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Archive for August, 2009
Sunday, August 30th, 2009
 The Atkins diet is a diet devised to help you lose weight by altering your diet to program your metabolism. The diet is programmed to lessen consumption of carbohydrates while maintaining the level of protein and fat intake. Most are attracted to this type of diet as others profess the ability to lose 20-30lbs of body weight in a month.
Dr. Atkins believe that carbohydrates is the main culprit in storing fat in the body as it is the main source of simple sugars that can be turned into glucose. The fewer amounts of carbohydrates we consume, the more we will burn fat from our system. Fat is burned because the body does not have any other source of energy to utilize for maintenance of bodily functions. The breakdown of fat is a process called lipolysis (lipo = fat, lysis =break down or disintegrate). As the body is burning down fat for numerous tissue functions, ketones are produced as a byproduct of fat metabolism. Since ketones are considered toxic to the body, it is excreted in numerous ways:
- Through your lungs, producing that fruity breath common in diabetic patients
- Through your liver to the feces
- Through your kidneys secreted via urine production
It is believed that the production of ketones will limit the production of insulin. If insulin is very limited, the amount of glucose for the body is also regulated. You will only have enough glucose for the cells and not producing excess glucose to be stored as glucagon that in turn is stored as fat. There is still a wide debate on how healthy this diet would be, but others claim that several medical conditions can arise from the diet. Check with your physician and nutritionist to see if the diet can be good for your current physical condition.
If you want to get in the best shape of your life. Diet is only half the battle. You need an exercise program like the Insanity Workout or the P90X to get you in tip top shape.
Tags: Atkins Diet, Diet, Insanity Workout, P90X
Posted in Healthy Eating, Insanity Workout, Nutrition | No Comments »
Friday, August 28th, 2009
 As you move around the world of bodybuilding, you would eventually hear about the creatine monohydrate, commonly known as creatine. This supplement is utilized by bodybuilders for it helps build strength and muscle mass. So, what is creatine anyway?
Creatine is a normal compound found in the body. It is an enzyme composed of three amino acids such as arginine, glycerine, and methionine. Creatine is used as part of a chemical cycle that will produce energy that is called ATP. ATP is then used to promote muscle strength by increasing its action potential or contractility. Simply put, creatine is needed for sudden movements, or explosive maneuvers that are often used during workout and fitness training.
The amount of creatine in your body is dependent on the amount of muscle in your body. The more muscle you have, the more creatine you will produce, enabling you to do more complex and intensive workouts. This is why those who have bigger muscle mass can lift heavier objects without getting tired easily and without the risk of over-exertion.
Creatine is commonly found in meat products and fish. Red meat, salmon, tuna, and pork are all good examples of excellent sources of creatine. This is the reason why bodybuilders must have meat in their diet, for in addition to protein, it also contains creatine for energy. The only drawback is, meat also contain saturated fat that can pose a lot of health risks.
You can have your additional creatine by taking in creatine monohydrate without the added risk of saturated fat. There are two forms of creatine monohydrate available in the market; creatine serum and creatine powder. Talk to your physician first if taking creatine supplements will not harm your system before you start taking them.
A safer way to go is combining the P90X and the P90X Recovery Formula to get that ripped body you want.
Tags: P90X, P90X Recovery Formula
Posted in Full Body Workout, P90X | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 26th, 2009
There are a lot of exercises that you can do to help strengthen, tone, and build your neck muscles. Promoting neck muscle strength has a lot of benefits, and one of them is lessening neck pain. Here are a few interesting neck exercises that you can do so you can have the benefits of having strong neck muscles.
 Isometric exercises
You do not need any other equipment in this exercise. Your hands and arms are good enough to supply the needed resistance as you push your head forward, backward, and side to side while maintaining proper head alignment. If you get tired of using your hands and arms, then a table or a wall can be good alternatives.
Head Stands
You can do head stands to help strengthen your neck muscles. This exercise is also good for toning over-all body muscle. Just make sure you have a pillow beneath your head and a sturdy wall or door (that is locked) to stabilize or support you if you are doing this for the first time.
Chair holds
A couple of chairs placed apart without anything between them will definitely strengthen your muscles. The back of your head is placed on one chair, while your feet are resting on the other. This exercise can also build core strength, and must only be done by people with good or excellent muscle tone.
Wrestler’s Bridge
This is a tough exercise to do and must be done with supervision. You do this by putting all your weight on your forehead or at the back of your head as your legs push against the floor. You will be forming an arch or a bridge with your back off the floor. You can stabilize or support your neck by placing your hands underneath it.
