Thinking positively and building muscle faster

Thinking Positively and Building Muscle Faster

In bodybuilding and any fitness endeavor for that matter, your mindset is one of the most important aspects. If you don’t have the mental strength to think positive when you are struggling your are likely to get frustrated, give up more easily, miss sessions or become slack on your nutrition. If you can take control of your mind, you will be more disciplined and determined to stick to your routines, and as a result you will build muscle and burn fat faster.

How To Think Positive

To start off with you need to get motivated, take a few minutes to think about what you want to achieve and why, write it all down so you commit yourself. What is your motivation? If you want to compete that’s great, write it down. Many people don’t want to compete or become professional bodybuilders, if so that’s great too, it might be that you just want to slim down and bulk up, whatever it is, just write down your personal goals.

You need to set yourself long term goals and also short term, smaller goals for week to week. Reassess your progress and your goals weekly and adjust them as necessary, keep them SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-related. Follow this formula and you will not go far wrong. Always keep an eye on your goals when you are training, this will help you stay motivated when the going gets tough.

Stay Positive

Whatever you do, don’t get frustrated, bodybuilding is one of the toughest activities you can do and it can become annoying when you don’t see results immediately. The fact is, it takes time to build your perfect body, and it doesn’t happen over night. And depending on your body type, fitness levels and eating habits prior to starting training your results will be faster or slower to achieve, so you have to set your goals appropriately.

If you follow a proven training plan, do the proper exercises and stick to a healthy diet and lifestyle, you will noticeably lose weight and build muscle within 3 weeks. If you are a real beginner you should speak to a personal trainer or do some research and find an appropriate plan to follow. They will be able to show you proper form and also give you tips to help you hit your goals. Once you start to see results you won’t look back, so don’t get discouraged early on.

Finally stay dedicated and if you find that bodybuilding is not for, look for something that you enjoy for example I also enjoy martial arts and hill running, you may find that swimming is better for you. To stay dedicated, find a training partner and work with them to stay on track and motivated, having a training partner makes a big difference. You can compete with each other and really push yourselves, and you’ll be much less likely to skip a session.

In conclusion you should enjoy your training, it maybe hard and sometimes you might feel like giving up, but if you keep your goals in sight and stay dedicated you’ll see improvements. And once you start to see your muscles bulging and your six-pack appearing, it will inspire you to work harder. Stick to your training program and go for your goals and you’ll have the body of your dreams in no time.

The tabata protocol: dangers and limitations

The Tabata Protocol: Dangers And Limitations

For those who do not know:

The Tabata protocol-after the name of Japanese Izumi Tabata- is actually a very short and very strenuous form of ????(high density interval training).
Its main part lasts only 4 minutes and its target is to burn maximum fat in minimum time.

It is well proven that the workouts based on the Tabata protocol improve both the aerobic and the anaerobic capacity of the exerciser.

A Tabata workout is as follows:

-first you warm up for 5′

-then you sprint all out for 20″.

You can also try this on e.g. a stationary bike or an elliptical machine(it would be difficult on a treadmill).
Or you might try it with push ups,dumbbells,kettlebells etc.

-then you rest for 10″

-you repeat this 30″ cycle for seven more times for a total workout time of 4′

– finally you cool down for about 5′

I am very experienced with various Tabata workouts and I can assure you that they are very demanding and dangerous as well.They are destined only for individuals of high fitness levels.If you don’t belong there you have to be very cautious and proceed gradually.

Main limitations and dangers pertaining to Tabata workouts

1 Even if you are a well trained individual try to limit your Tabata workouts to two/week if you are under 40 and no more than one/week if you are older.The danger for injuries is very high.
Generally this form of training is not suitable for the vast majority of amateur athletes.

2. The short duration of the Tabata workouts means that their EPOC/afterburn effect is lesser that many would expect.

To elicit a strong and pronounced EPOC/afterburn effect a long duration together with the high intensity is needed .

It is most obvious that our expectations for the number of calories burned during a Tabata workout should be low and unluckily the intensity cannot compensate for the short duration.

Personally I use HIIT workouts of around 20′.I find it as a golden mean between the intensity and the duration of similar events.This allows me to burn some good calories while enjoying a decent afterburn effect.

To your health!

Chris Strogilis

Finding the best abdominal exercise for your ab workouts

Finding The Best Abdominal Exercise for Your Ab Workouts

Since I am a personal trainer, I am often asked… What is the Best Abdominal Exercise?

And my answer is often it depends on the goal.

Now, I know most people want to know what is the best abdominal exercise to get rid of fat on their stomach, but unfortunately ab exercises by themselves do very little to help you get rid of stomach fat.

This is known as the spot reduction myth. Because of the powerful marketing companies, consumers continually think that they can work a spot on their body and magically melt fat away from that spot, but that is not how the body works.

Abdominal Exercises are useful for supporting good posture, preventing lower back pain, and improving function and sports performance. Abdominal Exercises are not good for spot reduction of belly fat.

Okay, back to the best abdominal exercise.

There was a study done called finding the safest abdominal challenge measuring work to compression ratio. This study looked at 9 ab exercises and compared the muscle work in the abs to the pressure in the lower back during each exercise.

According to this study, the exercise that worked the abdominal muscles the hardest while putting the least pressure on the lower back was crunches with the feet on a bench or ball. When the feet are lifted it takes away some of the arch in the lower back and takes some pressure off the joints.

