Four Keys To Marathon Recovery

Four Keys To Marathon Recovery

Copyright (c) 2009 Mountain West Foot & Ankle Institute

 

Are you searching for the quickest route to recover from a long run or a strenuous race?  I have my own special regimen that speeds my recovery, and once again has helped me progress to almost complete resolution of muscle pain and weakness after just 48 hours.  Let me list the process I underwent after my marathon:

 

1. Cool Down

It is recommended in all research I can find that a runner should not stop to stretch or lie down after a strenuous exercise.  The cool down can be a simple walk or jog after the race.  I walk for at least 10-15 minutes without sitting or stretching to ensure the muscles have time to cool down with a light stretch from regular motion.

Sitting or lying down will allow cramping.  Stretching may overstimulate the stretch mechanism in an exhausted muscle and produce cramping or even injury.  Stretching can be done after the cool down and is a good idea if done at the

right time.   If the cool down is done effectively, it will

alleviate some of the after marathon recovery.

 

2. Refuel

Any amount of exercise utilizes the glycogen in muscles as an energy source, with blood glucose and free fatty acids.

As the exercise level progresses to longer exercise or more strenuous exercise, these sources become depleted more quickly and “anaerobic” (without oxygen) mechanisms are utilized to produce lactate.  The lactic acid in muscle fibers or even the muscle breakdown to obtain necessary energy can lead to muscle pain and stiffness.  The speed of muscle recovery is determined by the amounts of lactic acid or protein (muscle) breakdown is required to repair the muscles (especially after an exercise is completed).

 

 

The University of Illinois did a study on rats in 1999 that showed quicker muscle recovery from this depletion with refuelling with foods containing Leucine (an amino acid) immediately after exercise.  They showed muscle stiffness and soreness would subside more quickly.  More recent studies have found 30 minutes to be the key time for muscle recovery.  The foods eaten in the first 30 minutes after exercise help rebuild the muscles, while foods eaten later have less benefits for muscle repair.

 

Leucine is found in protein products such as meats and dairy products, as well as in protein bars and some sports drinks.  It is not recommended, however, that pure amino acid supplements be taken, because the beneficial amount is

not known.    In the study, they made the following

findings: “It [Leucine] stimulates muscle protein synthesis, provides fuel for the muscle and helps to maintain blood glucose. What really surprised us was that its activity is not seen when leucine or protein is consumed before or during exercise. Instead it has a dramatic impact on protein synthesis during the recovery period after exercise.”

 

So how do I refuel after a race?  After any run, and especially after this marathon, I drank a large glass of milk withing 30 minutes of completing the exercise.  Fluids are also imperative as are some other carbohydrates to help further maintain blood glucose and reduce lightheadedness

from low blood glucose.    When I don’t want to eat within

30 minutes after an exercise, I eat anyway, especially the large cup of milk and/or a yogurt to get the Leucine benefits.

 

3. Fluids, Fluids, Fluids…

An important part of refueling is fluid replacement to replenish the body.  I have a tendancy to start sweating when I think about exercise.  I therefore must replace a large amount of fluid after any form of exercise.  This replacement is both for refueling and for providing the reservoir for flushing out waste products from the body and especially the muscles.  It requires more fluid to carry all these waste products out of the muscles into the kidneys for excretion.  Try to drink 6-8 ounces of water every 2-3 hours during the initial recovery period.

 

4. Hot or Cold?

Everything I have read recommends ice baths or ice massage after a strenuous exercise, and often they recommend avoiding the heat after exercise.  I will say now that I aggressively treat my muscle soreness after an exercise (even after the marathon) with soaking in a warm bath or hot tub.  Let me now discuss the science behind my actions.

 (Note that for me this works really well and decreases my muscle soreness significantly within the first 24 hours and reduces it nearly completely by 48 hours.)

 

The body reacts to hot and cold by dilation or contracture of blood vessels.  Cold (ice) will reduce(vessel

contracture) the blood flow into the area or cause the body to pull the blood from the area.  Heat will increase (vessel dilation) the blood flow to the area and allow increased blood flow through the area.  Since muscle pain is often due to lactic acid in the muscles or other waste products of “anaerobic” muscle metabolism (contracture), heat will allow blood flow through the muscles that can remove these waste products.  Heat is only recommended by me during the first 12-24 hours.  Ice can be utilized at anytime, but is rarely necessary if I undergo my usual exercise recovery regimen.

