One of the most important ways to improve your chances for
long-term health is to keep your weight in a “healthy” range.
It is now well known that excess weight is correlated with a
number of health problems such as cardiovascular disease, some
types of cancer, sleep apnea, adult-onset asthma, diabetes, and
many other medical problems.
When discussing weight, three key questions should be posed.
How much do you weigh in relation to your height? What is your
waist size? And, how much weight have you gained since your
early 20s? Your answers to these questions may strongly
influence your risk for a number of health concerns.
So, what is a healthy weight? It is not always easy to
determine. For example, someone who is tall can carry more
weight than someone who is in the shorter side. One measure
that takes into account varying body heights is the body mass
index (BMI). Calculating your BMI is fairly easy. Begin by
dividing your weight in pounds by your height in inches. Divide
that number by your height in inches. Then, multiply that number
by 703. Unless you are an extremely muscular body bulder, if
your BMI is between 25 and 30 you are considered overweight. If
your BMI is over 30, you are considered obese. Further, many
people who have a BMI between 23 and 25 are not at their
healthiest weight.
There is a good chance that you now weight more than you did in
your 20s. However, you should realize that gaining weight as we
age is not inevitable. It is also not without risk. If you have
gained more than five pounds since your 20s, you have a greater
risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, high blood
pressure, type 2 diabetes, and gallstones. If you have gained
more significant amounts of weight, you have an even higher
risk for these diseases. These facts point to one of the major
problems of the BMI. If you were relatively thin when you were
younger, you may be able to gain a good deal of weight and
still have a BMI that is considered relatively healthy.
There are a number of possible reasons for your weight gain.
These include eating larger amounts of higher caloric food and
living a relatively inactive lifestyle. But your genes may play
a role. And, don’t discount cultural factors, such as feeling
compelled to eat all the food that has been placed on your
plate.
Consider where you store your excess fat. If it tends to
gravitate to your waist and chest, you may be labeled an
“apple.” Or, if it is clustered around the hips and thighs, you
are a “pear.” Fat that accumulates around the waist and chest
increases the risk of high cholesterol, high blood sugar and
heart disease. However, it is probably most useful to test your
waist measurement. If your waist has been expanding, it is time
to evaluate your diet and level of exercise.
If you have determined that you need to lose weight, I would
advise a three-pronged strategy. Start by prioritizing
exercise. There is no real way around it; if you want to lose
weight and maintain the weight loss, you need to participate in
regular exercise. Exercise burns calories that might be
converted into fat, and it builds muscle. An inactive 50-year
old person who has gained 10 pounds has often lost five pounds
of muscle and gained 15 pounds of fat. With this increase in
weight will come a deceleration in the resting metabolism; the
body needs less energy for basic needs and increasing amounts
of food become fat stores. Thus, as more muscle is converted to
fat, it is easier to gain weight.
I highly recommend a daily walk of at least 30 minutes. If you
have the time and inclination, walk even more. To keep yourself
motivated, walk with a friend or listen to books on tape. If you
have a treadmill, watch a video or DVD. In addition to regular
walking, include more activity in your everyday life. Park at
the far end of the lot. Take the stairs instead of the
elevator. Also, consider trying other forms of exercise such as
tennis and swimming.
While beginning your exercise program, you will need to take a
closer look at your diet. I generally recommend a
Mediterranean-type of diet with lots of fruits, vegetables and
whole grains and smaller amounts of meat, poultry and fish.
Most fat should be obtained from olive oil or other vegetable
oils as well as small amount of nuts.
And, you need to practice what I have termed “defensive
eating.” It is best to stop eating before you are stuffed. Of
course, you don’t want to walk around with constant hunger
pains. But, you should stop eating before feeling overly full.
And, do not eat everything that is put before you. So, if your
waiter serves a basket piled high with various breads, do not
feel that you must eat every last morsel. Replace the butter
with olive oil. Since they are likely to have far more calories
than you think, always be careful of desserts. Close your meal
with a bowl of fresh fruit.
Defensive eating entails eating more slowly and gaining greater
awareness of what you are eating. Try keeping a journal that
tracks your food consumption. It may be quite revealing. Have a
snack or appetizer before a meal. It will quell your hunger.
And, to reduce temptation, eliminate foods you should not be
eating from your home.
As I wrote in my book, Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy, “Weight
control isn’t impossible, not does it need to mean deprivation
or a boring, repetitious diet. With conscious effort and
creativity, most people can successfully control their weight
for the long term with an enjoyable but reasonable diet and
daily exercise. A longer, healthier life is definitely worth
the effort.”
Walter C. Willett, M.D./DrPH
Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Chair, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health
Author, Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School
Guide to Healthy Eating
Copyright © 2005, by Weight Loss Buddy Press
About The Author: Joey Dweck is the Founder & CEO of
http://www.WeightLossBuddy.com. a website committed to 24/7
support, expert advice and helping people find a buddy(s) who
will not only help them lose weight but who also help them to
change to a healthier lifestyle. And it’s all Free.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
The Ripple Effect –Treatments for that “C” Word Called Cellulite
The Ripple Effect –Treatments for that “C” Word Called Cellulite
Cellulite – it’s that ugly little problem that causes your skin to look like an orange peel. No one is 100 percent sure what causes cellulite, but it appears to originate from our own female hormone. In fact, nearly 98% of girls develop at least a small amount of cellulite after reaching puberty. Those back-stabbing hormones of ours seem to be triggered during adolescence, when they begin laying down fat, particularly in the hips and the thighs, by enlarging cells.
Lymph fluids then gradually pass through the tissue and accumulate in areas with poor circulation. The fat then becomes compressed and starts to harden into lumps. Over time, these lumps are visible through the skin.
Some experts believe that certain lifestyle factors, such as lack of exercise and taking in high levels of toxins, like alcohol and coffee, increase the likelihood of developing cellulite. Bearing this in mind, the best way to treat cellulite is to live a healthy lifestyle and avoid getting it altogether.
Of course, avoiding getting cellulite isn’t necessarily all that easy. For some women, developing cellulite is simply the result of genetics, a part of the aging process, or due to pregnancy. Furthermore, many of us already have it and just want to know how to get rid of it.
One way to get rid of cellulite is through exercise. Sitting for long periods of time decreases our body’s circulation. In fact, the most stubborn cellulite deposits are often located right in the area where the leg meets the chair while sitting, most likely because this is the area where the circulation was cut off.
A sluggish circulatory makes it more difficult for the blood and the lymphatic system to send oxygen around the system and to remove toxins. Therefore, regular exercise that can is brisk, yet gentle, is one way to treat cellulite. Swimming and walking are great ways to do this.
Cellulite can also be treated with skin brushing and massage. These forms of treatment help to clear and cleanse the lymphatic system by speeding up circulation. This, in turn, gets rid of cellulite that has been building up for a long time in the body cells. A wooden brush with a long handle is needed for skin brushing.
To perform skin brushing successfully, the brushing should be done in an upward direction with firm sweeping strokes. The process should begin at the soles of the feet and gradually move upward on the body. Special attention should be paid to areas that are prone to cellulite. In these areas, the brush strokes should follow a small, circular pattern. Over brushing, however, can irritate the skin and cause reddening.
Weight loss and drinking plenty of water can also help in treating cellulite. Accumulated toxins need to be flushed from the system in order to restore skin tone. The liver, in particular, needs to be cleansed as its job is to help the body filter out toxins. In addition, weight gain will only cause cellulite to worsen. On the other hand, weight loss in a person who is overweight can help decrease the appearance of cellulite.
In addition to these methods, there are several creams and lotions available on the market that claim to aid in the reduction of cellulite. Some of these creams can be costly and have little proven effect on the reduction of cellulite.
A more invasive means of treating cellulite is the use of surgery. Cellulite treatment surgeries, such as liposuction, are available which are capable of removing inches of collected fatty tissue from various parts of the body, including the abdomen, legs, arms, back, neck, and face.
Liposuction does not, however, change the structure of the skin. Therefore, it does not eliminate cellulite forever. In addition, as with any surgery, liposuction has risks. Also, it will not result in the “perfect” body – and it’s not cheap, either. Therefore, it is important to become well-educated about cellulite treatment surgeries before plunging into this form of cellulite treatment.
The dreaded cellulite is very unattractive and no woman is happy to discover a new deposit on her body. Therefore, the best line of defense is prevention – drink plenty of water and exercise regularly to keep your circulation flowing and your body free of toxins.
Georgette Pann
NutriFitness
Cellulite – it’s that ugly little problem that causes your skin to look like an orange peel. No one is 100 percent sure what causes cellulite, but it appears to originate from our own female hormone. In fact, nearly 98% of girls develop at least a small amount of cellulite after reaching puberty. Those back-stabbing hormones of ours seem to be triggered during adolescence, when they begin laying down fat, particularly in the hips and the thighs, by enlarging cells.
Lymph fluids then gradually pass through the tissue and accumulate in areas with poor circulation. The fat then becomes compressed and starts to harden into lumps. Over time, these lumps are visible through the skin.
Some experts believe that certain lifestyle factors, such as lack of exercise and taking in high levels of toxins, like alcohol and coffee, increase the likelihood of developing cellulite. Bearing this in mind, the best way to treat cellulite is to live a healthy lifestyle and avoid getting it altogether.
Of course, avoiding getting cellulite isn’t necessarily all that easy. For some women, developing cellulite is simply the result of genetics, a part of the aging process, or due to pregnancy. Furthermore, many of us already have it and just want to know how to get rid of it.
One way to get rid of cellulite is through exercise. Sitting for long periods of time decreases our body’s circulation. In fact, the most stubborn cellulite deposits are often located right in the area where the leg meets the chair while sitting, most likely because this is the area where the circulation was cut off.
A sluggish circulatory makes it more difficult for the blood and the lymphatic system to send oxygen around the system and to remove toxins. Therefore, regular exercise that can is brisk, yet gentle, is one way to treat cellulite. Swimming and walking are great ways to do this.
Cellulite can also be treated with skin brushing and massage. These forms of treatment help to clear and cleanse the lymphatic system by speeding up circulation. This, in turn, gets rid of cellulite that has been building up for a long time in the body cells. A wooden brush with a long handle is needed for skin brushing.
To perform skin brushing successfully, the brushing should be done in an upward direction with firm sweeping strokes. The process should begin at the soles of the feet and gradually move upward on the body. Special attention should be paid to areas that are prone to cellulite. In these areas, the brush strokes should follow a small, circular pattern. Over brushing, however, can irritate the skin and cause reddening.
Weight loss and drinking plenty of water can also help in treating cellulite. Accumulated toxins need to be flushed from the system in order to restore skin tone. The liver, in particular, needs to be cleansed as its job is to help the body filter out toxins. In addition, weight gain will only cause cellulite to worsen. On the other hand, weight loss in a person who is overweight can help decrease the appearance of cellulite.
In addition to these methods, there are several creams and lotions available on the market that claim to aid in the reduction of cellulite. Some of these creams can be costly and have little proven effect on the reduction of cellulite.
A more invasive means of treating cellulite is the use of surgery. Cellulite treatment surgeries, such as liposuction, are available which are capable of removing inches of collected fatty tissue from various parts of the body, including the abdomen, legs, arms, back, neck, and face.
Liposuction does not, however, change the structure of the skin. Therefore, it does not eliminate cellulite forever. In addition, as with any surgery, liposuction has risks. Also, it will not result in the “perfect” body – and it’s not cheap, either. Therefore, it is important to become well-educated about cellulite treatment surgeries before plunging into this form of cellulite treatment.
The dreaded cellulite is very unattractive and no woman is happy to discover a new deposit on her body. Therefore, the best line of defense is prevention – drink plenty of water and exercise regularly to keep your circulation flowing and your body free of toxins.
Georgette Pann
NutriFitness
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Dieting, Scams And Losing Weight
Richard Keir
I’ve been reading so much stuff on diets and weight loss
that I’ve lost about 15 pounds since I just can’t stand to
eat anything anymore. Not protein, not carbs, not
chocolate, nothing.
And I’m getting very hungry, but for what? It’s
astonishing how many different diets are being pushed. And
then there are the pill, herb, and extract scams. A number
of the fad diets are downright dangerous. Use of zero-cal
sugar substitutes may not only be extremely dangerous, but
there’s some evidence that they may cause weight gains.
I just ran into this site set up by the FTC and the
Competition Bureau of Canada to give us all a vivid lesson
in how some of these scams work and the kind of claims most
fraudulent diet sites use. It’s well worth taking a look
at: http://wemarket4u.net/fatfoe/ and be sure to click on
the order link to see the analysis they provide of the type
of claims you need to be careful of.
If you’re lazy or disinclined to take a look at it, lets
look at some of the usual scam tip-off claims. First, you
can not lose weight by eating all the high calorie food you
want. It sounds too good to be true and it is.
The only - ONLY - way to lose weight is by reducing your
caloric intake and/or increasing how much you exercise to
burn off the calories you take in.
Now that’s annoying, but true. To lose weight you’re
probably going to have to both diet and exercise more.
Any plan that claims you can lose 3 pounds or more a week
is either outright lying or exceptionally dangerous.
Survivable, sustainable and healthy weight takes time - and
effort. day
Nothing exists which blocks “fat or calorie absorption” and
anything that claims to do it is an outright scam.
No weight loss product or system works for everyone. We’re
all different and we need different approaches.
No product can cause permanent weight loss (unless it kills
you of course). Maintaining any weight loss requires a
sensible diet and regular exercise.
Patches, gels and creams — nothing that you apply to your
skin has been proven to cause weight loss.
So why do we continue to fall for this kind of thing? It’s
actually pretty obvious. We all want an easy, fast, no
pain solution to all of our problems. Scam artists use this
to guarantee that what we lose is our money.
The unfortunate truth is that there is no “magic bullet”
for anything. Oh, we want to believe. We want desperately
to believe that we can achieve whatever our dream is
without any pain or hard work. And that desire is the hook
that every con is based on.
Weight loss is no different than getting rich overnight
(with no work). No way. Don’t be conned, if you want to
and need to lose weight there a few simple things you
should do. First - see your doctor and develop a reasonable
diet that reduces your caloric intake and - with medical
approval - start an exercise regimen.
You need to modify your lifestyle and then, to keep the
weight off, you need to maintain a healthy diet and a
rational exercise plan. We may all wish there were an
easier way, but it doesn’t exist.
—————————————————-
Richard writes on a variety of health and e-business
subjects. If you’re interested in low carb (be careful with
this kind of diet, it may be unsafe),
http://www.Carb.Werkz.org has recipes, articles, news and
diet resources. For information and resources in general on
diets and dieting visit http://diet.wyze.info
I’ve been reading so much stuff on diets and weight loss
that I’ve lost about 15 pounds since I just can’t stand to
eat anything anymore. Not protein, not carbs, not
chocolate, nothing.
And I’m getting very hungry, but for what? It’s
astonishing how many different diets are being pushed. And
then there are the pill, herb, and extract scams. A number
of the fad diets are downright dangerous. Use of zero-cal
sugar substitutes may not only be extremely dangerous, but
there’s some evidence that they may cause weight gains.
I just ran into this site set up by the FTC and the
Competition Bureau of Canada to give us all a vivid lesson
in how some of these scams work and the kind of claims most
fraudulent diet sites use. It’s well worth taking a look
at: http://wemarket4u.net/fatfoe/ and be sure to click on
the order link to see the analysis they provide of the type
of claims you need to be careful of.
If you’re lazy or disinclined to take a look at it, lets
look at some of the usual scam tip-off claims. First, you
can not lose weight by eating all the high calorie food you
want. It sounds too good to be true and it is.
The only - ONLY - way to lose weight is by reducing your
caloric intake and/or increasing how much you exercise to
burn off the calories you take in.
Now that’s annoying, but true. To lose weight you’re
probably going to have to both diet and exercise more.
Any plan that claims you can lose 3 pounds or more a week
is either outright lying or exceptionally dangerous.
Survivable, sustainable and healthy weight takes time - and
effort. day
Nothing exists which blocks “fat or calorie absorption” and
anything that claims to do it is an outright scam.
No weight loss product or system works for everyone. We’re
all different and we need different approaches.
No product can cause permanent weight loss (unless it kills
you of course). Maintaining any weight loss requires a
sensible diet and regular exercise.
Patches, gels and creams — nothing that you apply to your
skin has been proven to cause weight loss.
