Saturday, September 15, 2012

Female Muscle - 2011 National Championships




Published on 14 Apr 2012 by
Stage & Backstage Videos on DVD and Blu-ray. See more at http://USAMuscleWomen.com/view/?wc=132

Bikini & Muscle Women - 2011 IFBB PBW Tampa Pro

   



 Uploaded by on 5 Nov 2011
http://USAMuscleWomen.com | See more at http://USAMuscleWomen.com/view/?wc=127 | BODYBUILDERS Alicia Alfaro / Rita Bello / Debbie Bramwell / Brigita Brezovac / Kim Buck / Lyris Cappelle / Candice Carr-Archer / Andrea Ferreira Carvalho / Tina Chandler / Jennifer Dietrick / Beverly DiRenzo / Nathalie Foreau / Trina Goosby / Candice Graham / Diana Graham / Aurelia Grozajova / Monique Jones / Drorit Kernes Silverman / Brandy Leaver / Cathy LeFrancois / Angela Leong / Jena Mackey / Mah-Ann Mendoza / Samantha Morris / Nathalie Mur / Claire O'Connell / Lora Ottenad / India Paulino / Stacey Pillari / Kira Rivera / Kristy Robbins / Angela Salvagno / Jennifer Sedia / Melody Spetko / Tianna Ta / Antoinette Thompson / Dena Westerfield | The flexing never ends at USAMuscleWomen.com, where we bring you the best in women's bodybuilding, fitness, figure and bikini on video and on-demand in professional quality and stunning detail. See thousands of fit and muscular female physiques now at http://USAMuscleWomen.com

Saturday, September 1, 2012

The Complete Guide to Beginning Bodybuilding

By Bill Geiger & Larry Shackelford, Muscle & Fitness Magazine


Starting a bodybuilding program can be a daunting experience. You visit your local gym only to see intimidating, big armed men and lean, muscular women training with a serious attitude. You look around and are dazed by the expansive array of equipment. How dies it all work? Even the vocabulary seems like a foreign language: spotting, pyramid training, gastrocnemius, reps, periodication.

Whew! Would it help if we reminded you that even Arnold Schwarzenegger, perhaps the greatest bodybuilder of all time, had a first day in the gym? If fact, we all did!

Getting Started

Great - you've decided to try bodybuilding. Perhaps you want to build mass, tighten up your midsection or slim down; those are all possible with strength training. Whatever your reason (and you should definitely write down your goals for starting and your realistic expectations of what you hope to achieve in the short and long term),m you should follow a clearly defined program.

Don't expect us to provide you with any so-called success; let's state for the record right now that some training methods are smarter and better than others, but nothing resembles a secret. Our role here is to teach and guide you through your first three months so that you can take your training to the next level and design a personal routine that meets your needs.

Is there one program that's right for everyone? No. Did you really expect that one routine would serve the needs of the female college basketball player who wants to make a more dominating presence on the court, the 45 year old businessman looking to firm his body and improve his health, and the young man interested in competitive bodybuilding? Every person who trains has different motivations, desires and genetic potential, and each must make his or her own adjustments in putting together a particular program. It's really not so difficult. But before you get started, here are some points you'll want to consider.
  1. Get a physician's release if you are over 40 or have had any sort of previous injury or impairment.
  2. Be realistic but positive. Assess your current condition and where you want to be in three months, one year and five years. Keep focused on your goals and know you'll achieve them. 
  3. Commit yourself to three months before making any judgements about whether it's working or not. The truth is, you're probably a bit impatient, and sculpting your physique takes time. Changes take place incrementally, but three months is long enough to notice some significant changes in strength and size. Persistence and dedication are characteristics that all successful bodybuilders have in common. Do you?

Designing Your Exercise Program

Before getting into your program, you need to develop an understanding of how and why you're building your exercise routine. Although we've gone ahead and designed a program for you, just about everything in ti can be changed depending on your particular circumstances. Your primary objective here, as a beginner, is to build a solid foundation - and not just any training program will take you there in an efficient manner. Study the following points to better understand your bodybuilding program.



Bodypart Training


Bodybuilders group exercises by bodypart and train one muscle group at a time. Working one are with 1-3 exercises ensures that you train it thoroughly. Experience says that this type of training is the most efficient for bodybuilding. (Circuit training, on the other hand, allows you to do movements for different bodyparts back to back with no rest in between).

Every major muscle group should be developed to prevent muscle imbalance and the risk of injury. The major muscle groups include legs (quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, glutes), chest, shoulders, back (Trapezius, lats, erectors), abdominals and arms (biceps, triceps).


Exercises

You can choose from any number of movements that target a particular muscle group, but beginners should stick with the basics to develop a solid foundation. The first exercise you do for a given bodypart should be a compound movement. (A compound or multijoint movement, unlike an isolation exercise, has movement at two or more joints and thus brings in a greater number of assisting muscle groups. Note: Some bodyparts like biceps, triceps and calves can be worked with pre-dominatantly isolation exercises.)

Some basic movements can be done in a number of ways; for example, you can do a bench press with a barbell, with dumbbells or on a machine. Eventually, you'll learn how to do them all and use the in your training arsenal. 
Two similar exercises can target a muscle differently. For example, the bench press is a good exercise for most of the chest, but the incline press (essentially a bench press done on an incline bench) works the upper pectorals more effectively. When you put exercises together to form a routine, you'll want to include those movements that hit the same muscle in different ways. That's why you normally include 2-3 exercises when you work each bodypart.

Weights

During the first couple of training sessions, you'll want to go pretty light just to get a feel for how to do the movement correctly. After you feel comfortable with the form, begin adding weight.

Even an experienced lifted should always do his first set as a warm-up with practically no weight to flush to target muscle and connective tissue with blood. On the second set, add a couple of small plates and do the exercise again. Was it still east? If so, and assuming you used good form, add more weight. If you struggled to reach 12 repetitions, add just a little bit of weight. (Adding weight on successive sets is called pyramid training and is one of the safest ways to train.)

Continue adding weight until it becomes tough to complete 8-12 reps. Your goal is to train in the range where you reach muscular failure at 8-12 reps. Once you find a challenging weight, stick with it. So you'll become stronger and be able to increase the number of reps. Once you can do 12, it's time to increase your training poundage by about 10%. At this heavier weight, you won't be able to do 12 reps, but with time you'll once again be able to. Keep working in this fashion.

