How to Pick a Trainer ?
July 31, 2006
Quick Overview- I think the most important thing for people starting a workout program is to keep moving, so I highly recommend starting with a basic walking regiment ie. {like walk around the block}
I’m not the typical trainer, I don’t think people want the stereotypical trainer you get at most clubs. My focus is more on “WHY” we do what we do, or don’t do. So I like to think of myself as a life coach!
Here is a little of what I teach:
Our topic this month is, “How do you pick the Right Trainer for YOU”. It can be a complicated process. You want the best trainer for your buck. So what do you do?
My belief is, you need to investigate and interview different prospective trainers.
Here are a few tips of what to ask:
Know Your Bodybuilding Supplement - HMB
July 31, 2006
HMB stands for beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate. It is a metabolite of leucine, one of the body’s essential amino acids, with small amounts found naturally in catfish, grapefruit and alfalfa.
It has become very popular amongst athletes in recent years mainly due to the role it plays in the synthesis of muscle tissue. HMB has been subjected to many studies that have reached some interesting conclusions. One study showed that supplementation with 3 grams of HMB per day increased participants’ strength by a factor of three compared with placebo takers. Supplementing with the same amount also saw a reduction in bad cholesterol compared with the placebo group.
Clearly there is significant scientific backing for claims that HMB can speed up muscle growth, strength, endurance and fat loss. There are no known side effects when taken properly in amounts ranging from 3-5 grams each day. It should be taken before training or at bed time for best results.
Richard Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding Advice to learn more about the issues covered in this article.
My Search for Happiness in the First Year of Sobriety
July 31, 2006
DAY 1: HOUR BY HOUR
Happiness in sobriety? Could this really be possible? Yes, I know I need to quit drinking if I want to continue to live. Survival during sobriety maybe, but happiness seems almost out of the question.
I do feel a little glimmer of hope when I see other sober women who seem happy. Could I get there too? I won’t think about that now. First I must somehow find a way to quit drinking. I will try to get through today without a drink. I will survive this day hour by hour. I know that I have to begin to really try.
DAY 3: PROUD BUT SCARED
It’s been three days without a drink! I feel proud of myself but I’m also scared to death that I won’t be able to maintain this. Maybe if I accept the fear but don’t let it take over, I can continue. The women in my group have given me praise for what I have accomplished. That feels good. I don’t want to let them and myself down. Just one more day, I can do it!
4 Exercises That Will Help You Change Your Body Faster Than Any Other Exercises You May Have Tried
July 31, 2006
1. Lunges with a barbell. Properly executed, this exercise is the king (or queen) of total body reshaping exercises.
2. Indoor Rock Climbing. No other exercise will work as many muscles (both large and small) at the same time than using a Computerized Indoor Rock Climbing Wall!
3. 100 Rep Squats ? while standing straight, in the squat position, holding either a pair or dumbbells at your sides or a light barbell across your shoulders (behind your neck) ? you slowly squat to parallel, without using any jerking motions. Then when standing back up, you refrain from locking out your legs at the top position. Repeating this sequence for as many times as you possible can, up to 100 reps. When you can perform 100 reps, you simply add more weight. If you need a break during the set of 100 reps ? for health reasons ? then take one ? but before then, once you get back up continue where you left off until you’ve performed 100 reps. This type of volume training drives a massive amount of oxygenated blood throughout your entire body improving your endurance, melting body fat, cleaning out your lymphatic system, and boosting your metabolism.
Negative Calorie Foods & Weight Loss
July 30, 2006
You gain weight when your calorie intake is more than your calorie expenditure. But if this calorie equation is reversed, then it results in “negative calorie” balance in your body. In this negative calorie case, you expand more calories than you take in, resulting in a decrease in the stored calories in the form of body fat, and you experience a weight loss. About 10% of daily caloric intake is used to process foods in the body. You can expand more by doing physical activities.
There are certain foods that show negative calorie effect because the body has to expand more energy to extract calories from these foods. The negative calorie foods need more calories to break down the foods and digest than the calories the foods actually contain. The extra calories are taken up from the stored fat in the body. Thus the negative calorie foods (may also be called as minus calorie foods or fat burning foods) are ideal for reducing the body fat and for losing weight.
20 Ways to Lose Weight
July 30, 2006
20 WAYS TO LOSE WEIGHT
1. Take it one step at a time
Start by paying attention to what you eat. Cut back on fat and sweets and add more fruit and vegetables. After you have that under control, add exercise. If you hate to exercise try it for only 15 minutes a day at first, then a 1/2-hour. Keep in mind that while you are exercising you are burning calories and not eating. Also, it will be easier if you chose an activity that you enjoy.