So why do we continue to fall for this kind of thing? It’s
actually pretty obvious. We all want an easy, fast, no
pain solution to all of our problems. Scam artists use this
to guarantee that what we lose is our money.
The unfortunate truth is that there is no “magic bullet”
for anything. Oh, we want to believe. We want desperately
to believe that we can achieve whatever our dream is
without any pain or hard work. And that desire is the hook
that every con is based on.
Weight loss is no different than getting rich overnight
(with no work). No way. Don’t be conned, if you want to
and need to lose weight there a few simple things you
should do. First - see your doctor and develop a reasonable
diet that reduces your caloric intake and - with medical
approval - start an exercise regimen.
You need to modify your lifestyle and then, to keep the
weight off, you need to maintain a healthy diet and a
rational exercise plan. We may all wish there were an
easier way, but it doesn’t exist.
—————————————————-
Richard writes on a variety of health and e-business
subjects. If you’re interested in low carb (be careful with
this kind of diet, it may be unsafe),
http://www.Carb.Werkz.org has recipes, articles, news and
diet resources. For information and resources in general on
diets and dieting visit http://diet.wyze.info
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
How to Eat Well If You're an Athlete
How to Eat Well If You're an Athlete
If you are a sportsman or sportswoman, you need to think
about your diet. This applies to people who have just
started exercising as well as top athletes - there is some
evidence that those in the process of getting fit have a
greater need for certain things - proteins for example -
than already fit athletes in training.
So what is good nutrition for a sporty lifestyle? If you
are exercising you are going to use more calories, so
someone who is not overweight should be eating more than
they do when not keeping fit. A rough guide is that you
need eight and a half Calories per kilogram of weight per
hour. So if you weigh in at 220 pounds (100 kilograms)
you would use 850 Calories during an hour of exercise.
If you are exercising regularly it is not usually a good
idea to cut back on your dietary intake at the same time -
first talk to your physician if you are thinking of doing
so. Generally speaking anyone in training should not aim
to lose more than two or three pounds a week.
Most studies agree that the most important thing when
training, and when cutting back your food intake, is to
maintain a balanced diet. This is the same for athletes
as for the general public.
That means you should be taking in most of your calories
from carbohydrates, which include vegetables, grains,
oats, wheat, rice, bread, pasta, etc. The exact number
that you should aim for is 57% of your diet.
Next, shoot for 30% fats. I don't mean saturated fats, the
type found in butter and vegetable shortening. I mean
healthy fats, the unsaturated version, which you can find in
oily fish like salmon and tuna, avocadoes, almonds and
olive oil.
Thirteen percent of your diet should be protein. Protein
is meat, fish, poultry and nuts. These items are essential
to the body's proper functioning.
Go easy on the junk food, including chocolate, cookies,
fried foods, and chips. Restrict your alcohol intake and
reach instead for water. Eat plenty of fruits and veggies,
as well as whole grains. These elements are the
cornerstones of healthy eating.
If you follow the advice above and make sure to vary up
your diet, you will be getting all the essential nutrients
and won't really need any supplements.
There are, however, a huge number of supplements
currently available. Most of them have not been
scientifically proven to work. Still, some athletes--such
as marathon runners and others in endurance sports--
may require iron supplements. This tends to be the case
with women more so than men, but you can get tested if
you suspect you need more iron.
Consulting a good nutritionist may be a smart idea, too.
And if you're hitting the road, consider supplementing, as
travel food is rarely healthy.
The other common dietary supplement used by many athletes
is an energy snack or drink. These are very useful for
athletes in training since they are often easier to consume
than a full meal. Ideal if you are having trouble eating a
couple of hours before a work out or soon after (both of
which are good ideas). Remember though that these bars and
drinks are packed with calories, so do count towards your
dietary intake.
Nutritionist Ann Sertanze provides expert help through
RHS Nutrition, a
specialist website offering nutritional advice for people
of all ages. Pay Ann a visit at http://www.rhsnutrition.com
If you are a sportsman or sportswoman, you need to think
about your diet. This applies to people who have just
started exercising as well as top athletes - there is some
evidence that those in the process of getting fit have a
greater need for certain things - proteins for example -
than already fit athletes in training.
So what is good nutrition for a sporty lifestyle? If you
are exercising you are going to use more calories, so
someone who is not overweight should be eating more than
they do when not keeping fit. A rough guide is that you
need eight and a half Calories per kilogram of weight per
hour. So if you weigh in at 220 pounds (100 kilograms)
you would use 850 Calories during an hour of exercise.
If you are exercising regularly it is not usually a good
idea to cut back on your dietary intake at the same time -
first talk to your physician if you are thinking of doing
so. Generally speaking anyone in training should not aim
to lose more than two or three pounds a week.
Most studies agree that the most important thing when
training, and when cutting back your food intake, is to
maintain a balanced diet. This is the same for athletes
as for the general public.
That means you should be taking in most of your calories
from carbohydrates, which include vegetables, grains,
oats, wheat, rice, bread, pasta, etc. The exact number
that you should aim for is 57% of your diet.
Next, shoot for 30% fats. I don't mean saturated fats, the
type found in butter and vegetable shortening. I mean
healthy fats, the unsaturated version, which you can find in
oily fish like salmon and tuna, avocadoes, almonds and
olive oil.
Thirteen percent of your diet should be protein. Protein
is meat, fish, poultry and nuts. These items are essential
to the body's proper functioning.
Go easy on the junk food, including chocolate, cookies,
fried foods, and chips. Restrict your alcohol intake and
reach instead for water. Eat plenty of fruits and veggies,
as well as whole grains. These elements are the
cornerstones of healthy eating.
If you follow the advice above and make sure to vary up
your diet, you will be getting all the essential nutrients
and won't really need any supplements.
There are, however, a huge number of supplements
currently available. Most of them have not been
scientifically proven to work. Still, some athletes--such
as marathon runners and others in endurance sports--
may require iron supplements. This tends to be the case
with women more so than men, but you can get tested if
you suspect you need more iron.
Consulting a good nutritionist may be a smart idea, too.
And if you're hitting the road, consider supplementing, as
travel food is rarely healthy.
The other common dietary supplement used by many athletes
is an energy snack or drink. These are very useful for
athletes in training since they are often easier to consume
than a full meal. Ideal if you are having trouble eating a
couple of hours before a work out or soon after (both of
which are good ideas). Remember though that these bars and
drinks are packed with calories, so do count towards your
dietary intake.
Nutritionist Ann Sertanze provides expert help through
RHS Nutrition, a
specialist website offering nutritional advice for people
of all ages. Pay Ann a visit at http://www.rhsnutrition.com
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Sculpt Your Physique
If you are clueless at the gym and yet hungry for plain, good
'ol professional advice to help you on the road to that
sculpted physique of a Greek god, fret not! All you have to do
is to have a solid commitment, use the knowledge gleaned from
this article and you will attain the body you want pronto. But
remember to warm up and cool down, as well as stretching before
and after each session; Or even better, after each set for
better muscle recovery and prevention of injuries.
Use Free Weights instead of Machines More Often
Machines will have its uses, but for a start, concentrate on
free weights. That means work almost exclusively with barbells
and dumb bells. Free weights recruit many stabilizing muscles
for balance and control. That means you will work a lot more
muscle parts other than the intended ones. That will give rise
to little bumps, striations and definitions all over your body
instead of one huge lump of muscle on your intended muscle.
Because of the extra stimulant created, your muscles grow
faster too. Why else do you think all professional body
builders almost exclusively use free weights?
Compound Exercises Instead Of Isolation Exercises
Use as many compound exercises as possible to your workouts.
Compound exercises are exercises that involve 2 or more joint
movements. Because they utilize more joints, that means greater
muscle mass are involved. Greater muscle mass means heavier
weights. Heavier weights means greater muscle gain.
Some excellent compound exercises are the Squat, Deadlift, Chin
ups, Dips, Bench press, Barbell Press, Lunges, Bent-Over Barbell
Row...etc.
Train with Intensity
You must train intensively like a mad man for your muscle to
grow. Try to do more reps or add more weight than the previous
session or your muscles will think, "Ah... we've done that.
Nothing new, so no need to grow bigger and stronger."
Because of this, it is important that every time you train
hard, you give your body time to recover as it has suffered
strains and actually sustained many small scarring. Your
muscles grow when you rest, especially when you sleep and not
in the gym. So sleep at least 8 hours a day. Also, do not train
everyday or work the same muscle group more than once or twice a
week. If your training was vigorous enough, do no more than an
hour per session.
Try not to do cardio work on the same day as your weight
lifting work. In fact, during the muscle building phase, you
should do less cardio work as aerobic exercises burn muscles.
You can increase your cardio work when we come to the cutting
phase, to lose fats and gain rippling definition.
Correct Technique And Form
Everywhere, everyday, you will see people using wrong form and
technique when training with weights. This not only compromises
your growth, it will also make you susceptible to injuries.
Wrong form occurs usually when people try to lift weights that
are too heavy, whether out of vanity or ignorance. As a guide,
always lift with strict focus on the muscle you intend to build
for that particular exercise. Feel it contract and extend. Lift
the weights deliberately and slowly. Never ever swing your
weights up especially when doing bicep curls or the military
press. Lower the weights slowly, taking about 3 seconds instead
of letting gravity pull the weight down. You must fight gravity
to stimulate the muscles, if not, half of your effort is going
to waste. Another common mistake is when people arch their back
when they are doing their bench presses. By arching your back,
you are using your spine to press the weight up. Your back must
be pressed against the bench at all times for the exercise to be
effectively working on your chest! However you MUST arch your
back when doing squats and deadlift.
With some exceptions, as a general rule, if you can lift a
weight in good form for more than 10 reps, it is too light.
Conversely, if you can't lift it more than 5 times in good
form, it is too heavy.
To Grow Fast and Huge, You Must Perform Lower Body Exercises!
This is what most people don't realize. Your lower body makes
up 60-70% of your musculature. If you don't train them, not
only will you look spider-legged, your entire body will not
grow as quickly and as large. Don't think that you can hide
those skinny legs in your pants! Most people do not train their
legs because squats, dead lifts and lunges can be very grueling
exercises. But it is precisely because of such intensity that
you will produce more growth hormones when you sleep and
overall muscular development is stimulated.
EAT and EAT Correctly
Losing weight and building muscles cannot happen at the same
time although there are methods to do so and will be too
technical to describe here. To lose weight, you must have a
caloric deficit. To build muscles, you must have more calories,
period! So do not be afraid to eat. Have plenty of protein,
moderate complex carbs and some good oil like Omega, olive,
flaxseed, fish etc., especially immediately after a workout.
That is when your body is most nutrient hungry and will absorb
whatever you eat very quickly. The longer you delay eating
after a workout, the less effective it will be. Even better,
take quick absorption protein shakes and high glycemic carbs
during this time. The carbs will induce insulin production
almost immediately and shuttle the protein to your muscle cells
very quickly.
Eat about 2 gm of protein for each kg of your bodyweight or 1
gm per pound of your body weight. Spread your meals evenly
throughout the day about 3 hours apart. It is advisable that
you have supplementation of Creatine, Protein, Multivitamins
and L-Glutamine.
Yes, you will probably gain weight, but a lot of it will be
muscle weight because muscles are heavier than fats. You may
also gain some fats because of the extra calories consumed.
Don't worry, it is a happy problem because the more muscles you
have, the easier the fats are to shed when you come to the
cutting up phase to get those rippling definitions.
Easy isn't it? Now that you know the facts, the rest is up to
your determination.
About The Author: Chris Chew is a personal trainer and count
actors, pageant winners, models and other celebrities as his
clients. He runs a fitness training school in Singapore at
http://www.sgfitnessonline.com and has written the book "Burn
Fat Build Muscles Fast." See his books at
http://www.sgfitness.com
'ol professional advice to help you on the road to that
sculpted physique of a Greek god, fret not! All you have to do
is to have a solid commitment, use the knowledge gleaned from
this article and you will attain the body you want pronto. But
remember to warm up and cool down, as well as stretching before
and after each session; Or even better, after each set for
better muscle recovery and prevention of injuries.
Use Free Weights instead of Machines More Often
Machines will have its uses, but for a start, concentrate on
free weights. That means work almost exclusively with barbells
and dumb bells. Free weights recruit many stabilizing muscles
for balance and control. That means you will work a lot more
muscle parts other than the intended ones. That will give rise
to little bumps, striations and definitions all over your body
instead of one huge lump of muscle on your intended muscle.
Because of the extra stimulant created, your muscles grow
faster too. Why else do you think all professional body
builders almost exclusively use free weights?
Compound Exercises Instead Of Isolation Exercises
Use as many compound exercises as possible to your workouts.
Compound exercises are exercises that involve 2 or more joint
movements. Because they utilize more joints, that means greater
muscle mass are involved. Greater muscle mass means heavier
weights. Heavier weights means greater muscle gain.
Some excellent compound exercises are the Squat, Deadlift, Chin
ups, Dips, Bench press, Barbell Press, Lunges, Bent-Over Barbell
Row...etc.
Train with Intensity
You must train intensively like a mad man for your muscle to
grow. Try to do more reps or add more weight than the previous
session or your muscles will think, "Ah... we've done that.
Nothing new, so no need to grow bigger and stronger."
Because of this, it is important that every time you train
hard, you give your body time to recover as it has suffered
strains and actually sustained many small scarring. Your
muscles grow when you rest, especially when you sleep and not
in the gym. So sleep at least 8 hours a day. Also, do not train
everyday or work the same muscle group more than once or twice a
week. If your training was vigorous enough, do no more than an
hour per session.
Try not to do cardio work on the same day as your weight
lifting work. In fact, during the muscle building phase, you
should do less cardio work as aerobic exercises burn muscles.
You can increase your cardio work when we come to the cutting
phase, to lose fats and gain rippling definition.
Correct Technique And Form
Everywhere, everyday, you will see people using wrong form and
technique when training with weights. This not only compromises
your growth, it will also make you susceptible to injuries.
Wrong form occurs usually when people try to lift weights that
are too heavy, whether out of vanity or ignorance. As a guide,
always lift with strict focus on the muscle you intend to build
for that particular exercise. Feel it contract and extend. Lift
the weights deliberately and slowly. Never ever swing your
weights up especially when doing bicep curls or the military
press. Lower the weights slowly, taking about 3 seconds instead
of letting gravity pull the weight down. You must fight gravity
to stimulate the muscles, if not, half of your effort is going
to waste. Another common mistake is when people arch their back
when they are doing their bench presses. By arching your back,
you are using your spine to press the weight up. Your back must
be pressed against the bench at all times for the exercise to be
effectively working on your chest! However you MUST arch your
back when doing squats and deadlift.
With some exceptions, as a general rule, if you can lift a
weight in good form for more than 10 reps, it is too light.
Conversely, if you can't lift it more than 5 times in good
form, it is too heavy.
To Grow Fast and Huge, You Must Perform Lower Body Exercises!
This is what most people don't realize. Your lower body makes
up 60-70% of your musculature. If you don't train them, not
only will you look spider-legged, your entire body will not
grow as quickly and as large. Don't think that you can hide
those skinny legs in your pants! Most people do not train their
legs because squats, dead lifts and lunges can be very grueling
exercises. But it is precisely because of such intensity that
you will produce more growth hormones when you sleep and
overall muscular development is stimulated.
EAT and EAT Correctly
Losing weight and building muscles cannot happen at the same
time although there are methods to do so and will be too
technical to describe here. To lose weight, you must have a
caloric deficit. To build muscles, you must have more calories,
period! So do not be afraid to eat. Have plenty of protein,
moderate complex carbs and some good oil like Omega, olive,
flaxseed, fish etc., especially immediately after a workout.
That is when your body is most nutrient hungry and will absorb
whatever you eat very quickly. The longer you delay eating
after a workout, the less effective it will be. Even better,
take quick absorption protein shakes and high glycemic carbs
during this time. The carbs will induce insulin production
almost immediately and shuttle the protein to your muscle cells
very quickly.
Eat about 2 gm of protein for each kg of your bodyweight or 1
gm per pound of your body weight. Spread your meals evenly
throughout the day about 3 hours apart. It is advisable that
you have supplementation of Creatine, Protein, Multivitamins
and L-Glutamine.
Yes, you will probably gain weight, but a lot of it will be
muscle weight because muscles are heavier than fats. You may
also gain some fats because of the extra calories consumed.
Don't worry, it is a happy problem because the more muscles you
have, the easier the fats are to shed when you come to the
cutting up phase to get those rippling definitions.