These exercises are arranged according to level of difficulty, with the last one being the hardest. Make sure you are in good and proper shape when you are doing these exercises, and a spotter must be with you just in case you encounter some difficulties. If you find that you are experiencing pain while performing these exercises, you must stop immediately and call a physician if it persists. Even with workouts like the Insanity workout or the P90x workout routine, it is smart to get a physicans opinion first.
Tags: chair hold, head stand, Insanity Workout, isometric exercises, isometrics, Neck, Neck Muscles, neck pain, Neck Workout, P90X, strengthening muscles, wrestler's bridge
Posted in Home Workouts | No Comments »
Monday, August 24th, 2009
 Soda is a refreshing and tasteful beverage that can compliment almost any food and also cool you down on a hot summer day. Children always go for a can of soda than a bottle of water, and adults are no different. However, there are ingredients in soda that make it bad for your body.
A major component of soda is sugar. What makes it taste great is the fact that a can of soda can contain as much as 10 teaspoons of sugar. This can put a load in your system, causing your pancreas to go overdrive just to utilize the excess sugar in your body. This is the reason why soda is one of the risk factors of diabetes mellitus.
A can of soda also contains 150 calories. This is nearly the amount of calories that you can get from a quarter of a clubhouse sandwich or a cup of pasta. This is the reason why soda is behind obesity. A lot of obese people consume about two litters or more of soda in a day.
Citric acid is also found in soda. This attributes to its acidic property. Too much acid in the body can cause several imbalances, not to mention formation of gastric ulcers. Research has also revealed that this compound can break down the DNA component inside a cell. To fully understand this, you can place a T-bone steak in a bowl of soda and it would be gradually broken down. Stains in your toilet seat can also be removed using a can of soda that left to do its thing for an hour. Flush out the soda and you will see stains have been removed.
Another active ingredient in soda is phosphoric acid. It is an important compound to help promote muscular contraction. On the other hand, too much of phosphoric acid can harm the bones. When phosphorus comes in, calcium goes out. This would result to formation of osteoporosis.
If you wish to cool down and you are about to reach for that can of soda, think first of what it would do for you before you open it. Water is a better way to cool down as it removes toxins without causing harm in your body.
For the healthiest meal of the day try Shakeology. And get it in this awesome shakeology cup.
Tags: Diet, health, Nutrition, Pop, Shakeology, Soda
Posted in Healthy Eating, Nutrition, Nutritional Supplements, Shakeology | No Comments »
Saturday, August 22nd, 2009
 Once you have got in your mind to do some heavy bag training, here are some tips for you to ensure that you enjoy the most of your workout without causing harm to yourself or your spotter.
Check your equipment before you start with your training. See if the bag is fastened securely. If it is movable equipment, make sure that the base is secured to prevent it from toppling over someone as you deliver your punches.
Wrap up those knuckles of yours to prevent them from getting sore. Some say it is not necessary. For beginners, do not try to be manly by not wrapping up. You will dearly regret it later for you will end up with hands that are red, swollen, and covered with bruises and blisters. You will not be able to decently grip anything, let alone open a jar because your hand is all puffy and painful.
As with any other type of physical training or fitness activity, it is important to have a warm up session before starting. Stretches, laps, jumping jacks, and stationary biking done before heavy bag training will be great ways to warm up before you start hitting the bag.
Use gloves as you deliver punches. Even if your heavy bag is made of the most expensive material that is soft and pliable, you will never know if you will deliver a punch that can make you end up with a couple of broken bones. Gloves are used as insulators and impact absorbers and will give you the security of being able to hit the bag without worrying about getting injured.
Make the bag move by punching instead of pushing. Pushing your bag can do a lot of workout strain in your muscles, particularly your arms. Go back to a distance that would enable you do deliver a punch with your arms in full extension. This way, you will not strain your arm muscles as well as the tendons in your joints when you deliver a punch. Do not be disappointed when your initial punch did not do much on your heavy bag.
Take note of these tips so that you will be able to do heavy bag training without causing needless injury due to carelessness. Always be vigilant in your biomechanics as you do your moves during your workout.
Workouts like the Insanity Workout are designed so you do not need to use any equipment. If that suites you better… check out the Insanity Workout.
Tags: Insanity Workout, Punching Bag
Posted in Full Body Workout, Home Workouts, Insanity Workout | No Comments »
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