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by Chung Leong Yu

There is nothing more desirable than getting a nice set of abs. Having a flat stomach often sets one a part from the normal and gets lots of attention. The problem is that not many people know how to get a flat abs. It is not really rocket science but you need to know a few rules to adhere before even talking about losing weight. What you are about read here are three surefire ways help you lose that gut and make you look really good! Ok, without waiting any further, let’s get into tips number one.

Do The Cardio

Yes, you read that clearly. In order for you to really burn that stubborn body fat, you need to get that cardio in. There is no way around it. You have probably heard it over and over again on the internet, from health magazines and also perhaps from your trainer. But whether you like it or not, doing your time on the treadmill does the job. Doing cardio can really help you burn body fat in a very short amount of time.

How Many Times a Week?

I know you wish I would say once a week but dream on! In order to get results, you need to do your cardio three times a week. But if you want fabulous results, you need to do your cardio for five times a week.

How Long Per Cardio Session?

I have seen a lot of people just do twenty minutes on the treadmill and they thought that they have done enough for the week. To really get the results that you want, you need to spend at least thirty to forty five minutes on the cardio machine of your choice. I know it sounds a long time but, if you want results, you got to do it.

The second tip for getting a flat stomach quickly is to do high intensity interval training or also known as HIIT. This sort of training is rather the opposite of the conventional way of dong cardio. Instead of doing continuous running, HIIT requires you to sprint for one minute and walk for another minute. When I say sprint, I mean really sprint. You must be totally drained out by the end of the working minute.

Even though the calorie stated on the machine is lesser than it would if you run slower for forty five minutes, the after burn the HIIT creates has tremendous calorie burning capabilities.

Never Skip The Weight Training! Here Is Why!

I sometimes hear a lot of people saying that they want to lose weight so they would just do cardio and not include weight training. They are dead wrong! Weight training is one of the only way to increase muscle in the body and also a fabulous way to speed up metabolism. Every pound of muscle you put on, you burn an additional 50 calories! Isn’t that great? This is because muscles are living tissues and it needs calories to sustain.

How Many Times of Pumping Iron?

In order to get some results, go for twice a week of weight training. If you have the luxury of time, do three weight training sessions a week.

Pack On Muscle On The Legs

This is the third tip. Packing on solid high quality muscle on the legs can really help burn body fat. The legs can carry lots of muscle due to its size compared to the others. Besides that, if you have stronger legs, you can do more cardio at a higher intensity which translate to more calorie burn!

Getting that dream body requires extra work. If it is easy, everybody on the street would have a lean sexy figure. Stick to your workout program and never give up!

Leong is a very experienced American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer. He has written countless articles on weight loss, exercise, diet and fitness that have helped many achieve their fitness goals. For limited time only, you can download his unique info packed Fat Loss E-Mag value at $90 for FREE!

FitnessDude :: May.10.2008 :: Weightloss, Fitness, Bodybuilding, Workout :: No Comments »

 by Chung Leong Yu

If you hate running because you cannot run a full five kilometer, you are going to love this article. This article here is to show you a guaranteed method to help you make that five kilometer run non-stop. Maybe it is your poor fitness level that is stopping you or maybe it is just to boring to run on the same spot for thirty minutes, this exciting technique can help you over come it.

Staggered Running Method

This is the first technique that I have used to hit the fifteen kilometer run mark on the treadmill years ago. It is a fabulous technique that can help you increase your fitness level and also decrease you boredom dramatically. Here how it goes. First, you need to run at a comfortable pace for two kilometers, comfortable meaning around 60 to 70 percent of your max heart rate.

Then, when you reached the 2 click mark, you walk for 200 meters. At the 2.3 kilometers, you start running again at 60 to 70 per cent max heart rate until 2.5 kilometers. Assuming the speed was 8.5 kilometers per hour, you would now run at 9.0 km/h until 2.7 kilometers. The at 2.7 up the speed to 9.5 or 10 km/h until 2.9 km and for the final 100 meters, sprint at speed of 11/km/h. The speed here might differ from others, depending on your fitness level.

Then on 3.0 kilometers, you would walk again and repeat the same sequence until 4 kilometers and then till 5 kilometers. You see, what I have done here is that I have created mini targets for you to hit. It is so much easier.

To Improve You Need To Overload

So let say you have used this workout routine and find it good and you have successfully hit the 5 kilometer mark consistently. What you should do now is to increase the difficulty level by either changing the speed or the total distance. Instead of 5 kilometers, try to go for 6.5 kilometers or 7 kilometers. Instead of running at 8.5 km/h then progress to 9.0 km/h, increase all the running speed by 0.5 to 9.0 km/h and then to 9.5 km/h. You can also eliminate the walking phase and substitute it with light run.

Use The Heart Rate Monitor

Another way that you can track your progress and monitor you exercise intensity accurately is to use a heart rate monitor. I love using heart rate monitors because it keeps my real time information on how I feel. Sometimes my legs feel tired and I keep telling myself that I am exhausted and need to stop. But with my heart rate monitor on, I cannot cheat myself!

