The Best Ab Exercises: The Top 5 Mistakes Most Guys Make

The Best Ab Exercises: The Top 5 Mistakes Most Guys Make One of the many challenges men have is to decide what kind of workout they want to do to get a sexy six pack. One of the fears that many men suffer from is that they will work out for months on end and never see any results, or go back to the old way of doing things. So the question is, what are the best ab exercises for six pack abs?

 

The best way to explain this is to talk about what NOT to do. With that in mind, I’ll not talk to you about the top 5 mistakes most people make when they are trying to get ripped six pack abs, so you can save yourself the time and energy, by not making the same mistakes again.

 

Mistake #1: Imitating bad workouts you find on TV. This is a probable reason why you will not be able to burn the belly fat fast. Inexperienced people think that doing some simple workout, like they do on TV is the answer, because they have ripped abs and sexy bodies, and don’t know any better. What they don’t know is that most of the workouts on TV are ineffective and they actually got the abs working out the REAL way, and eating the RIGHT way.

 

And in fact, one of the WORST ab exercises you can do is the regular, repetitive crunch or sit-up. When you do this exercise you are not adding enough resistance to your stomach, and you are not burning belly fat efficiently either. (You should go behind the scenes and see them really work out! You’ll a totally different workout

routine!)

 

Mistake #2: Trying to get ripped by only working out your abs. This is not the most  effective way to burn belly fat!

You want to keep a gradual increase in resistance and difficulty for your abs. That’s how you build size, which is what makes them come out from behind your belly fat.

 

So what ab exercises should I do? There are hundreds of exercises that are better for building abs. Some of them include doing a classic mountain climber, or doing the plank for 1 minute. You must also incorporate pull-ups and dumbbell squats. These exercises keep your metabolism high and will allow you to burn fat even after the exercise.

 

But the bottom line is that many, many people will need to do something different from what they are doing now in order to get the most out of their workout routine.

 

Mistake #3: Think that because you purchased some type of exercise machine will make you get ripped abs, just because you have it. The magis is not in the machine, the magic (if

any) is in the workout done by YOU, regularly, on the machine, and eating right.

 

Mistake #4: Being weak minded. Thinking that you can get a six pack without working hard is a myth. It does require a fair amount of exercise and work. You cannot get a six pack by wishing or thinking about it. You actually have to RUN, do the PUSH-UPS and replace fast food with broccoli soup!

But if you are able to do these things, you’ll start to see a ripped midesction in less than 12 weeks!

 

Mistake #5: Thinking the hardest exercises are the best ones. You don’t need to do some crazy, advanced, upside down workouts in order to get the ripped six pack abs you want. The best ab exercises are simple, effective and fun.

Just do the normal ones, with the exception of crunches and sit-ups, they don’t work to well!

 

Hard ab exercises is a waste of time. They are frustrating, hard to do and often kill your motivation to continue, since you can’t do them properly. It’s about building strength and having good form, not winning the academy awards of crazy ab workouts.

 

 

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Chris is author of Six Pack Exposed, a groundbreaking six pack abs guide for people that will have you build a six pack so fast that people around you will beg for information on how you did it. Find out more about the best ab exercisess by visiting http://www.SixPackExposed.com right now!

 

 

No Pain No Gain: Fitness Myth or Ultimate Fitness Truth?

No Pain No Gain: Fitness Myth or Ultimate Fitness Truth?

No Pain, No Gain. Is this aphorism just a fitness myth and downright bad advice? A lot of people seem to think so. As a bodybuilder with 25 years of training experience and more than two dozen trophies on my shelf, I have another perspective to offer you. Success with your body and in every area of your life is all about stepping outside of your comfort zone and that means embracing pain.

 

To reach high levels of physical and personal success you must approach your training, and your entire life, as an endeavor in constant growth. The ultimate truth is, you are either moving forward or moving backward; growing or dying.

There’s no such thing as comfortably maintaining.

 

To grow, you must step above past achievements; beyond your perceived boundaries and limits. That means stepping out of the known, into the unknown; out of the familiar and into the unfamiliar; out of the comfortable into the uncomfortable. You must get out of your comfort zone.

 

The Late Cavett Robert, who was founder of the National Speakers Association, said something I’ll never forget:

“Most people are running around their whole lives with their umbilical cords in their hands and they’re looking for some place to plug it back in.”

 

Most people are scared of the new, unknown and unfamiliar.

They prefer to stay in that womb of comfort. When the going gets tough; when the effort gets painful, when the work gets hard, they always pull back into safety. But the extraordinary people do the opposite. They know they have to get out of the comfort zone, and into new territory or they’ll stagnate and die.

 

Walt Disney once said that he never wanted to repeat a past success. He was always creating something new. They called it “Imagineering.” Disney’s mission was to continuously dream up and create things they had never done before, and look at what Disney has become today.

 

Here’s a little quote that you should post on your bulletin board, your computer desktop or somewhere you will always see it:

 

“Do what you always did, get what you always got.”

 

You can’t grow or change by doing what you’ve already done.

You’ve got to train just to prevent yourself from going backwards. Maintenance doesn’t occur when you do nothing, maintenance is working to fight entropy (the tendency for things to naturally deteriorate).

