"No Time To Exercise? Try This!"

No Time To Exercise?  Try This!
by Steven Barnes



“Fitness” is an elusive term covering a vast array of attributes: flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, strength, power, balance, coordination, body-fat percentage and more. While its generally accepted that multiple 30-60 minute sessions per week are optimal for producing results, the truth is that it’s possible to do a great amount in far less time.

EVERYONE has five minutes a day…the only question is, can anything really useful be done in just 300 seconds?

The answer is a resounding “yes”, but we need choose our exercises carefully. If there is such a limited amount of time, the best choice is to pick the most important muscle group. Chest? Back? Shoulders? Legs? All wrong. The abdominals are the most important muscles in the body. In no particular order, they:

1) Protect the low back.

2) Are vital to sports performance, transferring power from the lower to upper body.

3) Aid digestion, and massage the internal organs.

4) Are important for proper, healthy sexual function.

5) Are “the window of health”—we judge fitness and health more rapidly with a glimpse at the waistline than any other single indication.

6) Are vital for posture, which increases physical energy and mood.

7) Are the linchpin of your entire fitness program. You’ve never seen someone with toned abdominal muscles and flabby arms and legs, have you? The reverse is not true.

8) Are the most important muscle group for physical attractiveness in men or women. No matter the wonderful definition of arms or legs, if your gut is sagging, you have a problem!

There are other reasons, but one of the best is the fact that of all body parts, the abs tend to be the least favorite body part to work. They’re hard! That reason alone should be enough to motivate you: anything other people don’t like working is a golden opportunity for you!

But how can you do anything useful in just five minutes? One daily approach is to perform five minutes of the toughest ab exercises you can find, and a fantastic tool for this is a “Roller Wheel” available for five dollars at any sporting goods store. Not the fancy ones, just the simple get-on-your-knees variety. Try this: perform one rep, and take a breath. Then do two reps, and take two breaths. Then three, and take three breaths…and so on until you can’t go any higher. Then, drop back to one rep, and start climbing again. When that gets easy, take one breath for every two reps.

An even better method is to break up your exercise into multiple daily sessions. The roller wheel is useful here as well, but you might want to investigate some of the powerful “Vacuum” exercises from yoga, or the dynamic-tension style “stomach flattening” exercises. In these, you exhale all air, and flex the abdominal muscles for several seconds. Believe me, if you do these properly, even without aerobic exercise your waistline will decrease!

While there is no serious disagreement that longer sessions produce better, and more balanced results, the busiest man or woman on earth can find five minutes a day…and sometimes, that toehold is what it takes to get you started on a new, healthier lifestyle.

About the Author: Steven Barnes CST is a NY Times bestselling author, dual black belt, yogi and Circular Strength Training instructor. He created the Five Minute Miracle exercise program. Learn more at http://www.lifewrite.com

 

Weight Loss Or Fat Loss - Important Differences To Lose Weight...

Some people used the term “weight loss” while others call it
“fat loss” whilst many use the terms weight loss and fat loss
interchangeably. Do they mean the same thing? To many people,
they do mean the same thing. But the terms may be entirely
different in meaning. You must know the difference if you want
to lose weight or lose fat effectively and healthily. 

When you step onto your bathroom scale every morning, what you
will be reading from the scale is weight loss and not fat loss.
Bath room scales are never accurate in determining fat loss. 
 
Why? Because it measures your overall weight and not your body
fat per se. If you weigh yourself in the morning before
breakfast after your bowel movement, you will probably get your
lowest reading of the day because your body is dehydrated
through hours of non fluid replenishment when you were sleeping
and after emptying your bowels, more water and wastes are
flushed away so much so that you are you are lighter. After a
night of sleep and not eating anything, your carbohydrate store
is running low and therefore you are even lighter without the
stored carbohydrate known as glycogen. What happened then? You
just loss weight not loss fat! Your body fat is still there
while the weight of other substances such as glycogen, wastes,
water etc are depleted. 

Now go weigh yourself again after dinner when you are fully
replenished through meals and consumption of water and it may
surprised you that you may probably weigh 2kg or more heavier
and that is at least 4.4 pounds! You just gained weight and may
even gained fat! Now you can see that it is such a misnomer when
people think weight loss and fat loss are the same thing.

Why must you know the difference? Because for most of us,
especially those who are on the fat side want to lose fat and
not necessarily want to lose weight. Getting the drift? 

Now for the more important part. Mere weight loss may cause you
to lose muscle and in turn, make you gain body fat later. Yes,
it is ironical. That is because the more muscle mass you have,
the more you burn fat efficiently because muscle is an active
tissue and it requires calories to function. Body fat just sit
there doing nothing and thus do not burn calories on its own.
So the less muscle mass you have, the less calories your body
will burn. The fewer calories your body burn, the more calories
ended up being stored as body fat! Therefore it is important to
lose fat but not merely lose weight which may include the loss
of muscle tissues. 

How is it that a person may lose muscle on a weight loss
program? Well for starters, we commonly hear about people going
on this diet and that diet. Most diets demand a severe
restriction of food or calorie intake. Your body will then
signal to your mind that you are in a starvation mode and the
body is designed to store fat for the impending famine and will
use up your muscle for energy in your daily activities.

Some diets advocate a severe cut in carbohydrate. Carbohydrate
is your body's first source of energy. When your body is
depleted of carbohydrate, it turns to your protein (muscles)
and body fat indiscriminately for energy. Now to make matters
worse, because of the restricted carbohydrate consumed, there
will be fewer carbohydrate calories to be used as energy
calories and that again will signal the onset of starvation
mode again. The vicious cycle of your body cannibalizing its
own muscle is set in motion again. The same applies to people
on slimming pills or salon fat loss programs.

So some people say ok, Chris, I see your point, so I will just
do plenty of cardio exercises to lose weight. Another grave
mistake. Have you ever wondered why marathon runners, those who
run many kilometers often and are doing cardio exercises almost
everyday are so skinny with no muscle tone? Because your body
is a wonderful machine. It is designed to adapt. When you run
or skip or swim long enough, it will say, look, I better get
lighter so that I can take the stress better and improve the
endurance. Guess what? Your muscles are heavier than fats and
what will your body shed more when it wants to get lighter?
Muscle or fat? Your body will shed both but more muscles than
fats.

Anyway, why would you want to lose weight only to become a
smaller you with the same body shape without any muscle tone?
Why would you want to be on a weight loss program that eats
your muscles and lower your fat burning rate so much so that
when you are off the program, the fats come piling back on
again?

Therefore, while you are on a lose weight program, you must
also be on a build muscle program. That will mean a combination
of correct dietary habit, cardio exercises and weightlifting
exercises to maintain muscle preservation and a fat loss
result.

From now on tell people you are on a fat loss program and not a
weight loss program. That you are on a correct eating habit
instead of just simply dieting.

With the distinction clearly in mind, you will then know how to
lose fat effectively, preserve and grow your muscles and at the
same time losing weight on your bathroom scale. That would be
an ideal way to achieve your weight loss objective because you
will lose body fat instead of muscle and mere body wastes.


About The Author: Chris Chew is a fitness personal trainer of
fashion models, male pageant winners and actors. More of his
free health and fitness tips at :-
http://www.sgfitness.com/site/1388195/page/634691
http://www.sgfitnessonline.com/fitnesstips.htm

 

Weight Loss, Diet, Health, Fitness, And Eating Disorde...

Reprogramming the Overweight Mind: 7 Steps to Taking Control of
Your Subconscious has become the definitive book for behavior
change. It is the ultimate self help book because all of the
documents necessary to perform a clinical study are contained
within an included Audio/Data CD. When psychologists,
physicians, or psychiatrists ask me to prove my book is the
definitive document for behavior change, I am happy to
accommodate. 

Since its introduction into psychiatric care in 1990 Burris
MIND/FITNESS has established itself as the only clinically
proven process for behavior change and has been endorsed by all
psychologists, physicians, and psychiatrists who have evaluated
it. 

7 Steps to Taking Full Control of all Behaviors, not just
Weight Loss, Diet, Health, Fitness, & Eating Disorders

Step 1 - The Emotional Checklist
Burris MIND/FITNESS is based on the reality that all behavior
is emotionally driven. The Emotional Checklist establishes a
baseline by which you can measure your results from day to day,
week to week, month to month or year to year.

Step 2 - Subconscious Perspective & Empowering Questions
On the first page of the program process you will literally put
your subconscious on paper and discover what brings about a
behavior at the deepest level of the subconscious. It is
imperative that you know what the subconscious is doing because
the subconscious mind runs approximately four times faster than
the conscious mind and right now you have virtually no idea
what the subconscious is doing. All responses from the
Subconscious Perspective are turned into Empowering Questions.

Step 3 - Subconscious Self-Image
If you set a goal that has to do with a change of your physical
image without restructuring the image in your subconscious, your
chances of success are at best remote. It is like wearing
clothes that do not fit, you are never comfortable. This
discomfort will lead you back to where you began. There will
never be a more important image you have in your subconscious
mind or a more important image that you will need to change
than the image you have of yourself right now.

