5 Reasons Why Women Won't Turn Into Muscle-Bound Freaks From Lifting Weights!

5 Reasons Why Women Won't Turn Into Muscle-Bound
Freaks From Lifting Weights!

By Kyle Battis

 

     "But I don't want to put on a lot of muscle,
I just want to get toned."

I have heard this SO many times it doesn't even
phase me when women say it to me during an initial
consultation. 

For whatever reason, many of these women have been
misled into thinking that resistance training will
have negative effects on their physiques.

Quite the contrary, and in fact, I'll explain to
you why you should be lifting weights if you want
the lean body that you are looking for. 

Read on and learn 5 reasons why you won't turn
into a muscle-bound freak from lifting weights. 


1. Women have 10-20 times LESS testosterone (the
male sex hormone) than men do.  It is very difficult
for females to experience high levels of muscle
hypertrophy (increase in the cross-sectional size of
a muscle) for this and many other reasons. 

2. For women to bulk up to the levels seen in popular
fitness magazines the use of artificial anabolic
steroid injections is required.

3. Many female Powerlifters, Olympic Weightlifters,
Figure Skaters, Ballerinas, Fitness Models, Dancers,
and Olympic athletes already include intense
resistance training in their programs with no such
results.  In fact, these athletes are some of the
leanest and most beautiful women in the world.

4. Another factor that is essential for putting on
muscle mass is an excess of calories throughout the
course of the day.  Bodybuilders truly realize how
difficult it is to put on muscle mass and despite
their best efforts in the gym and a surplus of
thousands of calories every day, they still find it
difficult to put on lean muscle mass.  Why is it
then, that so many females new to exercise believe
that they will explode into muscle-bound freaks as
soon as they pick up a weight?  The answer is simply
bad information spread by misinformed individuals.  

5. The benefits of weight training include an increase
in your resting metabolic rate (which leads to greater
fat-burning potential!), increase bone density
(prevention of Osteopenia and Osteoporosis), an
improved body composition (what some people call
“Toning” and muscle definition), a smaller dress
size, improved insulin resistance, and a myriad of
other benefits! 

I believe that is essential for every female, whether
adolescent, middle-aged, or oldest-of-the-old to be
involved in some sort of progressive resistance
training routine!  A properly designed resistance
training routine can help you achieve the results that
you seek! 

Hopefully theses 5 reasons will open your eyes to
the real benefits of resistance training.  Now, go
hit the gym and start lifting some weights and you
will be moving in the right direction towards a
leaner, healthier physique.

 

Weight Loss Tip: Read & Understand Food Labels

Weight Loss Tip: Read & Understand Food Labels


When you really need to lose weight, it helps tremendously to actually
read the labels of food you're buying and eating. Even better than
reading those labels though, is understanding what they mean.

Many food items these days carry labels boasting how healthy they are
for you: "Low Fat", "Reduced Calorie", and other claims are written
all over the packaging... but do you really know what those claims
mean? You might actually be surprised.

These labels - or claims - are regulated by the FDA. What they
actually mean however, isn't always exactly what they say. For
instance, something marked "Cholesterol Free" might actually have
Cholesterol in it. Takie a look at some of the FDA guidelines and
you'll see what I mean:

* Fat-Free: Less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving, with no added fat
or oil
* Low fat: 3 grams or less of fat per serving
* Less fat: 25% or less fat than the comparison food
* Saturated Fat Free: Less than 0.5 grams of saturated fat and 0.5
grams of trans-fatty acids per serving
* Cholesterol-Free: Less than 2 mg cholesterol per serving, and 2
grams or less saturated fat per serving
* Low Cholesterol: 20 mg or less cholesterol per serving and 2 grams
or less saturated fat per serving
* Reduced Calorie: At least 25% fewer calories per serving than the
comparison food      
* Low Calorie: 40 calories or less per serving
* Extra Lean: Less than 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, and
95 mg of cholesterol per (100 gram) serving of meat, poultry or seafood
* Lean: Less than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 g of saturated fat, and 95 mg
of cholesterol per (100 gram) serving of meat, poultry or seafood
* Light (fat): 50% or less of the fat than in the comparison food (ex:
50% less fat than our regular cheese)
* Light (calories): 1/3 fewer calories than the comparison food
* High-Fiber: 5 grams or more fiber per serving
* Sugar-Free: Less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving
* Sodium-Free or Salt-Free: Less than 5 mg of sodium per serving
* Low Sodium: 140 mg or less per serving
* Very Low Sodium: 35 mg or less per serving
(Source: http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/flg-6a.html)

As you can see, reading the labels becomes very important with most of
the claims made. If someone where to buy a product labeled "Reduced
Fat", they generally think they're eating healthy. But if the product
is normally extremely high in fat, the "reduced" version only has to
have 25% less than the regular one in order to put that claim on their
package. And 25% less than something that's pretty high to begin with
is usually higher than you want for optimal health and weight loss.

The same problems occur with food items labeled "free". Cholesterol
free, sugar free, calorie free, etc. - these are a bit misleading.
When you buy a cholesterol free product, you're not getting zero
cholesterol. You're only getting a small amount, but the point is
you're not getting "zero", which is what the label implies.

So when you're working hard to lose weight, be sure to read the
labels... even on those items that say sugar free, calorie free, or
fat free. And if they actually do have a little bit of sugar, calories
or fat, be sure to factor that in to your overall daily intake. Doing
this one little thing can make a big difference in how fast you lose
weight, as well as how much you lose.


Need more help with your weight loss efforts? HREF="http://www.electronicperceptions.com/adv/dcb/">Click here for an
excellent, safe, and all natural solution.

