Fit and Youthful Life

Guest Author: Eddie Lomax


u using dumbbells for your cardio workout? I thought not. You’re about to learn why dumbbell cardio is better than boring aerobic exercise for improving heart and lung power, burning fat and building a high performance, athletic body.

Workout programs traditionally are split into resistance training (like weight lifting) and cardio (like jogging, rowing or biking). Or these two types of workouts are done on separate days. And more often than not exercisers head for the treadmill, exercise bike or row machine for the cardio session. I don’t see people picking up dumbbells when it comes time to do their cardio workout.

Guest Author: Michael Collins


Cardio exercise is one of the most effective and efficient ways to burn fat. Nothing burns off calories like intense cardio exercise. The challenge is most people think of cardio as boring or tedious.

That’s why we’ve designed ways to get the most out of your cardio workout, and get it done as fast as possible.

So how do we get the most out of out cardio?

1. Make it Fun- Instead of doing the spend an hour-on-a-treadmill workout, go play some sports instead. perhaps you have a basketball court near your house? Even if you’re not any good, just dribbling and running down the court can burn many calories, while practicing your shooting skills. Be a kid again!

2. Make it Intense- On whatever cardio piece of equipment you use, if you’re used to going at a moderate pace, take it up a few paces and put forth more effort. Go faster, use a tougher resistance, and just bust your butt until you can’t go anymore (within healthy limits of course). This will boost your calorie burn like nobody’s business.

3. Throw your body for a loop- If you’re a creature of habit and always use a machine for cardio, try using some body weight exercises. Body weight exercises are great- they can be done anywhere, build lean muscle, make you stronger, and get your heart going for a powerful cardio, fat burning workout.

These are some simple ways to get the most out of your cardio workout. There are many more you can find as well.

Guest Author: Chung Leong Yu


In order to lose body fat effectively, you have to do cardio and there is no way around it. Many fitness enthusiasts have over looked the benefits cardio workout. The main reason here is because doing cardio exercise is very boring for some people and also, it is very difficult for unfit people to start a cardio workout program because they feel discourage when the cannot complete a run while others can.

Therefore, the best cardio workout for a particular person must be carefully design to meet his or her needs so that they can stick to the cardio workout program and burn fat. There are many strategies of doing cardio like interval training, high intensity interval training, fartlek training and conventional style method.

Here, we are just going to discuss how to design yourself, the best cardio workout for yourself. In the nutshell, the best cardio workout for a person is when the heart rate is elevated for at least thirty to forty five minutes at an intensity of seventy percent to eighty five percent of their maximum heart rate. This heart rate range is called the targeted heart rate.

At this heart rate, the body burns the optimum amount of fat in the body. This means that, if your do your cardio at this heart rate, the percentage of the total calories burned is the highest compared to other heart rates.

To calculate the targeted heart rate for your best cardio workout, follow this formula.

Take two hundred and twenty, minus your age, and then minus your resting heart rate. Then with the figure, multiply it with seventy five percent and eighty five percent. Add your resting heart rate into the two values and that is your targeted heart rate range.

For optimum fat loss, do your cardio workout four to five times a week and each session should last for no lesser than thirty minutes and no more than one hour. Make sure when your doing your cardio, you are in your target heart rate, use a heart rate monitor to monitor your heart rate!

There is much discussion going on which cardio machine is the best. Well, theoretically, if you are in your fat burning zone, any machines will work the same. But there are a few cardio machines that burn calories faster. The excellent calorie burners are the treadmill and the stair master. These cardio machines work the glutes muscle carder than any other machines. Because the glutes is the largest muscle in the body, it will burn a whole lot of calories!

There is another cardio machine that is making a big hit right now. It is called the Wave by Technogym. This particular machine simulates ice-skating and it really can burn calories as fast as the stair master and it works the inner and outer thighs!

You should not be out of breath during the cardio session. You need oxygen to burn of fat. Combine the your cardio workout with weight training and you definitely can see the fat melt off!

