Monthly Archives: April 2012
Weight Loss Prescription
This is a Guest Post by: Brianne
Weight Loss Prescription: About Using Phentermine Drug
Phentermine, an appetite suppressant which helps reduce weight in obese patients, comes in different trade names as Adipex-P, Fastin and Ionamin. This drug, which gained FDA approval way back in 1959, works through chemicals which help the brain control appetite. It is specifically meant for individuals who have progressive risk of medical illnesses owing to their weight.
Why Phentermine
Approved for short term usage, 12 weeks or less, Phentermine is one of the regularly prescribed weight-loss medications.
Phentermine may be used as part of an overall weight-loss plan when you are considerably overweight. Prescription weight loss drugs, proposed only for those with a BMI of 30 and above (or 27 and above, if they have other risk factors), can serve well in losing weight for short term. However, it should essentially serve as a complement with healthy eating habits and routine exercising. Once Phentermine is stopped, weight gain can recur.
Side effect and interaction of the drug
Phentermine should not be used unless prescribed by an expert. Owing to potentially fatal side effects and interaction with other medications, the drug can prove dangerous if taken without expert supervision. Larger quantities (than prescribed) can also be damaging.
Heart diseases, blood pressure, diabetes or other diseases may restrict you from taking this drug. Alcohol is strictly prohibited when consuming Phentermine, as it can cause weakening of health or irreversible health issues.
Side effects can include tiredness, dizziness, diarrhea, constipation, deep chest pain, stomach or intestinal problems, throbbing heartbeat and vomiting. Other side effects are insomnia, nervousness, dry or unpleasant taste in mouth, leg and ankle swellings and increased blood pressure. Depression can also be found, although not common. Side effects may worsen with prolonged usage of the drug. The addictive nature of the drug can also deteriorate your health condition because the body gets used to it. Hence, withdrawal from the drug should be gradual.
Certain medicines may interact with Phentermine; guanadrel, furazolidone, fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine are to name some. Pregnancy and lactation stages may be adversely affected by Phentermine consumption. Your body may be allergic to any of the components of Phentermine and lead to adverse reactions, in case it is administered. It is important to consider your medical history before taking the drug (or any other prescription weight loss drug). When consuming the drug, monitor your progress and reaction on a regular basis.
Phentermine vs. usual weight pill
Phentermine can be different from the usual weight loss pills. Owing to the side effects and interaction with medications/medical conditions, Phentermine may cause more concerning conditions than the normal weight loss pills. Being more powerful than weight loss pills, it is consumed in small doses (for short period). It is illegal to consume this drug without a prescription.
The tried and tested
Phentermine may have been linked to success stories, with individuals losing considerable weight and reaching their required goal weight. However, the underlying risks should not be sidelined and expert supervision should be taken to ascertain whether the drug administration is needed or not. It is important to understand that weight loss is not an overnight task. Furthermore, the faster you lose weight, the faster you can gain it back. Even though the drug can be tempting, consistent and gradual weight loss can work best.
Risking your sound health for the sake of losing some pounds is not worth trying. Instead, healthy lifestyle changes promise better outcomes with enhanced effects which can last longer and serve better. A long-term schedule of diet and exercise may be complimented with a drug, but only under expert advice.
About the author: Brianne is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on health and the environment. Beside this she is fond of books. Recently an article on acne scars attracted her attention. These days she is busy in writing articles on Pine Flooring.
How to Spiritually Grow via Health
I think that one of the things that people don’t fully understand about regular exercise is its benefit on a certain type of psychological level. The psychology in this can branch out and channel onto other venues of a persons total well being.
Spirituality is something pretty much most people don’t fully grasp to begin with. Probably because they just don’t give a damn. Learning about it and understanding it takes time. And most working adults and busy students today just don’t have that kind of time.
I generalize it and break it down for you right here right now very quickly. Spirituality lies way beneath the skin. It also is apart of your outer being having nothing to do with the physical you.
What’s ironic though is that it can be grown and improved by things physical in nature. Of course I’m referring to exercise. Every time you step out into the world to do something exercise related, this helps build your spirits up. Its a working living component of your spirituality, yet many out there never tap into it, or let alone realize and acknowledge the non-visual benefits of exercising itself.
Every workout session, every trail, every game in sport, every time.
Your adding a piece to your spirituality.