Easy isn't it? Now that you know the facts, the rest is up to
your determination.
About The Author: Chris Chew is a personal trainer and count
actors, pageant winners, models and other celebrities as his
clients. He runs a fitness training school in Singapore at
http://www.sgfitnessonline.com and has written the book "Burn
Fat Build Muscles Fast." See his books at
http://www.sgfitness.com
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Ten Tips For Losing Weight And Keeping It Off
Over the years, millions of people have been searching for the secret to successful weight loss. Some do find their way to the Promised Land, but for most, it is more like Ponce de Leon’s search for the Fountain of Youth. They are sure it is there, but it simply cannot be found.
Well, the fact is, there are methods that have been proven to be effective throughout the years, but you just have to know where to look. A lot of times you'll find that some of the answers were right there in front of you all along. Here are some proven ideas that will help you succeed in your journey to shed the extra pounds for good.
Over the years, millions of people have been searching for the secret to successful weight loss. Some do find their way to the Promised Land, but for most, it is more like Ponce de Leon’s search for the Fountain of Youth. They are sure it is there, but it simply cannot be found. Well, the fact is, there are methods that have been proven to be effective throughout the years, but you just have to know where to look. A lot of times you'll find that some of the answers were right there in front of you all along. Here are some proven ideas that will help you succeed in your journey to shed the extra pounds for good.
EXERCISE: This is not a new concept. Exercise has been around for as long as there have been people on the planet. Yet, it remains to be one of the most important tools in determining if you will succeed at long term weight loss. You should try to get in 30 minutes of exercise per day, four to five days per week. Recent research has shown that three 10 minute sessions per day are as effective as one 30 minute session. This is good news for those who use the old adage "no time for exercise" as an excuse for not doing it. The key here is to find forms of exercise that you will enjoy such as walking or jogging with a friend. Join a softball league or a hiking club, or even take some classes at the local gym or YMCA. Once you give exercise a chance, you will start to see and feel the positive changes that you will enjoy for a lifetime.
TRY WEIGHTLIFTING: While this is technically in the exercise area, it is a more specific area of exercise because of the significant weight loss benefits that come with it. Muscle is metabolically active tissue which means the more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn, even at rest. Fat, on the other hand, is not active tissue and so building some extra muscle is a great way to burn fat. Mariam Nelson, a tufts university researcher, found that a group of women who followed a weight loss diet and did weight training exercises lost 44 percent more fat than those who only followed diet alone.
KEEP A DIARY: A large part of why people overeat is due to eating unconsciously. That is, not keeping aware of what you are consuming throughout the day. Keeping a food diary can be a huge asset in successful weight loss. Over a period of several days, you will be able to see what sort of a pattern you have developed. With this you will be able to make positive changes in your eating habits because you will begin to develop a keen awareness about what you are consuming on a day to day basis.
THINK HEALTHY, NOT THIN: Many people who changed their thinking from being thin to being healthy were more successful at long term weight loss. Focus more on eating healthier foods and less on eating "diet" foods. Look to the food pyramid for basic advice on the types and amounts of foods you should eat daily for your nutrient needs.
GET SUPPORT: Quite often, weight loss success comes from receiving encouragement from others. Groups like "Weight Watchers" have reported good results most likely because of the support of others going through the same challenge. You can also check with your local hospital to see if their registered dietitian holds group weight loss programs.
CONTROL YOUR PORTIONS: This is one of the biggest areas of weight loss setback. Our idea of a "normal" portion of a meal has grown to truly epic proportions. Most often, when at the dinner table, we see a nice, big, full plate as a proper size dinner. A foot long sub at the local sub shop seems more common than it's six inch version. Be aware of the amount of food you consume at each sitting. Use a smaller plate at home to help keep the portion down. If you buy a foot long sub, take half of it home for later. At the restaurant, always ask for a take home bag before your meal arrives, then put half of it in the bag as soon as the meal gets to you. The rest is what you should eat and you have a nice meal for later as well.
SLOW DOWN: The speed at which you eat is another major area of weight loss setback. From the time you start to eat, it takes the appropriate hormones around 20 minutes to register the feeling of fullness to your brain. It is usually within these 20 minutes that overeating takes place. One way to combat this is simply to eat slower. Chew your food, take the time to enjoy it and saver each moment. if you do eat faster and you still feel hungry, wait 10-15 minutes before going for seconds. More often than not, you will find by that time, you are no longer hungry.
EAT LESS FAT: Everyone is aware that lowering fat intake is crucial in a weight loss effort. This is because fat packs 9 calories per gram, verses 4 calories per gram for carbohydrates and protein. Now, be aware that cutting out fat but replacing it with foods that have equal amounts of calories overall will be counterproductive. The fact is, cutting back on fat is great but it's the extra calories that make you fat. If you consume more calories than you burn daily, you will gain weight. Eating less fat will help you lose weight. Replacing it with excessive calories from other sources will not.
LOSE THE WEIGHT SLOWLY: Too often people will try to lose as much weight as possible in as short a time as possible. The catch 22 here is, if you lose weight too fast, most of the loss will be from water and muscle, not fat. Since muscle is active tissue that burns calories, losing it is not productive to proper long term weight loss because less muscle = less calorie expenditure. The best goal is to try to lose 1-2 pounds per week. One pound is lost by expending 3500 extra calories. This is done best at the rate of 500 calories per day, which leads to the loss of around 1 or so pounds (of mostly fat) per week.
EAT 5-6 SMALL MEALS, NOT 3 BIGGER ONES: Eating 5-6 smaller meals per day has multiple benefits. First, you will be eating less calories at each sitting. Second, you will be eating more often thus not allowing yourself to feel hungry, inducing "snacking" on extra calories between meals. Third, it takes around 2 1/2 hours or so to digest a meal and eating more often means you will be eating around every 3 hours. This in turn "revs" up your metabolism making you burn even more calories per day while maintaining active muscle tissue.
If you follow some of these tips for weight loss, you will find the road that leads to the body you desire to be a lot less bumpy. Long term weight loss is well within your reach if you simply take the time and make the effort to stay with it and you will find that it gets easier to stay with it as time goes by.
visit NutriFitness for more on workouts and diets.
Well, the fact is, there are methods that have been proven to be effective throughout the years, but you just have to know where to look. A lot of times you'll find that some of the answers were right there in front of you all along. Here are some proven ideas that will help you succeed in your journey to shed the extra pounds for good.
Over the years, millions of people have been searching for the secret to successful weight loss. Some do find their way to the Promised Land, but for most, it is more like Ponce de Leon’s search for the Fountain of Youth. They are sure it is there, but it simply cannot be found. Well, the fact is, there are methods that have been proven to be effective throughout the years, but you just have to know where to look. A lot of times you'll find that some of the answers were right there in front of you all along. Here are some proven ideas that will help you succeed in your journey to shed the extra pounds for good.
EXERCISE: This is not a new concept. Exercise has been around for as long as there have been people on the planet. Yet, it remains to be one of the most important tools in determining if you will succeed at long term weight loss. You should try to get in 30 minutes of exercise per day, four to five days per week. Recent research has shown that three 10 minute sessions per day are as effective as one 30 minute session. This is good news for those who use the old adage "no time for exercise" as an excuse for not doing it. The key here is to find forms of exercise that you will enjoy such as walking or jogging with a friend. Join a softball league or a hiking club, or even take some classes at the local gym or YMCA. Once you give exercise a chance, you will start to see and feel the positive changes that you will enjoy for a lifetime.
TRY WEIGHTLIFTING: While this is technically in the exercise area, it is a more specific area of exercise because of the significant weight loss benefits that come with it. Muscle is metabolically active tissue which means the more muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn, even at rest. Fat, on the other hand, is not active tissue and so building some extra muscle is a great way to burn fat. Mariam Nelson, a tufts university researcher, found that a group of women who followed a weight loss diet and did weight training exercises lost 44 percent more fat than those who only followed diet alone.
KEEP A DIARY: A large part of why people overeat is due to eating unconsciously. That is, not keeping aware of what you are consuming throughout the day. Keeping a food diary can be a huge asset in successful weight loss. Over a period of several days, you will be able to see what sort of a pattern you have developed. With this you will be able to make positive changes in your eating habits because you will begin to develop a keen awareness about what you are consuming on a day to day basis.
THINK HEALTHY, NOT THIN: Many people who changed their thinking from being thin to being healthy were more successful at long term weight loss. Focus more on eating healthier foods and less on eating "diet" foods. Look to the food pyramid for basic advice on the types and amounts of foods you should eat daily for your nutrient needs.
GET SUPPORT: Quite often, weight loss success comes from receiving encouragement from others. Groups like "Weight Watchers" have reported good results most likely because of the support of others going through the same challenge. You can also check with your local hospital to see if their registered dietitian holds group weight loss programs.
CONTROL YOUR PORTIONS: This is one of the biggest areas of weight loss setback. Our idea of a "normal" portion of a meal has grown to truly epic proportions. Most often, when at the dinner table, we see a nice, big, full plate as a proper size dinner. A foot long sub at the local sub shop seems more common than it's six inch version. Be aware of the amount of food you consume at each sitting. Use a smaller plate at home to help keep the portion down. If you buy a foot long sub, take half of it home for later. At the restaurant, always ask for a take home bag before your meal arrives, then put half of it in the bag as soon as the meal gets to you. The rest is what you should eat and you have a nice meal for later as well.
SLOW DOWN: The speed at which you eat is another major area of weight loss setback. From the time you start to eat, it takes the appropriate hormones around 20 minutes to register the feeling of fullness to your brain. It is usually within these 20 minutes that overeating takes place. One way to combat this is simply to eat slower. Chew your food, take the time to enjoy it and saver each moment. if you do eat faster and you still feel hungry, wait 10-15 minutes before going for seconds. More often than not, you will find by that time, you are no longer hungry.
EAT LESS FAT: Everyone is aware that lowering fat intake is crucial in a weight loss effort. This is because fat packs 9 calories per gram, verses 4 calories per gram for carbohydrates and protein. Now, be aware that cutting out fat but replacing it with foods that have equal amounts of calories overall will be counterproductive. The fact is, cutting back on fat is great but it's the extra calories that make you fat. If you consume more calories than you burn daily, you will gain weight. Eating less fat will help you lose weight. Replacing it with excessive calories from other sources will not.
LOSE THE WEIGHT SLOWLY: Too often people will try to lose as much weight as possible in as short a time as possible. The catch 22 here is, if you lose weight too fast, most of the loss will be from water and muscle, not fat. Since muscle is active tissue that burns calories, losing it is not productive to proper long term weight loss because less muscle = less calorie expenditure. The best goal is to try to lose 1-2 pounds per week. One pound is lost by expending 3500 extra calories. This is done best at the rate of 500 calories per day, which leads to the loss of around 1 or so pounds (of mostly fat) per week.
EAT 5-6 SMALL MEALS, NOT 3 BIGGER ONES: Eating 5-6 smaller meals per day has multiple benefits. First, you will be eating less calories at each sitting. Second, you will be eating more often thus not allowing yourself to feel hungry, inducing "snacking" on extra calories between meals. Third, it takes around 2 1/2 hours or so to digest a meal and eating more often means you will be eating around every 3 hours. This in turn "revs" up your metabolism making you burn even more calories per day while maintaining active muscle tissue.
If you follow some of these tips for weight loss, you will find the road that leads to the body you desire to be a lot less bumpy. Long term weight loss is well within your reach if you simply take the time and make the effort to stay with it and you will find that it gets easier to stay with it as time goes by.
visit NutriFitness for more on workouts and diets.
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Inspire Yourself to be in the Best Shape of your Life
The five CRITICAL things to do for your health and weight loss
by Rob Cooper, BTDT
I’m often asked what is the best diet, or the best food
program, best exercise program and which single best book to
recommend to improve your health, fitness or weight loss.
The answer is that there is no best way to do it. There is
no best book, and there is no right way or wrong way to do it.
The 5 Critical things you must do to achieve your health are
these
1. Continue to learn about health, fitness, nutrition and
weight loss from a wide variety of sources
The single most important thing to do right from the start is
to take action and begin learning about health, followed very
closely by putting what you learn into practice. We are a
very diversified bunch of people and what works for you may
not work for the next person. You have to find what works for
you from a wide variety of sources, expand your knowledge and
accept no one thing as being the best for your health. Keep
reading, keep learning and keep what works for you and discard
what doesn’t.
Knowledge isn’t power, but “knowledge in action is power!”
Some very simple things to keep in mind is that the body runs
on food and if you give it the best quality food, in whatever
manor that happens to be, then you’ll probably get some good
results in general. Keep the nutrition to a maximum by eating
as close to nature as possible, organic where possible and
eliminating processed foods and trans fats.
2. Find a mentor.
Someone who’s been there, done that and that you can model .
I realized at quite an early age that if we can model someone
who’s been there and done that and gotten results, then you
can “cut to the chase” as it were to find out what works for
your health and weight loss - what doesn’t and in doing so get
results faster.
Find a mentor, a role model for the things that you’re looking
for. If it’s weight loss or to improve your health, find
someone who’s walked in your footsteps and knows what you’re
going through. Model them. Do what they did, repeat their
process and contact them to ask what worked and what didn’t.
You can save yourself a lot of time and effort by doing what
works and skipping what doesn’t.
3. Apply the knowledge you learn about health on a daily
basis
This is where the taking action part comes in. You must begin
to apply the knowledge you’ve gained from what you’ve read
about health or watched and by talking with people who’ve been
there before you. If you do not put it into practice then
you’ve become an information junkie and not someone who
follows through on their knowledge. You must begin to work
the principles you’ve learned on a daily basis and keep at it.
Without the trial and error, you get nowhere fast and won’t
truly know what works and what doesn’t.
4. Repeat steps one, two and three
Remember, there is no right way or wrong way to lose weight,
improve your health or get what you want. You must continue
to learn and challenge what you’ve read. I’m told that what I
teach is wrong and I ask what were your results when you tried
it? Well, they didn’t try it and so I then ask “what right do
you have to tell me what I teach is wrong”. It may have
worked for me or for many people I coach including yourself,
but without trying it and challenging it, you won’t ever know.
Keep learning about health, keep reading, keep applying what
you’ve read and this new knowledge. Begin the process of
filtering for yourself what will and won’t work for you.
Remember this is about you, not me or the other guy, but what
will help you achieve your weight loss goals or your health.
This may very well be about applying certain fitness
principles that sound so controversy that you figure they
can’t possibly work. One of my favorite sayings is “believe
nothing I say, but I challenge you to prove me wrong”. My
intent is to have you try it.
When I first begun my journey to lose 300 pounds, I read one
book and I preached the principles like they were the gospel.
I was finally told to “shut up” and read something else, so I
took it upon myself to learn whatever I could about health and
weight loss. I began to apply my new knowledge daily, found
people who had used the info before and what they believed
about it, what worked for them for their health and then
discovered for myself what worked.
Finally, I discovered the ultimate secret to health and weight
loss.
5. Never give up.
It never ends. In the large scope of your life, the next 30,
40, 50 or more years, what is a few days if you happen to get
off track. Get right back on doing what you were doing, keep
learning, keep trying new things, go back to what worked when
it was working and keep up with your daily fitness routine.
Probably the single most important fact about exercise or
fitness is that our body is designed to move and we’ve gotten
away from that. We must do something on a daily basis to
exercise our body.
Never give up. Never lose sight of the health you want and
keep working towards your goal.
Rob Cooper shares the secrets to his 300 pound fat loss so
that you too can lose weight, get and remain healthy.
Subscribe to his newsletter for simple, effective tips.
http://www.formerfatguy.com
If you want to learn the fastest and easiest way to lose weight and reverse the aging process, then check out "Fit Over 40: Role Models For Excellence At Any Age".
Get super-motivated today and read:
Fit Over 40: Role Models For Excellence At Any Age
Georgette Pann
NutriFitness
by Rob Cooper, BTDT
I’m often asked what is the best diet, or the best food
program, best exercise program and which single best book to
recommend to improve your health, fitness or weight loss.
The answer is that there is no best way to do it. There is
no best book, and there is no right way or wrong way to do it.
The 5 Critical things you must do to achieve your health are
these
1. Continue to learn about health, fitness, nutrition and
weight loss from a wide variety of sources
The single most important thing to do right from the start is
to take action and begin learning about health, followed very
closely by putting what you learn into practice. We are a
very diversified bunch of people and what works for you may
not work for the next person. You have to find what works for
you from a wide variety of sources, expand your knowledge and
accept no one thing as being the best for your health. Keep
reading, keep learning and keep what works for you and discard
what doesn’t.
