2012年8月10日星期五

Building Your Body: Fuel Your Workout in the Gym the Right Way

To understand bodybuilding is to truly understand what building a body is all about. To most individuals, this is a goal that is usually set to obtain results in a short time frame, but, in actuality, this should be a way of life that can only be accomplished by setting realistic long-term goals in strength and fitness training. To transform a body is one of the most beautiful gifts we can offer ourselves. You see people wearing clothing to exhibit self-expression, but we should wear our bodies in the same manner. After all, how we take care of ourselves is usually an indication of who we are deep down.

We won't discuss bodybuilding in the usual sense; rather, we'll focus on the idea that it is the action of strengthening and building a body. In bodybuilding, we try to build bodies to their maximum potential, leaving no room for error. Surpassing levels to transform our bodies helps reach what is called the playing field level, but everyone's strength and fitness training levels are different. Once you make it to the gym, what can you do to fuel your workout the right way.

Guidelines for Enhanced Strength and Fitness Training:

We believe in basic detail because, as we began to fit the pieces of the puzzle for our own bodies, we realize that there is no room for blank spaces. A blank space says nothing. Therefore, no muscle should be ignored when building a body. After all, it's your choice as to what level you want to take it to.

Unrealistic goals: Make your strength and fitness training goals achievable but not easy. Setting goals that are impossible will discourage you from finishing your workouts or building the body you dream of. Try not to be persuaded by catchy ad gimmicks on TV that want you to think that building a body and muscle are things that happen overnight.

Stay on track: Keep a journal of your daily food and drink intake so you can accurately chart the calories and fat you consume each day. This consistent reminder will help keep you in control while on your strength and fitness training program as well as help you avoid common pitfalls of many diets. Most importantly, stay hydrated! Keep bottled water at your desk, in your car, and in your gym bag. Drink cold, iced water before lunch and dinner. Experts agree that drinking water alone can help keep off the pounds and increase your body's maximum potential during a workout.

Listen to those in the know: As much as you may want to ignore the fitness professionals, they know a thing or two about staying healthy and building a body the right way. Consulting your physician beforehand is a good idea in addition to speaking with the fitness pros at your gym. Let them help you understand the mechanics of building a body and choose a strength and fitness training program that works for you.

Stretching: This is one of those activities that people often forget to do before or after a strength and fitness training routine. Stretching, however, keeps your arms, legs, and body limber and ready to be transformed. Effective stretching techniques will help you in the long run as they prevent common injuries associated with vigorous exercise or your strength and fitness training program.

Choose the right weight size: When you've just begun working out, the gym can be a little overwhelming. Every machine has a certain weight option, and as far as lifting free-standing weights - it's anyone's guess. You have two options - ask the people at your gym or those who frequently workout for advice or bodybuilding tips. Better yet, try it out yourself but make sure to start with the smallest weight and work your way up to something that's comfortable.

Disregard the numbers on the scale: Try not to be concerned about the numbers flashing on the scale. Oftentimes, the number is increased by the weight of muscle mass resulting from effective strength and fitness training and not from fat. If you're still concerned, calculate your body fat percentage to get a better feel for the current state of your body's fat level.

2012年8月9日星期四

President Barack Obama: Fitness Guru

It’s not hard to see that the new President of the United States is well fit. His main game being basketball; he was the first President to be seen hitting up a real NBA game front and center row.

President Barack Obama, as well as the First Lady Michelle Obama are perfect fitness icons for today’s world. Even some of the presidents favorite snacks scream health – conscious and consist of pistachios, fruit, and bottles of Fiji water.

Before entering the White House, Barack was caught regularly coming out of the gym from his daily workout. He was always sporting his black White Sox cap and his Asics sneakers, looking like your ordinary American.

But Barack Obama is not like any ordinary American. He is a role model for those that are fighting obesity across the country and a competitive athlete that has the drive to perform both on the court and off the court for his country. His confidence seems to shine through his genuinity, and his drive keeps him on track.

Obama focuses on cardio and strength training for his work outs. Barack’s routine consistently starts with cardio every day for 20-30 minutes. Then he follows up with strength training, including lat pull downs, and back exercises. Both him and the First lady get up every morning at 5:30am, go through their workouts, have breakfast, and then maintain our country. Our President never misses a work-out. If he is out of office, he finds a gym where he is. He stays dedicated to not only his country, but his physical regimen.

