Tag: Fitness

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Weight Loss Exercise

How to Avoid the Freshman 15




According to a recent study, college students start putting on pounds their first semester and continue to do so throughout their sophomore year. The notorious Freshman 15. The stress of entering a new school, being far from home and readily available junk food are just a few of the many factors that contribute to freshman weight gain.

Experts with the Top Trainers DVD set (www.buytoptrainers.com) have provided tips to ease the transition and lose/maintain your weight.

Avoid the Freshman 15- Buddy System

How to Avoid the Freshman 15

Avoid the Freshman 15

Staying motivated may require some help from a peer. Partner up with a friend and put together a weekly workout routine. Scout locations. Utilize the space on your campus, check out the track, hills or find the gym closest to your quad. Partnering up with a friend helps keep your focus on the right track when it comes to staying in shape.

Avoid the Freshman 15- Dorm Room Moves

Late night and didn’t get a chance to make it to the gym? There are simple exercises you can do in your room to stay fit. Grab your iPod and begin by marching in place and keep it moving. Dance your way into shape. Throw in reps of jumping jacks, squats and lunges. If you are not much of a dancer, use your building stairs. Run or walk up and down the flight of stairs, while listening to your favorite playlist.

Avoid the Freshman 15- Fitness Night

Grab your group of friends and have a weekly fitness night. Hit the college lounge area with your favorite fitness DVD and workout, while having a great time with the girls. Try a different workout every week to keep it new and fresh. The Top Trainers DVD set is a perfect example. With 10 different featured trainers, you can challenge your body with Latin dance, Interval Training, Kickboxing, Ballet and Pilates and much more.

Avoid the Freshman 15- Stressed? Destress with Yoga

Exams, papers and endless books to read have you stressed? Drop the bag of chips! Fitness DVDs are the perfect solution for a quick session to distress. With less time required than a trip to the gym, unwind and relax in the comfort of your own dorm room. Instead of popping open a bag of chips, pop in a fitness DVD and manage your stress in a healthy way. Exercise helps eliminate stress. Try Ellen Barrett’s 45-minute Yogini class featured on the Top Trainers DVD set (www.buytoptrainers.com).

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Weight Loss Exercise

Weight Training Supplements That Really Work




When you are into weight training and bodybuilding, you may feel the need to take weight training supplements to make your workouts more effective and develop big muscles faster. While there are many supplements that can enhance your performance and improve muscle bulk and strength, there are countless others that may be ineffective, unsafe, or even illegal. Choosing weight training supplements that work will give you the powerful physique you have always wanted in a safe and healthy manner.

If you want strong, lean muscles it may not be enough to do strength training exercises regularly. You must also consume the nutrients required to provide energy and help develop your muscles. Weight training supplements are essential for significant muscle growth or when you are undergoing intensive training. The dietary supplements listed below are proven to be effective and safe for anyone who is into sports, weight training, or bodybuilding.

Protein Powder

Protein is the building block of muscle, and your body needs plenty of protein and amino acids to increase muscle mass. During your workouts, the muscle fibers are torn and broken. To repair your muscles, your body must have a good supply of protein.

Body builders and fitness enthusiasts require at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight every day. It is often difficult to get the amount of protein you need from food alone. Protein powder is a convenient and inexpensive way to add high-quality protein in your diet.

Creatine

A creatine supplement is best taken within one hour after your weight training workout. Your body produces creatine but only in small amounts. Creatine helps provide energy for explosive movements like heavy lifts. This weight training supplement improves performance in high-intensity exercise. It also enhances protein synthesis, reduces protein breakdown, and speeds up recovery rates so you spend less time resting between your workouts.

Creatine monohydrate powder is said to be the best creatine supplement. Take the creatine supplement according to the package instructions and do not exceed the recommended dosage.

Multi-Vitamins

The body needs vitamins and minerals for optimal health. If you lack an essential vitamin or mineral, your body may not be able to build lean muscle mass efficiently. Intense weight training can rapidly deplete nutrients in your body. It is therefore essential to take multi-vitamin supplements to avoid the risk of weakened bones, heart disease, nerve damage, and other vitamin-deficiency disorders. Choose a multi-vitamin that contains whole foods and natural ingredients.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s)

Essential fatty acids are good fats that are necessary for a healthy immune system, brain function, smooth skin, and digestive support. EFA’s also offer anti-aging benefits and help keep the circulatory system healthy. Essential fatty acids are long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids made up of linolenic, linoleic, and oleic acids. Fish oil capsules are some of the best EFA supplements.

Final Words on Weight Training Supplements

There are many weight training supplements being advertised out there. Before you take any of them, make sure they have been independently tested for value, safety, and effectiveness. Athletes, in particular, should not take supplements that could fail them in drug testing.

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Weight Loss Exercise

How to Lift Weights to Lose Weight




Weight training or to lift weights to lose weight plays an important role in your goal to lose weight. While many people are aware that cardiovascular exercise and a healthy diet are important in weight loss, they may not realize that lifting weights can help you lose weight. The most efficient way to burn fat is to combine cardio workout and weight lifting. When you gain lean muscle mass, your body will get stronger and turn into a fat-burning machine.

 Lift Weights to Lose Weight

How to Lift Weights to Lose Weight

Lift Weights to Lose Weight

Lifting moderate weights is a great way to lose weight. Many people are concerned that weight lifting will cause them to grow big muscles and gain weight. Women, in particular, are afraid of developing a muscular physique even if lift weights to lose weight is really effective. This is unlikely to happen because women do not have enough testosterone for that kind of muscular gain. With the proper technique for lifting weights to lose weight, men and women can develop lean muscle mass that burns more calories.

Significance of Metabolism

Your metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories. Even when you are resting, your body continues to burn calories to sustain life. This is your Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR. People with more muscle mass burn more calories than someone who has more fat, even if they weigh the same. If you want to increase your metabolism and burn more calories, it’s important to lift weight to build more muscles. Even additional pound of muscle burns an extra 35 to 50 calories per day, even without additional activity.

High Repetition Intense Workout

One of the most effective ways to lift weights and lose weight is by high-rep intense training. Exercises such as bench press, rows, squats, leg press, and military press workout the major muscle groups of the chest, shoulders, back, glutes and legs. Exercises that isolate specific muscles should also be done, such as barbell curls and leg curls.

To lift weights to lose weight, do two sets of each exercise using light weight for 15-20 reps. Limit your rest period to 30 seconds betweens sets. After completing all exercises, rest for 3 to 5 minutes and then repeat. The high-rep intense workout should take at least 20 minutes. This will elevate your heart rate and cause your body to start burning fat.

Beginners can reduce the number of exercises or increase the rest period.

Circuit Training

Circuit training is another way to lift weights to lose weight. Circuit training is a highly-intense exercise routine that should include 8 to 10 different exercises or stations. The circuit should include exercises for the major muscle groups and body weight exercises like crunches and push-ups. Do 15 to 20 reps per station and the maximum number of crunches and push-ups that you are capable of doing. Do not rest between stations.

After completing the first circuit, rest for 3 to 5 minutes and then repeat two or three times. Circuit training involves high-rep and light weights that will elevate your heart rate and burn more calories for weight loss.

I have tried to give you a lot of tools, especially for women that may be nervous about lifting weights. Always remember that it is a great method to lift weights to lose weight.


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