Exercise & Motivation, Part 2: Overcoming Inertia & Getting Started
September 23, 2008
In the first article in this series (http://tinyurl.com/8ztbo), we gave you an overview of the stages of change in Prochaska’s Transtheoretical model. The first three of these stages are all about getting started. They apply to anyone who’s not actually regularly exercising at the moment. If you were active in the past, but don’t now (i.e. you’re in the "Relapse" stage), then, motivationally speaking, you’re in one of these stages. Just as a reminder, the stages are:
- Pre-Contemplation: When you’re not active, not thinking about it, and really don’t see why you should be;
- Contemplation: When you’re thinking about getting active, but not quite ready to get around to it yet; and
- Preparation: You’ve thought, you’ve decided, and you’re making arrangements as you read this ? you’re just about to start, honestly!
PRE-CONTEMPLATION
If you’re at the Pre-Contemplation stage, you don’t really want to change. Others might have said you should, or you may have read something about why activity’s supposed to be good for you, but deep down, you’re not convinced. As far as you’re concerned, there’s nothing wrong with your life exactly as is.
If this sounds like you, I invite you to take a candid look at your life. Are you truly happy with how things are? Look back over where you are now compared to where you were ten years ago. If the same trend continued for another ten years, would you honestly be happy with where you’d end up?
If so, congratulations! You’re the only person who knows what’s right for you, and no-one, including me, can tell you how you should feel about it. If there’s nothing you’d like to change about your exercise habits, you probably don’t need to be reading this article. If you find, however, that there are things about your life that could be better, let yourself think about them. What’s not exactly the way you want it?
What would your life look like if it *was* the way you wanted it? What would you feel like? You don’t have to do anything right now to change ? just let yourself think about what could be better.
CONTEMPLATION
If you’re at this stage, you know you want to make a change, and you’re thinking about what your life might be like if you make it. You’re not quite ready yet though, and that’s OK. Instead of beating yourself up for not having started yet, take a deep breath and give yourself a chance to really explore why you want to get more active.
What exactly do you want? To become healthier? Stronger? To slim down or tone up? Why do you want it? What difference will it make in your life? These are questions that will help to make it easier to stay motivated in future.
Think about how you could turn what you want into a specific, measurable goal. Ensure sure that goal is big enough to inspire you, but realistic enough that you don’t believe it’s doomed to failure from the beginning. If you have a *really* big goal (for example, to lose a large amount of weight, or to compete in a sporting event), think about breaking it down into a series of smaller goals.
Consider starting a fitness journal to answer these questions (if you already keep a journal, just write them in there). Once you’re sure you’re crystal clear on why you want to exercise, you’ll find yourself moving naturally into the next stage ? your ‘why’ will drive you to thinking about the ‘how’
PREPARATION
At this stage, you’ve decided that the need for change is stronger than the need to stay the same, and you’ve started thinking about how to make it happen. You might contact a gym, call a personal trainer, or just decide to go for a regular walk.
If you’re here now, it’s time to start exploring how you’re going to make your goal happen. There are many ways to be active, and it’s important to find what’s right for you. The quickest way to kill your motivation is to just throw yourself into the first exercise programme you come across and expect willpower to keep you going. Willpower may be a factor, but your programme also needs to be enjoyable, convenient, and work for your budget. Some possibilities you may want to consider include:
- Gym classes
- Dance
- Martial arts
- Mind/body activities like yoga or t’ai ch’i
- Walking/hiking/running
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Weights training
Record your research and thoughts in your fitness journal. If you can’t find anything that sounds like it will be convenient, enjoyable and affordable, think about consulting a fitness professional. Chances are, if you understand where you want to be and why, as you start investigating how you can create routines that will get you there *and* let you enjoy yourself when you do, you’ll find yourself itching to get started.
Which is when you move into the next stage - Action.
Copyright 2005 Tanja Gardner
Optimum Life’s Tanja Gardner is a Personal Trainer and Stress Management Coach whose articles on holistic health and relaxation have appeared in various media since 1999.
To read more articles like this one, please subscribe to Optimum Fitness News at http://optimumlife.co.nz/Newsletter%20Signup.htm. To find out more about how you could benefit from online personal training, please visit http://www.trainerforce.com/optimumlife/.