Knowledge isn’t power, but “knowledge in action is power!”
Some very simple things to keep in mind is that the body runs
on food and if you give it the best quality food, in whatever
manor that happens to be, then you’ll probably get some good
results in general. Keep the nutrition to a maximum by eating
as close to nature as possible, organic where possible and
eliminating processed foods and trans fats.
2. Find a mentor.
Someone who’s been there, done that and that you can model .
I realized at quite an early age that if we can model someone
who’s been there and done that and gotten results, then you
can “cut to the chase” as it were to find out what works for
your health and weight loss - what doesn’t and in doing so get
results faster.
Find a mentor, a role model for the things that you’re looking
for. If it’s weight loss or to improve your health, find
someone who’s walked in your footsteps and knows what you’re
going through. Model them. Do what they did, repeat their
process and contact them to ask what worked and what didn’t.
You can save yourself a lot of time and effort by doing what
works and skipping what doesn’t.
3. Apply the knowledge you learn about health on a daily
basis
This is where the taking action part comes in. You must begin
to apply the knowledge you’ve gained from what you’ve read
about health or watched and by talking with people who’ve been
there before you. If you do not put it into practice then
you’ve become an information junkie and not someone who
follows through on their knowledge. You must begin to work
the principles you’ve learned on a daily basis and keep at it.
Without the trial and error, you get nowhere fast and won’t
truly know what works and what doesn’t.
4. Repeat steps one, two and three
Remember, there is no right way or wrong way to lose weight,
improve your health or get what you want. You must continue
to learn and challenge what you’ve read. I’m told that what I
teach is wrong and I ask what were your results when you tried
it? Well, they didn’t try it and so I then ask “what right do
you have to tell me what I teach is wrong”. It may have
worked for me or for many people I coach including yourself,
but without trying it and challenging it, you won’t ever know.
Keep learning about health, keep reading, keep applying what
you’ve read and this new knowledge. Begin the process of
filtering for yourself what will and won’t work for you.
Remember this is about you, not me or the other guy, but what
will help you achieve your weight loss goals or your health.
This may very well be about applying certain fitness
principles that sound so controversy that you figure they
can’t possibly work. One of my favorite sayings is “believe
nothing I say, but I challenge you to prove me wrong”. My
intent is to have you try it.
When I first begun my journey to lose 300 pounds, I read one
book and I preached the principles like they were the gospel.
I was finally told to “shut up” and read something else, so I
took it upon myself to learn whatever I could about health and
weight loss. I began to apply my new knowledge daily, found
people who had used the info before and what they believed
about it, what worked for them for their health and then
discovered for myself what worked.
Finally, I discovered the ultimate secret to health and weight
loss.
5. Never give up.
It never ends. In the large scope of your life, the next 30,
40, 50 or more years, what is a few days if you happen to get
off track. Get right back on doing what you were doing, keep
learning, keep trying new things, go back to what worked when
it was working and keep up with your daily fitness routine.
Probably the single most important fact about exercise or
fitness is that our body is designed to move and we’ve gotten
away from that. We must do something on a daily basis to
exercise our body.
Never give up. Never lose sight of the health you want and
keep working towards your goal.
Rob Cooper shares the secrets to his 300 pound fat loss so
that you too can lose weight, get and remain healthy.
Subscribe to his newsletter for simple, effective tips.
http://www.formerfatguy.com
If you want to learn the fastest and easiest way to lose weight and reverse the aging process, then check out "Fit Over 40: Role Models For Excellence At Any Age".
Get super-motivated today and read:
Fit Over 40: Role Models For Excellence At Any Age
Georgette Pann
NutriFitness
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Build Muscles And Smash Plateau For Beginners
Build Muscles And Smash Plateau For Beginners
By Chris Chew
Five times a week, two hours each visit. You've been more
faithful to your gym schedule than you've ever been to any
girlfriend you've had. And for a while it paid off: those
muscles started rippling and the girls started paying
attention.
But then, like a bad dream you wake up from, your muscles
suddenly wasn't growing like what it used to do. Your muscles
stop responding to your heavy workout no matter how intensely
you've been training. So you said to yourself, now I will train
harder. So now you put in three hours a session and but even as
you upped your gym dosage, horrors of horrors, your muscles are
actually shrinking.
Ahhhhh, the Gym Plateau. It afflicts all of us and few of us
ever gotten out of it. In fact, most people don't even know
that they have hit the dreaded plateau and thought that their
muscles can only grow so much due to inherent genetic factors.
Not to worry though, if you read the following fitness tips,
and follow these tips to the latter, I can assure you that your
muscles will start growing again and grow bigger they will.
Here are your free fitness tips.
Fitness Tip #1
Take A Break
This tip is easy to comply for most of us but very difficult
for some gym rats. Simply take a break from your workout. Do
not step into the gym or do any workout for 2 weeks. Its time
to let your body recover from the punishments you are dishing
out to your muscles. Some bodybuilders may find this difficult
to do because working out is addictive. You produce endorphin
when you workout and endorphin is also known as happy hormone.
The same hormone you produce when having sex.
Professional bodybuilders take a break after every 4-5 months
of hard training and when they are back in the gym, they shock
their well rested but complacent muscles back into massive
muscle gain.
Fitness Tip #2
Are you training too often?
If your exercises are intense enough, you need only to train
each muscle group once or twice a week. Your training schedule
shouldn't repeat muscle groups in the same week. Every time you
train, you do your muscles damage. Muscles need time to repair
and it does so in the after your training when you are resting.
This means that if you lift weights on consecutive days, there
isn't sufficient time for the body to recover. Try to have one
day rest between each weight lifting day.
If your routine requires intensive weight training, remember
not to prolong your gym time longer than an hour. This is
because your cortisol, a muscle eating hormone level will be
elevated and thus will be counter productive to your efforts.
It eats your muscles.
Most of all, you must sleep! Eight hours or even better, go for
ten hours. Muscles do not grow in the gym; they grow when you
sleep. When you sleep, you are secreting growth hormones for
many bodily functions and one of those functions is to build
muscles. That is why they called it beauty sleep!
Fitness Tip #3
Are you using the correct weight lifting techniques?
If your technique or form is incorrect, not only is your
training retarded, you are also inviting injury. Don't laugh.
But when you exercise you must think and focus, instead of
mindlessly repeating the motions, do take note of how you
perform each exercise and rep. Do so with deliberation and at
the beginning and end of every lift, pause and squeeze the
muscles you are exercising. Mind and muscle must connect! Never
never use momentum of the swing to lift the weights and let
gravity pull the weight down. That is why you must lift slowly
and lower slowly feeling the tension in your muscles and
resisting the load all the time.
In order for muscles to want to grow, you have to stress them
to the maximum, and then further. Do enough repetitions until
you feel you cannot go any further using good form. You must
then either increase the weight or the number of repetitions at
the next session. This is called progressive overload, and
progressive overload is what forces your muscles to grow. As a
general guide, if you can lift more than 12 reps the weight is
probably too light and it is too heavy if your muscles fail you
in less than 5 reps. You may wish to consult your physical
fitness trainer on the correct form and technique for each
exercise.
Fitness Tip #4
Are you using free weights?
Most machines do not involve as much of the synergistic muscles
(supporting muscles) as free weights do. And, therefore, do not
build as much muscle mass. Synergistic muscles are the smaller
muscles that aid the main muscles in balance and strength in
each lift. Machines has its uses, but for beginners and for
smashing plateaus, use free weights.
Fitness Tip#5
Workout with compound exercises
Compound exercises are exercises that involve 2 or more joint
movements and thereby employing bigger muscles and more
synergistic muscles . Bench presses, dead lifts, squats, and
barbell curls amongst others are fantastic compound exercises .
For example, when you squat , all the muscles in your lower body
get a workout and that alone is about 60 percent of your overall
musculature . Squat also works your back and abs too. Using more
muscles at one go means that you get a better overall workout.
To add icing to the cake, because of the massive utilization of
your muscles , you will pant, huff and sweat more. That means
your routine also has a cardio effect and you will burn
calories even hours after you stepped out of the gym .
Fitness Tip#6
Are you working out your legs?
Your body is programmed to grow proportionately with only
slight variations. If you do not train your legs, your upper
body mass will stop growing before it becomes large. Surely,
you've heard of chicken legs! Just because leg training can be
brutal, it doesn't give you reason to hide your legs in your
pants. To get that super hero X-frame, pepper your routine with
squats . A word of caution though: compound exercises such as
dead lifts, squats, and bench presses must be done in excellent
form and a spotter is highly recommended. This is where your
physical fitness trainer will come in handy as your spotter. If
not, injuries are bound to happen and that may put you
permanently out of the gym.
Fitness Tip#7
What are you eating?
Muscle building requires protein - the more, the better. Meat,
especially red meats and fish, are the best source. It is in
your food that your body will draw nutrients from, for strength
and necessary fats for joint and organ protection.
To have massive muscle gain and help in muscle preservation ,
you need about 2-3 grams of good protein per kilogram of your
body weight . If you want to get serious about muscles , you
may need to supplement them with protein shakes . Eating a meal
and having a protein shake immediately after your workout also
maximizes the window for rapid absorption of nutrients. This is
important as you need to feed the muscles now that you have
damaged them. You should also 6 small meals a day so your
muscles are constantly fed throughout the day. This will help
rev up your metabolism to burn fat too. This will tremendously
help you in your build muscle lose weight program. Remember to
take your protein shake half an hour before you workout too.
Fitness Tip#8
How about Carbs?
Glycogen is the main energy source for any muscle-building
exercise. The body stores whatever carbohydrates you eat as
glycogen and muscles use it to give you energy during your
workout. After an intense workout, do consume carbohydrates
immediately to replace the used glycogen. You can even indulge
in high glycemic carbs such as ice creams and white bread as
these will turn into insulin and shuttles nutrients such as
protein to your muscle cells quickly.
Fitness Tip #9
And Fats?
Yes, your body do need do need fats . But try to avoid
saturated fats such as animal fats or worse, trans fats which
are artificial fats found in pastries, confectionaries and
preserved food. Consume healthy unsaturated fats such as olive
oil, canola oil, fish oils, flax seed oil.
Fitness Tip#10
Water Water is essential.
Water is essential. It is the most underrated macronutrient.
You need at least eight glasses of water every day but when you
exercise , you lose even more water because of the sweating. So
drink before, during and after your workout. Weigh yourself
before and after the workout, and compensate for the loss by
drinking at least 16 ounces of fluid for every pound or half a
kg lost.
Fitness Tip#11
Creatine
While meats are the best source for creatine, which is a
nutrient that helps speed up muscle gain and power you up
during workouts, those who do not get enough from their regular
diet must be supplemented. Creatine puts volume into your muscle
cells and gives you that muscle pump thus your muscles feels
tighter, look bigger and overall illusion of superb muscularity
. It also helps to prevent muscle breakdown.
Fitness Tip#12
Glutamine
When supplemented, it may help bodybuilders reduce the amount
of muscle wasting away or used up as energy. It also helps in
muscle recovery.
Fitness Tip #13
Do you change your routine?
The human body is fantastic at adaptation. So whatever routine
you are on, your body will get used to it. So do change your
routine every 6-8 weeks. For example, instead of working out
your chest muscles at the start of your workout, work your back
muscles instead. You can reverse your whole routine or change
the variations of your exercises or add new ones and take away
some old ones. By changing your routines, you not only shock
your muscles to new growth, it will also prevent boredom by
doing the same thing all the time.
About the Author: Chris Chew is an American Muscle and Fitness
Institute Singapore based personal trainer. He trains models,
pageant winners, actors and other celebrities to look great in
their glamorous professions.Presently, he is running a local
fitness school at http://www.sgfitnessonline.com and written an
ebook "Burn Fat Build Muscles Fast" at http://www.sgfitness.com
Source: http://www.isnare.com
By Chris Chew
Five times a week, two hours each visit. You've been more
faithful to your gym schedule than you've ever been to any
girlfriend you've had. And for a while it paid off: those
muscles started rippling and the girls started paying
attention.
But then, like a bad dream you wake up from, your muscles
suddenly wasn't growing like what it used to do. Your muscles
stop responding to your heavy workout no matter how intensely
you've been training. So you said to yourself, now I will train
harder. So now you put in three hours a session and but even as
you upped your gym dosage, horrors of horrors, your muscles are
actually shrinking.
Ahhhhh, the Gym Plateau. It afflicts all of us and few of us
ever gotten out of it. In fact, most people don't even know
that they have hit the dreaded plateau and thought that their
muscles can only grow so much due to inherent genetic factors.
Not to worry though, if you read the following fitness tips,
and follow these tips to the latter, I can assure you that your
muscles will start growing again and grow bigger they will.
Here are your free fitness tips.
Fitness Tip #1
Take A Break
This tip is easy to comply for most of us but very difficult
for some gym rats. Simply take a break from your workout. Do
not step into the gym or do any workout for 2 weeks. Its time
to let your body recover from the punishments you are dishing
out to your muscles. Some bodybuilders may find this difficult
to do because working out is addictive. You produce endorphin
when you workout and endorphin is also known as happy hormone.
The same hormone you produce when having sex.
Professional bodybuilders take a break after every 4-5 months
of hard training and when they are back in the gym, they shock
their well rested but complacent muscles back into massive
muscle gain.
Fitness Tip #2
Are you training too often?
If your exercises are intense enough, you need only to train
each muscle group once or twice a week. Your training schedule
shouldn't repeat muscle groups in the same week. Every time you
train, you do your muscles damage. Muscles need time to repair
and it does so in the after your training when you are resting.
This means that if you lift weights on consecutive days, there
isn't sufficient time for the body to recover. Try to have one
day rest between each weight lifting day.
If your routine requires intensive weight training, remember
not to prolong your gym time longer than an hour. This is
because your cortisol, a muscle eating hormone level will be
elevated and thus will be counter productive to your efforts.
It eats your muscles.
Most of all, you must sleep! Eight hours or even better, go for
ten hours. Muscles do not grow in the gym; they grow when you
sleep. When you sleep, you are secreting growth hormones for
many bodily functions and one of those functions is to build
muscles. That is why they called it beauty sleep!
Fitness Tip #3
Are you using the correct weight lifting techniques?
If your technique or form is incorrect, not only is your
training retarded, you are also inviting injury. Don't laugh.
But when you exercise you must think and focus, instead of
mindlessly repeating the motions, do take note of how you
perform each exercise and rep. Do so with deliberation and at
the beginning and end of every lift, pause and squeeze the
muscles you are exercising. Mind and muscle must connect! Never
never use momentum of the swing to lift the weights and let
gravity pull the weight down. That is why you must lift slowly
and lower slowly feeling the tension in your muscles and
resisting the load all the time.
In order for muscles to want to grow, you have to stress them
to the maximum, and then further. Do enough repetitions until
you feel you cannot go any further using good form. You must
then either increase the weight or the number of repetitions at
the next session. This is called progressive overload, and
progressive overload is what forces your muscles to grow. As a
general guide, if you can lift more than 12 reps the weight is
probably too light and it is too heavy if your muscles fail you
in less than 5 reps. You may wish to consult your physical
fitness trainer on the correct form and technique for each
exercise.
Fitness Tip #4
Are you using free weights?
Most machines do not involve as much of the synergistic muscles
(supporting muscles) as free weights do. And, therefore, do not
build as much muscle mass. Synergistic muscles are the smaller
muscles that aid the main muscles in balance and strength in
each lift. Machines has its uses, but for beginners and for
smashing plateaus, use free weights.
Fitness Tip#5
Workout with compound exercises
Compound exercises are exercises that involve 2 or more joint
movements and thereby employing bigger muscles and more
synergistic muscles . Bench presses, dead lifts, squats, and
barbell curls amongst others are fantastic compound exercises .
For example, when you squat , all the muscles in your lower body
get a workout and that alone is about 60 percent of your overall
musculature . Squat also works your back and abs too. Using more
muscles at one go means that you get a better overall workout.
To add icing to the cake, because of the massive utilization of
your muscles , you will pant, huff and sweat more. That means
your routine also has a cardio effect and you will burn
calories even hours after you stepped out of the gym .
Fitness Tip#6
Are you working out your legs?
