Bike riding is one of those sports that anyone can enjoy and the benefits are almost limitless. Lots of people ride a bike just as a means of transport, whilst others include cycling heavily in their fitness regime. Generally speaking the type of cycling you do will affect how your muscles will adapt. Cycling for long periods of time, but at reasonably low force, will encourage your muscles to build slow-twitch fibers and improve their endurance levels. Conversely, it is powerful fast-twitch fibres that are built when your riding style is of high intensity but over shorter periods of time. But which are the muscles that are demanded the most of when riding.

Quadriceps (thighs). Without doubt the muscles that produce most of the force when cycling are the quadriceps. These muscles work to extend the knee joint and provide a downward force on the pedals, which is then passed onto the crank. Racing bikes in fact are designed to locate the quads directly over the crack so that maximum efficiency is achieved. The quad muscles thankfully adapt quite quickly to exercise, which is lucky as bike riding forces them to work at quite a rapid rate.

Gastrocnemius (calf muscles). Although the calf muscles are much smaller than the quadriceps, they still do and important job of transferring power to the pedals.When the leg is straightened by the quadricep muscles, there is still a percentage of power that can be gained by flexing the calf muscles and pointing the toes downwards. Pinarello make pedals that dynamically pivot to squeeze every last bit of power juice from the calf muscles.

Hamstrings. It may be the thigh muscles that provide most of the forward momentum when riding, but in order to flex the legs and prime them for the next downward push, it is the hamstrings that do the work. This doesn’t require much force on a standard bike as the rotation of the pedals pushes the leg up but when you use cycling shoes that clip to the pedals, a large amount of additional force can be generated by these muscles in the upward movement

Ketlebell injury happens frequently: it is a lot more common than you think.

These secrets are not often touted in the overwhelmingly common pages of hype that kettlebell “experts” employ to try to sell these overpriced lumps of iron, but read any workout forum and it is easy to come across countless posts where people complain about elbow tendinitis, strained wrists and fingers, excessive blisters, damaged shoulders et cetera. And what do the overwhelming majority of of these desperate questions have in common? They are all written by folks who mis-used and obsessively used the recent workout fad: the humble kettlebell.

Kettlebell injury is not limited to people obsessed with kettlebells

Yes, kettlebell culture is a cult. It’s over and over again on the internet, both by kettlebell instructors and by whistleblowers on this set of facts. But all joking aside, preventable injuries are no joke.

Because workouts with kettlebells are a mostly modern development, most of the troubles with kettlebells are only now being talked about. In years to come, embarrassing facts that coaches who teach kettlebells would rather you didn’t find out anything about will undoubtedly be revealed, and the weight training community will benefit. It is obvious that kettlebells versus dumbbells is info you should have.

Elbow soreness may result from injuries from kettlebells

Most kettlebellers religiously perform the kettlebell snatch. It’s a great full-body exercise which combines muscular endurance and full body conditioning with some strength work. But it engenders serious problems: it is rough on your elbow.

The right way to perform the snatch with a kettlebell without experiencing a hyperextension of your wrist is to rotate the kettlebell you’re using around so it crashes into the lower part of your arm (gently enough to get away without bruises). But this rough torque will, over time, wreak havoc with the elbow joints. Snatches performed for high reps are a ready recipe for kettlebell injury.

Many weight trainer use a barbell to execute the snatch. It’s a safer exercise in this manner, and it makes itself perfect to the development of power, contrasted to the kettlebell snatch that is mostly a cardio workout.

Some folks like to do a single armed snatch with a single dumbbell. This power exercise is similar to the kettlebell snatch, however it is much easier for your elbows and it doesn’t cause blisters either.

Severe kettlebell injury often strikes your wrist joints

Any pressing exercise is hard on the wrists when kettlebells are used. Wrists often get hurt by kettlebell injury in the long run, because the handle causes your wrist to get hyperextended by the speed of the exercise.

The best way around this sort of kettlebell injury is to either reduce your reps, or to do away altogether with pressing moves like pressing overhead, kettlebell jerks, and push pressing.

If the wrists are hurting you as a result of kettlebell overuse, switch from kettlebells to dumbbells. There is not a thing you can do using kettlebells that you can’t do using dumbbells.

How do I treat kettlebell injury?

The best thing you should do is to avoid aggravating the injury. What this means for is is to rest the area until the strain or injury is no longer bothering you. Obviously, you have no way to ensure that, after a period of rest and recovery, the injury won’t become a problem once more.

To keep the soreness, you should about stopping working out with your primitive kettlebells and adopting a modern day dumbbell workout. Dumbbells offer just as many conditioning benefits of kettlebells but they feature the ability to be adjusted and a design that is better for comfort.

If you suffered a kettlebell injury, or maybe if you are just interested in the latest news about kettlebell injuries, do not delay. Check out the informative report from bulking up.

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Are you interested in losing weight? If you are, you may be in the process of developing a weight loss plan for yourself. For many individuals, a weight loss plan is a guide that they can follow and one that may help to give them incentive. If this is your first time creating a weight loss plan for yourself, it is essential that you place a focus on working out, as working out is important component of weight loss.

Cardio training is essential when you need to make health improvements. For starters, it is best to do 30 to 45 minutes of exercises, 3 to 5 days a week. If you are aiming for weight loss, the training needs to be done 5 days a week. The more frequent you do it; the more likely it is that you will lose weight. However, avoid exhausting yourself too much in exercise. Avoid exercising more than 45 minutes. Remember, it has to be done on a regular basis. Chest workouts are great too, check out this link for the Best Chest Workout.

Training should starts only once every two to three days. What isexcellent about this is that there is time spared during rest days so that you can include a few cardio exercise sessions instead of relying on cardio exercises you normally do at the end of every work out session.

Even if you don’t think you have the time to exercise, trust me that there is always time. If you need to, use the time that you would normally spend sleeping. With working out, you’ll in fact need less sleep than previously.

When it comes to losing weight, there is no such thing as magic. Commitment and perseverance are what you need.

The stability ball can aid in relieving any back discomfort and [spin]prevent it in the future. As all the big muscle groups are exercised, the muscle tone, strength and endurance are also helped. Thus it gives the body flexibility, stability and resistance. It can also be a major help in getting 8 Pack Abs.

Don’t go without sleep. According to studies, those of us who have just 4 hours of rest a night have slower metabolism than people who spend 8-hours sleep.

Increase water intake. Water flushes out toxins that are produced whenever the body burns fat. Majority of bodily functions involves water, and lack of water causes the body system’s operations to decrease its speed, and produces unneeded stress as a result.

There are many critical vitamins that you body needs to function right and it is possible to take these in the form of a vitamin supplement. The majority of people do not have a balanced diet and they may be missing specific vitamins which means that they require a vitamin supplement to make sure that they do not have a shortage of an crucial vitamin.

Following these weight loss tips will help you get into great shape.

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Many people conceive building muscles as abandoning life outside the gym and spending hours in the gym like a monk in a monastery. Perhaps the only way to change your body into a hot muscular physique is by working hour by hour over the rusty iron day in, day out and year in, year out.

It doesn’t have to be like that, you only need to spend about an hour working out 3 days a week. Three hours out of 168 really isn’t that much.

Recent studies have shown that more people are getting overweight every year. This happens not only to adults but even to kids who have just started school. This makes it more important than ever not only to get active yourself but to encourage those around you to exercise more.

Instead of lowering your calorie intake by solely lowering the amount of foods that you eat, you can use workouts to your advantage. By exercising, you burn off calories. If you have a specific weight loss goal, like one that involves getting rid of at least twenty pounds, you may want to focus on fun exercises or workouts, but also ones that get rid of the most the most calories. Adding exercise to your weight loss plan is a natural and a healthy way to lose weight. It will also be a big help for people trying to get 8 pack abs

Another benefit you can expect more energy and better endurance after some time of regular cardio or weight training.

Many gyms offer cheap membership fees, it is more that worth it to pick up a membership. Generally, the longer you get a membership for the better deal you get so if you are planning on getting a membership with a gym or fitness center you might want to consider getting a full years membership. You can also try purchasing home workout equipment so you only pay once any you can workout whenever you want right at home. Another option is just to go out jogging around the neighborhood, this won’t cost you anything.

The quantity of muscle a person has is a very big factor in their ability to burn calories and get rid of fat. So it goes without saying that exercise is essential. Increase strength and resistance by working out at least twice a week, if possible with weights. For a great muscle building workout check out the Upper Chest Workout. Do easy exercises in between workouts. Simple tasks like walking the dog and using the stairs in place of the elevator can already lower calories.

Choosing weight management goals for yourself can be a great motivator. Gradual weight loss, for those people who want to shed off some extra weight, is usually the safest.

If there is one piece of gear you should not forget about in your training new training
tools every once in a while. 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.

Stretching activities can also be performed while training. In fact, Stretching is an important part of any training or sport. It must be completed first before anything else. Stretching your body and limbs is good preparation for a more difficult activity.

Really, there aremany ways for you to get fit the natural way. You just need to know the different resources that you have. After some time, you will feel the difference between the commercial diet solutions and the natural way. It is because eventually, you will become perfectly fit while staying healthy.

While exercise is a important part of losing weight, it is critical that you don’t overdo it, particullarly if you haven’t had a regular exercise plan. Running on the treadmill for three hours, instead of thirty minutes, could help lower your calorie intake, but, at the same time, it may also get you in the hospital.

The bottom line is that physical fitness and exercise should not have to be a rigid activity and should not come off strong. Your exercise routine can be as small as a brisk nightly neighborhood walk, walking the dog, or even using the stairs instead of the elevator. The important thing is that you keep on moving. Every little bit really helps a lot.

So get out there, get active and become healthier.

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Here are a few tips to help you lose weight, get into shape and live a healthier life.

Diet plans all over can help you shed off extra pounds, and get that 8 pack but only one diet can help you keep them off, and it is the one that lets you eat what you like most. Other critical aspects of having a good diet are moderation, balance and variation. Dieters need to be careful not to leave out essential nutrients and other substances necessaryfor healthy body functioning.

