Choosing The Right Gym

One of the most common questions I receive in my inbox is also one of the most simple: what are the criteria for a good gym? Where should I be working out, and how can I tell if I've chosen a good place? It seems so raightforward, but oftentimes people overlook some of the most important factors. Your gym is somewhere you'll be spending at least 3 grueling hours per week (plus getting changed, warmup and cooldown, stretching, socializing, etc). On top of that, you have to pay for it - so choose carefully! Here are some of the top criteria that should be considered when choosing a gym:

1) Distance. A long commute to the gym is a serious pain in the ass, and can cost you a ton of money in gas or bus fare. It's also a big waste of time if you have to commute too far to the gym. If possible, choose a gym that's really close by - within walking distance is obviously ideal, but you definitely don't want to be driving more than 15 minutes. If you have a short walk o! r bike to the gym, you've already taken care of your warmup! Regardless, long commutes will kill your motivation and end up hurting your gains.

2) Price. If you can't afford it, then you shouldn't be there. A good gym can be pricey, but you shouldn't have to pay an arm and a leg. Buying by the year is usually cheaper than the month, but don't get talked into long-term deals unless you're certain you've found a gym you love.

3) Equipment. Arguably the most important element - you absolutely need a gym with the proper equipment. A quality squat rack is critical. Make sure that there are enough barbell plates and that they're in good shape. If they look a bit shoddy you might want to check to see if they're actually the weight advertised. You'll also need good benches, matching pairs of dumbbells to at least 120lbs (more is better if you're lifting big or progressing quickly). Lastly, a good assortment of machines is a bonus - at least make sure there! 's a lat pulldown and maybe a Smith machine.

4) Crowd! ing. Having to wait for benches or other equipment can cost you precious time. Since you don't want to wait too long between sets and you definitely don't want your workout to last longer than an hour, overcrowding can be deadly. The busiest time in most gyms is between 4 and 8pm, so keep that in mind when you're making your decision. If you regularly work out at 9am, crowding may not be a factor.

5) People. Try to select a gym that's focused on people like you. If you're grunting and groaning as you push out rep after rep of intense deadlifts in a gym full of retirees, you probably won't make a lot of friends. Your motivation is probably going to suffer as well. If possible, try to work out with people who have similar goals.

6) Cleanliness/aesthetics. Although not critical, a gym that is air-conditioned, clean and bright is definitely an upside. These elements won't make or break a fitness spot, but they can definitely improve your mood and assist the! mental aspects of your workout.

All in all, choosing the right gym can be the difference between success and failure. The mental aspect of your gym should not be overlooked, and you should definitely keep these 6 aspects in mind.

For more practical muscle building advice and tips, visit http://www.MuscleGainGuide.com With over 80 articles and many product reviews, the Muscle Gain Guide is the internet's #1 source for muscle building information.

Mike Bowman is the senior editor at http://www.MuscleGainGuide.com He has years of experience in natural bodybuilding and is the author of hundreds of renowned muscle building articles. Visit http://www.MuscleGainGuide.com for more advice and quality, unbiased information.

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Fast Weight Loss

How To Add Eye-Popping Shape And Muscularity To Your Biceps

A common understanding of the term "muscularity" is that it relates to the size or strength of a particular muscle group. But in bodybuilding parlance, muscularity refers specifically to muscle shape and definition - or what many people refer to as "muscle tone." This focus on shape and definition is what distinguishes undefined muscle quantity from well defined muscle quality. In adding shape and muscularity to your biceps, you'll develop them to show well defined muscle quality. To do this, you must utilize the following essential tools to packing your biceps with eye-popping muscular definition.

The first of these tools is high repetition training. Performing high reps with relatively light weight is great for building muscular endurance. But in the context of enhancing your biceps' shape and muscularity, high reps burn the calories necessary to help you melt away intramuscular fat that can obscure muscular definition. The primary source of energy for your weight! training workouts is stored carbohydrates or glycogen. Once your glycogen stores have been depleted, your body will begin to metabolize fat as its primary energy source.

High repetition training will deplete your glycogen stores so that your body can then start burning fat to power you through the cardiovascular component of your shape and muscularity workouts. Keep in mind that you cannot "spot reduce" and make only the fat from your arms disappear with high rep training. But this training method will help you reduce your overall body fat content with resulting improvement in the shape and muscularity of your biceps.

As I just mentioned, cardiovascular training is the next key to exhibiting shape and muscularity in your biceps. Conventional cardio work usually involves 30-45 minute sessions of stationary cycling or treadmill walking at a steady pace. This is not the type cardiovascular training that I use or recommend for getting lean, muscular biceps. Instead! you should try high intensity interval training, also known a! s "HIIT" in bodybuilding and fitness circles, to efficiently burn the fat than can blur the hard earned muscle that you gain from your biceps training.

High intensity interval training basically involves relatively short bursts of cardiovascular activity that: (a) prevent your body from adjusting to a static and routine level of aerobic exertion; and (b) metabolize stored fat at a higher rate through dynamic and varied levels of cardio training. Unlike conventional aerobics which often involve a single activity in a given workout session, high intensity interval training may consist of multiple cardio exercises during a single 20-30 minute workout.

For example, I have a small but highly effective gym in my home where I currently do most of my training. Over the years I've invested in equipment that allows me to constantly vary my cardiovascular workouts. For high intensity interval training, I might box with a 100-pound punching bag, jump rope, row on a portable rowing m! achine and walk on an inclined treadmill all in the same workout session. I can do all of this aerobic training in a 20-40 minute workout by simply limiting my time in each activity to short but intense intervals of about 5-10 minutes each. Alternatively, I sometimes do 15-20 minute intervals of only two exercises, depending on my mood and energy level.

No matter what combination of aerobic activities I use, I've found that high intensity interval training burns fat much more efficiently than conventional aerobic exercise, and I suggest that you use this cardiovascular training method to burn body fat when trying to add shape and muscularity to your biceps. Even if you can perform only one type of aerobic exercise such as running, you can still do interval training by simply mixing short sprints, longer sprints and moderate distance running into a single 20-30 minute training session.

As you must do with your arm building workouts, you must be creative and exper! iment with different cardiovascular exercise combinations to f! ind the interval training strategy that works best for you. If you're an ectomorph or "hard gainer" with a furnace-like metabolism that naturally keeps you from gaining too much fat, you should start out by limiting your aerobic training to a maximum of two 15-20 minute sessions per week. If even this minimal amount of cardiovascular work inhibits your ability to grow, layoff the interval training and focus entirely on building biceps shape and muscularity with your high repetition weight-training workouts.

Alternatively, if you're an endomorph, mesomorph or hybrid mix of these body types, you'll probably need 3-4 high intensity interval training sessions per week to gain peak muscularity from your arm building workouts. Each HIIT session should last about 30-45 minutes with 3-4 intervals of about 10-15 minutes each.

The final component to adding shape and muscularity to your biceps is proper nutrition. I've dedicated entire articles to this topic elsewhere that fully di! scuss the role of nutrition in bodybuilding success. For the purpose of this article, suffice it to say that a diet consisting mainly of foods high in fat and sugar is the death knell to your biceps building efforts. No matter how much strength and muscle mass you add to your biceps, you will never develop high quality shape and muscularity if you don't eat lean and healthy foods.

Remember, simply having "big" arms is not enough to have Truly Awesome Arms™! But if you combine high repetition training and HIIT workouts with a low-fat and low-sugar diet, you're sure to display the ripped and chiseled biceps that you deserve from your arm building efforts.

Mark G. Winston, "The Master Gunslinger," is author of the ground-breaking training manual, "GO For Your GUNS - 7 Simple Secrets to AWESOME ARMS." He has also created GOforyourGUNS.com, a bodybuilding and fitness website dedicated entirely to helping you build big, muscular arms. Mark's forthcoming book will be j! ammed with workouts and training techniques to help you build ! the big, muscular arms that you deserve! To learn about the GO For Your GUNS bodybuilding system and get free arm training tips that really work, visit http://www.GOforyourGUNS.com

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Fast Weight Loss

Dumbbell Exercise Routine - 5 Ways To Get Faster Results, Now!

It's no secret, a properly designed dumbbell exercise routine is one of the most beneficial workout programs you can do. Dumbbells are widely accessible, making them available to a large number of people. There are a huge amount of dumbbell exercises to choose from for everyone's needs. Plus, the ability to perform single-limb and alternating exercises make them invaluable for training movements that improve your performance in the real world.

Unfortunately, many men and women don't perform dumbbell exercise routines as a full workout. Many people use dumbbells as "extra" or "supplemental" training. They do their primary workout with machines or barbells, and then focus on small muscle groups with dumbbells as an afterthought. While this extra training is not a complete waste of time, it is definitely not the best way to use dumbbells.

