Building a Better Body

Building a Better Body: How to Put the Pieces Together—It’s Easier Than You Think

Keywords:
muscle building, fat burning, fitness and weight training

Interestingly, when I made the comment that it’s easy for me [to get in shape], Shaun jumped into the conversation and emphatically stated…

“It’s not easy. No way. It’s simple!”

And you know what? He was right.

It’s not easy to get into shape. To eat better. To train harder. To set a plan in place. Rather, it’s simple. It’s simple to make such small changes in your lifestyle. And as a result, create such incredibly satisfying and rewarding changes in your physique.

I told Shaun he was right. Building a better body and getting into tiptop shape isn’t easy.

What I got from our conversation was a little perspective on this subject. That is, whenever I decide I am going to get into better shape, it is easy for me because I know what to do. That’s the difference.

See, most people, when they make the decision to get into their best shape (whether it’s their first time or a second, third, or forth time trying), simply don’t know what to do. For that reason, for them, it’s not easy.

“It’s simple to make such small changes in your lifestyle. And as a result, create such incredibly satisfying and rewarding changes in your physique.”As Shaun and I talked more, we found there were many other things we had in common. One of which was that we both agreed that most people tend to make this topic more complicated than it needs to be. And if people really knew how simple the changes they need to make to build a better body are, many, many more people would do it.

So, after dinner I promised Shaun I would start by sharing my personal view on building a leaner, healthier, more muscular body in our upcoming newsletter. To help others understand how each lifestyle change works together—along with how simple weight training, diet, and supplements really can be.

Therefore, what I’d like to do is take you through a typical day for me. Using specific examples, I’ll guide you through how I follow my own Maximum Growth Program. Basically, I’ll show you how, when, and what I eat; which supplements I use; and how I follow the exercise plan.

But before we start, there’s something I need to tell you. There are plenty of ways to gain muscle size and strength and build a head-turning body, and in no way am I proclaiming that my way is the only way. (Far too many self-professed “experts” do this already!) What I can honestly say is these techniques and tools are simply what have worked for me—year after year—and continue to work for countless others. And if you follow them, for at least four weeks, you will absolutely, positively achieve greater gains in strength and size and lose more bodyfat. Results you can be damn proud of. I promise.

Are you ready? Great. Let’s get started.

First, I can’t understate the importance of planning. Before I even consider anything else, I always, always make sure I have my entire day planned in advance. For me, there could be nothing more integral to my success. In fact, whenever I don’t plan my days, I notice that everything feels “out of control” the next day. And it is. (Maybe this has happened to you?) That’s why I always take about 15 to 20 minutes each night, before I go to bed, and plan out my next day’s workout, prepare my meals, write my most important “To-Dos,” and as corny as it sounds, pick out my clothes to wear. I can’t tell you how much time the next day this nightly ritual saves me. I’d bet over ten times.

“…whenever I don’t plan my days, I notice that everything feels “out of control” the next day.”If you’re already good at planning, then you’ll certainly agree. If not, then I’d encourage you to start tomorrow and adopt this results-producing, fantastic habit. Remember, the only thing that separates those who are successful from those who are not are habits. It’s easy to see those who follow good habits are much more likely to be successful, and those who follow haphazard, free-spirited habits, are usually less successful. You get the point.

So now let’s take a closer look at exactly how I apply these techniques and tools to my new, improved Maximum Growth Program (which, by the way… has been completely updated and revised with a full 8-week Program, new diet plans, weight-training routines, and even a section which provides explanations and pictures of each exercise. It is at the printers right now, and I plan to produce only 1,000 to start. So, if you’d like to reserve your copy today, so you don’t get left behind, please call us at 1-866-688-7679 and tell whoever answers that you are a regular reader of Real SOLUTIONS and you want to reserve your copy of Volume 2 of Maximum Growth. Like I said, there will only be 1,000 copies printed, and since they are free—all we ask is a measly $5 to pay for postage and handling—I expect these will go quickly. Don’t get left behind. Call us now. The number is 1-866-688-7679. Even the call is free! Or, click here and fill out your information online: Maximum Growth).

Luckily, a great deal of the planning “work” has already been done in my new book. We’ve laid out the days you should work out. Pointed out exactly which body parts to train. We’ve even planned the exact number of sets, reps, and time to rest for each workout. On top of that, we included seven full sample meals—from breakfast, to pre-and post-workout, to nighttime meals—so you can easily put together your daily eating plan.

Believe me, when you look at how much of the guesswork we’ve taken out of building muscle and gaining strength with the Maximum Growth Program, you’ll realize it doesn’t get much better than this. In fact, if someone had offered me a Program like this one when I first started out, I would have paid a couple of hundred dollars for it, easily.

(To me, it seems no one wants to really help you like this any longer… they just want you to buy their supplement, shake your hand, say “good luck,” and send you on you way. I don’t agree with this approach. I feel it’s much more important to provide a plan, a path, and every bit of assistance I can to help you reach your goals. I honestly really care about people).

Anyway, let’s get back to how I put everything together as I follow the Maximum Growth Program to build my best body:

Once I’ve planned my Weight-Training journal sheet, I move onto my nutrition plan. From the first to the last meal, including the supplements I’ll take and how much water I plan to drink. I don’t like to leave anything to chance, and as a result, I usually stay right on course each day. I’ve found the closer you follow your plan, the faster you reach your goals. There are really no two ways about it. I’ve also provided blank Daily Meal Plan Sheets here, so you can print out copies and use them to plan and write out your meals each day.

