Category : Article
Posted in Article on February 17, 2012
Obesity is a rising metabolic disorder that affects the entire world. Obesity is closely related to heart disease and other health issues. It is the condition based on the body mass index (BMI), calculating the fat ratio from a formula using the height and weight of the individuals.
The formula is weight in pounds divided by the height in inches squared divided by 703. The total of that calculation then is used against the chart to determine if the individual is underweight (18.5 or lower), healthy weight (18.5 24.9), overweight (25 29), or obese (30 +).
Obesity and coronary heart disease are closely related based on clinical studies. Obese people tend to have a higher risk of heart disease due to their other health related factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. The one contributing factor with heart disease is directly connected to the high cholesterol, which also has issues with clogging of the arteries; increasing the risks of heart disease in every individual, but is extremely higher in obese people.
People with high risks of heart disease; generally have other health issues that once were thought to contribute to the disease. Yet in recent studies it has been discovered those that are obese have a higher risk of heart disease; even without the other factors. Obesity causes heart disease since the obese person is not as active as the healthy weight individual is. The amounts of exercise play a role in heart disease.
Other contributing factors include the diet of the individual. Obese individuals tend to have a high caloric and carbohydrate diet, which blocks the blood vessels and can lead to heart muscle damage.
When the individuals limit their amounts of fat, sodium and starch, which are turned into fat when not burned up by the body with physical activity and exercise, the individuals can reduce their weight and risks of heart disease. Learning to eat a healthy diet will help with the levels of risks, while not completely removing the risks, if damage to the vessels and heart muscles has previously occurred; prior to the weight loss.
Medication is available for heart disease to help with the complications. Other methods are extensive such as surgery for heart bypass and heart transplants in extreme cases.
The fact of learning to take care of the heart and blood vessels, prior to any damage, is the most important factor, many need to realize. As once the damage is done to the cardio system, it is not possible to repair the damage; short of surgery and transplants.
Several methods are available to reduce the risks of heart disease including eating a healthy diet, avoid smoking, add a daily exercise regimen to the life style, and avoiding stress when possible.
Posted in Article on February 15, 2012
The 3 Day Diet Menu is quite simple. Each day, you pick a breakfast, lunch, and dinner from this list. Besides the foods on this list, you can have salt, pepper, vinegar, lemon, herbs, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, mustard and catsup.? The 3 day diet menu is designed to give you about 900 calories a day.
On the 3 day diet menu, it is very important to eat your grapefruit or drink your grapefruit juice at every meal. Additionally, you must drink at least 32 ounces of water each day.
Breakfast #1
Coffee or tea (sugar substitute okay)
1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. grapefruit juice
1 piece of dry toast topped with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
Breakfast #2
Coffee or tea (sugar substitute okay)
1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. grapefruit juice
1 egg
1 piece of dry toast
1/2 banana
Breakfast #3
Coffee or tea (sugar substitute okay)
1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. grapefruit juice
5 saltine crackers
1 oz. cheese
1 apple
Lunch on the 3 day diet menu also has about 200 calories a day.
Lunch #1
1/2 cup tuna in spring water
1 piece of dry toast
Coffee or tea (sugar substitute okay)
1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. grapefruit juice
Lunch #2
1 cup cottage cheese
8 saltine crackers
Coffee or tea (sugar substitute okay)
1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. grapefruit juice
Lunch #3
1 boiled egg
1 slice dry toast
Coffee or tea (sugar substitute okay)
1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. grapefruit juice
Dinner on the 3 day diet menu has about 350 calories and bulks up the meal with 2 cups of vegetables. You also get a sweet treat in the form of vanilla ice cream.
Dinner #1
3 ounces of lean meat
1 cup of green beans
1 cup of carrots
1 apple
1 cup of vanilla ice cream
Coffee or tea (sugar substitute okay)
1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. grapefruit juice
Dinner #2
2 franks
1 cup of ?cabbage
1/2 cup of carrots
1/2 banana
1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream
Coffee or tea (sugar substitute okay)
1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. grapefruit juice
Dinner #3
1 cup EACH of:
* tuna in spring water
* carrots
* cauliflower
* melon
* 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream
Coffee or tea (sugar substitute okay)
1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. grapefruit juice
Grapefruit has no scientifically based fat reducing properties and does not magically speed up your metabolism. Eaten whole (rather than juiced), 1/2 of the fruit provides 6 grams of fibre. But then, oranges provide 7 grams of fibre.
