10 tips to Fitness Success!

How many times have you put your exercising, weight training and cardio on the back burner when you are following a strict nutrition plan? When life gets busy and you have a million things on your plate, this is the first thing that is usually forgotten! For many, an effective fitness regime is essential for losing weight the healthy way.

There are many excuses that come up such as, procrastination, lack of motivation, exhaustion and the biggest which is lack of time. Most people continually put off their training until tomorrow and of course we all know that tomorrow rarely comes - at least when it is time to indulge into your work out regimen.

Physical activity is a major piece of the weight-management puzzle! You will not achieve optimal results without this integral piece. It increases your lean muscle mass, speeds up weight management and fat loss, raises your metabolism, increases your energy level and keeps your heart healthy!

Here are 10 tips to guide you in staying on track with your fitness goals:

1. Believe in yourself now! Whatever you believe in you can and will achieve including your health and overall well-being goals! Use the “I can do it” attitude and you are on your way to success!

2. Plan ahead: It is essential to establish a work out regimen plan to keep you on track. Set mini milestones and goals to keep you focused. Commit to your fitness appointments like you would as any other and put them into your scheduler.

3. Use the S.M.A.R.T Principle: This allows you to evaluate your progress and change your program if need be. S – Specific = Is it clear and identifiable? / M - Measurable = Can results be determined? / A - Attainable = Is it Possible? / R - Realistic = Is it probable? / T - Time = When will it conclude?

4. Record your workouts, energy levels and accomplishments: This will help fine tune your program and is also therapeutic, inspirational and rewarding! Make sure to celebrate your victories! Buy yourself something nice or plan an event when you reach a goal!

5. Persistence is key: Being consistent in your work out routine is a major component of success. Do at least three cardio based activities for a minimum of a half hour as well as three resistance based activities for a minimum of a half hour per week. Ideally hour sessions will get you better results. If you have the luxury of time to commit to training then workout Mon-Fri different muscle groups each day and take your weekend off. Mon = Chest, Tues = Back, Wed = Legs, Thurs = Shoulders, Fri = Arms. Do abs to finish off each workout and rest on the weekends. Repeat. Add in your cardio right after your workout or early in the morning to burn the most calories.

6. Moderation is important: By gradually increasing your intensity, frequency and duration, you are less likely to injure yourself, get discouraged or quit.

7. Variety is the spice of life: Every workout changes something a little bit. Make it faster, slower or heavier. Do a variety of different cardio exercises each day and change your entire routine every month. Challenge your body by trying to do something it is not use to doing so it is forced to learn.

8. Find a training partner: Make sure you pick a partner whose goals and interests are similar to yours and who will inspire you to do your best. This will help make working out more fun, inspirational and safe as well as give you added accountability which we all need sometimes.

9. Use visualization: Picture yourself engaging in exercise in total detail. How will you feel during and after your workout? How will you look and feel when you hit your goals? Focus on each muscle group as you train it. Think positively and use imagery to see yourself as fit and healthy. Many of the world’s greatest athletes rely on this powerful tool to help them succeed at their chosen activity.

10. Rest and recovery: THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!!! Recovery time is when your muscles actually repair themselves and become bigger and stronger as well as increases your energy level. The time in between your exercise sessions is just as important as the exercise itself. Make sure to listen to your body and if you feel fatigued or exhausted, a day of rest may be more productive than intense exercise.

Workout Nutrition

You’re eating six meals a day, getting the right balance of macronutrients everyday, and you’re making strides toward a chiseled mid-section…but you feel like you’re missing something. You’re six pack is there, but it isn’t as defined as you had hoped for. What will give you that extra push toward vein-popping abdominals? The answer may be as simple as peri nutrition.

Peri Nutrition consists of what you consume before, during and after your workout. Why is this so important? When you spike your insulin, your body becomes more anabolic right? Right. “But I thought spiking my insulin can lead to fat storage!” you say. You’re right…it can. That is why we want to spike it around the time of our workout, when we will be training and utilizing “the spike.” We also want to decipher which type or workout we will be doing. The rate of energy released during an insulin spike depends on which type of carbohydrate is consumed. For example, endurance workout (distance running), complex carbohydrates are ideal because they release energy at a slower rate. For a quick, high-intensity workout (weightlifting), simple carbohydrates are more beneficial for a spike.

For those of you that do not train in the mornings, here is a little side note: Not only is it best to spike your insulin before (pre) and during (para) the workout, it is also imperative to spike you insulin in the morning to take your body from a catabolic state to an anabolic state. While you were dreaming about supermodels, Santa Claus and gumdrops you’re body can enter a catabolic state because you are going without food for about 8 hours. Your job it is to put this to a halt! This can be done upon awakening with a meal consisting of protein, a combination of complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates. Break-the-fast…get it? Moving on…

There are many ways to spike your insulin properly and I will show you how. I will even take it one step further and give options for those on a budget.

Let’s get to it…

Pre-Workout

You will want to have a solid protein/carbohydrates/little fat meal about 1.5-2 hours prior to training. This will start the “spike” at a slow and steady climb. The small amount of fat and fiber in this meal can curb the spike so it’s not so high.

A perfect meal would be (depending on your needs):
rolled or steel-cut oats
mixed berries
1 tbsp of all natural peanut butter 
1 scoop of whey protein.

About 30 minutes prior to training (1-1.5 after the solid meal) begin sipping a liquid protein/BCAA/EAA drink that contains a solid array of carbohydrates. The ratio should be 1:1 or 2:1 carbohydrates to protein. 

On a budget
Whey protein mixed with Gatorade (or any sports drink)

Money Ain’t a Thang
Liquid Amino Acid Supplement (Controlled Labs Purple WrAATH) 
Waxy Maize
L-Arginine

Para Workout

Continue to sip this throughout your workout. This will insure a steady release of insulin throughout and keep your glycogen levels from rapidly depleting. The combination of amino acids/protein is necessary so that they can be shot gunned right into your muscle fibers, which will contribute to a speedy recovery and induce growth. 

On a budget
Whey protein mixed with Gatorade (or any sports drink)

Money Ain’t a Thang
Purple WrAATH (Controlled Labs)
Waxy Maize (unflavored)

Post Workout 

If all of the above was done properly a simple whey protein shake with 5 grams of creatine and BCAAs of your choice should really be all youneed within 30 minutes of completing your workout. If your goal is fat loss you can take it as a stand alone without any carbohydrates. If you are looking to pack on some mass, add in some carbohydrates, with the same 2:1 ratio. If you wish you can taper it to 1:1 ratio. 

On a budget
Whey protein (generic brand)
2 Bananas, or 2 rice cakes, etc. (or any simple carbohydrate)

Money Ain’t a Thang
Hydrolyzed Whey Protein (Optimum)
Waxy Maize (unflavored)
Creatine
L-Glutamine

The reason why the supplements mentioned above can be mixed into a liquid are to insure rapid delivery with minimal delay. Your muscles need this to perform before a workout and your muscles are screaming for this during and after a workout. As mentioned before, this will aid in faster recovery which will in turn promote muscle growth.

The fitness world is a constantly evolving industry. Peri nutrition is a fairly new concept in the bodybuilding and fitness world. The purpose of it is to keep insulin high when it is most beneficial and when your body is most anabolic, which is before and during a workout. It has been a misconception that after a workout a hefty serving of carbohydrates is necessary…it isn’t! If you spike your insulin before and during you workout, then there isn’t much of a need for it after. A protein shake should suffice until your next solid meal.

Last, but not least…be sure to consume a solid meal consisting of protein and carbohydrates about 1-1.5 hours after your post workout supplementation. A healthy serving of lean chicken and a sweet potato will do the trick. This will prevent a crash in insulin and provide your body with the protein and carbohydrates your body needs to build those rock abs! 

Now get to it and take it to the next level! Good Luck!

High Protein Food

No matter whether you want to gain muscles, reduce weight or just simply survive, you need to eat proteins. It’s a base to built every muscle so especially for body-builders it is essential to eat loads of proteins.

You probably think that this problem does not relate to you because you just want to reduce. And even if you think about reducing you do not want to lose only weight - you desire losing fat. I can tell you one thing without certain amount of proteins you’ll kill your own muscles, the cell that burn calories.

The more muscles you have the more calories yo burn. Even doing nothing. So now you know how important are proteins. You need to understand which sources of proteins are the best and when should be eaten.

