A Healthier You...

How to Choose the Best Acai Product

2009-08-07T06:15:00.001-07:00

by: George Key
It is vitally important that you check the ingredients of any product that you are considering purchasing. Ask any questions that you have about the ingredients before you make your purchase. When looking at these types of weight loss supplements and products, it is best to consider four things. They include:

1. The reputation of the company selling the acai product: Because the internet allows businesses and individuals to start enterprises seemingly overnight, it is very important that you are not taken in by some shoddy operation. To avoid this look for companies that has been around for a while and whose products are noted for being top notch in the industry. Many times, such companies will be mentioned during news casts or on popular health shows. You may also know someone personally or from the internet (check related forums) that has tried a particular product and are very happy with the results. Ask them for a recommendation. Again, the reputation of the company that is selling the product is very important and should be considered.

2. The claims of the product: Take some time and carefully review the exact claims of the particular product that you are considering purchasing. If you are looking to lose weight and you are looking at a product that boosts immune function, although this is great, it will obviously not be what you are looking for. Make sure your needs and the abilities of the product matches up otherwise you will be wasting your time and money.

3. The reputation of the actual product: Even though a great company might sell an acai product, make note of what other people are saying about it. You might find that it is not effective at all. Figuring this out ahead of time can save you time, money and frustration.

4. Price: Price is very important to most people, especially in these tough economic times. If a product seems overpriced, skip it. There are many good alternatives on the market that can give you the same benefits for an affordable price. Don�t get duped into paying more then you what you can afford. Instead, look for an acai product in your price range that is effective and will address your particular needs.

When considering an acai product, it is important that you look into the claims of the product and whether or not they will be able to meet your individual needs. Make sure that you research the company, the product and their pricing. Gathering this information will enable you to make an educated and informed decision.

Killer Ab Workout

2009-08-07T06:12:00.000-07:00

by: Andrew Bicknell
Do you know the secret to a killer ab workout? The secret is you just have to do it. Creating killer abs is about the work you put in for the results you want. There are no shortcuts to sculpting those 6-pack abs.

The problem is there is too much hype out there on the best way to get a set of killer abs. We are bombarded daily by TV commercials showcasing the latest piece of ab exercise equipment or miracle pill that will mold our bodies to look just like the models with the firm toned bodies they use to sale the stuff. We see it everyday, some excited loud talking exercise �guru� trying to sale the latest ab blasting device that will give you a set of abs just like those good looking fitness models using the equipment in the background. And you can get those nice abs if you use that device 3 days a week, 20 minutes a day.

Now the first thing you have to ask yourself is, just how did those models get their bodies to look like that? It probably wasn�t by doing some pseudo-crunches on the ab blaster lounge or whatever they call it. They probably didn�t get that way by taking some sort of fat burning miracle supplement either. No, they got those bodies by working hard for them.

A killer ab workout is a combination of exercise and diet and that�s what those TV commercials are leaving out. There is no one abdominal exercise that will give you the abs you want. Why? Because while ab exercises are good at strengthening the abdominal muscles they do very little to burn the fat that hides those muscles. If you want to have a set of killer abs you have to lower your overall body fat content too.

There are three main things you must do in order to have a killer ab workout.

� Core Strengthening Exercises - You must exercise and strengthen all your core muscles, not just your abs, if you want that firm toned midsection. In addition it is vitally important that you also exercise your major muscle groups which include your legs and back. These are the biggest muscles in your body and working them burns more calories then exercising just your abdominal muscles.

� Cardio/Aerobic Training - The key to getting rid of fat is burning more calories than you take in. Aerobic training does just that. If you want to get rid of belly fat then get up off the couch and go for a walk, take a bike ride, or play some hoops. Find something you like to do and keep doing it.

� Diet � This has nothing to do with the latest diet fad. This has everything to do with the nutritional value of the food you eat. Your body is a high performance machine. It needs protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamins and minerals to function properly. A lean healthy diet will allow your body to metabolize its fat stores more efficiently.

The key to having a killer set of abs is an exercise and diet plan that takes into account the entire body. You must remember that your body is a system and the better you take care of the entire system the better your health and fitness level will be. The road to killer abs involves total body workout and diet plan.

For a complete Killer Ab Workout Diet and Fitness Plan please Click Here.

How to Keep From Getting a Fat Belly

2009-08-07T06:11:00.000-07:00

by: Andrew Bicknell
The first sign for many people that they are gaining weight is when they start getting a fat belly and their pants seem to keep shrinking for no apparent reason. Well, that's not entirely true. We all know the reason but there is a period of time when most people are in denial that their body is changing its shape for a number of reasons.

As we age eating habits change, the amount of exercise we get changes, lifestyles in general change, but even if all those things didn't change there is one thing that does; our metabolism slows down as the years pass making it easier for the body to store away the fat that invariably shows up around our mid-sections first.

To combat this problem the solution is simple, keep your metabolism running at a high rate and its ability to burn fat will keep your belly in trim shape. And the best part is you can do this without spending all your money on the latest "fat burning" pill, or calorie cutting diet, or even buying one of those magical exercise machines shown on late night infomercials that bend you in half like some sort of human taco. In fact all it really takes to speed up your metabolism is two simple things; diet and exercise.

A Nutritious Diet � Everything your body needs to function daily comes from the food you eat. Unfortunately this can be one of the most misunderstood parts of any attempt to reduce fat stores. The nutritional content of the food you put into your mouth is a large controlling factor to how well your metabolism will work.

Your metabolic rate is the rate at which you are burning calories. Obviously the more calories you burn during the day the more weight you can lose. The mistake many people make is cutting too many calories from their diet which can have the opposite effect of slowing down their metabolism.

By choosing healthy foods you give your body high impact energy sources that rev up your metabolism which leads to better weight management. You may be asking, isn't a calorie a calorie? The answer is yes but the body utilizes calories from nutrient dense foods much differently then it does from the more refined and processed foods found on grocery store shelves today.

Your body has to expend energy to extract the nutrients from these healthy foods simply because it takes more energy to process and digest these types of food. Foods heavy in complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and fiber are all known to increase metabolism while processed and refined foods and carbohydrates (sugar) are digested quickly and processed quickly into fat storage with little to no metabolic benefit.

Exercise � This is the second part of keeping that belly fat at bay but to be truly successful you have to incorporate two different kinds of workouts. The first is some form of cardiovascular or aerobic training. This is good for general overall bodily fat reduction and also building a healthy cardiovascular system.

Weight training of some form should also be incorporated in any fat burning routine because nothing burns calories quite like lean muscle mass, even at rest. Weight training also brings your core muscles into play. These are your abdominals, obliques, and back muscles which are responsible for stabilizing your midsection and keeping your stomach flat.

If you are getting a fat belly it may be time to start looking at making changes to your diet and getting some more exercise. Not only will you burn away that excess fat but you will also feel better about yourself physically and emotionally.

To learn more about the ways to burn stomach fat naturally visit Killer-Ab-Workout by clicking here and for more information about how your metabolism works please visit the website Metabolism by clicking here.

Guys' and Gals' Different Weight Loss Styles

2009-08-07T06:10:00.000-07:00

by: Kurt Nimmo

Ok, sometimes we men need a bit of encouragement when it comes to our weight loss goals, and here are some blurbs on men vs. women dieting and weight loss styles I thought might make some of us feel encouraged…

Guys can say “no" to problem foods: A recent study presenting male and female subjects their favorite foods, then monitoring their brain activity using PET scans found men were able to suppress their hunger and their desire to eat, many of the women continued to crave their favorite foods, even after being told to think of something else. This "emotional eating," is a common challenge for the ladies but not men.

Guys do need help learning about nutrition: When a woman decides to go on a diet, the first stop she'll make is the healthier aisles of the grocery store and she’ll look for nutrients, read food labels and focus on healthy cooking and healthy meals. Guys on the other hand are not quite as sophisticated.

Guys compete to lose: For men, losing weight is a sport and he'll bet a friend he can lose more weight for example, but women would be more inclined to buy new dresses together after reaching their goal. Men also performed better in incentive studies than women did when they “earned” cash for each pound they lost.

Guys don't care as much about their weight: Studies show that many men tend to diet for health reasons or health scares, rather than appearance yet women are more likely to diet because of social pressures. Being heavier is less stigmatizing for a guy which means men are less likely than ladies to be dissatisfied with their bodies.

Guys hit the gym to lose weight: Men are more likely to lose more weight at first after joining the gym because he has more muscle mass and is more likely to attack a weight loss goal by exercising.

Kurt nimmo is a health specialist and exercise guru. For more tips and advice by kurt, visit http://www.kurtnimmo.com.

3 Things You Must Know to Burn Fat

2009-07-31T07:59:00.001-07:00

No matter if it is the start of the summer bikini swimsuit season or the dead of winter, no one likes to have an excess of fat. Call it what you will spare tire, double chin, fat face, whatever.... burning fat is something we all strive to do at some point or another. Unfortunately we were not born with inside knowledge of how to burn fat. On top of that the latest snake oil salesman is chomping at the bit to sell us his latest cooked up scheme to part us with our money while frustrating our fat fighting efforts. In an effort to get you started on the right track here are 4 things you have to know in order to burn fat.

The first thing to remember is that muscle burns fat. That is right just having some muscle on your body can help to rid you of unwanted calories and in turn shed that ugly fat. Muscle mass even at rest uses calories. So having at least some muscle mass can help to keep you in shape even when you are not paying strict attention to your diet. So with this in mind be sure you always incorporate some form of weight or resistance training into your workout routine. You do not have to go all mister or miss Olympia in order to benefit from muscle mass either. Just doing a little weight toning exercise can add enough muscle mass to give you that extra edge. If you are a woman do not be afraid of the weights either. Those huge female bodybuilders go through all kinds of strict training and more often than not some extra illegal supplementation to get those huge physiques. So do not be afraid that a little weight training will turn you into the incredible hulk overnight.

Another thing to keep in mind when trying to burn fat is that proper nutrition is a must. You cannot expect to do a few workouts and then gorge yourself at Taco Bell or McDonald's and still shed that unwanted fat. You might not have to go so far as counting every single calorie that you put into your body (although that is not a bad idea) but you do have to cut out junk like fast-food and sugar. Processed foods in general will hurt your efforts. Do not make the mistake of throwing away all of your hard exercise work for a few bites of cheap food that you probably will not enjoy anyway.

Finally when trying to burn fat you are going to have to realize that for the most part spot reduction is impossible. If you want those cut up washboard abs a million crunches are just not going to do it. You have to get your entire body in shape before you can hope the cut that belly fat. Keep following an entire regimen of nutrition and fitness and in the end the abs will come shining through.

Burning fat is something we all tend to struggle with so do not feel alone. You just have to get in there and work and soon you will be lying by the pool enjoying the fruits of your labor.

About the Author:
Fitjudge.com author Beth Reid gives honest reviews of the top diet and fitness programs to burn fat and lose weight. Visit http://www.fitjudge.com where she shares the whole story on the top diet and fitness programs that get proven results.

Weight Loss: How to Lose Pregnancy Weight Fast -- The True Story

2009-07-31T07:58:00.001-07:00

You've probably wondered how supermodels and celebrity superstars can have a baby and be back in a revealing dress or swimsuit, looking fantastic, almost overnight. You know they gained weight during pregnancy, so it appears as though they may know how to lose pregnancy weight fast.

They do. Well, sort of. If you're wondering why you are struggling with your weight gain now that the pregnancy is over while those celebs are hitting the clubs in half-shirts, there is an answer.

They have personal trainers. They have personal chefs. They have their own nutrition experts. They have an incredible incentive (getting back to work and making millions) to get back into shape. Oh, and some of them may not be following a healthy approach.

You probably don't have a full staff of experts to help you out and you certainly don't want to risk your health. So, how can you lose pregnancy weight fast?

The truth is that you can only do a few things to lose weight. No matter how you dress it up, losing weight always comes down to two variables: the number of calories your consume and the number of calories you "burn" via activity. If you want to lose weight after baby, you are going to have to either decrease calories, increase activity, or do both.

Like it or not, however, you are somewhat limited in how much you can do in either department. You can't cut calories too much. Not only does crash dieting slow the metabolism and eventually backfire in most cases, it also risks your health at a time when your nutritional needs are particularly high. You need energy and that requires putting quality fuel in the tank.

Your best move on the calorie cutting side is to replace high-calorie foods with lower-calorie, healthier alternatives. If you're concerned about weight loss, you've undoubtedly studied the basic tenets of good nutrition. Now is the time to put that knowledge to use without cutting calories to dangerously low levels.

You are also at least somewhat limited in what you can do in terms of activity. Your schedule, as you certainly know, is now jam-packed with childcare-related activities. The idea of squeezing several hours at the gym or on the track every day is probably laughable. Even if you did have the time, that little bundle of joy drains so much energy that you might end up falling asleep on the treadmill.

Nonetheless, it is important to add exercise and activity back into your life. Having a child can be as draining as any triathlon, but rocking baby to sleep or changing diapers won't burn calories like a bike ride or a jog.

So, if you want to lose pregnancy weight fast, it's going to required a two-tiered system. You'll have to work within your limitations on both the calorie intake and calorie burning side of the equations.

Fortunately, research and experience have taught us that it is possible to return to pre-pregnancy shape faster than you might think. You may not have the advantages of a complete staff dedicated to keeping you on track, but with the right guidance and motivation you can get the job done. You can access a great plan for weight loss after childbirth and free information on the topic from Slim Mom Secrets!

About the Author
Odalis Bitterroot provides solid information and introduces unique offers on a variety of topics. Odalis wants you to know that you can lose weight after pregnancy. The Slim Mom Secrets program provides a complete plan and additional valuable information. Learn more about the proven system at Slim Mom Secrets and take advantage of the free material there, too.

Weight Loss: The Three Day Diet - How Does It Work?

2009-07-31T07:57:00.000-07:00

The come in several numbers and in different thoughts. The three day diet. It is dieters favorite term, their perfect option before a big event (i.e; dance, wedding, special event) and it is the "easy" way out of the usual standard of hard core dieting and punishing exercise. The free three day diet is great for the heart and will have you eating food from fish to Kaiser to tuna and mayo.

Cleveland's Three Day Clinic is widely held as the best in the business of losing weight quickly and their ties with the American Heart Association gives the program the credibility and the reference that they have. Their three day diet plan includes plenty of omega three fatty acids (similar to those found in several types of fish) and the diet is often referred to as the Army-3 day diet and the Navy Diet. Menus for this specific weight loss plan can be found free of charge on a variety of websites and each offers a different spin on the diet.

However, obtaining a copy of the free three day diet may not be in your best interests, as many people have come to realize. It has been stated that the association's three day diet has led to only temporary weight loss (otherwise known as water weight) which occurs mostly due to a severe cutback in carbohydrates. People who have been on the diet consistently have a similar complaint that their weight has a "yo-yo" effect of jumping from lower weights to higher in just a matter of days.

The day diet, as it is also known, has it's supporters as well as its negative viewers. The people shielding positive light say that the free three day diets help you when you are in desperate need of losing weight before that big date or special anniversary. These people are not consistent dieters but occasional users of the diet plan. I need a copy of the three day diet myself! The clinic three day diets are sprinkled throughout the country in major cities (check your local listings) and great for learning more about this great diet "secret!"

About the Author
Dean Iggo is the webmaster of a healthy weight loss plans website where you can find reviews and information on the medifast diet plan, south beach diet, supplements and more...

Building A Better Body, One Brick At A Time

2009-07-31T07:55:00.001-07:00

By: Tom Venuto
The quest to develop a stunningly fit, lean and attractive body is a long, slow journey. It's not something you achieve overnight by popping a few pills or strapping an electric gizmo to your belly.

Which reminds me, did you know that by the time the FTC finally blew the whistle on the electronic ab belt scam, the makers of those "ab zappers" had swindled over $100 million dollars from unsuspecting consumers? Fortunately, some of those companies had to pay it back, and then some! The FTC charged three companies - Fast Abs, Ab Tronic and Ab Energizer - with false advertising and deceptive warranty practices for these "ABSurd" gimmcks.

But I digress. back to what I was saying about the journey to a better body...

Last week I looked out my window, and where there was once nothing but a dirt-filled empty lot, there stood a sprawling six story brick condo complex. If someone looked at this massive completed structure for the first time, they might not be impressed. However, since I observed the entire construction process unfold from my living room window, I was impressed - amazed even - at what goes into erecting this kind of structure.

I remember watching the crew humming around diligently every day like busy bees, laying one brick after another. From one day to the next, it didn't seem like much changed. But slowly, over a period of a year and a half, I watched the building gradually morph into the finished product.

When you look at someone with an incredible body as a finished product, you often tend to dismiss the long, arduous journey and hard work it took to build that body. Unless you were side by side with that person in the gym (and in the kitchen), observing the work involved, it's easy to attribute such a chiseled physique to genetics or give credit to a supplement (they just took product XYZ and voila - overnight abs). What you don't see or appreciate are all the months and years of sweat and hard work.