Step 4 - The Stop & Replace System
This is the most powerful part of the program. The Stop and
Replace System will allow you to make an assault on any
subconscious programming you wish to change and make dramatic
changes in your emotional state and behavior. All the elements
from the first three pages of the program are used on this page
to help you Recognize, Access and Change subconscious
programming that simply does not work.

Step 5 - The Heart of MIND/FITNESS
The Heart of MIND/FITNESS consists of your Love, Health,
Wealth, and Self Image. Once you understand how to take control
of your emotional state and behavior, it is necessary that you
use these skills on a daily basis. The way you process
information can be dramatically changed in a short period of
time, simply by consistently implementing The Heart of
MIND/FITNESS. 

Step 6 - Food & Fitness Planner
Getting consistent control of your emotional state includes
consistent control of what you eat, drink, and the type and
amount of exercise you get. It is important to plan your food
and fitness schedule because the process of an unconscious
assault on the body with food, alcohol, or drugs can start a
day or even days before you indulge in a behavior that will
throw you completely off course and out of control. Planning
your food and fitness schedule is a big part of reprogramming
these behaviors, and you need to plan them until it becomes
automatic.

Step 7 - The Trance-Formation
The most powerful guided meditation you will ever experience is
on an Audio/Data CD that is included with the book. The dialogue
used during the meditation is specific to you based on the first
six steps of the program. What you say to yourself is more
important than anything anyone will ever say to you or about
you. Once you have learned the dialogue of the induction, you
can use this to put yourself in a relaxed state that will allow
you greater control over all your subconscious processes. 

Regardless of weather your health 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.

Read or download and post the first two chapters of the book on
your web site, listen to the first track of the Audio/Data CD or
become a Certified Burris MIND/FITNESS Life Coach by going to
http://KellyBurris.com. Kelly Burris has spent the last 20
years in the development of Burris MIND/FITNESS and is the
author of the new self help book Reprogramming the Overweight
Mind: 7 Steps to Taking Control of Your Subconscious.


About The Author: For weight loss, diet, health, fitness, &
eating disorder information go to http://KellyBurris.com

 

Are You Losing Body Fat Or Water?

“I tried that diet and lost 8 pounds in the first week!” 

“I’ve gained three pounds in one day! It must have been the
cookie I ate or maybe the mashed potatoes!” 

Stepping on the scale can become an anxiety filled event that
leaves people wondering where they went wrong when the numbers
don’t go in the right direction. This leads to panic and
usually ends with blaming a particular food item that really
wasn’t the culprit. Everyone who has been on a journey to lose
weight has been there before. Even though you are following
your plan and exercising regularly the number may go up 1-2
pounds or even up to 3-4 pounds creating unnecessary guilt that
we have failed somehow. If it’s not always food that makes our
weight creep up then what is it that causes these fluctuations
on the scale? 

When trying to lose weight the scale often becomes the only
measurement of success and this makes it difficult to remember
that every time we step on a scale it is measuring every part
of our physical being at that moment in time, which means it
measures our fat, muscles, organs, tissue and water weight.
Body fat is not the only thing being measured. While organs and
tissue don’t change much; fat, muscle, and water do change which
can result in fluctuating numbers on the scale. 

Water weight can affect your total weight anywhere from 1-10
pounds and sometimes even more. It is important to understand
what kinds of dietary factors can make these fluid shifts
happen. To start, many of the high protein, low carbohydrate
diets can cause a dramatic shift in your water weight. This is
because as you cut back carbohydrate intake your body starts
breaking down the stored carbohydrates (glycogen) to use as
energy, and this breakdown causes the body to excrete large
amounts of water. Once the body begins to use stored fat for
energy, weight loss slows. This is the reason why most people
lose a significant amount of weight right away on a low carb,
high protein diet. Extreme low carb, high protein diets can
potentially lead to dehydration because of this significant
fluid loss.
 
When a person following a low carb plan eats a
carbohydrate-rich food they can easily gain 1-3 pounds.
However, this weight gain can be misleading because it is
usually your body replenishing the fluid it lost and not gained
fat. This 3 pound fluctuation becomes frustrating for many
people and they end up yo-yoing back and forth with fluid
weight thinking that it must be the half cup of rice they had
the night before that caused them to gain that 3 pounds when in
fact eating the rice just allowed them to regain some of the
fluid they had lost from following a strict low carb plan. The
fact is carbohydrates do not affect your weight quite that
simply. Excess carbohydrates can strongly stimulate insulin
production, which promotes fat deposition and increases
appetite. This kind of weight gain will happen gradually, not
dramatically overnight. 

Sodium is another dietary component that can lead to fluid
gain. Sodium can cause the body to retain fluid, leading to
these frustrating daily weight fluctuations. Some people are
more sensitive to sodium than others. Watch your diet and see
if your weight gain corresponds with a high sodium meal the day
before. For example, eating out in restaurants can often
increase your sodium intake significantly. 

The best way to tell if you are retaining fluid is to pay
attention to your body. If you get indentations on your ankles
and lower legs from your socks then you are retaining fluid. If
you wear rings and they become tight and leave an imprint in
your fingers when you take them off then you also retaining
fluid. Any kind of puffiness in your skin is a good indication
of water weight. 

The bottom line is that it takes 3500 calories to gain or lose
1 pound of body fat. This equates to an extra 500 calories a
day over 7 days to gain a pound. This means if you gained 3
pounds in one day you can chalk it up to fluid weight otherwise
you would have had to consume 10,500 extra calories that day
which is not likely! True weight gain happens gradually and
likewise we lose it gradually. Check your weight weekly instead
of daily and look for overall trends. If you are seeing dramatic
daily changes in your weight, it is likely the ever-changing
shifts of our body’s water weight. 

© Meri Raffetto, 2005


About The Author: Owner of Real Living Nutrition Services, Meri
Raffetto is a Registered Dietitian and recognized professional
in the area of nutrition and wellness. She specializes in
weight management and offers online programs to help people
reach their weight loss and health goals. For more information
visit http://www.reallivingnutrition.com

 

The Top Ten Ways To Jump-Start Your Weight Loss

Top 10 Ways to Jump-Start Your Weight Loss:

1. Eat protein at every meal, including breakfast.

2. Eliminate wheat- and flour-based products for the time being. And yes, that definitely includes bread and pasta.

3. Eat unprocessed foods. Ninety percent of what you eat should be a combination of (in this order of importance) raw vegetables, steamed vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and maybe a few fruits if necessary.

4. Reduce starch to one portion a day, and don't eat that portion during your evening meal. Best choices are beans, sweet potatoes, and oatmeal.

5. Don't overdo fruit: one a day maximum, and only the low-sugar, high-fiber variety. Apples, pears, plums and berries all are good choices. For now, fruit should be eaten alone or with something light, like low fat nuts. Lose the fruit juice completely.

6. Reduce or eliminate dairy for the time being, especially cow's milk. Exceptions: reasonable amounts of  low sugar, fat free yogurt.

7. Lose the booze. Despite what the "studies" say, you lose no health benefits by giving up alcohol (including wine). There is nothing essential in alcohol that you can't get in fruits and vegetables without all the bad side effects that go along with it.

8. Stop using vegetable oils such as sunflower, safflower and corn. The supermarket kind is highly refined, and it oxidizes easily when heated, contributing to arterial plaque. Use olive oil instead, and apply it to food after the food is cooked when possible.

9. Watch which types of fat you're eating. The amount of fat you eat is probably less important than the kind of fat you eat. The worst are fried foods, margarine and foods that contain hydrogenized or partially hydrogenized oils. The best is omega-3, found in fish and flaxseed oil.

10. Obsessively drink water: At least 8 ounces for every 20 pounds of bodyweight you're now carrying around, each day. Every day. No excuses.

Got a question or comment for Christopher? Then go to www.AskChristopherGuerriero.com

For a ton of f.ree, valuable tips, tricks, and secrets visit: www.MaximizeYourMetabolism.com

Christopher Guerriero
National Metabolic & Longevity Research Center
Author / Speaker / Coach

 

No Excuses Exercises!

No Excuses Exercises!

It's old news that exercising is the single best way to
spark up your weight loss efforts. The activity perks up
your metabolism, and eats up more calories. In addition,
the more you exercise, the better the effect. Exercising
builds muscle mass, which is denser and more compact than
fat.

That means your body has to expend more effort to pump
bloodthrough it, and it requires more nutrients to keep it
healthy. The end result? Even at rest, your body naturally
burns more calories.

Unfortunately, the prospect of exercising tends to elicit
groans from most people. There's all the logistics to work
out - the time,
equipment, expense and the sheer, utter boringness of it
all. Negative thinking about exercise can sabotage all your
good intentions.

Here's a list of answers for some of the most commonly
used excuses not to exercise.

I don't have time to exercise!

Exercise could be one of the most important things you'll
do for your health today. MAKE time to exercise. If you're
doing traditional workouts - move those weights and mats
right out into the family room and make use of your
television time.

Instead of flopping down in a chair while you watch the
news or your favorite show, be active.