Nowadays it is much easier. We have Internet and all nutrition information has to be put on a packaging. You simply read it and know what you eat and how much calories (energy) there is. Apart from basic information provided there are also other important factors like biological value or glycemic index.

 Biological value shows how much proteins provided witch certain food, can be used by your body to build muscles. Obviously the higher value is the better source you have. The best sources of proteins are: meat (beef and poultry), fish, eggs and dairy (especially cheese). Chicken - one of the best and commonly used by all body-builders. It’s full of high quality proteins (about 25% with biological value of 79) and does not contain much fat. Remember not to eat it with skin as skin itself is very fatty. The best choice is to eat breasts. It should be eaten about 150-300 grams a day. Beef - pretty much the same value as chicken (25% of proteins with biological value of 80).

You should always look for lean meat cuts but it is also worth trying a minced beef as this form is simply cheaper (unfortunately contains more fat). Additionally contains vitamin B12 and iron. It should be eaten at least 2-3 times a week. Fish - as a source of proteins it is actually even better than meat. Similar to beef or chicken it’s about 25% proteins but with slightly higher biological value of 82.

Apart from proteins it is also great source of fatty acids Omega-3 that has huge influence on health. It can be canned tuna, frozen or wet haddock/cod or salmon. Try eating at least twice a week. Eggs - second best protein source.

Egg proteins have phenomenal biological value of 88 up to 100 but there’s only 11% of them in white and about 16% in yolk. However yolk is full of fat and that’s why it is less recommended, especially when you want to reduce weight. Similar to fish eggs are good source of Omega-3. The best way to prepare them is to simply boil them for about 5-6 minutes (hard boiled eggs). You’ll void additional fat (e.g. frying) and it will be easier to separate white from yolk (if you do not want to eat yolk).

 Dairy - really good source of proteins. The biological value is about 80 but amount of proteins varies for different products: about 5% for milk or 22% for cheese (average). Dairy, because of casein which is assimilated longer, is especially recommended to be eaten in the evening, before you go to bed.

Unfortunately cheese has loads of fat and that’s why cottage cheese and skimmed milk are better choice. Since you need all kind of proteins it is recommended to provide all of them.

There’s no only one, magic protein that can sort out all your needs. It is also important to keep proteins at higher level whole day, so consider eating more meals during a day.

Obviously relatively smaller ones what will prevent you from gaining fat. Do not forget about providing other elements like carbohydrates and fat. These are responsible for power you need to do exercises.

What to Look for in Fish Oil Supplement

Here’s a checklist for choosing a superior quality fish oil supplement: 1. Fish oil supplement labels are important to read. The vital ingredient in fish oil supplements is omega-3 fatty acids, specifically EPA and DHA. Many labels simply mention the total count of omega-3 fatty acids. This kind of information is not very helpful as you do not know the actual amount of EPA and DHA inside the fish oil supplement. A fish oil supplement label should show the amount of EPA and DHA separately.

The total of both EPA and DHA should be between 1000 mg to 1500 mg. The ratio of EPA against DHA should be 2:

1. According to the FDA, you should not consume more 2000 mg of omega-3 fatty acids, unless prescribed by your doctor.

 2. Look for pharmaceutical grade fish oil. This should be mentioned on the label. This type of fish oil is the highest grade because it is molecularly distilled, a process that takes place in a vacuum to avoid oxidation of fish oil. This is the only process that successfully removes impurities and contaminants from fish oil. This process also produces a more concentrated form of fish oil supplement with high potencies of EPA and DHA.

 3. Find out some information about the manufacturer. Check out some of the other products the manufacturer produces. Check forums and the Better Business Bureau to see if the manufacturer has a good reputation. Preferably, choose a fish oil supplement that has been manufactured by a company that has been in existence for a number of years. Fly-by-night companies are not typically known for high quality standards. If you cannot find any information about the manufacturer, it’s better not to purchase their product.

 4. Enteric coating is an advantage and keeps away the unpleasant after taste. The special coating on capsules allows digestion to take place lower in the digestive tract, not in the stomach. This helps to avoid the unpleasant after burps that many people experience after taking fish oil supplements.

 5. Ideally, fish oil supplements should contain Vitamin E. Vitamin E helps to prevent oxidation during storage. But it is also necessary because a regular intake of fish oil tends to deplete levels of Vitamin E in the body. Health experts agree that there is immense value in regularly taking a quality fish oil supplement. Fish oil helps to support heart health, boost the immune system, and it promotes healthy brain functions. There are numerous other health benefits to taking a fish oil supplement which makes it the number one choice for supplementation. Triple Strength Omega 3 contains pharmaceutical grade fish oil. It is high-quality fish oil that can boast a purity level of over 90 percent. With a DHA-EPA count of 1200 mg, this high potency fish oil supplement is safe to consume and maximizes the beneficial impact omega 3s can have on your health. By choosing the right fish oil supplement, there is absolutely no reason to stop taking fish oil supplements for fear of harmful contaminants. If you’re searching for the right fish oil supplement or want to switch to a safer brand, make sure it fits the above guidelines.

Healthy Foods That Help Burn Fat

Have you woken up one morning realizing you are overweight and as hard as you try, you can't recall how you came to this state? You can't seem to track it back to any particular event or series of events, because its something that over years from eating poorly and leading sedentary lives. Because this is something that has built up over many years, its also something that won't go away over night. Fortunately the reverse is true if you were to start eating healthy and getting some regular exercise. The situation is not out of your hands yet. Anyone who wants to lose weight needs to watch their intake of food. It's important to eat healthy, because you are what you eat. If you are going to watch what you eat, you need to focus on the key foods that will not only promote fat loss but are also helpful for your good health. When you make the decision to start eating healthier, its better not to quit cold turkey as this can be a very stressful change, and stress isn't good for us. So start by making a few changes at a time, replacing some of the junk foods with the foods below slowly.

 Soy Protein As omnivores, we eat both plant and animal, and from these food sources we get protein. Protein is vital in building and repairing our bodily tissues (Muscles and Organs). Because many of the animal based proteins carry some unnecessary fats (some fats are good, and some are bad), and through the growing, feeding and slaughtering process may come in contact with chemicals or biologicals that we do not want, there is a growing push for the tiny but powerful soy bean. The soy bean is a complete protein which is not that common for plants or vegetables, and its protein is not as high quality as the whey or animal proteins, it comes about as close to a magic weight loss pill as we can get. Proteins require a great deal of calories just to digest so by eating a clean light source of protein such as soy we are gaining a double benefit.

 Whole Grains You have a whole grain when you have bran, germ and endosperm present. Whole grains are a great source of key nutrients. They are one of the top sources of vitamin B, E, iron, magnesium and fibre. Here is a list of some good whole grain foods... Whole Wheat Wild Rice Oatmeal Brown Rice Whole Oats Whole Rye Barley Popcorn (no salt or butter) Not only do whole grains provide the benefit of decreasing the chance for heart disease, and the potential for blood clots, they are also good for fat loss. 

The Grapefruit You may remember the grapefruit diet, its remarkable fat loss properties being attributed to crazy and mythological qualities of the grapefruit, well crazy as all that sounds...the grapefruit is a great fat loss food, but for more realistic reasons. The grapefruit has been shown to reduce insulin levels in the body by a very small amount, and this means that you will store less sugar as fat, not to mention lower insulin levels lower your appetite. The grapefruit is also a highly fibrous food and low in calories and it actually takes more calories to digest it than there exist in the fruit itself. As a result the grapefruit is a great food to add to your morning breakfast or any meal.

 Apples Water rich fruits like apples contain pectin and this can limit how much fat your cells will absorb. There are other benefits to apples and small berries as they contain considerable antioxidants and are just plain good for you. The age old saying. “An apple a day...” Be careful not to go overboard with fruits, however as they contain a high amount of high-glycemic index sugars or simple sugars, and this can cause some undesirable spikes in insulin levels.

 Green Tea Green tea has been shown to increase your metabolism on a daily basis as high as 4%, and having this as part of your regular diet can only help with your fat loss goals. If you do not have the decaffeinated version of the tea you have the added benefit of caffeine in your tea (though its levels are less than coffee).

