Fit and Youthful Life

Guest Author: prabakar


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A resistance workout usually involves a number of different exercises often on weight machines that are designed for this purpose that focus on different muscle groups. Normally the exerciser does one to three sets of each exercise a set can be anywhere from eight to 15 repetitions and takes about one minute to complete. A typical session lasts about 30 minutes.

If you do two or three resistance workouts per week, you may notice an increase in the strength and size of the exercised muscles. These increases come from the enhancement of various chemical processes in the muscle cells. The greatest improvement will come in the first several months of regular training.

Regular weight training exercises can boost your cardiovascular health by improving your levels of high-density lipoprotein, or HDL good cholesterol. Resistance training can also have a beneficial effect on your body composition. Because muscles burn more calories than fat, a greater muscle mass will increase your metabolic rate, burn more calories and reduce fat tissue.

Resistance training stresses bones as well as muscles and helps increase bone mineral content and prevent osteoporosis. Most important for older people, resistance exercise is the best way to combat the gradual loss of muscle mass that occurs as we age beginning at age 35 or so. Studies have found that men and women in their 70s and 80s can dramatically improve their strength, mobility and agility with just 10 weeks of strength training. Many doctors now routinely prescribe two or three sessions of resistance exercise per week for their elderly patients.

Researchers have developed some evidence that indicates resistance training may be better than aerobic exercise alone for improving self-esteem and body image. One explanation for this improvement may be that the feedback from weight training is immediate. You can easily detect progress in muscle growth and improved muscle tone. For more details visit http://www.soundbodytrainer.com/



Longevity and Health Now

Guest Author: A.J James


Can weight training burn fat?

Yes it most certainly can!

One of the least known things about resistance training is that it will help you to burn fat well and truly after you have finished your workout.

Just about everyone knows the value of aerobic training for losing weight and often the first thing someone starting a fitness regime will do is jog, run or hit the aerobics class.

While aerobic activities are great for assisting you to lose fat, often your muscles will shrink at the same time – this is a terrible thing, because your muscles are what burn the fat.

Also known as resistance training, using weight training can significantly improve fat loss in both men and women.

Why can it help burn fat?

Muscle is the body’s fat burning furnace and it stands to reason that we don’t want to shrink our major fat burning tool.

One of the keys is to ensure adequate protein intake – increasing your protein will stop your muscles getting smaller from protein degradation.

The best way to improve the effects of your aerobic activities is to use resistance training. Weight training helps to strengthen your muscles and prevent muscle loss. With intense weight training you can even create nice dense tight muscles that not only look appealing, but they burn fat like an industrial machine.

What Are The Benefits Of Weight Training?

Better Posture

Mood Elevation

Fat Loss

A Better Metabolic Resting Rate

Strengthened Bones

Better Blood Pressure

Increased Strength

These are just some of the many rewards that resistance training can bestow upon those who practice it.

What Exercises Should I Do?

If you have decided that you like the idea of increasing your fat loss potential by building some muscle, then you may want to know where to start. The best exercises you can do are the basic ones that you probably already know a little bit about.

Exercises such as: Bench Press, Squats, Lunges, Dips and Barbell curls are great because they incorporate many muscle groups, giving you the best possible reward for your time and effort.

Eating more protein is important if you are resistance training, because your body will need more protein to help build your new fat burning muscle machine.

Will Weight Training Make Women Huge?

The resounding answer is NO, women will not get big from training with weights unless they have the very specific desire to do so.

Men have high levels of testosterone, which women only produce a small amount of and the truth is most large muscular ladies take testosterone boosters.

Women have to have like a professional body builder to get big – it’s that simple.

Women benefit immensely from resistance training, they develop beautiful curves and tight, toned bodies. Tight bodies are conducive to fat loss, so it is more than just an idea – weight training is the answer.

Give weight training a try and you’ll feel tighter, stronger and better than you ever have.

You’ll also burn more fat when you rest and when you sleep.

