Personal Fitness Train

Diet forms a major portion of the weight loss regimen apart from regular exercise and meditation. Out of the various diets that have been formulated for weight loss, the high protein diet is said to be one of the popularly followed diets due to its shorter time period and hence quicker results. The main objective of a high protein diet is to keep the consumption of the protein rich foods high and the carbohydrate intake as low as possible. Researchers have it that the protein helps in satisfying the hunger better than the carbohydrates. Down the years it has been followed by those who want to quickly lose the weight and build muscles sans fat accumulation. Proteins are known for building new cells and helps in the muscle repair. Read the rest of this entry »

9 Tips To Tone Your Legs

Your legs can tolerate a variety of strength and resistance trainings. They are needed from the beginning to the end of your fitness programfrom cardio run to adduction machine training or perhaps aerobics sessions. After series of routines undertaken your legs start to alarm you that its time to tone down for closure.

Leg toning tips emphasize that you should get used to doing two to three workouts a week that comprise up to two sets. You can settle for 8 to 15 repetitions of each leg. So here are 9 tips to tone your legs that might be helpful to you:

1.It is to be noted that when you do any leg routine your knee must be protected from getting injured.

2.Know the limitations of your leg movement. Too much stretching can lead to muscle tear. Too much delaying of a certain toning stance can give soreness to your legs.

3.You must keep it slow and smooth. Your leg toning routines must not threaten your joints. By being so abrupt and rough with your execution you are not allowing your legs to relax but be shocked instead.

4.If you feel pain discontinue and try to pause for relaxation. Attempt to stretch again and do it as smoothly and slowly as possible.

5.Always check with your fitness guru if your knees can tolerate strenuous strength training and long duration of stretching. You are not supposed to feel pain when toning down.

6.Even if you are focusing on leg toning your other body parts must still cooperate and get relaxed. They are to be held lightly for relaxation.

7.To tone your legs appropriately ask before you act upon it. You want perfectly toned legs dont you? So start and end right.

8.If you are openminded about expanding the scope of your leg toning exercises you can seek for materials like videos that showcase to you the exact manners of toning your legs.

9.If you want the best results to tone your legs make sure you start off with a fatblasting routine that eliminates the bad cholesterol of your system. If you dont theres a chance you are storing fat underneath your leg skin.

This is how your legs can bulk up unhealthily. Cardio routines can be done by walking or running on the treadmill or doing elliptical machines. As long as it gives a few minutes of heartpumping and perspiring with your legs moving hugely it will give you the nicest results.

Hopefully these tips will help you tone your legs and get that perfect shape in no time. To reiterate do the cardio routine prior to leg toning so that you get it all effectively without a doubt.

About the writer:  Finding the perfect Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Trainer takes time and effort. The P90X Plus workout is a great place to start if a person is interested in flat abs. The P90X is also another workout that will help develop flat abs.

9 Tips To Improve Your Kettlebell Swing

Kettlebell swings are one of the best exercises for firming your buttocks hamstrings quads abs and pretty much everything else. The dynamic loading and unloading of the weight trains you to you your entire body to generate the force necessary to move the bell from between your legs to chest or shoulder height. Proper form is imperative to keep from hurting yourself.

These tips will help you maximize the fat burning potential of the kettlebell swing!

• The hips go BACK not down! I can’t tell you how many people have come to me saying swings hurt their back. Inevitably the reason is they are squatting down instead of pushing the hips back.
  