Getting in shape is a lot like a construction project. First, there must be a picture in the mind. Then the vision goes onto paper as a blueprint. It takes months just to lay the foundation. More months of work will follow. On a daily basis, it doesn't seem like much is happening. You look in the mirror and appear, for the most part, the same as you did yesterday. But sure enough, the small improvements are slowly accumulating like compounding interest in the bank. One day, you look in the mirror and "suddenly," your blueprint has become reality.

The body of a fitness model, figure competitor or bodybuilder is no more likely to be built overnight than a high rise is to be built overnight. It's not physically possible. Accepting the idea that any type of pill, powder, drug, supplement or machine of any kind will make it happen sooner than nature intended (without negative consqeuences or side effects) is pure folly. You can't force it.

Growth and development of any kind always requires a gestation period. For a baby, it's nine months. For corn, I believe it's about three months. If you were an expectant mother, would you want to hurry the process? Could any new development in nutrition or medical science speed up this wonderful miracle even one iota? If you were a farmer, would you try to harvest your crop before it was ripe? Would you dig up your seeds to see if anything was growing down there?

The answers are obvious. If only we would adopt the same patient, nurturing "mother's" or "farmer's mindset" towards getting in shape, then no one would waste their money on "fast abs" or "exercise in a bottle" or any such silliness ever again. We would understand that one must sow first, then reap the harvest, but that you can't sow and reap in the same season.

If you ever get frustrated with the rate of progress in your fitness or weight loss program (and who doesn't), just remember; success is always guaranteed to the persistent. Nothing in the world can stop someone who knows what they want and is willing to continue paying the price until they get it. It just takes time.

Become the architect and builder of your own dream body. You WILL build the body you want eventually if you're patient enough and you refuse to quit. And set your goals HIGH! Create a fantastic blueprint. Michelangelo said, "the greatest danger is not that we set our goals too high and miss them, the greatest danger is that we set our goals too low and we reach them." Envision a castle - a veritable Taj Mahal of a body! There's nothing wrong with building castles in the sky, as long as you patiently work at putting the foundations underneath them. There are very few unrealistic goals; only goals with unrealistic deadlines.

So keep laying those "bricks" - every day - one at a time - and sure enough, eventually, you'll build yourself a palace.

Author Bio
Tom Venuto is a certified personal trainer, natural bodybuilder and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle. You can get info on Tom's e-book at www.burnthefat.com. To get Tom's free monthly e-zine, visit www.fitren.com.

Weight Loss -- It's All in Your Head

2009-07-31T07:51:00.000-07:00

by: Helene Haber

When you truly consider the weight-loss process, the battle waged is mostly in your mind. Should I eat the corn muffin with butter or would it be better for me to have margarine or better yet, have jelly? What am I doing eating this muffin anyway? It's so caloric and filled with saturated fat. I'm such a pig. I have absolutely zero willpower. It's no wonder you'll eat that muffin with the butter and slather jelly on top to quiet that negative self-talk.

What you need more than a diet is a way to shift those negative self-defeating thoughts to more adaptive, positive self-statements. As with most things worth doing, this requires a bit of practice. First, become aware when you're using a negative statement, then determine what about that thought is faulty and finally, replace it with a self-defense response or coping thought.
In the corn muffin example, instead of listening to I'm such a pig which clearly mislabels who you are, respond with Pigs are animals and I am human. I don't have to be perfect.

Many people cannot change their eating habits until they change their thoughts about food, eating and drinking. By shedding â€œdistortedâ€ thoughts and replacing them with productive ones, eating habits can be changed. It is possible to rid yourself from many self-critical thoughts, but like any ingrained habit, it takes vigor and vigilance to change. Here are some other thinking distortions to challenge:

Shoulds. Should statements are more about other people's values, not ones chosen by the person who wants to lose weight. Additionally, should statements reflect an attempt by the dieter to motivate herself without really believing in the value. Better to determine what works for you. I will eat up to two Hershey kisses daily and thoroughly enjoy them.

All-or-Nothing. This kind of reasoning is the foundation for perfectionism. An all-or-nothing individual views the world as black or white. Since there is no allowance for gray areas, the behavior is either perfect or a failure. I've ruined my diet by eating all that pizza. I can't stay on a diet and I'll just always be fat. Maybe the problem does not arise from the behaviorâ€¦ maybe the problem is with the diet that does not allow for pizza. I do not want to give pizza up for the rest of my life, so what I need is a way to include pizza in my diet without feeling like a failure. Let me try having a salad (dressing on the side) before the pizza to take the edge off my hunger.

Good Foods/ Bad Foods. If the truth be told, foods do not misbehave. Foods are not good or bad. While it is true that some foods have more nutrients or are more fiber-dense than others, all foods can be enjoyed. How we think about food colors what we eat and how much we eat. If a food is labeled as bad (such as fries), then for many individuals that food is taboo. When one eventually succumbs to eating the forbidden, French fries, bingeing may result. Rather than continue with dichotomous thinking of good food/bad food, shift to allow space for all foods you like without judgement. Instead of I ate those fries which are so bad for me to I really enjoyed that small portion of fries. They really satisfied me.

Body Distortions. Rather than dwelling on how fat or thin you think your body is, it is extremely helpful to view your body in terms of what it can do for you. For example, when you look in the mirror, instead of zooming in on your stomach which looks five months pregnant, although your last baby was nine years ago tell yourself my body has given life or my body enables me to go where I want to and allows me to have fun.

The conversations that are going on inside your head cannot be stopped. However, what you can do is to be aware of negative self-talk and understand that it has little to do with actual reality. When you believe this, you can respond to the critical voice with a more objective, coping thought. Although negative thoughts may not be stopped entirely, they can be quieted by listening to your compassionate, caring voice. In much the same way you would sympathize and listen to a close friend, listen to yourself. Be your own best friend and chances are you'll have greater weight loss success.

Helene Haber Life Coach/ Specializing in Weight Loss TopCatHelene@aol.com Email me for a sample session.

Why, Oh Why Acai?

2009-07-31T07:50:00.000-07:00

by: Floyd Adan
Acai berries are the latest rage in the diet world after their big Oprah appearance, but what exactly is so big about these little berries? Here’s a bit of background for you: in Brazil, acai is pretty commonplace and has been for some time. They use the juice and pulp of açaí fruits are used in juice blends and smoothies and up North, they serve acai in gourds called with tapioca. Açaí is also popular as an ice cream flavor and is used in flavored liqueur as well. In the diet world, the acai berry is used much differently and it doesn’t involve alcohol or sugary treats. Acai is promoted for its antioxidant effects, which surpasses blueberries and red wine, and advocates of the acai berry claim that it will do you lots of good, enhancing general well-being and vitality and supporting weight loss.

Acai berries are also said to have other benefits such as improving digestion, detoxifying the body, boosting immunity, supporting cardiovascular health, increasing mental clarity, enhancing vision, reducing insomnia, and slowing down the aging process—not bad for a berry and probably helpful for most anyone considering the claims made on its behalf. With regard to the effects of acai berry on weight loss, the berry has a combination of essential fatty acids, amino acids and phytosterols that purportedly work together to improve metabolism, enhance digestion, and reduce appetite but the studies have not been done yet to be certain. We do know that the acai berry contains omega fatty acids like that in fish oil, olive oil and flaxseed which are known to have many health benefits like lowering triglycerides, and instead of being stored as fat, they are used by the liver to “kick-start” the metabolism. So is acai praiseworthy in terms of weight loss? Well, if you’re starting slow with weight loss or if you’ve reached a plateau in your weight loss, adding some form of acai to your diet might be just get you over the hump. Plus, the fiber content in acai berry may help you to feel fuller faster and cut back on cravings and needless snacking.

8 Nutrition Tips If You Want To Eat Healthy And Lose Fat

2009-07-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

by: Howard Standring

Here are just a few basic nutritional guidelines that you can apply today to start eating a healthy balanced diet full of all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients your body needs for optimal wellbeing. If used with a regular plan of exercise you can lose fat, increase your energy levels and give you a better sense of wellness.

1. Eat healthy, high-fiber and low-sugar complete foods such as lean protein (lean beef, chicken , & fish), colorful fruits & vegetables (oranges, apples, raspberries, broccoli peppers, asparagus the list goes on), nuts (almonds, cashews, & walnuts), and whole grains (oatmeal and multi-grain bread)

2. Food choices should include a large nutrient-to-calorie ratio. Some examples of this approach include, consuming a piece of whole fruit instead of drinking fruit-flavored beverages, eating green vegetables instead of potatoes, and snacking on nuts instead of potato chips.

3.Try to eat 3 modest meals and 2-3 small snacks each day rather than 2-3 large meals. To achieve this goal an element of forward planning will be necessary . Eat quickly after waking up, and then every 3-4 hours thereafter until you go to bed. Smaller, more regular meals help you use all nutrients better, retain more vitamins, and control your blood sugar levels. Controlling your blood sugar is a key to avoiding hunger and fatigue

4. In your daily diet try to incorporate sufficient portions of good quality lean protein. Your choices include lean beef, chicken breasts, turkey breasts, salmon, low-fat cottage cheese and other low-fat dairy products. Nutritionists advise eating between 0.6 and 1.0 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day.

5. Follow the Rainbow Diet. The only rule here is to eat as many diverse colors of fruits and vegetables as you can. The nutrients in each fruit and vegetable are usually linked to its color as well. You ought to consume far more than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Experts propose 2-3 pieces of fruit per day and at least 5 servings of vegetables per day (such as broccoli, peppers, asparagus, etc.). Vegetables and fruits will give you numerous nutrients including fiber, vitamins, minerals, and many phyto-nutrients that simply do not exist in other foods.

6. Avoid drinking your calories – keep away from soda and sugary drinks. Limit your alcohol intake. Each shot of alcohol, glass of beer or wine is about 150 calories. If you add a mixer to the drink, this can take the amount of calories to between 300-1000 calories per drink. It’s very easy to see how alcohol intake can cause fat gain. Restricting your alcohol and sugary beverage intake will help you lose pounds of fat in a very short time.

7. Drink 12 cups (3 liters) of water per day, consumed over the course of the day and during exercise. For every pound of bodyweight that is lost during exercise, it is suggested that exercisers should drink two cups. Water also helps with the fat burning process, as it flushes all the toxins that build in the body making sure your kidneys are able to work efficiently. If the kidneys are working well then your liver does not get involved with this process and can concentrate on its own jobs one of which is burning stored fat for energy

8.Don’t try to change everything at once. Aim for 2-3 improvements each week. For example, in week 1, reduce your soda intake and add 1 new fruit to breakfast each morning.

Applying all of these tips or just a handful of them can really make a difference when trying to drop fat or looking to feel better. A good balanced diet is more than just about improving your appearance it is vital to maintain a healthy functioning body and mind. Following a good balanced diet can help to prevent illness, slow down aging, stay active, combat stress and boost vitality. With these sort of benefits isn’t it time you changed your eating habits ...your body will thank you for it.

About The Author

A fully qualified advanced Personal Trainer Howard Standring has a Personal Training company http://www.energiafitness.com based in Southern Spain.

For more articles on fitness, nutrition, losing weight, bodybuilding and general health visit http://www.energiafitness.com/info

Newbie Workout Routine

2009-07-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

by: Ronek Bhatt

If you are new to working out, then this workout routine will be good starting point for you. I still use this workout routine from time to time when I want to change things up a bit and it will help you build and tone your overall body. So when you are ready to get started hit the gym up and follow this routine.

Newbie Workout Routine

Monday: Chest/Triceps

Tuesday: 30-40 minutes of cardio

Wednesday: Back/Biceps

Thursday: 30-40 minutes of cardio

Friday: Legs/Shoulders

Saturday: Day off or 30-40 minutes of cardio

Sunday: Day off

Chest Workouts:

* Flat Bench Press

* Incline Dumbbell Press

* Incline Dumbbell Flyes

* Decline Dumbbell Press

Triceps Workouts:

* Dips

* Seated Overhead Tricep Extensions

* Rope Cable Press-Downs

Back Workouts:

* Pull-Ups (use the weighted pull-up machine if needed)

* Seated Rows

* Bent Barbell Rows

* Single Arm Dumbbell Rows

Biceps Workouts:

* Dumbbell Curls

* Preacher Curls

* Rope Cable Hammer Curls

Legs Workouts:

* Squats

* Standing Calf Raises

* Lunges

* Seated Leg Curls

Shoulders Workouts:

* Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press

* Lateral Raises

* Front Dumbbell Raises

* Upright Rows

This is a basic workout routine that should help you get started. When doing these workouts, I do 8-10 reps and 3 sets for each exercise. Also I recommend increasing the weight while decreasing the reps as you progress through each set. Use enough weight so that your muscles are completely fatigued by the last rep of last set. This will ensure muscle growth.

Also if you are trying to loose weight while building your muscles it is important to incorporate cardio within your workout routine. However if you are already skinny and are trying to bulk up then you do not need to incorporate the cardio component within your workout routine. You can simply rest your body on the cardio days.

Important: It is vital to have at least one day where you completely rest up your body and do no exercise what-so-ever. Your muscles grow during rest periods and not while they are being worked out. If you do not rest your body, you risk the chance of overtraining which will do you no good.

About The Author

My name is Ronek Bhatt. I am 22 years old and a fitness enthusiast. I started working out 5 years ago and since then have dedicated numerous hours learning and researching about fitness, bodybuilding, diets, and other sources of healthy living.

Recently I created a website to share what I have learned with the general public. I hope to reach out and help others reach their fitness goals as I have done for myself. So for more fitness and bodybuilding tips and information, feel free to visit my site.

My Site: http://www.bestfitnessworkout.com

How Many Calories Do You Need?

2009-07-22T12:01:00.000-07:00

by: John Manjarres

Each pound of fat your body stores represents 3,500 calories of unused energy. In order to lose one pound of fat, you either have to burn 3,500 calories or eat 3,500 calories less or over a period of time. You probably have heard the phrase calories in vs. calories out. This simply means to lose body fat the calories you consume need to be less than the calories your body burns. The best option is to do a combination of both approaches, minimize your caloric intake while burning off excess calories.

The first step is to determine how many calories you need to eat daily to maintain your current weight and then try and consume 300-500 grams less per day if your goal is weight loss. Each person will vary depending on gender, weight, height and level of daily physical activity (a sedentary occupation vs. and active occupation). An easy way to start is by only cutting your calories by 300 a day and also exercising an extra 200 to make 500 a day. By doing this, you will be burning 3,500 calories a week or one pound of body fat per week. It is recommended that no more than 2 pounds or 7,000 calories be lost per week for lasting weight loss.

The starting point would be to start being aware of what you are consuming each and every day. One way is to look at the nutrition facts that are labeled on the foods and drinks that you are consuming. Everything you eat these days will have a food label on the back of it. For example, the nutrition label for Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream states that there are 240 calories per serving, 16 grams of fat and 11 grams of saturated fat. You may think that the fat looks pretty bad, but 250 calories isn't that bad! Unfortunately, it is that bad, because that is only in one serving which, if you read the label, is only Â½ a cup.

A half of a cup of ice cream could fit in the palm of your hand. Even worse, many individuals will eat a whole pint in one sitting. If 2 cups = a pint of ice cream and there are 4 servings in that pint, that means that the individual has consumed close to 1,000 calories, 64 grams of fat and 44 grams of saturated fat. That was just dessert!!! So when you are looking at the labels, make sure you read the serving size because you are most likely going to have more 1 serving size.

For weight loss and cutting calories, you will need to learn more about nutrition. If you have a great knowledge of the nutrition tips and healthy calories that will help your body burn more calories just by eating, you have one half the battle. Many fast food chains and family restaurant chains have nutrition facts on their websites.

Looking at how many calories that fast food meal you had for lunch and dinner may be an eye opener for many. You can know what you are eating and how many hidden and unnecessary calories are coming from those meals. Just because you may think you are eating something healthy like a salad, but some of the dressings out there add an extra 100-250 calories. If you get ranch dressing on your salad you are adding about 200-250 to your meal.

Many of us are unaware of the calories we are putting into our bodies each and every day. Starting to look at the labels on the foods we are eating is a great start in trying your calories. Many cookbooks provide nutrition facts at the bottom of their recipes along with ways to modify certain ingredients to make your meal healthier.

Another example where you need to start cutting the calories is in the liquid form. Soda, juice, alcohol, specialized coffee drinks and sweetened teas are all in the high calorie/low nutrition category called "empty calories". Just by replacing ANY of these drinks with water, you could easy take 200-800 calories out of you day. Beverage calories can add up. For example, a Super Big Gulp contains 800 calories, a 20-ounce cola is 250 calories, one can of beer has 145 calories, and a Starbucks Chocolate Malt Frappuccino with whipped cream has 610 calories! Empty calories in the form of liquid do not help the appetite either as they can lead you to be hungry and eat more also.

Other tips to help lower your caloric intake is to cut down or limit all unrefined sugars that are found in foods such as cookies, cake, ice cream, candy and candy bars. An example of this would be going to subway and getting a cookie to add to you healthy sandwich meal you just bought. That one little cookie will add 200-220 calories to your meal. Also cut out high caloric fried foods such as potato chips, onion rings, French fries, donuts, and fried foods. One example how calories can add up would be if you went to Kentucky Fried Chicken for dinner and ordered two pieces of chicken, Cole slaw, and mashed potatoes.