© 2005, Kathy Burns-Millyard. Kathy is a professional published
writer who covers a variety of popular topics such as health, fitness,
decorating, and gardening. Find more articles by Kathy at HREF="http://www.electronicperceptions.com/new/category/free-content/">http://www.electronicperceptions.com/new/category/free-content

 

 

Alliepilates

In a message dated 1/14/2006 8:42:02 PM Eastern Standard Time, UNITASJ writes:

Why choose Pilates

If you have limited time and an ardent desire to sculpt
your body and get toned, Pilates may be an ideal choice for
you. Like all infomercials, this exercise routine may have
sounded a little suspect at first. Celebrities touted its
amazing capacity to whip the body into shape in only a half
hour a day, three days a week. While any such claim may be
overblown and not apply to everyone, Pilates is certainly a
legitimate and effective workout.

Regularly practicing Pilates increases flexibility of the
body and helps lengthen muscles, actually giving you a
leaner look. This is why Pilates was originally developed
as an exercise form to increase muscle strength for
strenuous performances. Pilates is enjoyable and shows
better results making you wonder why you bothered about
going to the gym earlier and torturing yourself with all
those pull ups and push ups.

The Pilates workout routine involves doing a lot of
stretches. There are different levels of expertise of
Pilate instructors. The routine is like yoga where
maintaining balance, doing stretches, and getting
resistance against your own weight are required. When you
watch someone doing the routine it may seem easy, but it
actually involves a lot of effort.

Pilates besides working on different parts of the body
also works on and strengthens your abdomen, midsection
and lower back muscles. Hence, like yoga, the Pilates
exercise routine is very good for muscle tone and
strength.

Pilate routines are available on DVDs and videos; you can
follow the instructions and include the routine in your
daily exercise schedule. You can even buy different
Pilate routines to bring some variety to your workout
routine. Or you could even take classes with any of the
public or private gyms in your city.

Pilates exercises do seem difficult at first. Even though
you may consider yourself fit and strong, they make your
body feel sore and tested and at times you can actually
feel your muscles tremble. That is because you are
exercising muscles that you normally do not.

You'll definitely find after the first few times that your
muscles strengthen, you are stronger overall, and certain
muscle or joint problems are alleviated as body parts
improve their endurance.


Havard Delcao is the occupier of
ALLIE Pilates
Inc. which is the premier resource for pilates
information. For questions or comments about this
article go to :
http://www.alliepilates.com

 

11 Steps that Absolutely Guarantee you'll have the Body of your Dreams in 90 day

11 Steps that Absolutely Guarantee you'll have the
Body of your Dreams in 90 days or Less!
by: Christopher Guerriero

1. Persistence!

Violate this step and you'll never achieve permanent results. We recently concluded conducted a 10 year study which proves that persistence is the single most important aspect of any diet or exercise program. The study followed a group of people (group #1) who exercised and dieted very strictly, but sporadically and compared those results to a group of people (group #2) who exercised mildly and followed a very basic diet, but this group never varied from their routine. Even though group #2 exercised and dieted far less (but did so persistently) they got 68% better results than those who exercised and dieted VERY STRICTLY but only occasionally.

2. Workout around other people.

Working out with others will get you about 43% faster results!!!

3. Don't take bad advice. 

Take ONLY the advice of those people who look strong & healthy themselves, and, whom you know to be knowledgeable about health & fitness!

4.  ALWAYS keep an eye on your pulse.

When doing aerobic or cardiovascular training! Keeping your pulse inside your 80% target heart rate zone will burn up to 9 times more calories. Dropping below your target heart rate will not burn nearly as many fat calories, and going above your target heart rate may lead to muscle breakdown.

5. Surround yourself with winners.

One of the key qualities of all successful people is that they avoid negative people and they spend the majority of their time surrounded by those who have already achieved what they themselves seek to achieve. So if your goal is to weigh 135 pounds by eating healthy and living an energy full life - then seek out others who already live a healthy lifestyle and weigh 135 pounds. Hanging out with people who just talk about getting in shape but never take persistent action will ensure that you never reach your goal.

6. Know your outcome.

Have specific goals. Get a photo (or several) of what you WILL look like when you reach your goal, then focus only on that image. Quickly erase any negative beliefs or images that may enter into your mind during your day.

7. Increase you water intake.

Water is a key component to life. No living creature can survive without a fresh supply of pure water each and every day. If you do not consume enough fresh water every day, your body will age faster, appear fatter, be more susceptible to germs and colds, lose joint mobility, and much more. Generally speaking, most people who weigh under 150 pounds require no less than 8-10 glasses per day, those who weigh between 150-250 pounds require about 16 glasses per day.

8. Watch where your calories come from. 

Without a doubt, we eat way too much sugar and fat. Moderation was the key in the past, now the key is moderation and the exclusion of junk food. One or two binges per year are generally OK if you are a normal healthy individual, but more is absolutely not OK.

9. Increase the number of meals consumed per day.

On average, you should be eating some form of protein and vegetable combination that's low in fat and high in fiber every 2 -3 hours of the day. Doing so will give you an almost unfair advantage over those who only eat the normal 3 meals (or less) each day.

10. Visualize Clearly and Often.

Design your new body in your mind first. You cannot achieve your idea of the perfect body if you don't have an idea of what the perfect body means to you. Take 10 minutes when you are sure not to be disturbed by people or phone calls, get comfortable, fully relax, then begin to dream about what you will look like when you have achieved your goal. Be specific, what will your calves look like, your legs, your butt, your lower back, your stomach, your chest, your upper back, your shoulders, your neck and your face. Then review this image as often throughout each day as possible (never less than 3x/day).

11. Cardio...Cardio...Cardio.

Cardiovascular exercising does more for the health and the appearance of the human body than any other form of exercise. Learn how much and what type of cardio is right for your particular body. Then refer to step #1 and do it persistently.

   Christopher Guerriero, is the founder of the National Metabolic & Longevity Research Center and a best-selling author, speaker, and coach to millions.  He is creator of the award-winning 'Maximize Your Metabolism' system. To learn more about this step-by-step program, and to sign up for FR*EE how-to articles and F.REE teleseminars, visit www.MaximizeYourMetabolism.com

Five appetite control foods that suppress cravings without adding calories

 

Five appetite control foods that suppress cravings without adding calories

Copyright 2006 Truth Publishing

There is a reality about weight loss that people need to be
aware of. Losing weight requires you to feel hungry from
time to time. There is no way to lose weight without
feeling some degree of hunger. Believe me, I have
exhaustively explored this issue. I have tried appetite
suppressants. I have tried food combinations. I have tried
meal-timing strategies. I have tried just about everything
natural under the sun to eliminate those hunger pangs and
food cravings that you get when you are attempting to lose
weight and there is nothing that completely eliminates
those cravings. Hoodia gordonii helps, as I’ve stated in
previous articles, but it by no means turns off your hunger
like a light switch.

