You can start seeing amazing benefits just simply by using the SSE workout we looked at at the start of this bodyweight training series. As you progress, though, you may want to make this more challenging for yourself and spend a bit more than 10 minutes in the morning to build some real strength and burn some real fat!

Burning Fat With Bodyweight Training

People who want to burn fat and lose weight will often mistakenly assume that they can’t really achieve that using weights or bodyweight training. This is why you’ll find that the majority of weight loss programmes tend to revolve around cardio and aerobic exercises such as running, cycling or skipping rope.

Don’t get me wrong – this is an effective way to burn fat. It’s just that bodyweight training is better. Trust me!

There are many reasons for this. The first is that bodyweight training when performed in the right way actually involves more energy than running. That’s because you can use all of your limbs. Try performing burpees for 30 seconds and then see how you feel! It’s just as energetic as running, and you’re burning just as many calories. And contracting at the same time only makes this even more insanely tough – this is what’s known as ‘resistance cardio’, and it’s one of the very best ways to burn fat quickly.

At the same time, performing things like burpees is also using a lot of muscle. You’ll be using all your leg muscles, your triceps, your pecs, your shoulders… and when you do this, you trigger the release of growth hormone and testosterone. These are anabolic hormones that cause you to build muscle and burn more fat.

And what’s more is that simply having more muscle will also help you to burn more fat. If you have big biceps and pecs, then your body needs to fuel them, and that means that you’ll burn through lots more calories even while you’re sleeping!

There’s also the fact that toning muscle at the same time as burning fat leads to a much better physique. A lot of people want to get rid of cellulite, for instance. Guess what? The best way to get rid of cellulite is not to burn fat but rather to build muscle underneath and thereby tone up the flesh and make everything look smoother.

Read more

Thousands of chemical reactions occur in our bodies every minute of every day. Without them our bodies would not be able to function properly. Many are the by-products of breathing in oxygen and the digestion of chemicals in our food and drink.

Whenever we are exposed to environmental pollution, drink alcohol, smoke, exercise, are exposed to the sun or take certain drugs, our bodies produce molecules called ‘free radicals’. These are unstable molecules that carry a negative electrical charge in the form of a spare electron.

They try to rid themselves of this unwanted molecular ‘baggage’ by colliding with other molecules, or they try to steal a positive charge from other molecules to neutralise their spare negative electron. This chemical offloading and stealing is known as oxidation. An excess of these free radicals can start chain reactions that damage cells, proteins, fats and genetic material in our bodies.

This damage has been linked to many health problems and diseases, including hardening and furring up of the arteries, coronary heart disease, cataracts, arthritis, cancer and premature ageing of the skin.

An antioxidant is a protective substance that helps to neutralise this damaging oxidation. They work by mopping up the negative charges on free radicals before they can trigger a damaging chain reaction. Antioxidants are found in varying amounts in foods such as vegetables, fruits, grain cereals, eggs, meat, legumes and nuts.

Although a normal diet high in antioxidants is good, experts agree that food alone cannot supply the optimum amounts needed to be effective – you would need to eat huge amounts of foods containing antioxidants for them to be effective, and some antioxidants can be destroyed by storage and cooking.

Because the amount of antioxidants in any one food type can vary so much, if you are serious about maintaining your health and warding off age-related disease, taking supplements is well worth considering.

Vitamin A and Beta-Carotene

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble antioxidant that comes in two forms – retinol, which is found in animal products like meat and milk, and carotenoids, which come from fruits and vegetables. Both these forms are converted into vitamin A in the body.

The importance of vitamin A in skin health comes from its ability to treat severe forms of acne and psoriasis and repair sun damage and wrinkles. In recognition of this ability, the cosmetics industry has not been slow in including retinol in many anti-ageing products.

Vitamin A is such a powerful antioxidant that several studies have suggested that dietary intake is important in reducing the risk of many cancers, including skin cancer. Dietary sources of vitamin A include halibut liver oil, liver, margarine, butter, cheese and eggs.

If vitamin A supplements are used, they are best limited to no more than 1500 mcg a day, although intakes of up to 3000 mcg are considered safe.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin that cannot be produced in the human body and so has to be obtained from food and supplements on a daily basis. It plays an important role in the health and appearance of the skin because it promotes and maintains the production of elastin and collagen. Elastin and collagen fibres form up to seventy per cent of the skin’s structure and help to keep it smooth and supple.

Excessive exposure to sunlight produces free radicals that damage the skin’s structure and cause wrinkles, dryness, thickening, discolouration and ‘photo-ageing’. Vitamin C has been shown to protect against damage caused by UV exposure by neutralising these free radicals and promoting the production of new collagen.

The best food sources for vitamin C are acerola cherry juice, camu pulp, rose hip syrup, blackcurrants, guavas, parsley and kale.

A good basic amount of vitamin C per day is 100-250 mg; however, research suggests that a higher intake of between 1000 and 3000 mg per day is preferable for optimum health. Such a large amount cannot normally be obtained from food alone; therefore, a supplement is recommended for best results.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is the collective name for a set of eight related tocopherols and tocotrienols, which are fat-soluble vitamins with antioxidant properties. Vitamin E is a preservative and protects the body’s fats and cell membranes from free radical damage.

As far as skin health is concerned, vitamin E improves skin suppleness and its ability to heal, hence is present in many skin creams, both as a preservative for the cream’s ingredients and for its benefits to the skin.

Dietary sources of vitamin E include wheatgerm oil, soybean oil, maize oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil and peanut oil. A normal daily dosage of vitamin E is 10-1000 mg a day. High intakes of more than 3000 mg a day can be toxic.

Selenium

Selenium is an essential trace mineral needed for normal cell growth, hormone production and a healthy immune system. An adequate intake of selenium has been show to protect against many diseases such as cancer, arthritis, heart attack, infertility, stroke and emphysema.

In skin health, selenium, like vitamin A and E, has been shown to protect the skin against the damaging effects of UV radiation. A lack of this mineral has also been linked with psoriasis, age spots and wrinkling of the skin.

Good sources of selenium include Brazil nuts, whole grains, mushrooms, onions, garlic and broccoli. The suggested daily intake of selenium is 100-200 mcg a day.

Vitamin B2

Vitamin B2 plays an important role in the body’s processing of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. It also plays a part in the production of hormones and red blood cells as well as helping to keep the skin, hair and eyes healthy. A lack in the diet can lead to a skin rash similar to eczema on the face and nose.

Riboflavin helps to protect the eye lens from attack by free radicals. In a study, subjects taking a B2 supplement nearly halved their risk of developing cataracts compared to those who did not take them.

Vitamin B2 is a water-soluble vitamin that cannot be stored in the body; therefore, a regular intake from the diet or supplement is essential for health. Good food sources include yeast extract, whole grains, eggs, dairy products, green leafy vegetables, pulses, wheat bran and soy flour.

Normal daily requirements are 1.6 mg per day, but physically active people and those with a specific deficiency problem can take between 200 and 400 mg daily.

Copper

Although not an antioxidant itself, the presence of copper in the body is vital for the actions of other enzymes and vitamins involved in antioxidant activity. It is essential for the function of enzymes involved in antioxidant protection and helps with vitamin C absorption and the production of collagen, a structural protein that supports the skin and keeps it supple and healthy.

Good dietary sources of copper include, brewer’s yeast, olives, nuts, pulses, cereals, wholemeal bread and dried fruit.

Despite many dietary sources, in general, around 50% of people get less than the recommended 0.8-3 mg recommended daily intake; therefore, taking a supplement may be of benefit.

Manganese

Manganese is an antioxidant mineral that, along with vitamin C, is essential for the production of collagen, the substance that supports your skin and keeps it supple and healthy. Deficiency symptoms include scaly skin and poor growth of hair.

Good dietary sources include cereals, wholemeal bread, nuts, pulses, fruit, green leafy vegetables and black tea.

We lose manganese from the body every time we have a bowel motion; therefore, a daily intake of up to 5 mg is recommended.

Zinc

An adequate intake of zinc is vital for sexual health in men both in terms of fertility and the health of the prostate gland, but when looking particularly at skin health, we find that a lack of zinc in the diet can lead to eczema, psoriasis, acne and poor hair and nail growth.

Good dietary sources of zinc include brewer’s yeast, hard cheese, wholemeal bread, eggs, pulses, wholegrain cereals, rice, green leafy vegetables and potatoes.

As with all the antioxidants mentioned in this book, obtaining enough to be therapeutic (15-30 mg a day) can be difficult from the diet alone, and therefore supplementation may be beneficial.

Please note that doses of more than 30 mg daily should not be taken except under medical supervision or the advice of a dietitian.

Green Tea

Green and black tea both come from from the Camellia sinensis shrub, but green tea contains higher levels of an antioxidant known as a bioflavonoid.

Flavonoids are known to be far stronger antioxidants than either vitamin C or vitamin E and prevent cholesterol from blocking up the arteries.

People who regularly drink green tea have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure. They are also thought to prevent several types of cancer due to the presence of epigallocatechin gallate – a powerful anticancer compound.

Of particular interest is green tea’s ability to protect against premature ageing, a fact seized by cosmetic manufacturers who now include extracts in a wide variety of skin creams and lotions.

Drinking four cups of green tea daily is recommended, but if you dislike the taste, it can also be taken as a supplement.

Coenzyme Q10

Also known as ubiquinone, co-enzyme Q10 is a vitamin-like substance that works with vitamin E to form an antioxidant that protects against the hardening and furring up of the arteries and reduces the risk of heart disease.

Coenzyme Q10 is present in all the body’s cells, where it is needed to generate energy from food and protects cells from disease and damage.

Cosmetics manufacturers have recognised its protective properties and added Q10 to skin care products to help reduce and prevent premature wrinkles and damage from sunlight.

A good dietary source of Q10 is yeast, but for the optimal daily dose of 10-100 mg (300-600 mg for the treatment of specific illnesses), a supplement is recommended.

Pine Bark Extract

This extract comes from the bark of the French maritime pine tree. It contains proanthocyanidins - strong antioxidants that play a role in the stabilisation of collagen and maintenance of elastin – proteins in connective tissue that support organs, joints, blood vessels, muscle and skin.

Proanthocyanidin antioxidants are 20 times more powerful than vitamin C and 50 times more potent than vitamin E and help strengthen all the blood vessels and improve the delivery of oxygen to the cells.

This extract also enhances the effectiveness of these vitamins and co-enzyme Q10 to create a powerful protective cocktail that reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke, improves circulation and strengthens blood vessels.

Its ability to thin the blood and prevent clotting makes it a good alternative to aspirin that can be taken prior to any long-haul economy class flight to help reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis. You can take 50-200 mg a day.

Cat’s Claw

Cat’s Claw is a vine native to South America where indigenous people have used the plant for medicinal purposes for over two thousand years. It gets its name from hook-like thorns that resemble the claws of a cat. It contains potent antioxidants that protect against damage caused by sun exposure and smoking.

The alkaloids found in this plant have also been shown to be effective in the treatment of a wide range of ailments, including Crohn’s disease, gastric ulcers and tumours, parasites, colitis, gastritis, arthritis, rheumatism, diabetes, PMS, chronic fatigue syndrome, HIV, Alzheimer’s disease, prostate conditions and in the treatment of AIDS in combination with AZT.

Gingko

Loss of memory and an increase in the experience of cold hands and feet are often seen as a sign of aging, but your circulation can be kept as healthy and efficient as possible, both through moderate regular exercise and by taking herbs known to boost blood transmission to the brain, hands, feet and genitals.

Extract of ginkgo biloba contains unique chemicals called ‘gingkolides’ and ‘bilobalides’ that not only offer protection against oxidative cell damage from free radicals but are also known to relax blood vessels and increase blood flow to the hands and feet.

It also helps blood flow to the genitals, where it acts to strengthen and maintain an erection. In a study, half the participating males with erectile dysfunction enjoyed a return to full potency after six months of taking ginkgo. As well as boosting blood flow to the brain to improve memory, clinical trials have shown.

Ginkgo can also be ineffective in treating other age-related problems such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Taking a minimum of 120 mg of ginkgo a day should be enough to notice benefits, although these may not be noticeable until ten days to 12 weeks after use.

Bilberry

The bilberry comes from a small shrub found in Europe, Asia and North America. The dark purple fruit is smaller than that of the blueberry but with a fuller taste.

Bilberries contain anthocyanins, tannins and flavonoid glycosides - antioxidants that have been shown to combat many age-related eye disorders such as macular degeneration, cataracts, night blindness and glaucoma.

The antioxidants in bilberry protect light-sensitive cells found in the eye and improve blood flow to the retina. Users have reported an improvement in their eyesight after only 15 days of use.

In one study, participants who had cataracts were given a combination of bilberry and vitamin E. In all but three per cent of cases, the deterioration in their eyesight was halted.

If you want to eat the fresh fruit, 20-60 grams a day is recommended; alternatively, 80-160 mg of dry extract up to three times a day can be taken.

Red Grape Seed Extract

Red grape seed extract contains powerful antioxidants called proanthocyanidins that have been shown to treat heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. This is because they protect the blood vessels from free radical damage, thin the blood and reduce the hardening and furring up of the arteries.