The two pieces of fried chicken would add up to about 500 calories, which includes nearly 25 grams of fat and around 200 mg of cholesterol. This is almost half of the fat suggested for a whole day and it isn't healthy fat. The Cole slaw has about 200 calories from its sweet dressing and around 10 grams of fat. The mashed potatoes and gravy add another 125 to 150 calories and more fat grams. The medium soda adds about 175 calories, all from sugar, with no nutritional benefit. This meal just has way too many calories, with more than 1000 calories for only one meal. It has too much fat and a lot of sugar as well. So by limiting your intake of these types of foods, you will be on your way to cutting your calories.

Downsizing your portions is another easy and effective way to lower your daily caloric intake for weight loss. Portion sizes in restaurants have tripled in size in the past 30 years. We are used to super sizing and the word downsizing does not sound good. Some example of downsizing would be to get a to-go box while you order while eating out. When your food arrives, go ahead and put half of it in the box. You can eat it the rest as an afternoon snack. Another is to share a dinner plate with a friend or partner when you go out. A tip when you are at home is to only use smaller plates so that your plate looks like it is full.

We are also used to being told to get more food when we are at a friends' house or at your families' house. The hosts want to make sure you get all of their great cooking and then some. You want to be polite and get seconds and even thirds. This is when you can double and triple your calorie intake and will not help with weight loss. Most people are positive when you tell them you are trying to reach some health and fitness goals and that one plate is enough. Cutting portion sizes will help in your quest to cut calories. Remember that in order to lose body fat you have to cut your daily caloric intake more or burn more calories by moving.

So far you have heard three ways to help cut and count calories which will help in weight loss...

1. Look at labels 2. Cut down on empty calories in foods and drinks. 3. Eat smaller portions. An easy staring point to all of this is to get a small journal and start writing down the calories in everything you consume. You may not even change any of your eating habits at first as you write down what time and what all you eat each day in your journal. An example may be that you had a glass of coffee, piece of bread with jelly, and a banana for breakfast. Then you had a glass of coffee around 10am with a doughnut. For lunch you ate out at Jason's Deli and had one of those great spud potatoes. You were too stuffed to eat in the afternoon but have a coke to give you some energy to finish the afternoon at work. Dinner was spaghetti with sauce, a roll, salad, and a glass of wine. You ended the night with a small bowl of ice cream.

If you were adding the whole days up in your journal, your daily calories would be about 3,200 for the day. Most people need way below that number just to maintain their weight. Having a journal will help you become aware of everything you eat throughout the day and how many calories you are eating. For a lot of people, it lets them know if they have eaten too much or too little for that particular day. For others it is an accountability partner as you have to write down everything that you eat each day. Even those 4 little pieces of Hershey kiss after lunch that added up to 104 calories. Having a daily journal is very important for anyone wanting to cut their calories.

You always have to remember that in order to lose body you need to eat fewer calories or burn more calories. An easier plan would be to do both. A good healthy way to start would be to cut your intake by 300 calories and to exercise to burn off 200 calories.

Moving and staying active will help in your quest to cut and count calories. Counting your calories and trying to cut it will be easy for some people and hard for others. You have to start somewhere. If you have a lot of changes to make in your eating habits, then try only 1 or 2 of these steps at a time. Once you have a handle on those one or two of the steps, make another small change. Before long these simple steps will become habits in your daily routine, enabling you to live a healthy lifestyle.

It is important to note that there are some people out there that do not get enough calories. A diet that is too low in calories doesn't provide the body with the nourishment and adequate nutrients it needs to perform activities of daily living. If your body does not get enough calories it will begin to start feeding off your muscle and using protein as fuel instead of carbohydrates and fat. Drastically reducing calories is not an effective way to lose body fat because instead of losing fat, you lose muscle. Getting enough calories doesn't mean big meals. Don't take all your calories in one or two daily feasts. Instead, eat five or six smaller meals. Amounts and needs vary depending on your gender, body type and activity level. Whether or not you're trying to lose weight, always strive to eat balanced meals and snacks that provide enough calories to keep you energized.

About The Author

John Manjarres has a Masters in Exercise Science and Sports Nutrition. John specializes in weight loss and muscle toning. Check out http://www.180DegreeFitness.com to see amazing transformations and to find out how he can help you.

Thyroid Weightloss Diet: The Effective Way to Shed Pounds

2009-07-22T11:59:00.000-07:00

by: James Pendergraft

Patients suffering from hypothyroidism usually find it hard to lose weight. This is because their endocrine system is not working at optimum levels and their body’s metabolism rate is very slow. Most thyroid patients lose hope as far as losing weight is concerned. But there’s one effective way to shed pounds – the solution is a thyroid weightloss diet.

To induce weight loss amidst thyroid health issues, these diet tips may help:

1. Eat reduced amounts but more frequently everyday.

Thyroid problem is a tricky disease. It is a type of disease least diagnosed by health experts although a lot of overweight patients are suffering from it. Worse, not even their doctors realize that it is the main reason why they can’t seem to lose weight despite their momentous efforts. The thyroid gland controls the body’s metabolism. And one way to improve your body’s metabolic rate is to force your system to process the food that you eat everyday. Skipping meals and following an irregular eating habit is a sure-fire way to lower your metabolism.

2. Lean meats.

Meat is a good source of protein. However, you have to limit your intake to the lean parts alone. Protein can help you build muscles. When eating meat, make sure that you strip away the fatty parts. You’ve got to help yourself achieve a zero cholesterol diet to initiate weight loss despite your thyroid problem.

3. Uncooked fruits and vegetables are healthy.

Uncooked food such as fruits and vegetables would do your body a lot of good. Raw vegetables have all the nutrients intact, which is perfect because you are going to need them to process the fats inside your body. With the nutrients in place, fats are burned instead of stored in the blood stream. Fruits are known to be anti-oxidants as well. They contain lots of vitamins and minerals that can satisfy even the biggest hunger but won’t make you fat. There are many vegetables that are rich in fiber too. Fiber can help greatly in flushing away toxins, bad cholesterol, and triglycerides inside the body.

4. Eat healthy snacks.

If you have been depriving yourself of food but are not improving at all in the weight section, you have to check the type of foods that you are eating. Maybe you’re not choosing healthy foods at all. Your snacks should be well-monitored as well. Instead of fries and chips, choose the healthier options such as roasted nuts. Try to change your coffee habit into a tea habit as the latter is more natural, has less caffeine, and contains loads of nutrients that can help your body.

5. Watch your every bite.

If you’re suffering from thyroid problems, it is very important that you take caution in every single food item that you put inside your body. If you can, you must estimate the calorie content the food you have eaten and see how much you’ve gone overboard. When you do go overboard, be sure to burn the excess fats through regular exercises.

These five simple tips can help you greatly in losing weight even if you have thyroid problems. Follow a thyroid weightloss diet religiously and you’ll see positive effects in your body shape and frame in as little as four weeks.

About The Author

Abortion Clinics. Dr. James S. Pendergraft opened the Ocala Abortion Clinics in March 1996 to provide a full range of health care for women, including abortion clinics in orlando, physical examinations, family planning, counseling, laboratory services and sexually transmitted disease screening and counseling.

7 Tricks How To Stick To Your Decision To Lose Weight

2009-07-17T05:51:00.001-07:00

By: Arina Nikitina

So, you've decided to lose weight. You're changing your eating habits, you began to exercise... But do you know what the most difficult part is?

It's ability to stay on track. Here are few tips that will help you to stay on track:

1. Remind yourself about your reasons.
Write down all the benefits of loosing weight and review it on a daily basis. It doesn't take long, and it will keep you motivated through the day.

2. Use affirmations
Repeat the positive phrase to yourself whenever you have chance to or if you need inspiration.

3. Use visualization
Visualize yourself being slim. Imagine how you feel. Imagine what your friends will say. Use the power of your imagination to stay on track.

4. Form a success habit.
First, ask yourself what habits it will take to lose weight. Exercising on a daily basis? Cooking healthy food?

It is the fact that in 30 days you can turn almost anything into a habit. ALL of our habits are formed the same way. By doing something over and over again until it becomes second nature. So all you have to do to form a new habit is to repeat the same action over and over again every day during 30 days. After 30 days it will become a habit.

But here is a catch: you can't afford to skip a single day. If you do you'll have to start over again. During first thirty days, if you miss even a single day of practice reset your 30-day clock to Day One and start from the beginning.

5. Find more time for cooking and exercising
If you think you don't have time for loosing weight, think again. Do you have time for watching TV? Reading newspapers or magazines? Chatting with friends? Well, if "yes" than you definitely have time for weight los s.

You don't have to eliminate all your activities; you can just cut back on them. Just trim by 10% the amount of time you spend on each of your daily activities. And invest the extra time in loosing weight.

6. Fight the temptation.
It is really very easy. All you have to do is prioritize. For example, if you see a pack of delicious cookies in the store and suddenly start craving one, ask yourself: "What do I want more: to eat this cookie or to have a beautiful slim body?" Listen to yourself. Is this cookie really so important to you?

If you're still craving it use the 10 minute rule. Take your mind off food for the next 10 minutes. If you're in a grocery store go to the book section and pick a very interesting book instead. Most of the time your craving will stop.

If not, you can take one serving and give the rest of the cookies to your neighbor. Or put them somewhere where it would be a problem for you to get them.

Author Bio
Arina Nikitina is the owner of a Free-Weight-Loss-Zone.com website where you can find free weight loss guide, weight loss myths, and a collection of diet and fitnes articles. Visit: www.free-weight-loss-zone.com

How To Lose 20 Pounds REALLY, REALLY Fast

2009-07-17T05:49:00.000-07:00

By: Tom Venuto
Back "in the day" when I used to be a full time personal trainer and I met with clients in person at my New Jersey Health Club, the first thing I would always ask my clients during the initial consultation was:

"Tell me exactly what you want... and I'll show you how to get it."

Typical reply from client:

"I want to lose 20 pounds fast."

My reply:

"Are you SURE that's what you want? If I can show you how to lose 20 pounds REALLY, REALLY fast, will that make you happy?"

They nodded their head affirmatively as their eyes lit up in anticipation of the quick weight loss secrets I was about to reveal.

Their face went white when - with a totally straight face - I pulled out a hacksaw and started walking towards them.... menacingly.

Not sure whether to laugh or to run away in sheer terror, they said,

"What the heck are you doing?"

"You said you wanted to lose 20 pounds fast. This is the easiest, surest, most effective way I know to take 20 pounds off you FAST! In fact, I figure that right leg of yours might even weigh 25 pounds!"

I kept walking closer and started to get into sawing position, wielding my fast, effective and guaranteed weight loss tool.

"Bear with me because this IS quick, but sometimes it takes a few minutes for me to cut through the bone."

By this time, my client and I are either completely cracking up, or I have seriously scared the living you know what out of them, or they just think I'm a complete lunatic. (it depends on whether I was able to keep a straight face or not).

Finally, the light bulb goes on, and my client would see where I was going with this:

"Okay, smart alec," I get it. I don't want to lose WEIGHT, I want to lose FAT."

Sometimes I would be having so much fun, I would just keep on playin'.

"But why not? This is easy, fast and guaranteed - just what everyone wants these days, it's even better than taking a pill! Come on, let me hack it off! You'll be my next testimonial: 'I lost 20 pounds in 5 minutes!' Imagine what that will do for my business!"

"Very funny. I told you, I get it, I get it! I want to lose FAT, not muscles and bones. I need my leg!

Naturally, of course, I didn't always have to pull out my trusty blade. Every once in a while, about as often as a total solar eclipse, a client answers my question like this:

"What do I want? Tom, I want to lose 20 pounds of body fat in the next 12 weeks. I want to do it slowly, safely and healthfully and then keep it off permanently. I want all the fat around my hips and thighs completely gone and I want a firm flat stomach. I want muscle all over my body while still looking feminine. I'd like to see myself at about 16% body fat and maintain all my muscle or gain a few pounds of lean mass if I can, especially in my arms. This is important to me because I want to set a good example for my kids, I want to be healthy and live to at least 90 and I want my husband to look at me and say, "I love your body, honey," and I want to be able to *honestly* say back to him, "me too!"

It is on these rare occasions that I know there is still intelligent life on this planet.

If you could answer the question, "What do you want" with the degree of clarity that this woman did, I don't think you would ever have any difficulty reaching your health and fitness goals... or any other goal in your life, for that matter.

This answer is what you call a very "well-formed" goal, backed up with lots of emotional motivation-inducing "reasons why."

"I want to lose weight" is a poorly-formed goal.

"Weight" is not the same as "fat." Weight includes muscle, bone, internal organs as well as lots and lots of water.

If you only get ONE thing from this article, get this:

WHAT YOU REALLY WANT IS TO BURN THE FAT, WHILE KEEPING THE MUSCLE!!!!

FAT LOSS is what you want, not weight loss.

If your body was 100% rock-solid muscle, with absolutely nothing that jiggled (unless it was supposed to), would you care how much you weighed?

I bet you wouldn't!

SO STOP WORSHIPPING THE SCALE AND START MEASURING YOUR BODY COMPOSITION!

By measuring your body fat, you take the guesswork out of your health and fitness plan and you get an accurate picture of what's really happening in your body as a result of your diet and exercise program.

Instead of worrying about whether you are losing muscle, or wondering if you are losing fat, you can measure it and KNOW for sure. (I always get a good chuckle when someone tells me they're worried about losing muscle when they don't even measure how much muscle they have!)

Instead of being confused by all the "opinions" from weight loss and exercise "experts" who are all telling you something different, you can MEASURE your body composition and based on the results, you can KNOW for sure whether your program is working.

A very wise man once said,

"A single measurement is worth a thousand opinions."

So, how do you measure body fat?

There are many methods. Thanks to technology, there are some methods today that are so accurate, they can tell you whether your left pinky has more fat than your right pinky! Unfortunately, many of them are either too expensive or they are inaccessible, being found only in hospitals or research facilities.

Instead of boring you with a lecture about all the various body fat testing methods, let me give you three quick and easy, practical suggestions:

Suggestion 1: Have a trainer or fitness professional measure your body fat if this service is available at your local health club. Sometimes, there's a charge - usually $15 - $25, although some clubs offer the service for free to all their members.

Suggestion 2: Purchase an Accu-measure skinfold caliper. The Accumeasure was designed to allow you to measure your own body fat in the privacy of your own home (you don't need someone else to measure you). Do a google or yahoo search to find a reseller.

Some people wonder if this is really accurate. Truth is, it's not quite as accurate as a multi site skinfold test from an experienced tester, but it's better than nothing. Besides, what's most important is not the "accuracy" per se, but the reliability and ! consistency of your measurements so you can track your progress. Skinfold calipers in general are not accurate or inaccurate, it's the person doing the test that is accurate or inaccurate.

Suggestion 3: If you have a spouse, roommate, or friend who can measure your body fat, you can purchase a "Slim Guide" body fat caliper. The Slimguide is the best inexpensive (about $20), caliper available for multi-site testing, but it wasn't designed for you to measure your own body fat like the Accu Measure. Other models of body fat calipers (if you want to splurge), range from $150 to $450. (At our health clubs, I use the electronic "SKYNDEX" caliper with the 4-site "Durnin formula.")

The calipers come with instructions, or you can use these formulas, which I have used and found to be very accurate:

4 Site formula for men (abdomen, suprailiac, thigh, tricep)

% fat = .29288(sum of 4 skinfolds) - 0.0005(sum of four skinfolds squared) + 0.15845(age) - 5.76377

4-Site Formula for women (abdomen, suprailiac, thigh, tricep)

% Fat = (.29669)(sum of 4 skinfolds) - (.00043)(Sum of four skinfolds squared) + .02963(age) + 1.4072

Source: Jackson A S, Pollock, M (1985) Practical assessment of body composition. Physician Sport Med. 13: 76-90.

Body fat percentages vary based on age and gender, but 20-25% body fat is average for women (15-19% is ideal), while 15-20% is average for men (10-14% is ideal).

Once you know your body fat percentage, then weigh yourself and record your weight and body fat on a progress chart. You can also calculate your lean body mass (muscle and other fat free tissue) very easily just by crunching some numbers:

For example, if you weigh 200 pounds and you have 10% body fat then you have 20 pounds of fat (10% of 200 = 20). That means you have a lean body mass (LBM) of 180 pounds. Now we're talking! With this data, you can get a really clear picture of how your exercise and nutrition program are affecting your physique.

Losing weight is very easy. Losing fat - and keeping it off without losing muscle - is a much bigger challenge. If you simply wanted to lose weight, we could just chop off your leg. Or, (slightly less painful), I could show you how to drop 10 - 15 pounds over the weekend just by dehydrating yourself and using natural herbal diuretics. Bodybuilders and wrestlers do it all the time to make a weight class. But what good would that do if it's almost all water and you're just going to gain it all back within days?