Using a heart rate monitor also lets us know whether we are pushing our body too hard. In this staggered running method, the max heart rate you should got is about 85 % of max heart rate. To calculate your heart rate to maximize your fat burn, take 220 and minus it with your age, then, with that figure, minus it with your resting heart rate and we get figure X. We take figure X and multiply it with 70 % if you are aiming on exerting at that level and you get figure Y. Then, with figure Y, we add in back your resting heart rate and you get your targeted heart rate.

Use this running method at least 3 times a week. Consistency and determination will bring you the best results. Do not forget to include 5 minutes of stretching at the end to!

Leong is a very experienced American Council on Exercise certified personal trainer. He has written countless articles on weight loss, exercise, diet and fitness that have helped many achieve their fitness goals. For limited time only, you can download his unique info packed Fat Loss E-Mag value at $90 for FREE!

FitnessDude :: May.10.2008 :: Fitness, Workout :: No Comments »

By: Barry J McDonald

Weight is an increasing problem with almost all families in the US, while some are trying to shed a few pounds; others are fighting with a few tens of pounds. Loosing weight is never easy; it requires determination, planning and the will power to stick to the plan, which can prove extremely difficult.

So it’s understandable why the modern thinking about losing weight fast is all about starving yourself in order to lose weight. The problem with this thinking is that when you lose weight fast you slow your metabolism. When we skip meals or crash diet, our body is programmed to think it’s starving and slows down our metabolism again to conserve energy.

So if starving yourself is doing the opposite of what we want shouldn’t we just change our thinking and just eat more to lose more?

Here’s my suggestion for “More” eating…

Before I get into the eating more food suggestions, I also suggest you should drink more. Drinking at least 6 to 8 glasses of water everyday keeps your body refreshed. Since weight loss depends on how the body eliminates body wastes, your body must stay hydrated.

Eating breakfast everyday is a big part of losing weight. Eating breakfast increases your rest metabolic rate earlier in the day, and reduces snacking before lunch. In fact, this is what successful weight losers do. Eat less and you will burn less. Eat more and you will burn much more.

Eat more foods rich in fiber as this helps keep food moving through your bowels rather than piling up inside you. Eating sufficient fiber foods, like water, also add bulk to your meals and have you feeling fuller for longer.

Eat more fresh, raw, or canned vegetables with each meal. That means eating green leafy veggies, but no dressing!

Eat more citrus fruits such as berries these foods are rich in vitamins C and E, which will help cleanse and detoxify the liver making it work more efficiently. This will allow your body to easily eliminate fat and toxins that store in the body’s tissues. The idea is to release the old food and sugar addictions and give you body what it needs.

And finally eat your food “more” slowly, with each mouthful taking 30 seconds before you swallow. By eating like this you actually taste your food and this helps to stimulate the enzymes needed for digestion, so we absorb our food better. (The majority of us just throw our food without any thought.)

Eating fast without chewing food properly makes you eat more calories, because your stomach does not register how much food you actually consume. This is why you keep eating without feeling full and consuming extra calories.

Finally

Why not start preparing your own food - that way you know what you’re putting into your body. So why not pack lunch for work or start cooking in advance for 3 days - example, make a huge bowl of soup on Sunday with a chicken or a bacon bone and lots of veggies and store it in the fridge. This way you’ve got good healthy convenience food at hand rather than a calorie laden substitute that you should avoid.

Visit www.EscapeFromFat.com now and discover why most doctors and so-called diet gurus and fitness experts are either lying or don’t know what they’re talking about when it comes to how to lose weight and keep it off successfully!

FitnessDude :: Apr.30.2008 :: Workout :: No Comments »

By: Janet Somer

If there is one equipment you should not miss in your training, it is the stability ball. The market comes up with new training tools every now and then. Yet you are not sure if they do work and if they are safe. So for one that is guaranteed to work, use the stability ball.

What Is a Stability Ball?

This is a large and inflatable ball used as an exercise equipment. Despite being air-filled, it is generally heavy-duty and capable to hold 600 to 700 pounds of weight. It is comfortable and gives good support. It perfectly suits the trainee as it easily goes with the structure of the body.

This exercise tool is also sometimes called as the physioball or the Swiss Ball.

The good thing about using the stability ball is it reduces the perception of ‘working’ in training, especially for beginners. It gives some element of ‘play’ as you get rough with the training. It adds some fun and excitement as you advance in the movements and techniques.

Another good point with the ball is that it can be used by anybody. No fitness level is required. It is very portable and light weight, easy to bring along even when traveling. It is also inexpensive compared to other exercise equipment and it could last for a very long time.

How Stability Balls Came About?

The use of the stability balls for training can be traced in rehabilitation. As early as the 1900’s, physical therapists have been using balls in addressing the neurological disorders of their patients.

Then, in the early 1960’s, Aquilino Cosani, an Italian toy maker, made the ball and sold it, known then as the ‘Gymnastik.’ Two decades after, Cosani came up with a company called Gymnic and became the major supplier of the stability ball to most rehabilitation programs and centers.

