dynamic stretching. This, you’ll remember, involves slowly performing the same kinds of movements you’ll be making in your workout, and gradually increasing the speed. As specific muscles, tendons and joints follow the movement patterns they’ll be expected to complete later, they become used to the movement, and less likely to tear when the movements are made at higher speeds. This stage also works as a cue for your nervous system to ‘switch on’ the specific neuro-muscular connections it will need for those movement patterns.
Lastly, this two-stage warm-up helps you to prepare you mentally for the coming workout. Regardless of what that workout might be, you’ll do it better, and enjoy it more, if you’re able to bring your full focus into it. By taking the time to warm up before you start exercising ‘for real’, you’re giving yourself the mental space to switch your focus to where you need it to be.
HOW SHOULD I WARM UP?
The general part of the warm-up can be done in any way that gets your heart beating faster. If you have a piece of cardio equipment available– a bicycle, rowing machine, or stepper – feel free to use it; or simply walk and then jog. Whatever you use, start very gently, and gradually increase the intensity until you can feel your body getting warm, and your heart rate starting to rise. The specific intensity will depend on your current fitness level – but it should have you working at a level where you’re energised, not exhausted.
Some people continue until they feel a light sweat, but because this can be more reflective of humidity than body temperature (and because some people sweat more easily than others), it may not be the most useful measure. Experts suggest 3-5 minutes, but if your exercise environment is particularly cold, it may need to be longer.
Once you’re feeling warm, it’s time to bring in the dynamic stretching. What you do here will depend totally on what kind of exercise you’re planning. For a martial art, it might involve light sparring at ¼ speed, or simply performing some of the techniques in slow motion. For a sport, it could involve mimicking the same kinds of movements you’ll be using on the field or court, in a slow, controlled way. There are no specific time guidelines for how long this should take – but allow enough time for repeating each movement, starting slowly and gradually increasing the speed until you’re working at the level you expect during your workout
Finally, once you’re warm, stay warm. Especially if the workout that follows will be particularly vigorous, don’t stop to do a static stretching routine. This will give your body a chance to cool down again, and undo much of the good you’ve done by warming it up in the first place. If you have any questions about either kind of warm up mentioned in this article, please don’t hesitate to e-mail me on tanja@optimumlife.co.nz. Otherwise, may every day bring you closer to your Optimum Life.
Weight Loss Efficiency – 10 ways to make the most out of your gym workout!
Here are ten things that will help lose weight more efficiently during each visit to the gym:
1. Treat your time in the gym as your quiet time for YOU!
2. Set a time frame each time you work out. Walk out if you are not finished!
3. Never do the same workout more than twice in a row. Maybe just change the order of a piece of equipment up.
4. Monitor your heart rate EVERY time you exercise your heart.
5. Never be afraid to ask for help.
6. Do not waste much time between exercises.
7. Focus on the benefits and how you will feel afterwards rather than the discomfort during your workout.
8. Realize you will not be at your best each and every time.
9. Learn to listen to your body more than your mind.
10. Journal, journal, and journal.
Now let me give you my magic secret to being successful in losing weight, gaining muscle, or just general fitness: consistency + variety + efficiency = results all the time!
Each day you workout out, remember; it’s about the big picture. It’s about sticking to it for the long haul. It’s about being sold out!
1. Treat your time in the gym as your quiet time for YOU!
2. Set a time frame each time you work out. Walk out if you are not finished!
3. Never do the same workout more than twice in a row. Maybe just change the order of a piece of equipment up.
4. Monitor your heart rate EVERY time you exercise your heart.
5. Never be afraid to ask for help.
6. Do not waste much time between exercises.
7. Focus on the benefits and how you will feel afterwards rather than the discomfort during your workout.
8. Realize you will not be at your best each and every time.
9. Learn to listen to your body more than your mind.
10. Journal, journal, and journal.
Now let me give you my magic secret to being successful in losing weight, gaining muscle, or just general fitness: consistency + variety + efficiency = results all the time!
Each day you workout out, remember; it’s about the big picture. It’s about sticking to it for the long haul. It’s about being sold out!
Why you Absolutely Must Take Control of Your Subconscious for Permanent Weight Loss
From the moment of birth your first emotional experiences establish your subconscious perceptions of the world. There is not a moment of the day or night that you are not affected by your emotions. More often than not it is your programmed emotional states, not logic that control your behavior. Therefore in order to apply the process of Burris MIND/FITNESS you must first understand how your subconscious mind works.
Your subconscious mind flawlessly records everything you have ever seen, felt, smelled, heard, or tasted. Unfortunately it is not capable of interpreting the true meaning of the information it records. It simply takes the information it accumulates, and organizes it into individual programs that determine how you will respond to recurring circumstances in your daily life. Once your subconscious mind has taken certain information and formed it into a program, it will devote its considerable power to the continuation of that program behavior or habit, regardless of the consequences.