  • Try this Place your hands on your hips with the forefinger of each hand in the hip crease and use the hands to tilt the pelvis. Let the knees unlock but don’t bend them just unlock them.
  • Keep pushing the hips back. At the same time keep the chest lifted and shoulder blades pinched chin up.
  • Pop the hips forward and straighten the knees. The hamstrings glutes quads and abs should all be tight at the moment of full expansion. The pelvis should be forward.
  • If you are doing swings with 1 kb 2 handed or 1 handed the forearms should be touching the inside of the upper thigh through the bottom portion of the movement. If the forearms go between the knees you are squatting or you have longer arms than me which is saying a lot
• If you are practicing with a more relaxed style you can let the arm relax a little and round a bit through the mid amp; upper back but the lower back stays flat!
• Activate your lats to keep the shoulder down and packed
• Shins stay vertical Do not allow any movement below the knees. This results in scooping and is usually caused by shifting the weight from the mid foot/heel to the ball of the foot. You should be able to lift the toes off the floor at any time during a swing.
• Going deeper into the backswing back NOT down will generate more power by loading the posterior chain more. You can’t go as deep/back with 2 handed swings.
• Swing to shoulder height or forehead height unless you are specifically working on high pull variations. The variation that I have seen some do two handed swings overhead can be dangerous you are better off snatching
• At the top of the swing don’t arch the back to get it higher. You may lean back onto the heals to counterbalance the bell but the back remains flat.
• Save your grip and hands. Do not squeeze the handle in a death grip. For all but the heaviest for you bell you should be able to hold the bell in the fingers by just keeping them curled and only tightening a little through the back swing. Holding the bell tight at the base of the top of the palm below the finger will lead to much pain and suffering from blisters and torn callouses.
• Breathing should be natural. Don’t force it. Find a rhythm that works for you. Personally my breathing pattern changes depending on how much work I’ve already done. I tend to inhale on the downswing and exhale on the upswing when fresh but when I get tired I do a double breath. Exhale on the backswing quick inhale on the way up exhale at the top quick inhale on the way down. It takes a bit of experimentation but that really is your natural breathing pattern.

That’s it for now. I hope you find these pointers helpful in fine tuning your swing so you can get the most benefit from this tremendous exercise!

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Dave has been studying kungfu since 1989 and started teaching in 1993.
In 2002 he started training with kettlebells and was one the first 100 people in the U.S. to be certified as instructor with Pavel Tsatsouline.
He is the owner of IronBody Fitness LLC a Certified CrossFit affiliate located in Louisville Ky. Dave has been teaching kettlebells for over 6 years and is considered an expert in the area of fat loss health and fitness in Louisville Ky and the surrounding area.

For more info visit www.ironbody.com

9 Tips For Skinny People Who Want To Gain Weight

Most people want to lose weight. In rare cases however there are some who are too skinny and lanky. They face the malady of not being able to increase in size. Either its genetically caused or lack of nutrients being too bony is sometimes frustrating especially among men.

Those who fail to gain weight may not have been eating the right food. Or maybe they dont execute the exercises correctly. Possibly some are just too inconsistent in complying with the routines. If you are one of those who just cant bulk up and too frustrated about your being skinny these 10 tips for skinny people who want to gain weight might help:

1.Eat more than what your body can break down. If possible you have to feed yourself with more carbohydrates more calories than what your required intake is supposed to be. Eat as if youre starving for weeks but never overstuff yourself with too much fat like desserts and oily foods. You have to follow a weight gain diet so to speak.

2.Instead of eating three times a day you can embrace more than that. Six meals in a day will be more appropriate if you really want to gain weight.

3.Take more proteinrich foods like eggs chicken potatoes and meat. Cut down on your carbohydrates instead. Presence of more protein in your body will give you a greater chance to develop more muscles.

4.Put rest intervals in between your workout routines. Because your metabolism is quite fast you must workout with higher intensity but lower in frequency. Say you can do cardio for 20 minutes and rest afterwards before you proceed with routines for your arms shoulders and chest. Rest again before you do another routine for abdomen and hips. Take another break before doing back and biceps exercises. You can do free weights or use the machines for your strength training

5.As you do the dumbbell or barbell lifting you must carry heavy weights and do low repetitions.

6.Spend just less than one hour in the gym. Keep in mind that weight gain program must be short but intense.

7.Aim focus on free weight exercises that develop big muscle groups like bench presses stick with pull ups squats dead lifts and bench curls.

8.Drink more water. Water stuffs us up and adds some weight to our body.

9.Consider taking some beneficial and appetitetriggering supplements. Whey protein is one thats popularly suggested by fitness instructors. Or you can eat egg whites for effective muscle buildup.

If you are really serious about gaining some pounds then you must follow the weight gain program and all steps mentioned in this item. Being seriously consistent with it will take your frustrations out.

About the writer:  Finding the perfect Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Trainer takes time and effort. The P90X Plus workout is a great place to start if a person is interested in flat abs. The P90X is also another workout that will help develop flat abs.

9 Symptoms To Take A Break From Exercising

Exercising is very important to stay active and fit. You should start and maintain an exercise program if you plan to stay active and healthy. Just as different exercises are designed for each body part same goes for the level of exercise. Different level of exercises are designed depending on the whether a person is a beginner or a professional. The exercises for beginners are less tiring and dont include a heavy workout. These exercises are designed such that the beginners body get used to the training or workout programs.

