Workout Routines | Building Muscle | Burning Fat | Weight Lifting Exercises

Stretching & warming up are the most neglected part of a workout routine. I rarely see people focusing on this, and if they only knew the benefits, they would never skip a warmup every again…

Warming up increases your body’s core temperature, increases blood-flow to your muscles, establishes your range of motion, and increases the secretion of synovial fluid, which lubricates your joints.

An increased core temperature and increased blood-flow to your muscles undoubtedly raises your strength by preparing you for heavy workloads. A cold muscle is an inactive muscle, and if you push a cold muscle with a heavy load, then the chance of injury is ridiculously high.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of warming up is your ability to lift more weight, which increases the amount of high intensity stress you can provide to your muscles, triggering a massive growth response sooner.

And, the fact that it helps tremendously with injury prevention is reason enough for you to never skip a warm-up. Building maximum muscle requires heavy weight, and when lifting heavy, the chance of injury is very high if you don’t prepare well.

Stretching is simply one part of an effective warmup. There are basically two forms of stretching, static and dynamic. Static stretching, the most common type, is when you move into a deep stretch and hold if for 10+ seconds. This…

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Are You Trying to “Aerobicize” That Fat Off Your Body? You Can Have a Fat-Free Body in Just Minutes a Day - But Aerobics is NOT the Way!

All of us are trying to watch our weight and take care of our health these days. Unfortunately, many of us still believe that “aerobics” or “cardio” workouts are the holy grail for maximum weight loss, and for having a slim, fit, well-conditioned body. Believe me, I know about long duration, low intensity workouts. Just check out my bio below.

If you are still one of the “aerobics” faithful, read on, because all those boring hours on the treadmill or stair stepper are probably taking you in the wrong direction. Remember, those who don’t learn from their mistakes are destined to repeat them. Science Clearly Shows — Aerobics Won’t Help You Lose Weight

Research shows that aerobics is working against you. Researchers at George Washington University analyzed 25 years of study results to learn how diet alone compared to a program which combined diet and aerobic exercise as a tool for losing weight. Here’s the surprising result of their study.

Those who used diet alone to lose weight lost an average of 10.7 pounds. Those who used diet and aerobic exercise together lost an average of 11 pounds. [ Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1997; 21(10): 941-7]. Hmmm? Kind of makes you wonder if all those hours doing aerobic activities, which are usually extremely boring, are worth the effort, doesn’t it?

This probably helps explain why you feel frustrated and disappointed with your weight loss efforts to date. The fact is, it’s not you who is a weight loss failure, it’s the tool you are using! Aerobics or cardio workouts have been shown repeatedly by scientific studies to be poor weight loss tools.

OK, So What is “The Way?”

If it is weight loss (or more correctly, fat loss) that you seek, what works is a totally different kind of activity. It has been shown that high intensity - short duration interval-type workouts are far superior to moderate intensity, long-duration, workouts.

One such study showed that the members of a group who did 19 high intensity, interval workouts over a 15 week period actually increased their aerobic capacity by 30% and lost nine times more fat than the other half of the group who did five 45 minute moderate intensity (aerobic) workouts per week over a 20 week period. [Metabolism 1994; 43(7): 814-18]. Basically, the “interval” group spent significantly less time exercising, and got nine times better results.

Now that’s the kind of efficiency I’m looking for! How about you? Life is busy enough these days. In fact, that’s one of the main excuses you hear from people who are not exercising - “I don’t have time.”

So, just what is an “interval” workout? An interval workout in its simplest terms is a period of exertion followed by a period of recovery - usually repeated for a certain number of sets. For example, you might do a strength exercise for 30 seconds or a minute at a weight and speed that gives your heart, lungs and muscles a challenge. Then you would rest for a preset time - maybe one minute or even two minutes. The recovery period should be long enough for your breathing and heart rate to calm down somewhat. Then you would repeat the “work - rest” cycle for say, 5 sets or repetitions. This could also be done on a stationary bike, rowing machine, etc. The point is to tax you heart, lungs and muscles, then rest.

The recovery periods are just as important as the exertion periods. They’re more than just wasted time between sets of exertion. Training your body to recover from the effects of exertion is one of the keys to your success, and vastly increases your overall health and ability to function successfully in your everyday physical activities. You should focus on allowing your heart rate and breath return to their resting states. As you become more fit or if you want to be more scientific in your training, you can actually begin to measure the amount of time between intervals that it takes your heart rate to return to a specified rate per minute.

A word of caution. If you are new to exercise, DON’T jump right in to high intensity, interval workouts. They do put considerable exertion on your heart, lungs and muscles. That’s what makes them so effective. But if you haven’t worked out in a while, or if you have any medical conditions, you will want to take it easy as you start and build up gradually.