Your subconscious programming can be useful. This is what allows you to do things automatically like drive a car, type a letter, or use a computer. If the subconscious did not store this information for you in the form of a program, you would not be able to do these things automatically. The disadvantage to this is that there are some subconscious programs that simply do not work.
At some point in your life you may have been programmed to eat poorly or to respond poorly to a certain situation or to link pleasure to things like smoking, drugs or alcohol. The dilemma later in life is how to change the behaviors that do not work for you.
The bottom line is that there are two subconscious components that activate an emotional state, which in turn determines your behavior.
1) You must talk to yourself which usually begins with a question and
2) By asking yourself a question your subconscious mind will always give you an answer, which in turn produces a correlating picture.
It is from this subconscious picture that your emotional state is determined and in turn determines your behavior. A good example of this process is when a person is overweight; they constantly ask themselves negative questions like: “Why am I so fat?” or “How did I get so fat?” or “Why can’t I lose this weight???”
By asking yourself these types of negative questions, your subconscious mind will produce negative answers such as: You are fat because you overeat or you overeat because you are stressed and for each of these negative answers the subconscious mind will produce a correlating picture of you as a fat person.
The mind now interprets these subconscious pictures, as how you should look, and devotes its tremendous power toward maintaining this body image. So you see, every time you ask yourself a question there is a correlating subconscious picture, which determines your emotional response. Through the process of Burris MIND/FITNESS you will learn how to Recognize, Access and Change these two subconscious components.
Unlike your conscious mind, your subconscious mind is always active, it never sleeps. An example of this is when you ask yourself the question: What is that person’s name? For the life of you, you cannot think of their name and then maybe an hour or two later or even the next day their picture and name pop into your mind. The reason for this is your subconscious mind was continuously working on the name, even though you had consciously given up.
If the subconscious does not already have a stored answer for a question, it will search through all of its available information until it formulates one. This is why you need to ask yourself any question you think may move you toward your weight goal because the subconscious will always find an answer.
It is estimated that your subconscious mind generates over 60 thousand thoughts per day. We refer to this thought process as talking to ourselves. The reason your subconscious mind is capable of generating over 60 thousand thoughts per day is because your inner voice continuously speaks to you at a rate of one thousand to twelve hundred words per minute. You can only speak however at about two to three hundred words per minute. This means your inner voice runs at a rate of about four times faster than you can speak and produces a correlating picture for each of these thoughts. In other words if your mind was the world, your conscious mind might take up the space of LA or New York but your subconscious mind would take up the space and activity of the rest of the world.
Regardless of weather your goal is a change in diet for weight loss, an increase in your fitness program or to take control of an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. In the end the question you need to ask yourself is…Am I completely happy with the mind running itself or do I need to take control of it? If your answer is I need to take control of it, then Burris MIND/FITNESS is the answer.
Your subconscious mind flawlessly records everything you have ever seen, felt, smelled, heard, or tasted. Unfortunately it is not capable of interpreting the true meaning of the information it records. It simply takes the information it accumulates, and organizes it into individual programs that determine how you will respond to recurring circumstances in your daily life. Once your subconscious mind has taken certain information and formed it into a program, it will devote its considerable power to the continuation of that program behavior or habit, regardless of the consequences.
Your subconscious programming can be useful. This is what allows you to do things automatically like drive a car, type a letter, or use a computer. If the subconscious did not store this information for you in the form of a program, you would not be able to do these things automatically. The disadvantage to this is that there are some subconscious programs that simply do not work.
At some point in your life you may have been programmed to eat poorly or to respond poorly to a certain situation or to link pleasure to things like smoking, drugs or alcohol. The dilemma later in life is how to change the behaviors that do not work for you.
The bottom line is that there are two subconscious components that activate an emotional state, which in turn determines your behavior.
1) You must talk to yourself which usually begins with a question and
2) By asking yourself a question your subconscious mind will always give you an answer, which in turn produces a correlating picture.
It is from this subconscious picture that your emotional state is determined and in turn determines your behavior. A good example of this process is when a person is overweight; they constantly ask themselves negative questions like: “Why am I so fat?” or “How did I get so fat?” or “Why can’t I lose this weight???”
By asking yourself these types of negative questions, your subconscious mind will produce negative answers such as: You are fat because you overeat or you overeat because you are stressed and for each of these negative answers the subconscious mind will produce a correlating picture of you as a fat person.
The mind now interprets these subconscious pictures, as how you should look, and devotes its tremendous power toward maintaining this body image. So you see, every time you ask yourself a question there is a correlating subconscious picture, which determines your emotional response. Through the process of Burris MIND/FITNESS you will learn how to Recognize, Access and Change these two subconscious components.
Unlike your conscious mind, your subconscious mind is always active, it never sleeps. An example of this is when you ask yourself the question: What is that person’s name? For the life of you, you cannot think of their name and then maybe an hour or two later or even the next day their picture and name pop into your mind. The reason for this is your subconscious mind was continuously working on the name, even though you had consciously given up.