Obama reported to Men’s Health Magazine his reasoning for his consistency with his work outs. "The main reason I do it is just to clear my head and relieve me of stress,” he said. He goes further on to say, “Most of my workouts have to come before my day starts. There's always a trade-off between sleep and working out. Usually I get in about 45 minutes, six days a week. I'll lift [weights] one day, do cardio the next. I wish I was getting a 90-minute workout.”

Now, with that being said, it is easy to note that maybe the rest of the country could learn a thing or two about consistency and determination from their country’s leader – President Barack Obama, a.k.a. Fitness Guru.

2012年8月8日星期三

Ditch The TV, Ditch The Fat

1. How many TVs do you have in your house? A report published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine showed that based on a survey of overweight people with a history of dieting, the habits of successful ‘losers’ included having fewer televisions at home. This makes sense since it is easy to see a TV, turn it on, sit down and start watching. Too hard to get rid of the TVs? Then make a goal to do something whenever you are watching it. Try doing squats, lunges, pushups or situps while watching the tube to make your time more productive.
2. When you go in your kitchen, what is the first type of food you see? If you don’t keep food on the counters, then check out your refrigerator and cabinets. Keep fresh fruit and/or veggies out in plain sight where you will see them first so you will be more tempted to grab an apple (or something similar) when you need a snack. Keep healthier options front and center in your cabinet and refrigerator for the same reason. Most of us take the path of least resistance for most things in life, and this includes eating and exercise. Make it harder to eat less nutritious options and easier to eat healthier options.

3. Exercising at home is always the most convenient way to burn off those calories, but not always the easiest. What barriers do you unintentionally create for yourself that make it harder for you to exercise at home? It takes no more than about three square feet of space to do many, many exercises. Make sure that you have this space available in your home without having to move heavy furniture or go too far to get any equipment you might need. If you use videos, keep them in an area that is very close to where you will actually use them. Make everything as convenient as possible and you will have a harder time finding excuses not to do it.

2012年8月7日星期二

A Morning Workout Definitely Has its Benefits

Workout in the morning? Ugh! I have a hard enough time getting up and making my way to the coffee pot. How will I ever make it to the gym? This is a struggle that many people have. There are many benefits to a morning workout all of which will help you to accomplish your fitness goals.

First and foremost a morning workout will guarantee that you will actually get it done. No more excuses that come up so easily after a long day of work. It may be difficult at first training your body to get up and get to the gym but once at the gym you will wake up faster, be mentally alert and ready for whatever your day has in store for you.

How many times have you dragged yourself into the office dreading the day ahead? By working out in the morning you start with a sense of accomplishment that will follow you throughout your day. People have also reported they find it easier to watch what they eat and stay away from the unhealthy greasy food.

I have read that people who exercise in the morning have better sleep patterns. Getting up earlier means getting to bed at a reasonable hour. If you have ever tried an evening workout you may have noticed the increase energy which comes from the adrenaline rush created by your workout. If you have ever watched a scary movie before bed then you know what this adrenaline rush feels like.

When I workout in the morning I feel better mentally and physically throughout the day. My mood is better and I can approach my day with a more positive outlook.

Will you burn more fat by exercising in the morning?

Absolutely! Working out in the morning kicks your metabolism into gear and continues to burn fat throughout your day. I have read so much conflicting information on whether to eat or not eat before a morning workout.

Some theories try to show that a morning workout on an empty stomach will increase your metabolic rate all day long and some theories recommend eating a small amount of carbohydrates prior to a workout.

If you are doing aerobic training in can be beneficial to drink 2-3 cups of coffee prior to your workout. This forces your body to dip into the fat and protein that is stored up in your body.

When strength training it is recommended that you eat carbohydrates prior to your workout. This provides you with more energy and strength for a longer workout.

I use both of these workouts and have found that I have energy after both. I do recommend that you eat a normal breakfast after each workout. The combination of eating habits and workouts will help keep your metabolism elevated throughout the day.

2012年8月6日星期一

10 Need-to-Know Don'ts About Hydration

1. Don't be average. Research suggests that the average person does not consume enough fluids to be adequately hydrated. In fact, even people who exercise regularly often aren't properly hydrated before they work out, a situation that exacerbates their exposure to the health risks associated with dehydration.