Fish There is a hormone in our body known as leptin that has the function of choosing whether or not your body will store the calories you consumed as fat or whether is uses them for fuel, and studies show that lowering the level of this hormone in your body aid in fat loss, or at least in the prevention of fat gain. Eating fish lowers your leptin levels. Research has shown that groups that frequently eat fish in their daily diet have leptin levels nearly 5 times lower than those that mostly live off of veggies. Conclusion Remember you are what you eat, so eat healthy!

Best Time for Cardio

Most wonder when the best time is to do cardiovascular training. But is there really an exact time to put cardio into your workout that will benefit your body?

 Many researchers have looked at this in a number of ways, but there has been no significant proof of when the best time of day is to do your cardio work out. However, there are many factors to consider when deciding on when to do your cardiovascular training.

By following a few simple steps, you can make your cardio workout most effective. First off, most people would agree that the best time to do a cardio workout is the time when you feel most energetic throughout the day. This allows you to use all your energy, and to maximize the effectiveness of your workout. A lot of people say that they feel best doing their cardiovascular workouts in the mornings because this is the time they have the most energy. However, if you are not a morning person, this is probably not the best time for you.

Remember, there is no specific time of day that is proven to help benefit your cardio workout. In the end, you have to choose what time works well for you. To get the best results of cardio training, it is ideal to separate your cardio days from your weight training days.

So, if you lift weights 3 times a week, try to do your cardio sessions on the days you are not weight training. This is especially important for men who are trying to gain mass. If you do your cardio workout before lifting weights this can deplete your glycogen stores, and defeat the purpose of your entire weight lifting session. Glycogen stores are your muscles main source of energy, and if you have very few of them you will not be able to push yourself through those last few reps that mean the most from your workout. For women and those who's priorities are not to gain mass, it is alright to do a cardio workout before a low-intensity weight training session. If your ultimate goal is to try and get both your cardiovascular training and resistance workout done in one session, you are better off doing your cardio session after your weight training.

The main reason for this is because weight lifting does not deplete your glycogen stores as much as it would during a session of cardio. Therefore, if you do your cardio session after your weight training, you will still have some left over glycogen stores to get in a decent cardio session. If you want a more effective cardio session in the same day as weight training, it is best to wait a few hours before jumping right into it after lifting weights. The reason for this is that it is important to restore your glycogen stores to stop the breakdown of protein. But, if you are trying to get both weight lifting and cardio done in one day, it is best to do your cardio session last. People often ask if they should do their cardio training on an empty stomach.

The answer to this is no. The reality of it is that if your body has no food in it, it has no easy source of energy. Therefore your body will start to look elsewhere for a source of energy. But where does it get the energy from? It will actually start to take energy from your muscles. So unless your goal is to lose muscle and become scrawny, I wouldn't recommend doing cardio on an empty stomach. Although I would never recommend eating a meal before working out, I would try to plan a light snack about 30 minutes prior to your cardio training. This would be most beneficial to your entire work out.

 Cardio equipment choice is also something that is often questioned. However, the choice of the equipment you use simply does not matter. They are all effective for cardio training, so whether you use a treadmill, an elliptical trainer, or a bike, all will lead to an effective cardio workout. Finally, taking these simple things into consideration should help you decide what the best time is for you to do cardio.

Only you can decide when and where, however knowing these simple facts may make your decision a lot easier. In order to make a cardiovascular workout effective, you must be consistent in your routine. The benefits from cardio will only be revealed if you stick to a set schedule.

Also, it is important to note that every single person has a certain time of day when they feel most energetic. Try to figure out when that time of day is for you and fit your cardio workout into that time slot. You will most likely be able to push yourself the most during this time, and have an overall better workout. In the end the only person who can decide when the best time for cardio is, is you. But, if you stick to these simple rules, your cardio workout should be most beneficial.

Dieting and Metabolism

When we're bombarded with images of gorgeous celebrities who seem to lose weight in the time it takes us to eat a Danish pastry, it's no wonder we're often tempted to cut our already low calorie intakes in an effort to shift an extra pound or two each week. But surprisingly, rather than helping us to reach our target weight more quickly, severely restricting calories actually prevents our bodies from burning unwanted fat stores effectively - and unfortunately, this means that weight loss slows down.

Why does a very low calorie intake slow down weight loss?

 Quite simply, your body goes into 'starvation mode'. This mechanism, which is thought to have evolved as a defense against starvation, means the body becomes super efficient at making the most of the calories it does get from food and drink. The main way it does this is to protect its fat stores and instead use lean tissue or muscle to provide it with some of the calories it needs to keep functioning. This directly leads to a loss of muscle, which in turn lowers metabolic rate so that the body needs fewer calories to keep ticking over and weight loss slows down. Of course, this is the perfect solution if you're in a famine situation. But if you're trying to lose weight, it's going to do little to help you shift those unwanted pounds. So how many calories should I have to prevent starvation mode? Unfortunately, there's no single answer to this question.

As everyone's metabolism varies in the first place, so too will the point when the body starts to use muscle to provide it with calories in a 'famine-type' situation. That's why WLR works out suitable calorie intakes for each member on an individual basis and never lets you opt to lose more than 2lb a week, which would require a severely restricted calorie intake. In other words, if you stick to the calorie intake recommended by WLR, you can be sure your body won't go into starvation mode.

 As a general rule though, most nutrition experts recommend never going below 1,000-1,200 calories a day if you're dieting on your own. It's also worth bearing in mind that the body doesn't suddenly 'enter' and 'leave' starvation mode, like crossing the border from Devon into Cornwall. It's a gradual process - so you don't need to panic if you do go below your calorie intake very occasionally.

What's the link between muscle and metabolism?

 The metabolic rate - the rate at which the body burns calories - is partly determined by the amount of muscle we have. In general, the more muscle we have, the higher our metabolic rate; the less muscle we have, the lower our metabolic rate. This explains why men, who have a high proportion of muscle, have a faster metabolism than women, and why a 20-year-old has a higher metabolism than a 70-year-old - again, they have more muscle. Ultimately, muscle burns a lot more calories than fat so when we lose muscle, our metabolic rate drops and we burn fewer calories. In fact, research shows that the body loses a proportionately high amount of muscle with a very low calorie intake and this may considerably suppress metabolism by up to 45 percent. This explains why it's crucial to do as much as you can to protect your metabolic rate, especially when you're dieting. And this means dieting sensibly with a suitable, rather than a very low calorie intake so that you lose fat rather than muscle.

Is there anything else I can do to stop losing muscle when I'm dieting?

 As well as making sure you have sufficient calories to burn fat rather than muscle, it's also possible to build muscle, which in turn boosts metabolism. And the way to do this is, of course, to increase the amount of exercise you do. While aerobic activities such as jogging, swimming, fast walking and aerobic classes help to tone muscle and burn fat, strength or resistance training in particular will increase the amount of muscle you have in your body. And this is good news because for every extra 1lb of muscle you have, your body uses around an extra 50 calories a day! This means an extra 10lb of muscle will burn roughly an extra 500 calories a day without you doing anything - and that's a sufficient amount to lose 1lb in a week.

But doesn't your metabolism drop when you lose weight anyway?

 Yes, your metabolic rate naturally slows down a little when you lose weight, but this isn't automatically because you've lost muscle. It's because when your body has less weight to carry around, it needs fewer calories. This means if you weighed 13st to start with and now weigh 9st, you need fewer calories to maintain your new weight than you did when you were heavier. Simply put, there's 4st less of you to carry up and down the stairs, into the bath, around the supermarket and to the bus stop - and because your body doesn't have to work as hard as it did in the past, it can survive on fewer calories! This is why you should regularly update your Goals and Results - as your weight drops, Weight Loss Resources will recalculate how many calories you need to keep losing weight at your chosen rate.

Will yo-yo dieting have damaged my metabolism permanently?

 Fortunately not! The idea that yo-yo dieting permanently lowers your metabolism has been relegated to the archives. However, if you've frequently crash dieted and severely restricted your calorie intake without exercising, it's likely you'll have a lot less muscle now compared with the very first time you dieted. As a consequence, it's likely your metabolism will also be lower so that you need fewer calories to maintain your current weight. This is because when you follow a very low calorie diet, you lose muscle as well as fat (see above). But when the weight goes back on, you usually only regain fat. This means, your metabolic rate is likely to have dropped a little every time you've dieted, making it slightly harder each time for you to lose weight. The good news is you can increase the amount of muscle you have by increasing the amount of exercise you do. This in turn will rev up your metabolism so that you can lose weight one final time on a slightly higher calorie intake than you've perhaps been used to.

