http://www.healthzine.org/feed/ http://www.healthzine.org/ Every day new articles and updated info on all your health, beauty and fitness concerns. Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:23:59 +0200 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:23:59 +0200 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/three-steps-in-sculpting-your-abdominals http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/three-steps-in-sculpting-your-abdominals Do you ever think of what you would look like if you had six pack abs? Well, you are not alone! Because there are a lot of people who also dream of having a flat and well toned midsection. It should make sense because having well toned abdominal muscles is a plus factor for men and a sign of discipline and determination. The reason for this is that a great looking midsection involves strict dieting and an unshaken determination to reach your desired result however difficult the task may be. Indeed it is the ultimate sign of fitness, because a well-sculpted; but not too ripped midsection is an awesome sight to behold. But there’s a catch! The problem is that obtaining a great midsection is not that easy. There are people who are born with low body fats, which when they choose to workout, they get their desired result’s in just a fraction of the time. And for most of us, we would need to really exert much effort in order to achieve the same result. But wouldn’t it be great if we have abdominal muscles that are well toned? What I mean is we would have bragging rights for as long as we have washboard abs right? Well, not to the extent that we annoy people around us, but in some ways we can join into a conversation when this subject is talked about, right? Good news to those who wants to develop their abdominal muscles. It’s possible! It may take weeks, even months, but the important thing is, it’s doable! Here are three steps in sculpting your abs. Step number one is to shed those unwanted fat away. Let’s face it people, your bloodline may have the most beautiful set of abdominal muscles but if it’s covered with fat, then nobody would know, right? In order for them to be revealed, you need to maintain a 7-8% of body fat (for men). And the best way to do this is to eat more meals than the usual 3 times a day; eat 4 meals a day. The concept here is to eat more times but having fewer servings. This gets your body focused on your calorie intake for a meal than the total calories you take in a day! It means that you get to manage your calorie consumption plus your metabolism keeps on working. When eating, lean proteins is highly recommended when targeting the abs. Fiber consumption is also beneficial in developing your midsection; eat vegetables and fruits and drink lots of water. Remember to avoid fried foods and refined sugar. Strength training will also be best in developing your abdominal muscles; you can do this for 2-3 times a week and for cardios, 4 times a week of interval training or ball sports is best for your midsection. And to add, I recommend my favorite sport – swimming! I regard this water sport as the ultimate body sculpting activity, because when you swim, all of your muscles work. It’s great! Second, in order to achieve great abs, one has to do exercises like the bicycle maneuver, the hanging leg raise and the forearm plank. These three will definitely deliver! Lastly, maintain a healthy lifestyle, this is where determination and discipline come in. A man of great discipline is most likely to achieve this endeavor. You see, ab sculpting does not only benefit the body, it also benefits the maturity of the person. You can learn a great deal of lessons when you decide to sculpt your abdominal muscles. You learn the importance of determination and discipline both your body and your mind. So are you ready to have your abdominal muscles sculpted? About the author. Dr. Rose Windale is a successful Health & Wellness Coach who has been advising and coaching individuals for many years. Rose now decided to share her knowledge through this site, Healthzine.org. You can sign up for her free weekly newsletter and learn how to become truly healthy and happy. Fri, 22 May 2009 10:49:29 +0200 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/Envy-no-more,-Make-that-6-packs-Abs-a-Reality http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/Envy-no-more,-Make-that-6-packs-Abs-a-Reality The process to a well defined and toned 6-pack abdominal muscle is simple. Applying them into action is the hard part. It takes a lot of Will Power, Patience, Dedication and Commitment to do this. In short, Sheer HARD WORK! But the results of this is Sweet. This may not hold true to all, but to some, achieving these muscular bulges is something else. To name a few of their personal opinions, abdominal muscles “Will give them Confidence”, to some still “Women finds 6-packs as sexy”. The opinions are endless as it may vary to a person’s reasons and point of views; but all of this comes down to a bottom line - - They want to have those 6-packs Abs. To achieve this, one should do two things one is exercise and the second is to reduce the layers of your abdominal fat. So envy them no more, Make that 6-pack Abs a Reality here are some proven exercises in achieving that dream. Let me start by giving you the best abdominal exercise ever. The “bicycle maneuver” I said the best because researchers from the San Diego University made a study on this and the bicycle maneuver exercise went out as the winner. Here’s how you do this, Lie on the floor, be sure that your back is pressed against the ground. Move your knees upward in a 45 degrees position and bring your hands behind your ears. And start doing a bicycle motion and alternately touch your knee with an opposite elbow. Do some Crunches- lie on the floor and extend your arms in front of your chest. Draw your Abs towards your spine while inhaling through your nose. Raise your shoulders towards your knees, using only your abdominal muscles. The most important part of the crunch is the flexing of your abs. Then lift your shoulders up of the floor. When lifting off exhale through your mouth. When lowering makes sure that you do this slowly and controlled while inhaling through your nose. Proper breathing and flexing will surely help in the desired result. Do leg lifts- This is one very good abdominal exercise. Here how to do this. Lie on the floor with legs straight, arms to the sides and lift your legs up in a ninety degrees angle lower your legs and repeat without letting your legs touch the floor. Do this repeatedly. The Jackknife Sit Ups- lie flat on the floor and place your hands to the sides for balance, then simultaneously raise your knees and torso so that your knees and face meet, by this motion you should be able to kiss your knees at the top of the motion. Your legs here will naturally fold bringing your feet