Thursday, December 18, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Three Big Rules for Eating and Reaching Your Fitness Goals
Whether your fitness goal is weight loss, athletic performance, more energy, better health, or just simply toning up, it is vital that you pay attention to your nutrition and food intake to reach this goal. In my experience as a personal trainer, working with thousands of clients over a period of 16 years, I observed that the role that food intake plays in a person reaching his or her fitness goal is paramount. In fact, it makes up for more than 75% of the influence of whether or not a person is successful. The challenge for me was that people who would be working very hard in the gym expected to see results and couldn't understand why they weren't getting them, even after all that work. I would always say to my clients and anyone in the gym that would listen, "You can work out ‘till the cows come home, but if you're not eating well, your body won't change, at least not cosmetically, period." Frequently, that statement would be met with some confusion and the response that they had been eating well, and things just weren't working anyway. Well, upon further review of the actual diet and food intake the clients actually had, it usually wasn't difficult to see what could be improved with them so they could start seeing the results (typically weight loss) that they desired.
What I found was that people who want to lose weight believe that the only way that is going to happen is if they eat less food, which in many cases is actually counter to what the person actually needs. They have been eating a certain way for awhile and they are dissatisfied with their appearance, so they take the food intake they have been eating and they reduce the calories while they come to the gym and work with a personal trainer. They get sore and maybe see some change in the beginning of their program, but it isn't long before they are at a plateau and frustrated, because this plateau certainly isn't the result of a lack of effort.
Here is where a basic knowledge of the way that food intake actually influences weight loss is a tremendous help. It takes some of the mystery out of the equation and allows a person to make some intelligent choices that will help them reach their fitness goals. There are three big concepts that I find have really helped people get a grasp of the basics.
The first is to EAT ENOUGH! As I said before, the tendency is for people to really restrict their food intake in an effort to lose weight. If a person comes into beginning a fitness program having truly been an overeater, then a reduction in calories is appropriate. However, the culprit with most people who are overweight or overfat is not that they eat too much, it's that their metabolism is shot from a lack of exercise and bad eating habits. So, ironically, one of the things that has to happen with a person who wants to lose weight is that they frequently have to increase their overall intake of food somewhat to keep up with the demands of the new exercise and keep from starving, allowing the metabolism to rise naturally.
The second is to EAT OFTEN. Rule #1 doesn't do any good if all the calories you might be taking in come at dinner after starving yourself all day. This is the biggest single reason people have trouble with their physiques, this lack of regular eating. Regular eating throughout the day never lets the body get too hungry or too full, and the body responds by raising the metabolism and burning more fat. The ideal number of meals and snacks combined throughout the day is from 4-6, spaced evenly starting with breakfast as soon as you get up in the morning.
The last rule is to EAT BALANCED! I once had a client who said that she was eating 5 times a day like I had suggested, yet upon further examination I found that she was eating a handful of Cheerios for three of those meals. The result was that she wasn't eating enough food overall to fuel her body, and she was missing some key necessities in her diet, like adequate amounts of protein, that kept her from reaching her fitness goals. Eating balanced means getting adequate amounts of protein, carbohydrates, fats, fruits and vegetables spaced evenly throughout the day with each meal, if possible. This controls appetite and keeps the body feeling well fueled throughout the day, contributing to fat loss.
Find personal trainer with the fitness and nutrition information you are seaching for at LiveLeanToday.com. LiveLeanToday.com has a full library of diet, exercise, and supplement information.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Make Your Car More "Green"
If you have been to the pump lately it might be your wallet that makes you want to go more "Green" with your car then before. As it relates to the environment automobiles account for 20% of all greenhouse gases emitted into the air. How ecological friendly you handle your car is one of the best ways to reduce your carbon footprint. Still the only way to offset your carbon footprint is to plant trees. Listed below are the Top 10 things you can do to make your car more "Green."
1. Buy a Hybrid Car or Green Car
Yes, it doesn't take rocket science to understand that if you buy a more environment friendly car you have reduced your carbon footprint. Hybrids now come in sedans, SUV, and luxury vehicles. If buying a hybrid right now isn't in your budget choosing a car with excellent gas mileage is going to make a big difference.
2. How You Drive
You drastically increase the fuel you consume and the emissions your car gives off when you accelerate quickly and stop quickly. Driving the speed limit and more smooth as it relates to aggressive driving through the city will save on your gas bill. Also, the more you can take care of all your errands in one trip is better than many short trips to the store.
3. Keep Your Car in Shape
Regular tune ups of your car will keep your car producing less greenhouse gases, using less gas, and prevents future trouble. It is estimated that if every American's tires were properly inflated to the right level we would save 3 billion gallons of gas every year.
4. Offset Carbon Footprint
You can plant trees to offset the greenhouse gases you are emitting each year. Planting trees is the only way to offset your carbon footprint.
5. Carpool
If you have been on the freeway during rush hour you see all the commuters driving by themselves. Not only will you drastically lower your impact on the environment by carpooling you get to go in the carpool lane, as well.
