Owner: Be Fit and Strong URL:http://befitandstrong.com Join Date: Tue, 07 Aug 2007 18:49:16 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Free fitness and weight loss information to help you take control of your weight and your health. Site statistics:Click here
Weight Loss Motivation: How To Hit Your Fitness and Weight Loss Goals With Absolute Certainty, Part II 2007-08-07 15:40:40 When we are motivated by goals that have deep meaning, by dreams that need completion, by pure love that needs expressing, then we truly live life.
- Greg Anderson, author of “‘The 22 Non-Negotiable Laws of Wellness”
Imagine for a moment, sitting in your Doctor’s office, when she enters and, with a solemn tone, informs you that you have contracted a rare disease called…
“Avoidus-exerciseitis”.
You Doctor explains that, while potentially deadly, your condition can be treated. To stay alive though, you must get thirty minutes of exercise each and every day. Missing even one day would mean instant death!
Given the circumstances, do you think you’d ever say “I don’t have the time to exercise today?”
I don’t know about you, but if it’s a matter of life or death, I wouldn’t care if the dusting didn’t get done…or the lawn went another day without being cut…or any one of the thousand-and-on Read more:Weight
, Goals
, Absolute
, Certainty
, Weight Loss
Weight Loss Motivation: How To Hit Your Fitness and Weight Loss Goals With Absolute Certainty, Part I 2007-08-06 08:00:49
Man is a goal seeking animal. His life only has meaning if he is reaching out and striving for his goals.
- Aristotle
Every person who’s ever been on a fitness or weight loss program has, at some point in time, lost motivation to continue.
Getting back on track and excited about your goals again can prove difficult; which is why many people simply give up completely, returning to their old, familiar ways.
In this series, I’ll share with you some tips and techniques I’ve used with clients - and that I use personally - to refocus and recharge when motivation runs low.
On any journey, the first step is to…
Know Where You Want To End Up
A big reason why people lack motivation to stay with their fitness and weight loss program stems from their failure to clearly define what they want to achieve.
As a personal trainer, when I would ask my clients for their goals, I would - in most cases - hear one of three things:
I want to lose weight.
I want to feel better.
I wa Read more:Weight
, Goals
, Absolute
, Certainty
, Weight Loss
Hamstring Curls On The Exercise Ball 2007-08-01 22:09:59 The hamstring curl using the exercise ball is an excellent exercise for beginners just starting out on their weight training program.
Hamstring Curls
Using An Exercise
Ball (beginner)
The Set-Up:
To perform the hamstring curl using an exercise ball, lay on the floor and place your heels on top of an exercise ball.
To help keep your balance, place your arms straight out to your sides.
Performing The Exercise:
Dig your heels straight down into the ball and “drag” the ball towards your body as far as possible without lifting your lower back off the floor.
Be sure to keep your heels pushed into the ball.
Then return the ball to the starting position.
Performance Tips:
To prevent cramps in the calves, pull your toes back as you do the exercise.
The Step-Up: Use This Butt Exercise To Create A Butt To Be Proud Of 2007-07-31 21:19:43 Without a doubt, the best way to shape your butt is to perform exercises that involve pressing weight with your legs. For proof, look no farther than to the athletic world…speed skaters, sprinters, bob-sledders…all have well-developed “glute” muscles.
The step-up is a great exercise that can be done almost anywhere. It provides a great workout for the entire lower body, helps develop balance and taxes the lungs at the same time.
The Set-Up
To begin the step-up, stand directly in front of a raised platform. A bench, sturdy chair or stair step will work. Obviously, the higher the platform the more difficult the movement will be.
Ideally, you want to keep your thigh parallel to the floor, where your knee is even with your hip. Any higher and you increase stress on the knees.
Place one foot up on the platform. If the platform isn’t big enough to support your entire foot, make sure your heel is resting on the platform.
Performing The Movement
Take a deep Read more:Exercise
, Proud
Use This Classic Thigh Exercise To Shape and Strengthen Your Thighs and Butt 2007-07-24 07:08:28 The squat has been and always will be a staple thigh exercise. It works a lot of muscle, burns a bunch of calories and most importantly, delivers tremendous results. I hope you enjoy this free online exercise video.
The Set-Up:
To perform the squat, stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Point the toes out about 30-degrees. This will open up the hips and allow for a more natural squatting position.
Don’t stand with your feet too close together or parallel to each other. This limits how far down you can squat and places a great deal of stress on the knees.
Bend your knees slightly to start. This will take pressure off the lower back.
Looking straight ahead, keep your head up with your jaw parallel to the floor.