If the subconscious does not already have a stored answer for a question, it will search through all of its available information until it formulates one. This is why you need to ask yourself any question you think may move you toward your weight goal because the subconscious will always find an answer.
It is estimated that your subconscious mind generates over 60 thousand thoughts per day. We refer to this thought process as talking to ourselves. The reason your subconscious mind is capable of generating over 60 thousand thoughts per day is because your inner voice continuously speaks to you at a rate of one thousand to twelve hundred words per minute. You can only speak however at about two to three hundred words per minute. This means your inner voice runs at a rate of about four times faster than you can speak and produces a correlating picture for each of these thoughts. In other words if your mind was the world, your conscious mind might take up the space of LA or New York but your subconscious mind would take up the space and activity of the rest of the world.
Regardless of weather your goal is a change in diet for weight loss, an increase in your fitness program or to take control of an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. In the end the question you need to ask yourself is…Am I completely happy with the mind running itself or do I need to take control of it? If your answer is I need to take control of it, then Burris MIND/FITNESS is the answer.
Why you do not have "killer abs" or that "6 pack" Abdominal Muscles?
Ask any woman what is the most attractive part of a male body and most of the time, they will tell you it's the six pack abs meaning that your abdominal muscles showing up with beautiful definition. The abs is considered by many as a sexy muscle and is a symbol of a fit and healthy man. Women are instinctively drawn towards a man brimming with health and fitness because it is a primitive indication that the man is strong enough to protect her and her brood.
A rippling six pack abs is one such indication. So is it any wonder that in every gym, you will see men of all ages doing crunches, leg raisers and sit ups religiously in the hope of obtaining the much coveted killer abs? Unfortunately, most men will never get to see their abdominal muscle in its glorious splendor. Why? The following fitness tips will show you why.
You may not like what I am going to give to you straight in the face here. But I will give it to you anyway. So here it goes. Listen up carefully. You may do a zillion crunches a day, then another another million leg raisers, but as long as there is a layer of fat covering your tummy, you will never see your abs because it is covered by the blubber of fat. In fact, your waistline will become bigger because you are adding muscles underneath the fats! So instead of having a slim waistline and showing off your rippling abdominal muscle, you will have a bigger waistline and thicker love handles. Now get this straight. There is no such thing as spot reduction! Once the fats are off, your 6 pack abs will show. That I promise you. It is just that simple to display your abs. Lose fat! That's all.
Late night TV commercials or magazines has been telling you that you can have well defined abs by using this gadget or that electronic gizmo. Do you really believe it is really that simple? If it is so, then everyone will have that rippling washboard six pack abs in no time, won't they? Then why isn't that so? Because it doesn't work that way. To lose fat effectively and permanently for your abdominal muscles to show, you must include a mildly deficit calorie restriction diet, frequent cardio workouts and strength training with weights to build muscle so as to raise your metabolism in order to lose weight and burn fat naturally. Build muscles to burn fat permanently as muscles use up more calories from your food for energy. Lifting weights will also give you a well toned body and help your abs to show. Forget about any fad diets or popping slimming pills . These may work initially but in the long run, they are bound to fail.
So if you want to build an attractive and desirable abdominal muscle, start a mildly caloric deficit diet and put on your running shoes and in no time you can strut confidently displaying your abdominal muscles proudly. You won't ever want to put on your shirt again.
A rippling six pack abs is one such indication. So is it any wonder that in every gym, you will see men of all ages doing crunches, leg raisers and sit ups religiously in the hope of obtaining the much coveted killer abs? Unfortunately, most men will never get to see their abdominal muscle in its glorious splendor. Why? The following fitness tips will show you why.
You may not like what I am going to give to you straight in the face here. But I will give it to you anyway. So here it goes. Listen up carefully. You may do a zillion crunches a day, then another another million leg raisers, but as long as there is a layer of fat covering your tummy, you will never see your abs because it is covered by the blubber of fat. In fact, your waistline will become bigger because you are adding muscles underneath the fats! So instead of having a slim waistline and showing off your rippling abdominal muscle, you will have a bigger waistline and thicker love handles. Now get this straight. There is no such thing as spot reduction! Once the fats are off, your 6 pack abs will show. That I promise you. It is just that simple to display your abs. Lose fat! That's all.
Late night TV commercials or magazines has been telling you that you can have well defined abs by using this gadget or that electronic gizmo. Do you really believe it is really that simple? If it is so, then everyone will have that rippling washboard six pack abs in no time, won't they? Then why isn't that so? Because it doesn't work that way. To lose fat effectively and permanently for your abdominal muscles to show, you must include a mildly deficit calorie restriction diet, frequent cardio workouts and strength training with weights to build muscle so as to raise your metabolism in order to lose weight and burn fat naturally. Build muscles to burn fat permanently as muscles use up more calories from your food for energy. Lifting weights will also give you a well toned body and help your abs to show. Forget about any fad diets or popping slimming pills . These may work initially but in the long run, they are bound to fail.
