joi, 11 martie 2010

Tips For Getting Past The Plateau

Posted by dantntfcs

It is when one has lost a substantial amount of weight, that one hits a plateau.
The weight loss beyond the 10% is what is the more difficult part and with the same amount of effort and caloric restrictions one finds no progress being made.
The problem here is that the body’s defense mechanism against weight loss kicks in which is why you have to:
Increase activity. Not only is it the genes that prevent further weight loss, hormones also have an impact. After menopause women find their metabolism slows down and they find that they expend fewer calories than before. So what was getting results earlier won’t do the job any more. Duration or intensity of workouts would therefore have to be increased.
Track intake: It is easy to lose track of what you eat and drink, with the accent being on drink. Often we don’t take into account calories that may come from beverages and snacks. This is what adds up. However when you keep a scrupulous account of total calories consumed you are more likely to be able to lose weight.
Combine good diet with exercise: understand what when one loses weight and gets smaller, fewer calories than before are required to do the same activities. Also only controlling diet is not easy. It has to be balanced with appropriate activity and exercise. This is because when deprived of calories, the body will burn muscle rather than fat, which is why one needs to maintain a proper balance of exercise and diet control.

Source: TheProvince.com

Lack of exercise can lead to serious health problems like obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
In order to arm yourself from these ailments, people have to exercise and go on a diet.
However, going to the gym everyday can eat up too much time while outdoor exercises such as walking and jogging take too much effort. No wonder, many people are now buying their own home gym equipment.
Having your personal gym equipment is expensive but it is more beneficial and practical in the long run. It is good to invest on gym equipment since you can use it anytime and anywhere you want.
Further, you no longer have to pay for gym membership fees and save yourself the trouble of going to the gym daily. With your own gym equipment, you are assured of sticking to your exercise regimen regardless of time and weather conditions.
Home gym equipment can be very expensive. In order to get your money’s worth; you must use it properly. When using your equipment, make sure you set it up correctly.
Adjust whatever it is that needs adjustment to fit your body, height, and capability. If needed, ask an instructor to help you start on your own gym equipment. Use smooth and precise movements.
If you want your gym equipment to last for a long time, you must take good care of it. Here are some tips you can apply:

Check your gym equipment regularly


As a responsible owner, you have to conduct a regular check-up on your gym equipment. See if there are cracks, tears, and other signs of damage on them so you can immediately repair them before they get worse. Check for loose screws and knobs and tighten them to avoid accidents.

Conduct regular maintenance

Just like how you ensure your car is in good working condition, you must do the same with your gym equipment. Oil your exercise machines regularly to avoid rust.
Clean and wipe dust off your equipment. After using, wipe sweat off the seat, bench, or handles of your machines to prevent them from getting stinky and dirty.

Store correctly


Gym equipment does not only refer to exercise machines like treadmills, exercise bikes, and rowing machines. They also refer to other equipment used when exercising like dumbbells, weights, ropes, wobble boards and many more. Store them in a cool dry place and never leave them behind after using to avoid tripping down on them.

Use wisely

If your gym equipment is run by electric power, check the wires regularly. Always unplug your machine if it is not in use to save electricity. Don’t play with your equipment or perform inappropriate exercises on them.

Observe child safety

Never allow your children to even to get near your gym equipment. Accidents can happen. Remember that kids are naturally curious they may stick their finger on your treadmill or try to lift the weights themselves. If possible, place your gym equipment in your bedroom or in any secured room in the house.

vineri, 26 februarie 2010

15 Minutes Workout For A Healthy Heart

Posted by dantntfcs

In a classical city-living day, people have difficulties to spare some time to work out.
They are torn apart between having to look for themselves or to look for their daily duties. Thus, they mostly choose not to spare time exercising.
In order to prevent this situation, a 15-minutes workout includes the daily exercising routines, squashes them and gets them the chance for a healthier heart condition.
Researchers found out that several times a week, it is important to raise the heartbeat about 20-30 minutes. However, for those who have limited time, a 15-minutes increased heartbeat will also affect the heart in a positive way compared to a non-exercised heart.
The exercises contain 5-minutes of cardio, 5-minutes of weights and 5-minutes of stretching. It is highly recommended not to start with weight lifting before increasing the heart beat properly by cardio exercises. So let’s give an example.
The session starts with cardio exercises to increase the heart rate, warm up the body and eventually sweat the body. It is important to sweat, in order to understand the effort is being made and the heart is working during the process.
The exercises that can be done during cardio are jumping a rope, dancing, bouncing on trampoline and practicing power yoga. Or if the routine can be done outdoors, running would be a good cardio exercise with benefits to heart, legs and thighs.
After cardio, weight lifting time comes. The weight exercises enable the balance to be active and engage the muscles in abdomens and back, which can be considered as the core parts of the body.
During these moves, be sure to feel the squeeze feeling of the muscles in order to understand that they work and answer to the moves.
The weight exercises are doing push-ups against the walls, holding a 3-5-pound weight in each hand and do choreography with both arms and legs.
The last exercise which closes the session is stretching. The moves aim to release the tension and increase circulation. Taking these moves as meditation with right breathing techniques will make the relaxing period more efficient.
These exercises include stretching body legs and arms in proper ways. They can be searched through websites or special stretching books and guides.
To be healthy, it is a must to make time for working out the body. For people who do not have enough time to do this, the 15-minutes exercise routine helps to remain fit and aware of their physical state.
So, now it is recommended to stop finding excuses for not exercising and make this 15-minutes daily workout a routine for a healthier being.

