Archive for November, 2008

5 Secret Ways To Make Your Workout A Fat Burning Furnace

Posted on 30 November 2008 in Uncategorized by admin

Do you know that you can burn 100 calories or more by adding something extra into your workout within spending more time? With 100 calories extra, in 35 sessions, you will be losing an extra one-pound of body fat on top of the total body fat that you will lose from your normal weight loss exercise routine.

This question became very popular because there are so many people out there that are hitting the weight loss plateau. They are exercising hard but yet they are not losing any more weight. This is very frustrating and sometimes can be very demoralizing. But you don’t have to worry now, I will share with you methods that I teach with my subscribers on how to burn more calories during your workout.

Step one. Please get out of the fancy machine and hit the free weights and cables. There are many things that these machines cannot offer. Although they are highly engineered and are of latest technologies, they still do not train your muscle on balancing and coordination. The movement path is fixed and all you have to do is push. But with free weights, you need to balance the weights, focus on coordination, and focus on the power and speed of individual arm and also the movement path. This will burn more calories. Not only that, the muscle is worked more intensely. This will require more calories from the body for muscle recovery.

Step two, add in lunges into other exercises. Most of the time, people think that lunges is used only to work the butt, quads and hamstrings. But not many people know that lunges can be integrated into other exercises to make the exercise more complex and intense. A good example is dumbbell shoulder press with lunge. This exercise works the shoulders, the triceps, the core and the entire lower body. Rather than just sitting down on the bench and pressing the weights upwards, why not add in the lunges.

To perform this exercise, start by standing up with your feet side by side. Hold the dumbbells at shoulder height with your palms facing forward. And with one fluid movement, step out your right leg and drop vertically downwards until your left knee almost touches the floor. Press the dumbbells all the way up as you lower the left knee. Then step back to original position and repeat with your left leg.

There are many other exercise that you can add lunges to. You can add lunges to your dumbbell bicep curls, to your oblique twist with fitball and many more.

Step 3. Add squats into your other exercise. This is a similar concept of the lunges. By adding leg movements into your upper body movements, you almost double up your calorie burn. This is because the more muscle you exercise, the more calories you burn.

An interesting way you can add squats into your exercise is doing squats with your cable rows. First, stand up straight with the bar in your hands. Take a step back so that the weight stack is up. Then, instead of just bringing the bar to your stomach, squat down first, hold the position then bring the bar to your stomach. Return to the original position by extending your arms fully and the stand back up.

Step 4. You can also add in unrelated exercises in between sets. This means that instead of just resting one minute between a set of pull downs, why not do a set of crunches or a set of triceps press downs. This sort of supersets really can increase the intensity of the exercise and your heart rate.

You can also do chest exercises superset with abs, shoulder exercises superset with leg exercise. To take it another level higher, superset the weight training sets with a 2-minute high intensity cardio like uphill running or the Stairmaster.

Step 5. Stick to large muscle groups and do only compound exercises. Large muscle groups like legs, back, chest and shoulders burns a lot if calories during a session of weight training. This because the size of these muscle groups are far larger than biceps and triceps. Use compound exercises to hammer these muscle groups. Compound exercises like squats, dead lift, chin-ups, barbell bench press and barbell shoulder press utilizes a lot of calories because lots of muscles are being worked at one time.

Use these tips to burn more calories in your workout session. We all could use additional helpful information to help us get our dream body faster.

Tony Leong reveals his 5 secrets to losing weight in his Weight Loss system. He is giving it away for free for a limited time only. Go to http://www.tonyleongweightloss.com/topweightlosssecrets to download it now. Click here to get your free stuff

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Are You Putting Put Your Friends Off With Your Bad Breath?

Posted on 30 November 2008 in Uncategorized by admin

Fresh Garlic Breath

Think of it this way, would you feel good if you have to kiss your date who has bad breath? I should think not. Fresh breath is essential if you are going on a date. If you have bad breath or halitosis, you should clean your mouth out before going on that next blind date.