Because of its positive effect on the circulation, other diseases associated with poor blood flow, such as diabetes, impotence, varicose veins, macular degeneration and thread veins, can also be improved with this extract.

Grape seed extract may have other possible anti-disease properties, including accelerated wound healing, the reduction of skin cancer tumours and protection from ultraviolet light damage to the skin.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is an oil obtained from the olive tree olea europaea, a traditional tree of the Mediterranean area, and has been in use by man since 2,500 BCE. Today it is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and soaps. Olive oil contains potent antioxidants not found in other vegetable oils that give extra-virgin unprocessed olive oil its bitter and pungent taste.

Hydroxytyrosol is thought to be the main antioxidant in olives and plays a significant role in the many health benefits attributed to this oil, including a protective effect against certain malignant tumours in the breast, prostate and digestive tract. Olive oil is considerably rich in a mono-unsaturated fat called oleic acid. Studies suggest that a higher proportion of mono-unsaturated fats in the diet is linked with a reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease.

To achieve this possible benefit, olive oil should replace a similar amount of saturated fat found in meat and dairy products and not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day. There is a large body of clinical data to show that consumption of olive oil can also have favourable effects on cholesterol regulation because it controls the ‘bad’ levels of LDL cholesterol and raises levels of the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol.

In addition to the internal health benefits of olive oil, extra virgin olive oil has been known for generations, not only for its healing qualities but also as a natural, deep-penetration moisturiser with a reputation for regenerating and softening the skin.

Studies on mice showed that the application of olive oil immediately following exposure to UVB rays has a preventive effect on the formation of tumours and skin cancer.

Blueberries

Blueberries, along with blackberries, strawberries, and plums, have the highest total antioxidant capacity of any food. It is being regarded as one of the “super fruits” having the promising combination of nutrient value, emerging research evidence for health benefits, versatility for manufacturing popular consumer products, and antioxidant strength.

Antioxidants are thought to aid in guarding the body against the detrimental effects of free radicals to cells and the chronic diseases associated with the course of aging. The antioxidants present in this fruit can protect the cell, so there is less chance for aging. Blueberries contain 14 mg of Vitamin C and 0.8 mg Vitamin E per 1 cup of blueberries. Blueberries also contain anthocyanins and phenolics that can also act as antioxidants. With this, the effects of blueberries to the skin are copious.

The compound anthocyanin, found in blueberries, is thought to slow down age-related loss in the mental capacity of humans. Those who eat more blueberries are thought to have better functioning in motor behavioural learning and memory. Anthocyanin also gives blueberries their colour and might be the key factor of the blueberry’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. While it is thought that ageing can decrease cognitive and motor functions, blueberries can be of huge help to improve mental functioning.

Blueberries also have positive effects on balance and coordination. In a study by Dr James Joseph of Tufts University, it was found that a diet loaded with blueberries counteracted poor balance and coordination associated with ageing. In this study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, Joseph fed four groups of rats a normal diet. But among these groups were given blueberries, spinach, or strawberries.

A serving of blueberries provides a relatively low glycaemic load while providing a diverse range of nutrients, which also means there are fewer calories (good news for calorie-watchers) in a serving full of phytochemicals and nutrients such as iron and vitamins C and E. Because of the phytochemicals present, the risk of acquiring some deadly diseases may also be prevented.

Anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, flavonols, and tannins found in this wonderful fruit may help prevent cancer by inhibiting some cancer mechanisms. These components protect the DNA from damage and disintegration caused by free radicals.

ALA, or Alpha Lipoic Acid

The ALA, or alpha-lipoic acid, is a great antioxidant supplement you can take along with other antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, plus the coenzyme Q10. The ALA is an important component of your daily supplements, as it not only serves as an antioxidant in itself but also forces other antioxidants taken to be recycled, thus allowing better absorption of these substances. Other benefits of taking ALA are associated with heart disease and obesity. It is known to improve insulin resistance as well as act as an anti-inflammatory agent.

There are more benefits. ALA helps detoxify metals accumulated by the body as well as boosts the rate of removal of the glucose from your bloodstream. And the main reason why it is an excellent anti-ageing treatment for you is that it helps stop the occurrence where the fibres are interlinked with each other, a known cause of ageing and wrinkle formation.

While the body is capable of producing ALA, it is in such small amounts that only the cells are able to use it for cellular energy production.

The ALA serves the benefits as antioxidants only if supplied to the body in a greater amount than those produced by the body for the cells. Unfortunately, production of ALA also declines just like the collagen and the elastin.

An ALA supplement is therefore important unless you are pregnant or undergoing breast feeding. It is suggested that a minimum of 50 up to 100 mg of the antioxidant is enough to meet the dosage needs. Unlike the other antioxidants, the ALA is both water and fat soluble, which means it can be absorbed by all your body parts.

Goji Juice

The Tibetan goji berry and its juice contain four very unique polysaccharides which are known to be anti-ageing. Besides being loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, it is these 4 unique polysaccharides found in no other plant on Earth that give Goji its anti-ageing ability.

The goji fruit contains polysaccharides, which have been demonstrated to strongly fortify the immune system. This same polysaccharide has been found to be a secretagogue, that is, a substance that stimulates the secretion in the pituitary gland of human growth hormone (HGH), a powerful innate anti-ageing hormone.

Yerba Mate

Many think of yerba mate as a tea beverage. While the chemical components are quite similar to green tea, it is in fact far more nutritious because scientific studies have shown it to contain nearly all of the necessary life-sustaining vitamins, minerals and nutrients. It has been found to be loaded with an even richer and more potent array of antioxidants than green tea.

Yerba mate contains 52 more known active chemical compounds than green tea. It is loaded with potent phytochemical antioxidants, and in far greater quantities than in green tea. Like green tea, it has anti-cancer and anti-ageing benefits, again, in higher quantities.

This amazing plant has an incredibly rich nutritional profile. It provides vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, niacin, B5, B complex, calcium, chromium, manganese, iron, selenium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, carotene, fatty acids, chlorophyll, flavonols, polyphenols, inositol, trace minerals, antioxidants, tannins, pantothenic acid and even amino acids. Scientists are saying it is quite likely that it contains more powerful nutrients that are yet unknown and undiscovered.

Subscribe now

Visit our health and fitness store

Retinol

Retinol is a form of vitamin A that comes from animal sources such as cod liver oil, butter, margarine, liver, eggs, cheese, and milk.

When applied to the skin in a cream or lotion, retinol acts in a similar way to lavender essential oil by speeding up the rate at which new skin cells appear and the old ones fall away, thus promoting a fresher appearance.

It also increases the production of collagen, the skin’s supportive protein, to give a more youthful appearance and reduce fine lines.

Alpha Hydroxy Acid

Alpha hydroxy acids are natural and synthetic chemical compounds derived from food products such as sugarcane (glycolic acid), sour milk (lactic acid), apples (malic acid), citrus fruits (citric acid), and grape wine (tartaric acid).

They are well-known for their use in the cosmetics industry and are often found in products claiming to reduce wrinkles or the signs of ageing. All these natural acids, to one degree or another, penetrate the epidermis, or uppermost layer of the skin, to act as an exfoliator; that is, they encourage the shedding of old, dead skin cells that can make the skin look dull.

This allows new, fresh skin cells to come to the surface, which in turn makes the skin look fresher and smoother. In varying concentrations, these acids are also used to repair sun damage, skin discolouration, and acne.

Sun Screen

One of the best and most basic ways to delay the signs of ageing is to use a sunscreen. Sunscreen, sunblock, sun lotion, or sun cream is a lotion, spray, gel, or other topical product that absorbs or reflects some of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation on the skin exposed to sunlight and thus helps protect against sunburn.

Excessive exposure to direct sunlight is potentially harmful and, if you do not wear sun-protective clothing or use suitable sunscreen, can result in sunburn and increased risk of skin ageing and skin cancer.

Products with a higher SPF (Sun Protection Factor) level provide greater protection against ultraviolet radiation. Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays and apply thickly enough to get the full SPF protection.

You should apply a sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before exposure and 15 to 30 minutes after the sun exposure begins. You should reapply the cream after activities such as swimming or sweating.

The sun’s rays are strongest between 11 am and 3 pm, so if you are outside during these times, either apply a high-protection-level sunscreen and/or wear a hat with a brim, clothes that cover your arms and legs, and anti-UV sunglasses to protect against ultraviolet radiation entering the eyes.

A limited amount of unprotected exposure to the sun’s rays is recommended because an overuse of sunscreen also interferes with vitamin D production, leading to possible deficiencies.

Doctors recommend spending small amounts of time in the sun, for example, ten to fifteen minutes of sun exposure at least two times per week to the face, arms, hands, or back, without sun protection to ensure adequate production of vitamin D. If you feel you are not getting enough exposure to therapeutic amounts of sun, a vitamin D supplement may be of benefit.

Three Anti-Aging Tips

Staying young, looking younger, or just feeling younger is a multi-million-dollar industry. There’s a really good reason for it. We have an ever-ageing generation. This generation is one of the largest generations on the planet. Naturally, there’s a huge number of this population that does not want to grow old. Therefore, anti-ageing products are rampant in the marketplace.

But don’t get ‘taken’ by the unnecessary products that play on the emotions of those who wish to look young.

The following are three secrets and tips that will allow you to avoid the risks of buying certain products that are not needed.

Tip #1: Feed Your Face

If you feed your face with anti-ageing food on a consistent basis, you’ll find it easier to stay young. Another way to say this is to just make sure you’re not feeding your body full of junk that is sure to perpetuate the ageing process. Also, know that if you try to escape the eating step, you’ll grow older faster. The body knows what it needs. Just give it to your body.

Tip #2: Pick Something or Go Somewhere

In other words, get up off the couch, turn the TV off, and do some anti-ageing activities. This doesn’t have to be work either. Find an activity or two that you enjoy. Walk, run, weight train, ride a bike, or get on a pogo stick. Do anything that causes your body to move and exert some activity. This will allow your body to stay young by stretching muscles and keeping you limber at the same time.

Tip #3: Don’t Be A Party Pooper

As mentioned above, the #2 anti-ageing secret tip was finding something you enjoy. Find something you have fun doing. Just know this: if drinking alcohol into a drunken stupor is the one thing you enjoy, you are not going to stay young for very long. In fact, if you’re older in age and you’re doing this, you may not even enjoy staying old. The key to the entire process of anti-ageing is to treat your body right and have fun doing it.

Enjoy life and stay young mentally, emotionally, and physically, and you’ll see an anti-ageing process that you’ll be happy about. That will give you the motivation and momentum to continue the lifestyle of anti-ageing.

Ten Steps You Can Take To Slow Down Aging

Ageing is a complex process that involves many areas of your body. It’s unlikely that any one product or pill could cure all of the ailments of ageing. However, there are things you can do that not only will help you age more slowly but will also improve your quality of life. Your best bet for a long and healthy life is to:

1. Eat a varied and healthy diet. Include plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain foods. Fibre, calcium, iron, magnesium, and vitamins all play a part in keeping your body functioning at its best. Drink lots of fluids to maintain healthy skin and flush out waste. Eating right will help you maintain a healthy weight.

2. Exercise every day. Exercise improves appetite, makes healthy bones, gives you a better emotional outlook, and improves digestion and circulation. Exercise makes you stronger and helps you lose weight.

3. Seeking prompt medical care when you’re ill or injured. Listen to your body and take care of any little problems before they become big problems. Get screened for diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

4. Use sunscreen to prevent sunburn. Professionals agree that one of the most significant factors contributing to ageing is chronic inflammation of the skin.

5. Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke. Smoking has very damaging effects and dramatically increases your risk of getting cancer and heart disease.

6. Manage stress. Stress is a part of everyday life. Develop ways to help you cope and adjust to situations in your life that may cause you stress. The situation isn’t the problem… It’s how you react to it.

7. Look for ways to improve overall well-being and enthusiasm for life. Be curious and creative, which will encourage you to learn new things. You can also use humour and laughter to help you age well and live long.

8. Keep strong relationships. Maintaining close ties to your family and friends is crucial to healthy ageing.

9. Don’t let fears and worries dominate your life. A worried mind is not at peace and robs you of zest and energy, which you need to maintain youthfulness.

10. Keep cells youthful with antioxidants. Antioxidants are found in a full range of fruits and vegetables, as well as in some meat, like fish. Although our bodies produce their own antioxidants, the level of product declines over time because of environmental factors and through the ageing process. You can also take antioxidant supplements or even antioxidant teas.

11. Do all you can to be healthy, and in doing so, you will age slower. If you have any questions about products that claim to slow or reverse ageing, ask your doctor. He or she can help you sort through the information and get the facts.

12. Diet plays an important role in keeping mind and body young, healthy, and sexy. There is a lot you can do to slow down the natural ageing of cells and ward off common ailments.

13. A diet rich in antioxidants is a natural, simple way to keep your skin and body in the best possible condition, but what exactly is an antioxidant?

Despite the hype about anti-ageing solutions, we know there’s no fountain of youth. However, we also know that there are things we can do to live young as we age, such as exercising, eating well, and taking supplements.