To find out more about holistic fitness and stress management please contact Tanja on tanja@optimumlife.co.nz
The Truth About Lactate and Exercise
September 18, 2008
For years exercise scientists and physiologists have preached that lactate/lactic acid build-up in the muscle is the direct cause of muscle fatigue and a decrease in performance. It is proposed that lactate builds up in the muscle cells during intense exercise and literally "poisons" them, essentially shutting down activity biochemically by reducing the pH or increasing the acidity level. Lactate has therefore been dubbed a metabolic by-product or dead end and as the enemy of human exercise and performance. This may be far from the truth as this article explains.
Unfortunately, the information that gave lactate this unearned reputation is outdated and very questionable since the research on which this theory is based was isolated frog muscle experiments from 1910-1914. The experiments were performed and the lactate theory proposed by A.V. Hill and associates. Basically, these investigators took excised frog muscle and continuously stimulated it with electric shocks until failure and then took lactate samples for analysis. Lactate levels were extraordinarily high, and from this finding the scientists came to the conclusion that lactate buildup must have been the culprit for the fatigue and ultimate failure of the muscle. Hill also concluded that since there was no blood and therefore oxygen supply to the muscle, that this condition must have been the cause of the accumulation of lactate.
These investigations however were highly flawed in their design, since the muscle had been removed from both its nervous and its circulatory (arteries and veins) systems. Since the electrical stimulus was applied at a fixed voltage from an external source, one cannot correlate this with the situation of a live muscle in an animal with a nervous system and brain that regulates nervous and motor input to the muscles. One must account for the possibility of central or nervous fatigue limiting activity. With the absence of a circulatory system, how was the generated lactate supposed to be transported away from the working muscle via the veins? Also, the regulation of metabolism, which is highly dependent on hormonal control, was eliminated with the loss of blood circulation. Clearly, there were big problems with these early experiments, but amazingly the theory in all its weakness has been upheld to the present day!
Few people realize that lactate generation is actually necessary to allow moderate to intense exercise to occur. It is the conversion of a product known as pyruvate to lactate that enables the glycolytic (a fast energy generating metabolic process using glucose) system to continue working at a fast rate. Lactate is formed during moderate to intense exercise, when the human body relies heavily on carbohydrates and the glycolytic system to produce energy. All metabolic processes are highly regulated and only a fixed amount of energy-supplying product or substrate may be used at a time before a backup or "metabolic bottleneck" develops. A good analogy to visualize the regulation of a metabolic pathway is to consider energy substrates as an army of soldiers marching to, and through a tunnel. When the first few soldiers enter, they can move quickly and unrestricted, but as the number trying to enter increases, the process slows down dramatically. The conversion of pyruvate to lactate prevents the excess pyruvate from clogging up the pathway, bringing glycolysis to a grinding halt. This slowing of glycolysis obviously does not occur, because if it did running events such as the 400m would be impossible. As we shall see in another article on this site, the accumulation of lactate in the blood is the direct result of this "redirection" of energy in the body not because of a lack of oxygen in the muscles as Hill proposed. (see The Lactate Threshold - Reality or Fallacy? ). Lactate as will be described below, is actually a useful and readily available source of energy for the body to utilize.
Recent research is supplying some very interesting information concerning the role of lactate and muscle performance. George Brooks at the University of California at Berkeley has dedicated much of his career to exploring the role of lactate during exercise. Brook’s investigations indicate the presence of a "lactate shuttle" that allows for the transportation of lactate from one muscle to another. The glycogen (stored carbohydrate) stored in muscle is destined for use in this tissue only, unlike liver tissue, which is able to release glucose into the bloodstream to be used by the rest of the body. The lactate shuttle is proposed as being a means for muscles to be able to "share" and redistribute their glycogen stores to other muscles and tissues in the form of lactate not glucose. For many years it was thought that lactate was a metabolic by-product that to be of any use it had to be transported via the blood to the liver to generate glucose via a process known as the Cori Cycle, but there is evidence to indicate that tissue such as red muscle, heart and brain tissue can directly oxidize the product. Therefore lactate can be utilized by tissue very close to, or even far from the source of generation. The shuttle works via the interaction of the circulatory system and the presence and operation of special transporter proteins located in muscle called mono carboxylic acid transporters (MCTs). These transporters are able to efficiently transport lactate from the blood into adjacent or distant muscles in the body. The inactive muscle can actually store the lactate, thereby further lowering the concentrations in the blood and active muscle. According to Brooks, lactate is far from a metabolic dead-end and may in fact be the most important metabolic fuel used by muscles especially during exercise. Estimates are that approximately 70% or more of the lactate generated during exercise is actually consumed or oxidized while only 19% is converted to glycogen.