There are many strategies that help reduce hunger: avoiding
refined carbohydrates, getting plenty of natural sunlight
on your skin, drinking large amounts of water on a regular
basis, and getting plenty of fiber in your diet. But there
is nothing that absolutely eliminates hunger. The bottom
line is that if you are going to lose weight, you are going
to experience hunger at one time or another. This is
especially true if you, like me, engage in strength
training. Nothing gets your appetite whipped into a fury
like the leg press.

The key in all this is realizing there’s nothing wrong with
experiencing hunger from time to time. It’s a normal human
response to a decrease in your consumption of calories. The
problem that most people encounter when they feel hungry is
they feel it’s some sort of emergency. It feels like they
are dying or wasting away when, in fact, the body is just
signaling that it doesn’t have enough calories to add new
fat to the fat stores it’s already carrying around. The
first feelings of hunger are really more of a false alarm
than anything to be concerned about. At least from a
logical point of view. (But when you feel like you’re
starving, logic goes out the window, right?)

A person who is aiming for a low percentage of body fat
learns to manage their hunger so that it becomes something
they can live with. In my own experience with losing weight
— and remember, I dropped 50 pounds of body fat using
absolutely no drugs or pharmaceuticals of any kind — I
found that there are several “lifesaving” foods and
beverages you can turn to when you are feeling intense
hunger pains but you don’t want to consume foods that add
significant calories to your daily intake.

These foods and drinks are what I call emergency appetite
control foods. What these foods and beverages have in
common is that they make your stomach feel like it’s full
of calorie-rich foods. But in reality, you are filling your
stomach with foods that contain almost no calories or
carbohydrates. This way, even though your stomach is full,
you are not adding calories to your intake. But your body
is temporarily fooled into thinking you’ve just woofed down
a triple-plate buffet.

In other words, if you eat two cups of cashews versus two
cups of cabbage, your body can’t really tell the difference
for the first few minutes. Your stomach will turn off the
hunger signals thinking you have eaten a large quantity of
food regardless of whether you are eating cabbage or
cashews, but in fact the cabbage may only contain 20
calories while the cashews contain as much as 900 or even
1000 calories. Two cups of cashews provides probably half
the calories you need for the entire day, whereas two cups
of cabbage provides virtually no calories whatsoever. You
burn off the cabbage just digesting it. (Raw cabbage is, in
fact, an outright cure for ulcers. But that’s another
article…)

Emergency appetite control food #1 Fresh drinking water.
That’s right: water is a powerful appetite suppressant and
if you drink an 8-ounce glass of water when you first start
feeling hungry, you will find that it suppresses your
appetite in nearly every case. If you just drink a full
glass of water and have the discipline to wait 10 minutes,
you will find that your appetite is either completely gone
or dramatically reduced.

Your next choice, if water does not do the trick for you,
is to purchase a 32-ounce quart of natural, organic
vegetable broth. You can get organic vegetable broth from
Trader Joe’s, health food stores, or even many of the finer
grocery stores that have a natural health section. The key
is to get organic vegetable broth that does not contain
excitotoxins. These are ingredients that cause neurological
disorders because they overexcite and harm nerve cells.
Those ingredients are MSG, yeast extract, autolyzed yeast
extract, hydrolyzed vegetable proteins, and other similar
ingredients. Warning: watch out for broth products made by
Kitchen Basics. They claim their products don’t contain MSG
or yeast extract, but when I tried their product, I
experienced a massive “MSG headache” that tells me it
contains free glutamic acid that isn’t listed on the label.
(I’m very sensitive to MSG.) The brand of broth I buy is
Trade Joe’s house brand, which does not contain free
glutamic acid.

You can also choose organic chicken broth if you prefer the
flavor of chicken. Once you have that, simply empty the
entire quart into a very large bowl, heat it up and eat it
like soup. You will probably be unable to get through the
entire bowl without feeling full. And how many calories
have you consumed? Not 900 like you get in two cups of
cashews or 1200 like in a big Mac, not even 300 calories
like you get from a typical protein bar, instead you get 20
calories only. That’s right: you can feel full on 20
calories by drinking an entire quart of organic vegetable
broth.

Emergency appetite control food #2 The next best strategy
is to turn to green vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage,
bokchoy, and other leafy vegetables. They have so few
calories that in my own diet, I don’t even count them.
That’s right: I allow myself to eat an unlimited quantity
of any green leafy vegetables without even recording the
number of calories I have consumed. In my book, they are
“free” foods.

It takes just as many calories for your body to digest them
as you get out of the foods themselves. And yet at the same
time, they fill your stomach and make you feel full,
turning off the hunger signals in your brain. You may have
also heard these called “negative calorie foods.”

You can consume these green leafy vegetables in a couple of
ways. Most people don’t like to eat them plain. Instead,
you can fill up a very large bowl (I am talking about
something the size of a family dinner salad bowl) with
lettuce and salad greens, then add only 100 calories worth
of salad dressing. You will want to find some of the lower
calorie salad dressings out there, and of course you want
to avoid MSG, high-fructose corn syrup, and other
ingredients in salad dressings. There are many very good
salad dressings that only have 25 calories per tablespoon.
Using those dressings, you can put four tablespoons of
salad dressing on your salad and start munching away. In a
few minutes, you will feel quite full and yet will have
only consumed 100 calories that count. Remember the
calories for the green leafy vegetables are free. You only
count the calories of the salad dressing itself. This is an
excellent way to fill your stomach and turn off your hunger
signals while only giving yourself 100 calories.