You don't have to "throw away your scale" like many "experts" tell you to. By all means, keep using the scale, the tape measure and even photographs and the mirror - the more feedback the better, but body fat is where it's at.

By the way, I recently bought a chain saw and a shiny new axe from Home Depot, and I've been practicing my "A merican Psycho" and Jack Nicholson, "The Shining" impersonations... so if you want to come to my office any time soon for personal consultation, you'd better have the right answer to my question, "What do you want?"

Author Bio
Tom Venuto is a certified personal trainer, natural bodybuilder and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, "Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle. You can get info on Tom's e-book at www.burnthefat.com. To get Tom's free monthly e-zine, visit http://www.fitren.com.

10 Ingredients in Weight Loss Pills

2009-07-17T05:47:00.000-07:00

By: John Connory

Looking for help with losing weight? Help that goes beyond the usual lifestyle changes, portion control advice and exercise routines? Weight-loss supplements touting names like "fat burner" and "thermo max" can be enticing. But do they work? And even more important, in the wake of the Food and Drug Administration's recent ban on ephedra, are they safe?

In this article, Environmental Nutrition provides a snapshot of 10 of the most popular ingredients currently in supplements for weight loss.

Chitosan
Made from the shells of lobsters, shrimp and other shellfish, chitosan is an indigestible fiber. It is supposed to help weight loss by binding with the fat you eat, blocking its absorption. However, studies do not support this claim. Side effects include constipation and gas. People with shellfish allergies should beware.

Chromium
Most often present as chromium picolinate, it has been promoted to boost lean mass and decrease body fat. Though study findings have been inconclusive, an analysis of several studies recently concluded that supplementing with 200 to 400 micrograms of chromium picolinate could result in about a 2.5-pound weight loss per week in some people. Other studies have found a loss of body fat and an increase in muscle tissue, with no change in weight. Still others have found no effect at all. Though some laboratory studies have raised safety issues, a large number of human studies suggest it is safe.

Citrus Aurantium (Bitter Orange)
This herbal extract is a natural source of synephrine (a compound similar to ephedrine) and the supplement industry's current answer to the ephedra ban. But there are no published studies to show it is an effective supplement for weight loss. And like ephedra, its side effects include an increase in blood pressure; Environmental Nutrition recommends avoiding it.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)
Both animal and human research hints at a possible role for CLA in reducing body fat and increasing lean body mass, but it's not quite ready for prime time. None of the human studies have been long-term. CLA is currently being studied in combination with chromium picolinate. CLA is found naturally in dairy foods and beef and is generally considered safe.

Garcinia Cambogia
The extract from Garcinia cambogia fruit rind contains hydroxycitric acid (HCA), which supposedly curbs food intake, weight gain and storage of excess calories as fat. However, studies have failed to prove G. cambogia is an effective weight-loss aid. The most common side effects are upper respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms.

Guarana
Caffeine is the effective ingredient in guarana plant seeds. Guarana may have a mild appetite suppressant effect over the short term. It was often used in combination with ephedra until ephedra was banned. The potential side effects are those of caffeine overdose-insomnia, restlessness, anxiety or panic.

Hydroxymethylbutyrate (HMB)
HMB is a natural byproduct of the breakdown of the amino acid leucine. HMB supplements are used by body builders in hopes of increasing muscle mass. A few small studies have suggested that HMB increases lean mass and decreases body fat when combined with weight training. However, studies with overweight and obese people are needed.

Plantago Psyllium
Psyllium is a water-soluble fiber from Plantago ovato seeds. Taken before a meal, it may make you feel full, causing you to eat less. While it is proved to aid constipation (that's how Metamucil works), it has not been proved as an effective weight-loss aid.

Pyruvate
Pyruvate formulas boast that they stimulate metabolism and reduce body fat. Pyruvate is found naturally in food and in the body as a result of the breakdown of carbohydrates and protein. Some studies have shown a weight-loss benefit with pyruvate supplements. But the people in the studies also exercised and cut back on calories. Moreover, the dosage used in the studies was high, requiring a handful of tablets each day. Experts say the case for pyruvate to aid weight loss is weak.

Yerba mate
Brewed into a tea, bitter Yerba mate is high in caffeine. Used in combination with other caffeine-containing herbs, like guarana and damiana, it was found in one study to delay stomach emptying time and aid weight loss. The study was short (45 days), so conclusions on keeping the weight off cannot be made.

The Bottom Line
Though all are relatively expensive and none are proved, of these top popular weight-loss contenders, chromium picolinate and CLA are probably the most studied. If you've already made up your mind to go the supplement route, you might want to give them a try. Just don't expect miracles and check with your doctor first.

Author Bio
More at www.phentermine-xenical-4you.com

Lose Weight by Eating More -- Food that is Virtually Impossible to Store as Body Fat

2009-07-17T05:45:00.000-07:00

By: Marty Gallagher
Certain foods are extremely difficult for the human body to convert into body fat - not impossible but damned near impossible. By consuming calories derived from these foods, the anabolic margin of error is extended dramatically, which means it will be easier to lose fat and gain muscle, if you choose.

Lean protein, protein devoid of saturated fat, has been the staple, the bedrock nutrient of elite athletes for 50 years. Why? You can eat a mountain of lean protein and not get fat - assuming you train with intensity sufficient enough to trigger muscle growth. Lean protein is difficult for the body to break down and digest. As a direct result of this digestive difficulty, the body kicks the metabolic thermostat upward to break protein down into subcomponent amino acids.

The human body wants to preserve stored body fat as a last line of defense against starvation. If overworked and under-fed, the body will preferentially eat muscle tissue to save precious body fat.

Obese people that go on crash diets, precipitously slashing calories, might lose 100-pounds of body weight, yet still appear fat. Despite losing from say 350-pounds to 250-pounds, they still appear fat because they still are fat. The body has cannibalized muscle tissue and saved the fat. Though they might weigh 100-pounds less, they still possess 25-40% body fat percentile.

Lean protein is the bedrock nutrient in the physical renovation process because it supplies muscle tissue battered by a high intensity weight workout with the amino acids needed to heal, recover and construct new muscle tissue. Lean protein is a bedrock nutrient in the physical renovation process because it causes the basal metabolic rate (BMR) to elevate; the metabolic thermostat, the rate at which our body consumes calories, increases when digesting protein. Lean protein is a bedrock nutrient in the physical renovation process because it is damned near impossible for the body to convert it into body fat.

The other bedrock nutrient in the physical transformation process is fibrous carbohydrates: carrots, broccoli, green beans, bell peppers, spinach, cauliflower, onions, asparagus, cabbage, salad greens, Brussels sprouts and the like. Fibrous carbohydrates, like lean protein, are nearly impossible for the body to convert into body fat. Fibrous carbohydrates require almost as many calories to digest as they contain. A green bean or carrot might contain 10-calories yet is so dense and difficult to break down that the body has to expend nearly as many calories to break down that bean or carrot as the vegetable contains.

Fibrous carbohydrates have a wonderful "Roto-Rooter" effect on the internal plumbing: as they work their way though the digestive passageways they scrape mucus and gunk off intestinal walls and help keep sludge buildup to a minimum. For this reason fibrous carbohydrates are the perfect compliment to a lean protein diet. Too much protein can cause bile buildup: fiber is the Yin to protein's Yang. The two nutrients should be eaten together.

Both protein and fiber have a beneficial dampening effect on insulin secretions. It is no accident that professional bodybuilders, the world's best dieters, capable of reducing body fat percentiles to 5% while maintaining incredible muscle mass, construct their eating regimen around protein and fiber.

The best way to eat is to eat often. If you eat 3,000 calories a day the best way is in five 600-calorie feeding or six 500-calorie feedings instead of a breakfast containing 400-calories, a lunch of 1000-calories and a late dinner of 1,600-calories. Avoid calories easily converted into body fat.

Eat multiple small meals in the 400-600 calorie range comprised exclusively of foods near impossible for the body to convert into body fat. Plus, these foods cause the metabolism, the BMR, the body thermostat to elevate in order to digest them. Optimally you should eat every three hours: in about the time the nutrients from the previous meal have dwindled, been expended and exhausted, in about the time the elevated metabolism is 'settling back down to normal,' eat another small protein/fiber meal. This reestablishes anabolism, kicks the metabolism upward once again and gives the body more practice at assimilating and distributing quality nutrients.

They say practice makes perfect and by eating small, power-packed, tough to digest meals every three hours, the metabolism is kept elevated, anabolism is established and maintained and the individual never feels hungry. A person who is not hungry is far less inclined to binge on sweets and treats, junk and trash then the crash diet/calorie cutters who always feel hungry, deprived, listless and lacking energy.

The small meal/protein/fiber approach has been used successfully by elite athletes for decades and is not some untried dietary abstraction - rather it is the proven method of choice, one that has withstood the test of time, one that has been used for decades and been proven effective time after time.

If a person is able to establish a multiple meal schedule comprised primarily of lean protein and fiber eaten every three hours, then adds to this eating schedule some serious weight training and a cardiovascular regimen, physical transformation is a biological certainty.

Author Bio
Coming soon! "The Obesity Solution" is designed to help overweight men and women physically transform themselves into healthier, thinner, more fit individuals. Designed by Marty Gallagher, a world champion coach and former www.washingtonpost.com fitness columnist, he will take you by the hand to help you achieve permanent fat loss.
For more information, visit www.purposefullyprimitive.com/article.html and get a FREE special report on how to stick to a diet the easy way!

How to Tone Up Your Cellulite Areas

2009-07-17T05:43:00.000-07:00

By: Joey Atlas
You buy them and they don't get the job done. Anti cellulite pills, lotions, gadgets, rubber tights and other silly money wasters that sell you hope and nothing else. The truth is, your best weapons in your battle against unwelcome cellulite are a smart nutritional routine and a consistent, properly structured workout program.

I'll assume you have a pretty good handle on the nutritional component.

As for the properly structured workout program, which you may indeed have, I've put together a butt, hip and thigh routine which you can incorporate into your current workouts. This routine specifically targets the areas where the appearance of cellulite tends to show up.

Keep in mind, I've been training people since the late eighties. Speaking strictly from experience, I can tell you that the following routine is responsible for helping many women dramatically change the appearance of their cellulite areas.

Lying on your side, do 10 reps of each exercise:

1) Bring both knees forward so your hips are at a 90 degree angle. Then straighten your top leg out in front of you, still keeping 90 degrees at the hip. Lift the top leg slowly about three feet off the ground & down.
2) Straighten both legs so your body is in a straight line. Tilt the hips forward slightly. Lift the top leg about three feet off the ground & down.

3) Put your top leg out in front of you, on the ground. Move your bottom leg forward slightly. Lift the bottom leg about 8 - 12 inches off the ground & down.

4) Repeat all 3 on the other side.

On the elbows and knees, do 10 reps of each exercise:
1) Extend one leg straight back with your toe on the ground. Lift that leg up toward the ceiling & down. Then switch legs.
2) Lift your knee off the floor. Extend that same heel back and up so your leg is pointing toward the ceiling & then bring the knee back into you. Then switch legs.

Standing up, do 10 reps of each exercise:

1) Start with your feet together. Step out in front in to a lunge position. Touch the ground with opposite hand. Come back up & step back to the starting position. Then switch legs.
2) Put one foot up on a step (12 - 18 inches high). Slowly step up and down with the other foot. Then switch legs.

If this routine is easy try going through it twice. If you still need more of a challenge, increase the reps to 15 or 20 per set.
Author Bio
Joey Atlas is the creator of The Butt, Hip and Thigh Makeover home workout DVDs. To learn more go to www.ToneUpThatButt.com
Go to www.GACtraining.com to sign up for the free "Secrets of a Trainer" e-newsletter.
To learn more about Joey go to www.JoeyAtlas.com.

Your First Training Plan for Running

2009-07-17T05:42:00.001-07:00

By: Rémy-Marc Beauregard
TRAINING TO RUN:

Everything depends on your level of fitness. Lance Armstrong said running a marathon was the hardest thing he ever did, I'm just happy to finish one. His sub 3 hour marathon equate to my 1/2 marathon time give or take some minutes. The Basics of running are simple, efficiency of stride, lactic acid treshold, base training, patience and determination.

Training plan: If your just starting out, I would suggest running 3 times a week. I would also run a 3 week cycle.The first week of the cycle you train at a specific level. The second week you increase by 10-20%. The third week you scale back to lower than first week's level. This give's your body time to recuperate and prevents injuries. The first week of your next cycle should be increased by 10-15%. After 3 cycles, reduce you first week pace by 10%. This will work - you just need to be patient.
For example : Distance of every run in the week.

Cycle 1: wk1:1km - wk2:1.2km - wk3:0.9km

Cycle 2 : wk1:1.2km - wk2:1.4km - wk3:1.1km

Cycle 3 : wk1:1.4km - wk2:1.6km - wk3:1.3km

Cycle 4 : wk1:1.2km - wk2:1.4km - wk3:1.1km

Cycle 5 : wk1:1.4km - wk2:1.6km - wk3:1.3km

Cycle 6 : wk1:1.6km - wk2:1.8km - wk3:1.4km

I think you get the picture.

Beginner:
The best method to ease into running is the run walk method. Your body should adjust to running more easily using this method. The time you spend running and the time you spend walking depends again on your fitness level. If you need to walk longer or are able to run more, just do it. You run for 30-60 seconds, depending , you walk for 30 seconds. You do this for a week. The next week you increment you run by 10 seconds, but keep the walk to 30 seconds. As the weeks progress you should be able to gain substancial increase you capacity of running. The ideal for the run walk method is to get up to 10 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking, but it all depends on how you feel. Once you are able to keep a pace of 10-1 for 30 minutes you can start to increase the 10 minute run by 10-20% every week.

The pace you should be in is a Zone 1 pace. Zones are calculated by the hearth rate that is attained with physical activity. Zone 1 pace is (220 - your age) X 60 or 70% - I'm 36 , (220bpm - 36) X 70% = 130 bpm. This is a foundation building pace. This pace is used on long runs because it enables your body to manage lactic acid. A friendly fuel when absorbed properly lactic acid becomes running enemy when it is out of control. The longer you can run at this pace, the more your body will improve his capability to absorb the acid. This is endurance building, and it is the first step to having a great run.

Lactic Acid Is Not Muscles' Foe, It's Fuel - New York Times
The notion that lactic acid was bad took hold more than a century ago, but more recent research suggests that it is actually a fuel, not a caustic waste ...

If you need to do more sports during the week, cross training should be your choice. Gym work to strenghten the abs are a plus. Cycling or spinning also get your heart going without the impact on your knees.

If you are able to run for 30 minutes, my suggestion to you is to get out there and find a nice friendly 5k. This is a celebration of life , a celebration of your new found passion: Running. Turkey trot your way to the end.

Intermediate:
You've acheived your first goal and that first 5k is now behind you. You've adapted your body to running and now can run 3 times a week for 30 minutes each time and can even push this a bit further.

You now are able to move to the next level. First thing to do is add another running day to your week. This will help you put on the miles and will help you adjust even more to a runner's regiment. Second thing to do is start mixing up your running workouts. 1 slow long run (zone 1), 2 normal half hour runs (zone 1 maximized- bottom zone 2), and 1 run that is totally different from the other types of runs that your body is accustomed to do. My suggestion is either Hill running or intervals.

Hill running is simple: Find a hill - run it to the top (if you can get up there fine - if not - stop where your about to collapse) - once up there - walk back down. Do this 10 times and make sure you keep a pace that you can accomplish it 10 times. If you cannot run it - walk up the hill. This will put pressure on your big leg muscles and should bring your body close to lactic acid threshold, walking back down will help your body manage that load and will push it farther and farther as the workouts progress.

Interval: Warm up with a 15 minute turkey trot. Once you are warmed up - bolt it for 100 meters - as fast as you canb without collapsing before you done that 100 meters (85% of your max speed) - just before blowing up - walk for 1 minutes. Repeat this for at least 1000 meters (10 X 100 meters). If your body is not too broken, turkey trot your way back home for another 15 minutes ... this is great for pushing your lactic acid treshold even farther.

The point of pushing your body this way is to enable you to start picking up speed and finding a way to sustain it. Also - this is a good thing for your running body as it is called upon to adjust and find new ways of coping. Doing the same thing week after week can cause your body to adapt to it and migth inder your progression.

The goal you might have with these exercises is to improve you PR for your 5K or 10K time, enabling you to get faster and faster. Being faster and enabling your body to cope with it will help you out on your long slow runs. Your lactic acid overload might not be as great as it was before and your threshold of pain and endurance will be hightened.

Once you mastered these techniques and can now run for an hour or more on your slow long runs, a 10K or a half marathon is well within your reach.

Experts:
Elite runners are a breed on their own. They usually have a running stride that looks like a work of art and also have a cardio that can sustain 15-20 km/hour run tempo. Not everybody can acheive this type of running pace and keep it for 2 hours or more.

If your at this level and are reading this, you've humored me enough to keep going and could potentially write an article on this web site about how you go about your training. Since Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi are not here to add some advice, I will risk myself and add my two cents to this level of running fitness.