3 Great Weight Loss Exercises

Its a given that effective weight loss is much more then simply going on a diet. To really lose weight and (hopefully) keep that weight off, you need to add exercise to the equation.

 For Most people, weight loss exercise means aerobics running, jogging, kick boxing or some other type of routine where you get your heart racing for 30 to 45 minutes. Its true, that one hour of aerobic exercise probably burns more calories than one hour of weight training. However, the calories burned during exercise are only part of the story.

When you're finished lifting weights, your muscles need repair themselves; this repair process burns additional calories. Further, the result of this repair process is additional muscle mass, and guess what --muscles burn calories, even if you're just sitting around. Recently, Curves Fitness centers revealed the results of two separate studies that prove just that.

The studies showed that participants were actually burning, on average, an additional 265 calories per day, because of the additional muscle mass. Meaning they could actually eat more everyday without gaining weight! Want to really pack some muscle on? Try adding these three exercises to your fitness routine. All three are compound exercises meaning they work multiple muscles simultaneously.

 The Squat: One of the toughest exercises you can do, the squat, as its name implies, involves squatting down to an almost sitting position, then pushing yourself back up. Squats can be performed with or without added weights. Simply stated, the squat packs muscle on your lower body, muscle that will be burning calories for you, even while you sleep.

 The Dead lift: Another great lower body exercise that also hits your shoulders and arms. Using a barbell, you start in an almost kneeling position, keeping your spine straight. You grip the weight(s) about shoulder width apart, then slowly push up until you're standing with the weight at about waist level. After a momentary pause, you slowly lower the weight back to the starting position.

 The Bench Press: Here we work the upper body, especially the chest and shoulders. This exercise can be performed using either a barbell or dumb bells. You start by lying on a bench, grip the weights at about shoulder width, press up until just before your arms lock, then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position. All three of these great exercises have multiple variations; beginners should start with very low weight and practice the exercise to get proper form. Better yet, invest in an hours worth of personal trainer time and have him/her get you started and help you develop an ongoing plan.

Planning An Exercise Program

When designing an aerobic or strength training exercise program, fitness professionals, such as personal trainers and gym instructors, invariably use the F.I.T.T. principle as their starting point. The good news is that with a little bit of knowledge anyone can use this principle in designing an exercise program that will help them to become progressively fitter and stronger, and help them lose or control their weight. If you want to start an exercise program or take your current routine to the next level, you'll find the information and tips in this article just what you need. What is the F.I.T.T. Principle? The F.I.T.T. principle is a basic philosophy of what is necessary to gain a training affect from an exercise program. Specifically, the letters F.I.T.T. stand for: Frequency Intensity Type Time Here's what each of these four things stand for: Frequency refers to the number of times you exercise. For those new to training or those just wanting to lose weight, frequency is usually calculated within the context of a week. For example, your plan might be to walk 3, 4 or 5 times per week. Intensity is the level of effort you put into each exercise. For aerobic exercises intensity is usually measured in terms relative to your maximum heart rate while the intensity of strength exercises is measured in terms of the amount of weight you use, the number of repetitions and sets you perform, and the amount of rest time you take in between sets. Time is simply how long you exercise during each session. For example, 30 minutes of aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, cycling, etc) per session. Type refers to whether you do aerobics or strength training during your exercise sessions and the specific exercises you select for each. The F.I.T.T. principle and Weight Loss Why are the basic F.I.T.T. principle concepts important if you are planning an exercise program to lose weight? They're important because they help you to: Start with the right exercises and intensity. Measure your progress. Plan your exercise to maximize long term weight loss. Using the F.I.T.T. principle isn't just important in your initial exercise planning, it is also crucial to your long term planning and weight loss and fitness success. By increasing or varying any or all parts of the F.I.T.T. principle elements, you can: 1. Increase the number of calories you burn during each exercise session. 2. Improve your cardiovascular fitness and strength. 3. Help minimize overuse/over training injuries. 4. Build variety into your program. F.I.T.T Principle Guidelines Here are some basic F.I.T.T. principle guidelines for both aerobics and strength training to help you plan an exercise program. Please keep in mind that these examples represent general guidelines only for those of us with low to moderate fitness levels. Use these guidelines to establish a program and then customize your program to fit your specific needs and goals as your experience and knowledge increases. And remember to always consult your doctor before commencing any new exercise program and consult a fitness professional (personal fitness trainer, gym instructor, etc) if you require help. Basic Aerobic Training Guidelines Frequency: Exercise between 3 and 5 times per week. Intensity: Maintain a heart rate of between 60 - 80% of your Maximum Heart Rate. Your Maximum Heart Rate can be calculated using a Maximum Heart Rate test conducted by a fitness or health professional or estimated using the formula: For Women (230 - Age = Maximum Heart Rate). For Men (220 - Age = Maximum Heart Rate). The best and most practical way to monitor your heart rate is with a heart rate monitor. Time: Those of us with low levels of fitness should maintain our heart rates in our selected target zone for a minimum of 15 to 20 minutes, excluding warm-up and cool down periods. Those with a good fitness base should exercise for between 20 and 60 minutes in their target heart rate zone. Type: Exercises that involve as many muscles as possible and allow a relatively consistent level of intensity are best. Good examples of these include: Walking Jogging Cycling Swimming Rowing Hiking Basic Strength Training Guidelines Frequency: Exercise each body part 1 to 2 times per week. For lower intensity workouts or for those who have trained for some time, try exercising each body part 2 to 3 times per week. You can exercise different parts of the body on different days (called split routines) or you can train your whole body at each workout. Intensity: Choose a weight that can be performed 10 to 15 times (repetitions) per set. When you can perform more than 15 repetitions without rest, increase the weight slightly for your next workout. If you are training your whole body each time you exercise, only do 1-2 exercises for each muscle group and perform 1-3 sets of each exercise. If you employ a split routine try performing no more than 2-3 exercises per muscle group and 2-4 sets of each exercise. Time: Beginners usually benefit from exercise sessions that last between 30 to 45 minutes. As you become fitter and stronger, you may want to increase your total workouts from 45 to 90 minutes. For most of us, particularly those with limited time, sessions of 60 minutes are typically ideal. With rest between sets, try not to take longer than 2-3 minutes as a beginner. As you get fitter, try to reduce this time to 1 minute or less. Type: Generally speaking, there are two types of exercises for muscles, compound exercises and isolation exercises. Compound exercises use more than one muscle group to perform and are the most effective for those interested in losing weight. Examples of compound exercises include Bench press, Push-ups, Squats, Shoulder press and Dead lifts. Isolation exercises use only one muscle group to perform and include Bicep curls, Tricep extensions, Leg extensions, etc. For those new to resistance training, compound exercises are best. Once you have a base level of strength you can add isolation exercises to your workouts for variety and to help shape individual muscles. Conclusion No matter what your goal, current fitness level or exercise experience, you can employ the F.I.T.T. principle to plan an effective long term exercise program. By using the guidelines above, you too can plan an effective regime that will help you to improve your cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility and of course help you lose weight. Using the F.I.T.T. principle in your exercise planning will ensure that you achieve your weight loss goals as efficiently as possible. Not only will you achieve your goals in the shortest possible time, you'll also enjoy your routine more because of the variety built into it. If that weren't enough, you'll also minimize the chances of experiencing annoying and painful over training injuries that can stall or stop your weight loss and fitness progress. While anyone with the basic knowledge provided above can plan their own workout, if you are new to exercise or have an existing injury or ailment, we suggest you consult a personal trainer or other fitness professional. As well as designing a personal plan for you using the method above, they can help you rehabilitate or work around existing injuries, teach you the right techniques for each exercise in your program and advise you of when to modify your plan to take advantage of your new fitness levels.

Health Tips For Busy People: Healthy Diet and Exercise In the Office

Many women's lifestyle magazines frustrate us by providing exercise regimens for work and then adding:

 You can do this exercise in your office! What about those of us who work in a cube or other small space (with no floor space for Pilates-style stretches) that is not very private (do you really want your boss to wander by right when you're doing jumping jacks?).