2. Don't ignore the odds. The potential consequences for exercisers of being inadequately hydrated run the gamut from not-all-that-important to extremely serious. On the relatively less-weighty side are a diminished level of performance, a heightened level of muscular fatigue, and a loss of coordination. On the much more grave end of the continuum is an elevated risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

3. Don't fail to be prepared. Physically active people can undertake several steps to ensure that they are properly hydrated. For example, ACSM recommends that individuals drink at least 16 oz of fluid approximately 2 hours before they exercise. During exercise, at least a half cup of fluid should be consumed every 15 minutes. After physical activity, individuals should drink about 16 oz of fluid for every pound of weight they lost while exercising.

4. Don't overlook the signs. A number of indicators suggest the onset of dehydration. Among the more common signs, in this regard, are muscle cramps, muscle fatigue, diminished performance, headaches, loss of coordination, inability to pay attention, and dizziness. A much more serious hydration-related sign is when a person stops perspiring - which may be an indication of a heat injury.

5. Don't rely on a sense of thirst. Although it seems entirely logical that if your body needs water, you'll be thirsty, the reality is something else. By the time you feel thirsty, your body has already begun to dehydrate.

6. Don't believe all of the hype. The number of possible options targeted at people who want to address their fluid needs seems virtually endless. Regardless of whether the fluid is augmented with electrolytes, vitamins, carbohydrates, sodium, caffeine, or just plain flavor, each of the these choices is typically touted as the "best" way to deal with hydration. Unless the bout of exercise is going to exceed an hour, water is the recommended fluid of most registered dietitians (a group that constitutes the most-informed source of sound information on all things nutrition).

7. Don't let the bottle get you down. From a hydration standpoint, it is important to keep in mind that alcoholic drinks are diuretics. Given the fact that consuming such drinks can cause you to lose fluid through urination (in one end, out the other) almost as fast as you drink them, it is a good idea to either avoid alcoholic beverages altogether when trying to hydrate or plan to match every glass of them you drink with the downing of a comparable amount of water.

8. Don't overfill the tank. Truth be known, drinking too much water also can cause serious problems for exercisers, as can drinking too little. Consuming an excessive amount of fluid can lead to a condition known as hyponatremia, which results when the level of salt in the blood is unduly low. The consequences of having this condition can be life threatening in some situations.

9. Don't buy the smaller-sized clothes just yet. Water loss should not be confused with fat loss. Too many individuals mistake the relatively substantial loss ofweight that often occurs during an exercise session as fat loss. Unfortunately, it's fluid lost from sweating - not fat expendedwhile exercising. Individuals will replenish the loss of fluid as soon as they drink fluids again.

10. Don't forget to remember. Proper hydration is not only an issue for serious exercisers, it's a concern for everyone. As such, all individuals should pay attention to their fluid intake throughout the course of the day, starting with drinking a glass of water when they first wake up and continuing with taking sips of water throughout the day. In other words, people need to remember to make proper hydration a habit that they practice daily.

2012年8月5日星期日

Ways for Health/Fitness Professionals to Think Outside the Box

1. Determine what the box is. Your "box" is your normal way of doing and looking at things. Far too often, a person’s usual way of approaching life is to simply accept the status quo. Such an attitude can lead to falling into a rut, which in turn can stifle any interest you might otherwise have in changing your routine or how you handle your life. This choke point can be particularly devastating intellectually. One effective way to avoid such a mentally suffocating situation is to adopt a mind-set to always look for a better way in everything and to believe that one exists.

2. Challenge the assumptions that underlie your life. One of the best ways to start thinking outside of the box is to first identify and then challenge the assumptions that encompass your way of thinking inside the box that is your life. To consciously guide yourself down new pathways of looking at things, it is imperative to have a reasonable starting place for change. One such point is being aware of what you take for granted and being open to new ideas.

3. Avoid being in a routine. An active open mind is similar to a muscle - it needs to be exercised every day. You can exercise your mind sporadically or you can exercise it on a regular basis. To a major degree, the critical issue is your level of commitment. Either you have the personal discipline to make thinking outside the box an integral part of your life or you don’t.

4. Focus on the value of finding new ideas. One of the first steps in understanding the value of discovering new ways of looking at things is dismissing the idea that "there’s really nothing new under the sun." On  the contrary, the world changes daily. Looking for and finding new ideas are not a waste of time. Rather, it can serve as the creative catalyst to enhance your life with new possibilities, new explorations, and new solutions.

