Your First Three Months at the Gym

August 2, 2017/in Blog, Fitness Programs, Muscle Building

Your first three months at the gym can be a whirlwind of experiences. You’ll have to get to know a lot of different equipment, meet a lot of different people with different approaches to body building and have to get to know a completely different environment, while consistently working out in a way that’ll actually produce results.

Here are a few tips for your first three months at the gym.

Take Advantage of the Free or Discounted Personal Trainer Offers

Most gyms will offer you a free or discounted personal trainer session as part of your gym membership. Take advantage of this offer.

Usually the trainer will start by giving you a guided tour of all the different equipment in the gym. This alone is worth the time it’ll take. This tour will allow you to get the most out of your gym experience.

Then your personal trainer will ask what your goals are and discuss different workout options and dietary tips to help get you there.

Yes, they’ll probably try to sell you a training package at the end of the hour. If you don’t want to sign up, just let them know – don’t worry, they won’t be offended. They get that every day.

Try to Find the Most Fun Thing in the Gym

If going to the gym feels like a chore to you, chances are you won’t keep up the habit in the long run.

Instead of forcing yourself to do exercises you don’t like or to use unfamiliar equipment, try to find the thing that you enjoy the most in the gym.

For example, if they have a swimming pool, why not go for a swim and see if you like it? If they have kickboxing classes, hot yoga classes or group cycling classes, why not give those a shot?

Once you’ve found something you enjoy and you’ve gotten in the habit of going to the gym regularly, then you might consider doing something a little more challenging. But in the beginning, focus on finding something that you really enjoy.

Find a Buddy

Talk to the other people in the lockers, in the cafeteria or after group classes. Make friends who are also passionate about fitness.

Having friends to compare notes with, to learn from and to share experiences can really help keep you motivated. And it’s more fun. You’ll also have a spotter for exercises like the bench press.

The most challenging part of developing a new gym habit is sticking with it for the first thirty days. Once you get in the habit of going to the gym, you can then spend your time and energy on building the perfect workout. In the beginning, though, just work on building the habit of going to the gym regularly.

How Do I Overcome Cravings For Soda

August 2, 2017/in Blog, Dieting Advice, Nutritional Consultant

Craving a soda to drink can be something that happens all the time or it can be something that happens every now and then, if you always want a soda and soda is something you drink all of the time than you may have caffeine rushes at times as well as teeth that are stained.

There are several things you can do in order to stop craving sodas as much as you do. The following are seven steps in which you can take in order to do so.

For starters you should only purchase and consume sodas that are free of caffeine, they are still refreshing with how they taste but they do not have as many calories so they are a healthier version of soda to have. Having other kinds of liquids to drink around the house is a wise choice to drink as well such as lemonade, milk, apple juice, water, orange juice and more. When you are craving a soda do not go and get one, instead drink some water and if you are not wanting water then drink some juice and drinking from a glass is a great choice to make too.

The fourth thing you can do is if you wake up in the middle of the night and want a soda you do not drink one instead drink a little bit of milk that is more refreshing and will be easier on your stomach. If you drink soda from bottles keep them and fill some up with water like your sprite bottles that are empty and your Coca-Cola bottles that are empty up with some tea.

Remember that your body gets naturally addicted to caffeine and sugar so instead of drinking soda all the time replace some drinks or something else with another kind of food that has sugar in it; consider snickers that are fat free, some cake or even a bag of candy that is small. Small steps are what you need to take and then go from there.

You should also be sure to work out on a regular basis because getting exercise is very important when it comes to living a lifestyle that is healthy and it is vital in losing weight and keeping that weight that you just lost off. Working out leads to sweating and when you are sweating you are really losing weight but with all of that sweating you are also losing fluids that your body needs in order to properly work so to balance things out you need to drink a lot of water to replace those fluids but in a healthy manner.

Drinking some sports drinks like Power-Aid and or Gatorade help with providing your body the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that it needs to get energized again so drink like half a bottle of each for starters or something like that, mixing it up helps keep your body and its system on its toes which is what you want.