(5 minute for arms, 5 minutes for legs, 5 minutes for abdomen)


This post and video speaks about a round booty work out and for sure the exercises look to be effective for achieving a bootilicious result; but more importantly, the post speaks about finding the time and the motivation for starting a new routine.We all have several issues about how to find the time and how to fit into a busy schedule any kind of workout.
When you think about it, it all really boils down to giving up half an hour of sleep or TV or some other dispensable activity for fitting in a work out. It depends upon priorities really.
When you prioritize things, do you want that half hour of sleep in the early morning more than a fit, toned healthy body with more energy and get up and go? It could be something as simple as getting up just half an hour early, doing about 5 minutes of warm up, followed by 20 minutes of working out, and then end with some stretches.
The rest of the day can follow as usual, and one is sure to find a marked increase in energy levels and a feeling of strength and vitality; a vast improvement upon before!

4 Common Excuses To Not Get Fit

Posted by dantntfcs

“I had a hard week at work”, “yes, ok, but after watching this cool movie”, “… and I’m tired”.
Are these sentences familiar? If they are, congratulations, here is the membership card of “finding perfect excuses for not getting fit”’ club!
In today’s fast and tiring lifestyle, people find it hard to spare some time to exercising.
No, exercising does not include carrying the child’s bag as a heavy lift or walking from bathroom to study room as jogging.
So, the ultimate question is why do people avoid exercising that much bother to make excuses about not doing them?
First excuse may be the time issue. “I don’t have time” is an easy sentence to say, however, for exercising one should “make” time. There is always time for something, it is important to use it wisely for the best beneficial activities.
The other excuse is that the fitness gear is too expensive, and going to a gym is not free at all. If the need is to do an overall body workout, then it is necessary to go to a gym but if only cardio exercises will make the body fit, then a pair of running shoes and a nice tracksuit are the only necessities.

Depending on the weather, cycling, jogging or running can be the cheapest ways to exercise.
Time is ok, a gym membership is done, but all these fitness equipments are too boring, right? Sometimes it may be boring to do the same moves in order to work specific parts of the body. To get rid of this excuse, mp3 players are highly recommended. With the favorite music, no exercise can get any boring. Or if the fitness gear is at home, doing sports while watching a good movie in front of TV might be also a good idea.
The last favorite excuse is being a coach potato. One of the laziest excuses is postponing the start-day of exercise. “I will do it next day/week/month …” is the favorite sentence used for this excuse. To stop this habit, do not wait for a date such as 01.01 and start immediately. Put a mark on the schedule that shows the “day 1” being now.

If you envy the flexible bodies of gymnasts and ballet dancers, you should try doing flexibility exercises.
Flexibility starts with having flexible muscles which allow your joints to move effortlessly regardless of any movement.
In order to avoid muscle tension and injuries, you should perform flexibility exercises. Not only would they help improve your fitness but flexibility exercises are also proven to be beneficial for daily activities.
Flexibility exercises do not function similarly with aerobics exercises. They are designed to stretch your increments that will enable you to easily reach and extend your muscles.
They are also important in helping you maintain balance and agility. Doing regular flexibility exercises will definitely make it easier for you to do other more complicated and rigorous exercises.
Flexibility exercises

1. Stretching

There are many flexibility exercises out there but none is more popular than stretching. It is oftentimes overlooked by others but stretching serves as a warm up before you engage your body in more serious exercises.Moreover, stretching must be done after a workout too. Never bounce when you perform static stretches. Simply hold a comfortable position and stretch. You will feel a gentle pull on your muscles.Hold the position for about 15 to 30 seconds. Further, you can do simple stretches especially at work by moving your shoulders, legs, and neck to ease muscle tension.


2. Pelvic Presses

Flexibility exercises usually target areas of concentration just like the pelvic. Perform this exercise by lying on your back on a flat surface.
Raise your knees up while keeping both of your feet on the ground. Push your back to the floor. Maintain the same position for a few seconds.
Intensify these flexibility exercises by using variations. Accompany it with feet movement and pushing your back while your feet are slightly apart from each other.

3. Dog stretch

Get down on the floor like a standing dog. Raise your head, lower your arms, then arch your back and hold the position for a couple of seconds. This simple exercise will have tension brewing on your lower back as well as your neck.

4. Toe touch

Stand up with your feet slightly apart. Stretch both of your arms up. Then, carefully reach down for your toes. For effective results, avoid bending your knees while reaching for your toes.
Toe touch might appear simple but it would be hard especially if you haven’t had any stretching activities in a while. Do not rush or push yourself too hard into this exercise. Unlike with other flexibility exercises, it may take you weeks to eventually reach your toes.

5. Knee to chest exercises

Lie on your back and pull one of your thighs towards you. Clasp your hands on this thigh. Then, slowly pull it up to your chest.
Make sure that the other leg stays flat on the floor and hold this position for at least 10 seconds. Repeat the procedure on your other leg. For best results, do ten repetitions for each leg.

6. Yoga

Flexibility exercises need not only focus on releasing muscle tension but should also offer other benefits.
Yoga is an exercise that improves flexibility, endurance, and balance. It is a training of the mind and body. In addition, yoga is an effective means of relaxing and relieving the body from stress.
Flexibility exercises are sometimes mistaken as mere stretching exercises. However, you should bear in mind that these kinds of exercises can greatly prepare you for more strenuous activities.
Like oil to common machines, flexibility exercises function to aid the muscles in different activities. Doing these exercises regularly will provide you with a lot of rewarding benefits.

sâmbătă, 20 februarie 2010

Self Motivation Key To Weight Loss

Posted by dantntfcs

This write up talks about the main kinds of activity that you can use to initiate weight loss and the general rules that govern each.
It also goes on to speak about the importance of self motivation in the pursuit for weight loss, good health and fitness.
Powerful motivation is important to continue to exercise consistently and even the use of exercise hypnosis motivation therapy is suggested. Some tips to keep you motivated:
Give yourself a powerful reason to get into shape to start to exercise; connect that to a long term life goal.
Take your time, but when you decide upon a goal, commit to it fully; no half measures.
Keep the goals realistic and easily measureable. If a long term goal is loss of 50 pounds, first set a five pound goal, which, when achieved will give you so much satisfaction that it will propel you to the next level.
Don’t lose track along the way. Keep a track of your goals and make sure that you don’t lose sight of the ultimate goal.
Don’t get discouraged. If there is a set back or if progress is not as brisk as you want it to be, don’t let that get in the way.