The principle behind this type of training is known as overload. It states that for improvements to occur, you must impose a demand on your muscles greater than what they're accustomed to (for bodybuilding purposes, about two-thirds of your maximal strength). Your muscles compensate for this strain on the cellular level by adding protein to grow thicker and stronger. At that point, the same load is no longer sufficient to induce further changes, more load must be added. That is, you must progressively add training stimulus to make continued improvements.

Keep track of your training poundage by recording your weights, sets and reps in a training log alongside a list of your exercises.
Some bodybuilders swing and heave, cheating for the sake of pushing heavier weights. Remember, the name of the game here is not weightlifting, but rather bodybuilding.

Sets

A set is a combination of any number of reps of a single exercise. As a beginner, you'll normally want to do 1-2 light warm up sets of each movement (especially the first movement for a given bodypart) before doing 1-3 heavier sets. That equals 2-4 total sets per exercise.

Reps

A rep is a single execution of one exercise. if you do a set of 10 bicep curls consecutively, that's 10 reps. During your first week or two, keep the weights very light so that you can complete about 15 reps in good form. This is a change for you to practice good form while you work on your neuromuscular coordination and lean the proper 'feel' for the movement. Developing that feel with become even more critical later on because it will tell you if an exercise is working.

After that initial break-in period, to build size and strength you want to do 8-12 reps per set (after your warm-up set of 15 reps, which you should do at the start of each exercise). Use a weight that allows you to do the recommended number of reps and still reach muscle failure.

Muscle failure means that you cannot do any more reps with good form. If you can't do eight strict reps, the weight's too heavy. If you can do more than 12, the weight's too light. Adjust the weight for your next set. (Note: The numbers eight and twelve are not arbitrarily derived. Exercise scientists have conducted numerous tests and have found that working with a weight about 70% of your one-rep maximum produces the fastest results. Most bodybuilders can lift about 70% of their one-repetition maximum 8-12 times).

Though you don't have to train to muscle failure to grow, you need to come pretty close. Bodybuilders call this intensity. How do you know if you're close to working at 100% intensity? Simple: If you can do another rep with good form, do it! If you can do still another, do it. 

After you build you base, you may want to experiment with a program that alternates periods of high reps (which build muscle endurance) to medium reps (builds muscle mass) with low reps (builds strength and power) and back up again. This is called cycling. The idea here is to progress to a higher level of strength each cycle. (Note: Advanced strength athletes like powerlifters use slightly different training methods, most notably the number of reps, that do bodybuilders. You'll get stronger as you build muscle, but training to maximuse strength isn't identical to the type of training that maximizes mass.)

Proper Form

We'll say this again and again, but it's far better to use a weight that allows you to perform the movement correctly than to cheat with a heavy weight that will, sooner or later, result in an injury.

Speed of Movement

Use a smooth, controlled motion during all phases of the lift. This deliberate rep speed produces the greatest results for bodybuilding purposes. Super-fast reps with ballistic movements and jerking can be harmful to muscles and connective tissues, while slow training accomplishes very little. In general, most bodybuilders use a formula that approximates a two-second positive contraction (raising the weight), a momentary squeeze of the muscle at the point of peak contraction, and a two-second negative contraction (lowering of the weight).


Breathing

Most people don't think much about breathing until they begin lifting weights, but it should still come naturally. Start each set with a deep inhalation and exhale as you push through the most difficult part of the lift. Inhale at the top (or the easiest portion of the lift) and exhale as you push.

Rest between Sets

In general, rest as long as it takes for you to feel recovered from your previous set. That normally ranges from 45-90 seconds. Larger muscle groups take a bit longer to recover; smaller muscle groups clear low pH levels are are ready to go more quickly. Don't fall into the all too common mistake of talking with your buddies for 3-4 minutes between sets, during which time your muscle can become cold. This is counterproductive and lengthens the time you spend in the gym.

If you want to emphasize strength, take a little longer rest between sets. On the other hand, less rest means you won't be able to lift as heavy, but you'll be stressing your endurance. Of note: How much you can lift on a given set and the number of reps you do are directly related to the length of your rest period.

Use a Full Range of Motion

Use a full range of motion in your exercise movements. You want to work each target muscle through its natural range of motion for complete development and to prevent injury.

Training Frequency

Say you train your entire body on Monday. Should you do it again on Tuesday, or wait until Wednesday? The answer is that your body requires a minimum of 48 hours to fully recover after exercise, sometimes even longer. Physiological processes at the cellular level require rest and nutrients before you can train that same muscle group again. A good rule of thumb: If you're even slightly sore, you're not ready to train that bodypart again.

If you're an advanced bodybuilder and split up your workout into, for example, one day for upper body and another for lower body, you can train on consecutive days as long as you don't repeat the same workout. As a beginner, you don't want to go more than 96 hours (four days) without training the same muscle group again. Timing too infrequently results in submaximal gains.
The answer for the beginner, then, is to train every 2-3 days (or three times a week). A Monday - Wednesday - Friday (or similar) schedule is ideal.

Training Duration

If you follow the exercises, sets, reps and rest prescription, you should complete your resistance training in about an hour. Never mind those two hour plus sessions; who could possibly maintain the high level of intensity and mental fortitude of a marathon training session? What matters is the quality of your workout measured by the intensity you create, not the length of time you spend in the gym. Remember that. 


Courtesy of GetBig.com

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Workout for a Firmer Lower Belly | Perfect Form With Ashley Borden


Published on 2 May 2012 by
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No more crunches! Today I've got a workout that targets one of your midsection's hardest to tone areas: the lower abs.

Talk to Ashley and get her free guide to Rolling Out! http://www.facebook.com/ashleybordenfitness

Check out Ashley's equipment picks: http://www.ashleyborden.com/my-faves.html


Whether you want take your fitness routine to the next level, target a specific trouble zone or offset the effects of sitting all day at a computer, celebrity fitness and pro-athlete trainer Ashley Borden's specialty is helping you unlock the potential in your body. She will help you identify how your body moves, offering routines to help you build your best body.

Connect with LIVESTRONG.COM Woman
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Saturday, August 18, 2012

5 Killer Workout Routines!


Published on 14 May 2012 by
http://www.facebook.com/BarBrothersDC
^^^LIKE our Facebook for more INFO and MOTIVATION!!!

BAR BROTHERS is a CALISTHENIC workout team that performs creative body weight exercises to obtain STRENGTH! These types of workouts are EFFICIENT, FUN, and the CHEAPEST way to get a great body! Our goal is to INSPIRE you to get in shape and MOTIVATE you to reach your goals!!!