Even if you are cube-confined, you can maintain your health in a cube. Make A "Health" Drawer Your filing spaces are your friends. Most cubes have lots of little drawers. Make one of them a health drawer. Add a zip lock bag or two with healthy non-perishable snacks in it (maybe dried veggies), a few bags of herbal, non-caffeinated tea (switch over from coffee midday to help you sleep better at night), and a travel-size hand-sanitizing gel for use regularly when there's a cold going around the office (did you know most colds are transmitted through shared objects like doorknobs?).

 A decorative canvas bag can store an extra pair of athletic shoes in case you can take a 10 minute walk or stretch break over lunch.

 Get Blood Back To Your Brain: Pop goes the weasel. When you sit in a cube in front of a computer or on the phone for hours at a time, gravity pulls your blood towards your feet. It pools in your feet, ankles, and fanny; if you're ever noticed your feet looking puffy towards the end of the day, the puffiness may be a side-effect of having blood spending so much time down there! Our arm and leg muscles function as pumps to get blood back to the heart. While you could just do jumping jacks to get the blood flowing back upwards, there are less noticeable ways to get blood moving: If you've got a shelf in your high in your cube, keep daily use ables (paper clips, stapler) there; getting up regularly will remind you to stretch. While standing lift your legs up at the knee, one at a time, to help get blood flowing.

One enterprising woman kept a postcard pinned up towards the very top of her cube wall - and kept an ever-growing collection of postcards that she exchanged every day in the afternoon. The new postcard each day perked her up, and it gave her a reminder to get up and stretch several times a day. Muscular injury is common in the desk-job world. The Center for Disease Control reports that 92,576 injuries resulted from repetitive motion, including typing or key entry. Make sure to take breaks from the keyboard at least once an hour. Use a wrist support at your computer when you are typing or browsing, Your forearm, wrist, and hand should be on a level, not making a V.

The Harvard RSI action group suggests some exercises to help prevent repetitive stress injuries (http://www.rsi.deas.harvard.edu/). If you spend a lot of time on the phone and cant use a speaker phone, don't hold the phone by crunching your shoulder against your ear. Instead, invest in or ask for a headset or shoulder support for your receiver. Drink Plenty Of Water: Drinking water is very important. It can help you recover from a cold more quickly (though it doesn't cure it), replenish lost fluids after exercise, and assist in weight loss (many people think they are hungry when they are actually thirsty, so make sure to take a drink before diving for the candy machine).

 Keep a four-cup bottle or thermos near the computer and replenish daily. Don't overdo though - excess water can dilute important minerals and vitamins in your blood stream. Make Sure To Take Your Vitamins and Other Pills: Pill reminders.

Do you need regularly forget to take vitamins because you're busy? Find an attractive, desk-top container to put the bottle in - a decorative flower pot is one option. Something attractive and eye catching will remind you its there.

 This can also work for daily medications, but keep in mind that some medications can be toxic to others or have street-value (many prescribed pain killers), so these are medications that should stay with you, rather than your desk.

The Ultimate Secrets to a Flat Stomach and Six Pack Abs

Pay attention, because once you get this stuff right and start using these techniques regularly, you'll be showing off your ripped abs in no time flat, whether it's at the beach, at the pool, in the bedroom, wherever... Just think how great it's going to feel when people are complimenting you on your washboard stomach!

Alright, here's what makes The Truth about Six Pack Abs different:

1. The main focus of this program is NOT abs exercises... And, better yet, this program consistently gets BETTER results by NOT focusing on abs exercises!

I know that sounds counterintuitive, but the fact of the matter is that abs exercises are ok, and you do need to do a certain amount of them to develop the abdominals as best as possible. But to be honest, most people that are trying to get better looking abdominals waste WAY too much time training the abs directly. What you really need to focus on is burning off the extra fat that is covering them up.

Let's get this straight right now... Abs exercises do NOT burn fat away from your abs! This can only be accomplished through a much more effective full body training routine that maximizes both your metabolic response and your hormonal response to your workouts. This is the main focus of my Truth about Six Pack Abs Program.

Now don't get me wrong. It wouldn't be an abs program if I didn't show you the most effective exercises for developing your abdominals. I also give you detailed instructions and photos on how to do them right. But like I said, the main focus of this program is the secret method that I use to compile the full body training routines and maximize your fat burning effect.

This is the main reason that this program will be MUCH more effective for you than any other abs programs you've ever tried before. You've got my word on that.

2. This program uses none of your typical boring monotonous cardio routines.

In fact, you don't have to do any typical cardio if you don't want to! I actually recommend against it.

Seriously, almost every program out there tells you that you MUST do endless cardio exercise regularly to lose the body fat that is covering your abs. Most of them tell you to do 30-60 minutes of cardio exercise 3-4 days/week in addition to your strength training routines.

The truth is that this is not only unnecessary, but it can actually be counterproductive if you're really trying to get as lean as possible, as quick as possible. I go into this in much more detail in the book, but basically this all comes back to the aspects of your metabolic rate, how much lean muscle you have, the hormonal response in your body from the exercise, and the residual calorie burn in the hours and days following your workouts. And normal boring cardio routines are ALL WRONG when it comes to maximizing these effects!

Now you're probably thinking that since I'm against typical boring cardio routines, then that must simply mean I'm a proponent of interval training. Yes, as a matter of fact, I believe interval training is MUCH better than typical cardio.

However, I also use a special exercise combination and sequencing in my Truth about Six Pack Abs Program that gets even more powerful fat loss and muscle defining results than interval training. And that's saying something, because interval training kicks butt! You'll find out how this system works inside the program.

Want proof that you don't need typical long-duration steady-pace cardio?

Well, first of all, I actually took a course recently that was devoted to scientific research into why steady-pace cardio exercise is actually not that effective at strengthening the heart. The focus of the research basically boiled down to the fact that the heart needs to be trained in a wide variety of ranges to actually be truly strengthened and ready for all the various stresses that life throws at it. Not only that, but steady-pace cardio was also proven in the research studies to be far less effective in the long term at reducing body fat stores.

To give you a real life example... Personally, I haven't done what most people would label "cardio" in probably well over 5 years, and I'm actually leaner now and have a lower body fat % now than years ago when I did cardio regularly. Not only that, but my heart is in the best condition ever, as I now consistently have the resting heart rate of an elite athlete at about 50 bpm (remember that lower is better). My resting heart rate used to be in the mid to upper 60's years ago when I used to do typical cardio and strength training routines like most people do.

This improvement in both body fat % and reduced resting heart rate is the direct result of the unique training methods I used in developing the programs in The Truth about Six Pack Abs.

3. This program does NOT revolve around having to use supplements or "fat-loss" pills.

Trust me when I say that for the most part, about 95% of supplements are a complete waste of your hard earned money. I've been approached by supplement companies in the past looking for me to promote their products for them, and offering me a lot of money to do so. Well, you know what I do? I tell them to shove it! Seriously, I won't promote something to my readers that I don't honestly believe in.

The fact is, I've learned over the years through my own experience, as well as hundreds of my clients and friends experiences with supplements, that they are really just selling you the dream that their pill or powder will be some "magical" solution to your struggle with getting that lean ripped body that you've been wanting for years. In reality, most supplements do nothing at all to help you improve your body.

Don't get me wrong... I'm not totally bashing supplement companies, but like I said, about 95% of the products they promote are worthless, and won't create any noticeable changes in your body. I will admit that there can be a place for meal replacements for people that can't find the time to prepare or pack all of their real food meals. I also admit that I do think a high quality, fast digesting protein like whey protein can be useful to mix into your post-workout smoothies.

But the fact is that real food is always better for you than processed supplements (as long as you pick the right "real foods"). Anybody that tells you otherwise has either been brainwashed by all of the propaganda and super-hyped up ads that the supplement companies have spread throughout every magazine on the planet, or they have financial ties to selling supplements in some way themselves.

I have dedicated myself to not being lured into the lucrative world of selling supplements. Even though I could make a lot more money selling supplements than by selling my abs program, it's just plain against my morals to rip people off like that.

Frankly, it amazes me that most people are more willing to spend $30, $40, even $50 or more on a bottle of pills or powder than to spend $30 on a comprehensive training and nutrition guide like this Truth about Six Pack Abs program, which will set them up for life on training programs and dietary secrets that will keep them lean and ripped for life. The only thing that bottle of pills or powder is going to do is give you expensive urine! You make the choice.