One good way of being fit and burning fat is to engage in playing volleyball.
It is a type of team sport played by two opposing teams with 6 players each, separated by a net.
It is widely known not only for the thrill and excitement everyone could get from it, but also known for the health benefits it can provide the players.
When one aims to burn excessive fats as well as too many calories stored inside the body, a combination of calorie-controlled eating plan plus a regular game of volleyball will definitely contribute in becoming fit and in perfect shape.
Studies have shown that about 45 minutes of volleyball burns an amount reaching to 585 calories. Through consistent exercise, this workout could burn a total 213,525 calories in just one year which is equivalent to an amount of about 61 pounds of stored body fat.
This fat-burning activity improves the body’s fat-percentage and the muscle ratio of the entire body.
Forty-six millions of Americans are now indulged in playing volleyball proving it to be one of the best team sports in the world. Both man and woman of different ages can simply go and play volleyball, which can be either indoors, at the beach or outdoors.
When one starts to be involved in playing volleyball, it does not just help in lowering body fat, it also serves as an effective tool to raise metabolism, helps in increasing muscle tone in the arms and shoulder and at the same time helps in strengthening the upper portion of the body.
Playing volleyball enhances energy levels fueling up a person’s capacity to perform well.For those individuals who want to be in a good shape and enhance the legs and lower extremities of the body, playing volleyball can also turn into the best solution.
Apart from being a good routine to promote hand-eye coordination and develop fast reflexes, playing volleyball is also a good workout to build up leg muscles and to keep it fit and firm.
Even though there are a lot of traditional ways to improve leg muscles, playing volleyball is the most effective way to achieve fuller, firmer amazing legs.
Starting to play the sport requires a series of warm-ups, especially those stretching designed for the outer and inner thigh, to prepare the body for a very intensive game. Gradual and proper execution of every routine also helps in achieving good results. 

A new gadget that claims to up the intensity, efficacy and duration of your workout is here. This is your own personal portable oxygen supply that you can carry with you wherever you go in the form of a backpack.
The claim is that whereas the air that you breathe in has about 20% oxygen, that proportion of oxygen can be elevated to 30%. As a result one is supposed to be able to run farther and for longer.
Since better oxygen supply also hastens the body’s metabolic process, this is supposed to facilitate weight loss as well. In addition to all this, the gadget which runs for one and a half hours and weighs one and half Kg, will stimulate the brain (creating nootropic effects) and increase skin moisture and therefore has anti aging effects as well the manufacturers claim.
The product now retails for the very substantial sum of $2681 plus shipping so one is definitely likely to pause to see whether it makes any sense to buy. After all there is not enough data to substantiate all the various claims that the manufacturers are making, and one would wonder if it isn’t better to simply learn some deep breathing techniques and have done with it

Exercise machines are your best friends if you want to lose weight, stay fit, and maintain that awesome body. They are your ultimate key to better health and longer life.
With exercise machines, you will stay motivated and challenged to continue working on your exercise regimen even if you already lost those unwanted pounds.
There are so many exercise machines in the market today. You can choose to buy one so you can exercise at the comfort of your own home anytime you want.
Another option is to pay for gym membership fees where you can have access to different exercise machines. The gym is also an ideal place to workout since there are instructors to assist you or friends who can always join you.
So what are the most popular exercise machines? Here are the most common exercise machines you will often find in the gym and at home.
Treadmills

Treadmills are by far the most popular exercise machines. If you lack the time to go out and take a walk or jog, they are your best options. Treadmills allow you to run, walk, or jog anytime of the day regardless whether it is raining or sunny outside. Quality models are those with solid frames, wide belts, steady pace, and incline settings.
Exercise bikes

Do you enjoy biking but don’t have enough time in your hands to bike around the neighborhood? Exercise bikes are exercise machines that can help you strengthen and tone your legs and buttocks muscles. Moreover, they are perfect for those who are overweight or just starting to exercise.
Rowing machines

Rowing is a very tiring but rewarding exercise. With rowing machines, you no longer have to ride on a boat and row down a body of water since they offer the same benefits.

These exercise machines provide you a whole body workout since you have to use your lower and upper bodies when rowing. However, you have to be careful and must perform the exercise correctly to avoid back strain.
Cross country ski machines

If you want a very challenging workout, you should consider on buying or using cross country ski machines. These exercise machines aim to develop your stamina and balance.

In addition, they guarantee to improve your stamina as well as your cardiovascular endurance. Ski machines are a little tricky at first especially if you haven’t tried skiing before. However, you will be able to get the hang of it after much practice.
Elliptical trainers

Elliptical trainers are among the most favorites of exercise enthusiasts. They are referred to as one of the most comfortable exercise machines ever. Anybody can use them since they are easy and practical. You may also adjust the intensity of your workout according to your liking.
Exercise balls

Your workout should include balance exercises as well to improve your body coordination, flexibility, and agility. Exercise balls like stability balls can help you work on your balance and develop good posture. Other exercise balls include fitness, toning, and medicine balls.

Slow Burn Pilates? What Is That?

