Fit and Youthful Life

Guest Author: Roberto Parezze


Many people that are seeking to lose weight do not understand the vital role that strength training plays in helping you to keep excess weight off permanently. Most people focus on diet and tend to ignore the exercise element. Even those that do develop the habit to exercise tend to only focus on aerobic exercise however you must not ignore weight training and just think that it is for bodybuilders or only for men since women need to build and maintain healthy muscles too. Here are some tips to help you lose weight more quickly:

Tip 1: Just get started

The biggest step is to just get started as this is often the hardest thing for most people especially those that have never been on a weight training program before. Join a local gym nearby or buy a good piece of weight training equipment and go through a workout routine.

Tip 2: Do not weight train too much

Weight training is very stressful on your body and it is designed to be stressful so as to trigger new muscle growth or maintain what you already have. If you get over enthusiastic and start lifting almost every day then that can be very bad for your overall health and will definitely not help you to lose weight.

Weight training helps to add muscle to your body which is critical since muscle burns calories continuously. This is important for weight loss purposes since if you can raise your overall metabolism then burning fat becomes a lot easier as it is very difficult and actually potentially dangerous to go on very strict low calorie diets.

Do not even bother trying those starvation diets as again they are very risky for your overall health and well being. It is not necessary to give up your favorite foods, you may need to lower quantities and portion sizes but if you like a food then go ahead and keep eating it and monitor your weight closely and make adjustments accordingly.

Tip 3: Train heavy for short periods

The whole point of a weight training workout is to trigger new muscle growth and not to spend hours and hours in the gym. A good workout routine can simply consist of 3 sets where the first 2 sets are light sets just to warm up and the third set is your heavy set where you lift the most weight you can for 5 to 8 repetitions.

The key point is to lift heavy enough weights to trigger new muscle growth. This does not mean you need to do a ton of reps or do reps until your muscles hurt. Just lift a heavy load for a few reps and that should be enough. Also know when to draw the line and know that you have built enough muscle and then focus on maintenance. Weight training can really make a big difference in helping anyone lose weight and stay fit so make it a regular part of your life. Follow some of these tips to help you get in better shape more quickly.

Guest Author: Dane Fletcher


Many bodybuilders do cardio only by the clock. They know they have to hop on the treadmill and knock out 30 or 45 minutes’ worth of plugging away, and they’re done. Some more educated bodybuilders will occasionally attempt to tailor their program, opting for custom incline/intensity levels or perhaps keeping an eye on calories burned. The most intelligent bodybuilders will take heart rate into consideration when completing their cardio, in order to garner the most effective results.

Bodybuilders should be training at their optimal heart rate, which is 50 to 60 percent of their maximum heart rate. There are several steps to calculating this number.

- First, find your maximum heart rate (MHR). This is easy. Subtract your age from the number 220. If you are 30 years old, then your maximum heart rate is 220 minus 30, or 190

- Next, multiply your MHR by .50, and write down this number. This is you’re your optimal minimum.

- Next, multiply your MHR by .60, and write down this number. This number is your optimal maximum.

Now, as you complete your cardio, try to keep your heart rate between your optimal minimum and optimal maximum. It’s that easy!

In bodybuilding, “the more the better!” axiom often rings true. The more weight you lift, the bigger your muscles become. The more food you eat, the bigger you get. The more sleep you get, the better rested you become. However, in the case of cardio training intensity, more is not necessarily better. Training at heart rates of 70% or more will lead to the body consuming muscle to keep up with such an intense workload, instead of utilizing carbohydrates in the body or fat stores.

Training at levels of 50 to 60 percent is perfect for bodybuilders. If you find that 30 minutes at 50-60% is not leading to desired loss of body fat, raise the duration to 45 minutes, or use a split session (one in the morning and one following your weight training). If this additional cardio training does not help, it’s time to re-evaluate your current diet and supplementation program. Cut daily calories by 300-500, add ECA or Tridenosen, and you should be on your way to a leaner physique.



Look Young Again

Guest Author: Francesco Castano


Many bodybuilders believe that using very heavy weights for their weight training workouts will produce quicker results when compared with a lighter weight workout focus, and this idea is correct. Heavy weight and lower rep weight lifting sessions do produce bigger muscles, so it’s no shock that most who achieve muscle building success perform at least a portion of their weight lifting workout sessions using a lower rep range.

Yet, the problem for a large number of bodybuilders is that their desire for low rep weight training exercise sessions often causes them to sacrifice proper weight lifting form, which can lead to severe injury. If a legitimate study were conducted on the subject, I would not be surprised to learn that the majority of those who experience weight lifting injuries are using incorrect form during their workouts, which causes muscles to function in awkward ways, resulting in muscle strains, tears, and tendon issues. In fact, muscle mass increase is maximized only if constant weight training can be maintained for an extended period of time, and many individuals find themselves taking unplanned vacations from their weight lifting workout sessions due to severe injuries stemming specifically from improper weight lifting form.