 

I have found through the use of these 4 simple techniques that I can continue to run, recover quickly and not suffer for days – weeks after a strenuous exercise.  I plan to continue to train and run marathons and will evaluate the benefits of this regimen after any strenuous exercise.  The proof will be in my recovery.  Currently I am basically painfree the Monday after a Saturday 26.2 miles…I hope this helps.

 

 

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Brandt R. Gibson, DPM, MS is a foot and ankle specialist with special interest in running and is currently training to run marathons this year. He is located in American Fork, Utah. His goal is to educate people and help them “optimize what they were born with.” For further educational information, visit his blog at http://utahrundoc.blogspot.com/ or visit his website at http://www.UtahFootDoc.com .

 

 

5 Training Myths Busted!

5 Training Myths Busted!

Copyright (c) 2009 Steve Hochman

 

As a Rancho Santa Margarita Boot Camp Trainer, I have heard rumors circulating. Many so-called truths about developing strong large muscle mass are hyped up ideas that somehow have been given the status of scientific truth when they are nothing more than dangerous gossip.

 

The five biggest myths are:

 

Myth #1 Lactic Acid Causes Fatigue

 

Researchers nearly 100 years ago discovered the existence of lactic acid in the muscles. They also discovered that lactic acid increased with muscle fatigue.

 

In reality, lactic acid does increase with muscle fatigue.

The truth is that while lactic acid does increase during fatigue and does cause the burning sensation in the muscle, it does not cause fatigue. Your muscles produce lactic acid, which is then sent to your liver to be reprocessed into more energy. The fatigue is caused by the accumulation of protons within the muscles. These protons are the end result of the breakdown of glycogen that fuels the muscle while you exercise.

 

Myth #2 Lift Weights slowly, it’s Safer!

 

When rehabilitating, patients are often instructed to perform the exercises slowly and meticulously. This is so that they retrain their nerves and muscles. Some trainers got that idea that it was safer to do so and thought that it would avoid the risk of injury.

 

In reality, as long as you control your movements during the lowering and raising actions, you won’t set yourself up for injury. However, reps should be performed more quickly, which will induce the muscles to product more quick acting muscle fibers, which are crucial to real world situations.

If you want real gains and better muscles, lift with speed to produce better muscle mass.

 

Myth #3 Lighter Weights, More Reps Equals Better Muscle Tone

 

Many body builders started using lighter weights and more reps just prior to a contest. They believe that the more reps they do, the more calories they will burn. They wanted to lose fat and get as lean as possible.

 

In reality, all they need to do is combine their usually work out with low-carb and calorie restricted diets. This is what accounts for the rapid fat loss. Less fat covering the muscles does indeed make the muscles look more toned.

If you really want more muscle tone, lift more, build bigger muscles, and lose the flab that’s hiding them.

 

Myth # 4 Train Until Failure for Best Results

 

Some body builders began to assume that training hard builds muscle, if you train until you collapse, it must build even bigger muscle.

 

In reality, it has not been proven that going into failure is critical for the best gains. Case in point: Construction workers, masons, road crews, and other hard laborers. These all work hard and carry heavy loads. Yet not one of them carries these loads until complete fatigue and collapse.

Taking your routine to the point of heaviest to lightest weights and until you cannot lift anymore will only wear you out and possibly make you give up. Your muscles need something to work for, so just keep pushing their total limits in terms of higher weights and more reps. The cornerstone of muscle growth is progressive overload. Not under load.

 

Myth # 5 Getting Pumped Gains Muscle

 

People noticed a swelling of the muscles when they performed more reps with little to no rest in between those reps. They all thought that this meant they were getting bigger muscles.

 

In reality, as your muscle stretch and contract during your workouts, they become engorged with blood. This causes a temporary swelling. It’s only a reflection of how long your muscles have been under the tension while working out. Not how much muscle you are building. By giving them little rest in between sets, you can pump up your muscles. As soon as you rest and the blood pressure goes down, so will the swelling. It doesn’t mean your muscle will be growing. This will just lead to muscle fatigue and, if over done, can lead to muscle injury. Instead, use heavy weights and build better with a progressive load and better rest in between sets.