Beginners exercises are also designed for every body part but as these exercises are designed for the body to get used to a workout routine when carryingout these exercises make sure that you take it slowly and dont push yourself. Since you are not used to work out you can easily over train and when you do so it is time for you to take a day or two off. If you dont stop you can easily injure or cause fatigue in your muscles. The six symptoms of taking a break from an exercise problem are explained below:

1.Pain in joints and muscles: After successfully completing a workout routine you will feel pain in the joints or the muscles.

2.Fatigue: Although it is common for you to feel tired and stressedout your muscles will also be fatigued. If you dont take a break you can easily damage the tissue or cause injury.

3.Insomnia: After workout instead of feeling like you need to rest for a while you will feel sleeplessness or restlessness.

4.Headache: Working out regularly is causing continuous headaches and it cant seem to be getting ridden off.

5.Elevated morning pulse: You will feel your morning pulse to be higher than normal.

6.Incomplete workout: You set a goal to complete a specific number of set for the day but are unable to reach the goal and finish workout routine prematurely.

7.Performance decreased: Suddenly you lose performing well and a quality workout routine. Instead it is of low quality and not performing the exercises as they are to be performed.

8.Inactive and demotivated: Working out is no longer a fun routine and you are starting to skip routines or not performing it by heart. You are demotivated an inactive.

9.Appetite lost: You dont have the heart to eat and suddenly notice a loss in appetite.

About the writer:  Finding the perfect Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Trainer takes time and effort. The P90X Plus workout is a great place to start if a person is interested in flat abs. The P90X is also another workout that will help develop flat abs.

9 Reasons Youre Not Losing Weight

Im used to pushing it to the outer limits when recording new joints but losing body fat to shape up isnt an exercise in extremes; its a matter of balance. Do too much or too little of one thing and you may not lose body fat as quickly as you expect. To achieve the best results practice the discipline of moderation. If youre not seeing the results you want consider that the reason may be one of the following and use my personal quick fix to correct the problem in short order.

1. Youre adding muscle mass faster than youre losing body fat. This is a bestcase scenario your program is working but you just arent recognizing it. If the scales are giving you bad news it could be because youre increasing your muscle mass faster than youre losing body fat. Muscle mass is heavier than body fat and when your body starts to make this shift it adds muscle mass more quickly than it sheds body fat. LLs quick fix: All you need in this case is an attitude adjustment. Use your mirror pay attention to how your clothes are fitting and take the compliments you receive to heart. Theyre all much better gauges of your success than a number on a scale. If everything seems to be pointing to success except the needle ignore it.

2. Youre eating too much. If youre committing this sin you probably know it without my telling you more about it. If youre going to lose body fat you have to be in a calorie deficit. Theres a limit to how many calories you can burn by exercising each day so you have to limit caloric intake to make sure youre in a deficit. LLs quick fix: One thing you may have noticed when you started this program is that your appetite increased. Channel that into opportunity: Emphasize healthy lowcalorie foods such as vegetables and lean protein sources so that you can still consume a large volume of food without stuffing yourself full of unwanted calories. Satiety that satisfied feeling from eating can be achieved with fewer calories when you eat crunchy lowcalorie foods such as vegetables.

3. Youre not eating enough. Enough in this case may mean that youre not eating enough calories youre not eating often enough or both. If you habitually eat only a large meal or two a day you may be undereating. Strangely this can allow calories to be stored as body fat. When you eat a large quantity of food in a sitting and then neglect to eat for hours on end your body tends to hoard the calories it doesnt need from these infrequent meals as body fat. LLs quick fix: To find success eat fewer calories in a sitting and eat more frequently. This may mean actually increasing the total number of calories you consume a day but your body will be more inclined to burn them than to store them as body fat. Strive to take in up to six meals a day distributing the number of calories you consume fairly equally from one meal to the next.

4. Youre not training enough. If youre following the program as Ive laid it out youre training enough. The only suggestion I can offer is to train with more intensity. If youre not keeping up but youre doing what you can then just keep going at your pace. Your results will come. On the other hand if youre skipping workouts because youre busy or because you dont feel like it youre just not going to achieve results that are as impressive as you want. LLs quick fix: The first thing you have to realize is that you do have time to work out. Get in 15 minutes here and there each day. Make the commitment. Thats when youll see real results.