But there are major advantages to performing a dumbbell exercise routine as your primary workout routine. I'm about to reveal ! 5 ways proper dumbbell training can help you get faster results.

But first, I want to talk about some of the results you should expect from the execution of proper dumbbell exercise.

The three biggest reasons men and women work out (in my opinion) are:

1) To Improve Their Physique By Building Muscle
2) To Improve Their Physique By Burning Fat
3) To Improve Their Performance

Most people want to create a strong, lean, athletic body that looks great, and oh yea, performs great too! And in my opinion, there is no greater tool to achieve these results than dumbbells. But, not just any old dumbbell workout will do!

Isolation exercises with light weight dumbbells are popular with men and women who are convinced this type of training "tones" your muscles. Plus, they see bodybuilders use this type of training to target small muscle groups. But, as you'll soon learn, this is not the best use of your dumbbell training time.

Incorporate these! 5 things into your dumbbell exercise routine to get the most ! from you r dumbbell training:

Lift Heavier Dumbbells

Pick exercises that require large muscle groups from competition. Using big muscles means you can use heavier weights. Using heavier dumbbells causes more muscle growth. You'll expend more energy, which means more fat loss. Plus, the increased strength leads to performance improvement.

Just think about it, compare the benefits of squatting with heavy dumbbell (which requires the entire lower body to perform) to doing a bicep curl with a relatively light weight.

Perform Unilateral Dumbbell Exercises

Performing your dumbbell routine one limb at a time has many benefits. For one, you can use a heavier weight because your body recruits more muscles to help with the lift. (This is called bilateral deficit.) More muscles used and heavier weights means more muscle.

The time for each set during the dumbbell routine is doubled. (Since you first perform the exercise with one arm or leg, and then the other.! ) This results in greater energy expenditure. Translation: unilateral dumbbell training burns more fat!

Perform Alternating Dumbbell Exercises

Most dumbbell exercises can be performed in an alternating fashion. Instead of lifting or pushing the weight with both arms at the same time, you first do one and then the other. This alternating pattern more closely relates movement patterns encountered in sport, work and life activities.

Compare this to performing an exercise on a machine where you are in an unnatural position performing an activity foreign to your natural environment. I think you'll agree, the benefits are self evident.

Your Dumbbell Routine Should Include Grinding, Explosive and Combo Lifts

There are many types of dumbbell lifts you can include in your exercise routine. You should include all of them. Some examples are grinding lifts like presses and squats, explosive lifts like swings and snatches and combo lifts like the clean and ! press.

The combination of these dumbbell exercises does ! more tha n just build muscular strength and explosive power. They strengthen the heart and lungs, burn fat and force the body to function as one complete unit. So, not only does your body benefit from the appearance benefits, but performance is greatly improved as well.

Perform Dumbbell Exercises Targeting Muscle Growth, Fat Loss And Cardio Improvement

As hinted at above, your dumbbell exercise routine can build muscle, burn fat and improve cardiorespiratory endurance SIMULTANEOUSLY! Talk about getting the most from your training time. If you only have a short time to work out, using dumbbells to target many improvements is the way to go.

I just want to leave you with this. Most men and women struggle to find time to work out. It is very important you don't waste your training time. So, if you want fast results like more muscle, less fat and improved performance, look no further than a properly designed dumbbell exercise routine.

Coach Eddie Lomax, author of S! uperior Dumbbell Workout, invites you to explore the body transforming power of proper dumbbell exercise and learn the 5 hidden secrets of dumbbell workouts.

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Real Estate Investing and Foreclosure

Dumbbell Workouts - Your 3 Best Options

Have you ever looked for dumbbell workouts on the internet or in books and magazines? If you have, I'm sure you've come across "typical" dumbbell workouts. You know the kind I'm talking about, dumbbell exercises targeting small muscles with light weight dumbbells like the bodybuilders do.

Well, I've got some news for you. The "typical" dumbbell workout doesn't even scratch the surface of what true dumbbell training has to offer. It actually distresses me to see this powerful exercise tool underused like it is. People are missing the fantastic results of proper dumbbell workouts like more muscle, stronger muscles, less fat, better cardiorespiratory conditioning and a body that performs as good as it looks.

Ok, for those of you who don't know what a "typical" dumbbell workout is, here is an example:

Dumbbell Lunges 3 sets of 10 repetitions

Dumbbell Flys 3 sets of 10 repetitions

Dumbbell Military Press 3 sets of 10 repetitions

Dumbbell Cur! ls 3 sets of 10 repetitions

Dumbbell Kickbacks 3 sets of 10 repetitions

Then do 30 minutes of your favorite aerobic exercise.

Does this dumbbell workout look familiar?

Ok, doing the above dumbbell workout isn't terrible. But it doesn't compare to the muscle building, fat blasting, heart and lung improving dumbbell workouts I'm about to describe. It is my hope that after seeing these dumbbell workouts, your eyes will be open to the tremendous possibilities of dumbbell exercise and how proper dumbbell workout can help you reach your fitness, fat loss and physique building goals!

Dumbbell Workout Option #1: Super Sets

A super set is when you do two dumbbell exercises back to back. So, instead of doing one set, resting and then doing another set of the same exercise, you'll change exercises. You can either rest between exercises, or do one exercise immediately after the other and then resting between supersets. Either way super sets are very ! beneficial.

Why?

Super sets allow you to do a grea! t deal o f work in a short period of time without sacrificing your performance. To take full advantage of supersets, I pick two non-competing exercises for each superset. So, the muscles used for the first exercise rest while you perform the second exercise. This allows you to get through the workout quickly!

I like to do dumbbell workouts using super sets with grinding dumbbell exercises like presses, rows, squats and deadlifts. Not only do I get all the muscle building power of these exercises, but the fast pace improves cardiorespiratory endurance and burns fat as well!

Dumbbell Workout Option #2: Timed Circuits

A circuit is when you perform a series of dumbbell exercises in a row one after the other. Normally, you would do a certain number of repetitions for each exercise before moving on to the next. But with a timed circuit, you perform one dumbbell exercise for time (like 30 seconds) and then move on to the next exercise and perform for the same amount of tim! e. I like to do dumbbell workouts using timed circuits with explosive dumbbell exercises.

Why?

Explosive dumbbell exercises build muscles with extraordinary power, but also use a lot of energy. This is important because you can keep (or build) muscle while stripping away performance robbing, appearance destroying fat. Plus, the fast pace of the workout builds powerful heart and lungs.

Dumbbell Workout Option #3: Peripheral Heart Action

Peripheral Heart Action training is like circuits where you alternate between upper body and lower body exercises. The fast pace and alternating fashion of this workout allows you to attack your muscles, heart and lungs all at the same time. I like to do peripheral heart action dumbbell workout where I rotate between grinding dumbbell exercises and explosive dumbbell exercises.

Why?

Rotating between these two types of dumbbell exercises forces you to perform strength exercises when under cardiorespiratory s! tress, and explosive exercises when under muscular stress. The! result? A dumbbell workout that combines muscular strength AND cardiorespiratory endurance and prepares you to meet the challenges of sport, work and life with excellence. You'll truly be prepared for anything that comes your way. Plus, that ugly fat melts away!

As you can see, the dumbbell workouts I describe are quite different from the "typical" dumbbell workout above. And the differences make these dumbbell workouts so effective. So, this leaves only one question. "Are you getting the most out of your dumbbell workouts?"

Coach Eddie Lomax, author of Superior Dumbbell Workout, invites you to learn the 5 hidden secrets of dumbbell workout routines and start performing dumbbell workouts that simultaneously build strong muscle, boost cardiorespiratory endurance and burn fat!

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About Weight Loss Diets

Building Muscle And Increasing Your Metabolism

As we age you have read multiple articles by now on how we all loose lean muscle mass. Due to the loss of muscle, not only do day to day activities become more difficult but our bodies metabolism slows down as well. When the metabolism slows down our bodies do not burn the calories like it once did therefore we begin to see a gain in body weight.

When we were younger you were able to stay lean as your lean body mass was much higher in other words you had more muscle to burn those calories. You also were much more active and your body required the nourishment. Its important to keep exercise going through out your lifetime. Weight training is the type of exercise needed to keep muscle from loosing its strength and maintaining its function. Its been proven that weight training at any age can be beneficial and in fact you can increase its size as well. As we age we will not build the muscle at the rate we did in our teenage years, but it can be accomplished.

There! is more to it then just picking up a weight and throwing it around. There must be a proper technique used for instance, the right amount of resistance used has to be considered as well. If you have injuries they must be compensated for, be sure to check with your doctor before starting any exercise program once you reach 40 for most individuals.

The type of exercises you can do are what are called compound movements or exercises. They work multiple muscle groups using one exercise. The most basic compound movements are the bench press, squat, and the deadlift. There are others as well but these three if they are done alone will be sufficient to keep your body fined tuned and to keep your lean muscle mass high. It also helps to throw in some cardiovascular work as well but to maintain strength and muscle, weight training is the way to go.