The ball then shifted from the rehabilitation to the athletic area, in the 90’s. It was used to condition the body of professional athletes. From then on, the ball became very prominent in the fitness community.

At present medical specialists and fitness professionals very much recommend the use of the stability ball by the public. It serves more than solving physical problems. It is good in preventing you from having one.

What Are the Benefits of Using a Stability Ball?

The stability ball definitely is best to improve the strength of the abs and the lower-backs. It improves as well the functional strength, balance and flexibility of the body.

1. Proper Alignment
Using the ball during training will test the body to make use of the different parts to maintain the proper balance. The dynamic movements during exercise will improve the natural motor reflexes of the body as different muscles are utilized in movement, especially the ones that are not usually used. The challenge posed by the ball is to maintain balance. As one aims to get the proper balance, the alignment of the body parts is also improved.

2. Great Abs
For people working out to achieve great abs, this ball can definitely target the abdominal areas. The abs and the back muscles are simultaneously moved as you work in your balance. Just imagine the good feeling of having a flat stomach area and you will definitely love this ball.

3. Muscle Strength and Endurance
The stability ball can help in alleviating any back pain and preventing one in the future. As all the major muscle groups are exercised, the muscle tone, strength and endurance are also improved. Thus it gives the body flexibility, stability and resistance.

4. Core Stability
This concerns the major muscles that helps stabilize and support all of the body movements. This is made up of back and the deep abdominal muscles. With the ball, no matter how ‘deep’ or ‘into the core’ these muscles are, they are still exercised. This is something only the stability ball can guarantee.

5. Stretching
The ball is a good companion during stretching exercises. With this, you can easily move into and move out of different stretching positions.

6. Losing Weight
Of course, with all the good benefits of using the ball, you will not miss out on the aspect of losing weight. With regular exercises and trainings done with the stability ball, a person can lose some unwanted pounds as the body is firmed.

Health is definitely your most important asset. So do your regular exercises and maintain a healthy diet. Furthermore, have a happy and fun training with the stability ball.

If you want more treadmill workouts tips, visit www.treadmilluse.com to read about treadmill exercises.

FitnessDude :: Apr.29.2008 :: Fitness, Workout :: No Comments »

By: Ian Kuro

Whether you’re a woman or man, in order to get a perfect abs, you have to first lose belly fat. Without losing the extra belly fat, there is no way that your abs will show no matter how many exercises you do.

The most effective way of bring out those six pack abs is to diet. It is through a proper and balanced diet that you can lose that extra belly fat. And you can also make use of proper dieting habit that you can keep up your metabolism and your body a fat burning machine.

Combining exercise with diet will also shorten the time needed to burn fat and gain muscle. If you want a six pack abs that is well toned and nicely shaped then you would have to do exercises.

Exercise helps to build muscle mass and having more muscle mass will also increase metabolism. This is so because muscles require more energy to maintain as well as to effect a movement. Thus, the process of exercise itself will help to burn fat and gain muscle. Doing exercises regularly and consistently will keep up your metabolism so that your body is a natural fat burning machine.

You should do exercises that target different parts of your body. Fat burning is an overall body effort, spot training only on your abs will not reduce the fat around your mid section although it helps to build and tone your abs muscles.

So what exercises burn fat on the abs? Some basic abs exercises that you can do for different part of your body are biceps and triceps curls, leg extensions, squats, bench presses, and crunches for your abs. Personally I prefer resistance trainings and I interlace it with aerobic exercises on my off days.

Resistance training helps to build muscle mass faster and improve your strength while aerobic trainings like running, biking or swimming helps to build cardiovascular endurance as well as to burn fat.

However, if you have joint problem then it is not advisable to do too much high impact aerobic exercises. One of the best alternatives is swimming. Swimming works out different part of your body and has no impact on your joints.

When you are doing resistance training, do 4 to 5 sets of 10 repetitions for each type of exercises but you should space out your training. That is, train different part of the body on different days. For example, train your limbs on one day and then on your abs, chest and back on another day. Give your body time to rest and recover, you can train every alternate day.

The effectiveness of abs exercises is whether you do them in the right form. It is more important than how heavy you are able to lift or how many repetitions you can do. If the form is not right you may also get yourself injured.

Now that you’ve learn the basic principles to get the perfect abs, are you interested to learn the scientifically proven 21 individualized abdominal training that will help you accelerate your route to getting those picture-perfect 6 pack abs in 56 days or less? Visit www.absworkoutsecrets.com now. Ian Kuro is the creator and founder of ABsolute Workouts where he provides valuable tips and resources on how to get lean and muscular six packs. Visit www.absworkoutsecrets.com for your free workout plans now.

FitnessDude :: Apr.29.2008 :: Fitness, Workout :: No Comments »

By: Corwin Brown

Many of us have to train in the late afternoon or evening after work, and there is a tendency to eat more heavily during the day when you’re anticipating a late ride or run. However, most of these workouts are 60-90 minutes in length, so you really don’t need a huge amount of fuel for them. Try to avoid overcompensating with calories during the day, have your last big meal 2-3 hours before training and small (200-250 calorie) snack in the hour before training.