Unstable molecules in your body called free radicals cause a condition called oxidative stress, which is associated with more than 100 diseases, according to published studies. Each of the millions of cells in your body is assaulted by free radicals more than 10,000 times each day, causing cell damage and cellular ageing.

Changing your diet alone isn’t enough. Free radicals are a natural by-product of your body’s normal metabolism of food to create energy. Additionally, while conventional antioxidants such as vitamins C and E are important for many nutritional reasons, studies show they do not eliminate age-related stress when consumed in the quantities generally recommended.

Oxidative stress is made worse by exposure to such things as tobacco smoke, alcohol, insecticides, chlorine, and even excessive sunlight. Elevated oxidative stress is associated with heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s and cancer, among others, according to published research. The human body produces its own antioxidant enzymes to fight free radicals and support cellular health.

Visit Our Health and Fitness Store

Vitamins are essential for good health and well-being. They are defined as any group of substances required in small quantities for healthy growth and development. They cannot be manufactured in the body, so they are, therefore, vital constituents of the diet.

There are two types of vitamins according to whether they are soluble in water or fat. Vitamin A (retinol) is a fat-soluble vitamin, and this is not excreted from the body in the urine, so excessive intake can have a negative effect on health. Vitamin A is present in animal-origin foods, e.g., liver, milk and egg yolk. It is formed in the body from the pigment beta-carotene, which is present in certain vegetables, e.g., carrots, cabbage and lettuce.

Vitamin A has a number of roles in the body. It is necessary for normal cell division and growth. It is important for the maintenance of mucous membranes of the respiratory, digestive and urinary tracts. Retinol is a pale yellow solid which dissolves easily in oil and fat, and it is essential for good eyesight, particularly vision in dim light, as well as having an important role in the normal development of the embryo. It can be produced synthetically and therefore used to enrich margarines.

The best source of retinol is liver, and a small amount, 3 g, meets the body’s daily requirements. 700mcg per day is a sufficient amount per adult, which can also be derived from beta carotene foods, e.g., 2 oz raw carrots.

Deficiency in vitamin A causes stunted growth, night blindness and drying up of mucous membranes, which increases the risk of infection.

Subscribe now

You can support this Substack by visiting our online store, where you will find high-quality sportswear, nutritional supplements, motivational stickers, fridge magnets, stainless steel water bottles and more.

Read more

Read more

The reality is, your muscles aren’t actually built during the workout. Instead, they’re built when you rest.

If you aren’t waiting long enough between exercising a muscle, you risk injuring that muscle. Also, because the muscle hasn’t had time to fully build muscle tissue from the last workout, you won’t get the maximum gains possible from your workouts.

On the other hand, waiting too long between workouts means you aren’t pushing your body as hard as it could go. That means you won’t see the results you want as quickly.

So how long is a good workout recovery time?

Ideal Workout Recovery: Approximately 36 Hours

Clinical trials have shown that full muscles typically take about 36 hours to fully regain their previous strength. The experiment recorded bodybuilders’ strength and stamina before and after workouts and recorded how long it took bodybuilders to be able to achieve the same level of strength after a workout.

The results of this experiment are consistent with the experiences of experienced bodybuilders. Generally, at least a day and a half of rest is enough to give your muscles the rest they need.

Listen to Your Body

Keep in mind that the right amount of time to recover after a workout varies from person to person. It also varies from muscle group to muscle group, exercise to exercise.

Listen to your body. You should feel sore after a workout, either immediately after working out or the next morning. However, you shouldn’t feel like you’re in excruciating pain.

If the pain feels sharp rather than dull or if you feel immobilised by the pain, chances are you’re pushing too hard.

Don’t let mild soreness stop you from working out – getting more circulation in your body can be a good way to get rid of soreness. Just don’t push your body past where it feels healthy.

Ramp Up Your Recovery (for Beginners)

If you’re just getting started with working out, don’t expect your recovery time to be the same as an experienced athlete. It’s entirely normal for a beginner to take 3-6 days to recover from a strenuous workout.

Give your body time to adjust to recovery. Space your workouts out so it’s just a few times a week and gradually shrink the time between workouts. Ramp up your recovery time slowly.

Upper Body, Lower Body

One of the most common ways to address the issue of recovery time is through alternating upper and lower body. For example, you might work out your upper body on Monday, then skip Tuesday and work out your lower body on Wednesday, skip Thursday and work out your upper body again on Friday.

Switching back and forth like this allows you to give each muscle group the rest they need while still working out regularly.

Think about your muscle recovery. Don’t push yourself too hard, but don’t let recovery be an excuse to not push yourself either.

Subscribe now

In many countries, coconut husks are woven into fabrics for mats, insulation and much more. The shells themselves are used as bowls, to make utensils and as flotation devices for rafts.

Yet it is the coconut itself that draws the most interest. Coconut flesh has a beautiful taste and is used all over the world in a variety of cooking styles. Coconut milk is gorgeous to drink on its own and also is the chief ingredient in curries all over the world.

Over the years there have been many, many claims made about the natural health benefits of coconut oil, mostly surrounding the dietary and medicinal properties that it holds. This is why in the West, coconut oil has quickly become a hot consumer product with thousands of companies including it in their beauty products and thousands of recipes including it as an alternative to other oils.

Yet a lot of controversy still surrounds the actual health benefits of coconut, and debates still exist over whether claims of its benefits have been exaggerated. This is where this article comes into play. We have carefully researched the benefits of coconut oil and outlined at length all the fantastic qualities that can come from eating coconut oil and applying it to your skin.

We have left out some purported benefits through lack of evidence to support them and hope that this article will go some way to dispelling the myths surrounding coconut oil, whilst providing the reader with knowledge of coconut oil treatments that will be applicable to everyone in their normal lives.

Read more

Acidophilus can be found in yoghurt and other dairy products, which named acidophilus as probiotics.

Acidophilus aids the digestive system because different factors decrease the number of lactic acid-producing bacteria that live and work in the gastrointestinal tract and protect us from harmful disease-causing bacteria. Among these factors, it is possible to find narcotics, alcohol, diet deficiencies, ageing, antibiotics, drugs, medications, nicotine, and stressful living.

The digestion of food begins in the alimentary canal, mouth and stomach, and finally in the intestines, where millions of microorganisms, working simultaneously, metabolise the partially digested food. Digestion can be impaired, short-changing us of the full nutritional value from foods, if there is too small a colony of L. acidophilus and other friendly bacteria, such as L. bulgaricus and L. bifidus. Also, a smaller quantity of key vitamins will be synthesised, and the immune system may be rendered less effective.

According to some health professionals, acidophilus aids the digestive process and helps correct constipation, diarrhoea, mucous colitis and diverticulitis. It also reduces blood cholesterol, enhances the absorption of nutrients, sweetens bad breath, treats acne and other skin disorders, conquers harmful bacteria and certain viruses, helps alleviate candidiasis and other vaginal infections, and may even prevent cancer.

There is no solid scientific evidence for these claims, according to some experts, but lactic acid-producing microorganisms, such as L. acidophilus, have been called a “second immune system” because they put the brakes on the growth of disease-causing bacteria, such as those that cause shigella and salmonella and various types of diarrhoea.

Acidophilus May Help Patients with Small-Bowel Obstruction

A study carried out by the National Taiwan University Hospital and the National Taiwan University, College of Medicine in Taipei, determined that patients with partial bowel obstruction may improve with oral intake of laxatives, acidophilus, and simethicone.

According to some specialists, patients with partial adhesive small bowel obstruction are usually managed conservatively, receiving intravenous hydration and nothing by mouth. “Previous studies have suggested that this approach is associated with longer hospital stays and an increased risk of delayed surgery”, reports Shyr-Chyr Chen, MD, from National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine in Taipei and colleagues.

From 144 consecutive patients with adhesive partial small-bowel obstruction that were admitted between February 2000 and July 2001, 128 met the inclusion criteria and were randomised to either the intervention group – IV hydration, nasogastric (NG) tube decompression, and oral therapy with magnesium oxide, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and simethicone – or to the control group (IV hydration, NG tube decompression, and nothing by mouth).

Most of the patients were men, whose age was 54.4 ± 15.9 years in the control group and 53.9 ± 16.3 years in the intervention group. 91 per cent of patients in the intervention group and 76 per cent of patients in the control group had successful treatment without surgery.

“Oral therapy with magnesium oxide, L. acidophilus and simethicone was effective in hastening the resolution of conservatively treated partial adhesive small-bowel obstruction and shortening the hospital stay,” the authors write. “Further trials with larger patient samples are needed to verify the value of oral therapy for partial adhesive small-bowel obstructions observed in this study,” the experts report.

Acidophilus Supplements May Help Millions of People with Digestive Diseases

According to the National Digestive Disease Information Clearinghouse in Bethesda, MD, 60 to 70 million Americans suffer from digestive diseases; however, acidophilus supplements may help them to diminish their digestive conditions.

Procedures of current commercial food processing can destroy viable beneficial organisms, making it difficult for the body to maintain good intestinal flora. Even the majority of yoghurt products no longer contain a viable acidophilus culture. Poor intestinal flora is, at times, due to preservatives, additives, alcohol, high-fat diets, birth control pills, and stress.

Intestinal flora is often damaged by antibiotic drugs, which kill all kinds of bacteria, both good and bad. Antibiotic effects on intestinal flora can last for weeks, even after the drug is discontinued. This situation may lead to allergies, fatigue, yeast overgrowth, poor digestion and chronic infections, among other things.

Beneficial bacteria can be reintroduced into the system by acidophilus supplements. Acidophilus supplementation has important benefits not only for the digestive system, according to experts, such as keeping constipation and diarrhoea under control; reduction of bad breath; counteracting lactose intolerance by its association with lactase; cholesterol control by promoting normal absorption of dietary fats; reduction of internal gas; suppression of candida yeast; prevention of intestinal contamination from infectious organisms common in some foreign countries; and suppression of a number of intestinal disorders.

Acidophilus contains bacteria that have a symbiotic, or mutually beneficial, relationship with the human stomach. It is a nutritional supplement product, which is often added to milk or other dairy products, or it is also sold as a capsule.

Subscribe now

Ingredients

• 1 cup bulgur

• 2 cups boiling water

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

• Salt to taste

• Ground black pepper to taste

• 1 cup chopped green onions

• 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained

• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley

• 1 cup grated carrots

Directions

1. In a heatproof bowl, pour boiling water over bulgar. Let it stand for one hour at room temperature.

2. In a small bowl, beat together oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pour over the bulgur and mix with a fork.

3. Place the bulgar in the bottom of a nice glass serving bowl. Layer vegetables and garbanzo beans in this order on top of the bulgur: green onions, garbanzo beans, parsley, and carrots on top. Cover, and refrigerate.

Toss salad just before serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Nutrition at a glance:

Servings Per Recipe: 7
Amount per serving:
Calories 296
Protein 6g
Total Fat 17 g
Sodium 198 mg
Cholesterol -
Carbohydrates 33 g
Fiber 7 g

Subscribe now

This is a workout that addresses all of the issues that we saw in the last post about bodyweight exercise and then some.

It’s a workout that takes 10-15 minutes. All you need is a pull-up bar (or a tree branch). And you’re going to do it in the morning, before you shower.

The Workout

The workout is a circuit. That means that you’ll go through each exercise once and then you’re going to start again from the beginning.

You’re going to rest for 30 seconds between each completed set, and you’re going to perform each set of moves for 30 seconds.

The exercises are push-ups, pull-ups and jack-in-the-box. So the workout looks like this:

Read more

Every single one of us begins ageing the moment we are born.

If you’re alive, you’re ageing - you can’t avoid it. But there are a number of things that you can do to keep yourself healthy and active, and to eliminate or at least slow down many of the factors that contribute to aging.

Ever since Ponce de Leon went searching for the Fountain of Youth, people have been looking for ways to slow down the aging process. Medical science has made great advances in keeping people alive longer by preventing and curing diseases, and helping people to live healthier, happier lives. Average life expectancy keeps increasing, and most of us can look forward to a much longer life than our ancestors.

Our bodies were actually designed with the ability to fix themselves, as long as you take care of yourself properly. Your body is made up of about 100 trillion (100,000,000,000,000) living cells, which keep themselves strong and healthy with the proper food. Each one of those trillions of cells dies off and is replaced with a new cell at regular intervals. Your entire body is literally completely replaced every few years; you really aren’t the same person you used to be!

What happens with your cells is the key to anti-aging?

When a cell dies, one of three possible things must happen:

A) If the cell has not been receiving proper nutrition, its replacement will be a weaker version of the cell. In this scenario, your body is degenerating.

B) The replacement cell may have the same strength as its predecessor. In this case, your body essentially remains in the same place.

C) The third possibility is that the new cell is stronger than the previous one. Now you’re actually regenerating the body, and reversing the aging process. This can only happen if you give your cells plenty of the right kind of food energy to work with.

