Weights for Women – Don’t Worry About the Weight!

Weights for Women – Don’t Worry About the Weight!

Although weight training has traditionally been thought of as a male activity, research over the past 35 years has provided information that supports and refutes many of the previously held beliefs about the male/female differentiation in physiological performance.  In spite of all the research, many of the questions asked all those years ago, are still being asked today.

Women, on the average, are about 65% as strong as men.  Very few dispute this assertion due to obvious physical differences in males vs. females.  On the other hand, when other factors are taken into consideration, there are great variations from one part of the body to another, and in various movements of the same body part.  For example, even when body size is taken into consideration, men are as much as 60 – 65% stronger than women, in upper –body strength. Conversely, in terms of lean body mass, women are generally stronger than men in lower body strength. 

 As to the question of possible skeletal muscle differentiation between men and women, the actual muscle fibers are identical, although research suggests that there are subtle differences in the total makeup of muscle mass.

 Researchers have seen that the cross-sectional area of muscle fibers is smaller in women, and there may be a difference in the number of fibers per specific muscle, versus men.

 Generally, women have more Type I (slow twitch fibers) and men have more Type 2 (fast twitch) fibers.  Type 2 fibers tend to get larger (hypertrophy), so males have a head start when it comes to increasing muscles mass.

 Women sometimes avoid resistance training for fear of looking too muscular, and less than feminine.  Society, traditionally, have expected men to appear muscular, and women to be leaner.  Physiologically, it is difficult for women to add excessive muscular mass.  Without supplementation, resistance training, for women, typically results in a reduction of the amount of fat over the existing musculature, with a moderate increase in muscle size.  The resultant effect is more muscle definition.  Certainly, a low-fat, lean-muscled female shape is not a negative.  In the unlikely event of a resultant level of muscle hypertrophy that is unwelcome, program modifications will reduce that effect. 

 Although ancient by this time, the term muscle-bound continued to find life in some literature.  Properly performed resistance training, far from decreasing flexibility, can actually increase average flexibility.  There is no need for women to avoid strength training for fear of limiting flexibility.  A pre-workout stretching regimen can not only increase flexibility, but may decrease the possibility of injury.

 Although a traditional strength training program will have little, if any effect, on cardiovascular endurance, a circuit-training program has shown a beneficial cardio effect, in some studies.  Generally, there should be no difference in the cardiovascular effect of strength training, between men and women.

 Because of individual differences, standardized programs do not provide uniform change.  Although women may not start at the same strength level as men, they have the ability to gain strength at the same rate as men.

 Resistance training is equally valuable for both men and women.

 

Gregory Camp is a Director of Wellness, with 30 years experience in health/ fitness/ wellness with a large non-profit healthcare system in the state of Florida.  Would you like to learn about fitness and exercise programs that are safe and effective?  Learn how to dramatically improve your body image and lose the weight that you have always wanted.

http://www.fitnessishealth.com

 

 

 

Bodyweight Calisthenics Are Better Than Boring Cardio

Bodyweight Calisthenics Are Better Than Boring Cardio Most exercises split their workouts into resistance training and cardio training.  They use weighted resistance for the resistance part and some type of monotonous exercise like jogging, rowing or biking for the cardio part.  But by neglecting bodyweight calisthenics they’ve just made a big mistake.

 

You see, you’ve just overlooked one of the best ways to get a great cardio workout as well as build a high-performance, athletic body… bodyweight calisthenics.  You don’t need any equipment at all to get a great cardio workout.  And there are added benefits for using bodyweight calisthenics instead of boring cardio.

 

You Can Do Bodyweight Calisthenics Anytime, Anywhere

 

The more you base your workouts (resistance or cardio) on equipment, the more excuses you have to NOT do the workout.

 If you only use an exercise bike… what do you do when the exercise equipment is in use?  What happens if the row machine breaks?  Most people will use that as an excuse to skip the cardio workout all together.

