Entries from June 2011 ↓

There is always a lot of confusion over how to do a proper weight workout so I will try to explain what I think is important. There are five parts to your workout; the warm-up, stretching, weight workout, cool down, and post workout meal.

Warmup and Stretching

First when you walk into the gym or basement it is always important to warm up and then stretch. If you think about how you are doing a workout and what kind of stress you are putting on your muscles then you have to be aware of how if they are not warm they can stretch or rip¦this is not a good thing.

To do a proper warm up you should probably use all of your muscle groups. Do not warm-up by doing hard cardio for a half hour as this will tire you out for your weight workout. For a warm-up the best machine I have found is an elliptical trainer. An elliptical trainer will allow you to use all of your muscles, is low impact and forces you to focus a little on your balance so you can get focused on what the workout will bring. Only do your muscle warm-up for about 5 to 10 minutes and not at a high intensity but rather medium intensity so you only break a little sweat and get your muscles warm. /> /> Next get water and do some stretching. I am in favor of stretching all of my muscles before a workout not just the muscles that I will be training that day. Find some good stretches and spend another 5 to 10 minutes stretching and focusing on your breathing, you want to be sure to have good oxygen in your system during your weight workout so that you always feel that you energy is up.

Doing your sets

Next get a drink again and the start your weight workout. I will not delve into the sets and reps as that can be covered better by itself. During your workout though make sure that you are waiting one to two minutes between sets and taking in water whenever necessary. Your weight lifting portion of your workout should take about 40-60 minutes. To short a workout and you will not have time to really hit your muscles hard enough but at the other extreme if you workout too long you will have to little energy at the end of your workout and you also risk not being able to recover between workouts.

After you finish your weight workout it is a good idea to stretch again as stretching will allow the muscles to stop cramping, increase blood flow throughout the muscle and relax you before you get back into the car. In the past I found that if I did not stretch after my workout then my arms would be shaking when I got behind the wheel of the car to go home (not much better when I got on a bike instead).

Rest and recovery happen later

It is important to remember that you do not make your gains in the gym; you make strength and mass gains while your body recovers with proper rest and exercise. One of the critical things that you can do diet wise after your workout is to take in lots of carbohydrates to replenish the energy lost during the workout. Some people take Creatine or a Gatorade/sugar drink which can be expensive but if you are trying to replenish your carbs the best thing to take is some sugar in water. Kool aid would be good if you could drink enough but a potato or rice are not good as they will take to long for your body to be able to use the sugar.

About an hour after your workout you can take in some protein, some people try to get in the protein even earlier with some people trying to get in a double sized meal within an hour of the end of the workout. I on the other hand usually can not stomach a large heavy meal that quickly after a workout and am not rich enough to take in a $5 energy drink after every workout.

Follow these simple workouts and you will get better results, have better workouts, recover better, and have a better, healthier time in the gym.

If you liked this post then these otehrs should be right up your alley as well:

1. 10 Tips to a great Weight Workout
2. Steps to Successful Workout.
3. Sets, reps, and exercises for a great workout

Originally Posted in FitForLife.com

In my travels across the internet I just found this great post from a guy who has ben living a great new healthy lifestyle and wrote a nice long post about how it has made him feel.

Life is about learning from mistakes that have been made and being better: Health and Fitness

Sometimes I forget about the great changes in peoples outlook from having a great workout, or haveing a great eating day. These are things that really make us appreciate how we have made these changes for ourselves. Sure it is nice to get compliments from frineds and coworkers about how much better we look, but it is even more importnat that deep down we are really happy about what we have done for ourselves.

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Originally Posted in FitForLife.com

I am sure that most people that have tried a diet have wondered about all of these diets or plans that seem to go to be true. I have found a great site for researching Diet Scams and it is worth checking out.

Also Ediets has a diet scam page. There are also other kind of scams, every now and then some kind of product comes on the market that is supposed to help you lose weight and often they can be dangerous.

It all comes down to a few factors to see if a weight loss plan makes sense to try or if it is a diet scam. /> /> 1. Does the diet have a reason to work? Do you do exercise to increase metabolism? Do you decrease your caloric intake to lose weight? If not it is probably a diet scam.

2. Is the diet sustainable for the rest of your life? Most diets are just that, a diet to be on for a few months with no plan as to how you will eat after it is over. Although some of these work it is really a diet scam if there is not plan that you know of to come off the diet.

3. Is there some strange herb that will increase your metabolism? I have seen at least a couple dozen of these magic herbs over the last few years and none of them has stayed for long. One of the problems is that to increase your metabolism to magically lose weight these herbs are a danger to your heart or liver. All of these herbs are in my opinion a diet scam unless they can prove otherwise with scientific backing not just testemonials.