Your body is programmed to grow proportionately with only
slight variations. If you do not train your legs, your upper
body mass will stop growing before it becomes large. Surely,
you've heard of chicken legs! Just because leg training can be
brutal, it doesn't give you reason to hide your legs in your
pants. To get that super hero X-frame, pepper your routine with
squats . A word of caution though: compound exercises such as
dead lifts, squats, and bench presses must be done in excellent
form and a spotter is highly recommended. This is where your
physical fitness trainer will come in handy as your spotter. If
not, injuries are bound to happen and that may put you
permanently out of the gym.
Fitness Tip#7
What are you eating?
Muscle building requires protein - the more, the better. Meat,
especially red meats and fish, are the best source. It is in
your food that your body will draw nutrients from, for strength
and necessary fats for joint and organ protection.
To have massive muscle gain and help in muscle preservation ,
you need about 2-3 grams of good protein per kilogram of your
body weight . If you want to get serious about muscles , you
may need to supplement them with protein shakes . Eating a meal
and having a protein shake immediately after your workout also
maximizes the window for rapid absorption of nutrients. This is
important as you need to feed the muscles now that you have
damaged them. You should also 6 small meals a day so your
muscles are constantly fed throughout the day. This will help
rev up your metabolism to burn fat too. This will tremendously
help you in your build muscle lose weight program. Remember to
take your protein shake half an hour before you workout too.
Fitness Tip#8
How about Carbs?
Glycogen is the main energy source for any muscle-building
exercise. The body stores whatever carbohydrates you eat as
glycogen and muscles use it to give you energy during your
workout. After an intense workout, do consume carbohydrates
immediately to replace the used glycogen. You can even indulge
in high glycemic carbs such as ice creams and white bread as
these will turn into insulin and shuttles nutrients such as
protein to your muscle cells quickly.
Fitness Tip #9
And Fats?
Yes, your body do need do need fats . But try to avoid
saturated fats such as animal fats or worse, trans fats which
are artificial fats found in pastries, confectionaries and
preserved food. Consume healthy unsaturated fats such as olive
oil, canola oil, fish oils, flax seed oil.
Fitness Tip#10
Water Water is essential.
Water is essential. It is the most underrated macronutrient.
You need at least eight glasses of water every day but when you
exercise , you lose even more water because of the sweating. So
drink before, during and after your workout. Weigh yourself
before and after the workout, and compensate for the loss by
drinking at least 16 ounces of fluid for every pound or half a
kg lost.
Fitness Tip#11
Creatine
While meats are the best source for creatine, which is a
nutrient that helps speed up muscle gain and power you up
during workouts, those who do not get enough from their regular
diet must be supplemented. Creatine puts volume into your muscle
cells and gives you that muscle pump thus your muscles feels
tighter, look bigger and overall illusion of superb muscularity
. It also helps to prevent muscle breakdown.
Fitness Tip#12
Glutamine
When supplemented, it may help bodybuilders reduce the amount
of muscle wasting away or used up as energy. It also helps in
muscle recovery.
Fitness Tip #13
Do you change your routine?
The human body is fantastic at adaptation. So whatever routine
you are on, your body will get used to it. So do change your
routine every 6-8 weeks. For example, instead of working out
your chest muscles at the start of your workout, work your back
muscles instead. You can reverse your whole routine or change
the variations of your exercises or add new ones and take away
some old ones. By changing your routines, you not only shock
your muscles to new growth, it will also prevent boredom by
doing the same thing all the time.
About the Author: Chris Chew is an American Muscle and Fitness
Institute Singapore based personal trainer. He trains models,
pageant winners, actors and other celebrities to look great in
their glamorous professions.Presently, he is running a local
fitness school at http://www.sgfitnessonline.com and written an
ebook "Burn Fat Build Muscles Fast" at http://www.sgfitness.com
Source: http://www.isnare.com
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Discover the Truth About Cellulite & How to Treat It
Discover the Truth About Cellulite & How to Treat It
Johnny Lavot
Have you been cursed with those lumpy, cottage cheese like areas
of fat on your thighs, hips, buttocks, and other parts of your
body? There's a good chance; 85% of women are already afflicted
with these same cellulite woes. The term "cellulite" is not a
common term around the medical community - it was actually first
created in European spas. Then, in the early 1970's a man by the
name of Nicole Ronsard published the book Cellulite: Those Lumps,
Bumps, and Bulges You Couldn't Lose Before. The term "cellulite"
then spread throughout America.
If you're like most women, you are probably wondering what causes
cellulite and how you can get rid of it. Well, there are several
factors that contribute to the cause of cellulite. Some of these
factors are age, genetics, your body fat percentage, your level
of hydration, and possibly whether or not you smoke or ingest
caffeine.
One of the most prominent and widely accepted causes of cellulite
has to due with how the skin is constructed and how the fat
around it is situated. In the skin, there are tough strands of
fibrous tissue that connect the skin to the rest of the body
called the "septa". The septa anchors at certain points -
similar to a net. This net of fibrous - the septa - tissue
exists above the layer of fat in your body. However, sometimes
fat makes its way through the holes in this net of fibrous tissue
and therefore plumps the fat outward. This plumping of fat
causes the "cottage cheese" resemblance of cellulite. Many
times, even if a woman has a very low body fat percentage, if the
skin around that area is pinched, then some cellulite can still
remain visible; however, most women probably only care about
cellulite when it is only visible without pinching.
Other reasons/theories exist as to the cause of cellulite, but
the actual cause is probably a combination of more than one
thing. Carole Walderman, aesthetician and president of Von Lee
International School of Aesthetics, in Baltimore, states,
"Cellulite is a combination of fat globules, waste matter, and
water imprisoned in connective tissue." Another theory is that
the makeup of the strands of fibrous tissue in men and women are
different - for instance, a man's net of fibrous tissue forms a
net that is perpendicular, where as a woman's net of fibrous
tissue is formed by X's. Also, the fibrous tissue may be tighter
in women, which would cause a much more pronounced plumping
effect in women in comparison to men.
Treatments for Cellulite
Just Lose the Fat
Since an excessive body fat percentage is probably the most
prominent reason for the cause of cellulite, the best, most
permanent, and most effective course of action is to simply lose
fat. Obviously, there are many options in this area due to the
fact that there are hundreds of diet programs, pills,
supplements, etc. A very effective and recommended (by the
author of this article) program to accomplish this is entitled
"Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle," by Tom Venuto. More information
on "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle" can be found at
http://www.weight-loss-resources.com.
Mechanical Massage
Another popular, and somewhat pricey, treatment for cellulite is
called endermology, or mechanical massage. In this treatment,
layers of cellulite are rolled between rollers and sucked on with
a vacuum with low pressures to "stretch" the septa. The
appearance of cellulite is supposed to become smoother - similar
to if you were to roll cottage cheese between two rollers.
Obviously, the cottage cheese would no longer be as lumpy. There
are many studies going on to determine the effectiveness of these
treatments, but their effectiveness remains questioned.
Water
This is a simple treatment. Drink more water. Carole Walderman,
mentioned above in this article, states, "I have found that a lot
of people who have cellulite don't drink enough water." Even if
water doesn't reduce your appearance of cellulite, it does too
many other important things to be passed up anyway.
Topical Treatments
In the world of health and fitness, there are many marketers
trying to take advantage of consumers who are ready to spend
anything to treat their problems. Many times, products like
these will make vague claims like "improve circulation", "reduce
the appear of cellulite", or "stimulate the release of fat".
These claims sound scientific to the unknowledgeable consumer; I
mean, what is bad about improving circulation? 90% of the time
these marketers will exaggerate claims from poorly designed
studies, claim that a certain ingredient does something special,
but rarely to what degree they accomplish it. Another common
generalization of these products is to "stimulate the release of
fat". There may be one or two studies that verify this, but even
if these products accomplish this, the effect of them is
extremely minimal compared to what intelligent dieting and
exercise can do.
Then again, there is a possibility that some of the ingredients
in topical creams may benefit in reducing cellulite. However,
many times there are several ingredients mixed into one cream.
This makes it extremely hard to find out which ingredient is
actually producing results. If you decide to go this route
(please incorporate diet and exercise too), then ask your
dermatologist before purchasing anything.
(One cream recommended by Revitrol. take a look here.
Nicotine and Caffeine
Another theory that holds investigation is the use of caffeine
and nicotine. You can help aid in your fight against cellulite
by halting the use of these, since they constrict blood vessels.
This theory may need more investigation.
All in all, cellulite is a tough foe. There are several
treatments for it; many of them are a waste of money or have a
very minimal effect. The most effective way to reduce cellulite
is to treat it at the root of its cause - where fat makes it way
through the net of fibrous tissue that makes up your skin to
cause several small pits or domes. The best way to accomplish
this is through intelligent dieting and exercise. You can find
more information on how to diet and exercise intelligently at
http://www.weight-loss-resources.com as well as NutriFitness
Johnny Lavot
Have you been cursed with those lumpy, cottage cheese like areas
of fat on your thighs, hips, buttocks, and other parts of your
body? There's a good chance; 85% of women are already afflicted
with these same cellulite woes. The term "cellulite" is not a
common term around the medical community - it was actually first
created in European spas. Then, in the early 1970's a man by the
name of Nicole Ronsard published the book Cellulite: Those Lumps,
Bumps, and Bulges You Couldn't Lose Before. The term "cellulite"
then spread throughout America.
If you're like most women, you are probably wondering what causes
cellulite and how you can get rid of it. Well, there are several
factors that contribute to the cause of cellulite. Some of these
factors are age, genetics, your body fat percentage, your level
of hydration, and possibly whether or not you smoke or ingest
caffeine.
One of the most prominent and widely accepted causes of cellulite
has to due with how the skin is constructed and how the fat
around it is situated. In the skin, there are tough strands of
fibrous tissue that connect the skin to the rest of the body
called the "septa". The septa anchors at certain points -
similar to a net. This net of fibrous - the septa - tissue
exists above the layer of fat in your body. However, sometimes
fat makes its way through the holes in this net of fibrous tissue
and therefore plumps the fat outward. This plumping of fat
causes the "cottage cheese" resemblance of cellulite. Many
times, even if a woman has a very low body fat percentage, if the
skin around that area is pinched, then some cellulite can still
remain visible; however, most women probably only care about
cellulite when it is only visible without pinching.
Other reasons/theories exist as to the cause of cellulite, but
the actual cause is probably a combination of more than one
thing. Carole Walderman, aesthetician and president of Von Lee
International School of Aesthetics, in Baltimore, states,
"Cellulite is a combination of fat globules, waste matter, and
water imprisoned in connective tissue." Another theory is that
the makeup of the strands of fibrous tissue in men and women are
different - for instance, a man's net of fibrous tissue forms a
net that is perpendicular, where as a woman's net of fibrous
tissue is formed by X's. Also, the fibrous tissue may be tighter
in women, which would cause a much more pronounced plumping
effect in women in comparison to men.
Treatments for Cellulite
Just Lose the Fat
Since an excessive body fat percentage is probably the most
prominent reason for the cause of cellulite, the best, most
permanent, and most effective course of action is to simply lose
fat. Obviously, there are many options in this area due to the
fact that there are hundreds of diet programs, pills,
supplements, etc. A very effective and recommended (by the
author of this article) program to accomplish this is entitled
"Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle," by Tom Venuto. More information
on "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle" can be found at
http://www.weight-loss-resources.com.
Mechanical Massage
Another popular, and somewhat pricey, treatment for cellulite is
called endermology, or mechanical massage. In this treatment,
layers of cellulite are rolled between rollers and sucked on with
a vacuum with low pressures to "stretch" the septa. The
appearance of cellulite is supposed to become smoother - similar
to if you were to roll cottage cheese between two rollers.
Obviously, the cottage cheese would no longer be as lumpy. There
are many studies going on to determine the effectiveness of these
treatments, but their effectiveness remains questioned.
Water
This is a simple treatment. Drink more water. Carole Walderman,
mentioned above in this article, states, "I have found that a lot
of people who have cellulite don't drink enough water." Even if
water doesn't reduce your appearance of cellulite, it does too
many other important things to be passed up anyway.
Topical Treatments
In the world of health and fitness, there are many marketers
trying to take advantage of consumers who are ready to spend
anything to treat their problems. Many times, products like
these will make vague claims like "improve circulation", "reduce
the appear of cellulite", or "stimulate the release of fat".
These claims sound scientific to the unknowledgeable consumer; I
mean, what is bad about improving circulation? 90% of the time
these marketers will exaggerate claims from poorly designed
studies, claim that a certain ingredient does something special,
but rarely to what degree they accomplish it. Another common
generalization of these products is to "stimulate the release of
fat". There may be one or two studies that verify this, but even
if these products accomplish this, the effect of them is
extremely minimal compared to what intelligent dieting and
exercise can do.
Then again, there is a possibility that some of the ingredients
in topical creams may benefit in reducing cellulite. However,
many times there are several ingredients mixed into one cream.
This makes it extremely hard to find out which ingredient is
actually producing results. If you decide to go this route
(please incorporate diet and exercise too), then ask your
dermatologist before purchasing anything.
(One cream recommended by Revitrol. take a look here.
Nicotine and Caffeine
Another theory that holds investigation is the use of caffeine
and nicotine. You can help aid in your fight against cellulite
by halting the use of these, since they constrict blood vessels.
This theory may need more investigation.
All in all, cellulite is a tough foe. There are several
treatments for it; many of them are a waste of money or have a
very minimal effect. The most effective way to reduce cellulite
is to treat it at the root of its cause - where fat makes it way
through the net of fibrous tissue that makes up your skin to
cause several small pits or domes. The best way to accomplish
this is through intelligent dieting and exercise. You can find
more information on how to diet and exercise intelligently at
http://www.weight-loss-resources.com as well as NutriFitness
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
The 3 Hidden Keys To Rapidly Burning Stubborn Fat
Copyright 2005 Faisal Khetani
You’re about to learn three “power tips” for burning fat
that fitness models, athletes, & high profile personal
trainers use to bring out those sexy abs, arms, & thighs in
no time…
Honestly, I’m a little sick and tired of hearing the same
old “top ten fat loss tips” circulating in magazines and on
websites…
You’re smart enough to realize that regular exercise and
dieting will help you lose fat, but you’re looking for
better advice, something powerful yet easy to follow. The
following tips offer the solution you’ve been looking for:
Tip 1:
Replace breads, pastas, & rice with fruits and vegetables.
No, this is not the atkins diet, because you are not
avoiding carbs, you’re just replacing the “types” of carbs
you eat.
Fruits and vegetables provide a very fast burning source of
carbohydrates, which means that they are used up by your
body for energy rather than being stored and converted to
fat.
Basically, by eating fruits and vegetables, you’ll have a
lot of energy throughout the day…
Conventional sources of carbs, such as breads, rice, &
pasta, are notoriously slow burning sources of carbs, and
eventually convert to fat if not fully utilized for energy.
Additionally, most breads and pasta are highly processed
and un-nutritious, so its not a good idea to consume them
for proper nutrition reasons anyways.
Lastly, fruits and vegetables are 70-80% water, which means
that by eating them you’ll stay properly hydrated
throughout the day. Also, they are high in fiber and
enzymes, so consuming them throughout the day literally
causes the fat to “melt away”.
As a general rule, eat at least 10 servings of fruits and
vegetables a day! Whenever you have a craving for something
sweet, grab a fruit! Don’t underestimate the power of this
tip, it is one of the well-kept secrets of fitness models,
bodybuilders, and celebrities worldwide.
Tip 2:
Drink at least 16 glasses of PURIFIED water a day.
The truth is, 8 glasses is okay for the average person, but
if you want to burn fat as quickly as possible, 16 glasses
will get the job done.
Water helps to supercharge your cells, flush out harmful
toxins, and boost your metabolism.
Consuming a lot of water makes it hard for the fat to
“stick” to your body. However, this doesn’t mean that you
can pig out and expect the water to flush away all the fat.
Additionally, by drinking 16 glasses of water a day, you
most likely won’t have a need for coffee, since your energy
and concentration levels will rise.
Be careful, because tap water is not a good choice.
Ideally, you want to drink purified water, either through a
commercial filter or boiled. Your very best bet, by far, is
natural spring water, since it has the balance of minerals
that mother-nature has perfected.
Boxers and athletes drink tons of water a few weeks before
“game time”, to get as lean as possible…
Tip 3:
Do 20 Minutes of Light Resistance Training Before Your
Cardio…
If you want to burn up to 200% more fat during you aerobic
or cardio workout routine, then you must do a light session
of weight lifting or resistance training for about 20
minutes.