Cardio fitness is essential when you need to make health improvements. For starters, it is most effective to do 30 to 45 minutes of exercises, 3 to 5 days a week. If you are trying for weight loss, the training must be done 5 days a week. The more often you perform it; the more likely it is that you will drop weight. However, avoid exhausting yourself too much in workouts. Avoid exercising more than 45 minutes. Remember, it needs to be done in a regular basis.

It is critical that you understand if a certain food on your menu can be a potential harm to your weight loss plan. Learn how to be smart about what you eat. Stay away from too many fried and salty foods.

There are online communities and forums on the Internet where members talk about natural weight loss, its potential and the different resources that you can find to lose that unwanted fat naturally.

If there is one piece of gear you should not miss in your training new work out tools every now and then. Yet many people are not sure if they do work and if they are safe to use. So for one that is guaranteed to work, use the stability ball.

If you activity that requires a full sprint, remember that a full sprint strains the muscles of the lower body. To fight this, do stop-and-go drills. For example, run 30 meters at about 80 percent of your effort, slow down to a jog for 5 to ten meters, then run again for an additional 30 meters. Replicate this routine five times.

Despite the fact that exercise is often associated with equipment, like a treadmill, that is not all that exercise is about. Exercise can also include something simple like going for a walk or using the stairs instead of the elevator at work. If you would rather exercise, for free in your spare time, you might want to think about finding an exercise friend. This is a buddy who can workout with you, even if it just involves walking around your local shopping mall. Not only can you make a new friend or build your relationship with one of your current friends, having an workout buddy or an exercise partners often means that you are more likely to stick with your weight loss plan and achieve your weight loss goals. You don’t need a lot of equipment to do a great chest work out

Good luck getting into better shape and remember: the most important thing is to stick with it.

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Although it is nice to hear that exercise is an important part of a weight loss plan, you may be wondering exactly why that is. For your body to lose weight, you must see a reduction in your calorie intake. The amount of calories that you need to reduce, in order to lose weight, will all rely on your present weight and your hopeful weight loss goal. Unfortunately, this is where many individuals automatically assume that they can’t eat three meals a day and many in fact just stop eating. This is not only unsafe to your health, but it can be deadly.

The positive news is that it is never too late to get active, and exercise is one of the best ways to start controlling the onset of any kinds of diseases. For people who are already candidates for some serious diseases like diabetes and heart failure, exercise and physical fitness can aid the condition of some parts of the body like insulin sensitivity, decrease the risk of heart disease, and promote weight loss. For more information check out chest workout tips

You should make sure that you exercise at a comfortable level. You should exercise at a level of 7 out of 10, and still have the ability to carry on a normal conversation while you exercise. You should do this for 45 minutes or so every day, then you’ll start to detect just how much your energy will explode. Any type ofworkout you do will strongly benefit your heart. It will make it a stronger and larger organ. Deep breathing will help your lungs become stronger and bigger as well. There is research now that links exercise to helping benefit and almost prevent each and every type of disease or ailment.

You can avoid injury to joints, tendons and muscles by stretching. Stretching also aids in a speedy recovery and decreased soreness after exertion[spin]. The muscles will be able to [spin]take more exhausting and rigorous movements with less probability of injury.

Bad technique is just as bad as poor equipment. Get recommendations from pros and trainers, this advice could be very valuable to your workout or training. To learn how to do a great workout see best chest workout

Cardio exercise is important when you need to make health changes. For starters, it is best to do 30 to 45 minutes of exercises, 3 to 5 days a week. If you are working for weight loss, the training needs to be done 5 days a week. The more frequent you do it; the more likely it is that you will lose weight. However, avoid exhausting yourself too much in exercise. Avoid going more than 45 minutes. Remember, it has to be done in a regular basis.

Don’t put it off, start exercising regularly as soon as possible and get on your way to a healthier you!

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The committed and perseverant bargain hunter will be able to find cheap home gyms. Discounted home gyms, home gyms on sale, and used home gyms all provide viable options for the cost conscious consumer. Websites such as BizRate offer shoppers the chance to compare prices online in order to find the best deal.

One way to find discounted home gyms is to go directly to the manufacturer’s website or factory outlet. There you may be able to find products that are slightly outdated or are surplus and get a great deal on them. Many websites and retailers are overstocked and perpetually offer discounts on home gyms. It is important to find out why items are being sold for discounted prices. It is also a good idea to find out what kind of warranty the discounted gyms have. While most offers will be legitimate, keep in mind that some could be too good to be true.

Often, new companies will make home gyms similar to more established products and sell them at a fraction of the cost. These discounted home gyms will help the new company build word of mouth among consumers while providing buyers with good cheap home gyms.

Finding home fitness gyms on sale is easy. Since the home gym market is so competitive, many retailers offer new items at low sale prices, often taking several hundred dollars off the suggested retail price. Another added bonus to shopping online is that websites will include free shipping to compete with retail stores, saving the consumer even more money. These sale items usually include every type of home gym at all different levels of quality, so no matter what consumers are looking for, they can find what they want on sale.

Used home gyms are also an option for shoppers on a budget. Used fitness equipment can be found on eBay, in the classified section of any newspaper, or from many of the same places that also sell new home fitness gyms. Many of these used home gyms are in like new condition because the original owners never used them very much, and since the owners may be desperate to sell them, they may be heavily discounted. It is important that purchasers buy from a reputable source, since used equipment may not have the same warranties as new home gyms. If possible, buyers should stick to controlled settings like eBay or, if buying through the local classifieds, take a look at what they are buying before spending any money.

With this many options for saving money, consumers should never have to settle for a cheap home gym that does not meet their needs. Buyers should keep their fitness goals and space constraints in mind, not just the price, and keep searching until they find what they need.

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Who among us can truly say that they are as lean and toned as they ever want to be? Most people, even the fitness buffs, are in a constant fluctuation between their ideal body and a body that is not quite ideal. So how do we sway this struggle in our favor? Quite often the difference between the body that you have today and the body that you wish you had is made up of simple daily decisions. Read on for simple fitness and weight loss pointers that could very well turn the body you have today into a masterpiece tomorrow!

· Eating small meals every 2-3 waking hours will increase your metabolism and reduce fat storage. Make sure that these are healthy meals containing protein, carbohydrates and fat.
· The easiest way to effortlessly lose weight is to not eat three hours before bed. It has been proven that not eating three hours before bed reduces fat storage throughout the night.
· Eating a balanced diet is key in maintaining a healthy body weight. The American Council on Exercise suggests that this balance break down into 12-20% protein, 55-65% carbohydrates, and 25-30% fat.
· The average Venti sized Frappuccino weighs in at 530 calories. This staggering number equals 2.5 bagels, or one third of the recommended daily calories for an average woman. Beverages such as this contain high amounts of sugar should be consumed rarely since the extra calories they contain are readily stored as fat.
· Desserts should be eaten sparingly at an average of no more than two each week. If you have an insatiable sweet tooth, try munching on unsweetened dried fruit, or sugar free Jell-O.
· Eat a small meal and wait 20 minutes before deciding if you need more food. This will give your stomach and brain time to communicate. If have eaten enough food, your brain will alert your body and you will find that you don’t desire anything more. If you are still hungry after this period, eat a small amount more and wait another 20 minutes.
· Fat free foods, when eaten in excess, will still be stored as fat! Fat free cookies and crackers are made up of a whole lot of SUGAR! Yep, the secret is out! Sugar is just as fattening of a substance than fat itself, when eaten in excess.

Take the time to incorporate these tips into your daily lifestyle, and you will be pleasantly surprised with your results! Remember that healthy weight loss takes time, so be patient! Make an effort towards your goal everyday and don’t get discouraged!

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Unless we’re talking about our bodies, and the amount of exercise they can do, we usually talk about being fit in relation to something. An object is ‘fit for use’, clothing is ‘fit to be worn at work’, and food is ‘fit to be eaten’. My parents used to have a running joke that they were fit – fit to drop! Everything else is fit ‘for something’. So why do we insist on describing ourselves as ‘fit’ or ‘unfit’ without relating the concepts to anything else?

GENERAL PRINCIPLES
It’s a basic truth that the human body wasn’t made to sit still for any length of time. We spent tens of thousands of years evolving in an environment that required us to move – to find shelter, to catch food, and to keep ourselves safe from predators. We’ve only been living lifestyles that allow us to be sedentary for the lesser part of a hundred years – not nearly enough time for evolution to adapt our bodies to this new environment. We see this constantly reflected in modern rates of heart disease, atherosclerosis, chronic aches and pains, and muscular and bone deterioration in people who have become inactive as they age.

On top of this, activity has a very real effect on both stress and energy levels. Our bodies have a ‘use-it-or-lose-it’ way with energy – if we don’t constantly use and then replace energy (with activity, followed by rest and good nutrition), we start noticing our energy levels gradually draining away. We feel tired, lethargic, and as though any amount of effort is just too much to be worth it. And if we’re also under stress – for example, at work, or in a difficult relationship – we feel the energy loss and the stress even more intensely.

These are general principles that seem to be true whoever we are. But different lifestyles require different amounts of energy, and exact different prices in terms of stress. We enjoy doing, and our bodies are suited for, different kinds of activity. It makes sense then, that the amount and type of activity that will help us reach our optimum fitness, will be different.

DIFFERENT STROKES
If that’s the case, then getting ‘fit’ without a frame of reference seems like a meaningless concept. Unless we know what we want to be ‘fit for’ – what fitness means to us – there’s no reason for us to get or stay that way. If my life is basically calm, quiet and easy-flowing, and I’m quite happy to keep it that way, my ‘optimum fitness’ is going to be very different to someone who’s discovered a deep fulfillment in setting themselves a goal and achieving it. Someone who’d just like to go for a walk with friends without getting puffed is going to have a different optimum fitness level to someone who wants to discover how it feels to finish a marathon.