Run in place, do leg lifts or heft weights. Use time in
your car to tighten and tone muscles with isometric tummy
tighteners. Walk up the stairs instead of using the
elevator. Exercise doesn't have to be a solid hour at the
gym. Anything that revs up your motors is great for your
body.

I don't have the right equipment at home.

You don't need equipment to exercise. A brisk walk around
the block is good for you - and burns over 200 calories.
Vacuuming your carpets can burn nearly as much. Flip on
your radio or pop in your favorite high-energy CD and dance.

Don't fool yourself into thinking that your exercise' has
to be a carefully planned workout to work all the right
muscles in the right order with the right tension. Exercise
means being active. Just do it.

I can't afford a membership to the gym.

If you'd rather exercise at the gym (and have access to
their fitness machines, whirlpools, swimming pool and
trainers), there are a lot of ways to make it more
affordable.

Check with your health insurance company to see if they
offer incentives. Most of the major health insurance
companies, including Blue Cross, cover part or all of
fitness club memberships as part of your benefits.

If yours doesn't, or if you don't have health insurance,
call your local YMCA or YWCA. Most offer 'scholarships' or
sliding fee scales for memberships to their facilities.

But exercise is such a chore!

Says who? Make getting your daily exercise fun. Play a
game. Go dancing. Grab a few friends for a weekend hike in
the state park. Exercise doesn't have to be routine. Stop
thinking of it as a chore and start thinking of it as
recreation. You'll be amazed what a difference it makes.

About the Author:

Kerry Isaacs is the owner of the "Weight Loss Tips and
Resource Centre" where you get instant access to weight loss
tips, diets, exercises tips & treatments -
http://www.wltrc.com

Using the Swiss Ball for Improved Posture and Increased Strength

Using the Swiss Ball for Improved Posture and Increased Strength
Copyright 2005 MHG Consulting

For individuals looking for better posture and increased
flexibility and strength, nothing could be easier than
training with a Swiss ball.

WHAT IS A SWISS BALL?

The Swiss ball, also called the Stability ball, Exercise
ball, Flexibility ball or other names, is a large,
inflated, rubber ball. The Swiss ball was originally
created in Italy in the 1960’s and provides instability or
resistance which requires the user to rely on ‘core’
muscles to retain balance - thus improving strength and
flexibility of those muscles.

A Swiss doctor studied its use in a clinical setting by
incorporating the ball in rehabilitation therapy. While it
is still used in physiotherapy it has also become known in
the general fitness world as an adaptable and enjoyable
addition to routines building strength, flexibility and
proper posture.

WHO CAN USE THE SWISS BALL?

Because the Swiss ball is so easy to use and enjoyable, it
is able to be used by almost everyone, young or old.
However, because the Swiss ball is designed to create
instability (thus forcing the body’s own muscles to be
employed) there is a need for caution. The elderly,
injured, pregnant women or anyone otherwise subject to a
lack of stability or increased risk of falling, should not
use the Swiss ball without personal instruction and care.

When choosing a Swiss ball it is important to choose the
size appropriate to your height as well as the intended
use. Determine what technique you plan to use the Swiss
ball for before purchasing your own ball.

HOW DO YOU USE A SWISS BALL?

If you are concerned about lower back pain or posture you
can use the Swiss ball as an alternative to a regular
chair. Sedentary workers find that certain muscles in the
back become weak over time and are easily strained. Sitting
on the Swiss ball will improve your ‘core strength’ by
forcing the unused muscles to maintain balance.

There are many videos and books as well as group classes
that teach routines targeting different muscle groups. The
Swiss ball has been used in therapy as well as for
professional athletes so you are sure to find a method
suitable for your experience and needs.

While it is possible to use the Swiss ball on your own at
home or the office (and is recommended as an easy way to
fit in your workout) it is helpful to have professional
instruction when learning to use the ball correctly. Having
someone guide you into proper position will show you what
the proper alignment feels like.

Performing warm up exercises is also recommended before
beginning a Swiss ball routine. Using the Swiss ball
properly will increase the benefits you receive with
regular use. No matter what your fitness level, try it out
and see how much fun the Swiss ball can be!

—————————————————-
Dan Farrell is the owner of The Weight Loss Primer, found
at: http://www.weight-loss-exercise.info and a free
newsletter, “Pain Relief Now!”.

Easy Methods To Prevent And Reduce Cellulite

This is for those people with cellulite or those who desire to
prevent it: you are advised to go on a detoxifying diet,
including in it many fresh fruits and vegetables, and avoiding
black tea, iced tea, coffee and alcohol. 

The canned foods also need to be forbidden. Important aspects
to have an eye on are the water retainer alimentary substances,
which can increase the problem of having cellulite. An example
can be the sodium, existing in great amounts in the salt and
gravies like Chinese shoyu. Lactose (sugar of milk) can provide
the same effect, so it also has to be consumed with moderation.
Choose yoghurts and cheeses that possess reduced lactose. It is
also important to reduce the fat on the diet, since it
contributes for the increase of cells that produce the adipose
tissue, consequently leading to weight gaining, and this is
extremely related with the advance of the cellulite. Associated
to a balanced diet, you must practice exercises regularly. 

You should rather food that contain vitamins, fibres, minerals
and fewer calories, since they regulate the process of energy
production in the system, besides diminishing the absorption of
fat of foods and controlling the restoration of tissues, keeping
your skin healthy and stunning. 

Drinking water is another very important item to acknowledge.
You must drink per day, minimum two litres to hydrate the body;
this procedure assesses the kidneys in the toxin elimination and
assists in the treatment for cellulite. Here’s a hot tip:
besides all these benefits for your body, it fools the stomach
by giving it a sensation of satisfaction of already eaten
before. 

Have a lot of meals in small portions during the day. It makes
the digestion easier. You will have less appetite and your
organism will have less fat to deposit on those spots we most
hate, like thighs, hips, bum, etc. 

Be sure to chew properly and slowly. This will slow down the
digestion, meaning that the stomach will take longer to send
the brain the message of the digestion, diminishing your
motivation and will to eat more. 

Here are some extra tips to prevent cellulite: 

• Lean protein sources must be consumed, for example the egg
white, white meat (such as chicken and fish meat) and lean red
meat (filet mignon). Instead of fried meals, you can replace it
with a grilled or baked preparation.

• Avoid food with too much fat, such as greasy pizzas, gravies,
cheese, filled bread and cookies, buttered biscuits, ice-cream,
etc.

• Choose having food that lack refined sugar. Some of these are
the pasta, potatoes and fruits. If you feel like eating a candy,
prefer a cereal bar.

• Avoid using excessive oil during the preparation of the food.


• Foods containing mostly fibre are great sources of energy and
help to diminish the absorption of fat, besides contributing for
the regulation of the intestine.

• Try to choose eating foods that do not contain salt in its
formula, like the diet cookies, margarine without salt,
vegetables and natural seasons and spices, for the same reasons
mentioned previously about the consequences of having too much
salt.

• If you prepare a meal, do not add too much salt during its
preparation neither after it’s ready. Here’s an advice: do not
place the saltcellar on the table to start with!

• Do not take sodas and alcoholic beverages, because they only
provide calories and possess no nutritional value. Prefer
juices or water.

• Practice aerobic physical exercises, like jogging, riding
bicycle and swimming; these sorts of exercises help to burn fat
and calories, consequently decreasing the cellulite.


About The Author: If you would like to know more about
cellulite, treatment, treating cellulitis and more visit
http://www.celluliteny.com/

 

How To Get Started Exercising Now!

:Begin Exercising For Your Fitness and Health

Like most of us, you have probably been thinking about
getting into an exercise regime for quite a while. Let's
face it; most of us spend more time planning it than
actually doing it. Exercise is crucial to our health no
matter how old we are. It isn't really that hard, nor does
it have to be frightening, to get started.

Before starting any new exercise program, it is very
important to speak with your doctor. He or she will be able
to advise you on the best approach to take and if the
planned program is safe for you. You don't want to start
exercising to better your body only to find out you did more
harm than good.

In order to find the best exercises for you try thinking of
physical activities that you enjoy and ones that you don't.
For instance, if you hate running with a passion, don't
bother trying to incorporate it into your new exercise
program. You are practically setting yourself up for
failure. The key is to find things you enjoy doing so
exercise doesn't seem like so much of a chore.

If you like to bike or swim, then start by doing them three
times a week to start with. This shouldn't be difficult,
especially if it's an activity you know you like. If its
winter time and you know you don't want to bike in the
snow, look into gym rates. They almost always have
stationary bikes, and you could work out on that until
spring comes around. All things in moderation; so start
slowly. Try 20 minutes on an easy trail. That doesn't sound
like much, but if you've been sedentary for a while you
could hurt yourself riding any longer.

Make sure that the exercise routine is challenging and
interesting for you. A routine that you have been doing for
some time will seem easy and after a while may not interest
you for long. Be sure to always challenge yourself when
exercising. If you have been swimming as an exercise try to
add more laps or try a new stroke. If biking is included in
your exercise routine then try biking on a new trail/route,
or for a long time.