Maintaining the kissable freshness of breath is not always easy, especially if you are predisposed to halitosis. Some people are actually more prone to getting bad breath than others, particularly those who don’t practice regular dental hygiene. Failure to brush or floss consistently is the number one cause of bad breath in individuals all over the country.

At times, it does not matter how much you have brushed or flossed your teeth. If you are taking drugs for certain internal illnesses like diabetes or liver disorders, your breath will ultimately turn foul. Smokers and habitual drinkers have this same high probability of developing bad breath.

These illnesses and unhealthy habits are not the causes of bad breath directly. What happens is because of these habits and disorders, oral bacteria thrive in the mouth and the back of the throat. These are the ones who produce the offensive smell that is pretty much like that of rotten eggs.

When you go out on a date, do whatever you need to have good smellying breath throughout your romantic dinner. Therefore, it is crucial that you seek treatment for your bad breath as soon as you notice it. But what if you don’t know that you do have bad breath? Hopefully, at least one of your friends will step up and warn you, because surely, they will notice it before you do. I am sure you will find that telling your friend that they have bad breath is not as easy as telling them that their shirt's on backwards or that their fly's open.

Because of this difficulty, there’s a very real possibility that no one will tell you the truth and you’ll excitedly head out to meet your date. When your date mysteriously makes an excuse not to kiss you or worse, takes off before you even finish dinner, you’ll just be left wondering if you did or said anything wrong. Do you know that you are likely to be left alone due to your sinky breath.

When you get home, you dejectedly replay the date in your mind, trying to figure out why your companion left, when things looked so promising at the start of the evening. In the face of such mysterious circumstances, you should definitely consider the possibility that you might actually have bad breath.

It’s time to find out the truth once and for all. Very simply, this is what you have to do. Cup one of your hands, hold it in front of your mouth and exhale. After 3 seconds, smell your hand. Bad eggs? There you have it. You weren’t a lousy date after all. You just have bad breath.

Before you get mad at your friends for not telling you this right away, remember that it’s really not a very simple task. If you reverse the situation and you know that your friend has bad breath, can you really just say straight out, “your breath stinks“? Perhaps, if you’re that close. But in most situations, letting your friend know the smelly truth will take some amount of planning and waiting for the appropriate moment.

The best way of doing it would be the direct method, which as mentioned, will only work if you have the kind of closeness and familiarity that can tolerate such candor. Get ready to blow your relationship off if you are thinking of doing that to someone you just met. The embarrassment and awkwardness will just be too much to handle. To avoid upsetting your friend or making them feel uncomfortable, tell it to them privately and in as a nice manner as humanly possible.

If your type of relationship with them allows it, you can say it in a lighthearted way but let them know that you’re serious. However, don’t give them the impression that you’re judging them for it. Both of you could probably laugh at this episode in the future. Afterwards, you can even help them in seeking treatment for their bad breath. If you find a way to let them know the truth in a nice way, it can even make for a stronger friendship.

There’s no question that having bad breath can certainly dissuade some people from nurturing a close friendship with you. It will be harder as well to find and keep dates if you don’t remedy the situation quickly enough. For 90% of the time, brushing and flossing regularly would do. Others may require more intensive solutions. At any rate, it is always good if you’re surrounded with honest and candid friends who can warn you whenever your breath starts to stink again.

Meditation Made Simple: 5 Easy Ways To Meditate

Posted on 30 November 2008 in Uncategorized by admin

There are many different methods that you can use for meditation.

Each way has roughly the same result, it’s just a different way to reach that result. In much the same way you can likely change the route you take to work - you’ll reach your destination, maybe faster or slower, but unless you take a complete detour, you’ll get there in the end. Take a look at these easy meditation methods and choose the one that you prefer.

Walking meditation

This is an exceptionally easy way for you to meditate. Of course, you’ll be aware of what’s close by and what is going on around you. The joy of using walking meditation is that you can do it pretty much anywhere. Also there’s no necessity for anyone else to know that you’re meditating, which can be a plus point when you’re beginning. With a walking meditation, it’s a good time to pay attention to how you feel in yourself as well as what is near you. If you regularly take a walk of between 15 and 20 minutes, that’s fantastic. And even better if you can stay away from distractions such as the noise of traffic, although that may not be as easy in busy towns and cities. If there’s a local park, consider that. Or you may find that there’s a local river or canal you can use. Next, go for a short walk. Pay attention to the sounds and scents. And, of course, also pay attention to what you see. You may find yourself noticing the vivid colors around you for the first time.