5. Don’t be afraid. Fear, apathy, and indifference can turn a creative person into an in-the-box thinker. These factors also can serve as insurmountable barriers to testing your assumptions and applying your  imagination to expand how you look at things.

6. Explore the absurd. One of the most effective ways to break up the rigidity that characterizes in-the-box thinking is to explore the highly unusual. Such a creative-thinking technique can dismantle conventional thinking patterns and stimulate new ways of looking at things. It also can lead to new ideas and concepts that otherwise might not occur if you were thinking about things in your usual way.

7. Listen to others. The ability to listen is one of the most important attributes that a person can possess. Contrary to the old saying, "what you don’t know can’t hurt you," what you don’t know can hurt you - particularly when it comes to thinking outside the box. At a minimum, your ability to tap into the feedback, ideas, suggestions, and possible solutions from others is compromised when you don’t listen well.

8. Accept more than one solution. In reality, most situations and problems can have more than one solution. Too many people believe that THEIR solution is THE only solution to a particular set of circumstances. Most situations, however, involve a multiplicity of issues, rather than a single problem and, likewise, entail a multiplicity of potential solutions. Having an open mind, being creative, and recasting a specific problem in a variety of ways can lead to a number of possible solutions - all of which can be helpful.

9. Use your brain. To think outside the box, you must be a critical thinker. You shouldn’t do something in a particular way just because that’s the way you’ve always done it or the way everybody else does it. Rather, you should apply critical-thinking means to help you solve problems, consider new information, or process new ideas. Truth be known, using your brain is the underlying basis for being creative.

10. Make time to be creative. Although everyday creative people tend to create as a matter of course, most individuals who opt to be creative need to make a conscious effort to see the world in new ways and need to be open to do things differently. Such an effort requires a commitment of both energy and time.

2012年8月3日星期五

The 'facts' behind energy bracelets

 Recently a friend returned from a trip and brought me one of those energy/healing wrist bands as a gift, more so as a gag, since I had been questioning the fantastic claims that the producers make. This was a product that is similar to what you may have seen in the infomercials on television over the last year. The marketing wizards seem to have struck a nerve since these bands have become quite popular and I even saw some of the world junior players wearing them during games. Not surprisingly, the packaging on this product proclaimed that it would improve my balance, strength, flexibility and endurance. Quite a feat for a little piece of rubber with a couple of metallic looking stickers attached to it. I decided for this article I was going to dig a little deeper into these claims to see if there was any validity at all to any of it. I was not expecting to yield any results whatsoever.

A brief search on Google yields many results of the dubious muscle tests used on consumers to demonstrate the immediate difference the band makes. There are many videos on YouTube to show how the tests can be manipulated to yield the desired results. Power Balance; which is an Australian producer of one such product and likely one of the world leading producers has many prominent athletes endorsing their product and declaring how it improves their abilities. Recently, Power Balance was forced to remove any claims of increased strength, balance and flexibility from their packaging due to their inability to actually prove that the band was effective. A news report regarding this can be viewed here. This clearly has not slowed down the momentum of the company however, since in March 2011, Power Balance took over the naming rights to basketball arena where the NBA’s Sacramento Kings play, in a deal likely worth many millions. According to Wikipedia the financial situation for the company has now taken a turn for the worse. Power Balance’s legal troubles have now forced them into bankruptcy this past November; however, their website remains fully active as well as the naming rights to the arena.

Recently, some independent studies have taken to measure the relative effectiveness of the holographic wrist bands. Sadly for the companies these studies are clearly showing that there is no difference in strength, flexibility, and balance between their product and a placebo product. Two examples of these studies are here and here.

One of the more prominent recent products on the market is the iRenew bracelet which has had infomercials all over television in recent months. They utilize many of the familiar muscle and balance tests that have been used by other products and according to their website: “May promote balance, strength, endurance”. A medical doctor has also been used in the infomercials to endorse their products. iRenew claims that Selected Frequency Resonance (SFR) is the source of the benefits and that research studies have shown positive benefits and that further research is underway, yet no link to their research information is provided. The term Selected Frequency Resonance (SFR) appears to have no independent links and is a trademark term conjured up by the makers of iRenew. This bracelet however is SO helpful to its buyers that they want you to help spread the word and will send you two bracelets for the price of one as long you pay separate shipping. iRenew also has it prominently displayed on their website to actively avoid scam bracelets and make sure you purchase the real item.