Another strategy that uses green leafy vegetables is to
stir fry them in a pan with no oils whatsoever. Just use
water and flavoring such as onions, garlic and soy sauce.
Simply stir fry all the green vegetables you want, add the
spices and eat it. I do not count the calories in onions or
garlic either, nor do I count the calories in soy sauce
since none of these spices have very high calorie density.
As a result, that entire meal goes in your stomach and
counts for zero calories. Once again, it’s a great way to
curb you appetite without consuming large quantities of
calorie rich food.

Emergency appetite control food #3 This is one of my
favorites: I call it my “instant banana pudding” recipe,
but of course, it’s nothing at all like store-bought
pudding. You’ll need a blender for this one.

Add a quart of soy milk to the blender, then a couple of
scoops of unsweetened banana-flavored simply natural
spirutein soy protein powder. (Sources are listed in the
downloadable book, “Secret Sources.” Add stevia powder as
the sweetener. I also toss in some supergreens powders, but
you may want to avoid that at first, since it’s an acquired
taste (and it turns your banana pudding green).

If you were to blend this up, you’d have a banana-flavored
soy protein shake. But we’re not done yet: while the
blender is running, put in about 1/2 tablespoon of guar gum
powder, plus another 1/2 tablespoon of xanthan gum powder.
These are thickeners. Within seconds, your blender will
start whining and the whole mixture will attain the
consistency of pudding. Now just pour it into a bowl and
eat it like banana pudding! The mixture has near-zero
carbs, no sugars, and is high in soy protein. Plus, it
tastes great and fills you up fast. This is my favorite
choice for a late-night appetite emergency.

You can get guar gum and xanthan gum at a health food
store, or order online at a vitamin supplier.

Emergency appetite control food #4 The next food is
pickles. That’s right, pickles. But I am not talking about
the pickles you find at a regular grocery store. Nearly all
pickles you find in grocery stores contain artificial food
coloring. They have a yellowish tint to them that has been
added through the use of chemical colors. This is not a
natural ingredient and so it is something you want to avoid
purchasing. Instead, you want to buy completely natural
pickles like the ones you get at Trader Joe’s that are made
without artificial colors or flavors and that have an
extremely low calorie count as well. An entire jar of
pickles may give you only 50 calories or so and yet they
can be quite satisfying and take up a considerable amount
of space in your stomach, thereby turning off your appetite
cravings.

Just don’t buy pickles containing any added sugars or
artificial colors. Some pickles are, believe it or not,
loaded with sugar. They’re more like candied cucumbers than
pickles. Read the ingredients labels to be sure what you’re
getting.

By the way, while you’re eating pickles, it’s an excellent
time to take some calcium and mineral supplements, too. The
acidity of the pickles will accelerate the absorption of
calcium.

Emergency appetite control food #5 Here’s an easy one:
apples. Yep, apples. Eat the largest apple you can find.
Sure, you’ll get some calories and some carbs, but the
apple will fill you up for quite a while, and that will
stop you from eating far more calorie-dense foods.

Let me explain why this is such an effective strategy. If
you’re crazy hungry, it’s very easy to reach for some
processed foods (bag of chips, for example) and start
munching away until you’ve consumed 1000 calories or more.
And that’s about half the total calories you need for the
entire day!

But I dare you to try to eat 1000 calories worth of apples.
It’s impossible. You’ll fill up even before reaching 400
calories, probably. Apples are great appetite suppressing
foods because the bulky fiber fills up your stomach and
turns off your appetite control hormones before you
overeat. Plus, apples contain various phytonutrients,
vitamins and minerals. They’re even a decent source of
folic acid.

How to further suppress your appetite One more
supplementary strategy to all of this is that you can
multiply the appetite suppressing effects of all foods by
swallowing a couple of fiber tablets before you begin
eating. Fiber tablets or capsules would include psyllium
husk, glucomannan, oat bran fiber, apple pectin fiber, or
other natural fibers. You can find fiber supplements at any
health food store. Be careful to watch the dosage of the
fiber and drink plenty of water as you take these pills
because without adequate water, they can gum up in your
digestive tract and in extreme cases, they can block your
digestive tract. So, you want to drink plenty of water with
them.

By consuming both the fiber and the water before you start
eating, you’ve already significantly turned off your
appetite. Then by consuming these extremely low caloric
density foods and beverages, you will further suppress your
appetite. You can get an entire meal into your stomach for
100 calories or less and you can trick your brain into
thinking you consumed an all-you-can-eat buffet.

But there’s a catch to all this: in about an hour or so,
your body will figure out that there isn’t much energy in
the food you’ve consumed. Your hunger will begin to return,
but at least you delayed the onset of that hunger by an
hour or more. If you combine this with physical exercise,
you can delay it even further because the very act of
exercising releases stored body fat and converts it back
into blood sugar, which raises your blood sugar level and
suppresses your appetite cravings.

You can also extend the effect of this by taking appetite
suppressant supplements. Hoodia gordonii is one I’ve
reviewed quite extensively, and it is currently increasing
in popularity. My own experience is that hoodia tincture
can help, but even hoodia doesn’t shut off appetite
completely.

Also, you don’t want to starve yourself by eating these
100-calorie meals all day long. Remember, starvation is the
fastest way to train your body to hold on to body fat.
These are just items to get you past a difficult time when
your appetite is unbearably intense.

Each day, you still need to get nutrition into your body in
the form of whole foods and whole food supplements. The
kind of meals I consume are soups made with quinoa, salads
with low-calorie dressing, raw fruits and nuts, or avocado
shakes made by blending avocado with soy milk and stevia.
Of course, I also consume my superfood shakes on a regular
basis. They are made from superfoods green powders such as
Berry Green or The Ultimate Meal.

Overall, keep in mind that weight loss takes effort. You
will experience moments of intense hunger, and these
low-calorie, filling foods are one excellent way to get
through a difficult time without packing on the pounds.