Your body does not burn fat for the first 20 minutes of any
exercise! Thats right, if you run for 20 minutes without
doing any exercise before-hand, you will only be burning
glycogen, not fat. Glycogen is the source of energy used by
your muscles.
Basically, you have to elevate your heart rate for at least
20 minutes before your body starts burning fat…
The best way to elevate your heart rate and kick-start your
metabolism is to do light resistance training for about 20
minutes before your cardio routine. What this does is two
things:
1) You break that 20 minute “plateau” your body needs to
start burning fat.
2) You raise your metabolism 100-200%, which means that
while you do your cardio/aerobic routine, you’ll literally
burn up to twice more fat.
Resistance, or weight training boosts your metabolism like
no other form of exercise, often for a period of 24 hours
or more. So, your body will burn fat even while you sleep,
as your muscles recover overnight.
Now you know why all those successful “aerobic videos”
usually make you use resistance bands or small dumbbells as
part of the workout routines.
You can use resistance bands, free weights, or machines.
Keep in mind that you must do “light” resistance training
so you still have plenty of energy to run or do cardio.
To see fast results from your workout routines, definitely
follow this strategy for maximum fat loss.
RECAP: Okay, so lets summarize the three “power tips” for
rapid fat loss:
1) Replace breads, pasta, & vegetables with fruits and
vegetables
2) Drink 16 glasses of purified water or spring water a day
3) Do 20 minutes of light weight lifting (resistance
training) before your cardio routine
The only thing left now is for you to go out and “get em’
tiger”. These specific strategies will drop the pant sizes
and bring out the curves faster than you can buy a new
wardrobe.
—————————————————-
Faisal Khetani is a health and fitness consultant, and
editor of the Dream Body Fitness Newsletter. Check out his
website for scientific workout routines that deliver fast,
maximum results:http://www.weight-lifting-workout-routines.com/Fat-Loss
You’re about to learn three “power tips” for burning fat
that fitness models, athletes, & high profile personal
trainers use to bring out those sexy abs, arms, & thighs in
no time…
Honestly, I’m a little sick and tired of hearing the same
old “top ten fat loss tips” circulating in magazines and on
websites…
You’re smart enough to realize that regular exercise and
dieting will help you lose fat, but you’re looking for
better advice, something powerful yet easy to follow. The
following tips offer the solution you’ve been looking for:
Tip 1:
Replace breads, pastas, & rice with fruits and vegetables.
No, this is not the atkins diet, because you are not
avoiding carbs, you’re just replacing the “types” of carbs
you eat.
Fruits and vegetables provide a very fast burning source of
carbohydrates, which means that they are used up by your
body for energy rather than being stored and converted to
fat.
Basically, by eating fruits and vegetables, you’ll have a
lot of energy throughout the day…
Conventional sources of carbs, such as breads, rice, &
pasta, are notoriously slow burning sources of carbs, and
eventually convert to fat if not fully utilized for energy.
Additionally, most breads and pasta are highly processed
and un-nutritious, so its not a good idea to consume them
for proper nutrition reasons anyways.
Lastly, fruits and vegetables are 70-80% water, which means
that by eating them you’ll stay properly hydrated
throughout the day. Also, they are high in fiber and
enzymes, so consuming them throughout the day literally
causes the fat to “melt away”.
As a general rule, eat at least 10 servings of fruits and
vegetables a day! Whenever you have a craving for something
sweet, grab a fruit! Don’t underestimate the power of this
tip, it is one of the well-kept secrets of fitness models,
bodybuilders, and celebrities worldwide.
Tip 2:
Drink at least 16 glasses of PURIFIED water a day.
The truth is, 8 glasses is okay for the average person, but
if you want to burn fat as quickly as possible, 16 glasses
will get the job done.
Water helps to supercharge your cells, flush out harmful
toxins, and boost your metabolism.
Consuming a lot of water makes it hard for the fat to
“stick” to your body. However, this doesn’t mean that you
can pig out and expect the water to flush away all the fat.
Additionally, by drinking 16 glasses of water a day, you
most likely won’t have a need for coffee, since your energy
and concentration levels will rise.
Be careful, because tap water is not a good choice.
Ideally, you want to drink purified water, either through a
commercial filter or boiled. Your very best bet, by far, is
natural spring water, since it has the balance of minerals
that mother-nature has perfected.
Boxers and athletes drink tons of water a few weeks before
“game time”, to get as lean as possible…
Tip 3:
Do 20 Minutes of Light Resistance Training Before Your
Cardio…
If you want to burn up to 200% more fat during you aerobic
or cardio workout routine, then you must do a light session
of weight lifting or resistance training for about 20
minutes.
Your body does not burn fat for the first 20 minutes of any
exercise! Thats right, if you run for 20 minutes without
doing any exercise before-hand, you will only be burning
glycogen, not fat. Glycogen is the source of energy used by
your muscles.
Basically, you have to elevate your heart rate for at least
20 minutes before your body starts burning fat…
The best way to elevate your heart rate and kick-start your
metabolism is to do light resistance training for about 20
minutes before your cardio routine. What this does is two
things:
1) You break that 20 minute “plateau” your body needs to
start burning fat.
2) You raise your metabolism 100-200%, which means that
while you do your cardio/aerobic routine, you’ll literally
burn up to twice more fat.
Resistance, or weight training boosts your metabolism like
no other form of exercise, often for a period of 24 hours
or more. So, your body will burn fat even while you sleep,
as your muscles recover overnight.
Now you know why all those successful “aerobic videos”
usually make you use resistance bands or small dumbbells as
part of the workout routines.
You can use resistance bands, free weights, or machines.
Keep in mind that you must do “light” resistance training
so you still have plenty of energy to run or do cardio.
To see fast results from your workout routines, definitely
follow this strategy for maximum fat loss.
RECAP: Okay, so lets summarize the three “power tips” for
rapid fat loss:
1) Replace breads, pasta, & vegetables with fruits and
vegetables
2) Drink 16 glasses of purified water or spring water a day
3) Do 20 minutes of light weight lifting (resistance
training) before your cardio routine
The only thing left now is for you to go out and “get em’
tiger”. These specific strategies will drop the pant sizes
and bring out the curves faster than you can buy a new
wardrobe.
—————————————————-
Faisal Khetani is a health and fitness consultant, and
editor of the Dream Body Fitness Newsletter. Check out his
website for scientific workout routines that deliver fast,
maximum results:http://www.weight-lifting-workout-routines.com/Fat-Loss
Monday, October 17, 2005
Weight-loss Secrets: The 3 Meal Lie/The Fat Maker&Heart Killer
Weight-loss Secrets: The 3 Meal Lie/The Fat Maker&Heart Killer
Copyright 2005 Jarvis McCrary
Welcome to Weight-Loss Secrets. This article series is
going to consist of common sense conclusions that can be
derived from current research and generally accepted facts.
I won’t waste your time like the scientists that took 2
years to determine that eating fast food makes you fat
(duuuh). At times you may find a lot of these topics VERY
theoretical but since I don�t have millions to dump into
proving the obvious we’ll just have to act ahead of science
and wait for the studies to catch up to common sense 20
years from now.
Want a sample of these common sense health conclusions?
Sure you do……
COMMON-SENSE CONCLUSION: Eat 3 Meals get Fat FAST!
———————————————————–
3 meals sounds logical. You’ve heard it all your life.
Hell, you’ve eaten 3 square meals all your life. But Why!?
Bet you’ve never really given it any thought have you?
What�s more natural than bacon, eggs and sausage with
some flapjacks in the morning? A hamburger for lunch and a
nice steak for dinner?
That doesn't sound sooooo… bad does it?
Except for the fact that it’s the exact opposite of YOUR
nature!!
Think about it. Humans have been around for millions of
years (or 6,000 depending on your religious beliefs) and
for the majority of that existence it required you to catch
your own dinner or you wouldn’t eat.
Think about that for 1 second and the natural eating plan
starts to become clear. If you were a caveman you would get
up in the morning and prepare to hunt for today�s dinner.
Meat was planned to be that evenings feast.
Meat wasn�t there for breakfast or lunch and dinner was a
real maybe. Until the lucky hunter caught meat he ate
things that were a lot easier to catch - fruits and
vegetables!
So a typical day would have the hunter rising and eating
nuts, berries, veggies or fruit (slow-release carbs that
provide continuous energy for the hunt).
During the day the hunter could turn to these same items to
stave off hunger and keep him fueled for the fight without
making him sleepy.
An end of day successful hunt would provide meat and a
feast!
And so it basically went for millions of years….
Can you imagine teleporting a caveman raised like that to
present day America and letting him eat at your table? What
do you think would happen to him when fed your diet of
non-stop meat and between meal snacks? Of course he’d get
fat as a pig!
We’ll the jokes on you. You are that caveman. Your genes
and his share over 99% of the same DNA. You body reacts
just like his would in today's toxic environment.
If I was a caveman you’d better believe that I wouldn’t be
getting up 3 times a day and chasing down some animal just
because its time to eat. My family line probably discovered
that plants were edible.
I know I would have. When cavewife tried to get me up for
the breakfast hunt I’d have snatched the nearest plant ate
it, took a couple chews, taste it. Ummmmm, tastes good. I’m
not sick. Here baby, eat this and give some to the kids.
Wake me up for the next hunt….
See? It doesn't make sense. It really seems natural that
we would only have to hunt and eat meat once a day and
really the body is probably adapted to comfortably going
without meat for days at a time.
Evolution hasn't adapted us to live in today's food
world and probably wont for another couple million years.
The answer is to eat more like our genetic ancestors if we
want improved weight control energy and health.
Heart disease is the #1 killer - 98%+ of those deaths can
be attributed to plaque buildups that cause blockages
leading to heart attack and stroke. - You were born with
clean arteries how did they get so blocked?
Maybe it has something to do with the food we eat. Which
raises another point. In the early 1900’s a doctor could go
his entire career and never see a heart attack.
Huh! Well, what’s so different today? Could processed and
fast-food have anything to do with it? Hmmm…..
America on verge of obesity epidemic - Heart blockages #1
killer
Hmmmmmmm………
Think there’s a link?
Could it be that we’re eating too much meat with saturated
fat that’s clogging our arteries and leading to heart
disease and stroke?
Especially when you consider that primitive man (you)
wasn’t built to processed massive amounts of meat and
chemicals that don�t exist in nature.
Seems logical, it just hasn�t been studied and proven
yet.
I have decided not to wait for the study (and the
possibility of becoming a fatal statistic) and draw logical
conclusions and take pro-health action.
I have seen the positive results of these steps in my own
life and this blog is my way to share these findings with
you.
Common sense science you can live with.
In my next article I’ll show you how I easily work this
tidbit of info into my daily life. Follow natures plan and
you can practically eat all day to keep your energy up and
avoid hunger without having to do anything weird like count
calories, carbs or fat grams.
In the future I’ll share other health vanity issues like
how to eliminate/reduce puffy eyes, EZ exercise programs
and more.
Stay-tuned…
—————————————————-
Jarvis McCrary researches and writes extensively about
natural weight-loss and anti-aging techniques. His latest
book ‘The Science Diet’ and article archive is available at
http://www.the-science-diet.com
Copyright 2005 Jarvis McCrary
Welcome to Weight-Loss Secrets. This article series is
going to consist of common sense conclusions that can be
derived from current research and generally accepted facts.
I won’t waste your time like the scientists that took 2
years to determine that eating fast food makes you fat
(duuuh). At times you may find a lot of these topics VERY
theoretical but since I don�t have millions to dump into
proving the obvious we’ll just have to act ahead of science
and wait for the studies to catch up to common sense 20
years from now.
Want a sample of these common sense health conclusions?
Sure you do……
COMMON-SENSE CONCLUSION: Eat 3 Meals get Fat FAST!
———————————————————–
3 meals sounds logical. You’ve heard it all your life.
Hell, you’ve eaten 3 square meals all your life. But Why!?
Bet you’ve never really given it any thought have you?
What�s more natural than bacon, eggs and sausage with
some flapjacks in the morning? A hamburger for lunch and a
nice steak for dinner?
That doesn't sound sooooo… bad does it?
Except for the fact that it’s the exact opposite of YOUR
nature!!
Think about it. Humans have been around for millions of
years (or 6,000 depending on your religious beliefs) and
for the majority of that existence it required you to catch
your own dinner or you wouldn’t eat.
Think about that for 1 second and the natural eating plan
starts to become clear. If you were a caveman you would get
up in the morning and prepare to hunt for today�s dinner.
Meat was planned to be that evenings feast.
Meat wasn�t there for breakfast or lunch and dinner was a
real maybe. Until the lucky hunter caught meat he ate
things that were a lot easier to catch - fruits and
vegetables!
So a typical day would have the hunter rising and eating
nuts, berries, veggies or fruit (slow-release carbs that
provide continuous energy for the hunt).
During the day the hunter could turn to these same items to
stave off hunger and keep him fueled for the fight without
making him sleepy.
An end of day successful hunt would provide meat and a
feast!
And so it basically went for millions of years….
Can you imagine teleporting a caveman raised like that to
present day America and letting him eat at your table? What
do you think would happen to him when fed your diet of
non-stop meat and between meal snacks? Of course he’d get
fat as a pig!
We’ll the jokes on you. You are that caveman. Your genes
and his share over 99% of the same DNA. You body reacts
just like his would in today's toxic environment.
If I was a caveman you’d better believe that I wouldn’t be
getting up 3 times a day and chasing down some animal just
because its time to eat. My family line probably discovered
that plants were edible.
I know I would have. When cavewife tried to get me up for
the breakfast hunt I’d have snatched the nearest plant ate
it, took a couple chews, taste it. Ummmmm, tastes good. I’m
not sick. Here baby, eat this and give some to the kids.
Wake me up for the next hunt….
See? It doesn't make sense. It really seems natural that
we would only have to hunt and eat meat once a day and
really the body is probably adapted to comfortably going
without meat for days at a time.
Evolution hasn't adapted us to live in today's food
world and probably wont for another couple million years.
The answer is to eat more like our genetic ancestors if we
want improved weight control energy and health.
Heart disease is the #1 killer - 98%+ of those deaths can
be attributed to plaque buildups that cause blockages
leading to heart attack and stroke. - You were born with
clean arteries how did they get so blocked?
Maybe it has something to do with the food we eat. Which
raises another point. In the early 1900’s a doctor could go
his entire career and never see a heart attack.
Huh! Well, what’s so different today? Could processed and
fast-food have anything to do with it? Hmmm…..
America on verge of obesity epidemic - Heart blockages #1
killer
Hmmmmmmm………
Think there’s a link?
Could it be that we’re eating too much meat with saturated
fat that’s clogging our arteries and leading to heart
disease and stroke?
Especially when you consider that primitive man (you)
wasn’t built to processed massive amounts of meat and
chemicals that don�t exist in nature.
Seems logical, it just hasn�t been studied and proven
yet.
I have decided not to wait for the study (and the
possibility of becoming a fatal statistic) and draw logical
conclusions and take pro-health action.
I have seen the positive results of these steps in my own
life and this blog is my way to share these findings with
you.
Common sense science you can live with.
In my next article I’ll show you how I easily work this
tidbit of info into my daily life. Follow natures plan and
you can practically eat all day to keep your energy up and
avoid hunger without having to do anything weird like count
calories, carbs or fat grams.
In the future I’ll share other health vanity issues like
how to eliminate/reduce puffy eyes, EZ exercise programs
and more.
Stay-tuned…
—————————————————-
Jarvis McCrary researches and writes extensively about
natural weight-loss and anti-aging techniques. His latest
book ‘The Science Diet’ and article archive is available at
http://www.the-science-diet.com
How to Eliminate Weight Loss Failure by Lifting Weights: The Secret Everyone Ignores
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click here to view the post.
Monday, October 10, 2005
What Are The Best Exercises For The Golfer?
With all the talk about the players on tour getting stronger
and more flexible, we hear a lot about exercising for golf from
television commentators and read about it in the golf
publications. But what exactly are the best exercises for the
amateur golfer?
A great question that has a good answer, but before we give you
the answer let us provide some background so the answer makes a
little more sense to you. First of all, discussing the golf
swing for the time being will get us rolling.
