Archive for May, 2007

A Physical Profile of a Woman’s Profile

Wednesday, May 30th, 2007

A Physical Profile of a Woman’s Profile
By John H Markus

Many a woman starts working out with weights and aerobics, to change her body’s shape. Some will succeed. Some will not. Expectations are tougher to fulfill on a woman’s body than on a man’s when weight training.

Let us talk realistically about changing the shape of a woman’s body. One of the first things she should do, after deciding to physically train, is to take a good look at her body. She should check herself in a full-length mirror. A frontal view and a side profile view would be necessary. We are going to discuss the side profile view in this article.

Ladies, take a good long look at your profile. Study it. See where you are. Decide where you want to be. See what needs changing. Maybe you want a smaller waistline. Perhaps, you want a fuller bustline. You might want firmer, rounder buttocks. And, you may want to have more definition in your arms, thighs, and calves.

Once you have come this far, you already realize two things you will have to do. You must exercise, and you must have a good diet. While you may not be heavy for your size, you still need a diet. This will not be a restricted calorie diet. Your diet will need more protein in it and less fats and carbohydrates. If you are targeting weight loss, you will need a restricted calorie diet. You will also need more protein.

Diet and exercise are going to be a part of your lifestyle, now. If you diet and do not exercise, you can appear flabby and not toned. If you work out and do not eat a healthy diet, it will take you a long time to shape the body that you want.

About your side view profile, there are two parts that will not be changes significantly. These are the breasts and the buttocks ( If you are on the heavy side these will get smaller with diet). The size and shape of these bodyparts are largely genetic. You can strengthen the muscle groups in the chest area. This may make them a little perkier. And improved posture from working out could make them stand out a bit more. But the actual size won’t change, unless you get implants. If you were born with a flat butt, you will keep that flat butt until you check out of this world. An exception would be, someone with a flat butt, that was a serious gymnast in their formative years.

Exercise will help your backside look rounder and more prominent. You need to trim and tighten your stomach with abdominal work and a healthy diet. Firm your legs and tighten tour buttocks with full leg workouts. Exercise your lower back, with yoga exercises, hyperextensions, and weighted back exercise. This will add to the curvature in your lower back region.

A smaller waistline, more curvature in the lower back, and toned thighs, will have your bottom appear more like you wanted it to. Exercise, eat well, and be happy with yourself.

Written by John Markus at www.feelmorelife.com John had been a pharmacist for 33 years. His wife has type I diabetes. Also, his eight year old granddaughter has diabetes. He and his family have been dealing with these type of problems for a long time. Tough at times, but successfully in end. John has also studied exercise and nutrition for 30 plus years. He knows life about women and about men is much different.

EzineArticles.com/?A-Physical-Profile-of-a-Womans-Profile&id=581331

Muscle Building

Tuesday, May 29th, 2007

Muscle building is basically a function of 3 things: the workout, the nutrition, and rest. If one of these things is missing or done incorrectly, then your muscle gains will suffer…plain and simple.

This article is designed to give you a very quick overview of the muscle building process, without getting into much detail. Then, at the end of the article, we’ll point out additional articles that will help you get the details you need to pack on serious muscle mass!

There’s a debate as to which is more important, workout or nutrition. Some says nutrition is 60-70% important and the workout is 30-40% important. The truth of the matter is, they are so inter-linked that its really hard to give a percentage to each. If you don’t workout, but eat right, you won’t grow an ounce of muscle. And…if you workout perfectly, but don’t eat right, then your gains will suffer.

Think of workout, nutrition, and rest as a triangle, and you need all 3 components to complete the triangle.

The 1st component, the workout, is simply applying enough load to the muscles that they have a need to grow. In traditional weight lifting, this is achieved through sets and reps of various exercises. The general rule of thumb to remember is that…

Read the rest of this article on muscle building here…

How to Build Muscle & Lose Fat at the Same Time…

Friday, May 25th, 2007

The truth of the matter is, its virtually impossible to build muscle & lose fat at the exact same moment in time…unless you’re a beginner or you’re on anabolic steroids.