Complete these three exercises for 3-4 sets each 10-15 reps, some may prefer 8-10 just use a weight that at the end of the re! p count is sufficient to fatigue the muscle group you have tar! geted.

These exercises can be completed to start with three times a week. As you become more advanced, you can increase the number of days you lift and add different types of exercises as the body will adapt quickly to the same movements.

Proper nutrition is important and that is a subject in itself as well. Every one of us as we age should be adding a weight training program to our schedule to help combat the breakdown that is coming if you do not keep yourself strong. Pay the price now to improve your health or pay the doctor for the prescriptions that you will need to survive.

Richard Haynes
LPTA/CPT
Punta Gorda, Florida. 33950

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Home Based Business Articles

Back Support in Office Chairs

Most of the time back issues are caused by a bad chair at the office and sitting incorrectly. Without back support in your office chair, long periods of sitting can cause considerable pain in the lower back. Incorrect back support also results in sitting with a poor posture. This causes stress in the soft tissues and joints in the spine.

The long periods we sit at the office are not the only contributing factor to lower back pain, as sitting in general also has an effect on posture. Think about your drive to work, when you get home in the evenings, watching T.V. etc. The way you sit is crucial to the cause of back pain. Hunching over or slouching will shift one's weight forward or backward, increasing the stress on the soft tissue. Placing stress on your soft tissue, joints and discs can cause further pain in your legs.

At the bottom of your spine, where it curves naturally inward towards your belly, is where you find the lordotic curve. Having a chair with lu! mber back support fills in the space between your lordotic curve and spine. Make sure your office chair has this type of support as it is crucial in preventing back pain.

The lumber back supports your spine as well as controls your posture. When you start sitting, your intention might be to control your posture in the correct position, but as the hours pass your body tires and relaxes, which results in your spine settling into a bad posture.

With the lumbar support the muscles can relax but your posture is still held. To take the strain off your neck, ensure that your elbows are supported as well. Elbows should be able to rest comfortable at the right angle.

Legs should be bent, with a footrest if necessary to elevate the feet the right height. In relation to the computer your eyes should look straight at the screen. You can create these angles by adjusting your chair. Most ! chairs do offer different levels of height and options for the! back-re st.

To check if your measurements are correct, start off by making sure that your elbows are at the correct height. Sit close to your desk and rest your hands on the work surface. Check if your elbows are at a 90-degree angle. If they aren't, adjust the height of the chair.

Once this is complete, check to make sure that your poor posture isn't coming from your thighs. If you can easily slide your fingers under your thigh at the edge of the chair, then that is the perfect height. If it is a bit of a squeeze or impossible, then perhaps you should invest in a foot stool or something to place under your feet to bring them up to the right height.

Your back should be pressed against the back of your chair. If you find you sit like this and you have difficulty in bending your knees, your chair is too deep. Either adjust the backrest closer to the front or insert a pillow in between the chair and your back.

Make sure that you don't sit for prolonged hours in ! your chair. Sitting static is not recommended so rather stand, stretch or walk around a bit every half an hour. Overall moving about on a regular basis will help your joints, ligaments, and muscles and loosen your tendons .

You can look into an alterative office chair, such as Swedish kneeling chair or exercise ball. However the majority of back problems can be avoided without having to invest in a new chair or workspace. By making the correct adjustments to your chair, remembering to stretch and ensuring the correct posture, back problems should not be an issue in the workplace.

Celeste writes for Office and Workplace Service, who specialise information about the Employment Industry.

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Fast Weight Loss

Tips For Muscle Building

As people age, they begin to complain more of pains in their muscles and joints. They seem to stiffen up with age, and such commonplace activities as bending over for the morning paper can make them wince.

Such discomfort can grip so fiercely that they are sure it begins deep in their bones. But the real cause of stiffness and soreness lies not in the joints or bones, according to research at the Johns Hopkins Medical School, but in the muscles and connective tissues that move the joints.

The frictional resistance generated by the two rubbing surfaces of bones in the joints is negligible, even in joints damaged by arthritis.

Flexibility is the medical term used to describe the range of a joint's motion from full movement in one direction to full movement in the other. The greater the range of movement, the more flexible the joint.

If you bend forward at the hips and touch your toes with your fingertips, you have good flexibility, or range of motion! of the hip joints. But can you bend over easily with a minimal expenditure of energy and force? The exertion required to flex a joint is just as important as its range of possible motion.

Different factors limit the flexibility and ease of movement in different joints and muscles. In the elbow and knee, the bony structure itself sets a definite limit. In other joints, such as the ankle, hip, and back, the soft tissue-muscle and connective tissue-limit the motion range.

The problem of inflexible joints and muscles is similar to the difficulty of opening and closing a gate because of a rarely used and rusty hinge that has become balky.

Hence, if people do not regularly move their muscles and joints through their full ranges of motion, they lose some of their potential. That is why when these people will try to move a joint after a long period of inactivity, they feel pain, and that discourages further use

What happens next is that the muscles become s! hortened with prolonged disuse and produces spasms and cramps ! that can be irritating and extremely painful. The immobilization of muscles, as researchers have demonstrated with laboratory animals, brings about biochemical changes in the tissue.

However, other factors trigger sore muscles. Here are some of them:

1. Too much exercise

Have you always believed on the saying, "No pain, no gain?" If you do, then, it is not so surprising if you have already experienced sore muscles.

The problem with most people is that they exercise too much thinking that it is the fastest and the surest way to lose weight. Until they ache, they tend to ignore their muscles and connective tissue, even though they are what quite literally holds the body together.

2. Aging and inactivity

Connective tissue binds muscle to bone by tendons, binds bone to bone by ligaments, and covers and unites muscles with sheaths called fasciae. With age, the tendons, ligaments, and fasciae become less extensible. The tendons, with their densely packe! d fibers, are the most difficult to stretch. The easiest are the fasciae. But if they are not stretched to improve joint mobility, the fasciae shorten, placing undue pressure on the nerve pathways in the muscle fasciae. Many aches and pains are the result of nerve impulses traveling along these pressured pathways.

3. Immobility

Sore muscles or muscle pain can be excruciating, owing to the body's reaction to a cramp or ache. In this reaction, called the splinting reflex, the body automatically immobilizes a sore muscle by making it contract. Thus, a sore muscle can set off a vicious cycle pain.

First, an unused muscle becomes sore from exercise or being held in an unusual position. The body then responds with the splinting reflex, shortening the connective tissue around the muscle. This cause more pain, and eventually the whole area is aching. One of the most common sites for this problem is the lower back.

4. Spasm theory

In the physiology labo! ratory at the University of Southern California, some people h! ave set out to learn more about this cycle of pain.

Using some device, they measured electrical activity in the muscles. The researchers knew that normal, well-relaxed muscles produce no electrical activity, whereas, muscles that are not fully relaxed show considerable activity.

In one experiment, the researchers measured these electrical signals in the muscles of persons with athletic injuries, first with the muscle immobilized, and then, after the muscle had been stretched.

In almost every case, exercises that stretched or lengthened the muscle diminished electrical activity and relieved pain, either totally or partially.

These experiments led to the "spasm theory," an explanation of the development and persistence of muscle pain in the absence of any obvious cause, such as traumatic injury.

According to this theory, a muscle that is overworked or used in a strange position becomes fatigued and as a result, sore muscles.

Hence, it is extremely i! mportant to know the limitations and capacity of the muscles in order to avoid sore muscles. This goes to show that there is no truth in the saying, "No pain, no gain." What matters most is on how people stay fit by exercising regularly at a normal range than once rarely but on a rigid routine.

That is why it is important to build muscle and do it in an educated way to avoid muscle stiffness and discomfort while working out. Check out our link in the resource box for a scientific way to build muscle without the stiffness.

Dr. Alan Jenks is a health care specialist looking for ways to improve muscle building. For more information check out http://www.weightlosschronicles.com/

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Alternative Medicine Articles

What Is The Single Biggest Mistake Made In Abs Training?

This may not be what you think it is. The biggest mistake people make is not dealing with fat as a whole. They spend hours doing reps and crunches. All too quickly they get burnt out and as a consequence lose motivation. The mistakes they are making, is trying to get those abs to be exposed without dealing with weight and fat loss as a whole.

You cannot isolate fat as such. You need to understand what is taking place in your body. Why the fat is happening. You need to approach the problem with the big picture in mind. Overall fat loss will result in a flat stomach period. It will also result in better health, improved energy and glowing skin.

What you need to do is design a work out program that will work for you. You will need information on diet, nutrition and exercise programs. You will have to start reading the labels relative to the food you purchase. You will need to understand what is involved in those ingredients and how it affects the human body.