5. Youre training too much. This may be a shocker but training too much too hard or both can undermine progress. Keep in mind that the workouts themselves tear down your body. You make progress and grow after training during recovery. LLs quick fix: If you are overtraining see Dont OverTrain in Vain on page 190 for more on this you may need to back off on your training volume or frequency. You should limit weight training to about 4 days a week and you should include at least 1 if not 2 full rest days each week.

6. Youre not performing enough cardio. When youre weight training youre jacking up your metabolic rate by encouraging calorie burning and adding muscle mass. Cardiovascular training walking jogging running or using any of the gym machines such as treadmills bicycles or stairclimbers is also important for burning calories and ultimately for burning body fat. LLs quick fix: Make sure that you perform as much cardio as the program prescribes.

7. Youre performing too much cardio. Many people think they can climb onto a treadmill and just keep moving until their body is perfect. Thats not the case. Performing an excess of cardio either in intensity frequency or duration can take your body over the edge into a state of overtraining and it can burn muscle mass rather than body fat. Either way your cardio actually can end up working against your goal of shedding body fat and adding lean muscle mass. LLs quick fix: If you think this is the case cut back on your cardio somewhat either the length of sessions the frequency the intensity or a combination of these variables.

8. Youre eating too many carbs. If you consume a high percentage of your calories from carbohydrates you may be impeding your ability to shed body fat and you may not be encouraging enough muscle growth if youre simultaneously not eating enough protein. Carbs especially sugary or starchy carbs can make you feel sluggish and negatively affect your blood sugar. They can also encourage you to store body fat. LLs quick fix: To avoid this problem cut back on carbs in general relying more on slowburning sources such as oatmeal brown rice and yams which have a less negative impact on your blood sugar levels. Particularly avoid consuming sugary and starchy carbs by themselves. These include sodas pasta white bread and candy.

9. Youre not eating enough carbs before and after you work out. Nutrition is complex and specific to each individual. You need to cut back on sugary carbs in general but you want to include them before and after your workouts when they will help drive nutrients into your cells. Pre and postworkout they deliver nutrients to your muscles stimulated by your workouts rather than to your bodyfat stores. LLs quick fix: Consume as many as 50 grams of simple carbs in the half hour both before and after you work out. Check labels to see how large of a portion this equates to.

Reprinted from: LL Cool J’s Platinum Workout by LL Cool J and Dave Honig with Jeff O’Connell. Copyright 2007 by James Todd Smith. December 2006;27.95US/34.95CAN; 9781594866081 Permission granted by Rodale Inc. Emmaus PA 18098. Available wherever books are sold or directly from the publisher by calling at 800 8484735.

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;LL Cool J is a threetime Grammywinning rapper television and movie actor and bestselling author. With 11 consecutive platinum albums he is considered one of a select few artists who brought rap and hiphop culture from the underground to the mainstream. He previously authored the bestselling I Make My Own Rules. He lives on Long Island New York.

Dave “Scooter” Honig is a noted expert in boxing conditioning and has worked with champion athletes and celebrities for many years. He lives in New York City.

Jeff O’Connell is an executive writer for Men’s Health magazine and recently coauthored The PowerFood Nutrition Plan. He divides his time between New York City and Emmaus Pennsylvania.

9 Reasons You Are Not Building Muscle – Bodybuilding Errors

If you’ve been pounding the iron every day doing set after set and repetition after repetition and are showing absolutely zero results you are probably making some costly mistakes just like many other bodybuilders.

This article is to identify and tackle each bodybuilding error to ensure you are building muscle. When you eliminate the obstacles you start making progress.

If you are ready to start making muscle gains then read on…

Bodybuilding Error 1: No Starting Point Many bodybuilders fail to show any progress when embarking on a new weighttraining program because they have absolutely no idea of where to start. Before beginning a training program you need to first assess your physique. What are your strengths and what are your weaknesses? Which body parts need to be brought up to speed or balanced out?

Bodybuilding Error 2: Tackle Plateaus Immediately Often time’s bodybuilders have a small growth spurt and then it stalls dead in its tracks. When this occurs they have no idea how to continue to produce gains. Hitting a plateau is not a detriment; it’s a red flag to tell you to change something in your program. This could mean more calories more rest or a simple change in training. Heed the warning and make changes when necessary.