Posted by dantntfcs

Slow burn Pilates is a nice and steady movements that are more effective and yield quicker fitness results than do Pilates otherwise.
This fitness class involves massaging one’s back by lying on foam rollers and doing bicep curls using flex bands, just performing all the movements slower and more steadily.
Slow burn Pilates is as effective as regular Pilates in strengthening, toning and sculpting the body, except that the emphasis here is on slow and steady movements.
Connie English, proponent of Slow Pilates suggests that going slower rather than faster yields better results. Less is more she says. Slow Pilates stresses on safety rather than speed and also seeks to make a qualitative effort as opposed to quantitative ones.
The practitioners of this variety of Pilates concentrate on balancing correctly and in more controlled, conscious moves. For instance flex bands that are used for bicep curls slow down the movement, but at the same time add resistance and therefore intensity to the workout. Increased physical coordination and flexibility is achieved through proper form used with deliberation.
A program that stresses on ‘Slow’ in a fast paced world may take some getting used to, but it is seen to work; the trick is to find out what works for each individual and what does not.

Most women gain weight after a pregnancy. This extra fat is hard to shake off, as most new mothers hardly find the time to take care of themselves.
There is hardly enough time to exercise and the excuse of breast-feeding the baby, is enough not to diet.
Most women carry their child at around 12-18 months of age. That’s the time the child has learnt to balance and walk independently. This could be the perfect time to lose weight. In fact your child could help you get back into shape.
Surprised? Well you needn’t be. Your child is learning to explore the world on his two feet. Join him in his new adventure and lose some weight in the bargain.
The mere act of playing with your child and running around with them can help you burn calories. Take you child out to the community park and become a child with him.
Teach your child to run and jump in the park. Run and jump with him. Teach him to become an airplane with his arms spread wide and zoom around the park.
Have fun with your child. Roll around on the soft grass, play, jump, and hop and run around with your child. Your child will love you for being a child like he is and also learn these gross motor skills.
A balanced diet and good eating habits along with all the physical activity that you do with your child can help you burn plenty of calories and lose some weight too.

joi, 11 februarie 2010

Is eBay A Good Place To Look For Fitness Equipment?

Posted by dantntfcs

eBay is very effective at providing low cost solutions and products to just about every consumer item in the world, and with millions of daily listings perhaps it is for you as well.
However, you may be wondering if eBay is worthwhile for purchasing fitness equipment from.
The answer is a tentative yes, as there are a few factors that may not make it the best place to shop, including time, bidding wars, and on occasion high shipping costs given fitness equipment tends to be heavy.
However, this aside, eBay can be a great place to find fitness equipment if you know how to shop the popular site.
When you first head to eBay you will notice that there are over a million items on average listed under the eBay category of “sports” that is broken down further into the “sporting goods” subcategory and from there into “exercise and fitness” which is where you want to be.
There are six more subcategories from here, but if you have reached the ‘exercise and fitness’ category then you are on the right track to finding the best exercise equipment you most likely want.
Here you can find anything from seven to ten thousand items once again depending on when you log in. On a random day eBay was tested to see how great the deals were, and here is the breakdown of the results:
The first product researched was the Total Trainer device which goes for a retail price around $500. On eBay it was advertised for Buy It Now (which means you do not have to bid, but can purchase for this price) at $277. The result, even with high shipping costs you are still going to save a lot on this product.
Next product: Jolie Weights. Retail price of these weights is $19.99, but online they sell for $14.99. However, add in the shipping and you will probably end up spending about the same price so unless you get a great shipping rate you probably will not save much.
This is the typical result of a search on eBay for fitness equipment and pretty much everything else. Sometimes you score big, especially when high priced items, and sometimes you break even.
Thus, you should also shop eBay with a basic knowledge of what constitutes a great deal and protect yourself by always checking seller rankings and carefully reading product specifications to make sure you get exactly what you expect, and most of all you need to know shipping costs, especially for heavy items.

Almost every person wants to ride a bike in the fresh air to spend hours exercising and have fun. However, unfortunately during work days it is not a proper option to consider.
Life Fitness 9500 HR Recumbent Bike helps to solve this problem right away. Along with all the exercise bikes, this bike offers great reliability, longevity and easy-to-use options.
For the ones who do not want lots of noise, the smooth belt system of this bike is quiet and durable.
Also, it measures the heart rate with Life pulse Contact Heart Rate Training. Controlling the heart rate occasionally prevents unexpected heart diseases and helps to control the body itself properly.
One of the advantages of the bike is to prevent back injuries with ergonomically correct seats. The LED display shows what is needed to see during exercising, and there are 27 various programs such as quick start, random, personal trainer workouts, heart rate workouts etc.
However, the machine is heavy enough and needs space in order to consider using it at home (approximately 134Ibs). Also, considering the exercise options, the bike uses only leg muscles and lower stomach muscles.
To strengthen overall muscles, probably this machine will not be enough.

To exercise, there are proper equipments to consider for healthy and efficient outcomes.
The Cardio Cruiser is one of the most efficient ways to exercise.
This equipment combines cardio and body sculpting moves of various gym machines: bike, elliptical machine and stair mill. The bike helps to improve leg muscles and lower stomach.
Elliptical machine helps to tone the upper body. Lastly the stair mill helps to strengthen the lower body.
The synchronized motion of the equipment incorporates 95% of the muscles. The overall body, with hips, thighs, buns, the upper body parts such as shoulders, arms, chest and back are working with this revolutionary equipment.
One of the advantages of this machine is to prevent any kinds of back injuries with 7 different seat position adjustments.
Also it allows people from every height and resistance level work properly on the machine with its 5 different resistance settings.
Other advantages are that there is no need to go to the gym and waste time for hard workers and busy people and there is a guaranteed satisfaction.
On the other hand, although the machine includes a DVD of reviews, there is no specific healthy eating program advised to follow.
The price of the machine is approximately 299$ , so it can be a disadvantage because not every person may afford to pay for it.
Judging all the advantages and disadvantages in the end the machine would be a smart way to burn fats and be fit.