This is a bunch of crap huh?
I don’t think so. I think its all connected somehow. We can’t live perfect lives right? The human life is overly complicated by default, regardless of your scenario.
But getting back to grass roots stuff like being outside and active helps bring clarity to the clutter that is human life. Just like our simple monkey ancestors.
Doing things as simple as them like chomping on bananas and throwing your own feces at your friend is the key to life.
Well, maybe not that simple, are primal ancestors were kind of nutty. But even still, getting back to that simple place is easy with exercise. You’re not thinking about anything but the burn, the sweat, and the feeling of knowing your in the right place doing something that is good for you.
The genuine aliveness that you feel with your heart beating fast always makes me feel better after I’m done with the activity.
We grow through productivity, and by setting out goals, and then achieving them. In the entire world today, there is not one more common goal that human beings set out for themselves than the general mix of health related goals which are, getting back into all around better shape, losing weight, and building/toning muscle.
I can safely say that is a damn straight up fact. (#2 is probably anything financially related like, getting rich, finding financial freedom, etc.)
Anyway, the message and tip here is not to ignore your spirituality so much if you just so happen to do so. Instead, embrace its existence and think of different ways you can strengthen it.
There’s even a way to strengthen your body and spirit all at the same time.
Hmm, I wonder how you could go about doing such a productive thing?
How to Stay Fit Past 50
You know I don’t want everyone to think this post today is only for those that are indeed 50 and up. This is more of a motivational message going out to a general audience.
Its just crazy how the human body works. Forget genetics for a second. I mean we all have the ability to take our health and natural physiques to such great heights. It is a constant reminder when I go to a place where there is an abundance of active and healthy minded people that we all can do it, it just comes down to personal choice.
Sure, I get taking small vacations from exercise. Yes, I also get why some people during the holidays and when on vacation feel its almost necessary to overindulge with food. But why some completely disregard the whole fit picture escapes me.
I understand that in today’s economically hard pressed times we all don’t have the luxury to find that extra time when there’s things like work and other responsibilities to be taken care of. But telling yourself you can’t set aside 20 minutes a day for exercise and making at the very least one healthy meal or even one healthy thing every day is just you lying to yourself.
Because that does not require a ton of effort. Anyone can start from scratch and slowly work their way up to the top.
I want everyone to really listen to what I’m about to say very clearly. Because an excuse to this statement is like trying to out cry a baby.
Age is not a factor.
What gives me the right to say this? How would I know if it is or if it isn’t you say? Well I’ve already gotten a slight taste of aging in the mid-20′s, but obviously nothing severely disadvantaging.
Most would say oh I’m to young to understand what it feels like to be past 50 and what goes along with it, when in fact I know exactly how the machine operates period. I’ve done enough homework and research on human anatomy to safely make this bold statement.
I’ve also gotten enough insight from others past 50 in the recent years anyway. But this topic obviously isn’t about me, it’s about you regardless of your age. Allow me to elaborate on the “personal choice” point as mentioned before.
It really comes down to you making the choice of how far and how long you want to take being physically fit. Having the complete package also requires you to be constantly educating and applying smart eating habits with your diet.
It totally shocked me, no, it totally stunned me when I came across a few elderly people last week that where seriously in better shape than perhaps even myself.
How can that be possible?
What’s even more inspiring is that their confidence shines right through their skin. They project this aura of total control and self acceptance. I can sense that they are also spiritually at peace.
The human body can sustain itself for over 100 years.
This is not uncommon either as we’re getting to see and hear about more and more people living out longer, and more fulfilling lives. Alongside modern medicine, I think a huge contributing part of this is how one handles their health in not only the earlier but later stages of they’re lives.
If we can live well past 100 years in this life, then that would mean being 50 is only the halfway maker of your life. Think about that for a second. That means there’s a whole other half to go!
And what’s to say that the second half of your life could hold more fulfillment and be more satisfying than the first? Sure childhood is a precious and unique time in our lives, but its only the beginning, the opening chapters.
You can learn a lot from older fit people I guess, and just by looking at them. It makes you want to be the same way. I know for me, the more people like this I see and meet, the more I make this goal for myself later in life because I know I want to hold onto my solid health for many years to come. Its motivational because it shows me that getting older doesn’t have to mean I’ll lose it just because I’m older. In fact its the complete opposite in that getting older could mean only getting and improving my health from where I’m at now.