Start the workout a little hungrier than normal, and consume 120-240 calories per hour of carbohydrate (30-60 grams) during the workout. You’ll tend to eat less during the workout than you normally overcompensated with prior to it, but you’ll still have the energy to complete a quality workout.
A whole body exercise is most effective in lowering your body fat percentage. These types of exercises include barbell lifts and dumbbell swings and snatches. Cardio training and interval training can also help by accelerating your body’s metabolism.
An effective interval training workout would be to sprint for 30 seconds before slow jogging for 1 minute, and then repeating this process for around 10 minutes. It is highly effective for boosting your body metabolism.
Reduce your overall salt, sugar and simple carbohydrate intake. They’re just bad altogether Drink water regularly. Eat smaller portions more often throughout the day.

You can have the Ripped! Workout for an incredible price. It can cost hundreds of dollars to join a gym, and chances are it will not give you the opportunity to burn calories and build muscle so quickly. With the Ripped! Workout you can do the workout in the comfort of your own home and after only 3 to 4 weeks you will be in the best shape of your life - guaranteed.

The secret to getting ripped abs is extremely simple. I know this first hand because I have done it. Don’t waste your money on all this trendy crap….Even though what I am about to tell you is pretty trendy. Eat a bowl of special K cereal (or similar) for breakfast and lunch. Maybe ad a banana and orange to it at lunch.

Sit down on a sit-up board and hook your feet under the strap. With your knees slightly bent, put your hands behind your head and your chin on your chest. Twist your upper body to the right. Retaining this position, inhale and lower your torso down until your lower back touches the board. Return to the starting position and exhale. Now twist your upper body to the left and repeat the same movement. A movement to the right and left is considered one repetition.

Proper nutrition is the key to fat loss. No matter how much or hard you train, you’ll never get visible abs if you live on crisps, sodas, fast food, cookies and other crap. Don’t fall for any of the low carb, low fat, high protein and other fad diets. Instead, eat a healthy and well balanced diet that includes various food groups - carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins and minerals.

Resistance training not only sculpts your body but is important for building muscles. Like interval training, it raises your post workout metabolism so your body continues to burn calories even when you are doing nothing. Aim for low rep resistance training, i.e. 8 reps per exercise, as it has been shown to boost metabolism after the workout.

Read about Herbal Remedies, Natural Remedies. Also read about Breast Enlargement and Breast Enhancement and Pregnancy Information Guide

FitnessDude :: Apr.28.2008 :: Fitness, Bodybuilding, Workout :: No Comments »

By: Paul Elms

If you want to get the most out of your elliptical workouts, it’s important that you add some variety and ensure that the environment is optimal. That way you’ll get the most out of these superb machines.

Benefits of Ellipticals

Ellipticals have a number of benefits over other types of cardiovascular exercise equipment. They work the upper body as well as the lower body, which allows more muscle groups to be used. They are also low impact. This means they are suitable for all ages and fitness levels and can be used by those that are recovering from injury.

Adding Variety to Elliptical Workouts

One of the main reasons for people abandoning their exercise program is that they get bored. You can easily add some variety to your workout in a number of ways. First make sure that you use some of the different programs that are within your onboard computer. These can simulate interval-training, hills etc. Many cross trainers have the ability to go backwards (reverse), so do use this facility. Reverse is also a useful way to exercise different muscle groups.

In manual mode you can vary the speed of your workouts rather than just cruising at a uniform speed. Try going fast for one whole minute then slowing right down for the next minute and alternating this for 15-20 minutes. Remember to set yourself some goals. This is the best way to stay on track with your exercise program

Comfort

Don’t underestimate the importance of having a comfortable place to work out in. If you have your gear set up in a cold, draughty garage are you really going to want to start using it at 6.30 am in the morning?

Make sure that the temperature is comfortable and that a fan is on hand in case you get particularly hot. Some of the more modern ellipticals have fans built into the console, which is a feature worth getting if you are thinking of buying a new model. You are likely to be sweating if you are working out properly, so bring a water bottle and also a hand towel.

Ellipticals are fun pieces of equipment that are suitable for beginners right through to professional athletes. By adding a little variety and comfort to your elliptical workouts, you can continue to get benefits from using these machines for many years to come.

Discover which are the best space saver ellipticals at www.my-elliptical-trainer.com. You’ll also discover the latest on Trimline ellipticals.

FitnessDude :: Apr.28.2008 :: Fitness Equipment, Workout :: No Comments »

Throughout the years, the quest to achieve a healthier body, mind and spirit has extended to the kind of exercise equipment you use. Why drag yourself to the local gym for a workout when you can bring the same convenience and results of Bally’s or Gold’s Gym to the comforts of your own home? A treadmill makes a great addition to a household, one that the entire family can get use from. It not only gets the heart pumping, tones and strengthens the body, but also is a great tool for weight loss.