Breathing meditation

A breathing meditation can be as easy or as difficult as you want. at its simplest, find yourself a quiet place where you’re likely to be undisturbed. Start to take slightly deeper breaths than you normally would. Breathe in long, slow, deep breaths. If you feel comfortable, hold in your breath for a short while before releasing it. Then breathe out slowly. Repeat this a number of times - begin with, say, 5 repetitions and gradually increase this number. This is an easy meditation that can be practiced anywhere {and will leave your body more relaxed} and looking forward to the remainder of the day.

Binaural beats meditation

Binaural beats meditations operate by playing two slightly different tones - one for each ear. They are usually disguised by music, natural sounds or anything else the author chooses. When your brain receives the two tones, each slightly different, it goes into a state of meditation. The exact state will depend on the frequency of the binaural beats. So long as you know that the science going on in the background “works”, you don’t need to think much more about this. It’s fantastically simple and it’s the meditation method I personally use to drop into a very deep meditative state just by listening to an MP3 file for 30 or 60 minutes.

Cosmic meditation

This has become popular in the UK as broadcaster Noel Edmonds attributes his recent come-back to the process. It is also related to the Law of Attraction, popularized by the movie “The Secret”. Cosmic meditation involves dropping into a state of meditation and then asking the cosmos to “deliver” something into your life. You put the intention out to the cosmos and then - a lot more often than you’d think - you receive your intention back into your life. Cosmic meditation is normally performed with a guided meditation. It is also known as Cosmic Ordering.

Guided meditation

A guided meditation can be performed in person or by listening to an MP3 audio file. There are plenty of guided meditations available on the internet and they encompass everything from regular relaxation through to specific healings. Guided meditations typically last between 20 and 60 minutes. It will normally begin with a relaxation session to help you get the most from your meditation and it will then go on to whatever subject you’ve decided for this particular meditation. So if you’re playing a guided meditation to help heal your body, you’ll maybe be guided to fill your body with a bright white light or maybe some healing sand (which then drains out of your body, taking the toxins with it). Every guided meditation is different - find someone who’s voice is good for you to listen to and follow them!

Cholesterol Facts

Posted on 30 November 2008 in Uncategorized by admin

Cholesterol, what is it and why is this a problem?

High blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. About 17% of adult Americans have high blood cholesterol (240 mg/dL or more total cholesterol).

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in your body. In fact, it is needed for the body to function normally. Your body makes enough cholesterol for its needs. When there is too much cholesterol in your body, it is deposited in arteries, including those of the heart, which can lead to narrowing of the arteries and to heart disease.

High blood cholesterol does not produce symptoms, so many people may not know that their blood cholesterol is too high. However, blood cholesterol can be easily checked and can be controlled. Also, there are things that you can do to help keep your blood cholesterol levels in the normal range.

About High Blood Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in your body. It is needed for the body to function normally and is found in all cells of the body. Your body makes enough cholesterol for its needs.

Cholesterol is carried in the blood in particles called lipoproteins. These particles are made up of cholesterol on the inside and protein on the outside. There are two kinds of lipoproteins:

Low-density lipoproteins (LDL): These are the major type of lipoprotein that carries cholesterol in the bloodstream to the body. These are the type that can lead to a buildup of cholesterol in the arteries and lead to heart disease.

High-density lipoproteins (HDL): These particles carry cholesterol back to the liver to remove it from the body. Higher levels of HDL are considered good.