—————————————————-
Mike Adams, “The Health Ranger,” is chief contributor and
editor of the NewsTarget Network, a leading independent
news source for natural health, nutrition, medicine and
other wellness topics. NewsTarget and Webseed.com are
leading information resources for consumers seeking
non-corrupted information on natural health and nutrition.
Other articles can be found easily at
http://www.newstarget.com .

Article brought to you by Georgette Pann http://theNutriFitness.com

Six Common Myths About Weight Training

Six Common Myths About Weight Training Every sport or activity probably has it’s share of useless advice and half-truths that get freely passed on to the newcomers. But when it comes to weight training, there is more time wasted and dangerous mythology told, than any other activity out there! The fact is, there is literally tons of free advice given out in gyms, that if taken for absolute fact, can not only set back your progress, but possibly injure you as well. This sort of thing can lead to frustration and make you think it’s a waste of time to exercise and make you want to quit altogether. But before you fall victim to these "Myths", lets take a look at some of the falsehoods to avoid, so you can train rationally. MYTH # 1 "BIG MUSCLES SLOW YOU DOWN" Muscles are responsible for every movement your body can make. From the blink of an eyelid to getting up and mowing the lawn, it is muscles that provide movement. This "Muscles slow you down" myth comes from the days when the term "Muscle Bound" was used to describe weightlifters and bodybuilders. However, in any given sport or activity, people are finding that a stronger body makes them perform better. Simply put, if you want to swing a bat faster you need more power. If you want to pull yourself up a rope faster you need more power. That power comes from your muscles. MYTH # 2 "MUSCLE ONLY TURNS TO FAT LATER" Muscle tissue and fat tissue are completely different from one another. It is impossible for one to turn into the other. Here is where this myth comes from. Muscle is metabolically active tissue meaning it requires lots of energy to maintain it. A pound of muscle burns around 60 calories per day. If you add ten pounds of muscle to your body, it will need an extra 600 calories daily to maintain the extra mass, this will make you eat more. But, if you stop training, that extra muscle will begin to shrink and you will not need the extra calories you’ve gotten used to eating anymore. And sure enough, if you keep eating like you were when you were training minus the extra muscle, you’ll end up with extra fat on you. MYTH # 3 "YOU NEED TO SHOCK YOUR MUSCLES BY DOING THINGS THEY DON’T EXPECT" This one always gives me a good laugh. The idea behind this myth is that your suppose to change up and do different exercises for each muscle group as a way to surprise them and get a better response from them. Yeah, sure, ok. Let’s look at your biceps muscle for example. Like any other muscle, it attaches at two points on the bone and contracts in one "strait line" direction and relaxes in the other. Period, there is no exception at all. You can lift the bar on a $10,000 machine or lift a box of rocks, your biceps move exactly the same and do not know the difference between what they are lifting. So where is the shock? Your biceps aren’t going to say, today we are lifting dumbbells instead of the bar on a machine so we better put on more size to make up for it! Muscles are not shocked by variation in exercise, they don’t know the difference. They only respond to increases in weight then adapt to handle the extra load. MYTH # 4 "YOU NEED HIGH REPS FOR DEFINATION AND LOW REPS FOR SIZE" A muscle’s shape is predetermined by genetics at birth and cannot be changed. A muscle can only do three things; (1)It can get bigger, (2)It can get smaller or (3)It can stay the same size. The only way to make a muscle bigger is to make it work under progressively heavier loads. To keep it the same size, just keep the weight the same. To make it smaller just stop exercising it altogether. Now the idea that one type of exercise will "Define" muscles and another type of exercise will make it bigger has no basis of reality. Muscle definition is a combination of muscle size and lower body fat. So, if you want better definition you need to make your muscles bigger by using heavier progressive loads and reduce your bodyfat with proper eating and aerobic exercise. High reps may burn more fat as would any long duration exercise, but the low weight you have to use will not make your muscles any bigger. So, it makes more sense to do heavier resistance for size and aerobics for fat burning. Correct this myth by saying: low, heavier reps for size, lower bodyfat for definition. MYTH # 5 "NEW MUSCLE GAINS DIMINSH AFTER 48 HOURS" This myth has led to more wasted time in the gym than the search for Bigfoot! The theory is that you have to work every muscle group every two days or else you’ll start to lose whatever results you got from your previous workouts. This simply is not true. In several clinical studies done on this, it has been found that on average, it will take from between 30 to 90 days for any muscle loss to begin. As long as proper protein consumption remains intact, along with proper overall calorie amounts kept in the proper range. This explains why after a person recovers from an injury, then goes back to the gym after five to six weeks off, they rarely show more than a marginal loss of performance from what they were doing when the injury occurred. If it only took 48 hours for muscle loss to start to take place, imagine how far this person would have digressed and how long it would take for them to catch back up to where they were. MYTH # 6 "FOR BEST RESULTS, YOU NEED TO TRAIN INSTINCTIVLY" This myth is somewhat new and likely came from the new age movement. It is commonly called "Listen to Your Body". Now, listening to your body has it’s part when you feel pain during exercise. But the idea that "Instinct" will tell you whether 15 reps with 120 pounds will work better than 8 reps with 160 pounds is simply shooting in the dark. When the facts given by reason, math and lots of research are right there giving us exact answers for what brings results, why would you rely on something as vague as "Instinct" to guide you? Would runners put down their stopwatches and train by instinct? Would a javelin thrower stop measuring his progress with feet and inches? Certainly not! So, why should you throw away proven tools of reason, math and research in favor of a weight training "Instinct" that has never been proven to exist? Now that you know six of the most common myths to avoid in the gym and you can see how flawed they are, you can spot these, as well as other time wasting pieces of advice and ignore them. Good, sound, productive weight training is easy. What’s hard is seeing past all the bad advice that is freely dispensed in the gym.

Reduce Weight And Lose Body Fat Forever – 10 Commandments

Want to know how to reduce weight fast and lose that weight
forever? Here are the Ten Commandments you need to do to reduce
weight and keep body fat away permanently.