If you read through the Maximum Growth Program, you’ll notice my total calories are somewhat higher than the examples I’ve provided in The Meals section. That’s because I weigh around 220 lbs and the examples I’ve provided are for a 175-lb person. You might weigh more or less than this, so you’ll need to calculate your daily calorie and protein needs for your desired weight. Once you do that, it’s pretty easy to plan your meals.

Or, you can simply look at the daily sample meal plans we’ve provided for you. From there, you can pick and choose which meals most closely match your likenesses for particular foods and then adjust the portion sizes to meet your calorie and protein needs. If you have trouble figuring out how to do this, I encourage you to give us a call (anytime), and one of our friendly, qualified fitness experts will be glad to help you out. We can be reached from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (MST). If we don’t answer your call, please leave a message, and we’ll call you back right away. Our number is 1-866-688-7679.

Now that I’ve written out the meals I plan to eat the following day, I’m about 50% done with my planning. Next I prepare the meals I am going to eat. Since tomorrow is going to be a busy day for me (and I have a luncheon meeting), I plan on eating two whole-food meals and three nutrition shakes… so I’ll need to make the meals in advance. After preparing my tuna pita sandwich and putting my cooked brown rice in a Tupperware bowl, I grab the rest of my fruits, bottled water, and supplements and put them in my shoulder bag to take to work with me the next day. I always double-check my supplement case to make sure I’ve got enough supplements to last me the entire week. (If you don’t have a supplement case, I’d encourage you to get one. They are pretty inexpensive and very convenient to use. You can buy a pocket case online at WebVitamins.com.)

Because I usually train in the mornings, I keep most of my breakfast foods, like oatmeal and condiments like Splenda® sweetener, at the office since that’s where I eat after my morning workout. I also keep a spare container of Eat-Smart (my favorite meal replacement shake) at the office too, so I don’t need to lug it back and forth—from home to work and from work back to home. That can be annoying.

Now that I’ve written out my goal weights for my next workout; written out and prepared the meals I plan to eat tomorrow; made sure I’ve got the supplements I need to use, the final thing I do is prepare my clothes. Since I work out in the morning, I make sure I’ve got a comfortable T-shirt, a pair of track pants, some socks and underwear, and my tennis shoes and baseball hat laid out. Then, I pack the clothes I’ll wear at work in my gym bag. Last, I make sure I’ve got my iPod (a digital headphone/music system that helps keep my intensity up, while working out in the early morning), wallet, keys, and cell phone… all packed and ready to go. After this, I’m off to bed. It’s usually around 10:00 or 10:30 p.m.

“There’s nothing more refreshing, and important, than a tall glass of water first thing in the morning.”The next morning, just like I do every day, I wake up at 5:15 a.m. Without hesitation, before getting dressed, I head for the kitchen and pour a large glass of water. There’s nothing more refreshing, and important, than a tall glass of water first thing in the morning. Especially considering your body hasn’t had any food or liquids for about seven to eight hours. Typically, most people would make a cup of coffee at this point—to help them “get going.” But I don’t feel this way. I think coffee actually robs your body of energy, instead of really giving it to you. As you know, when you drink coffee, the increase in energy only lasts about an hour, until it wears off, leaving you feeling worse than you did before. This is called the “crash.” I hate the way this makes me feel.

That’s why I helped create and use a supplement, instead, called Energize. We developed this all-natural supplement with Dr. Mark Tallon. He is a very bright person, earning his Ph.D. in biochemistry. He even works with Olympic athletes as a nutrition consultant. Plus, he’s an IronMan triathlete himself. To say this guy is brilliant, and in great shape, is an understatement.

He formulated Energize to work with your body’s natural ability to produce safe, long-lasting energy. And it works especially well, either in the morning to really perk you up, or during the middle of the day to avoid the fatal midday “crash” after lunch. I absolutely love using it before I weight train. I find it clears my mind and cranks up my workout intensity. This is helpful when you train, like I do, at 6:00 in the morning!

I take two time-released tablets of Energize with my water (on an empty stomach). I head back upstairs to my bedroom, get dressed… kiss my wife and kids goodbye (while they’re still sleeping), grab my gym bag, and head off to the gym.

I usually arrive at the gym a few minutes before 6:00 and, after getting my iPod headphones on with my favorite music, I’m ready to start training by 6:00 a.m. sharp. Today I am going to work out my chest, shoulders, biceps, and triceps. (See The Exercises section by clicking here for a detailed explanation and demonstration photos for all of the exercises I do.)

Today’s weight-training workout should take no longer than my scheduled goal of 45 minutes. While it’s not my goal to always finish under my scheduled time, it is important to stay within it by a couple of minutes. After my workout, I sit down on a bench and take a couple of minutes to record my final actual reps and then run a quick glance over my goal to actual planned weights and reps for each exercise. Today everything was pretty close.

Remember, when you do your workouts, you might use less or more weight than I do. That doesn’t really matter. What matters most is that you keep a constant record of the actual weights and reps you did, and pay close attention to the time you rest between sets. This way, you’re sure to keep your intensity levels up and make the most of your time spent in the gym. I also use this time to jot down a few notes about the workout. For instance, today I repeatedly noticed how pumped my arms felt. I got a great burn, and I was very strong. In fact, I’ll need to make a note for the next time I train chest that I should increase the weights used—since I hit a new six-rep max today! This is all very important information to record.

And this is it for the weight-training portion of my day. Pretty simple, eh? Not easy, but as you’ll see in my new book, it’s relatively simple to follow!