Self Massage

August 2, 2017/in Blog, Massage Therapy, Personal Training

Are you aware of having a personal massage therapist, actually two of them, available to you and ready to serve and fulfill your wishes twenty four hours a day and seven days a week all year round and charge you not a dime?

And would you believe me when I tell you that these massage therapists are perfectly happy to provide you with therapeutic sessions anywhere you please (your bedroom or living room, your office or car, in a public park or at the library), as frequently as you summons them and for the duration of your choosing? I am talking about your own two hands.

Yes, your own two hands are perfect capable of massaging away your stress, your tension, your stiffness and your pains while bring forth an increase of blood circulation to invigorate and rejuvenate you with a fresh supply of oxygen into every cell in your body. Research shows that massage therapy, whether it is performed by a paid professional massage therapist or by your own built-in and securely affix hands, also boosts your immune systems as the production of white blood cells is stimulated in the process as is your mental capacity.

Chances are that you probably perform self massage therapy on a regular basis without ever calling it that. Stroking your forehead in a spontaneous reaction to a headache, grabbing the back of your neck to squeeze aware aches and stiffness, scrubbing yourself down with a loofah sponge in the shower or bath, rubbing your sore feet after a long day or hard work are all forms of self applied massage therapy. Congratulations! You are an experienced self massage therapist and you did not require formal training, a certification or a license.

The following is a list of techniques you can safely apply to your own body and promote overall wellness from the tip of your toes up to the crown of your head:

Upon awaking and upon going to sleep. Twice a day, morning and evening, treat yourself to a session of gentle punches. Always moving in an upward motion from bottom to top, begin with the legs, proceed to the arms, then the torso, the back, the head and the face. This will beat out your tension, stress, kinks in your muscles, will improve your blood circulation and will strengthen your body.
A treat after dessert. Whether you have had a large meal or a small one, help your digestive process by rubbing your tummy in the same direction as your food travels through the systems; clockwise. Therefore, use the palms of both your hands in a clockwise circular motion.
A therapeutic exercise before and after the more athletic type. Punch yourself before stretching, cardiovascular or strength exercises to get more blood flowing into your muscles. After exercising, rubbing your muscles in the direction of your heart will promote the elimination of metabolic waste as well as expedite the relaxation and recovery of your muscles.
Massage your appended massage therapists. You may do this with or without lotion buy you should do it daily. Intertwine the fingers of both hands and rub the heels against each other in a circular motion. With on thumb, rub the entire palm of the other hand and then switch. Untwine your fingers and thoroughly kneading each hand, gently pull on each finger and finish by pinching the webbing between the thumb and the index finger of each hand.
Play tennis without a racquet. To exorcise tension and stress, massage your feet by stepping on a tennis ball. Actually, a gulf ball will work just as well. From a standing position press one foot on top of the ball, apply as much weight as you can and slowly more your foot around.

Enjoy yourself massage and stay well.

What It Takes to Develop Six Pack Abs

August 1, 2017/in Blog, Fitness Programs, Muscle Building

Six pack abs is one of the most common goals of people who get into body building. Yet it can seem very elusive for most people, as they can work out for weeks and months without seeming to make any progress.

That’s because most people go about building six pack abs wrongly. It’s not just about doing a lot of push-ups and sit-ups. Yes, ab exercises are important, but on their own they’re not going to get you there.

Here’s how to actually get six pack abs.

Selective Working Out Doesn’t Work

Trying to just work out one area of your body to develop that part’s muscles doesn’t work. In other words, exclusively doing abdominal exercises won’t get you six packs.

Why? Because your abs have fat covering them. Even if under all the fat you have ripped abs, people won’t be able to see them. Unfortunately, when you’re just doing push-ups and sit-ups that’s what you’re doing: toning your muscle under the fat, without eliminating the fat.

The first step to actually getting six pack abs is to reduce the amount of fat in your abs. Unfortunately, you can’t selectively lose fat. You have to lose fat throughout your entire body for this to work.

Removing the Fat

Fat burning essentially comes down to doing cardio exercise regularly. Try to exercise at between 70% to 80% of your maximum heart rate for 30 minutes or more three or four times a week.