The desire is strong to loosen up form in order to increase weight used for a particular exercise session, especially when using heavy weight and low reps during a weight lifting workout session, and when a weight lifter does not immediately fix such behavior, he or she will gradually alter weight lifting form to the point where the exercise is no longer safe, and injury is likely to result.

What all bodybuilders must remember as they pursue maximum muscle building is that the term “heavy” is relative, and proper weight training form is far more important than the amount of weight used. Therefore, when you are contemplating adding weight to a bodybuilding exercise, make sure that you are doing so with proper weight training form in mind, adding weight in small increments to avoid using incorrect, awkward weight lifting performance.

If you find yourself gradually modifying exercise form to allow for greater weight in a given exercise, then you should lessen the amount of weight used by at least 10-20 pounds, focusing on the mind/muscle connection during each set, only adding weight (in small increments) when you are once again confident that form is perfect. It’s unfortunately very easy to become misled into believing that because you have not increased weight for 2-3 exercise sessions that your muscle gain efforts will suffer, when it’s actually very common to stay with an identical weight for several workouts while still increasing muscle size. But by using incorrect form to try and increase the amount of weight used in a given weight training exercise, you will actually risk slowing muscle gains given both the injury potential, and the risk of removing emphasis away from the intended muscle group.

Remember that the success of your weight lifting pursuits will be based on how consistent you are capable of training, and using improper form will lead to injuries, forcing missed weight training workouts, and will ultimately impact your overall weight training progress in a negative way.



The French Women’s Beauty Secret

Guest Author: Dane Fletcher


Anti-estrogens – these are used for blocking receptor sites, not to stop conversion of aas to estrogen. When it is already converted, anti-estrogens keep the body from performing this action. The anti-estrogens need to be taken before and at the first sign of receptor activity (gynecomastia), or to supplement with an aromatase inhibitor

nolvadex is most accurate example of an anti-estrogen. It binds itself to estrogen receptors, and in doing so blocks the ability of estrogen to be attached to such areas of the body, such as the breast and testes. This compound is essential to yielding wanted results. Nolvadex has been used to treat breast cancer for years in those whose circulating levels of estrogen are too high to support the shrinking of tumors caused by estrogen. There are possiblities to reverse the actions of an existing growth process of diseased tissue and prevent further growth. Those who are already showing signs of gynecomastia should take nolvadex. It’s important to not confuse nolvadex and arimidex (see below) these are usually grouped together as the same kind of drug, but are not. Nolvadex, again, doesn’t prevent aromatization but will act as an estrogen antagonist. This won’t prevent testosterone from converting, but struggles with them for receptor position.

Anti-aromatase – used to block the conversion of aromatizing aas to estrogen, and through binding to the enzyme aromatase, can block the production of estrogens in the body. Bodybuilders everywhere are using this class of drugs during cycles with particular steroids, this will avoid any mishaps to prevent any undesirable hormonal activity. Before any symptoms of aromatization have occurred at the beginning of a cycle, take anti-aromatase.

Arimidex often gets confused with an anti-estrogen, but in actuality is an aromatase inhibitor. This is necessary to use when using massive amounts of aromatizing aas, or when prone to developing gynecomastia and using average amounts of aas. Overall, also true with all aromatase inhibitors, the mechanism of action is to block the conversion of aromatizable steroids to estrogen. This is quite opposite to the mechanism and action of an anti-estrogen, such as clomid or nolvadex, which are basically in place to block estrogen receptors in some tissues, such as the breast tissue and area of the testes. Usually if you are using arimidex, you aren’t using clomid, but doing so may have beneficial results.

Arimidex fortunately does not contain the side effects of a lot of aromatase inhibitors, such as cytadren or others, a high degree of estrogen blocking will also be developed. Testing should always take place because it is possible to reduce estrogen too much with arimidex.

However, costing about $7 -$9 per milligram makes this newer aromatase inhibitor reasonably expensive.

Synthetic estrogens – used to jump-start a person’s individual sex hormones by influencing the hypothalamohypophysial testicular axis which releases more gonadotropin in order for rapid release of fsh and lh. To kickstart your own hormonal assay use these post cycle.

Clomid is often grouped with anti-estrogens or anti-aromatase/ aromatase inhibiting drugs, it is however very different. This is a synthetic estrogen which belongs to the group of sex hormones, as nolvadex does. When the body’s own testosterone production is slowed down because of aas, clomid is effective. This is the reason that most take clomid once steroids have been discontinued. Restoring normal levels of testosterone as quickly as possible is important so that losses of muscle mass and strength is as low as possible. Hcg is a great combination for clomid and can offer even greater results. The anti-estrogenic effects of clomid are lower than those found in proviron and teslac, it is mainly taken as a testosterone stimulant (via gonadotropin stimulating effects).