The 3 day diet menus do provide a healthy, balanced meal plan, but it has only about 900 calories. So, will you lose weight if you stick to the diet? Yes. You will probably lose between 3 and 6 pounds. Some people claim to have lost 10 pounds.
This can be a real turn on for people who need to lose a dress size in a short amount of time, particularly if a big event is looming. But, the 3 day diet menu does not provide a lasting solution to weight loss.
Posted in Article on February 12, 2012
When you have hit a plateau and your triceps just do not seem to be gaining anymore muscle, grab the cables. Working out the triceps with cables will get you over the hump so you can still build your muscles. There is a difference when working with cables versus working with weights. The cables are going to keep the tension on the triceps the entire time you do the extensions. By keeping the tension on the triceps they will not get to rest so the muscles will start building up again.
There are many different cable tricep extension exercises that can be done when working out. Always make sure when doing the tricep extensions that you are doing the exercise correctly.
When doing the one arm tricep extension select the amount of weight you will work with. Then stand straight with one foot in front of your body and the other behind your body. It will look like you are walking just in smaller steps. Make sure you are standing right in front of the stack of weights. With your palm facing the ceiling grab the handle of the pulley. Slowly pull the handle until your arm is bent just a little under 90 degrees. Your forearm will be next to your body almost at waist level.
Once you are in position pull the handle all the way down until your arm is straight. If you are moving the upper part of your arm then you are doing the exercise incorrectly. The only part that will be moving in this motion is the forearm. Exhale as you are bringing your forearm down.
While your arm is straight down tighten your triceps. Hold the triceps tight for just a second. Then inhale and bring the forearm back up into your starting position. Continue performing this until all the repetitions are done then switch hands and start the whole procedure again.
For the low cable tricep extension select your weight then lay on your back on the bench. With knees bent place each foot flat on the ground on each side of the bench. Make sure your head is laying flat and pointing at the weights. With your palms facing towards each other grab the ends of the rope. Your elbows will point toward the sky and your hands will point at the machine.
While exhaling pull your forearms straight up so they are pointing at the sky. Once again only move your forearms and not your upper arm. While the forearms are pointing straight up tighten the triceps. Hold them tight for a few seconds then start inhaling as you go back to the starting position. Continue through all the motions until you have completed all your repetitions.
Both of these cable tricep extension exercises will help build the muscles again when you have hit a plateau with free weights.
While still concentrating on the triceps, get ready to work them out some more with the weighted bench dips.
Posted in Article on February 11, 2012
When doing the rocky presses your shoulders are going to get much stronger. This will help to build the strength in the shoulders so you can lift heavier weights with other exercises. These presses will also help to build up your triceps. If you really want to burn calories quickly try doing the rocky presses while standing up. You will definitely feel the difference in your shoulders when you are done.
Before attempting the rocky presses make sure you have a friend that can spot you in case you have troubles. This exercise is going to require the use of a press bench with a back on it and a dumbbell bar.
Pick the weights for using on the dumbbell bar. Make sure the weights are something you will be able to handle comfortably when you are lifting the bar above your head. Attach the weights to the bar and walk over to the press bench. Carefully sit in the chair and place your feet flat on the ground. Your feet need to be aligned with your shoulders and your back needs to be flat against the back of the press bench.
The proper way to grip the barbell is with your hands a little wider then your shoulders. The palms of your hands will be facing the wall in front of you. Now using your forearms lift the dumbbell to your chest. The bar will be sitting right below your chin. This will be your starting position for the rocky presses.
Tighten your grip on the bar and while exhaling lift the bar in the air. Your arms will be straight up and down. The dumbbell will now be over your head. Start inhaling and lower the bar behind your head. Do not try and lift the bar all the way to your shoulders. It only needs to be lifted to the middle of the back of your head. Your elbows will be to the side of you pointing straight out. Hold the position for a second then start exhaling.
While exhaling slowly raise the bar back in the air. Once again your arms will be straight up and down while holding the bar above your head. Hold the position for a second then start inhaling.
While inhaling bring the bar back down to the start position. One complete repetition is lifting the bar from the start position into the air, back behind your head, back into the air and back down to the start position. Do the recommended amount of repetitions.