What exactly is the golf swing? The golf swing is an athletic
movement that requires using of the entire body from “feet to
fingertips” in order to complete the swing. Realize that the
golf swing is not about the club, not just about your grip, or
where your head is during the swing. The golf swing is a
movement that requires your entire body to move through a
sequence of movements with the correct timing. To perform the
“athletic movement” of the golf swing requires the body to
begin at address, move through the actual phases of the golf
swing and complete it with the follow through. In order to
perform this activity with efficiency and repetitively, the
body must have certain physical parameters.
These parameters, as I call them, are actual physical
categories of the body that need to be developed to a certain
level. These categories of the body are the platform from which
the body is able to perform the athletic movement of a golf
swing efficiently. The categories are probably familiar to many
of you, but for the purpose of this article let us briefly run
through them.
The body is required to have certain levels of flexibility,
balance, endurance, strength, and power to complete a golf
swing. If the body lacks in any of the above categories, then
the results will be seen in the golf swing. The results are
usually in the form of poor mechanics, bad shots, or poor
scores on the course. So, now that we know what the connection
is between the “body” and the “swing” let us address the
question about the best exercises for golf.
The Best Exercises for Golf
Let’s say you walk into your local health club and see all the
fancy machines and aerobic machines at the facility to get you
shape. What ones would choose? Would you choose running on the
treadmill for 30 minutes, or would it be better to push out a
couple sets of bench presses? Well, the answer to our question
really lies within the connection between your swing and your
body.
I will tell you that exercises meant to “pump you up!” or give
you that “six pack” are not necessarily the correct exercises
for your golf game. Neither is that weight training program you
used back in high school. So, with those thoughts in mind what
do you think the best exercises for golf are?
Right now we know, in general terms about the golf swing, what
is required of the body for the golf swing and what exercises
are not good for the swing. Armed with that knowledge we can
decipher what the best exercises for golf are for you.
Beginning with flexibility, we know that the entire body must
move through certain ranges of motion to perform an effective
golf swing. And what happens if your body is not able to move
through the required ranges of motion of the golf swing? The
answer: the golf swing will mechanically suffer resulting in
shots that are less than optimal. So part of the exercises that
are good for golfers are flexibility exercises and, even more
so, flexibility exercises that work the muscles used in the
golf swing through the movements involved in the golf swing. So
first and foremost flexibility exercises should be on the top of
your list.
The second category of exercises that would be conducive to the
golf swing would have to do with balance. We hear about balance
in reference to the golf swing all the time. “Stay balanced
through the swing; transfer your weight to maintain balance
during the swing…” But what does balance exactly mean? Balance
is the ability to control your body through a specific movement
pattern. The movement pattern we are discussing just happens to
be the golf swing. We know the importance of balance in
relation to the golf swing, so how do we train our body for
better balance in the golf swing? Before we answer that
question we need to know a little more about balance. Balance
in relation to the body has to do with the connection between
your nerves and muscles. Essentially your nervous system, as a
result of messages sent from your brain, tells your muscles how
to move to maintain the body’s balance. The more efficient your
nerves and muscles are to these messages the greater balance
abilities the body develops. So balance exercises train both
the nervous system and muscular system to become more efficient
at this function. Summing it all up, balance is the second
category of exercises that will assist your golf game.
The third category of exercises that are beneficial to golf
have to do with your muscles. The golf swing requires the
muscles of your body to move through a specific range of motion
(flexibility) and help with your balance capacities. In order to
perform these actions and others, your body needs certain levels
of strength and endurance. The definition of strength is the
ability of the muscles to exert force for the given “athletic
action” (simplified definition but a good working definition
for us). Endurance is the ability of your muscles to do the
same activity over and over again for a specific amount of
time.
First off, let us discuss strength. The golf swing has one
intention of developing club head speed while maintaining
balance through the swing. The muscles in your body must have
enough strength in them to do both. Now, when we discuss
building strength for the golf swing it is NOT the type of
strength needed to bench press 250 lbs. Or squat 500! It is
strength geared towards the improvement of your swing. I refer
to this type of strength as “golf strength.” So when you get to
the gym, performing strength exercises like bench press will not
help your swing. Exercises that train the body in the positions
and through the movements of the golf swing will help your
swing.
In addition to strength, we need to develop endurance in your
muscles. Think of how many swings you may take over the course
of 18 holes. In order for you to be able to swing the club the
same way on the 18th hole as you did on the 1st hole. Your body
has to have high levels of endurance. This will allow your body
to perform the golf swing without getting tired. You develop
endurance similar to how you develop “golf strength.” Utilize
exercises that train the body in the positions and through the
movements of the golf swing. Lighter loads with higher
repetitions will be used for these exercises. The end result
will be the development of “golf endurance.”
The final segment of exercises beneficial to your golf swing is
power training. Power training is geared towards the ability of
your body to generate high levels of club head speed. Power
development by the body is what allows for greater distance on
your shots. Clubs help, golf balls help, but it really comes
down to the piece of machinery, your body, swinging those club
and hitting those golf balls. Development of power for the golf
swing is very similar to the development of “golf strength and
endurance.” It is the utilization of exercises that place your
body in the positions and move you through movements similar to
the golf swing.
Summary
So there you have it, the answer to the types of exercises best
for the improvement of your golf swing. I think you now realize
it is not one exercise, but a group of exercises that
incorporate flexibility, balance, endurance, strength, and
power. A combination of these exercises is what will enhance
your golf swing. Looking for specific exercises? Take a look at
our website NutriFitness
About The Author: Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized
golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA
Tour regularly with 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has
made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing
improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the
website http://www.bioforcegolf.com. Check out his manual and
DVD, Your Body and Your Swing, on BioForceGolf.com. To contact
Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com
and more flexible, we hear a lot about exercising for golf from
television commentators and read about it in the golf
publications. But what exactly are the best exercises for the
amateur golfer?
A great question that has a good answer, but before we give you
the answer let us provide some background so the answer makes a
little more sense to you. First of all, discussing the golf
swing for the time being will get us rolling.
What exactly is the golf swing? The golf swing is an athletic
movement that requires using of the entire body from “feet to
fingertips” in order to complete the swing. Realize that the
golf swing is not about the club, not just about your grip, or
where your head is during the swing. The golf swing is a
movement that requires your entire body to move through a
sequence of movements with the correct timing. To perform the
“athletic movement” of the golf swing requires the body to
begin at address, move through the actual phases of the golf
swing and complete it with the follow through. In order to
perform this activity with efficiency and repetitively, the
body must have certain physical parameters.
These parameters, as I call them, are actual physical
categories of the body that need to be developed to a certain
level. These categories of the body are the platform from which
the body is able to perform the athletic movement of a golf
swing efficiently. The categories are probably familiar to many
of you, but for the purpose of this article let us briefly run
through them.
The body is required to have certain levels of flexibility,
balance, endurance, strength, and power to complete a golf
swing. If the body lacks in any of the above categories, then
the results will be seen in the golf swing. The results are
usually in the form of poor mechanics, bad shots, or poor
scores on the course. So, now that we know what the connection
is between the “body” and the “swing” let us address the
question about the best exercises for golf.
The Best Exercises for Golf
Let’s say you walk into your local health club and see all the
fancy machines and aerobic machines at the facility to get you
shape. What ones would choose? Would you choose running on the
treadmill for 30 minutes, or would it be better to push out a
couple sets of bench presses? Well, the answer to our question
really lies within the connection between your swing and your
body.
I will tell you that exercises meant to “pump you up!” or give
you that “six pack” are not necessarily the correct exercises
for your golf game. Neither is that weight training program you
used back in high school. So, with those thoughts in mind what
do you think the best exercises for golf are?
Right now we know, in general terms about the golf swing, what
is required of the body for the golf swing and what exercises
are not good for the swing. Armed with that knowledge we can
decipher what the best exercises for golf are for you.
Beginning with flexibility, we know that the entire body must
move through certain ranges of motion to perform an effective
golf swing. And what happens if your body is not able to move
through the required ranges of motion of the golf swing? The
answer: the golf swing will mechanically suffer resulting in
shots that are less than optimal. So part of the exercises that
are good for golfers are flexibility exercises and, even more
so, flexibility exercises that work the muscles used in the
golf swing through the movements involved in the golf swing. So
first and foremost flexibility exercises should be on the top of
your list.
The second category of exercises that would be conducive to the
golf swing would have to do with balance. We hear about balance
in reference to the golf swing all the time. “Stay balanced
through the swing; transfer your weight to maintain balance
during the swing…” But what does balance exactly mean? Balance
is the ability to control your body through a specific movement
pattern. The movement pattern we are discussing just happens to
be the golf swing. We know the importance of balance in
relation to the golf swing, so how do we train our body for
better balance in the golf swing? Before we answer that
question we need to know a little more about balance. Balance
in relation to the body has to do with the connection between
your nerves and muscles. Essentially your nervous system, as a
result of messages sent from your brain, tells your muscles how
to move to maintain the body’s balance. The more efficient your
nerves and muscles are to these messages the greater balance
abilities the body develops. So balance exercises train both
the nervous system and muscular system to become more efficient
at this function. Summing it all up, balance is the second
category of exercises that will assist your golf game.
The third category of exercises that are beneficial to golf
have to do with your muscles. The golf swing requires the
muscles of your body to move through a specific range of motion
(flexibility) and help with your balance capacities. In order to
perform these actions and others, your body needs certain levels
of strength and endurance. The definition of strength is the
ability of the muscles to exert force for the given “athletic
action” (simplified definition but a good working definition
for us). Endurance is the ability of your muscles to do the
same activity over and over again for a specific amount of
time.
First off, let us discuss strength. The golf swing has one
intention of developing club head speed while maintaining
balance through the swing. The muscles in your body must have
enough strength in them to do both. Now, when we discuss
building strength for the golf swing it is NOT the type of
strength needed to bench press 250 lbs. Or squat 500! It is
strength geared towards the improvement of your swing. I refer
to this type of strength as “golf strength.” So when you get to
the gym, performing strength exercises like bench press will not
help your swing. Exercises that train the body in the positions
and through the movements of the golf swing will help your
swing.
In addition to strength, we need to develop endurance in your
muscles. Think of how many swings you may take over the course
of 18 holes. In order for you to be able to swing the club the
same way on the 18th hole as you did on the 1st hole. Your body
has to have high levels of endurance. This will allow your body
to perform the golf swing without getting tired. You develop
endurance similar to how you develop “golf strength.” Utilize
exercises that train the body in the positions and through the
movements of the golf swing. Lighter loads with higher
repetitions will be used for these exercises. The end result
will be the development of “golf endurance.”
The final segment of exercises beneficial to your golf swing is
power training. Power training is geared towards the ability of
your body to generate high levels of club head speed. Power
development by the body is what allows for greater distance on
your shots. Clubs help, golf balls help, but it really comes
down to the piece of machinery, your body, swinging those club
and hitting those golf balls. Development of power for the golf
swing is very similar to the development of “golf strength and
endurance.” It is the utilization of exercises that place your
body in the positions and move you through movements similar to
the golf swing.
Summary
So there you have it, the answer to the types of exercises best
for the improvement of your golf swing. I think you now realize
it is not one exercise, but a group of exercises that
incorporate flexibility, balance, endurance, strength, and
power. A combination of these exercises is what will enhance
your golf swing. Looking for specific exercises? Take a look at
our website NutriFitness
About The Author: Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized
golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA
Tour regularly with 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has
made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing
improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the
website http://www.bioforcegolf.com. Check out his manual and
DVD, Your Body and Your Swing, on BioForceGolf.com. To contact
Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Woman and Working Out.
http://thenutrifitness.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For Online Personal Training Programs go to NutriFitness
Bootcamp
NutriFitness Boot Camp includes running, strength training, hill training, stretching, nutrition and more. The NutriFitness secret to shaping up is combining traditionally female aerobics with macho weight training, as well as good nutrition.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For Online Personal Training Programs go to NutriFitness
Bootcamp
NutriFitness Boot Camp includes running, strength training, hill training, stretching, nutrition and more. The NutriFitness secret to shaping up is combining traditionally female aerobics with macho weight training, as well as good nutrition.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Essentail Keys To Losing Weight
One of the most important ways to improve your chances for
long-term health is to keep your weight in a “healthy” range.
It is now well known that excess weight is correlated with a
number of health problems such as cardiovascular disease, some
types of cancer, sleep apnea, adult-onset asthma, diabetes, and
many other medical problems.
When discussing weight, three key questions should be posed.
How much do you weigh in relation to your height? What is your
waist size? And, how much weight have you gained since your
early 20s? Your answers to these questions may strongly
influence your risk for a number of health concerns.
So, what is a healthy weight? It is not always easy to
determine. For example, someone who is tall can carry more
weight than someone who is in the shorter side. One measure
that takes into account varying body heights is the body mass
index (BMI). Calculating your BMI is fairly easy. Begin by
dividing your weight in pounds by your height in inches. Divide
that number by your height in inches. Then, multiply that number
by 703. Unless you are an extremely muscular body bulder, if
your BMI is between 25 and 30 you are considered overweight. If
your BMI is over 30, you are considered obese. Further, many
people who have a BMI between 23 and 25 are not at their
healthiest weight.
There is a good chance that you now weight more than you did in
your 20s. However, you should realize that gaining weight as we
age is not inevitable. It is also not without risk. If you have
gained more than five pounds since your 20s, you have a greater
risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, high blood
pressure, type 2 diabetes, and gallstones. If you have gained
more significant amounts of weight, you have an even higher
risk for these diseases. These facts point to one of the major
problems of the BMI. If you were relatively thin when you were
younger, you may be able to gain a good deal of weight and
still have a BMI that is considered relatively healthy.
There are a number of possible reasons for your weight gain.
These include eating larger amounts of higher caloric food and
living a relatively inactive lifestyle. But your genes may play
a role. And, don’t discount cultural factors, such as feeling
compelled to eat all the food that has been placed on your
plate.
Consider where you store your excess fat. If it tends to
gravitate to your waist and chest, you may be labeled an
“apple.” Or, if it is clustered around the hips and thighs, you
are a “pear.” Fat that accumulates around the waist and chest
increases the risk of high cholesterol, high blood sugar and
heart disease. However, it is probably most useful to test your
waist measurement. If your waist has been expanding, it is time
to evaluate your diet and level of exercise.
If you have determined that you need to lose weight, I would
advise a three-pronged strategy. Start by prioritizing
exercise. There is no real way around it; if you want to lose
weight and maintain the weight loss, you need to participate in
regular exercise. Exercise burns calories that might be
converted into fat, and it builds muscle. An inactive 50-year
old person who has gained 10 pounds has often lost five pounds
of muscle and gained 15 pounds of fat. With this increase in
weight will come a deceleration in the resting metabolism; the
body needs less energy for basic needs and increasing amounts
of food become fat stores. Thus, as more muscle is converted to
fat, it is easier to gain weight.
I highly recommend a daily walk of at least 30 minutes. If you
have the time and inclination, walk even more. To keep yourself
motivated, walk with a friend or listen to books on tape. If you
have a treadmill, watch a video or DVD. In addition to regular
walking, include more activity in your everyday life. Park at
the far end of the lot. Take the stairs instead of the
elevator. Also, consider trying other forms of exercise such as
tennis and swimming.
While beginning your exercise program, you will need to take a
closer look at your diet. I generally recommend a
Mediterranean-type of diet with lots of fruits, vegetables and
whole grains and smaller amounts of meat, poultry and fish.
Most fat should be obtained from olive oil or other vegetable
oils as well as small amount of nuts.
And, you need to practice what I have termed “defensive
eating.” It is best to stop eating before you are stuffed. Of
course, you don’t want to walk around with constant hunger
pains. But, you should stop eating before feeling overly full.
And, do not eat everything that is put before you. So, if your
waiter serves a basket piled high with various breads, do not
feel that you must eat every last morsel. Replace the butter
with olive oil. Since they are likely to have far more calories
than you think, always be careful of desserts. Close your meal
with a bowl of fresh fruit.
Defensive eating entails eating more slowly and gaining greater
awareness of what you are eating. Try keeping a journal that
tracks your food consumption. It may be quite revealing. Have a
snack or appetizer before a meal. It will quell your hunger.
And, to reduce temptation, eliminate foods you should not be
eating from your home.
As I wrote in my book, Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy, “Weight
control isn’t impossible, not does it need to mean deprivation
or a boring, repetitious diet. With conscious effort and
creativity, most people can successfully control their weight
for the long term with an enjoyable but reasonable diet and
daily exercise. A longer, healthier life is definitely worth
the effort.”