6. You Don't Need a Car for Everything
For short trips you can take your bike or walk. With cars we don't even think about the other ways we can travel; we just hop in our cars and off we go. Many store items can easily be carried on a bike with a backpack. Also, you can get an electric scooter to get places faster.
7. Drive Half Way
For some trips walking or your bike isn't the complete answer. Driving your car and then getting on mass transit or driving your car and then parking to then go on your bike both work. Many times if you are going during rush hour, driving until the traffic gets thick and then going on your bike will get you there faster than sitting in the bumper to bumper traffic.
8. Use Less AC
Using a windshield protector can reduce how hot your car gets allowing you to use less air conditioner in the car. Turn your AC on low instead of high uses less gas. Don't forget to park in the shade to also keep your car cooler.
9. Use the Web
With the easy access to the web these days you can have video conferences, send email, and buy your products online. A video chat can be just as good as a face to face meeting without using gas and your car.
10. Go without a Car
For those that are willing to take it on it can be done. You would be surprised with a change in thinking how it is possible for some to go without a car. Using physical transportation like a bike and mass transit can get you around. Also, for those that want to it may be important to live closer to work or the stores you need or making your work day virtual so your home is your office.
Erase Carbon Footprint offers services to plant trees to reduce your carbon footprint.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Health Benefits of Probiotics
Have you ever heard the word probiotics only to not know what it means? Probiotics have started to become exceptionally popular. The information in this article is designed to help you understand what probiotics are, why they are beneficial. Also, important is for who are probiotics good for.
Have you ever heard of good bacteria? In essence that is what probiotics are. Your digestive system has over 400 different active healthy bacteria. The most common of these good bacteria are acidophilus and bifidobacterium bifidum, which are the most abundant healthy bacteria for digestive health. You may find these two ingredients in the best probiotics. These good bacteria are needed to keep your digestive system in balance. Poor amounts of healthy bacteria or probiotics cause health problems like headaches and poor or painful digestion. For any person struggling with their digestion know how uncomfortable these issues are.
L acidophilus works by supporting the production of acidphilin, lactic acide, and hydrogen peroxide which combined challenge the harmful pathogens that cause major damage within your body. Removing harmful pathogens boots your immune system, supports proper digestion, prevents poor breath, fights tumor and cancer causing pathogens, and helps with the ability to digest dairy products.
The goal of all probiotics, including bifidus and acidophilus is to support your digestive system to function properly. When you digestive system starts to lose it health increasing these good bacteria is essential to getting your digestive health back.
Many people suffer from candida, a disturbing digestive problem. If so then probiotic supplements are essential for regaining your health. The best probiotics prevent the yeast from continuing to grow and increase the effectiveness of the immune system. One thing to keep in mind that antibiotics destroy probiotics in your digestive system. The problem with antibiotics is that they do get rid of harmful bacteria and can cause problems with the good bacteria as well. Proper good bacteria is so important as 70% of the power of your immune system resides in your digestive system.
You body is in constant struggle from outside pollutants. Toxins from the environment, food, and stress reek havoc on digestive health which makes taking a probiotic a part of any healthy daily routine.
Probiotics are now becoming a staple supplement just as a multivitamin. Just like a multivitamin delivers the vitamins and minerals your biological processes need on a daily basis, probiotics deliver the essential healthy bacteria that your gut needs on a daily basis. Taking a probiotic supplement is now becoming part of many people's daily routine.
Sedona Labs offers the highest quality probiotics like iFlora Nasal, iFlora Kids, and more.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Do You have Symptoms of Fatigue, Shortness of Breath, or a Rapid Heart Beat?
Let me know if this sounds like you? You experience frequent bouts of quick onset of sweating, a sudden rapid heart rate, or all of a sudden a shortness of breath. You may think that you are having a heart attack, though the real cause may be something you didn't expect.
If this sounds like you do you skip breakfast often? Thus once you skip breakfast your day goes by with off on bouts of fatigue and sluggishness that you fix with either trips to Starbucks or the vending machine. Quickly after eating the high sugar of gourmet coffees or snacks in vending machines you feel better though it doesn't last and a few hours later you are crashing again.
What is happening is a lack of small meals during the day is throwing your hormones out of balance. Too much insulin in your blood stream from constant bouts of low and then high blood sugar is causing your symptoms mentioned earlier. This process starts many Americans on the path to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and high blood pressure. Who would have though it was all causes when you skipped breakfast?
Most Americans from not poor diet choices, but poor diet habits are living everyday with their hormones out of balance. What I mean by poor diet habits instead of poor diet choices is that most people may think they eat too much fast food or not enough vegetables, though it is the simple act not eating small meals throughout the day that causes the hormonal imbalances.
Your endocrine system (hormones) and your nervous system control your body's rhythm which allows you to prevent disease and live healthy. Most pharmaceutical drugs mast the symptoms people feel like depression or fatigue though the only way to make a cure is to get your hormones back into balance from your diet.