 

On the other hand, if you have a functioning body, you can use bodyweight calisthenics.  As you can see, there are no excuses left for missing the workout.  using bodyweight exercises for your cardio means you are ready for a workout anytime, anywhere… rain or shine.

 

Bodyweight Calisthenics Prepare You For Real World Challenges

 

Most exercisers wrongly believe that only monotonous, boring exercise is “cardio” exercise.  But the truth is, AND activity that increases your heart rate and breathing rate can improve heart and lung function.  And a fast paced circuit of bodyweight calisthenics is definitely going to get your heart and breathing rates up.

 

The added benefit is being prepared for real world challenges.  The fact is, endurance improvements are specific to the activity trained.  That means if you run, your heart and lungs get better for running.  This explains why you get out of breath easily doing an activity you don’t practice in your workout.  But on the other hand, bodyweight workouts can be made up of so many different types of exercises that they prepare your for challenges both inside and outside the gym.

 

You’ve Probably Been Neglecting Your Bodyweight Exercises

 

The sad fact is, you probably don’t do enough bodyweight exercises.  Exercise is made up of movement… both moving around the weight of your own body in various directions AND moving weighted objects around.  Unfortunately, most exercises spend most of their time training weighted resistance and neglect bodyweight only exercises.  So, using bodyweight calisthenics as your cardio portion of your workout not only improves hear and lung endurance, but trains your body to move.

 

As you can see, bodyweight calisthenics are a great option as a substitute for your regular cardio workout.  You’ll never have an excuse to skip a workout.  You’ll ultimately build a more high-performance body ready to meet life’s challenges with excellence.  And you’ll fulfill a much needs training requirement… bodyweight exercise.  No matter how you cut it… bodyweight calisthenics are a great way to get both a cardio workout and build a high performance, athletic body.

 

 

—————————————————-

To get a free copy of my Special Report “Bodyweight Exercise Cardio Intervals”, just go to:

http://bestathomeworkouts.com/bodyweight-exercise-cardio-int

ervals/  Here you’ll get the exact exercises I recommend with photos and detailed descriptions.  Give boring cardio a kick in the pants here:

http://bestathomeworkouts.com/bodyweight-exercise-cardio-int

ervals/

 

 

Finding Time To Burn Ten Times More Calories.

Finding Time To Burn Ten Times More Calories.

Finding the time to burn ten times more calories is like finding more laughter in your life. It is easier said than done. To master the tricks you need to be part strategist and part escape artist.

 

The moments that you can grab for exercise come suddenly and pass swiftly. If you don’t take advantage of them, every cell in your body pays a certain price.

 

Here are some ideas that will help you plan so that you can burn ten times more calories:

 

Take up stairing.

 

When ever you have a choice take the stairs instead of getting the esculator. You burn ten times more calories climbing the stairs than taking the escalator.

 

Keep your distance.

 

Parking at the shopping centre? Instead of cruising the parking lot to find a parking space. Go for the vast empty spots on the far side of Nowheresville. It won’t take you that much longer to get to the shops. Also the long distance walk will burn calories and boost your metabolism.

 

Pull up short.

 

When your taking a cab, allow some extra time and have the driver drop you off a few blocks from your destination. If you are taking a bus, get off a stop or two before you need to, then burn ten times more calories with some power walking.

 

Make every minute count.

 

When you are standing in line, for example, you can tighten and relax your gluteal maximus muscles(butt). When you are on the phone and someone has put you on hold, you have a great opportunity to do a few repetitions of abdominal flexing exercises.

 

Waste some moves.

 

Tv commercials are not for snack grabing. They are for stretching. Get up and stretch. Move around. If you are upstairs and there is a quick chore to be done downstairs, or vice-versa, seize the commercial break as an opportunity to get it done.

 

Try a clean sweep.

 

Often chores are more pleasant if you do them in mini does rather than as cellar to rafters whole house overhauls. If the weather is good step outside and sweep your side walk, drive way or patio.