4. This program does not revolve around using any fancy "ab machines" or "ab gadgets".

In case you were suckered into buying any of these worthless ab belts, loungers, rockers, or any other worthless ab gadget or machine, I have bad news... You were ripped off!

The truth is that most of these machines and gadgets are not the best way to develop the abdominal muscles. Sure, some of them may help a tiny bit with strengthening the abdominals, but they are far less effective than some of the best floor, hanging, and standing abs exercises.

Also, more importantly, virtually all of these abs machines, belts, and gadgets do absolutely NOTHING to burn fat off of the abdominal area!

Again, losing the fat that's covering up your abs can only be accomplished with a smart nutritional program, and a well designed progressional training program that increases your metabolism and stimulates your fat-burning hormones in your body. Achieving this is simple once you understand the secrets I reveal in the Truth about Six Pack Abs program.

5. This program does not include some sort of fad diet or gimmicky diet trend.

None of that here. I promise you won't be given any more crap about needing to eat "low-carb" or "low-fat", or low or high anything, for that matter. The nutritional secrets I reveal in this program go against all of the authors and companies out there that are trying to lure you in with another one of their gimmicks.

The fact is that they need to come up with some sort of different "angle", so that their diet program appears unique and gives the media something to talk about. That's why there's always some gimmick, like low-fat, or low-carb, or high protein, or the "colors diet", the "low glycemic index diet", the fasting diet, the cabbage diet, and so on.

Instead, I wanted to give you the TRUTH about what it really takes to eat a nutritious diet that not only will have you burning off that stubborn belly fat, but will also have you feeling full of energy every single day. If you don't already feel energetic and alive every single day, then you are missing out, because it is an awesome feeling!

The great thing is that once you start eating balanced and healthy all the time, you virtually eliminate cravings altogether. Personally, I used to crave sweets constantly before I adopted the nutritious diet that I currently eat. Now, I can honestly say I can't remember the last craving I had. It had to be more than 5 years ago... no joke!

Not only that, but I actually enjoy everything I eat way more than I used to years ago when I ate a lot of junk. Does that mean that I never eat burgers, or pizza, or beer? Of course not... We all have a social life. In fact, there are actually very healthy ways and variations to preparing healthier burgers and healthier pizza that I occasionally use.

How To Lower Your Back Pain

Chronic back pain afflicts millions of people worldwide. And for those who suffer consistently from sore, stiff, even traumatized back muscles and spinal joints, it can be debilitating.

There are many causes to back pain including poor posture, week abdominal muscles, misaligned spinal column, lack of chair support when seated, nonsupporting bed or pillow, and certainly stress and anxiety which gets localized in the body in the back.

Regardless of what is causing your back to be consistently sore, you're looking for relief, at least something that will permit you to get through another day. Resources do exist, help is available.

Exercise consistently ranks as the top preventive remedy for lowering back pain. For some people it may be weight bearing exercises such as walking, running, or tennis - others may benefit from swimming, rowing (with proper technique), or stair climbing on a gym machine. Stretching exercises and abdominal strengthening drills, though, can focus your body's attention on local support for removing back pain. 

Another common resource includes professional help - physical therapists, chiropractors, massage therapists, and acupuncturists each have special methods for approaching back pain.

While all have merits, it's best to consider them all in various forms as a specific technique or a combination may be just what you need. A consideration for many in extreme pain is medication. This could be general pain relieving drugs that can be bought over the counter or a prescription-required med. Some sleep medications can also provide a side benefit of loosening the muscles just enough to provide consistent back relief.

Consult your psychiatrist or medical professional for more help. Chronic back pain does not need to be a permanent problem in your life. While spinal misalignment or years of poor posture may limit the improvements you can make, some relief is definitely possible.

Through the pursuit of consistent exercise, professional help, or even medication, some relief is possible for your back pain.

How to Improve Your Stamina

Having the ability to run and run and run without getting tired is what every ideal athlete wants. Heck, even the couch potatoes would like that ability, they just don’t have the discipline to start and continue training. Well whether you’re a couch potato or a seasoned athlete, here is the one thing that is the sure-fire way to help you improve your stamina. Discipline. Just starting is one thing. But to continue training is in a whole different ballpark.

Many people get the desire to improve their stamina, so they start a training regimen. They train for a few days and start to get in better shape. But one day they don’t feel like training or don’t have the time to train. So they simply don’t. They take a day off from training. And pretty soon, that one day off turns into five days off! Not long after that, they’re back to where they started. All that hard work they did to improve their stamina for those first few days soon wore off and they returned back to being completely out of shape. This is how stamina training works.

You start off at 100% out of shape. For the first few days you work out, you drop down to about 95% out of shape. Now, as you keep on training, that percentage will decrease until it reaches 0%. Only then will you be completely in shape and have the ability to run miles, jump rope for hours, and have a lot more energy each day. But, if you were to stop training, that 95% you worked down to will go right back up to 100%. Leaving you completely out of shape once again. You want to improve your stamina for good right? Well then start a training regimen and stick to it. Habits are formed after 21 consistent times.

 So for the next 21 days you should follow your own training regimen non-stop. And if you don’t feel like working out just remember this: The best time to work out is when you don’t feel like it. What that does is get you in the habit of working out no matter what. For example: there were some days when you didn’t feel like taking showers, right? But you did it anyway so you wouldn’t stink up the place As a result, it became a habit for all of us (I hope). Well the same applies for stamina training. If you do it no matter how you feel, it will become a habit and you’ll be getting in better shape with each passing day.

 Working out will soon become part of your daily schedule and you won’t have any resistance to doing it anymore. So remember: Discipline is the sure-fire way of how to improve your stamina!

27 stress reducers and energy boosters

Stress can take a toll on both your physical health and mental well-being. It can lower your immunity to colds, flu, and even more serious illnesses. It can affect your sleep patterns, interfere with job performance, and leave you irritable. Stress can also trigger all sorts of skin disorders, including psoriasis, eczema, acne, rosacea, and hives.Fortunately, there are ways to get a handle on stress and up your energy: Peace of Mind 

1. Set aside "private time." Something as simple as soaking in the tub can renew your mind and body. For added relaxation, turn down the lights and play some soft music.

 2. Learn relaxation techniques. Read a book about it, or take a meditation or yoga class. Here's one you can try at home. Find 15 minutes where you will not be disturbed to meditate, visualize, etc. Sit in a comfortable chair, feet on the floor, arms at your sides. Breathe in deeply, through your nose. Then slowly release the air through your mouth and repeat an affirmation, like "Relax... Relax... Relax," or "I'm confident... I'm confident..." Continue breathing in and out, focusing on your word or phrase for the 15 minutes. Visualize the person you want to be, already in possession of your goals. If a worrisome thought pops up, acknowledge it, then re-focus on your breathing.

 3. Schedule "worry sessions." Set aside a specific 15 minutes each day when you'll concentrate on everything that's bothering you. When worries pop up during the day, save them for these 15 minutes. Then picture yourself conquering a particular challenge. It's not easy, but it's simple. And it works.

 4. Keep a journal. New studies suggest that people who are able to write about their innermost feelings may enjoy better mental and physical health. Writing is also a powerful tool that helps you organize your thoughts and make life a little bit easier.

 5. Pep up with a scent. When you need an energy boost, take a whiff of muguet or peppermint oil. Preliminary studies suggest these scents can promote alertness. Try!

 6. Power naps. 15-20 minutes can be very energizing and rejuvenating. Careful - more than 20 minutes and you'll wake up more tired than you were to begin with.

 7. Delegate. On your weekly calendar, eliminate the least important tasks and activities. Delegate household chores. Have your spouse/significant other to the grocery shopping. Even if things aren't done the way you want them done, it's important for everyone to pitch in so you don't feel like the Lone Ranger.

 8. Reward yourself. Every day engage in a just-for-you activity, PROVIDED you accomplished something you set out to do for that day. Rent a movie, read, gardening, etc. You'll not only boost your self-esteem, you'll also enjoy the well-deserved feelings of relaxation.

 9. Laugh. Laughter really is good medicine. Laughing raises your heart rate, stimulates circulation, exercises your diaphragm, abs, and other muscles, and increases production of certain hormones that serve as your body's natural painkillers. Watch a sitcom, read humorous books, get Reader's Digest.