Sometime, usually in our late twenties or early thirties, many of us start noticing those first signs that we aren’t kids anymore – a few gray hairs appearing, facial wrinkles, skin starts sagging. As more time goes by, other signs gradually appear – it’s a little harder getting up in the morning, our vision and hearing aren’t what they used to be, our sex life isn’t as lively as we remember. As we look around, we see the same things happening to our friends and family. Most of us generally accept what we see as an inevitable process of nature.

You’re only as old as you feel.

And if you feel and think that you’re getting older, –well, then you are! Your mindset does influence what goes on in your body. Meanwhile, you see your body getting older, so you feel older, which reinforces the aging processes in your body. It becomes a vicious circle.

You can turn things around.

As you notice your body looking and feeling younger, your mindset will improve, which motivates you to continue your anti-aging practices, which sets up a positive feedback loop, instead of a negative one. And so the process accelerates.

People are living longer than ever nowadays, due to advanced medical breakthroughs, increased awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle, and other related factors.

The human body can take an awful lot of abuse and neglect. We don’t always think about our bad habits, since it may take years or decades for the effects to become apparent. But neglect yourself long enough, and you may one day find yourself suffering through the late period of your life with a wide range of ailments and complaints - from difficulty seeing and hearing to cancer, heart disease, brittle bones, and many other problems.

How to Keep Your Brain Young and Nimble as You Reach Old Age

Watching our bodies fail us as we get older can very often be a painful and depressing. Over time, we can find ourselves becoming less able-bodied, slower and older in our appearance as well.

But what is actually much worse than this, is noticing your brain start to fail you. Our brain is what houses who we are. Our brain is what gives rise to all of our subjective experiences… and seeing that start to deteriorate is very frightening indeed.

So the question is: how can you protect your brain into old age? Here are some strategies and suggestions that may be able to help….

Keep Learning

One of the very most important things you can do for your brain is to keep learning and to keep subjecting yourself to novel experiences. Our brains operate on a ‘’use it or lose it’ basis’, just like every part of our biology. So if you are going through the exact same motions day in, day out, then you will find that your brain loses the ability to learn and adapt to change the way it once did.

The problem is that so many of us do stop subjecting ourselves to new experiences as we age. Partly this is due to simple societal pressures: when we age, we tend to become less active and less social, and this means we lose our opportunities for learning.

The key is to keep trying new things. Many blogs will tell you that playing chess is a good way to keep your brain healthy, but in fact this isn't necessarily the best option: playing chess is just one activity and involves relatively little learning.

Instead, try computer games. Why? Because each time you try a new computer game, you are forced to take up new skills and new abilities. Each time you learn a new game, you need new controls, which will incorporate new neural pathways. Each new game has an entirely new set of skills, and that means you are continually learning.

Keep Socializing

One of the very best things for our brains is to keep socializing. This is highly important, as social stimulation stimulates positive hormones and keeps our brain active and challenged. As we get older, often we start to keep ourselves locked away and stop going out so much. This means less social stimulation, which means rapid deterioration. Again, this is something to avoid.

Anti-Aging Benefits Of Stretching Exercises - Why Stretch Muscles?

In many exercise programs, be it weight lifting for building and toning muscles or cardio vascular exercises for increasing stamina and to lose weight, most people do not perform enough stretching exercises even though stretching exercises can be performed by anyone at any age unless that person has some physical restriction to stretch. What is worse, many people do not even stretch before and after exercising. Unknown to most people, stretching also has anti-aging benefits.

•Benefits of Stretching Exercises for Muscle Growth.

Stretching is an important aspect of exercising and should be a part of any exercise routine and program. There are many wonderful benefits when you perform regular stretching exercises. Stretching exercises not only help you to warm up and cool down before and after your workouts, it can and will actually help your muscles to grow bigger and stronger too. Don’t believe me? Then read on.

Stretching exercises help muscle growth because stretching lengthens your muscles and thus giving your muscle fibers a greater range of motion when lifting weights. So in effect, it recruits more muscle fibers and thus causing your muscles to grow stronger and bigger from your weight training.

By stretching your muscles after an intensive workout will reduce muscle soreness commonly known as DOMS (delayed onset muscle sore) which usually occurs a day after your workout.

Performing stretching exercises before your workout or before a physically demanding sporting activity will also decrease your chances of sustaining injuries and muscle cramps, which will certainly destroy the joy of your activity.

When you stretch regularly, stretching exercises will help you gain agility which will make your daily chores much more pleasant and if you play sports, you will notice your agility is much better than others who do not stretch. This will put you in a more beneficial position against your opponents.

•Anti-Aging Benefits Of Stretching Exercises

If you are a baby boomer and age is catching up, this agility will make your life so much more pleasurable because you will be able to avoid stiff muscles and stiff joints unlike your peers who do not stretch. You will be more mobile, agile and suffering from less pain associated with aging and stiff body parts. These anti-aging benefits from stretching regularly are priceless. Benefits that money can never be able to buy.

What is more, you can stretch anytime, anywhere as and when you like. Stretching exercises need not be limited as a pre- and post-workout activity. So start a stretching exercise routine soon and make it part of your everyday lifestyle. You will surely enjoy the pleasures and anti-aging benefits that a regular stretching routine can bring you.

Subscribe now

Most people know they need to improve their diets in one way or another. They also recognise how difficult this is when you drive down the street and you see a McDonald’s on every corner or a line of fast food restaurants.

Our lives have all become about convenience, and in exchange for convenience we have become the most obese country in the world. With our instant gratification lifestyles, we also know that eating healthy can be a challenge. However, it doesn’t have to be this way, and there are steps that you can take to balance out your life so that you can enjoy a Happy Meal with the kids on occasion.

Is Your Diet Healthy Enough?

Everyone wants a healthier diet, but with all the conflicting nutrition information in the media, it is hard to determine what type of diet is healthy. There are many factors that contribute to a healthy diet. It is important to evaluate the current diet that you eat before you embark on a plan to become a healthier eater.

Begin by asking yourself these simple questions:

1. Do I eat a variety of different foods? Variety is one of many important parts of a healthy diet. It is important to eat foods from all the food groups. If you find yourself avoiding certain food groups, such as fruits and vegetables, then it may be time to adjust the way you eat.

2. Do I eat fruits and vegetables? It is important to choose from a variety of different fruits and vegetables. In fact, you want to get all the different colours of these foods in your diet because each offers its own unique vitamins and minerals that are essential to your diet. Eat dark greens, reds, oranges and yellows.

3. Do I eat breakfast? The absence of breakfast is a good indicator that you are not eating very healthy. If you don’t eat breakfast, you need to begin working on that aspect of your diet, as your body may think that it’s starving.

4. Do I choose low-fat foods over high-fat foods? There are low-fat alternatives in a variety of foods, including all dairy. A great way to avoid a lot of fat is to prepare your own meals instead of eating prepared foods such as TV dinners.

5. Do I drink a lot of water? Water is the foundation of life. Your body needs plenty of water and is important for maintaining a healthy diet. If you drink a lot of soda or coffee, you may be dehydrating yourself.

6. Am I able to maintain my ideal body weight? Gaining weight without trying is a sign of a poor diet. Following a healthy diet and getting regular exercise is the best way to lose weight and keep it off.

7. Do I limit the amount of salt, sugar, alcohol and caffeine that I consume? These are okay in moderation, but a lot of people use these in excessive amounts. These four elements can wreak havoc on a healthy diet.

Variety – The Spice of Life

This saying is certainly true when it comes to eating a healthy diet. Many people get stuck in ruts where they eat too much of one type of food. This leaves their body with excessive nutrients in one area and none in another. No one likes to eat the same thing every day, but sometimes we do for the pure convenience of it.

There are a variety of foods that you can add to your diet to keep it from becoming stagnant and boring. There are hundreds of fruits and vegetables available at the average grocery store. There are also several other types of food that you can add to your diet, including:

1. Fresh fruit
2. Vegetables
3. Whole grains

Variety is one of the things that nutritionists stress the most. They say that variety is important for both nutrition and psychological reasons. A varied diet is essential for a person to maintain good health and to maintain good psychological well-being. Feeling deprived of your favourite foods can cause you to give up a healthy lifestyle. Variety allows you to incorporate your favourites with healthy foods and offers the chance for you to develop new favourites as well.

It is important that you continue to eat foods that you like, but in moderation. Instead of giving up bacon, have it as an occasional treat. The same is true for desserts and sweets. It is important that people eat from the five major food groups each day. The USDA identifies these food groups as:

1. Fresh fruit
2. Vegetables
3. Whole grains

By combining these food groups, you are ensuring that your body is receiving the necessary nutrients that these items contain. This helps to ensure proper levels of nutrition. Simply eating from these groups is not enough. There are a variety of foods in these groups that would not necessarily be considered healthy, such as ice cream or candied yams. The food groups may be represented, but they don’t do you much good if they are coated in sugar. Choosing the best foods from these groups is important as well.

Choosing healthy means that you want to look for foods that are not supercharged with excess fat or sugar. It also means choosing meats from the lean section and removing the fat and skin from chicken. By doing this, you are eliminating unnecessary calories and excess fat.

When you choose breads and cereals, it is important not to choose those that are loaded with sugar or overly refined. Choose whole grains that have not been enhanced. Many of these whole grains are also fortified with additional vitamins and minerals.

This ensures that you are receiving these extra nutrients, but you should not rely on fortified foods alone. It is important that you get these nutrients in their natural form as well. Many foods are also supplemented with calcium and folic acid. These help to ensure that bones and teeth stay strong.

Foods Working Together

It is important that you choose a combination of foods that provide you with optimum nutrition. This means combining foods such as beans, dairy and vegetables and whole grains to form a well-rounded meal. All of these foods combined will provide you with the different nutrients that your body needs.

Most foods are obviously healthy. However, it may be difficult to know whether some items are healthy or not. In this instance, you will want to look at the nutritional labels. Labels are required on all packaged foods and can be very helpful to those who are looking to eat a healthier diet. Not only do the labels tell you how many calories, fat grams and other nutritional information, but they also provide detailed information on the type of vitamins and minerals are in the food as well.

When choosing healthy foods, small changes can make a big difference. When you exchange fresh and low-fat meals for high-fat meals, you will feel more energetic because you are not being “weighed down” by the high fat you were consuming in the past. You feel full without feeling bloated. You should also notice an increase in energy levels.

By replacing highly processed grains for nutritious whole grains, you will find that you are consuming more nutrients. Many of your highly refined foods are stripped of the nutrients, and they do you little good in terms of a healthy diet.

Cooking techniques are also important. It is imperative that you don’t cook with high-fat oil but use a cooking spread instead. This ensures that you are not eating any unnecessary fats in the form of oil. If you cook vegetables too long, you may actually be cooking away significant amounts of nutrients.

Take broccoli as an example. If you overboil it and then slather it in butter and cheese, you are cooking away nutrients and replacing them with fat. Boiling it too long can also cause them to lose nutrients. To prepare vegetables, you are often better off quickly steaming them in the microwave or over the stove. Cook them in as little water as possible, but use enough to keep them from becoming scorched.

When you cook potatoes, it is a good idea to include the skin. The skin contains a lot of fibre, nutrients and minerals. You can also cook a baked potato in the microwave or grill to give it a better flavour. By using these methods, you will make the skin soft and minimise the need to load it with butter, sour cream, cheese, bacon, etc. In fact, healthier alternatives would include a little bit of nonfat cottage cheese or nonfat yoghurt.

Subscribe now

Any professional will tell you the key to successful bodybuilding is to know your body, know your limits and know how your body will respond to certain conditions.

That being said, to help optimise your bodybuilding workout, you need to determine your body type. Everyone falls into one of three categories: ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph. By discovering the category that best fits your body, you can help find the lifestyle that will work best for you. Before engaging in any lifestyle changes, you should always check with your doctor.

Ectomorphs are people who naturally have little or no fat (the lucky ones). Usually, ectomorphs’ body types are tall and have longer limbs as well. Due to their build, most ectomorphs will choose endurance sports, like running. But if you fall into this category, you can still become a world-class bodybuilder.

Everyone falls into one of three categories: ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph. By discovering the category that best fits your body, you can help find the lifestyle that will work best for you. Before engaging in any lifestyle changes, you should always check with your doctor.

Ectomorphs are people who naturally have little or no fat (the lucky ones). Usually, ectomorphs’ body types are tall and have longer limbs as well. Due to their build, most ectomorphs will choose endurance sports, like running. But if you fall into this category, you can still become a world-class bodybuilder.

Ecectomorphs will need to up their calorie count and eat more throughout the day, but in smaller portions. You should try to increase your intake by at least 500 calories per day to help put on the weight. When we say ‘eating more’, it doesn’t necessarily mean eating anything you want. You will need to have a high-calorie, healthy diet if you want to be successful at bodybuilding.

If you are an ectomorph, you should cut most of the cardiovascular activity from your workout and focus mainly on intense weight training. You don’t want to overtrain, but you should get to the gym every 3 - 4 days for a hard full-body workout, which involves all muscle groups. It may be difficult for ectomorphs to gain muscle mass, but with a lot of hard work and dedication, it can be accomplished.