 

There are more myths out there. Before you buy into them, look to see if they can be scientifically proven. Don’t be too quick to accept myths, they don’t always lead to better gains. In fact, they can actually sometimes lead to serious injury. It doesn’t matter who tells you something that seems likely to be a miracle for your gains, chances are its all beefed up hype. As a Rancho Santa Margarita Boot Camp Trainer,I would recommend you research it and find out the truth.

 

 

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Steve Hochman has created Rancho Santa Margarita Boot Camps to get you 10X stronger, leaner and more toned! To get your FREE 2 week boot pass to the hottest Boot Camp in Orange County, go tohttp://www.fitbodybootcamp.com/fit-body-boot-camp-rancho-s

anta-margarita

 

 

Interval Training. 30 Minutes To A Better Body

Interval Training. 30 Minutes To A Better Body Copyright (c) 2009 Steve Hochman

 

As an Orange County Boot Camp Instructor, I know that interval training has been used by top physical trainers and athletes for quite a long time now.

 

The main “science” behind interval training says that by mixing short bursts of high intensity work with lower intensity stretches that allow the body to cool down somewhat, you’re simultaneously overloading the aerobic and anaerobic systems.

 

With interval training, you thus get the benefits of aerobic and anaerobic training at one and the same time.

 

There are other benefits of interval training, too. It’s more difficult to become injured through this practice, because the high-intensity anaerobic periods don’t last that long and the body gets sufficient recovery time between them, and you are listening to your body more acutely.

 

There is also less chance of developing nerve-wracking (even though usually harmless) conditions like heart arrhythmia because during the aerobic cooldown you are still working out, keeping your heart rate elevated and the blood oxygenated, so that the body remains “used to” being physically active above the norm.

 

Finally, for people who tend to get bored with working out and so drop their training regimen, interval training is more mentally stimulating because of its constant change-up…and, they can maximize their health benefits in a shorter workout.

 

HOW TO BEGIN WITH INTERVAL TRAINING

 

You begin a day of interval training the same way you begin any other workout day. You begin your workout slowly, gradually building up to a more intense level to allow your muscles and heart to get warmed up.

 

Using a heart-rate monitor or by closely checking your pulse for fifteen seconds at a time, try to keep your heart at an elevated but not 100% of your normal maximized increased rate (about 70% is good) for five minutes. Once you have achieved this plateau, you are warmed up enough to go for a burst of high-intensity activity.

 

This “high intensity” is relative to what you have been doing for the last five minutes and your level of physical fitness, just like your heart rate is. If you have been jogging, launch into a “check out”, that is pick up the pace so that you are running at a long-distance race pace.

If you have been running, break into a full-on sprint, going as fast as you possibly can.

 

Now, don’t worry that you won’t be able to maintain this full-on 100% level for very long; you aren’t supposed to.

The whole point of this anaerobic burst is to wear out and even break down your muscles so that they are forced to eliminate toxins such as lactic acid (the “burn” that you feel), open up your lungs to their total capacity (which eventually opens up even more alveoli, the tiny web-like network of air sacs), and make your heart swell to allow maximum blood flow.

 

Your muscles will quickly become much less flexible, and won’t be able to contract well. Remember: this is normal and is the very effect you are going for.

 

Pay close attention to your body as you are “bursting”. As soon as you feel you have pushed yourself to the limit and you have “hit a wall”, gradually slow down. Do NOT stop or just walk; this will lose much of the anaerobic benefit and “psyche you out” (and, although this is VERY UNLIKELY to happen, it’s possible to induce a heart attack by suddenly going from 100 to near 0). But gradually slow yourself back down to the pace you were maintaining just before your burst.

 

Your body once again becomes able to efficiently exchange carbon dioxide and oxygen, and it will begin rapidly feeding nutrients to your depleted muscles to repair them (the breaking down and re-building of muscles is actually what causes them to become leaner and stronger; you have to go through Hell to get to Heaven, as they say).

 

Do this pattern repeatedly for at least 30 minutes.

 

KEEP ON KEEPING ON

 

As you continue your interval training, you’ll find yourself able to sustain your 100% bursts longer; your speed during these times will increase; and even your aerobic pace will be faster and you’ll be able (and wanting

to) sustain it even longer than 30 minutes. Let this happen and push yourself to new heights over time, but BE CAREFUL.

Listen very closely to your body and make sure you eat highly nutritious foods, stretch well, and remain hydrated.