1) Cardio Exercises – Do your cardio exercises frequently.
These can be any exercises that work up your heart rate to the
extent that you are huffing and puffing for at least 20 – 30
minutes. Do your cardio exercises 5-6 times a week if you want
to reduce weight or 2-3 times a week for weight maintenance.

2) Build Muscles – Muscles burn calories even when you are not
doing anything but resting. The more muscle mass you have the
more calories you will burn a day and in the course of over a
period of time, the calories you burnt will add up very
substantially. Building muscle mass is one sure way of losing
body fat forever.

3) Eat Carbs Early – Take your meals with carbs earlier in the
day and cut down on carbs on later meals. This is to prevent
unused carbs from turning into body fat when you sleep and to
regulate insulin level.

4) Don’t be too afraid of fats – The fats in your diet that are
bad for you are saturated and trans fat. So replace these bad
fats with unsaturated fat and essential fatty acids (EFAs) and
these good fats will keep your body fat and fat related
diseases down. But do take your fats in moderation as after
all, they are still calorie laden.

5) Complex Carbs – Choose your carbs. Avoid starchy and refined
carbs such as pasta, pizza, white rice and white bread. Replace
them with brown rice, brown bread and high fiber carbs like
green leafy vegetables.

6) Food Portion – Decide how much you want to eat at each meal
and then keep to it and do not eat anymore when that portion is
consumed. Eat slowly to let your body signal to your brain that
you are full. This usually takes about 20 minutes. Extra food
means extra and calories mean extra body fat if the food is not
converted to energy.

7) Avoid Canned Or Boxed Food – These food are usually high in
trans fat, sodium, sugar and simple carbs all of which will
help you to gain weight and body fat.

8) Eat Often – By eating often, say at every 3 hourly
intervals, your body will think that food is abundant and
therefore less likely to store body fat for emergency such as a
famine. But do bear in mind to keep the portion small so as not
to consume more calories than you expand.

9) Get 8 Hours Sleep – Research after research has shown that
people with less sleep are more prone to being fat.

10) Do Not Skip Meals – Skipping meals will slow your
metabolism and forcing your body to use your muscles for energy
instead of your body fat. This is a vicious cycle, the less
muscle you have, the more your metabolism slows down.

There you are. By committing to these 10 commandments, not only
will you reduce weight but will lose your body fat forever.


About The Author: Chris Chew is a personal trainer of actors,
male pageant winners and top models. Read more of his fitness
tips at http://www.sgfitness.com and
http://www.sgfitnessonline.com

 

Cellulite Treatments – Vital Facts And Information

 

Cellulite is a common term used to describe overfilled fat
pockets right under your skin. These are fat cells that have
become enlarged causing these cells to take up more space
between the skin's connective tissues than normal. The fat then
expands these spaces resulting in the overlying skin dimpling,
often called the orange peel effect.

It appears in ninety percent of post-adolescent women and is
rarely seen in men. Common areas where cellulite is found, are
the thighs, buttocks, and the abdomen. Contrary to popular
belief, cellulite is not related to obesity, since it occurs in
overweight, normal, and thin women. Cellulite causes many image
problems and many women avoid wearing short skirts or shorts
because of it.

Some of the contributing factors for developing cellulite are:

Heredity. However, you can still do a lot to fight cellulite.

Not drinking enough water. Water helps flush toxins and waste
from your body. Drink seven to eight glasses of water a day.

Diet. Poor eating habits (alcohol, caffeine, spicy or fatty
foods) contribute to the formation of cellulite because the
toxins they produce get trapped in the fatty tissue. Saturated
fats block the arteries and get trapped in the tissue as well,
preventing sufficient waste and toxin elimination.

Smoking is not only bad for the skin and lungs, but it weakens
the skin by causing constriction of capillaries. It also
damages the connective tissue and can increase the dimpling
effect of cellulite.

Tension and stress can cause a muscle to seize up in pain; they
can also cause the connective tissue that covers that muscle to
seize up. Tension can also block the tissue, preventing proper
waste elimination and purification.

Medication can disturb the body's natural processes, disturbing
the purification system that is naturally in place. Diet pills,
sleeping pills and diuretics can all lead to cellulite; oral
contraceptives, which increase the body's oestrogen, cause fat
cells to enlarge, leading to water retention. Retaining water
inhibits the body from flushing the system of toxins, leading
to the formation of cellulite.

Lack of exercise contributes to the formation of cellulite.
Exercise decreases many health risks and also helps fight
cellulite. It improves muscle tone, circulation and overall
well-being, helping to break blocked tissue and purify the
body.

Cellulite Treatments

There are three main treatments for cellulite; namely,
endermologie, cosmetic surgery, and topical creams or lotions.

Endermologie

The Endermologie machine, developed in France over a decade
ago, has been found to have an effect in fighting cellulite. It
uses rollers and gentle suctioning to deeply massage the
affected areas, increasing circulation. Toxins and abnormal
water buildup are expelled as connective fibres are stretched.
Endermologie also exfoliates the skin, leaving it soft and
silky. The increased circulation may give you a natural energy
boost. Many sessions are normally needed. This can add up to
several hundred dollars.

Cosmetic Surgery

Treatments like liposuction (surgery to remove fat) and
mesotherapy (injection of drugs into cellulite) are either
expensive or may produce only temporary improvement. Many
doctors advise against liposuction to reduce cellulite because
it is designed to remove deep fat instead of cellulite, which
is close to the skin. This is performed by a plastic surgeon
and can be expensive compared to other methods. Consult with
your doctor if you want to explore this further. 

Cellulite Creams or Lotions

This is the safest and most popular way to reduce the problem.
Because cellulite is actually little pockets of fat under your
skin, your blood circulation does not easily reach these areas.
Specially formulated creams can help.

Some of the ingredients used in these products include :

Algae extract - which can help break down fat and increase your
metabolism.

Green tea extracts - will back up the algae extract and
increase the rate at which your fat is broken down to form
smooth tissue.

Retinol A - a compound that is a derivative of Vitamin A and
targets your skin and connective tissues directly to condition
and strengthen. Retinol A has a rejuvenating effect on your
skin, and will decrease your cellulite while preventing it from
becoming worse over time. It can improve your skin's texture, so
your skin will become smoother and firmer and this helps your
cellulite vanish even faster.