Learn more about weight loss at Article Flame

Guest Author: Francesco Castano


One of the most popular muscle groups to focus upon is the chest, with many bodybuilders seeking significant muscle mass in the pecs through performing many sets of heavy bench pressing. Despite most weight lifting routines centering upon the bench press as the main upper body muscle building exercise, there are numerous bodybuilders who produce disappointing results in the chest region, and are searching for an alternative to the bench press for added muscle gain.

Many bodybuilders may still be unaware as to the true reasons why the chest in many cases does not develop as quickly as other smaller muscle groups, and replacing the bench press is not a viable solution, since this particular exercise is very effective in packing on additional chest muscle, that is, assuming that the shoulders and triceps do not fail prior to the pecs, which occurs far too often. This is the factor that many neglect when analyzing how to produce an effective chest building routine, as there are many muscle groups that participate in compound exercises such as the bench press, and if they are weaker than the target muscle that a bodybuilder is attempting to train (such as the shoulders or triceps experiencing fatigue prior to the chest during bench press), the supporting muscles (shoulders or triceps in this example) will fail first, and this will cause disappointing results in the primary muscle group (chest).

How this applies to the chest muscles in particular is that the triceps and shoulders are frequently insufficiently powerful to allow the pecs to fail first during the bench press exercise, which leads to lackluster muscle gain in the chest. Therefore, to rectify this scenario, a bodybuilder must institute pre-exhaustion, a technique that targets the chest in a more direct way, which fatigues the pectorals sufficiently to allow them a far greater chance for failure prior to the shoulders and triceps during the bench press, and this will result in far faster and more elaborate chest muscle growth.

The most effective pre-exhaustion exercise for the chest is pec deck, where both hands or elbows are brought together from an outstretched position either holding handles or placing the forearm behind padding, and this greatly overloads the pecs, causing them significant fatigue. When performing such an exercise prior to bench pressing, the shoulders and triceps will in most cases outlast the pecs due to proper performance of this pre-exhaustion exercise (pec deck), and this allows the chest to receive the majority of stimulation during all bench press movements.

Some choose to use dumbbells instead of the pec deck, performing a weight training movement known as dumbbell flies, but doing so is not as effective as using pec deck since the dumbbell fly exercise allows less weight to be used, in addition to requiring the bodybuilder to balance the two dumbbells above his or her chest as if performing the bench press, which introduces unnecessary shoulder fatigue (and the goal is to target the pecs and avoid as much shoulder or triceps overload as possible). The pec deck targets the chest in a very direct fashion, which is the goal of any pre-exhaustion technique, and thus the pec deck should be performed immediately prior to the bench press for any bodybuilder who experiences disappointing chest muscle growth.

For bodybuilders who cannot access a pec deck machine, the cable crossover is a somewhat less effective, but acceptable alternative, yet the chances are that those who are unable to use a pec deck also do not own a cable crossover unit, therefore, in such cases, dumbbell flies are acceptable for chest muscle pre-exhaustion prior to bench pressing. Keep in mind that the weight used during bench press will decline as compared with what you were able to use prior to introducing the pec deck as a pre-exhaustion technique, as your pecs will have experienced fatigue from pec deck prior to performing the bench press exercise, but this should not be of concern to you, as the total amount of overload will increase due to a combination of the extra pec deck exercise, and the greater focus upon chest fatigue during bench press that occurs as a result of pre-exhausting the pecs. The goal is to use the greatest amount of weight while targeting the intended muscle group, and for many, when performing bench press as the first exercise of a workout, without pre-exhaustion, the pecs never receive sufficient stimulation to begin achieving their impressive muscle growth potential.



Mother Nature’s Magic Pill

Guest Author: Paul Hata


Our body is our most valuable asset.It is the vital part of who were are.Whether we agree or not,most often,people perceived us by how we look on the outside.For Christians,they believe that the body is the temple of God so it must be holy and healthy both spiritually and physically.

Being fit and healthy is the in thing. Actually, it really never goes out of style.Thus it is important that you take good care of it. Give it the proper attention it needs. When it comes to ensuring and maintaining our physical health, the best option is to do cardio training.