Different Types of Treadmills

There are several different kinds of treadmills to choose from on the market. Numerous brands and manufacturers are available, providing a wide range of convenient features for your treadmill experience. There are also a variety of price tags that allows almost anyone, regardless of budget to save up for a home treadmill. Some used treadmill options can cost about $50, while a newer inexpensive model may cost between $85-$100. The higher-end treadmill brands (often loaded with advanced features) cost well over $1000.

While a commercial treadmill is mostly used for doctor offices and heavy-duty gyms, it often has a motor with higher power capacity than a treadmill marketed for home use. Commercial treadmills also weigh a considerable amount more than a home treadmill and are not created for easy storage. Many home treadmill options can fold so they do not take up as much space in a house setting.

Sometimes the reason why you want a treadmill will influence a purchase. If you plan on doing a lot of intense running or cross training, you may want to select a treadmill with higher speed options. Usually, frequent runners choose a treadmill that can reach speeds of 10mph. There are treadmill models that also offer an incline feature. An 8% to 10% incline is suggested for those looking to get into better shape.

Would you rather have a manual or a motorized treadmill? Manual treadmill selections are light and don’t cost as much. Easy storage is also a plus with this option. The friction from your feet upon a running belt turns the rollers of the machine. The more popular motorized treadmill option provides a better overall workout. This is because consumers can adjust the speed of the belt to encourage walking, jogging or running. This is usually accomplished through the tap of a digital control pad.

What To Look For In a Treadmill Purchase

Over the years, treadmill choices have evolved into an all-inclusive health monitoring system, featuring some of the latest technology regarding exercise equipment. Depending on your budget and exercise needs, you may test for the following features: durability, ease of use, adequate foot rails, nice-sized belt, cushioned handrails, quality of motor, easily understandable control pad, present and customizable workout programs. Many treadmill options also offer convenient extras, such as trays, stands and holder for water bottles or sweat towels.

Health Benefits

Besides lowering cholesterol levels, increasing heart health, toning muscles, improving circulation and maintaining weight, the treadmill also boosts the immune system to better fight off infection and germs. Pregnant women can get the exercise they need through a slow walk. Senior citizens can increase bone mass and muscles through several different treadmill workouts. A home treadmill can also help with in-home therapies and rehabbing body parts.

Treadmill Maintenance

To ensure the shelf life of your treadmill, you should keep your machine dirt- and dust-free. A treadmill should be wiped clean of dirt once a week with the help of a damp cloth. Consumers should vacuum the dirt and dust that tends to accumulate between the frame and the belt. Make it a practice to adjust and align the treadmill belt. If a fuse has blown, make sure a proper replacement is used. Oil squeaky treadmill parts for optimal performance. If you keep up on the maintenance of your treadmill and you will have an efficient machine that will stand the test of time.

Jon is a computer engineer who maintains many websites to pass along his knowledge, experience, information, and findings. You can read more about Home Treadmills at his web site at http://www.treadmill-insider.com/   Article Source: Free Article Directory - http://www.articleManiac.com Search And Submit Articles

FitnessDude :: Apr.27.2008 :: Fitness Equipment, Weightloss, Fitness, Workout :: No Comments »

The fastest way to look muscular is to get lean. People with average muscle mass look great if they are cut. But nothing looks better than seeing the clean lines of hard muscle. The number one most popular fitness goal is chiseled abs, but really everything looks better when you’re ripped. Here’s how to do it. First, let’s define “ripped” in realistic terms. Anything at or less than 20% body fat will show definition very nicely. Doctors consider anything from 14-20% to be in the healthy range. But if you want abs to show through you have to be below 14%. I can tell you from experience the average, not obese person is between 25-30%, with fairly serious regular lifters in the 18-23% range, and serious ones in the 12-17% range. The real point here is that 5% one way or the other is a lot. Here’s why: a 200 lb guy with 25% body fat has 50 lbs of fat. To get down to 20% body fat he must lose 13 lbs of ALL fat. Now he weighs 187 lbs with 37 lbs of fat. If this 13 lb loss is half fat and half muscle your fat percent is still 23%. So as you can see a 5% body fat reduction is hard to come by, unless you are losing ONLY FAT. There’s the million dollar question. How do you lose only fat? Answer:

Very, very slowly.

They say you can lose two lbs a week of fat, without losing muscle mass. They are wrong. Millionaires with dieticians and chefs can. You and I can’t. Unless you are either a millionaire or a professional body builder your goal is a pound of fat a week. Now there are many who will tell you that you can cut in 6-8 weeks, and they are right. Just be prepared to lose 50/50 fat to muscle, and to only eat 1000-1300 calories a day. No thanks.

The healthy correct way is to drop 500 calories a day from your current intake. Have as many of these 500 calories as possible come from processed carbs and sugars. Spread your remaining calorie intake evenly through the day (though a higher percent in the AM verses the PM speeds up fat loss) and finally a slow release (not whey, but milk, egg or soy) protein shake an hour before bed. This results in a 2% body fat loss. In 3 months your muscle mass will be the same and your body fat percent will have dropped enough to show it off!