Mesomorphs are the people everyone envies. These are the people you see who eat lots of junk food yet still have great bodies! One trap mesomorphs easily fall prey to is the mindset that, because they can skip workouts or eat pizza without any visible effect, they think it’s not affecting their bodies at all. However, this is not true. Good genes may have given you a good body, but things such as heart disease will still affect you just as easily as anyone else.

Mesomorphs shouldn’t need to change the amount of food they eat. But if you fall into this category, make an effort to eat healthy foods and lots of good carbohydrates instead of junk food. When you work out, you may choose to do a full-body training session, but it will probably be more beneficial for you to target and define muscles in specific areas.

Endomorphs also have no problem gaining muscle mass. However, unlike mesomorphs, these people also have no problem gaining weight. Diet control is the key to successful bodybuilding for endomorphs. Eat smaller meals, spread out throughout the day, and cut out the junk food.

Powerlifting competitions are divided into 3 parts: the squat, the bench press, and the deadlift. When powerlifting, the winner is determined not by how big your muscles look, but rather, how much total weight you lifted. Competitors are placed into classes determined by things such as age and experience and are asked to lift in each of the three competitions.

Regardless of whether you’re a powerlifter or a bodybuilder, you’ll want to eat a healthy diet. It’s not enough to just eat enough calories in a day to optimise muscle building; you also need to eat the right foods. You’ll want to stay away from bad carbohydrates, such as potatoes and fried foods. Instead, your diet should include lots of pasta, green vegetables, and protein.

If your body type requires it, you may need to cut back on certain foods in order to lose weight. Keep in mind, though, powerlifting is not a measure of body fat or how well your muscles are defined, so packing on a few extra pounds won’t affect how the judges view you. Having less body fat, though, will promote a healthier lifestyle altogether, and you will be able to feel better in the gym when you are weight training if you cut the junk food out of your diet.

You will want to maintain a regular workout routine at the gym, just as you would if bodybuilding. While workouts are very important, it’s also necessary to give your muscles some time off to rest so they can recover and build in between workouts. You should also consider taking a full week off every 8-12 weeks. This method is encouraged by many trainers and is beneficial for most people because it reduces stress, allows your body to breathe, and helps you stay committed to your sport.

If you enjoy competitive sports, such as powerlifting, you can find it to be both beneficial to your health and rewarding. To get the most out of it, you should set goals for yourself before each competition and focus on competing against your own goals instead of simply beating the other powerlifters. If you’re dedicated to your diet and training and if you keep a positive attitude, you can succeed and enjoy the powerlifting world.

Bodybuilding Exercise Tips

No matter what your body type is, here are some general rules anyone can follow to get the most out of their workouts.

When you first begin an exercise program, regardless of whether it s weight training or cardio, your muscles immediately begin to use energy to allow them to work. For optimum health and fat burning, your body building workouts should consist of both anaerobic, and aerobic training.

Many weight training programs will tell you to do 12 repetitions of each exercise to gain muscle. The problem with that is, this approach leaves the muscles without enough tension for effective muscle gain. High-tension, such as heavy weights, provides muscle growth, which in turn allows the muscles to grow much larger than without high tension, and also leads to a maximum gain in strength. Having longer tension time boosts the muscle size by generating the structures around the muscle fibers, which improves endurance.

The standard prescription of 8–12 repetitions provides a balance. But, by only using that program when you exercise, you do not generate the greater tension levels provided by the heavier weights and lesser reps, or the longer tension achieved with lighter weights and more repetitions. Change the number of reps, and adjust the weights to stimulate all types of muscle growth.

There are also those who perform the three-Set rule, and while there’s nothing wrong with the three sets, there is nothing amazing about it either. You see, the number of sets you perform should be based on your goals, and not on some half-century old rule. The more repetitions you do of an exercise, the fewer sets you should do, and vice versa. By using this technique, you will keep the total number of repetitions performed of an exercise equal.

Doing 3–4 exercises per group is also not a good idea. Here’s why: Combined with 12 reps of 3 sets, the total number of reps amount to 144. If you’re doing this many reps for a muscle group, you’re not doing enough. Instead of doing too many different kinds of exercises, try doing 30 to 50 reps, so it should be anywhere from 2 sets of 15 reps or 5 sets of 10 reps.

Some who first start out will make the mistake of thinking the more reps you do, or the longer time you spend working on the equipment, the more muscle you build. A principal of body building says that you work out until the muscle is fatigued. Each exercise set you do is different. Depending on what your set is like, if what you do taxes the muscle, it is possible to fatigue the muscles in the first set.

A good rule to follow is to create an intensity in your workout by dropping, or breaking down sets, in which you rep out or lower the weight, and continue to do reps until you either cannot do another one, or you run out of weight. Sorting myth from truth about body building can help you design your workout, so it will be healthier and more productive. Training your mind to follow the truth about body building is like training your body. You can have discipline on two levels: body and mind.

The Benefits of Stretching

Before beginning any exercise routine, you should do some warm-up exercises. This is usually done by performing stretching exercises, which helps prepare the body for more rigorous activity. Here are some of the benefits of stretching.

Gives Your Body More Range of Movement. If we are consistently doing the stretching exercises, the length of the muscles and tendons will increase. This helps expand the range of your movement. Therefore, the limbs and joints will be able to move more freely.

Increases Your Ability to Perform Skills. When you have a wide range of movement, you will find yourself able to do more things. For example, you can jump high without feeling any pain when you come back down on the floor.

Helps to Prevent Injury. By stretching, you can help prevent injury to joints, tendons and muscles. When the muscles and tendons are well flexed, they are considered to be in good working order. The muscles of the body will be able to take on more exhausting and rigorous movements, with less probability of being injured. It will also promote faster recovery from injuries (should they occur), and you’ll have fewer sore muscles.

Helps to Reduce Muscle Tension. If you perform regular stretching exercises, it is less likely the muscles will constrict. This will definitely relieve you of any muscle pain or problems.

More Energy. By stretching, you’ll not only be able to move more freely, you will also have more energy. Stretching will also help enhance your mood. Many people find it improves their overall confidence and well-being, which makes you ready to tackle more things knowing your body is capable of handling it.

The Importance of Working Core Muscles

What Are Core Muscles? Your core muscles are those muscles found in the obliques, abdominals, lower back, and the glutes areas. These four areas of the body are the ones that usually frame the posture of a person. Therefore, a good posture reflects the good condition of these muscle areas.

What many people don’t know is that core muscles are actually the core or central part for all the strength needed to carry out different physical activities. This means if an individual s core muscles are physically fit, they will maintain equilibrium of the body, and will stabilise the system every time the person is working out or moving around.

Strengthening Core Muscles

The main responsibility of the core muscles is to provide enough power to the body to enable it to cope with the dynamic challenges of any physical activity the person encounters. For this reason, many health and fitness experts have realised it is relatively more important to strengthen the core muscles than the other muscles in the body. Through a series of experiments and research, they have found having a stronger core can reduce your risk of many posture related health problems.

For instance, well-conditioned core muscles can project good posture. It can also improve the endurance of the back, all the way through the day. Why? Because the muscles included in the group of core muscles are actually the ones that initiate the proper stabilisation of the whole upper and lower torso.

So, for those who desire to know and understand why it’s important to strengthen the core muscles, here is a list of some of the benefits you can use as references:

Strengthening core muscles will improve posture, and prevent low back pain of muscular origin. This means, as you work stretching exercises into your routine, taking a particular focus on the muscles of the upper and front part of the trunk, including the abdominal and trunk muscles. By doing this, you will be strengthening the muscles of the back which extend to
the spine.

It will help tone the muscles, thereby, avoiding further back injury. Exercising your core muscles will strengthen and tone your lower back muscles and buttocks, while stretching the hip flexors and the muscles on the front of the thighs. When you get to this state, it will help prevent you from getting a serious lower back injury.

Improves physical performance. Exercising the core muscles, with slow, static stretching, is effective in relieving stiffness and enhancing flexibility. Once the flexibility has been improved, it stands to reason he will be able to perform his physical activities much more easily.

They do not cause sore, aching muscles. Static stretching for core muscles is best for the muscles and connective tissues. Because it employs slow stretches only, it will not cause any soreness, as the quick, bouncing exercises relying on jerky muscle contractions do.

Lengthen muscles and avoid unbalanced footing as you get older. Core muscle exercises will lengthen the muscles that have constricted as a result of pain. It also prevents pain from vigorous exercise, if they are included at the end of each workout.
Health and fitness experts highly recommend starting a core work out immediately, and repeating the routine at least twice a week. This can be done after the workout or even during the activity, for about 10–20 minutes only. Indeed, core muscles are vitally important in determining good posture. Strengthening them can absolutely eliminate those annoying back pains.

Preventing Muscle Cramps

Muscle cramps are something just about everyone will experience at some time. A muscle cramp is the involuntary tightening of a muscle, which you can usually control. They most often occur in the legs and abdomen. These cramps can put a real damper on your workout, so it’s best to practice healthy habits, which can help prevent muscles from cramping while you exercise.

One way to help prevent a muscle cramp is to warm up your muscles before you start your workout session. Use the mat area of the gym (or mat at home) to stretch your muscles by doing some light lifting to prepare for a more intense workout. By giving your muscles a warm-up, they will expand and contract better during exercise, preventing you from getting cramps.

If you are really out of shape, you will need to warm up on a larger scale. Just remember to start off slowly, and work your way up to harder and more intense exercises. If you are an athlete just returning to your sport after the off-season or an injury, you will be more prone to muscle cramps, like those just getting started. By building on the intensity of your workouts, you will build muscle mass more quickly as well, so don’t overdo it from the start, and be sure to take enough time to rest between workouts.

It’s also very important to keep your muscles, and the rest of your body, hydrated. Be sure to drink lots of water before, during, and after your weight training or any other workout. You should supply your body with water before you feel thirsty, so drink at regular intervals. If you are out in the sun, or doing anything that is making you sweat, avoid water poisoning. This is where those sports juices can come in very handy. By drinking sports juices, you help to replenish all the nutrients your body is losing. If you lose too many of these nutrients, you may experience muscle spasms and cramps.

If by some chance you do get a muscle cramp, don’t fret. This is normal and will most likely go away in just a few minutes, although, you may be sore a bit longer. If you get a muscle cramp, stop what you’re doing, and gently stretch and massage the muscle until it is no longer cramped. If you can, apply heat, which will also help relax the muscle, and if you are sore, cold compresses will help your muscles heal. If you continue to experience cramps regularly, or it takes a long time to get rid of them, see your doctor to make sure there is not a serious medical condition present.

Subscribe now

Always eat breakfast

The first meal of the day is the most important, as it fuels you for the day. Never skip breakfast; if you're in a hurry, grab an energy bar, a banana, an apple, or a glass of juice.

Eat smaller meals and more often

Studies have proven that eating smaller and healthier meals actually gives you more energy as opposed to bigger meals, which often make you feel exhausted and sleepy! Try to eat a healthy snack every four hours to maintain your energy levels.

Exercise

Walk, jog, or cycle at least fifteen minutes every day. Any kind of physical activity will boost your energy levels. Find time between breaks and classes, before or after work. Plan ahead and establish a schedule for exercising. You’ll notice an immediate difference in energy!

Feed your cells

If you feel run down and extremely fatigued often or just sometimes, such fatigue may be a sure sign that the cells in your body are not receiving enough nutrients. When our body does not get its required dosage of nutrients from our diet, we become exhausted much faster.

High-energy foods

Consider adding high-energy foods to your diet such as low-fat cheese, milk, yogurt, beans, and eggs.

Hoodia Gordonii

To gain an extra natural flow of energy, you might consider taking Hoodia Gordonii, an amazing cactus-like plant that is rapidly gaining popularity worldwide.

Juice

Drink a whole glass of organic apple or pure orange juice. These two will provide you with plenty of energy, especially when you are running low!

Water

Drink water on a regular basis.

Reduce caffeine consumption

A wonderful way to help maintain your energy levels is to reduce or eliminate caffeine from your diet. Remember: caffeine is a stimulant that will make you jittery.

Vitamins

Take supplements of vitamins C, E, and B6. Or, eat foods rich in these vitamins, like oranges, almonds, peanuts, and pecans.

Minerals

Take iron as a supplement; it will boost your overall energy.

Wake Up Early and Rise Energetically - How Sleep Works

Sleep is a constantly recurring event characterized by reduced or absent consciousness. A state of relatively reduced sensory activity, sleep is believed to be as important as being awake. It's when the body and mind recover from daily stress.

In sleep, all the voluntary muscles remain inactive, and involuntary muscle functions are reduced. In other words, it is like switching off a machine or placing it in idle mode to allow the machines to cool off and prevent damage. It is mostly done at night, where hormone levels are at the lowest.

How Sleep Works

A person’s sleep can be affected by a lot of factors; one of these factors is the circadian rhythm. The sleep-wake homeostasis, or the circadian clock, controls the sleep timing. It may have the greatest significance and greatest effect on the sleep of an individual.

Sleep timing means the time you sleep and the time you wake up. The circadian clock is also an inner timekeeper, a temperature controller, and an enzyme regulator. It is the rhythm that determines the ideal time for a person’s restorative sleep and rest. It works together with a neurotransmitter called Adenosine.