What Is Cardio Training?

Cardio training involves any activity that requires the use of the large muscle groups of the body in a regular and uninterrupted manner. It elevates the heart rate between 60 to 85 percent of the fastest heart rate you could get.

Some of the usual cardio training activities are walking, jogging, running, aerobics, cycling, tae bo, swimming and rowing. Cardio training is considered an aerobic exercise as one is required to move from one exercise to another.

What Are the Benefits of Cardio Training?

1. Gives Energy to the Body

You can expect more energy and higher endurance after some time of regular cardio training.

2. Prevents Diseases

One could prevent heart diseases with regular cardio training. It is also helpful in preventing other variety of diseases like diabetes, obesity and even high cholesterol. The cardiovascular training strengthens the heart and the lungs. The low to moderated type of cardio exercises are required for people seeking to prevent diseases. Examples of these are walking, brisk walking or jogging.

3. Control Your Weight

With cardio training, you are able to burn more calories. This will help one who needs to lose weight. While those who already achieved their ideal body mass, the training will make it easier to control the weight.

Cardio training helps burn calories. However this generally depends on your current weight and the kind of cardio training you are undergoing. Better consult this matter with your physician or trainer, to know the proper type of training for your needs.

4. Lose Body Fats

Some people do not have problem with their weights. However, there may be some excess fats that keep bothering. Cardio training will help in getting rid of those. The activities involve the movements of large muscle groups. Regularly doing the training will make you leaner.

5. Get Rid of Boredom

Cardio training is fun. It pumps up your system. You will definitely feel more energized and on the go.

Recommendations for Cardio Training

Start Now – Walk or ride the bike around the neighborhood now. Follow that aerobics video you purchased. Set a goal and follow that goal. At the same time, modify your diet too. Eat healthy food.

Start Right – Cardio training is essential when you need to make health improvements. For starters, it is best to do the 30 to 45 minutes of exercises, 3 to 5 days a week. If you are aiming for weight loss, the training must be done 5 days a week. The more frequent you do it; the more likely it is that you will lose weight. However, avoid exhausting yourself too much in exercise. Avoid going beyond 45 minutes. Remember, it has to be done in a regular basis.

Progress – As you increase in the fitness level, the intensity of the training must also increase. This is to have an area of variation and there should always be room for improvement. Implement this by intensifying some parts of the training. If you are into jogging or running, increase speed every 5 minutes for at least a minute or two. It is important that you challenge yourself, so as not to be stuck in a stump.

Avoid doing the cardio exercises before bedtime. You will have a difficult time sleeping if you do so as the energy level of the body will stay high for sometime.If you are undergoing weight training too, do the cardio exercises right after, not before.

Snacks – It is best to take a snack 30 minutes before doing the cardio exercises. Do not start with training in an empty stomach. This will not help in achieving the proper momentum when you train. At the same time, avoid indulging in large meals too before exercise. Just give your body the proper supply it will need to sustain exhausting movements.

Outdoors – It is good to do the cardio exercises outdoors. This way you can easily interact with nature and breathe fresh air. You can also simply enjoy going around the neighborhood as you get your system healthier by the minute. It is possible to make some friends among the people who also do their exercises.

Be consistent and stick with the training once you have started it. This is the only way that cardio training will benefit your body and your health in the long run.



Secret of Youth

Guest Author: John Howard


Most bodybuilders and all other individuals who are looking to improve their overall health and fitness are getting into and starting weight training programs to further improve their physical fitness levels. Two of the keys to successfully enhancing these bodybuilding weight training programs are using variable methods of exercise as well as engaging in cycle training or periodization.

There are other things to look into when starting a bodybuilding weight training program. Some of these items include the type of exercise, the method of execution, the quantity of repetitions, and the progression of the exercises. The types of exercises that are involved in bodybuilding weight training vary depending on every individual. The individual’s goals are also a factor in considering which exercises to include in a weight training program. Certain types of exercises target specific muscle groups; if you, for instance, want to improve on your muscle balance, you can choose the types of exercises that work on enhancing this specific item. The physical fitness level you want to achieve should also be considered.