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Originally Posted in FitForLife.com

What is the problem with healthy lunch recipes. Breakfast and dinner get all the attention but lunch never seems to on the TV shows. Although people often take the time to make sure they have a healthy breakfast and go home to an equally nutritious dinner, they sometimes neglect to plan for a healthy lunch.

Healthy Lunch Recipes

Healthy Lunch Recipes

When it’s time for lunch and your body is craving for food you may take the easy way out and resort to the most easily available food, that is, fast food that’s high in saturated fat, carbohydrates, and salt. To avoid sabotaging your own healthy diet plan, it’s a good idea to have some healthy lunch recipes that you can quickly whip up and bring to work.

Preparing your own lunch saves money and ensures that your meal is healthy and tasty. There are many healthy lunch recipes that you can take to the office, to school, or wherever you need to go. You’ll never run out of lunch ideas because there are hundreds of lunch recipes for kids and adults that are easy to prepare, pack, and take with you.

Healthy Lunch Tips

• When looking for healthy lunch recipes, make sure you have a balanced lunch which includes lean meats or low-fat proteins, complex carbohydrates, fiber, whole grains, beans, and nuts. Include fruits and vegetables for their vitamins and minerals. Make sure your lunch contains all the essential nutrients your body needs.
• Sandwiches make a healthy lunch, especially if you use a variety of whole grain bread, pita and wraps. Fill your sandwiches with tuna, cheese, skinless chicken breast, lean meats, or sliced hard-boiled eggs. You can also make vegetarian sandwiches or wraps and stuff them with salad greens, bean sprouts, sliced cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, fresh basil, etc.

Healthy Lunch Pizza

Try this delicious, pizza-inspired wrap. Kids and adults love this healthy lunch recipe.

• 8-inch whole-wheat flour tortilla
• 2 tablespoons prepared pizza sauce
• 12 leaves baby spinach
• 3 tablespoons shredded mozzarella

Place the tortilla on a plate. Spread pizza sauce over it. Arrange spinach leaves on top and sprinkle with cheese. Microwave on high until the cheese begins to melt (about 45 seconds). Roll up the tortilla and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing, if desired.

Here’s another quick and easy lunch idea. To make a Dill Egg Sandwich, combine 1 tbsp. low-fat cream cheese, 1 tsp. whole-grain mustard, and 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh dill. Spread the mixture over 2 slices of toasted whole grain rye bread. Top with sliced hard boiled egg and tomato, salt and pepper. Cover with another slice of bread. Your delicious and healthy lunch sandwich is ready.

So please take this to heart. There are a lot of choices when it comes to lunch and stocking up on a few healthy lunch recipes will keep you richer and healthier

If you liked this post then these otehrs should be right up your alley as well:

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Originally Posted in FitForLife.com

Secrets to losing weight

Many people struggle with losing weight either for a short time in the spring or summer or for their whole life. There are many things that you can do to make the difference between being overweight or not. Based on the way that your lifestyle is there are two big things that you have to concern yourself with, diet and exercise.

Diet is what you eat. We all know that we should not eat food that is bad for us but how about the flip side. How about eating more foods that are better for us. Today at lunch I could have gone out for fast food or I could have stayed in and eaten the soup and fruit that I brought with me. I ate the soup. Today is generally the way that I eat which is eating by design. I plan in the morning what I will eat and then pack it with me so that I do eat it and not something that is more convenient at the time. Tomorrow I may go out for lunch instead but I know that in two weeks I will have eaten all but three meals or so by preparing them myself and not by having a restaurant prepare them for me. I eat what I should and if I eat any prepared food that I know that it is one bad decision compared to all of the good decisions that I make. /> Water is also a big part of my diet. I drink water throughout the day so that my body can easily digest my food and also so that I am not hungry and looking for some junk food.

Exercise is the other part of a great health plan and is the basis, to me, of how to best lose weight. I ride a bike to work all summer so I can get two good workouts in a day but on the weekend I take it easy so that during the next week I am not getting too sore to keep up my exercise schedule. Exercising one a day is a great way to get better health and if you can keep up a high heart rate of at least 30 minutes a day it will burn more calories constantly during the day every day. Now that winter is coming I will be balancing my cardio on an indoor elliptical trainer with some weights to gain a bit more muscle. The importance of weight training can not be understated. If you have more muscle your body has to work a little harder to keep itself going, this will burn more calories.

Lastly I think that losing weight has a lot to do with a great, excited attitude. I have always found that when I am in my best shape I have a great attitude about my exercise and my eating. Workouts are a breeze and I am working towards my exercise goals consistently. My eating is really good and I am proud of the things that I am putting into my mouth and finally my outlook is great because I feel excellent about the way I look and feel.