 

Pushing yourself to these extremes is, frankly, potentially dangerous. But if you build up gradually and take care of yourself you have little to worry about.

 

Interval training breaks down and rebuilds your muscles so that they are burning calories at a high level even when you are asleep. Your metabolism increases. Your breathing gets better and your blood is more oxygenated at all times, so you have more energy and mental benefits like increased concentration.

 

As an Orange County Boot Camp Instructor, I know that this is good advice, and you’ll see results really fast! You’ll feel more self-confident. And, your workouts are not monotonous. Your muscle tone increases dramatically and you get a sleek, well-moving body.

 

 

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Steve Hochman has created Orange County Boot Camps to make you 10X stronger, leaner and more toned! To get a FREE 2 week boot pass to Orange County’s hottest Boot Camp go to http://www.fitbodybootcamp.com/fit-body-boot-camp-rancho-san

ta-margarita

 

5 Ways To Recover From A Tough Workout!

5 Ways To Recover From A Tough Workout!

Copyright (c) 2009 Steve Hochman

 

As an Orange County Boot Camp Instructor, I know the feeling…that sore sluggish feeling post workout! We have all been there. There is something you can do right away that when performed right after your workout will speed up recovery and motivate you to move forward.

 

All five of these not only speed recovery, they also increase your muscle growth and strength. Its time to get excited about pill popping, sleeping late, and cold showers!

 

Trick #1: The Right Supplements

 

Cayenne: This magic little pill will speed up healing and reduces inflammation by up to 50%. You can take it continually or only post workout. It doesn’t need to be cycled off to improve its efficacy. Other pluses include increased blood flow, decrease susceptibility to colds and viruses, and warmer muscle pre-workout.

 

Fish oil & Flax Oil: These both speed up muscle healing, give muscles the good kind of fat to fuel the workout and reduce inflammation. This means that you can fight soreness both during your work out and after your workout. You could eat the real thing, but you would have to eat a lot of it to get the same benefits as popping a few pills every day.

 

Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium & Zinc: These all reduce soreness and muscle fatigue both during and after your workout. You can take them in pill form or in a drink form.

Or you could eat a lot of potatoes and bananas and a few lozenges. Taken regularly they help keep the muscles, heart, and blood vessels in good condition.

 

Vitamin C, B, & a Multi: These all increase your energy levels, help fight fatigue, help build stronger muscles, and strengthen your immune system and cardio vascular system. Taken daily they will reduce recovery time and increase your energy and healing.

 

 

Trick #2: Don’t Work Out to Failure

 

While it might be a good idea to do this once in a while, say once or twice per month, routinely hitting your wall will slow down your efforts. When done regularly, this will deplete your protein and carbohydrate reserves. You will also damage your body’s ability to use your strongest muscle fibers. Cut your work out reps just one set short of hitting your wall and sometimes don’t even go that far.

Give your muscles a break and they will reward you!

 

Trick #3: The Post Workout Shake

 

Every workout you should drink up a mix of nutritionally dense, high glycemic carbs and protein. Doing so immediate post workout will stop the damage from the work out and induce your muscles to instantly begin repairing themselves. You will induce bigger gains and higher energy levels with less fatigue. Look for something fruit based with a one protein to two-carb ratio. Aim for something whey based and add fruits such as berries or high antioxidant berry powder. Always add Bananas and a little ground flax seed couldn’t hurt either.

 

Trick #4: Your Post Workout Shower

 

Shower immediately after you chug that shake down. Start out with icy cold water to reduce the post work out inflammation. Then immediately turn the water as hot as you can go for a few minutes to increase circulation. Alternate this a few times. The contrasting temperatures will induce blood flow and increase recovery time.

 

Trick #5: Sleep!

 

During sleep, your body performs a complete overhaul of all its systems. It checks for injuries it goes to work healing itself and it does something called muscle memory. This is where it inputs into your brain what you did during the day and if you used more muscles in a particular area your brain sends out a signal to increase muscle and nerve building and recovery in that area.

 

Your body also releases growth hormone during this time.

This coupled with the muscle memory will induce bigger muscle growth and repair. Make sure you go to bed at a reasonable hour and sleep at least eight to ten hours.

Also, take in a nap or two whenever possible during the day.

 

By all means, don’t limit yourself to just these five tricks to increase healing, there are more out there. These are some of the best. Tried and true tested.