 

Get on a good cycle.

 

Whether you are pedalling a moving bike or stationary one you can burn ten times more calories.

 

Go to the dogs.

 

If you are the proud owner of a dog, you know your pup is eager to go out anytime. Instead of resisting the eager pleading eyes, give in. The more you walk the dog the more weight you will lose.

 

There you go. easy was it not to burn ten times more calories when you make time to.

 

 

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C Rodney Akomas is a weight loss expert who has helped thousands of people just like you lose weight quick and easy. Click: http://www.stripthatphat.info to get a FREE REPORT on 5 SECRETS the weight loss companies don’t want you to know! You also read more articles at his BLOG. Visit http://tinyurl.com/czszbk .

 

 

Who Else Wants A Flat Stomach And Curvy Butt?

Who Else Wants A Flat Stomach And Curvy Butt?

In today’s world it is all about good health and fitness.

Not only that but for women especially it is all about looks and feeling good about it all.

 

So who else wants a flat stomach and  a curvy butt to go with it? Come on ladies put your hands up. I know there are a lot of ladies out there that want such assets so i am going to lay down a few ways to make your desires a reality:

 

Take a look in the mirror.

 

First of all take a look in the mirror and look at  your condition. How far out does your belly protrude. Can you see the lard and stretch marks around your stomach and butt. It is time to take action.

 

Buy an exercise magazine or dvd.

 

There are many exercise videos and magazines out there you can purchase. Once you purchase them you need to follow there programs and instructions. Look for exercises that target the butt. Examples are squats, lunges, dumbell deadlifts to name a few. these exercises tone the butt and give it more shape and curve.

 

Also look for magazines or videos that target the abs.

Examples are crunches, bridges, leg raise to name a few.

These exercises target the abdominals and get them toned so that they are held in place. Also don’t for get to some cardio to burn fat.

 

Buy nutrition magazines and diet books or videos.

 

Again there is loads of information from magazines and books on the type of food that you need to eat to burn fat off your butt and stomach.

 

You need to stay away from simple sugars like white bread and processed junk food that  contains saturated fat.

Portion control should be adhered to. What i mean by this is that you should eat small meals but frequently. When you eat small meals your bellly will not protrude like it does when you eat a karge meal. Large meals stretch the abdominal wall and then it is hard to get it back to normal size when you lose weight or have an empty stomach.

 

Make sure you eat a lot of protein like fish, chicken, lean meat, etc. Then also eat complex carbs like whole wheat bread and lots of fruits and vegetables.

 

Never ever skip breakfast.

 

Never miss breakfast because if you do you are setting yourself up for failure. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It cranks up the metabolic machine. And when you eat breakfast you are less likely to pig out in the evening and ruin your efforts at attaining a flat stomach and a curvy butt.

 

Sleep eight hours a night.

 

Sleeping a hours a night will aid weight loss even faster.

Yes we lose weight when we are asleep. So get the proper amount.

 

Avoid alcohol.

 

Women who drink alcohol get beer bellies just like men do.

And it is not just lager that gives you a beer belly, all types of alcohol will give you one.

 

So ladies if you follow these steps religiously and  for a life time there is no reason why you can’t sport a flat stomach and a curvy butt.

 

 

—————————————————-

C Rodney Akomas is a weight loss expert who has helped thousands of people just like you lose weight quick and easy. Click: http://www.stripthatphat.info to get a FREE REPORT on 5 SECRETS the weight loss companies don’t want you to know! You also read more articles at his BLOG. Visit http://tinyurl.com/czszbk .

 

 

Bodyweight Calisthenics Are Better Than Boring Cardio

Bodyweight Calisthenics Are Better Than Boring Cardio Most exercises split their workouts into resistance training and cardio training.  They use weighted resistance for the resistance part and some type of monotonous exercise like jogging, rowing or biking for the cardio part.  But by neglecting bodyweight calisthenics they’ve just made a big mistake.