It is just really inspiring to be around for me, and thought it was well worth mentioning today.
Before I go, let me answer the question to the title. So how can this all be done? How do we get out of a fitness funk, or dieting disaster?
Well the first step is recognizing and then acknowledging the fact that you have gotten a bit careless with things over the years of mid-life. Then its time to slowly start to claw your way back into shape. Starting with the basic restructuring of your diet and then as mentioned before starting slow with 20 minutes or so a day of something physical.
Up your intensity and what your body can handle. Remember, if you’re over 50, your bones, ligaments, joints, muscle tissue, tendons, and other anatomical components may not have to density, flexibility, or responsiveness as they did when you were younger. However, with the right diet, and regular bodily conditioning through exercising, you can get everything back to tip top performance.
That is why it is possible for a 55 year old man to have a higher muscle density and accompanied by a better stamina than any typical 18 year old kid.
True it is more likely for any older person to pull something because they’re frame is generally a little bit more prone to injury simply because it is older. So getting back into the swing of things “cautiously” is the last point I’ll make here.
Being fit past 50 is like a gourmet chef putting icing on the cake, but blindfolded and making a perfect swirl every time. Inspirational? I’d say so…
Lightweight Loophole
Today is for the boys. Sorry ladies… I mean I have dedicated a couple posts to women already, but none exclusively for men. With that said, its time to make up some ground.
Guys I found a loophole just by eavesdropping at the gym last week. It also occurred to me that I have executed this loophole properly myself back when I was about 16.
When building muscle by lifting free weights or resistance machinery we’re burning calories anyway right and getting exercise and are sweating the same as if we were doing intense cardio. I feel like your body is going to let you know that it needs to refuel anyway and you’ll naturally follow orders. Maybe just eating in general is good after your regiment. Obviously protein promotes muscle synthesis the best out of any block on the food pyramid, but still just eating regularly and frequently does help the muscle as well.
I spoke with a pro body builder about a month ago and he said the same thing. He said if you really want to pack it on you should eat several times a day. He was doing something ridiculous like 12 times a day. That’s an extreme example but it showed. He was shaped more like a refrigerator than a homosapien.
Now forget nutrition altogether for a second. Throw it out the window.
That was just a bonus tip I picked up last month that I felt like sharing.
Now onto the loophole.
I overheard something that hit me like a bag of bricks. I actually had a flashback of crushing some serious weight in my early lifting career. I didn’t eat differently then, didn’t sleep differently, didn’t drink protein or take any sort of supplementation.
I just lifted my testosterone oozing teenage ass off!
I hit it hard everyday and kept upping the weight and reps never being content or satisfied. The results showed. I did one exercise like a mad man though. I did a modified military press where I took the bench bar as a free weight and faced towards the bench rack. I did this exercise quite a bit, vigorously, but I forget for how long. But the results showed. My lats (latimus dorsi) not only grew in size, but in shape, and hardness.
Now, as I snapped out of the flashback I heard them talking about the same basic principle. Not giving the same muscle groups a break, and hitting them 3 or 4 days straight.
However, take it from me, this takes time to work into. Your muscles can become strong enough to handle a weekly non rotational training schedule, but working your way into it slowly and cautiously is the key I think. Trust me here, I know from experience.
If you do it right, whatever muscle group you’re really passionate about getting tighter, leaner, harder, bulkier, or whatever it might be, can be worked on a non rotational basis.
The guys I overheard were talking about another guy they met that was muscularly gigantic, but he wasn’t lifting giant weights. How could this be?
My theory is that he understood this loophole in the world of weight lifting. He could lift lighter weight and target every muscle group (doing a full body workout), 6 or 7 days a week without giving any group a break, and without pulling anything because the weight wasn’t too high. Keep in mind its also easier to keep proper form with lighter weight.
Something like that sounds like it would make you really strong overtime right? And the stronger you are, usually the bigger you are muscle wise.
An interesting theory, but with no 100% solid evidence or any guarantees here. I remember I used pretty big weight for my small framed body back when I did it this way. I haven’t tried the light weights with a crazy amount of reps regiment yet, but if I do in the future as a 60 day experiment or something like that, I’ll let you know how it pans out.