You will have to take a step back and observe what is taking place in your daily life. You will need to openly discuss what you are doing with your loved ones. They need to know what you are doing so all of you can work together to understand what is at stake.

Your success is directly related to your own understanding. When you understand yourself you will be able to see clearly why you have belly fat, through this understanding no one will have to tell you what to do, you will automatically do it for yourself. Simply put you will understand the problem directly as it relates to you and what you do from day to day.

To learn more on how to lose abdominal fat select one of the links below. You will also get a Free Bonus ebook - "Training & Nutrition Insider Secrets for a Lean-Body".

Finally The Right Way To Lose Belly Fat - starting today! You can also learn how to get Six Pack Abs. Do! You Kno w The Hidden Dangers of Your Excess Abdominal Fat?

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Fast Weight Loss

Tips For the Best Way to Gain Weight

Many people who are looking to gain weight will find it almost as difficult to keep it on as those people who are trying to lose it and then prevent it from being gained again. In this article we provide you with some useful tips which are the best way to gain weight.

#1 - Take things slowly.

Instead of you having addition snacks on the odd occasion, what you should be attempting to do is regularly take in more calories than you would normally and that your body is unable to burn. Plus as well as increasing the number of calories you should also look at carrying out some kind of toning exercises as well.

Also set yourself goals which you can realistically achieve, so say that you are going to gain on average a 1kg each month. In order for you to achieve this particular goal you will need to increase the amount of calories that you have each day. Should be trying to consume an additional 300 to 350 calories each day. But you should still ensure that the c! alories you consume are part of a healthy well balanced diet and don't think that including fried foods or chocolate in to your diet is the best way.

#2 - Keep a food diary

Keeping this kind of diary will help you learn more about what you eat and when you eat and should be done for 2 weeks. Then you will be able to see what areas of your diet you can make improvements on and where you can start to include the additional calories you need to take in order to increase your weight.

#3 - Meal Times

Instead of trying to eat a few really big meals what you should be planning to do is ensure that you have three meals regularly each day and then include a couple of snacks as well. However the snacks should be healthy ones and avoid sweets, chocolate and other foods which although high in calories are extremely bad for your health. Also try to increase the sizes of the meals that you have. So in the morning for breakfast have an additional slice of toast or ! drink grape juice rather than orange juice. Then if you are ha! ving eit her pasta or potatoes with your lunch or evening meal than include an additional spoonful of these on to your plate.

#4 - Exercise

When it comes to the best way to gain weight you need to include some form of exercise in to your regime. Doing exercise will not only help to burn calories, but is also great for helping your bones to remain strong and the muscles within the body toned. The more toned a persons muscles are the more they will weigh.

Are you looking for the best way to gain weight?

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Alternative Medicine Articles

Lose Belly Fat and Get the Six Pack You've Always Dreamed Of

If you ask most people what part of their body they are most unhappy with, many of them will respond with their stomach. There are many people who are less than happy with the appearance of their stomach. Some want to lose the belly fat that has accumulated over the years and some want to finally achieve that six pack that has been just out of reach for some time.

Although many people covet a tight stomach for the sake of vanity, in reality having a toned stomach is actually quite healthy. Scientific studies have proven that people who have more belly fat are more prone to develop a variety of different physical problems.

So, it is important that you learn how you can get rid of your belly fat and finally get the six pack that you've always dreamed of.

When striving to achieve six pack abs you must understand what the underlying issue is. The issue in this case is fat. A lot of us naturally have more fat deposits around our belly. Keeping in mind that fa! t is the issue we need to work on reducing this fat.

This is going to involve diet and exercise. Let's begin with exercise. When exercising we must treat our body as a whole. We cannot just focus on the areas where we desire to lose fat. You can do all the crunches you want but if you are not treating your body as a whole then you will not achieve your overall goal and that is to lose fat.

Diet and exercise go hand in hand. You need to increase the amount of fresh food you eat. In the morning eat fresh fruit. Drink lots of water. Then make your self a whole grain cereal. It is preferable to eat fruit in the morning as fruit goes through your body very fast. You do not want to hold it up with other solids. If you want to lose belly fat and get six pack abs, then half the battle is going to be eating right. Research what food is good for losing fat and put together a diet plan that will work for you.

Select one of the links below to get a Free Bonus ebook - ! Training & Nutrition Insider Secrets for a Lean-Body.

Fi! nally Th e Right Way To Lose Belly Fat. - starting today! You can also learn how to get Six Pack Abs. Do You Know The Hidden Dangers of Your Excess Abdominal Fat?

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Weight Loss

Truth About Training The Abdominal Muscles The Right Way

First of all, if you are going to work on losing stomach fat and developing your abdominal muscles, you'll need to understand more about these muscles. This group of muscles includes 6 different muscles that actually provide you movement and support for your trunk. They also help you to breathe as well.

These muscles are so important because they help to provide support for your posture and developing these muscles will give you the six pack look you have been wanting. Not only do healthy and fit abdominal muscles look great, but they can also take a huge amount of strain off your back as well.

First and foremost it begins with eating right. If you want to lose belly fat and get an attractive six pack, then half the battle is going to be eating right. You'll need to eat the right foods to help you keep away the belly fat and foods that promote muscles as well. The following are a few tips that will help you eat right so you can get a better looking stomach.

Eat Fruits Instead of Unhealthy Snacks - Go with salads. You do not want to go with those high calorie foods. Drink more water and less soda. Maybe you are unaware of the fact that sodas contain a lot of calories but they can also cause bloating. If you are a meat eater go with lean meats. This can include chicken, turkey and fish. The goal is to increase protein without taking in lots of calories.

Select one of the links below to get a Free Bonus ebook - Training & Nutrition Insider Secrets for a Lean-Body.

Finally The Right Way To Lose Belly Fat. - starting today! You can also learn how to get Six Pack Abs. Do You Know The Hidden Dangers of Your Excess Abdominal Fat?

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About Weight Loss Diets

Bodybuilding Exercise for A Non-Bodybuilder

Bodybuilding always is a serious workout. Though most people think that bodybuilding can only be achieved through serious execution of the exercises, reaping benefits by having fun during an exercise is better. Its not only your muscles which are growing and developing the right way; but the dedication and love for this sport also increases.

Gym sessions and exercises don't appeal much to many. If you are a dedicated bodybuilder and that doing this brings you a step closer to your goal of becoming a professional bodybuilder; then, good for you. A little more patience and dedication will certainly bring you what you really want. But what would happen if you are not an aspiring bodybuilder? What if you are not a health buff to be specific and going to the gym or doing at least a figure of exercise for several minutes in a day is too much for you? Shouldn't you be worried?

The truth to this is that we all should be worried of our health regardless of the intensit! y of interest we have towards exercising. It is but the most natural way of staying fit and maintaining the hospital bills to a zilch. But the underlying problem as to why, still up to now, there are many people who suffer from illnesses such as heart failure, stroke and others. The answer can be traced back on the type of lifestyle a person has been living all his life.

If fixing yourself a simple, healthy, nutrition-packed breakfast is too much of a chore for you, and resorting to pizza and burgers instead is much preferred; you are actually doubling up your exercise needs. First things first, bodybuilding aren't only for bodybuilders. There are simple exercises a person can take one day a time and still have a lot of time left for other things to accomplish. Stay on the healthy side of life and don't think that bodybuilding is too much of a chore for you. Better yet, don't think of it as a chore because when you actually enjoy what you do, your body is going to giv! e back the benefits which is actually what we all deserve in t! he first place.

Shareen Aguilar is a writer for Bodybuilding Training Program which has information on Bodybuilding and other fitness topics.

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play games online

Build Bigger Muscles - The Scrawny Shrimp Way

Gaining muscle mass is easier than you think for skinny guys. I bet you are just disappointed that you haven't gained much weight in spite of eating a lot of food. And of course it's strange that someone would think of GAINING weight in a world that is trying to LOSE weight. Huh?

And you probably had it up to here with well meaning friends and "experts" at the health club telling you how to gain muscle weight.

"You have to eat like a pig."
"You eat like a bird and that is why you can't gain weight"
"You have to eat more than your body can metabolize to gain weight"
Or even the oldie but goody... "Mind over matter"

A pox on them I say...

I am going to stop here and ask you not to shoot the messenger. But... they are kind of right. I may have been one of those people who have said these things to you. But the real problem with these analogies is they have been repeated to death and kind of lost the real meaning of what you need to do to g! et any significant muscle and weight gains.

And you are probably like me, just climbing the steep wall trying to gain a measly ounce. And miserably failing year after year.

The real truth of the matter is we are genetically destined to be skinny. We have high metabolism and don't put on pounds as easily as some guys do. And boy doesn't that piss you off some of the guys can put on muscle mass just by watching TV? OK. I kid but some guys just pack on pounds without much effort. But not us...

Now repeat after me... "It isn't your fault that you are a skinny guy."