Once you get the strength built up in your shoulders you can push them even harder. When doing the rocky presses keep the bar in the air, moving it from the front of the head to the back of the head. You will feel the stress mounting on the shoulders almost immediately.
Now that your shoulders are loosened up and feeling good lets go to the next step, Arnold presses. This will help with building shoulder strength.
Posted in Article on February 9, 2012
Exercise is good for everyone, but for some it can prove to be more difficult to get the proper amount of exercise time in each week. If you are dealing with some type of health issue you will understand just how difficult it can be to exercise every day.
For certain conditions low impact exercises can be really beneficial. Regular exercise has actually been shown to help those who are suffering from depression, anxiety attacks, and can even help slow down osteoporosis.
Low impact exercises help to release the endorphins in your brain which in turn make you feel more alive and alert. If you suffer from achy and sore joints exercise will help make you feel better. The tough part is just getting going!
If exercising is challenging because your body hurts then there are a couple of things you can do.
Take a warm bath or shower to warm your joints before exercising
Start exercising very slowly
Visualize yourself exercising
Listen to music while warming up
These tips have been very helpful to people who have to live with the pain of arthritis each day. Sometimes not focusing so much on your body actually allows you to get moving a little quicker each day.
Every time you exercise you must always pay attention to your body. If your routine is too much then slow the pace down. Don?t try to keep up with the rest of the class.
After exercising your body may feel a little sore and tired. This is to be expected and perfectly normal. But if you are experiencing lots of pain more than 2 ? 3 hours later then you may want to seek medical attention.
Always inform your doctor when starting any new exercise program especially if you have a health challenge. They can possibly recommend ways and methods to help ease your body into your new routine.
If you suffer from asthma your doctor can advise you on how to use your inhaler so that you can get the most out of your exercise routine without having an attack. Many Olympic athletes deal with asthma and still manage to exercise and train daily.
Once you have found ways to exercise around your health issue you will find that your mind and your body both feel much better. Within a couple of weeks you will probably notice that you can exercise a little longer without feeling so sore afterwards. Don?t let any health problem stop you from exercising, with a little help and determination you can manage anything.
Posted in Article on February 4, 2012
Even though there are some exercises that can be combined while working your lower body, not all of them can. The cable crossover is one of those exercises. However, do not think that this is any less of an exercise. When used correctly, you will find that you have a well defined chest and shoulder. This exercise will also help when it comes to your posture as well.
You will need to have cable machine, which has two sets of weights (one for each arm). It is good to also have a mirror, if available, as this can help you to see your form to make sure you are executing the exercise properly. The mirror also helps people to keep you on track because it gives you the visualization to keep going.
How to perform the cable crossover
1. Get the appropriate weight for you and get both hands on the handles. Make sure that you are standing up straight, feet about hip width apart and hold your core so that you do not use it to help you with the move
2. Bring the handles in, pulling the weight in front of you so that you to the front of your chest. Make sure that your elbows are slightly bent so that you do not hurt yourself.
3. Bring your arms back but do not go too far back that it is a strain
4. Repeat these steps until you have completed all the reps in your set
Tips for getting the best results with cable crossovers
Even though you can increase the difficulty, it is important not to start out with weights that are too heavy. If you do not work your chest much, you will find that you need to start at a very low weight.
As with every exercise, it is important to make sure that you are breathing properly while you are exercising. You will want to exhale as you are pulling the weight forward and inhale while you are bringing your arms back.
Focus on your breathing and the muscles that you are working on while doing this weight as this will keep you on track if you do not have a mirror to look at.
It is important not to try and swing your body or your arms while trying to complete this exercise as this can end up causing damage to muscles. Cables are not as forgiving as dumbbells are.
It is also important for you to make sure that you are standing directly in the center of the weights so that you are equally working your arms. If you do not you will find that you can injure yourself and end up getting uneven results
If you do not want to increase the weight, but you still want to give yourself an extra challenge, you can just do the exercise slower. The slower you do the exercise, the harder your body has to work. Increasing your repetitions also helps with getting a greater challenge with the cable crossovers
Posted in Article on February 2, 2012
When you look at Arnold, I?m sure sometimes you may wonder if he has kept a basketball up his sleeves. Many men strive hard to get that perfect big shoulders as it makes them appear wider and masculine. Actually there are two things that are to be worked on to get those pumped up shoulder muscles, they are the width of the shoulders and how thick they are. The key to real body building is adding up muscle mass to your shoulders to make them look bigger than they actually are. It again helps you in two ways. The torso looks really wide and thick and secondly if the shoulders are bigger, it makes the lower part of your body appear thinner and in shape.