Represent Bar Brothers in your region by posting a video on youtube of you performing our requirements! "7 muscle ups, 25 dips, 10 wide pullups, 25 pushups, 10 leg lifts, and 7 muscle ups in 5min or less!"

Leader: Lazar Novovic | Creator: Dusan Djolevic
Contact: barbrothersdc@gmail.com

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Rest for Muscle Growth

By Karen Sessions NSCA-CPT
Many factors apply when it comes to bodybuilding, and the most overlooked aspect is rest. As simple as that may seem it is essential.
Rest will allow your muscles to recover. Without proper recovery, you will never grow. Thus, you will never achieve that award winning physique you worked so hard for unless you make sure to incorporate adequate rest.
In this article I will teach you how to properly tie-in rest into your workouts, making sure all of your hard efforts pay off 100%.

Rest Between Training Sessions for Muscle Growth
I have had people tell me they can actually feel their muscles gaining size during a workout. Although it might seem like it, that is false. This "feeling" you get is called a pump, and is not to be confused with muscle growth.
Muscle growth (hypertrophy) takes place during rest, not during a workout. You may get a pump during training, but it's merely blood being pumped into the heated muscle, making it harder and increased in size temporarily. When this happens, many get a mental pump and drag the training out, resulting in over training, which is something we don't want to do.
When your muscles repair themselves after training they are slightly stronger than before, which can lead to further growth if training is continued after sufficient rest. 
It is important to note if you train before the muscle is fully recovered, you can retard growth, and if you fail to train at all you will lose size.
Rest needs vary for each individual. Dietary guidelines, stress, genetics, sleeping habits, age, and supplements all are contributing factors to recovery. So what may work for someone else, may likely not work for you.

How Long Before My Muscles are Recovered?
It takes a muscle 7 to 10 days to fully recover naturally. Therefore, training a body part twice a week is worthless. You will produce far better results by training each muscle group once a week.
Other factors that affect recovery are adequate sleep, proper nutrition, and supplementation.
Sleep is important for muscle growth and you should get a minimum of 8 hours a night. Added power naps throughout the day are a benefit.
Nutrition is important on the days you train, as well as the days off since growth takes place away from the gym. Many people fail to make the off training days productive by eating haphazardly. Your off training days are just as important as your scheduled training days. 

Rest Between Sets for Muscle Growth
Just as resting between training sessions is important, so is resting between sets. This is often neglected when it comes to recovery.
Lactic acid is the little culprit that causes the soreness in your muscles the days following training. It is also the burn you feel when you lift to complete failure toward the end of a set, lessening your movement. Because of this burn we tend to stop our session short or lighten the load of our weights, cheating ourselves of a good workout.
For indirect growth, you want to allow enough rest so that you are fully recovered, but not to the point where you are cooling off. Therefore, two minutes of rest works well for gaining mass, power, size, and strength. If you start your next set before the two minutes, you can lack strength and intensity. Save the short rest periods for your "cutting phase" when your load is somewhat lighter and you are training at a faster pace.

Karen Sessions NSCA-CPT
P.S. For additional ADVANCED female bodybuilding inforamtion, check out Iron Dolls - Female Bodybuildng Secrets!! When you have the raw and uncut facts, the rest is childsplay.

About the Author

Karen Sessions has been in the fitness industry since 1988 and is a multi-certified personal fitness instructor and specialist in performance nutrition. She is a nationally qualified natural female bodybuilder, holding numerous titles in the southern states including two overalls.

Karen has written six eBooks on fitness. She also writes articles for several fitness websites, and distributes two monthly newsletters regarding weight loss and female bodybuilding.
Karen has helped hundreds of clients reach their goal of transforming their body. Her success and success stories speak for themselves. www.Iron-Dolls.com 

Saturday, August 4, 2012

Bodybuilding Motivation - Thats all I want to do!

Two Video Posts This Week! One for the girls and one for boys! Motivating you to build those muscles and that body!


Published on Apr 6, 2012 by
Visit http://www.cutandjacked.com and join http://www.facebook.com/CutAndJacked for all the info and motivation you need to achieve your ideal physique.


Uploaded by on Apr 1, 2010
Nutrex Presents: Watch this exclusive behind the scenes video of Larissa Reis's most recent photo shoot. Coming off her 6th place in the Figure Pro competition at the 2010 Arnold Sports Festival, Nutrex did a "Beyond Extreme" photo shoot with Larissa Reis and star photographer Robert Reiff the morning after the show.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Can You Gain Muscle & Lose Fat At The Same Time?

The dilemma of burning fat and gaining muscle at the same time has always been a question that has debated. Some so called, health fitness “gurus” will say that the two goals can be done simultaneously together whilst some of the top trainers will say “hell no!”.

So, what is the correct answer? And who’s fooling you into wasting your time and money?


Well to answer that, let’s look at a little bit of science. Don’t worry it’s all easy to understand stuff:

 

Fat Burning Education


Look, your body needs energy to run, and it uses a certain number of calories to do so. When you consume fewer calories than what your body needs and uses, the body is forced to get those extra calories from somewhere. So, it gets it from your internal stores i.e. from your stored fat. This is why, if you eat less than what you use, you will burn more fat!

BUT, there is a negative, it also burns calories from your carbohydrate and protein stores, which leads to muscle breakdown! This is not so good!
 
In addition to that, the lower the carbohydrates levels in your blood, the more fat that is burnt. So that's why you get those low carbohydrate diets being thrown around everywhere! However this is not so great for muscle gain again, because the less carbohydrates in your blood, the more muscle loss!

So we've looked at diet, but what about exercise?

Well for fat loss, you are required to do a lot more cardio, which burns the more fat during exercise. In fact, by doing it on an empty stomach early in the morning, you will burn the most fat! Again unfortunately, this leads to muscle loss though!

However at least, both muscle gain and fat loss agree that by doing weight lifting, with heavy weights and aiming for 6-12 reps, you can achieve fat burning but also muscle gain too.

 

Super Muscle Growth Science...


Well unlike fat burning, to make sure you do not burn off any muscle, you want to make sure that you eat more calories than you use. This way your body doesn't have to go into its internal stores, which would burn muscle!

In addition to all that, you are looking for a diet which contains a higher level of carbohydrates, protein and fat compared to what you would have for fat loss..

- More carbohydrates means less muscle breakdown
- More protein, means more muscle growth
- More fat, leads to hormones being secreted which boost your muscle growth


But again this type of diet makes it hard to burn fat!