First thing, and expert runner should be able to run in the zone 1 range all day long, barely breaking a sweat. These athletes are fine tuned running machines and have close to the same body fat as an average model on a cat walk. That said, the muscle mass is fine tuned and the heart is usually as big as a football :0).

I have one friend who's an ultrafit retired cyclist (retired from all out competition but still competes at the fun level) - I put him on my treadmill with a heart monitor and asked him to start running. When he reached my top speed that I could sustain for more than 5 minutes (11 km/h) - his heart rate was barely beating. He could run at this pace for hours, I could barely do it for 5 minutes.

That's the difference between joe runner and Meb Keflezighi, the ability to acheive a speed and endurance that boggles the mind, strains the body, and pounds the heart.

These people usually have trained since they were kids and benefit from coaches and proper climate atmospheres (high altitude training) to enable them to reach the next level. They also have a very strict meal regiment and cannot afford to indulge in life's simple pleasures (Beer - wine - cheese cake ...) without paying a hefty price performancew wise.

If you are an elite runner and would like to submit and article - please do so right here. I will be happy to put a link back to your website.

Anyways, I Got To Run.

Send this page to:

Author Bio
Remy-Marc Beauregard is a seasonned runner that gives advice on running, training and nutrition. www.gottorun.info

The Pros Of Home Workout DVD's

2009-07-13T11:13:00.000-07:00

There are many pros and cons to working out at home, and at one point you will probably have to decided whether you are a stay home workout person or a gym workout person. But let’s take a look to see why someone would want to workout at home.

It’s Convenient: At any moment of any part of the day, you can decided to workout, now it is probably better to have a set time that you usually workout at, but if some unexpected thing happens you can always switch it up a little. You also do not have to drive back and forth to the gym saving you time, because everybody loves their time.

Home workouts give you a sense of comfort: Many people feel uncomfortable about going to the gym, we all have insecurities, and that might just be insecurity for you. Workout at home will allow you to go through your routine without having people look at you, and if exercising at home helps you focus more on your workouts than that is what you should do.

No waiting: If you are part of a pretty big gym, you might not run into this problem, but there are a lot of people who go to local gyms that do not have the space or the quantity of machines to allow people to workout the way they want to. Have you ever want to use a workout machine but it seems like there are three other people trying to use it at the same time, well at home you do not have to worry about that, you can move to each part of your workout without disrupting your flow.

Zero monthly or joining fees: Everybody wants to save money; so many people do not like to pay monthly fees to a gym that they used to go to. Although starting up a home workout system might be expensive at first, in the long run it will still save you money.

You have options: With so many new and effective workout machines on the market, you can chose from so many different types of total gyms that can help sculpt your body into what you have always dreamed. Also, if you do not want to take up a whole room with equipment, there is tons of great home fitness DVDs that you can do right in your living room, and with a lot of these workout DVDs they bring you back to the basics, push-ups, chin-ups, lunges, crunches, and squats. So many people take those simple workouts for granite, but they are probably some of the best for you. Home fitness DVDs are also great because it is like have a personal trainer in your own house, they will show you how to do your workout correctly and what part of the body you are focusing on. DVDs are probably the cheapest way to go, but that does not mean they do not work, lately there has been some great routines coming from DVDs, that also provide you with nutrition guides and a workout guide.

Pilates - Home Workout Using Pilates

2009-07-13T10:40:00.000-07:00

If you want to get the workout of your life and the body of your dream, you are going to want to create a Pilates home gym in your home so that you can perform home Pilates whenever you please. Before you start home Pilates however, you are going to want to learn more about the Pilates exercise and what it has to offer you. Pilates has become incredibly popular around the world over the past decade, and is now recognized as being one of the most popular and effective exercise systems of all time. Pilates is an innovative system of mind-body exercises that evolved from the principles of a man named Joseph Pilates.

Along with helping you build muscle and lose weight, thus regaining your body tone, it also teaches you good posture, body awareness and balance. It also has been found to help alleviate minor health conditions such as muscular pains. Pilates training also improves your overall flexibility and agility. One of the greatest benefits of home Pilates is that you will receive a refreshing mind-body workout. Whereas some exercises only focus on you exercising your body, with home Pilates you are able to get the most complete workout ever. Pilates will help to get your mind in tune with your body, which is actually imperative if you want to not only lose that unwanted weight but keep it off. You can build strength without bulking up, which is very important to many people, especially women who want to work out and shape their body but not end up looking like a bodybuilder.

Another benefit of home Pilates is that it allows you to create an evenly conditioned body and prevent sports injuries. Therefore if you are an athlete you are really going to benefit from the Pilates exercises and your entire musculature will be evenly balanced and conditioned, which as a result will help you to enjoy daily activities and sports with greater ease and you will not have to worry so much about the possibility of injury.

Pilates training offers many benefits and is taught in many places around the world and probably some place near you. You can even learn Pilates in the privacy of your own home by finding some resources on line that will show you how to perform the Pilates movements in the comfort of your own Pilates home gym.

About the Author:James M. Crosswell is all about healthy distractions and an avid student of fitness programs including Home Pilates Training. He runs an informational webblog on all aspects of health and writes what he has found out at his blog www.HealthAnswersBlog.com

Help Yourself Lose 10 Pounds by Jogging

2009-07-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

For the vast majority of people, weight gain is a very slow, almost imperceptible process. Most of us are familiar with the experience of stepping on a scale and wondering just where, exactly, did those pounds come from? For most people, the weight comes from times in the past year where they indulged. What happens is that you indulge for a week or two (vacation, Christmas) and then go back to your normal lifestyle -- you do nothing to lose the weight. So these small weight gains stay with you and build up over time. For this reason almost anyone would love to lose 10 pounds at some point, and a great way to do so is by jogging.

Depending on who you talk to, jogging is considered the best exercise to lose weight. The reason is because the high intensity of jogging burns a lot of calories. If you're looking to lose 10 pounds, there are a lot worse things you could try than a half-hour jog a few times a week.

Jogging is also preferable for many people because it incorporates exercise in a more interesting way: trying to lose 10 pounds by going to the gym 3 times a week isn't a whole lot of fun. It will certainly feel like "work" as you count off the minutes of your workout. Jogging, on the other hand, requires nothing but a pair of shoes, and allows you to enjoy some scenery. One of the problems people face when trying to lose 10 pounds is incorporating exercise into their daily routines. Most of us are busy enough as it is, and can't find the time to go to the gym at scheduled intervals. If you're trying to lose 10 pounds, you'll find that jogging is a much more flexible activity - you don't have to drive to the gym: you can do it wherever and whenever you want.

While jogging is an excellent way to lose 10 pounds and increase your fitness level, you should keep in mind that it is harder on the body then a lot of other physical activities. Jogging involves lurching your full weight around repeatedly - this is precisely why it's such a good workout - and this can cause stress on the joints in your knees and feet. You should also keep in mind that jogging is an intense physical activity, so if you're starting from a very low level of fitness it may be a little too much, and you may want to work up to it.

As long as you keep the above in mind though, you'll find jogging an excellent way to lose 10 pounds. As an added bonus, jogging is recognized as one of the best ways to maintain weight as well, so you don't have to worry about a diet that gains all the weight back once it's stopped. And even though you may be jogging primarily to lose those 10 pounds, you'll also be doing wonders for the health of your heart and cardiovascular system.

About the Author:By Abbas Abedi-To make all aspect of life easier you might take a look at my blog Self Help

Weight Loss Supplements

2009-07-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

There are so many different weight loss supplementation on the market now. With so many of them claiming that they are the brand-new "wonder supplement" that is the answer to all your desires, you need to be too-careful. It's a jungle out there. In this article we will look at what to look out for, how to prefer a weight loss supplementation, and several of the good weight loss supplementation on the marketplace.

Because there is no administration regulation as to what goes into these weight loss dietetic supplements, sometimes the components numbered on the labels do not match the actual components used in the product. Ephedra, touted as a weight loss dieting supplement, was taken away from the mart after it was proved to cause seizures, (raiseincrease) blood pressure, and aggravate depression, chronic headaches and even cause death.

Guar gum and chitosan have been shown to be two very popular but inefficient weight loss dietary supplements. Consumption of these two diet supplements for weight loss is not encouraged anymore. Their long term results on the body are not made out since neither of them has been taken or proved for that in particular. Still, it has been demonstrated that they do not bring or assist dieters to reduce appetite or lose weight.St. John's Wart and green tea are reportedly helpful in weight loss. When used together with diet and workout both of these have evidenced to be working weight loss dietary supplementation.

These types of weight loss supplementation are really well-known among the masses, particularly among those people who wish to have a magical touch in their lifespan. But, not in all the cases, these types of products are good to use, particularly it may result important negative impact in long term and may induce harm to body quite a great extent.

Weight loss supplement parties accept that their products will not work without the support of calorie restriction and an increase in physical activity. Just hold! Before you kiss your weight loss ambitions goodbye forever, sentencing yourself to life in the fat jeans, READ ON! There is a means to attain long-term weight loss! Here it is, brace yourself- The winning, risk-free and effective way to achieve healthy weight loss is to eat a well-balanced diet and to participate in regular workout.That's it, folks. No fancy pill or yummy diet drink will get you the body of your dreams faster and more effectively than old fashion nutrition and exercise!

About the Author:Thomas writes articles and guides for people who want to lose weight. Take a look at newest Weight Loss Tips and Articles on my blog. Visit Weight Loss Supplements.

Yoga for Weight Loss

2009-07-13T10:28:00.000-07:00

Excess weight gain has become a phenomenon in today's age, when lifestyles have become sedentary, and food more liberal with extra calories. Today our children prefer T.V. over their friends and play, merely a reflection of their parents who also somewhere prefer T.V. over socializing or even over spending time with their children (if they spend some time surely some running around will help burn some calories). These are only a few factors, which have resulted in increasing amount of people with the problem of excess weight or obesity.

To lose weight, it is important to do so, not just by doing diets, or exercise programs, which are too tedious, which may yield results but which do not keep you that way. Sometimes after sudden loss of weight the skin sags making one feel worse. The best approach is to lose weight gradually and for good. Yoga offers a good solution to this problem. Yoga tones the body in a uniformed manner, unlike any “weight loss program" which claims to decrease your butts by this much inches and waist by this much, leading to side effects. Yoga can be practiced at any age to keep the body supple.

Yoga can be an excellent tool to boost self confidence among these individuals. Yoga provides a safe way for these individuals to communicate with their body and clear out the self destructive messages. Yoga creates a rich flow of prana (life energy) in the body which can be extremely beneficial if your weight loss campaign has been jeopardized due to lack of energy and motivation. Using yoga to loose weight has a few different poses including the Asana. They can be used for a part of the body that you choose to work on. Below are some of the Asana that you can use.

1. Asana for a tight stomach- use of the child's pose, wind releasing pose, abdominal lift, cobra pose, spinal twist, yogic seal pose, naval move position (lying on back), and boat pose are all a part of this asana.

2. Asana for the limbs - use of the upward dog pose, and the downward facing dog, tree pose, swinging lotus pose, hero pose, upward facing and downward facing bridge pose, squat and rise pose, and celibacy pose all help with the limbs.

3. Asana for making the chest tighter include the bat pose, triangle pose, and hero pose, wind releasing pose, cobra pose, spinal twist, lumbar wheel pose, upward facing dog, and the downward facing dog.

4. Asana for the firming of the hips and the thighs incorporate the triangle pose, sun salute, angle pose, butterfly pose, celibacy pose, hero pose I and II, advanced wind releasing pose, and upward facing dog pose, and downward facing dog.

Yoga Benefits :
• Parasympathetic Nervous System dominates
• Sub cortical regions of brain dominate
• Slow dynamic and static movements
• Normalization of muscle tone
• Low risk of injuring muscles and ligaments
• Low caloric consumption
• Effort is minimized, relaxed
• Energizing (breathing is natural or controlled)
• Balanced activity of opposing muscle groups
• Noncompetitive, process-oriented
• Awareness is internal (focus is on breath and the infinite)
• Limitless possibilities for growth in self-awareness

About the Author:
Read About Fast Weight Loss also Read about Yoga for Weight Loss and Abdominoplasty

The Most Important Benefits of the Acai Berry to Your Health

2009-07-09T07:28:00.001-07:00

By: Gen Wright

More and more people are becoming more conscious about their health. As a result, many are switching from eating the "Standard American Diet" to a healthier and balanced diet. A lot of them have also started taking supplements that are made with one of the newest and healthiest fruits, the acai berry. The acai berry is a small fruit from the rainforests of South America which is among the best fruits that offer high levels of antioxidants and other nutrients. Because of this, many health product manufacturers have used it for several products, encouraging more health-conscious people to take them. Acai berries offer three main benefits.

The first would be the benefits that it provides from the high levels of antioxidants that it has. Its antioxidant content has been compared to that of grapes and blueberries, which are some other good sources of antioxidants. The skin and the pulp of the acai berry has high content of anthocyanin, about thirty times more than that of grapes. Anthocyanin is an antioxidant which has been proven to be highly effective in fighting many types of cancer.

The second benefit of acai berries would be its ability to support and strengthen the immune system of the body. Because viral and bacterial infections have become so common today due to compromised immune systems of people, taking an acai berry supplement would definitely be a good way to have more resistance from illnesses and some diseases. If you do not get enough rest or sleep and if you are unable to eat a healthy and balanced diet, taking some amazon acai products could help you to be more protected from viruses, maintaining a good overall state of health.

The third benefit of taking an acai product or supplement would be its anti-inflammatory effects. This is why many people who suffer from arthritis, which is primarily caused by inflammation, choose to take an acai berry supplement to efficiently treat it. Acai Berries can also help in relieving the symptoms of numerous health conditions associated with inflammation such as gout. While there are still being numerous health studies being done on the amazon acai berry superfood, it is for certain that most people can get key health benefits from them. It is important that you get an acai berry supplement that is 100% organic and pure as this is key to getting all of the vital health benefits.Aside from these three main benefits, the acai berry has been used for many other purposes such as in weight loss and in the promotion of detoxification and cell renewal to improve the overall condition of the body. Try the acai berry today and experience a great way to feel better inside and out.

Too Many Books, Supplements and Programs

2009-07-09T07:13:00.000-07:00

by: Marc David

If I read 1 good valid murder mystery book, would I really want that to be the ONLY book on the subject? If my 8th grade history book was considered to be accurate by the majority would I really want to be limited to only knowing one author's thoughts on the subject? Or how about browsers and music players? Do I just want to use IE? It gets the job done well enough. So what's the difference between those analogies and fitness ebook, supplements and programs? Really there's no difference to me. Let me explain as I know there's a million web sites, book, supplements, and training programs. And for a beginner it's like: Where do I start?!When I first started off, there were a few major books on the subject (Arnold Encyclopedia) and of course the main muscle magazines. That is where I learned my information from. And locker room chat and so called friends. I was on the quest in the 10th grade to put on weight. A guy who was bigger then me gave me some golden advice. He said "Just eat everything man. Candy bars whatever." With that, I agreed that in order to get bigger and more muscular, I needed to eat. So at break, I ate an Snickers bar every day. Needless to say, I didn't get any bigger, I probably put on a tiny bit of fat and the dentist was happier. But when you don't have a lot of resources, it's pretty hard to judge. I look back on that memory fondly. With the power of the Internet and the people coming out of the woodwork as experts, now there's so much information, sometimes it's the same situation, only there's many voices. But I still like the fact that I have many choices. If a person was ONLY to read the Max-OT guide, would they be alright? I'd say they would be better off then nothing but, they wouldn't be a good, well-rounded fitness type. And I'm not making any negative judgments about Max-OT. I love that program! But think of the person who: Reads this message board for as much information as they can (conflicting or not) Buys eBooks and reads thru them to understand many perspectives Understand nutrition on a basic level as well as more advanced Knows of many training programs (can workout in a full gym or at home with nothing) Visits other sites to see videos of proper techniques Listens to advice in the gym but has a foundation to tell if the advice is accurate or base-less and knows of research outlets if it warrants further debate The person in the first example only reads 1 eBook. It's a great eBook and it's free. But it cannot possibly cover everything. While this person will do well, they won't be as versatile as the person who's read thru many books, posts and forums to really understand how the body works, nutrition and more importantly, how it will affect them and their goals. I remember asking people what they thought of this whole sport. The majority were disenchanted by the slew of supplements, the million training programs, the 500 ebooks on bodybuilding and the paper classics. It's like they wanted to know out of the 1 million resources, which ones were the ones they should read. And it better not be too many. But the problem with having somebody else choose for you obvious. And the problem with too few choices is obvious as well. Having so many choices is actually quite good. Many DB members who have read over the posts, visited the sites linked to and talked about and purchased the eBooks that get talked about often have a very well rounded knowledge base. They also start to see a lot of repetition. 6 meals a day is the way to go if you are on a weight gain or weight loss program. It just depends on what you eat for those 6 meals that determines the outcome. I look at my bookshelf and I see many fiction works and I see many books on supplements and vitamins. I look in my computer folders and I see well over 30 ebooks on fitness subjects. And I look in my supplement closet and see various programs and such. And I'm not confused. I like choices. I like different protein powders. Some shakes I love. Others give me an upset stomach. So having choices is good. And thru experience and time, I can pick and choose the best ones to suit my needs because after all the reading, the posting the debating with members, and just reading what people post, I get better and better at being able to pick out what will best work for me. Do not get discouraged when you walk into a supplement store and see 30 different types of bars. Nor should you get angry or upset when you go to various places and see yet another book on fitness. Having choices benefits you. And thru reading and learning and talking, you will figure out what is hype and what is real. One man's bullshit is another man's placebo to a 400 lb bench press. Keep learning and don't look for the ONE program or the ONE supplement or the ONE book that will tell you the golden truth. Fact is, if you only had 1 of everything, you'd be very limited in knowledge. Keep reading!