In conclusion, the dubbing of lactate as a metabolic dead-end and as an exclusive cause of muscle fatigue was hasty but may have seemed appropriate at the time. Since then however technological advances in research have provided some quite contradictory evidence to the role of lactate. Amazingly, lactate may in fact be a "super fuel" for the body during exercise sessions that produce large quantities of the product. Exercise science will continue to investigate the role and contribution of lactate to exercise but in the meanwhile runners and athletes alike can rest assured that lactate is not the enemy but may in fact be an ally.
David Petersen is a Personal Trainer/Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and the owner and founder of B.O.S.S. Fitness Inc. based in Oldsmar, Florida. More articles and information can be found at http://www.bossfitness.com
NOTE: You’re free to republish this article on your website, in your newsletter, in your e-book or in other publications provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this note, author information and all LIVE website links as above.
Super Charge Your Metabolism
September 13, 2008
1. Cardio in Combination with Strength Training- If you need to combine your cardio with Strength training then do your Cardio AFTER your Resistance Training workout. You need that extra energy for the Hi Intensity Strength training and you also want to pump blood into your muscles after you have just broken them down from a heavy resistance training program… So Pump it up first then do your Cardio.
2. Exercise in the Morning - A Recent Study showed that after one year, 75% of the morning exercisers stayed with their fitness and health program. Compared to only 25% of those that worked out in the evening. Exercising early gets you moving and energized as well not allowing yourself to find 1,000 excuses at the end of the day on why you can’t work out.. I am TOO Tired… I am TOO Busy… I am TOO far from the gym… You know!!!!
3. Exercise @ Home - A Recent study by the University of Florida in Gainsville found that those that worked out at home lost more weight than those that trained at a gym. Reason - You are less likely to skip workouts when you do not have to travel to a place to workout….. NO EXCUSES when the gym is @ home.
4. Exercise Outdoors - Anything you do outside brings the elements into play. Wind, hills, and other variables… Plus changing scenary helps keep the boredom out of the workout… No FUN staring at the wall…. If you do train inside, I recommend changing machines often as well as your program settings to keep things FRESH…
5. Treadmill vs. Stationary Bike - Stick with the Treadmill.. Weight Bearing machines always expend more energy than if you were sitting down.. So stand tall and burn more calories…..
6. Interval vs. Long Steady Cardio - Periodic bursts of Hi Intensity training followed by moderate recovery is the Answer!!!! You will burn 1 1/2 times the calories during the same duration if you had done long and steady cardio. In addition, you will even burn 75-125 additional calories after the workout. Also keep in mind that long and steady helps enhance your metabolism.. My recommendation is to do Intervals 75% of the time and mix it up with another 25% of Long and Steady to help mix it up and reduce your chance of injury by over training.
7. One Set or Three? - One set does NOT Get it done… I always recommend when first starting out to do One set, but after an adjustment period of learning proper form and technique, you need to rev it up by doing at least 2-3 sets of each exercise. A Study published by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that experienced exercisers who did multiple sets gained significantly more strength than those that just did one set. Three is better than one.
8. Pre-Stretch or Post Workout? - The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research states that Stretching may temporarily shut down nerve signals, which slows reaction time and reduces strength. Other studies have shown that stretching pre workout does not reduce injury risk. The best time to stretch is during your weight training workout. Begin all routines with a 5 minute warm up to warm your muscles and get them flexible. It will increase blood flow and make your muscles more responsive. So we recommend stretching in between sets or after your workouts.