towards your hips. While on the floor repeat the movement until desired reps is done. In sculpting your abdominal muscle, one must loose fat also. Here are some info’s. Lift Weights, Fact is the more muscle your body has the more calories your body burns. This helps in toning your abdominal muscles. Do cardio sessions. This will build your stamina as well as aids in melting your body fat. Engage in cardiovascular exercises like running, biking, swimming, and sports activities. Hit the floor also with dancing activities. Do a healthy and balanced diet. Logically this is very important part of loosing fat. Sometimes people forget this aspect as they are so tired and they tend to eat voraciously, results are their bodies become heavy and the want to achieve a six pack abdomen is forgotten. This is one of the areas of will power and determination will come into place. So balance your meal, eat fibers, they are the body’s natural cleaners and drink plenty of water. Compensate the amount of fluids you loss while in the gym. Water is too important. Reinforce with vitamins and begin, hit your mark. About the author. Dr. Rose Windale is a successful Health & Wellness Coach who has been advising and coaching individuals for many years. Rose now decided to share her knowledge through this site, Healthzine.org. You can sign up for her free weekly newsletter and learn how to become truly healthy and happy. Wed, 15 Apr 2009 05:59:39 +0200 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/benefits-of-building-muscle http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/benefits-of-building-muscle Overweight and obesity has become an epidemic. Not only do these conditions pose threats to the health, but in the same manner, it brings cosmetic disadvantages. And so many are off on the quest to lose weight, be fit and be trim, especially women. There is a large populace of the weight obsessed, and a significant number of them are women. If you happen to be beset by a weight problem, perhaps you are looking for ways of getting trim. So what are possible means for you to achieve this goal? Your initial thought might be to go on a diet, or drastic dieting at that. You might opt to go on quick weight loss schemes. And so it goes that you may lose weight quickly. But when doing so, you would be losing muscle along the process. You may look thinner, but you ought to know that losing muscle slows down your metabolism. When your metabolism slows down, you’d have difficulty trying to keep the weight off. In this regard, it is crucial that you incorporate musclebuilding exercises in your weight loss program. After all, it had been said over and again. The basic and effective means of being fit and healthy is through a healthy diet and regular exercise. For weight loss exercise, a good recommendation would be those for building muscle. Essential aspects of musclebuilding exercises are core workouts, strength training workouts and aerobic exercises. This particular combination of exercises would help you achieve faster and better results. It means that you become fit and trimmer while at the same time your are building muscle. But you ought to take into account a certain “glitch” when building muscle. If you engage in a musclebuilding program, you would normally gain muscle. Having developed muscular mass means you’d weigh a tad heavier. It’s because muscle weighs more than fat. So stepping on the scale might send you into a panic having seen you’re a few notches up. This is one of the common weight loss blunders among women—they rely so much on the bathroom scale to determine whether they are in good shape or not. And then again, take more notice on how you’d look. You’d look more toned, fit and trimmer, and others won’t be able to guess how much you really weigh. When building muscle, you won’t be flabby, thus, you would actually look younger. More so, you feel more energetic, and your body develops more flexibility and endurance. That’s you looking good and feeling good, to state concisely. These are but to mention a few of the wonderful benefits of building muscle. For a musclebuilding plan for yourself, take note of these tips. A building muscle plan for women is that specifically designed to their gender. Women are distinct in their physical make-up from men, thus, building muscle results differ as well. As you exert physical effort when building muscle, it is essential that you keep yourself well-nourished. That’s by keeping to a healthy and balanced diet to provide your nutrient and energy needs. You have to ensure your safety in the same manner when engaging in such a health and fitness scheme. Warm up and cool down sessions should be inherent in your workouts. To obtain proper information about the proper musclebuilding program, it’s best to seek the advise of a fitness trainer or authority in the field. About the author. Dr. Rose Windale is a successful Health & Wellness Coach who has been advising and coaching individuals for many years. Rose now decided to share her knowledge through this site, Healthzine.org. You can sign up for her free weekly newsletter and learn how to become truly healthy and happy. Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:59:17 +0200 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/weight-lifting2 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/weight-lifting2 You’ve probably heard about weight lifting, and the thought of such an exercise might have been discouraging for you. You may have thought that weight lifting is all about lifting heavy weights, and that only the bold and brawny are entitled to do it. You may have even thought that weight lifting is exclusively for bodybuilding enthusiasts, or for those who want to have big and bulky muscles. Such are common misconceptions about this exercise. For some people, weight lifting as a means for health and fitness might have been underestimated on the other hand. But did you know that there are numerous of benefits to be gained out of this physical activity? When you lift weights regularly, you will have less chances of developing heart disease. Such a workout helps in lowering your blood pressure, too. Women might have thought that weight lifting is not suitable for them. But they ought to be aware that doing so will help in toning their muscles. When done the right way and with the right weights, a woman can be on her way towards having a lean, trim and toned body rather than being muscular, as what others usually believe. Exercise most often gives a person more vitality and energy. So it is with lifting weights. For those who have to deal with a weight issue, this exercise will be beneficial. It speeds up metabolism, a crucial factor in burning calories. Part of total well-being is confidence. This can be achieved with this workout by improving posture. Other than promoting healthy bones and muscles, proper posture