Archive for the ‘Nutrition’ Category
Are shakes and formulas the way to go?
Walk into a health supplement store and guaranteed you’ll pass through a huge milkshake formula section. The shakes consist of green replacements, protien supplements, fiber assistance, full-on meal replacements and all other sorts. So how do you know what you need?
It’s generally a good idea to find out what you lack and then find out what you might need. Everyone’s needs are unique. It depends on what sort of foods you eat, if you have any specific conditions, and you’re exercise and activity levels. Then talk to an expert who knows which products are credible and which are not. It’s unlikely that you’ll find a cheap powder supplement formula that is actually beneficial to your system. This is a situation where you can expect to pay for quality- Check out a product like shakeology, it is popularity is based on its proven and tested health benefits.
A review of Shakeology
Shakeology is a meal supplement developed by beachbody. It is a powder which can be added to a cup of water and provides nutrient supplements, boosts energy, helps with a weightloss program.
How does it work? It is basically full of anti-oxydants, probiotics, amino acids and vitamins and minerals. Together, these ingredients will make you regular, clear toxins from your body and make you feel energized and alert. The amino acids are what build protein, helping you to feel full and reduce cravings, as well as build lean mucle mass after exercise. Beware though, shakeology isn’t enough to replace healthy, regular meals. The human body still requires natural, whole foods to maintain the best health.
Are you ready for it?
If you are thinking that you are ready for it, how do you know for sure? Extreme workouts
are not for everyone… just yesterday one of my clients became extremely sick to her stomach and couldn’t hold lunch down once she started training. She has previously trained seriously, and was a competitive karate fighter. Now, just a few years later, her body can’t handle anything beyond a warm-up.
If you are serious about getting into top shape and you think you can’t wait, there are somethings to keep in mind when it comes to doing extreme workouts.
Extreme workouts basically refers to any type of exercise which is done at very high intensity for a prolonged period of time. If you are already in shape, an extreme workout being incorporated into your routine is a great idea. Its challenging for your heart, and makes a routine fun again. If you are not in shape, beware.
Firstly, you have to consider that there is a likelihood of injury when doing workouts that are too advanced. Control for dangers, and be prepared. An example of this would be if you are going mountain biking, to wear all the safety equipment and bring along a first aid kit and a whistle. If you are planning on doing an indoor extreme workout, then ensure that you are fully aware of how it could end. Eat well, bring lots of fluids, and most important to preventing injuries, get a really good warm-up before starting.
Also important is to be self-aware. There is nothing wrong with pushing yourself, but if your body starts to shut down, you will have to know the signs, and react accordingly.
Good luck!
The Best Workout Videos to Burn Fat the Fastest
Of course we all want results and we want them yesterday, but some at home workout videos are going to burn fat faster than others. By the same token, you’re only going to get out of each program what you put into it. Don’t expect to see results with that dusty video tape circa 1992 that encourages you to take it easy and only push yourself if you feel comfortable.
Hands down, the two best workout videos are P90X
and Insanity. Either one of these will do for your body what you never thought possible, through a series of high-intensity exercises and movements designed to build muscle and burn fat.
The P90X system utilizes the science of muscle confusion to constantly challenge your muscles over a period of 90 days. Constantly changing, the workouts introduce new moves as you go along so that your muscles always have to work harder to keep up, and never reach the dreaded plateau.
To aid in burning fat, the P90X program comes with a nutrition guide which includes an eating plan to help you burn the maximum calories over the duration of the program. In it are recipes and snack ideas, so there’s no excuse to fall off the wagon. The nutrition guide helps you stay on track so that you don’t deprive your body of essential nutrition while burning fat.
Shaun T’s Insanity Workout Is Finally Here
Shaun T’s Insanity Workout was released to the public in July 2009. He had worked on the workout for quite a long time as there have been talks about him releasing this type of intense workout since last year.
In the Insanity Workout
, Shaun T takes you to your extreme levels and beyond. This is definitely not for the person who has never worked out before or someone who is not willing to work hard to lose weight and tone their body. The secret behind this high-intensity workout is called MAX Interval Training. It is interval training that has never been done on workout DVDs before. Some people are even saying it surpasses Tony Horton’s P90X in intensity. The MAX Interval training makes you push yourself to extreme levels for longer bursts of time. This makes your body work harder, which means you burn more calories.
Build Muscle To Burn Fat
If a person really wants to burn fat and lose weight, most of the time they turn to a cardiovascular workout. What many people do not realize that they need to build muscle to burn fat. This is the whole concept behind popular workouts such as ChaLEAN Extreme and P90X.
It is a proven fact that the more lean muscle that you have on your body, the more fat you will burn. You can burn up to 50% more fat when you have lean muscle on your body than if you did not add weight training or circuit training to your workout regiment. Did you know that when you have lean muscle on your body, that you can actually burn fat as you sleep at night or when you are sitting at your desk for 8 hours working? When you build muscle to burn fat, your body’s metabolism gets supercharged, which means that even during resting periods you are burning calories at a dramatic rate.
Supplements and your workout program: What do you need?
Are you trying bulk up for the season? Are you committed to your strength training program but want to see better and faster results? A lot of guys look to supplements to try to speed the muscle building process along. There are a few things that can supplement a good workout program, but it is also important to note the reality of supplements. The two most popularely talked about supplements for those in weight training are whey protein and creatine. I’ll take you through these and help you figure out if it’s something you need and want to invest in.