Steve R. Robbins is a life long fitness enthusiast. He has the distinction of being in the select group who can say they ran a marathon and bench pressed twice their weight on the same day. At the age of 50. He is a regular contributer to www.MuscleandHealth.org

FitnessDude :: Feb.05.2008 :: Nutrition, Weightloss, Health, Fitness, Workout :: No Comments »

Wouldn’t it be great if there were shortcuts when it comes to losing weight? Well, I’m hear to tell you that there are indeed shortcut techniques for fat loss and they don’t involve surgery or starving yourself.

I know how hard it can be on a diet, it all starts off ok for the first few weeks, then bored kicks in and you go back to your old ways. This can cause a constant state of yo-yo dieting which isn’t healthy for the body. It can be very hard staying motivated when trying to lose fat, I’m confident if you use the techniques I’m going to explain below you will see faster results and stay motivated!

There are a few little known tips and tricks to dieting that make it much easier to lose weight. It can be annoying seeing people making the same mistakes over and over when trying to shift the pounds. I’m hoping that some of you will get some benefit out of these methods. These methods can help you only if you are burning more calories than you are consuming in each day. The best thing to do is to find out how many calories you need to maintain your weight, then reduce this by 500 calories per day to lose weight. Once you are going, use the following techniques to speed up your progress…

The best thing I have found that really speeds up my progress goes by a name called “substrate utilisation”, it’s a big word but not difficult to master. When you exercise at a rate of 60% of your maximum heart rate your body will use your fat as energy, this can only happen at a low intensity and when you have fasted for at least 6 hours. Obviously the ideal and best time to do this is first thing in the morning, go for a brisk 45 minute walk before breakfast, do this 2 or 3 times a week and after a while you will really see the difference.

Carbohydrates can be our enemy when on a diet but they can also be our friend. Carbs play a vital role in how the bodies metabolism is functioning. When we limit the number of carbs, our metabolism will start to drop drastically in order to preserve calories (the body thinks it’s starving!). This will be fat burning to a halt - not what we want. In order to keep the metabolism and fat burning running at maximum level it’s best to cycle carbs during the week.

Cutting the number of meals we eat is the worst thing to do when trying to lose weight. This will only cause the body to lower it’s metabolism and go into starvation mode. The best thing to do, is only cut the portion size rather than the number of meals. In fact, it would be best to increase the number of meals you eat. This will keep fat burning at it’s highest potential which is exactly what we want!

You know, there are ways to make losing weight MUCH easier… Stop Wasting Your Time With Diets That Don’t Work - This Weight Loss Program is popular for a reason!

FitnessDude :: Feb.05.2008 :: Weightloss, Health, Fitness, Workout :: No Comments »

Regular physical exercise is an absolute must for a healthy metabolism. Exercise is also an effective strategy for weight control because it causes a favourable shift in body composition, increasing muscle mass and decreasing body fat. The greater your muscle mass, the greater your fat-burning capacity. When you diet to lose weight, most of the reduction comes from loss of water. In addition, dieting lowers your basal metabolic rate (BMR). In other words, your body slows down to compensate for the reduced caloric intake, thus keeping your weight basically the same. Exercise has been shown to compensate for a reduced BMR due to caloric restriction, and it helps your body lower your set point, the weight to which your body naturally returns. Here are some tips to help you develop an exercise program.

1. Make It Fun

If you like what you are doing, you have a better chance of sticking with it. Find a workout buddy and plan to exercise together. For example, you and your neighbours might enjoy taking brisk walks early in the morning or in the evening.

2. Stay Motivated

If you are goal-oriented, set realistic targets for your exercise – more laps, more lifts and keep track of how you are doing. Reward yourself when you reach your goal. Vary your routine to avoid boredom. Read exercise books or magazines for tips on getting the most out of your program and learning other exercise strategies.

3. Exercise Regularly

You need to commit to your exercise plan. Exercise at least three times a week throughout the year. Some people find it easier to exercise every day, so that it becomes a habit. With strength-training exercise, however, it is recommended taking a day off to allow your body to recover.

4. Recognize Exercise

You need to recognize the importance of physical exercise. Make regular exercise a top priority in your life.

5. Give Yourself Time To Exercise

To do you the most good, exercise must cause an increase in your heart rate and must be sustained for a minimum of twenty minutes. It is recommended that exercising in this way three times a week is usually enough to provide you with benefits. In fact, more frequent exercise of longer duration is even better. Aerobic exercise-movement that increases utilization of oxygen includes walking briskly, jogging, bicycling, cross-country skiing, swimming, aerobic dance, and racquet sports. Strength-training exercise, such as lifting weights, is just as critical to long-term weight control as aerobic exercise because it is able to build muscle mass.

6. Before Starting, Consult Your Physician

This is especially important if you are over forty years of age. Suddenly launching into vigorous exercise when you are not used to it can cause dangerous strain on your heart. Regardless of your age, before exercising see a physician if you are a smoker of if your have known heart disease, high blood pressure, or irregular heartbeat. Consult a doctor if you become breathless with moderate exertion or if you experience pain or pressure in your chest, arm, teeth, jaw, or neck during exercise.