So if you want to build an attractive and desirable abdominal muscle, start a mildly caloric deficit diet and put on your running shoes and in no time you can strut confidently displaying your abdominal muscles proudly. You won't ever want to put on your shirt again.
You Don't Have to Strain for Cardio Fitness Gains
Quantity may beat quality when it comes to exercise and heart health. Adults who engage in mild exercise -- such as walking briskly for 12 miles or exercising moderately for 125-200 minutes over the course of a week -- can improve their aerobic fitness significantly and reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a study published in Chest.
"The classic exercise regimen has a component of intensity up to 80 percent of someone's maximum for health benefits," says lead author Brian D. Duscha of Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina.
"Our study demonstrates that you can exercise at an intensity much less than that and still achieve fitness benefits," he notes.
"People find exercise 'hard' and few people want to exercise at an intensity higher than they have to. Walking briskly for 12 miles a week per week is realistic and does not require anyone to incorporate a hardcore training regimen. Increasing your mileage or intensity will give you even greater health benefits," Duscha says.
Improved Oxygen Consumption
A Duke Medical Center research team examined the effects of different exercise training regimens on 133 patients aged 40 to 65 years. All were sedentary, overweight nonsmokers who had abnormal levels of fat in their blood.
The participants were divided into four exercise groups:
- high-amount/high-intensity (HAHI), the equivalent of jogging 20 miles per week at 65 to 80 percent peak Vo2 (maximum oxygen consumption);
- low-amount/high-intensity (LAHI), the equivalent of jogging/walking up an inclined treadmill approximately 12 miles per week at 65 to 80 percent peak Vo2;
- low-amount/moderate intensity (LAMI), the equivalent of walking approximately 12 miles per week at 40 to 55 percent peak Vo2; and
- a control group of nonexercising patients.
All patients underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing twice at baseline and after seven to nine months of exercise training.
All exercise groups significantly improved their absolute and relative peak oxygen consumption and time to exhaustion (TTE) compared to baselines scores.
Increasing Intensity May Help Too
Although the HAHI group showed the greatest improvements in peak Vo2 overall, increasing exercise intensity from 40 to 55 percent to 65 to 80 percent (at a controlled amount of 12 miles/week) did not significantly improve peak oxygen consumption. However, increasing the amount of exercise did produce improvements.
An increase in exercise amount also demonstrated a graded increase in TTE between groups, although data were not statistically significant.
"Although our results did point toward amount being more important, it is very likely fitness levels can be improved by increasing either amount or intensity," says Duscha.
"This is illustrated by the tiered effect the exercise dose had on fitness improvements across our groups. We believe with more people in the study, increasing intensity would also have been significant," he explains.
Losing Weight Not Essential
Body mass index (BMI) was reduced in the LAHI and HAHI, groups but remained unchanged in the LAMI group. All exercise groups lost an average of 2.87 pounds after exercise. Baseline characteristics of age, BMI, weight, peak and relative Vo2, and TTE were not different between the groups.
"A second very important message is that subjects enjoyed fitness benefits in the absence of weight loss. Many people exercise with the purpose of losing weight. When they do not lose weight, they do not think the exercise is benefiting them and they stop exercising," notes Duscha.
"The truth is, you can improve your cardiovascular fitness and reduce your risk for heart disease by exercising without losing weight. Even if individuals do not lose weight, it is likely that they will lose body fat and increase lean muscle mass while reducing other risk factors," he points out.
12 Miles a Week
Adherence to exercise requires motivation and making exercise a priority, the researchers stress. They advise those who are beginning an exercise regimen to start slowly, choose an enjoyable activity, and make exercise a social activity. Individuals with medical problems should consult a physician before starting an exercise program.
"If you distill our results down, the public health message is: You only need to walk briskly for 12 miles per week or for approximately 125 to 200 minutes per week to improve your health. This sheds more light on the question, 'What is the minimum amount of exercise I need to do to get a health benefit?'" says Duscha.
"Regular exercise is an important part of a well-balanced lifestyle," adds Paul A. Kvale, MD, FCCP, President of the American College of Chest Physicians. "Physicians and other healthcare providers should encourage their patients to engage in regular exercise in order to obtain pulmonary and cardiovascular benefits."
"The classic exercise regimen has a component of intensity up to 80 percent of someone's maximum for health benefits," says lead author Brian D. Duscha of Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina.
"Our study demonstrates that you can exercise at an intensity much less than that and still achieve fitness benefits," he notes.
"People find exercise 'hard' and few people want to exercise at an intensity higher than they have to. Walking briskly for 12 miles a week per week is realistic and does not require anyone to incorporate a hardcore training regimen. Increasing your mileage or intensity will give you even greater health benefits," Duscha says.