Marc David is a bodybuilder, writer, and author of the the e-book "The Beginner's Guide to Fitness and Bodybuilding" (BGFB): What Every Beginner Should Know but Probably Doesn't. Please visit his site at: http://www.beginning-bodybuilding.com

Lose the Love Handles - Burn the Fat

2009-07-09T07:11:00.000-07:00

by: Andrew Bicknell

Do you have love handles? You know, those roll�s of fat that just kind of hang above your hips. If they really are love handles why do we spend so much time, energy and money trying to make them go away? I guess love isn�t a good thing if it�s hanging over the sides of your pants.Getting rid of those inner tubes wrapped around your waist can almost be more hassle then its worth. With TV ads bombarding you daily with the latest Ab machine or pill that will magically melt the fat away from your midsection it�s hard to figure out what to do.And watching all those fit, 6-pack Ab bearing models pedaling those wares just adds to the confusion. Do you really think they got bodies that look that great just by simply using the �Ab Blaster Lounge� or taking a �Magic Fat Away� pill? No, they look like that because they exercise and eat right to get their bodies to look like that.Did you get that? People who are in shape and have great looking bodies get that way by exercising and eating a healthy diet. There is no other way around that. If you want to lose your love handles that�s exactly what you are going to have to do.You can do sit-ups, crunches, and any one of hundreds of other Ab specific exercises but until you start burning the fat you will never lose those love handles. They will just sit there, hiding a firm layer of hard muscle and no one will ever know you have a 6-pack hiding under there. Doing specific exercises for a specific area will not burn the fat from that area. You must exercise all of your muscle groups, particularly your biggest muscles like your legs, back and core muscles, for optimum fat burning.All the exercise in the world will not make those love handles go away if you do not change your dietary habits. Exercise is great for burning calories, which in turn burns the fat. If you continue to eat more calories then you burn off your body fat will stay the same or even increase, no matter how much exercising you do.If you truly want to lose your love handles here are the three minimum things you must do.

1. Diet - Your body needs protein, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals to function properly. A lean healthy diet will allow your body to metabolize its fat stores more efficiently.

2. Core Strengthening � Strengthening your core muscle group, abs, obliques, back, will give that firm toned midsection.

3. Cardio Training - The key to having great abs is burning more calories than you take in. Aerobic training combined with the tips above does just that. If you want to get rid of love handles then get up off the couch and go for a walk, take a bike ride, or play some hoops. Find something you like to do and keep doing it.If you give your body the food and exercise it needs it will respond in kind and the fat will burn away while the muscles become firm and tight, giving you the love handle free body you deserve.

For more information about how to Lose Your Love Handles Click Here.

Barefoot Running: Is It For You?

2009-07-09T06:04:00.000-07:00

by: Christine Dobrowolski, DPM

In an age of high priced athletic shoes and broken glass on streets, barefoot running is a rare sight. But, more coaches and trainers are turning to barefoot training for their runners and now recreational athletes, tired of expensive shoes and lower extremities injuries, are picking up on this new trend. It is actually not so new, as people have been running barefoot for hundreds of years. Zola Budd made barefoot running famous by breaking the womenâ€™s 5000 meter world record in 1984, running barefoot. So, why are we all paying high dollar for cloth and rubber to surround our feet? Are shoes the problem or the solution? Many are not in agreement about barefoot running and the debate between barefoot proponents, coaches, trainers, runners and podiatrists is in full swing. Proponents Barefoot proponents claim that the shod foot (foot enclosed in a shoe) becomes weak over time when it is constricted. They also claim that the body is unable to sense the ground and adapt appropriately. This inability to sense and adapt appropriately leads to injury. The body spends more energy when running in a shoe, than when running barefoot. Some runners claim that the few scratches on their feet were much less painful than the blisters they normally have to deal with after a half or full marathon. Research The scientific evidence supporting barefoot running is lacking. A few small studies have supported barefoot running. One study in the Internal Journal of Sports Medicine found that there is actually less impact on the feet while running barefoot because of the way the body adjusts to the impact. Another study found that the body uses about 4% more energy while running in shoes as compared to running barefoot. In underdeveloped countries with both shod and unshod feet, comparisons have shown a higher rate of injuries in the shod foot. Opposition Opponents donâ€™t find these studies convincing and claim that these studies were too small or not carried out properly. They point to the fact that the study in underdeveloped countries and point out that this tells us very little about injuries and performance in developed countries. Those opposing barefoot running do so for many reasons. Podiatrists, in general, are some of the more vocal in opposition to barefoot running. The biggest reason for opposition is foot protection. Puncture wounds are the greatest concern for those running without any protective shoe gear. Many podiatrists feel that blisters and injury are due to ill-fitting shoes, not all shoes. Many argue that since our ancestors did their walking and running barefoot, we should too. But, the surfaces we walk on today are much more rigid and less forgiving than the grass, dirt and even stone roads our ancestors walked on. Glass and metal shards are common on roads and were not a major concern even a few hundred years ago. There are different types of feet. Some people have very high arch feet and some people have very low arch feet. Some foot types may adapt well to barefoot running, but that doesnâ€™t mean all foot types will. The mechanics of the foot are extremely complicated. Individuals who overpronate (rotate in) and have a flexible and flat foot type, typically need a more supportive shoe and sometimes a custom made orthotic. Individuals with a very rigid, high arch foot type, place a tremendous amount of pressure on the outside of their feet and may need a shoe or insert to help even this pressure out. Both of these individuals would most likely end up with injuries if they attempted to run barefoot. The general rule is that if you arenâ€™t having any problems with injuries or performance in your current running shoes, donâ€™t change anything. If, on the other hand, your feet fall somewhere in between a high and a low arch and you have bought every expensive shoe and insert on the market, but continue to get injured, you might consider trying barefoot running. If barefoot running is something you would like to try, make sure to gradually work into it. Puncture wounds, scraps, cuts and bruises are likely unless you choose your surface wisely. Start on grass or a soft surface. Consider sand at the beach or even going to the track. Start gradually and slowly. A Word About Shoes An ill-fitting shoe can be the cause of many lower extremity injuries. A shoe can put your foot at the wrong angle to your knee and hip, leading to potential injury. A shoe that is too tight can cause blisters at the toes and toenail problems. A shoe that is too loose may lead to tendonitis or cause blistering at the heel. A shoe that is too flexible may contribute to the development of plantar fasciitis (heel and arch pain). A good shoe does not need to be expensive. When looking for a running shoe, make sure the midsole is supportive. Test this by grabbing the toe area and the heel area and try to bend the shoe in half. If it folds in the middle of the shoe, it is too flexible and will not support the foot. Make sure there is enough room at the toe box. Check the heel counter and make sure the heel counter is stiff enough to hold the heel in place to avoid blisters. Above all, make sure that the shoe is comfortable. Wear them around the house, on the carpet, before going out for a run. Summary There are probably a few individuals who could improve their performance and decrease their rate of injury by running barefoot. But, before you toss your shoes in the garbage can and head out for a run with naked feet, consider a better fitting shoe. Barefoot running is not recommended for individuals with a high arch, a very low arch, those who overpronate or those with diabetes. If you do decide to give barefoot running a try, choose the running surface carefully and be aware of puncture wounds.

Christine Dobrowolski is a podiatrist and the author of Those Aching Feet: Your Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment of Common Foot Problems. To learn more about Dr. Dobrowolski and her book visit SKI Publishing. To find products for feet visit Northcoast Footcare .

Beginner Yoga Class Checklist

2009-07-09T05:56:00.000-07:00

by: David Morgan

If you�re new to yoga, you might not know what to expect when you walk in the doors of a beginner�s yoga class for the first time. You might not even know how to start in choosing a beginner�s yoga class to attend. Here�s a �how to� checklist.

1. Nail down your goals and find the right style for you.Everyone comes to yoga for different reasons. Sometimes these differences are slight, other times they�re vast.For instance, are you interested in an intense physical workout to throbbing music, or are you on more of a spiritual path towards (quiet) enlightenment? Are you attracted to yoga because of its health benefits, and if so, is it physical or emotional health you are most interested in?Are you interested in the philosophy and rich traditions of yoga, or are you on the other extreme and wouldn�t be caught dead reciting a mantra?Whatever your personal needs and proclivities, there�s a yoga for you. If several flavors of yoga are offered in your area, do your research online or in the library to find which style would be the best fit for you.Once you know what it is you�re looking for, you can set some goals. Call the teacher of the beginner yoga class you�re considering and ask if your expectations are reasonable.

2. Choose a drop-in or series beginner yoga classA drop-in yoga class allows you to pay-as-you go. There will likely be some turnover week to week as to which students show up for class. The teacher is likely to keep this class on the mild side, because students will be at such differing ability levels.This may be just what you�re looking for if you just want a taste of yoga but don�t want to buy an expensive package of classes. This may also be a good choice for you if your schedule won�t allow you to attend a class every week. Keep in mind there are significant drawbacks.One, because the class is ongoing, you will never get to start at �the beginning.� You may be a little lost at first while you learn the culture of the class. Also, drop-in beginner yoga classes tend to be repetitive.A series yoga class is different in that you buy a set number of classes and each class builds on what you learned in the previous week. A good series class is repetitive only in that there is some review each time, but then the teacher introduces new material.You can learn much more much faster in a series class, but again there are drawbacks. First, if you miss a class it may be difficult to make up the material that you missed. Also, you will be asked to pay for the whole series up front.Take a look at your level of commitment, your schedule and your budget and decide whether a drop-in or a series class is better for your needs.

3. Make sure the teacher has adequate training.Yoga is now a significant contributor to sports injuries. This can be attributed to two things: students pushing themselves too hard for perfection and inadequate training of instructors.Don�t be shy in asking your potential instructor about their background. There are certifications for teaching �gym yoga� that an instructor can get in a long weekend. A three day training is just enough to make someone dangerous. That�s not to say that some of the people who start with such certifications don�t turn out to be excellent instructors by dedicating themselves to practice and increasing their knowledge over the course of months and years.There are of course people who teach yoga with no formal certification whatsoever, and though it might be difficult for these teachers to get liability insurance, there�s nothing illegal about it. Keep in mind that yoga is a spiritual tradition thousands of years old, and the idea of giving someone a certificate for learning a few poses and breathing techniques would have been an odd idea indeed even seventy years ago. It is one thing to wake up one morning and decide to teach yoga with little to no experience. It is quite another to teach after living for years under the tutelage of a master yogi who just doesn�t believe in certificates.As a general rule, seek out yoga teachers with at the very least 200 hours of training. In the United States there�s an organization called the Yoga Alliance that offers a registry of teachers who attended training programs that meet certain standards. Someone can have the Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) designation from the Yoga Alliance and still be a crummy teacher, but usually RYTs are a safe bet.

4. Look into additional costs of the yoga class.

Sometimes there are additional costs involved in taking a beginner�s yoga class besides the registration fee. You may need to buy your own yoga mat, strap, or other props, for instance. In some classes you may need to buy certain books for study or even special clothing of a certain color.

It is important to know what the related costs are up front so that you and your bank account won�t encounter any surprises later on.

I hope this checklist will help you find a beginner�s yoga class that�s right for you.

David Morgan is a Kripalu Yoga Teacher who offers Knoxville, TN yoga classes. Find out more about yoga for beginners on his web site and get a free relaxation recording by subscribing to his newsletter that covers yoga in Knoxville and the East Tennessee region.

7 Energizing Ways to Increase Metabolism

2009-07-09T05:52:00.000-07:00

by: Andrew Bicknell

Some days it just seems hard to get going. Trying to find that extra bit of energy to get you through your day but it just isn't there. The periods of low energy may not be what they seem. Sometimes just doing a few simple things will not only help your energy levels but it can increase your metabolism as well. And anyway you can increase your metabolism is a good thing.Here are 8 ways to help energize your days and increase your metabolism at the same time.

1. Get up and get out: Exercise is one of the most important energy boosters there is. Living the life of a couch potato lowers your energy levels. Your heart and lungs do not work as efficiently supplying less oxygen to the cells. Oxygen is a key component in cell metabolism and less oxygen means a slower metabolism. As your metabolism drops you burn fewer calories and gain weight. A slow metabolism will also cause you to feel fatigued and run down.Exercise can reverse this energy drain. It increases cardiovascular efficiency, pumping more blood through the body and therefore greater amounts of oxygen, increasing the metabolic efficiency of the cells and the body as a whole.

2. Boost your breakfast: Most people make the mistake of either not eating breakfast or if they do it consists of a big cup of coffee and some sort of sugar filled sweet roll. While it satisfies the taste buds its long term energy output is minimal. Once the caffeine wears off and your blood sugar drops you'll be ready for that midmorning nap.Eating a breakfast high in complex carbohydrates like whole grain cereal with skim milk and fruit will give you a long sustained energy source that keeps your metabolism at its optimum level well until lunch.

3.8 Hours in the sack: Nothing recharges the batteries like a good night sleep. Sleep is the time when the body renews and heals itself. The best way to get more sleep is to go to bed earlier. That might put a damper on your channel surfing but your metabolism will thank you. Here are 5 ways to help improve your sleep.
� Exercise regularly
� Get on a schedule and go to bed about the same time every night.
� Eat a high carbohydrate snack before bed.
� Don�t drink caffeinated drinks before bed.
� Avoid alcoholic beverages before bed. You will not sleep as soundly with alcohol in your system.

4. Know your prime energy time: Are you a morning person or an evening person. Your body's energy runs in cycles, with high energy and low energy periods. Make a note of your energy cycles, when they are high and when they are low. Plan your major tasks at your high energy times and you�ll breeze right through them.

5. Have fun: Do things that make you happy. Take the time to partake in activities that you enjoy everyday, if possible. It doesn't have to be the same thing everyday but taking the time to do something fun decreases stress and helps to motivate you.

6. Take a break: Taking a break from work every one and a half to two hours helps refresh our minds and bodies. If your mind starts to wander or you find yourself wishing to take a nap during work get up from your desk and take a walk and get some fresh air. Movement is your body's best friend and helps jump start your metabolism giving you the energy to get through the day.

7. Alcohol is a downer: Alcohol, as we all know, is a depressant. While it can make us loose our inhibitions, at the end of the night your reaction times are slowed and drowsiness takes hold. What you may not realize is the fatigue and slowed thinking will continue the next day. Even if you only have a beer or two a day you may notice a vast difference in your energy levels if you eliminate the alcohol.

By following these seven tips you can boost your energy and increase your metabolism and before you know it your fatigue and lack of motivation will be a thing of the past. And who knows, you may even burn a few extra calories and lose some weight.

Acai Berry Detox and How it Helps Reduce Fat

2009-07-08T10:16:00.000-07:00

There have been incidents where people have died due to obesity related heart attacks
. For quite some years, scientists worldwide have been baffled by the pristine health conditions of Brazilian natives. Research has shown that the berry of the Acai plant eaten by these natives plays a major role in keeping them trim and fit. Further studies have revealed that consuming Acai berry increases energy, helps aid weight loss, and may also help combat cancer.

Being an herbal product, Acai berry has no side effects on your health. It is no wonder, therefore, that doctors all over the world are prescribing Acai Berry Detox, made from the extracts of Acai berries, to help fight and get rid of excessive fat. Thanks to the junk food that we consume on a regular basis, our system gets full of toxic wastes. There are many websites that offer products of Acai berry, like Acai Berry Detox, but one should purchase them only from reputed sites.

There are some people who do not believe in the astonishing statements found in websites selling Acai berry products. Such people should know that these are not exaggerated statements but are verified facts that are backed by proper research and scientific studies. One should remember that Acai Berry Detox is not magic and it will not reduce your weight overnight. As with other such products, one needs to take these formulations on a regular basis to achieve effects. It is no wonder that celebrities like Oprah are mentioning about Acai berry products on their show.

Acai Berry Detox, made from the extracts of the Acai berry plant contains useful ingredients like phytosterols, amino acids, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants. All of them assist your body to burn fat efficiently and process food easier, thereby helping your body to function better. To kick start the metabolism process, one needs fatty acids that are not produced by our body. Acai berry also contains the medically recommended omega fatty acids that we find in foodstuffs like flaxseed, olive oil, and fish oil. While exercising helps to reduce fat, it is not particularly useful to remove the accumulated fats in our body. It is in such circumstances that Acai Berry Detox, powered by Acai berry, helps.