Yet another loophole brought into the light…
Morgan Spurlock Insight
Sprinkled across the blog I’m sure I’ve hinted at this concept before. It’s nothing I’m really going to go into great detail with because there’s really no need. That’s why I’ll keep today short.
Depending on what your diet consists of, it can have a massive effect on your entire state of being. Aside from the fact that if you eat unhealthy you’ll gain weight and have less energy (the 2 obvious ones) a crappy diet can make a laundry list of other problems for you.
I actually wanted to put this video up to demonstrate an extreme example of this concept. In the documentary film “Super Size Me” Morgan Spurlock eats McDonald’s for 30 days straight (and doesn’t die).
As you can see it was a really bad idea. Whether you’ve seen the movie or not I’d recommend it if your trying to understand dieting health better.
Morgan was under close and careful medical supervision the entire time he was doing this experiment. What I recall most clearly in the entire movie was one of the scenes where he is being evaluated by one of the physicians that was watching him.
I don’t think Morgan told the doctor that he was eating fast food and exclusively McDonald’s becuase the doctor said something that stood out to me.
He said something like “Your cholesterol levels and these other levels are off the charts, literally. I would suggest getting of your high fat diet immediately. You could have kidney or liver failure and seriously ruin some of your vital working organs”.
Aside from the fact that he was told that he could die from the experiment, that’s not what stood out to me.
The doctor said “high fat”.
And its true when you think about it. Fast food is essentially eating high fat foods and accepting that very fact.
But that’s not the main point I’m getting at here.
Here’s a simple tip or rule that you can go by from now on that will help you judge your eating habits better. Along with judging if this meal is fatty or unhealthy, think about how it will make you feel. Food often times translates to ones mood.
Like sugar gives you an energy high for a brief period, and then you crash. Greasy fried food makes you tired and lethargic directly after you eat it. Fruits and vegetables help me breath and make me feel awake (just sharing personal interpretation on that one, yours could be different). And Chinese takeout makes you feel bloated for 30 minutes, but then your hungry another 30 minutes later and are craving more of it like a drug.
As you can see from my cheesy examples that its actually quite obvious that food can make us feel differently. Maybe we just don’t pay attention to it becuase we have enough to worry about right.
But my advice would be to do the exact opposite of neglecting something that is such a huge proponent of healthy living and start thinking about this a little more from now on.
Don’t go crazy with it and think because you ate a piece of tiramisu that your going to break out into a cold sweat and succumb to heart failure. It’ll probably just make you a little sleepy. If you find yourself in a low mood for several days in a row, maybe reevaluate your diet because that might be a huge contributing factor, you just never noticed it until now.
All I’m suggesting is to give it a little extra thought. This will also contribute to better food decisions in general for you. Who knows, with a little research and experimentation, maybe there’s something out there specifically for you that could give you wings (in the metaphorical sense).
And no, I’m not talking about Redbull.
Dieting Psychology 101
I saw a great commercial the other day. What’s funny is that I forget what it was for (some restaurant chain I think). Anyway the point was brilliant and relates to intelligent dieting big time.
It starts with a semi fat guy that likes eating out. It shows him going from drive through to drive through and restaurant to restaurant. Then a narrator comes in and says what if you had 3 teenage girls follow you around and tell you when you weren’t healthy.
Then it cuts to all these different scenarios where you see this middle aged frumpy looking man at all these different drive through’s and every time he takes a bite into a greasy fattening piece of food the 3 girls are either sitting next to him in the restaurant or standing outside of his car and go “ew, gross, seriously?”
I thought to myself this was a wildly clever idea for anyone looking to go on a diet. Hire 3 teenage girls to follow you around whenever you’re about to eat something and let them determine whether or not if its acceptable eat.
This really doesn’t have a whole lot to do with dieting knowledge, its more about common sense. I’ve heard so many younger girls in my past obsess over dieting and calorie counting, and what has trans fat, poly’s, and on and on and on…
I think its safe to say we can drop a lot of that and hunker down back to the basics. Especially for those of you that are just starting out or are trying a new approach to dieting because the old one wasn’t working.
Think like them…
What? You heard right. Think like a teenage girl for a second on the varsity cheer leading squad. How do most of them stay so thin and fit? True some are blessed by genetics, but others really watch what they eat and stay as active as they can on a regular basis.
A lot of young girls go green for a while too. No I don’t mean they recycle more and plant trees in their free time, but they green up their diet either a lot or altogether.