Finally, in terms of exercise, weight-lifting helps prepare your muscles, so they are ready for the incoming nutrients to be built back bigger. But you want to avoid cardio, as much as possible, because it leads to muscle loss!

 

So Here's The Question Again...Can You Gain Muscle And Lose Fat At The Same Time?


Well, science says there is a MASSIVE contradiction in the diet for someone who is trying to burn fat and gain muscle!
Looking at exercise, both agree on weightlifting…BUT where cardio is important to fat loss, it is important to avoid it for muscle gain!

So UNFORTUNATELY, achieving fat loss and muscle gain at the same time, is virtually impossible, UNLESS, you somehow have some of the best genetics in the world!

Those “Gurus” only tell you that it’s possible, because they know that’s what you want to hear, and it means you’re more likely to buy their product! I’m NOT here to please some fantasy you have, I’m here to help you get actual results!

 

So What Is The Solution?


Separate your goals-Use bulking and cutting phases.


The Bulking Phase is all about packing on muscle and nothing else. The cutting phase is all about fat burn! What you do is build you muscle up first, using the bulking phase, then use the cutting phase AFTER to burn that fat away and show off your shredded physique.


If you want a full step-by-step routine, you can get everything you want to know in "Pack Muscle, Destroy Fat", which come together in my full bodybuilding system.

AUTHOR BIO

Arun Chase (from Bodybuilding4Idiots.com) is the well-renowned author of “Pack Muscle, Destroy Fat”, the ultimate muscle building and fat loss bible, which is written in simple and easy steps, so that anyone from any level can understand.


Arun’s system also includes an extensive nutritional program, a complete weight training regimen, a full motivational action plan, practical day to day tips and full email personal training support. This system has taken the fitness industry by storm and has helped thousands achieve the dream physique they never thought was possible.








Saturday, July 21, 2012

Full-Body Warm-Up Exercise | Perfect Form With Ashley Borden


Published on Jul 11, 2012 by
Follow us on YouTube for notifications of new episodes: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=livestrongwoman

My full body warm-up is a great standalone exercise to start your day, but it can also be used as a thorough pre-workout routine. All it takes is a yoga mat, and you'll be feeling so good and connected to your body in no time!

Talk to Ashley and get her free guide to Rolling Out! http://www.facebook.com/ashleybordenfitness

Whether you want take your fitness routine to the next level, target a specific trouble zone or offset the effects of sitting all day at a computer, celebrity fitness and pro-athlete trainer Ashley Borden's specialty is helping you unlock the potential in your body. She will help you identify how your body moves, offering routines to help you build your best body.

Connect with LIVESTRONG.COM Woman
Explore: http://www.livestrong.com/woman/
Like: http://www.facebook.com/livestrongcom
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More from Ashley:
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Saturday, July 14, 2012

What Makes These Sugarless Snacks Taste Great?

I have to admit that when I heard about snack recipes which featured no sugar I was a little skeptical about how the end product would taste. After all, sugar makes the world go around, or so you might think after spending most of you life scarfing down an endless supply of snack types made with processed sugar. But there is an alternative to the use of sugar in snacks. At least, this is what Carolyn Hansen says in her book 100 Healthy Raw Snacks And Treats.

 Nature has come up with some nifty alternatives that are actually quite healthy for us, and which can be used to impart all the sweetness you might otherwise miss in the absence of a dose of sugar. Dates turn out to be a good way to naturally sweeten the recipes for snacks and treats that appear in Carolyn's book.

 Another alternative that most of us are familiar with is honey. Less known is agave nectar, which is also an excellent natural sweetener that appears in many of Carolyn's recipes, including those for tempting cheesecake delights that you can eat without the least pang of guilt. Yes, that recipe for a pink Strawberry Fields Forever cheesecake concoction is sure to become one of your favorites. All done without sugar. Even without flour or butter. After all, who needs high cholesterol butter in their diet when almond butter and coconut butter can be used instead?

 Go check out Carolyn's site now and tell me that those images of the Strawberry Fields Forever cheesecake and the Carob Fudge don't make your mouth water. The great thing about these recipes is that they are not just put together with ingredients that are good for you, but they are easy to make AND they do not require any cooking on your part. If you know how to use a blender, Carolyn says, you can easily follow her directions and churn out a plate full of yum yums in no time.

 If this whole idea sounds like a treat to you (hee hee) then here's where you can go to find out more about how to add 100 Healthy Raw Snacks And Treats to your diet. Trust me, if you like to eat, this is something that is worth your time - especially if you would not mind losing a few pounds by eating stuff that tastes like it was designed to put on the pounds, not take them off!

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Crazy Cardio Challenge | A-List Look With Valerie Waters




Published on Jul 6, 2012 by
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Today, I have for you a Crazy Cardio Challenge! So get ready to sweat, because we're gonna burn tons of calories!

Have a question for me? I'll be checking in regularly, so leave a comment or video response below.

Valerie Waters is a celebrity trainer who uses circuit workouts that fry fat and tone muscle. In her episodes, Valerie will share her "circuits of the stars" to show how every woman can get Hollywood fit at home.

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Saturday, June 30, 2012

Importance Of A Regular Exercise Regime

Many people associate exercise as something one should start when they reach their 40’s. Do you know that if you haven’t done any form of exercise  up to 40 years of age, considerable damage to your body has already been done? Fitness shouldn’t be associated with any age. You can start at 10 or at 30 – even at 50 or 60. Fitness should not be seen as the cure for an illness you already have, but as preventative maintenance.

A regular fitness regime has a number of advantages. Regular exercise helps to prevent osteoporosis. The levels of low density cholesterol should be kept at a fixed ratio with that of high density cholesterol. Higher levels of LDL are bad and can cause extensive damage to your heart and its arteries.
Indeed something that affects those who have a sedentary lifestyle is Osteoporosis. Studies have shown that approximately 28 million Americans have osteoporosis. Out of this number 80% are women. Only a quarter of this 80% are aware they have the condition and only half are actually undergoing treatment. The annual osteoporosis bill to the United States is $14 billion. Studies have shown that an intake of sufficient amounts of calcium and regular exercise can build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis.

Many people still question about how much exercise is needed for a person on a regular base. Patients who are suffering from type 2 diabetes would find regular exercise of three or more times a week of great benefit. It is known to improve fitness and to keep a check on the fluctuating blood sugar level. Hundreds of people have enjoyed benefits very soon after they participated in various fitness programs.