2. Find a friend
It is always good to have support when you are trying to lose weight. Find a friend who wants to lose weight and compare notes, weigh-in together and maybe even have a contest.
3. Use weights
Working out weights will build muscle and raise your metabolism so you will burn more calories. Also, muscle takes up less space than fat so you will be smaller ( but probably weigh more).
4. Eat fewer carbs
Don’t eat as much bread and pasta and you will see a difference.
5. Set a goal
When Your Emotions Become Like Ticking Bombs & Cause Disease
July 30, 2006
So, where does disease come from? How does it get manifested in your body in the first place? Do environment and diet really play key roles in causing disease? Well, the information contained in this article will shock you to say the least. For years now health officials have told the public about how diet and environment specifically contribute to most illnesses.
Doctors have been preaching to their patients how important it is to eat a healthy balanced diet and to exercise on a regular basis. It is also advised to limit our fat intake because it is unhealthy. Many people believe that by taking vitamin and mineral supplements they will ensure themselves that any deficiency they have will be taken care of.
If all the information that has been preached to us about disease and health is true, then how is it that a person such as myself could become chronically sick? Before I became chronically sick, I worked out four to five days a week and ate very well. I ate a varied and healthy diet and also limited my intake of saturated fats. So, how did I become chronically sick after following such an active and healthy lifestyle?
Your bodys pH
July 30, 2006
So what’s all the shake up about anyway?. To put it to you straight your body’s ‘’pH'’ is everything “Life Itself”. If you ask most people about ‘’pH'’ what do you think they associate it to?
With women chances are there subconscious has been programed with hair care and the importance of ‘’pH'’ for a fuller & stronger head of hair. Men’s associations are different, most men understand less about hair care, but more about ‘’pH'’ levels of water. A prime example would be a ’swimming’ pool man. His job is to check the ‘’pH'’ levels of the water, so it’s safe for others to swim.
An accurate association we all should adopt is the fish story! You may ask what’s the fish story all about? Well, Lets say you have a fish tank full of fish. One day you come home to find all your once healthy fish have died. What do you do? Get rid of the fish tank and buy a cat? Buy more fish and hope they live longer than the last ones.
Whats the answer?
Turn Off the Fat Genes - A Book Review
July 29, 2006
Once in a while a good title comes along and “Turn Off the Fat Genes” is one of those titles that just have to be written about. If you are not familiar with Dr. Neal Barnard’s work, he has been writing about how to lose weight on a high carbohydrate diet for at least a decade now.
I’m amazed, as you might be, that his work is not better known. There are a number of advantages to using a high carb diet and as many disadvantages to the low carb/ high protein diets.
There is some great research in his books that document the ability to lose weight on a high carbohydrate diet, which may also be healthier in the long run than the ever-popular low carbohydrate diets.
You might think it surprising, as I do, that more people are not using high carb diets to lose weight. You might also conclude that this is solely due to a lack of awareness on the part of the public.
Turn of the Fat Genes, written by Dr. Neal Barnard features over 150 pages of menus and recipes. The recipe and menu section is very comprehensive and you can definitely find recipes that will delight you out of such a large compilation.
What Causes Muscle Growth?
July 29, 2006
In order for muscles to grow, three things are required:
1. Stimulus - exercise is needed to make the muscles work, use energy and cause microscopic damage to the fibers.
2. Nutrition - after intense exercise the muscles need to replenish their stores of fuel.
3. Rest - it is during the rest or recovery phase that the muscles repair the microscopic damage and grow.
Muscle size increases due to hypertrophic adaptation and an increase in the cross section area of individual muscle fibers. Intensive exercise impacts more on the strength influencing fast twitch type II fibers, therefore the increase in muscle size is accompanied by greater strength.
This will deplete the muscle’s energy stores and cause microscopic damage to the muscle tissue. During recovery, these stores of glycogen and phosphocreatine will replenish from carbohydrates and creatine ingested as food or supplements. Amino acids supplied in the diet will trigger the protein synthesis that repairs the damaged muscle and lead to the creation of bigger muscle fibers.
To achieve continuous improvement you will need to keep reaching for higher levels of training intensity otherwise the improvement process will grind to a halt. Fortunately, this is relatively easy to plan for provided certain basic principles and rules are clearly followed. Subsequent articles in this series will examine these principles in detail.