A nice dieting strategy that I’ve seen executed successfully is going vegetarian in spurts. They go a few weeks or even a few months vegetarian to lose weight.
I’m not saying beef and chicken or any other meat is bad for you and can deter your diet, but they do pack more punch in calories and fat than any vegetable.
A lot of grains, oats, pasta’s, rice, veggies, fruits, nuts, and things like this can keep it all off. Maybe smaller portions of meat being incorporated into your diet could work like diced chicken in a salad.
But depending on what your goals are, you have to adjust your diet to them. If you want to lose a substantial amount of weight, and fast, then going on a strict vegetarian or even vegan diet might be in order.
For maintaining your weight, you should watch what you eat, pay attention to portions, but don’t be afraid to have a tiny piece of heaven here and there throughout your week.
You have to factor in how much you eat, and then of course the main influence which is what your eating.
So with this commercial a light bulb went off in my head and made me realize I should mention it here. Look at what your eating and ask yourself “would an OCD teenage girl be okay with eating this?”
The joke was that the guy hired them.
Almost like he had 3 personal nutritionists following him around wherever he went.
What’s even stranger is that this middle aged man could potentially have more knowledge about nutrition then the 3 young girls simply because he’s been around longer.
On the contrary they could be obsessed with dieting and he has disregarded smart eating his whole life.
But what I’m trying to say is how much could a teenage girl know about dieting. Its really not that hard to look at something and go “hmm well that’s probably not good for me”, which translates to their “gross” point of view.
So try and trick yourself into looking at food from now on in this light when your dieting or just in general. When something super fatty but delicious presents itself to you and is there for the taking, bring this frame of mind into action and see what your better judgement will do for yourself.
Again, it doesn’t take an expert (like a teenage girl) to understand what’s too fattening to be eating, and what’s acceptable.
Its like walking on eggshells, or maybe its more of just treading softly.
For next time, think before you bite.
How Much Weight Should I be Lifting?
So here’s a question that’s being thrown around a lot lately and I don’t think it needs to be. Well, that is of course if you have no idea what your doing then pardon my request.
It’s just that many don’t know how to balance this. The main debate here is reps versus the weight itself. Which should you do more, and which should you do less?
The obvious general answer that we all don’t want to hear from people like me is “it all depends on the person and there thresholds and blah blah blah”.
Right, so then how about we generalize some more to counteract that very same general statement. As in one generalization offsetting the other.
How clever…
Let’s say you’ve been consistently exercising for over 3 years, but you like to take breaks that can stretch for as long as seasons, your female, average body weight for your height (by American standards), slight muscle tone, any age, but you got some extra shake in the nether regions or hind quarters if I may which is quite alright since that’s acceptable in most societies.
Nothing wrong with a full figured woman, but they tend to be overly subconscious about their weight. The skinny twig look has faded I think.
I mean what it really comes down to is how you carry yourself, and how you present yourself. Do you clean up well and know how to dress and act presentably and respectably? In the end that’s the main thing that matters. Having that attitude will assist the frame of mind of being physically conscious and aware of your physique and overall health. Bam! Oh yeah I’m dropping jewels of wisdom tonight.
Anyway, let’s get back to the boring stuff. Reps or weight? To be or not to be? If your somewhat in the realm of similarity to the person I described in my example, then follow along. Everyone else go take a hike or read another life changing post of mine.
No, just kidding stick around, this kind of crazy exercise talk can benefit everyone if they apply it and readjust it to their own personal situation.
Okay, so, heavy weight is more for muscle growth primarily. Actually, if you want to get technical its best for strengthening your muscle groups. And usually the stronger your muscles get and progress, 2 things happen.
The first is that they get larger in size and shape. But don’t forget about the second. They also get harder. A lot of times you can increase your strength and one of your bonus results out does the other. Like you could get much harder but moderately bigger, or even where its almost unnoticeable.
The more repetitions you do the more toned you get.
As in, your muscles become more defined and shapely. But you can also hit the “hardening bonus” too with high repetition training.
The difference is with heavy weight experimentation your getting harder because when a muscle grows it can only grow hard. Muscle composition in general in women and men is always hard or firm.
With high reps your simply tightening the small muscles that are already there, and their not really gaining much growth or size, but are taking different shape and form.
So again the difference is growing has to = some hardening, and tightening = primarily shape changing.
