Wednesday 17 September 2008

Why Do People Fail In The Gym?

So here's the million-dollar question:

"What's the number one reason people do not work out?"
Is it lack of money? Lack of motivation? Perhaps they lack the ideal workout plan?
Nope. It's TIME. Or rather the lack thereof.
"We know that 50 per cent of the population doesn't [exercise] and the most commonly cited barrier to exercise is lack of time." This quote comes from exercise researcher Martin Gibala, a kinesiology professor at McMaster University in Hamilton.

Gibala put his theory to the test in a study that was published in the Journal of Physiology. In it Gibala compared a group who exercised "traditionally" -- 90 to 120 minutes per day -- with another group exercising far less: Only 20 minutes per day and only three days per week.
That's a whopping one hour per week folks.

Did you know that Jon Benson's "7 Minute Muscle" plan calls for only five 7-minute workouts with resistance training (weights or bodyweight) plus only 9 minutes cardio a few days per week?
And that actually works? Yeah... you bet it does.
If you do the math, that's about an hour per week as well.
This is the "Level 1" workout. There are three levels depending on your goals and exercise tolerance.

Find out more here --

Back to Gibala's study:
In just two weeks both groups showed improvement in both exercise performance and oxygen uptake. (Remember, fat burns in the presence of oxygen.)
The kicker is that both groups were almost identical in their improvement. Why? Because the brief exercise group trained with greater focus and more intensity -- exactly how Jon suggests you train.

This is just one of dozens of studies that confirm the benefits of shorter but more intense workouts.
However, there is a catch: Train too hard and you will shut down your fat-burning furnace.
Your body perceives over-exertion done over an extended period of time as a sign of pursuit. It can trigger an ancient hormonal sequence that says, "I'm being chased by a tiger! Horde the fat!"
The body literally shuts down what it considers to be unnecessary activity in favor of self-preservation. And guess what? Burning off those hips and love handles is not a biological necessity.

You have to learn when to hit it hard AND when to rest and recover.
Finally, you have to put yourself into the proper mental state in order to see greater results in the shortest period of time.
Jon devotes an entire chapter to putting your mind into your muscle to make gains faster than ever befor in "7 Minute Muscle." You can read more here --

Just remember these three key points:

1. Time is the greatest barrier to fitness.
2. Workouts can be short and very effective.
3. The body goes where the mind directs.

Until next week, train smart.

enjoy

prince emmanuel

Eat Less, Train Less, Live Longer!

Did you see that article on MSNBC about living longer?
"While the quest for the proverbial Fountain of Youth is endless and typically fruitless, one method known to extend the human lifespan by up to five years has quietly become accepted among leading researchers. The formula is simple: Eat less. It could add years to your life, several experts now say. And done in moderation, it could at least help you live a more healthy life."
Really? Eat less. Live longer?
Who'd thunk?


But seriously, why is this the case? And more importantly, why do so many other health and fitness pros give the opposite advice, often asking you to eat 5-8 times a day? Is there some common ground?
Yes there is. But first let's look at why eating less can mean living longer.
That article went on to say:

"Calorie restriction, as it is called, is as close to a real Fountain of Youth as any known technique comes. Even scientists who are cautious about anti-aging hype say it works, both by cutting risks for some diseases and by allowing all body cells, somehow, to hang in there longer.
"This is just part of the story. As usual, the mainstream media doesn't always bother to give you the entire picture.

Eating less is a bit over-simplistic. Caloric restriction is based on "quantitative" reduction, not simply eating like a bird or starving yourself. That will never work. You won't stick to it and your body certainly won't bother to burn off its spare bodyfat when it thinks you're in a stone age famine.

The key is to avoid overtraining in the gym like the plague. Too much training and you'll be forced to eat more food -- usually not a good thing.
Jon Benson's new system "7 Minute Muscle" is perfect for someone who is wanting to not spend their lives in the kitchen or in the gym. This is REQUIRED READING if you really want to see how great you can look in the least amount of time possible. Sure, you work hard. There's no pills or gadgets involved. But it's worth every minute... all 7 of them!

Read more here

enjoy

Emmanuel Anaele

Tuesday 16 September 2008

Get Big Muscles In 3 Simple Steps

Do you know what it really takes to build big muscles? Do you think it's as simple as buying a gym membership, training each body once per week, slamming back some protein shakes and trying to eat as much chicken and tuna possible? Viola, you are big enough to enter a bodybuilding contest.

Can you imagine it was that easy to build big muscles? Unfortunately, your monthly gym membership, regular weight training workouts and casual eating habits, isn't going to cut it. Here are five simple steps to getting big muscles fast :

Squat and Deadlift Squatting and Deadlifting are known as two of the Big Three exercises that are responsible for power and mass muscle building. Consider these two animal exercises the kings of the jungle! Without them, you do not have a chance of survival. These two exercises alone, work out about 75% of your entire musculature, including your traps, shoulders, arms, back. Gluts, hams, calves and core muscles.