It is very rare that a trainee can maximize both things simultaneously. Basically, if you want to build muscle and lose fat at the same time, you can do it over a span of a few weeks, but you’ll have to make some compromises.

The compromise is that you’ll be building a little bit of muscle and losing a little bit of fat. The end result will be that you achieved both goals, but it’ll be impossible to maximize fat loss or maximize muscle gains.

You see, in order to burn fat, you have to create a calorie deficit…and in order to build muscle, you have to create a calorie surplus. The trick to achieving both goals is to stay in the middle of your “deficit” and “surplus” range, and let your body decide which days to synthesize muscle and which days to metabolize fat.

Obviously, with this approach, you’re not gaining a whole lot of muscle or losing a whole lot of fat…

Bottomline? Do an all-out mass building cycle for 3-4 weeks and follow it up with a fat cutting cycle for 1-2 weeks. This approach is by far the most effective in building rock-solid muscle and melting loads of fat.

Can you build muscle and lose fat at the same time? The answer is a hesitant “Yes”…but is that the optimal approach? Definitely not! Focus on one thing in one cycle, and you’ll be much happier with the results.

Concept of Physical Fitness

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007

By Elizabeth Stewart

Almost everywhere you go today, you are approached with the concept of physical fitness. Unfortunately, a large percentage of Americans are considered obese and it has become quite a concern. Due to this epidemic, we now see increased marketing of diets, being physical fit, in addition to, the many health products now being offered. TV, magazines, and radio play a major role in the distribution of why the concept of physical fitness is so important.

With all this commotion about fitness, have you joined
the team and started your path to total fitness? If not here
is a brief description of the standards of physical fitness and
what you may do about your current fitness level.

You may want to work out for looking good or for health. Regardless of your motive, most experts agree there are five basic components of fitness.

They are:

1) Aerobic Endurance- Your level of aerobic endurance
measures your ability to do moderately strenuous activity
over a period of time. It’s a measurement of how
efficiently your heart and lungs work together to supply
oxygen to your body during exertion and exercise. This
fitness component is also called aerobic fitness.

2) Muscular Endurance- Muscular Endurance measures
your fitness level by your ability to hold a particular position
for a sustained period of time or repeat a movement many
times. One example might be to lift a five-pound weight
20 consecutive times.

3) Muscular Strength- The ability to exert maximum force.
It is possible to have greater muscular strength in one area,
than another. For example, you may have great strength in
your arms, while lacking strength in your legs. One example
might be lifting the heaviest weight you can possibly lift.

4) Flexibility- Flexibility fitness measures the ability to move a
joint through its full range of motion or the elasticity of the
muscle. This is how limber you are.

5) Body Composition- This fitness area measures the
proportion of fat in your body as compared to your bone and
muscle. It does not refer to your weight in pounds or your shape.

If you are weak in any area or need to begin a general overall
fitness plan, there are basically three areas of exercise you should concentrate upon to make improvements. They are stretching, aerobic activity, and strength training. Each of these areas is very important to your overall fitness level.

Eating a healthy diet will also contribute greatly to your overall fitness level. If you are going to take the time to work out, you need to refuel your body with healthy foods.

Remember, it is never too late to improve your fitness level.
Regardless of your physical fitness level, your age, or the length of time it has been since you last exercised regularly, it’s never too late to start and maintain a good fitness routine. Always start simple and work your way up and don’t forget it takes at least 21 days to create a habit.

Your body is designed to move. It is just that simple; you only get one body. If you don’t use it, you lose it. That’s why the concept of physical fitness is so important.

To find out why Low Carb, Low Calorie, and Low Fat diets don’t work, read more information on: http://www.drugrehab-facts.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_Stewart

Are your workout routines making you overtrain?

Monday, May 21st, 2007

Here’s a great rule of thumb to follow if your workout routine is burning you out…

If you’re not seeing considerable results through your workout routine, you might just be working too hard…

You see, muscles repair fairly fast, but your internal organs and immune system does not repair as fast, especially from a brutal workout.