That’s a real caveman way of explaining it. Either I’m not smart enough to explain it any other way, or I really don’t want to bore you with any technical jargon. After all, I did promise on my homepage keeping that to a bare minimum.
Anyway if you’re that chick in my example who knows her way around track, gym, field, or any general sweating scenario, keep these concepts in mind. Let’s be honest, women are more infatuated with cardiovascular exercise than anything here.
They love moving around and keeping their bodies in a slightly different type of shape then men. I think its all about mobility if your a woman. My general advice though when it comes to weight training would be to stick to high repetition training, but at the same time don’t be afraid of knocking out some heavier weight from time to time.
See for us guys it can really vary. We can attain a few more different variations of an in shape body than a woman. Don’t freak out on me girls, its just from my ignorant perspective. I mean let’s face it, when a woman has bigger muscles than a man its a bit odd wouldn’t you say? That’s all I’m getting at.
But us guys go for many more shapes like from big bulky physiques, to lean hard ripped physiques, to cardio machine physiques with giant runners legs, to pro boxer physiques with giant upper bodies but with twiggy little legs.
There are many more too, you’d be surprised…
I think strengthening and the tightening up of muscles are equally important. For men we tend to focus on the strengthening portion, and for women you tend to focus on the tightening side of things.
This may just be because that’s what naturally comes a little easier for both sexes ultimately.
Advancing your physique with this understanding and concept brought to light here might have been obvious, but at the same time might be easier said than done.
Listen to your body. Your not superman, or wonder woman, so work out hard and push the pace every time, but don’t continually force something that’s not within your current grasp and attaining. Work your way up to that milestone slowly and steadily.
The tortoise or the hare can win the race, but why chance anything (hurting yourself) being the hare?
Understanding the Muscle Mechanics Behind Ripped Abs
This is a Guest Post by: Mirsad Hasic
Strength training is great, but do you know the muscle groups that you are actually training? This is a problem for newcomers to the world of fitness that have been told over and over again about ripped abs, but not much of anything else.
We feel that if you really want to see your strength training program come to life, then you really need to make sure that you’re getting all of the necessary concepts down pat.
So let’s cover all of those muscle groups here and talk about exercises that lead to a well shaped body.
Why Not Just Focus on Abs?
Ripped abs are great — but if you don’t understand the core stabilizing muscles involved in your abdominal region, then you’re not going to get or let alone keep that shredded look.
Experienced fitness enthusiasts understand that in order to have great abs that look really ripped, you’ve got to have the whole package. You can’t get the whole package if you don’t know what’s required.
Let’s talk about all of the lovely muscle groups of the human body starting from the top with the neck. The neck involves the upper trapezius as well as the levator scapulae.
Both muscle groups work together to help you move your neck this way and that way, but also to raise your shoulders as well. You’ll see very quickly that it’s really all about strengthening the entire body so it flows as a unit rather than a collection of parts.
Abs
Let’s go on and cover now what everyone is so obsessed about (men and women alike). You have the core abs, also known as the rectus abdominis, followed by the inner and outer obliques.
There’s also the transverse, as well as the erector spinae. If you’re looking at a diagram of these muscle groups, you’ll be eventually be able to have them in the back of your mind while you’re training.
If you’re tired of crunches, you’ll find that the leg pull-in works well for working on the abs. It’s also a bodyweight only exercise, which means that you can do it anywhere.
What you want to do is lay flat on the floor, and then place your hands under your posterior with your palms down. You will then need to bend your knees and pull your upper thighs into your belly before returning to the starting position. There are plenty of other ab exercises, but this is one of our favorites.
Trapezius
The traps are located between your shoulder blades, and they assist with upward and downward movements of the arms and shoulders.
A lot of newcomers to getting ripped abs ignore the traps, but that’s not a good idea when you’re thinking about compound lifts. If we haven’t said it enough before, we’ll say it again — you have to train the whole body!
Other Muscle Groups
We could go on forever about the muscle groups of the body in detail, but that’s the stuff that anatomy books are for. The abs, the traps, the deltoids, the rhomboids (your middle back), the lats (the back muscles that contribute to the “wings” or V-taper shape)… it really is fascinating stuff.
Tying This Back to Your Abdominal Building Goals
The muscles of the body do indeed work together. When you’re thinking about building a better strength routine, or trying to figure out why some muscles are weaker than others, it helps to go back and look at all of these muscle groups. Be honest with yourself — are you really training, or are you only going halfway?