On top of this, what people want often changes over time. Perhaps at one point in your life, you enjoyed spending a couple of hours a day exercising, but now you’re finding there are things you’d like to do far more with that time. Alternatively, when you first started creating your optimum life for yourself, it might have been enough for you to just keep your body healthy. As you tried new activities though, you might have discovered you were actually enjoying some of them for their own sake, and wanting to get fitter so you could do more of them. So at different times in your life, you’d have a different optimum fitness level.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE “FIT FOR”?
Which brings us back to our original question – can we talk about being fit, without knowing what exactly we’re ‘fit for’? The way we see it, your optimum fitness level depends completely on what you want to be able to do in your daily life, how you want to be feeling, how much energy you’d like to have and how exercise fits in with the rest of your life. So your first step in moving closer to optimum fitness needs to be to make that all-important decision “What do I want to be fit for?”

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THE NEXT STAGE: ACTION

The next stage of Prochaska’s Transtheoretical model – ‘Action’ – kicks in once you’ve started taking (you guessed it) action.

If you’re in this stage, you’re ready to make changes – and now. In the Action stage, you know where you want to be, how you’ll get there, and you’ve started (or are about to start) doing something get you moving. You’ve made it past the first major sticking point –overcoming inertia, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be an easy ride from here. No matter how good your intentions, starting a routine isn’t the same as maintaining it. Obstacles – whether small (like an invitation to do something at a time you’d planned on working out) or large (like falling ill or injuring yourself) – are going to come up.

DEALING WITH OBSTACLES

When you encounter an obstacle, take a little time out to reconnect with your main goal and your reasons for wanting to achieve it. Remember why you’re exercising in the first place. How could you still achieve your goal, and find ways around this new obstacle? Your journal can be your friend here – use it to reflect back over why something may have ended up being more difficult than expected, and to brainstorm ideas for different ways to move forward. You can also use it to proactively motivate yourself before obstacles appear – to track your progress in whatever area you’d like to see yourself improving.

GET OTHERS INVOLVED

If you haven’t already, create an exercise routine that gets friends or family involved. Studies have shown that people whose friends or family support their goals are far more likely to achieve them, and it’s hard not to feel supported when people you care about are working out alongside you. Not only that, but if you’ve agreed to meet your ‘workout buddy’ for an exercise session, you make it that much harder to let them down by deciding at the last minute you just can’t be bothered today.

MAKE DEALS WITH YOURSELF

If you’re having trouble summoning the motivation to get out the door, promise yourself you don’t have to finish your workout if you don’t want to. Decide that you only have to complete the first ten minutes, and then, if you really don’t feel like keeping at it, give yourself permission to pack up and go home again. Most of the time, just getting out the door and starting will be enough.

For a short term motivational quick-fix, don’t underestimate the power of bribery! Identify three or four different little things that bring you pleasure, and promise yourself you’ll take time out and indulge in at least one of them if you complete your workout as scheduled.

GET HELP!

Finally, if you’re noticing increasing difficulty motivating yourself despite trying all of the above suggestions, consider talking to a personal trainer near you. A big part of qualifying as a trainer involves not just learning specific exercises, but learning how to keep clients motivated. If cost is an issue for you, think seriously about hiring an online trainer. Generally, online training is far more reasonably priced than face-to-face training – and if all you’re wanting is someone to keep you enthusiastic and accountable, it means you’re not paying for services you don’t need.

In next issue’s conclusion to our Exercise & Motivation series, we look at the final stage of Prochaska’s model – and what to do if you find yourself in the dreaded ‘Relapse’ stage. Until then, may every day bring you closer to your optimum life!

[Sponsored] Bryan Seawell is the proud owner of this article and he owns a site called: “Pure Point Golf Swing“. See how he can help you with his site: “The Simple Golf Swing” and allow him to share with you his best known secrets here at his exclusive site, “How to Break 80“. Thank you for your trust and belief in Bryan. Hope it will benefit you and others. Have a wonderful day ahead. [Sponsored]

Lets talk a little about achieving your fitness goal.

Everybody finds it hard to arrange time to do various day to day chores or tasks, including your muscle and fitness training.

Just follow these steps to help you get more out of each day in your workout routine, or any other part of your life for that matter. These steps will help you achieve your muscle and fitness goal.

I have found that the more I struggle with my daily life the harder it is to get anything out of what I do. In other words, if I have certain things that need doing throughout each day, and I also want to get in some training, I find that I don’t get the proper benefit that I should expect from my training routine.

Is this the same with you?

Do you find that it’s hard to get the time to train?

Are you struggling with the fact that you have so much on your plate, that it’s just too much stress to cope with?

Well, let me help you here. I’ll guide you through the various steps required to get you to achieve that fitness goal.

There’s a lot of information here. So what I’ve decided to do is to break it into a number of easy to follow articles. This way you can cope much better and receive much more benefit from it.

Ok, lets begin with an overview.

BE – DO – HAVE

This is a triple key to success in your muscle and fitness regime. To ensure your success, you can’t have one without the other.

You see, the problem with most people is that they want certain goals or results. Nothing wrong with that. And you should have certain goals that you wish to attain. This is the Have portion of the three keys.

The real problem starts with the fact that most people believe that they just have to do certain things in order to achieve the desired results or goals. This is the Do part of the three keys.

Although this is true, no matter what you do you can’t achieve success without the first key, which is Be. I’ll go into this a little more shortly.

But first, let me clarify…

Your goals are the Have key. This is the first thing you need to decide and it must be specific. What is it you want to have? Do you want to have more lean muscle? Or is it to have less weight? Or do you want to have more weight gain?

Decide you goals. Be specific. Now you have the third key in place, even though you don’t actually have it yet. But, it’s in place in your mind.

Now, you have to decide what it is you must do to achieve those goals. This is the Do key. What is it that I must do, in order that I have whatever it is that I want? What should I do to achieve my goals?

Decide what you need to actually do. What exercises will offer the best results for my specific goals? How much of those exercises should I perform and how often?

This is the most important key. It’s the key that most people leave out because they’re too busy trying to decide what to do in order to have that goal they are aiming for.

The Be key.

Ever notice that when you get into something, that you’re going great for weeks… then you give up?

For example:

Lots of people decide to go on a diet and begin a fitness program. They want so much to lose weight. The go at it hard. They are succeeding. No sooner have they lost a few pounds, then they lose interest. They stop and end up putting it back on.

Why?

Because they lack the Be key.

In other words, you must choose what you need to Become to begin taking action. What is it that is required you Be, in order to succeed?

For example:

If you lack focus. Then you need to become more focused. If you are lazy when it comes to taking action to get things done, then you need to become a person that takes action… even when you really don’t feel like it.

That’s the hardest part of success with your training. Not only in your muscle building and fitness regime, but also in ANYTHING you do throughout your life.

The Solution:

1. Decide what you want to have. What are your goals?

2. Decide what the necessary steps are, that you must do to reach those goals.

3. Choose what you need to be. What do you need to become in order to do what is necessary to have what you want?

I think I’ve given you plenty to think about today. Please re-read this again, and again if necessary. You’ve really got to get this right so that you can succeed in anything you choose to do. So to achieve that muscle and fitness goal, make sure you read this again.

[Sponsored] Bryan Seawell is the proud owner of this article and he owns a site called: “Pure Point Golf Swing“. See how he can help you with his site: “The Simple Golf Swing” and allow him to share with you his best known secrets here at his exclusive site, “How to Break 80“. Thank you for your trust and belief in Bryan. Hope it will benefit you and others. Have a wonderful day ahead. [Sponsored]

Hundreds of Thousands of Americans spend millions of dollars each year on diet pills, “magical” exercise devices, and misrepresented health and fitness products, when in all actuality a good set of dumbbells and a brisk walk may be all you need to get in better shape than you’ve ever been in.

What can you do with nothing but a set of dumbbells, you ask? Provide resistance to your body’s movements – also known as weight lifting. That’s all weight lifting is – resistance. The terms “weight lifting” and “resistance training” have become one in the same because they are describing the same activity – moving your body under more resistance than it normally has to handle.

In fact, you’ve just stumbled upon the basic secret of exercise in general! Whether you are talking about resistance training, Pilates, Yoga, cardiovascular activities, or any other form of exercise, all of these programs have one thing in common – performing more activity than you would get sitting on the couch. WHY should you exercise, though?

How about defying the aging process for starters? Do you know that the primary reason why elderly people end up in nursing homes is because they lose the ability to think and move on their own? Do you also know that the entire process of thinking and moving on our own happens because we do it every day? Until we retire, that is. Once we don’t have to go to work anymore, or deal with scheduling and lifestyle issues, suddenly the only thing that we have to think about is whether to watch game shows or soap operas all day long, and the only exercise we get is deftly flying our fingers over the remote control.

Mush. That’s what our brains and bodies turn into when we stop using them. Think you are still sharp as a tack, and at the height of your game? Try to say the alphabet backwards in 30 seconds or less.

Yes…. sharp indeed.

What about physically? Think that you can still hold your own even though you don’t really exercise much? Stop reading this article and drop down on the floor for some correct-form push-ups. Did you do at least 30 if you are female, or at least 40 if you are male? No? How about 20 or 25? 15? Unless you pulled off 30 or 40, you are probably at less than the 50 percentile mark for your gender – health conditions notwithstanding.

Okay, so you’ve determined that you aren’t exactly Olympic athlete material. So what? You don’t even like sports, let alone being very good at them. That’s fine, and there is nothing wrong with that. So what about fat? Do you like bodyfat? Do you find it physically appealing? Do you think it’s healthy? If so, we’re done speaking. Go on about your business, and thanks for reading this far.

For everyone else, here is a newsflash: In America today – the year 2004 – obesity related health conditions account for more deaths in the United States each year than all known forms of cancer COMBINED. Heart Disease alone is the number one killer of American adults, and it is a PREVENTABLE CONDITION!

How about self-esteem? 64% of Americans are overweight. That is almost two-thirds of the population. If you think that a figure like that and the skyrocketing sales of prescription anti-depressants aren’t related, you now have a second opportunity to stop reading this article and continue on with your day.