The key understanding how your hormone insulin works and what you can to get in back into balance.
1. Insulin is the key hormone that controls how much fat you store.
2. High insulin levels triggers your brain to crave high sugar foods.
3. Insulin puts stress on the brain which leads to type 3 diabetes or Alzheimer's.
4. Your body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin and that process is the cause of over half the cases of high blood pressure.
5. Insulin enhances the chance of cancer cells forming.
6. High levels of insulin have been linked to depression, panic attacks, anxiety, ADHD, and insomnia.
7. Insulin makes your blood clot faster which increases risk of heart attacks and strokes.
8. Insulin can lead to lower testosterone which causes infertility, acne, hair loss for both men and women, and sexual performance issues.
Top 10 Tips to Re balance Your Insulin
1. Eat a higher amount of whole foods that have not been processed like fruits, vegetables, beans, fish, chicken, and eggs.
2. Remove trans fats from your diet. There is no health benefit to any trans fats in your diet.
3. Eat more organic foods which don't use pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones.
4. Avoid high sugar foods.
5. Eat breakfast. If you are not in the habit; start with something. Just drinking coffee doesn't count for eating breakfast.
6. Eat 5 small meals during the day or every 2-3 hours.
7. Don't eat a large meal than go to bed. This is also solved by eating 5 small meals as you loose the ability to overeat.
8. Get 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Lack of sleep will limit the affects of any amount of health eating that you will do. You are not able to catch up on the weekends.
9. Get at least 3 bouts of exercise in during the week. Cardiovascular exercise has been shown to support stabilizing your blood sugar.
10. Ten a few minutes to relax every day. High stress releases cortisol into your blood stream which amplifies the effects of insulin.
When you embark on balancing your hormones remember it is a lifestyle not a 90 day plan. The goal is that every action you take is an action that you can add to your life that you can continue. Any solution that is short term typically only causes more problems or at least different problems.
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How Do I Know If My Product is Organic
What is organic food? The term is becoming more popular. In the United States for a product to claim that it is 100% organic is has to produced following legally regulated guidelines and be subject to strict testing. Typically to because of the detail involve to get the ultra healthy organic food it costs more than the fertilizer and pesticide rich alternatives.
The term organic means that the food was produced without the use of conventional pesticides, synthetic fertilizers or sewage, and that no artificial additives to included in the process. When the term organic relates to animals like beef, the animals are free of antibiotics and growth hormones given typically to make the animals bigger.
In the beginning the only place to get organic food was from your local farmers market. Not any more. Now, family run farms are being over taken by commercial operations that produce still 100% organic food faster and meet the new demand for the products. The United States has grown by 17-20% in organic food sales in the last few years. You can now get organic products from online retailers to Wal-Mart.
In the United States, companies have to pass tough testing and regulations to call their products organic. The term certified organic means that the USDA has certified that the product in question is actually 100% organic. A farmer commercial or family run must apply for their certification. Not all organic food is certified. Food products can be organic and just not have gone through the approval process to be certified.
With the every increasing demand for organic products, more and more products are finding their way into becoming organic. Now, coffee, ice cream, and ketchup can all be found with organic labels and ingredients. There is now an overwhelming change from the overly processed foods that line our grocery stores to more all natural products.
The term all natural is not govern, so the only way to know a product is organic is to get it from a trusted source or grown it yourself. The ladder probably isn't going to happen for most of us. All natural products are not necessarily bad. They are just not going through the certification process to be considered 100% organic.
Looks for the organic label from your trusted places you buy your products. You will have to make the decision on the products that might be 70% or 35% organic. For some products that is as good as it gets for the time being. With the demand high more and more products will start becoming organic. They have to.
Natures Organic Market has low prices on organic baby clothes, organic protein bars, and more.
Monday, August 11, 2008
How T-X ALR Industries Thyroid Support Works
T-X CONTAINS:
- DiProp and TriProp (2 Powerful Thyroid Analogs):
DiProp and TriProp are two naturally occurring, powerful T3- and T2-mimicking compounds. They work similarly to their endogenous counterparts by increasing cellular metabolic rate and by increasing calorie expenditure. They do this by increasing cellular energy demand. This occurs by making the formation of ATP less efficient through a process called, “metabolic uncoupling.” By making the formation of cellular energy (ATP) more difficult, these two substances effectively create a cellular energy deficit – resulting in greater calorie expenditure, increased fat utilization for energy and an increased metabolic rate at the cellular level.
- Endogenous Thyroid support:
-Ingredients responsible for endogenous thyroid support:
- Tyrosine- This amino acid supports natural thyroid function. Tyrosine is utilized in the formation of natural thyroid hormone. ALR Industries has created an esterified version of this amino acid-tyrosine ethyl ester, which is up to 400% more orally available than free-form tyrosine.
- Olive Leaf Extract- This naturally occurring ingredient has been shown to increase natural TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) production. Supporting the natural production of TSH will help keep thyroid activity optimized.