It’s also important to think about how you will rest and recover after each and every workout. If one area is getting sore faster than another, it’s time to change up your workout program before you injure yourself.
Understanding muscle groups is also helpful when you’re going in for massage therapy. Being able to talk about these things in an intelligent manner will allow you to better specify and receive the help that you need.
Don’t just take our word for it — continue to do your own research. The more information you know, the easier it will be to get those ripped abs!
Bio: H.M runs a site where he discuss the best abs exercises and workouts aimed to help you sculpture your six pack abs!
Exercise for Cancer Patients
This is a Guest Post by: David Haas
Exercise for Cancer Patients – Questions Answered
Cancer takes such a heavy toll that exercise is the last thing many cancer patients want to do when undergoing treatment. However, scientists are increasingly finding that cancer patients receive numerous benefits from regular exercise. Exercise boosts mood, increases resilience to treatments, and improves recovery rates. Some patients may wonder which form of exercise offers the greatest advantages, and how much exercise is too much. Here is some information to help patients get started receiving the benefits of an exercise program.
What Forms of Exercise Benefit Cancer Patients?
Aerobic exercise is probably the most common form of exercise practiced, and ranges from mild to very intense. This means it is great for cancer patients because they can choose the level of intensity that matches their energy levels. At the intense end of the aerobic spectrum would be something like running, which is too strenuous for many people to start out with. Walking, on the other hand, is a very effective exercise that is also relatively easy on the body. Recent studies have found that breast cancer patients have better survival rates when they engage in regular exercise during treatment. Since aerobic exercise increases oxygen exchange in the lungs, it benefits patients receiving mesothelioma treatment. Walking for just 15-20 minutes a day can give patients huge boosts in energy and vitality.
Strength training is another excellent option for cancer patients but should be started slowly because of its intensity. This form of exercise boosts mood, energy, and strength by increasing the body’s levels of hormones and neurotransmitters. Strength training has also been found to significantly reduce side effects of cancer treatments. Cancer patients can begin with milder exercises, such as light bodyweight movements, and work up to more intense sessions using weights as they become stronger.
What Type of Routine is Best?
When anyone is starting a new exercise regiment, it’s important to take things slow and listen to one’s body to maximize benefits and reduce the risk of overtraining. No matter how long one has been training, rest periods remain essential to success. Many people are able to engage in mild exercise such as walking on a daily basis, but most people should take rest periods of a few days between intense workouts. After training regularly for awhile, some individuals are able to engage in strength training on a more frequent basis as long as they are not using very heavy weights. Training too often and resting too little can cause symptoms including fatigue and immune suppression, both of which could be hazardous to people with cancer.
Engaging in regular exercise is one of the best things cancer patients can do to support positive thinking and mood, reduce treatment side effects, and improve chances of recovery. It is also essential for patients in remission, whose chances of relapse are sharply reduced by regular exercise. Cancer patients who want to get started can get the greatest benefits from exercise by simply listening to their body and adjusting their regimen as needed.
David Haas is a cancer support group and awareness program advocate at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. In addition to researching the many valuable programs available to our site’s visitors, David often blogs about programs and campaigns underway at the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance, as well as creative fitness ideas for those dealing with cancer, while creating relationships with similar organizations.
Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog - http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog
https://twitter.com/#!/HaasBlaag
How to Make Food Taste Better
Staring at some crappy leftovers again huh? I was too this evening. Although I didn’t want to admit that they were in fact crappy, and that there was potential there for the dish to be good, I just had to find it.
It’s time to get creative and spice things up a bit.
I thought there’s no reason why this couldn’t taste much better than it normally would if I just heated it up.
Simply put, it was a pasta dish. The noodles were old and a bit rubbery, but still there had to be a way to make the whole dish come together. There was one sausage, and peppers in a sauce from a sausage and pepper night previously.
So I threw it all together. I figured why not. I just had to chop the peppers up a bit more and at some oil and other ingredients to it. Short story shortened for you.
It turned out pretty damn tasty if I do say so myself. I think we all eventually learn what we like taste wise, and learn new tastes or taste combinations down the road. You can always learn something new everyday my Italian grandmother once told me (who is you guessed it the best cook in the universe). So when you think about cooking itself, there’s always multiple things you can learn, sometimes even at once.