Here is the bottom line, folks: Exercise and a reasonable nutrition program are necessary for ALL people, for their ENTIRE lives. Note, however, that I said “exercise”, and that I also said “reasonable nutrition program”. At no point did I say anything about spending 2 hours per day at the gym, or about eating nothing but carrots and celery for the rest of your life. Why? Those practices are just as ineffective at long-term weight loss as diet pills and late night infomercial products. Here is what DOES work:

1) Weight/Resistance Training – Weight training for both men and women has the same effect – it makes your muscles more metabolically active. In simpler terms, it means your muscles will burn more calories – even when you are sleeping. Muscle is the only site on your body where bodyfat is broken down. Weak muscles = weak metabolism. Weak metabolism = slow calorie burning.
2) Cardiovascular Training – Contrary to popular belief, this type of training is meant to help your cardio-respiratory system function more effectively, and ultimately to last longer. Does it burn a lot of calories? Sure it does. However, if you don’t combine it with resistance training and supportive nutrition, you’ll likely just burn off water weight and the muscle tissue that you worked so hard for up in step number 1.
3) Reasonable Nutrition Program – Quality sources of complex and fibrous carbohydrates, essential fatty acids, and lean sources of protein. Eat those nutrients in reasonable proportions frequently throughout your day, and your metabolism (refer again to #1) will crank up to high, and you’ll be burning more calories on a day to day basis than you ever have before in your life.

So far we have seen that not only can exercise keep us out of a nursing home, but it can also keep off excess levels of bodyfat which will – literally – keep us alive. We haven’t even touched on sports performance, recreational activities, improved energy levels, ability to focus, or many of the other benefits of a regular exercise program.

Personally, I’d be happy with just staying out of a nursing home, and staying alive long enough to look good in a bathing suit. What about you?

[Sponsored] Bryan Seawell is the proud owner of this article and he owns a site called: “Pure Point Golf Swing“. See how he can help you with his site: “The Simple Golf Swing” and allow him to share with you his best known secrets here at his exclusive site, “How to Break 80“. Thank you for your trust and belief in Bryan. Hope it will benefit you and others. Have a wonderful day ahead. [Sponsored]

Anyone who has ever been in a gym before is familiar with the gleaming banks of shiny exercise machines. Coming in all shapes and sizes, they are usually cause for the newcomer to the gym to pause and ask, “What IS all of that stuff?”

Well, according to the price that the gym paid for any one piece of that equipment, I certainly hope that it not only stimulates your muscles, but also cooks your breakfast, washes your car, and brings the kids home from soccer practice! Now the question becomes whether or not those machines were worth the price, or if you’d be better off doing a home aerobics video with a can of soup in each hand….

Personally, I would advise you to get the low-sodium version of the soup, serve it up alongside a tomato sandwich, and then go buy yourself some free weights. Yes, that is just my opinion, but it does come with some scientific reasoning behind it.

Natural movement vs. Controlled movement

One of the things that you need to remember is that when you are exercising, you are training for LIFE. You may spend an hour a day at the gym, but that still leaves 23 other hours for your muscles to function without the aid of that fancy equipment.

Whenever you do any given exercise, the movement of your body during that exercise is called the Range of Motion. The greater and more difficult the Range of Motion, the more effective the exercise is, because your body has to work harder to perform that movement.

Let’s take a classic dumbbell bicep curl for our case study. If you aren’t familiar with the movement, it is basically performed by standing up straight with your palms facing forward, and a pair of dumbbells held down at your sides. You concentrically contract your biceps (also known as flexing your elbow) to bring the dumbbells up to approximately shoulder level, and then repeat the movement for a prescribed number of repetitions.

Let’s take that same muscle movement and do it using a bicep curl machine. You sit down, brace your upper arms on a pad, grasp 2 handles that are in front of you, and do that same fancy elbow flexing movement to move the handles in an upward motion. Pretty easy stuff so far, right?

Now let’s examine the muscles that are used in this motion. Wait – I thought we were concentrically contracting the biceps? That is correct, and if you are using the bicep curl machine, that is pretty much ALL you are doing. For one, you are sitting down. You know, like you did all day at work, and then in your car on the way to the gym. Then, your upper arms are braced on a nice soft pad to keep your upper body stable while you pull the handles upwards. The machine has effectively limited the muscles used in this exercise to the biceps, as well as the muscles in your forearms and fingers as you grip the handles.

Let us now sidestep over to the weight room where the dumbbells are kept, and once again get in the start position for a standing bicep curl with the dumbbells. Notice the term “standing”. You know, like you DIDN’T do all day at work, and hopefully also did not do in your car on the way to the gym. So before we even start the exercise, we are using more muscles than we did on the machine – namely the leg muscles.

Now let’s pick up a 10 lb dumbbell in each hand. We’ve just added 20 lbs to our body weight. What is keeping us from losing our center of balance and falling clean over? The abdominal muscles and the muscles of the lower back and spine. Now we are using our legs, our abs, and our back. Flex those elbows and start to raise the dumbbells. Now our center of gravity has become a fluid state, and our legs, back, and abs all have to constantly compensate to maintain posture. Oh, and the biceps are also in on the action by this point, as are the forearms, the fingers, and the shoulder girdle.

We now have the dumbbells all the way up and it’s time to start lowering them again, via an eccentric contraction of the biceps (also know as extending the elbow). What muscle group controls the extension of the elbow? The triceps on the back of the arm.

Did you lose track yet? It’s okay if you did because you have illustrated the point:

Machine Bicep Curl: Uses the biceps, forearms, and fingers
Cost: Thousands of dollars

Standing Dumbbell Bicep Curl: Uses the biceps, forearms, fingers, legs, abs, back, triceps, and shoulders.
Cost: $40 for a good set of dumbbells that can be used for dozens of other exercises

In a nutshell, free weight exercises simply USE MORE MUSCLES than machines do, which make them more effective. Does that mean that the machines are a complete waste? Absolutely not! In some circumstances it is BETTER to stabilize the muscles being used in any given movement. However, those circumstances are the exception, rather than the rule.

So what do you do? Change up your routine, and incorporate free weights as well as machine exercises. However, keep the machine work to a minimum – say 20% of your total time spent working with weights. Spend the other 80% developing your stabilizer muscles, your sense of balance and coordination, and if nothing else – just standing up!

After all, you can go home and sit down on the couch to enjoy your post-workout snack. The bicep machine already brought the kids home from soccer practice, remember?

[Sponsored] Bryan Seawell is the proud owner of this article and he owns a site called: “Pure Point Golf Swing“. See how he can help you with his site: “The Simple Golf Swing” and allow him to share with you his best known secrets here at his exclusive site, “How to Break 80“. Thank you for your trust and belief in Bryan. Hope it will benefit you and others. Have a wonderful day ahead. [Sponsored]

Many people think that creating a home workout gym is either too intimidating or too costly. So, often they instead invest their money in a health club membership not realizing that for the same amount of money (or even less) they can create a very effective gym right in their own home.

For an effective home gym, all that is required is a little bit of planning. Don’t fall into the trap of purchasing random fitness equipment because of fancy advertising for the latest infomercial fad or the great “sale” at your local fitness store. That type of purchasing leads to a house littered with equipment that’s only use is as a clothes hanger or dust collector. This often happens because the equipment is either useless, poorly constructed or quickly loses its value because it doesn’t progress with your fitness level.

To avoid having a basement filled with expensive dust-collecting equipment, keep these points in mind when making a purchase:
1)What are your fitness goals?
2)How often do you realistically think you will use the equipment?
3)What fitness level do you expect to be at in 3, 6, 9 months?
4)Will the equipment meet your needs as you get more fit (at the 3, 6, and 9-month marks)?
5)Does the equipment offer enough variations in use that you can change your workouts frequently to prevent your body from hitting a plateau?
6)Will you enjoy the exercises or will you quickly grow bored of them?
7)And, of course how much can you afford?

Once you have answered all of the above questions then you are ready to make some purchasing decisions. Of course, how much you can afford to spend may dictate what you can actually purchase. Don’t get discouraged. For as little as $100, you can have a very effective total strength training home gym. Even for as little as $35, you can create an effective workout that will tone your entire body.

Regardless of what your fitness goals are, there are a plethora of equipment options to consider. For building muscles and/or toning-up you can choose from free weights, selectorized machines, resistance bands, benches and even no-equipment. For cardiovascular improvements (e.g. running, walking, etc), there are even more options. They range from treadmills, to elliptical trainers, to bikes and beyond. So, answering the previously mentioned questions is very important.

To help make your decision easier, below are several recommendations based on costs and needs, along with benefits of the exercise equipment.

If you want to create a gym that will provide you with a total body workout (cardio, strength and flexibility) and you have a budget of at least $1000, consider the following recommendations:
·Treadmill – The best option for cardiovascular equipment because it can be used for running, walking, and even some leg strength training. Plus, workouts can continually be varied based on speed, incline, even direction. And, it easily progresses as fitness levels improve.
·Full dumbbell set with weights ranging from 5 pounds to 50+ pounds. – Great for light toning, to intermediate strength training to building muscles. Less expensive than selectorized machines and usually provides more flexibility and variety in workouts.
·Fitness Ball – Provides exercise options for toning, strengthening and stretching.
·Resistance Band – Provides another option for strength training. Can alternate use with free weights for a great challenge that will help prevent plateaus.
·Step Bench – Can be used for both cardio workouts and strength training workouts.

If you want a home gym specifically for building muscles (or just can’t afford cardio equipment), and can afford at least $100, consider the following recommendations:
·Dumbbell set.
·Fitness Ball
·Resistance Band
·Jump Rope – Offers very challenging cardiovascular fitness workouts at a very low price.

If you want a total body home gym but can only afford less than $100, consider the following recommendations:
·Three dumbbells sizes (e.g. 5, 10 and 15 pounds)
·Resistance Band
·Jump Rope

If you are limited to purchasing just one very affordable piece of equipment, consider buying a Fitness Ball. As mentioned above, it provides many different exercise options. With the ball you can get an upper body workout, a lower body workout, very challenging abdominal workout and a stretching/flexibility workout. And, you can get all of this for around $35.

Also, don’t underestimate what you can do with things that are already in your house, like stairs, a chair, milk jugs and others. There are a lot of exercises that require no equipment at all. For example, push-ups, tricep dips, squats, calf raises, etc. You can even create your own “weights” through milk jugs filled with water or sand.