You should slowly add more activities to your exercising
repertoire. This goes back to challenging yourself. If all
you do is bike, your legs will become strong, but what about
the rest of you? You may want to add weight training a few
days a week as well. In our 20s, we start to loose muscle
mass, so doing some sort of weights is very important.

To exercise you do not necessarily have to go the gym.
Instead you can buy a set of free weights along with a book
on weight training, follow the instructions carefully and
you are on the road to healthy life and body through a good
training routine. You can workout almost every muscle group
without the use of expensive machinery. So if you are not so
comfortable with the swanky and confusing looking equipment
of a gym, then please go ahead and start the exercise
routine from home, but do start it.

In order to motivate yourself, you may want to find a
workout buddy. If you know anyone who is also planning to
start a new exercise routine, see if you can coordinate your
schedules. Working out with a friend is often much more fun
than doing it on your own.

So remember, find an exercise that you like and start your
program gradually. If you suddenly start working out five
days a week it will be too much and you won't stick with
it. You might just begin by walking. That in itself is
helping your body get fit. Practice good eating habits as
well. This combination will help you be strong and healthy.
Don't forget that visit to the doctor before you start.


About the author: Hank Lunton writes exclusively for
Sole Exercise,
it's one of the webs most up to date Exercise sites,
while you're there sign up for the free newsletter.
Read many more interesting articles on Exercise at:
http://www.soleexercise.com/articles

 

Want To Build Big Muscles? Here Is How To Gain Muscle...

Want to build Big Huge Muscles? Then you must Squat! The Squat
will build big muscles on your entire body frame. 

There are 3 types of people in this world. 

First, there are those that make things happen. They calculated
and know very sure what they want, then they take action and get
it no matter what happens. They single mindedly pursue their
ambition and they will ultimately succeed. In bodybuilding,
they want to grow big and strong with big huge muscles. They
SQUAT and squat and squat again. Have you ever seen anyone who
is big, have huge muscles and have a well proportioned body
like a Greek god who does not squat? Never. 

Then there are those who watch things happen. They will savor
the world around them. Then say, we will see what happens next.
If it works, well we will decide if we are gonna do it. 

These are the majority of the average Joes. They want to grow
big muscles and be strong and muscular but are reluctant to
make the effort to include the squat in their workout routine.
Even if they do, they will do it haphazardly and will give up
before they achieve their objectives. Then the excuses will
flow. "Squats are too hard on my knees" or "Doing squat will
stunt your growth" or "Squats are for my back" or "I just want
a well toned body." Excuses from sour grapes. That is why
average joes just remain well... average. We will debunk those
excuses later in this article. 

Finally there are those that are always saying "Omigosh! What
happened?" Needless to say, these people are the ones oblivious
to what is happening around them. They will walk leisurely on a
treadmill reading a book at the same time when others are
raising their heart rates to improve endurance and burn fats. 

They are the ones doing dumbbell curls after dumbbell curls
when others are doing bench presses, dead lifts and squats.
They are the ones who ask the champions why the champs are
growing biiger muscles and getting fitter all the time whereas
they are at the gym longer, more regular and yet not achieving
any result. They will take note of the advises and the next
time you see them, they are back to what they were doing.
Reading that confounded book on the treadmill. They actually
expect changes to take place by doing the same things. How is
that possible? Then they will say, "Ah... but you are just
lucky to have good genes!" What nonsense! 

To build muscles fast and big, you must SQUAT! The squat is
often touted as the king of exercise and is grouped together
with the dead lift and bench press, collectively called the Big
Three for power and muscle mass building. 

If you want to build big muscles and enjoy a symmetrical
physique, you must squat. Period. 

In most gym, the squat rack is there collecting dust. Why?
Because most people think that their legs will be hidden by
their pants. Why bother? How dead wrong they are. Wait till you
see them in their shorts or swim wear. You will see Spiderman
..er ..I mean spider legs. 

Another reason why people avoid squatting exercises is because
the squat work on many major muscles and is grueling work. When
you perform squats correctly, you will huff and pant, wheeze,
head spinning woozily, see stars, sweat profusely and your
entire body will be screaming for you to stop. 

Of course the exercise is brutal! You are working out about 75%
of your entire muscular structure including your shoulders,
traps, back, gluteus, hams, calf, abs and many other
synergistic muscles in a single exercise, isn't that supposed
taxed your strength, endurance and your cardio health? Isn't
that the best exercise? Isn't that why the results from squats
will be astounding? 

As an added bonus to building big muscles , you will be burning
fats like crazy since the squat, given the intensity placed on
your body, your metabolism zooms straight up! If your body fat
ratio is high, it will help you lose body fat. 

And because of the degree of difficulty, squats also force your
body to release higher amounts of growth hormone , resulting in
new muscle growth in all areas of your body. In addition,
squats will cause a spillover effect, enabling you to gain
strength in all of your other lifts. Awesome! It just befuddles
me why, with all these benefits, people are avoiding squats like
a bubonic plague. As for the hard gainers, squat will pack on
pounds after pounds of muscle on your entire body! So hard
gainers, you must squat to grow big! 

If you squat with the correct form, heavy weight and sheer
intensity, you will see good results in just weeks. Not just
your lower body. Your entire frame will take on a different
form. A total body transformation. Guaranteed! 

You must know that since squats are performed with heavy
weight, so correct form and techniques are critical and cannot
be compromised. Anything less, you may sustain serious injury.
However, when you adhere to the proper technique, you will be
very safe and will enjoy all the benefits that come with the
squat. Don't cheat yourself and substitute squats with leg
presses. They are of a different class! 

Debunking Excuses! 

It's bad for the knees - In fact, it's on the contrary. Just
like the muscle tissue in your body strengthens when exposed to
stress, the tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues in
your body will also thicken in response to weightlifting. That
means, it actually improve knee health when you squat. It also
strengthens all the muscles around your knee and thus providing
your knees with support when the muscles are strong and less
stress is placed on the knees on your day to day activities. I
know. I used to suffer from knee pain until I started squatting
and now, my knees are in perfect health that I can even play
competitive soccer. Knee problems only occur when you squat
improperly like resting at the bottom of the movement or
letting your knee protrude over your toes. 

It's bad for my back - For the same reasons about strengthening
your tissues, squats also exercises your lower back. When done
in correct form, it actually builds strong muscles on your
lower back and not only correcting you from bad posture that
results in a bad back, it may even give you a healthy strong
back. Again, it will only hurt your back if done in poor form
like bending forward or doing it with a rounded back instead of
arching it during the movement. 

It will give you high blood pressure and bad for the heart - 
Sure, your blood pressure will rise as your heart will beat
faster from the exercise. That is only temporary and not
dangerous unless you already have those problems in the first
place. Other than that you are actually exercising your heart
and cardio vascular system to strengthen it. How can that be
dangerous? Don't most exercises elevate heart rate and increase
blood flow? Then they should ban the treadmills and close all
swimming pools! Do you buy that nonsense? 

So, now that you know that squat is the king of bodybuilding
exercises, are you the type that makes things happen or are
still contend to be wondering what the heck happened?


About The Author: Chris is a personal trainer of fashion
models, male pageant winners, actors and other celebs. More
free fitness tips in his websites. http://www.sgfitness.com and
http://www.sgfitnessonline.com

 

Monitoring Your Fitness Progress: Don't Guess- Measure!

Mass Gaining program is incomplete without the timely
measurements to monitor Your Progress. The only way to know if
your mass or fat loss program is successful is by monitoring
your measurements, weight and body fat levels.

'One accurate measurement is worth a thousand expert opinions.'
- Admiral Grace Hopper, U.S. Navy 

Depending on the program, I recommend that everyone take their
body fat levels every 1-2 weeks. 

There's a lot that these readings reveal to a trained eye! For
example, I was recently on a fat loss diet, and I did not lose
any weight for three weeks. At first I thought that I needed to
drop my calories further because the current levels were not
working for me. I did not want to do this because as a
hard-gainer, dropping my calories too low can result in too
much muscle loss. So, before I committed to a more drastic
diet, I checked my body fat records. 

Was I in for a shock! According to my body fat calculations I
was actually getting leaner. Even though my weight did not
change during that three-week period, my body fat levels went
down 3%! Since I did not lose any weight during that time, the
fat must have been replaced by muscle (an added benefit, but
this does not happen most of the time). I would have never
known this by simply looking in the mirror. 

Another example is last year when I was on a mass cycle. I was
eating a tremendous amount of calories and gaining weight like
crazy. I stopped the diet once I began to notice that my fat
gains were larger than my muscle gains. I would never have
noticed this if I had not closely monitored my body fat levels.


I expect to gain some fat on a mass diet, but I always want to
gain more muscle than fat. If I had not kept track of my body
fat levels, I would have gained too much fat. 

TRACKING RESULTS 

There are many methods of measuring your body fat and some are
quite expensive. While many consider underwater weighing to be
the most accurate, no method is 100% precise -- they all have
some margin of error. It's not important to know the exact
number -- what's important is to use the same method each time
you take your measurements so you can have a consistent record
of your progress. I just use an inexpensive skinfold caliper.
They cost anywhere from $29-$80 and are simple to use. 