9. Free weight or Machines? - Free weights are the way to go. They will make you stronger, because they place more demand on your muscles, since you have to stabilize and balance your body. If you are a novice it might be good without the help of a trainer, to start out using machines, but the way to go for the best long term results for both strength and body toning, is to use dumbbells, barbells, and perform those exercises using a stability ball, standing or last but not least on a bench.
10. Coffee or Carbs? - Carbs are the best.. You body is just like your car, in that it needs good quality fuel to run well. When you are training, you are revving your engine and your body needs fuel to keep it going. Caffeine does trigger your muscles to use fat as energy, but Caffeine has soo many side effects like headaches, rapid heartbeat and shakiness. As well as some people have problems with Acid reflux disease that does not bode well with caffeine in your system. Eat good quality carbs before your workout for energy and make sure you refuel after you train as well.
If you focus on these 10 Fitness Tips you are well on your way to Getting more Fit and succeeding in your Fitness and Health Goals.
Til next Time… Rob Your Personal Trainer and Fitness Coach
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Top 10 Exercise Mistakes and How To Fix Them
September 7, 2008
This is a list of ten common mistakes made during exercise. Quite often the exerciser and even the personal trainer or coach is unaware of these mistakes, decreasing the effectiveness of the exercise and even risking injury. This list describes each "mistake" but follows with a suggested "correction". You may find this list helpful in grading yourself or even your personal trainer.
Ineffective warm up prior to a workout
The purpose of a warm-up is to gently prepare the body for the increased stress from the upcoming exercise session. A 5 ? 10 min bout of moderate intensity cycling, treadmill walking or elliptical work or even sports specific type movements to induce a mild, sustained stretch will be sufficient. These activities have the effect of increasing blood flow to the muscles (including the heart) and increasing the core muscle temperature for improved joint flexibility and range of motion, possibly helping reduce injury. Quite often exercisers go to the extreme when it concerns a warm up, they either do not perform one at all, or "prefatigue" by running at a high intensity for 15 ?20 minutes (or more) before their session. This has the effect of draining valuable muscle carbohydrate stores (glycogen) needed for the upcoming strength training/bodybuilding exercise session. If the goal of exercise is to lose weight, it is actually better to perform extended aerobic exercise or interval training at the end of an intense strength training session as the body will be likely to burn more fat as a fuel due to the decreased glycogen stores.
Ineffective stretching
Many individuals and personal trainers lack the knowledge to perform stretches effectively. For example, when performing a static hamstring stretch on the floor with the leg straight up in the air it is essential to press the opposite leg onto the floor to prevent excessive posterior (backward) tilting of the pelvis. Posterior tilting will decrease the effectiveness of the stretch. When performing a dynamic stretch like a lunge to stretch the groin and thigh muscles, the spine (and pelvis) must remain erect and perpendicular to the floor otherwise the effectiveness is lost. Exercisers that stretch in the standing position while holding onto or pressing against some external source of stabilization deprive themselves of full benefit. It may beneficial to perform dynamic stretches with good technique in unsupported standing and lunge type positions at the beginning of the session. This has the effect of simultaneously targeting balance (core stability) and flexibility while preparing the body and joints for movement during the strength training workout to follow. Static stretching may be more effective at the end of the workout session as the muscles will be warm and pliable.
Excessive use of machines
As mentioned in other articles on this website, exclusive use of exercise machines deprives the core muscles of stimulation and forces muscles to work either in isolation or in static, non functional patterns. While some machines such as leg press machines and assisted pull up/dip machines have merit; exercises that accentuate the body’s own internal stabilization mechanism (core) are excellent for increasing movement function and also allow for much more creativity and fun. Exercise machines are good for an introduction to resistance training and for bodybuilding, but it is not advisable to use them as an exclusively. A good suggestion is to strike a balance between exercises that challenge the body’s own stability and balance (free weights, standing/lunging exercises) and traditional machine and supported exercises, which allow for greater muscle work
Poor exercise technique
Ultimately quality is the factor that matters most when exercising not necessarily quantity. It is easy to sacrifice form for function and perform many more repetitions of an exercise with poor technique than to perform the same movement with strict biomechanically correct technique. It makes sense then that correct technique is the most difficult aspect to learn and control as it is often only gained through experience and trial and error. An inexperienced exerciser should invest in the services of an experienced and credentialed personal trainer to minimize the learning curve and get it right from the start. For example, an excellent method of assessing the quality of you or your instructor’s form in a squat is to view the back of the head in relation to the back of the heel. If the spine is straight (not curved) and the back of the head remains in line with the back of the heel (flat) throughout the entire movement, then the technique is good. Essentially, the barbell should move in a near vertical line throughout the movement. Should the bar move forward, it places increasingly heavy loads on the spine and intevertebral discs, much like the arm of a crane. Lifting in this manner increases the likelihood of injury to the spine and the connective tissues such as discs, muscles and ligaments.