 

You see, you’ve just overlooked one of the best ways to get a great cardio workout as well as build a high-performance, athletic body… bodyweight calisthenics.  You don’t need any equipment at all to get a great cardio workout.  And there are added benefits for using bodyweight calisthenics instead of boring cardio.

 

You Can Do Bodyweight Calisthenics Anytime, Anywhere

 

The more you base your workouts (resistance or cardio) on equipment, the more excuses you have to NOT do the workout.

 If you only use an exercise bike… what do you do when the exercise equipment is in use?  What happens if the row machine breaks?  Most people will use that as an excuse to skip the cardio workout all together.

 

On the other hand, if you have a functioning body, you can use bodyweight calisthenics.  As you can see, there are no excuses left for missing the workout.  using bodyweight exercises for your cardio means you are ready for a workout anytime, anywhere… rain or shine.

 

Bodyweight Calisthenics Prepare You For Real World Challenges

 

Most exercisers wrongly believe that only monotonous, boring exercise is “cardio” exercise.  But the truth is, AND activity that increases your heart rate and breathing rate can improve heart and lung function.  And a fast paced circuit of bodyweight calisthenics is definitely going to get your heart and breathing rates up.

 

The added benefit is being prepared for real world challenges.  The fact is, endurance improvements are specific to the activity trained.  That means if you run, your heart and lungs get better for running.  This explains why you get out of breath easily doing an activity you don’t practice in your workout.  But on the other hand, bodyweight workouts can be made up of so many different types of exercises that they prepare your for challenges both inside and outside the gym.

 

You’ve Probably Been Neglecting Your Bodyweight Exercises

 

The sad fact is, you probably don’t do enough bodyweight exercises.  Exercise is made up of movement… both moving around the weight of your own body in various directions AND moving weighted objects around.  Unfortunately, most exercises spend most of their time training weighted resistance and neglect bodyweight only exercises.  So, using bodyweight calisthenics as your cardio portion of your workout not only improves hear and lung endurance, but trains your body to move.

 

As you can see, bodyweight calisthenics are a great option as a substitute for your regular cardio workout.  You’ll never have an excuse to skip a workout.  You’ll ultimately build a more high-performance body ready to meet life’s challenges with excellence.  And you’ll fulfill a much needs training requirement… bodyweight exercise.  No matter how you cut it… bodyweight calisthenics are a great way to get both a cardio workout and build a high performance, athletic body.

 

 

—————————————————-

To get a free copy of my Special Report “Bodyweight Exercise Cardio Intervals”, just go to:

http://bestathomeworkouts.com/bodyweight-exercise-cardio-int

ervals/  Here you’ll get the exact exercises I recommend with photos and detailed descriptions.  Give boring cardio a kick in the pants here:

http://bestathomeworkouts.com/bodyweight-exercise-cardio-int

ervals/

 

 

“PICture” Yourself Gaining Muscle

“PICture” Yourself Gaining Muscle Mass

When it comes to gaining muscle mass there are three basic principles that you need to be aware of. If you choose to ignore them your gains will be very minimal. PIC, as in picture, is a simple little acronym I have created to make these principles easy for you to remember.

 

Progressive Overload – In order for your muscles to constantly be growing you need to be constantly pushing them to new levels. When your muscles are put under enough stress the fibers tear. To prevent this from happening again your muscles adapt by growing during the repair process. If you continue to use the exact same workout without increasing weight, reps, sets, or frequency of your workouts you will fail to tear the fibers to the same extent. By increasing either your weight, reps, sets or frequency of workouts on a continual basis you will maximize the the stress on your muscles forcing them to grow at a faster rate. This is called progressive overload.

One word of caution though – too much stress or stress too often can cause injury and even permanent damage, so don’t forget to rest and let your muscles heal.