Regular exercise can bring about great transformation in your lives. If you find it difficult to integrate exercise into your daily jam packed schedule, there are number of easy alternatives. These include breaking it up into smaller components so that you are not overwhelmed with the task. If you have no prior work out experience, then a complete workout session with weights may dampen your spirits. Instead you can start off by doing smaller steps. The first one week could be tough because your body will take time to get used to the activity. Soon you will be able to follow it with ease. If you find repeating just one activity to be boring, you can include more spice in your workout regime by adding more variety.


Saturday, June 23, 2012

Fun in the Sun Workout | Tone It Up Tuesdays


Published on Jun 12, 2012 by
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Today, the sun's out and we've brought along some friends for a little workout fun. Can you say Hee Haw!

Printable workout coming soon!

Check out our Beach Babe DVD! http://beachbabedvd.com/

Have a question for us? We'll be around all the time, so leave a comment or video response below. We'd love to hear what you think!

Since founding their company Tone It Up (ToneItUp.com) in January 2009, certified personal trainers Karena Dawn and Katrina Hodgson have opened a fitness studio in Hermosa Beach and launched a workout DVD series. They were recently called the "New Faces of Fitness" by Jane Fonda.

More from Karena and Katrina: http://www.youtube.com/user/toneitupcom

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Saturday, June 16, 2012

Operation Biceps Blast - Information Abundance can lead to Chronic Information Overload


By Karen Sessions NSCA-CPT
You hear it echoing in your head, "What to do for biceps?" "Do I do four standard sets like everyone preaches on the message boards or do I dare to step out of the norm and do less?" What would three sets accomplish? That extra set is bound to put that extra quarter inch on your arms. What about reps?
You've read over and over that you need to do more sets and reps to build muscle. You've actually brainwashed yourself into believing this. You have become so deathly afraid that you are not training enough in the gym that you being to overtrain. You begin to feel tired and your training becomes less effective. You don't have that inner spunk that drives you in the gym and what's worse, no biceps development.
Is the confusion getting to you? Are you tired of being at an information loss that training isn't fun anymore? Perhaps if you overcame the misinformation circulating on the forums and in the gym, you may get results to bring back that training drive naturally. Usually, what motivates most people is seeing changes. If you can make your next training session productive, that would be motivation enough to bring that desire and drive back.
In this article we will break through some biceps plateaus. We'll discuss the "hows", "whys," and "why nots" of biceps training.
Typically, female bodybuilders train biceps for growth, which adds size to their arms. Let's face it; nothing is more fun then flexing a 14" biceps when called upon.
So, if you are ready to go into battle let's break out of the norm. We will break this up in "rules" for simplicity.
Rule #1 - Get a good warm-up

A good warm-up is not a mini training session. All you need collectively is two warm-up sets, each with 15-20 reps. Get the muscle warmed up and slightly pumped. You don't want to exhaust yourself before the real training begins.

Rule #2 - Use heavy compound movements first in your biceps training

Now, that's not so hard, is it? You already know that compounds movements are a multi-joint movement, working all the muscles of that targeted muscle group simultaneously. This is the reason why you should do the compound exercise first. Stimulate all the muscle fibers first simultaneously. In addition, the compound exercise is the mass building exercise. It doesn't get any simpler than this.

Rule #3 - Keep sets to a minimum

Adding more sets, no matter how mentally pumped you are, won't increase your biceps growth. Granted, you may get an outstanding pump, but a pump does not equal growth. A maximum of three sets per exercise is more than enough. Any more than that can lead to overtraining. The biceps contains two muscles, and once you stimulate them. That's it. Training is over.

Rule #4 - Use 4-6 reps for strength and 6-8 reps for mass
Strength and mass work hand-in-hand when it comes to bodybuilding. You should employ both factors, at different times of course. For bodybuilding mass training, keep your weight heavy and shoot for 6-8 reps. Every few weeks add more poundage and drop your reps to 4-6 for some strength training. Alternate the two methods to prevent boredom and plateaus.

Rule #5 - Keep your biceps training basic and simple

Don't fool yourself into thinking that doing 12 sets of curls using various exercises will build huge guns. It just doesn't work like that. Building great biceps doesn't take a lot of sets and reps. In fact, when it comes to biceps training, less is more. In actuality, 5-6 good sets are all you need. When I say good sets, I mean stimulating the muscle with all out intensity with maximum poundage. All you generally need with biceps training is one mass builder or rather compound movement (straight bar curls) for 3 sets of 4-8 reps and one auxiliary movement, such a dumbbell curls or hammer curls for 3 sets of 4-8 reps.

Rule #6 - Limit biceps training to once a week

This shouldn't be new to you, but I still find it shocking to discover some lifters are training their biceps twice a week to get them to grow. There is such as thing as too much of a good thing. Think of watering a delicate flower. You wouldn't water it every day with a full 12 ounce glass of water, now would you? You must allow it time to absorb the water you have already given it. This same tactic should be applied to your biceps training. If you fail to allow your muscles to rest and recover, they won't respond (grow).

Rule #7 - Employ partial training

Partial training can give you that extra edge you may need to push through barriers holding your biceps training back. A partial barbell curl will take you from midpoint, where your forearms are parallel to the floor, to the point where your biceps are fully contracted. After the contraction, in a controlled manner, lower the bar back to the 45 degree angle and repeat. When you do partials, use heavy poundage and shoot for reps in the 25-30 range to take advantage of time/tension factor. Since partials are a partial movement, you will complete the set much faster, in half the time. The disadvantage to this is that your muscles aren't under the tension that long. Therefore, adding more reps will provide adequate tension.
Now you have seven rules to build unruly biceps. The above training will get biceps growth underway fast. It's designed to get the job done right the first time. If you follow these guidelines, you can blast your biceps training without going into overtraining mode. Now that you are armed with the facts, proceed with Operation Biceps Blast.

Karen Sessions NSCA-CPT
P.S. Want more in depth coverage of how to train your muscles thoroughly? Check out, Iron Dolls - Female Bodybuilding Secrets REVEALED .

About the Author
Karen Sessions has been in the fitness industry since 1988 and is a multi-certified personal fitness instructor and specialist in performance nutrition. She is a nationally qualified natural female bodybuilder, holding numerous titles in the southern states including two overalls.