 

As an Orange County Boot Camp Instructor, I always remind my classes to drink at least two liters of water on your work out days and at least one liter on your off days. This will flush your muscles and keep your body well hydrated and clean. And that is good for keeping you form fatiguing quickly and for helping speed recovery time. So when it comes to purified water, drink up and follow a sensible eating plan to keep your body well nourished and hydrated!

 

 

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Steve Hochman has created Orange County Boot Camps to make you 10X stronger, leaner and more toned! To get your FREE 2 week boot pass, go to http://www.fitbodybootcamp.com

 

 

Is Laziness a Sin?

Is Laziness a Sin?

How many times in the past few months you have said to yourself, “from tomorrow on I really start working out and nothing and nobody can stop me?” How many times did you make your statement come true? I am positive that you did start exercising every day, and the reasons for that was that you were lazy. Laziness and tiredness are the main 2 enemies of fitness

 

Is it a sin to be lazy?

 

I believe that there is not a single person in the world who would honestly say that he/she has never been lazy.

Even people whose whole lives are surrounded around sports tend to get lazy sometimes. It is simply in our nature to get sluggish, and honestly it is very hard to fight this feeling. However, it is reasonable if you get lazy once in a while but it is very irresponsible if you let it become your lifestyle.

 

Many years ago in Christianity laziness was viewed as one of the top seven deadly sins. Although over time the nature of this concept has overcome a big change, today it is still perceived negatively. Psychology defines laziness as a mental problem, medicine as a medical condition, and biology defines it as an instinctively behavior of saving energy.The only positive effect that comes out of laziness is that we can relax by doing nothing. Doing nothing sometimes is a pretty good feeling but we definitely do not want to make it our habit.

 

What causes laziness?

 

The major cause of laziness is the excessive consumption of carbohydrates. On one hand, if you consume a big quantity of carbohydrates at once you would start feeling lazy and sleepy. If you get used to consuming a lot of them on a daily basis this would lead to a permanent unwillingness for your body to move. On the other hand, if you do not consume enough nutritional products you would cause a delay in your metabolism which would also result in a lazy behavior.

 

Active athletes, who overestimate their physical abilities, suffer from laziness, caused by lack of proteins. When this is combined with overtraining they tend to get into the so called “sports depression” (frequent and painful muscle pain). That is the main reason why you need to watch what you eat. Never eat too much but never skip meals as well.

Eating various nutritional products on a daily basis is the key to success.

 

Laziness or exhaustion?

 

It happens often that laziness is confused with the symptoms of exhaustion. The laziness you could experience after being sick for a couple of days, after a lot of exercising, or because of a stressful situation at work, are all classic symptom of exhaustion but not of laziness.

The best cure for all the situation above is to relax until you start feeling better.

 

The victims of fatigue

 

Fatigue is a mental or a physical exhaustion. Although its main cause is the lack of sleep, sleepiness is just one of the symptoms for this condition. Other reasons are:

headache, general weakness, muscle pain, difficulty concentrating, slowed reflexes, and irritability. Tired people lose track of the level of their exhaustion and do not realize that if they do not take any action their condition will get even worse.

 

Fitness against laziness and exhaustion

 

It is a widespread myth that if one wants to be healthy, get in shape and lose some weight, one has to exercise a lot. As a result of this belief people started looking at fitness as a job that would only make sense if practiced to a level of exhaustion. If you start exercising to exhaustion, what do you think will happen? You will for sure overtrain. Now, the emphasis of exercising is placed on the physical activity, rather than on its intensity. It is a fact that even light exercising can get you in a perfect shape if you complete it in the correct way.

 

Remember that regular fitness work increases your energy, reduces your stress level, and makes your entire body and mind feel good.

 

Now, let’s get started and achieve the body shape you have been dreaming about.

 

 

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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 the healthy way. My main goal is to provide you with all the knowledge on how to shape your body and stay healthy.

 

 

3 Top Foods That Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

3 Top Foods That Lower Blood Pressure Naturally Copyright (c) 2009 Bill Lewis

 

Over 50 million Americans are afflicted with high blood pressure, and nearly a million of our citizens die each year from this silent killer.  Yet, in many cases, this potentially fatal disease can be brought under control by a change in our diet, instead of thinking the doctor has done all that needs to be done when he issues a drug prescription.