“…there is absolutely, positively no better way to start your day than with an intense, focused weight-training workout.”After I finish my early morning workout, it’s usually around 6:50 a.m. and it’s time to get into the office and focus on my nutrition. I have to tell you, though, there is absolutely, positively no better way to start your day than with an intense, focused weight-training workout. By the time I walk into my office, my mind is refreshed, and I’m ready to take on the day’s challenges.

Following the weight-training Program from Maximum Growth Volume 2 means I train with weights four days a week. I follow the calendar to the letter (which is contained in the new book as well). In fact, like I said earlier, the closer I follow my plan, the faster I see results… and the greater my progress.

Oh yeah, even though this Program doesn’t suggest doing any cardio exercise, if you want to perform it, I would encourage you to do it on alternate days. On the days you don’t weight train. Or, if you have the time, you can always perform cardio after you train with weights. But remember, never, ever perform cardio before your weight-training workouts or the day after you train your legs.

By the way, there is really no need to do cardio exercise any more than three times during the week and for no more than 30 minutes at a time. Any more than this will only be harmful to your muscle-building progress.

I arrive at my office at 7:00 a.m., and the very first thing I do is head for the kitchen—to eat. But not any meal will do. Because I just worked out, my body is primed for quality nutrients to help it recover and start rebuilding new, lean muscle mass. (Besides that, I haven’t eaten now for nine hours, so I’m extremely hungry too!) This time is called my “open window.” My muscles will literally suck up anything I feed them during this state. That’s why it’s critical we combine our post-workout meal into a specific three-to-one ratio of carbohydrates to protein.

I start off by making an Eat-Smart meal replacement shake. I simply combine 20 oz of water into the blender, add three ice cubes and two rounded scoops of my Eat-Smart Base formula. Then, because I’m going to have my favorite post-workout Fruit Smoothie Maximum Muscle Shake, I add one Strawberry Cheesecake Flavor Enhancer packet to the blender. Now, for added carbohydrates, I add one-half cup of frozen strawberries. And to top it off, I add two scoops of our orange-flavored lean-mass-building supplement, Meta-CEL. Each serving of Meta-CEL provides an effective dose of creatine and D-pinitol, two compounds which have been shown in a recent study to increase absorption and retention of creatine within the body. (The more creatine you have in the body, and the longer it stays there, the more likely you are to experience greater gains in muscle size and strength and retain it for longer). The reason I use orange is because when it’s mixed with the strawberry flavors already in the blender, it gives the shake a fruity taste—a lot like one of those frozen tropical fruit smoothies you get while on vacation in Mexico or Hawaii.

While blending my special Maximum Muscle shake, I heat up a bowl of water in the microwave and stir in one-half cup of old-fashioned oats. After it’s heated up, I stir in two packets of Splenda sweetener. And now, for my “post-workout” meal, I’ve got a chilled, thick, rich nutrition shake… and a bowl of complex, heart-healthy oats… in less than a minute. That’s what I call convenient. I’ve now provided myself with the perfect three-to-one ratio of carbs to protein, which is essential for supplying my body with the precise nutrients it needs to reach my goals. This “meal” will keep me satisfied for another two and a half hours, at least. So, I take a shower, get dressed, and start my work day by 7:30 a.m.

In between my first and second meal, I’m continually drinking water from a large bottle I keep at my desk. It is really important to stay hydrated, especially since I just trained as well (and lost a great deal of water through perspiration).

At 10:00 a.m. I’m ready for my second meal. I take a quick look at my nutrition plan, and I’ve got “tuna pita sandwich, brown rice, and half an apple” written down. So, I head back to the kitchen to eat just that. (I like to take paperwork back with me to read while I eat. This way I can be more efficient.) With this meal, I make sure I drink two tall glasses of water as well.

I have a luncheon meeting today, so I won’t need to prepare anything in the kitchen for lunch. At 12:20 p.m., my appointment arrives 10 minutes early. We head to lunch at a favorite nearby restaurant of mine in Golden, called Blue Sky. I like this place because the servers, managers, and owner know me very well. (Keep this in mind the next time you go out to eat. Try to choose places where you can visit regularly and employees can begin to become familiar with your healthy eating habits.) I find this helps. A lot. They don’t look at me like I’m crazy when I ask for egg whites and extra chicken, with no butter. This is important, because you don’t want to miss out on being able to socialize and have breakfast, lunch, or dinner with your family, friends, or people you work with. It’s easier to become familiar with restaurants that will happily accommodate your “healthy” eating requests. If they don’t, then I wouldn’t eat there any longer.

Today, just like most days when I visit Blue Sky, I order the Rambler Skillet. This dish consists of sliced potatoes, diced chicken breast, egg whites, topped with roasted pecans. It’s a perfect combination of complex carbs, good quality proteins, and even essential fats (from the nuts). With lunch, I drink a glass of iced tea with a packet of Splenda and a glass of water as well.

About 30 minutes after lunch, I typically take another two tablets of Energize. This way, I am certain I won’t get hit by the “mid-day crash,” which no matter how hard you try, sometimes seems inevitable. I don’t always need this extra dosage of Energize, but I know I still have a lot of work to do, and I’m going to be working late. Besides that, I have several more important meetings today, and I really want to be refreshed, clear-minded, and focused for them. Energize does that for me and keeps me going strong all day.

At 3:00 p.m., I head for the kitchen to make an Eat-Smart nutrition shake. Only this time, I make a different flavor. See, that’s the great thing about Eat-Smart: you can choose from a wide variety of flavors so you never get bored with them—like I did with regular chocolate and vanilla from other shakes I used to drink. This time I’m going to make a Cinnamon Roll flavored shake. And to get another 50 grams of carbs, I’ll add a banana to the blender while I’m mixing it up. Man, these shakes are tasty. I know I’m a little biased, but they’re almost too good if you ask me! A lot of people have emailed to tell me how much they love the flavors of Eat-Smart and that it contains such high-quality ingredients, like fiber and flaxseed oil. That makes me feel good—because we worked really, really hard to develop such a fantastic supplement.