An excess of either total or LDL cholesterol in the blood is a risk for heart disease and atherosclerosis. People can have an excess of cholesterol because of diet and because of the rate at which cholesterol is processed in the body. Most of the excess cholesterol comes from diet. Cholesterol can build up on the artery walls of your body. This buildup is called plaque. Over time, plaque can cause the arteries to become narrow, which is called atherosclerosis. As a result, less oxygen–rich blood can pass through. When the arteries that carry blood to the heart are affected, coronary artery disease can result. A heart attack occurs when a coronary artery becomes completely blocked. A coronary artery can become blocked either by plaque buildup or by a plaque that ruptures or bursts which causes a clot. Angina can also develop because of plaque buildup. Angina happens when the heart does not receive enough oxygen–rich blood.

High blood cholesterol itself does not cause symptoms, so many people may not know that their cholesterol level is too high. Simple blood tests can be done to check your total, LDL and HDL cholesterol levels and other types of fats in the blood (such as triglycerides). If it is found that your cholesterol is high, your doctor may prescribe various treatments depending on your risk for developing heart disease. These include lifestyle changes such as diet, weight control, and physical activity. Certain drugs can also be prescribed to manage your cholesterol. Lifestyle changes are usually still recommended with medications. All people can do things to help keep cholesterol within the normal range.

To maintain healthy Cholesterol levels get some help Hypercet

Facts and Statistics about Cholesterol

High blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease.

About 17% of adult Americans aged 20 years and older have high total cholesterol (240 mg/dL or above).

The average blood cholesterol level in adult Americans is about 203 mg/dL.

In 2004, there were 6.5 million visits to doctors’ offices that included a cholesterol test being done or ordered.2

Among African Americans, about 16.6% of women and 12.5% of men have high total cholesterol.

Among Mexican Americans, about 12.7% of women and 17.6% of men have high total cholesterol.

Among whites, 17.4% of women and 17.0% of men have high cholesterol.

The percentage of persons aged 20–74 years with high cholesterol dropped from 33% in 1960–1962 to 17% in 1999–2002. During that same time period, the average blood cholesterol levels in adults dropped from 222 mg/dL to 203 mg/dL.

The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends that all adults have their cholesterol checked once every 5 years.

In 2005, 73% of adults reported that that they had their cholesterol checked within the previous 5 years, according to data from CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Some 23% reported that they never had their cholesterol checked.

According to data from CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2005), 75.7% of whites, 73.7% of African Americans, and 52% of Hispanics reported having had their cholesterol checked within the previous 5 years.

To maintain healthy Cholesterol levels get some help Hypercet

High Blood Cholesterol Prevention

High blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease. There are a number of things that can be done to maintain normal cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of developing heart disease. All people at any age can take steps to keep normal cholesterol levels. People with high total cholesterol, high LDL cholesterol, or low HDL cholesterol should talk with their doctor about the best way to control or improve their cholesterol.

What affects cholesterol levels?

A number of things can affect the cholesterol levels in your blood. These include the following:

Diet. Certain foods have types of fat that raise your cholesterol level. These types of fats include saturated fat, trans fatty acids or trans fats, and dietary cholesterol. Saturated fats come largely from animal fat in the diet, but also some vegetable oils such as palm oil. Trans fats are made when vegetable oil is hydrogenated to harden it. Research suggests that trans fatty acids can raise cholesterol levels. Dietary cholesterol is found in foods that come from animal sources such as egg yolks, meat, and dairy products.

Weight. Being overweight tends to increase LDL levels, lowers HDL levels, and increases total cholesterol level.

Physical Inactivity. Lack of regular physical activity can lead to weight gain, which could raise your LDL cholesterol level.

Heredity. High blood cholesterol can run in families. An inherited genetic condition results in very high LDL cholesterol levels. This condition is called familial hypercholesterolemia.

Age and Sex. As people get older, their LDL cholesterol levels tend to rise. Men tend to have lower HDL levels than women. Younger women tend to have lower LDL levels than men, but higher levels at older ages (after age 55 years).

What can you do?

Have your cholesterol checked. There are usually no signs or symptoms of high blood cholesterol, so it is important to have your blood cholesterol checked. A simple blood test can be done by your doctor to check your blood cholesterol level. A lipoprotein profile can be done to measure several different kinds of cholesterol as well as triglycerides (another kind of fat found in the blood).