Holding the feet down and throwing the legs during abdominal exercises
An exerciser’s feet should never be held down or hooked under a bed/door when performing multiple sit ups as this will allow for a majority of the work to be performed by the hip flexor (groin) muscles. The lower abdominals are responsible for fixing the pelvis in a sit-up by pressing the low back into the floor. If the abdominals fatigue or are not strong enough to hold the low back flat and the feet are fixed, the hip flexors may cause a forward tilting of the pelvis and the development of a "hole" in the lower back. Performing sit-ups with a forward tilted pelvis tends to strain the low back and actually stretch and weaken the abdominals instead of strengthening them. The same problems can occur while lying on the back when both legs are raised straight into the air and are thrown by a partner toward the floor. If the lower abdominals cannot fix the pelvis flat as the legs approach the floor, this type of exercise can seriously strain the lower back muscles. An alternate leg scissor action is reverse curls or hanging knee lifts are a better substitute for concentrating on the lower abdominals.
Holding onto the front or side rails of a treadmill
This is a common sight in any gym of fitness facility - a person gets on a treadmill and starts to progressively crank up the speed and incline. The incline approaches maximal and the individual is holding onto the front or side rails for dear life to avoid being thrown off the machine. The rail holding essentially cancels out the benefit of the increased intensity demands gained from the incline since the arms are literally holding the body up. Holding the railings also negatively affects natural walking/running biomechanics ? the lack of arm swing may unnecessarily strain muscles and connective tissue - especially those of the pelvis and low back. Rail holding also has the effect of reducing the core/balance training stimulus required to walk/run in the unsupported condition. Lastly, since most people use treadmills as a means of performing aerobic exercise to lose weight why stop the arms from moving as this contributes to energy expenditure?
Ineffective exercise progression
Any exercise session should have some logical order to maximize results. Often exercisers and trainers do not place a high priority on exercise order; switching from one exercise to another with no apparent sequence. Exercise order is very important on the eventual results and should be motivated by the neuromuscular and energy system demands of the chosen exercises. For example, core exercises which require a great deal of concentration and precise form to perform effectively, should be performed when the person is "fresh"- right after a short warm-up and stretching. Core training may be followed by power training (if appropriate) since this form of exercise also requires that the exerciser be rested and fresh to perform effectively. Multiple joint strength training (exercises like squats, lunges, bench press, shoulder press ect.) should follow power training since these exercises require large energy reserves. A good variation here is to alternate between upper and lower body exercises or use the "pull/push" rule ? that is, follow a pulling type exercise with a pushing type exercise. Since most isolation exercises such as tricep extensions, bicep curls and sit-ups have much lower energy requirements, these can be performed near the end of the session.
Trying to perform stabilization and mobilization exercise together
You may recall from our series on core training, (Core Stability Training For Sport ? Parts 1 & 2) that the core muscles stabilize the pelvis in its "neutral" position (as in standing upright with perfect posture). The muscles like the hamstrings, large back muscles and hip flexors that are attached to the pelvis are mobilizing muscles and do just what their name implies ? they tilt the pelvis forward and back, side to side and rotate it to allow for bodily movement. It is very difficult to train stability and mobility in a single exercise since technically they are opposite actions. For example, performing squats (requires movement of the pelvis) on a BOSU ball or while standing on inflatable discs or foam rollers is probably of little benefit to strengthening the core. Likewise, performing curl-ups on an exercise ball is unlikely to improve core strength as this exercise is targeting the muscles that tip the pelvis backwards. Core exercises are best performed in static positions such as bridging and standing. It is beneficial then to concentrate on stabilizing strength and mobilizing strength separately and not together. Build a foundation of core stability and flexibility first before trying to work the arm and legs. Much more leg strength can be trained when the foot is in contact with a firm surface (like the ground) - besides this is how we operate in daily life anyway.