But I have great news for you! I have seen and talked to others were skinny guys all their lives and now are hard gainers with the guns. If you know what I mean. After talking with them, I have gained more than 40 pounds. I'm the heaviest I have ever been and boy, my own mother was surprised when she saw me recently...

So I am going to do some of the hard work for you today and give you ! 4 weight gaining tips that sure helped me get the body I have ! today.

First of all, you must accept the fact that scrawny shrimps like us has to follow a whole completely different set of rules than all those muscle guys you see at the gym.

And that means quit taking weight-gaining advice from those guys who are blessed with a body that packs on muscles like there is no tomorrow. It is like comparing apples to oranges. And it is just going to frustrate you because they speak one language and your body speaks another. Capisce?

And definitely stay away from the doomsayers. Mr. Negativity is just going to make you lose your motivation. I remember when I was a teenage and asked my family Doctor how to gain weight, he said "it was impossible."

So stay away from those who say it can't be done. They are not going to help you now because you are going to prove them wrong.

So let's get started now...

1. Look at your usually meal portions -- and increase that by a factor of 2. Sorry buddy, you are going to have to eat ! more. There is no other way around it. You can't gain muscles without more food. It is just that simple. When you prepare your foods, prepare two servings instead of one. This is the muscle building diet for you.

2. Eat every 3-4 hours. It is the most efficient way for your body to grow if you feed it regularly and don't allow any period of time, which there isn't any carbs, good fats or good quality protein in your stomach feeding your muscles.

3. Use oversized eating utensils and dishes. They make your food look smaller. Remember, mind over matter. Sorry! Couldn't resist... :)

4. Don't go to the gym and workout with your stomach growling at you. It means you have no food in your system and when you workout, your muscles are going to metabolize itself. And surprise! No weight or muscle gain. Big tip, even if you are not feeling hungry... eat something that sticks to your ribs anyway... You will be glad and thank me later for this quick muscle tip... This ! is your muscle building workouts -- EAT some food before you g! o into t he gym!

5. Be sure to chew and swallow good quality foods with good proteins, good fats and good calories. This is the kind of muscle building foods you MUST eat. AVOID junk foods with empty calories! If you are serious about gaining weight, listen to me now or listen to me later... It's your choice.

6. When you workout, your body is in a negative calorie situation. So you MUST feed your muscles with a protein and carb drink.

7. Never, ever, ever stop eating good quality foods! Train yourself to eat more foods and pretty soon you will get used to it.

And there you go, 7 great tips to get you started on muscle and weight gains. I know I said I would only give you four tips... So sue me. :)

Matt Taylor is a recognized authority on the subject of health fat-loss and fitness. His web site at http://www.healthy-weight-loss-fitness-program.com/skinny-guy.html provides a wealth of informative articles, fat-loss book review and resources on everything you'll ever need about No More Skinny Guy!

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Articles about Women s Interests.

The Dark Secret About Adding One Inch To Your Arm Size

The internet is filled with hundreds of websites, articles and forum posts all focused on one thing: How to add one inch to your arm size.

There's even a program that claims to pack one inch on your arms in just 24 hours.

But today, I'm going to cut through the hype and reveal the deep, dark secret about what it really takes to pack a full inch on your arms.

First things first.

Most Arm Measurements Are 100% B.S.

The muscle magazines are full of pictures and stories about guys with "22-inch guns".

But the sad truth is that most guys "stretch the truth" when reporting their bicep measurements. They slip a finger under the tape measure, leave the tape a little bit loose... and just like that you've got a bogus arm measurement.

So don't get discouraged if you feel like your arms don't quite measure up. You might actually be a lot closer than you think.

The Fastest Way To Add Arm Size Is To Work Your Triceps

Many trainers ! don't know this but the muscles of the triceps actually make up about 66% of the size of your arm.

Your bicep muscles only account for about 1/3 of your total arm size. So the fastest way to "beef up your guns" is to work the muscle that makes up the largest portion of your total arm.

Add Leg Work To Increase Arm Size

The body seems to have built-in mechanisms that prevent the body parts from becoming grossly dis-proportionate.

Many guys skip leg training and focus only on the beach muscles, like chest and biceps.

While they may see some quick results, progress will grind to a halt because the body does not want to become disproportionate.

Many guys will see a sudden surge in arm size once they start working their legs with the same intensity they use to work their arms.

Finally, Here's The Deep Dark Secret About Adding An Inch To Your Arms

You won't read this in any bodybuilding magazine.

All the "gurus" conveniently om! it this fact. But here's the dark, dirty truth.

If you r! eally wa nt to add an inch to your arms, you will have to add 10-15lbs of muscle mass.

If you weigh 165 pounds and have 15 inch guns, you can do all the curls you want but you probably won't stretch the tape at 16 inches until the scale registers 175 -180 lbs.

This isn't what most guys want to hear. Most guys want to hear that you can pack an inch of muscle on to your biceps by taking some magic supplement or trying to magical one day cure.

The Truth (While Painful) Will Set You Free

Now that you know the truth about what it really takes to pack size onto your arms, you can forget about all those silly instant arm size solutions.

And you can focus on adding lean, quality mass. And as your whole body grows larger and more muscular, your arms will grow too.

Here are few quick tips for adding lean, quality mass:

1) Consume 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight daily

Your body needs protein to grow... and lots of it. If you fail to h! it your daily protein target your growth will suffer.

2) Brief, Basis Weight Training Workouts

Stick with compound exercises (squats, deadlifts, bench press, dips, pull-ups) and fight to increase your strength every week.

3) Allow ample recovery time

Your muscles don't grow in the gym. They grow when your work out ends. Your body goes to work to rebuild the muscles bigger and stronger.

Don't short-circuit the system by lifting again too soon.

Follow these three tips and you'll not only gain lean muscle mass but your arms will grow too.

************************************************************************ Matt Marshall is not a personal trainer or a professional bodybuilder. He's just a former skinny guy who figured out how average guys can build muscle and develop outstanding physiques. To see his blog, go to http://www.AverageWhiteDude.com

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Fast Weight Loss

How Convicts Get Buff

How do maximum security prisoners manage to add muscle?

I've often wondered about this. And recently, a customer gave me a very important clue to this puzzle.

Here's the deal:

First of all, it's important to note that the idea of huge, muscular prisoners is very much a "Hollywood" image.

In real prisons, not every convict is 6'5 and 320lbs of shredded muscle. However, many guys do manage to gain a substantial amount of muscle when entering prison.

How do they do it? What is the muscle-building key that we can learn from prisoners?

Letter From A Maximum Security Prison

One of my customers teaches at a maximum security prison. He wrote me a letter that brought up an interesting point.

He noted that convicts 1) work out a lot, 2) eat a lot... but also that they...

Sleep More Than The Average Guy!

Think about it. There's not a whole lot to do on the "inside" so many prisoners probably get extra sleep.

Could Sle! ep Really Be The Secret To Massive Gains?

If you think sleep couldn't possibly be the key to muscular growth, let's examine what occurs during sleep.

When you catch some zzzz's your body finally gets a chance to repair and rebuild your cells.

30-45 minute after you enter dreamland, your body starts to release Human Growth Hormone or HGH. If that term sounds familiar it's because many steroid-users illegally take extra HGH for massive muscle gains.

Growth Hormone is powerful hormone that increases muscle mass, repairs cells, strengthens the immune system... among a host of other benefits.

Steroid-users shell out between $500-$4,000 a month for HGH... but your body releases a natural supply every night. So get those zzz's in.

The Key To Gaining Weight

If you are a naturally skinny guy and you want to gain weight, getting some extra sleep could be the puzzle piece you've been missing.

But don't take my word for it.

Take it ! from a guy who knows a little something about gaining weight.

Mu sashimaru, a famous sumo wrester, was once asked how he grew from 290lbs to a staggering 520lbs.

He explained that sumo wrestlers sleep immediately after eating to insure slow digestion of their food and maximum retention of muscle mass.

Action Points

Hopefully this article has opened your eyes to importance of sleep. Here are two take-away points for you to consider.

#1) For maximum muscle gains, try your best to get a full night of sleep each night. Some people believe that the hours of sleep obtained before midnight are more effective than the sleep after midnight so try to get to bed earlier.

#2) Whenever possible, try and and squeeze in a 20 minute nap after your workouts (after your post-workout meal).

Most of us don't have the time for a post-workout nap but if you can squeeze it in (even once in a while) it can help recovery and aid you in your quest to gain muscle.

************************************************************! ************ Matt Marshall is not a personal trainer or a professional bodybuilder. He's just a former skinny guy who figured out how average guys can build muscle and develop outstanding physiques. You can read his blog by visiting http://www.AverageWhiteDude.com

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Articles about Women s Interests.

5 Ways Muscle Grows

1. Gobble up good food! Muscle growth requires particular nutrients before and after your workouts! Read more about workout supplementation here.