In addition, the exercise that worked the abdominal muscles the hardest also put the most pressure on the lower back and that exercise was double hanging leg raises.

To determine which exercise is the best you must take into consideration the fitness goal. For example if someone has a slightly achy lower back, crunches with the feet up may be the best abdominal exercise because it works the abs really hard but does not put a ton of pressure on the lower back.

However, if you are an athlete looking for serious core strength, double hanging leg raises might be the best abdominal exercise for you.

And what about the oblique muscles. The external and internal oblique muscles actually work really hard when you move forwards, like in crunches or sit ups, but in order to maximize the muscle work in the obliques you must incorporate twisting, rotation, or side bending.

So if you wanted to find the best exercise to strengthen the obliques you might do side planks, bicycle crunches, or oblique crunches.

Nearly all exercises have a benefit, so the most important thing is to be active and exercise. The best exercise for you may be the one that you like the most because you can consistently do it.

Whatever ab exercise you choose, keep good form and stay consistent!

How to measure improvement with a home fitness routine

How To Measure Improvement With A Home Fitness Routine

One of the biggest parts of a home fitness routine is being able to see the results. People want everything to work faster and select a ten minute trainer routine to get as much exercise as they can between schedule demands. Most importantly, they want to see an improvement as soon as they can. This gives them a chance to see return on their investment and keep their momentum going on their goal at becoming happier and healthier.

Several different methods can be used to discover and track progress of lengthy and compact home fitness routines:

Resting Heart Rate

The resting heart rate of those who are unhealthy or simply getting older is considerably higher than those who are younger or more physically fit. This higher rate puts a strain on the heart and body leading to several health issues. It is also a way for you to keep track of the quality and effectiveness of your home fitness routine. Whether you have a lengthy daily routine or are cramming with ten minute trainer routines, the idea is to strengthen your heart and get this rate as low as possible. Resting heart rate is also used to determine what your target heart rate will be.

The Fit Of Jewelry And Clothing

Regardless of whether you intentionally target specific areas in your home exercise program or not, your clothing and other personal items are going to start feeling as if they are too big. In fact, this is one of the first places most people notice the results of their hard work. If your clothes seem to have expanded and fit more loosely than before, chances are you have gotten smaller. One trick for mid-sections, is to wear pants that fit comfortably without elastic since stretchy waist bands often hides the results.

Size Of Trouble Spots

If you are aiming to reduce the size of your hips, stomach, or thighs, it’s a good idea to keep track of those areas specifically. Measure these areas of your body, follow your fitness program for a while, and measure them again. This will tell you if the exercises you are doing are targeting the areas you need to work on effectively. You will also be able to lose the fat and replace these regions with muscle.

Exertion Level

When you first start an exercise program, it feels a lot harder and requires more self-motivation than after you have been following the program for a while. This is particularly true of high-intensity programs designed to fit drastic results into a ten minute trainer routine. The workouts become easier because your fitness level is rising. This is also something to watch out for, however. If you notice the routine becomes easier, step up the intensity to maximize the effects of your chosen routine and keep your momentum going.

Standing on the scale is one of the worst ways to track your progress with a home fitness routine. Because you gain muscle mass as you lose fat, a decrease in weight generally occurs long after the other signs of physical fitness. Look for specific changes where it really matters and you will gain far more satisfaction than you would simply by looking at the numbers on the scale.

Tips on how to be fit for golf fitness

Tips on How to be Fit for Golf Fitness

The game of golf is just like many other sports; it keeps you active, in shape and requires energy and strategy. Some prefer the game of golf to other outdoor sports for many reasons that include the walking or even the entire mental aspect of the game. No matter what your personal reasons are for participating, you are sure to get active and keep yourself in physical condition while playing.

Although the game of golf does not look like a strenuous activity such as running, swimming or even playing ball, it requires a great deal of strength training, stretching and cardio activity in order to be successful. Without proper fitness routines, your golf game will not be as beneficial as you would like.

Strength is important for your golf swing, including both long drives and short puts. Having the utmost control over your muscles and what they can achieve is essential for gauging how far you can guide the ball to your target. Without proper strength, you will not be able to perform up to your expectations.

Stretching is imperative for any sport, especially in golf. With the amount of pivoting that you do with each swing, you will want to make sure that your flexibility is at a satisfactory level so that you do not injure yourself while on the course. Flexibility also helps with instances of lower back pain that you may endure from those long walks on the course.

Having a good cardio vascular regime is beneficial for those on the golf course. You will not tire as easily as those who are in less than perfect shape and for those courses where a golf cart is unavailable for use, you will not find yourself exhausted from the longer walk to each hole. Being less tired during your shots will help with your concentration and focus and essentially bring you better results.

Diet is also a large part of any sport. Finding out what types of foods are better for your body during your exercise routine is essential for gaining the most out of the fuel you put into your body. Depending on the time of day and the duration of your game will gauge what your body will require in terms of food and energy for your exercise. Do not skip breakfast and be sure to watch the ‘filler’ sugars when trying to find quick sources of energy for your golf game.

Basic fitness routines will definitely help any golfer who wants to achieve better results, but for those who strive to excel, there are many specialized golf fitness programs out there for that very idea. By researching either on your own or with a personal golf fitness trainer, you will find that there are a number of programs designed for those particular muscles that are required to boost your swing, increase your stamina or even help your concentration on the course. Be sure to examine your own personal fitness regime and focus on the areas where you need help the most.