If you do this, in about a month you’ll start to notice your body overall becoming more toned. If you measure your body fat percentage, you’ll find the amount of fat in your body lowering and the amount of muscle increasing.

As this happens, your abs will naturally become more and more visible.

Diet

Of course, in order to burn that fat you’ll also need to make changes to your diet. You can’t just burn fat and then take the fat back into your body.

Eliminate all extraneous fats from your diet. A bit of fat from protein foods or other “healthy fats” is okay, but stay away from anything that’s unnaturally fat.

That means no deep fried foods, no fast foods, no meals that are frozen or microwavable. Read the calorie contents and ingredients of packaged foods before you buy.

Building Stronger Abs

The last and final step is to do the exercises that strengthen your abs. You can start the phase at the same time as when you start cardio and start changing your diet, but you’ll only see the results from the ab workouts once you do the rest of the steps discussed in this article.

There you have it. To build abs, you need to burn off the fat throughout your entire body so there’s minimal fat covering your abs. Then you need to change your diet to keep that fat off. Finally, use abdominal exercises to tone up your ab area.

Does Eating Slowly Help With Weight Loss?

August 1, 2017/in Blog, Dieting Advice, Nutritional Consultant

Research has proven that it takes a decent amount of time for your brain to realize that it is full when you are eating so if you eat your food at a rather fast rate you will end up eating more food than what your body really needs. The same research also proves that when you eat slower you will not only eat less food but you will also begin to lose some weight.

The three main methods of what it takes to properly eat slowly is knowing the basics of eating slowly, how distractions can come in handy and the strategies it can take in order to continue eating slowly.

Some of the basic steps to keep in mind are that you need to always remember in order to get rid of one habit that is bad you need to replace it with a habit that is good. You should also not ever wait to eat; if you are feeling really hungry then it is going to be hard to want to eat slower. This is why you should eat several smaller meals throughout the day.

Even though you are eating smaller meals slowly you should still count all of the calories that you consume. Foods that are very high in fiber, air or water are the best foods to go with and your snack foods should be a wise choose as well such as fresh fruits and fresh vegetables and even some different kinds of nuts.

When it comes to eating slowly start by doing your best to stretch out the meal for as long as you can this includes cutting your food slower, putting in your mouth slower, chewing slower and waiting longer to take the next bite. Try eating a bite, wiping your mouth and taking a small sip of water for practice this way when you are done with each bite you can place your utensil back on the plate. And when you take a bite there should only be a little bit of food on the fork or spoon.

Lastly is how bringing in distractions can become very helpful with learning how to properly eat slowly. A distraction is something that will cause the process of eating to become slower; if it helps after each small bite you could also either talk to stretch the meal longer or look through a magazine or newspaper while you are eating.

If absolutely necessary a crossword puzzle can come in handy as well. Some music that is relaxing and having the lights dimmed are some really good tips to follow as well but this setting is not ideal for every meal so save these techniques for special meals. Slow music will lead your body to naturally move slower which will make you eat slower and the lights being dimmed helps to promote a calmness from within which can lead to you slowing down as well.

Massage Therapy

August 1, 2017/in Blog, Massage Therapy, Personal Training

Massage therapy is just one persuasion from a wide array of other very effective and closely related persuasions such as Acupressure, Body Work, Manipulative Therapy, Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Structural Integration, Alternative Medical Systems, Mind-Body Intervention, Biologically Based Therapy, Energy Therapy, Shiatsu and Tui Na.

And all these as a group come under the wide umbrella of alternative medicine and body-based methods. Massage Therapy is a procedure in which various methods are utilized to manipulate soft tissues of the subject’s body such as the muscles, tendons, ligaments, skin, joints, connective tissues as well as the lymphatic vessels and organs of the gastrointestinal system.

The primary goal of Massage Therapy is to affect physical, psychological and functional curative changes by performing manipulative functions which involve moving or stationery pressure, structured or unstructured force to strategic points, vibration, stroking, kneading, and so on.