As you can see, it’s important to feed your body with protein, carbohydrates, and essential fats it needs. That’s why I eat every two and half to three hours during the day.

At 5:30 p.m. I have what I call a “snack-meal.” It’s not really a full meal, and it’s definitely more than a snack. It’s not really a part of the Program I’ve put together for you, but I do this differently because I know I’m going to be heading home from work in about an hour to 90 minutes, and my wife Julia… well, let’s just say she’s from the South and loves to cook. So, while I don’t want to spoil her fantastic dinner, by eating too much too soon before we eat dinner, I don’t like to go home starving. My snack-meal consists of a bowl of low-fat cottage cheese, some fruit, and a overloaded spoonful of Power Butter’s peanut butter. This gives me just the right amount of protein, carbs, and some healthy fats. This type of meal will also digest more slowly and therefore I won’t feel as hungry when I get home, which keeps me from overeating (which, if you ever come over to visit and eat at my house, is easy to do, with my wife’s glorious cooking).

I usually arrive home near 7:00 p.m. That’s when we have dinner as a family. Although my wife is a great cook, she is also very cautious of how our food is prepared. While she doesn’t douse our foods in butters and unhealthy oils, she uses plenty of spices and healthy oils to really make our food taste great! Plus, one of our goals as parents is to help our children learn healthy eating habits, early on, so they can live healthier lives too. Julia always makes sure protein is the center of our meals, whether it’s chicken, fresh fish, or red meat. Tonight she has prepared her famous tuna steaks with fat-free wassabi mayonnaise. A side dish of wild brown rice and asparagus accompanied the meal. (For more of Julia’s meals, you can read her regular column, by subscribing to our Real SOLUTIONS magazine, or find them in The Lean System Nutrition Guide.)

Finally, at 9:30 p.m., I have another Eat-Smart shake. Only this time, I use less water than the label recommends, which makes it into a creamy pudding. I use the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup flavor. This is my absolute favorite flavor, only to a close second Cookies and Cream. After I mix it up with a spoon in a bowl, I let it sit in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Voila! It’s instant dessert, only I know it’s good for me.

After I finish my Eat-Smart pudding nutrition shake, I drink another serving of Meta-CEL, mixed with eight ounces of water. I always use a second serving of Meta-CEL on the days when I weight train because I know my body needs it (and will use it!). Now, with my Meta-CEL, I take a multivitamin and mineral formula (it’s made by GNC, called Mega Men).

“…there is nothing overcomplicated about my workouts, my eating habits, nor the supplements I take. There is no magic.”Now, it’s close to 10:00 p.m., so I sit down and review my notes from today and start my planning for tomorrow. The next day, however, I won’t be weight training, so I only have to plan out my meals.

And that’s it! That’s how I put all of the basic pieces together to build the best body my genetics will allow. It’s pretty simple, and best of all, it’s worked well for me, and I’m certain it can work for you too!

As you can plainly see, there is nothing overcomplicated about my workouts, my eating habits, nor the supplements I take. There is no magic. To be honest, I’d say most people make it way more complex than it needs to be. Now, make no mistake about it, I’m not saying it’s easy. Rather, I believe it’s simple. It’s simple to follow a plan—as long as you’ve carefully thought it out. The most important thing is to be consistent and treat each day as another step closer toward reaching your ultimate goals. Put enough steps together and you will not only begin to feel better about yourself and the changes you’re capable of making, but you’ll certainly look better too… as you steadily increase your body’s ability to build muscle size, strength, personal power, and confidence.

5 Super Simple Exercise Tips

With each New Year comes the determination to begin exercising. Perhaps even you made a promise to add more exercise into your day. If your efforts at exercising are not going as well as you had planned, take a look at these tips. They might help get you back on track.

Tip #1 – Do Something You Enjoy

Exercise doesn’t have to mean spending hours at the gym peddling away on a stationary bike. It doesn’t mean you have to spend money on exercise gadgets you will likely nev…

Keywords:
exercise, exercise tips, working out

With each New Year comes the determination to begin exercising. Perhaps even you made a promise to add more exercise into your day. If your efforts at exercising are not going as well as you had planned, take a look at these tips. They might help get you back on track.

Tip #1 – Do Something You Enjoy

Exercise doesn’t have to mean spending hours at the gym peddling away on a stationary bike. It doesn’t mean you have to spend money on exercise gadgets you will likely never use, either. Anything you do to get your body moving is going to be better than doing nothing. Walking is an easy exercise that you can do just about anywhere, in any climate. Bike riding, dancing, gardening, weight lifting, swimming, playing a favorite sport, house cleaning and even playing in the yard with your children are just some of the ways you can add exercise into your daily routine.

Tip #2 – Schedule Time for Exercise

As you would a meeting or a doctor appointment, sometimes the only way to make time to exercise is to put it on your daily schedule. We’ve all got busy lives and we’re often so busy taking care of others that we never seem to make time for ourselves. Once exercise becomes part of your daily To-Do list, you’re more likely to do it. Some people have only a certain time during the day available for exercise while others will have to vary the time each day. Some people need a nudge and for them, exercising with a friend is a good solution. Choose whichever way works best for you. Just remember to actually go and do it!