Desirable or optimal levels for adults with or without existing heart disease are

Total cholesterol: Less than 200 mg/dL.

Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (”bad” cholesterol): Less than 100 mg/dL.

High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (”good” cholesterol): 40 mg/dL or higher.

Triglycerides: Less than 150 mg/dL.

If a full lipoprotein panel is not done, you doctor may check your total and HDL cholesterol with a simpler blood test. The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends that healthy adults have their cholesterol levels checked once every 5 years.

Maintain a Healthy Diet. An overall healthy diet can help to maintain normal blood cholesterol levels. Saturated fat, trans fats, and dietary cholesterol tend to raise blood cholesterol levels. Other types of fats, such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help to lower blood cholesterol levels. Getting enough soluble fiber in the diet can also help to lower cholesterol. For some people, a diet that has too many carbohydrates can lower HDL (the good cholesterol) and raise triglycerides. Alcohol can also raise triglycerides, and excessive alcohol use can lead to high blood pressure, another risk factor for heart disease and stroke. For more information on healthy diet and nutrition, see CDC’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Program Web site.

Maintain a Healthy Weight. Being overweight or obese can raise your bad cholesterol levels. Losing weight can help you lower your blood cholesterol levels. Healthy weight status in adults is usually assessed by using weight and height to compute a number called the “body mass index” (BMI). BMI is used because it relates to the amount of body fat for most people. An adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is considered to be obese. Overweight is a BMI between 25 and 29.9. Normal weight is a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9. Proper diet and regular physical activity can help to maintain a healthy weight. Other measures of excess body fat may include waist measurements or waist and hip measurements. If you know your weight and height, you can compute your BMI at the CDC’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Program Web site.

Be Active. Physical activity can help to maintain a healthy weight and lower blood cholesterol levels. The Surgeon General recommends that adults should engage in moderate–level physical activities for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week. For more information, see the CDC’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Program Web site.

No Tobacco. Smoking injures blood vessels and speeds up the process of hardening of the arteries. Further, smoking is a major risk for heart disease and stroke. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. Quitting smoking lowers one’s risk of heart attack and stroke. Your doctor can suggest programs to help you quit smoking. For more information about tobacco use and quitting, see CDC’s Tobacco Intervention and Prevention Source Web site.

Medications. If you are found to have high blood cholesterol, your doctor may prescribe medications, in addition to lifestyle changes, to help bring it under control. The primary focus of treatment is to get LDL cholesterol under control. Your treatment plan and goal will depend on your LDL level and your level of risk for heart disease and stroke. Your risk for heart disease and stroke will be based on whether you also have other risk factors and may include your blood pressure level or high blood pressure treatment, smoking status, age, HDL level, family history of early heart disease, and existing cardiovascular disease or diabetes. People with existing cardiovascular disease or diabetes are considered high risk. You can compute your 10-year risk for heart disease by using the 10-year risk calculator of the National Cholesterol Education Program at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s Web site.*

Several types of medicines help to lower cholesterol:

Statin drugs lower LDL cholesterol by slowing down the production of cholesterol and by increasing the liver’s ability to remove the LDL–cholesterol already in the blood.

Bile acid sequestrants help to lower LDL cholesterol by binding with cholesterol-containing bile acids in the intestines, and are then eliminated in the stool.

Niacin, or nicotinic acid, is a B vitamin that can improve all lipoproteins. Nicotinic acid lowers total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, while raising HDL-cholesterol levels. Because the levels needed are well above recommended dietary intake levels, niacin treatment for cholesterol should only be done only under medical supervision because of possible adverse side effects.

Fibrates are used mainly to lower triglycerides and, to a lesser extent, to increase HDL levels.

All drugs may have adverse side effects, so their use needs to be checked by your doctor on a usual basis. Once your blood cholesterol level is controlled, your doctor will want to monitor it. The lifestyle changes that your doctor recommends are just as important as taking your medicines as prescribed.

Genetic Factors. Genes can play a role in high blood cholesterol. Very high blood cholesterol levels can be related to a condition known as familial hypercholesterolemia. It is also possible that high blood cholesterol levels within a family are due to factors such as common diet.