The method of exercise is also a consideration when creating a bodybuilding weight training program. Every individual performs exercises in a specific manner every single day. To enhance the effectivity of these exercises, you can try taking the exercise apart component by component. This way, your techniques can be modified and you can also identify the muscles being worked using that specific exercise. To do this, you can study books and maybe even look at videos that detail the specific instructions on how to perform the exercise properly.

The volume and quantity of the exercise should also be looked into. The number of repetitions for every workout is as important as the type of exercise itself. What is important when starting out a weight training program is to enhance your body’s ability to do an increased amount of work. Your body should be able to adapt to your bodybuilding weight training program before increasing your workload.

The intensity of the exercise is also a factor. This is important especially if you want to achieve your goals for a specific phase of training. You should learn to concentrate and focus on the movement of every exercise. The progression of the work out is also a considerable issue. Certain steps are necessary to become fully fit – and all of it depends on your body.

When engaging in weight training, it is important to not strain yourself nor put too much pressure on yourself in achieving your goals. Seeing the effects of bodybuilding weight training requires effort, patience, and both mental and physical conditioning.

Guest Author: Vita Vee


Although there are many sites that claim that they will show you weight training exercises online, in reality this is not the way to go.

If you want to start a weight training exercise program, you really need to be working with someone else. There are many options available. You can go to the gym, use free weights at home with a buddy, or get one of those machines, but if you do not do your weight training exercise with proper safety precautions, it is quite possible for you to get seriously injured.

I recommend doing your weight training exercise at the gym. There are several good reasons for this, and I will go ahead and tell you some of the very best ones. First of all, you can get a spot at the gym. Of all of the weight training exercise injuries, most of them could have been avoided with a proper spotter. This is especially true with free weights which can injure or even kill you if you are forced to drop them based on muscle fatigue. This is the most important reason to go to the gym, but it is really far from the only one. The fact is that it is easier to psyche yourself up for your weight training exercise when you do go to the gym. With all of those people around you dedicating their time to getting in shape, there is just no way you will feel like slacking off in your weight training program while you are at the gym. Many gyms even have personal trainers available, who will help you to meet your personal best, by working you harder than you will yourself, and helping to chart your goals. They can even suggest which weight training exercises you should use and how many, to strengthen the muscle groups which interest you.

Before you start doing weight training exercise, however, you should do some cardiovascular stuff. While you can get by quite well without weight training exercise, cardio is absolutely essential to your health. You will live longer, be healthier, and happier, and even have more energy if you do some aerobic activities every day to keep you active. We do not stay young forever, but those of us who get adequate aerobic exercises do stay young for longer than those who do not. Once you start doing that, then you can add your weight training exercise program.

Guest Author: Neil Parnham


Being fit and healthy is the in thing. Actually, it really never goes out of style. That body is the most valuable asset you could have in your lifetime. Thus it is important that you take good care of it. Give it the proper attention it needs.

When it comes to ensuring and maintaining the health, the best option is to do cardio training.

What Is Cardio Training?

Cardio training involves any activity that requires the use of the large muscle groups of the body in a regular and uninterrupted manner. It elevates the heart rate between 60 to 85 percent of the fastest heart rate you could get.

Some of the usual cardio training activities are walking, jogging, running, aerobics, cycling, tae bo, swimming and rowing. Cardio training is considered an aerobic exercise as one is required to move from one exercise to another.

What Are the Benefits of Training?

1. Gives Energy to the Body

You can expect more energy and higher endurance after some time of regular cardio training.

2. Prevents Diseases

One could prevent heart diseases with regular cardio training. It is also helpful in preventing other variety of diseases like diabetes, obesity and even high cholesterol. The cardiovascular training strengthens the heart and the lungs. The low to moderated type of cardio exercises are required for people seeking to prevent diseases. Examples of these are walking, brisk walking or jogging.