About the Author:To learn more about Acai Berry Detox and a free trial of Acai Berry Detox, check out our site at http://acaiberrydetoxpills.com
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The Clear Benefits of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

2009-07-08T10:09:00.000-07:00

FITNESS/PHYSICAL EXERCISE: THE MOST EFFECTIVE WORKOUT EVER

A definition far interval training Interval training involves performing short bouts of cardio activities of medium to high intensity seperated by short periods(intervals) of active recovery of dinstictly lower intensity e.g. sprinting for 20", jogging for 60"and this succession repeated for a number of times. We call it HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING or HIIT when the more intense part is executed at an intensity of not less than 85% of MHR(maximum heart rate). This means that in HIIT the intense part is executed above the anaerobic threshold. Interval training could be beneficial for everybody-including novices or obese people-since it can be tailored to suit their particular needs. Critical parameters that could be adjusted to suit individual needs: -duration of exercise bursts -duration of active recovery intervals -level of intensity for both phases -total duration of the HIIT workout Warning: HIIT is only for already fit people. This is really tough stuff! The indisputable benefits of HIIT

1.HIIT is time sparing and thus suitable for people with hectic lives.

2. HIIT is will not send you to grave from excessive boredom.Long,low intensity cardio will!

3. HIIT has been proven to raise the levels of the particularly beneficial human growth hormones.

4.HIIT will respect and spare your muscles.The way it is executed will keep the levels of catabolic cortisol under control.

5. HIIT will considerably increase your aerobic capacity with no particular stress to your heart.

6. Elevated heart rates will lead to burning of many calories during the workout.

7. The nice thing with HIIT is that you will burn many calories even at the rest periods because the heart rate remains quite elevated.And this happens while you rest and prepare for the next exercise burst! The oxygenation of your muscles will eliminate lactic acid and you will soon be ready to train anaerobically again. HIIT will permit you to train anaerobically for considerably more time than conventional cardio.

8. The even nicer thing is that HIIT will temporarily raise your metabolism( long term EPOC) and you will burn more calories while you are resting. Read about this afterburn phenomenon in my article: "Metabolism:increse it the natural way" You will find my beloved HIIT program if you follow the link in the beginning of this article.

Chris Strogilis

About the Author:http://maconwaterproofing.blogspot.com/ http://totalfitness-christos.blogspot.com/ http://steganosi.blogspot.com/

Effective Cardio Workouts In Only 20 Minutes

2009-07-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

The perfect workout routine is one that combines strength training
and some form of cardio. The problem is, most people hate doing cardio and will make up any excuse not to do it. A popular excuse is not having enough time. This article, however, will show you how you can spend only 20 minutes on a cardio workout and still reap the benefits.

So first of all, why is it necessary that you add cardio to your workouts ?

Most people understand the benefits of strength training because it adds muscle and muscle makes you healthier, more lean and stronger overall. But what are the benefits of cardio? Here is a short list that names just a few:

- it helps reduce stress
- it burns calories which leads to weight loss
- it makes your heart and lungs stronger
- it reduces your risk of certain diseases
- it reduces depression and increases confidence
- it gives you more energy and helps you sleep better

To sum it up, adding cardio to your workout improves your health and well-being which leads to a better quality of life. Combine this with strength training and you're on your way to feeling great, fast.

So how can you reap the benefits of cardio in only 20 minutes per workout? It's called Interval Training and it can be applied to many different forms of cardio including boxing, running and biking.

The concept in a nutshell is shorter workouts, but higher intensity. This is accomplished by pushing hard for say two minutes and then slowing down for two minutes. If you repeat this cycle four more times then you have your 20 minutes. You could also do one minute hard, one minute easy and then repeat this nine more times.

Here is an example:

Interval training is perfect for running. If you're working out on a treadmill or running outdoors, it's the same routine. Start out with a warm up jog followed by two minutes of a challenging pace. This won't be your all out because you have to maintain it for two minutes, but a pace that will be very hard for you. You then follow this with two minutes of either a walk or a very slow jog. Repeat four more times and you've got yourself an effective cardio workout in only 20 minutes.

This concept can be applied to many different forms of cardio: two minutes hard, two minutes easy, repeat four more times. Or one minute hard, one minute easy, repeat nine more times. You'll get your blood flowing, your heart pumping and reap all the benefits cardio has to offer...all in only 20 minutes.

About the Author:Ryan Cote is the owner of SimpleHealth123.com, a website supplying aging healthy products, resources and a free 4-day health course, and GetHealthyReport.com, home of the anti-aging report, Get Healthy!

Healthy Fat Loss: 5 Keys to a Successful Fat Loss Plan

2009-07-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

Obesity in America continues to spiral out of control. This has resulted in more and more interest in healthy fat loss plans. The problem, however, is that there are thousands of such plans claiming to help you lose fat and lose fat fast. Such claims make it a seemingly impossible task to determine which programs actually work. But, there are certain things you can look for in selecting a program. Here are five keys to successful weight loss:

1. Solid Science. First and foremost, a successful fat loss plan should be based on solid science. This doesn't mean that a successful program has to necessarily be at the forefront of weight-loss science, but its fundamentals must be based upon proven results. This can be as simple as a proven strategy for reducing calories, an effective workout routine, or the incorporation of new weight loss medicine into the program.

2. Fat Burning Diet. Any plan should include a diet component. Specifically, you should look for a plan that shows you how to follow a low calorie and high fiber diet. While a low-calorie diet may be obvious, you also want high fiber because recent studies have confirmed that a diet high in fiber tends to fill you up faster than a diet low in fiber. Therefore, when eating high fiber foods, you will become fuller faster.

3. Balanced Exercise Regimen. A successful weight loss plan must also incorporate a properly balanced exercise routine. Typical cardiovascular exercises, such as running, swimming, and bicycling, must be included to burn calories. But, equally important, is a strength training routine. This is critical because muscle burns calories at a much faster rate than fat. If you can successfully add muscle mass to your frame, then you will be burn more calories and accelerate your weight loss.

4. Clearly Defined Goals. Another key aspect you should look for is setting realistic goals. Without solid goals in mind, you are almost guaranteed failure in trying to lose weight. Not only should goals be results oriented, such as losing a certain amount of weight in a certain period of time, but also process oriented. For example, you would want one of your goals to focus on maintaining your planned diet for a certain period of time.

5. Support. A final key to healthy fat loss is proper motivation. While it is true that you are the only one who can properly motivate yourself to lose weight, there are certain tools you can be equipped with to achieve that motivation. Techniques like keeping a journal or losing weight with a group of friends can vastly improve the motivation you feel to lose weight.

Healthy fat loss is comprised of many different aspects. However, the key components include relying upon a solid scientific background, incorporating proper diet and exercise, planning with firm goals in mind, and utilizing proper motivational techniques. Each of these components and more are further described in the "7 Secrets to Fat Loss" guide. Simply click the link below for free access.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:Obtain your free copy of the "7 Secrets to Fat Loss" and begin a successful path to healthy fat loss now! Simply visit http://intenzathletix.com/fitness/fat-loss-secrets.html and you'll soon be the envy of everyone in town.

Fast Weight Loss Techniques

2009-07-08T09:49:00.000-07:00

Losing weight affects everyone differently. There are a lot of positive changes once a person experience weight loss. People who are overweight have a higher risk of have high levels of cholesterol in their blood stream as well as triglycerides (also known as blood fat).

Apart from avoiding health problems such as diabetes and even heart attacks, losing weight could simply be an overall feeling of well-being and self esteem,

There are many great benefits acquired from losing weight. Though losing weight is not easy, the long-term effects brought by it, would probably be of help to anyone considering shedding those unwanted and unhealthy pounds.

It is for this reason why many people are searching for fast weight loss techniques that will reduce those fats and get a super slim head turner body,

However, there are plenty of the fast weight-loss strategies that are guaranteed to backfire. This is because these quick fixes instilled in certain diet plans are, in reality, are not efficient at all, because they do not employ the right principle and the right attitude in losing weight.

These quick weight loss diet plans are known as fad diets because that is exactly what they are, just a fad. In time, when fashion is over and popularity wanes down, people realize that the diet they depended on is not so reliable after all, and they find they are back to square one, or even worse. Have gained weight!

Scientific research has shown that ��~rapid weight loss’ does not imply that any individual is losing unwanted excess fat. It is mostly water that is lost with following rapid weight loss practices. Water lost is regained very quickly. So there is actually zero net weight lost after all.

So one should not be foolish enough to be so gullible with the advertising of certain diet pills out there in the market; especially those which claim to aid losing a whopping amount of fat in a short time.

In many cases, they will only dehydrate the body. The body can only lose two pounds of fat per week, and one could be exceptionally lucky if he or she can lose three, but normally, it's just two.

Each and everyone's body metabolism reacts differently to different fast weight loss programs and plans Exercise program must be suitable to one's body, as others are not able to exercise as rigorously as others can.

If walking is all that can be done, then walk. For this is proven to be the best exercise. Muscles burn more calories than fats so it's also best to put on a little muscle and looking good too.

All in all, discipline and consistency is still the best practice and the key to a rapid weight loss success. Light dieting, workout, and right amount of supplementation applied in a regular way everyday will result in faster weight loss, than having a massive action only to be followed a return to old habits, as this would only lead to gaining more weight than when the weight loss plan has started.

Information contained in this article is not meant to replace professional advice. Always check with your physician before starting any weight loss or exercise program.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:For more information on Fast Weight Loss Techniques, diets and weight loss Alice Miller Fat and Weight Loss Guide at http://www.weightloss-secrete.com

Tags: health, weight-loss, fast weight loss techniques, weight loss, losing weight fast, how to lose weight quickly

Cardio Interval Training - Steps to a Healthy Heart

2009-07-08T09:45:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Public Health Service documented the chances of developing heart disease among various groups in a long-term study of the health of Americans. A long time before symptoms were found, epidemiological research identified high-risk groups. One of the highest risk factors are male, age over 35, cigarette smoker, high blood pressure, high levels of certain blood fats and family history for cardiovascular disorders. Other studies have shown that the compulsive, hard-driving, highly anxious personality can be added to the above list. The more items from the list someone has the greater the risk of heart disease. The treats listed above can be categorized into items that cannot be controlled such as age, sex and heredity and items that can be controlled or avoided. Having high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking cigarettes is considered a triple threat. If you smoke a pack a day then your risk of having a heart attack if doubled than a non-smoker. If you smoke, have high blood pressure and eat a diet high in fats then your risk is 5 times greater than a non-smoker.

The Healthy Heart

If these risk factors endanger the heart's health, what increase its well-being and improves its odds of working long and well? Obviously, quitting smoking and eating a low-fat diet will help. Next you will need to start some cardio interval training or a regular exercise routine. Your heart is a muscle or group of muscles so just as exercise strengthens your body cardio strengthens your heart. Since World War II, several large-scale statistical studies have Looked into the relationship between physical activity and heart disease. One well-known survey compared 31,000 drivers and conductors of some bus companies. The sedentary drivers had a significantly higher rate of heart disease than the conductors, who walked around the buses and climbed stairs to the upper level. The reasons for these statistics are best proven by the classic experiments with dogs. Their coronary arteries were surgically narrowed to resemble of humans with arteriosclerosis. The dogs that were exercised had much better blood flow than those that were inactive. The exercise seemed to stimulate the development of new connections between the altered and normal blood vessels. Dogs that were exercised had a better supply of blood to all the muscle tissue of the heart. The human heart reacts in the same way to provide blood to the portion of the heart that was damaged by the heart attack. For the damaged heart muscle to heal, the heart relies on new small blood vessels for what is called collateral circulation. These new branches on the arterial tress can develop long before a heart attack -- and can prevent a heart attack if the new network takes on enough of the function of the narrowed vessels.

What should be done in order to prevent such dilemmas? Some studies show that moderate exercise several times a week is more effective in building auxiliary pathways than vigorous exercise done twice as often. The general rule is that exercise helps reduce the risk of heart disease. Some researches proved the link between exercise and a healthy heart based from the findings that the people that did not exercise had a 49% greater risk of heart attack than the other people included in the study. The study attributed a third of that risk to sedentary lifestyle alone. When doing cardio interval training, you can absolutely expect positive results not only on areas that concerns your cardiovascular system but also on your overall health as well.

Accordingly, the benefits of participating in this kind of activity on a regular basis can bring you more results that you have ever expected.
These are:
1. The threats of heart attack are lessened, if not eliminated
2. Enhanced heart task
3. Increase metabolism, increase the chance of burning calories, therefore, assist you in losing weight
4. Improves lung capacity 5. Helps lessen or eliminate the cases of stress
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About the Author:James L is a 28 year old health and fitness nut. Ready to get off the couch and into shape?? Get more information on Cardio Interval Training, and how to have a healthy heart.

Tags: health, aerobics-cardio, cardio interval training, cardio training, healthy heart

Fat Burning: Aerobics is Not Enough

2009-07-08T09:40:00.000-07:00

Myth
When we aim at fat loss, aerobic exercise is the king!

Reality
Aerobic exercise is a proven fat burner. For optimum results,though, you should combine aerobic exercise with other forms of exercise such as: 1) Resistance training and mainly training with free weights. Resistance training will add muscle mass, which is beneficial for your basal metabolic rate since muscles are much more metabolically active than body fat. That said, there are people that seriously overestimate this additional, metabolic contribution of muscles.Exaggeration always harms!

Resistance training will also help to:
- increase strength
- improve body functionality, balance and posture
- increase bone density
- induce aesthetical enchancement of the body

Try to determine the weight that will let you do 8-10 repetitions with an impeccable style. Don’t buy into the myth of many repetitions for a higher definition! Definition has to do only with the body fat percentage and surely a big number of repetitions with light weights will not be the best investment for your time. For maximum fat loss, after you finish your weight training session and with depleted your glycogen stores you can involve into a moderate intensity aerobic activity for 20-30 min. 2) High Intensity Interval Training and preferably sprinting. HIIT is a very effective and muscle sparing form of exercise for maximum fat loss.Combine HIIT with resistance training or total bodyweight workouts. 3) Cicuit training with multifunctional total body involving exercises.

Try to include:
- exercises for the upper body: e.g. various types of push ups (including explosive or plyo push ups).
- exercises for the lower body: e.g. squats, lunges etc.
- exercises for core training: spiderman lunges,mountain climbers etc. You can compile a set with let's say six basic exercises. Perform them with no intervals and after a minimal interval at the end of the set just to catch your breath repeat them for 2-4 times.
- If you have limited time because of your multiple obligations.
- If for various reasons you dislike gyms - and if you cannot exercise outdoors… …total body workouts are ideal for you because they combine:
- aerobic and anaerobic training
- quick fat loss without a parallel loss of muscle tissue and potentially with some muscle gain. (Yes! Under circumstances you can attain these conflicting objectives simultaneously!)
- excellent investment for your valuable time
- ample variety to fight off the possibility of boredom
- the option to use your own home as a gym - considerable profits in terms of money and/or time.

Cyclical training with body workouts can give you always in combination with a discliplined nutrition a body envied by the most of the gym frequenters. BUT… …you need commitment, consistency, self motivation and self discipline, virtues owned by only a small minority. To close the subject: Fat loss and body composition improvement is a marathon and not a sprint race.

Take care: *Excessive zeal can lead to serious training injuries and a recoil on your progression *Consistency is the most critical parameter. Select routines according to your fitness level and your spare time and try to acquire a minimal theoretical background on the subject. This will permit you to know what exactly you are doing.

Chris Strogilis

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Tags: health, aerobics-cardio, fat loss, fat burning, fat reduction

How to Achieve Real Progress on Your Workout

2009-07-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

Why do you want to work out? This is the question you should ask yourself before you pick up a single dumbbell. Focusing on your fitness goals is like following a new year's resolution. You will be more successful if you set your objectives in line with your personal desires and priorities. For example, you may choose to work out in order to lose weight. That is perhaps the most common reason for working out. In such a case, you will become more motivated in your training the more you see your goals being achieved--through a shrinking waistline or a lower bathroom scale reading, perhaps.

There are many other reasons for you to work out--muscle increase, stamina, power, core strength, body shape, and overall health are some examples. You may even find yourself shifting from one goal to another, as your needs and priorities change.

In this article, I will focus on the fitness goal of muscle increase. That is my general objective. But to truly motivate myself, I need to set additional and more specific goals that can move me towards my objective. In the case of muscle increase, I set myself the goal of increasing my biceps size from 14 and a half inches to 15 and a half inches. It's a step, and it may not be a huge step, but it definitely brings me closer to my overall goal. The exact goal is something that will differ from case to case, depending on the individual. Anyway, I decided to purchase a pair of 35-pound dumbbells to use in curling exercises. Knowing what I wanted to achieve, I could tailor my training program to suit my requirements, and acquire the equipment necessary.

At the same time that I got the dumbbells, I purchased a 300-pound weight set for bench exercise. It's not that I regularly bench press 300 pounds, far from it. In fact, my current maximum press would be 180 pounds. I set an additional goal for myself--that I would be able to increase my maximum press to 200 pounds, a difference of 20 pounds. So why did I get a 300-pound set? Because I was looking ahead. I was certain I would reach my goal of 200 pounds, but when I did, the muscle gain may not be enough to satisfy me. I could foresee the day that I would be striving towards a 300-pound maximum. But I did not set that as my current goal, but chose to focus on a smaller measurable step.