 

Still, most people won’t leave their comfort zones. They won’t do it in business, they won’t do it in their personal lives. They won’t do it in their sport. They won’t do it for personal health and fitness. Why? The answer is simple… It hurts.

 

By definition, what’s it like outside the comfort zone?

It’s UN-COMFORTABLE, right? Change is uncomfortable.

Sometimes it’s physically painful, but it’s always mentally and emotionally painful, in the form of discipline, sacrifice, uncertainty and fear.

 

The maxim, “no pain no gain” gets knocked all the time as if it were bad advice. The fact of life is that you don’t grow unless you are constantly stepping outside the comfort zone, and outside the comfort zone is discomfort and pain.

 

I find that it’s mostly the non-achievers who make out “no pain, no gain” to be a bad thing. But the winners get it.

The champions understand stepping outside the comfort zone in a healthy context, so they embrace it.

 

When you’re talking about the Olympics, or pro bodybuilding or the Super Bowl or a world championship, you’d better believe it’s physical pain, it’s discipline, it’s sacrifice, it’s blood, sweat, and tears – literally. But for most people who simply want to go from unfit to fit, from overweight to ideal weight, it’s not so much about physical “pain”; it’s more like stretching yourself.

 

How do you develop flexibility? What does your trainer tell you? You stretch to the point of discomfort, but not to the point of pain, right? You get into a position of slight discomfort and you hold it just long enough, then what happens? The discomfort goes away, because the muscle becomes more pliable, and the range of motion is increased.

 

Each time, you stretch a little further, just barely into the range you’ve never been in before, and eventually, you’re doing the splits. And why do you approach it like that? Because you don’t want to injure yourself. Stretch too far, too fast and your muscle tears.

 

The elite athletes and high achievers really have to push themselves; they’re going to push their boundaries and test their limits. But if you’re not an elite athlete or seasoned bodybuilder, and you take the advice, “no pain, no gain” too literally, you’re going to end up getting injured.

 

I always say to my training partner when I watch him cringing during a set and he finishes up with that pained look on his face, “Are you injured, or just hurt?” He knows what I’m talking about. If he says he’s hurt, I say, “OK, good. As long as you’re not injured. Let’s get on with it.

Next set.”

 

It’s not about injury. That is bad pain. That is stupidity.

But do stretch yourself.  You can’t improve unless you stretch yourself. If someone just wants too “stay fit” – OK fine. It actually doesn’t take that much to stay fit, once you’ve already achieved it.

 

But what if you want to improve? What if you want a new body? What if you want to change? If that’s what you want, you’ve got to push yourself a little. You’ve got to break comfort zones. And if your body is not changing, then I don’t care how hard you think you’re working, whatever you’re doing right now is inside your comfort zone.

 

The statement “no pain, no gain” has been misinterpreted, criticized and labeled a fallacy by many. However, the people doing the criticizing are almost always comfort zoners who haven’t achieved much. Don’t listen to them.

Instead, follow the small percentage of people who step out and achieve great things.

 

Embrace the discomfort like the champions do. Soon it subsides, you enjoy the benefits of the change and the pain is forgotten. You’ve reached a new, higher plateau of achievement. Enjoy the view for a short while. But be on guard because it’s not long before that higher level becomes your new comfort zone and then its time to press on again.

 

 

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Tom Venuto is a natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, fat loss expert and author of the best seller, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat Burning Secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism without drugs or supplements, by visiting http://www.BurnTheFat.com

 

 

How You Can Get 6-Pack Abs!

How You Can Get 6-Pack Abs!

Copyright (c) 2009 Stephen Smith

 

If you mention the words, six-pack and summer together, most people immediately think of beer. Images flood their mind of relaxing, warm, summer days spending time with friends and having a couple of coldies! In this article, we’re more concerned with the other type of ‘six-pack’ the abdominal type and how you can get them fast!

 

There is no other body part that is more universally revered than a set of rippling abdominal muscles. They are the hallmark of athleticism and indicate a great level of physical condition. A ‘wash-board’ midsection gets noticed.

Men look on with awe and envy, whilst women stare with wonder and admiration. Add to this the fact that when you’ve got a great set of abs -  you feel great. It makes sense that achieving a chiselled stomach is high on the list of priorities for most men. Unfortunately though, it is a very elusive goal. It seems that no matter how hard they try and no matter what exercises they perform, some guys never seem to attain the highly desirable, ‘granite-like’ midsection displayed by many of the men that grace the pages of Men’s Health magazine!

 

Surprisingly, it is actually very easy to get a great set of abs and in this article we will show exactly what you need to do

 

Attaining a great set of abs requires a multi-directional approach; you must combine a variety of factors in order to get the desired result. To get a great set of abs, you need to apply principles to build the abdominal muscles as well as principles to strip the fat that overlies them. Let’s face it, even if you have the most well-developed abdominal muscles in the world, if they are covered by an ugly layer of fat, you won’t be able to see them and neither will anyone else!