Tip #3 – Remember that Exercise Can Energize

Even though you might feel too tired to exercise, give it a try anyway. You might be surprised to find how energized you feel while you’re at it and afterwards, when you’re finished. Exercise is a great stress-reliever too and if you know anything about stress, you know that it is one of the body’s biggest energy-sappers.

Tip #4 – Don’t be Afraid to Mix it up

Like anything that is done over and over again, exercise can become mundane. When you get bored with exercising, you’re less likely to keep at it. To keep from getting bored with your workout routine, change it. If you’re tired of walking, try cycling. If you’re into weight lifting, try alternating this with cardiovascular exercises throughout the week. Go bowling or play a game of tennis once in a while, and if you find you enjoy these types of activities, join up with a team.

Tip #5 – Always Begin by Warming up

Regardless of the type of exercise you choose, it is very important that you begin each session by warming up your muscles. Stretching helps prevent damage to muscle tissue and it gets your blood flowing. It gets your heart pumping, too. Just five minutes is all it takes to get your exercise session off to a good start.

5 Components of Physical Fitness

Physical fitness is the ability to function effectively throughout your workday, perform your usual other activities and still have enough energy left over to handle any extra stresses or emergencies which may arise. You will reach your desired level of physical fitness faster by understanding the five components of physical fitness and how they fit together.

Keywords:
physical fitness

Physical fitness is the ability to function effectively throughout your workday, perform your usual other activities and still have enough energy left over to handle any extra stresses or emergencies which may arise.

The components of physical fitness are:

* Cardiorespiratory (CR) endurance – the efficiency with which the body delivers oxygen and nutrients needed for muscular activity and transports waste products from the cells.

* Muscular strength – the greatest amount of force a muscle or muscle group can exert in a single effort.

* Muscular endurance – the ability of a muscle or muscle group to perform repeated movements with a sub-maximal force for extended periods of times.

* Flexibility – the ability to move the joints or any group of joints through an entire, normal range of motion.

* Body composition – the percentage of body fat a person has in comparison to his or her total body mass.

Improving the first three components of fitness listed above will have a positive impact on body composition and will result in less fat. Excessive body fat detracts from the other fitness components, reduces performance, detracts from appearance, and negatively affects your health.

Factors such as speed, agility, muscle power, eye-hand coordination, and eye-foot coordination are classified as components of “motor” fitness. These factors most affect your athletic ability. Appropriate training can improve these factors within the limits of your potential. A sensible weight loss and fitness program seeks to improve or maintain all the components of physical and motor fitness through sound, progressive, mission specific physical training.

Principles of Exercise

Adherence to certain basic exercise principles is important for developing an effective program. The same principles of exercise apply to everyone at all levels of physical training, from the Olympic-caliber athlete to the weekend jogger.

These basic principles of exercise must be followed.

Regularity

To achieve a training effect, you must exercise often. You should exercise each of the first four fitness components at least three times a week. Infrequent exercise can do more harm than good. Regularity is also important in resting, sleeping, and following a sensible diet.

Progression

The intensity (how hard) and/or duration (how long) of exercise must gradually increase to improve the level of fitness.

Balance

To be effective, a program should include activities that address all the fitness components, since overemphasizing any one of them may hurt the others.

Variety

Providing a variety of activities reduces boredom and increases motivation and progress.

Specificity

Training must be geared toward specific goals. For example, people become better runners if their training emphasizes running. Although swimming is great exercise, it does not improve a 2-mile-run time as much as a running program does.

Recovery

A hard day of training for a given component of fitness should be followed by an easier training day or rest day for that component and/or muscle group(s) to help permit recovery. Another way to allow recovery is to alternate the muscle groups exercised every other day, especially when training for strength and/or muscle endurance.

Overload

The work load of each exercise session must exceed the normal demands placed on the body in order to bring about a training effect.

Can Face Exercises reverse signs of aging?

Every facial expression we make adds to the adverse effect on our Facial appearance. The repetition of smiling, frowning, and other facial expressions can speed up the creation of wrinkles and other aging factors. Find out how Face exercises can reverse this and more.

Keywords:
face exercises, natural face lift, face lift, face exercise

Every facial expression we make adds to the adverse effect on our Facial appearance. The repetition of smiling, frowning, and other facial expressions can speed up the creation of wrinkles and other aging factors. The good news is that there is a natural method to help combat this aging process. Face Exercises are free alternative to other medical procedures to help strengthen the muscles underneath our skin in our face. They help fight the natural signs of aging that can occur from years of facial expressions and using our face muscles.

Regular face exercises help strengthen the damaged face muscles after years of use. While it’s not easy to fathom years of smiling, frowning, and wrinkling our brow line does a toll on those muscles. Over the years these muscles begin to weaken and out face begins to wrinkle due to the elongated weakening muscles. So it makes sense that strengthening these muscles can reverse these negative effects. We tend to the rest of our body at the gym so why not keep our face in shape.

Unfortunately it’s more or less impossible to go through life with no expression on our faces. We’d be pretty boring company, how ever an all star poker player possibly. By regularly performing face exercises we can recapture our youthful image we had when we were younger, without going through any painful injections or surgeries.

In a nutshell what happens under the skin is this. As the muscles weaken and begin to elongate our skin will begin to sag. Of course sagged skin on the outside is what causes those aging effects to occur. By working the right muscles with face exercises you are able to stimulate blood flow to those muscles, and also increase the amount of oxygen that the skin receives. By receiving more blood and oxygen the skin can begin to produce more health skin cells. Helping to reverse the aging effects.

Since there is no equipment required face exercise can be done anywhere any time. You can work them into your daily routine, or do some when you have a private spare moment. It’s only a few minutes a day and the results you’ll experience are well worth it. The recommended time for spending on face exercises daily is only fifteen minutes. Isn’t an improved appearance worth that amount of time and more.