Faulty exercise progression
Quite often exercisers, personal trainers and even coaches fail to understand functional exercise progressions. They observe other people performing a particular exercise and decide to incorporate it in the their or their client’s routine. It may be however that the person they observed performing the exercise had progressed to that point correctly in a functional and systematic manner. If an exerciser attempts to perform an exercise that they are physically unprepared for, there is increased risk of injury and performing the movement with poor technique. The brain remembers and stores both good and bad motor and movement patterns, so the old adage JUNK IN = JUNK OUT holds true for exercise too. A good suggestion is strengthen form the "inside out" and not the "outside in" by focusing on flexibility and stability. These are the prerequisites to the successful performance of functional movements such as squats, lunges and sport specific movements. So static stability training and stretching progresses to dynamic stability training, which then progresses to strength and finally power training. To attempt to strengthen and condition the body from the "outside in" instead of from the "inside out" will fail to give any satisfactory results. Any exercise program should look first to develop a base (core stability, cardiovascular fitness) and then progressively "build" on this base to improve performance, strength and function.
Placing blocks under the heels in a squat
Placing blocks under the heels is a common technique used by trainers and exercisers alike to compensate for tight calf muscles (soleus) or to concentrate work on the quadriceps (thigh muscles). Often exercisers see other individuals performing squats in this manner and they aim to copy them. This practice is not advisable since one is essentially "giving in" to the lack of flexibility at the ankle and failing to increase the quality of this highly functional movement. Raising the heels also places the ankle in an unstable, plantarflexed position making it more susceptible to injury ? specifically a lateral ankle sprain. In this position, the body’s center of mass shifts from the midfoot to nearer the toes, increasing the likelihood of a loss of balance and possible injury. A safer method to target either the quadriceps or the hamstrings and glutes is to control the bar placement on the back. In the high position the bar rests on the posterior deltoids (shoulder muscles) at the base of the neck, this has the effect of targeting the quadriceps muscles. In the low position, the bar rests further down the back across the posterior deltoid at the level of the middle trapezius (top of the shoulder blades) this positioning will translate into a greater load being shifted towards the hamstring and glute muscles.
This article has aimed to highlight the common mistakes that people may make in their exercise routines. Very often just an awareness of the mistakes can often remedy the situation while other problems may take time and experience to deal with like learning correct exercise technique. It is hoped that this article served the purpose of informing the reader so as to allow him/her to get the most out of their exercise routine and allow them to make educated assessments of themselves and other exercise professionals.
David Petersen is a Personal Trainer/Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and the owner and founder of B.O.S.S. Fitness Inc. based in Oldsmar, Florida. More articles and information can be found at http://www.bossfitness.com
NOTE: You’re free to republish this article on your website, in your newsletter, in your e-book or in other publications provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including the author information and all LIVE website links as above.
Burn that Fat - The Most Efficient and Effective Exercise Yet Devised by Man!
September 2, 2008
Rebounding: Health and Fitness Benefits
As quoted by NASA, rebounding is "the most efficient and effective exercise yet devised by man". It is an excellent, non-impact, aerobic excercise gained by bouncing on a mini-trampoline.
The benefits of rebounding are astonishing and have been promoted significantly within the last decade.
It is a unique excercise in which a weightless state is achieved at the top of each jump and then land with twice the force of gravity on each bounce. This shift in gravity benefits every muscle and cell of the body and provides huge benefits to the lymph system.
On studying the benefits of rebounding, NASA found that a 150-pound individual spending one-hour on a rebounder will burn more calories than the same person jogging for an hour!