makes a person look better. In the same manner as with most exercises, lifting weights improves the mood. As physical activity accelerates, it causes the body to release endorphins, also known as the “happy hormones”. These chemicals in the body makes a person feel positive and energetic. Many people are at risk of developing many of the forms of cancer, but with regular lifting exercise, they reduce the chances of them acquiring it, especially colon cancer. As much as these benefits are significant in themselves, there are in fact more. When a detailed list is given, a page will not be enough. But if you want to live a healthier life, such an exercise is recommended. Boosting the immune system and weight loss can be achieved with regular lifting workouts. As they are crucial to health, they are also vital to well-being and a better quality of life. An attractive physique is its delightful bonus. People who are regular weight lifters more often appear toned and trim. It is because the workout helps them get rid of excess body fat. So are you still discouraged by the thought of lifting weights? It does not necessarily mean that you have to lift 20 kgs weights. Weights for the exercise are determined according to a person’s age, gender and body mass. For women, recommended are 2-3 kgs weights, and for men 5-8 kgs. Aging men on the other hand should do with 2-5 kgs. It does entail more effort when you workout with weights, but in many cases, more effort usually means better results. So as much as it is a bit of a challenge, it is a healthy challenge with weight lifting. And who else will benefit? None other but you. It is always worth it to strive to make yourself a better, healthier and happier person. About the author. Dr. Rose Windale is a successful Health & Wellness Coach who has been advising and coaching individuals for many years. Rose now decided to share her knowledge through this site, Healthzine.org. You can sign up for her free weekly newsletter and learn how to become truly healthy and happy. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:10:39 +0200 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/female-bodybuilding2 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/female-bodybuilding2 It wouldn’t hurt so much if a woman has masculine qualities. The feminine attribute has its good points, but it could benefit from the boldness of the masculine. This is what female bodybuilding is mostly all about. For a woman to keep her femininity while at the same time engaging in what seemed to have been masculine- building muscles. The dare for women to do bodybuilding has caused many issues to arise. Lifting weights and building muscles do not appear to be feminine acts as they have long been regarded as a man’s sports. For a vast time, this criticism went on. However, gone is the unorthodox thinking about female bodybuilding. Common misconceptions about this sport have been done away with especially as it has gained significant following and supporters. Female bodybuilding has redefined what has been regarded as “fit and beautiful” for women. People have been so used to seeing women joining competitions in which they should look svelte, feminine and glamorous. This has long been the standard of womanly beauty to keep up with. But with female muscle building, a woman rises to a different challenge. And that involves doing what a man can do while at the same time keeping her femininity. With female bodybuilding, a woman aims for health, fitness and looking good. For the most part, female bodybuilding is for a woman to look good and feel good about her body. A woman would want to achieve a built body yet keeping her feminine look. In this sense, she would have to be intelligent about the method she uses as well as the routine exercises. One common fear among women doing bodybuilding is about how they would appear in the long run- humongously muscled. But that dread isn’t most likely to come about. In a genetic sense, women are not designed to develop a physique as big as men even if they try and do as much exercise as they can. Female bodybuilding is now becoming widely accepted as serious sport. With it, a woman can go to as far as preparing for and joining competitions. There are many professional women bodybuilders who have made their mark in such events. Several competitors have in fact rose to become frontrunners in history. Or else, a layperson can settle for well-planned programs meant simply for toning the muscles and developing her physique. Programs and routines are available for females who want to achieve their desired muscle building results. Whether it is for merely keeping fit and healthy, to looking good or as a professional sport. Female bodybuilding has come a long way- a long mile from the time a female bodybuilder was seen as a glamorous object of dribble and shine in skimpy bikinis. To this day, competitions have serious standards and there is careful selection of candidates. It’s a different challenge and excitement for women to do bodybuilding. It is for them to rise above what has been expected of them while at the same time gaining numerous rewards for health, well being and even prestige. About the author. Dr. Rose Windale is a successful Health & Wellness Coach who has been advising and coaching individuals for many years. Rose now decided to share her knowledge through this site, Healthzine.org. You can sign up for her free weekly newsletter and learn how to become truly healthy and happy. Tue, 24 Jun 2008 05:49:00 +0200 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/natural-bodybuilding1 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/natural-bodybuilding1 Going natural means keeping it real and healthy. No additives, artificial ingredients and most of all toxic elements. Doesn’t that just sound right? There is actually a craze for “going natural” these days. After all, it seems to be the best way to go. But take note that going on a natural path means exerting effort. It’s relying on good old “will, discipline and determination” rather than the convenience and instant results of drugs or chemicals. So are you up for the challenge of it? Going natural also applies for bodybuilding, hence the term natural bodybuilding. You might be wondering if it’s possible to build muscles naturally. You’ve probably heard of a lot of famous bodybuilders taking steroids. And you think to yourself that all those huge and bulky sculpted muscles are all about anabolic substances and muscle enhancers. You might think that muscle building naturally won’t just do in giving the best muscular physique. But natural bodybuilding is possible and muscle building results out of it can be satisfying. Building muscles through this scheme means using natural methods. Rather than taking steroids or other chemical muscle enhancers, the athlete keeps to a well-structured diet and