 

Increase Caloric Intake – This is probably the biggest problem that many novice muscle builders have with gaining muscle mass. Simply increasing your calories isn’t what your body really needs. If you scarf down a bunch of pizza, beer and cake to increase your calories, your not going to be happy with the results. The purpose of increasing your calories is to give your muscles what they need to build and repair themselves and to supply your body with the energy it needs to have an effective workout. Protein is one of the most essential needs in growing your muscles and should be a major part of your diet. Don’t load up on sugar and fat as your body won’t use this for building muscle.

The only time I would recommend loading on sugar is when it is accompanied by protein just before a workout for energy.

 

Compound Exercises – A lack in compound exercises is also big mistake made by many novice muscle builders. It’s completely natural for people to gravitate towards isolation exercises like bicep curls and triceps extensions because they want big, ripped arms busting through their t-shirts. Isolation exercises however don’t give you a complete workout. In other words, you are limiting your growth to just a few specific muscles whereas with compound exercises you are involving all of the supporting muscle groups as well. The more muscles you have involved the more overall muscle growth you get. So if you want to gain muscle mass throughout your entire physique compound, muscles are the way to go.

 

Though these three principles may seem very simple, they are critical to your muscle building success. Leave any one of these out of your program and your results may be less than desirable. Once you put all of these in place, however, it won’t be long before you will be able to “PICture” yourself with a bigger physique.

 

 

—————————————————-

Jim Clements is the President and CEO of Simply Ripped, LLC, a company dedicated to providing you with the information and tools necessary to build muscle, burn fat, and maximize your muscle definition.

To learn how to build, burn and sculpt any body type go to:

http://www.simplyripped.com

 

 

“PICture” Yourself Gaining Muscle Mass

When it comes to gaining muscle mass there are three basic principles that you need to be aware of. If you choose to ignore them your gains will be very minimal. PIC, as in picture, is a simple little acronym I have created to make these principles easy for you to remember.

 

Progressive Overload – In order for your muscles to constantly be growing you need to be constantly pushing them to new levels. When your muscles are put under enough stress the fibers tear. To prevent this from happening again your muscles adapt by growing during the repair process. If you continue to use the exact same workout without increasing weight, reps, sets, or frequency of your workouts you will fail to tear the fibers to the same extent. By increasing either your weight, reps, sets or frequency of workouts on a continual basis you will maximize the the stress on your muscles forcing them to grow at a faster rate. This is called progressive overload.

One word of caution though – too much stress or stress too often can cause injury and even permanent damage, so don’t forget to rest and let your muscles heal.

 

Increase Caloric Intake – This is probably the biggest problem that many novice muscle builders have with gaining muscle mass. Simply increasing your calories isn’t what your body really needs. If you scarf down a bunch of pizza, beer and cake to increase your calories, your not going to be happy with the results. The purpose of increasing your calories is to give your muscles what they need to build and repair themselves and to supply your body with the energy it needs to have an effective workout. Protein is one of the most essential needs in growing your muscles and should be a major part of your diet. Don’t load up on sugar and fat as your body won’t use this for building muscle.

The only time I would recommend loading on sugar is when it is accompanied by protein just before a workout for energy.

 

Compound Exercises – A lack in compound exercises is also big mistake made by many novice muscle builders. It’s completely natural for people to gravitate towards isolation exercises like bicep curls and triceps extensions because they want big, ripped arms busting through their t-shirts. Isolation exercises however don’t give you a complete workout. In other words, you are limiting your growth to just a few specific muscles whereas with compound exercises you are involving all of the supporting muscle groups as well. The more muscles you have involved the more overall muscle growth you get. So if you want to gain muscle mass throughout your entire physique compound, muscles are the way to go.

 

Though these three principles may seem very simple, they are critical to your muscle building success. Leave any one of these out of your program and your results may be less than desirable. Once you put all of these in place, however, it won’t be long before you will be able to “PICture” yourself with a bigger physique.

 

 

—————————————————-

Jim Clements is the President and CEO of Simply Ripped, LLC, a company dedicated to providing you with the information and tools necessary to build muscle, burn fat, and maximize your muscle definition.