As you can see, there are a lot of options available for creating a home gym that will meet your individual needs and will provide a lot of workout variety. Even on a shoestring budget, you can still make a wise purchase that will be invaluable in helping you get more fit and healthy. And, you’ll enjoy all the benefits of working out at home.

What are the benefits of working out at home? Well, here are some highlights:
·No wasted time driving to and from a fitness club
·No waiting in line to use the equipment
·Workout on your schedule, rather than just when the health club is open
·No expensive monthly membership fees or long-term contracts
·Motivation to workout as you pass by the equipment every day

Of course, you will need previous knowledge of how to use your home equipment or you will have to be willing to learn. But, it’s not difficult. Most equipment will come with basic instructions and a few sample exercises. You may want to enlist the help of a professional to provide additional exercise options and guidance that will ensure that you get the most out of your fitness equipment through every fitness level stage.

For an affordable workout plan personalized to your individual needs and available equipment, enroll in a WorkoutsForYou.com online fitness program.

[Sponsored] Bryan Seawell is the proud owner of this article and he owns a site called: “Pure Point Golf Swing“. See how he can help you with his site: “The Simple Golf Swing” and allow him to share with you his best known secrets here at his exclusive site, “How to Break 80“. Thank you for your trust and belief in Bryan. Hope it will benefit you and others. Have a wonderful day ahead. [Sponsored]

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Five Ways to Fit Fitness Into Your Life

©Rick DeToma

Everyone is pressed for time these days. It does not have to mean that fitness can’t be a part of your life. In as little as 10 minutes a day, you can begin to make positive changes to your body.

People often have an all or nothing idea about exercise. They feel that if they can’t fit in an hour of exercise that they will do nothing instead.

Successful exercisers make fitness an important part of their lives. Try scheduling your time to exercise like you would any other appointment.

If you are struggling to fit exercise into your day, try these fitness tips:

1. Tackle one body part per day and perform as many reps as it takes to reach failure. Or set a rep goal for yourself and do as many sets as it takes to reach your goal.

2. Exercise while you watch TV. (Don’t just sit there, DO something.) Why not do some crunches, or leg extensions while watching the tube? How about some lunges? Anything yo can do in a gym sitting down, you can do at home sitting down in front of the tube.

3. Superset your workouts. Put two exercises together and perform them one after another with no rest in between. You can either do a mixed superset of an upper and lower move combined, or you can choose two opposing muscle groups like chest and back.

4. Combine 2 moves into 1. Any time you perform a lower body exercise and your arms are not involved you miss out on a time-saving opportunity.

Try performing a lunge with a curl, or lateral raise. Or a squat with on overhead press.

You could create an entire workout around this concept and divide up your body parts and exercises so that you keeps things fresh.

5. Circuit training. Select a number of exercises for your entire body and perform them as a circuit with little or no rest in between. Repeat as time allows for 2-3 circuits.

People will always find excuses to not exercise. These tips show you how to fit exercise into the busiest of schedules and get the benefits of regular exercise.

It’s not about finding the time to exercise, it’s about MAKING the time to exercise. No matter how busy you are. It’s always better to do something than nothing.

The information contained in this article is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended to provide medical advice. If you are sedentary or over 40 please get clearance from a doctor before starting an exercise program.

[Sponsored] Bryan Seawell is the proud owner of this article and he owns a site called: “Pure Point Golf Swing“. See how he can help you with his site: “The Simple Golf Swing” and allow him to share with you his best known secrets here at his exclusive site, “How to Break 80“. Thank you for your trust and belief in Bryan. Hope it will benefit you and others. Have a wonderful day ahead. [Sponsored]

In today’s appearance-conscious society, it seems we are bombarded with information on weight, weight problems and weight loss. But it’s important to remember that how much you weigh is not necessarily a good indicator of how fit you are. Obviously your weight has an effect, particularly if you are obese, but this effect isn’t the be all and end all that some people would lead you to believe it is.

In reality the only real way to tell how fit you are is to see how much exercise you can do. You will find that if you begin an exercise program and begin to increase your fitness significantly, your weight will come down.

Diet, although it is important, is often not the most important path to losing weight. If your goal is to slim down and avoid putting on weight again, you should examine how much exercise you get. Obviously you should look at your diet also, but often the most effective treatment is to work off the food you are eating. Making time for exercise in your day and making sensible choices on food are not two different ways to lose weight – they should be done together.

When you start exercising you dont just burn fat, you also strengthen and tone your muscles. This will increase the rate at which you burn fat also. It can be disastrous to start out dieting without a corresponding increase in your exercise. This will often end up burning your muscles instead of your fat. So you will lose weight, but not fat, and in fact your body will naturally burn less fat as a result of having less muscle. This will make it harder for you to exercise and lose weight in the future.

If you get exercise on a regular basis the fact is you will be fitter than someone who gets no regular exercise, regardless of your weight. Taking this into account you should start exercising more when starting any new diet plan, this will get the most from your new diet.

If your goal is to improve your fitness you will need to establish a proper exercise regimen for yourself – a little exercise now and again isn’t enough. You’ll need to combine cardiovascular or fitness exercises with some basic strength training.

Cardiovasular exercise is exercise that increases your heart rate. When doing this form of exercise your goal should be to increase the amount of time you can exercise for. This will increase your stamina and fitness.

Strength training will tone your body and increase your strength. While it won’t necessarily make you fitter, it will make you look and feel better and give you visible, confidence-building results.

This does not mean that you have to become a weightlifter, or that you need to work on building bulging muscles. In fact, just a little bit of strength training should be enough. You don’t even have to invest in weights to lift – there are plenty of strength training exercises that you can do in your own home with no equipment.

In the end the most important factor in your fitness is whether or not you can do as much exercise as you’d like to be able to do. If you can then you are fit, if not then regardless of your weight the road to fitness need not be difficult, all it takes is a little determination.

[Sponsored] Bryan Seawell is the proud owner of this article and he owns a site called: “Pure Point Golf Swing“. See how he can help you with his site: “The Simple Golf Swing” and allow him to share with you his best known secrets here at his exclusive site, “How to Break 80“. Thank you for your trust and belief in Bryan. Hope it will benefit you and others. Have a wonderful day ahead. [Sponsored]

WHAT ARE THE MAINTENANCE AND RELAPSE STAGES?

In the maintenance stage, you’ve been exercising regularly for long enough that it’s become a habit. You’ve created a routine that works for you, and (if you’re doing it right), you’ve started seeing the benefits you originally wanted in your life. There are still a few traps that can derail you, though. When this happens, and you find yourself no longer exercising, you’re in Prochaska’s ‘Relapse’ stage. Most ‘traps’ will either involve a change in your life circumstances, a change in your goals, or a combination of both – so if you’ve been exercising regularly for a while and suddenly find motivating yourself difficult, ask yourself what’s changed.

CHANGES IN CIRCUMSTANCE

If your circumstances have altered, you’ll usually be well aware of what’s happened and how it’s affected your motivation. For example – you might enjoy exercising in a gym, then take a sudden drop in income that doesn’t allow you to keep your gym membership. Your working hours might change, making your original workout timeslot unavailable. Someone you exercise with might decide to stop, or you might injure yourself somehow. All these things will disrupt what was an effective routine, and if you don’t actively plan to work around the disruption, it can sap your motivation to keep exercising.

If this applies to you, imagine you were back in the Contemplation stage, and look at the motivation suggestions for this stage. Revisit your main goal for exercising. Is it still valid? If so, move through the suggestions for the Preparation stage. Your initial ‘how’ no longer works – so what needs to change? If you can no longer keep the routine that used to work, what can you still do that’s convenient, enjoyable and affordable? If you’ve kept a fitness journal, go back through the entries you made when you were setting up your routine. What did you think of to try then (and didn’t end up using) that you could experiment with now?

CHANGES IN GOALS

If your circumstances haven’t changed, it’s likely your goals have. Perhaps your initial goals aren’t relevant any longer? If this is the case, don’t beat yourself up about it – instead, ask yourself what you *do* want now. Perhaps you started off enthusiastic about training for a triathlon, but quickly found the required time and effort unbalanced your life. Perhaps you began wanting to lose 20kg, then realised as you had to replace your entire wardrobe that you actually preferred being curvy – now you just want to feel healthy and energetic. Remember, it’s your life and no-one can tell you what your goals should be. It’s OK for goals to change – what’s not OK is to keep grimly putting time and effort into something you don’t actually want any more.

Remember there’s a difference between wanting to take a day off, and losing long term motivation. Part of any successful plan is allowing yourself occasional rest days. Taking one or two every week doesn’t mean you’ve moved into Relapse – in fact it’s necessary to avoid overtraining. It’s also OK to vary your workout intensity from week to week – alternating weeks of pushing yourself with weeks of coasting. This strategy (called ‘periodisation’ when it’s done to a specific plan) is actually far more effective for reaching fitness goals than pushing yourself as hard as you can every single workout. If you’re starting consistently skip workouts though, you need to figure out why and do something about it.

GETTING HELP WITH MOTIVATION

Finally, as we suggested for those in the Action stage, if it’s getting harder to stay motivated despite all of the above suggestions, think about working with a personal trainer. In fact, a trainer can help you manage your motivational difficulties whatever stage of Prochaska’s model you’re at (or even if you’re not quite sure where you are right now!) If you’ve thought about hiring a trainer in the past, but the time has never been right, Optimum Life Ltd has an offer that might convince you to finally make the investment in yourself, your health, and your happiness. If you e-mail us on mailto:optimumlife@xtra.co.nz during October, you’ll be able to sign up for a full Total Fitness Membership at a 25% discount – only $US30 per month (when you consider that most trainers charge between $50-100 per session, you can see why it’s such good value!)

As you can see from this article series, the question of how to motivate yourself to exercise isn’t an easy one to answer (if it was, we’d all be exercising regularly, and there’d be no need for this article!). The best way to motivate yourself depends very much on where in the stages of change you are at the moment with respect to exercise. Figure out where you are in the model, then try the relevant suggestions for getting yourself moving. If you have any questions, comments or feedback, please don’t hesitate to contact us – we’d love to hear from you. Otherwise, may every day bring you closer to your Optimum Life.