A good caliper is essential. Without it, you won't know how
exactly your body is responding to your diet and training
routine. You may also want to consider using a tracking
software like The Composition Tracker at
http://www.comptracker.com ... It will help you analyze your
data and tell you if you are actually building more muscle and
losing more fat! 

Just looking in the mirror and guessing is not acceptable! 

If you want to start getting great results, you must develop
the habit of accurately tracking your progress. If you don't,
you will continue to go in circles. This may seem like a
'hassle', but nothing worth having is ever easy to attain.


About The Author: Former "skinny guy" Anthony Ellis is the
author of Gaining Mass! The most widely used weight gain
program in the world. This unique program designed to help
people gain weight and build muscle, is currently being used in
over 90 countries Click here for more information
http://www.musclegaintips.com

 

Re: [aahealth] Can Fat Turn Into Muscle Or Muscle Into Fat?

Can muscle turn into fat or fat turn into muscle? How many time
have you heard this hilarious fats and muscles myth? 

Yes, this is one fats and muscles myth that will never go away.
Get this straight. Fat will never turn into muscle and muscle
will never turn into fat. 

The reason is simple. Your body fats and muscles are made up of
completely different cell structure and they are so different
that they cannot be converted to each other. Your muscle is
very much alive and work very hard whereas fat just sits there
doing nothing and just plain looking ugly. How can they be the
same or can be converted to each other? 

How did this fitness myth come about then? Well, let me offer
some suggestions. 

When a fat person train with weights, he will build muscles and
then for his muscle definition to show, he will have to lose
fat. He will do cardio exercises and eat healthily to achieve a
healthy fat loss. When that is accomplished, he will revealed a
lean muscular body because he has already 
packed on some muscle mass and have lost a substantial amount
of body fat from his lose fats and build muscles program. 

So when people see his new found lean muscular body and noticed
that his body fat is now gone, some will comment that his fats
has turned into muscles. Isn't that a nonsensical comment? Not
just nonsensical, it is downright 
hilarious. 

Now, just say that this same guy has lost his motivation to
train for whatever reasons and because he no longer wants to
maintain his lean muscular body, he naturally will lay off
exercises and start to eat unhealthily. Gradually, he will put
on body fat because of his unhealthy diet and the fact that he
no longer exercise to burn calories. Then as he put on more
fat, the fat begins to cover up his muscles and his muscles are
no longer noticeable. 

Ahhhh....these same people who do not know the biology of
muscle and fat will proclaim that his muscles has turned into
body fat. Well, these chaps must be magicians or how else can
muscle turn into fat or fat turn into muscle? 

Why am I exposing this fat and muscle myth? Because it is
funny? Well perhaps that too. But the main reason is that this
fat and muscle myth has put alot of people away from exercising
to build muscles and continue to indulge in unhealthy eating
habits by proclaiming that there is no point building muscles
because once they stop, they will get fat. Again, this is
rubbish because most of them are fat to begin with anyway. It
is just a lazy excuse not to exercise and eat healthily. 

So if you have friends who tout this fat and muscle myth to
you, send them this article. You may be doing them a great
favor when they realised the truth and head for the gym to
build some muscles and lose some body fat. 

Then what about you? Are now convinced that muscle will never
turn into fat and fat into muscle? If not, write to me and tell
me why.


About The Author: Chris is a personal trainer of fashion
models, male pageant winners, actors and other celebs. More
free fitness tips in his websites. http://www.sgfitness.com and
http://www.sgfitnessonline.com

 

How To Weight Train For Maximum Muscle Gain

Weight training involves the use of equipment that enables
variable resistance. This resistance can come in the form of
"free weights" like barbells and dumbbells, machines that use
cables or pulleys to help you lift the weight and bodyweight
exercises like pull-ups or dips. 

Free Weights vs. Machines vs. Bodyweight Exercises 

For maximum muscle gain, the focus of your workouts should
consist of free weight exercises. Not machines or bodyweight
exercises. This is not to say that you should not use machines
or bodyweight exercises, but they should not be the focus of
your training. To get an effective, muscle blasting workout,
you must stimulate the most muscle fibers as possible, and
machines do not do this. 

The main reason for this is a lack of stabilizer and synergist
muscle development. Stabilizer and synergist muscles are
supporting muscles that assist the main muscle in performing a
complex lift. The more stabilizers and synergists worked, the
more muscle fibers stimulated. Multi-jointed free weight
exercises like the bench press, require many stabilizer and
synergistic muscle assistance to complete the lift. On the
other hand doing a bench press using a machine will need almost
no stabilizer assistance. 

Since machines are locked into a specific range of motion and
help to support the weight along that path, they fail to
stimulate the muscles that surround the area you are working
(stabilizers). This is a mistake. If your stabilizer muscles
are weak, then the major muscle group will never grow! 

Free weight exercises like the dumbbell press or squat, for
example, put a very large amount of stress on supporting muscle
groups. That's why you will get fatigued faster and not be able
to lift as much weight as you did on the machine. But you will
gain more muscle, become stronger very quickly and have a true
gauge of your strength. 

If you use machines in your program, they should be used to
work isolated areas and only after all multi-jointed exercises
have been completed. 

Beginners should begin with a limited combination of machine
exercises, bodyweight exercises and mult-jointed free weight
exercises. Before increasing the weight levels, they should
work on becoming familiar with the proper form and execution of
each. Soon, bodyweight exercises will become insufficient to
stimulate growth and they will need to focus on more free
weight exercises. 

Multi-Jointed Exercises 

The exercises that work the large muscle groups are called
compound (or multi-joint) movements that involve the
simultaneous stimuation of many muscle groups. These compound
exercises should be the foundation of any weight training
program because they stimulate the most amount of muscle in the
least amount of time. 

Here are the basic movements: 

* Bench Presses (works the chest, shoulders, tricep) 
* Overhead Presses (shoulders, tricep) 
* Pull-ups/Barbell Rows (back, bicep) 
* Squats (legs, lower back) 
* Deadlifts (legs, back, shoulders) 
* Bar Dips (shoulders, chest, arms) 

I cannot overemphasize the importance of these exercises. Do
not start an advanced weight training program without them! 

They will overload your entire skeletal and muscular system
like no machine could ever do, giving you and effective workout
in a very short period of time. If you can only do a few
exercises, then do these. They have been proven (and not just
by me) to encourage muscle and strength gain unlike any other
exercises. 

Lift Heavy Weight 

To build mass, you must weight train with heavy weights. By
heavy, I mean a weight that is challenging for you -- not me,
or anyone else. To consider a weight heavy, you should only be
able to do a maximum of 8-12 reps before your muscles
temporarily fail. A weight is considered "light" if you can do
more than 15 reps before muscle fatigue sets in. 

Heavy weights stimulate more muscle fibers than lighter
weights. It's that simple. More muscle stimulation means more
muscle growth. 

Don't Overtrain 

Heavy weight training puts a huge strain on your body, so
adequate rest and recuperation after your workouts is
essential. If you are prone to train too often, several things
happen: 

You don't give your muscles enough time to recuperate between
workouts. If your muscles have not repaired themselves, you
will not be at maximum strength for your next workout. Rest is
essential. Other than eating, this should be your main focus. 

You are setting yourself up for burnout or an injury. I know
you are motivated and excited about working out, but don't be
careless. You must pace yourself, you want to be able to keep
this up for a long time, not burnout before you reach your
goals. I only weight train 3 times per week, that's all.
Anymore than that and I would not give my body enough time to
repair and build new muscle. 

Contrary to popular belief, you do not grow while working out,
you only grow when you are resting. 

Below is an example mass workout. I did 4 heavy sets for 4-8
reps each. 

Wednesday (legs, abs) 

* Heavy Squats, leg extension superset 
* Seated Calve Raises, 4 strips sets 
* Crunches (4 sets of 20) 

------- 

Friday (chest, shoulder, triceps, abs) 

* Flat bench press, incline dumbbell flyes superset 
* Shoulder press, side raises superset 
* Tricep pushdowns 
* Reverse incline leg raises (3 sets of 20) 

------ 

Sunday (back, biceps, abs) 

* Wide grip pull-ups, latbar pulldown superset 
* EZ bar bicep curl, incline dumbbell curls superset 
* Crunches (4 sets of 20) 

Nothing fancy, but effective.


About The Author: Former "skinny guy" Anthony Ellis is the
author of Gaining Mass! The most widely used weight gain
program in the world. This unique program designed to help
people gain weight and build muscle, is currently being used in
over 90 countries Click here for more information
http://www.fastmusclegain.com

 

Alternative Therapies for Cancer

Alternative Therapies for Cancer

Cancer isn't the scary death sentence that it once was due
to revolutions in science.  But are there ways to avoid the
chemicals of chemotherapy and radiation?

Chemo and radiation work wonders for a lot of patients, and
should not be dismissed necessarily.  The choice to pursue
those therapies is one that is personal and should be
discussed with the patient's physician.