Creams or lotions are the most economical of the three
treatments, however like the others, it may take a couple of
months to see measurable results.


About The Author: Ken Black - Skin Care Product Reviews
http://www.skin-care-reviews.com

Note: check out http://thenutrifitness.com/cellulite/ for a great e-book on Cellulite

Natural Bodybuilding Secrets

Mon 12 Dec 2005

Natural Bodybuilding Secrets

Copyright 2005 Konstantinos Marangopoulos

Natural bodybuilding refers to bodybuilding without muscle
enhancing drugs or anabolic substances. In other words
natural athletes who choose to build their body with
all-natural have to stick to a regimen of well structured
bodybuilding diet along with some performance enhancing
supplements like whey protein, creatine & l-glutamine.
There are however other natural athletes who go all out ie
they don’t even use over the counter products to help them
supplement their daily diets. Their nutrition consists
solely on natural foods!

Natural bodybuilding is a very specific sport. There are
national bodybuilding organisations that organize natural
bodybuilding contests for men and women. For more
information or if you are interested in entering a natural
bodybuilding show please get yourself a copy of Natural
Bodybuilding & Fitness magazine at your local newsagent.
Some of these shows are drug tested and some are not. The
choice on which one you compete is completely yours.

A natural bodybuilder must learn to build his body in the
most precise way possible. Learning as much as possible
about natural bodybuilding dieting, training,
supplementation is essential if one is to successfully
build a natural physique of national caliber.

One of the keys to a great natural body is persistence. I
don’t care how well you eat or how hard you train! If you
do not have the necessary persistence to keep it up for
months & years you will just be spinning your wheels with
no results to speak of. Building natural muscle mass takes
time - sometimes a lot of time! Always be patient and
expect success through your nutrition, contest diet and
training.

Along with persistence you need to set up some specific,
clear cut goals for yourself. If you do not know what your
goals are chances are you will not make significant
progress in the gym. Short term goals set up every week are
great for short term progress in the gym. For example you
can set a goal of increasing your bench by 2 lbs in your
next week’s incline bench press session! Take these small
goals and add them up over 6 months and they really make a
big difference. Long term goals need to be set up as well.
For example - “12 weeks from now my goal is to have lost 15
lbs or pure body fat and win my upcoming natural
bodybuilding contest”. You need to sonstantly remind
yourself of your big goals in order to not lose track of
the reasons you are training and dieting so hard. Reading
your goals every day helps you stay on track, train harder
and not cheat on your diet. Trust me! When you are carb
depleted for 3 days and pizza is calling your name, a
reminder of your goals is what puts you back in track.

Nutrition is probably half the battle to getting muscle to
grow OR to burn body fat. A general guideline is to eat
12-13 calories per lb of body weight if you are trying to
get ripped and 17-19 calories per lb if you are trying to
gain muscle. 30% of your calories should come from protein,
50% from natural carbohydrates and 20% from healthy fats
(olive oil, canola oil, flaxseed oil etc). Try to avoid
sugars & processed foods at all costs. Most of all, make
sure you get 1 gram of protein per lean pound of body
weight per day no matter what! Hardcore weight training
breaks down muscle fibers and it is absolutely necessary
for our body to be able to recover from these hard workouts
with the use of protein.

As far as working out is concerned, forget all you read in
the most popular bodybuilding magazines in the market. The
routines posted in most magazines by the “pros” will do
absolutely nothing for you if you want to grow muscle
naturally. Fact of the matter is, most people who start
bodybuilding DO follow these routines blindly. They do the
same thing week after week, expecting results but nothing
ever happens. Sure they gain some strength in the beginning
but plateaus soon hit them. They then decide to buy the
next “magic pill or powder” in the market that will “jump
start” their results. The result is a very rich supplement
company and a very frustrated athlete. There is a large
amount of information out there that is totally unsuitable
for the majority of people who want to grow muscle
naturally. My point is to educate yourself on how the body
works before you start training haphazardly just because
you read an article in a magazine. Stick to the basic
exercises that have worked for years for most people and do
NOT overtrain. Each muscle needs to be fully trained only
once per week for muscle growth to occur. Ovetraining is
the biggest single mistake most people do and is the reason
why people quite bodybuilding & weight training.

Bottom line? You are either 100% natural or you aren’t!
There are no shortcuts and there are many obstacles. In the
end however, you will be satisfied in knowing that you
achieved results that are comparable to those of drug
enhanced athletes, 100% naturally. Trust me, it’s the best
feeling in the world and it IS achievable. All you have to
do is set goals, work hard, be consistent and have patience.

—————————————————-
Kostas Marangopoulos is a certified personal trainer,
natural bodybuilder and owner of one of the best
bodybuilsing websites & forums on the web,
BodybuildingApplied.com. To get Kostas’ free monthy
bodybuilding diet & training secrets newsletter, please
visit http://www.BodybuildingApplied.com

10 Tips For Shopping For Weight Loss

 

10 Tips For Shopping For Weight Loss

 

Copyright 2006 John Perry

Stephen Covey (http://www.stephencovey.com/) told us to
“begin with the end in mind.”

Have you ever heard “train with the brain in mind?”

Growing up, I would get the latest issue of Muscle and
Fitness and plug away at biceps, triceps and chest
routines. What resulted was frustration due to lack of
performance enhancement and usually an overuse injury or
two.

After becoming a Physical Therapist and gaining the
knowledge of how the body operates, it became apparent why
I had so much trouble meeting my fitness goals growing up
and why I had injuries.

I was confusing my brain.

The brain is our guardian; like a protective mother with
lots of kids. The kids in this case are all the bones,
joints, muscles, etc.

The mother wants her kids to be successful. It really
bothers her to see her kids suffer or doing anything that
makes them struggle. In other words, the brain is
interested in the body’s success.