Keep a straight back while maintaining a natural arch in the lower back. Do not overexaggerate the arch and do not let the lower back round out.
A simple trick to maintaining proper form is to keep your head up. Where your head goes, your body foll Read more:Exercise
, Classic
, Thigh
, Shape
, Thighs
Build Firm Thighs And A Tight Butt With The Split Squat 2007-07-20 06:31:01 What makes the split squat such an excellent butt and thigh exercise? Its versatility.
You can do this exercise with nothing more than your bodyweight for resistance; you can do it using dumbbells as well as a barbell. You can even put your child on your shoulders if you can’t find any other way to make the movement more challenging. My daughter laughed and giggled the whole time. Also, it can be done just about anywhere.
However you do the Split Squat, I think you’ll find it an effective…and challenging thigh exercise if your goal is to build firmer legs; and if your goal is for a tighter, shapelier backside, the split squat can help you with that too.
Without further delay, let me introduce you to…
The Split Squat
The Set-Up:
Move one foot back, behind you, then lift the rear heel up, so the back foot is on the toes. This is to help you keep your weight over the front leg which should be doing all of the work.
Lean your upper body slightly forward at the Read more:Thighs
, Build
Inner Thigh Exercises - The Plié Squat 2007-07-11 20:35:19 Here’s a great inner thigh exercise. By incorporating a wide stance, the plié squat places a lot of emphasis on the inner thighs, outer thighs and of course the butt.
What’s great about the plié squat is you can make it as difficult or as easy as you want. Start by using just your bodyweight for resistance. As your strength grows, hold a dumbbell between your legs for added resistance.
Be sure your speakers are on and turned up.
How To Perform The Plié Squat:
Start by placing your feet wider than shoulder width apart.
Angle your feet out at least 45-degrees. This will open up the hips and allow a proper squatting position.
Stand tall, keep your head up - chin level with the floor (A).
Maintain a natural arch in the lower back (B).
Keep your knees bent to protect the lower back (C).
Begin by bending your knees.
Keep your weight on your heels as you move down.
Be sure to keep your knees directly above your ankles (A).
Stop when your thighs are parallel or nearly paralle Read more:Thigh
, Exercises
The ONLY 3 Ways To Lose Weight, Part III 2007-07-08 09:31:13 This concludes our look at the ONLY 3 ways to lose weight. In Part I we looked at diet alone as a weight loss option.
Part II explored the idea of sweating off the pounds through exercise only, with no changes to your diet.
Weight
loss method #3 is combining exercise with a calorie-reduced diet.
If I had to choose one word to describe this method, it would be…
BALANCE.
While you still have to eat fewer calories than your body needs, you don’t have to eat a lot less. Just a little less.
While you will be exercising, you don’t need to exercise nearly as much as method #2. You don’t even have to exercise every single day.
Remember that to lose one pound of fat - not just weight - you need to create a deficit of 500 calories between what your body needs and what you consume. Up until now, you had to either eat 500 fewer calories or exercise long enough to burn 500 calories.
By combining the two methods, you make it much easier to create the 500 calorie deficit. Now
When Losing Weight, What You See Is What You Get 2007-07-02 21:35:46 The self-image is the key to human personality and human behavior. Change the self image and you change the personality and the behavior.
- Maxwell Maltz
Back in 1960, Maxwell Maltz, considered by many to be the premier authority on the study of the self-image, wrote his best-selling book titled, Psycho-Cybernetics. In his book he describes the self-image as our own conception of the sort of person I am. He goes on to write, A human being always acts and feels and performs in accordance with what he imagines to be true about himself and his environment…In short, you will ‘act like’ the sort of person you conceive yourself to be. Not only this, but you literally cannot act otherwise, in spite of all your conscious efforts or willpower.
In these two short paragraphs, Maltz sums up why 95% of people trying to lose weight fail and it’s NOT because…
They don’t have willpower.
They don’t want to.
They don’t eat the right foods.
They don&rsqu Read more:Weight
The ONLY 3 Ways To Lose Weight, Part II 2007-06-30 15:19:26 First, some quick review from Part I:
To lose one pound of fat you need to create a caloric deficit of 3500 calories between your body’s demands for energy and the amount of energy you consume.
You have just three ways to create this deficit:
Consume fewer calories than your body needs (dieting).
Sweat the pounds off through exercise without changing your diet.
Combine exercise with reduced caloric intake.
If you eat too few calories, your body gets what it needs by breaking down your own lean tissue (muscle), not fat.
Today, we’ll look at weight loss method #2…Exercise Only.