Adenosine is a neurotransmitter responsible for inhibiting bodily processes involving wakefulness. Our circadian rhythm is commonly affected by poor sleeping habits such as overnight shifts, shifting time zones like flying from one country to another.

When a person goes to bed to rest, he or she undergoes a bodily and organized process called sleep. An individual passes through five phases of sleep: stages 1, 2, 3, 4, and REM (rapid eye movement). These stages progress into a cycle from stage 1 to REM.

The cycle may be repeated more than twice in one night. An individual spends about 50% of his sleeping time in stage 2 of the cycle, 20% in REM, and 30% is spent on the other part of the cycle. Infants, on the other hand, have different percentages, wherein they spend about half of their sleeping time in REM.

Stage 1 is the stage in between sleep and wakefulness. A person’s sleep would be easily disrupted if the person were in this stage. Muscle activity is still constant, and the eye movements are still observed.

For stage 2, the person’s sleep gradually deepens. It is harder to wake a person in this stage of sleep.

On stages 3 and 4, a person no longer responds to environmental stimuli. Stimuli include loud noises and bright lights. It is the stage where the person stays before progressing to REM.

REM, or rapid eye movement, is part of the sleeping stage, which a person enters approximately 90 minutes after sleep is initiated. The deepest stage in the sleep cycle is the hardest time to wake up a person.

Muscle activity is greatly reduced, but the brain activity is noticeably highest. EEG tests confirm that a person’s brain activity during the REM stage is similar to that when a person is awake.

Subscribe now

The weight loss industry is a multibillion-dollar industry, and they’d like everyone to believe there’s some big secret that they know, and you don’t. That's how they sell you magic weight loss formulas. It’s time you knew the truth about what it takes to lose weight and build muscle fast.

Muscle vs. Fat

If you are trying to lose weight and build muscle, and you want to do it fast, crash diets that seriously restrict your caloric intake aren’t what you need. When you lose weight while dieting, you lose muscle and fat. Exercise will preserve your muscle and build new muscle. You need to eat healthy and incorporate a vigorous exercise regime into your daily life. That will build muscle, and you can watch the fat shrink away.

The Right Foods to Build Your Muscles

If you want to build your muscles, you are going to have to feed them, and not just any food—the right foods. Proteins are key to building your muscles. This is why bodybuilders use protein shakes to bulk up. But don’t ignore carbs, because they are also important to building muscles.

The key to losing weight and building muscles quickly is to eat a balanced diet. You should be taking in two grams of protein per kilogram of body weight if you are following a serious exercise regime; however, if you are not exercising, you should be taking in no more than .8 grams per kilogram of body weight.

Calorie Counting

Without ever cutting calories or increasing your exercise, you can see an amazing reduction in weight loss. The formula for weight loss is really no secret. You must use more calories than you take in. So start paying attention and make sure you are burning up more than you are taking in. You also need to make better food choices. Healthier choices mean you’ll have more energy and feel fuller.

Building Muscle

You aren’t going to bulk up overnight. If that’s your goal, and you put the time in, you’ll see the result in a few weeks, without any magic potions or pills. Start slow, with weights you are comfortable working with. Always do your exercises properly. Match your goals, and you’re training to get the results you expect.

There you have it. There’s really no big secret. The right mix of diet and exercise, and you’ll be toned and lighter in no time at all. You really can lose weight and build muscle fast.

What the Experts Say About Losing Weight Fast

Weight gain is frustrating when you’re trying everything you can think of to shed those pounds. You watch what you eat, you exercise, and still the pounds stay. Everyone knows that eating too much, eating fried or fatty foods, eating sugary foods, drinking alcohol, and drinking soda can lead to excess weight gain, but even those who avoid all these things find themselves putting on the pounds.

So, how can you lose weight fast in a healthy manner? The good news is it isn’t as difficult as you might have thought. According to some experts, a few key techniques can help you quickly shed those extra pounds. Losing weight quickly requires more than eating less and exercising more. To lose weight fast, you need to combine exercise, diet, dietary supplements, and emotional support. Here are a few more techniques to help you lose weight:

Listen to your body. – Adjust your exercise and your diet to correspond with your goals and your body.

Set goals that are realistic – Make sure you set goals that can be achieved; stay motivated, and stay focused.

Drink more water – Drinking water removes toxins from the body. It also keeps you feeling full.

Eat more fiber, – Fiber help to fill you faster, and you stay feeling full for longer.

Remain consistent – Your success depends on remaining consistent with your plan.

Stay away from packaged and processed foods – these foods have little nutrition, too much fat, too much sodium, and they are just plain bad for you and your waistline.

There are all kinds of diet supplements on the market. Some may be helpful, some are of no value, and some are dangerous. Before you take any diet supplements, make sure you do your homework and understand how and if they can help. Quick weight loss can occur without the use of supplements.

If you’ve ever watched “The Biggest Loser,” you’ll know that you can safely lose significant weight in one month if you want to. It’s important to realize that losing weight involves more than just losing fat. Weight loss involves the body’s water, muscle tissue, and bone mass.

Rapid weight loss can entail dehydration, loose skin, cramping, diarrhea, and fatigue. So while you can safely lose weight quickly, you can only do this providing you understand your nutritional needs vs. your weight loss and what your limits are. You should also never undertake a weight loss program without first discussing it with your physician.

Which Diets Are Best to Lose Weight Fast?

For most of us, those pounds go on faster than they come off. But which diets are best to lose weight fast? Glad you asked! When it comes to fast weight loss, some diets work better than others, and regardless of your diet choice, it’s important to add an exercise component too.

It’s also important to choose a diet that you can stick to. There’s no point in choosing a diet considered a fast weight loss program if you can’t stand the foods that are in it.

Let’s look at some of your diet options others have found useful to lose weight fast:

Scarsdale Diet. This is a diet known for its choices, which makes it easier to stick to. It’s also a good choice if you’re the type of person that doesn’t want to be going around hungry. There’s no weighting, counting, or measuring. Just follow the simple menus.

The Lemonade Diet. If you’re a person with strong willpower, you might consider this combination cleanse diet.

The Cabbage Soup Diet. – This is a popular choice for anyone who doesn’t want to be on a diet for more than seven days. It’s cheap and it’s repetitive. It works, but you had better like cabbage.

The Three-Day Diet. – This is a great way to lose 10 pounds in three days.

What one has to remember is that while these diets have worked well for many who want to lose weight fast, they don’t necessarily lead to long-term weight loss if they aren’t combined with healthy lifestyle choices. That includes nutritious eating and exercise.

Your exercise program doesn’t have to be costly or difficult. A brisk walk that gets your heart rate up and some weight training right in your living room will do the trick. Resistance exercises are great for toning muscles, as are squats, pushups, and lunges. You might want to add a set of dumbbells to the mix, but you can also use cans. Be creative.

Of course, for some, the gym membership is a way to keep them focused and on track. Whatever works for you. That’s what’s important. While diets may start to see the pounds melt away fast, you need to make healthy food choices to enjoy the long-term benefits. That includes eating fresh veggies and fruits; good protein such as poultry and fish; and avoiding packaged and processed foods.

With just a little effort, you can look and feel better in no time at all. Watch those pounds melt away.

From Fat to Fit

Have you discovered the secret to quick weight loss? The truth is, there is no secret. What there is are many unique ways that share similar characteristics. It’s time you learned what you need to know to go from fat to fit.

Deciding on a weight loss or muscle-building program has a lot to do with your personal preferences and tastes. It should also be based on your level of commitment. After all, there’s no point in choosing a program that requires you to work out every day when you are only willing to work out three times a week.

There are all kinds of fad diets on the market that would like you to believe they have something that no one else has. The reality is, most of these diets are similar. And while they have worked for many, the key is being able to keep the weight off long-term. If you decide to use a fad diet, then you also need to have a long-term plan in place, and you need to be ready to make the lifestyle changes necessary to keep the weight off.

The truth is, if you are looking to lose weight and gain muscle mass quickly, there are only a few tried-and-true ways to do this. Here are some great tips to help you burn fat and build muscle.

Four days a week, you need to do 45 minutes of moderate free-weight strength training.

Add high-intensity cardio workouts that are 15 minutes in length and done three days a week.

Incorporate a nutritious, well-balanced diet into your life. Avoid junk food, processed food, and convenience food, which have little nutritional value and far too many wasted calories.

You should not eat two hours before bedtime. Eating too late turns these calories into fat.

Drink lots of water. In fact, you should be drinking a gallon a day. Water removes the toxins from your body, and it also fills you up. Have a glass of water before you sit down to eat, and you’ll eat far less. Water also provides the necessary hydration to your muscles.

Building muscles and losing fat is not a onetime occurrence. It requires you to make some changes to your lifestyle. To keep the weight off, you will need to continue to exercise and eat healthy. The good news is losing the weight isn’t nearly as difficult as many would have you believe. Why not start today?

How Cardio Training Can Lose Weight and Build Muscle Quickly

The topic of losing weight can often elicit “groans.” ” There’s no need, you know. In fact, did you know that cardio training can lead to quickly building muscle mass and losing weight? Cardio training can be as simple or as complex as you like. Walking, jogging, and cycling are all good forms of aerobic exercise that can quickly burn body fat. Aerobic exercises are a great choice for the entire body.

There are all kinds of sites promoting the “secret to successful weight loss” online, but it’s really not as complicated as we might want to make it out to be. If you want to lose weight quickly, then you must change the ration between calorie intake and calorie use. You can either increase your exercise or decrease your calories. The best plan of attack is to combine the two. Reduce your calories by no more than 500 and increase your activity with 30 minutes of daily cardio.

When you build muscle, you burn fat. Strength training builds muscle. Squats, lunges, and pushups require no equipment and are very effective. Free weights are also very effective—dumbbells can be purchased for cheap and cans always work too. Don’t make this more expensive or complicated than it has to be.

Fat-burning aerobic exercise is different from recreational exercise. For example, tennis and golf are recreational exercises and won’t do a thing for your weight loss, or very little. Then again, aerobic exercise such as running, walking, and jogging for 30 minutes without stopping will get the heart pumping and the fat melting.

For a while it was thought that low-intensity exercises would do the job of burning fat, but that myth was quickly dismissed. If you don’t get your heart rate up, you won’t burn fat. When you have a high intensity aerobic workout, you will consume around 70% of the body’s energy. This means calories are burnt, and that includes fat cells.

Your cardio workout can be as little as 10 to 15 minutes, but a 45 to 60-minute workout is the most effective for burning fat. Don’t think for a minute that more is better, because after 60 minutes the amount of weight loss actually goes down, not up.
Cardio training can lose weight and build muscles quickly, but when it comes to healthy weight loss that you can maintain, you’ll want to ensure you have a healthy lifestyle.

The Best Way to Enjoy Quick Weight Loss

Weight loss is a battle many of us find ourselves facing. Whether it’s 10 pounds or 100 pounds, you can do it, and you can enjoy quick weight loss too. Let’s look at some great ways to speed up your weight loss.

One way to speed up your weight loss is to speed up your metabolism. One sure-fire way to increase your metabolism is to get active. When you increase your muscle mass, you speed up your metabolism. Another way to boost your metabolism is eating small amounts more often.

Rather than three meals a day, go for six small meals a day. Eating foods that are high in protein and foods that are spicy can both improve your metabolism. Give up coffee and start drinking green tea. There is all kinds of evidence that green tea speeds up the metabolism.

You should set an alarm to go off every four hours to remind you to eat. Sound ridiculous? Well, it’s not. This technique ensures you eat smaller meals throughout the day, an effective metabolism booster.

Finally, have a sauna. Being hot can boost the metabolism by 20%. You should always talk to your physician before using a sauna. A very hot bath can help too. While it may not be as effective as a sauna, it still helps.

Losing weight is all about change. You need to change your eating habits, your exercise patterns, and your lifestyle choices. You need to create a plan of action, motivate yourself, and then get going. Throw your body a curveball and change things up rather than always doing the same thing. With this method, you’ll see the fastest weight loss. And remember to make positive choices in your life now that you’ll be able to do for the rest of your life.

Here’s a little secret many don’t know about. Lemon juice speeds up weight loss. It contains citric acid, which slows gastric emptying time so you feel full longer and eat less. Your diet should be high in protein, complex carbs, and fiber, while it should be low in fat and simple carbs. Most of us have trigger foods we just can’t put down once we start eating them. Storing these foods in the freezer makes it harder to carry out that behavior, thereby breaking the cycle.

Finally, you need to incorporate exercise into your weight loss program. Cardio exercises combined with weight training will optimize and tone your muscles while burning the unwanted fat. You can easily lose three to five pounds a week, and those numbers can be much higher if you are truly committed.

Subscribe now

Not to say that you necessarily need to be making changes. But if you’re looking for a way to build more muscle, to lose fat, to feel healthier and better about yourself, and to be pumped full of energy—bodyweight training can do all that.

And this is true even if you have failed to get into shape with other training programs in the past. In fact, bodyweight training is the perfect antidote for anyone who has struggled with regular workouts. Whether you tried running, lifting weights, or anything else—bodyweight training presents an answer that is easier, faster, and more effective—and that’s more likely to help you get the results you’re looking for.