- Clary Sage Extract- This herb has been shown to increase cAMP activity by triggering the thyroid enzyme- adenylate cyclase. Increased levels of cAMP ramp up the fat metabolizing processes within the cells and trigger additional T-3 production. Some research has also shown that increased cAMP may result in increased LH production. LH in men targets the gonads to increase endogenous testosterone production.
- Beta AET ECPE- This DHEA metabolite is a version specifically formulated by ALR Industries for maximum bioavailability, promoting fat loss and lean mass retention. Beta AET ECPE also supports natural thyroid activity. This powerful chemical cousin of DHEA has also been shown to inhibit the enzyme that activates cortisol, thereby inhibiting its activation. Less cortisol means less muscle breakdown, less fat storage, and improved immune and cellular health.
Friday, August 1, 2008
SerraPhase Inflammation Response Review
Thursday, July 31, 2008
DIETARY SUPPLEMENT COMPANY USES 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE TO KEEP TIGHT TABS ON PROBIOTIC PRODUCTS
“Even in 2001, when I started with the company, it was a big deal to see an article on probiotics in a consumer health magazine,” says Mairi R. Ross, one of the company’s product developers. “And the scientific journal articles on probiotics have just exploded. It seems like there’s a new one every week. Even five years ago, they were pretty scarce.”
Growth of Probiotics
The probiotics market is a growing category in nutritional supplements.
Probiotics used in the manufacture of supplements are projected to reach $291.4 million in 2010, representing an annual average growth rate (AAGR) of 6.7% [BCCresearch.com]
Company Does All Its Own Sourcing—No Middlemen
The Sedona Labs® company is in an excellent position to take advantage of this growth. Unlike most supplement manufacturers, who use contract manufacturers or “middlemen,” the Sedona Labs® product team researches, formulates, sources and produces all of their probiotic products.
“Good products must have good sources,” says Michael Lee, manager of product development. “We do not use middle men to source for us. We are not looking for the cheapest raw materials—only the best.”
Lee explains the sourcing procedure used by the Sedona Labs® quality control team. “We personally examine every vendor’s quality control and quality assurance certifications. Then we visit the plant. We interview the executives, managers and, if we can, the workers on the floor. We examine the company’s history and check out their reputation in the industry. We also look for expertise in the type of ingredient: herbs, vitamins, amino acids, probiotics.”
Lee states that that due to quality control issues in some countries that made the headlines, they moved to alternative sources—even paying up to four times as much to ensure purity and quality for their products.
“It’s definitely not an economic advantage to source our own products,” says Lee. “We don’t get the economies of scale that a contract manufacturer provides. However, we can be confident that the ingredients meet our standards.”
Clinically Relevant Dosages
“We emphasize making products based on scientific research with clinically relevant dosages,” says Tracy King, president. “Our primary goal is to give value to customers—and that means products that work.”
The Sedona Labs® brand is a market leader in probiotics with multiple strains and high numbers of probiotic bacteria, counted in number of bacterial cells or colony forming units (CFU). The lead product, iFlora™ Multi-Probiotic™ Formula, contains 16 strains and 16 billion cells per capsule (at time of manufacture).
Keep Your Probiotics Dry
The Sedona Labs® team uses its 20 years of expertise in probiotics to formulate innovative products. Its most recent line features condition-specific formulas, such as iFlora™ Nasal Health.
“Formulating products with probiotics is challenging because they contain live cells,” says Lee. He emphasizes that great care must be taken to choose fillers and additional ingredients that will not degrade the probiotics.
“There may be very healthy ingredients, such as fruit extracts, that at first glance look great for a probiotic formula. It might be good marketing, but bad science,” says Lee. “Any ingredient combined with a probiotic must have extremely low water activity. Probiotics have to be kept very dry to survive.”
Lee states that Sedona Labs® probiotic formulas only contain ingredients that meet stringent water-activity levels. There are only three filler options, for example, that meet those standards.
Formulating in house also allows the company to utilize the latest research in developing products.
Meeting the Production Challenges of Probiotics
The Sedona Labs® manufacturing division blends, encapsulates, bottles, and ships all probiotic products from their facilities in Cottonwood, Arizona.
By producing in house, the Sedona Labs® production team is able to keep tight quality control over proper blending procedures, formulation, and optimal humidity, temperature, and storage in order to maintain high quality products.
“After 20 years of doing this, we’re confident in our expertise,” says Lee.
Cottonwood, AZ 86326
Friday, July 11, 2008
Staying Healthy While on the Road
Are you having trouble with travel related health problems? Want a vacation from your colds, flu, and other illnesses? You will perform much better for work, and have a lot more fun during pleasure vacations if you feel healthy while traveling. Here are a few tips for staying healthy and even achieving greater results while on the road.
Traveling can be a great way to get a rest from your normal routine and enjoy some new exercises. As a fitness trainer, I have found that on the road I typically have more time to workout if I chose to since I don't have the time with family and others as I do at home. Your traveling workout can become a time to get even better training sessions.