Most of the bodybuilders swear by upright barbell rows when it comes to shoulder building, as it helps hit all of the three important main muscle fibers, i.e. the anterior deltoid, the lateral deltoid and the posterior deltoid.
Upright barbell rows guide:
For fresher?s, start with warm up exercises before starting your barbell plates. This will make your muscles flexible.
Now grab your barbell plates with an overhand grip that is to some extent less than your shoulder width. See to it that the bar rests on the top of your thighs. Your arms should be extended and your elbows should be slightly bent. Do not bend when you are holding the barbell plate; instead keep your body straight. This will be the starting position of your upright barbell rows exercise.
Now breathe out and lift the bars by using the sides of your shoulders and by raising your elbows right up and also to the side. As you raise the barbell plate see to It that you raise the bar close to your body and continue to lift the weight until you reach a position where the bar almost touches your chin. Remember that while performing this step particularly, your elbows should make the movement and it should be always higher than your forearms.
When you lift the bar, keep your upper part of the body motionless and hold the position for a second or two.
Now bring the bar back down to the starting position and inhale as you come back to this position.
If you are beginner, start by lifting a 25 to 35 pound barbell plate with a set of 20 reps in the first two weeks, then increase it by 3 sets of 12 reps for the other two weeks, followed by three sets of 15 reps in the 5th and 6th week, then 3 sets of 20-25 reps and as you progress depending on your capacity, increase the sets. But see to it that you do not overdo it, as it can spoil your health instead of making it. For an advanced lifter, it is always good to start with a 45-100 pound weight with recommended sets.
So why wait any longer? Just grab your barbell plates and start working out. You are sure to achieve great results within a couple of months.
Posted in Article on January 31, 2012
Getting a well chiselled abdomen totally depends on how you work them ? no one was born with a six pack abs. You will have to understand that just like any muscle, if you want to build definition, you will have to hit your muscles with various resistances and at various angles. Well, regular crunches will help you tone your abs, but if you really want the chiselled look, you will have to abdominal machine too.
What You Need to Perform machine Crunches
You will an abdominal crunch machine, time and dedication.
How to Perform Machine Crunches
Look for the abdominal crunch machine at the gym. This machine has a seat that is attached to a weight stack. You will also notice that a padded area is also attached to the weight stack, around the area where your chest should be when you sit down (on the seat). It is not uncommon to mistake this machine for the back extension ? this is because these two machines look very similar. The one and only difference between the abdominal crunch machine and the back extension machine is way the padded bar moves. The padded bar moves backward on the back extension machine and moves forward on the abdominal crunch machine.
Start with a light weight so that you see what you can successfully handle for repetitions. Choose a weight that you can handle for at least 10 repetitions. You should also make sure that you adjust the height of the seat and the placement of the padding according to your height. Some abdominal crunch machines have charts that provide institution for appropriate settings for both the padding and the seating.
When you sit in the machine, place both feet flat on the ground. You should place your chest on the padding and make sure you place your hands where you feel the most comfortable. You can place them on the pad or place them on the handles attached to the seat. Make sure that you keep your back and abdominal muscles tight all through the movement in order to avoid injury and to also get the best out of the exercise. As soon as you are seated in this position with your chest placed on the pad, you are ready to start this exercise ? this will be the starting position.
You should push your chest forward on the pad and ensure that your abdominal muscles do a lot of the work. When you lean face first towards the ground, you should begin to feel a tightness in your abdominal muscles. Do not over do it! Just make sure you lean as far forward as you possibly can until you feel a tightness/contraction. When you feel the tightness in your abdominal muscles, hold the position for up to a couple of seconds.
Go back to the starting position, and repeat the exercise for at least ten (10) repetitions. Stop if you feel that your abdominal muscles are beginning to cramp. It is really a great idea to warm up the abdominal muscles before, during and after the exercise in order to avoid discomfort or injury.
Posted in Article on January 30, 2012
“How to lose lower belly fat?” It is a cry heard around the western world as people become fatter. Men, especially worry about pot bellies and having stomachs hanging over the belt line. As washboard abs are a sign of sexiness, many men look for solutions to How do I lose lower belly fat?