To learn how to build, burn and sculpt any body type go to:

http://www.simplyripped.com

 

 

 

 

8 Ways To Drop Weight Now

8 Ways To Drop Weight Now

In this world that we live in there are two types of people, those who can diet easily and those who get frustrated because the diet does not seem to be working.

What do they do, they abandon the diet or start a different one  and never see it through to the end.

 

There are 8 ways to drop weight now. What i mean by drop weight now is that these are very effective and results can be felt as quick as two weeks.

 

So here they are:

 

Switch to low carb and low fat foods.

 

Just doing this will immediatly switch off the fat makers and switch on the fat burners. Examples of low carbs are whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Simple carbs or high carbs are fast acting sugars that increase blood sugar.

Then they make your blood sugar fall rapidly thus making you hungry soon afterwards.This will make you eat or binge on simple carbs again.

 

Start an exercise program.

 

And not just any exercise program.You should do exercises that work major muscles at the same time using multi joints. This will crank up the metabolism and make you start to drop weight now.

 

Exercise on an empty stomach.

 

It is best to exercise on an empty stomach. Why? Because when you walk up in the morning your carboydrates(glycogen

stores) are very low so when you work out you will be using fat as fuel to power the workout.

 

Don’t eat carbs after 6pm.

 

That’s true. We are mostly sedentary in the evening either in bed or watching tv or at our desktops twittering etc. So it makes sense to not eat carbs at this time because it will not be burn’t and will just be stored as fat.

 

Avoid Alcohol if you can.

 

I know this is a hard one to adhere to especially during festive periods. But the reality is that if you drink alcohol say goodbye to the goal to drop weight now.

 

Drink Plenty Of water.

 

Even a little dehydration will slow down the weight loss process. Thats why it is essential to drink at least 8 glasses a day. drinking water will not only make you drop weight now but it will give you energy to get through your exercise program.

 

Visualisation.

 

What the mind can concieve and believe the mind can achieve. What i mean by this is that if you always picture yourself as a slim person your subconcious mind will galvanate you into action to achieve that goal.

 

Get 8 hours sleep every night.

 

You need sleep. And you need at least 8hours every night.

It is during sleep that you lose weight and burn fat.

 

 

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C Rodney Akomas is a weight loss expert who has helped thousands of people just like you lose weight quick and easy. Visit http://www.stripthatphat.info to get a FREE REPORT on 5 SECRETS the weight loss companies don’t want you to know! You can read more articles at his BLOG. Visit http://tinyurl.com/czszbk

 

 

How To Use Bodyweight Interval Training Instead Of Cardio Word

How To Use Bodyweight Interval Training Instead Of Cardio When most people think of cardio workouts, they think of some type of boring, steady state exercise like biking, rowing or running.  And more often than not, they think they need some kind of expensive equipment like an exercise bike, rower or treadmill to get a good heart and lung workout.  But, as you are about to see, all you need is your own body and  a bodyweight interval training program.

 

I usually don’t use the word “cardio” because I find it to be misleading.  I like to think of this type of training as Energy System training.  By this I mean improving the way your body uses the nutrients to fuel your strenuous physical activity.  Since this process relies mostly on the heart and lungs that is what most people focus on.

 

But the fact is, an activity that gets your heart pumping and increases your breathing rate is a “cardio” exercise.

So, doing bodyweight intervals at a fast pace is also a “cardio” workout when done properly.  I would like to stress than doing bodyweight intervals made up of a wide variety of bodyweight exercises is better for improving the heart and lugs, eliminating ugly fat and building a muscular body.

 

What Is Bodyweight Interval Training?

 

One way to perform this type of workout is to pick 3-4 bodyweight only exercises and perform 10 reps of each exercise back to back as a circuit.  Don’t take any breaks between exercises.  Keep going for a specific period of time… say 10-15 minutes.  Sounds simple, right?