There are however, alternate therapies that supplement
conventional cancer treatment, that also seem to work well
on their own.

Eating the right foods

You are what you eat and there is a plethora of research to
suggest that eating the right foods has a positive effect on
illnesses, including cancer. (Although there is more
evidence to show that eating the wrong foods actually cause
cancer).

Selecting foods that are organic or have very few processed
ingredients seems to do wonders for a lot of cancer
patients. The theory is that the lack of artificial
processing creates a more healthful balance in the body.
And that balance leads to the body's increased ability to
fight off the cancer cells.

And while scientific studies cannot agree on the evidence,
it seems that in addition to vegetables and fruit, green tea
can also fight cancer. There are accounts of patients whose
cancerous tumor receded. There is more than just hope, it
seems, with the recommended three cups of green tea a day.

Exercising and Relaxation

While relaxation itself seems to be beneficial, yoga and
other meditative activities seem to create a healthy state
in the body-one that can help to attack the cancer that's
present.

This effect may be due to lessening the overall stress in
the body and is often combined with traditional cancer
therapies.  Others believe that yoga and meditation creates
a more positive mindset for the patient and that leads to
positive results.

Actually, just the physical act of using otherwise tired
muscles spurs them into re-generation. It promotes
circulation, which relieves tension built up from the
realization of diagnosis and the every-day adjustments that
sometimes come thereafter.

Cancer is not the end of the world and with the right
treatment and a positive outlook, a patient can beat the
disease. Alternate therapies provide added relief along the
road to recovery.

You can't do enough for yourself when you have cancer.


Andrea Kenningsworth operates the website and writes for
Lu Cancerwhich
is a one-stop research center for all the latest
news and views related to cancer. For more
details please visit http://www.lucancer.com

 

What You Should Know About Obesity and Chronic Heartburn or Gerd

“What You Should Know About the Direct Relationship Between Obesity and Chronic Heartburn or Acid Reflux Disease (GERD)”

by The Heartburn Doctor, Shekhar Challa, M.D.

 

 

Sixty million Americans have Heartburn at least once a month; that’s approximately twenty percent of the population. 

 

But, if you experience Heartburn more than twice a week, there is a good chance you have Acid Reflux – also known as Gastro Esophageal Reflux disease or GERD for short.

 

So what does Acid Reflux have to do with your weight, you might ask?

 

Although, a THIN person can have Acid Reflux, years and years of scientific studies show that being overweight can be a risk factor that leads to Acid Reflux. And here’s why.

 

First off, GRAVITY and the extra pounds on your body place more stress on your digestive system. 

 

In other words, carrying extra pounds around your middle increases your risk of Heartburn or Acid Reflux because…

 

* Abdominal fat presses up against your stomach;

 

* Your stomach presses up against your Lower Esophageal Sphincter; and

 

* Your Lower Esophageal Sphincter opens, allowing stomach acid contents to flow back up into your Esophagus – the tube that leads from the throat to your stomach.

 

Now let’s take this a step further…

 

Heavier people are also more likely to get Hiatal Hernias.

 

A Hiatal Hernia is a condition in which part of your upper stomach pushes through an opening in the diaphragm, and up into the chest.

 

As a result, this causes the diaphragm to separate from the lower esophageal sphincter.

 

So, if you already have Acid Reflux (GERD), a Hiatal Hernia may worsen your symptoms.

 

Having said that, please understand that you can also have a Hiatal Hernia without getting Acid Reflux. And vice-versa.

 

Now here’s something else you should know that may surprise you…

 

Studies have also shown that if you wear clothes that are at least two sizes too small, you are heading for trouble.

 

So you want my advice?

 

Don’t wear tight-fitting clothing – especially if you’re overweight!

 

That’s because overly tight clothes can force the acid to back up from your stomach. 

 

Which is why you should never let fashion cause you to develop Acid Reflux (GERD) or make the Acid Reflux you already have – worse.

 

Instead, wear clothes that are comfortable and loose-fitting, whether you’re on the chubby side or you’re thin.           

 

The bottom line is this:

 

Compared to having a normal weight, being overweight increases your odds of getting Acid Reflux (GERD) symptoms by 50 percent, whereas being obese doubles your odds!

 

With that said, do whatever you can to safely lose the extra pounds. 

 

Besides, you’ll feel a lot better as well as reduce your risk of other medical problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

         

====================

Dr. Challa is an award-winning Heartburn Doctor who has treated 18,553 patients with Heartburn and Acid Reflux. For a comprehensive overview of Acid reflux and its latest treatment options, click here for details:

http://www.MyHeartburnDoctor.com

Burn Body Fat And Lose Weight 24 Hrs A Day – Lose Fat

In a message dated 12/24/2005 6:33:28 PM Eastern Standard Time, distribution@isnare.com writes:

Burn body fat 24 hrs a day is simple. Yes, I said simple but I
did not say it is easy. That is because you must have a firm
commitment and mental discipline to do it. However, it will get
easier and easier when you adapt to your new lifestyle and when
your lose fat goal is achieved.

So how do you burn fat 24 hrs a day? Here are some simple steps
to lose fat 24 hrs a day.

• Build muscles. Muscles are active cells and they are great
calorie burners. The more muscles you pack on, the more body
fat you will burn because the calories you have eaten will be
burned for energy by your muscles.

• Do your cardio exercises in the morning before breakfast.
Make sure that your cardio exercises raise your heart rate
sufficiently to burn more fat. The exercises must be intensive
and will leave you puffing, panting and sweating. This is to
make sure that you will continue to burn calories hours after
you stopped your cardio exercises. 

Do your cardio exercise 5-6 days a week. On top of that,
because your carbohydrate store is low in the morning, your
body will burn more body fat to fuel your cardio exercises.

• Eat 5-6 times a day with about 3 hrs intervals. Make the
meals small consisting protein and complex carbohydrate.
Complex carbs are carbs that are more difficult to digest so
that they do not spike insulin quickly to be converted into
body fat. So instead of eating white rice, eat brown rice.
Instead of having white bread, substitute it with brown bread
instead. Have plenty of fresh leafy fibrous vegetables. 

The frequency of meals will tell your body that there is plenty
of food and so your body need not store body fat for
emergencies. On top of that, your digestive system will be
constantly working to digest the food and so that means burning
of calories.

• Do weight training 3 times a week with rest days in between.
Do your weight workout in the evenings so that you will
continue to burn fat. Workout with compound exercises such as
bench presses, squats, lunges, dead lifts etc to activate more
muscle fibers and so that these large muscles will carry on
burning calories for many more hours into the night.

• Take slow release protein supplement before bed such as
casein protein. This is to feed your body throughout the night
and help your muscles to recover from the day’s activities and
at the same because casein protein is slow to digest so will
not turn to fat easily and thus your body will continue burning
calories even when you are asleep.

So with a combination of all these activities, you will be
burning body fat almost 24 hrs a day. Simple? Great. Let’s
start to lose weight by burning body fat round the clock now.


About The Author: Chris Chew is a personal trainer who count
fashion models, international pageant winners, actors and other
celebrities as his clients. He authored "Burn Fat Build Muscles
Fast!" ebooks at http://www.sgfitness.com and runs a health and
fitness outfit in Singapore http://www.sgfitnessonline.com

 

30 Baby Steps to Success

30 Baby Steps to Success
_________________________________________

You can blame your genes, your upbringing or your family but
actually being overweight is down to only one thing - your
habits. Do you recognise some of the following in your
lifestyle?

  *  You eat fast food more than once a week
  *  You can't stop eating chocolate
  *  You often feel uncomfortable after meals
  *  You eat dessert after dinner whether you need it or not
  *  You love fried food and you eat it regularly
  *  You always put butter, margarine or mayonnaise on your
     sandwiches
  *  You add sugar to tea or coffee
  *  You drink lots of fizzy drinks such as cola, lemonade
     etc
  *  You eat a lot of cheese
  *  You constantly nibble all day
  *  You skip breakfast and are starving by 10:30
  *  You eat when you get fed up, bored or lonely
  *  You can't say "No" when food is offered
  *  You don't like exercise
  *  You take your car everywhere
  *  You have a desk job
  *  You regularly drink alcohol
  *  You nibble while watching TV
  *  You eat erratically - you're either starving or binging
  *  You eat out a lot and make the most of all the food on
     offer
  *  You have lots of milky drinks or creamy food.
  *  You love fries with everything
  *  You have a sweet tooth and you indulge it
  *  You eat a lot of processed meat like hamburgers,
     sausages and fatty meats from the deli
  *  You don't know how to cook delicious healthy meals
  *  You don't eat vegetables
  *  You eat a lot of white bread, rice or pasta
  *  You forget to plan meals and send out for takeaway
  *  You often eat pizza or pies
  *  You read about losing weight but you don't take action

How many have you ticked? More than a handful?

The more you ticked the harder it is to succeed on the kind
of diet which demands a major life transformation. It takes
iron will to suddenly become a paragon of virtue overnight.

But all is not lost. There is a way to succeed no matter how
many habits you currently have which are keeping you
overweight.