3. Control Your Weight

With cardio training, you are able to burn more calories. This will help one who needs to lose weight. While those who already achieved their ideal body mass, the training will make it easier to control the weight.

Cardio training helps burn calories. However this generally depends on your current weight and the kind of cardio training you are undergoing. Better consult this matter with your physician or trainer, to know the proper type of training for your needs.

4. Lose Body Fats

Some people do not have problem with their weights. However, there may be some excess fats that keep bothering. Cardio training will help in getting rid of those. The activities involve the movements of large muscle groups. Regularly doing the training will make you leaner.

5. Get Rid of Boredom

Cardio training is fun. It pumps up your system. You will definitely feel more energized and on the go.

Recommendations to Better Enjoy the Benefits of Cardio Training

Cardio training is essential when you need to make health improvements. For starters, it is best to do the 30 to 45 minutes of exercises, 3 to 5 days a week. If you are aiming for weight loss, the training must be done 5 days a week. The more frequent you do it; the more likely it is that you will lose weight. However, avoid exhausting yourself too much in exercise. Avoid going beyond 45 minutes. Remember, it has to be done in a regular basis.

Start now. Walk or ride the bike around the neighborhood now. Follow that aerobics video you purchased. Set a goal and follow that goal. At the same time, modify your diet too. Eat healthy food.

As you increase in the fitness level, the intensity of the training must also increase. This is to have an area of variation and there should always be room for improvement. Implement this by intensifying some parts of the training. If you are into jogging or running, increase speed every 5 minutes for at least a minute or two. It is important that you challenge yourself, so as not to be stuck in a stump.

Avoid doing the cardio exercises before bedtime. You will have a difficult time sleeping if you do so as the energy level of the body will stay high for sometime.

If you are undergoing weight training too, do the cardio exercises right after, not before.

It is best to take a snack 30 minutes before doing the cardio exercises. Do not start with training in an empty stomach. This will not help in achieving the proper momentum when you train. At the same time, avoid indulging in large meals too before exercise. Just give your body the proper supply it will need to sustain exhausting movements.

It is good to do the cardio exercises outdoors. This way you can easily interact with nature and breathe fresh air. You can also simply enjoy going around the neighborhood as you get your system healthier by the minute. It is possible to make some friends among the people who also do their exercises.

Be consistent and stick with the training once you have started it. This is the only way that cardio training will benefit your body and your health in the long run.



Look Young Again

Guest Author: John Wellington


Even though there are several sites that claim that they will show you weight training exercises online, in truth this is not the way to go. For those who want to start a weight training exercise program, you really need to be working with someone else. You will find that there are many options available. If you prefer you can go to the gym, use free weights at home with a buddy, or get a hold one of those machines, however if you do not do your weight training exercise with correct safety precautions, it is quite likely for you to get seriously injured.

I suggest regularly doing your weight training exercise at the gym. There are a number of good reasons for this, and I will go ahead and let you know some of the very best ones. Firstly, you can get a spot at the gym. Of all of the weight training exercise injuries, majority of them could have been avoided with a proper spotter. This is particularly true with free weights which can either hurt or even kill you if you are forced to drop them based on muscle fatigue. This is one of the main reasons to go to the gym, but it is really far from the only one. The fact is that it is easier to psyche yourself up for your weight training exercise when you do go to the gym. Especially with all of those people around you devoting their time to getting in shape, there is just no way you will feel like slacking off in your weight training program while you are at the gym. Lots of gyms even have personal trainers available, who will assist you to meet your personal best, by working you harder than you will yourself, and helping to chart your goals. In addition they can even suggest which weight training exercises you should use and how many, to build up the muscle groups that you prefer.

Before you begin doing weight training exercise, make sure you do some cardiovascular stuff. Although you can get by quite well without weight training exercise, cardio is absolutely essential to your health. With cardio, you will live longer, be healthier, and happier, and even have more energy if you do some aerobic activities every day to keep you on the go. The fact is we do not stay young forever, but for all those who get sufficient aerobic exercises do stay young for longer than those who do not. Once you start doing that, then you can also include your weight training exercise program.

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?