 

Before we cover the exercises for training the abdominal muscles, let’s firstly go through the ten ‘Six-Pack Abs’

principles:

 

1. Train all the abdominal muscles

 

2. Apply the abdominal training principles

 

3. Do not perform more than 20 reps per set

 

4. Train to failure on every set

 

5. Progressively overload the muscles

 

6. Don’t train abs more than twice a week

 

7. Perform 2-3 giant sets of 5 exercises each workout

 

8. Train all muscle groups (weight training)

 

9. Regularly perform cardiorespiratory (aerobic) exercise

 

10.  Follow a sound nutritional plan

 

1. Train all the abdominal muscles

 

The abs are made of four muscles: rectus abdominis (the muscle at the front of your abdomen), the internal obliques, the external obliques (the muscles at the sides of your body) and transversus abdominis (the inner-most layer of abdominal muscle).

 

In order to have great-looking, strong and functional abdominal muscles it is imperative that exercises are performed that work all four muscles.

 

2.  Apply the abdominal training principles

 

The abdominal training principles should be used when any exercise is performed for the abs. They are as follows:

 

- Perform the movements slowly

 

- Work through a full range of motion (from full extension to full contraction)

 

- Emphasise the stretch of the muscle being worked

 

- Breathe out during the flexing (concentric) phase

 

- Focus on squeezing the muscle being worked

 

3. Do not perform more than 20 reps per set

 

Performing more than 20 reps per set trains your muscles for endurance rather than strength or muscularity. If you can perform more than 20 reps for an abdominal exercise, change the exercise or find a way to make it harder. Aim to work within the rep range of 8-15.

 

4.  Train to failure on every set

 

The abs are just like any other muscle group in the body, they respond to the same stress. If you want to get maximum benefit from your ab workouts, take each set to a point of momentary muscular failure; continue the exercise until you can’t perform another rep; no matter how hard you try.

 

5. Progressively overload the muscles

 

Since the abs respond and adapt to training just like any other muscle group, you must find ways to make the ab workouts progressively harder. This can be done by selecting more advanced exercises, reducing the rest between sets, performing a few more reps for each set than the previous workout or increasing the number of exercises being performed in the workout.

 

6.  Don’t train abs more than twice a week

 

It is common for people to train abs every day under the mistaken belief that it will help them burn the fat off their stomach. ‘Spot-reduction’ is a physiological impossibility. Abdominal training will only build the abdominal muscles. Cardiorespiratory (aerobic) exercise, a good nutritional plan and an elevated metabolic rate (from having more muscle on your whole body) are the only factors that can help you lose body fat.

 

7.  Perform 2-3 giant sets of 5 exercises each workout

 

There are many ways to train your abdominal muscles in order to get the results you desire. This is just one training regime that is very effective. It is a very intense way to train your abs and is also a very efficient way to train them. You will get fast results from a relatively short training time.

 

8.  Train all muscle groups (weight training)

 

By performing weight training exercises for all your muscle groups you will increase your muscle mass. Since muscle is one of the most metabolically active tissues in the body (it burns up a lot of energy), your metabolism will get an enormous boost An elevated metabolism means you will burn off fat faster and your abs will show through sooner.

Perform at least 3 weight training session a week.

 

9.  Regularly perform cardiorespiratory (aerobic) exercise

 

Cardio is enormously beneficial in helping you shed body fat fast. Not only can it help you burn fat whilst you are exercising, but it can also keep your metabolism elevated for some time after the session is completed, further enhancing fat loss. Cardio also increases the levels of oxidative (fat-burning) enzymes in muscle cells, making your muscles more efficient fat-burners. Perform at least 3 cardio sessions a week.

 

10. Follow a sound nutritional plan

 

The old saying, ‘You are what you eat’ holds true. If you eat badly, your body will look and function badly; but if you eat well, your body will look and function well. By being disciplined with your eating habits you will be amazed at how easy it is to stay in great condition, have abs all year-round and feel fantastic!

 

 

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Stephen Smith is the part-owner of Body Concepts, an Australian supplement company, and Focus On, a health and lifestyle magazine. Stephen has been involved in the health and fitness industry for over 18 years and has a science degree from UWA. Lots of free articles and interesting weight loss information can be found on his website:

http://www.quick-weight-loss-principles.com

 

 

Get Rid of Cellulite Forever!

Get Rid of Cellulite Forever!

Copyright (c) 2009 Stephen Smith

 

Getting rid of cellulite forever is actually easier than you think. The fact is that cellulite is nothing more than normal fat that overlies connective tissue that has a different structure than other parts of the body that don’t have cellulite.

 

Then, when these fat stores fill with fat, the connective tissue pulls on the fat tissue creating the dimpling effect. It is sort of like overstuffing a sofa. As a result, the best way to get rid of cellulite is to simply lose fat! Cellulite creams, pills and massagers are all a complete waste of money so don’t get sucked in by these scams!

 

If a genie suddenly appeared before you and granted you a wish and that wish allowed you to change something about your body, what would it be? Some women may wish for a few less kilos and others a nice, toned body, but getting rid of cellulite forever is probably the most popular wish!

 

Well, in this article we’re going to show you exactly how to do this. Unfortunately though, it’s not going to happen instantly from a genie’s wish or even in a few days, but rest assured if you follow the plan exactly as outlined you will be amazed at how quickly you can get rid of cellulite.

 

In fact, in a matter of weeks you will achieve a dramatic transformation in getting rid of cellulite. Your hips, thighs and butt will be more shapely and toned then ever before. Plus, your natural feminine curves will be further enhanced. All it requires is that you firstly make a decision that you want to get rid of the cellulite on your body. Then make a commitment to do whatever is required, and finally follow through by taking the necessary actions every day.