Now most mothers (brains) have spies to help them. These
are neighbors, kids in the neighborhood, teachers at
school, etc., that let mothers know if there are problems
with the kids. You see, the brain does not like the body or
its parts (the kids) to get into any difficulty.

These spies are called proprioceptors. They send
information to the brain to let it know such things as how
fast a limb is moving, how much tension a muscle is under,
if a joint is under too much strain and where a body part
is located in space. The brain reacts by making adjustments
so the body is successful.

You see, by training the body in the correct way, the right
information gets to the brain. When you train the body the
wrong way, the spies send bad information to the brain;
this results in poor performance and fitness outcomes.

The brain will take in whatever information you feed it,
good or bad. It loves you like only a good mother could. It
will react based on the information it gets. The brain
wants you to be efficient and have glorious results.but can
only respond to the information it receives.

The last tidbit of information about the brain and its
importance to training is this; the brain recognizes muscle
synergies (groups of muscles working together).

This brings me to my point about confusing the brain. If
you send it information about muscles working in isolation
(biceps curls, triceps press downs, sitting knee
extensions), then the brain responds with mixed signals. It
wants to make the body efficient by having the muscles work
in groups. Based on the feedback it is getting though, it
tries to make the body as successful as possible by helping
the muscles work individually. This results in poor
movement patterns and injury.

Based on this information, I realized my brain needed some
help. I needed to stop feeding my brain artificial movement
information. I needed to train my muscles and joints as a
group and do programs that allowed my body to move as it
was designed to move.

Now I realize I just gave you a lot of neuroanatomy and
physiology in a few short paragraphs. However, with that
knowledge in tow, let me tell you the type of routine that
will stimulate your brain!

There are four things you must do:

First, get on your feet. We constantly ask our bodies to
perform while squatting, walking and climbing stairs. Our
muscles need to be ready to respond when executing these
types of activities. If you train the body (and brain)
while on your feet, it will respond by making the body more
efficient during those occasions.

Second, train movements, not muscles. As mentioned before,
the brain recognizes groups (synergies) of muscles, not
individual muscles. To make greater fitness gains, don’t
confuse your brain.train it correctly.

Third, work in multiple planes of motion. There are three
planes of motion: sagittal (front and back like a forward
lunge or walking straight ahead), frontal (side-to-side
like a lateral/side lunge or arm motion during jumping
jacks), and transverse (rotation like a drop-step lunge or
swinging a bat). All human movements have all three planes
involved; however, there is usually one dominant plane.
Training in three planes will assist in training muscle
synergies and will make your brain happy.

Fourth, get your hips into it! The hip musculature
originates and dissipates (controls) body forces; forces
like gravity, ground reaction (forces coming up from the
ground when taking a step), and external forces (weights,
exercise bands, etc.) acting on the system. The hips are
the crossroads for many forces working on the body. Proper
motion and strength in your hips can help make other parts
of your body perform better.

A few sample exercises that incorporate the above
principles are:

. Three position lunges. Lunges to the front, side and
drop step (stepping back at a 45 degree angle).

. Squat to overhead shoulder press with dumbbells.

. Squat to row - similar to the seated row, only in a
standing position. When arms are out, you are in a squat
position, when you pull back to row, bring your hips
forward and stand up.

I could talk for hours about the benefits of full-body
multi-plane exercise routines. Hopefully you understand why
it is so important to your movement success and ultimately
your fitness success.

Take home points from this article:

. Train on your feet, in three planes of motion.
. Work through your hips to train your brain
. Full body, synergistic routines send the proper
information to the brain about successful movement patterns.

Ultimately, this will improve:

. Movement
. Weight loss
. Energy
. Balance
. Flexibility
. Strength
. And help eliminate joint pain and injury possibility.

Good luck, train your brain.your body will thank you.

—————————————————-
Want to get get maximum results with your workout routine?
Use your butt to train your brain and achieve fitness
goals. Easily adaptable to your schedule. Visit
http://www.hiptobefit.com/intro

15 Muscle Building Rules For Skinny Guys And Gals! (Part 1)

WHY CAN'T YOU GAIN WEIGHT? 

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

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

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

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

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

GENERAL RULES 

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

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

2.Set a specific goal and create a plan of attack. 

If you were to drive cross country to another city, would you
just start driving randomly, or would you plan a route that
would get you quickly and efficiently? 

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

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

3.Have confidence in yourself and belief in what you are doing.


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

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

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

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

In Part 2 of this article, I will cover your workout rules and
guidelines to MAKE SURE you gain muscle.


About The Author: Former "skinny guy" Anthony Ellis is the
creator of the most widely used weight gain program in the
world. This unique program designed to help people gain weight
and build muscle, is currently being used in over 90 countries.
For more information on how to gain weight and build muscle,
check out his website at http://www.fastmusclegain.com

 

"No Time To Exercise? Try This!"

No Time To Exercise?  Try This!
by Steven Barnes



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

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

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

1) Protect the low back.

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

3) Aid digestion, and massage the internal organs.

4) Are important for proper, healthy sexual function.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Regardless of weather your health goal is a change in diet for
weight loss, an increase in your fitness program or to take
control of an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. In
the end the question you need to ask yourself is…Am I
completely happy with the mind running itself or do I need to
take control of it? If your answer is I need to take control of
it, then Burris MIND/FITNESS is the answer.

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


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

 

Are You Losing Body Fat Or Water?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

© Meri Raffetto, 2005


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

 

The Top Ten Ways To Jump-Start Your Weight Loss

Top 10 Ways to Jump-Start Your Weight Loss:

1. Eat protein at every meal, including breakfast.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

No Excuses Exercises!

No Excuses Exercises!

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

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

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

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

I don't have time to exercise!

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

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

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

I don't have the right equipment at home.

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

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

I can't afford a membership to the gym.

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

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

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

But exercise is such a chore!

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

About the Author:

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

Using the Swiss Ball for Improved Posture and Increased Strength

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

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

WHAT IS A SWISS BALL?

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

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

WHO CAN USE THE SWISS BALL?

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

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

HOW DO YOU USE A SWISS BALL?

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

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

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

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

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