Get some sleep. In able to head of jet lag, try scheduling your east bound flights early and west bound flights late. This will ensure the least amount of disruption in your sleeping patterns, and in turn will preserve your travel health. Sleep is one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of fitness and weight loss.
Have produce handy. You can fend off gastrointestinal problems by having high fiber foods rather than stopping off at the fast food restaurants for burgers and fries.
Be germ conscious. It is no secret that planes are full of germs. Pack sanitizer and remember to wash up before eating.
Drink water. Planes create an arid environment that can dry out the mucous membranes, skin, and throat. Dehydration can also set in. Sports drinks can also replenish sodium and potassium that are lost in sweat.
Have extra vitamins on hand. Travel can be stressful, and extra vitamins will help to keep your immune system functioning at a high level.
This information certainly isn't breaking news, but it is amazing how many people are caught up in the business of being busy. Make taking care of yourself a priority at home and on the road. It will only serve you better when you need it most.
You can utilize fitness equipment that is easy to store in a suit case like resistance bands. Also, most hotels have a workout room. Even the smallest of workout equipment centers can allow you to get the workout you want.
For information about a fitness plan and supplements, consult with a personal fitness trainer and learn how a coach can help you get fit.
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Monday, June 30, 2008
Heart Rate Training Optimizes Your 5k Training Program
Are you looking for a 5k training program? When you start looking you see many program offering beginner programs and advanced programs. What is interesting is that most beginner programs are too many miles for the average beginner. The key to effective 5k cardio plans is for every person to have their own heart rate profile. With optimal heart rate training every workout will be optimized for the greatest impact for your results. Heart rate training is for advanced and beginners; the difference is the heart rate profile not using a heart rate monitor.
The most effective cardio workout for running faster races and burning fat is interval training. Interval training is short durations of high intensity followed by short durations of low intensity and then repeated. Most programs only offer interval training for advanced programs though effective programming is good for all levels. The key is a person's heart rate profile. The most advanced you are the higher heart rate you want to train at for your interval.
Each person has a different level of fitness associated by their heart rate. As you run the energy required needs a certain consistent heart rate produce the energy. The more fit you are the lower your heart rate is for a given speed. This is why heart rate training is so effective. By finding a person's targeted heart rate profile you can make sure each workout is training in the right zone to optimally improve your performance. Often, people's lack of results comes from not training hard enough, or very common with cardio runners is overtraining by running with too high of a heart rate on every workout.
What is important for your metabolism and race speed is the rate at which you burn calories not how many calories you burn. This is why walkers and people who run mile after mile seem to never achieve their results. The more calories you burn the more calories you need to eat to restore energy back to your muscles cells. It is challenging your muscles to burn more energy by going harder relative to your fitness level forces your metabolism to improve and than makes you fun faster and burn more fat. People after completing an interval workout burn more fat 24 hours after their workout than any other form of cardio or strength exercise.
Though the interval workout is important it isn't the only workout that makes an effective 5k running program. Two other key workouts is a threshold workout and a long day. The threshold workout is a medium intensity workout that almost no person does. The reason why is people can always go harder and there is this myth that you have to push yourself in every work to your max. The other reason is people go on their slow steady pace never picking up the pace for a shorter run. An optimal threshold workout is between 15-30 min. If you can last longer than 30 min. you should run faster. When you run at your threshold level you are at the max at what your aerobic metabolism can burn for energy. When you go harder your anaerobic metabolism is kicked in to produce the needed extra energy. A threshold workout trains your body to burn energy the most effectively utilizing oxygen. It is the best workout for creating a good race pace.
The long day is the last workout you need every week in your 5k training program. Having running session that go for slower speeds and longer durations trains your body to burn fat and increases effectiveness of burning energy while running. You only need to do one long day a week and spending hours doing cardio during every workout may be a key reason why you are no longer seeing results.
To truly see your results you want a program that creates a personal heart rate profile. The charts on most treadmills are not accurate and the doctors who came up with the charts admit they made them up as a best guess for insurance companies and were never supposed to use as training heart rates. The other major key as you continue to run is a 5k program that uses specific and multiple threshold and interval workouts. The workout that worked for the first month won't work for the second as your body needs a new stimulus. With proper heart rate profiles you will be running your first or fastest 5k in no time.
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Thursday, June 26, 2008
Stay Motivated and Lose Weight by Training Like an Athlete
One of the challenges to people who are looking to improve their fitness is staying motivated until they reach their fitness goals. With about 9 in 10 people wanting to change their appearance (make that: lose weight) as their primary objective, getting all the way to the target weight and keeping those extra pounds off can prove to be much more difficult than some had originally bargained for.
One of the big obstacles that people face is the fact they have been out of shape for years when they decide to finally do something about their fitness, and once they do start working out, the fact that the results that they seek may take awhile and can feel like hard work will test their motivation to the limit. One of the big reasons people hire personal trainers is that, in addition to the education they can receive from a professional instructor, the trainer can create workouts that are consistently fun and engaging as well as an atmosphere of support. And this can keep a person taking on their fitness motivated all the way to the finish line.