Turn Back The Clock

Guest Author: Alien


Weight training programs are getting more and more popular these days. With more and more people with an urge to build heavier and bulkier muscles, these training programs have become a great success in the market today. These weight training programs are not as simple as they look like. People think that they would enter a gym and throw in some weights and they would build their muscles strong and bulky like most of the weight lifters and bodybuilders. But this is only a myth in their mind. The original fact is that bodybuilding requires a lot more exercise and workout to build muscles like those weight lifters and bodybuilders. There is no short cut for building muscles into strong ones until a person indulges himself in rigorous exercise and workout.

Those persons who are quite serious in building their muscles and achieving their goals of having heavier and bulky muscles must join one or the other weight lifting programs or they should be able to manage to organize his own weight training workout at his home or some other place. A person can easily find a weight training program anywhere. These programs make the person aware of the importance of exercise along with the intake of a balanced diet with all the nutrients included in it. If the body would not get sufficient nutrients then the person would not be able to develop good muscles and hence he would not be able to achieve his ultimate goal. But in a self organized weight training workout, one has to be self aware of every fact about weight training and he cannot get any external assistance.

In designing a self organized weight training workout, the first thing that should be kept in mind is the place. The place where the person would perform exercise should be comfortable for that person and it is better that the person is familiar with that place. The person should not strain himself very much in the beginning as it takes some time for the muscles of the body to open up for rigorous stress. A little stress is enough for the beginning which can be increased slowly. When the body becomes fully stretchable then only rigorous part of the exercise should be applied to the body. Along with the exercises, a balanced diet should also be taken by the person so as to supply proper nutrients to the body. Without proper nutrition the body would not be able to develop good muscles.

Guest Author: Eddie Lomax


The majority of weight training programs being performing in commercial gyms, garages and basements across the world are based on bodybuilding. What a shame, because weight training like an athlete is better for achieving most people’s goals. Plus, athletic weight training is quicker, so you can get out of the gym faster. In this article, I’ll explore why you should be weight training like an athlete.

You’re out of shape. You’re lumpy in places that shouldn’t be lumpy. And muscle tone? Your arms don’t even fill out your shirt’s sleeves and your legs are scrawny. You look like an apple with four toothpicks stuck in it. You decide to do something about it (good idea!).

So, you do some searching to find the “best” weight training program, or give yourself over to the trainer at the local gym. In either case, the result is usually the same. You start doing a weight training program based on bodybuilding practices. You isolate muscle groups and use sets, reps and rest periods designed specifically for muscle growth. Then you follow this up with some “cardio”, normally some sort of steady-state aerobic activity.

Does any of this sound familiar?

But the truth is, you’re not a bodybuilder. And quite frankly, you don’t even want to look like a bodybuilder. So here’s an stupid question: Why are you training like one?

There are three things I believe men and women want when they start a weight training program. They want to get fit, lose fat and build muscle (not necessarily in that order). The RESULT they are looking for is a strong, muscular, lean, athletic body. And they don’t just want to look great either. They want to feel great and posses the athletic ability to meet the challenges of sport, work and life with excellence.

So you see, the goals of the average exerciser mirrors the goals of athletes, not bodybuilders. So here’s a crazy idea. Why not start weight training like an athlete?

Bodybuilding training has one goal and one goal only; muscle growth. Health and performance are of no consequence. But athletic weight training is performance based. It is designed to improve your performance in all the physical abilities of fitness. (Here are some of them… strength, cardiorespiratory endurance, power, speed, flexibility, coordination, balance, agility, accuracy and toughness.) And when your weight training is designed to improve performance a strange thing happens. You feel better and you look better!

So weight training like an athlete is more accurate at helping you achieve your goals. You are more like an athlete than a bodybuilder, and should train accordingly. And when I say you are more like an athlete, I mean everyone. I don’t care if you are participating in a sport or just running to catch a bus or chasing the kids around the living room. What you do during the day requires athleticism, and improving your physical abilities enables you to live a better, fuller life.

Here is another reason I like athletic weight training better than bodybuilding. It is faster. You see, bodybuilding is based on volume. It is a high volume of exercises targeted to a specific muscle that makes it grow. But athletic weight training targets fitness, fat loss and strength as well as muscle growth. Therefore you are not required to spend long hours at the gym in order to see improvements like bodybuilders are. Plus, athletes have other training to do, so they can’t spend all their time and energy in the gym.

I don’t know about you, but less time in the gym and more results to help me live a better life sounds pretty great. Right?

If you are unhappy with how you look, feel and perform and are determined to do something about it, I applaud you. But don’t sabotage your efforts by choosing a weight training program that doesn’t match your goals or requires a huge investment of time to be successful. In my opinion, weight training like an athlete is the best and fastest option for reaching your goals and finally seeing, feeling and benefiting from all your hard work in the gym. Wouldn’t you agree?