Bodybuilding Error 3: Failure to Track Most bodybuilders don’t know how to track their progress or they neglect to track their progress. Often times bodybuilders fail to have a structured system to follow to evaluate and gauge their progress. Without a roadmap you are headed down a dead end road.

Bodybuilding Error 4: Neglecting the Weakest Link It’s common among bodybuilders to train their strongest body part more because it feeds their ego. Those who don’t train or those who fail to put 100 into their weak body parts are doing themselves a great injustice which can create imbalances.

Bodybuilding Error 5: Supplement Reliance Many bodybuilders get a condition called supplementoverload. This is simply taking too many supplements in hopes to build a superhuman body overnight. There are a few key supplements that help to build muscle. Knowing what supplement to take and when to take it can make all the difference in muscle gains. Overloading on the latest supplement trend will only deflate your wallet.

Bodybuilding Error 6: No Intensity I see a lot of bodybuilders lacking intensity. Anaerobic intensity is not highvolume training. Training intensity is the poundage and force used. When you fail to challenge your muscles your body will fail to grow.

Bodybuilding Error 7: Information Overload It’s common for bodybuilders to be in a whirlwind of excess information. Information overload is having too much information and not having the slightest idea of how to implement any of it. Building muscle is not complicated. Go back to the basics train eat rest = growth.

Bodybuilding Error 8: Poor Form Bad form is another major mistake made among bodybuilders. Many bodybuilders are ego lifters. The weight they try to push is so much that proper form is missing which can cause injury.

Bodybuilding Error 9: Fear of Carbs Shunning the carbs is a major musclebuilding error. Carbs are stored in the muscles as muscle glycogen. This is the fuel for weight training. Without the proper muscle fuel you will be in a muscle wastage state. You can eat protein until it comes out of your ears but if you don’t have glycogen stores you won’t increase your strength or muscle gains.

Conclusion This is just skimming the surface of bodybuilding errors. However if you can avoid the above you can maximize muscle gains and strength levels far beyond you ever imagined.

To be a success you have to keep yourself and your ego in check. Keep in mind your goal is progression not perfection. If it means taking a few days off of training so be it. Sometimes taking a step back can put you two steps ahead.

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Karen Sessions has been in the fitness industry since 1988. She is a nationally qualified bodybuilder and holds two personal training certifications. She has written 6 ebooks on fitness and has helped hundreds of clients transform their bodies. http://www.IronDolls.com
“Use of this article is authorized provided it is reproduced in full and all web URLS are active hyperlinks directed to the author

9 Reasons Why Your Weight-Loss Efforts FAIL!

You have been struggling for some time now trying to lose weight. Each day you start fresh only to have your “dedicated eating” to fall short of your best intentions.

Weight loss has not only become a daily struggle that has left you disappointed but you also feel no matter what you do you’ll never lose weight.

Does any of this sound familiar? You are not alone. Millions of people have the same daily struggles.

If you want to take control and finally lose that weight you have to identify the reasons your weightloss efforts fail. Check this list and see if you can find your own weightloss pitfalls. Identifying them can be your first step to breaking them.

Not putting YOUR needs first
If you want to lose weight you have to make it a priority and this means you have to put your needs first. If this means taking your food along on a trip or watching what you eat at a dinner party do it.

Failure to get realistic goals
Many people set weightloss goals but far too often people set unrealistic weightloss goals. If your goal is too far out of reach you can’t achieve it. Write down a goal that your mind first believes because what your mind believes your body achieves.

Having a doordie attitude
Jumping into a weightloss program with a doordie attitude is almost always a setup for failure. Easing into a weightloss program allows you room for adjustments and doesn’t leave you feeling restricted. Make small weekly changes so you are not overwhelmed.

Expecting immediate results
Expecting immediate weightloss results will destroy a positive attitude every time. You must realize that you didn’t gain fat weight overnight and you aren’t going to lose fat weight overnight either. Give your weightloss program time.

Eating haphazardly
Eating haphazardly can ruin your best weightloss intentions. Your body responds best to a scheduled eating program. Eating a small balanced meal every three hours works best for keeping the metabolism up and warding off sugar and carb cravings.

Justifying nibbling
If you want to lose weight once and for all you have to cut out the nibbling between meals. If you are nibbling between meals due to true hunger you need to be sure you are eating every three hours and are eating enough calories.