If your workouts are really tough, then you many need to take a day of complete rest. We recommend that you workout out no more than 2 or 3 days in a row without taking a day off, if your workouts are really intense.

If you’re working out at low to mid intensity during an active recovery phase, then your organs aren’t taking a beating. But, if your cardio and/or muscle building efforts are super intense, give yourself a break every couple of days. You’ll be surprised at how well your body responds and how much energy you have when you come back.

Think of it as like a mini vacation in which you get paid… Thats right, during that rest day, you’ll still continue to see results because the body is repairing itself in preparation for the next workout routine.

Other than that, just focus on proper nutrition and lots of water. Small meals 5-7 times daily are critical, along with an emphasis on lean protein, good fats, and good carbohydrates. If you do these things, then your workout routines will be that much more productive.

Learn how to make the most out of your workout routines here…

Muscle Building Supplements

Friday, May 18th, 2007

Pop this pill and gain 20 pounds in 30 days! Wow! Are these muscle building supplements for real?

We might get in a bit of trouble for this, but the entire muscle building supplement industry is lying to you. Thats right, flat out lies, nothing more, nothing less.

How do they lie? By using mis-leading terms such as “clinically proven” and “guaranteed to work”. There is no REAL clinical study the majority of the time. A real study is published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, now thats a study. Most of the “clinical” studies conducted by supplement companies are done in-house or outsourced to a specific firm that manipulates the results to be favorable.

What this means is you spend the money, and build no muscle. When you realize you’re not building any muscle, you think you need more supplements or you think you need other supplements, which keeps you in this money-spending cycle month after month.

Listen, the amount of supplements worth your money are literally a handful. Forget about the next best thing coming out next week. Here are the proven winners based on plentiful scientific evidence, real-world results, and most importantly, time-approved:

Read the rest of this article here…

Diet Fitness Program-Achieving Your Diet Fitness Goals Through Running

Thursday, May 17th, 2007

Why do so many people fail to achieve their fitness goals? First of all, they don’t have a plan for how to get started, and how they intend to accomplish those targets. It’s not entirely their fault, actually.

There are so many different diet fitness program options available nowadays, information overload is easier than ever. As a result, many people fail to identify the right workouts that will help them achieve their fitness goals the quickest

There is no better workout to stay in shape than running. Long before weights, fitness equipment and home gyms were invented, the way human beings kept fit was simply running.

There are several benefits to running that are not easily replicable with other workouts. First of all, you can run anywhere, anytime you want to. Even if you don’t believe that you have enough time during the day to exercise, make time. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Run between your car and your work building. Run at lunch time. If you really can’t run at those times or anytime during the day, purchase a treadmill and run when you get home.

No matter how busy you think you are, there is always time to run. All you really need is a good 20 minutes of vigorous running every day to keep your body active and alert.

Another suggestion is to conduct your workout outdoors. Exercising outside can help you achieve your fitness quickly and enjoyable. Let’s face it-after spending the day inside, being outside always has a rejuvenating effect on the mind and body.

When you begin to jog outdoors, you will find yourself anticipating your workout throughout the day; this will likely cause you to achieve your results much faster. Before you hit the trails, however, make sure you know the area you will be running in, especially if it’s wooded. Many runners have gotten lost because of a failure to simply acquaint themselves with the trail and the area they will be jogging in.

Come prepared for bad weather. If a sudden rainstorm or even snowstorm hits in the middle of your workout, simply brining a few extra layers of clothing will make a big difference.

The bottom line is, when you are first ready to embark on an exercise program, there is nothing better for your body than running. Jogging outdoors can be a great motivator to get you through the day and actually help you to accomplish your fitness goals much fester. The most important thing is to get started on your diet fitness program today.

All too many people set goals for getting fit, but fail to achieve them. When the time actually comes to take action, they put it off until tomorrow. Tomorrow becomes the next day, and the next, and so on.