The key is that you need to do a variety of kinds of exercises. The best strategy is to do an hour of cardio exercises every other day and 45 minutes to an hour of strength training every other day.
Walking, running, cycling, and working out on cardio equipment at the gym all qualify as aerobic exercises.
To deal specifically with the question of how to lose lower belly fat, you need to realize that lower stomach fat is different than the rest of your abs. Sit ups and ab workouts can help, but they will not get rid of it. You need to do cardio in combination with your ab workouts. You may not see results right away, but keep at it.
Besides sit ups, Hata Yoga can help with lower belly fat. Vajrasana exercises involve you bending to the front of your knees which provides a great workout. This kind of yoga should be done under the guidance of an instructor if you are a beginner.
In addition to normal “stomach exercises,” work with your legs. Do exercises that require your legs to come level with or above your lower waist line. This causes your lower abdominal muscles to work in order for you to keep your balance. Kickboxing is a great example of a type of exercise that can keep your stomach completely flat.
Vigorous dancing can provide this kind of leg exercises. In addition to helping you lose weight, it tones your legs and helps you to lose belly fat. Belly dancing in particular will work to rid you of belly fat. You can either join a class or get videos to teach you the movements.
But cardio-type exercise alone will not answer the question “How to get rid of lower belly fat?” Indeed, you must involve some weight training at least three times a week.
Remember that muscle mass burns fat. When you put on muscle, your body is burning fat all day, not just when you exercise. So, don’t neglect this aspect of losing your lower belly fat.
You have to get close to your ideal body weight in order to have the firm, flat stomach you desire. Your lower belly fat will be among the last fat you lose. If you are 50 pounds overweight, getting in shape should be your first goal, because your long term goal of losing lower belly fat will only happen when most of your other fat is gone. So, if you are a pretty fit person who just has a little pouch, some specific types of exercises will work. But, if you are overweight, it is going to take some long term work.
And that’s the answer to the question, “How to lose lower belly fat?”
Posted in Article on January 29, 2012
Have you have been trying to lose weight for sometime, but you feel like you are getting no where? You are becoming frustrated and you feel that you are out of options and nowhere else to turn. Well there are ten tips that you may not have tried that you probably will need to be aware of. These ten tips will actually help you succeed in your weight loss program.
1. Water
* You need to begin your weight loss program by drinking plenty of water. When you are dieting this usually consists of eight to ten glasses a day. This water will help you keep hydrated, detoxified, and will help you keep those nasty hunger pangs at bay.
2. 3 large and 2 small
* You should have at least five if not six meals a day. This should consist of three large meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and at least two small calorie snacks usually mid morning and early evening. This will be great for your metabolism. Also by no means are you to skip meals. If you skip meals then you will cause your metabolism to become off balance.
3. Workouts
* Regular exercise is great when you are trying to lose weight. It will help in increasing your metabolism and also increase your overall fitness levels. Try things such as a brisk walk, jogging, and bike riding among others, as these are all good for your heart. You can also try weight training as it will help you build up your muscle and also build up your endurance.
4. Mental
* Mental workouts are also important to your weight loss program. Things like Yoga and Meditation will help lower your stress, allow you to experience mental relaxation and improves your concentration. Both the mental and physical exercise if combined correctly will help with your personality and overall physical health.
5. Eat
* It will be much healthier for you, as a whole, to eat rather than drink. A lot of people believe in an all liquid diet but you need to realize these are not good. All you are basically taking in is pure sugar.
6. Food Labels
* You need to pay close attention to all food labels, especially when you are trying to lose weight. In doing so you need to compare calorie intake and overall healthiness of the food.
7. Portion Size
* You need to pay attention to your portion sizes. It is one of the most useful steps to proper weight loss.
8. Low Fat Low Sugar
* You need to be sure to choose foods that are low both in fat and sugar.
9. Sleep
* A good night sleep is also essential to proper weight loss. You also need to make sure you are going to bed and getting up at the same time every day
10. Daily Diary/Journal
* You need to do a daily diary/journal on all the food that you take in and carry it with you at all times. This will help you keep track of the calories that you have already consumed for the day which allows you to plan your next meal more effectively.
As you can see there is still hope for your weight loss plan. You just need to follow these 10 steps and you will be losing weight in no time.