Benefits of Rebounding
- 68% more efficient than jogging (N.A.S.A., Journal of Applied Physiology 49(5): 881-887)
- Fights fatigue by strengthening the glandular system to increase the capabilities of the thyroid gland, the pituitary gland and the adrenals.
- Rebounding has a natural analgesic effect on the body which helps to relieve joints and pain in the neck, back, and head through the increase of circulation and oxygen flow.
- Conditions and stregthens the heart which allows the resting heart to beat less often. This in turn sends a stronger surge of blood through the veins.
- It provides an extremely effective ‘no impact’ excercise - especially imporant for those with less mobility or undergoing rehabilitation.
- Rebounding has been found to lower elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
- It increases metabolism which assists the body in burning more calories.
- One of the primary causes of aging is the declining performance of the heart and circulatory system. Rebounding is incredibly effective in increasing the performance of both the heart and the circulatory system and thus slows the aging process.
- Rebounding specifically stimulates the flow of lymph fluid through the lymphatic system. The change in gravitational forces allows for greater blood flow and this increases the amount of waste and toxins flushed from the body. Rebounding can increase lymph flow by up to 15%!
- Rebounding has also been found to enhance digestion, relaxation, sleep patterns, nerve impulses and muscle fiber.
- Blood pressure can be significantly reduced by rebounding. This is achieved by boosting the muscle tone of the middle arterial muscles and the improvements to the circulatory system.
Rebounding seems too good to be true, however, this is definitely not a gimmick! There is no way that NASA would put their name to it if they did not think that it was effective!!!
Personally, discovering rebounding has helped me no end. It takes away any excuse for not exercising every single day. I love running, but there are some days when I just cannot make it into my running shoes and out of the door - I am sure that I am not alone either!
Rebounding is also excellent for the ‘day after’ or on your day off when you are aching and recovering as it gently stretches the muscles and warms them, but with no impact.
This is a truly unique form of exercise and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Everyone who has tried rebounding loves it, from kids to grandparents and from the sedentary to the super-active!
Energise For Life are currently offering the Pro-Bounce Folding Trampoline for only £96.99 with FREE shipping. For other alkaline diet and optimum nutrition resources and guides visit Energise for Life!
Avoid These Top 5 Workout Myths
August 28, 2008
Do you know the health and fitness industry is plagued by an over abundance of workout myths? A myth is a fiction or half truth, especially one that forms part of an ideology. Rob tells Jen about a new fitness program that is suppose to deliver amazing results; Jen tells Ted, and Ted then tells Pam, but only half of what Rob said. Confused? Just image how confusing Rob’s “cutting edge” theory has become. And the funny thing is, Rob made this up by telling people they will lose 3 inches from their bellies, and hips by holding their breath for 30 seconds. Rob, without any scientific backing, dreamed this all up.
The sad thing is most people believe what they hear from so-called uninformed myth spreaders. After consulting with thousands of people, I have heard every possible workout myth known to man, and continue to de-bunk myths daily. Listed below are my all time 5 favorite workout myths. Always look for the science and logic behind what people claim. Don’t automatically assume it is true unless studies back it, or specific quantitative results are shown.
After reading my 5 workout myths, you will be able to finally protect your own workout results, and share the fitness truth with others.
Myth 1 - Doing crunches, or abdominal work will decrease fat in the stomach area (If you do thousands of crunches, then you will have a flat stomach.)
This is what some infomercials preach. They state you can obtain a flat, beautiful, stomach by using their simple ab machine. All you need to do is exercise 2 minutes per day, and voila!
Please note, dear reader, you can’t SPOT REDUCE! By doing a specific exercise for a certain muscle does not make fat suddenly vanish. Fat is lost over time by burning more calories than the body consumes on a regular basis. Fat will then disappear throughout your entire body, and you don’t have control of where it comes off. Doing a certain exercise for a specific muscle will only guarantee a stronger, more fit muscle.
The SECRET keys to fat loss are decreasing caloric intake, increasing activity for an extended period of time, and incorporating a workout of strength, cardio, and flexibility.
Myth 2 - Lifting heavy weight for 8-12 reps will build big muscles (especially women.) You should lift very light weights and do a lot of reps, 20 +.
