6 Reasons to Add Strength Training to Your Workout Plan

If you knew that a certain type of exercise could benefit your heart, improve your balance, strengthen your bones, and help you lose weight as it made you look and feel better, wouldn't you want to get started? Well, studies show that strength training can do all of that and more. Strength training is not just about bodybuilders lifting weights in a gym. It can benefit people of all ages and may be particularly important for people with health issues such as arthritis or a heart condition. 

Strength Training: The Benefits

Yes, strength training will add definition to your muscles and give men and women alike more fit and toned bodies. But working out with weights does so much more:

1. Strength training protects bone health and muscle mass.

After puberty, whether you are a man or a woman, you begin to lose about 1 percent of your bone and muscle strength every year. "One of the best ways to stop, prevent, and even reverse bone and muscle loss is to add strength training to your workouts.

2. Strength training makes you stronger and fitter.

Strength training is also called resistance training because it involves strengthening and toning your muscles contracting them against a resisting force. There are two types of resistance training:

• Isometric resistance involves contracting your muscles against a non-moving object, such as against the floor in a push-up.
• Isotonic strength training involves contracting your muscles through a range of motion as in weight lifting.

Both make you stronger and can get you into better shape. Remember that with strength training your muscles need time to recover, so it should only be done on alternate days. Always take some time to warm up and cool down after strength training.

3. Strength training helps you develop better body mechanics.

Strength training has benefits that go well beyond the appearance of nicely toned muscles. Your balance and coordination will improve, as will your posture. More importantly, if you have poor flexibility and balance, strength training can reduce your risk of falling by as much as 40 percent, a crucial benefit, especially as you get older.

4. Strength training plays a role in disease prevention.

Studies have documented the many wellness benefits of strength training. If you have arthritis, strength training can be as effective as medication in decreasing arthritis pain. Strength training can help post-menopausal women increase their bone density and reduce the risk of bone fractures. And for the 14 million Americans with type 2 diabetes, strength training along with other healthy lifestyle changes can help improve glucose control.

5. Strength training boosts energy levels and improves your mood.

Strength training will elevate your level of endorphins (natural opiates produced by the brain), which will make you feel great. As if that isn’t enough to convince you, strength training has also been shown to be a great antidepressant, to help you sleep better, and to improve your overall quality of life.

6. Strength training translates to more calories burned.

You burn calories during strength training, and your body continues to burn calories after strength training, a process called "physiologic homework." More calories are used to make and maintain muscle than fat, and in fact strength training can boost your metabolism by 15 percent — that can really jumpstart a weight loss plan.

Strength Training: Getting Started

"Please don't limit yourself to thinking that lifting weights, expensive machines, or gym membership is the only way to do strength training.  Push ups, jump squats, and lunges are a great way to train. Go out and buy your own weights or resistance bands and train at home.  

If you have any health issues, ask your doctor what type of strength training is best to meet your needs and abilities. You can also work with a fitness expert to design a strength-training program that will be safe and effective for you.

Who doesn't want to look better, feel better, and live a longer, healthier life? So what are you waiting for? Get started now with a complete workout program that includes strength training.

How to stick to a summer workout plan

With summer's arrival comes hotter temperatures and a more relaxed schedule, which can put your healthy lifestyle in a tailspin. Take a minute to set a plan now so that you have specific goals to accomplish over the next few months. Here are some tips for sticking to a healthy lifestyle no matter what: 

Make a plan. Whether it be to lose weight, tone up, or increase your endurance levels by fall, you must set a goal. Aim to regularly stay active by scheduling a steady workout plan and sticking to it. 

Set attainable goals. Don't set yourself up for failure by setting a goal like returning to your high school weight - be real with yourself and understand your body's limitations. Set a reasonable goal like losing 5 to 10 pounds in a specific period of time.

Reward yourself for small successes. Focus on having a good day or week, and break your goal into smaller chunks. If your goal is to lose 50 pounds, realize this won't happen in month. A healthy lifestyle is built in hours, days and weeks. When you lose the first 10 pounds, treat yourself to a new outfit or a trip to the movies, a concert or to the shore. Be creative with your rewards, and don't skimp on this part of the process!

Be flexible. Life happens. Even the most dedicated athletes fail. Some days will be smooth sailing, and others will make getting out of bed a challenge. But it's those days that make you stronger, so push yourself and be persistent with your fitness. Good luck.

My Testimony

My Testimony

The last thing I want to do is tell people how they should live. People have a choice about how they want to live. No one has a right to judge, tell or manipulate anyone into doing things they don't want to.