 

Here is what is going on.  You should pick the bodyweight exercises so that your entire body is stressed.  So, an upper body exercise, lower body and core.  As you go through the workout, your entire body comes into play (instead or just your legs like running or biking).

 

While you are doing this full body bodyweight interval training workout, your heart and lungs are going to start working hard.  The muscles all over your body start screaming for nutrients, and your lungs need more oxygen and your heart needs to deliver this oxygen and other nutrients.  The entire energy system is taxed… and that is what has to happen for improvements to be made.

 

I think you’ll find, as I have, that bodyweight interval training is better at increasing endurance for activities done in the real world.  Your body makes specific changes according to the specific demand placed upon it.  So when you run, you get better at running.  Unfortunately, when you do other activities you’ll find you are ill prepared.

Using a series of bodyweight exercises trains not only every muscle in your body… but your heart and lungs as well.

 

Instead of your next boring cardio session, try bodyweight interval training instead.  It will not only be more fun, but more effective at helping you increase heart and lung power, burn fat and build an attractive body.  Bu be forewarned, you are not going to be able to watch TV or read a magazine while doing this workout!

 

 

—————————————————-

To get a free copy of my Special Report “Bodyweight Exercise Cardio Intervals”, just go to:

http://bestathomeworkouts.com/bodyweight-exercise-cardio-int

ervals/  Here you’ll get the exact exercises I recommend with photos and detailed descriptions.  Give boring cardio a kick in the pants here:

http://bestathomeworkouts.com/bodyweight-exercise-cardio-int

ervals/

 

 

Get Rid Of Belly Fat

Get Rid Of Belly Fat

Are you one of those who have seen all the belly fat reduction infomercials on TV and tried them all to no avail? Have you been trying to lose your belly fat with very little visible results?

 

By now, you may be feeling frustrated about all your attempts at slimming your waistline.  You may have spent a fortune on abs exercise machines, gym memberships and some weight loss pills, yet all you probably saw was a weight loss that only reflected on a weighing scale, and not on your clothes.

 

The ad that you see on TV for abs products all show you one

thing:  a model with a flat stomach and visible abs. What they don’t show you are how those models really got their abs, that is, by spending hours at the gym and going on restrictive diets.

 

Of course, you get carried away with the promise of a sexy midsection minus the pain and long wait.  You probably even think that since modern technology has provided an answer to practically every human problem there is in the world today, that perhaps these strange contraptions that “firm up” the abs of the TV models are just some of the wonders of science.

 

Sadly, there is no easy or rapid way to lose that belly fat.  No pill or electronic device can take the place of good old exercise and diet discipline.

 

To lose belly fat, you need to remember the following:

 

* Embark on a complete body workout.  You should get lost of frequent exercise if your are serious about losing belly fat.

 

Ideally, you must spend at least 90% of the time that you workout doing high intensity exercises that involve all parts of your body, and not just your abs.  These include squats, lunges, dead lifts,presses, push ups and bench presses.  Use weights for added resistance during your workout.  When you work your muscles, you burn more of your fat.

 

The remaining 10% of your workout time should be used for abs specific exercises.  Here is where you can do your crunches and sit ups.

 

* Skip the slow cardio routine.  What you need are exercises of various intensities but of short duration that indirectly affect your abs while providing a cardiovascular effect.  Examples are stair sprints, jump rope, wind sprints and other types of high intensity training.

 

* Diet is very important.  Your body still needs nourishment, and instead of being too restrictive, maintain a balance of fat, carbs and protein.

 

Go for whole and unprocessed foods like nuts, fruits, vegetables, seeds, organic eggs and lean meats.

Incorporate dietary fiber to help clean out your gut thus keeping it lean.

 

Avoid food containing refined starches, refined sugars, hydrogenated oils (trans fats) and excessive alcohol as they are not easily digested and can clog your colon, making your belly look bigger.

 

Losing belly fat doesn’t have to be complicated or intense.

 No wonder pill, contraption, gadget or machine can shed your stored fat safely and permanently.