2. Rest between workouts. I cringe whenever I hear someone bragging that he lifts "7 days a week." First of all, if you have the ability to lift seven days a week, you are NOT working out with enough intensity and your training volume per workout is probably also inadequate.

Secondly, your body needs time to heal itself before you break it down again! Without recovery, you never build back stronger! The rule of thumb is to wait 48 hours between body parts and at least 24 hours between weight-lifting sessions. For example, doing Back and Biceps on one day and then Legs 24 hours later is okay, but doing Back and Biceps one day and following that workout with a general upper body workout is a problem. Many experts recommend that athletes avoid consecutive upper body days; however, I feel I have personally achieved good ! results bending that rule.

3. Oppress Stress! Freaking out about little insignificant things is a source of muscle-muting stress and is also associated with the release of stress hormones, like cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone that tells your body to break down muscle and make sugar-YUCK!

4. Work! Muscle will not grow without an overload, meaning that the muscle must be stressed by factors including:

1) Heavy weights;

2) High volume;

3) Low rest periods; and/or

) Novel exercises. Though recovery is vital, muscle cannot grow stronger without a reason to, so work it!

5. Sleep! Hormones, and growth hormone in particular, are secreted based on sleep-wake cycles. If you do not sleep enough, your body will not send out the signals that tell your muscles to grow. Stick to a strict sleep schedule-your body will thank you!

Jean Jitomir MS, RD is an experienced nutrition coach, physique competitor, and Exercise Nutrition Ph.D. stu! dent. She write fitness and nutrition articles and blogs regul! arly at http://builtnutrition.blogspot.com

Her personal website is:

http://www.jeanjitomir.com

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Weight Loss Supplements

Six Pack Abs

Six pack abs don't come by mail order unfortunately, you have to work at them. Anyone who tells you that you can have a six pack in a week is talking about cosmetic surgery not exercise. If you truly believe that you could put in the effort to get ripped abs, then you can strike one up for determination. Determination and a positive attitude will only take you so far, the hard part is sticking to the workouts, even when you want to skip a session.

There are many exercises which will help you achieve a great six pack, but did you know that doing these exercises wrong can either have no effect or worse, they can injure you? It's true; so many people every year just have the thought of getting fit and working on the stomach muscles like a madman. If you have ever torn a muscle during exercise you were probably told to rest the injury for am couple of weeks, not everyone does this. People have injured themselves through using the wrong techniques and continued to train ! regardless. This is taking the expression "no pain no gain" to extremes, a little pain whilst training is ok, but never try to work through an injury.

Sit ups used to be the only stomach exercise people used to obtain six pack abs, unfortunately these only worked a fraction of the muscle group. Abdominal crunches are a good all round technique for the muscles and can only be varied slightly. After extensive research, fitness instructors and medical professionals have found many exercises which will help to build those all important stomach muscles. Abs blasting crunch, seated jack knife, abs bench crunch, hanging knee ups to name but a few.

If you want to get six pack abs, think positively, set aside time to exercise and make sure that you warm up properly.

You may not always see the results within the first couple of weeks, after a month to six weeks you will start to see improvements, if you stick to the proper training.

Above all, if you are exerc! ising at home, train safely and follow a good guide.

For! more in formation on how to get a great six pack click - Six Pack Abs

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Alternative Medicine Articles

How Do You Get A Six Pack?

If you are wondering how do you get a six pack, do not worry because you are certainly not the only one. People all around the world ask this same question everyday.

What you must keep in mind is that is that there is no easy way to get a six pack. Any infomercial or advertisement claiming to get you a six pack with minimum exercise is just fooling you.

Now with that in mind, let me tell you what the truth is. To answer the question of "how do you get a six pack", three basic principles must be applied. If you stick to these basic three principles I guarantee that you will have a six pack in just a month.

Principle number one is doing the right exercises and training them at the right time. You want to train your abdominals every second day. Much like any other muscle in your body, they too need rest in order to recover and become stronger. The exercises you choose should workout all the muscles in your midsection. By doing this you build every muscle an! d thus helps you to achieve the six pack look. For example one workout could consist of crunches, reverse crunches and side crunches. These crunches workout both lower abs, upper abs and the obliques.

The next principle is dieting. Now before you hit the back button disgusted at the simple though of it, let me explain to you why it does not have to be that bad. The simple fact is that eating right does not mean eating food that has no taste. There are hundreds of recipes that are low fat, low carbohydrate and taste amazing. I know this for a fact. Since I started cooking my own healthy meals, I have discovered how good healthy food can actually taste. Most importantly however, it keeps your body fat percentage down. This is critical for achieving the sexy six pack look.

Last but certainly not least is the principle of cardio. Depending on your current weight, height and metabolism you will require some sort of cardio to ensure a low body fat percentage. For some! people 20 minutes a day is just fine. For others 1 hour may b! e requir ed. One thing to keep in mind is that cardio can be kept interesting with the help of music and alternating the type of cardio. This could involve running, riding, skipping or rowing.

Now I know I have not given you a guide on exactly how to do everything I have talked about. This is because I think the best way for you to learn is the same way that I did. There are some amazing books that you can purchase that answer your question of "how do you get a six pack". If you are willing to pay a very affordable price then click here to go to the review page that helped me.

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Fast Weight Loss

The Fast Way to Show Off Your Six Pack Abs and Build Abdominal Muscles

Why don't you have "killer abs" or that "6 pack" Abdominal Muscles?

Ask any woman what is the sexiest part of a male body is and most of the time, they will tell you it's the six pack abs. This means your abdominal muscles showing up with beautiful definition. The abdomen muscles are widely considered to be a very sexy and a symbol of health and fitness. Women are unconsciously drawn to men who are the healthiest and most fit because it is a primordial sign that the man is strong enough to protect her and her offspring. Rippling six pack abs are one such indication. So don't be surprised when you are to the gym and you see dozens of men of all ages doing hundreds of sit ups, crunches and leg raisers in the hope of obtaining the much desirable six pack abs. Sadly though, most men will never see their abdominal muscles in their magnificent brilliance. Why? The following fitness tip will show you why.

Listen up carefully. You may do a zillion leg raisers, then an! other million crunches a day, but as long as there is a layer of fat covering your stomach, you will never see your abs because it is covered by the blubber of fat. You may not like how I said that but it's a fact and the sooner you realize it, the sooner you can work towards getting those abs. Another surprising fact is that your waste will actually become bigger if you do these workouts because you are adding muscle under the current layer of fat on top. So instead of having a slim waistline and showing off your abs, you will have thicker love handles and a bigger waistline. Now get this straight. There is no such thing as spot reduction! Once the fats are off, your abs will show, I promise you that much. It is just that simple to display your abs. Lose fats! That's it and that's all.

Magazines and late night infomercials have been telling you that you can have well defined abs by using this gizmo or that electronic gadget. Do you really believe that it is that simp! le? If that was the care then everyone will have that six pack! abs in no time. The reason why that isn't so is because it doesn't work that way.

To lose fat permanently and effectively for your abdominal muscles to show, you must include frequent cardio workouts, a mildly deficit calorie restriction diet, and strength training with weights to build muscle so as to raise your metabolism in order to lose weight and burn fat naturally. Your target will not be attained when any one of the three elements is done incorrectly or not even included in your slimming program.

All of the fad diets and ping slimming pills . These may work initially but in the long run, they are bound to fail.

For more information and helpful tips, check out my Website

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Calories Weight Loss

Female Abs - Six Pack Abs For The Ladies

Not many years ago, if you said to someone that you wanted a six pack they would have told you to go to the liquor store. Today it seems that wanting to improve and tone ones body is very high on our list of priorities. Looking to achieve a rock like chiselled stomach is not just for men either, more and more women are looking upon the six pack as a sign of extreme fitness. Geri Halliwell is probably one of the more noticeable example of sexy abs lately, she didn't get like this over night though.

There will be men out there that will start pulling their hair out at my next comment, but it's true. Women are more likely to succeed at gaining sexy abs than men are to get ripped! Women can put a picture in their mind of what they want to achieve and keep going until they achieve it. Men on the other hand, well we get a picture in our mind and it probably lasts until the next pizza or wild party. Men will achieve their goals; it just takes a little longer.

Whether! you are male or female, achieving sexy abs can not be done without a controlled diet. There are many diets for weight loss which are very good, but you are looking for a fat burning diet which will also provide the nutrition which enables you to exercise. There is no point trying to simply cut down on the amount you eat whilst training, you will simply collapse from exhaustion because you do not have the correct vitamins and supplements.

Ant training regiment must only be undertaken when you understand what it is you want and what it takes to achieve it.

If you want to get six pack abs, think positively, set aside time to exercise and make sure that you warm up properly.

You may not always see the results within the first couple of weeks, after a month to six weeks you will start to see improvements, if you stick to the proper training.