 

Let’s face it, even if you know exactly what to do to get rid of cellulite, without making a decision and following through with action, the knowledge is useless. Even though we will cover the actions you need to take to achieve the look you desire, it is up to you to make the decision and then perform the required actions.

 

Getting rid of cellulite forever requires a number of different strategies. The first strategy we need to examine is the area of nutrition. Unfortunately, most people have no idea what type of nutritional habits are needed in order to lose body fat or cellulite.

 

‘Can you just eat healthy?’ is a common question. Not exactly. The old saying, ‘You are what you eat’ holds true when it comes to getting rid of cellulite.

 

In order to do that you need keep your metabolism elevated or even better, speed it up. The best way to do this is to supply your body with small amounts of high quality protein throughout the day (ideally every 2-3 hours).

 

The protein provides the building blocks your body needs to maintain (or slightly increase) your muscle mass. If you don’t provide your body with frequent doses of protein then it is likely to go into a catabolic state (negative nitrogen balance), whereby your body breaks down more body tissue (protein) than it builds up. Not only does this impact on your ability to lose fat (and cellulite) but it also slows your metabolism, making fat loss more difficult.

 

Probably the easiest way to ensure you get protein in each of your 5 meals each day is to add some nuts or LSA (linseeds, sunflower seeds, almonds) mix to your cereal or have an egg on toast for breakfast.

 

For lunch and dinner have about 100 grams (about the size of a deck of cards) of fish, chicken or lean steak with vegetables or salad. For your mid-morning and mid-afternoon meals have a protein shake perhaps with a piece of fruit.

 

By making this one small change to your diet, a slightly higher protein intake and slightly lower carbohydrate and fat intake, your body composition will automatically change.

 

The next area you need to consider for getting rid of cellulite is exercise. One of the most overlooked ways to tone up and/ or lose fat is resistance (weight) training.

Many people mistakenly believe that weight training will bulk them up. Whilst it is possible to ‘bulk up’ if you eat too much food, if you control your food intake it will not occur. Plus, it is actually quite difficult for women to increase their muscle mass, for a variety of reasons.

 

By performing weight training you will maintain or slightly increase your muscle mass, which will not only assist your toning efforts but it will also boost your metabolism dramatically (muscle is the most metabolically-active tissue in the body), which will speed up the fat-burning process in your body. This will help get rid of cellulite.

 

The other major benefit weight training provides is that it has been proven to prevent osteoporosis by forcing your body to make your bones thicker and stronger.

 

For best results, select 5 of the following exercises and perform 2-3 sets of high reps (25-30 reps per set) per

workout: squat, lunge, step-up, hip extension, leg extension, leg curl, stiff-leg deadlift, leg press, standing calf raise and seated calf raise. Perform the workout twice a week with at least 2 days rest in between each workout. This workout should be done in addition to other exercises for other body parts as well. [NOTE: Always employ the services of a personal trainer to learn how to perform the exercises correctly.]

 

The other type of exercise that is beneficial for getting rid of cellulite is aerobic (cardiorespiratory) exercise.

The main benefit of aerobic exercise is that it increases calorie (energy) expenditure, which means you can burn fat faster. It may have some very mild muscle-stimulating effects as well but no where near as much as weight training.

 

To get the best fat-burning effects from aerobic exercise, perform at least 20-40 minutes every day. If you can’t perform it every day then at least 5 days a week. It is important to select the type of aerobic exercise you enjoy and that you can see yourself performing long term; it must suit you and your lifestyle. The following exercise types are great options: walking, jogging, boxing, swimming, rowing, cycling, aerobic classes, stepping machines and cross trainers.

 

To enhance the fat-burning benefits even further, take a thermogenic before the session. A thermogenic will give you an energy boost, which will help you work harder during the session. It will also force your body to release stored fat into the bloodstream, which then may be used by your working muscles as fuel.

 

Other supplements that may enhance the fat-burning effects further are creatine, glucose disposal agents (GDAs) and thyroid-support supplements.

 

If getting rid of cellulite forever, improving your health, losing weight and having a toned body are important to you, then seriously consider incorporating the above recommendations into your lifestyle. You’ll be glad you did!

 

 

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Stephen Smith is the part-owner of Body Concepts, an Australian supplement company, and Focus On, a health and lifestyle magazine. Stephen has been involved in the health and fitness industry for over 18 years and has a science degree from UWA. Lots of free articles and interesting weight loss information can be found on his website:

http://www.quick-weight-loss-principles.com

 

 

Cardio Pulse Wave heart test: What is it measuring?

Cardio Pulse Wave heart test: What is it measuring?

Cardio Pulse Wave (CPW) uses the BPro device and A-PULSE CASP software. This is the state-of-the-art equipment, technology and software. Now learn what the measurements mean. This is somewhat technical so bear with me.

 

A-PULSE CASP is a revolutionary product patented by HealthSTATS International Pte Ltd. It is able to measure accurately the Central Aortic Systolic Pressure (CASP), which is the blood pressure at the root of the aorta. It is the only device which can be used in common clinical setting. CASP has been shown in many recent studies as an important determinant for strokes and CVS events. It has been validated via invasive study and achieved an accuracy

(co-relation) R= 0.9917 independently. A-PULSE CASP is FDA and CE MDD registration approved. It is also being used in large drug trials by Pharmaceutical companies.