Walter C. Willett, M.D./DrPH
Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Chair, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health
Author, Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School
Guide to Healthy Eating
Copyright © 2005, by Weight Loss Buddy Press
About The Author: Joey Dweck is the Founder & CEO of
http://www.WeightLossBuddy.com. a website committed to 24/7
support, expert advice and helping people find a buddy(s) who
will not only help them lose weight but who also help them to
change to a healthier lifestyle. And it's all Free.
long-term health is to keep your weight in a “healthy” range.
It is now well known that excess weight is correlated with a
number of health problems such as cardiovascular disease, some
types of cancer, sleep apnea, adult-onset asthma, diabetes, and
many other medical problems.
When discussing weight, three key questions should be posed.
How much do you weigh in relation to your height? What is your
waist size? And, how much weight have you gained since your
early 20s? Your answers to these questions may strongly
influence your risk for a number of health concerns.
So, what is a healthy weight? It is not always easy to
determine. For example, someone who is tall can carry more
weight than someone who is in the shorter side. One measure
that takes into account varying body heights is the body mass
index (BMI). Calculating your BMI is fairly easy. Begin by
dividing your weight in pounds by your height in inches. Divide
that number by your height in inches. Then, multiply that number
by 703. Unless you are an extremely muscular body bulder, if
your BMI is between 25 and 30 you are considered overweight. If
your BMI is over 30, you are considered obese. Further, many
people who have a BMI between 23 and 25 are not at their
healthiest weight.
There is a good chance that you now weight more than you did in
your 20s. However, you should realize that gaining weight as we
age is not inevitable. It is also not without risk. If you have
gained more than five pounds since your 20s, you have a greater
risk of chronic illnesses such as heart disease, high blood
pressure, type 2 diabetes, and gallstones. If you have gained
more significant amounts of weight, you have an even higher
risk for these diseases. These facts point to one of the major
problems of the BMI. If you were relatively thin when you were
younger, you may be able to gain a good deal of weight and
still have a BMI that is considered relatively healthy.
There are a number of possible reasons for your weight gain.
These include eating larger amounts of higher caloric food and
living a relatively inactive lifestyle. But your genes may play
a role. And, don’t discount cultural factors, such as feeling
compelled to eat all the food that has been placed on your
plate.
Consider where you store your excess fat. If it tends to
gravitate to your waist and chest, you may be labeled an
“apple.” Or, if it is clustered around the hips and thighs, you
are a “pear.” Fat that accumulates around the waist and chest
increases the risk of high cholesterol, high blood sugar and
heart disease. However, it is probably most useful to test your
waist measurement. If your waist has been expanding, it is time
to evaluate your diet and level of exercise.
If you have determined that you need to lose weight, I would
advise a three-pronged strategy. Start by prioritizing
exercise. There is no real way around it; if you want to lose
weight and maintain the weight loss, you need to participate in
regular exercise. Exercise burns calories that might be
converted into fat, and it builds muscle. An inactive 50-year
old person who has gained 10 pounds has often lost five pounds
of muscle and gained 15 pounds of fat. With this increase in
weight will come a deceleration in the resting metabolism; the
body needs less energy for basic needs and increasing amounts
of food become fat stores. Thus, as more muscle is converted to
fat, it is easier to gain weight.
I highly recommend a daily walk of at least 30 minutes. If you
have the time and inclination, walk even more. To keep yourself
motivated, walk with a friend or listen to books on tape. If you
have a treadmill, watch a video or DVD. In addition to regular
walking, include more activity in your everyday life. Park at
the far end of the lot. Take the stairs instead of the
elevator. Also, consider trying other forms of exercise such as
tennis and swimming.
While beginning your exercise program, you will need to take a
closer look at your diet. I generally recommend a
Mediterranean-type of diet with lots of fruits, vegetables and
whole grains and smaller amounts of meat, poultry and fish.
Most fat should be obtained from olive oil or other vegetable
oils as well as small amount of nuts.
And, you need to practice what I have termed “defensive
eating.” It is best to stop eating before you are stuffed. Of
course, you don’t want to walk around with constant hunger
pains. But, you should stop eating before feeling overly full.
And, do not eat everything that is put before you. So, if your
waiter serves a basket piled high with various breads, do not
feel that you must eat every last morsel. Replace the butter
with olive oil. Since they are likely to have far more calories
than you think, always be careful of desserts. Close your meal
with a bowl of fresh fruit.
Defensive eating entails eating more slowly and gaining greater
awareness of what you are eating. Try keeping a journal that
tracks your food consumption. It may be quite revealing. Have a
snack or appetizer before a meal. It will quell your hunger.
And, to reduce temptation, eliminate foods you should not be
eating from your home.
As I wrote in my book, Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy, “Weight
control isn’t impossible, not does it need to mean deprivation
or a boring, repetitious diet. With conscious effort and
creativity, most people can successfully control their weight
for the long term with an enjoyable but reasonable diet and
daily exercise. A longer, healthier life is definitely worth
the effort.”
Walter C. Willett, M.D./DrPH
Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Chair, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health
Author, Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School
Guide to Healthy Eating
Copyright © 2005, by Weight Loss Buddy Press
About The Author: Joey Dweck is the Founder & CEO of
http://www.WeightLossBuddy.com. a website committed to 24/7
support, expert advice and helping people find a buddy(s) who
will not only help them lose weight but who also help them to
change to a healthier lifestyle. And it's all Free.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Weight Loss Myths -- Test Your Fitness IQ
You've tried virtually every "diet" you can think of andstill haven't lose weight. Or, perhaps you've lost weight only toquickly gain it back. You feel like you are in a never-ending battle that you just can't win. Does this sound familiar? Stop beating yourself over the head in frustration! More than likely you just aren't armed with the right informationto help you be successful in reaching your weight loss goals. There are so many diet misnomers floating about that it's easy to feel like your drowning. The first step toward success is distinguishing fact from myth and using the power of knowledge.To help you get started on the path to permanent weight loss and health living read below to learn what's true and what'sfalse in the world of dieting. Take the quiz below to test your knowledge and you'll learn what it really takes to beat the scale. Read each question and answer true or false. Then read below to find out whether or not you guessed right.
1. Skipping Meals Is a Good Idea
2. You Can Spot Reduce Certain Parts of Your Body
3. Eating Late At Night Makes You Fat
4. If Something Is Fat Free, You Can Eat As Much As You Want
5. Eating Less Than 1200 Calories Will Accelerate Weight Loss
6. Salads Are Always A Great Eating Out Choice
7. You Can Lose and Maintain Weight Without Exercise
8. If You Only Lose One Pound A Week You Need A New Diet
9. You Shouldn't Exercise Every Day
10. You Should Wait To Strength Train Until You've Lost Weight
1. False. The idea behind this myth is that you'll consume fewer calories in the entire day. The reality is that you probably will consume at least the same amount, if not more. Skipping a meal lowers your blood sugar. Low blood sugar usually makes you very hungry. In return you end up eating quickly and probably making poor food choices when those hunger pains come a knocking. Eating several small meals per day helps you stabilize blood sugars and control your appetite.
2. False. If you slave over 200 sit ups a day, it still isn'tgoing to get rid of your spare tire. Fat is lost evenly throughout the body. You can't focus on one body part and only work it in an attempt to reduce that fatty area. To help a trouble spot you must focus on overall fitness – aerobic workouts, strength training,good nutrition and more. That's the only way to reduce extra fat.
3. False. Your body doesn't determine your weight based on WHENyou eat. It just cares how much you eat. What's important isdetermining how many calories are coming in versus how many are going out. You need to find the right balance based on how much your eating and exercising. If you take in more calories than you burn, then the extras will be stored as fat. That's true whether you eat atnight or not.
4. False. For the most part, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. Sure, it is a little more complex than that but just keep in mind that for every extra 3,500 calories that you take in and don'tburn off, you will gain a pound. Does it matter if all of those 3,500 calories are fat-free. No! Your body just cares that the extra calories were consumed. Plus, fat makes you feel full. If youdon't eat enough of it, you may find yourself constantly hungry and you may end up consuming more calories than if you had eaten something with fat in it.
5. False. In fact, it may have the opposite effect. Too few calories per day causes your body to adapt to a minimal amount of food, and slows down your metabolic rate. The body may think it's"starving" and actually hold onto every bit of food to ensure survival. Then, when you begin to eat normally, your calorie needs are reduced and you end up gaining more weight even though you are consuming less food.
6. False. Sometimes you'd be better of eating a burger than asalad. Many restaurant salads are dripping in high calorie, high fat dressings. Plus, they often add fatty toppings like croutons and bacon bits. If you are going to choose a salad, be sure the dressing and extras don't sabotage your calorie counting.
7. True. When it comes right down to it, weight loss is about the difference between intake and output. As long as you are burning more calories then you are consuming, then you should be able to lose weight. So, exercise isn't a necessity but it certainly isthe best approach. Study after study has proven that groups that both maintain an appropriate calorie intake and also exercise have better weight loss successes and are better at keeping it off. Plus, exercising provides SO many health benefits it would be crazy not to include it as part of a healthy lifestyle.
8. False. Losing 1 – 2 pounds per week is actually an excellent weight loss rate. If you lose more than that, then it's verylikely that it won't be permanent. You'll just end up gaining itback. When you lose at rapid paces, typically you end up losing water weight and muscle weight. You want to lose fat. So, even thought the scale may show less, you won't be as healthy and won't look as good.
9. True. It's not necessary to exercise every single day of the week. Sure, it's great if you can get some type of physicalactivity in on a daily basis. But, it also is important to give your body rest time to recover and improve. For example, you don't want to lift weights every day working the same muscles. They need time to rest. And, intense cardio workouts daily can wear you down. Resting one day a week can actually help you.
10. False. Strength training is an essential part of good fitness. Virtually everyone should include some type of strength training in their weekly workouts regardless of whether they are wanting to lose weight, just maintain it, or build muscle. And, muscle actually helps your metabolism (e.g. helps you burn calories), so you should do it as part of a weight loss program.
About the author: Lynn Bode is a certified personal trainer specializing in Internet-based fitness programs. She founded Workouts For You, which provides affordable online exercise programs that are custom designed for each individual.
1. Skipping Meals Is a Good Idea
2. You Can Spot Reduce Certain Parts of Your Body
3. Eating Late At Night Makes You Fat
4. If Something Is Fat Free, You Can Eat As Much As You Want
5. Eating Less Than 1200 Calories Will Accelerate Weight Loss
6. Salads Are Always A Great Eating Out Choice
7. You Can Lose and Maintain Weight Without Exercise
8. If You Only Lose One Pound A Week You Need A New Diet
9. You Shouldn't Exercise Every Day
10. You Should Wait To Strength Train Until You've Lost Weight
1. False. The idea behind this myth is that you'll consume fewer calories in the entire day. The reality is that you probably will consume at least the same amount, if not more. Skipping a meal lowers your blood sugar. Low blood sugar usually makes you very hungry. In return you end up eating quickly and probably making poor food choices when those hunger pains come a knocking. Eating several small meals per day helps you stabilize blood sugars and control your appetite.
2. False. If you slave over 200 sit ups a day, it still isn'tgoing to get rid of your spare tire. Fat is lost evenly throughout the body. You can't focus on one body part and only work it in an attempt to reduce that fatty area. To help a trouble spot you must focus on overall fitness – aerobic workouts, strength training,good nutrition and more. That's the only way to reduce extra fat.
3. False. Your body doesn't determine your weight based on WHENyou eat. It just cares how much you eat. What's important isdetermining how many calories are coming in versus how many are going out. You need to find the right balance based on how much your eating and exercising. If you take in more calories than you burn, then the extras will be stored as fat. That's true whether you eat atnight or not.
4. False. For the most part, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. Sure, it is a little more complex than that but just keep in mind that for every extra 3,500 calories that you take in and don'tburn off, you will gain a pound. Does it matter if all of those 3,500 calories are fat-free. No! Your body just cares that the extra calories were consumed. Plus, fat makes you feel full. If youdon't eat enough of it, you may find yourself constantly hungry and you may end up consuming more calories than if you had eaten something with fat in it.
5. False. In fact, it may have the opposite effect. Too few calories per day causes your body to adapt to a minimal amount of food, and slows down your metabolic rate. The body may think it's"starving" and actually hold onto every bit of food to ensure survival. Then, when you begin to eat normally, your calorie needs are reduced and you end up gaining more weight even though you are consuming less food.
6. False. Sometimes you'd be better of eating a burger than asalad. Many restaurant salads are dripping in high calorie, high fat dressings. Plus, they often add fatty toppings like croutons and bacon bits. If you are going to choose a salad, be sure the dressing and extras don't sabotage your calorie counting.
7. True. When it comes right down to it, weight loss is about the difference between intake and output. As long as you are burning more calories then you are consuming, then you should be able to lose weight. So, exercise isn't a necessity but it certainly isthe best approach. Study after study has proven that groups that both maintain an appropriate calorie intake and also exercise have better weight loss successes and are better at keeping it off. Plus, exercising provides SO many health benefits it would be crazy not to include it as part of a healthy lifestyle.
8. False. Losing 1 – 2 pounds per week is actually an excellent weight loss rate. If you lose more than that, then it's verylikely that it won't be permanent. You'll just end up gaining itback. When you lose at rapid paces, typically you end up losing water weight and muscle weight. You want to lose fat. So, even thought the scale may show less, you won't be as healthy and won't look as good.
9. True. It's not necessary to exercise every single day of the week. Sure, it's great if you can get some type of physicalactivity in on a daily basis. But, it also is important to give your body rest time to recover and improve. For example, you don't want to lift weights every day working the same muscles. They need time to rest. And, intense cardio workouts daily can wear you down. Resting one day a week can actually help you.
10. False. Strength training is an essential part of good fitness. Virtually everyone should include some type of strength training in their weekly workouts regardless of whether they are wanting to lose weight, just maintain it, or build muscle. And, muscle actually helps your metabolism (e.g. helps you burn calories), so you should do it as part of a weight loss program.
About the author: Lynn Bode is a certified personal trainer specializing in Internet-based fitness programs. She founded Workouts For You, which provides affordable online exercise programs that are custom designed for each individual.
Monday, September 12, 2005
How to Get in shape without going to the gym
You can get back into shape without the embarassmentof going to a gym or a fitness center.You can lose weight, get stronger and become fit withoutgoing to a fitness center or doing exercise videos at home.The solution is hill walking and bodyweight exercises.Don't stop reading because it sounds too good to be true.Your body was designed to move, so all yo need to do isto make it move by doing simple things that are a naturalpart of what God intended you to do before TV and videogames were invented.Don't know where to start? Try this simple program to getyou started. It only takes 12-14 minutes per day.Find a hill near your home that is not too steep and isabout 400 feet long. Walk briskly up the hill and back downto make 1 repetition. Do this 5 times, up the hill and downand you will get your heart rate up. Once you are done, youwill have walked around 3/4 of a mile. Can't do 5 reps? Doas many as you can, but be smart. Listen to your body andstop if you get light headed.Your hill walking should take you around 15 minutesdepending on your fitness level and how fast you can walk.Once you can do the 5 repetitions without being winded, youshould start jogging up the hill and then eventuallyrunning. Finally you will want to sprint at 3/4 speed upthe hill.Something about sprinting up a hill releases HGH into yourbody and helps you lose weight faster.Walk the hill every other day and be sure to take off oneday per week from exercise completely.On the days that you don't walk the hill, do some pushupsand some deep knee bends. Take your time on both and onlydo 4-5 of each, if you can. Take it slow, if you are likeme you haven't exercised in a while so it will be hard. Ifyou are having a hard time with either the pushups or theknee bends, don't go down as far.Don't understand what I mean? On knee bends only go down5-6 inches like you are getting ready to sit down in achair and then go back up. Very quickly you will noticeyou are getting stronger. Wait a week or so and startfocusing on going a little deeper each week.Only do the pushups and knee bends twice a week.After a week or two, you will start to feel better and seesome changes to your body. They will not be dramatic atfirst, but very soon, everything will start to tighten up.In review, it doesn't matter what exercises you do, juststart doing anything. But start slowly and build. And bepatient. You did not get out of shape overnight and youwon't get back into shape overnight either.Adestratore Didoneita is the author and president ofAllen Fitnesswhich is one of the best websites on the internet forinformation about getting fit. If you want moreinformation please go to: http://www.allenfitness.com
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