As a personal trainer myself, I believe that one of the best tools to keeping a person really motivated all the way to their goal and target body weight is to set very specific guidelines as to what that goal is, and have the person working out be very excited about what reaching that goal can mean to them. If a person wants to lose 20 pounds, we will discuss in detail what losing 20 pounds can do for their life and how they will feel and be different when they get there. And we come back to this reason over and over again during the period of working toward that goal.
One thing that I found, though, in my career as a trainer is that frequently just having a goal about weight loss is insufficient to keep a person motivated all the way to the end. The reason is that the process of weight loss in a healthy way can be a slow one. Even if a person had a great week of training and eating well, their body may not have changed a lot anyway. That can leave them with a feeling of being unsuccessful, even though everything that they did that week was positive and will benefit them in the long run. So, I was left with the problem of having a person doing everything they need to be doing really well and actually feeling like they were successful even if they hadn't lost a lot of weight in a particular week.
The key is to get all people in the process of improving their fitness thinking like athletes, even if on a smaller scale than someone training for the Olympic Games. I believe that all people have the ability to experience their athleticism on some level, even those that have been out of shape for some time, and when they make a connection to their bodies that allow for this, they can get hooked on that experience and want more of it. They will see that improving their fitness itself feels good and can be fun on its own, and that it would be something they would enjoy doing whether they were losing weight doing it or not. Once a person gets to this level, the irony is that they will lose all the weight they want anyway because they are actually at a point where they will stick with the exercise.
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to be a trainer in a couple of "weight loss" competitions sponsored by a local TV station here in Phoenix. Each of the two years that I participated, I worked with a person who was competing against three others to see who could make the biggest successful lifestyle change over a 5 month period. What the other trainers and I found over the length of the competition was that the people who ended up losing a significant amount of weight were the ones who got to the point that they realiozed that the weight loss was actually secondary in motivation to them feeling fit, athletic and healthy for the first time in a long time. All of the trainers worked with their clients using some techniques that were athletic in nature, similar to how an athlete on a sports team would train, with jumping and running drills, using medicine balls, playing basketball, etc. All of the successful participants said that once they realized they like feeling like they were athletes, they knew they would stick with the program for the rest of their lives.
I use the term "inner athlete" to describe this way of thinking, and I know that it works. Rather than having a client do just cardio, we may set a goal to have them do their first ever 5k road race in 3 months, and their cardio trains them for that in addition to helping them lose weight. Or they want to do a great hike in the coming summer, or their kids are now playing sports and they want to be able to play with them, so I do sports drills with them so they build the skills that any athlete at any age would want to have. These are the things that people like having whether they are losing weight or not, and the fact that this type of exercise helps them lose weight makes it all the better.
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Wednesday, June 25, 2008
SciFit Products 20% Off for the Next 48 Hours
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New Sci-Fit Supplement ReviewSci-Fit Nutrition has been a leader in the sport and nutrition science industry for years. Scifit recently released new products on the cutting edge designed to support athletes, fitness enthusiast, and people needing to lose weight the competitive advantage they need to be successful. Sci Fit understands what the weekend warrior to the stay at home mom need to achieve their health and fitness goals. Listed below is a review of new products by Sci-Fit.
Scifit has released an all natural blend of herbs designed to increase energy, enhance the focus of the mind, and increase your ability to utilize and burn more fat. Thermal Cuts was formulated to offer a safe and effective weight loss solution that is ephedra free. What makes Thermal Cuts so effective is 8 optimized fat loss and energy boosting herbal ingredients. With Sci-Fit’s Thermal Cuts you will feel your body’s increase in energy as you burn away fat from your body.
With Sci Fit Training Pak you get the exact right blend of essential nutrition your body needs for optimal performance. Training Pack is the perfect nutritional starter for any male or female athlete. The more physical activity you do the more your body craves vital nutrients to rebuild and perform. Training Pak delivers in each pack a complete vitamin and mineral profile, creatine monohydrate, glutamine, and essential whey protein to rebuild muscle tissue. The best part of Training Pak is that you can get the nutrients you need in a simple and easy to take serving once a day. »MORE
Friday, June 13, 2008
Periodization Training: A Body Building Perspective
If you divide your yearly training into phases or cycles, you'll maintain a better mental outlook, more motivation and your body will also respond better physiologically.
The first phase of training is the one that builds muscle size and pre-orients your muscles to be geared up (condition-wise) to go for strength and power which will theoretically allow you to even add more muscle size. Plus, you will condition your tendons and joints to handle the stresses of heavier weights to come.
It is recommended that you do 6-15 reps per set for size with the great majority of reps falling somewhere from 8-12 reps. Try 3-4 heavier "work" sets after a systemic warm-up plus 2-3 warm-up weight sets per exercise. As you might note, so far this sounds pretty much like a standard common sense bodybuilding workout.