Karen has written six eBooks on fitness. She also writes articles for several fitness websites, and distributes two monthly newsletters regarding weight loss and female bodybuilding.
Karen has helped hundreds of clients reach their goal of transforming their body. Her success and success stories speak for themselves. www.Iron-Dolls.com

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Hardcore Ab Workout With Blogilates | A-List Look With Valerie Waters




Published on Jun 8, 2012 by
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Today, I'm joined by a very special guest: Cassey of Blogilates! And together, we're going to show you an amazing ab workout!

Check out more workouts from Cassey: http://www.youtube.com/blogilatestv

Have a question for me? I'll be checking in regularly, so leave a comment or video response below.

Valerie Waters is a celebrity trainer who uses circuit workouts that fry fat and tone muscle. In her episodes, Valerie will share her "circuits of the stars" to show how every woman can get Hollywood fit at home.

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Saturday, June 2, 2012

What Makes Us Thin? Why the gym should be a secondary focus.

What makes us thin? Of course everyone wants to know the answer to this question. The answer is one we often do not want to hear and certainly don't want to do. But here it is:

Behavior Modification

Yep! That's it. More specifically, modifying behavior with regard to food choices is the key to becoming thin. When we mention behavior modification related to food, a couple of things are assumed.

1 - that we're not talking about a quick fix short term weight loss
2 - that this is to be a lifestyle change not temporary change
3 - that you are participating in at least some regular exercise
4 - you are not genetically thin, but need to put effort into the process

Behavior Modification is the very thing the Personal Training industry is built on. Even still, most health clubs and trainers seldom mention eating at all and if they do, you will rarely receive a customized plan outlining the foods and food amounts you should be eating in order to achieve you goals. Of course there are exceptions to this and they are truly the shining lights within the industry.

Another thing we have to think about is exercise. With few exceptions, it's safe to say that exercise DOES NOT make you thin. Exercise makes your muscles toned, your body firm, it makes you feel good, gives you energy, it can increase metabolism, it reduces risk of disease, and on and on. The benefits of exercise are endless. But, with just a few exceptions, exercise generally does not make you thin. In fact, most of the time it makes you hungry and if you are not in the habit of choosing quality foods, you tend to eat more of the foods that keep the pounds on. Exercise certainly supports and promotes weight loss, but it is not the primary key to losing weight. Obviously tremendous amounts of exercise done each day will likely take the pounds off, but that type of training is uncommon and not healthy or effective over the long-term. Of course we hear about the girl who weighed 135 lbs. and began a training program with no changes in eating and lost 10 lbs. right away and looks great. Typically, this person is already eating pretty well and exercise is their limiting factor, not food. This article is directed toward the other 99.9% of the population that try to exercise to lose weight and don't. This population needs to modify food choices to reach their goals. This is the majority of people.

This is why the personal trainers and training companies that teach behavior modification stand out from every other trainer and training team. These professionals understand that modifying your behavior with regard to food is the key to becoming thin. When it comes to achieving a fit, toned and thin body, everyone knows that these trainers are more than exercise coaches, they teach their clients using comprehensive fitness programming.

They promote complete behavior modification and that is why their clients get results. Their meal plans are aggressive and challenging, but when followed, yield instant results. I personally have never had a client follow a personalized meal plan and fail to get results. That is a record I am proud of and one that I know supports your goal of creating a healthy, fit and vibrant body. Coupled with outstanding training methods, successful clients know exactly what is needed to get the body they desire, all they have to do is follow the program. All they have to do is modify their behavior within the boundaries of their comprehensive fitness plan.

So next time you're thinking about losing weight and getting trim, remember, your food is the thing that must change in order to achieve lasting success. The exercise will take that success and make it look awesome! Modify your behaviors regarding food and food choices and your success is guaranteed.

Jared T. Meacham, MS.Ed., CSCS.
www.jaredmeacham.com

Saturday, May 26, 2012

100 Healthy Raw Snacks And Treats To Help With Weight Loss And Dieting



Posted On YouTube by on 25 Feb 2012

CLICK HERE http://discodave.100healthy.hop.clickbank.net/ For 100 Healthy Raw No Bake Snacks And Treats! For Further Fitness, Bodybuilding And Health Info Look At More Posts In This Blog http://fitness-supreme.blogspot.com

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Moves to Boost Energy | The Yoga Solution With Tara Stiles




Published on Mar 15, 2012 by
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Tara offers five moves to raise your energy level and leave you feeling ready to take on the day.

Have a problem that needs a Yoga Solution? Tara Stiles is here to help! Leave a question, comment or video response below.

Led by inspirational teacher and "Yoga Rebel" Tara Stiles, The Yoga Solution is a weekly series that offers fun and simple ways for yoga to help improve your life. Whether you're new to yoga or have been practicing for years, Tara's easy-to-follow and approachable manner will guide you towards living well every day.

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Saturday, May 12, 2012

The Ultimate Weight Loss Secret - Weight Loss Bully Review

I am sure all of you have tried at least one weight loss diet  in your lives. So have I.

 We place great hopes on diet and follow them religiously- yet most of the time there are no visible results. What any credible weight loss diet should do is that it should be able to show you results and that too measurable ones.

 There is one such diet which I wish to inform you all about. It is called the Weight Loss Bully and has been gaining popularity each day as more and more users are delighted by the results. It is a complete diet package that provides you with sample recipes, foods to avoid and to accept and even give you an introduction to how to use the famous “The Get Ripped Diet".

Weight Loss Bully provides you with invaluable information regarding foods that are metabolism boosters, these foods are commonly available and at the same time indispensable in your diet.

The Weight Loss Bully assists you in busting some age old myths about weight loss. They provide you with a step by step plan that you can follow everyday in order to make your weight loss plan smooth and easy.

Weight Loss Bully - The ONLY Weight Loss Program With Guaranteed Results!

This plan is very quick and easy and at the same time most importantly safe! It works perfectly for men and women regardless of their age and physical condition. It guarantees that you will lose fat and grow the much more healthier muscle in its place.

Apart from diet, they help you with exercise; which is the other key which locks-outs that persistent fat bully. One of the top reasons that people cite for not exercising is lack of time.

 Weight Loss Bully - The ONLY Weight Loss Program With Guaranteed Results!

They give you tips about how to fit exercise into your busy work schedule. Together diet and exercise can help you in unlocking the secrets to fat burning and weight loss. While all this may sound too good to be true for some and as you say nothing is perfect. This next to perfect diet plan can only be completely implemented if you follow it thoroughly.

Weight Loss Bully - The ONLY Weight Loss Program With Guaranteed Results!