7. Monitor Exercise Intensity

This is determined by measuring your heart rate (beats per minute). To check your pulse, put your index and middle fingers on the opposite wrist or on your neck just below the jaw. Count the number of beats in twenty seconds and multiply by three. This is your resting heart rate per minute. Your goal should be to increase your heart rate to within the appropriate training rate range for the duration of aerobic exercise (say twenty minutes). The training rate depends on your age. To determine your rate range, subtract your age from 185 to get the top of the range, and subtract another twenty to determine the bottom range. Thus a forty-year-old would have a target training heart rate of 125 to 145 beats per minute. Do not exceed the higher figure in this range.
Raymond Lee is one of the foremost experts in the health and fitness industry specializing in body health, muscle development and dieting. He is currently the author of the latest edition of “Neck Exercises and Workouts.” Visit http://www.bodyfixes.com for more information.

FitnessDude :: Feb.05.2008 :: Health, Fitness, Workout :: No Comments »

“May I know how long does it take for my muscles to grow visibly?” Well, as a professional fitness personal trainer, I get variations of this question from almost every new client.

So how can I answer that question because there are also many variable factors like for instance, if you are fat, you can’t see your muscle growth unless you take the fat off or what is being visible is subjective from person to person.

For the hardgainers (people who have difficulty in gaining weight), gaining weight or muscles can be very a difficult and tedious process without professional help. For the genetically endowed, muscle growth can be very fast while some others may make only little progress or even no improvement at all (the latter being lack of muscle building education).

Therefore, if you are wondering how long does it take to grow muscles, then I must be forthright with you and tell you that there is just no direct answer.

However, the good news is that if you eat and exercise correctly, your muscles will definitely grow, even for hardgainers.

Unknown to many people, muscles do not grow in a linear process but in a series of spurts and as such, no matter how hard you workout your muscles and how much you eat, your muscles will probably not grow at predictable pace. I know that this fact will surprise many people.

There are many more reasons influencing your muscle growth and not everyone will build muscles at the same rate even if they are working out with the same weight, exercises and eating the same food.

Some people are genetically predisposed to growing muscles and will see amazing results after only just a few months. We all know that the Mesomorphs (sporty body frame) will grow muscles faster than the Ectomorphs (slender body frame).

Your rate of muscle growth will also depend largely on how close you are to the upper limit of what you are naturally capable of in terms of growing muscle mass. This phenomenon is known as the adaptation ceiling.

What this means is that closer you are to this upper adaptation limit, the slower your muscle will grow. To put it in simpler terms, someone who has been working out with weights for a few years will grow muscles much more slowly than a novice who is new to weight lifting.

Another fact is that it is not uncommon for people to gain body fat when they are growing muscles. The amount of fat you gain will depend on how much you eat, what you eat and also on how lean you were when you first started to fuel your muscle growth with what you eat. Eating to propel muscle growth is commonly referred to as “overfeeding”.

Numerous studies have shown that during a period of overfeeding, you will gain more muscle and less fat if you are the lean body type. During the cutting phase to get rid of body fat to show muscle definition, it is known that fatter people tend to lose more fat and less muscle when they cut, but the leaner ones will find it harder to lose fat without losing muscle.

Why does this happen? Well, it could be merely be psychological.

Take for example when you have worked very hard to get your well defined six-pack abs, then you will not want to put the fat on again and obscure your hard earned abs and thus you may be reluctant to eat the amount of food necessary to gain significant muscle growth. Make sense?

Another reason could be hormonal imbalances as some studies do show a correlation between low body fat and low testosterone (male hormone) levels. If your testosterone is low, it is also difficult for you to grow muscle mass.

So how long does it take to see muscle growth will depend very much on your genes and many other factors besides merely exercising with the proper workouts and eating correctly.

Chris Chew is a celebrity fitness personal trainer and author of “Burn Fat Build Muscles Fast” system. More articles at his websites Online Gym Instructor Courses and Gain Or Lose Weight With Self Hypnotism

FitnessDude :: Feb.04.2008 :: Health, Fitness, Bodybuilding, Workout :: No Comments »

There is a connection between stress and weight gain. And there’s also a lot you can do to minimize the negative effects of that connection. How does all this work? When you’re under stress your body naturally secretes cortisol. Does that term sound familiar? You may have seen commercials on TV about cortisol and the link between stress and weight gain.

Cortisol is an important hormone produced by the adrenal glands. Stress certainly isn’t the only reason cortisol is secreted into your bloodstream. But it’s often called the “stress hormone” because it is secreted in higher levels during your body’s “fight or flight” response to stress.

As you know, many events trigger a stress response in your body. You may find yourself stressed out because of silly work antics, a disagreeable co-worker, high workloads, a fender-bender, an unexpected illness or other dangers, and the list goes on and on. All these cause your body to react by releasing huge amounts of energy. Your metabolism begins to shift and your blood flow changes.

Although small increases of cortisol have some positive effects on your body, higher and more prolonged levels have been linked to negative effects. Chronic stress results in these higher and prolonged levels of cortisol. And one of the negative effects is weight gain.

Yes; stress and weight gain go hand-in-hand. How does the weight gain occur?