It takes effort though. I think if you put forth the effort and a little extra time even if your starving, you’ll in the end be thanking yourself, especially on leftover night.
I think its worth it going the extra 5 10 minutes in cook time to make something taste just that much better. Perhaps it is the Italian in me as I’m not super passionate about the food, but do care about taste very much.
For all you strict dieters out there I think you can relate. Healthy food can be bland and boring in many cases, but its up to you to jazz up the flavor in your meals. I don’t mean tossing in a stick of butter into your pasta dish. I mean that would probably give it a nice rich added flavor to it. I’d probably like the taste myself.
But we all know that’s not the way to go health-wise. Get creative, start thinking outside the box like I did tonight. Get a spice rack if you already don’t have one and go to the store and load that thing up until you can’t fit anything left on it.
Give it a hint of this here, and a hint of that there. Then test it. Not enough? Add a pinch more and retest again, and again until you get it right.
Sound time consuming?
Obviously this way of going about it does take longer, but worth it in the end. You can always comprise with the “that’s good enough” and chow down because your hungry.
Still, when testing this out you might be surprised as to how well one of your new experimentation’s comes out like I was tonight.
So try this out, get creative with your cooking, and look at leftovers as an opportunity to challenge your personal cooking prowess to infinity and beyond.
What’s Wrong with Kickin’ Your Feet up, Crackin’ a Beer, and Watching the Game?
Ahh, well there is a couple things wrong with this picture. However, when analyzing the act itself in a singular moment in time, there is absolutely nothing wrong here with this.
Of course I’m not making sense today. When I have I ever? Truth is if I could have it one way in life, it’d probably be precisley this type of lifestyle. Although it would take some time shying away or denying the fact that I’m completely, utterly, and overly passionate about fitness and food.
I would actually right now recommend this type of behavior to any fitness enthusiast out there in the universe. Even the martians on Pluto.
Of course not on the regular. Its all about patterns. And I know I’ve mentioned the art of mastering balanced patterns in healthy behavior before. But here we go again.
The main point I’m trying to make here is that doing this every so often won’t hurt, but making a “habit” out of it will. Some feel obligated to drink during the game, or for their team. Another example of “patterns”. See those are what you’d call a bad patterns. Who says you need alcohol to enjoy the game right? Yes a game enhancer, but not a game changer.
Even for all the lovely ladies out there. Kicking your feet up, cracking a beer, and watching whatever sports you love will do you some good I think too. Tennis maybe? I don’t really know what sport is most popular for the female populous but regardless the following point applies to anyone.
Watching sports can sometimes trigger something in your brain that makes you want to get out there and perhaps give it a go, even if its something you’ve never tried before. Watching someone that your maybe a little envious of with there talents, skills, or just sheer raw athletic ability can instill motivation in a lot of people. I’ve seen it myself.
On the other hand I know a lot of people who could give a rat’s furry little ass about watching sports who are in godlike shape. You know like one of those Greek God’s with the perfect shiny glistening bodies?
So how is that possible? See there’s another external motivator outside of the sports realm for them. See there’s always a key motivator for those that are in near perfect shape. For some it could be as simple as they just want to look there best becuase they know by doing so it will give them tremendous gratification in the end when all their hard work pays off.
Remember there are those that don’t pay any mind to their physical self at all (even on a hygienic level) and are perfectly happy, and that’s fine. But if your reading this blog, chances are you’re not one of these are you?
So know I’m supposed to say something motivational and inspiring that will light a fire under your ass right?
But instead I’ll say this…
Go embrace kickin’ your feet up, cracking open a Miller, or a Coors, or a Bud, or any other crappy American light beer of your choosing, and turn on the game!
Huh?
Just remember the patterns philosophy.
Also I want to bring to your attention before I go this old saying. “Motion creates emotion”. Aside form having booze in your system, games and athletes moving around crazily well on your TV can even get you jumping, dancing, hooting, and hollering. Yet another glorious thing to embrace I feel.
Not a sports fan eh? Now do you see what your missing?
And for the record I don’t think all American light beer is crappy, in fact I quite enjoy them. But comparing to non-American or a non light, then you’d have to be nuttier than squirrel poo to think otherwise when comparing.
Cheers! (crack* pop* fizzle* gulp*…)