On occasion, mechanical devices are used as tools of the trade, but for the most part, Massage Therapy is applied manually with the therapist’s hands, fingers, elbows, forearms and feet as the subject is fully clothed in a massage chair or partially to totally naked but covered with a towel on a massage table or on a mat on the floor.

Ancient scriptures have attested to the fact that massage therapy dates back into antiquity and it has been a fundamental practice in many different cultures such as the Roman, Greek, Japanese, Chinese, Egyptian, Mesopotamian and Indian. Even Biblical writings from c. 493 BC speak of daily massage with olive oil and myrrh being applied to the wives of Xerxes (Esther, 2:9-12) as part of their daily beauty routine. Hippocrates of Cos, a Greek physician of the fourth century BC who is also considered the “father of medicine” and after whose teachings the famous Hippocratic Oath was named, wrote that “The physician must be experienced in many things, but assuredly in rubbing.”

Advancing to more modern times, Massage Therapy gained its popularity in the United States when it was presented by two physicians from New York in the 1800s. Their techniques were an adaptation from the Per Henrik Ling Massage Therapy which was developed in Sweden. With the introduction of new and exciting innovations in medicine during the 1930s and 1940s, the popularity of Massage Therapy waned but was revived again by the athletic community in the 1960s and 1970’s. Massage Therapy was provided as a central medical service for the first time in the United States during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.

Etymologically speaking, the word “massage” in English comes from a long line of derivatives as follows: the French word “massage” which means “the friction of kneading,” which comes from the Arabic word “massa” which means “to touch, feel or handle,” which comes from the Latin word “massa” which means “mass or dough.” The Greek word for “massage” is “anatripsis” and the Latin word is “firctio.” However, the oldest known origin of the English word “massage” comes from the Biblical Hebrew word “me-sakj” which means “to anoint with oil.”

What we refer to as Massage Therapy today has in the past been merely referred to as Massage. However, the “therapy” portion of the Massage Therapy came into being only when the illegal prostitution and sexual services in the United States began advertising themselves and their wares as “massage.” Wanting to distinguish itself, the legitimate massage became Massage Therapy while the illicit continued to be called massage.

Fitness Apparel

July 31, 2017/in Blog, Exercising, Fitness Programs

In a sports apparel specialty store you will delight at the wide range of clothing plus accessories that is available in the market. Specific sporting apparels like golf, fitness exercise, equestrian and yoga are very much available.

The apparel for sports like surfing or rafting and even mountaineering are abounds. The wet-suits are perfect for surfing apparel. The sports apparel include caps, batting gloves and rafting vests. Here’s a short list on how to choose your sports and fitness apparel.

The Golf Wear

The golf apparel can be found in any specialty sport store. The golf apparel usually includes a trouser with a t-shirt. In golf apparel, comfort is the most important factor. Chinos are also very popular golf wear. Hats and caps of varying designs and makes are also available. Of course outlandish gears worn by some professional golfers are also available.

The Running / Fitness Wear

The running apparel is best made with cotton to retain moisture that causes friction and might lead to possible chafing. The running shorts and tights including the cotton socks are the basic running gear. When running apparel is being chosen, try to select a base layer top which keeps you dry for an extended run. Comfortable and fit running shoes must be matched to keep you fresh on the run. The fitness gear pertains to all kinds of apparel including aerobics and gymnastics. The multi-colored tights and leotards are the best and most comfortable during a workout. The fitness gear must be selected with care. Choose the proper material and correct size when selecting the fitness gear is a must.

The Athletic Apparel

The athletic apparel must be chosen with the climate and weather in thought. An apparel that is not suited for the weather will hinder the performance of an athlete. A popular athletic wear is the running or jogging pants with a drawstring waist. These type of athletic apparel can be purchased at discounted rates. The all weather gear is designed to keep most of the elements out. An athlete depends on the athletic gear to perform at his best.