Take just one habit at a time and work on that until you
have replaced it with a new healthy habit.  For example, if
you eat a lot of one particularly  unhealthy food (say,
sugar or chocolate or fries) cut down gradually and replace
it with a healthier alternative. If you take no exercise,
gradually start to move more during the day.

Taking the gradual approach may not fit in with the grand
schemes you have for altering your body overnight, but it
will work, it will be permanent and you will be able to do
it without turning your life upside down.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

Strong Arms And Solid Triceps?

  In every gym that you go to, you will see people pumping their
biceps. Biceps along with the pecs and abs are sometimes called
vanity muscles because they are the most visible and therefore
commands the most respect. Invariably, when you ask someone to
show you his muscles, he will probably flex his biceps.

Before we discuss biceps development, I want to point out that
the biceps make up only one third of your upper arm with
triceps the other two-thirds. So to have an impressive arm, you
must build your triceps too or the effort on your biceps will
not show good results. Many people fail to realize this and
that is why you see them doing curls after curls without much
improvement. We will touch on triceps exercises in another
article. For now, let's talk about biceps.

Here are some exercises that will blast your biceps. Most of
you would have done some or all of these exercises. The
question I am asking is, are the exercises done in the correct
form and techniques because if they are not, you will most
likely be wasting your time as your biceps will not grow to its
full potential. Perform each exercise for 3-5 sets once or twice
a week and at reps between 6-10, but make sure that at the high
end of the reps, you will not be so fatigued that you can't
perform another rep in good form. 


a) Standing Barbell Curl/ EZY Bar 

You can perform this exercise with either a straight bar or an
ezy bar. This is a great mass building exercises for your
biceps.

Stand with feet shoulder width apart and grasp the bar with an
underhand grip, hands should also be about shoulder width
apart. Curl the bar up slowly focusing intensely on the biceps
contraction. Do not swing or use momentum to curl especially at
the later stages when your biceps get weaker. Never swing or
move your body, only your arms are moving. Keep your elbows
locked to the side of your body and do not pivot them.

Then lower the weight, taking 3-4 seconds resisting the weight
on the way down to emphasize the negative part of the exercise.
Never let gravity pull the weights down. 

At all times, do not curl or bend your wrist which must always
be in a straight neutral position. 


b) Incline Dumbbell Curls 

This exercise will hit different fibre in your biceps and gives
you the peak bicep look.

Sit back on an incline bench holding a dumbbell in each hand,
keep your elbows well forward throughout the movement, curl the
weight upward and toward the shoulder level. Then squeeze your
biceps hard at the top position. Lower the weights again,
slowly under full control. The speed and techniques are similar
to what was described earlier. 


c) Preacher Curl 

Similar to barbell curl but using the preacher curl station.
This is an excellent bicep peaking isolation exercise.


d) Hammer Curl 

Hammer curl gives your biceps the full look and your forearms
are also working hard.

Similar to incline dumbbell curl except you will be using the
hammer grip on the dumbbell like holding a hammer knocking
nails in and standing up instead of sitting down. 


e) Build Biceps Tips 

Focus on the movement of your biceps all throughout the motion.
Don't lift weights that are too heavy that will compromise your
form and techniques to show off. 

By slightly turning and squeezing, you'll build more peak on
your biceps. Like all exercises, pose and stretch the biceps
between sets. This is to flush out lactic acid and help your
biceps recover better for the next set. 

Remember to change the order of the exercises you perform after
6-8 weeks to shock your biceps into new growth and watch those
arms grow!


About The Author: Chris Chew is a personal trainer of fashion
models, male pageant winners, actors and other celebs. More
free fitness tips in his websites. http://www.sgfitness.com and
http://www.sgfitnessonline.com

 

15 Muscle Building Rules for Skinny Guys and Gals!

In a message dated 12/25/2005 5:45:39 PM Eastern Standard Time, aellis@fastmusclegain.com writes:

Though there may be many reasons why you may be
thin, the most apparent reason is because of your genetics.
If your parents are naturally thin or have a small body
frame, then you will most likely have the same small body
type. 

To some degree, your size can also be controlled by your
metabolism. If you have a difficult time gaining weight of
any kind (fat or muscle) then you most likely have a fast
metabolism. That simply means that your body burns calories
at a faster than normal rate. You must take this into
account whenever you are considering a particular diet or
training program. Is it geared towards someone with your
metabolism and goal?

Now as you know, there are many ways to train. Hundreds,
thousands even. Some work and some do not, but for the
specific goal of gaining weight, there are a few UNIVERSAL
things that all skinny guys must do.

Though much of the information I cover here is not as
"magical" as you may like, I consider these rules to be the
basics with regard to weight gain. These are not all of the
answers, but they are definite elements that MUST be
addressed in any successful weight gain program. 

You should be able to easily integrate these rules into your
current program to make it more suitable for your particular
body and goals.


GENERAL RULES
----------------
1.Get the proper information that pertains to your SPECIFIC
condition and goals.

The first big problem I find in most people is the lack of
correct information. Yes you are motivated and doing things,
but your effort is wasted on incorrect dieting and training
information. Basically, skinny guys are taking advice from
people who have never had a weight gain problem. Want to
know how to gain weight? Then find someone who has walked
your shoes. Someone who has been where you are.


2.Set a specific goal and create a plan of attack
If you were to drive cross country to another city, would
you just start driving randomly, or would you plan a route
that would get you quickly and efficiently?

Think of your plan as a road map and your goal as your
destination. Without a plan and a specific goal you will be
without focus and can easily get lost or side tracked. This
happens more often than you know. I see many people in the
gym just doing whatever, or just eating whatever -- no plan
or specific goal. They wonder why they don't make progress.
They have no focus.

Having a specific program to follow allows you to take
action each day. This action is focused on specifically
getting you to your destination quickly. There is no
thinking, debating or guessing. You just do it. A specific
plan provides necessary daily structure that not only keeps
you on the road moving forward, it also helps to develop
good eating and training habits that will benefit you long
after you have reached your destination.


3.Have confidence in yourself and belief in what you are
doing.
Let's face it; we live in a cruel world. Hate and jealously
is everywhere. For most people who begin a fitness program
to improve themselves, getting started will be half the
battle. The other half will be staying motivated throughout
the constant onslaught of negativity from others. A few
negative words can do serious damage if you allow it.

The most insulting things you hear may be from friends,
co-workers and acquaintances at the gym. People hate change.
It makes them insecure, because they suddenly discover
there's more to you than they were probably willing to
admit. They fear that you may actually achieve your goal. It
makes them look less "superior". 

Once you have begun your plan, you must have faith and
believe in what you are doing. Stay focused and avoid overly
critical or negative people. If you have to, keep your
business to yourself. When I first began my program, I
stopped talking about what I was doing because I got tired
of hearing things like "you can't do that", "that's
impossible", "you're wasting your time and money". Funny
thing is, now those people are constantly bugging me for
advice.

It's your life. It's your body. It's your dream. Don't allow
your success or failure to rest in the hands of others. 


WORKOUT RULES
-------------------
4. Stop listening to every ridiculous piece of advice you
hear in the gym or read on a message board.

Recently a client of mine informed me that someone in the
gym stated that he was training all wrong and he needed to
train 5-6 days a week, and aim for more reps during his
workout. Somewhere in the range of 15-20 reps per set. 

The person giving the advice was quite confident about his
recommendations, and he had an impressive physique that
typically elevates him to the elusive "listen to me if you
want to look like me" level in the gym. He was bigger than
my client, so even though my client's "intellectual" mind
knows that advice is absurd; his "unrealistic dreamer" mind
took this information very seriously. So seriously that he
changed his program and didn't inform me until a week or so
later. This particular person had been making great progress
on his current program, yet he allowed this one person's
comment to overshadow that progress and convince him that
his program was inadequate. This is a mistake and it showed
in his lack of further progress. 

In addition, don't judge the validity of what a person says
by how they look. Just because the guy is huge doesn't mean
he is spewing pertinent advice for you. Many people that
have big physiques are big despite of their training, not
because of it. I know some huge guys that know very little
about training and dieting correctly. They can do whatever
and still gain muscle; unfortunately we are not that way, so
we much approach things in a more intelligent way.


5.Workout Infrequently
This is the most difficult concept for many to grasp simply
because it involves less action, instead of more. When we
get motivated and start a new program, it's natural to want
to do something. We want to train and train and train.
Thinking all along that the more you train, the more muscle
you will build. Unfortunately, this could not be farther
from the truth. 

More training does not equal more muscle growth. Understand
that the purpose of weight training is to stimulate muscle
growth. That takes very little time. Once that has been
done, the muscle needs to be repaired and new muscle needs
to be built. That only happens when you are resting. You do
not build muscle in the gym, you build muscle when resting!
If you never give your body any essential "non active" time,
when will it have a chance to build muscle? Think about
that.

Now, add in the fact that you have a difficult time gaining
weight and the importance of rest increases. Individuals who
are naturally thin and have difficulty building muscle tend
to require less training and more rest.