 

What is arterial pulse waveform?

 

When the left ventricle ejects blood into the aorta in systole, the perturbation generates a wave that initially travels through the arteries from the heart towards the arterial tree.

 

Pulse waveform has 2 components. 1) Forward travelling wave when the left ventricle contracts and 2) Reflected wave returning back from the peripheral.

 

What is CASP (Central Aortic Systolic Pressure)?

 

This is the blood pressure at the root of the aorta or the largest artery in the body, as the blood is being pumped out of the heart. This pressure is called Central Aortic Systolic Pressure or CASP. CASP has been shown to be an important factor in the relation to strokes and cardiovascular events, more so than the brachial pressure, or the pressure at the arm commonly.

 

How to measure CASP?

 

Invasive method

 

This is direct measurement and has been considered as the most accurate method. To perform the measurement, a catheter must be inserted into the aortic root from brachial or femoral artery, which is obviously an invasive method and could result in complications. This invasive method of measuring CASP is not available in clinical setting. However, A-PULSE CASP can be used in clinic and the accuracy has been validated against this invasive method, the result is R= 0.9917 (co-relation). (What this means, for those of you who are like me and don’t quite get the point, is the CPW is 99.17% as accurate as the cathater

method!)

 

Non-invasive method

 

HealthSTATS (HS) invented a device named BPro which is able to capture radial pressure waveforms. Furthermore, HS developed a proprietary formula to derive central aortic systolic pressure (CASP) from the calibrated radial pressure waveform.

 

What is augmentation index?

 

The difference between the second and first systolic peaks expressed as a percentage of the pulse pressure.

 

What is the arterial compliance?

 

The ability of an artery to increase the volume in response to a given increase in blood pressure is called compliance.

 

What is pulse wave velocity?

 

PWV is the speed at which the pressure waveform travels (wave propagation) along the aorta and large arteries, during each cardiac cycle.

 

What is applanation tonometry?

 

The principle of applanation tonometry is that the force acting on the plunger is proportional to the pressure in the artery when where the artery surface is flattened.

 

 

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Eric Glenn is the successful owner of several global health businesses and regularly advises clients and customers on health, nutrition and creating their own global business.

Eric strongly recommends the use of supplements with Synergy Worldwide to improve your health. To learn more about supplements that can help to improve your health visit http://www.ericglenn.com or his health supplements website http://www.synergyteamglobal.com

 

 

How Can You Burn More Calories

How Can You Burn More Calories

If you do not have time to go to the gym you can easily burn calories doing your daily duties. You would be surprised at how many pounds/kilograms you can lose without even suspecting.

 

Lets get to the essential part now, namely how to lose more calories without this being our main purpose?

 

Rule # 1- Use the stairs. No matter whether you use the stairs in the building you live or at the place where you work, it is always an advantage if you take the stairs instead of the elevator. There are thousands of different ways to climb up and go down the stairs so that you are never bored and most importantly lose some extra weight.

You can take 2-3 stairs at a time; you can jump, skip a few stairs, climb sidewise, or simply do a little run up the stairs.

 

Rule # 2- Set your alarm 10 minutes earlier. Waking up and doing a short series of morning exercises will get you far.

It will not only accelerate your blood circulation and warm up your muscles, but it will also charge your batteries for the whole day. Make sure you complete at least 3 different exercises with 15-20 repetitions each. Only after you are done you can go ahead and have breakfast. Burning calories before you have your first meal is much more effective for your body than burning calories late at night after you have already consumed a lot of food.

 

Rule # 3- Choose the longest route possible. Wherever you go to work, home, to the store, and etc., always take the longest road. You either way have to get where you want so why not actually burn some calories while you are doing that? Put it in your mind that there are no shortcuts to your destination. If you need to drive in order to get there, try to always park at the furthest location possible so that you can at least walk for a bit.

 

Rule # 4- Sleep naked at night. When your body feels cold it burns more calories in order to warm itself. If you want to burn even more, you can simply keep the air conditioning on all the time. However, I recommend that you to keep the air on during the day when you are awake and can control it constantly. Falling asleep while the cold air is blowing in your face can really make you very sick. However, some people love sleeping with the air on and some don?t. It is up to you what you decide, but remember that the most important is that you are healthy.

 

Rule # 5- Dress up warm while working out. Some of you might say hmmm, why is it better that I sleep without clothes but at the same time I need to put more clothes on while working out? Yeah, it is very strange, but it is a fact that sleeping without clothes and working out with more clothes have an equal positive effect when it comes to burning calories. The more you sweat during active physical exercising, the more effort your body needs to make to get you back to your normal body temperature. That is the main reason why you tend to burn more calories when you are dressed warm.

 

Rule # 6 – Burning calories in front of the TV. Do you enjoy watching TV shows? I am sure you do. Do not forget that during each show there are plenty of commercials a few minutes each. During that time you need to get up from the couch and do a few exercises. You can do jumping jacks, pushups, crunches, or simply stretching exercises. The choice is all yours. You will be amazed how these couple of exercises can really make you mood and body feel better.