It’s often misunderstood that gaining weight is a necessity to gaining muscle. In order to gain weight in a healthy manner you’ll need to exercise and have a balanced, healthy diet.
You’ll need to increase your caloric intake by 500 calories at least. The key is to make sure these calories are not from sweets and candy.
Healthy foods, such as vegetables and meats, should make up the bulk of these extra calories. The catch is that with any increase in calories, you will need an intense workout routine to add muscle and not fat.
Here are some tips to help you gain healthy body weight, as well as bulk up by exercising.
Determine Your Routine

The very first thing you need to do is to figure out your eating and workout routine. Do you have the time to work out each day or only three or four times each week? Does your lifestyle allow for three meals a day or six small meals? While it’s important to eat enough food to gain weight, it’s also important to gain the right type of weight.
It’s more complicated to gain muscle than just adding a lot of calories to your diet. You must exercise and you must stress your muscles to the point of breakdown in order for them to become stronger and bigger.
Choose Your Exercises

This is obviously a very important step in gaining weight and bulking up through exercise. Gaining muscle is much different from losing weight, simply because you can choose which part of your body you would to work on. However, this can be a problem if you wish to work on one specific part of your body.
You’ll need to have a truly balanced program that will target all areas of your body. The best way to do this is to split up the different muscle groups every day.
You should also leave about 48 hours in between exercising the same group of muscles. You also do not want to do too much too quickly or you may quit. Free weights and machines together will give you the best workout.
Change Your Routine

You’ll need to change your routine as your muscles become accustomed to your workout. If you stay with the same routine, you will not progress any farther. It helps to keep a workout diary in order to know exactly how you are progressing, and what the next routine change needs to include, in order to make your muscles stronger and bigger.
Make the Right Choices and Enjoy a Healthy Weight

If you eat more without exercising, you will gain weight. However, you’ll gain fat not muscle. By increasing your caloric intake, along with the right exercise program, you will build stronger, bigger muscles. Keep changing your routine if you find that you are no longer progressing.
If you decide you don’t want to gain any more weight, you will need to decrease your intake of calories or increase the amount of exercise to burn calories. This would include cardiovascular or aerobic exercises. Good luck!

The latest fad diet or drink will not turn your fat into muscle. You must reduce your caloric intake if you want to get rid of the fat. You also need to give your body the right nutrients needed to build muscle.
It takes time and dedication, something that many fad diets do not require. Here are some tips to help you quickly convert your unwanted fat to muscle.
Reducing Your Caloric Intake

This is the first step in turning fat into muscle. Unfortunately, many people think they can simply lift weights and see results. However, when you consume fewer calories than your body burns for energy, it will reduce the amount of fat on your body.While it certainly won’t happen overnight, you will notice that your muscles look more defined. You will also notice that your body mass index will decrease. It’s vital that you know how many calories you consume and how many you burn each day in order to start converting fat to muscle.

How to Determine Your Caloric Needs?

In order to burn fat, you have to eat fewer calories. However, if you don’t want to eat fewer calories, you can increase your activity level. The fastest way to reduce fat and increase muscle mass is to do both.
A reduction of 500 calories is all that is needed to start seeing fat loss. Muscle does not build as fast as fat, so you won’t see all your fat replaced with muscle right away. Because muscle grows slower, you need to start building muscle while you are losing fat. Don’t wait until you have lost fat to begin building muscle.
Nutritional Requirements

One of the main nutritional requirements to build muscle is protein. You will need to give your body enough protein to build muscle, but it also must be from a good source. Currently, the recommendation of protein is .36 grams per one pound of body weight.
The only time you may need more than this is if you are training extensively, such as for a marathon. Protein is made up of amino acids. Not all amino acids and protein are the same. Foods such as a steak and beans contain different types of protein.
Complete Proteins

Your body needs complete proteins to build muscle. Incomplete proteins are found in beans, nuts, peas, and vegetables. These do not contain essential amino acids. Your body cannot produce these essential amino acids.
They are only found in animal products, such as eggs, fish, meat, and dairy items. The best sources of these proteins when you are trying to turn fat into muscle are poultry, low fat dairy products, and fish.
Stick With It and Don’t Give Up

While you won’t turn your fat into muscle overnight, you can help speed up the process by combining your workout program with the proper healthy diet. The exercise will help you get rid of the fat by burning more calories, but also build your muscles to give you a more toned appearance.

joi, 4 februarie 2010

Looking For ‘Ridiculously’ Healthy Foods?

Posted by dantntfcs

Here is a list of 25 Superstars:
1.Eggs, that much-reviled villain from yesteryears is packed with goodness difficult to find elsewhere
2.Yoghurt with live bacteria, an excellent source not only for healthy bacteria but also calcium
3.Fat free milk gives you calcium, lets you absorb vitamin D, ward off cancer, relieve back pain, prevent depression
4.Salmon – not only delicious but a great source of Omega 3 essential fatty acids. Good for the skin, heart and weight loss
5.Lean beef the best natural source of iron for humans, has vitamin E and a brain-boosting antioxidant
6.Beans- an excellent source of calcium, potassium, and magnesium
7.Nuts to be heart healthy and keep diabetes at bay among a bunch of other benefits
8.Edamame and Tofu-great for your heart
9.Oatmeal – versatile and even healthier than you thought
10.Flaxseed for Omega 3s
11.Olive Oil for great flavor and a host of benefits
12.Avocados for MUFAs and many other nutrients
13.Broccoli to fight a host of life threatening diseases
14.Spinach – really as good as Popeye said
15.Tomatoes: Lycopene to fight heart disease and breast cancer
16.Sweet potatoes for high quality nutrients
17.Garlic to lower blood pressure and risk of a number of cancers and yes; will protect against colds!
18.Red peppers for Vitamin C, good immunity and great skin
19.Figs for calcium and more potassium than bananas even!
20.Blueberries the small source of big benefits
21.Asian pears a great source of fiber
22.Lychees for heart healthy polyphenols
23.Apples to keep that doctor away
24.Guavas for Vitamin C and lycopenes
25.Dark chocolate – flavonoids and antioxidants

This list of 25 superfoods by Prevention includes a bunch of healthy tips to include them in your diet as well.