[Sponsored] Bryan Seawell is the proud owner of this article and he owns a site called: “Pure Point Golf Swing“. See how he can help you with his site: “The Simple Golf Swing” and allow him to share with you his best known secrets here at his exclusive site, “How to Break 80“. Thank you for your trust and belief in Bryan. Hope it will benefit you and others. Have a wonderful day ahead. [Sponsored]

As of the writing of this article, May 16, 2005, we are all almost 5 months into our New Year’s Resolutions.

Are you skinny yet?

Did you find your six-pack?

Does your butt look like you wanted it to in those jeans?

For a lot of you, the answers to these questions are going to be “No, No, and, I took the jeans back to the store”.

Why? You are a victim of the Fitness Wars, that’s why. Your Girth is winning out over your Resolution, and you are probably more frustrated now than you were when you started!

Is there some master conspiracy that is keeping you from getting in shape? Do the rules of energy in vs. energy out not apply to you? Are you in a fat-loss vacuum where the normal laws of weight loss don’t work?

Of course not. Yet, you still can’t lose the bodyfat, and it is likely because you are simply confused.

If you are like most people, you have gotten fitness advice from the radio, TV, friends, family members, magazines, maybe even a Personal Trainer. Who had the most to gain from giving you fitness advice?

The radio, TV, magazines, and even your trainer are all interested in getting paid for handing out advice to you. Does that make them the most qualified to help you? With the possible exception of your personal trainer, no, it really doesn’t.

What about your friends and family? Let’s answer this question first: Was the person who gave you the advice in good shape? If not, then the point of that question should be clear!

Fitness Wars – all of these different people and agencies trying to get you to do something or buy something.

How about a little thing that some people like to call “Back to Basics”? Prepare Thyself! You are about to be shown the true secrets to fitness success!!

1. Proper Nutrition. For those of you who don’t know what that is, a good rule of thumb is that if man made it, don’t eat it! If that isn’t enough information for you, then consult a professional nutritionist, or do free research online. If you pay a professional, make sure they are properly credentialed. If you do the research yourself, don’t believe what you find if that site is obviously more interested in your money than in your health.

2. Eat 5 to 6 small meals a day. You say that you’ve heard this a thousand times already? Well, that should tell you something – it works! Your body is a calorie burning machine. If you are an average female, you can only burn about 300 calories at a time. An average male can burn about 400. It doesn’t matter how much you exercise – if you eat more than that during any one sitting, some of it is going to be stored as bodyfat.

3. Exercise – at least 60 minutes a day. It doesn’t matter what the magazines say, or what you hear on the “1-Second Abs” commercial, or who tells you anything else. Exercise – at least 60 minutes a day. It bears repeating, so feel free at this time to keep saying it out loud until you feel that you have it memorized.

4. Believe. This final step is really the most important. Most people have self-limiting beliefs. In a nutshell, that means that no matter how much education or assistance that they receive, they don’t BELIEVE that they can lose weight! Let’s see…. how does that saying go? “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right!” Believe it can happen, because it can. Then you will be only 3 short steps away from success.

Wow, what a revelation this article has been! In fewer words than it takes to list the dozens of unhealthy circumstances and afflictions related to being overweight, you have just been given a guaranteed 4-step system for fitness success!

Are you willing to take care of yourself and finally meet those fitness goals, or do you have another 5 months to waste?

Do yourself this one small favor. Count to four, beat the Girth, and remember that January 1st is just another day!

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In the first article in this series (http://tinyurl.com/8ztbo), we gave you an overview of the stages of change in Prochaska’s Transtheoretical model. The first three of these stages are all about getting started. They apply to anyone who’s not actually regularly exercising at the moment. If you were active in the past, but don’t now (i.e. you’re in the “Relapse” stage), then, motivationally speaking, you’re in one of these stages. Just as a reminder,
the stages are:

- Pre-Contemplation: When you’re not active, not thinking about it, and really don’t see why you should be;
- Contemplation: When you’re thinking about getting active, but not quite ready to get around to it yet; and
- Preparation: You’ve thought, you’ve decided, and you’re making arrangements as you read this – you’re just about to start, honestly!

PRE-CONTEMPLATION
If you’re at the Pre-Contemplation stage, you don’t really want to change. Others might have said you should, or you may have read something about why activity’s supposed to be good for you, but deep down, you’re not convinced. As far as you’re concerned, there’s nothing wrong with your life exactly as is.

If this sounds like you, I invite you to take a candid look at your life. Are you truly happy with how things are? Look back over where you are now compared to where you were ten years ago. If the same trend continued for another ten years, would you honestly be happy with where you’d end up?

If so, congratulations! You’re the only person who knows what’s right for you, and no-one, including me, can tell you how you should feel about it. If there’s nothing you’d like to change about your exercise habits, you probably don’t need to be reading this article. If you find, however, that there are things about your life that could be better, let yourself think about them. What’s not exactly the way you want it?

What would your life look like if it *was* the way you wanted it? What would you feel like? You don’t have to do anything right now to change – just let yourself think about what could be better.

CONTEMPLATION
If you’re at this stage, you know you want to make a change, and you’re thinking about what your life might be like if you make it. You’re not quite ready yet though, and that’s OK. Instead of beating yourself up for not having started yet, take a deep breath and give yourself a chance to really explore why you want to get more active.

What exactly do you want? To become healthier? Stronger? To slim down or tone up? Why do you want it? What difference will it make in your life? These are questions that will help to make it easier to stay motivated in future.

Think about how you could turn what you want into a specific, measurable goal. Ensure sure that goal is big enough to inspire you, but realistic enough that you don’t believe it’s doomed to failure from the beginning. If you have a *really* big goal (for example, to lose a large amount of weight, or to compete in a sporting event), think about breaking it down into a series of smaller goals.

Consider starting a fitness journal to answer these questions (if you already keep a journal, just write them in there). Once you’re sure you’re crystal clear on why you want to exercise, you’ll find yourself moving naturally into the next stage – your ‘why’ will drive you to thinking about the ‘how’

PREPARATION
At this stage, you’ve decided that the need for change is stronger than the need to stay the same, and you’ve started thinking about how to make it happen. You might contact a gym, call a personal trainer, or just decide to go for a regular walk.

If you’re here now, it’s time to start exploring how you’re going to make your goal happen. There are many ways to be active, and it’s important to find what’s right for you. The quickest way to kill your motivation is to just throw yourself into the first exercise programme you come across and expect willpower to keep you going. Willpower may be a factor, but
your programme also needs to be enjoyable, convenient, and work for your budget. Some possibilities you may want to consider include:
- Gym classes
- Dance
- Martial arts
- Mind/body activities like yoga or t’ai ch’i
- Walking/hiking/running
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Weights training

Record your research and thoughts in your fitness journal. If you can’t find anything that sounds like it will be convenient, enjoyable and affordable, think about consulting a fitness professional. Chances are, if you understand where you want to be and why, as you start investigating how you can create routines that will get you there *and* let you enjoy yourself when you do, you’ll find yourself itching to get started.

Which is when you move into the next stage – Action.

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In part 1 of this article we uncovered why it is important to work for optimal health and fitness after 40 years of age. We also made the case to avoid substance abuse in our most productive mid-life years.

Furthermore, we noted our families and community really need our experienced insights over forty. In the second part of this article we discuss the nitty gritty of using diet, exercise, and some nutritional supplements to help us feel more youthful.

- Rebuild Your Body with Diet and Exercise

By now I am sure that we all have heard the bad news: there is an obesity epidemic in the United States. This health crisis without a doubt is exacerbated by our sedentary life style.

There are other reasons for our weight problems in the US. Our diet of fatty processed foods is also a culprit in our battle obesity.

Being over weight seems to accelerate the aging process. This is because being over weight seems to be related to the on-set of diseases associated with aging like diabetes, certain types of cancer, heart problems, and stokes.

There is hope in a good diet, supplements and exercise associated with weight loss can help reduce your aging process and make you feel much younger. I have found that exercise makes me feel much younger and increases my libido.

While it has been reported that hormones in men and women decline after forty, I have found that exercises like running makes me more energetic throughout the day. One of the most nagging problems however with running or other high impact aerobics is joint pain in the knees, ankles, and back.

The condition called Osteoarthritis is experienced because the cartilage or tissue that cushions the joints becomes worn. The condition can be worst in those of us who are over weight. This discourages many people from undertaking workout programs to lose weight.

Dr. Andrew Weil M.D. advocates the use of Glucosamine Sulfate and Chondroitin to help with joint support problems. I am experiencing great results with a product that combines these ingredients and others that work in a time release fashion called Phosoplex.

I am running about 3 miles a day and am slowly training for the 2006 NYC marathon, due in part to the great joint support and less pain I am experiencing associated with using Phosoplex. I also include a regiment of strength training (pushups, pull-ups, etc.) and flexibility like yoga and martial arts forms to resist the inflexibility associated with aging.

If you are having problems loosing the weight with exercise cut down on simple sugars, pastas, and starches. Also eat more lean protein sources like fish and broiled chicken without the skin. Look into eating more stemmed vegetables, drinking more water and less soda and juices. Perhaps products like Zyroxin and especially Zalestra for weight loss in pre-menopausal women would also be good to for you to consider.

Lastly, after losing those extra pounds we all want to put our best face forward in looking great. Unfortunately nature does not always cooperate. According to the Seattle Times Study as we age we experience the beginnings of crow’s feet, laugh lines, and potbellies.

It also states that our Skin cells divide more slowing, causing the skin to thin. Wrinkles form around the eyes and mouth. More than 3 million people ages 35 to 50 had a cosmetic procedure last year in the U.S.

I notice that as I age I find older women with character lines more attractive. However if you feel you want to smooth out the few wrinkles on your face why chance expensive and serious surgery or Botox injections (a product related to the biological warfare agent botulism)? Consider trying some over the counter products like Rejuvinol, which fights wrinkles while it moisturizes and helps protect your skin. Don’t put yourself at risk to look younger.

For Further information for supplements like Phosoplex, Rejuvinol, and Zalestra you can visit Amazon.com or… http://www.BODeStore.com .