Above all, if you are exercising at home, train safely and follow a good guide. Eat sensibly and drink plenty of w! ater to keep hydrated.

For more information on how to ge! t a grea t six pack click - Six Pack Abs

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All About Weight Loss

Creatine Ethyl Ester - Why Is It Better?

Creatine ethyl ester is the reincarnation of the popular and proven effective bodybuilding supplement known as creatine monohydrate. Creatine ethyl ester is a relatively new form of creatine, and is basically creatine monohydrate with an ester attached, and its short form is CEE.

CEE is basically the same as creatine monohydrate, and will provide the same benefits in terms of increased strength, muscle size and muscle volume. The real difference between creatine monohydrate and CEE is that CEE is far more soluble than the traditional creatine monohydrate. This increase solubility means that less is needed to be taken to get the same effect, this means that one can do away with the common loading phase that is needed for creatine monohydrate, and it also cuts the dosage almost in half.

The decrease in dosage is very advantageous for the person, because as with the high Dosing needed with creatine monohydrate there came many different side effects such as bloati! ng, and sometimes gastrointestinal problems. The recommended dosage for CEE is normally 2 g divide into two or three servings per day, where as with creatine monohydrate a typical loading phase would last for a week, which would consist of about 5 g taken four times daily. Once the loading week is finished maintenance of the creatine monohydrate would typically be 5 g taken twice daily for a total of 10 g.

As you can see from the points mentioned above, the real advantage of creating ethyl ester is how well it is absorbed by the body which results in lower dosages and more creatine within the body and more importantly within the muscle cells.

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All About Weight Loss

Warning - These Exercises Help Build Muscle Fast

Have you ever heard the saying that you have to lift big to get big? It simply means that you have to lift heavy weights if you want to build muscle fast. The best way to lift heavy weights is to get back to the core exercises and concentrate on compound movements. If you do not get the basics right, you will never build muscle as fast as you would like.

I spend a lot of time talking about applying business principles to help people build muscle and burn fat, and focusing on the core exercises is not different. Imagine if Google were to forget its core principle of providing relevant search results for users. They would fail to be able to grow in other areas. Being able to provide relevant search results drives their advertising business. Fail to do the core things right, and the company's growth would slow.

This is the same with your workouts. Fail to do the big four "core" exercises, and you simply will not grow and build muscle as fast.

Unfortunately,! when I walk into the gym every day, there is something that I do not notice. I do not notice people focusing on these four exercises. I see them doing other exercises that I would largely consider to be finishing exercises, or exercises that should be done toward the end of a workout, after doing the core compound movements. The one thing I do notice, is that when I do see someone doing these exercises, they usually have more muscle than everyone else.

So what are these exercises that will build muscle fast?

The Deadlift

There are few, if any, exercise that work the wide range of muscles that the deadlift does. You work some of the largest muscles in your body - your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes - along with your lower, middle and upper back, your traps, forearms, and even your abdominals. Many people do not do the deadlift because it is such an exhausting exercise, and lacks the glamour of bicep curls and tricep pressdowns. However, lifting ! weight off the floor is a true test of overall strength, and f! or must people, will be an exercise where they can truly move a lot weight. And remember, you must lift big to be big. Moving a lot of weight also stimulates your body to release growth hormones such as testosterone, a key ingredient for massive muscle mass. If someone were to come to you tomorrow and tell you that you can only do one exercise to build muscle for the rest of your life, you should choose the deadlift. The deadlift is to your workout what search results are to Google. Plain and simple.

The Squat

I remember my legs feeling like Jell-O many times after a heavy squat workout. I cannot remember a more satisfying feeling after a workout. I knew that I had worked hard and heavy and that the muscles were going to grow. Just like the deadlifts, the squats involve the large muscles of the legs, but they also include the muscles of the back, neck and abs to stabilize and hold the weight. And like the deadlift, stimulating this much muscle causes your body to ! produce testosterone, the key hormone you need to build muscle fast. Think back to the last time you saw someone in the squat rack doing really heavy squats. Chances are you saw a guy with a lot of muscle moving a lot of weight up and down. This was no coincidence.

The Bench Press

This is the one that you are most likely already doing, but I have noticed that less and less people are utilizing the flat bench these days. For building the muscles of the front of the upper body, including the chest and shoulders, and the back of the upper arms, there are no better movements. It allows you to lift the most amount of weight while involving the biggest muscles of the upper body.

The Bent Over Row

We have picked weight up off of the floor, put it on our backs and lifted it, put it on our chest and pushed it away from us. The only thing left to do is to pull it toward us. The bent over rows allow us to use heavy weights hit the largest muscles ! of the back, the lats and traps and also incorporate the bicep! s. There is no better exercise to build the mass and thickness of the back than the bent over row.

The three things that each of these exercises have in common is that each of them

1. Are compound, or multi-joint exercises that
2. Allow you to lift heavy weights to
3. Target the largest muscles in the body (and nearly all of the muscles in the body).

This in turn causes you to produce more testosterone, which leads to bigger muscles, which leads you to be able to lift heavier weights. It is a continuous cycle. Another side benefit? All of that extra testosterone makes those finishing moves that much more effective.

So, remember that your body is your business, and in order to grow you business and build muscle fast, you must concentrate on your core lifts and grow from there!

Benjamin Teal invites you to visit http://www.build-muscle-and-burn-fat.com, Build Muscle and Burn Fat! with Middle Management, a site providing free workout plans, information and resources help you build muscle and burn fat.

When you visit Middle Management, you will learn how you can apply the same techniques that companies use to increase revenues and reduce costs to help you build muscle and lose fat.

Build Muscle. Burn Fat. Mean Business.

http://www.build-muscle-and-burn-fat.com/how-to-gain-weight-fast.html

(c) Copyright -- Benjamin Teal. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

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Can You Increase Your Muscle Size Naturally? Sure You Can!

Have you been workout and trying to gain weight and build muscle mass but you still can not get the result that you want, You must be doing something wrong in your exercise program? Is that what you think?

The fact is and almost every general person in the world will tell you that having a bigger muscular body can and will make you look great no matter where you go and what you do. Men with strong and muscular toned body are very attractive to women. In general people tend to admire big and toned muscles.

It's easier than you think and it can be accomplished by just changing three things in your life, Your Diet, Your Exercise Program and a Natural Supplement intake.

You have to increase your calorie intake to gain weight and build muscle. People who find it easy to gain weight and muscle have slow metabolisms and don't really need to eat as often or as much as someone with a faster metabolism would have to eat. So, to gain weight and build muscle you sho! uld be eating very 2 to 3 hours up to 6-8 meals a day and this doesn't mean just any food.

Forget about fast food, high carb, high sugars. You need to change your diet to just plain natural, healthy food full of calories, proteins, and essential fats. You should research and set a good diet plan that is easy to prepare and most of all one that you will stick to.

Your body and your daily activity dictates how many calories you personally require to maintain your current weight. To determine how many calories you are currently consuming on average to maintain your current weight, you'll need to obtain a calorie book and add up all the calories you ingest during a 7-day period;

Then divide by 7 to get your average daily calorie intake. If you desire to gain one pound per week, simply ingest 3500 more calories per week, for example 500 more calories per day x 7 days = 3500 more calories per week, 1000 more calories per day will yield a 2 pound per week muscle/! mass gain. Make sure you balance your diet with healthy non fa! tty food s that are high in protein.

Now comes the fun part, Exercise! Well yeah you have to do that also. The training programs that most people trying to build muscle have hardly any cardio whatsoever. Usually 5 minutes warm up on a bike then some good solid weight training. A good gym session for me lasts around 40 to 60 minutes which is a long time in some peoples standards. A lot of people just like to do 30 minutes then they're finished. All you need to do is a good solid 30 minutes of working to your limit every other day and you will see massive improvements when coupled with the right diet.

It is extremely difficult to distinguish which exact muscle building supplement is the best? There is a broad selection of different brands that can all leave the consumer feeling a little overwhelmed. What I think is a good supplement might not be the same to another person. But ingredients wise here is what I prefer and have used myself with great results:

Mucuna Pruri! ens (L Dopa) L- Dopa contains natural secretagogues which may support the body's ability to stimulate the natural release of growth hormone. The blood carries the dopamine into the brain, where it naturally increases HGH production from the pituitary gland. The increased dopamine levels also optimize the production of other hormones, including testosterone, leading to increased sex drive and improved sexual performance for both men and women, beneficial in stimulating muscle growth, as well as burning fat from fat cells.

DHEA As a pre-cursor hormone, it leads to the production of other hormones and as a supplement has shown some dramatic results. DHEA supplements act as an anti aging by maintaining the levels of DHEA that occur naturally in the body that decrease as we get older.