The Equestrian Apparel

The equestrian gear is mainly about breeches and boots. There are specialty equestrian stores that stock clothing and other equipment for riding. The casual equestrian gear could be riding breeches matched with a plain shirt. The paddock boots available also at equestrian apparel stores complete the set for an equestrian. A pair of riding pants and a jersey can be bought at an equestrian apparel store. When having lessons on riding, you may want to look online for equestrian stores to see and choose an outfit which lets you ride with great style and comfort. A little pricey in most cases but may be worth the price. A western style of gear is also available in specialty shops.

The Yoga Apparel

The yoga apparel must be very comfortable and loose for easy movement. A t -shirts and a loose-fit short are basic yoga apparel which will keep you fresh and comfortable. Also, it does not cost much. The designer yoga apparels are available at special yoga stores. Yoga Capri pants and unitards are available at yoga apparel store. The special Asana clothing can be found at very exclusive yoga outlets.

Dieting for Success Making it Happen

July 31, 2017/in Blog, Dieting Advice, Nutritional Consultant

Dieting is far too often approached from the mindset of impending failure. Too many people have tried and failed so many diets in their past that they try the next new diet with the absolute knowledge that they will fail in this attempt as well. Guess what? They will.

Henry Ford once said, “If you think you can or think you can’t you will always be right.” If you think you are going to fail at this diet you are dooming yourself to failure before you even deprive yourself of the first bite.

Think about that before you begin because only a true masochist could find pleasure in perpetuating this vicious cycle without ever stopping to wonder why none of the other diets have worked for you. Henry Ford also said, “Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently”. In case you were wondering I would say his words are quite profound. Seriously though, if you do not examine the reasons for your failures you are certainly dooming yourself to repeat them and if you are already planning to fail why on earth would you even try?

You are the only person who can take control of your need to eat. You are the only one who can pay attention and notice when you are eating for emotional fulfillment and when you are eating from necessity. You and you alone can get yourself out of your chair and on your feet. You are the only one that can take the responsibility for the condition in which you find yourself. There are medical exceptions but even in these situations if you are trying diet after diet and failing over and over again then you must at some point in time realize that it is quite likely not the diets that aren’t working.

We must all be accountable for our successes and failures in life. It is no different when it comes to dieting. There are few better feelings in the world than for someone to notice and compliment your efforts. If you are very obese unfortunately, it may take a little more time for people to actually notice the weight you’ve lost. Too many men and women give up simply because no one noticed and that is an incredible shame. Give your dieting practices an opportunity to work before you decide they are a failure and you just might surprise yourself with a roaring success.

The truth is far too few people hold themselves accountable to their dieting and weight loss goals. This means that far too many people are giving up without really ever bothering to give it an effort. If you have an issue holding yourself accountable to your dieting plans, perhaps you would do well to diet with a partner. This helps you not only set goals but also to meet and exceed challenges along the way. A partner can also benefit from the partnership as he or she will be challenged and feel the need to perform better than if he or she were dieting alone.

You must hold yourself accountable to your stated dieting and weight loss goals in order to achieve any lasting results. If you have not had dieting success in the past, then perhaps it is time to bring some degree of accountability into the picture and make it happen.

The Stomach Exercise All-Star

July 31, 2017/in Blog, Personal Training, Stomach Workout

There are plenty of stomach exercises out the for those who want to shape their core and strengthen their midsection. This may be both a blessing and a curse. It is easy to find plenty of exercises and routines that work the midsection, but how does one know which ones are any good?

Well, listed here are what appear to be some of the best around, according to recommendations by fitness experts. If you want to work on your stomach, but are not sure where to start, then this “all-star team” may be a good jumping off point. As with any workout routine, be sure to consult a professional before beginning and always warm up properly to avoid injury.

Crunch-less Crunch

Regular crunches are great for working the rectus abdominus (the muscles at the front of your stomach), but they do very little for the transverse abdominal muscles deeper in the midsection, plus they tend to put strain on your back and neck. This first exercise corrects that, working the transverse muscles with no back or neck strain. Essentially, it involves trying to pull the belly button in towards the spine. This can be tricky, as it involves using muscles which you may not be used to activating.