 

Even cardiologists who rely heavily on prescription drugs are quick to say that a healthful diet should be the objective of every heart patient.  And a healthful diet for a heart patient should include certain foods that are effective in helping to reduce high blood pressure to within the normal limits of 140/80.

 

Each of the foods listed has a proven track record of reducing high blood pressure, as well as making other important contributions to heart health, and each one is readily available at most any grocery store.

 

Garlic:   Garlic not only adds flavor and zest when used

for culinary purposes, but it reduces high blood pressure.

As an important bonus, it increases HDL (the good

cholesterol) while lowering LDL (the bad cholesterol).

And, as if all this were not enough, garlic contains antioxidants that protect the arteries from free radical damage, and it offers protection against platelet and blood clot formation that can lead to strokes and heart attacks.

 

There is, however, a word of caution for people who are on blood-thinning drugs.  Garlic acts as a blood thinner, so be sure and check with your doctor before taking garlic as a daily supplement.

 

Celery: This food ranks high on list of those credited with treating hypertension and is used widely in Asian cultures to reduce blood pressure.  Celery contains 3-n-butyl phthalide, a chemical that relaxes the muscles of the arteries, permitting blood to flow more freely.  Stress hormones, which cause the blood vessels to constrict, are reduced by the phthalides found in celery, and laboratory tests have shown that when these phthalides are injected into animals their blood pressure dropped 12 to 14 percent.

The University of Chicago Medical Center tested a man whose blood pressure was 158/96.  By eating only four stalks of celery a day for one week, his reading dropped to 118/82.

 

Oats, Oat Bran: A study involving 850 participants conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that people who consumed as little as one ounce of oatmeal daily had lower blood pressure and cholesterol than those who never ate oatmeal. Unlike wheat, barley and most other grains, oats retain their bran and germ layer nutrients even after processing.  Oat bran is a more powerful component of oatmeal.  In one study, the participants experienced a 3.5 percent drop in LDL cholesterol by eating oatmeal, but a 15.9 percent drop in LDL cholesterol by eating the same amount of oat bran.  As an alternative to oatmeal as a cereal, a few seconds of grinding the dry flakes in a blender results in a coarsely ground oat flour that can be used for pancakes and other home made breads that contribute to heart health, especially so if oat bran is added to the mix.

 

If you have hypertension (high blood pressure), you may find that natural foods will keep your blood pressure under control without the need for a doctor=s prescription.

 

Hypertension is a disease to be taken seriously. Each of the above natural foods, plus others that are heart-healthy, can contribute in the fight against hypertension, but there are additional factors such as exercise, lifestyle, vitamins, herbs and certain supplements that play an important role in keeping this

life-threatening condition under control.   Don’t delay

learning more about what you can do to control your high blood pressure. You owe it to yourself and your loved ones.

 

 

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About the Author: Bill Lewis is a 90-year old landscape and portrait painter who recovered from a major heart attack at the age of 86.  Now, since he has learned how to reduce his own high blood pressure he is currently living, painting and thriving in Tiburon, CA.  Visit his blog to read his story about how he came back to life after his heart stopped beating: http://billsbulletin.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

7 Superior Alternatives Over Crunches And Sit-Ups For Six Pack Abs

7 Superior Alternatives Over Crunches And Sit-Ups For Six Pack Abs If you have ever wanted to get that ripped, sexy body you’ve seen on TV-shop and other commercials you might have been motivated to do crunches or sit-ups, but they are actually the LEAST EFFECTIVE ab workout, and without this secret they will never show anyway.

 

Don’t try to get sick pack abs by doing crunches or sit-ups. They are actually one of the least effective ab workouts you can do. Far superior alternatives are resistance training for your abs.

 

Superior alternatives for six pack abs include exercises such as:

 

* Vertical Leg Crunch – This exercise effectively burns stomach fat quicker than crunches.

 

* Hip Lift – The motion of lifting your hips toward the air has more resistance and is more effective to burn stomach fat.

 

* Long Arm Crunch – This is another great exercise that is effective.

 

* Plank – This exercise involves static ab exercises, which are extremely effective to get that deep burn and an overall upper-body workout.

 

* Ball Roll – Rolling your legs toward you on a stability ball is another effective way to work the lower body and abdominal muscles.

 

* Scissor Kicks – This stomach exercise also requires lying on the floor. Position your hands under your butt, keeping your back pressed against the floor. Slowly raise one leg to a height of about ten inches, then slowly lower it back to the floor. As your lower one leg, raise the other.