In summary, if you want to lose that fat around your waist, hips, thighs, or wherever, forget the aerobics. Don’t take my word for it. Ask yourself, “Is aerobics working?” Just do a study of one - yourself. Find yourself a simple, short, high intensity workout and do it for a couple of months. Take some measurements before you start (weight, bodyfat, resting heart rate, waist measurement, hips measurement, biceps measurement, thigh measurement, chest measurement, calf measurement, etc.). These will be extremely useful in analyzing your results after several months. If you don’t know where you started, you won’t know how much you improved. It might also be a good idea to take some measurements of your present ability to do standard exercises. How many pushups or chin-ups can you do now. Then measure again at intervals. If you’re including strength based interval workouts, you’ll be surprised how fast you improve, especially if you haven’t been working out for a while.

Good luck, and don’t be discouraged about the failure of your aerobics workouts to help you achieve your fat loss goals. You were just using the wrong tool. Now you know better.

To Your Health,

Lee Page

Lee Page,

59 year old writer of articles on health and fitness.

Finisher, Ironman World Championship Triathlon (1.2 mi. swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mi. run).

Finisher, Spenco 500 mile bike race, Austin, Texas.

Finisher, Dallas Marathon. Dallas, Texas.

Finisher, Rocket City Marathon, Huntsville, Alabama.

Finisher and Scab (Entrant who ran unofficially. There are 100s each year.) at the Boston Marathon .

Finisher, shorter triathlons too numerous to mention. http://12minutehealth.com http://centeredhealth.net

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So what’s the fastest way of building muscle? Well, the absolute fastest way to build muscle is to pop some anabolic steroids, train heavy, and eat a whole lot…but thats NOT the solution you’re looking for.

As modern science studies the process of hypertrophy (muscle growth), new insights have helped in deciphering the most effective ways of building muscle. Anyone that says there is “no” better way of building muscle or says that “all routines are the same” is obviously not well-versed in modern science.

In fact, it is fairly known in academic circles that the fastest way of building muscle is to progressively increase the load over a period of time, prime the body for an anabolic response, and then ensure that enough macronutrients and micronutrients are present in the diet…

It all sounds simple, but there’s obviously a lot more to it. For example, there are hundreds of different theories on “progressively increasing the load” amongst bodybuilders. From drop sets to forced reps, there are tons of different interpretations of this principle.

Similary, “priming the body for an anabolic response” is a fairly…

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The “Rocky” mentality is pretty popular in world of fitness. The more you do, the more you push yourself, the better your results, right? WRONG!

The “Rocky” mentality is one of the worst plagues in the fitness industry, and unfortunately, even with all of the modern research and real-world results to prove it wrong, its still quite prevalent…

You see, “Rocky” training is nothing more than extreme endurance training. Unfortunately, MOST bodies are not built to handle such tough, grueling training methods. When people train in such a fashion, most of them subject themselves to high risk of injury, burnout, and overtraining…

This is because the average person neither has the genetics, nor the proper nutrition needed to pull off something so intense. The average person is much better off training within small incremental increases that stimulate and challenge the body, not annihilate it.

So, the question is: What kind of duration, or how long should I workout for?

Well, we’ve already established that more is NOT better. So, when it comes to training for maximum muscle mass, there are 3 important factors…

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Weightlifting workout routines have taken the nation by storm…promised to be the fat burning, muscle building, and health enhancing miracle that leaves “aerobics” in the dust…

Although its true that weighlifting has a lot of benefits, it is critical to understand that both types of exercise, cardio and weightlifting, have their benefits.

Weightlifting, in particular, is most useful for bringing about changes in body composition, or the ratio of muscle to fat. Perhaps the fastest way to lower your body fat percentage is to increase lean muscle mass while reducing bodyfat, which translates into a higher body mass index but with a much lower proportion of fat.

Weightlifting brings about changes in how certain muscles look on your body. For instance, you can definitely give your arms a more “shapely” look by increasing the volume of your biceps and triceps. The added benefit of weight training is that it increases metabolism and automatically aids in shedding unwanted bodyfat. Basically, muscle requires a lot of calories to maintain…

So, just by adding 3-5 lbs of extra muscle on your body, you could burn an additional 100 calories a day, even while you sleep! Moreover, all of your cardio/aerobic efforts will also be multiplied…

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If you are serious about minimizing body fat with weight loss, and want to really crank up your metabolism and exercise, then you need to be sure to get your your target heart rate up at least 3 times a week, for a minimum of 20 minutes and up to 60 minutes at a time. Raising your target heart rate will ensure that you get the most out of your exercise (both in terms of muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness), while not pushing your body too hard.

Your target heart rate should be 50% to 85% of your maximum heart rate, and it is the safest range for exercise according to the American College of Sports Medicine. You can easily and quickly determine if your intensity is too high by administering the talk test; i.e., if you are unable to maintain a conversation with an exercise partner while exercising, then your intensity is too high.

A simple method for determining your target heart rate is to subtract your age from 220, and then multiply that number by .50 and .85. That should provide you with the range of your target heart rate.

For such a serious level of exercise, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends the following guidelines:

– Perform your physical activity 3 to 5 times every week, for 20 to 60 minutes at a time.

– Your activities should involve the large muscle groups (e.g., running, walking, swimming, cycling, etc.).