I want to share my experience so this is my story. After battling with my weight, health, stress, and other issues in my life I decided to make a change. On May 1, 2011 I changed the things that caused me to suffer from the aforementioned. My first move was to change how and what I was eating. Two years ago I was diagnosed with diabetes and I was devastated. Heart attacks, strokes and obesity are health issues in my family. As a result of several strokes and a very poor diet my father died years before his time. I don't want the same thing to happen to me.

I knew that sugar was the first thing I had to eliminate from my diet, so I put myself on a self imposed sugar detox and eliminated everything with sugar in it from my diet. I took it one day at a time and today I have 67 days of no sugar. I also have a clear understanding about foods that turn into sugar once they enter my body so I eliminated the BAD carbs like white bread, white potatoes, white pasta, white flour, and white rice. I stopped drinking all juices and soda. All I drink is water. I started eating more fruit, veggies, egg whites, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, brown rice, and yogurt. I stopped eating red meats and added lean chicken and turkey breast. The hardest sacrifice was sweets, however, they had to go, so no more cakes, cookies, candy, donuts, and anything with sugar in it for me. Next was the snack food, no more chips, pretzels, and popcorn. I replaced them with raw almonds, walnuts, raisins, cranberries, peanuts, and seeds.

The last step was exercise and strength training. As a former athlete and physical education major I have a good working knowledge on how to train. I developed an exercise plan that works for me and I incorporated it with my new way of eating. I workout 5-6 days a week with a combination of cardio and weight training. This is NOT a diet for me. It's a complete lifestyle change. At 54 I don't want to stroke out or have a heart attack and have people looking in my casket saying, “damn what happen to him” .

I know it's a big change, but for me, it's a must. After a few weeks I noticed my sugar level dropped, and my energy level improved greatly. I feel ten times better and my body has responded well to my new way of living. I don't feel like a 54 year old man. My skin and nails are clear and my vision has improved. I just want to show that if a 54 year old man can make the transformation anyone can. It's not about your age, where you come from, race, or gender, it's about your attitude, determination and the will to live a better life. So if I offend or annoy anyone, sorry. If my testimony can help you, good, if not, good luck.   

The Supermarket

As I travel around Philadelphia I can't help but notice how many people are not living a healthy lifestyle. I often wonder if they really don't care or they're just not educated to the dangers of not eating right and exercising and how it has a direct correlation to bad health. When I'm in the supermarket I look at what kinds of foods people buy, then I look at them. I can tell what type of shape they're in by what they're eating. The supermarket can be a wicked place or it can be the place where you can take your time and make informative healthy decisions about what you choose to put into your body. If you want to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle it starts with what you eat.

You MUST change those old habits of going into the supermarket and picking up everything you see. Stop throwing all those bad foods in your cart. I know, I know, the ice cream, chips, soda, donuts, juice, and junk food all LOOK good, but you know they're not good for you. Break the habit and stay away from those tempting goodies and think about substituting those foods for healthier food. Eliminate that sugar monster and everything that has sugar in it. Satisfy that sweet tooth by picking up fruits like cherries, grapes, watermelon, oranges, pineapple, and peaches.

Leave the potatoes, pasta, white bread, white rice, and sugary juice alone. Eliminate it from your diet, if you don't over time you'll get fat and you'll become a poster child for diabetes. Trust me I know. Load up on beans, green leafy vegetables, mushrooms, onions, sweet potatoes, brown rice, nuts and seeds. Buy a few cases of water instead of cases of soda and gallons of juice. Pick up yogurt instead of ice cream. Don't forget your potein, get eggs, oatmeal, chicken and turkey breast. Add salmon, sardines, whiting,and tuna to your diet. I know it 's hard to break old habits, just try it and see how it makes you feel.  

Top 5 Excuses Not To Exercise

Top 5 Excuses Not To Exercise

How many people do you know that constantly make excuses for why they can’t exercise? Chances are you know at least one. Maybe you are one of them? I know at times I have been guilty of thinking up some lame excuses. But let’s get one thing straight … excuses are not reasons.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention more than 50% of American adults do not engage in the required amount of physical activity for health benefits, and 25% of adults are not active at all.

That’s a lot of people making excuses! Constantly making excuses for things will never get you anywhere in life. It is time to ditch the excuses and find the real reason behind not wanting to do the things you are making excuses for.

Here are some of the excuses I hear most often when it comes to people not wanting to exercise. Maybe some sound familiar to you, or maybe you’ve even used some of them yourself.

1. I don’t have time to exercise.
People will always find time to do something they enjoy doing. Saying you don’t have time to exercise is just an excuse to get out of doing something you can’t be bothered doing. Now, I’m not saying that you are not a busy person. Maybe you are. But I am pretty certain that almost every person can find 30-60 minutes, somewhere in their day, to exercise. Make an appointment with yourself to exercise.