 

Rule # 7- Buy a pedometer (a step counter). You can wrap this little device either around your wrist or around your waist and it will automatically start counting the steps you make. In this way you can keep track of how many steps per day you make walking or running. Once you know how many steps you make on a regular day, then you can start increasing this number by a little every day. You can even turn it into a game where you need to make more and more steps each day in order to win.

 

Rule # 8 – Start walking faster. If it usually takes you 15 minutes walking to get to the gym or somewhere else, try to shorten the time to 10 minutes. You can even rotate by walking 2 minutes fast and 2 minutes slow and so on. This way of walk will accelerate your heart rate and therefore it will be easier to burn additional calories.

 

Rule # 9- Chew gum. It might really sound crazy to you but every time you chew gum you burn calories. Scientists have found that you can burn 12 calories for every 1 hour of chewing gum. It is not a lot but it?s really something.

Additionally while chewing gum you produce extra saliva which helps clean your gums and teeth as well. Well, as you can see there are many creative ways of losing some extra weight without putting any effort in them.

 

 

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My name is Gergana Ganeva and I am the owner of website called Healthy Body Exercises at http://www.healthy-body-exercises.com . I have been intensively involved in sports for 18 years now. A few years ago I ended my professional career as a tennis player and since then I have been working with people who want to lose weight by exercising . My main goal is to teach you how to stay healthy and lose some extra weight the healthy way

 

 

What Is The Purpose Of Weight Lifting

What Is The Purpose Of Weight Lifting

After your pass your 30th birthday your body muscles strength will start decreasing by 1% each year due to insufficient activity. This means that when you hit 70 it is more likely that you would have already lost 40% of the muscle strength you had when you were 30 years old.

 

Relax! There is a way to fix everything.  You can easily look forever young, lose body fat, and beat the aging process by making easy and effective changes to your lifestyle.

 

You need to integrate weight lifting program into your workout schedule so that when you turn 50 years you will still be able to continue doing effectively all the things that previously pleased you.

 

Weight lifting is a great sport for young females who want to strengthen their body, burn fat, and become stronger and healthier.  Weight lifting exercises are very similar to your everyday movement, such as carrying shopping bags or moving boxes or furniture around. However, practicing these activities more often at early age, at the gym, will help you handle more easily with those activities later in life.

 

When muscles work against the resistance of gravity, they become stronger. Your bones get stronger. Therefore, force/weight lifting exercises to strengthen your whole body are a crucial key so that you do not get weak and lose balance when years go by.

 

These power drills will not only help you later in life but also thank to them you will burn a lot of calories, more than you can think. The reason is that the more muscles you use the more calories you burn.

 

You should always remember, start slowly, and never start with lifting heavy weights. I recommend that you first do a few easy series of 12 repetitions on the machine you have chosen before you put heavier weights on. If you do not know exactly how to use a specific machine either do not use it, or ask for a professional to show you how to use it correctly. Improper technique can cause big injuries.

 

Work with all major muscle groups – abdomen, legs, chest, back, shoulders and arms. During exercising always use your left and right hand or leg evenly, which means that you must strengthen the muscles evenly on both sides of your joints.

 

If you perform all these technique and exercises you will go very far and build a great body structure

 

Work hard and Good Luck!

 

 

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My name is Gergana Ganeva and I am the owner of website called Healthy Body Exercises at hppt://www.healthy-body-exercises . I have been intensively involved in sports for 18 years now. A few years ago I ended my professional career as a tennis player and since then I have been working with people who want to lose weight by exercising . My main goal is to teach you how to stay healthy and lose some extra weight the healthy way.

 

 

Selecting The Best Weight Training Program

Selecting The Best Weight Training Program Copyright (c) 2009 Jim Suzak

 

Choose the best weight training program that will help you get the results that you are searching for. There is no single weight training program that will fit the needs of all. Everyone must search for their own program that will work and fit into their own personal workout schedule.

Although no single weight training formula will work for everyone, some weight training plans are proven to work better than others.

 

There are many different weight training programs aimed

toward   the needs of different people. There is no single

plan that will work for everyone. You must think about your age, health and what you are able to do when choosing your muscle building program. To avoid injuries your routine should match your needs and specific abilities.

 

If you acquired a routine from someone else, make sure that you check it out before you start your routine. You will obviously want to make sure that this  workout routine produces the results that you have been led to expect. Does the person who got this program from have the type of body you want? If the answer is yes, then try their workout routine. If they don’t have the kind of physique you are searching for, move on and find a weight training routine that will give you the results you are searching for.

 

Make sure you have defined muscle building goals before beginning a new routine. You will be doing nothing more than pushing weights if you don’t have any specific goals.

Your goals will dictate the kind of workout and routine you use. The type of program that you will use will vary depending on if you want to build muscles, tone up or just lose weight.

 

Many successful muscle building programs will only workout specific areas of your body once a week. Another good idea would be to introduce a cardio workout into your weight training routine for good balance.

 

Make sure you rest your muscles by including resting days in your weekly weight training program. You will need to do this even though you are excited about your new workout routine.  Working in resting days is critical because it gives your muscles an opportunity to heal. Always make sure to have at a minimum two resting days in your weight training schedule.

 

Your muscle building routine should change continually in order for your weight training program to keep progressing as you would like. As your muscles grow, you will need to add weight if you want them to keep on getting larger.