Giving in to temptation
Giving in to temptation will leave you feeling hopeless. Think about why you want the temptation and decide if it’s really worth giving in to for the sake of simply having it. More often than not if you step back and think about it you can walk the other way and not give in.

Lying to yourself
Lying to yourself about weight loss will cause failure. If you want to lose the weight you have to be true to yourself. If you cheated hold yourself accountable for it and realize you may not have a good outcome at the end of the week when you do your weight and stat check.

Making excuses upon excuses
Making excuses leads to failure no matter what you’re trying to accomplish. What’s worse is that many people try to rationalize their excuses. An excuse is an apology rationalization is justification. Many people combine the two to simply get out of personal responsibility. Stop making excuses and find a way to be successful.

Conclusion
If you have identified yourself in one or more of the scenarios listed above now is the time to do something about it. Banish the excuses take action and reap the rewards of a leaner and healthier lifestyle.

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Andy Stroman established CampSaver.com a few years back in Logan Utah in the heart of a wild and natural environment. Camp Saver is dedicated to helping adventurous camping gurus get the gear they need with great service. We are an experienced team of outdoor enthusiasts that not only sell outdoor gear we also use it. We use it and tell you about it. Our goal is to be the best and brightest online gear shop on the net and we believe we already are. To learn more about the great products on Camp Saver simply go to: http://www.campsaver.com or email andyatcampasver.com.

Andy can also be found at his new gear review blog at Campedia.com www.campedia.com where he shares the latest and greatest camping and sports gear news and details.

9 Reasons Why Everyone Should Strength Train

The general opinion when the general public here the word Weight Training is of oiled up macho muscular men flexing and showing off there muscles. This view often shies a lot of people away from lifting weights.especially women.

However some form of strength training can benefit anyone male or female at any age. It provides amazing health benefits that cannot be ignored. They are

1. INCREASE METABOLISM/MUSCLE MASS
Strength training builds muscle. I know thats probably the most obvious benefit but it is extremely important. As we age we lose approximately a pound of muscle every year after the age of twenty. Even people who exercise regularly but neglect strength training will still lose a pound of muscle a year. This will cause us to get weak and make us more vulnerable to fat gain as we get older because the metabolism is slowing down. You may notice people who eat whatever they want and not gain anything but as they approach 3040 their metabolism has slowed and they are starting to gain weight. Strength training is the only way to maintain or add muscle mass as we age keeping our metabolism running high.

2. IMPROVE BONE MINERAL DENSITY
Not only does strength training stimulate muscle growth; it also stimulates the growth of bone tissue. The stress of strength training on the bones stimulates the bones to lay down more minerals improving bone mineral density. Similar to muscle mass bone mineral density is at its peak at around the age of twenty and from there is on a gradual decline for the rest of our lives. This makes us susceptible to injuries and diseases such as osteoporosis as we age. Strength training can help prevent or even reverse these conditions. This is one of the main reasons why women should do some form of strength training as 1 in 2 women or there about now develop osteoporosis.

3. IMPROVE JOINT STRENGTH AND STABILITY
Increasing the strength of muscles also greatly enhances the strength and stability of the joints these muscles surround. This is extremely beneficial to prevent injuries as we get older.

4. DECREASE ATHRITIS
Strength training improves our bodies control of our joints which decreases the stress put on them in day to day activities. This helps reduce the chance of our joints degenerating. Therefore strength training can help prevent or reduce the severity of arthritis and recent studies are showing it can help reduce the symptoms.

5. IMPROVE VITALITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE
The condition of our muscles is responsible for our ability to perform everyday activities. Muscles are like an engine if they are well looked after you can drive it regularly without fear of it breaking down. Strength training keeps our muscles in top condition making daily activities much easier and enables us to participate in more vigorous activities without fear of injuries or lack of energy.

6. INCREASE FAT LOSS
Muscle is metabolically active meaning it burns calories. Every extra pound of muscle we add burns approximately an extra 50100 calories a day. Therefore the more muscle we have the more calories we burn while we are sleeping doing daily activities and through exercise. For example the metabolism can be like a car the more muscle you have the larger the engine and the more calories you burn much like the way a V8 chews through fuel. If we neglect strength training our metabolism might be closer to that of a scooter or a lawn mower!

7. DECREASE CHANCE OF DEVELOPING DIABETES
The increase of muscle mass due to strength training increases the use of blood sugars into the muscles helping reduce the chance of developing diabetes. Also increasing our metabolism through strength training helps prevent fat gain which is closely related to the development of late onset diabetes.