As with all diet plans, initially you may accidentally indulge a couple of time- but once you get a hang of it, you will see the difference in your figure and overall health.

To watch a video explaining more about the Weight Loss Bully click on the banner below.

 

Friday, May 4, 2012

Beach Ball Workout | Tone It Up Tuesdays





Published on Apr 24, 2012 by
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Today we're playing with medicine balls, and even though Katrina gets a little aggressive, it ends up being a great workout!

Have a question for us? We'll be around all the time, so leave a comment or video response below. We'd love to hear what you think!

Since founding their company Tone It Up (ToneItUp.com) in January 2009, certified personal trainers Karena Dawn and Katrina Hodgson have opened a fitness studio in Hermosa Beach and launched a workout DVD series. They were recently called the "New Faces of Fitness" by Jane Fonda.

More from Karena and Katrina: http://www.youtube.com/user/toneitupcom

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Saturday, April 28, 2012

Eat These The Next Time You Get The Munchies

I defy anyone who gets a case of the munchies to tell me that their willpower alone will be enough to ensure that they don't reach for the cookie jar or the potato chips when no one else is looking. And if you live alone? Come on. If there is no one else around to see your transgressions then you are going to binge on whatever you can get your hands on. That's just what we are - creatures of comfort food.

 Maybe like me you avoid buying the things you love to eat. If I have something tasty and within reach, it is going to get eaten. I might be able to stave off for a day or two the desire to slice open a bag of cookies, but I give in eventually, as I am sure you do. So what are we supposed to do, if this kind of behavior is continually contributing to the number of inches around our waist?

 One solution is to replace the "bad" snacks, which is practically every piece of junk food that is sold at your local convenience store, with healthy snack alternatives. But what to those look like? More importantly, what do they TASTE like? I have not-so-fond memories of "healthy" cookies that my mother used to make when the sugar and butter supplies in our household ran low. Thankfully broccoli cookies never appeared on the menu, but nor did anything healthy that also passed as a tasty snack.

Carolyn Hansen, the author of 100 Healthy Raw Snacks And Treats, is quite aware of this problem. But she was determined to find snack recipes that did away with the usual cast of bad characters: sugar, flour, butter, and replace these with healthy substitutes that she could live with as a bodybuilder looking to maintain a healthy diet during her preparations for physique contests. That was some years ago now, and today she is making the recipes she came up with during that period available to anyone who could benefit from being able to grab low-calorie snacks on the run that also taste great. If you could see some of the photographs of the snacks and treats that she has come up with you would not hesitate to volunteer to be a guinea pig in her kitchen. Would you believe that you can make cheesecake alternatives that use no dairy, but look and taste delicious nonetheless? Apparently you can, and this is just one of the recipe types that litter her book.

 For more information on this mouth-watering topic I recommend you get yourself across to her site at 100 Healthy Raw Snacks And Treats, grab yourself a copy of the recipe book and put your blender to work. The nice thing about Carolyn's recipes? You don't even need a stove to prepare them - these are all no cook recipes made from natural ingredients that can go straight to your mouth!

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Exercises for Long and Lean Legs | Perfect Form With Ashley Borden





Published on Apr 11, 2012 by
Follow us for new episodes every Wednesday: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=livestrongwoman

If you're feeling stiff, battling cellulite or just want tone your lower body, Ashley has a routine to help make your legs leaner and sexier.

Have a question for Ashley Borden? She'll be checking in regularly, so leave a comment or video response below.

Whether you want take your fitness routine to the next level, target a specific trouble zone or offset the effects of sitting all day at a computer, celebrity fitness and pro-athlete trainer Ashley Borden's specialty is helping you unlock the potential in your body. She will help you identify how your body moves, offering routines to help you build your best body.

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Saturday, April 14, 2012

4 Steps to Creating That Sexy V-Taper


By Karen Sessions NSCA-CPT
What's the most pleasing aspect of a well-developed body? The chest? The biceps? These two muscle groups do get a lot of focus and attention, but what is really pleasing to the eye is a balanced physique with a stunning V-taper.
The most common question I get is, “how do I get that sexy V-taper?” The V-taper in question is that sexy appearance of wide shoulders, a small waist, and proportionate legs. Having that sexy V-taper can add the finishing touch to your physique, and make you stand out from the rest.
So, are you training to get that V-taper? Many people just assume it will come in time if they go to the gym enough. No matter how much wishful thinking you do or how often you train, this will not happen unless you put focus into your training to instill such results.
That well-known V-taper is built through specific training. Some gifted lifters will build the V-taper quickly without much focused work and just need enhancing, while others will need to specifically zone in and target those areas that create it. 
 
Training Your Back for Creating that Sexy V-Taper

When most people want to build the V-taper they tackle lat training in the form of pulldowns and chins-ups. While lat training in this manner is effective, many lifters simply overdo these exercises and neglect other effective back training movements.
Granted, the lat pulldown and chin-ups will build a wide and desirable back, but they can be targeted in more than one direction. The pulldown and chins are vertical exercises and effective for lat development, many lifters tend to forget or neglect horizontal lat training, such as rows.

Pulldowns and chins will build some wide lats, but so will rows. Rows can add that missing element, as well as adding thickness to your lats.

Training Your Shoulders for Creating that Sexy V-Taper 

 Building big and shapely shoulders is another aspect to creating that beautiful V-taper. Possessing large shoulders will make your back appear even larger, in contrast, making your waist appear smaller.
When you train shoulders you should begin with a compound exercise, such as shoulder presses or military press. A compound exercise works all the muscles in that muscle group simultaneously. A compound exercise is a mass builder.
You need to build the muscles in your shoulders, which many women find difficult to do. I believe this is simply because they don't challenge themselves on this important movement. To build your shoulders you need to use heavy poundage and it won't hurt to include some partials at times to build your shoulder strength.
In addition to shoulder training, another exercise you should include is the lateral raises. This exercise targets the side head of the shoulder. Enhancing this muscle will make your shoulders wider, in turn making your waist appear smaller.

Training Your Waist for Creating that Sexy V-Taper 

Of course we all know that diet is the key element in fat loss and getting those abs to shine through. However, you can effectively train your midsection to make is smaller to an extent, provided you meet some prerequisites (low body fat and clean diet).
The Stomach Vacuum is an excellent exercise to incorporate for slimming down your waistline in a very quick amount of time. It's simply sucking in your gut as hard as you can for as long as you can. This can be done every other day at best.
Regular abdominal training will strengthen your ab muscles and make them more pronounced in the absence of body fat.
You should avoid such exercises as the side bends and twists. These can work your sides, building the muscles there and make your waist thicker.