Even if you have been successful with other programs in the past, bodyweight training can be the perfect addition to your routine and can help you to get even better benefits even more quickly. And it’s a different kind of fitness and strength you’ll enjoy too. You’ll be strong, but you’ll also be perfectly proportioned, more full of energy, and even more agile.

Bodyweight training gives you power like a coiled spring!

At this point, the first question you might be asking is, "Why bodyweight training?” What’s so different about working out with your own body? Why do people succeed with this type of exercise when all else has failed? Let’s take a look at some pretty convincing reasons that bodyweight training is what you need…

The Many Benefits of Bodyweight Training

#1 Practical Benefits

For starters, bodyweight training has a ton of practical benefits that a lot of other types of exercise just can’t deliver.

For starters, bodyweight training doesn’t require any equipment or tools. As we’ll see later on, there are some items that can help you to get more from your training, and a pull-up bar in particular is highly advisable.

Nevertheless, though, this still isn’t a requirement by any stretch, and you can get away without one. Even if you do go for a pull-up bar, this is something that can fit into your doorframe and that won’t set you back more than $5 at a push.

This right away is something that gives bodyweight training a big advantage. This means that you don’t have to spend any cash to get started with it, and it means that you can do it anywhere. A lot of people like to use bodyweight training when visiting hotels and other places they can stay, and you can even do this kind of training when you’re camping.

But this also makes it much easier to get started in your own home. The fact of the matter is that many of us can’t afford to invest in expensive gym equipment like bench presses or squat racks, and most of us don’t have the room anyway.

Then there’s the fact that having lots of equipment means it’s actually quite a lot of work in order to start training. If you’re going to be using dumbbells, barbells, a bench, or a kettlebell, this means that you’re going to have to get all of that equipment out and set it up to use.

That might not sound like a big deal, but if you live in a small space, it can involve quite a lot of work, and it can add 10 minutes to your training. Bearing in mind that you need to pack it away again, this can be the difference between a quick, spontaneous workout or not having time to train at all.

With bodyweight training, there’s nothing stopping you from getting a quick five-minute workout in even when you’re waiting at the bus stop. And as we’ll see, this is a really great way to train, as it means you’re no longer spending most of your day sedentary and going all-out for just one hour. Using bodyweight training, we can be much more tactical and versatile in the way we train and when we train.

Read more

The latest research shows that around seventy-five percent of skin aging is caused by an overexposure to the sun. This is a huge figure and one that has to be taken seriously for anyone who is looking for ways to delay the aging process.

In my opinion this is actually common sense, as when anything becomes burnt, it tends to shrivel up and become all wrinkly. This is what can happen to people’s skin; it may not happen straight away, but after maybe thirty years of this overexposure to the sun, wrinkles are likely to appear.

For people who enjoy spending time sunbathing, as it makes them feel good, and they like looking tanned, I would advise a strong sun cream. This should be used regularly as per the instructions, and if you start to feel your body burning up, this is the time when you should be looking for some shade or to cover up.

It is also important to ensure we get enough sleep. Research suggests that people who only average around six hours of sleep per night will age in looks far quicker than people who average eight hours.

Again, this is very logical, as if you have a period of a couple of weeks when you do not get enough sleep, bags can appear under your eyes. If you have a perfect night’s sleep, you tend to wake up not only feeling fresh and awake but also looking fresh and healthy. My advice here for people who have developed these bags under their eyes would be to use a good eye cream or to gently massage their eyes every day.

Smoking can certainly speed up the aging process. To quit smoking is not easy, however, but it is a must for people on a quest to delay the aging process. There are, of course, many other reasons to stop smoking; therefore, be brave and look at ways to quit smoking today.

I have often heard people refer to somebody with a comment such as, "He looks as if he has had a hard life.” This is often referred to somebody who looks far older than they actually are. They look like they have not been looked after or that they have not had enough love in their lives.

What I think has happened is that they have had a stressful life. What we therefore need to do is to attempt to live as much of a stress-free life as possible. This, of course, is not that easy.

What we need to do is to think in a more positive and proactive way. We need to start to like ourselves and be happy with who we are and what we have. Thinking in this way will certainly, in my opinion, help you in your quest of anti-aging.

Free Radicals

We hear a lot about “free radicals” these days. Free radicals are unstable molecules produced from sources like air pollution, radiation, and chemicals. They are also caused by bad diets high in fat and can even be caused by overexercising.

These free radicals can overrun your system and are now recognized to cause devastating health problems, such as heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis. They are a major concern in premature aging.

Ways to prevent free radical damage are:

Increase your intake of antioxidants like vitamins A and E. Eat a diet high in colorful fruits and vegetables. Reduce your use of chemicals in and around the home. Source natural skin care products that contain antioxidants.

Using natural skin care products will significantly reduce the amount of chemical substances you absorb into your body that can cause premature aging. Some "everyday" chemicals, such as synthetic emollients contained in some commercial products, can be stored by the body in the liver and lymph nodes. Others, such as sodium lauryl sulfate, can irritate the skin.

Ways to prevent absorbing chemicals through the skin are:

Use only natural skin care products. Scent the skin with essential oils or naturally scented creams. Use only soaps made from plant oils and that contain herbal extracts, aromatherapy oil blends, and clays. Shower daily to rid the skin of dust and grime

Exfoliation has been around for thousands of years as a natural way to remove dead skin cells from the surface of the body and prevent premature aging, revealing the fresh new skin cells beneath. There are many benefits to exfoliating the skin. Not only is new skin revealed, but the circulation is stimulated, enabling toxins to be dislodged and removed from the layers of the skin and the lymph nodes.

Ways to exfoliate are:

Use a body scrub weekly in the shower. Use a natural bristle skin brush to brush the dry skin before showering daily. Use loofahs to remove dead cells when bathing. Dry the skin with a scratchy towel to stimulate your circulation.

Dehydration is yet another factor in premature aging. Many people simply do not drink enough water to maintain a healthy system. Six to eight glasses of water a day is said to be what we should be drinking, and that does not include soft drinks and coffee! They actually tax the system of moisture.

Ways to ensure you drink enough water are:

Always carry a bottle of water with you and drink it! A good guide to calculating the right amount of water you should be drinking a day is to divide your weight by 8. This is the amount of 250 ml glasses of water you should have per day to help prevent premature aging.

Anti-Aging Lifestyle Changes

One of the most highly regarded anti-aging treatments is still exercising. Not only does it restore health, regain a youthful muscle tone, and improve the metabolism of the body, but exercising could also extend life expectancy.

It is so important that no anti-aging supplement, no surgery, and no single health food, no matter the hype in advertisements, could replace it. One could only turn on the television set, and at least two channels in any cable company are shopping networks that sell exercise equipment and gadgets, all modified to make exercising easier and less time-consuming. All directed to make people exercise and to accommodate also the issues confronting older people.

Understandably so, as the body ages, it desires more rest from activities that require less physical effort. On the other hand, this is the time when it needs it more.

Most people think that as they age, their metabolism slows down too. In many respects this is true; that is why the need for exercise is greater. Often, though, the reason for slower metabolism for older people is that they stop moving as much compared to when they were younger. Not moving so much also tends to make even the voluntary muscles in the body slower.

Plaques develop especially in the colon, and when the junk and the gunk stay there, caused by slower metabolism, ailments develop faster. The body also develops more fat than muscle as it ages, which is more reason to burn more calories. Younger people have more lean muscles. This is why they do not sweat as much with every exertion as older people do.

Aging and Keeping an Active Mind

There is a correlation between being physically and mentally active. A person, especially an older person, who leads a sedentary lifestyle tends to have more lethargic cognitive abilities than the same age group that remained physically active.

As people reach middle age, recovery from injuries takes a while longer. So it is true that as people start to approach middle age, they may want to limit the frequency of exerting strenuous physical activity. Still, exercising is needed, albeit they have to take longer periods of rest.

As people approach middle age, the fear of falling dead during physical exertion and other horror stories becomes more believable. False belief. Actually the chance is one in 1.5 million sessions, and the findings are not very conclusive.

However, it will still be good to consult a physician first for better guidance. But then even the physician will recommend exercising, provided there are no seriously prohibitive reasons.

Strength training and weight training could slow down the loss of lean body mass in older persons. Depending also on a person’s initial fitness and dependent on how hard he works out, lean body mass could be developed.

A good anti-aging treatment for aging people is the regaining or the development of strength first. People approaching middle age who started walking a certain distance a day find out that they could endure more distances on following days, and the distances keep on increasing.

Development of the strength in this manner prepares the person for more serious workouts. In fact, strength development does not need high-tech equipment, the road, the stairs, and the door jamb, or whatever. Provided your physician gives the go, exercise materials could be found anywhere. Besides, strength development is necessary if one plans to do aerobics later on.

Anti-aging treatments like exercising could be done anywhere and are available anywhere. Often they do not require too much effort, nor do they have to be too time-consuming. Sometimes, the simplest are even the most effective. Exercising also remains the least expensive anti-aging treatment ever. All other alternatives do not make the grade as much as exercise does.

Adjusting To An Aging Mind

As our brains age, we’re less likely to think as quickly or remember things as well as we used to. Research is now showing how the brain changes and adapts with age. You can use what we’ve learned and follow a few simple tips to help remember things and avoid scams.

Dr. Denise C. Park, director of the Roybal Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Illinois, explains that the knowledge we gain from life experience can sometimes compensate for other changes in our brains as we age. Older professionals can often be better at their jobs than younger ones. “Your memory may be less efficient,” Park says, “but your knowledge about how to do it may be better.”

Researchers can design tests that expose problems in the aging mind by creating tasks in which older adults can’t use their experience. These tests reflect real-life situations like getting upsetting medical news or having a crafty scam artist pressure you for an answer.

One key to dealing with situations like these, Park says, is not to make rash decisions. Ask for further information and more time to consider. Discuss it with friends or relatives.

Perhaps the most common trouble people face as they age is remembering things. Park says it’s important to acknowledge that your memory is fallible. “For medicines, driving directions or other things with specific details, don’t rely on your memory,” she says. “That’s good advice for everybody, but especially for older adults.” If you need to remember something important, write it down on a pad or use an electronic device like a personal digital assistant (PDA) that lets you store notes and reminders.

Another way to remember things is through routines. Take your medicine with a snack or a particular meal, for example. Always keep your keys and wallet in the same place.

You can also use your imagination. If you imagine doing something beforehand, Park says, you’re much more likely to do it. So, for example, imagine taking your medicine in as much detail as you can, paying attention to where, when and how.

Practice can help, too. Rehearse talking to a salesperson. Visit somewhere new in advance.

Keeping your brain active with activities that require mental effort, such as reading, may help keep your mind sharp. Staying physically active may help, too.

Alzheimer’s or Aging? The Signs You Need To Know

Is your forgetfulness an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease, or just normal aging? Treatments for Alzheimer’s work best in the early stages, so do you need to see a doctor now? Here are the signs you need to look out for.

How do you know if that forgetfulness you’ve had is an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease, or just normal aging?

You may forget the occasional name or sometimes have trouble thinking of the right word to use. Maybe you walk into another room and wonder what you were looking for. Is it Alzheimer’s, aging, or just plain being distracted, doing one thing while you’’re thinking of another?

There are signs to look out for, signs that tell you it’s time to get to the specialist and get checked out. Treatments for Alzheimer’s disease work best in the early stages, so it’s vitally important to get an early diagnosis. An early diagnosis and early treatment can give you more years of normal functioning, and save you and your family tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Warning Signs

Memory Loss: We all forget things like appointments, names, and phone numbers occasionally, and that’s normal. Forgetting freshly learned information more often can be a warning sign, though.

Communication Problems: Having trouble finding the right word is not unusual, but the Alzheimer’s sufferer often forgets simple words and may use unusual words or strange descriptions. A camera may become “that box that makes pictures”.

Problems with Everyday Tasks: A person with Alzheimer’s disease can start having trouble doing jobs or hobbies that they’ve had many years of experience with. For example, they may be halfway through their favorite recipe and forget how to finish it, though they’ve done it many times before.

Misplacing Things: This isn’t the normal losing the car keys, but more like putting things in unusual places, such as the ice-cream in the oven, or clothes in the dishwasher.

Disorientation: A person with Alzheimer’s disease can get lost in their own street or stay sitting at the bus station because they can’t remember where they were going. They may not remember how to get home.

Impaired Judgment: Wearing a thick jacket on a blazing hot day or a swimsuit in the middle of winter could be a sign of dementia. Having poor judgment with money can be a symptom too, such as spending big amounts of money with telemarketers or buying products that aren’t needed.

Trouble with Complex Tasks: Having trouble with tasks that require abstract thinking like balancing a check book or playing a favorite game can be difficult for the Alzheimer’s sufferer.

Mood Swings and Personality Changes: Mood changes for no apparent reason can be another symptom. The sufferer could be happy and cheerful one minute, and then suddenly become furious over something that is quite trivial, or that they have imagined. They can become clingy with a family member, or suspicious of the neighbors.