 

What you do need is a good diet and a full body exercise program to bring out your abs.

 

 

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Lose inches from your waiste and get rid of belly fat – starting today at http://www.losebellyfatsecret.com/

 

 

Fitness Progress & Success: How to Measure Your Fitness Program Success

Fitness Progress & Success: How to Measure Your Fitness Program Success Home exercise goals come in many shapes and sizes. Take a sample of thirty fitness seekers, ask them what their primary fitness objective is & you’ll get thirty varied responses. There will most likely be some similarities amongst many of those people but then again, what means ‘firming up & slimming down’ to one may mean something entirely different to someone else.

 

Regardless of the many different specific versions of personal fitness goals, we can easily put them into several broader categories that can hold the various subcategories and definitions as implied (or inferred) by any type of specific fitness ‘enthusiast’.

 

To keep matters simple, I will list the broadest phrases that define the majority of fitness objectives as applied to ‘regular’ men and women.

 

1)    Body Fat loss/Weight loss

2)    Muscle ‘Toning’ (getting leaner)

3)    Strength Building

4)    Muscle Development

5)    Energy Boosting/Enhancement

6)    Body-Shaping/Body-Sculpting

7)    Flexibility Improvement/ Range of Motion

    Reduction in Aches & Pains (Back problems,etc)

9)    Improved Self Image and Self Confidence

10)     Improved Health/Medical Profile (Wellness)

11)     Cellulite Reduction and Flab Tightening

 

There is definitely some overlap between these terms not only in definition but also in practice. But, this is a good thing – not a bad thing, at all – reason being that you can only get improvements in some of these areas if you are realizing improvements in a few of the others. Now, we are probably getting into an area of discussion more suited for fitness pros as opposed to fitness seekers but I think you are getting the idea of where I am coming from.

 

Optimal fitness is not defined by one parameter – but rather by at least several. In other words, having a ‘hot body’ does not define one as fit – but having a great body, that is flexible and capable of a moderate amount of physical performance – which is fed a well rounded, nutrient dense diet will most likely fall into the ‘healthy and fit’ category.

 

On the flip-side of this, having a body that is not defined as ‘sexy’ or ‘hot’ by societal norms does not mean that the ‘owner’ of that body is ‘unhealthy and unfit’. Remember, fitness is not defined by whether or not you can elicit cat calls and get yourself ‘checked out’ by others around you.

Rather, fitness is a ‘full package deal’. It should answer the question: ‘What are we as a whole?’ when we consider all ingredients. Ultimately, it’s ‘how we feel about ourselves, with all elements of fitness being taken into consideration’.

 

So, where am I taking you with this uncommon philosophical viewpoint? Well, the actual measurement of fitness progress and success can take many forms when we talk about specifics, but when the smoke clears and its time to assess ones changes and improvements – there are several elements to measure, depending on your personal goals, that will tell a tale and provide all the feedback needed to let you know if you are on the right track or in need of fitness/nutrition program adjustments.

 

One of these key elements is your own intuition – you should be able to ‘feel’ if you are making progress or not.

While there is nothing wrong with body-fat analysis, regular weigh-ins, or muscle-strength testing (just to name several)… It is more important that you start to rely on your internal feedback system. You want to learn how to get in tune with your body and your self. The better you get at this – the simpler it becomes to ‘stick to your plan’, to make consistent and ‘measurable’ progress… and to make your fitness lifestyle ’2nd nature’ to you.

 

 

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Joey Atlas, MS – Exercise Physiology, is the Amazon.com Bestselling author of ‘Fatness to Fitness’ and the Author of the Ultimate Leg, Butt, Hip and Thigh Makeover, The True Butt, Thigh and Leg Magic Exercise Program for Women. Visit http://www.lowerbodymakeover.com/blog/leg-magic-let-down-you

r-purse-gets-slimmer-w-leg-magic/ to firm, tighten and tone your legs, butt, hips and thighs.

 

 

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