Repeat this motion for an entire set.

 

* Seated Torso Twist – Sitting ab exercise that will burn the fat on your obliques. This is highly effective and can yield fast results

 

These are some simple exercises that you should super set with lower-body exercises, such as squats and lunges.

 

Please take notice, that without a good healthy diet, you will not see your abs anytime soon. The secret ingredient for getting six pack abs is to burn more calories than you eat… Simple theory, but harder to do.

 

So besides doing these exercises 2-3 times per week, say, Monday, Wednesday and Friday… You will also need to do

20-45 min of cardio every day. But on top of that, you also need to eat well. Skip fried food and fatty foods. Instead, replace it with 25-30g of protein per meal. Try eating 5 smaller meals during the day, instead of eating 3 big meals.

 

Each meal should be around 300-400 calories in size and have little or no fat and carbs, but be high in protein and fibers.

 

These are some of the simple rules to follow when you want to build a nice, sexy six pack for the summer. Go get it…

Keep sweatin’ and you know you are doing something right.

 

Christopher Stigson

http://www.LazyMillionDollars.com

 

Weight Loss and Improved Health Are Only A Walk Away!

Weight Loss and Improved Health Are Only A Walk Away!

Walking is the best form of exercise you can do to achieve weight loss and improved health. Walking is an exercise that anyone can start to help kick off any weight loss program.

 

Regardless of your age or physical condition, providing you start off sensibly a well planned walking program will have incredible health benefits. I will tell you how to get started and we will examine some of the benefits you will experience as a result of your efforts.

 

Whether your goal is weight loss or just improved health a walking program is the best place to start. Whenever you begin any new exercise program it is important that you first check in with your physician to let him know what your plans are. Once you have been checked out by your physician and you have the O.K. to follow through with your plans it is important that you realize you must take it slow in the beginning.

 

To begin your new walking program you should start out by just simply going for a 10 minute walk 3 times a week. Now this may seem to be a little too cautious in the beginning but trust me it is the safest way to begin any new weight loss program. Now that you have started your new walking program and you have made a commitment to yourself to stick with it you may start to add 10 more minutes to your walk each week.  If you experience difficult breathing do not become discouraged, just cut back on the time that you walk by 5 minutes.

 

Before you know it you will be a month into your weight loss and fitness program. With your new walking program it is important that you are constantly challenging yourself, if you keep increasing the amount of time you walk you are certain to see your hard work pay off.

 

The benefits of walking are numerous to your health and well-being and simply by ramping up your walking program to 30 minutes everyday you can expect to:

 

- See an increase in your overall fitness and the tone of your muscles

 

- Feel good and look better

 

- Find that your level of energy increases

 

- Feel a lot less stressed and control your stress triggers much better

 

- Find that your sleeping much more peacefully and you awaken much more refreshed

 

- Begin to reduce the risk of heart disease

 

- Reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer

 

- Find that your mood is much more positive and you are less prone to depression

 

- Your outlook on life in general and the way you deal with things changes for the better

 

- Your weight loss goals are actually being met

 

- You find that your muscles, joints and bones are stronger

 

- You reduce the risk of developing diabetes

 

As you can see there are many benefits to starting a walking program it leads to much more than just weight loss as it is truly a total fitness program. There are many more benefits then what I have listed here, I just really wanted to mention some of the more important ones. The longer you stick with your walking program the easier it becomes and before you know it you will have developed a lifelong habit. When you begin to reach your weight loss and fitness goals your self-esteem will climb and your overall confidence in yourself will give you the will and drive it takes to accomplish anything.

 

Now it is your time to get up off the couch, lace up your walking shoes and get started on the path to the new, healthier you. You see how little time it takes when you are starting out so that eliminates one excuse because everyone, regardless of who you are or what you do for a living can find at least 15 to 30 minutes to dedicate to your health and well- being. You really can achieve your fitness and weight loss goals by starting a simple walking plan and if you decide to ramp things up as you see improvement then you will experience even greater returns for your added efforts.

 

 

Howard Platt

http://www.positive-thinking-for-you.com

 

 

10 Fast Tips to Superior Strength Gains

10 Fast Tips to Superior Strength Gains

When it comes to strength training, you must return to the basics. And if you want to get strong fast with the basics (or at least not waste time diddling around when you could be getting stronger), then follow these 10 universally acknowledged recommendations:

 

1. When on a strength cycle, train at least 2 but no more than 6 times per week. You need to be consistent to groove the neurological development of your strength… but you should take at least one day of full rest.