This is one that NEVER seems to go away. It keeps coming back to haunt me again, and again, and again. Ladies, doing heavier weights WILL NOT suddenly turn you into the Incredible Hulk. Your objective should be to maintain, or slightly increase your fat burning lean tissue. In order to do this you must increase the intensity of the exercise by elevating weight, number of reps, or decreasing rest time between sets.
If you increase intensity regularly, you will see good results. If you do not, you will get the same results you have been getting. Increase the intensity until you are happy with the progress you have made, and then maintain the same intensity level.
Women, generally, don’t have the physiological make-up to develop big muscles unless they use steroids, and train with gut busting intensity. Most men workout a lifetime, and won’t build big muscles. Ladies, please don’t worry; challenge yourself in the gym.
Here is a valuable free resource to help you stay informed of the health, and fitness trends by letting you know what works, and what doesn’t.
Visit Wellness WORD Newsletter in Multimedia at http://www.WellnessWord.com
Myth 3 - For resistance training, you need to do 3 sets of 10-15 reps, 3 exercises per body part, and a frequency of 3 days per week.
Where the heck did 3 come from? 3 X 3 X 3? I think someone, many years ago, decided 3 was a good number to use, and people started to believe in this myth.
How many sets are really needed? According to scientific studies, the exact number of sets needed to stimulate lean tissue development is one, if preformed at 100% momentary muscle failure. A single all out set is the ideal stimulus to trigger lean tissue development. All other sets only hinder the recovery process when lean tissue develops.
Rest- people generally don’t get enough rest between workouts. Please be aware that the higher the intensity, the more rest is required between workouts to allow lean tissue development. If you workout (strength train) too soon, before you are fully recovered, you will short circuit your results.
It is better to wait longer between workouts, then to workout not fully recovered.You WON’T lose your muscle tissue if you don’t workout for 2 weeks.
Ideal rest times (depending upon intensity) are anywhere from 3 - 10 + days between strength training workouts.
You will need to track your progress to determine when your gains cease. When progress stops, increase your rest time even further.
If your strength keeps increasing during each workout, you are assured of getting optimal rest between sessions.
Myth 4 - All I need to do is cardiovascular training to be in shape.
Wrong! Please don’t make this mistake! Cardiovascular exercise is only one piece of the workout puzzle. To design an optimal fitness program, incorporate cardiovascular exercise, strength training, and flexibility into an efficient, results producing program.
Cardiovascular exercise will do very little to increase your flexibility, and maintain or increase your lean tissue. If you avoid any of these three components, you are decreasing your results by one third.
As a result of the aging process, on average, 5-7 pounds of muscle is lost each decade, that is, if you don’t strength train.
Myth 5 - All fitness equipment is good if you use it.
All fitness equipment is not created equal, especially home fitness equipment advertised in infomercials. Some pieces of fitness equipment are not well built, and can cause injury to specific individuals resulting from medical limitations.
My advice is to clear your exercise program with a physician prior to exercising or buying home gym equipment.
Home Gym Shopping Secrets is a great consumer awareness guide to rely on prior to purchasing home gym equipment. This guide will take you by the hand and show you what to buy, what to avoid, and why.
Home Gym Shopping Secrets http://www.HomeGymShoppingSecrets.com
Another tip I recommend is never plan an exercise program without input from an Exercise Physiologist, Certified Personal Trainer, or Physical Therapist.
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For additional health and fitness tips visit Wellness Word “Multimedia” Newsletter at http://www.WellnessWord.com ___________________________________________________________
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Jim O’Connor - Exercise Physiologist / The Fitness Promoter
Copyright (c) - Wellness Word, LLC
Jim O’Connor, Beverly Hills celebrity fitness consultant, has conducted thousands of personal fitness consultations with celebrites, business executives, and highly motivated individuals throughout Los Angeles. He is the Chief Exercise Physiologist for Wellness WORD, LLC, a health, fitness, and nutrition promotion company. Jim is the author of a well known, world wide multimedia newsletter called Wellness WORD, published online every other week promoting the health and fitness truth. He also is the author of a popular ebook called Home Gym Shopping Secrets. http://www.WellnessWord.com/
http://www.HomeGymShoppingSecrets.com