The strength and power phases are next. This will be another 8-week cycle. To develop strength and power, the greatest athletes in the world generally work with 2-6 reps. Since we are geared to bodybuilders we adjust this slightly and in this phase, we advocate 4 - 5 sets of 5 - 7 reps. Here is how this cycle works. We'll use our previous example for the Bench Press where you ended Phase 1 at 235 for 10 reps. Do an active system warm-up, then with weights 95 x 10 and 155 for 10. On your final warm up set do 205 for 6.
Then go to your "target weight" which is actually only 10-lbs. above the weight you ended up at sets of 10 in your first phase. So, start at 245-lbs. x 3 sets of 5-6 reps. You are leaving yourself some extra so you continue to gain positively all the way through the cycle.
In physics, work is a measure of force and distance. (w = f x d). Power means doing a specified amount of work per unit time. If you can move mass M over distance D in 10 seconds and then (after training) move the same mass M the same distance D, but do it in 5 seconds, you are twice as powerful!
Our experience has been to spend a maximum of four weeks in the power phase and to use 2 -3 reps in benches and deadlifts, 3 - 4 reps in the squats and bent-over rows, and 5 - 6 reps for all other exercises. Again, follow your 2-3 warm-ups, and 3 power work sets and then do a down set of 10 reps with about 70% of your target weight, just as you did in the strength phase.
Phase 4 is the rest cycle, a must for great results and essential for building strength and lean mass. Be sure to add about a week of rest into your online workout program, about 1 week every 12. You'll love the way you feel afterwards!
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Thursday, June 5, 2008
What is Ecdysterone?
So what are your goals? For some it is improving their athletic performance, burn away those love handles, build lean muscle tissue, and for others improving their overall health. We know that it does take working out to achieve our results though we want some help to make our results go faster.
You have probably heard about sport supplements like prohormones, creatine, protein powders, and vitamins. Each one of these products plays a vital role in improving an aspect of your health, fitness, or performance in some capacity. Especially, with all the attention from Congress and Major League Baseball, you have heard about steroids, and the negative side effects associated with them.
If you though you knew what supplements can do than you don't know anything now.
Ecdysterone is an exceptionally potent compound that has been researched and studied in clinical trials for some time. The best part of ecdysterone is that through all the research there hasn't been one negative side effect found. That is right zero negative side effects. Ecdysterone is rapidly becoming the supplement of choice for health enthusiast, fitness competitors, and bodybuilders.
What is Ecdysterone?
The technical name for ecdysterone is 20-hydroxyecdysterone with common names of ecdisten, ecdysone, isoinokosterone, and ecdysterone. It was first discovered with insects who require it for survival as part of their own growth hormone.
Ecdysterone doesn't come from insects; it comes from the herbs rhaponticum/ leuzeae and cyanotis vaga which are all natural. The biggest issue until now for ecdysterone is that their was no way to extract it into a usable and viable form. Now, with the latest in extraction technology, Scifit has found a way to extract it at a 97% standardization. This exceptionally high potency makes it possible now to get the health and muscle mass benefits for ecdysterone in a supplement.
There has been over 50 research studies on the effects of ecdysterone. Ecdysterone in clinical trials has been shown to improve almost every physiological function with producing any negative side effects. Within 10 days people have achieve muscle mass gains of 6-7%. That is right just 10 days. Not only that, subjects lower their body fat in those same ten days. Ecdysterone has become the perfect fat loss and muscle mass building supplement on the market.
SciFit's Ecdysterone 300 is the only ecdysterone supplement to be in an useable form. Ecdysterone has been demonstrated to increase muscle tissue by 6-7% in just 10 days.
Shop Live Lean Today offers the best prices and service on Bodybuilding Supplements, Superdrol NG, and more.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Healthy Circle of Friends - Small Group Personal Training
Small-group training personal trainer sessions under five people may be just what you need to keep you motivated and moving towards your goals at the health club. Training with friends, families, or your significant other along with your "other significant other": your personal trainer puts you in a fun and comfortable atmosphere where you can train hard and cheer each other on even harder.
When beginning a fitness program, it is so important that you have the support of friends and family, not only so that they won't tempt you with indulgences or keep you from making your appointments at the gym, but so that they will encourage you to stick with your goals and pump you up when you are feeling sluggish. Well, why not bring this support system into the health club with you? After all, don't you think your loved ones need a little pumping up, too?
As a personal trainer myself, I have trained small groups, and I have seen the benefits first-hand. I had a group of five women""all great friends and a mother-daughter duo decide they wanted to train together with me. They had been training together for over a year, but weren't seeing the results they wanted. Following the first session, I could see what the first problem was: they came to the health club with good intentions to train, however ended up choosing to have social hour instead. Now, it wasn't like I didn't allow them to talk, laugh, joke, and have fun; I just kept them focused when they began discussing their weekend plans. After all, I believe a fit and healthy lifestyle should be enjoyable, and I believe you should have fun while you workout. Well, with my help and motivation, it didn't take long to see these women transform together!