 

2. Focus on no more than 3 exercises per strength workout.

Training hard and just working hard are two differing

things: you can work hard pushing rocks, but since strength is specific, you must concentrate on technique refinement of each strength skill.

 

3. Don’t train the same exact movement more than 3 times per week. We cannot train muscles, only movements. So, make sure that you don’t over-train one movement by practicing it too much when you’re focusing on strength development.

 

4. If you’re training strength more than 3 times per week, then split up translational movements from rotational movements. Constant training (3+X/wk) means that you should separate over-lapping movements. Like the old bodybuilder’s upper and lower body split, separate yawing, pitching, rolling from your heaving, surging and swaying movements.

 

5. If you’re training 2-3 times per week, focus on the big

basics: arm cast, shoulder cast, double front clean.

 

6. If you’re training 4-6 times per week, then focus on 6 exercises to keep variety: arm cast, shoulder cast, double front clean, plus double front swing, single side swing and shield cast. See this tutorial on heavy one-handed arm

casts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM6ROKZEtGo

 

7. Always compensate for the movements within the workout, and then train the functional opposite in the next cycle switching every 3-5 weeks. For instance, locust pose is an excellent way to unload the arm-cast in between sets, and the clean is a functional opposite of the arm cast.

 

8. If training 4-6 times per week, the volume and intensity must not require lengthy recovery. Keep your volume and intensity less 85%max when you’re training often to avoid being under-recovered while training.

 

9. Use active and passive recovery methods to ensure that your nervous system, and as a result your mind and emotions, refresh and reboot. Active recovery methods include joint mobility, and passive recovery methods include massage, sauna, whirlpool and steam.

 

10. Make your nutrition heavy in the front-end, and high in protein and complex carbs. Eat your largest meal in the morning, your 2nd largest in the afternoon and your smallest in the evening.

 

Personally, by following the above, I put on 28 pounds of lean muscle in only four months, and have become stronger than ever before in my life.

 

Scott Sonnon

http://www.flowcoach.tv

 

How Can I Get Fit Fast from a Workout at Home?

How Can I Get Fit Fast from a Workout at Home?

Many people dream about getting into great shape and showing off a toned, fit body.  Unfortunately, for most people these thoughts remain a dream.  Why?  Well, the number one reason people fail to shape up is lack of time.

After all, in today’s busy world it can seem impossible to devote hours to training sessions.  Another discourager is the amount of time it takes to get results.  Some basic regimens can take months to get you toned.  By the time you see a change in your body, you may already be bored with your fitness routine.

 

Thankfully, there are ways to get fit quickly and without boredom.  How?  By using several different exercise methods to keep your body challenged and your mind interested.

Neither cardio nor resistance training alone will do the trick.  Rather, you need to implement a combination of both.  Additionally, you need to do the right exercises and perform them properly.  For amateurs, this can be a challenge.  However, many trainers have published their expert routines in formats that are easy for even new exercisers to use!

 

For example, several top rated home fitness programs come complete with videos and manuals, so you can see each exercise expertly performed.  These routines challenge your body with everything from weight training to plyometrics (which uses explosive moves like jumping to enhance your fitness performance).  Workouts like these are fantastic because they target specific muscles while contributing to total body fitness!

 

Of course, exercise does not work alone.  If you want to get fit fast, you will also need to practice proper nutrition.  Keep in mind, this is not the same thing as going on a diet.  A diet means simply cutting calories.

However, a full nutrition plan works with your body giving it the fuel it needs to build muscle and burn fat.  The best plans are not static.  Instead, they work in phases to get your body used to a new routine and ultimately boost your metabolism.  Some of them also emphasize necessary supplements that can boost your performance, build more muscle, and get results faster than you can imagine.

 

By taking the right steps, you can get fit fast.  All you need to do is find an all-inclusive system; one specifically designed to get your body in top condition

quickly.   In fact, most people get full results from

fitness programs in just 90 days.  Think about it, you could get in the best shape of your life in just three months.  So, what are you waiting for?  The sooner you get off the couch, the sooner you can get fit.  You can do it!

 

Robert Harden

http://www.extremely-fit.com

 

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