Guest Author: Dr John Anne


 

Cardio and aerobic exercises are helpful to get the stronger muscles as muscle is a key to increasing your fat burning even you are not exercising. The most common way to get stronger muscles is weight lifting but lifting weight requires joining or going to gym. There are effective way of burning quick weight is cardio and aerobic exercises as these are very helpful.



Cardio & aerobic exercises helps in



Cardio and aerobic exercises are helpful to strengthen the respiratory muscles and it results in smoother and unlabored breathing. These exercises are good for strengthening the cardiovascular muscles and it also improves the hearts pumping efficiency. It tones the muscles of all parts of body that results in improved blood circulation and reduced blood pressure. It increases the number of red blood cells in the body, which makes for improved transport of oxygen throughout the body.

If you follow the regular and disciplined aerobics, you can reduce the risks of having cardiovascular diseases. It is also helpful in lowering the risk of having other health problems such as respiratory diseases and osteoporosis.

Most common cardio exercises:



Walking – Walking is considered the most common form of cardio exercise. Walking is a low-impact exercise and it can be done just about anywhere. It is one of a few aerobics exercises that can actually be incorporated into your lifestyle. If you practice 15-30 minute walk around the mall, it makes you lose just as much calories as you would on the treadmill. You can increase your fat loss by increasing the speed of your walks.

Running or Jogging – Another, most accessible & easier cardio exercise is running or jogging. You can do it depending on your physical capacity. Beginners have to try speed walking first before progressing to jogging and then running. Like walking and running, jogging can be done in a lot of places like beach, park, in your neighborhood or at a track. It is a very natural activity for your body and you can easily adapt once you make it a regular exercise.

Aerobic Dance–Throughout the decades, aerobics dance exercises may have changed but it has not faded. People still prefer exercising to a thumping beat & aerobic dances are very effective yet fun ways of keeping the weight off while maintaining a trim and tone body.



Instant Skin Tightener

Guest Author: David Cowley


Many anti aging clinics are run by medical doctors and are all the rage these days. They seek to bring all of the various treatments into one convenient location. Some anti aging clinics have better results than others so always contact the clinic prior to signing up for one to see what you can expect from them.

Some of the anti aging clinic will specialize in nutrition, others will specialize in exercise or supplements and some will even specialize in surgery. Some of the clinics will specialize in several of these venues. Others will expound the benefits of the latest and greatest fads.

Your own belief system should play a major role in determining what type of anti aging practice to use. If you believe the nutrition is the way to go or if exercise, acupuncture, supplements or surgery will be of the most benefit to you then by all means, seek out the clinic that specializes in the same thing that you believe in.

You are what you eat. Eating right is something that is important, regardless of your age, for a person’s overall health. Many anti aging clinics recommend that the best foods to combat the aging process are natural foods. This includes unprocessed fruits and vegetables as well as foods such as beans. Processed foods such as bread and pasta are generally not recommended in large quantities.

Exercise is something that is recommended for all age groups and is helpful in maintaining your overall health. Most Anti aging clinics also recommend exercise to their patients on a daily basis. Even minor improvements in exercise habits have been shown to improve overall health. Many anti aging clinics will recommend an exercise program that includes both cardio exercise and strength training exercises, such as walking and lifting weights.

Many different types of supplements are recommended by anti aging clinics. These supplements range from the very controversial human growth hormone (HGH) and DHEA to everyday multi-vitamin supplements, to almost everything in between. Other specific supplements may focus on specific things that may deteriorate with aging such as memory or energy levels.

Surgical methods may include liposuction, mesotherapy, face-lifts, botox injections, and a multitude of other various tucks and lifts. Not all anti aging clinics offer surgical services.

Many different types of alternative medicine are also offered by anti aging clinics to combat aging and may include acupuncture, chelation therapy, and oxidative therapy.

Common Vitamins and over the counter products can help with aging such as Lecithin, Zinc, Aloe Vera, Amino Acids.

Lecithin has shown to improve memory and learning and can be expected to have anti depressive effects as well.

Zinc is needed for healing and maintaining healthy tissues.

Aloe Vera will help rejuvenate and tone skin all over. A naturally cooling gel, the Aloe Vera botanical ingredients work together to stimulate the blood circulation and naturally soften the skin.

Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein and are the vital components of skin, hair, muscle tissue, the body’s organs, blood cells, various enzymes and hormones.

Always consult your doctor before using this information.

This Article is nutritional in nature and is not to be construed as medical advice.

Guest Author: Roger Leblanc




Many people who are seriously into weight training shy away from doing cardio exercise because they think that it will eat away at their hard won muscle mass. While there is a valid concern for those thinking of running a long distance marathon, most of these fears are unwarranted. Basically, the concern is that as you are running, the body may run short of fuel in the bloodstream for immediate use. Although the body has a mechanism for replenishing energy by breaking down fat deposits, this doesn’t always happen quickly enough. The body compensates by breaking down proteins to use some of the amino acids for fuel. Therefore muscle is wasted.

While this basic analysis is correct, the body builder’s fears are exaggerated. A short run of say twenty to thirty minutes, especially before lifting, will not break down hardly any muscle mass. Almost al the fuel used will come from what is already present in the blood stream and the energy stored in the liver. This is especially true if you ate at least a moderate high carb meals a few hours before. Actually, a good meal of complex carbs fully digested followed by a 20 minute run is an excellent warm up for a good hour of lifting in the weight room. This is a prime reason to run. It warms the cardiovascular system up for your lifting routine. You will get better workouts and with better workouts, better gains. Following this logic, a light to moderate run will actually help you to gain muscle rather than lose it! But the warm up should not be the only motivation for cardio exercise.

There are several outstanding reasons for adding cardio to your regimen. Cardio is the best way to exercise your heart and lungs, it is the most efficient way to cut fat, and it will boost your metabolic rate more naturally and efficiently than any pill on the market. So how much cardio should you do? That is a hard question to answer. Some suggest that you could start to lose muscle after about a half hour of running. Though they may be literally correct, you should take this with a very large grain of salt. The muscle that you lose even after an hour run is miniscule. Furthermore, since you train with weights on a regular basis, you are continually sending signals to your body to save and to build more muscle. Lifting and running done on a regular basis will condition your body to efficiently handle both the running and the body building. Essentially, when your body is conditioned, what is likely to happen is you still lose a miniscule amount of protein after a run of an hour or so, but your body adds that protein back in a short time. A hardcore professional body builder trying to bulk up for the next Mr. Olympiad may think twice about running that much, but you and I could do it without any net loss over the long run. The only real issue is whether your gains could slow by a margin of 2 – 3% or so. The benefits of cardio to your overall health to your energy level is well worth a theoretical miniscule slowdown, and it is the best and most natural way to get cut.

Cardio exercise has significant health benefits and should not be avoided for those overly concerned with a muscular physic. The truth is cardio actually improves physic because it cuts fat from your body and enhances definition of your muscular build. The substantial benefits gained by cardio are more than worth any small decrease in muscle building. Anything up to one hour of cardio training when combined with a regular lifting program will provide a well balanced program for both physic and health.



Smooth Away Wrinkles Instantly

Guest Author: Pat Pohzer


After reading this interesting material, I hope you’ll think differently about cardio training and try something new. It’s not that I’m totally against cardio as part of your exercise routine, but is cardio training really what you need to get fit and healthy? If you continue reading, you’ll soon realize that I’m not really against cardio as a form of exercise, I just believe that “traditional cardio” is not the most effective form of exercise you can be doing to achieve your goals.

Most people who are trying to get fit or lose body fat think, without question, that they need “cardio” exercise to achieve success. I beg to differ! This may come as a surprise, but some of the fittest people I know, both men and women, do not swear by traditional cardio. After many years of working out in different gyms and knowing several athletes and personal trainers, I have to agree that low to moderate cardio is more appropriate for the obese or really poorly conditioned person; and even then, it’s still not the most effective method.

So what pray tell IS “cardio”? Most people think it’s running on the treadmill, riding the stationary bike, or gliding on an elliptical machine in front of a TV. That is, what I would consider, “traditional cardio”, which by the way, is why I’m not surprised that people get bored and eventually give up.