Benefits Of Online Exercise Programs

Online personal fitness training has become an affordable, convenient alternative to face-to-face personal training. The internet offers the ability to receive instruction from a qualified fitness trainer in the privacy of your home or office and even while traveling.

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Online personal fitness training has become an affordable, convenient alternative to face-to-face personal training. The internet offers the ability to receive instruction from a qualified fitness trainer in the privacy of your home or office and even while traveling. The number of certified fitness trainers working with clients online has increased more than 400% in 2004 compared to 2003 and is predicted to double again in 2005/2006.

This type of training is ideal for someone who doesn’t have the income for a personal trainer or cannot commit to a scheduled session. What makes losing weight in cyberspace so appealing? CONVENIENCE! There are many people who would like to join a health club but do not have access to one due to location or simply the time to get to the gym. This is where online fitness training is a win-win situation because it provides an effective way to receive fitness advice and guidance from a fitness expert.

You will find similar programs offered on the internet for this service. A certified personal trainer will design an online training program specifically for you based on your individual profile. They will consider your age, exercise and medical history, fitness level and goals, available equipment and schedule availability. Workouts are e-mailed to you on a weekly bases and many services offer weekly encouragement e-mails and work-out tips. Each workout should include an animated demonstration and a detailed written instruction, just incase you have no idea how to safely perform a flat-bench dumbbell flye for your chest or a reverse trunk twist for your abs. Some also offer customized diet programs with access to meal plans.

Online training is also becoming very popular with preteens seeking a competitive edge in sports performance. Weather a young athlete is looking to increase his speed and endurance for soccer, needs a stronger arm for their overhand tennis swing or more leg power for football, online training can offer personalized training programs to help them achieve their goal. Parents who are concerned with cutbacks in school physical education classes are also taking an interest in online training to fight against the rising percent of obesity among children.

Online training is an effective, safe and convenient way to lose weight, tone your body and improve your health in the privacy of your own home. If you have trouble staying motivated, knowing what to do or just want a little extra help, this is a viable option available to you. But just like other workout programs, you have to follow the workout schedule and eat nutritious meals to reach your goals. But at least with online training you can train when and where it is convenient for you. In the comfort of your own home!

If you would like to learn more about online training, visit my website www.fitnessinhometraining.com and take the first step towards a heathier you!

Gina is an ISSA certified personal trainer. She works with her clients in their own homes and offers online fitness training. She writes a weekly fitness article for her local newspaper. Her passion is fitness and helping others reach their fitness goals. She participates in dualthons and 5K races all the way to marathons.

Bowflex – The Home Gym Alternative

After the eighties, the awareness of exercise and bodybuilding has increased, and with increased interest the demand for gym equipment has also increased. These days there are large number of home gym equipments available in market to choose from, but all equipment isn’t equally beneficial. Each and every gym equipment has its merits and demerits, almost every model you want to name. Available review and comments say the same thing. Here are results of those findings.

Firs…

Keywords:
Bowflex, Bowflex tradmill,Bowflex Exercise

After the eighties, the awareness of exercise and bodybuilding has increased, and with increased interest the demand for gym equipment has also increased. These days there are large number of home gym equipments available in market to choose from, but all equipment isn’t equally beneficial. Each and every gym equipment has its merits and demerits, almost every model you want to name. Available review and comments say the same thing. Here are results of those findings.

First of all, available review divides equipments into two categories. Most popular gym equipments with rods and bars, which provide resistance needed for exercise. They easily fold up and cover very little space. They are easy to use and convenient. The second type of home gym equipment mostly consists of large and heavy machines, which cover lot of space and need enough body power to perform exercise.

Bowflex falls in first category of gym equipments, which comes with rods and bars. The machine has it’s own strengths and weaknesses. Many consider it as one of the most useful equipment.

Some salient features of Bowflex.

1)The Bowflex is very easy to assemble and it covers less space than any other heavy gym equipments.

2) Bowflex provides you the facility to perform 15 varieties of programs.

3)If your exercise time with Bowflex do not match with that of the instructors even than you can perform your exercise, as Bowflex comes with excellent media material on how to use. There are also Bowflex Treadmill machines available.

4)If you have any heart problem, then you can access your heart rate and capacity to perform workouts with the help of unique “Heart Rate Grip” feature.

5)You can move freely because the space provided within the treadmill is enough.

6)You can make adjustments at desired angles with the help of the given adjustment keys.

7)Some of the Bowflex models come with a fan, which can be switched on at various speeds to perform cooling effect at the time of exercise.

8)With the help of specially designed “Strike Zone deck” you experience a smooth landing on the deck and do not sense a painful feeling at your heels as you experience the bare machine.

9)There are still many facilities that are embedded such as displaying the time, the distance, speed, calories burnt and heart rate while performing the workouts.

10)A three-horse power motor of Bowflex can produce different speeds starting from 1 mph to 10 mph to perform different levels of workouts.

The price of Bowflex ranges from $1500 to $3000. Of course, it is not cheap but it is strong and sturdy, high quality strength trainer, which will do everything that you need. It also includes a lat pulldown, a chest press, a 200 pound weight stack, and a leg extension/curl feature. It can approximately provide you a guarantee of 10 years and about 2-year guarantee for the spare parts.

Workout on Bowflex on a regular basis will help you reach your goals if you can not maintaining consistency.

Do not forget to consult an expert before starting to workout with Bowflex to ensure its benefits and to know if you are fit for it.