Whey protein is a very popular choice, not only for individuals attempting to ‘get big’ or bulk up, but also for athletes who are doing supplementary training in the gym, as a part of a workout program. Whey protein is not really a supplement that will cause muscles to bulk up, but may aid in the muscle fibers to become stronger- more efficient, and help a little with actual enlargement-type growth known as hypertrophy. Protein is most commonly used as a supplement because what makes up protein is called amino-acids. There are both essential and non-essential, simply meaning, one’s which the body cannot make and requires outside sources for it, and ones the body creates. These amino acids are what build, maintain and repair body, and specifically, muscle tissue. The idea here is that consuming protein during and immediately after training will improve the results of the workout program.
Creatine is a naturally forming substance in the body. It helps with energy production by producing phosphate. This phosphate is then used to take ADP (adenosine diphosphate) and adding the molecule to create ATP (adenosine triphosphate) which is used for energy production. When individuals take supplements of creatine there are a number of reactions. Firstly, if it is taken and not being used up by the body, the body will excrete it and it will have been a waste. Second, it dehydrates the muscle, giving it a kind of balloon effect. It just makes it seem bigger; but users must be careful to constantly be hydrating themselves with water. Also, before trying out creatine, be aware of the best recommended cycles of usage. Constant use of creatine can be detrimental to your body, the kidneys and liver. Also, be aware that it is a product, and this means that companies will say what they can to sell their product. First, research it, then make an informed decision. Keep in mind that many studies have shown the use of creatine does not make a ’significant’ difference in muscle strength or endurance in training athletes.
Childhood obesity- what are you doing about it?
Remember when we were kids in elementary school and there was that one fat kid in the class? Well now its no longer just the fat kid… its more like the fat group of kids. One third- thats one in three children- are overweight or obese. That is why it is called an epidemic of obesity. So, if you have children, why is this happening. I don’t have kids, but if I did, I know for 100% certain that I would either find extra curricular activities to put them in, or have a general rule that they must participate in minimally one sport at all time. Okay, perhaps it is easier said than done, but children do learn by example, and I am always in the process of enjoying one home workout
or another. Even if sports are not your thing, there are so many ways to get active, and if you want healthy children, you have to be healthy as well.
As an obese child, these people suffer social humiliation, and their future is set for a lifetime of health problems, aches, and risk of early death. Lets stop this before it happens. Get this child on the right track, teach them about how awful fast foods are, how they are worth more than they think, and that they can change their bodies if they so choose. No one wants to grow up to be just like an obese parent… I can’t help but notice this situation time and again on reality television shows about being ‘the biggest loser’. If this describes you and your child, then make goals together, and help each other. Start a workout routine together. It can be an at-home workout where you work together and motivate the success of one another. Its a good place to start to get on the right track.
Be Smart When Choosing A Workout Program
Today I would like to warn about all the useless information out there on the internet. Would you ask the internet about things like what to do on a date, how to cook things? Probably, yes. What about, learning a language or translation, or how about diagnosing your puppy with something? No, a responsible and smart person would not- its all just opinions out there! Anyhow, what I am getting at is that you cannot learn fitness techniques on-line! Looking up a workout and knowing if its credible or not is a huge thing! There are plenty of useful, proven, excellent exercise methods and workout sessions that you can research on-line, and then then perhaps purchase. Remember, like in the old days? When we used to actually purchase things when we wanted them? Well now, all the free stuff on-line is generally free because it has no real quality value. Get the real stuff, you want to do yoga and lose fat? Okay, buy the Yoga Booty Ballet video’s. You want extreme fitness at a good rate? Get one of the other heart pumping vids out there, like insanity workout
or p90x.
Personally, I know that yoga is in right now, and its ancient roots are so well documented for bringing peace, improving health, etc to people who participate in it. Yoga booty ballet video’s give a modern pumped up version of yoga to accelerate the heart rate and force more energy expenditure, thus burning more of your body for energy consumption. So you see, you could look up yoga poses on-line and jog in between them, but would you know for sure that you are actually doing the exercise as it was meant to be? And whats the point in wasting your time doing something incorrectly at all? You will not benefit from it, and could even injure yourself. Take the opinion of people who have studied and have experience in the field, and if you are going to do something, then do it right!
P90X: Plyometrics Explained
Plyometrics, also known as jump training is an intense workout that is designed to dramatically improve your athletic performance. Not everyone understands what exactly plyometrics is and why it is so beneficial to you. There are several reasons why you may want to incorporate this type of workout into your routine, but first you have to learn exactly what plyometrics is.
Plyometric exercises involves stretching a muscle right before it is contracted all in one exercise. Most plyometric exercises involve jumps, hops, and bounding of some sort. An example of one of these exercises, is one of the moves that Tony Horton uses in P90X 
called side to side hops. This involves hopping side to side over a cord in the middle with your ankles together.
So, why are plyometric exercises so beneficial? These types of exercises are one of the best ways to improve power, speed, and cardiovascular endurance. If you play a competitive sport, plyometrics is one of the best ways to improve your power , coordination and your overall game. It can give you the speed you want along with the strength to dominate the court, ring, or field. Other people practice plyometric exercises simply because they give you an amazing cardiovascular workout that pushes you to your limits.