Deer Antler Velvet Deer antler velvet is named after the soft, velvet-like covering that deer antlers have before they turn bony. Antlers are organs of bone which regenerate each year f! rom the heads of male deer. In addition to bone, support tissu! es such as nerves also regenerate. Nerves grow up to 1 cm each day, the fastest growing biologically active tissue known to science. Deer antler velvet contains many substances including amino acids, minerals, proteins, anti-inflammatory peptides, hormones, gangliosides and glycosaminoglycans, and Insulin-like Growth Factor-1. It represents the only renewable form of cartilage, accounting for its signficant effects on bone and cartilage health and renewal. It is loaded with beneficial collagen, prostoglandin, phospholipids, proteoglycans, minerals, fatty acids and steroids. It is also rich with both chondroitin sulphate and glucosamine sulphate.

So in closing give this a try and see for your self with a few changes in your lifestyle you can build muscle and see dramatic results, Naturally.

Gino Carlucci is passionate about improving and sustaining a healthy lifestyle. For more information about dietary supplements and other alternative health supplements, please visit hi! s website at http://www.gtnaturallabs.com You can repost this article in it's entirety as long as you provide a link back to the GTN website.

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Six Pack Abs - A Slight 'Tilt' And Results Sky Rocket

Here is a little something I like to get my clients to do when performing their 'floor crunches'. When on your back in a normal crunch your hips stay on the floor. Well, I have spent most of my life doing this alteration in my training. It changes the angles so slightly but the increase in tension on the abs and therefore the higher results are phenomenal. You don't need to do it every workout, but alternate it.

So, lie on your back. get into your normal crunch position and instead of having both feet on the floor and knees together, keep one in place, BUT then bring the other leg up and let it hang at 90 degrees. - IE so your knee is up, your shin parallel with the floor, AND THEN lift your hips slightly by brining one side of your 'butt' up off the floor an inch or two.

Now do your workout. 20-50 crunches with the leg held in that position. Stop, put it down then rest for a 10-20 sec break. Then repeat the next set with the other leg in the new position. I k! now this little elevation will do wonders for you and work muscle fibers you have not worked before by switching this exercise to a more 'core based' workout, because of the stability needed.

Best wishes, hope you like it. Like I said, alternate the legs and you will see a great response from particularly your lower core/abs and be on your way to six pack abs.

Tristan Lewis is a Certified Fitness Professional, Personal Trainer and Author of the most informative book on abdominal training on the internet. He has traveled the world training clients and has spent 15 years in over 15 Countries in the research of his book. His AbMetrics - The Global Almanac of Proven Abdominal Training was researched thoroughly and provides many new and exciting proven abdominal exercises as well as a structuring of the 'classics' that work.

Get the book now http://www.fastsixpackabs.com

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About Weight Loss Programs

Hypertrophy And Weight Training

Muscle hypertrophy can be simply defined as growth in the size of skeletal muscle due to increased cell size. Biological reasons of muscle hypertrophy include age and nutrition. However, one can also increase the size of muscles through strength training, high intensity anaerobic exercises and through anabolic steroids. There are primarily two different types of muscle hypertrophy that include myofibrillar hypertrophy and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. Myofibrillar hypertrophy involves increase in number of myofibrils in the muscle adding to muscle strength and increase muscle size. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy involves increased volume of sarcoplasmic fluid in the muscle tissue.

The best way to grow and strengthen muscles is to force them to operate beyond their intensity using weights, an approach known as weight training. There are different types of weight training exercises that aid in overall muscle development of the body. Some of these include bench press, chest pres! s, back squats, power snatch, power clean, jerk, lower back extension, tricep press, leg curls, leg extension and leg-press. Each of these exercises is useful in improving the strength of a particular muscle type. While decline dumbbell bench press improves Pectoralis major, seated leg extensions strengthen Rectus femoris.

Amount of weight a person should use is calculated based on the percentage of the maximum amount of weight a person can lift in one single time, a factor also referred to as one repetition maximum (1 RM). Intensity of the exercise is a reflection of the maximum number of repetitions. Inexperienced persons can start with low weights. However, a typical strength training program requires one set of 4-6 RM performed 3 days a week. The weight can be gradually increased to 12-20 RM. It is also important to take rest between sets so as to recover. Recovery period replenishes the levels of ATP and CP levels inside the body.

Check Out More Articles:

! What Is Extreme Repartitioning In Bodybuilding, How To Find Cheap Health And Fitness Equipment, Safe Digestion And Weight Loss Supplements

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Calories Weight Loss

Unleash the Power of Your Mind To Achieve Your Natural BodyBuilding Goals

If you're reading this article, we are of a like mind in at least one regard: we both want to achieve our fitness goals to have our dream body. Taking the body you were given to your maximum natural bodybuilding potential is on the forefront of every person crazy enough to dedicate themselves to bodybuilding. Maslow would call it self-actualization, the army would call it "be all that you can be"...but we just call it a Tuesday back workout. Obviously there are hundreds of facets to attaining your idea of physical perfection. Diet, training and supplementation are no-brainers as far as importance is concerned, and truth be told if you can dial-in those three pillars, you'll get a long way towards your goals. However, there is an aspect to bodybuilding that transcends these very important pillars, and is completely intangible.

This aspect is the power of your mind. First and foremost, understanding how integral your brain is to bodybuilding will change your physique ! quicker than any diet, workout plan or supplement will ever do. Only the best of the best ever fully realizes how vital the mental aspect of bodybuilding is. The mind saturates all aspects of bodybuilding, and can make or break any physique. It is so important that in my opinion, it should be the first thing trainees attempt to master, as it will positively affect every other aspect of your life. Your mind manifests itself in three major ways:

1. Attitude - Your attitude is controlled completely by your mind. You are the one who decides whether your workout is going to be ordinary, or so intense that the only thing you can do is collapse on the ground and smile. Your attitude determines if you are going to stick to the diet, or convince yourself with enough lies that one (insert unhealthy food here) is okay. It is so important to realize that reaching the pinnacle is a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week endeavor that is not for the faint of heart. This type of attitude is di! fficult to obtain to say the least, let alone maintain over th! e course of a lifetime. Fortunately, you can transform your attitude with knowledge.

Increasing your knowledge base is the best way to impact your attitude. Simply following a workout is all well and good, but delving into every aspect of your training splits will yield so much more. Confidence blooms from knowing that your training is completely thought out, your diet is spot on for your goals, and your supplements are adding exactly what is needed. Knowledge is the key to unlocking that "take no prisoners" type attitude that separates the beginners and intermediates from the advanced.

2. Focus - Once your attitude is set in stone, the next thing to conquer is focus. Knowing how to focus will take the intensity and results of training to unbelievable heights. Focus is very easy to spot in the weight room. Unfortunately, you can't just outwardly copy focus and achieve the same results. Focus is mainly internal. And inside the confines of the human mind lay the deepest fo! rm of focus in the muscle-mind connection. For example, the bicep curl is a very simple and recognizable exercise yet most trainees never focus enough to take the exercise to the next level. Your brain has to leave your head and take up residence in your biceps. Envision each bicep as mechanical pistons with perfect form. Activate every muscle cell using the power of your mind. Envision the myosin and actin latching onto each other and fully contract each and every sarcomere (this is where the knowledge comes into play). Once you put yourself fully into the movement, you can make even the most rudimentary exercises skin-bursting intense.

3. Vision - Put simply, vision is that intangible goal in all of our minds that we are striving for. Natural bodybuilding without vision is like driving without a road map. You might end up where you trying to go eventually, but the odds are just as good that you'll end up in the boonies. The main problem most new trainees have is tha! t they think they know what they want to look like. However, w! ithout t he attitude and drive, vision is nothing more than a dream.

Attaining a true vision of your future physique is difficult. First and foremost, you must have at least a sub 10% body fat level to understand what your body can transform into. Once there, study your physique in the mirror. Determine your body type, taking into account strengths and weaknesses of every body part. Then study other natural bodybuilders with similar characteristics to understand what is possible for you. Once you clamp down your ideal physique, pin it to the front of your mind and situate all parts of your training, diet and supplementation to reach that goal. That vision will adapt and change as your body metamorphosis continues, but always have that vision in the front of your mind.

So, is it impossible to achieve a great physique without engaging the mind? You may achieve some of your goals but you will not realize your full bodybuilding potential. I'm sure every one reading this artic! le can name one person in their gym that seems to nonchalantly cruise through their workout and boasts an impressive physique. But mastering the incorporation of the mind to your bodybuilding odyssey will give you infinitely more satisfaction than just going through the motions (not to mention the body of your dreams). Now get out there and learn!.

Copyright 2007, Masszymes Inc. All rights reserved.

Brandon Miller is a serious bodybuilder who has amazing success using the revolutionary new health system, Freaky Big Naturally. Claim your "Ultimate free Bodybuilding Package" at http://www.FreakyGrowth.com

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