Can Diet and Exercise Help Prevent Cancer?

Well, as if the already known benefits of proper diet and exercise aren’t enough to make some people want to incorporate them into their lives, perhaps the following information from Purdue University and Science Daily will be enough incentive to get them off their duff’s and give it a try.

Keywords:
diet, exercise

While everyone is well aware that proper diet and exercise are paramount to good health, still many people find it too much of an inconvenience to watch what they eat and to exercise. These people may feel that the benefits that they may get from all that effort is not worth the hassles of watching calories, cutting fat, running about, and moving weights around. But what if there was a benefit, and I mean a real good benefit, associated with proper diet and exercise? Maybe that would at least make those who don’t worry about diet and exercise give a little more thought to it.

Well, as if the already known benefits of proper diet and exercise aren’t enough to make some people want to incorporate them into their lives, perhaps the following information from Purdue University and Science Daily will be enough incentive to get them off their duff’s and give it a try.

According to Dennis Savaiano, dean of Purdue’s school of consumer and family sciences and professor of foods and nutrition, poor diet and lack of exercise are responsible for just as many cases of cancer as cigarette smoking.
He says, “approximately one third of cancer cases are related to smoking, one third are related to poor diet and lack of exercise, and one third are related to genetic or other factors”.

Most people are already well aware of the ill health effects of cigarette smoking, but the percentage of obesity and the rate of poor diet in America is a cause for serious concern. It is estimated that 65% of Americans are overweight with 30% being at least clinically obese. This is further escalated by the fact that 15 to 20% of the children in America are considered overweight. The main reason for this alarming statistic overall is the rate of poor diet seen in America.

Savaiano, who is chairman of the Food and Nutrition Science Alliance, along with several other members of the organization, recently reviewed scientific studies on diet and cancer. The group has since issued a statement urging Americans to change their diets in order to help reduce the number of cancer related deaths.

While Savaiano notes that some types of cancer are influenced more by diet than others, nutrition and food scientists agree that these four methods are practical ways to lower the risk of cancer:

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

Avoid highly processed foods that are high in fat and sugar.

Limit or avoid consumption of alcohol.

Get in some moderate or vigorous exercise daily.

Much of the reason why people have trouble getting into a healthy lifestyle can be attributed to lack of knowledge on how to start with exercise programs and proper diet plans, and to marketing which is mostly geared toward foods that are high in fat and excess calories and low in nutritional value. Not much marketing is done to promote fruits and vegetables or whole grains.

Long hours at work also attribute to less meal preparation and more fast food and takeout food purchases. It will take some effort on your part, but making healthier food choices and exercise a part of your life can and most likely will give you rewards that no amount of money can buy.

Are We Having Fun Yet? Stress and Exercise

The “experts” tell us that some stress is good because without it there would be no motivation to do anything!

Keywords:
Stress, stress management, fun, relaxation, effects of stress

Like taxes, stress is a part of everyone’s life. The “experts” tell us that some stress is good because without it there would be no motivation to do anything! However, if you are like me, serious stress and anxiety makes me feel bad physically – I am unable to eat. This can’t be good!

For most of us, stress is low-level most of the time. Our daily tasks and relationships give us a bit of stress but not major anxiety. The body’s response to low-level stressors is designed to motivate us to action with a slightly raised heart rate and increased mental clarity –similar to the response to caffeine.

In times where stress levels go higher, the responses are what many people call the “fight or flight” response. The body sends blood to the extremities to get ready for action! These responses are normal and good for you – except when the stress levels remain high for a long time. When the body perpetually stays in a stressed state, the systems begin to break down. Think of it like a car engine where the throttle is stuck and the engine is constantly “revved up”. Not only will it consume A LOT of gasoline, but the mechanical parts will wear out faster.

So what to do to protect ourselves from this? RELAX of course….and EXERCISE. Exercise helps us relax both physiologically and, if it’s enjoyable, provides a mental escape from the stressor. The physiological effects of exercise include release of morphine-like chemicals (which include beta-endorphins) that give us a sense of well being. Have you ever heard the term Runner’s High? This is caused by the release of “endorphins” into the blood. Since these chemicals stay in the blood for several hours after stopping the activity, the “feel good” feeling remains for a while.

OK, so we know why exercise can help with anxiety and stress. But what are some of the ways regular exercise keeps us healthy in normal, low-level stress, times?

Here’s some from the top of my head:

Using a daily dose of natural “feel good” chemicals is better than drugs or alcohol!!
Looking fit, healthy and strong (It’s ok to admit that looking good makes you feel good!)
Feeling good from accomplishment and improvement.
Escaping from the daily grind for an hour – change of scene.
Keeping the body systems prepared to handle high-level stress.

The key to lowering stress with exercise is that you ENJOY the exercise that you choose to do. If you hate going to the gym, it’s not going to lower your stress – in fact it probably will add some! Also, studies are showing over and over that even low intensity exercise helps anxiety, so any activity you enjoy is good. For me, when I am under stress, nothing works better than a good sweaty dance session. The music, movement and high heart rate just melt away my troubles. Some of my clients even tell me that the sense of achievement from competitive sports makes them feel less stressed!

The bottom line? To decrease the effects stress on your body, pick a fitness or sports activity you enjoy, do it regularly and HAVE FUN.

Resources:

“Holistic Health News, Remedies for Anxiety” http://www.holistic-online.com/remedies/anxiety/anx_exercise.htm

“Managing Stress with Regular Exercise”, http://www.dukemednews.org/news/article.php?id=8484

Buying An All In One System

These days, more and more people are turning away from memberships to gyms and instead choosing to invest money in a home gym. You can put a home gym in a spare corner of your home, or even in the basement if you wish.