Corporate employees can find themselves in a dog-eat-dog world, unless they become skilled team players.
Corporations have already included as part of their annual budgets expenses for team building workshops or seminars, to which they expect their employees’ participation and attendance.
More often than not, corporate employees find these activities boring and tedious. Not so if the team building activity is laser tag.
Laser tag is a team activity popular with people of all ages, where players try to score points by firing “laser guns” at targets.
The laser guns are usually hand-held infrared-emitting devices, and the infrared-sensitive targets are embedded in packs worn by each player.
Just like paintball and airsoft, laser tag plays include combat simulations and role-playing games.
However, laser tag is considered to be less demanding and less painful than paintball, because roughhousing or running in indoor laser tag arenas is not allowed and physical projectiles are not used. Still it is a very demanding and a very effective fitness activity.
The targeting device used in laser tag employs infrared technology much like the one used for household remote controls. Each targeting device emits an infrared beam with a unique identifying signal, which is then recorded by the target when hit by the beam.
Scoring and playing rules are all controlled by a computer system, along with switching from one game format to another or from solo play to team scoring.
The computer technology also allows for greater flexibility in game customization by allowing different characteristics or individual player preferences to be inputted into each targeting device.
Laser tag can be played indoors or outdoors. Indoor arenas often feature large dark rooms lit by black lights and designed with many walls and other obstacles, often following a particular theme. Players in indoor arenas are sometimes guided in taking aim by a visible laser built into the targeting device, much like a laser pointer.
Indoor arenas are more restrictive due to their physical dimensions; the equipment’s overall design is focused more on performance and game play. Outdoor playing fields have the same concept in design as paintball fields.
Since outdoor field dimensions are larger and surface are much rougher than those of indoor arenas, equipment must be designed to function well at longer ranges, have higher output power, and be more durable.
Indoors or outdoors, there are various game formats that can be played in laser tag. Death matches, where one team tries to take all the members of the other team out, are commonly played.
Tactical missions, with its various objectives and goals, are favorite game formats in team building activities. Whatever the format, lessons in cooperation, communication, fun and trust in teammates are incorporated into the game; these lessons provide the framework for building a stronger and better team.

In this Examiner article,we are reminded of something that we often overlook in the all important pursuit of physical fitness, which is fitness of the brain.

Here is a statistic that startles: in the United States, every 70 seconds there is someone who is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. It is important to do our best to attain the sort of mental fitness that will help us keep this dreaded disease at bay. Some pointers:
Solve puzzles, do crosswords, get stuck in a Sudoku. Do everything possible to stretch and challenge your mind, so as to keep it in great working order.
Do logic and memory exercises to keep your mind alert and build your powers of concentration.
Take vocabulary tests and quizzes. If you fare well, you will feel really smart and even if you don’t, you’ll end up learning new things.
Read. No reading is futile.
Learn new skills. You are never too old to learn something new. Learning new things and skills, even dancing for instance helps make for a fitter, healthier brain.
Stay active and eat well. This is good not only for your body, but also your brain!


Ice creams, lattes, fried delicious food… They all are very welcomed, but at the same time they raise the probability of signing up to a gym.

To transform all these delicious but not so flattering dishes into smart muscles, the boring aerobic choreographies and the heavy exercise plans are recommended.

However, fitness with Kangoo shoes is an interesting alternative to cheer up the exercise schedule.

Kangoo shoes, which are developed by the technology of NASA, are also named rebound cross training shoes.

People who tried those shoes claimed that it is the most effective form of exercise ever developed. They look like a skate – but instead of wheels, they have a spring device which allows jumping.

Surprisingly, the first shoes were made for rehabilitation of the muscles after surgery and the prevention of post surgery injuries. When it was discovered that it is too much fun to use only for rehabilitation, they became the new fun way to fight the additional weight.

The word ‘kangoo’ sounds like just jumping without aim, but this way of exercise has actually many choices. Kangoo shoes are being used for lots of activities such as jogging and running, group fitness and weight loss.

Also as an important note, this exercise can help people resume workouts and also help the safe rehabilitation of sports injuries.

Among the different exercise choices, there are multi-functional ways to reduce the body fat and shape up the arms, the thighs, the abdomen and the legs. While strengthening the muscles, the exercise increases the agility.

As an additional result, it provides an aerobic effect to the heart and keeps the overall body healthy and in shape. Improving breathing and the overall condition of the body, the exercise helps cells’ oxygenating which is responsible for losing the body fat.

Thinking of jumping and doing aerobic[aerobic exercise] moves with shoes does not seem very easy to control. However, Kangoo shoes have a patented impact protection system which reduces the impact from 40% to 80%.

This thing has many benefits among which are reducing the impact shock on the joints, improving strength and balance, inducing fat loss and also playing a role as an optimizer of the cardio-vascular health. It is fun to both jump and do the exercises so it may also reduce stress.

With the price limits approximately between 179$ and 229$, they do not seem very kind to the wallets, but who knows, maybe this way of exercise will equalize the cost in fun and results. In the end, it is common knowledge that kangaroos are one of the best fit species on the Earth.

Take The Pushup Fitness Test

Posted by dantntfcs

To qualify as being in good shape you would have to fulfill this criteria:
A 20-year-old man, being able to do 36 pushups (all with good form)
A 39-year-old woman, doing 27 pushups (on your knees) and so on

You are told to work yourself up to better fitness levels with modifications and work yourself up from there. There are many reasons we could be paying attention:
Push-ups are an excellent way to improve all over body fitness
Done the correct way, pushups bring together the benefits of weight lifting, stretching and cardiovascular training
Good for your heart
Builds lean muscle
Improves strength
Improves endurance

Reasons enough to take that pushup challenge wouldn’t you say. There is more information about how to do pushups and their modified (read simpler to perform) versions here.