Improved Oxygen Consumption
A Duke Medical Center research team examined the effects of different exercise training regimens on 133 patients aged 40 to 65 years. All were sedentary, overweight nonsmokers who had abnormal levels of fat in their blood.
The participants were divided into four exercise groups:
- high-amount/high-intensity (HAHI), the equivalent of jogging 20 miles per week at 65 to 80 percent peak Vo2 (maximum oxygen consumption);
- low-amount/high-intensity (LAHI), the equivalent of jogging/walking up an inclined treadmill approximately 12 miles per week at 65 to 80 percent peak Vo2;
- low-amount/moderate intensity (LAMI), the equivalent of walking approximately 12 miles per week at 40 to 55 percent peak Vo2; and
- a control group of nonexercising patients.
All patients underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing twice at baseline and after seven to nine months of exercise training.
All exercise groups significantly improved their absolute and relative peak oxygen consumption and time to exhaustion (TTE) compared to baselines scores.
Increasing Intensity May Help Too
Although the HAHI group showed the greatest improvements in peak Vo2 overall, increasing exercise intensity from 40 to 55 percent to 65 to 80 percent (at a controlled amount of 12 miles/week) did not significantly improve peak oxygen consumption. However, increasing the amount of exercise did produce improvements.
An increase in exercise amount also demonstrated a graded increase in TTE between groups, although data were not statistically significant.
"Although our results did point toward amount being more important, it is very likely fitness levels can be improved by increasing either amount or intensity," says Duscha.
"This is illustrated by the tiered effect the exercise dose had on fitness improvements across our groups. We believe with more people in the study, increasing intensity would also have been significant," he explains.
Losing Weight Not Essential
Body mass index (BMI) was reduced in the LAHI and HAHI, groups but remained unchanged in the LAMI group. All exercise groups lost an average of 2.87 pounds after exercise. Baseline characteristics of age, BMI, weight, peak and relative Vo2, and TTE were not different between the groups.
"A second very important message is that subjects enjoyed fitness benefits in the absence of weight loss. Many people exercise with the purpose of losing weight. When they do not lose weight, they do not think the exercise is benefiting them and they stop exercising," notes Duscha.
"The truth is, you can improve your cardiovascular fitness and reduce your risk for heart disease by exercising without losing weight. Even if individuals do not lose weight, it is likely that they will lose body fat and increase lean muscle mass while reducing other risk factors," he points out.
12 Miles a Week
Adherence to exercise requires motivation and making exercise a priority, the researchers stress. They advise those who are beginning an exercise regimen to start slowly, choose an enjoyable activity, and make exercise a social activity. Individuals with medical problems should consult a physician before starting an exercise program.
"If you distill our results down, the public health message is: You only need to walk briskly for 12 miles per week or for approximately 125 to 200 minutes per week to improve your health. This sheds more light on the question, 'What is the minimum amount of exercise I need to do to get a health benefit?'" says Duscha.
"Regular exercise is an important part of a well-balanced lifestyle," adds Paul A. Kvale, MD, FCCP, President of the American College of Chest Physicians. "Physicians and other healthcare providers should encourage their patients to engage in regular exercise in order to obtain pulmonary and cardiovascular benefits."
Your Body Building Workout Routine Not Working For You Anymore?
When you come up with your Body Building Workout Routine, you generally stick with that routine for quite some time. You'll find that, at first, your body building workout routine is great and you seem to be getting a lot out of it. Therefore progress is being made.
When it comes to bodybuilding - No. I got that wrong, when it comes to any form of fitness the progress slows down. As you increase your muscle size, fitness level or body tone, you seem to get to a stage where progress is minimal. And sometimes at a standstill.
You may think to yourself...
"This is a useless body building workout routine. I feel downhearted. Maybe it's time to pack it in"
All I can say to you is... DON'T.
The problem is that initial gains from a starting a workout routine are tremendous. But you can only go so far. You can't keep progressing at super giant leaps, as you did at the start. So whether you're body building, increasing fitness aerobically or seeking out overall body tone... don't despair. Keep at it.
Having said all that, there is a solution. Yep, there sure is. And it's pretty simple too.
You see, the body gets used to doing things. It adapts to change. So when you initially began your body building workout routine, you made significant progress for two reasons:
1. You may not have been fit in the first place. Therefore at this point, your body building workout routine would have had a major impact at first.
2. Your body adapts to your routine. It becomes used to the exercises that you perform. Therefore making them less effective.
The Solution -
Change your body building workout routine.
That's the solution. Pretty simple, huh.
See, when a new exercise is introduced to you workout routine, your body building progress increases. Why?
Because the body hasn't learned to adapt to your new exercise yet, Therefore making that new part of your workout more effective. This results in an increase in strength and size, or fitness and overall body tone, depending on your goals in the first place.
That's all there is to it. Change the exercise.