To put it simply, “cardio” is any physical movement that gets your heart pumping and helps strengthen the cardiovascular system. If you’re engaging in a physical activity that gets your heart beating faster and you find yourself short of breath or gasping for air, consider it cardio.

For instance, there’s the barbell/dumbell/kettlebell clean and press (C&P), which is hoisting a barbell up from the ground to your shoulders, then push pressing overhead. To some this may seem like a weight training or a strength exercise, but try doing 10-15 reps with a challenging weight and I can guarantee your heart rate will go up you’ll find yourself breathless as if you just ran a sprint which, by the way, is better than jogging for weight loss.

Give the C&P exercise another go, this time with a 20-rep set or one-arm snatches or with swings while each hand holds a kettlebell/dumbell. Or try 5 straight minutes of lunges, pushups and bodyweight squats with minimal rest in between. While 5 minutes may not seem like a lot, try it, and if these suggested exercise routines don’t get you sweating, huffing, and puffing, I’m not sure what will.

While these types of exercises are usually referred to as strength or weight training exercises, they will definitely satisfy your cardio concerns and get your heart beating faster.

These exercise routines are not only time saving, but if done with the right intensity, they will produce results of a full-body work out. Unlike “traditional” cardio where you’re not concentrating or putting in every effort in exercising because you’re watching TV or reading a book, this method of exercising will get you fit, healthy, and looking good! And it doesn’t take much time and/or equipment.



Fountain Of Youth

Guest Author: Carioteam.com Blogs


Our health is the most valuable intangible asset we possess. Staying healthy throughout life is key to a more fulfilling, productive and happy existence.

Heart disease tops most lists as the number one health problem in the world. Thus, maintaining your heart health is crucial for your longevity and success and for the health of our society as a whole.

One way of keeping your heart healthy is providing it with enough aerobic training, or with so called cardio workouts, to keep it fit and in good shape. Cardio fitness trains your heart by giving it an extra load of work in supplying your body with oxygen.

Cardio fitness may include any type of physical exercises which trains your cardiovascular system, such as walking, jogging or swimming. When you work out your heart begins to beat faster, your pulse quickens and you start breathing deeper. Repeated exercise gives the heart extra training to stay healthy.

There are three key things responsible for the success and effectiveness of any cardio fitness routine. Those are: duration, intensity and frequency. So, before beginning a cardio exercise routine you should determine your workout goals and schedule. Remember, you should consult with your physician or medical advisor before beginning any training program or fitness regiment.

Let us start with the duration. Usually, one cardio fitness session may last 20 to 40 minutes. The duration greatly depends on your physical condition, your training goals and on the type and intensity of exercises you are doing.

If you are a beginner and only start with a light cardio session then your workouts may last no longer than 10 minutes. Determining the time of these sessions you should take into the consideration your present physical shape.

Avoid overloading your body and overstraining your heart during your exercise routines. Overstraining your heart will do you no good and may cause significant harm to your health and permanent damage to your heart and body. You may experience some discomfort in your muscles and joints as a normal process while your body acclimates to the new cardio fitness activities. However, if you feel any pain then postpone your next exercise session until after you have healed or consulted your doctor to ensure you have not pulled a ligament, tendon, or muscle.

Next, How Intense Are you?. For determining the intensity of your cardio fitness you should know your Maximum Heart Rate (Max HR). You determine it by subtracting your age from 220. For the beginners the HR during the exercises should not exceed 55% of the Max HR.

However, if you are in a good shape and have some experience in working out the intensity of your cardio fitness may come up to 65-85 percents of your Max HR.

Finally, What’s the frequency?. For attaining the best training results to improve your heart health, you should do cardio workouts on a regular basis. Three or four sessions a week is the optimal training frequency. You may also do your cardio daily while changing the type of activity you choose for your workouts. Remember that you must keep at it. No excericise program will be easy to keep up with, and you must make an concentrated effort to stick with the program.

Keeping in mind the three keys of cardio training you will help you heart stay healthy and attain excellent results through your workouts. Your can improve both the quality and prolong your life by keeping your heart healthy with regular exercise.