Now the scientists are telling all the couch potatoes just what they wanted to hear; that aerobic exercise could just be a waste of time.
This is because the health benefit that activities such as swimming, going to the gym and jogging offer us is determined by our genes.
According to this article, an estimated 20% of people do not get any significant aerobic fitness benefit from regular exercise and won’t help prevent heart disease and diabetes.
For many, the better course would be to alter their diet and take medications.
The study that quotes these findings relied up on the human genome to suggest improvements in healthcare, so that more personalized treatments could be offered to more individuals.

duminică, 24 ianuarie 2010

5 Not So True Fitness Myths

Posted by dantntfcs

Together with the development of technology, the need of man-power becomes null and void.

Many people work and do their daily duties without motion. This is why gaining extra weight is much easier.

This causes weight loss industries to misinform people who want to lose weight in a short period of time by some shock diet types.

Although these diet types make fat as if disappear, it leads the overall body health into an unsafe and unstable form.

Below are the top 5 common myths and the truth about them.

1. The first myth is that it is necessary to do a 30 minutes warming up before starting exercises. [warmup exercise]

It is proved that warming up before starting the actual exercise reduces the risk of muscle injuries. However the time for warming up is the most common misinformed issue.

A 30 minute warming up is absolutely not necessary. The time need not be more than 5 minutes. After that the muscles begin to relax, get stamina and be ready to do harder work.

2. The second myth is about fats. It is believed that fat is muscle gaining cellulite deposit and it is completely wrong. The fat will always be fat and the muscle will always be muscle.

Fat and muscle are two different issues and one cannot be turned into another. When doing exercises, the aim must be to burn the fat and feed the muscles. When the fat burns, it means the stored energy inside the fat cells is burning hence the fat cells become minimized until they disappear completely.

3. The third most common myth is the belief that force-exercises work for everyone.

The force exercise done with the belief in a faster muscle toning is totally not worth it. After warming up the muscles for about 5 minutes, it is important to know the individual muscle type that needs work and the body type working in order to evaluate the optimal sort of exercise, which is not always recommended to be done while forcing the muscles.

Human body is created for being active all the time, but if the muscles are forced too much, some damage or injuries – which may be hard to recover from- can occur. So it is important to keep the body active without pushing it beyond its limits.

4. The fourth myth that needs to be brought down is that cardio has immediate results on the body.

Any activity that sweats the overall body and increases the heart beat at comprehensible ratios is the sign of an active body exercising.

Also working out for long hours in a cardio routine will help lose calories. The process takes time and requires patience. It is proven that only after 10 sessions of cardio the body will start showing exact results.

5. Finally, the last myth is about doing the same exercise routine for a long period of time.

The human body has a “problem” that can be explained as the ability to adjust. When doing the same exercise routine for a long time, the body will get used to the routine and will stop evolving. So it is important to change the routine and work on different muscles with different types of exercising.

Many people don’t reap the benefits of constantly attending the gym. They work out and do not see positive results and are confused.

Here are 5 reasons why that may happen.

Lack of tempo when working out is a very important factor when exercising.

By tempo, meaning a person should not lift and lower the weights rapidly 12 times for three repetitions and then call it quits. The muscles do not feel anything that way, so of course there is no difference.

Alternating between speeds and maintaining the speeds is the best way to do it though many do not choose to follow this advice.

Doing a rep where the weights are lifted and lowered slowly and another rep that is slightly faster is more beneficial. Unfortunately, gyms can be very distracting, making people being unable to focus on their workout.

Another factor for why gyms do not work is pauses. Between reps there should be a pause, but other factors get in the way. People get distracted or sometimes someone else may take the weights to use and then the other person has to wait.

Next is what a person wears to the gym. Most people wear the wrong clothes and especially the wrong footwear when working out at a gym.

Clothing that allows the body to move fully and freely is important and people make the mistake of wearing something that is either too constricting or much too loose.

Footwear is also very important. Cross training or running shoes are one of the better types to get, but if the exercises require a lot of balance something with a thinner sole may be necessary as the other shoes have thicker soles so keeping balanced is harder.

Many people choose the wrong sneakers for the exercises they do and it hinders their workout.

Another reason is posture. Many people go to the gym to work out and have little understanding on how to properly lift weights or keep the back straight. When exercising is done properly, little or no strain is placed on the back.

The only parts that should feel the burn are those being targeted. This is why they say that one stomach crunch done the right way is better than doing 20 the wrong way. Bad posture can injure the back and even totally negate the effects of a workout.

Boredom is one of the main reasons why going to the gym does not work. People usually go into a gym and it’s the same machines, the same scenery every time. People need variety in order to change and grow and gyms have a limited amount of variety.

There are people who go to the gym regularly, but there are also many who stop going due to some of these reasons. People who wish to be fit should be aware of what works for them, how to exercise properly and also exercise outside whenever possible to have a continuous change of scenery.

There are a number of methods people do to trim, firm and mold their body into shape.

However, some of the steps are too complex, so below are some simpler steps for sculpting the body.

1. Walking does not only improve the health and lower the risks for diseases like diabetes and stroke; it also benefits the body’s outward appearance.

Walking can strengthen the muscles, help manage weight and trim the waistline.

2. Eating protein helps to maintain the firmness of the body and also aids in repairing the muscles.

Depending on certain factors, the amount of protein intake varies so make sure to do research. Foods that have protein are fish, grains, soy products and chicken.