training instead. As for the supplements used, they are natural as well. With this bodybuilding program, it is important to keep track of your progress. To access your progress easily, you should clearly outline your target goals. Know what you are aiming for and devise the ideal scheme to get there. You’re most likely to have slim chances of success if you don’t have well-defined bodybuilding goals. Learn as much about bodybuilding- keep yourself informed and educated about the sport you are in. That way, you have more knowledge on how to “custom- build” your body in the way that suits you best. The same thing about bodybuilding training programs, dieting and natural supplements. It simply means you should know what you are getting into. Know the do’s and don’ts, the boons and the pitfalls. Natural bodybuilding needs serious commitment, so don’t fall halfway through. To stay in the game, you have got to keep fervent motivation. Establish clear reasons why you want to keep to bodybuilding naturally. What are the benefits and advantages? What does it take to get the body that you want through natural bodybuilding? And most of all, why is it worth it? When it comes to muscle building, it is either that you do it naturally or not. When you are considering professional bodybuilding, this is an especially important point. Bodybuilders are not allowed to use unnatural supplements in competitions. It would defeat the purpose of the sports if others were to use steroids. It wouldn’t be fair to those who are doing muscle building naturally. Doing it naturally for bodybuilding may seem difficult especially for beginners. But the hard work and effort will pay off. It’s the best way to build muscles and in turn making you feel good and look great. And more so, it will keep your healthy. Start on this path by designing a highly effective diet and muscle building routine. Look for quality and suitable natural supplements to complement your program. After your have ensured that your health is in proper condition for muscle building, good luck on your journey towards health, fitness and looking great the way it should be- naturally. About the author. Dr. Rose Windale is a successful Health & Wellness Coach who has been advising and coaching individuals for many years. Rose now decided to share her knowledge through this site, Healthzine.org. You can sign up for her free weekly newsletter and learn how to become truly healthy and happy. Thu, 29 May 2008 10:44:17 +0200 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/weight-lifting1 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/weight-lifting1 Getting fit and trim is easy for some, for others not. This is primarily due to many reasons and factors. For one thing, a person may not be using the right form of exercise. Or otherwise, they could be doing it improperly and they are not well-motivated. Exercise will also not be fully effective if it is not complemented with dieting. To others, they might have problems with their metabolism. Still to some, being overweight has perhaps gotten out of hand, and getting rid of flab and fat becomes more difficult. These are just to mention a few of the reasons why weight loss could be ineffective. But for one who is intent and with enough motivation, no goal is far beyond reach, and that includes being fit and healthy. It takes being knowledgeable of what the proper and effective means are to burn calories and shed off pounds. As one can be presented with countless options for weight loss exercises and workouts, they can be at a loss. But there are people who consider weight lifting in order to be fit and trimmer. But is lifting weights effective when it comes to this? It basically depends on certain conditions. Weight lifting can aid in losing pounds and inches - it helps in boosting the metabolism. As metabolism is being hastened, more fat-burning enzymes are generated. Subsequently, the body burns more fat. In this respect, weight lifting can serve the purpose it is intended for. However, there is conflicting information when it comes to lifting weights and losing pounds. Experts have stated that people who are 25 pounds overweight should initially set aside lifting weights for exercise. Or otherwise, they should make it minimal. Their foremost concern should be to get down 25 pounds to their ideal body weight through aerobic activity and other sorts of workouts. Extreme obesity and weight lifting apparently don’t go well together in the effort to lose pounds and inches. The reason is that obese people tend to add muscle easily which make them resist shedding off excess flab and fat in turn. Fitness gurus recommend that obese people ought to focus more on aerobic exercise until they have gotten down on their weight. It has to be less than 25 pounds over the ideal. At this point, they can then incorporate lifting weights into their workout regimen. Take for instance a person who is 40 pounds overweight. They are recommended to do aerobic workout for 30-45 minutes six days a week. Furthermore, their exercise regimen should be two different sorts of aerobic activity done alternately or on alternate days. Once they are down to 24 pounds of their ideal weight, they can then cut down on aerobics. It would suffice if they do it four days a week, and the other two days for lifting weights. This is considered as the ideal training for health and fitness. It takes much effort and initiative especially when commencing, and it takes time. But the rewards will be worth it in the long run, especially as one kept to a proper and healthy weight loss scheme. About the author. Dr. Rose Windale is a successful Health & Wellness Coach who has been advising and coaching individuals for many years. Rose now decided to share her knowledge through this site, Healthzine.org. You can sign up for her free weekly newsletter and learn how to become truly healthy and happy. Thu, 8 May 2008 15:00:49 +0200 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/muscle-building2 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/muscle-building2 What does it mean when you say a person is muscle building? By muscle building, it generally means building muscle mass. Through proper exercises and weight lifting, muscle fibers are being stimulated thus there is growth. And so your muscles will then develop mass and you will have bulk. That’s how muscle building works and quite many people are interested in this exercise. With this workout, you can gain a more attractive physique. You will not look plain lanky but you will have body, that’s why it’s also called bodybuilding. You’ll have a well sculpted and muscular body when the exercises are done properly. But how do you go about with muscle building properly? The ultimate goal of your workouts would be to gain muscle mass. You may be under the impression that exercise machines would be your best solution