Adopt these tactics and your weight loss will be a lot easier and more fun than it has ever been before

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Originally Posted in FitForLife.com

Last nights episode of the biggest loser was a pretty good time. The women were fighting amongst themselves and again the men were pretty solid. In the end there was another woman kicked off as the men lost a lot of weight, anywhere from 7 to 12 pounds each in the last week. I am not sure if there was anything new diet or exercise wise but I finally went to the NBC Biggest Loser site and got the links to the diet and exercise rules for both the womens team and for the mens team.

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Originally Posted in FitForLife.com

Although many of us want to eat nutritious foods, sometimes it feels like healthy cooking takes up too much time. It’s a good thing that healthy easy recipes are now readily available. If you take the time to search, you will find many healthy recipes for Breakfast, Snacks, Dinner, Salads, Soups, Fish, Chicken, Vegetables, Salad Dressings and Desserts. These healthy recipes are simple and easy to make.

Keep it Simple

Meals do not have to be complicated to be delicious. Creative use of herbs and spices can elevate your cooking to whole new level. Did you know that many great recipes require only one pot? Remember, it’s not the number of pots and pans you use that make a delicious meal. It’s what you put in the pot that makes all the difference.

Healthy Ingredients for Healthy Recipes

Healthy recipes always start with healthy ingredients. The food you prepare should contain all the essential nutrients the body needs for good health. Avoid highly processed foods and foods that are high in saturated fats, sugar and salt. Healthy easy recipes should include plenty of vegetables and fruits. When preparing nutritious homemade recipes, always choose healthy food items over unhealthy choices. Learn how to use different herbs and spices to make your home-cooked meals more exciting.

Variety is the Spice of Life

While it’s true that variety is the spice of life there’s a more compelling reason to eat a variety of foods. Eating different kinds of food is the best way to ensure that you get all the nutrients that your body needs to stay healthy. Find easy recipes that use different vegetables, fruits and meats. Start with simple recipes for appetizers, soups, salads, main dishes and desserts. Use ingredients that are readily available in supermarkets and farmers’ markets where you can get the freshest produce.

Healthy Recipes that are Easy to Make

Beans are rich in protein and fiber. This easy White Bean Dip recipe makes a healthy snack or appetizer. To make the dip, mash 2 cups of cooked cannelloni beans. Add 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley (chopped), 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, juice and zest of half a lemon, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix all the ingredients to get a chunky consistency. This dip is delicious with crackers or toasted baguette slices.

Some healthy easy recipes for kids include homemade pizza with vegetables, cheese and ham or chicken pieces, whole-wheat pasta with roasted vegetables, pan-fried salmon with sweet potato chips, and roasted chicken with freshly made tomato sauce.

You can make these simple dishes quickly, and you may even be able to ask your child to lend a hand in the food preparation. Not only will your child learn to cook, but they will also appreciate good cooking and the importance of making meals using fresh, nutritious ingredients.

If you liked this post then these otehrs should be right up your alley as well:

1. Healthy Recipes for Weight Loss
2. Healthy Lunch Recipes
3. Healthy Cookie Recipes

Originally Posted in FitForLife.com

There are two parts of a rep when you are doing an exercise. If you think about the way taht you do a bench press you raise the bar off of your chest and then at the top you let the weight down again. The letting down is known as the negative portion of the repetition.

If you focus on the negative portion of the repetition in some workouts you will make much better gains as it is another way to shock the muscle. The following link lings to an article that talks about title="Health and Fitness Blog :: How to turn a "negative" (exercise that is) into a postive" href="http://getfitsource.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2005/10/10/1292042.html">this very thing.

In essence the best way to do a negative is to use the same weight as you normally would, do the raising of the weight the same way as usualy but in the lowering poertion control the weight more and double the time that it takes to lower the weight.

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Originally Posted in FitForLife.com

http://www.supplementwatch.com/suplib/supplement.asp?DocId=1272I just found a great research article on Vanadium. Canadium is a trace mineral that we all get a little of in our diet. I used to take Vanadium back in the early 90′s as it was supposed to promote better cell maiintenance for weight training. I have not used it since but have found some more information on Vanadium today.What’s Next In Health – Dietary Supplement “Vanadium” Plays Role In Speeding Recovery From Infections /> /> What the article says is that with some infections such as e. coli and some others that taking Vanadium can reduce the time to recovery. Supplement Watch also has a page with the benefits of Vanadium claiming among other things that it may increase strength and mscle mass although it has not been proven. Besides taking /> Vanadium with Chromium /> as a supplement you can also find it in black pepper, mushrooms, shellfish, parsley and dill seed.

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Originally Posted in FitForLife.com

I have always been a sucker of the Halloween chocolate bars. In the past I have had all sorts of trouble staying away from them until finally my wife banned them from our house.

Here is another great article from the guys at Starling Fitness on how to stay away this year. /> /> Starling Fitness ? How To Not Binge On Halloween Candy

Good luck and remember not ot get sucked in on November 1st by all the chocolate that is on sale at the specialty stores.

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Originally Posted in FitForLife.com