10. Cry. Feel better after a good cry? Studies show that the tears you produce when you're anxious, upset, sad, or angry contain stress-relieving hormones.

 11. Get a body massage. Various massage techniques reduce stress, loosen tight muscles, and rev up your energy. Massage also helps release endorphins ("feel good" chemicals released by the brain), triggering relaxation. Stress-Reducing, Energy-Boosting Nutrition

 12. DO NOT skip meals. Spreading your calories out over 4-6 balanced meals a day gives you the carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals required to keep your energy high by keeping your blood sugar levels stable.

 13. Eat a "good mood" breakfast. Combine a high-protein food, such as cottage cheese, with a fiber-rich carb, like strawberries. Protein not only boosts your brain's production of dopamine and norepinephrine - chemicals that keep you alert - it also controls levels of relaxation-inducing serotonin. The carbs help you feel calm and focused on whatever you're doing.

 14. Have a midmorning muffin. USE THIS ONLY IF ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. Instead of heading for the vending machine, bring a low-fat, whole grain muffin topped with a teaspoon of jam. Carbs combined with a LIMITED amount of sugar can restore mental energy.

 15. Quick, low-fat lunch. Broiled fish, skinless chicken, tuna, deli turkey or chicken with a teaspoon of low-fat mayo on whole-grain bread can give you energy for the afternoon.

 16. Beat the mid-afternoon lag. If you're droopy by 3 pm, have a cup of coffee to get back on track. (I don't suggest doing this very often, either. It's quite possible you need to catch up with some Z's.)

 17. Make dinner your lightest meal. If you've eaten a balanced, substantial lunch, you'll feel surprisingly satisfied with a light dinner. Instead of a regular dinner plate, use a smaller plate and fill it up (not mounding!) with your protein and carbs.

 18. Watch the caffeine. A little caffeine is okay for a little boost. Too much and you're making your adrenal glands work overtime. You'll need more caffeine for the desired effect, and the crash when it wears off gets worse. Plus you get restless and irritable.

 19. Cut back on sugar and starches. You all know about the "sugar high." When you drop, you feel cranky, weak, and unable to concentrate. Stick with balanced snacks and meals to keep your blood sugars level.

 20. NO alcohol. Some of you will yell at me for saying this; too bad. Sure, it may help in keeping your heart healthy, BUT SO DOES EATING RIGHT AND EXERCISING REGULARLY. Like sugar, alcohol gives you a high, and then you crash. Also leaves you feeling lethargic. Get Physical

 21. Aerobic exercise daily. Along with cardiovascular health, aerobic exercise boosts production of endorphins. 25-30 minutes can significantly reduce stress and increase energy.

 22. Deep breathing. Need a 1-minute regenerator? Sit in a quiet place, feet flat on the floor, arms at your sides. Breathe in deeply through your nose, filling your diaphragm (your stomach should protrude if you're doing it right). Breathe out slowly through your mouth. Do this for just 60 seconds.

 23. Shrug off tight shoulders. Whenever you notice you're tense around your neck area and shoulders, shrug your shoulders ten times.

 24. Take a break to stretch. Alternating arms, reach upward, stretching toward the ceiling. Five times each side.

 25. Stretch neck tension away. Touch your chin to your chest and hold for 2 seconds. Try to touch your left ear to your left shoulder (keep it relaxed - no reaching up!) and hold for 2 seconds. Repeat for the right ear/shoulder for 2 seconds. Repeat entire cycle if necessary.

 26. Stand up. If you spend most of the day sitting at a desk, stand up once every hour for 20 minutes, and do any of the exercises mentioned above to relax and stimulate circulation. 27. Take out your frustrations on the iron. Pumping iron, that is. You've got all those stress hormones flowing around your body and they're not getting used up. Aerobic exercise may calm them down some, but new studies are showing lifting weights help you burn off those stress hormones more effectively.

Body Building Nutrition

As a dedicated bodybuilder, you do exactly what the experts say. You cut calories and you exercise. You've made your "calories out" greater than your "calories in". So you should be losing body fat and building more muscle, right? But if you aren't losing body fat, perhaps you're still not paying attention to an often forgotten factor of weight and fat loss - your metabolism. Did you know that the food, exercise, and lifestyle choices you make every day have a significant impact on your metabolism? For example, if you starve yourself instead of following a sensible fat-loss eating plan your metabolism will slow down. When your metabolism slows, your calories out will be less. And that means you will gain fat instead of losing it. So for every day that you continue to slow your metabolism with unhealthy lifestyle choices, you get further and further away from your fat loss goals. Here’s how you can maximize your metabolism quickly and easily. Here Are My Top 10 Bodybuilding Tips to Help You Maximize Metabolism, Lose Your Unwanted Weight & Finally Build More Muscle the Right Way:

1. Don't starve yourself. Cutting calories too much is one of the worst things you can do to your body. Starving yourself actually causes you to lose much more water weight and muscle than fat.

2. Eat 6-8 small meals per day with an emphasis on lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables. To lose fat and unwanted weight effective you must have a nutrition plan. So spend a couple hours on a day off preparing as much food as you can for the upcoming week.

3. Eat breakfast. You should make this meal part of your daily metabolism-boosting plan. At the very least, eat a lean protein, drink Green Tea, and consume a fiber-rich fruit to get your fat loss day started right.

4. Eat healthy fats. Sources of healthy fats included nuts, fish, olive oil, and flax oil. Replace processed carbohydrates in your diet with almonds. For example, if you currently eat a small bag of pretzels as a mid-afternoon snack, eat almonds instead.

 5. Eat high quality foods that will help you control your blood sugar, insulin, and energy levels. This will help you lose fat and prevent you from gaining unwanted weight.

 6. Eat up to 1g of protein per pound body weight to a maximum of 150 grams per day for a woman or 200 grams per day for a man.

 7. Don't drink alcohol. Alcohol prevents fat burning and will quickly add hundreds of calories. Alcohol intake can also reduce testosterone levels, a big no-no for men looking to get lean.

 8. Drink Green Tea and water. This will prevent your metabolism from slowing down. Not too mention, these are your 2 healthiest beverage options.

 9. Stick to a consistent sleep schedule. If possible, avoid working afternoon and overnight shifts. And, don't stay up late watching television.

 10. Use the Turbulence Training strength and interval workout principles for the most efficient and effective metabolism-boosting workout. This means strength training with free weights and bodyweight exercises and performing shorter interval training workouts rather than long, slow boring cardio.

 Bonus Bodybuilding & Fat Loss Tip: Recently I have been experimenting with my clients adding an additional mini-workout to our regular Turbulence Training fat loss program. By completing a bodyweight circuit (10-20 minutes per day), we've discovered that we boost our metabolism again and increase our fat loss results. So if you do your regular bodybuilding workout in the morning, add a bodyweight circuit after dinner. On the other hand, if you workout in the afternoon, do a bodyweight circuit first thing in the morning. If your metabolism has slowed down due to improper dieting or lifestyle, then the Turbulence Training Lifestyle will help you get back on track to lose fat and gain more muscle. Once you correct your metabolism, you will be on the road to losing fat for good.

Strength Training: 10 Things You Must Know

Lets face it, everybody knows that strength training builds muscle, but did you know that it does much more for you as far as your health goes? Lets have a look at these strength training tips one by one and you will see what a difference this valuable tool will make to your general health.

Weights Improve Immunity - Immune strength depends on the availability of the amino acid glutamine. Your muscles have to supply the glutamine to your immune system in order for it to work. Therefore the more muscle you have the more abundant the glutamine supply, and the better your immune system works.

Weights Grow Bone - A study at Stanford University showed clearly that about 20% of bone mineral density is dependent on maintaining muscle.

A new study reported in February 2000, in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, that even in elderly women, a one-year weight-training program increased their strength by 20-30%, with a significant increase in bone density.

Weights Combat Diabetes - New studies published between 1995 and 2000 show that weight training has an unexpected benefit - it improves glucose tolerance in patients with Type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes. In one of these studies, post-menopausal women with diabetes followed a weight-training program for four months. Their glucose sensitivity improved by an average of 29%.

Weights Wack Arthritis - At Tufts University in the USA, researchers gave patients with rheumatoid arthritis 10 weeks of high-intensity weight training. Results showed significant reductions in joint pain and fatigue and strength gains. Results showed that the weight work caused a significant decline in arthritis activity.