First off, negative effects of higher and prolonged levels of cortisol include suppression of the thyroid function and blood sugar imbalances. How your body functions has changed and now abdominal fat is being created and stored. This is one of the most dangerous places for fat to be stored and is linked to various serious health problems. Just how much cortisol is secreted varies from person to person. Studies have also shown people who secrete higher levels in response to stress also tend to eat more food. And the food they choose is typically higher in carbohydrates.

In addition, stress has been known to slow the metabolism in some people. Of course, when this happens it is easier and far more likely that you’ll gain weight. You may even feel full but still find yourself hungry. You may also be eating the same amount of food but now your body’s efficiency in breaking down the calories is impacted. You end up with an “excess” of energy (from the calories) which is converted to fat cells.

Back to the food: Stress can also affect the foods you crave. When you feel sad and depressed you’re more likely to reach for foods higher in fat, salt, and sugar content. Eating a salad just doesn’t make you feel any better so instead, you reach for the ice cream and potato chips.

Besides the unhealthy cravings, stress can also create emotional eating disorders. The change in cortisol raises the nervous energy stored in the body. When this happens it seems natural to eat anything and everything you can get your hands on. You don’t need the excess amount of food but devouring it makes you feel better; at least in your mind.

One of the best actions you can take to break (or at least minimize) the connection between stress and weight gain is to manage your stress. Specifically, you can keep cortisol levels healthy and under control by relaxing. That’s right. After a stress episode where the “fight or flight” response was triggered, you must relax. Take a 10-minute nap, exercise, meditate, get a massage, yoga, breathing exercises, or a multitude of fun activities to give your body the chance it needs to recover.

Finally, a healthy lifestyle will do wonders. Surround yourself with fruits and vegetables for snacking. Make time for a sit-down home-cooked meal instead of opting for the fast food drive-through. Change your mental programming on how you respond to daily stressful episodes. Break the connection between stress and weight gain by taking charge of your body, mind, and your stress levels.

More stress relief ideas plus natural treatments for depression. Find help at http://www.StressAndDepressionAnswers.com on stress, anxiety and depression topics.

FitnessDude :: Feb.04.2008 :: Weightloss, Health, Blogroll, Workout :: No Comments »

No Curls Allowed!! Want to know the secret to building tremendous biceps and rip your triceps and shoulders to shreds? If you think the answer is 10 sets of curls 3 times per week you may learn why your arms have peaked.

Bicep curls and tricep extensions are isolation exercises. Although these could be useful towards the end of a workout you need to be doing compound exercises if you want to build the big guns.

You can always add the curls later on but focus your energy on compound exercises early on in the workout and reap the rewards tremendous arms.

If you are currently starting your workouts with curls try this instead…

Squats: 5 sets, 5 reps
Deadlift: 4 sets, 6-8 reps

Justin is an ISSA certified Personal trainer and founder of Flexible Fitness. Please visit the Official Flexible Fitness webpage to learn why you need a Personal Trainer today. http://www.LIFlexibleFitness.com

FitnessDude :: Feb.04.2008 :: Workout :: No Comments »

Do you want to lose 10 pounds in 10 days? You can do it easily and without starving yourself by following these simple diet tips: 1. Cut your calorie intake by 500 calories - You can go online and find a calorie chart and figure out how many calories you need each day based upon your gender, age, lifestyle and frame. Cut the calories by 500 and stick to it. Make sure that you count the calories of all the foods and drinks that form part of your daily diet

2. Cut simple carbohydrates from your diet -These include all sweets such as cookies and cakes. They do nothing for you but absorb very quickly into your bloodstream and turn to fat.

3. Substitute water for all of your other drinks - Watching what you drink is crucial to weight loss. Many people consume tons of calories each day just by what they drink. Sugar laden colas and sodas offer you no nutritional value but stick around and end up as fat on your belly, buttocks and thighs. Substitute water, that has no calories, no carbohydrates and will raise your metabolism

4. Eat breakfast - Speaking of metabolism, eat a good breakfast every morning. Eat a hard boiled egg or some other protein based food. This will give you an energy boost to start the day and enable your body to burn off calories quicker. When your metabolism slows down, you burn fewer calories. This is why starvation diets fail. Boost your metabolism and allow those calories to come off naturally

5. Substitute protein for snacks during the day -You may think that the candy bar that you eat at 3 p.m. gives you a boost of energy, and it does. But it is a temporary boost and gives you fat, sugar and no nutrition. Instead of a candy bar, have something that contains protein which will raise your metabolism.

Raising your metabolism is key to losing weight. You can do this by eating breakfast, making sure that you get enough protein and drinking a lot of water. Eliminating simple carbohydrates is another crucial element towards dieting. If you follow the above plan, you will lose 10 pounds in 10 days.

Have you had enough? Are you ready to do something about it? Change your thinking and you can change your body. Your Weight Loss success story can start today! More information on easy weight loss and more is available at http://www.easyweightlosscoach.com

FitnessDude :: Feb.03.2008 :: Weightloss, Health, Fitness, Workout :: No Comments »