Small-group training has other benefits as well. Not only does training with a group of friends allow you to motivate each other both in and out of the health club (how would you like to get a phone call from a fellow trainee just as you were slicing into that piece of chocolate cake, but it can be cost-effective, too. While a personal training session may range anywhere from $35 to $75, depending on where you live (sometimes even more), a group rate may only cost $25 a person. Now that is something to get pumped about! Most health clubs offer small-group training packages, but if yours doesn't you may want to ask if they can put one together for you.
Go ahead, call up a group of close friends today and rather than inviting them to happy hour, invite them to an hour of fitness, fun and slimming waistlines! You'll be hooked in no time.
Find personal trainer the fitness and nutrition information you are seaching for at LiveLeanToday.com. LiveLeanToday.com has a full library of diet, exercise, and supplement information.
10 Steps, Obesity, Overcome Your Personal Battle
Fighting obesity can be difficult not only physically, but psychologically as well. Failed attempts at losing weight can take its toll on your body and mind and it is crucial to prepared mentally and physically in order to successfully lose weight. The LiveLeanToday.com programs and their support system focus not only on creating an excellent fitness program, but invest a lot of time working with clients on the psychological side of fighting obesity. The following is a set of steps, some in preparation and some to be used through out the program to ensure success.
1. Recognizing the programs that run you
What are the things that hold you back? What are the excuses you make? What are the behaviors you engage in that keep you from obtaining what you want? People always say "Commit to change." Well easier said than done. It's very difficult to commit to going somewhere when we don't recognize where we are or where we've been. I learned that programs are the hard wiring within you that drives your thoughts and actions. Programs certainly can't be changed overnight, but you can reflect on what hurdles you create that make it difficult for you to be successful with your weight loss goals. Lack of self confidence can lead to procrastination and excuses. This is a program that affects many. Recognize your programs, behaviors, and attitudes and you'll better understand where you've been and where you are. Then you can move forward and begin reaching your goals.
2. Commit
Do what you say you are going to do. Have a plan and commit to executing it. Make your goals realistic, focus on short achievements, and celebrate small successes along the way. Have a goal of consistency. Your plan should include committing to consistent activity. Make a goal to drink 8 glasses of water a day or have a goal of adding a vegetable to every dinner meal during the weekdays. Success in these short term achievements will reap rewards in your long term weight loss goals.
3. Support system
Success is easy to attain when you have people around you. Tell your family, friends, co-workers that you have a weight loss goal, and let them help. Work with a Personal Trainer or Registered Dietician and let them help. A support system can come in the form of encouragement, companionship, and accountability, and can make your road to weight loss success much more enjoyable.
4. Sensible goals
Know your body, and be honesty with yourself about what is real. If you haven't already, consult a physician regarding what is realistic. You can also test to rule out any obstacles medically related to weight loss such as under active thyroid or food allergies that could inhibit your weight loss.
5. Consistency
Most important to any exercise program is consistency. With a little consistency you can develop habits, and then you'll be less likely to regress. You will reach your weight loss goals faster when you stay on track and don't let your hurdles get in the way. This goes for your diet as well. It's ok to have a cheat day, but make it just one. If you are consistent, you will get results.
6. Use portion control
5 small meals a day is the best way to speed up your metabolism, regulate blood sugar levels, curb hunger binges, and ultimately lose weight.
7. Eat fiber rich foods
Foods that are rich in fiber tend to be filling; therefore people will feel full and not eat as much. Studies have also found that a diet high in fiber can reduce the risk of heart disease, digestive problems and diabetes.
8. Cut calorie dense foods
Foods that have a high content of salt, sugar and flour can also be densely packed with calories. Twizzlers have over 250 calories in a small package, a half order of pasta with Alfredo sauce has 680 calories at many Italian chain restaurants, and a bagel has over 300 calories without cream cheese or butter. High salt content is found in calorie dense, low fiber, processed foods. Too much salt can lead to elevated blood pressure and is also associated with hindering weight loss.
9. Have an activity
There is no better way to maintain consistency in reaching your health and fitness goals than having an activity. When you enjoy doing something, it isn't work anymore. Activities such as hiking, swimming, cycling, racquetball and rock climbing are great examples of activities that can add versatility to your fitness program.
10. Work Hard!
Losing any significant amount of weight is not easy. Any good program will have a nice mixture of high and low intensity workouts with rest cycles built in. But I have seen too many people going through the motions of a workout and they never even break a sweat. Your body will respond to the stimulus that you create and will respond to loads and intensity. To keep your body from hitting a plateau, you must constantly challenge your body and find new ways to create stimulation to adapt to. With constant stimulation and variety will come consistent results.
About The Author: Charles Carter, BS in Exercise Science is President of LIVE, llc of http://www.liveleantoday.com - visit the website for more information on weight loss, core fitness programs, optimal diets, and online personal trainer and dietician services. For more information on products go to http://shop.liveleantoday.com .