Weights Raise Testosterone - Did you know that strength training is one of the best exercises to raise testosterone levels in men and women! With strength training the levels of both testosterone and growth hormone rise dramatically.

Since loss of strength and muscle mass are the prime causes of most age-related diseases a lifelong strength training program is one of the best insurance polices for a better quality of life for both men and women.

Avoid Muscle Loss - although endurance exercise improves our cardiovascular fitness, it does not prevent the loss of muscle tissue.

Only strength training maintains our muscle mass and strength throughout our mid-life years. After the age of 20 up to 1/2 pound of muscle tissue is lost per year in both males and females due to the normal aging process.

By Strength Training once a week and using all the major muscle groups, doing 3-4 exercises, and 15 -20 minutes maximum of training time, you will keep getting stronger, smile, be positive and live life.

Avoid Metabolic Rate Reduction - because muscle is very active tissue, muscle loss is accompanied by a reduction in our resting metabolism.

Research indicates that an average adult experiences a 5% reduction in metabolic rate every decade of life. Only high intensity strength training performed once or twice a week with prescribed rest periods can avoid this.

Increase Muscle Mass - because most adults do not perform strength exercise, they need to first replace the tissue that has been lost through inactivity. Fortunately research shows that a standard strength training program can increase muscle mass by about 4 kg or 10 lbs over a ten-week period.

Increase Metabolic Rate - Research reveals that adding 10 lbs of muscle increases our resting metabolism by 7% and our daily calorie requirements by 15%.

At rest, 2 lbs of muscle requires 77 calories per day for tissue maintenance and during exercise, muscle energy utilization increases dramatically.

Adults who replace muscle through sensible strength exercise use more calories all day long thereby reducing the likelihood of fat accumulation.

Reduce Body Fat - In a 1994 study, strength exercise produced 10 lbs of fat loss after two months of training, even though the subjects were eating 155 more calories per day. That is, a basic strength-training program resulted in 8 lbs more muscle, 10 lbs less fat and more calories per day food intake.

Increase Bone Mineral Density - The effects of progressive resistance exercises are similar for muscle tissue and bone tissue.

The same training stimulus that increases muscle strength also increases bone density and mineral content. A 1993 study demonstrated significant increases in the bone mineral density of the upper femur after four months of strength training.

So, now you can go ahead with your strength training endeavors knowing that you will be experiencing all these benefits.

Using Calories For Weight Loss

Ever wondered what a calorie is? The definition of a calorie is "the amount of energy, or heat it takes to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water to 1 degree Celsius".

A calorie is a unit of energy that is associated with food and drink and is a measure of the energy, or heat, that food produces as your body uses it as fuel.

The first step in counting calories for your personal weight loss is to calculate how many calories you burn in a day (your total daily energy expenditure). This is the total number of calories that your body expends in 24 hours, including all activities.

This is known as your maintenance level and will be the reference point (number of calories) from which to start your dieting.

The average calorie maintenance level for women in the United States is approx 2000 per day and the average for men is approx 2500 per day. These are only basic averages and are usually much higher for athletes or active individuals.

A quick and easy method to find out how many calories you require per day for weight loss and maintenance is to calculate a calorie value with a multiplier as set out below.

Fat loss = multiply your body weight in pounds with 12 calories (12 x lb).

Maintenance = multiply your body weight in pounds with 15 calories (15 x lb).

This is a very easy method to estimate your daily caloric requirements, but it has its drawbacks as it doesn't take into account your particular activity levels or body fat levels. Despite this it will give you a good estimated figure that you can work with.

The maintenance figure that you get is the amount of calories that you need to consume to stay at your current weight. To lose weight your calorie intake must be lower than the calories you burn.

In order to lose one pound of fat per week, you must reduce your weekly calorie intake by 3,500 calories, which works out at five hundred calories per day. This can be done by reducing your calories by 500 or combining a diet with physical activity.

The bottom line is to balance your caloric intake with the amount of calories that you are burning, is the secret to successful dieting and weight maintenance.

Becoming more conscious of counting calories in your everyday eating regime is imperative if you are trying to lose weight. Studies have shown that men and women "underestimate" their daily calorie consumption by 500 to almost 1000 calories.

You can get a truer picture by keeping a seven-day eating plan of what you typically eat and drink during the day.

At the end of each day of eating, add up the total amount of calories consumed and write them down on to the eating plan. At the end of the seven days, add the total calories for the whole week and then divide by seven. You now have your daily calorie intake.

Using a calorie calculator can make counting calories easier - you can total how many calories you will need for your daily activities to give you more control over how many calories you should include in your daily diet.

Another technique for low calorie eating is to watch your fat intake as this has the most calories.

Moderation is always important when you are counting calories. Severely restricting calories, causes the body to lower its metabolic rate, which reduces its ability to burn fat.

At the same time, hunger signals increase and you quickly start to crave high-energy foods loaded with fats and sugar, the same foods you are trying to do without.

This is because when you return to normal eating habits, the drop in metabolic rate caused by the restriction in calories means that your old eating habits actually represent excess in calories.

Not only do you regain the fat stores just lost, but also you may even gain a bit extra.

"Dieting by counting calories means that all foods are allowed, nothing is forbidden as long as the calories consumed don't go over your daily calorie allowance".

Counting calories can also be flexible enough to accommodate most busy lifestyles.

Health professionals agree that healthy eating which includes counting calories and a low fat diet are essential for long-term healthy weight loss.

The way to lose body fat and maintain muscle is to have a food program for life. Quality food and more energy output are the basics you'll need to go for.

Are You Frequenting the Gym Too Much?

Many studies at universities, conducted around the world have shown clearly that recuperation from strength training requires far more rest time than previously thought.

The latest studies have indicated that high intensity strength trained muscles need more time than previously thought to recover and become stronger some studies show that muscles are still overcompensating and getting stronger for up to 21 days after the previous workout.

Researchers have found that fitness enthusiasts can reduce the time they spend working out by two-thirds and still achieve the same results. A study involving male weightlifters has suggested it is counter-productive to spend hours exercising.

Those who exercised less saw significant decreases in body fat. The study focused on 16 students aged 19 to 23, who already worked out regularly. They were split into two groups. Both carried out upper-body training three times a week for eight weeks. One group did one set of eight repetition: the other did three sets of the same exercise.

At the end of the study both groups had improved "significantly" in terms of muscular strength, said researchers from the health and exercise science unit at the University of Glamorgan in Pontypridd, Wales. Report author Dr Julien Baker said, "this study indicates that it is counter-productive to spend hours at the gym, and that a shorter work-out can achieve exactly the same results."

Muscles take between 4-7 days to fully recover from a workout and another 2-3 days for over-compensation to take place. It can also take up to 7-14 days for the neuro - muscular system to fully recover from a high intensity strength training session.

I’ve observed in 20 years working in gyms, the same people continuing to train week in and week out, three to four and even more times a week even though they haven’t made progress in months or even years of training.

I have found through experience that any strength training program that has you in the gym three or more times a week will have you plateau within four to five weeks and nothing you do will shift you from this plateau short of cutting back on training which will re-start the gaining processes again.

The only exception to this rule is the beginner whose strength will increase through neurological adaptations for up to three months after starting strength training.

Also perfect technique must be maintained and followed to maximize the training stimulus on the muscle and to minimize the risk of injury during this period. Studies have also concluded that split strength training programs have been shown to be no more beneficial than full body training programs.

The training frequency that you, and everybody else, should use is variable, not fixed. I repeat not fixed. When you strength train as a way to develop more muscle, the intensity of your workouts has to progress upward.

If they remain at the same intensity there is no reason for new muscle to grow. If you want to train effectively you have to understand the relationship between the increasing intensity of your workouts and the decreasing frequency of those workouts.

The two main components of strength training are the intensity of the exercise and the recovery after the exercise. Infrequent, short, high intensity weight training sessions, followed by the required amount of time to recover and become stronger is what is needed to increase functional muscle size.

Your rest days are just as important as your training days. By giving your muscles more time to recover between strength training sessions you will be on the road to major gains in strength, muscle size and fat loss.


So there you have it. It's not the training volume but the intensity and recuperation that's important when it comes to Gains in Strength and Muscle.