8. IMPROVE SPORTING PERFORMANCE
This is pretty obvious but a strong athlete is a great athlete. All forms of power speed and explosiveness come from having a good base of strength. For instance take 2 guys who weigh the same and they perform the Bench Press. Lets say Person A can bench 400lbs and Person B can bench only 200lbs. Who do you think could bench throw 100lbs the highest? Person A you would assume could throw it higher because 100lbs is only 25 of his max Where as Person B would be trying to throw 50 of his max.

9. DECREASE BLOOD PRESSURE
Recent studies have shown that strength training can help reduce blood pressure. Therefore there is a less chance of developing heart disease. If our muscles are stronger this places less stress on our cardiovascular system while performing day to day activities.

For all you women out there dont be scared to lift weights its good for you. You do not have the hormones men do to build large bulky muscles so dont be shy. You will only be able to replace the muscle you had lost through the aging process and at most maybe gain a few more pounds but that is it. Those pictures you see of women looking like men with massive muscles are due to them injecting male hormones in them so trust me it wont happen to you.

So as you can see some form of strength training should be performed by everyone. Men women children and the elderly can all benefit from strength training. Most importantly it prevents our body from deteriorating enabling us to live and enjoy more of life as we age. Strength training really is antiaging.

About the writer:  Luke Johnstone is a former long time yoyo dieter who has struggled with his weight ever since he was a little kid. Fed up with dieting he decided to devise a plan which enabled him to eat more food everyday eat whatever he wanted pig out a few times a week and exercise a total of only 90 minutes a week. He managed to get in the best shape of his life and now has a website to help others struggling with diets to lose weight. You can check it out at www.lukesfatlosstips.com

9 Pointers For Beginners In Dumbbell Strength Training

Strength training and cardio exercise are two core segments in a fitness program as they increase your heart performance and resistance to tolerate higher impact of routines. Fitness is after all all about gaining resistance and managing weight.

Speaking of resistance training you have the choice to manipulate weight machines lift barbells as men usually do or carry on dumbbells. If the latter is your ballgame and you are yet a starter in the field of working out take into consideration these 9 pointers for beginners in dumbbell strength training:

1.You always test on the weight of the dumbbells before proceeding to your routines. If possible consult your fitness mentor if the weight suits your level. Beginners are usually told to take a pair of 3 to 5 pounders. If you decide to do dumbbell exercise at home you can preferably shop for dumbbells that can be modified in terms of heaviness or those that have removable metal stuff.

2.Envision what your targets are. Are you trying to develop muscles on your arms legs or abs? Or are you trying to broaden your shoulders? You can spread them in days. Its not good to do leg training for five consecutive days. You need to alternate it with arms then abs training. Always remember that its important to give your muscles some rest period for them to develop.

3.Always warm up for 5 to 10 minutes just before you do the core muscle exercise using your dumbbells. Warming up allows your muscles to be conditioned and awaken. You can warm up through stretching or standard cardio exercise.

4.Set your pacing from warm up to the dumbbell exercise proper. After warm up you can begin with your dumbbell exercise. Take it slow as you lift up and down and feel the contraction. The repetitions you are to do range from 8 to 15. Rest for 60 seconds before doing another set. Neophytes can do up to 3 sets only. Beyond that would be a threat to your muscles.

5.It is definitely a nono to rush with how you execute your dumbbell exercise. Gradual long and contracted executions are best.

6.Never miss out on managing your proper breathing. Catch some as you lift the dumbbells. Inhaling and exhaling are part of the training.

7.Do not halt speedily by throwing the dumbbells to the floor. Otherwise you are distracting your muscles or straining them.

8.If you sense pain discontinue your exercise and give yourself a period of relaxation. It is expected that your body feels sore in a few days. This should not disappoint because its normal.

9. You can end your dumbbell exercise with cool down session by stretching or cardio routine for 5 minutes. This will allow your muscles to restore calmness.

In dumbbell exercise your major weapons are your focus dedication and proper choice of dumbbells weight. You can even make it more fun by having your favorite music on the background.

About the writer:  Finding the perfect Tony Horton’s 10 Minute Trainer takes time and effort. The P90X Plus workout is a great place to start if a person is interested in flat abs. The P90X is also another workout that will help develop flat abs.