But wait --
Don't change the whole workout routine if it's not necessary. The reason is that out of the whole regime, there may still be some exercises that you feel produce the results you require. If this is the case, don't change that exercise if it's working. The only change, in that case, is to increase the challenge of that exercise. Maybe increase the weight being used.
Only change an exercise if you reckon that you're not making any progress on. Work a new exercise into your body building workout routine. Check the results and keep it there if it continues to work.
Eventually all your exercises will change, and not just once. This will be a continuous process. Months later, the exercise that didn't work back then, may work now.
Essentially, keep the initial exercises for about five to eight weeks. At that stage if your progress is good, keep on doing that routine. After a while, if you haven't already, your progress will reduce.
At that stage, change the appropriate exercises where you feel that progress is diminishing. Keep a constant eye on your body building workout routine. And keep adapting and changing, adapting and changing, regularly.
When it comes to bodybuilding - No. I got that wrong, when it comes to any form of fitness the progress slows down. As you increase your muscle size, fitness level or body tone, you seem to get to a stage where progress is minimal. And sometimes at a standstill.
You may think to yourself...
"This is a useless body building workout routine. I feel downhearted. Maybe it's time to pack it in"
All I can say to you is... DON'T.
The problem is that initial gains from a starting a workout routine are tremendous. But you can only go so far. You can't keep progressing at super giant leaps, as you did at the start. So whether you're body building, increasing fitness aerobically or seeking out overall body tone... don't despair. Keep at it.
Having said all that, there is a solution. Yep, there sure is. And it's pretty simple too.
You see, the body gets used to doing things. It adapts to change. So when you initially began your body building workout routine, you made significant progress for two reasons:
1. You may not have been fit in the first place. Therefore at this point, your body building workout routine would have had a major impact at first.
2. Your body adapts to your routine. It becomes used to the exercises that you perform. Therefore making them less effective.
The Solution -
Change your body building workout routine.
That's the solution. Pretty simple, huh.
See, when a new exercise is introduced to you workout routine, your body building progress increases. Why?
Because the body hasn't learned to adapt to your new exercise yet, Therefore making that new part of your workout more effective. This results in an increase in strength and size, or fitness and overall body tone, depending on your goals in the first place.
That's all there is to it. Change the exercise.
But wait --
Don't change the whole workout routine if it's not necessary. The reason is that out of the whole regime, there may still be some exercises that you feel produce the results you require. If this is the case, don't change that exercise if it's working. The only change, in that case, is to increase the challenge of that exercise. Maybe increase the weight being used.
Only change an exercise if you reckon that you're not making any progress on. Work a new exercise into your body building workout routine. Check the results and keep it there if it continues to work.
Eventually all your exercises will change, and not just once. This will be a continuous process. Months later, the exercise that didn't work back then, may work now.
Essentially, keep the initial exercises for about five to eight weeks. At that stage if your progress is good, keep on doing that routine. After a while, if you haven't already, your progress will reduce.
At that stage, change the appropriate exercises where you feel that progress is diminishing. Keep a constant eye on your body building workout routine. And keep adapting and changing, adapting and changing, regularly.
Do you want to be thinner, healthy and fit?
While we offer an effective and natural fat loss product – the Jen Fe Next Fat Loss Patch and the Power Patch, we also know that without a commitment from you to bring about some lifestyle changes, you won’t reach optimal fat loss. There is no product in the world that can produce fat loss while we are eating and drinking excessively, and moving only slowly from couch to car to office chair. We need a program of sensible diet and exercise that will support the products we utilize to help our weight loss.
Here’s what to eat:
1. Lots of vegetables and fruits
2. Increase healthy protein intake. This is how you build lean muscle tissue, which in turn speeds up your metabolism. Examples are fish, lean meats, low-fat dairy products, beans, and soy products.
3. Fiber-Rich foods. They will fill up and they make they are satisfying. In this category are: peas, beans, bran cereals, potato skins, nuts and seeds, oatmeal, bulger wheat, 100% whole wheat baked goods, fruits and vegetables.
4. Minerals. Calcium and other minerals are you “secret weapons” against body fat. They are found in low-fat dairy products, small or canned fish, soy tofu, green vegetables, nuts, seeds, bran cereals, and calcium fortified orange juice, and avoid processed, salt-loaded foods.
5. Eat fish and beneficial fats. Omega-3 unsaturated fatty acid in some fish, oils and nuts is a good fat. Eat moderate amounts of salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines and other oily fish. Soybeans, nuts, pumpkin seed are also excellent sources for Omega-3.
6. Reduce harmful fats – saturated and trans fats. These are not only high in calories; they are also loaded with harmful fatty acids that cause disease.
7. Always eat an adequate breakfast for several reasons: it will speed up your metabolism earlier in the day and when you skip breakfast, it makes it harder to control your appetite later in the day.
8. Cut back or eliminate alcohol. It is high in non-filling calories. Ideal consumption is one glass of beer or wine a day.