6. Focus on Multi-Jointed Lifts
Multi-jointed exercises are those that stimulate the most
amounts of muscle fibers. Unlike isolation exercises which
only work individual muscles, multi-jointed lifts work many
different muscle groups simultaneously. For those needing to
gain weight, this is ideal because these lifts put your body
under the most amount of stress. This is the stress that
will shock your nervous system and cause the greatest
release of muscle building hormones. This results in
increased muscle gain all over the body. 

You can still do some isolation work; however it should not
be the focus of your workouts, and should only come after
your multi-jointed lifting is complete.


7. Focus on Using Free Weights
Free weights are preferred over machines for many reasons,
but most importantly because they allow the stimulation of
certain supporting muscle groups when training. Stimulating
these stabilizer and synergistic muscles will allow you go
get stronger, and ultimately build more muscle faster. Yes,
some can most likely still build large amounts of muscle
using machines, but why make it more difficult if you
already have a difficult time gaining weight?


8. Lift a weight that is challenging for you
Building mass involves lifting relatively heavy weight. This
is necessary because the muscle fibers that cause the most
amount of muscle size growth (called Type IIB) are best
stimulated by the lifting of heavy weight. A heavy weight as
one that only allows you to perform 4-8 reps before your
muscles fail.

Using a lighter weight and doing more reps can stimulate
some Type IIB fibers, but again if you have a difficult time
gaining weight, why make it more difficult? You need to try
and stimulate as many as you can with the use of heavy
weights. 


9. Focus more on the eccentric portion of the exercise.
When you lift a weight, it can be divided into three
distinct periods. The positive, the negative and midpoint.
The concentric or "positive" motion usually involves the
initial push or effort when you begin the rep. The midpoint
is signaled by a short pause before reversing and returning
to the starting position. The eccentric, or "negative"
portion of each lift is characterized by your resistance
against then natural pull of the weight. 

For example, when doing push-ups, the positive motion is the
actual pushing up motion. Once you have pushed all the way
up, you hit the mid point. The negative motion begins when
you start to lower yourself back down. Most would simply
lower themselves as fast as they pushed up, but I recommend
extending and slowing down this portion. Slowing down the
eccentric part of the lift will help to stimulate more
muscle growth. It actually activates more of the Type IIB
fibers mentioned about in Rule 7.


10. Keep your workout short but intense.
Your goal should be to get in, stimulate your muscles and
then get out as quickly as possible. It is not necessary to
do large amounts of exercisers per body part trying to
target every muscle and hit every "angle". This should only
be a concern of someone with an already developed, mature
physique who is trying to improve weak areas.

If you have no pec, don't concern yourself with trying to
target inner, outer, upper, lower or whatever. Just work
your chest. You should do no more than 2-3 exercises per
body part. That's it. Doing more than that won't build more
muscle, faster.  In fact it could possibly lead to muscle
loss. Long training sessions cause catabolic hormone levels
to rise dramatically. Catabolic hormones are responsible for
breaking down muscle tissue resulting in MUSCLE LOSS. While
at the same time, long training sessions suppress the
hormones that actually build muscle. 

If you don't want to lose muscle during your workouts, I
suggest limiting your sessions to no more than 60-75 minutes
MAXIMUM. Less if you can. 


11. Limit your aerobic activity and training
Honestly, I do not do any aerobic activity when I am trying
to gain weight. This is mainly because it interferes with
the important "non-active" time my body needs for muscle
building and recovery. I do understand that people have
lives and other activities that they don't want to give up,
so it must be kept to a minimum. It won't hurt your progress
as long as you don't over do it. If you find that you are
doing more aerobic activity weight training, that's
overdoing it.

I also don't recommend it because people tend do it for the
wrong reasons. Many start aerobic activity because they
believe it will help them to lose fat. While that is true,
it won't do so on a high calorie mass diet. To lose fat, you
need to be eating fewer calories. 


12. Don't program hop
Here's how it usually happens. You've just read about a new
exercise or workout that is supposed to pack on the mass.
Now, even though you had already started another training
program a few weeks ago, you are tired of it and really want
to start this routine instead because it sounds better. 

I call these people, "program hoppers". They are very
enthusiastic when starting a new program, but they never
follow it long enough to actually see any results. They are
easily distracted and love to drop whatever they may be
doing to follow the latest "hot" workout or exercise. 

My advice is don't do it. This is a bad habit that never
leads to a positive outcome. Understand that it takes time
for any program to work. To be successful, you must follow
your program consistently. Yes, there are many different
training methods and interesting routines out there, but you
can't do them all at the same time and jumping around won't
allow enough time for any of them to actually be effective
for you. Pick one that is focused on your current goal and
stick with it. There will be plenty of time to try the
others later, but NOT NOW. 



EATING RULES
-------------

13. Eat more
This rule is pretty simple, but usually the one that is not
done correctly. If weight gain is your goal, then you will
need to eat more food. Period. In most cases, you will need
to eat more than you are normally accustomed to. 

One large problem that I had when starting out is I just had
no appetite. I knew I needed to eat more, but I just did not
want to. I had to force myself to eat at each meal.
Thankfully, after about 2 weeks, my appetite grew. I was
becoming hungry before each meal, and if I didn't eat my
meal at the normal time, my body knew it.

If you have this problem, you still must eat something, no
matter how much. Start off making yourself eat something
small like fruit every few hours. Then, as your appetite
becomes more active, gradually move into more real food.

What this will do is gradually get your body accustomed
eating at regular intervals. Eventually you will be hungry
before each meal time. 

When eating more, you will need to make sure that you are
getting plenty of good quality protein. Protein is a
nutrient that is essential for building muscle. Every meal
that you eat should contain some form of protein. Meal
Replacement Powders like Myoplex are excellent for this
purpose. They enable you to eat large amounts of good
quality protein in a very convenient manner.


14. Eat more often
In addition to eating more calories, you should also strive
to eat more often throughout the day. Eating infrequently,
or going long periods without eating, will cause your body
to breakdown muscle tissue for the calories it needs. This
is especially true for those with fast metabolisms. 

Spreading your meals throughout the day will give you more
manageable meal sizes, improve nutrient assimilation, and
make sure that your body always has the calories it needs
for muscle building and repair. I recommend eating a high
protein meal every 3 hours. During normal waking hours, that
usually equals about 6 meals.

Now, I know what you are saying, "I'm too busy to do this",
or "how can I do that with a full time job and school?"
Don't let the thought of this being too difficult keep you
from doing it. It may seem very inconvenient at first, but
once you get in the habit of doing it, it becomes second
nature and you don't have to give it much thought. Trust me,
I've been doing it for years and do not feel that it's
limiting or time consuming.


15. Use Nutritional Supplements.
Before you buy any product, remember that supplements are
not magic. Too many people think that just because you buy
the latest product, it guarantees that you will
automatically begin to pack on the pounds. The truth is that
supplements are only there to enhance an already solid diet
and workout program. 


They can give you the extra edge by:

* Adding More Convenience: Using food supplements like
Myoplex or Designer Protein help to eliminate the common
problem of 'not enough time', by providing you with a quick,
efficient way to get your required nutrients each day. They
make eating large amounts of calories and protein easier for
people with low appetites.

* Increasing Strength Levels: Products that contain
Creatine, like Phosphagen HP or Cell-Tech enable you to
swing the odds of gaining more weight in your favor by
increasing your strength output. Creatine enables you to
lift heavier weights, which will stimulate more muscle
fibers and cause more muscle growth.

* Decreasing Recovery Time: Vitamin C is essential to
prevent free radical damage, which is accelerated after the
heavy trauma of weight training. It is also essential is
helping to repair connective tissue. All of this helps
decrease the amount of time you are sore. 

* Enhancing Your Immune System: Weight training increases
the body's need for many minerals like magnesium and
selenium. I always use a good multi-vitamin ensures that I
am not deficient in any major essential vitamin or mineral.
Deficiency symptoms include muscle weakness and suppression
of the immune system, muscle cramping and fatigue.

I can honestly say that I could not have built the body I
have today without the convenience and enhancements
supplements provide. I simply don't have the time or desire
to do it any other way. This is a choice that you must
decide for yourself. You will be spending your money on
these products, so make sure that you know their place in
your program. 


IS THIS POSSIBLE?
-----------------
Yes, but I have to be honest and say that from my
experience, gaining weight is much more difficult than
losing fat. Even if you are doing everything right, it will
still be difficult because you are fighting against what
your body naturally prefers.

If you are naturally thin, building an impressive physique
involves persistence and determination, but no matter what
anyone says, it is well within your ability. Good luck and
for more information on how to gain weight, be sure to check
out my website at http://www.fastmusclegain.com 

Anthony Ellis

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
----------------
Former "skinny guy" Anthony Ellis is the author of Gaining
Mass! The most widely used weight gain program in the world.
This unique program designed to help people gain weight and
build muscle, is currently being used in over 100 countries
and boasts the largest private weight gain forum on the
Internet, with well over 13,000 members. Click here to view
over 200 user testimonials:
http://www.fastmusclegain.com/testimonials.html