Always remember to consult with a fitness and health professional first before entering into any kind of weight, diet, or health program.

This article is for general information purposes only. Your ultimate health, fitness, and diet program will depend on your personal goals, abilities, and objectives after consulting with your doctor or health professional.

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Does this sound familiar to you?

You have goals for your muscle building workouts.
You follow a regime that allows you to achieve those
goals. You’re doing everything right. But, you fall
on your butt.

Then you find that you get back up and start the whole
process working on your muscle building workouts all
over again. Only to find that you keep falling down,
getting back up again and repeating this over and
over.

You do this until you think that you are never going
to achieve anything here. You think that this training
lark isn’t for you. So what do you do?

Yep, you give up.

Why does this happen and what can I do about it?

You’ve probably asked yourself that question many
times. But you may have found that you never came up
with a real answer. You blame the muscle building
workouts and everything that led you to it.

So what is the real problem?

It seems that you have the right muscle building
workouts. You may have goals in mind of what you would
like to achieve with that training routine.

Maybe you’re doing one, or more, of the following:

* Having bad, or no, warm up sessions.
* Not eating enough.
* Not taking enough fluids.
* Training too much.
* Lifting excessive weights.
* Not getting enough sleep.

These are all very common to all muscle and fitness
workouts, no matter what sport you do.

These are easily identified and remedied. Just go
through each one of these and see if they apply to
you. If so, then identify why this is the case. Having
done that, you need to find the right solution to fix
it. You do this in a systematical manner, until you
have fully identified what is wrong, the reason for it
going wrong and the appropriate solution for it.

For example:

Lets say that you not experiencing any growth in your
biceps. Ask yourself some questions of your muscle and
fitness workouts:

Question: What is wrong?
Answer: My biceps are not growing.

Question: What are the possible causes, and why?
Answer: The exercise may be done too quickly, or maybe
I’m cheating in my training, or maybe there isn’t
enough weight on the barbell.

Question: What can be done to remedy this?
Answer: Improve my form when doing this exercise.
Reduce the weight so that I don’t cheat and to keep
me more strict. Or increase the weight on the barbell
to promote more growth in this area.

So you see, you need to identify the problem first. If
you don’t do this, you cannot fix it up. Then you must
identify what the possible causes are so that you can
offer up appropriate solutions to remedy the
situation. Just go through each solution, one at a
time, until you are satisfied with the results.

This requires patience and dedication. Most people
will not put in the time to find out why they’re going
wrong. Instead they spend a lot of money and waste a
lot of time trying out different solutions. Whereas,
what they should have done first was to seek the
answer within themselves. Then seek the appropriate
solution elsewhere suitable for their muscle building
workouts — only if that solution is outside of their
grasp.

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Life Fitness treadmills have been designed in such a way that they fit well in almost any home. Not only that, but Life Fitness treadmills are also priced to be affordable for most of the people looking for a treadmill and they have all the features that they need in order to get a good workout without having to travel anywhere.

Life Fitness treadmills are being used by numerous world champion athletes, top athletes, military personnel and health club members.

Life Fitness offers two Life Fitness treadmill lines: Life Fitness Cardio and Life Fitness Sport Cardio. There are seven different Life Fitness treadmill options in the first line (T3, T3i, T5, T5i, T7, and T9i/e) and two in the second line.

Life Fitness offers the T-series as a direct descendant of its commercial model series, starting with the standard quality T3, their ‘benchmark’ value model, and topping out with the Life Fitness T9i, recommended by Health Magazine.

Basic treadmills are included in the T3 series of Life Fitness treadmill models. There are two choices in this category viz the T3 and the T3i. Both of these Life Fitness treadmill models offer a large number of features including classic workouts (hill, random, manual), sport training workouts (sport training, 5K sport training, 10K sport training) and EZ Incline TM workouts. Display options on the T3 and T3i models of Life Fitness treadmill include display of elapsed time, distance, speed, incline, heart rate, calories per hour and calories burnt.

Both Life Fitness treadmill models can accommodate speeds up to 10 miles per hour and an incline of 15%. The T3i Life Fitness treadmill includes heart features including Polar Telemetry® and heart rate zone training workouts (cardio, fat burn, heart rate hill, heart rate interval and extreme heart rate). Life Fitness treadmills in the T3 series consist of a 2.5HP motor and supports inclination up to 15%.

Life Fitness treadmills in the T5 series are meant for competitive running. The main difference between a Life Fitness treadmill in the T3 series and the T5 series is that those in the T5 series are capable of speeds up to 12 miles per hour.

The Life Fitness T5 treadmill provides a wide & long walking area and a powerful drive motor. It has a few less programs and a simpler display than the T5i but features the same durable construction throughout.

A Life Fitness treadmill from the T7 line, adds daily training workouts to the package (30-minute walk, 3-mile jog, 45-minute cross-train) and customizable workouts.

Finally, the T9 series of Life Fitness treadmill models additional customizable workouts, speed interval training, pace mode, calories goal, distance goal, and time in zone goal, as well as Life Pulse TM digital heart rate monitoring. The Life Fitness T9i treadmill bears up to 400 pounds weight and features a 5/8 inch 60 x 20 inch belt with cushioned deck, 3.5 inch roller and 4.0HP motor. This treadmill series offers a top speed of 12 MPH, inclines up to 15% and provides readouts/feedbacks. It also provides 16 preset programs as well as six custom memory slots for personal workouts and it monitors heart rate through Ergo hand sensors and a wireless chest strap.

The warranty period on Life Fitness treadmill models is impressive. Life Fitness treadmill provides lifetime warranty on frame and shock absorbers, fifteen years warranty on the motor, three years warranty on electrical and mechanical parts and one year warranty on labor. The Life Fitness T9 treadmill series provides a lifetime warranty on the motor and ten years warranty on electrical and mechanical parts.

A Life Fitness treadmill can get users well on their way to fitness. With the wide variety of workout options available, even on their basic models, users will never be bored. If users are keeping a close eye on their cardiovascular fitness, the heart monitoring available on a Life Fitness treadmill can’t be bet.

A Life Fitness treadmill might be the best treadmill choice for users. If users are going to use a Life Fitness treadmill, they should make sure that they know what they are doing before using it. Users should always make sure that they are very comfortable walking on their Life Fitness treadmill device before they decide to start running. This is always the case no matter what model or style of Life Fitness treadmill they own.

Before buying a Life Fitness treadmill model users should take a look at the different features that are offered with the treadmill model. Users should make sure that the treadmill motor has a high continuous duty rating and has a long warranty.

Life Fitness treadmills have an excellent life span. Some of the popular discount Life Fitness treadmills are model numbers 5500, 8500 and T3i. No matter how strenuous workouts users desire (use of hand weights to tone arms and body while walking/running on the treadmill), Life Fitness treadmills are a great piece of exercise equipment.

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It is certainly helpful to know your body type when you want to lose weight or build muscles. By knowing your own body type, you can then plan your health and fitness program to suit your specific body type for excellent result.

We shall discuss the 3 common body types and their characteristics here.

• Endomorph: Your built is big and usually have a round face, wide hips, big bones and slow metabolism. You also have a higher number of fat cells than usual. Bad news. That means you get fat easily. If you are in this category, well, you’ve got more work to do. You need a combination of high intensity cardio work, weight lifting and a healthy/correct eating to lose fat and build muscles. You will need more effort than others to lose weight.

• Mesomorph: You are blessed with a naturally muscular body and have with wide shoulders, small waist, athletic build, low body fat with a high metabolism. With your natural predisposition, you can pack on muscles real fast and are the type that can take up bodybuilding as a career if you want to. You excel naturally in sports and will always have that sexy and handsome body that is to everyone’s envy.

• Ectomorph: You are skinny all your life with small muscles, very very high metabolism, low body fat, narrow shoulders, hips and waist. You find it hard to put on weight and muscles no matter how much you eat. You will need greater effort to build muscles on your skinny frame. You are called the hardgainer in the bodybuilding and fitness jargon.

Most people fall in between the three types. For example, a person can be a mixture of Mesomorph and Endomorph or Mesomorph and Ectomorphs.

Now that you have identified your body type, you can then write down your goals, objectives and the methodology you wish to take to achieve them. It is imperative that you must have written down goals and objectives so that you have a plan and a course of action to take for your lose weight or build muscles program. If you do not know how to plan your program, consult a personal trainer. You will then have a tool to measure your progress and check yourself whether or not you are doing things right or wrong and then to correct any errors and move on. Otherwise you will be without focus. Do you think you can progress if you exercise and eat in a haphazard way? Obviously not, isn’t it?

By having a specific program to follow, it allows you to take concrete actions each day to achieve your weight loss build muscles goals. You will eat and exercise correctly and you will plod on and on until you have achieved the attractive and fit body that you have always desired.

Believe that you can do it and then get your hands dirty doing it! Dare to dream! If you do not dream, how then can your dreams come true?

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The New Year is quickly creeping up on us. Do you have a New Year’s Resolution? Well, if you’re like most Americans (88 percent in 2001 according to a GNC poll), you have at least one resolution. And, if you are like the majority of these promise-makers, your resolution is probably related to health and fitness. In 2001 (according to GNC), 55 percent promised to eat healthier, 50 percent resolved to exercise more, and 38 percent wanted to lose weight.

While resolutions are well-intentioned, unfortunately most people fail at keeping them. With all the hype surrounding these promises, it’s easy to get caught up in it without really taking them seriously.

We live in a throw-away society and even our resolutions, I’m afraid, are not immune. However, especially for promises that include improving our health, it’s in our best interest not to take them lightly.

So, what’s the secret to successful resolutions? While you can’t wave a magic wand and make your resolution come true, there are some easy steps to take that will make it easier to fulfill your promise to yourself.