 

There is no special formula regarding how much weight to add or when you should add it because nobody knows your body as well as yourself. Experiment on how you feel and then add the proper amount of weight that will keep your muscles working hard.

 

An efficient weight training program is going to be the only way to reach your body building goals. When you are selecting your muscle building routine, you should keep in mind your personal needs and goals. Only then you will be able to create a routine that will help you succeed. Once you have the weight training routine that is proper for you, your goals will be achieved.

 

 

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The author is a professional trainer and muscle builder that has researched, written and published many articles on how to build muscle and loose fat. He specializes in teaching weight training to the beginner as well as the intermediate muscle builder. Check-out his website for more information,details and programs that will help you build your self-esteem through muscle building and fat loss.

–>http://www.WeightTrainingInfo.com

 

 

How Strict Should Your Exercise Form Be?

 

How Strict Should Your Exercise Form Be?

When it comes to weight training there are generally 2 schools of thought when it comes to exercise form. 1) you have the typical personal trainers who say you should use slow and controlled movements. Then you have the power and strength athletes who like to use more explosive movements and looser training form. Which one is right and which one should you use in your training?

 

Well like a lot of things when it comes to working out there is no right or wrong answer. It all depends on the individual, the training situation, the level of training, and the fitness goals.

 

Obviously for beginners and people who are new to the gym, they need to learn how to perform the exercises with proper form using light weights. At this stage they need to get used to the whole working out process and learn how it feels to work their muscles with weight training.

 

But gradually as you get stronger and start lifting heavier weights in your workouts with the progressive overload principle. You’ll find that your technique will have to change as well. The technique needed to bench press 100 lbs. is totally different then the technique needed to bench press 300+ lbs. As you get stronger different muscles come into play, you need to pay a lot more attention to your set up, how you actually contract the muscles to lift, the mental preparation, etc.

 

If you have the opportunity to watch advanced lifters train you’ll notice that they are NOT going to be using an exaggerated slow and controlled type of exercise form. In fact lifting slow and controlled is not really natural. It doesn’t carry over into real world strength and it is not how our muscles are meant to work.

 

Now I realize what I’m saying here is going to piss some people off. There are those die hard “fitness experts” out there who insist that slow and controlled is the only way and that if you use any speed or momentum in your lifting that you are cheating and that you are going to hurt yourself. But the fact is our bodies are designed for fast and explosive movements.

 

Real World Strength

 

Before we move on let’s just look at some activities from real world examples. Things such as running, jumping, throwing, etc. all require speed, momentum, and explosiveness. To prove my point, just stand up right now and try to jump as high as you can, but do it in a slow and controlled fashion… you won’t even be able to lift off the ground.

 

And for a few examples from outside of sports, think of trying to pull start a lawn mower or kick start a dirt bike. You have to do both very fast and explosive or else the engine won’t get enough RPM’s to turn over and start.

Bottom line is that real world stuff requires strength, speed, explosiveness, and even momentum. So why are so many people dead set against training this way in the gym?

 

Now I know some folks (usually young ego driven guys who are full of piss and vinegar) like to go overboard and use too much weight with absolutely crappy form. You can see examples of this when barbell curls become reverse grip power cleans. And bench presses become a team effort push / pull exercise as the lifter drops the bar to his chest and his trusty spotter deadlifts it back up.

 

But there is that grey zone in the middle of the 2 extremes whereby you are training on the edge, pushing it hard, and also keeping relatively good exercise form at the same time. To see some examples of this type of training just go to YouTube and watch some videos of top bodybuilders like Ronnie Coleman, Branch Warren, and Johnny Jackson.

 

In these videos you’ll see that the guys are powering up big weights and they are also using a bit of “Body English”

to handle such poundages, but the form is still pretty good. Even through they are not lifting “slow and controlled”, they are certainly placing maximum workload on the targeted muscle groups. This type of training will stimulate muscle growth in ways that endless slow and controlled reps with the pink dumbbells will never achieve.

 

Even in the great Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Encyclopaedia Of Bodybuilding he refers to this as “Power Reps”. Joe Weider calls it the “cheating principle”. Basically it’s just using a bit of umph in your movements in order to handle maximum workloads.

 

Power Reps For More Muscle & Strength

 

The use of any weight training technique will depend on the level of the trainee. So to keep it simple I’m going to cover all levels from beginners to advanced and outline how you can incorporate “Power Reps” into your own workouts.

 

Beginners (less then a year of training)

 

Beginners should focus on simply learning proper exercise form. The easiest way to do this is to use light to moderate weights and really focus on feeling the muscles flexing and contracting with each rep. The best way to do this, especially at the beginner stage is by using slow and controlled form all the time.

 

Intermediates (more then a year of training)

 

As you progress with your training you will notice the naturally tendency to use more force and momentum to try and complete your reps as the weights get heavier. This is something you want to pay careful attention to. Used in the right way this can help you work the muscles harder. Used in the wrong way it will take stress off the targeted muscles.

 

My advice here is to start with a weight that allows you to maintain strict control for at least 6-8 reps Then you can use a bit of “Body English” to power out a few more reps at the end. This will allow you to perform extra reps that you normally wouldn’t have been able to do if you were “too strict” with your form.

 

Advanced (several years of progressive training)

 

Advanced lifters already know what works best for their body by the time they make it to this level of training.