9. Stay away from junk carbohydrates – sugar and white flour are diet killers in all but the smallest amounts.
10. Gradually reduce your calorie intake because extreme and sudden dieting causes your body to conserve, not burn calories, and it slows fat loss.
11. Snack instead of eating large meals – larger, higher calorie meals tend to be stored as fat, instead of burned for energy. Ideally, you should eat five or six smaller, nutritious snacks each day instead of large meals.
12. Move! You must exercise to build lean tissue that burns fat. As little as two to three hours per week of brisk walking at minimum, and you will notice a major impact on your weight loss.
13. Reduce stress. It produces adverse fat-producing chemistry in your body. Try warm baths, meditation, deep breathing, stretching, massage, prayer and rest.
14. Get outside into the sunshine at lest 20 minutes per day – the vitamin D you get from sunshine works with calcium for health and body fat control.
Here’s what to eat:
1. Lots of vegetables and fruits
2. Increase healthy protein intake. This is how you build lean muscle tissue, which in turn speeds up your metabolism. Examples are fish, lean meats, low-fat dairy products, beans, and soy products.
3. Fiber-Rich foods. They will fill up and they make they are satisfying. In this category are: peas, beans, bran cereals, potato skins, nuts and seeds, oatmeal, bulger wheat, 100% whole wheat baked goods, fruits and vegetables.
4. Minerals. Calcium and other minerals are you “secret weapons” against body fat. They are found in low-fat dairy products, small or canned fish, soy tofu, green vegetables, nuts, seeds, bran cereals, and calcium fortified orange juice, and avoid processed, salt-loaded foods.
5. Eat fish and beneficial fats. Omega-3 unsaturated fatty acid in some fish, oils and nuts is a good fat. Eat moderate amounts of salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines and other oily fish. Soybeans, nuts, pumpkin seed are also excellent sources for Omega-3.
6. Reduce harmful fats – saturated and trans fats. These are not only high in calories; they are also loaded with harmful fatty acids that cause disease.
7. Always eat an adequate breakfast for several reasons: it will speed up your metabolism earlier in the day and when you skip breakfast, it makes it harder to control your appetite later in the day.
8. Cut back or eliminate alcohol. It is high in non-filling calories. Ideal consumption is one glass of beer or wine a day.
9. Stay away from junk carbohydrates – sugar and white flour are diet killers in all but the smallest amounts.
10. Gradually reduce your calorie intake because extreme and sudden dieting causes your body to conserve, not burn calories, and it slows fat loss.
11. Snack instead of eating large meals – larger, higher calorie meals tend to be stored as fat, instead of burned for energy. Ideally, you should eat five or six smaller, nutritious snacks each day instead of large meals.
12. Move! You must exercise to build lean tissue that burns fat. As little as two to three hours per week of brisk walking at minimum, and you will notice a major impact on your weight loss.
13. Reduce stress. It produces adverse fat-producing chemistry in your body. Try warm baths, meditation, deep breathing, stretching, massage, prayer and rest.
14. Get outside into the sunshine at lest 20 minutes per day – the vitamin D you get from sunshine works with calcium for health and body fat control.
Some Great Ideas on Staying Fit
Physical exercise is something that you need to do on a regular basis. If you’re looking for examples of great fitness exercises to try out, you’ll find them on our site.
A regular exercise program of either running, walking, cycling, swimming, aerobics or any other physical exercise helps to improve the efficiency of the human body in many ways. A healthy exercise regimen can help strengthen the body physically, as well as make you more confident and help you avoid some future illnesses.
Exercise keeps your bones and joints in line and strong, so the benefits aren’t purely superficial. It also acts to strengthen your cardiovascular system, to help keep your heart healthy. A few great fitness exercises used in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle and healthy diet can help you live longer and better.
A general feeling of improved well-being can be found through light exercises, so there is no need to overdo things. Light walking is probably the easiest fitness exercise there is; yet this doesn’t mean it isn’t a great fitness exercise. It helps blow the cobwebs away and can improve the heart, lower blood pressure and improve physique. All of these things help keep you healthy, active and measurably improve your lifestyle.
Great fitness exercises can include the use of weights, a fitness ball, exercise machines or just you and your muscles.
Combining physical exercise with nutritional supplements can vastly improve all of your physical and mental attributes and decrease the possibility of illness and damage, especially related to muscles, bones, blood, and even the heart. Exercising also helps release hormones throughout your body and the adrenalin that physical exertion releases can improve mental health. So you see, great fitness exercises improve your general well-being in addition to your physique.
A regular exercise program of either running, walking, cycling, swimming, aerobics or any other physical exercise helps to improve the efficiency of the human body in many ways. A healthy exercise regimen can help strengthen the body physically, as well as make you more confident and help you avoid some future illnesses.
Exercise keeps your bones and joints in line and strong, so the benefits aren’t purely superficial. It also acts to strengthen your cardiovascular system, to help keep your heart healthy. A few great fitness exercises used in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle and healthy diet can help you live longer and better.