To maintain healthy Cholesterol levels get some help Hypercet

Trees can calm even the most difficult teenagers

Posted on 30 November 2008 in Uncategorized by admin

A very interesting article appeared in todays Sunday Times. Basically the Newspaper is supporting the Woodland Trust and it’s planned new wood of 600,000 native trees which will cover 850 acres near St Albans in Hertfordshire.

Woodland therapy takes disturbed and troubled teenagers andintroduces them to nature. The gentleman who drives the project had this to say

“They ( the teenagers) arrive often angry and confused. The wood is an alien environment for them and they are completely out of their depths.Eventually it has an incredibly calming effect”.

The therapy has spread widely in America where it has been championed by Richard louv, author of

“Last child in the woods”…he also suggested the condition known as “nature deficit disorder” to describe the psychological problems which could be caused by children spending their lives cut off from the natural world.

So what do they do? Well in the UK at Hill Holt they help make environmentally friendly buildings as well as learning about woodland management techniques and the environmental importance of trees.

But it could just as well be any number of useful conservation projects. The basic underlying objective being to get them out of their normal environment into one where they will be mentally challenged but within a more natural world.

And who sponsors this? Well the Woodland Trust, a charity that helps to protect and manage Britain’s ancient treescape actively supports the scheme.

If you are thinking of venturing into the wilderness with ( or without) your children then the folks at Lakeland Bushcraft

have a wide range of equipment and tools to help you take advantage of your trip. Although they are based up in the Lake District in Cumbria they are more than happy to supply your requirements by mail order.

For example you could contact them to buy a Karrimor SF sack.

10 Things You Should Know About Stretching

Posted on 30 November 2008 in Uncategorized by admin

fitness strength training

Before fitness strength training, one must give importance to doing warm-up or stretching exercises to prevent accidents or to enhance the output during the training.  There are also a number of precautionary measures and tips to serve as guidelines when doing fitness exercises.Here are some of them.

1.  To increase your flexibility and to avoid injuries, stretch before and after a private workout.Almost everyone knows that stretching before workout prevents injuries during the exercises, but only few people know that stretching after workout, when muscles are still warm, can increase flexibility.

2.  Hold your stretching position for more than 60 seconds to increase flexibility.  While holding your position for 20 seconds is enough for warm ups, holding each position for at least 60 seconds will develop the body’s flexibility.

3.  Do not go into a stretching position then immediately return to the relaxed position, and do it repeatedly.  This is more appropriately termed as bouncing while in a position.When stretching, hold that position for several seconds, and then slowly relax.  You may do this exercise repeatedly this way.  Bouncing or forcing yourself into a position during stretching can strain or damage some joints or muscles.

4.  Work slowly in increments instead of immediately proceeding to doing the hardest exercise or position.

5.  Make sure that you have stretched or warmed up all muscle groups.For some people, even if they have strong bodies, they tend to neglect the neck when working out.  Stretching the neck muscles can be as simple as placing the palm of one’s hand against the front of the head and pushing it.Repeat for the back and sides of the head.

6.  Stretch regularly to continually increase your range of movements and your level of flexibility and strength.

7.  Workout considering only your capabilities and not of others.Do not force yourself to do exercises that you are not yet capable of just because there are people who can do it.Slowly increase your limit.Listen to your body.You should consider reducing the range of motion for those days where you’re just too tired.

8.  Learn to rest.  Rest in between sets and stations to make sure that the body has enough time to recover its energy.Also, it is advisable that you don’t work the same muscle groups consecutively for two days.During rest or sleep is when your muscles grow, not while in the gym working out.

9.  Do aerobic exercises to strengthen your heart.An aerobics workout takes up the most oxygen.This will include exercises such as running, rope jumping, or swimming.

10.  Music may help you when you want to train for longer periods or to increase your intensity.You can use mp3 players, CD players or lightweight am radio receivers for this.Wear a headset so others are not disturbed by music while exercising.