We already know that to lose one pound of fat per week, you need to create a daily caloric deficit of 500 calories between what your body needs for energy and what its demands are for energy. But this assumes you’re eating at a maintenance level; that you’re eating just enough to maintain your weight. If you’ve been experiencing steady weight gain, you’ve obviously bee Read more:Weight
Chest Exercises: Dumbbell Chest Press On The Exercise Ball 2007-08-13 20:40:08 The dumbbell chest press performed on the exercise ball is a great chest exercise that can be done at home or at the gym.
The Set-Up
Begin the dumbbell chest press sitting on top of the exercise ball, dumbbells resting on the thighs.
Slowly walk feet away from the ball, lean back onto the ball.
Stop when your upper back and head are supported by the ball.
Place your feet wide enough apart so as to give you sufficient support.
Lift the dumbbells off your thighs.
Move your elbows out, away from your body until they are 90 degrees or perpendicular to the body.
The Movement
Press
the dumbbells up and pause slightly at the top to maintain control and ensure good form.
Your forearms should remain perfectly vertical throughout the movement.
Keep your hips up - ideally your knees, hips and lower back form a straight line.
In the top position, your wrist, elbow and shoulder should form a straight line.
If you allow the dumbbells to move toward the feet or move above the face, you’ll Read more:Chest
, Exercises
, Dumbbell
, Exercise
Chest Exercises: The Modified Push Up 2007-08-13 14:57:50 The modified push up is a versatile and effective chest exercise since you can do it anywhere, and it requires no equipment. Also, it makes a great exercise for people who are just beginning their weight training program.
Start with your knees on the floor, and your feet are up on the toes.
Place your hands far enough forward so that when you straighten your body, your hands are directly under the shoulders or just slightly in front of the shoulders.
Space your hands wider than shoulder width apart so that when you lower your body, your elbows are above the wrists.
If your elbows are outside the wrists, you place a great deal of stress on both the elbow and wrist joints.
Lower yourself towards the floor and stop just above it. Do not allow your body to rest on the floor.
Keep your body tight, maintaining a straight line from your shoulders to your hips and through to your knees.
Do not let your hips sag to the floor.
Also, don’t let your hips stay too high.
Perform the movemen Read more:Chest
, Exercises
Weight Loss Motivation: How To Hit Your Fitness and Weight Loss Goals With Absolute Certainty, Part III 2007-08-13 11:15:41 “Habits are cobwebs at first; cables at last.”- Chinese proverb
Consider for a moment how much of your life is controlled by habits: habits of thought; habits of action; and habits of behavior.
Some habits, like which shoe you tie up first, have very little effect on your life. Others have a profound impact. Take for example, the habit of eating high-fat, highly-processed, pre-packaged convenience food. While it certainly saves time, it puts your health at risk.
Sadly, it may take years - even decades - to see the results of our habits. Eating a piece of cheesecake won’t kill you…today. But if you eat junk food more often than not, eventually you will experience the consequences. It may be in the form of a fat body, high blood pressure, clogged arteries or high cholesterol, but you will see the results.
In this, the third installment in our series titled, “Weight
Loss Motivation: How To Hit Your Fitness and Weight LossGoals
With AbsoluteCertainty
”
How I Used Food To Beat Depression 2007-08-20 16:21:20 Sitting in the waiting room of my family doctor - waiting for a routine check-up, a poster on the wall scared me half to death. It read…
“If you have experienced the following symptoms for longer than two weeks, you may be suffering from depression.”
As I read the list of symptoms…
Prolonged sadness or unexplained crying spells
Significant changes in appetite and sleep patterns
Irritability, anger, worry, agitation, anxiety
Pessimism, indifference.
Loss of energy, persistent lethargy
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness
Inability to concentrate, indecisiveness
Inability to take pleasure in former interests, social withdrawal
Unexplained aches and pains
Recurring thoughts of death or suicide
I found myself saying “YES” to just about every single symptom.
My routine check-up just became a little less routine.
After an hour with my doctor, he confirmed I was indeed suffering from clinical depression. When asked what my options were for treatment, he doc
Back Exercises: The Horizontal Row On The Exercise Ball 2007-08-19 20:30:42 The horizontal row allows you to get excellent results without the need for cable machines or dumbbells. All you need is a sturdy set of stands (chairs or benches will do), a solid piece of wood doweling or a barbell and an exercise ball.
The Set-Up
Position yourself so the bar is directly above the middle part of your chest.
Place your hands wider than shoulder width apart, with your heels on top of the exercise ball.
Performing The Movement
Lift your body of the floor so that your hips form a straight line with your knees.
Pull your body up to the bar.
To prevent stress on the elbows, your forearms should be vertical in the top position, that is your wrists should be directly over the elbows.
Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position, breathing in as you go.
When you hit the bottom position, keep your body up off the ground, exhale and pull yourself up again.
Performance Tips
Another variation of the horizontal row has you performing the movement w Read more:Exercises
, Horizontal
, Exercise
Weight Loss Motivation: How To Hit Your Fitness and Weight Loss Goals With Absolute Certainty, Part IV 2007-08-19 13:44:36 “Hold a picture of yourself long and steadily enough in your mind’s eye, and you will be drawn toward it.”
- Harry Emerson Fosdick
Some time ago, a now famous experiment was conducted with a group of basketball players. Each player took a number of free-throws to determine their shooting percentage. The players were then divided into three groups.
The first group was instructed to practice shooting free-throws for one hour each day for thirty days. The second group was asked to refrain from any practice for that same thirty-day period. The third group was asked to practice for the same one hour for thirty days. However…
They were limited to using their imagination only. Instead of physically throwing the ball at the basket, all they had to do was sit in a chair, close their eyes and imagine themselves stepping up to the free-throw line and putting the ball through the basket every single time.
At the end of the thirty days, each player’s shooting percenta Read more:Weight
, Goals
, Absolute
, Certainty
, Weight Loss
Understanding The Food You Eat: Carbohydrates 101 2007-08-23 06:14:03 When you sprint for the bus…when you chase your kids around the yard…or when you run for your life from that rather protective mother bear you startled in the forest…you use carbohydrate to fuel your activity. Also known as “carbs”, carbohydrate serves as a quick form of energy for the body.
It works just like lighting a match. When you strike a match, you get instant heat energy in the form of fire. When you exhert a certain level of effort on your muscles (strike the match), you receive instant heat energy (calories) from the carbohydrate stored in your muscles and liver. How do they get stored there? I’m glad you asked…
When you eat food containing carbohydrates, your body breaks the carbs down into glucose or blood sugar, which your body then stores in the muscles and liver as glycogen.
While carbohydrate comes from many different sources, they can all be broken down into two groups: simple and complex.
Simple vs. Complex Carbohydrates Read more:Understanding
How Carbohydrates and Insulin Affect Fat Loss 2007-08-27 20:52:20 When you eat carbohydrates - whether it’s a chocolate bar, a bagel, an apple or a bunch of broccoli - they break down into a simple form of energy called glucose…or blood sugar.
As a finely-tuned machine, your body is very sensitive to changes in any of its systems. For instance, when your body temperature rises, your brain signals the body to sweat to cool the body down.
So when glucose levels rise, the brain senses this increase and takes immediate steps to return them back to normal.
First, the pancreas secretes a hormone called insulin into the blood stream, which then attaches to insulin receptors in the cells of the body.
Imagine the insulin receptors are like the lock on a door. And the insulin is the key to that lock. When the insulin (the key) “clicks” with the receptors (the lock), the door to the cell is opened, allowing the carbohydrates (blood glucose) to be…
Used for energy.
Stored in the muscles and liver.
Converted into fat.
Using Blood Read more:Insulin
, Affect
Understanding The Food You Eat:Fat 101 2007-08-26 08:20:39 Back in the ’80s, war was declared on dietary fat. Leading nutritional experts and the government recommended eating a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet to achieve optimum health. They claimed that fat was the reason for the sudden increase in obese individuals. Well, it’s been more than twenty years now. How have we been doing in this war? I would say “Not good.”
Obesity rates continue to climb and have hit “epidemic” proportions. Incidence of type II diabetes has skyrocketed and is now affecting our children.
No, I think it’s clear, cutting the fat out of our diet did nothing to curb the problem. Of course, I’m simplifying things here and obviously not all of society’s weight problems can be blamed on the decision to remove fat from food, but here’s what happened…
First understand, when you take the fat out of food, it tastes like CRAP! So to make sure their food still tasted good, the food companies replaced the fat wi Read more:Understanding
Understanding The Food You Eat: Protein 101 2007-08-25 14:41:20 As the basic structure of all living cells, the function of protein includes…
Maintaining, creating and repairing tissue.
Producing hormones.
Producing hemoglobin that helps carry oxygen to cells.
Producing antibodies for fighting infection.
When you break protein down to its smallest component, you get amino acids. Actually, you get twenty amino acids - of which, nine are essential to life. And even though you must have these essential amino acids to live, your body does not produce them naturally; so you must get them through the foods you eat. Foods containing all twenty amino acids are called “complete” proteins and include…
Poultry
Beef
Eggs
Dairy products
Pork
Fish
Seafood
Poor Sources of Protein
Other sources of protein include plants, legumes and vegetables. While important for proper nutrition, these foods lack all of the essential amino acids, making them “incomplete”. Because of this, plant-based protein has a low biological value (B Read more:Understanding
Ab Exercises: The Bicycle Crunch 2007-08-30 16:34:07 This ab exercise really challenges the stomach muscles by not allowing you to relax them throughout the entire exercise.