– The level of your intensity, or target heart rate, during physical activity should be at least 55% to 65% of your maximum heart rate.

– Be sure to include muscular strength and stretching for flexibility in your exercise program. Also, if you are not currently exercising, be sure to consult your physician before beginning any exercise program.

– Consistent exercising is the key to success in any exercise program. And by choosing an activity that you enjoy, you are more likely to continue exercising throughout your adult life.

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Is there a big difference between the workout routine of a man and the workout routine for a woman? Are the two sexes so different that each requires an entirely different set of workout rules?

The correct answer is, it all depends on your goals. A man and a woman can train identically if they both have the same goals. For example, a male might be looking to burn fat and get toned, while a woman is looking to do the same. In this case, both would workout in a very similar fashion.

Most women aren’t bodybuilders. They don’t want to train for big, strong muscles. Most women are looking to shed excess bodyfat, flatten up their tummy, shape up their arms, and perk up their butt. All of these goals can be achieved with a strategically planned workout routine that incorporate weight training and cardio in the right amount of frequency, duration, and volume.

Nutrition is essential for promoting fat-loss. You could workout all day every day, but if you aren’t eating right, your results are going to be throw right out the window. Its a simple game of calories in versus calories out, while making sure to get the right type and amount of nutrients in your diet.

As far as workout routines for women, make sure to follow these guidelines…

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So from the previous newsletter, you learned the trick to selecting the right exercises…

Now, its time to put the exercises in the right order to deliver jaw-dropping results. Thats right, the sequence you perform the exercises in can be a major difference in the amount of rock-solid muscle you build.

Here’s an example to prove this point… Lets say you perform a triceps exercise before doing the bench press. During the triceps exercise, you work and fatigue the tricep muscles. Next, you move on to the bench. Now, you won’t be able to lift nearly as much weight or complete as many reps as you would had you NOT done the triceps exercise. This is because the bench press is a compound movement that works you chest, triceps, and shoulders. By fatiguing your triceps beforehand, you are limiting the amount of weight you can lift on the bench and limiting the recruitment of the chest muscles…

Ofcourse, in the above example, your tricep muscles got a hell of of workout but your chest was limited. So, its critical that you place your exercises in the right order in order to thoroughly work and recruit all your different muscle groups.

The general rule is that larger muscle groups are worked before smaller muscle groups. The larger groups include the chest, shoulders, back, quadriceps and hamstrings, while the smaller groups include the biceps, triceps, traps, lower back, calves and forearms.

Other key points include placing antagonist muscle groups next to…

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A treadmill workout is a very good workout for the body. Many of the different muscles get used and exercised when doing a treadmill workout. Mostly, the treadmill is used to simulate walking. So, there is a lot of exercise to the leg muscles. Walking is also an excellent cardiovascular exercise so the treadmill also takes care of that. The treadmill is perfect for people who want to walk every day but can’t because it is either too hot, the weather will not cooperate, or just do not have anywhere to walk around that they feel comfortable at.

The treadmill is the perfect tool for people to get their daily exercise that they usually would not get if they did not have the treadmill. It can be used to lose weight, tone leg muscles, or just get into better shape. The treadmill can also be used for runners that run on a daily basis but cannot because it is raining out. It can also be an excellent trainer for runners to learn how to set a speed that they can stay put with instead of running fast and then slow.

The elliptical machine is also a great tool for exercising. The elliptical tool has a few advantages that the treadmill does not such as the smoothness that this machine allows the user to experience while they are exercising. There are no sudden hits on the feet like when someone is running on the treadmill. The elliptical machine also works more of the leg muscles then the traditional treadmill because of the swinging motion. It requires more force to swing back and forth than it does to lift the leg when walking.

The elliptical machine also helps the cardiovascular exercising muscle as well as the treadmill does. The only downside to the elliptical machine is that it cannot be used by runners to get their daily run in like a treadmill can.

The treadmill workout vs elliptical work does not have very many differences. There are some small differences such as less stress on the body on the elliptical machine because the treadmill requires the feet to hit the actual machine every time a step is made. The elliptical machine cannot provide the cardiovascular exercise that a treadmill can because it cannot simulate a run. Each machine is built for a specific part of the body and a specific exercise. While the elliptical machine is usually replacing treadmills for people just trying to get in shape and walk a little bit each day, the treadmill is still to machine of choice for runners that need to run a couple miles every day.

The treadmill workout vs elliptical workout dilemma basically depends on what kind of workout the person wants. Each machine is special in its own way and it just depends on what the person wants to do in deciding which machine would be the better machine to purchase.

At the end of the day, both machines work the legs and cardio part of the body. If people do not like the actual physical part of walking they will enjoy the elliptical machine much better because it is much smoother and provides a great workout without having to walk and hurt the feet. The elliptical machine is a great machine and can provide some extra toning when it comes to the legs and thighs making it the machine of choice for people who are trying to tone their legs rather than build stamina. Building stamina is what the treadmill can be mostly used for. Especially people that like to walk or run miles every day. The treadmill can build the stamina without having to leave the house.

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