Apart from preventing injuries and increasing one’s limit, it is also said that stretching is good for a tired body and also for a stressed mind and spirit.

Best Arm Exercises - The preacher curl for big arms

Posted on 30 November 2008 in Uncategorized by admin

One of the best arm exercises to achieve excellent gains in arm size is the preacher curl. We show how to do the preacher curl correctly in order to work the upper biceps muscle to the max.

Many people ask me What are the best arm exercises? Well do not miss out the preacher curl for for big arms.

If you wish to dramatically increase the size of your upper biceps muscle, well look no further than the preacher curl. The preacher curl is one of the best arm exercises and also one of the easiest to perform. This exercise get its name due to the body position adopted whilst carrying out the movement relating to a preacher leaning over a pulpit. The preacher curl predominantly works the upper biceps muscle, with some secondary resistance on the forearm flexors. It is important that when performing this exercise that your arms are positioned in front of your body and that you are leaning forward slightly. Always ensure that your elbows are in full contact with the bench throughout the movement and concentrate the feeling directly onto your biceps.

Execution of the preacher curl

Select a preacher bar and load it with a moderately heavy weight one in which you are capable of performing 10 to 12 good quality repetitions. Sit on the preacher bench, leaning over the angled arm pad with your elbows pinned against the pad. Assume the starting position, which is with the preacher bar level with the top of the chest and the biceps tensed. Slowly lower the barb resisting strongly as you do so until your biceps muscle is fully extended and then raise the bar tensing your biceps as you do so to the starting position. This constitutes one full repetition, you need to perform 10 to 12 reps and a total of four sets. On each consecutive set increase the weight incrementally

Great emphasis should be put on the lowering phase of the exercise. This really is one of the best arm exercises and you can expect rapid gains in arm muscle.

A Muscle Diet Designed to Make Muscle

Posted on 30 November 2008 in Uncategorized by admin

We show you how to make up a muscle diet designed to make muscle. Learn the significance of protein in your muscle diet in order to achieve maximum muscle gains. Learn how to determine the amount of calories required to maintain body weight and be able to choose good sources of healthy fat.

A lot of thought needs to go into producing a muscle diet designed to make muscle, we are going to address the main requirements in order for you to easily understand.

When we ingest food into our bodies it is broken down into fuel, which is used to sustain life and all of our energy requiring activities. There is a base level of calories required to maintain body weight and this figure can be calculated by multiplying your body weight in pounds by 15. So as an example for a 200lb man, the base calorie rate would be 3000 calories i.e. 200 x 15 = 3000. In your muscle diet in order to make muscle your calorie intake needs to be greater than your calorie expenditure.

The most important nutrient in your muscle diet is protein. Protein is the building block muscle consisting of a full range of essential and non-essential amino acids. Amino acids are the muscle repair agents, which are vitally important after your workouts. When undertaking weight training it is important to increase your protein intake to make muscle. Scientific research suggests that your protein intake should be in the region of 1 gram for every 1lb of body weight, when consumed at these levels you will ensure adequate supply of amino acids to support muscle repair.

The next most important nutrient is carbohydrate, which should form up to 50 to 55% of your muscle diet. There are two main forms of carbohydrates simple and complex basically bad and good. Forget and avoid simple carbohydrates they are worthless and are in abundance in sweets, cakes, sugar coated cereals and biscuits. Always opt for complex slow release carbohydrates as found in brown rice, brown pasta, wholemeal bread, fruit and vegetables like broccoli.

The third most important supplement in your muscle diet to make muscle and which is essential to make muscle is fat. Fat should form no more 15% of your daily diet. It has been scientifically proven that good quality fats in your muscle diet have a positive effect on testosterone production, which is the main hormone responsible for building muscle. Good sources of fat include nuts particularly almonds, virgin olive oil, oily fish particularly salmon and mackerel and flax seed.

There you have it, incorporate high protein, complex carbohydrates and good sources of fat in your muscle diet to make muscle.