To start, either lie or on your stomach or kneel. You might want to try both ways and see which helps you feel the exercise better. Relax your body as much as possible, then try to use only the lower abdominal to move your belly button toward your spine. Hold for ten seconds. If holding for ten seconds feels easy, hold for a longer period. The goal is to hold the contraction until you either cannot feel it, or you feel other muscles working harder than the transverse abdominus. When you feel this, let the contraction out.

Hip Lift

Remain on your back for this stomach exercise. Put your arms at your sides with palms facing up to the ceiling. Put your legs straight up in the air so that the soles of your feet are facing the ceiling and your legs make about a ninety degree angle with your torso. Keep your knees unbent and as straight as possible. Now, contract your ab muscles so that it feels like your belly button is being pulled toward your spine, while at the same time gently lifting your hips off the floor. Raise your hips to height of a few inches, keeping your legs extended straight upward. Hold this position, then slowly lower your hips back to the floor. Repeat for an entire set.

Long Arm Crunch

For this stomach exercise, remain on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat. Lie back and extend your arms straight back on the floor as though you are reaching above your head. Contract your abs and slowly lift your arms, head and shoulders off the floor to about a thirty degree angle. Hold it, then slowly lower your shoulders back to the floor. Repeat for an entire set. Be careful not to lead with your arms, keeping them straight and alongside your head.

Some other honorable mentions include the vertical leg crunch, torso twists, and any Pilates routine that emphasizes the core. Feel free to research some of these exercises more once you have mastered the three above. Now that you are armed with some of the better stomach exercises, you are on your way to a trimmer tummy!

Fitness Trainer: Boredom Busters

July 28, 2017/in Blog, Exercising, Fitness Programs

One of the biggest obstacles to staying on track for fitness is losing motivation. People are just starting an exercise program can find themselves quickly tired of the same routine. Keeping exercise appealing and maintaining a good fitness perspective is key to long-term success.

If you have to watch the exact same episode of your favorite television show every day for the rest of your life, you would probably be banging your head against the wall by the end of the week. You would change the channel, pick up a book, or do anything you could to avoid something you once enjoyed.

Yet, many people starting on a fitness program feel compelled to follow the same routine, day after day after day, and consequently fall off the exercise wagon due to sheer boredom.

That is why, most people would want the services of a fitness trainer in order to provide them the different portions of the fitness program in a more livelier style.

Fitness trainers are actually those who are expert in analyzing and creating a fitness program that is right for you. They are the ones who will calculate your appropriateness to a certain program with regards to your “fitness level,” create the program according to your specific needs, and keep you stimulated and inspired by giving you activities that will not bore you.

But then again, as with other entities included in the fitness world, not all fitness trainers are created equal. They may vary from the different training that they have, the health education they have acquired, and the skills that they have learned.

Hence, it is important to consider some factors that will determine if a certain fitness trainer is right for you. Here is how:

Certification

Like any item or product, the quality is sometimes measured and determined through the certification that goes with it. Hence, before you choose your fitness trainer, it is important to verify if the trainer is duly certified by a highly regarded fitness association. It is also best to choose a trainer that has a CPR certification or first aid qualifications.

Education/Training

Be sure to choose a fitness trainer who had acquired an adequate training and education as far as health and physical fitness is concerned.

Even though it is not necessary, trainers who have acquired education connected with health or any other related field will definitely have an edge over the others.

Knows how to give the right attention

A good fitness trainer should know how to provide his or her client an undivided attention whenever their session is going on. In this way, the trainer will be able to focus more on the details that needs attention and immediate considerations.

Knows how to track development

It is best to choose a fitness trainer that knows how to track his or her client’s progress as far as fitness is concerned.

In this way, the trainer will be able to generate new activities and training designated for a particular result of the client.

Good Personality

Since you will be dealing most with your fitness trainer, it is best if you will look for somebody with a pleasing personality, somebody whom you can be comfortable. It is best to hire the services of somebody whom you can easily get along with.

Boiled down, the services of a fitness center and the contributions it can give you while working out on those belly fats, are, indeed, one of the best help that you can get from a professional person who knows what he is doing.

Hence, it is best to choose the best person who can give you the best services that you need so that you will never get bored again.

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