for this. But to gain muscle mass cannot be exclusively accomplished through exercise machines alone. Machines are primarily meant for support and to prevent injuries. For maximum results, you ought to focus more on using free weights. Thus, your concentration has to be on free weight exercises and not machine or bodyweight exercises. To make your workouts more effective, get your muscle fibers stimulated as much as possible. Machines do not necessarily achieve this purpose. To make the most of your workouts, use your stabalizer and synergist muscles. These are the supporting muscles which assist the main muscles in doing their work. Like for instance, the bench press workout. When you do some bench pressing, the main muscles require the aid of the stabalizer and synergist muscles. When the stabalizers are weak, then the main muscle groups are not likely to grow. And so you are more apt to gain the least results from your workouts. Bodybuilding generally requires the use of free weight exercises. With these exercises, more stress is put on the supporting muscular groups. You may tire easily and won’t be able to lift more weight compared to using machines, but you’ll gain more mass and become stronger. Make it a point to train with heavy weights as well. By “heavy” weights, it means you can do 8-12 reps before you become fatigued. As for “light” weights, it means you can do more than 15 reps until you get tired. Heavy weights stimulate more muscular fibers than light weight, so this must be your focus. Put emphasis on the quality, and not the quantity of your workouts. Heavy weights have more impact, and so bodybuilding would be more effective for you. Remember that the more your muscular stimulation, the more muscular growth you will have. Make your workouts regular, but nevertheless have room for rest and recovery. These are the basics and the essentials of bodybuilding that you must keep to. Natural bodybuilding is more appealing to some rather than with the use of drugs. You can use natural supplements and proper nutrition along with exercise for natural bodybuilding. That way, you won’t have to suffer from side effects. Most of all ensure your safety when you exercise. Your aim is to be healthy and well as well along with looking good. About the author. Dr. Rose Windale is a successful Health & Wellness Coach who has been advising and coaching individuals for many years. Rose now decided to share her knowledge through this site, Healthzine.org. You can sign up for her free weekly newsletter and learn how to become truly healthy and happy. Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:10:08 +0200 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/muscle-fitness1 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/muscle-fitness1 Muscle fitness training programs vary. They can either be short and intensive, or lengthy but exhaustive. Depending one one’s goals, needs and preferences, one can resort to any of these. Seeing which one works for one’s body type and their genetic capability are some standards by which a muscle fitness workout can be personalized. One basic training program is the split routine. Trainees benefit from this workout in that there is an overlapping training of muscle groups in the same day. Rest and recovery, which are essential, is allowed between each muscle building workout. By split routine, it means the muscles being worked on are being divided up. A certain muscle group is being targeted on one day, another group on the next, and then so on. An example of the split routine is the split 3 day a week routine. For this workout, one muscle group is being worked up on Monday. On Wednesday entails another group and then one Friday is another one. It goes like this: Monday is for the chest, the shoulders and the triceps. Wednesday would be a day for working out the back and the biceps. Friday on the other hand would be all about the legs. The pectorals or the chest, the deltoids or the shoulders and the triceps are being trained on Monday. There is actually an overlap on the muscles being worked on in this routine. The deltoids and the triceps will be assisting in pushing movements wherein pectoral work is involved. Training the shoulders and the triceps means they are being “activated”. Shoulder workout follows after the chest, and to conclude with the triceps. In this sense, two larger muscle groups are worked first, and to be followed by the smaller tricep muscles. As for the Wednesday muscle fitness workout, involved are the back and the biceps. There is once again an overlap in the workout of the muscles. Training the back while doing pulling movements means that the biceps also get activated. So on Wednesday or the “back day”, the biceps are being trained as well. Forearm training is often incorporated on Wednesday’s muscle fitness workout. In most cases the back is split into the upper back for width and the mid back for thickness. After performing the biceps, some trainees would work on the forearms. This would be useful for those aiming on overall arm development. And especially if arm development is particularly lacking the forearm department. Then Friday is the so called “leg day”, or the DLD- the dreaded leg day. The dreaded leg day is after all more taxing on the entire body. Being as it is, two rest days are given before the next training day- Monday for the chest and shoulders. Training the front leg muscles or the quadriceps, those in the back legs or the hamstrings , and the calve’s round is the agenda for Friday, the leg day. This is among the basics of a split training routine. Whichever training routine and muscle building program would suit one’s body type and their capacity is recommended for trainees. About the author. Dr. Rose Windale is a successful Health & Wellness Coach who has been advising and coaching individuals for many years. Rose now decided to share her knowledge through this site, Healthzine.org. You can sign up for her free weekly newsletter and learn how to become truly healthy and happy. Tue, 1 Apr 2008 06:16:48 +0200 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/bodybuilding1 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/bodybuilding1 Beginners in bodybuilding may have heard countless of tips for effective workouts. But when it comes to this and in any other endeavor, one ought to be wary. Almost anybody and everybody can give information and claim to know better. A beginner then should take time to look for credible sources, often from experts and qualified ones. When it comes to bodybuilding, numerous sites offer schemes and advices and products which claim to give the best results. One should be mindful to research and be thorough about which ones they would resort to pertaining to this. For bodybuilding tips and facts, it is best to keep to those which have been tested and proven. One should also be keen on