After all that’s what it means to be advanced. However for the purpose of this article I’ll outline some “Power Rep”

guidelines here.

 

At the advanced stage you’ll have developed your own unique exercise groove from years of lifting. You’ll instinctively know if a little swing here, or a little leg drive there, will provide more muscle stimulation and deliver the maximum workload to the muscles. You’ll also know if you are over doing it and using too much momentum.

 

Some common things that advanced lifters do to handle maximum poundages include:

 

Bench Press: A slight bounce off the chest at the bottom to help rebound the weight up and not fully locking out the elbows at the top. This tends to allow for more weight and / or more reps to be lifted and also provide maximum muscle stimulation.

 

Squats: A slight rebound out of the bottom will help you get the weight back up. Again sometimes advanced lifters will not fully lock out the knees at the top and keep going, almost like a piston type of up and down motion.

 

Standing Presses: A slight leg drive will help move maximum poundages while actually cushioning the impact from the exercise. This absorbs some of the stress from the spine down through your legs.

 

Bent Over Rows: Like with the standing press a bit of leg drive will allow for heavier weights and can help move more weight and / or more reps.

 

Curls: A little swing at the start and even a slight back arch at the half way mark can help get past the sticky point in the middle of the exercise.

 

Lateral Raises: A little leg drive at the start and a slight swing in the middle will help you get more weight up. Also holding the dumbbells in the front vs. to the sides will help you lift more weight.

 

Lat Pull Downs: Arching your back will help you move more weight and actually help you fully contract your lats.

Trying to keep your back totally flat when doing any pull down or rowing exercise actually prevents you from getting a peak contraction in the back muscles.

 

These are some common exercises that work well for “Power Reps”. However, your own discretion is advised. This isn’t a free for all to go out and use crappy form. It’s just another tool in your tool box that can help you take your strength and muscular development to a higher level.

 

If you are going to use “Power Reps” in your training save them for the final all out work sets. Do your warm up sets using perfect form. Then as you work up to your top weight for a particular exercise you can give it that extra push to maximize the weights lifted and the stimulation to the muscles.

 

 

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Lee Hayward is a Muscle Building Coach who is dedicated to helping aspiring bodybuilding and fitness enthusiasts build lean muscle, burn off stubborn bodyfat, and get a ripped athletic physique. Be sure to visit Lee’s website at:

http://www.LeeHayward.com and sign up for his FREE 10 Part Muscle Building E-Mail Course!

 

 

Muscle Building Weight Training Tips for Beginners

Muscle Building Weight Training Tips for Beginners Copyright (c) 2009 Jim Suzak

 

This article contains some of the best muscle building weight training tips for a beginner. These guidelines will get you started on the right track and als help you to get the most out of your weight training muscle building routine.

 

A warm up of ten to fifteen minutes should be sufficient.

You need to get your heart pumping so it does not matter what you do to warm up. Also, you should move all parts of your body to loosen up. Cardio types of exercises are excellent for warm up. By doing this you will prevent injuries to the muscles by increasing your core body temperature.

 

You will need to do your workout as smoothly and efficiently as possible while weight training. Do this by focusing on a smooth, flowing, and continuous type movement. By working out in a fast or jerky manner, you can cause muscle injuries because of the unnecessary strain being placed on your muscles.

 

Do not hold your breath while weight training. To produce energy, your muscles always need oxygen. The timing of when you breathe in or out during does not matter but make sure you freely breathe throughout the exercise workout.

 

Doing exercises with less weight will not challenge your muscles to grow big and strong, so you need to choose the right weight. Your muscles can be damaged when you weight train with too heavy weights. Select a weight that you are comfortable with and one that tires the muscles out within 8-10 repetitions.

 

Focus and concentrate on your workout and do not forget to count repetitions. By not focusing, your work out can result in doing an exercise incorrectly. One set done properly will help you more than doing two or three sets the wrong way.

 

Avoid focusing your workout on just a few muscle groups by balancing your muscle building weight training workout. You will need to work all your muscle groups for the greatest benefit.

 

Do not exaggerate and overdo your muscle building weight training. This can cause damage or serious injury to your muscles. Actually, with just one set of 10-12 repetitions of each exercise, being done slowly and using the right technique, is when most people can get their optimal results.

 

Your muscles will need at least 48 hours to recover after a vigorous weight training workout. Within this time, your muscles are recovering and growing. For maximum benefit, you should try to workout once every 3 days. Also to help in muscle growth, you should drink a good body building supplement after your weight training workout.

 

You will need to set goals you can reach your destination.

Think about what you want. Do you want to lose weight, gain muscle or become a professional body builder? By setting a goal, it will be easier to make a weight training road map for yourself.

 

It is important that you get a good muscle building weight training book. Find one that has good pictures and descriptions of the exercises that you want to do.

 

As a beginner, by following these weight training tips, you will be able to achieve the body that you have always desired. Along with your new look, your health and self confidence will also be greatly increased.

 

 

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The author is a professional trainer and muscle builder that has researched, written and published many articles on how to build muscle and loose fat. He specializes in teaching weight training to the beginner as well as the intermediate muscle builder. Check-out his website for more information, details and programs that will help you build your self-esteem through muscle building and fat loss.

http://www.WeightTrainingInfo.com

 

 

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