• Choose an obtainable goal. Resolving to look like a super model is not realistic for the majority of us, but promising to include daily physical activity in our lives is very possible.
• Avoid choosing a resolution that you’ve been unsuccessful at achieving year after year. This will only set you up for failure, frustration and disappointment. If you are still tempted to make a promise that you’ve made before, then try altering it. For example, instead of stating that you are going to lose 30 pounds, try promising to eat healthier and increase your weekly exercise.
• Create a game plan. At the beginning of January, write a comprehensive plan. All successful businesses start with a business plan that describes their mission and specifics on how they will achieve it. Write your own personal plan and you’ll be more likely to succeed as well.
• Break it down and make it less intimidating. Rather than one BIG end goal, dissect it into smaller pieces. Set several smaller goals to achieve throughout the year that will help you to reach the ultimate goal. Then, even if you aren’t able to reach your final goal, you will have many smaller, but still significant, achievements along the way. For example, if your goal is to complete a 10K race, your smaller goals could be running a 5K in less than 30 minutes, adding upper and lower body strength training to increase your muscular endurance, and running 2 miles with a personal best completion time.
• Make Contingency Options: Don’t assume sticking to your plan will be smooth sailing. Plan on hitting bumps along the resolution road and be prepared with specific ways to overcome them. What will keep you from skipping your workout or stop you from having a cigarette? This may mean seeking help from family or a professional, writing in a journal, etc.
• Give It Time: Most experts agree that it takes about 21 days to create a habit and six months for it to actually become a part of your daily life.
• Reward yourself with each milestone. If you’ve stuck with your resolution for 2 months, treat yourself to something special. But, be careful of your reward type. If you’ve lost 5 pounds, don’t give yourself a piece of cake as an award. Instead, treat yourself to something non-food related, like a professional massage.
• Ask friends and family members to help you so you have someone to be accountable to. Just be sure to set limits so that this doesn’t backfire and become more irritating than helpful. For example, if you resolve to be more positive ask them to gently remind you when you start talking negatively.
• Don’t go it alone! Get professional assistance. Everyone needs help and sometimes a friend just isn’t enough. Sometimes you need the help of a trained professional. Don’t feel that seeking help is a way of copping out. Especially when it comes to fitness, research studies have shown that assistance from a fitness professional greatly improves people’s success rate.
• Limit your number of promises. You’ll spread yourself too thin trying to make multiple changes in your life. This will just lead to failure of all of the resolutions.
• Test Your Flexibility: Realize that things change frequently. Your goals and needs may be very different in April then they were when you made your resolution in January. Embrace change, even if that means that your resolution is altered.
• Keep A Journal: A journal helps you recognize your positive steps and makes it harder to go back to the same old habits.

On average only about 20% of us keep our New Year’s resolutions. Unfortunately, some of the biggest failures are found in fitness resolutions. But don’t let the statistics get you down. By following the tips above you’ll be better equipped to fall into the successful 20% category.

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Lets discuss ‘Key #2′. But just before that, I’d like to remind you about what the previous article discussed.

In a previous article “Key #1″, you were given ten steps to follow. If you haven’t received this article, I suggest you read that before this one here as it will make what I’m talking a little more clear.

You can access that article here:
http://www.how-to-build-muscle-and-fitness.com/key-1.html

In summary, Muscle And Fitness 1 is the ‘HAVE’ key. This is where you identify your muscle and fitness goals. There are still the ‘BE’ and ‘DO’ keys to go.

Which brings me to the second key:

The ‘DO’ Key -
This is the action key. The one that gets you to do what is necessary to make things happen.

So what you need to do is first identify what your goals are. Decide exactly what you want to achieve and then choose the necessary actionable steps to achieve those goals.

In the first key, the ‘HAVE’ key, you went through a process that helped (or will help) you in deciding what you want. Maybe it was to lose weight or gain mass muscle, or whatever.

The point is that you know what you want to get out of your training routine before commencing the routine that suits your goals.

Assuming you have gone through the ‘HAVE’ key, it’s time to go through the ‘DO’ key and structure you bodybuilding workout, or fitness routine, around your goals.

So lets do that, shall we?

1. Review the work you did in the ‘HAVE’ key. In other words, look at the index card (postcard) you created that identified your exact goals.

2. Read them. As you do so, feel them. Imagine performing a specific exercise that would be most beneficial for that particular goal. See it happen, as if it is actually happening. What exercise would be the most effective one in helping you achieve that specific goal?

Once you have decided which exercise to use, write it down.

2. Now move onto the next goal on that card. Go through the motions that you just did in number two above. Feel it. See it. How good do you feel?

Now, which exercise will be most effective for that specific goal? Write it down just below the forst one.

3. Now move onto the next goal on your card and repeat steps two and three above. Do this until you’ve decided on your specific routine.

Again, write the exercises down.

4. How many repetitions do you need to do?
How many sets should you perform?

This depends on your goals. If it’s to lose weight, then keep the weights light, but heavy enough to provide adequate resistance. If you choose to build muscle, then decide how much muscle you want to build. Then you would choose heavier weights and less reps.

If you’re not sure how much weights to use, reps to do or sets to perform… then seek the advice of a professional.

5. Time to choose how often you need to train. If you building bigger muscle, you may need to break your training regime into two to three parts. In other words…

You may decide to work the chest, back and legs on day 1. Then shoulders, biceps and triceps on day 2. Then rest on day 3.

Or are you looking to lose weight?

Then you may choose to perform a total body workout on day 1 and rest on day 2.

Just make sure that it’s appropriate for your goal.

6. What about your diet?

Decide what foods are right for you and your goals. Are you looking to lose weight?

Then eat less, but consume more healthy food with low fat and calories. Decide how often to eat.

Looking to gain weight?

Then eat more. Also choose better foods that can help with weight gain, while they are healthy at the same time. Look for decent whole foods. Decide if supplements are necessary.

7. Make sure that you’ve written everything down. Review it and see if you’ve left anything out.

Now you have the ‘DO’ key done. You are at the point where you have structured your training program to help you get your goals. In other words…

you now have two of the three keys:

‘DO – HAVE’.

All that’s left is the ‘BE’ key. But, that’s enough for today. Just review this article and take action on the steps above. Follow these steps until complete.

Once you follow these steps, you are set up for the final key… the ‘HAVE’ key which I call: ‘Muscle And Fitness 3′.

Keep an eye out for it.

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There are thousands of home fitness equipment today that areavailable in the market. Don’t make the error of buying something and then regretting buying it after a day or two. Home fitness equipment differ and you should always have a good reason to buy it. Don’t believe everything commercials tell you about the equipment. Some equipment might look easy to use on television but in fact will not really work for you. Try to ask yourself these questions before you grab your wallet to purchase that equipment.

Do you need it? The gear should suit your interests and needs like trying to get 8 Pack Abs. The activities that you will perform with that equipment should be challenging and something you enjoy performing. Purchasing equipment is never a lock that you will use it frequently, particularly if it is something new that makes it difficult to use. Make certain that you already know the equipment and that it is something that you already used in a gym. Start by purchasing small equipment that is aligned to your interests.

Is it worth it? Don’t be tricked because you spent too much money on it you will workout more often. Expensive equipment doesn’t mean that you will use it or that they are efficient for you. Always think about how much are you willing to pay for certain equipment. Also ask yourself it is worth it. Always check the quality before you buy the equipment. The cost may be low but think about that the quality might also be low. Or it may be expensive but then the quality is not that good. You can try choosing cheaper alternatives but not sacrificing the quality of the equipment. For mre info on working out at home check out Chest Workout at Home

You might also want to look for some used equipment. Most of the time, this is where you will find a better deal. You can even find equipments that do not seem to have been used at a very low rate. Or you can find the equipment 3 months old but the price is almost half the original.

Do you have enough room for it? Sometimes buyers forget to consider this. Try to think about where to put a treadmill before buying it. Before you purchase something, make sure you know where you will put it. Your house may not accommodate the equipment. Plan ahead and make sure that the equipment can be placed in your home without causing any problems.

Make sure that you will use regularly any exercise equipment you purchase or it will all be for nothing. All too often people get excited about working out and weight loss then buy some expensive equipment then lose interest and it just sits in their basement unused. Also remember for the best results using your fitness equipment you should also alter your diet to eat less junk foods and pop and eat more fruits and vegetables. This will compliment your exercise to allow you to lose weight and get into better shape much faster than if you exercise but eat badly.

Buying fitness equipment should be carried out with careful consideration. Don’t buy by the spur of the moment. Always ask the opinion of a professional gym instructor before you purchase something.

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Being active makes people healthy and muscular. It is not just for those of us who have a over weight problem but for everyone who likes to stay fit.

There is a lot people can do including jog or walk in the morning, playsoccer or any other sport with friends but if a person wants tobe muscular and look lean, then they can sign up and workout in a gym.

You Should excercise for 3 reasons;

The top is that the person is overweight and the best way to lose those extra pounds is to reduce ones calorie intake and at the same time excercise at the gym or elsewhere.

Thesecond reason is that the person is underweight and the only way to add extra pounds is to intake more calories in their diet and excercise.

The third is just for fun and to stay in shape. People also want to get those impressive 8 Pack Abs

The most effective workout plan should have cardiovascular and resistance training exercises with a focus on the weights. This allows you to burn calories and raise the muscle to fat ratio that will increase your metabolism and gain or lose weight. A workout that is often overlooked is the Chest Workout, even though the chest muscles are very important.

Here are some good results that come of excercising;

1. It is the easiest way to maintain and improve ones health from a variety diseases and premature death.

2. Studies have revealed that it makes a person feels happier and increases ones self esteem helping to avoid falling into depression and anxiety.

3. An active lifestyle makes a person live longer than a person who doesn’t.

Excercising for people who has not done it before should be done gradually. Strength will not be built in a day and doing it repeatedly will definitely be helpful to the person.

It is advisable to workout regularly with a healthy diet.

A person can ask with a dietitian or a health professional to really help plan a good diet program. It starts by evaluating the lifestyle and the health of the patient before any program can be decided on.

A good diet should have food from all the food groups.

This is made up by 2 things. The first is carbohydrates. The food that a person consumes should have vitamins, minerals and fiber. A lot of this can come from oats, rice, potatoes and cereals. The best still come from vegetables and fruits since these have phytochemicals, enzymes and micronutrients that are essential for a healthy diet.

The second is fat which can come from mono and poly saturated food sources rather than animal fats. Since fat contains more than double the number of calories in food, this should be taken in small quantities to gain or lose weight.

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