3. Third on the list are resistance sports. Many things such as weights and barbells, or even the body can be used to give resistance. Triceps and bicep curls, lunges, pushups and leg lifts can be done using the body as resistance.

4. Climbing stairs are particularly beneficial for those who want to strengthen and firm their thighs and buttocks. It’s the body versus gravity and it works great, but do not overdo it the first time.

5. The next simple step is choosing wisely what fats to eat. Not all fats are unhealthy and need to be avoided. Avoid saturated fats, which are in a lot of processed foods and choose foods that have polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats, which have the essential fatty acids that the body needs.

6. Next is simply cooking smart. Fried foods are not that healthy especially when eating often. When a person cooks meat they should broil or bake it. If the food is going to be fried, use a healthier oil, such as canola and do not use too much.

7. Stretching is another simple step that should be done every morning, before exercising and before going to bed. It helps increase flexibility, improves blood circulation, and increases the joints range of motion. You can stretch anywhere and it does not take up that much time.

8. Lymphatic drainage is a massage that helps remove from the body the toxins that can affect our life and damage the circulatory and muscular systems. It also helps to soften wrinkles and hydrate the skin.

9. Waking up fresh is another important step. This helps increase energy. To do this, avoid coffee right before bed and have the windows open slightly so that the air can properly circulate and remove the carbon dioxide the body is breathing out. Remember to get the necessary hours of sleep that the body needs.

10. The final step is to do some relaxing yoga exercises. Simple yoga exercises can help relieve stress which also plays a role in the fitness of the body.

A full-packed muscular body… that is the physique of most bodybuilders. Their’s is a body where “fat” is seemingly invisible. Their’s is a body where statistics is vital.


A bodybuilder undergoes a process wherein he develops muscle fibers with weight training, increase in calorie intake and rest. Weight training is not solely a result of hours of sweating in the gym. There are substances which can be taken to intensify muscle build-up as well as to help in the elimination of fats. This is in the form of a bodybuilding supplements.

There are different types of bodybuilding supplements. One example is vitamins. Vitamins are commonly taken to boost metabolic reaction in one’s system. Research shows that about 90% of Americans are not getting the proper nutrition from the foods they consume, hence the need for vitamins.

Vitamins are also needed in bodybuilding since you need to supply the lost energy that your body has exerted during rigorous training. Some of the important vitamins a bodybuilder should take are:

Vitamin C

Ascorbic acid is another term for Vitamin C. It is a water-soluble type of vitamin. With proper amount of Vitamin C in your body you will be able to:

- It protects your muscle cell from radical injury.

- It absorbs iron to aid oxygen in the binding of hemoglobin in the blood to help you perform well.

- It aids in the steroid-hormone formation.

Vitamin C supplements come in different forms which includes tablet, capsule, drink-mix packs, and “multi-vitamin formulation”.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6, specifically of the “pyridoxine” form is an essential vitamin for bodybuilders to take. You will obtain different advantages upon intake of the said vitamin:

- It utilizes the proper metabolism of protein and carbohydrate.

Aside from supplements, you can get Vitamin B6 on foods such as liver, green beans, chicken, sea vegetables, nuts and bananas.

Vitamin B1

Thiamine is the other term for Vitamin B1. The said vitamin is essential for bodybuilders in many ways such as:

- It fills muscle because thiamine aids in the conversion of carbohydrates and fats into energy.

- It aids in proper maintenance of the heart, digestive and nervous systems.

Vitamin B1 supplements can be found in most “B complex vitamins”.

Supplement-aside, foods that are rich in thiamine are spinach, beef, pork, soybeans, cereals and legumes.

Vitamin D

Any bodybuilder can obtain a lot of benefits from getting proper dose of Vitamin D since:

- It helps in the regulation of calcium and phosphorus which aids in proper food absorption. Additionally, phosphorus is believed to increase robust contractions in the muscle.

- It aids in the development of a “strong skeleton” as well as proper formation and mineralization of the bone.

Milk and other dairy products is the major source of Vitamin D. Additionally, you may want to add oils from fish liver, fatty fish, and egg in your diet as other natural Vitamin D sources.

Vitamin E

In medical terms Vitamin E is referred to as “tocopherol”. Through the following ways it may help any bodybuilder achieve their bodybuilding goal since:

- It serves a vital anti-oxidant factor wherein it shields the cell membranes from potential damage.

Vegetable oils are the common primary ingredient in the manufacturing of Vitamin E supplements. Alternatively, you can consume foods such as soybeans, nuts, wheat and peanut butter as other sources of Vitamin E.

Posted by dantntfcs


Militari press is one of the oldest exercises for shoulders and is considered to exercise power, aimed primarily at effects on the front head of the deltoid muscle. Mesial area involved very low, but the rear does not include traffic. This exercise can be performed by or stoezh sedezh. Sedezhat provides more stable support and a safe. Since it is used more often by the press before breast stoezh will be cut further this movement. Although it considered power movement has strict requirements in order to prevent injuries. Due to its dangerous nature to him recommended mild resistance especially in the initial phase of studying. Of particular importance is the correct form of execution in order to achieve the desired effect of this very useful, but risky exercise, not peril.
To achieve the full natural range of motion, it is the distance between the hands to be slightly greater than the width of the shoulders. In broad hvat as a natural arm and forearms at right angles and wider than it limited amplitude of movement and can cause congestion on links and shoulder tendons.
Po catch larger drives in addition to export elbows back behind the rod, but not in the correct position below. Their removal reduces the impact on the back shoulder muscles and instead loaded a significant relationship of tendons and deltoid muscle, which greatly reduces the effectiveness of exercise and increases the danger of receiving injuries.
Conversely, a narrow catch of the width of the shoulders to make hands pressed to the chest during extrusion. This causes retortion in the back arc. Twisted back resulted in injuries in the waist area.

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