The easy way to burn belly fat, quickly lose belly fat

Posted on 30 November 2008 in Uncategorized by admin

Fed up of that belly fat, the good news is we have a easy way to burn belly fat. We will show you that by following our simple belly fat removal tips you will be well on your way to the fat loss that you desire. We will get you back into those favourite jeans that are at the moment to much of a stretch by showing you how to burn belly fat quickly and effortlessly.

We all want to know the easy way to burn belly fat. Okay the majority of us are very self-conscious and we are concerned about how to burn belly fat that as accumulated over the years round our mid sections. We maybe had that favourite pair of old jeans that are just too tight that we need to breathe in to fit into. Well the good news is we will show you the easy way to burn belly fat it will require some hard work from yourself but you will be more than impressed with results. Here are the belly fat removal tips; -

1 Protein: - include plenty of high quality protein into your diet. Protein is the building block required to build muscle and muscle requires high amounts of calories to maintain. Best sources of protein include whey protein drinks and good quality white meats and fish.

2 Ensure you eat small portions regularly every 3 hours is ideal, you should have 5 to 6 meals a day. This gives a steady flow of carbohydrates and nutrients to the muscles throughout the day and also avoids blood sugar spikes, which are detrimental to fat loss.

3 Avoid sugary desserts, biscuits, sweets and fizzy drinks, which are loaded with empty calories. If you feel hungry eat some fruit ideal sources are grapes, apples and bananas.

4 It has been scientifically proven that by eating healthy fats in the form of almonds, virgin olive oil, salmon and flax seed this can have a very positive effect on the fat burning process.

5 Water is the most overlooked tool in your burn belly fat armoury. You need to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day to ensure you are fully hydrated. If you feel thirsty it is a good sign that you are already on your way to becoming dehydrated to a certain degree. So drink plenty of water, feel healthier and burn belly fat.

6 Reduce your daily calorific intake by 500 to 1000 calories below your calorie maintenance level, which can be calculated by multiplying your body weight in pounds by 15.

7 Perform three 30-minute duration high intensity cardio workouts per week. The workout can be in the form of cycling, jogging, running, power walking, rowing or swimming. It is important to push yourself and burn those calories

Following these simple but very effective rules will guide you on your way to burn belly fat in extra quick time.

Which Are The Best Burn Fat Exercises, Cardio Exercises Or Resistance Training Exercises?

Posted on 30 November 2008 in Uncategorized by admin

Do you ever wonder which are the best burn fat exercises, cardio exercises or resistance training exercises. Well we have the answer and I think you will be surprised. If you want to lose belly fat you need to follow this golden rule.

On my travels around the bodybuilding and fitness world talking with many experts and personal trainers one of the main questions that is regularly asked in seminars is “I want to lose belly fat, what are the best burn fat exercises are they cardio exercises or resistance training exercises”. Well first we need to take a closer look at the two forms of exercise and understand the basics.

Firstly resistance training, by gradually increasing the weight or resistance that a particular muscle as to overcome when performing an exercise the muscle tissue is broken down and repairs giving it a more toned and sculpted look. It has been found through scientific research that resistance training elevates your metabolism for several hours after the completion of the workout, which translates to a longer fat burning cycle. One mistake that is all to often made in the gym in order to burn fat is to incorporate hundreds of reps with very light weight but the inverse is what you should be aiming for. The muscle requires increased resistance to tone and shape; the best repetition range to achieve this is 12 to 15 reps.

Lets now take a look at cardio exercises. Typical forms of cardio burn fat exercises include running, jogging, power walking, rowing, skipping, cycling and swimming to mention a few. There is no doubting that when people decide that they would like to lose weight that these forms of exercise enter their minds first. The cardio workout if performed at high intensity for a duration of 30 to 40 minutes is a great way to burn fat. By doing so if you ensure you reduce your calorie intake you enter the calorie deficient zone and the fat cells are mobilised and used for energy supply.

In answer to the question that was originally asked “Which are the best burn fat exercises cardio or resistance training exercises” To ensure you burn fat optimally you must and it is essential to combine both forms of exercise. In that way the resistance training will tone and shape the muscles, elevate the metabolic rate and the cardio exercise will strip off the body fat giving you the leaner look.