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These days, more and more people are turning away from memberships to gyms and instead choosing to invest money in a home gym. You can put a home gym in a spare corner of your home, or even in the basement if you wish. Along with helping you save money by combining several different types of equipment into one machine, these types of equipment can easily fit in small spaces and type up a lot less weight than their individual counterparts.

When you are considering to buy an all in one piece of exercise equipment, you should first think about your goals. You should consider what you hope to achieve from exercising and just how well this piece of equipment will benefit you.

There are several types of all in one equipment for exercise on the market and almost all of them are advertised well on television, in magazines, and on the internet. The most popular types on the market are those types that are geared towards individuals who are interested in lifting weights.

Right now, the two most popular types of all in one exercise systems are the Bowflex and Total Gym brands. The Bowflex system uses resistant bows that bend instead of the traditional weights that simply lift. Bowflex is designed to fit a wide variety of budgets and needs, it’s widely adaptable and extremely popular as well.

To make things even better, you can store the basic Bowflex system in small and tight places, even under a bed if you choose. The larger and more expensive Blowflex system competes with the types of professional equipment that you can find in gyms, which allow you a quality workout on quality equipment.

The Total Gym system is great as well, as it is advertised by martial arts legend Chuck Norris and supermodel Christie Brinkley. It is less expensive than the Bowflex and uses gravity and resistance instead of traditional weights. By using this system, you have the ability to adapt the machine to a wide variety of exercises that will work many different areas of your body.

When you make that decision about buying an all in one exercise system, you must also decide on price, features, brand, and just who will use the machine. If your family plans to use it as well, then you’ll need to get a system that everyone will agree on. You obviously wouldn’t want a machine that is too complicated for others in your home.

Even though Bowflex and Total Gym are the 2 most popular types of all in one equipment, there are several others out there as will, from brands such as Weider and many others. Before you make your choice, you should look at several to see which one offers you more for your money.

Benefits of Stretching

The body is flexible. It is supposed to be flexible. You must be able to bend and reach that something you dropped on the floor. You must be able to zip the back of your favorite dress on your own. You must be able to reach that book you need to read at the top shelf.

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The body is flexible. It is supposed to be flexible. You must be able to bend and reach that something you dropped on the floor. You must be able to zip the back of your favorite dress on your own. You must be able to reach that book you need to read at the top shelf.

These are simple activities. Nothing grand about them, you merely stretched out a bit. However, if there are difficulties in doing such simple motions, then you have to stretch your limits. You already need a stretching program.

What Is Stretching?

Stretching is simply the act of extending to full length the body or simply a part of it. This activity involves straightening or stretching the structure or the limbs.

How Does One Do the Stretching?

Stretching is fairly easy. As mentioned in the introduction, it is involved in the normal activities. It can be done by any people, regardless of age.

However the extent of stretching and flexing differs. The muscles tighten as a person ages. The range of joint movements can be minimized. This can very well obstruct an on-the-go lifestyle. That is why as the person grows older, bending or flexing becomes more limited. This is why stretching regularly, as part of a routine is very important.

Simple stretches can be done everyday. It can be incorporated in the lifestyle and the daily activities. It does not require much of your time.

Stretching exercises can also be done while training. Actually, stretching is an essential part of any training or sport. It must be done first before anything else. Stretching the body and the limbs is a good preparation for a more rigorous activity.

Most athletes would do the sit and reach, wherein they position on the floor, extend their legs and reach the tip of their foot with the tip of their hand. Actually, most trainers actually require their athletes to really do the stretching before playing.

There is actually an ideal length of time in stretching. It is best to do it in 10 minutes. This will give the body enough opportunity to move and flex the muscles, thus preparing it for more complicated and strenuous movements.

Experts however would frown upon going way beyond 10 minutes. Stretching the exercise to 30 minutes or more will already wear out the body. This will not be favorable if one is preparing for a game.

What Are the Benefits of Stretching?

1. Increase the Range of Movement
As one constantly do the stretching exercises, the length of the muscles and the tendons are also increased. This will help in increasing the range of your movement. Thus, the limbs and joints will be able to move, way before an injury can take place. You are definitely physically fit.

2. Increased Ability to Perform Skills
When you have a wide range of movement, the more you will be able to do more things. For example, you can jump high without feeling any pain when you land back on the floor. This will also help you start a new sport or improve more if you are in one. Stretching in this aspect also allows you to have a more active lifestyle.

3. Injury Prevention
One can prevent injury to joints, tendons and muscles with stretching. When the muscles and tendons are well-flexed, they are considered in good working order. This will help in a faster recovery and decreased soreness. The muscles of the body will be able to take more exhausting and rigorous movements with less probability of being injured.

4. Reduce Muscle Tension
If the muscles are given their regular exercises and stretching, it is less likely that they will contract. This will definitely relieve you of any muscle pain or problems.

5. Enhance Energy
Being able to move more will also give you more energy. Stretching will also help enhance your awareness, like knowing that you have a body that is capable of doing many things. As such, you are going to be more driven to move rather than sulk in the corner.

6. Reduces Cholesterol
Research also shows that doing prolonged stretching exercises, like yoga, will help reduce the cholesterol in the body. This of course must be done with a healthy diet at hand. This could prevent and even reverse the hardening of the arteries, allowing you to avoid coronary diseases.

Incorporate stretching in your everyday lifestyle. It has benefits you can not say no to. It also does not require much. It can be your usual activities, bending and flexing every now and then. After all, your fitness is everything so do what it takes to keep the body healthy.