A general feeling of improved well-being can be found through light exercises, so there is no need to overdo things. Light walking is probably the easiest fitness exercise there is; yet this doesn’t mean it isn’t a great fitness exercise. It helps blow the cobwebs away and can improve the heart, lower blood pressure and improve physique. All of these things help keep you healthy, active and measurably improve your lifestyle.
Great fitness exercises can include the use of weights, a fitness ball, exercise machines or just you and your muscles.
Combining physical exercise with nutritional supplements can vastly improve all of your physical and mental attributes and decrease the possibility of illness and damage, especially related to muscles, bones, blood, and even the heart. Exercising also helps release hormones throughout your body and the adrenalin that physical exertion releases can improve mental health. So you see, great fitness exercises improve your general well-being in addition to your physique.
The Fitness Principles
by: donita riplez
Almost everywhere you go today, you are approached in some manner about health and physical fitness. The fact that a large percentage of Americans are considered obese has helped increase the marketing of diet, physical fitness, and health products. You’ll be reminded of health and fitness on TV, in magazines, on the radio, the news, at work, almost everywhere you go you’ll see something about physical fitness.
With all this commotion about fitness, have you joined the team and started your path to total fitness? If not here is a brief description of the standards of physical fitness and what you may do about your current fitness level.
Most experts agree there are five basic components of fitness. They are:
1)Aerobic Endurance- Your level of aerobic endurance measures your ability to do moderately strenuous activity over a period of time. It’s a measurement of how
efficiently your heart and lungs work together to supply oxygen to your body during exertion and exercise. This fitness component is also called aerobic fitness.
2) Muscular Endurance- Muscular Endurance measures your fitness level by your ability to hold a particular position for a sustained period of time or repeat a movement many times. One example might be to lift a five-pound weight 20 consecutive times.
3)Muscular Strength- The ability to exert maximum force. It is possible to have greater muscular strength in one area, than another. For example, you may have great strength in your arms, while lacking strength in your legs. One example might be lifting the heaviest weight you can possibly lift.
4)Flexibility- Flexibility fitness measures the ability to move a joint through its full range of motion or the elasticity of the muscle. This is how limber you are.
5)Body Composition- This fitness area measures the proportion of fat in your body as compared to your bone and muscle. It does not refer to your weight in pounds or your shape.
If you are weak in any area or need to begin a general overall fitness plan, there are basically three areas of exercise you should concentrate upon to make improvements. They are stretching, aerobic activity, and strength training. Each of these areas is very important to your overall fitness level. Eating a healthy diet will also contribute greatly to your overall fitness level.
Remember, it is never too late to improve your fitness level. Regardless of your physical fitness level, your age, or the length of time it has been since you last exercised regularly, it’s never too late to start and maintain a good fitness routine. Your body is designed to move. If you don’t use it, you lose it. It is just
that simple.
Almost everywhere you go today, you are approached in some manner about health and physical fitness. The fact that a large percentage of Americans are considered obese has helped increase the marketing of diet, physical fitness, and health products. You’ll be reminded of health and fitness on TV, in magazines, on the radio, the news, at work, almost everywhere you go you’ll see something about physical fitness.
With all this commotion about fitness, have you joined the team and started your path to total fitness? If not here is a brief description of the standards of physical fitness and what you may do about your current fitness level.
Most experts agree there are five basic components of fitness. They are:
1)Aerobic Endurance- Your level of aerobic endurance measures your ability to do moderately strenuous activity over a period of time. It’s a measurement of how
efficiently your heart and lungs work together to supply oxygen to your body during exertion and exercise. This fitness component is also called aerobic fitness.
2) Muscular Endurance- Muscular Endurance measures your fitness level by your ability to hold a particular position for a sustained period of time or repeat a movement many times. One example might be to lift a five-pound weight 20 consecutive times.
3)Muscular Strength- The ability to exert maximum force. It is possible to have greater muscular strength in one area, than another. For example, you may have great strength in your arms, while lacking strength in your legs. One example might be lifting the heaviest weight you can possibly lift.
4)Flexibility- Flexibility fitness measures the ability to move a joint through its full range of motion or the elasticity of the muscle. This is how limber you are.
5)Body Composition- This fitness area measures the proportion of fat in your body as compared to your bone and muscle. It does not refer to your weight in pounds or your shape.
If you are weak in any area or need to begin a general overall fitness plan, there are basically three areas of exercise you should concentrate upon to make improvements. They are stretching, aerobic activity, and strength training. Each of these areas is very important to your overall fitness level. Eating a healthy diet will also contribute greatly to your overall fitness level.
Remember, it is never too late to improve your fitness level. Regardless of your physical fitness level, your age, or the length of time it has been since you last exercised regularly, it’s never too late to start and maintain a good fitness routine. Your body is designed to move. If you don’t use it, you lose it. It is just
that simple.
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