That is a good approach to fitness training. Achieve your goals in a series of small measurable steps. Then you will be able to measure your progress and know when you are doing well and when you need to work harder. You will also be motivating yourself to keep training as you see progress happen slowly but surely. And your training progress will prove more effective when you set your sights on concrete goals instead of a single vague mission. That is something I learned the hard way. I got into fitness because I wanted to have a better body, but with no more specific goals and no way to concretely measure my progress, I lost spirit and ended up quitting. I have since learned my lesson and no longer have trouble motivating myself to keep working out. If you have trouble maintaining your fitness regime, I suggest you set yourself a number of clear, measurable goals, and that should keep you going.

J. Ducat invites you to check out more articles on Getting In Shape and Fitness Training at http://www.gettingfit.info

The A-B-Cs Of Weight Loss

2009-07-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

You can lose weight. No matter how ‘big' you are, you can look good again. But you really have to do something about it, not just talk. You must diet and engage in lots of exercise.The next time you are in a convenience store, be sure to pick up a book on fitness and weight loss. You can't miss it; they line up a whole section. With the tips and advice you get from them, there is no way you will remain overweight, especially if you adhere to the tips and advice.You can look the way you want to with a few needles. Yes, acupuncture is yet another procedure that is claimed to help people lose weight without going through too much physical stress. All they say is needed is to cultivate the habit of making your appointments with the therapist, and you are home free. But does acupuncture weight loss really work? Only those who have gotten lasting results can say for sure. You can lose weight by hypnosis. The hypnotist sits you down and programs you to eat less and exercise more, and you find yourself being able to do it. Previously you might have found it very difficult or even impossible, but it's possible.

There are a lot of things you can do to control your weight. In fact these days, you can do a lot of them sleeping. Like undergoing a surgery, for instance. Under the influence of an anesthetic, you will certainly be unconscious for the duration of the time that your surgeon is working on you to do away with your excess fat. But I don't recommend surgery because it shows a lack of discipline on your part to shed and control your weight. Weight loss can be caused by a reduction in your fat or lean mass. It may also result from illnesses like diabetes, or from the ingestion of certain medications. You must identify why this is happen to you, and then you must address it, or remain like that until something worse happens.High blood pressure is something that most overweight people have to deal with. This is coupled with being prone to heart conditions and even diabetes. To get rid of the problems, they must find a way to lose the heaviness in their bodies. The consequence of failure is an unhealthy life, or an untimely death.When you are in a state of negative energy balance in your body, you could lose weight. This is most obvious when you spend or burn more energy than you take in. the best thing to do then will be to review your own energy habits and revise them. Eat better food, work hard and work well, but don't overwork yourself.

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The Gold Medal Workout

2009-07-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

Everyone dreams of winning Olympic gold. Unfortunately, we can't give you a medal, but we've got a workout that will turn you into an athlete of your own design. That's right, you'll be faster, stronger and as ripped as a 100m runner. Here's your turbocharged training plan.

Train like an Olympian
Most training plans focus on achieving one goal and the solution calls for moving heavy weights regularly. This plan is a little different as it focuses on explosive speed and power, core strength and stability in movement. All three are necessary for athletic glory, and the benefits for you are an increased metabolism, improved balance and a rock-hard physique. Not only will your explosive speed and power improve exponentially, but you will be in more control of your body when moving at speed. Combine the athletes' workout on the next page with a decent warm-up routine (skipping for five to 10 minutes, or 10 minutes on the rowing machine) and some core exercises.

How to use this Workout

Begin each session with a proper warm-up and some core moves. Then do the exercises specified for each day as pairs, or supersets, moving from one exercise to the next without rest. Do each superset three times, resting 45 seconds between supersets. Wednesday is a rest day.

Superset 1
Push-up
Get into a push-up position and, while keeping your body rigid, bend your arms to lower yourself until your chest is just off the floor. Then push back up. Do as many reps as you can.

Pull-up
Grab a chin-up bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Hang with straight arms and pull your shoulder blades down. Pull your chest to the bar. Then slowly lower yourself. Aim for 10 reps.

Superset 2
Dumbbell Snatch
Bend your knees, and push your hips back while holding a dumbbell in one hand. Jump while thrusting the weight overhead. Land softly. Aim for five reps each arm.

Cable Single-arm Row
Grab the handle of a mid-pulley cable with your left hand, pulling your right arm back. Row the handle to your torso as you extend your right arm. Then slowly return your arms to the start. Do 10 reps each arm.

Superset 1
Dumbbell Squat
Hold a pair of dumbbells with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your hips and knees and lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Push back up. Do eight to 12 reps.

Stability-ball Leg Curl
Lie on the floor with your ankles on a stability ball. Raise your hips so your body forms a straight line. Pull the ball towards your butt with your legs. Then roll it back out. Do 12 reps.

Superset 2
Dumbbell Step-up
Holding dumbbells, lift one foot and place it on a bench. Then push your body up until your weight-bearing leg is straight. Do 10 reps with each leg.

Dumbbell Calf Raise
Hold a dumbbell in your left hand and stand on your left foot. Rest the instep of your right foot across the back of your left ankle. Hold onto something for balance. Rise on your toes as high as you can. Do 12 reps on each leg.

Superset 1
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
Lie face-up on an incline bench and hold a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip. Press the weights straight above your chest. Then lower them slowly. Do 10 reps.

Lat Pull-down
Grab the bar with an overhand grip. Keeping your head and back straight, pull your shoulder blades down and then pull the bar to your chest. Let the bar rise slowly. Do 10 reps.

Superset 2
Dumbbell Single-arm Overhead Press
Stand holding a dumbbell at shoulder height with your palm facing towards your body. Press the weight straight up. Do six to eight reps on each arm.

Dumbbell Single-arm Row
Hold a dumbbell in your right hand, and place your left hand and knee on a bench. Use your back muscles to pull the dumbbell up and back. Slowly lower. Do 10 reps each side.

Superset 1
Single-leg Squat
Stand on a bench and flex your right ankle so your toes point up. Bend your left knee and lower your body until your right heel touches the floor. Push up. Aim for five reps per leg.

Single-leg Leg Curl
Perform as you would the stability ball hamstring curl, but use one leg. Lift your left leg and bend your knee. With your right leg, pull the ball towards your butt and then push it back out. Aim for 10 reps each leg.

Superset 2
Dumbbell Side Lunge
Stand holding dumbbells at your sides. With your left leg, take a wide step directly to the left. Bend your left knee and push your hips back until your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Then push back up. Do 10 reps in each direction.

Unstable Jump Rope
Skip rope for 45 seconds on a cushiony surface, such as a stretching mat. The instability will help strengthen your ankles.

Article Tags: Lower Yourself, Then Push, Push Back, Overhand Grip, Reps Superset, Reps Each, Left Hand
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sandra Prior runs her own bodybuilding website at http://bodybuild.rr.nu/

3 Effective Tips To Lose Body Fat Fast

2009-07-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

If you want to lose body fat fast, then focus on exercising less then 1 hour a week. It may sound strange, but with proper weight loss program understanding you will not need as much workout time as you might think.

The fact is if you spend more than one hour each week on your physical fitness program to lose body fat, then you are spending far too much time. In order to melt away body fat fast, you must avoid all the misconceptions riddling the exercise fast loss industry. When it comes to exercise, it is more about what you do instead of how much you do.

It is unfortunate to see people who wish to lose body fat quickly become misled by incorrect information only to soon quit from frustration after a short week or two on a fat loss program. The reason being lack of weight loss results, too much invested time, and unrelenting daily effort. All this for no weight loss.

If you understand three very basic principles on how to lose body fat the simple way, then you will have a greater chance of success. Ignore the rest of the weight loss talk riddling the industry, and stick to these 3 core body fat loss principles below.

3 basic principles you must incorporate to lose body fat super fast.

1. Construct, on paper, your weight loss plan of attack prior to beginning the program.
Many people who want to lose fat fast simply rush in without an effective plan in place. Without a proven weight loss, and physical fitness program you are setting yourself up for failure before you even begin.

When devising your plan to lose body fat, it is important to include the following written out action items: a specific plan to reduce your caloric intake, writing out your goals, and scheduling workout times on your calendar.

2. Start a fitness, and food diary from the beginning.
For the best way to lose body fat I highly recommend keeping a journal of the foods you consume. It is important to become aware of what you are putting into your mouth. Most people drastically underestimate the number of calories they ingest each, and every day. By recording everything you eat you will soon discover exactly how many calories you actually are taking in, and exactly where you can effectively eliminate.

To lose body fat you must consistently reduce your caloric intake by 500 calories per day. Even if you don't exercise, you will still lose up to 1 pound of fat each week as a result of the 500 calorie per day deficit. By being physically active, you will burn off more calories which drastically speeds up the entire fat loss process.

It is critical to account for every calorie you consume. You must be aware of how many daily calories you are consuming. There are no free rides. It is much easier to reduce your caloric intake than trying to burn the calories off with fitness workouts. By working out you have to exercise a long time in order to burn a significant number of calories. Not introducing empty calories into your body is a much easier system for melting fat.
As far a your fitness exercise program is concerned, track your workout numbers also. How do you know what you have to do to progressively make workout gains if you don't know what you accomplished in the previous workout?

3. Incorporate strength training, and cardiovascular exercise into your weight loss regimen. Consistency is mandatory for success!

Please remember, you don't need to workout more than 1 hour each week. However, in order to lose body fat quickly you must have a workout program that consists of strength training, and cardiovascular exercise. Both effective components done consistently will burn body fat much faster than not incorporating both of them.

Your strength training workout sessions should be performed twice a week for around 15 minutes per session. You should be incorporating some type of cardiovascular fitness training 2 -3 times a week for a total of 30 short minutes. Due to the shorter physical fitness program duration, it is necessary to progressively increase workout intensity over time in order to lose body fat rapidly.

As mentioned in the first tip above, consistency is crucial when it comes to the best way to lose body fat. Make sure you schedule your fitness training sessions, and keep a close eye on each, and every calorie you put into your mouth.

If your goal is to lose body fat fast, then follow the three core principles above , and watch your fat quickly melt away.

Article Tags: Physical Fitness Program, Lose Body, Weight Loss, Each Week, Physical Fitness, Fitness Program
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Do you want to melt fat quickly? Simply follow proven fitness program secrets that consistently help people lose body fat fast.

Exercising the Body Keeps the Mind Strong As Well

2009-07-08T08:35:00.000-07:00

2 percent of people over 18 or one in four adults affected. The burden on health and productivity throughout the world has long been underestimated as the cost of caring for people with mental health disorders is expected to sky rocket as the population ages.
The World Health Organization reveals that mental illness accounts for over 15 percent of the burden of disease in established market economies. This is more than the disease burden caused by all cancers and by 2020 will be the second highest cause of death and disability in the world.

Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own full potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.

Vigorous physical exercise is the body's key method of staying healthy and is crucial to mental health and fitness as well. With each new study, experts are getting a better understanding of the intimate connection between the health of the body and the health of the mind. And physical exercise - the body's key method of staying healthy - appears to be crucial to mental health, too.

Most people's idea of fitness stops at the neck and we forget that the brain is the central processing unit for all body systems and should be kept as strong and fit as the rest of our body. Everyone knows that proper exercise benefits the body physically - stronger muscles and joints, weight control, disease risk reduction etc, but many are unaware of the use of exercise for mental well-being as it is far less widely reported.

However, as research grows, the importance of physical activity in both prevention and as a therapeutic measure for mental health problems is becoming better understood and acknowledged. Physical and mental ill-health usually occurs together and, by improving one, you can also improve the other.

Modern technology with cell- phones, faxes and computers have pushed people into being expected to multitask and work at a fast pace. People today can and do absorb more information in one day than our ancestors absorbed in an entire lifetime. With our mentality of moving quicker and constantly doing things people tend to forget that down time is needed and is vital to mental health.

The most beneficial and effective way of getting this down time to reduce stress and anxiety is a proper exercise program. This program needs to contain at least 60 percent strength training exercise that will bring literally dozens of additional health benefits as well as the down or "me" time that is needed to stay centered and calm mentally and emotionally.
This type of exercise will generate feelings of happiness, well-being and an increase in energy due to the chemicals released by the brain after exercise - the body's natural painkillers and feel good endorphins.

If you view exercise as a task or punishment you may need to change your mindset to view it as a pleasure and a function or tool to maintain wellness. Instead of saying no to an exercise program say no to something else that is not as important. This will ensure that you will not become one of those four people with mental health problems somewhere in your lifetime.

Article Tags: Mental Health

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Do you want to discover the secret to rejuvenating your body and improving the quality of your life? Download my free ebook "I've Found the Fountain of Youth- Let Me Show You Too!" here: Fountain of Youth For Free Fitness Report here Fitness Weight Loss Carolyn Hansen is a certified fitness expert and fitness center owner who coaches clients to look and feel younger.

Flat Stomach Exercises: Finally the Truth

2009-07-08T08:28:00.000-07:00

If you've ever seen a classical Greek statue of an athlete, you'll have noticed that one of the features is a flat, trim abdomen. This is because since ancient times, great abs have been treasured. Even today, a flat stomach with a "six-pack" is rare, and can make all the difference between a perfect physique and simply being big.

If you want to have an abdomen like that, there are three secrets you need to know. Each of these is like a leg of a stool. If one is missing, the whole endeavour won't work.

1) The first secret is the correct abdominal exercises. Unfortunately, most people are unaware of what these are, and waste a lot of time with useless exercises like sit-ups. The best ab exercises will target the stomach muscles incredibly well, and you only need a handful of them. Choose exercises that will flatten the region while giving attention to the lower abs, middle abs and upper abs if you want a 6-pack. You also need a couple of exercises to trim the sides of the waist (obliques) to get that narrow-waisted look. Using the correct technique is also vital; 15 repetitions using the proper method will give far better results than 150 repetitions where you cheat or just go through the motions.

2) The second secret is to get your body fat down. It doesn't matter how well developed your stomach muscles are - you still won't see them if they are covered in a layer of fat! This is why you get so many people who train the abs like crazy every day, but still have nothing to show for it. You attack the body fat problem through:a) correct nutrition, b) effective cardio training (which does not have to take a long time by the way), and c) special methods for boosting your metabolism (the rate at which you burn fat).Without this knowledge, you can certainly have strong stomach muscles, but they'll be invisible.

3) The third and final secret is that you should flatten the stomach from the inside too. Great abdominal muscles and low body fat are essential, but not enough. You see, if your abdomen is being pushed out by gas, constipation, bloating or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you will still look fat.

Fortunately, there are some little-known methods that can help tackle this issue. Diet, supplements and special breathing and massage techniques can all help to stop that gut from pressing outwards and spoiling your appearance.

Great abs are within anyone's reach, and once you've got them they needn't take a lot of work to maintain. I got myself from a size-40 waist to size-32, and I only work my abs once a week nowadays. They really are worth a king's ransom though, and are a must-have for anyone who really wants a perfect body.

Article Tags: Flat Stomach, Stomach Muscles

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Nick Hallale is a PhD in chemical engineering and taught for several years at the University of Manchester in England. He is the creator of The Apollo Program, a scientifically-designed system for developing the perfect physique of a classical Greek athlete.

Guidelines For Choosing The Right Weight Loss Program

2009-07-08T07:58:00.000-07:00

A great concern that people have today is loosing weight. It is very easy to put on weight and extra effort has to be put in to loose weight. There are many weight loss programs that are available in the market. One should choose judiciously to ensure that the weight that is lost is permanent and not a temporary feature. A balanced diet with regular exercise is the key to loosing weight.

The first thing that should be done is to check with the doctor before starting any weight loss program. The general advice given by doctors is to cut down on calories, eat a balanced diet and remain physically active everyday. A person's weight depends on factors such as: the food, the quantity of food, age and health of the individual, the physiological and genetic makeup of the person etc.

While choosing a weight loss program you should know about what foods you can eat, how much calories it will contain and how much physical activity will be available. Do not choose a program which does not have a change in the foods that are generally eaten by the person and when there is not increase in physical activity.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans includes eating five servings of fresh vegetables and fruits, consuming grains, having lean meat and using low fat or fat free diary products. This will lead to sensible eating habits.

The information you need to have about the weight loss program are:

* Whether the staff members have the right training, experience and credentials,* Whether information is provided about the risks involved in using the products and the services of the program,
* The cost of the program,
* How many people who enrolled really completed the program?* How much weight was lost?
* Were they successful in keeping off the weight for a year or longer?

You should be able to change your lifestyle and find out the factors that led to weight gain and incorporate changes in diet and exercise to improve the quality of life. This will improve your self esteem. You should also be aware of the health risks involved in weight loss.

Some people like to loose weight alone, while others function better in a group. Whichever method you choose you should loose weight gradually and keep it off permanently. This will be the best managing you weight.

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