Training Your Legs for Creating that Sexy V-Taper

Most lifters don't think of leg training to enhance their V-taper, but just think how silly you would look with flaring lats, boulder shoulders, tiny waist, and no legs.
Your shoulders and lats create the upper canvas and your legs finish the work-of-art by adding balance. Your legs are important to your physique and proportion.

You want to build legs that compliment your upper body. For leg training begin with a compound exercise, such as squats or leg press. These exercises work all the muscles in the legs.

Conclusion to Creating that Sexy V-Taper

As you can see by this point, building a V-taper is not a one-shot approach, as many lifters think it is. It's a combination of enhancing upper body training, as well as lower body training. When you have the facts, you are more geared to developing an elite physique.
Karen Sessions NSCA-CPT
P.S. If you have absolutely made up your mind that you want to be build serious muscle, then I suggest you read Iron Dolls - Female Bodybuilding Secrets REVEALED . This eBook is jam-packed with detailed information on everything from dieting to advanced training techniques.

About the Author
Karen Sessions has been in the fitness industry since 1988 and is a multi-certified personal fitness instructor and specialist in performance nutrition. She is a nationally qualified natural female bodybuilder, holding numerous titles in the southern states including two overalls.

Karen has written six eBooks on fitness. She also writes articles for several fitness websites, and distributes two monthly newsletters regarding weight loss and female bodybuilding.
Karen has helped hundreds of clients reach their goal of transforming their body. Her success and success stories speak for themselves. www.iron-dolls.com

Friday, April 6, 2012

Keep Fit, Healthy And Build Those Muscles With Help From HealthAndMoneyMaker


Hi everybody! Not a huge article this week. Just a note wishing everybody a super fit Happy Easter! Keep Fit And Healthy! Don't overdo the chocolate eggs! And why not take a look at healthandmoneymaker.com for informative links to health, fitness and bodybuilding information. Have a great Easter holiday break everyone and thanks for visiting this blog.

Saturday, March 31, 2012

The Only Three Things You Will Ever Need to Lose Weight


Dieting and weight loss are probably two of the most exploited business opportunities in modern society. Fear sells products and not fitting in is a very scary thing. Even though nobody is judging you on your weight, your mind will tell you otherwise and that insecurity is usually enough to get you to drop lots of money on pills, prepackaged food and odd exercise equipment. The fact of the matter is that humans simply weren't built for modern work environments and we rarely get exercise by natural means. Even though everybody is different, the human body reacts in very similar ways when we want to increase or decrease fat and muscle. Although they would have you believe it's a very difficult process, losing weight is scientifically very simple, but disciplinarily, incredibly difficult. Before you even start, make sure that you replace every thought of "losing weight" with "being healthy" because that is simply what is most important.

Knowledge of Nutrition
The body is an ecosystem and if you don't know what you're putting into it, you really have no idea what is going to happen to it as a result. While having a fantastic knowledge of nutrition and vitamins is great for an understanding of perfect balance, it's certainly not a requirement. You know which foods are good for you and which aren't and simply looking at nutrition facts table should clear up any confusion you might have.

Most of us learned about the food pyramid in high school. Unfortunately many of us don't follow the guidelines set out in the food pyramid, even though we know we would be healthier and probably lose some weight. Start reading nutrition labels and ingredient lists to find which food items are lower in sodium (salt), sugars, saturated, and trans fats. Try choosing those that are higher in fiber, protein, unsaturated fats, vitamins, and minerals. Making healthy food choices takes some time and effort, but the positive health benefits from eating a healthy diet is well worth that extra effort.

Exercise
Human bodies have evolved to be hunter-gatherers and as such, needed a lot of running and walking to keep them in proper shape. Today, we don't need to walk anywhere so we have to make up for it with exercise. If you want to lose weight, doing stuff is an absolute necessity. Don't believe all these miracle pills and other diets that claim to make you into a superman without doing any exercise. Their claims are simply unnatural and probably very unhealthy. Exercise is a requirement for any healthy human body, which really should be your goal.

Do whatever you can to stay active. If you hate running, or are scared of the gym, take up a sport that you used to play as a kid. Ride you bike, hit the treadmill, start playing tennis... do anything that gets you moving and keeps you happy. Once you have achieved a consistent active lifestyle, you'll begin to feel better. Stress levels decrease in people who exercise regularly, and your body will also feel better. You'll breathe deeper, run further, and smile more. Seriously, exercise makes your life better and if you leave it out of your weight loss routine, you will be worse off for it.

Help
Obviously, if losing weight fast were as simple as I've stated in the paragraphs above, there wouldn't be 63.1% of us overweight. I think that the biggest problem with obesity and weight loss is the simple fact that our society encourages laziness. Sit on the couch and watch advertising; it's what make America America but it won't let you burn many calories. American businesses make money by selling products to Americans and they do that by advertising to you. The couch is your enemy and the most powerful forces in corporate America back it, so winning this battle with the bulge is going to take some assistance.

Personally, I find that procrastination is the single biggest obstacle in my way when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. Let's face it, sitting on the couch is easy and so is putting stuff off. The problem with procrastination is that, like everything else, the more you do it, the better you get at it. There are, however, a number of really excellent ways to battle this laziness.

First of all, get a friend. Social support is another thing that has gone the way of the buffalo with our modern society and it's really really important to both mental and physical well-being. Get a friend, lover, child or anybody else you happen to get along with to hold you to your goals. Somebody eating the same diet as you and exercising with your plan will increase your chances of successfully changing your lifestyle dramatically. You really have to keep each other motivated and the bigger the community, the more crushing the guilt will be when you fall off.

If people aren't your thing, go online and find a community that wants to help you be healthier. There are plenty of them, but I find that the weight loss support forum is probably the most supportive and genuine group I have found. The more you integrate with the community that you choose to become a part of, the better your results will be and the better you will feel.

Also in the help category will be things like recipe books and other support materials, but I think what is most important is that you realize just how much better life is when you are healthy. YOU are the game changer and ultimately, it is you that has to make the decision to be a healthier person. Please don't expect to be able to take a pill and lose weight because nothing worth having is that simple. You will feel accomplished, more confident, healthier, and your life will simply be better if you completely change your lifestyle to accommodate your body. After all, you've only got one.