Loss of Initiative: We can all get tired of housework or our business activities sometimes. But someone suffering from Alzheimer’s disease can become quite passive, watching television for hours, not wanting to do their normal activities, or spending more time sleeping.

Many more people are worried that they may have Alzheimer’s disease than actually get the disease. However, if you are suffering from these symptoms, see a specialist.

Anti-Aging Rule: Choose Your Friends Carefully

My mother always reminded her kids that people judge you by the company you keep. The admonition was meant primarily for my brother who tended to prefer the company of neighborhood rowdies – the kids who ran around with their shirttail hanging out, their knickers not pulled up, their hair uncombed, and used inappropriate language like “gosh” and “gee whiz.” Yes, yes, I know. But that was back in the Dark Ages.

She was right, – people do judge you by people with whom you associate. But in our contemporary culture, few people are concerned about the judgment of others. However, if you are at midlife, and you want to retain youthful characteristics and vibrant good health, the company you keep is very important for a reason rarely discussed.

And that reason is this: We develop “old” thinking and behaviors from observation and emulation of “old” or “older” people we associate with most frequently. They could be family members, close friends, neighbors, or co-workers. And let’s not forget the influence of archaic conventional wisdom and consensus thinking. “Oldness” is insidious and viral. You really have to watch what you allow into your head and adopt as your own.

Does someone in your family insist on being catered to not because of an infirmity, but because “I’ve done for others all of my life, and now it’s time for others to do for me”? Grandma did it, so you do it, too. We should do for our elders, but not when elders are perfectly capable of caring for themselves. It’s unkind and unwise to encourage dependence. If entitlement or other “old age” behavior causes unhappiness in your family, it can stop with you.

Aside from family life, one of the best places to catch the oldness virus is in retirement communities or any living situation where you are in contact primarily with people your own age.

Retirement communities, for the most part, are beautiful. They are quiet, well maintained and many offer amenities that can keep you going nonstop: Trips, classes, social and sports events, state-of-the-art exercise equipment, music, arts, crafts, tennis, swimming, theater -- you name it. What more could you want if you are over 50?

What you should want, and must want, if you are determined to Put Old on Hold is regular association with people of ALL ages and circumstances. If you are at midlife (50-55), healthy, and choose to buy into a retirement community, think about the environment you will be in for a very long time.

In a new community that stresses active lifestyles, there will probably be many residents about your age. But what happens as time goes on? Assuming the community remains stable, there probably won’t be too many younger people moving in over the years. You may consider that a bonus, but remember this: Over time, your closest friends and acquaintances will likely be those within the community, especially if your lifestyle becomes more settled. This is something to consider ahead of time.

The life span has increased by 27 years in the past century. Those bonus years represent a long time to live in a situation where predominant topics of conversation, eventually, will be about aches, pains, which neighbor is in the hospital or who died last week, and which widower is up for grabs, and what his favorite casserole is. The reality is this: If you are at midlife, and you choose to segregate yourself in a seniors-only environment, the “oldness” virus will get you sooner than later.

Young people, as irritating as they often can be, can also be open, patient, kind, understanding and tolerant. For me, one of the joys of working is the opportunity to interact with young people. On more than one occasion, their presence has helped me lighten up on impatience and crankiness. You cannot pay for that kind of therapy!

Exposure to young people is essential if you want to broaden your worldview and stay current with what is happening beyond your world and circle of friends. You may not approve of what you see and hear, but it does help you cope with reality, – something that older people often have a hard time dealing with.

Deliberately put yourself where younger people are. Take or teach classes at the local community college. Join organizations that do not segregate by age, i.e. seniors-only or boomers-only groups. Volunteer to mentor teens who could benefit from your wisdom and experience.

Indeed, if you have a choice, choose your friends, associates and living environment carefully as you age. They can and do affect how well you age and the quality of your life.

Is an Enlarged Prostate a Normal Part Of The Aging Process?

The prostate gland goes through two main stages of growth during a man’s life. The first sees fairly rapid growth during the early years of puberty, with the prostate roughly doubling in size. The second stage of growth starts in a man’s mid-twenties and this is a much slower phase of growth which then continues throughout life.

For the vast majority of men this second phase of growth does not cause any problems at all until they are well into their sixties or seventies when the symptoms caused by the now enlarged prostate will begin to appear and a visit to the doctor will reveal the presence of nothing more than a simple enlarged prostate. In medical terms, your doctor will say that you are suffering from benign prostatic hyperplasia, benign prostatic hypertrophy or BPH.

The prostate sits just below the bladder and partially surrounds the urethra, – the tube which carries urine from the bladder. As the prostate gland grows, the tissue surrounding it restricts its expansion and causes the prostate to close around the urethra, thus restricting the flow through the urethra.

At the same time, the bladder wall thickens and the bladder starts contracting even when it contains relatively small amounts of urine. In the end, the bladder weakens and loses its ability to contract and thus to empty itself, so that urine remains trapped in the bladder.

The precise symptoms experienced as a result of an enlarged prostate will clearly vary from person to person but, as a general rule, the first signs will be a change in your pattern of urination or a difficulty in urinating.

You may find, for example, that you start to experience a weak flow of urine or that the flow appears hesitant, tending to stop and start. You may also find that you are unable to hold on and calls to the bathroom become urgent. Trips to the bathroom may also become more frequent, especially during the night, and you may also notice a tendency to leak or dribble urine.

In some cases, you may be completely unaware of any problem until you suddenly find that you cannot urinate at all. In this case, referred to as acute urinary retention, the underlying problem is often triggered by common medicines which contain a decongestant and which are used in cold and allergy treatments. Acute urinary retention can also be brought on by alcohol, cold or a long period of immobility.

In the majority of cases these symptoms result simply from an enlarged prostate and this will be confirmed by a visit to your doctor who can often treat the condition fairly easily. It is, however, important that you do indeed visit your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms as, in a few cases, they may be indicative of a more serious underlying problem, such as prostate cancer.

A visit to the doctor is also essential as, although many cases of BPH may be treated quite easily, the condition can lead to an infection of the urinary tract, damage to the bladder and/or kidneys, stones in the bladder and incontinence.

An early visit to the doctor can have the problems associated with an enlarged prostate cleared up quickly and considerably reduce the risk of developing complications.

Think about how many people you know who have tried to get into shape and failed. Think about how many of your friends or family members have started new training programs or new weight loss regimes. Either they’re trying to build big muscle, or they’re interested in losing fat.

Either way, they come to you all excited…

Read more

You can think outside the box when it comes to bodyweight workouts. You don’t just have to do pull-ups, push-ups, and squats; check out some of these rather cool bodyweight exercises.

Calf Jumps

Calf jumps are a way to train the calves that is explosive and great for creating microtears and power in the lower portion of the legs. To perform calf jumps, you simply stand with your legs completely straight and then jump. The caveat? Your legs have to also remain straight throughout the duration of the jump. What this means is that you’re not able to engage the upper leg muscles, thereby forcing your calves to do all the work in a very plyometric manner.

Hollow Rock

The hollow rock is an incredibly weird ab exercise, but one that has gradually become more and more popular. The idea is to fix your body in a concave curve with your buttocks planted on the ground and then to rock back onto the arch of your back. You then rock back and forward without moving any of your limbs, and the only way to do this is by powering the movement through your abs. It’s a great fun exercise that has you rocking back and forward, and it’s a great way to build core strength.

Abdominal Shifters

This is one that you probably won’t want to do in a gym because it looks absolutely bizarre! Basically, you’re going to be lying on the ground and keeping your core tight but with a slight concave arch in the torso. Now you’re going to rock back and forward, and as you do, you’re going to slightly rotate until you’ve gone a full 360 degrees. You’ll look like a fish flapping around on the beach, but it’s an excellent and fun way to build the abs and transverse abdominals.

Lizard Crawl

There are various variations of crawl exercises, but no matter how you do them, they’re excellent for building strength in the core, the pecs, and the shoulders. What’s more is that they can also help you to create ‘cross lateral communication’ and thereby improve your proprioception and agility. Don’t worry too much about that; just try crawling along the ground, torso raised just above the floor, keeping your arms constantly bent and moving forward one step at a time.

Elbow Curls

This is the perfect exercise for people who want to train their biceps but don’t have any equipment (even a pull-up bar). To perform this, lie on the ground on your side with one arm pinned under your leg and with your legs bent forward. Now grab your leg from underneath and pull your upper body into a twisting sit-up position. This will train the bicep using body weight, and there’s no need for a bar or dumbbell.

Train Your Legs With Bodyweight Exercises

Training the legs is something of a hot topic among bodybuilders and athletes. Gym goers who skip leg day are often referred to unfavorably and for good reason; training the legs has knock-on benefits throughout the entire body, whereas leaving them out tends to make you look disproportioned and odd.

The question then is why so many people leave legs out of their routine in the first place. And the answer is a) legs are boring and b) legs are hard to train.

The simple fact of the matter is that your legs don’t have hands attached to them. And this means it’s harder to pick up a weight, thus meaning you have to load yourself up some other way and involve the whole body. That instantly reduces the number of exercises available to you and means that leg exercises necessarily take up more space and leave you a lot more tired.

And it also makes it much harder to train your legs with body weight alone. But there are ways. Read on to discover some of the best of them.

Jumping Squats

One of the simplest ways to train your legs with your body weight alone is to use jumping squats. This simply means that you’re squatting down and then jumping at the apex. This is a simple exercise, and you wouldn’t think that it would make a huge difference, but it is great for building up power and can quickly create a burn thanks to the amount of acceleration involved.

Box Jumps

Speaking of which, box jumps require even more power to launch you high enough into the air, especially if you stack them high. This is in some ways just as challenging as a squat and a great way to build hamstrings, quads, calves, and hips.

Jumping Lunges

This is simply a lunge where you jump, switch legs in midair, and then land with your legs in the opposite position. Doing this is a great way to build strength in the hamstrings and again involves jumping to create more acceleration.

Lunge Walking

Simply walk by stepping from one lunge into the next. This is a surprisingly effective workout because you’re plunging so deep in between and spending the majority of your time under tension.

Single-Leg Squat

Another way to make the squat more challenging with just body weight is, of course, to do it on just one leg. This then requires twice the strength and also forces you to balance a lot as well. A more advanced version is the ‘pistol squat,’ which requires your foot to be flat on the ground while the other one is pointed straight out in front of you, toes facing up.

Side Squat

This is between a squat and a lunge and involves stepping out to one side, lunging deep, and then stepping back to the middle before repeating on the other side.

Sissy Squat

Finally, a sissy squat is a squat you perform by leaning back and going up on your toes. Your knees point forward, and you lean back like Neo. This is tough on the joints, so it's more of a party trick to be used sparingly.

The History of Body Weight Training

The majority of the fitness “powers that be” would prefer that bodyweight training be brushed over and ignored in favor of much less potent conditioning ideas. The inarguable fact is that no other strength and conditioning method has such a shining history of effectiveness. Going all the way back to ancient times and lasting until today. Don’t take my word for it. Here are some historical highlights of bodyweight training.

The Indian Wrestling Cults

Did you know Indian wrestling as a sport (and near religion) goes back thousands of years? Approaching modern MMA in its mix of grappling and striking, Indian wrestlers developed extensive libraries of bodyweight training exercises. Some were revived in the last decade or so outside of India, like the Hindu push-up and Hindu squat. The physical prowess of Indian wrestlers is legendary, with well-documented programs that included over 500 push-ups and 1000 squats a day, six days a week.

The Spartan Warriors

If you’ve ever seen a statue or painting of a Spartan warrior, you will probably have seen that the movie “300” was right on the mark with their depiction of the Spartan physique. The Spartans lifted no weights but trained using advanced bodyweight training methods, which left them with a still-lasting reputation of being some of the finest physical specimens to ever walk the earth.

The Roman Gladiator

A distant cousin of the Spartan, Roman gladiators employed similar training programs brought to them from the Greeks. Their results were equally impressive.

Charles Atlas and the American Physical Culturalists

The idea of building a healthy, great-looking, and powerful body first reignited in modern days at the start of the 1900s. Probably the most popular and well-known of these fitness enthusiasts was the legendary Charles Atlas. Charles, along with most of his contemporaries, was a dedicated bodyweight training advocate and built an insanely well-developed and athletically capable body.

Google Charles Atlas, Earle Liederman, Jack Lalanne, or other fitness gurus of their era and marvel at what they were able to achieve minus weights, anabolic steroids, supplements, or even advanced diet ideas!

Modern Military Special Ops

From the American Navy Seals to the British RAF and every special forces group in between, have been built on a foundation of push-ups, pull-ups, crunches, and so on. Very few indulge in much weight training. Can anyone really deny their high level of conditioning and life-and-death level of true functional fitness?

Matt Furey and the New Breed of Bodyweight Training

In the early 2000s a somewhat over-the-top fitness coach and author is credited by most as bringing back bodyweight training to the forefront of discussion and reviving a whole arsenal of lost exercises. Furey opened these doors and deserves more credit than he sometimes receives.

Now it should be clear you are about to follow in some very legendary footsteps when you dive into bodyweight training. Are you ready to carry on this proud fitness tradition? I think you absolutely have what it takes. Time to move forward.