The Set-Up
Begin by laying with your feet up on a bench.
Now tighten the stomach muscles, lift your shoulder blades off the bench.
Performing The Movement
Bring one knee up towards your head while straightening the other leg straight out.
Rotate your upper body and bring your elbow across the body.
When you’ve done the desired number of repetitions, lower your feet and upper body back onto the bench.
Keep your abs tight throughout the entire movement.
Performance Tips
Do NOT pull on the back of your head.
Your hands should providing support for the head, not pulling on it.
To protect your lower back, keep your lower back pressed into the floor or bench and keep your abs tight throughout the entire exercise.
Related PostsThe Step-Up: Use This Butt Exercise To Create A Butt To Be Proud OfAb Exercises
: Are They A Waste Of Your Time?Back Exercises: The Hori Read more:Crunch
The Glycemic Index: What Is It and How Do You Use It 2007-08-29 13:39:13 The glycemic index (GI) ranks carbohydrates on a scale of 1-100 based on how quickly they convert to glucose. The higher the GI score, the faster the conversion. Here’s how the scoring works:
Low GI = 55 or less
Medium GI = 56-69
High GI = 70 or more
To determine the GI score of a food, such as carrots, a subject consumes a standard serving size on an empty stomach. The subject’s blood is then tested at various time intervals to measure the changes in blood glucose.
Real-World Factors Affecting The GI Score
Just like a car’s gas mileage rating which is measured under very controlled conditions and varies greatly in the real world, the GI score of a food can change dramatically given certain real-world conditions. Factors affecting a food’s GI score include:
Ripeness or age of food. A 1992 study by Hermansen et al. reported that the GI for under-ripe bananas was 43 and that for over-ripe bananas was 74. In under-ripe bananas the starch constitutes 80-90 percen Read more:Glycemic
, Index
Ab Exercises - The Stomach Crunch Performed On An Exercise Ball 2007-09-23 08:01:56 The stomach crunch has been a staple ab exercise for many years. But when done on an exercise ball, the effectiveness of the exercise is dramatically increased. You'll find this exercise not only works the abdominal muscles, but also works the legs and butt as you work to maintain your balance. Click here to check out this free online exercise video and see exactly how it's done. Read more:Exercises
, Stomach
, Crunch
, Exercise
Triceps Exercise - The Tricep Extension 2007-09-20 19:49:35 The key to well-devloped arms is to work on building the triceps muscles. Here's a versatile triceps exercise that can be done on a bench, on the floor or on an exercise ball. Click here to view the free online exercise video... Read more:Exercise
, Tricep
, Extension
Lower Ab Exercises: Leg Lifts Using An Exercise Ball 2007-09-16 20:33:42 This lower ab exercise puts a twist on the regular leg lift. Just like the leg lift, it's important to do this exercise under strict control to protect the lower back. Watch the free online exercise video to see how to do this lower ab exercise properly. Read more:Exercises
, Exercise
, Lower
Bicep Exercises - The Incline Dumbbell Curl 2007-09-16 20:28:05 When you perform the dumbbell curl in the incline position, you take this bicep exercise to a new level. By sitting the incline position, you eliminate "body swing" or momentum to lift the weights and really zero in on the bicep muscles. Free online exercise video shows you how to perform the exercise with good form. Read more:Exercises
, Dumbbell
Bicep Exercises - The Dumbbell Bicep Curl 2007-09-16 20:22:58 When done properly, the dumbbell curl is one of the best bicep exercises for focusing on the bicep muscles. Unfortunately, the bicep curl is also one exercise that is often done incorrectly. This free online exercise video will show how to perform the curl with perfect form as well as how to avoid making the most common mistakes. Read more:Exercises
, Dumbbell
Ab Exercises: The Plank 2007-09-16 19:35:36 Don't be fooled by this ab exercise. You may not be moving while you do it, but I guarantee your muscles will be screaming for mercy. See how it's done by watching this free online exercise video... Read more:Exercises
Ab Exercises: The Bicycle Crunch 2007-09-16 19:31:07 This ab exercise really challenges the stomach muscles by not allowing you to relax them throughout the entire exercise. See how to do it with proper form with this free online exercise video... Read more:Exercises
, Crunch
Recommend Site To A Friend