adhering to the factors which experts are looking for. One thing which beginners ought to know about bodybuilding is the importance of keeping to the basics. There’s actually no need to make things complicated. This may only prove to put the training session in a disarray. Beginners may often hear so much about bodybuilding workouts and schemes. But such information might be meant for those who are halfway in their training. They may not apply for those who are just starting out. How does bodybuilding work, really? Well, better to just stick with the basics as said. It won’t do when one religiously and heavily works out without rest. Muscle building is all about balance between working out and resting. Sure, the muscles are trained and developed during training, but what is rest for? Rest is for allowing and giving time for the muscles to grow. For the main training routine, one should rather not adhere to one variation over a period of time. There ought to be a definite and progressive training scheme to keep to. It will not be advisable to stick to one routine that one has gotten used to. The idea is to change programs once in a while. Getting comfortable in one workout routine means the muscles are just not gaining much anymore. As for bodybuilding equipment, lifting heavy weights is of course necessary. One can lift weights in the gym, or even at home. But one ought to be wary again. When lifting weights, it’s best to do it while a buddy is watching. Heavy weight lifting shouldn’t be done alone. Apparently, this is for safety purposes, and to ensure that one does the exercise properly. Bodybuilding with heavy weights should not be done on their own no matter how confident one is- better safe than sorry. Otherwise, bodybuilding might do more harm than good. With all these do’s and mostly don’ts for beginners, one can make most of their workouts. That is, getting the optimum muscle gains and attaining better health. Then there is the reward of having toned and well sculpted muscles- an appealing physique. Indeed there are no gains without pain. This is especially true with bodybuilding. With a muscle building program, one has to exert effort and hard work. But the results would be apparent when one takes time to adhere to the proper rules of the procedure and of will and discipline. About the author. Dr. Rose Windale is a successful Health & Wellness Coach who has been advising and coaching individuals for many years. Rose now decided to share her knowledge through this site, Healthzine.org. You can sign up for her free weekly newsletter and learn how to become truly healthy and happy. Thu, 13 Mar 2008 08:02:18 +0100 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/bodybuilding-workouts http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/bodybuilding-workouts Its’ a cliché – “no pain, no gain”. But most often it is true. It often takes hard work in order for one to get rewards, or achieve their goal. That’s how it is with any endeavor, whether it be about one’s job, or relationship or health goals. On the subject of health goals, there is commonly weight loss goals, or those for bodybuilding. When it comes to growing muscle mass and sculpting them, it takes hard work. But it’s actually hard work that pays off. One certainly does look better when they are trim and lean, or muscled for some. In fact, they can even look great. So how is it to get the best results – the maximum gains – out of bodybuilding? Essential for the whole bodybuilding process is of course bodybuilding workouts. Bodybuilding workouts are the gist and core of the whole muscle building scheme. How can bodybuilding workouts be optimally effective? There are four helpful tips for these. With these tips, one can be sure of pumping the muscles the right way and towards the right direction. Tip number one is to regularly work out. Keep those muscles pumping and working hard. The point is not to slack off. One must set a time for regular workouts and stick to it. One must be diligent in keeping to their workout routine and keep on doing reps and lifting weights. When one doesn’t show up at the gym from time to time, well the muscles certainly will lose its bulk and strength. If one slacks off, so will the muscles. With this tendency, one’s bodybuilding gains will be minimal. So when one is off to achieve the best out of bodybuilding, they must put their heart to it, and working out hard is a must. Come to think of it, what’s the point of doing something half-heartedly? It will turn out to be a complete waste of time. So it would be with bodybuilding and all other exercise regimen. One ought to keep themselves motivated, too. One good way for this is to find the right time for working out in the gym. Many people may have experienced this. Rather than doing their reps and lifting, they have to wait. It’s because the weights and gym equipments are in use by other gym members. Thus, time is wasted on waiting, until one may lose their patience and just finally get fed up. It’s best to work out during not so busy times in the gym, say at 9am or early in the afternoon. It’s also recommended that one keeps their energy levels up. This is especially true while one is doing their bodybuilding workouts, or in between them. It would be helpful to keep the heart pumping in between sets. So while one is doing their workouts, they can spend two minutes in the treadmill or on a stationary bike. Sure it may add a few minutes to the workout schedule, but it will be worth it. And of course, in bodybuilding workouts, one has to take time doing the correct techniques. It is necessary that one does the reps and exercises the way they are meant to be done. This means no jerking of the back when doing barbell curls. With a not so top-notch technique, one would end up wasting their workout time. It makes a whole lot of sense to do the techniques right at half the time and get the best muscle building gains. About the author. Dr. Rose Windale is a successful Health & Wellness Coach who has been advising and coaching individuals for many years. Rose now decided to share her knowledge through this site, Healthzine.org. You can sign up for her free weekly newsletter and learn how to become truly healthy and happy. Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:36:34 +0100 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/muscle-fitness http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/muscle-fitness A large number of people recognize the health benefits of yoga. The benefits of yoga are in fact holistic- from the physical down to the mental and emotional aspects. Yoga is also a spiritual practice which cultivates the spirit. But many people may not be aware of yet another amazing benefit of yoga- muscle fitness. People are usually under the notion that muscle fitness is gained out of weight lifting alone. But muscle fitness is actually more than gaining muscles and bulking them up. Muscle fitness most of all is about strong and healthy muscles. Muscles which endure and are of good condition. What does yoga have to do with muscle fitness? Yoga can undoubtedly improve muscle fitness. Muscle strength increases with constant practice of yoga. This is because the body provides the resistance when doing so. Yoga may not necessarily bulk up the muscles, but it strengthens them. Studies have been done proving so. Among them is one conducted at the University of California at Davis. The subjects were 10 college couch potatoes. They adopted a yoga routine for eight weeks to see if it really is effective for muscle fitness. Each week the subjects attended 2 to 4 yoga classes. They spent 15 minutes for warm up exercises and 10 minutes for breath control. They rendered 50 minutes for the yoga asanas and 10 minutes for relaxation or meditation. When the eight week period culminated, experts measured the subjects’ muscle fitness. They were able to obtain a 31% increase in their muscular strength. Muscular endurance for the subjects was up by 57% and their flexibility improved by 188%. As for their cardio respiratory fitness, it had an improvement of 7%. These are quite amazing results considering the study was done for merely 8 weeks. Yoga does seem so benign to many. How can it actually have a major impact on muscle fitness? Yoga poses are generally done very slowly. One often stays in a posture for several breaths. This makes for one having to hold a pose for a time and to move slowly. This is quite challenging for the muscles and as such, it can provide muscle fitness. Take the case of yoga postures such as the Tree pose and the Shoulderstand. Doing them takes enormous muscle control. This flexes the muscles which in turn promote muscle fitness. The yoga practice can also help to realign the muscles. That way, they become more balanced. One is also less likely to get injured as not any specific muscle group is overworked. In weight training, a specific muscle is isolated as an exercise is performed. This would lead to a short, tightened muscle. But yoga, it boosts muscle fitness in another way. Muscles developed during the yoga practice tend to be elongated. While one strengthens the muscles, they are being lengthened as well. Doing yoga does not make one focus on an isolated muscle. Rather, the small muscle groups are put to work as well. The entire body is actually worked up. Yoga then is effective for a fitness regimen. Whether it is a primary exercise for strength training or just a supplement, one gains from yoga in more ways than one. About the author. Dr. Rose Windale is a successful Health & Wellness Coach who has been advising and coaching individuals for many years. Rose now decided to share her knowledge through this site, Healthzine.org. You can sign up for her free weekly newsletter and learn how to become truly healthy and happy. Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:28:17 +0100 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/female-bodybuilding1 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/female-bodybuilding1 More and more people are getting involved in bodybuilding. After all, with bodybuilding, one can gain the perfect body symmetry. Having a lean, muscled body. And the muscles are well-sculpted at that. No doubt, muscle building can give one that perfect physique. As looking good is everybody’s priority, the idea of muscle building seems all too appealing. Bodybuilding has in fact become more diverse. There is male bodybuilding, female bodybuilding and teenage bodybuilding. With these, bodybuilding has indeed gained a wider variety of aficionados. Men may have been predominant in the field of bodybuilding. But nowadays, women are having their say in it, too. Female bodybuilding is now as popular as male bodybuilding. Women are now up to the challenge of bodybuilding with female bodybuilding. Female bodybuilding is now predominant in the bodybuilding arena. With bodybuilding, women have found means to be physically fit and attractive. Women can now achieve a body with perfect symmetry, and with curves in all the right places. Women can make their muscles firm and toned. And this can make them look fabulous. All these are made possible with female bodybuilding. Not only that. Women can also become healthier with bodybuilding. Bodybuilding not only tones the muscles up, but it also boosts their endurance. It also strengthens not only the body, but the internals as well- the organs. That’s being fit inside and out with bodybuilding. So it is with female bodybuilding, too. Female bodybuilding is not so much different from male bodybuilding. After all, men and women have the same number of muscles. And they all react and contract in the same way to a physical workout. But in essence, men and women are different. Among these differences is their hormonal make-up. Men have testosterone, a muscle building hormone, while women have estrogen, a fat-storing hormone. This is not to say that women are more likely to gain weight than men. Through female bodybuilding, women can burn fat and develop muscles. There are women however who are scared of the idea of female bodybuilding. They think that if they engage in female bodybuilding and then stop, their muscles will be converted to fat. This remains to be a common misconception. Muscles and fat are actually two different tissues. And it is a fact that muscles will never be transformed into fat. How does fat develop? Fat results from unburned calories. This happens when one’s caloric intake is more than their output. When more calories are consumed and one has reduced physical activity. This holds true for everybody, even bodybuilders. Bodybuilders may gain weight after they retire. But this can be due to them having decreased physical activity. Thus, their metabolism has slowed down. But bodybuilding remains to be a worthwhile sports or hobby. This is especially true for women who take up bodybuilding. But as with any sports, female bodybuilding needs hard work. Time and effort, commitment and determination. All these to achieve the best results out of female bodybuilding and to excel in a sport formerly dominated by men. Whether it is female or male bodybuilding, the rule of thumb holds true. That is no pain, no gain and the ultimate rewards can only be had through hard work. About the author. Dr. Rose Windale is a successful Health & Wellness Coach who has been advising and coaching individuals for many years. Rose now decided to share her knowledge through this site, Healthzine.org. You can sign up for her free weekly newsletter and learn how to become truly healthy and happy. Fri, 11 Jan 2008 06:02:32 +0100 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/muscle-building1 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/muscle-building1 How can one