Pretty soon, they decide just to forget it completely. When you make your workouts fun and enjoyable, the drudgery will be gone and you will find that getting started (and finishing) your workout is no problem at all.

By Josh Neumann

To learn more great tips on finding fitness equipment for your home gym, check out http://www.onlinefitnesstips.com

Wanna know the best abdominal exercises?

Tuesday, May 15th, 2007

Abdominals are no different from any other muscle group. From a physiological standpoint, the entire abdominal region is a set of interconnected muscles comprised of the same type of muscle fibers found elsewhere in the body…

So, why is it that people often train this muscle group differently? The truth is, you’re much better off focusing on intense ab workouts with resistance, in the 12-15 repetition range. It really doesn’t make sense to do a crunch marathon, unless you DON’T wanna develop ripped six-pack abs.

Abs respond very well to resistance training, just like other muscle groups. In fact, in order to develop a true six-pack, you’ll need to do some weight training style ab workouts and incorporate fat burning nutrition.

Its good to split the abs into regions, and do exercises that targets each region, such as the upper abs, lower abs, and obliques. You should also do some lower back exercises to keep things balanced, especially if you suffer from lower back pain.

Here are some popular abdominal exercises you can start doing today…

Building Muscle Mass

Sunday, May 13th, 2007

If you’re tired of the lack-luster muscle gains that your workout routine is bringing you, then its time for a change… Its time to discover some real muscle building tips, and develop the ripped body you always wanted.

Ok, so what’s the main reason you haven’t been able to experience the gains you want? More than likely, its one of the following two reasons:

1) Workout routines not targeted for your body-type
2) Improper nutrition

Really, every single detail can fit into one of the two points above. Its ALL about workout and nutrition, but its not as simple as it sounds…

Determining your body-type is the ABSOLUTE 1st-step in desigining a workout routine for building muscle. Unless you know your body-type, you can’t make progress, because you’ll be following someone else’s workout routine that works for them, but not necessarily for you.

So, what type of individual are you? Naturally skinny, naturally fat, or naturally athletic?
You’re either an ectomorph (natually skinny), an endomorph (naturally gains fat), or a mesomorph (naturally athletic). Most people are a combination or somewhere in the middle.

Once you have this figured out, you can move on to constructing a muscle building workout routine thats just right for you. And, don’t forget about the eating plan. Based on your body-type, your nutrition has to be adjusted as well.

Learn how to construct a muscle building workout routine here…

More tips & routines on building muscle & burning fat…

Are cardio workout routines or weight lifting workout routines better for burning fat?

Saturday, May 12th, 2007

Recently, there’s been a lot of talk about how cardio is not an effective way to burn fat. In fact, an “expert” was recently interviewed on national television, claiming that cardio workout routines bad for losing fat…

He quoted some studies here and there and used some logic to try and prove his point, but if you have any type of exercise science knowledge, you know that he fell short in his argument. Here’s why:

1) He quoted isolated studies. The medical community knows very well that peer-reviewed medical journal studies represent the most credible form of research, and that one study can never be taken in isolation to make a scientific ruling on an issue.

2) He neglected to quote the MANY studies that show how cardio workout routines have been very effective for fat loss. In fact, the studies that support cardio are far greater than studies that don’t support it, suggesting that the majority opinion is that cardiovascular exercise is very effective for fat-loss.

3) He neglected the many health benefits associated with cardio…benefits that weight training cannot offer. He pointed to the fact that weight lifting is effective for heart health, but the fact of the matter is that cardio is a type of exercise that utilizes different energy systems that rely heavily on oxygen and blood-flow, thus constantly making the heart become more efficient.

Its common sense that in order to succeed, one should model successful people. Most fitness celebrities, bodybuilders, and fit individuals will tell you that a combination of cardio and weight lifting workout routines worked best for them.

Here’s some powerful fat-loss advice & workout routines that you can follow…

Workout Routines

Burning Fat Routines

Building Muscle