Not to mention the degree of intensity, squats and dead lifts force your body to release greater volumes of growth hormone, which results in bigger muscles all over your body. This spillover effect results in strength gains in all you other lifts which translates into a more muscular you! Squatting and dead lifting are especially critical for hard gainers because of the hormonal spikes affecting the entire body.

Stick to Compound Exercises What is going to isolate more muscle fibers? A bench press or cable cross over? A military press or lateral raise? A chin up or bicep curl? A dip or tricep kickback? If you ever hope to get big muscles than compound lifts are not optional, they are mandatory. Stick to squats, leg presses, deadlifts, bench preses, barbell rows, pull ups, chin ups, over head presses, and dips.

If all you do is concentrate on building your puny muscles like arms and calves, then you will end up with exactly what you focus on – puny muscles!
Keep Your Rest Periods Honest When was the last time you were in the gym and you watched the average guy time his recovery with a stop watch? Stop watches are not just for endurance athletes but should be used by every person who is serious about building big muscles.

Generally, the closer you lift to your one rep max, the longer the rest period and the higher the number of reps, the shorter the rest period. This is a crucial variable, which is often overlooked, yet will determine whether you create the correct training response.

For example, if you are training for maximal strength which requires at least 3-5 minutes rest between sets and you are only taking 2 minutes, you are not giving your nervous system an honest workout. If you are training for muscle size which requires shorter 30-90 second style recoveries but are gazing at the cute girl on the elliptical letting your rest periods carry over these ranges, you are not giving your metabolic system an honest workout.

Lastly, how do you know if you are truly stronger if you do not monitor your rest period? For example, let's say last week you bench pressed 135 pounds for four sets of ten. This week you bench pressed 145 pounds for four sets of ten. Assuming the rest period was identical for both workouts, this is a tremendous improvement and a measurable sign of improvement! However, what if you took an extra minute or two between each set on the recent workout? This means that you did not actually become stronger. You just had a longer rest period!

Conclusion You now know that building big muscles is not easy as showing up at the gym and throwing back a few protein shakes. Apply these three simple steps in your next program and I promise that you will start building brand new muscle all over your body!

enjoy

By Vince DelMonte

''Techniques To Loss Weight"

There are a lot of positive changes once a person experience weight loss. Other than physical appearance weight affects a person in many ways. This could be the overall quality of life, self-esteem, depression, health risks, and physical in capabilities. It is for this reason why a lot of people are searching for a weight loss technique that will surely trim down those fats and get a super slim head turner body or 6 pack abs.

To lose weight fast and effectively four aspects of life should be changed: what to eat, how to eat, behavior and activity level.The first thing that an over-weight person should do is to make an appointment with your doctor to recommend the best and safe weight loss exercise to undertake. This will be done after a full physical examination, which leads to the determination of proper weight loss technique.

The following fast tips can change the life of an over-weight:

1: SET REALISTIC APPROACHES: The ability to focus and have proper mindset enables someone on a diet to quickly lose those extra pounds. With discipline and proper mind set, a dieter will never be discouraged and lose focus.

2: Fast weight loss composes of a multi-faceted technique that consists of mindset, exercise, and in other cases, diet supplements. Begin by learning a diet food plan that one can easily be accustomed with. Incorporate an exercise plan that allows even at least fifteen minutes a day like brisk walking, running, swimming, and dancing.

3: WHEN YOUR BODY SPEAKS, LISTEN TO IT. Each and every one's body metabolism reacts differently to different fast weight loss programs and plans. Try substituting one program for another to compensate the body's reaction. Exercise program must be suitable to one's body, as others are not able to exercise as rigorously as others can. It is important that one should find out which exercise is best, If walking is all that can be done, then walk for this is proven the best exercise. Muscles burn more calories than fats so it's also best to put on a little muscle which in effect helps you to looking good.

4: Eat more fibers for it makes a person full sooner and stays in the tummy longer, slowing down the rate of digestion. A single serving of whole grain bread moves fat through the digestive system faster. Grains turn into blood sugar that spikes the body's insulin level. Thus, making the body more energized and ready to tell the body when it should stop burning fats or start storing.

5: It is recommended that you keep away from fried foods especially deep-fried as this contains a great amount of fat. Although fish and chicken appear leaner than beef, this white meat can contain more fat than when a beef is fried. It is recommended for those on strict diet to opt for grilled food as this does not have or contain less amount of fat after the food is cooked.

6: LOTS OF FLUID: At least drinking six to eight glasses of water a day keeps the body refreshed. Since weight loss depends on how the body eliminates body wastes, lots of fluid intake will help the body remain hydrated.

Consistency and discipline is the key to weight loss success. Light dieting, workout, and right amount of supplementation applied in a regular way everyday will result in faster weight loss than having a massive action only to be followed a return to old habits as this would only lead to gaining more weight than when the weight loss plan has started. Research shows that people who over do it without following the correct steps never last. It is therefor recommended that consistency and determination is all that one needs when trying to loss weight.

enjoy

prince