make a perfect sumptuous dish? By having the perfect recipe of course. The same can be said with muscle building. When one wants to have those perfectly symmetrical and sculpted muscles, they have to have the perfect muscle building recipe. By this, it basically means the most suitable and best muscle building program. There are countless of available sources for muscle building programs available. But the question is, will they work for a person? Or are they credible. Online there are innumerable sites on muscle building. Too many in fact that one can be at a loss at which to believe. There are credible websites, of course. But it takes being careful and taking the time to determine them. Other than the internet, there are also commercial gyms. Commercial gyms generally have fitness trainers. And oftentimes these fitness trainers are well versed on muscle building. Asking for the expertise and assistance of a fitness trainer can even be a better option. But one has to make sure about their qualifications and skills. With a fitness trainer, there is personal involvement. That is, the fitness trainer can personally attend to one who wants to build muscles. The fitness trainer can readily assess the person’s condition. Which part of the body needs work and how and to what extent. Muscle building is no joke. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication. But building muscle mass with the perfect balance is possible. This is where being resourceful comes in. Being resourceful in getting the best muscle building program from the best source. Tips on muscle building also abound. The following can be helpful. Engaging in muscle building involves having the proper diet. A fitness expert is best consulted for this. The diet has to be able to provide the energy and nutrients needed for heavy workouts. It also has to provide nutrients for muscle repair and building. When muscle building, it is also recommended that one rests in between sets, say for two minutes. This is essential for muscle health and fitness and to avoid straining the muscles. It is also best not to work on more than two muscle groups at a time. When training the muscles, it is recommended that one works out muscles which work with each other. This technique in muscle building has long been proven to be effective. For instance, one can work on the chest and triceps, or the biceps and the back muscles. It is also more effective to do muscle building in the morning. In the morning, fat becomes the source of energy when working out. Thus, fat is easily burned. Whereas in the evening, one already has consumed a lot of carbs. Muscle building in the evening means carbs are being burned for energy when building muscles. Proper balance is also a necessity when muscle building. A muscle builder should not be biased then when it comes to their routine and workout. The entire muscles of the body needs to be worked out on. It is definitely not good when one has a big upper body and skinny legs. About the author. Dr. Rose Windale is a successful Health & Wellness Coach who has been advising and coaching individuals for many years. Rose now decided to share her knowledge through this site, Healthzine.org. You can sign up for her free weekly newsletter and learn how to become truly healthy and happy. Fri, 21 Dec 2007 13:04:56 +0100 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/weight-training1 http://www.healthzine.org/Bodybuilding/weight-training1 There are several paths on the way to health and fitness. They are in fact countless. And they are all for the picking of the ardent health and fitness enthusiast. One of them is weight training. So why should one consider trying it- weight training? Weight training can be one of the most effective fitness programs. Weight training is a form of exercise and it is geared towards developing the size and strength of the skeletal muscles. Some gyms have in fact made weight training their bread and butter. It has become one of the many options that fitness gyms offer today. Weight training is also known as resistance training. Such an exercise can be an important tool in achieving an improved level of physical fitness. With weight training, one can maximize their fitness results. Such exercise is also straightforward. It requires less complexity to keep to. It doesn’t even take much time until one sees the results with weight training. Everybody can find weight or resistance training useful. More so with people suffering from illnesses or joint problems. Weight or resistance training is also versatile. As one strives to attain their physical fitness goals, the exercise can be helpful. Muscle strength and muscular endurance are among its many fitness benefits. The same can be said with neuromuscular or nerve-muscle coordination. Or in strengthening the bone density- it can help to avoid osteoporosis. Unlike aerobic exercise though, weight training requires the use of equipments. One can do aerobic exercise almost anywhere. Weights or any weight/resistance training equipments are not needed with aerobic exercise. But weight training has a technique involved. And that is to lift a progressively increasing amount of weight over time. It uses a variety of exercises and equipment. Such is for the purpose of targeting specific muscle groups. Weight training programs and theories abound in the current market. There is in fact an endless array of them. Much of it is geared for bodybuilders and advanced exercisers. Weight or resistance training can be done in a relatively short period of time. Yet the results can be dramatic in how one feels and how their body looks. With weight training, one shapes their body. Other than this, their muscles are firmed, toned and defined. Muscle size will also increase. Weight training is undoubtedly exciting. One can see and feel rapid changes with the exercises carried out. As soon as one starts exercising, they can feel their muscles getting firmer. Apparently, at this early phase, the body sculpting process begins. These and more are the viable reasons why one should try weight training. In the quest for better health and fitness, weight or resistance training can be efficient. The path to health and fitness is relatively easy. All one has to do is muster their will, motivation and dedication. And countless benefits can then be gained. Everybody needs to keep to some kind of exercise while they can. Weight or resistance training can be that exercise which one is looking for. Better health and fitness results in no time. That’s weight training. Perhaps it’s worth the try. About the author. Dr. Rose Windale is a successful Health & Wellness Coach who has been advising and coaching individuals for many years. Rose now decided to share her knowledge through this site, Healthzine.org. You can sign up for her free weekly newsletter and learn how to become truly healthy and happy.