2. There is no gym close to my house
You can get in great shape without ever stepping foot into a gym. Buy a set of dumbbells and some resistance bands so you can exercise at home. Stability balls are another great ‘home gym’ piece of equipment. An at home cardio workout only requires a good pair of running shoes, a jump rope, or even bike. No gym? No excuse!

3. I don’t know how to exercise
Exercise is not rocket science. If you really have no idea how to be active, go and buy a fitness magazine, ask a friend who exercises regularly for some tips, or hire a personal trainer. There is absolutely no reason why people can’t engage in some form of physical activity. Unless your doctor has specifically told you that you should not exercise at all, start by taking a jog or a walk around the block. There are also hundreds of exercise DVD’s and workout videos available that will take you through entire workouts based on your fitness level and goals.

4. I have no energy to exercise
Of course if you sit around all day doing nothing you will feel lazy. I know for me, the less I do, the lazier I feel throughout the day. Exercise has been shown to increase energy levels and leave people feeling better about themselves and more energized. Get up off the couch and get moving. Start with just 10 minutes of activity each day. Soon you will have the energy to do more.

5. I have no one to work out with
Do you really need someone to workout with? For most of us it would be nice to have some company. What will happen to your motivation though if your workout partner is not as motivated as you when it comes to exercise? What if they start skipping workouts and you’re left to workout on your own anyway? Would you stop too? Unless you have someone you know is totally committed to exercising with you, you really don’t need a workout partner. If you absolutely cannot workout alone … hire a trainer, participate in an exercise class, or take your furry friend for a walk.

As you can see, there are solutions to each of these excuses. Don’t let excuses get the better of you and keep you from reaching your goals. Focus instead on the benefits you will get from engaging in a regular exercise routine. You will be thankful you ditched the excuses in the end.

How Long Does it Take to Lose Weight With Exercise?

How long it takes to exercise off a few pounds depends on what type of exercise you are doing. Find out how to maximize your weight losses, in this article.

The Fundamental Rule Of Calories

You must understand this fundamental rule or you may never be able to lose any weight with exercise, you could even gain weight.

You can only lose weight if you eat less than your body burns. Because your body needs more fuel then it will turn to fat instead.

If you start to do more exercise but you also eat more then your body has no need to turn to fat and you won't lose weight. This happened to a friend of mine who started to work out really hard and didn't lose any weight!

How Much Can I Lose?

It is a generally held belief amongst health professionals that you can safely lose around 2 pounds a week. To do this, you need to work off 7000 calories. This means that you need to burn off 1000 calories a day or about 3 hours of jogging.

Of course, no one has time to do 3 hours of jogging so there is a better way.

Reduce Your Food Intake And Exercise

This is the best way to lose weight. What you should do is to decrease the amount of calories you eat every day by about 800. This is equivalent to a couple of chocolate bars. You can do this easily by simply cutting out the junk.

Then, do half an hour's exercise 3 times a week.

If you do this then you will easily be able to achieve your 2 pounds a week and possibly even more.

5 Tips on How To Get Great Abs

5 Tips on How To Get Great Abs

Are you in pursuit of a much sought after six pack? Do you want to know how to get great abs? Regardless of your sex or age, a six pack is something that many of us aspire to, but few ever achieve.

One of the major problems we all face lies with our modern diet filled with foods that are high in saturated fats and sugars - which tends to cover our perfectly sculpted bodies in a layer of fat. You might not know that, but underneath all the excess weight lies your perfect body - and great abs. So, what do you need to do then to get in shape and have those great abs that you desire? Here are five essential tips for how to get great abs.

1. Diet

What are you putting into your body on a daily basis? Are the foods you eat helping you loose weight or is it adding weight to your body? Excess food tends to accumulate around the abdominal area, which of course, makes your six pack even harder to obtain. By cutting out these fatty foods you will at least stop adding more to it and this will allow your body to use the excess stored fat. Remember that to have great abs you have to get rid of the fat first.

2. Metabolism

Metabolism is nothing but the process through which your body burns calories and turns food into energy. The higher your metabolism the more calories you burn. Exercise is probably the most effective way to increase metabolism, but there are some simple dietary changes that can greatly increase your metabolism and help you burn fat even when you are not exercising. To raise your metabolism, eat more often, but eat smaller amounts at a time and eat only high energy 'natural' foods like fruits and vegetables.

3. Cardio Exercise

If there is one thing that is an extremely important step in how to get great abs, then it the need for cardiovascular exercise. Exercise like swimming, running and cycling will help you shed the extra pounds and since your abdominal muscles are very active during these exercises it will help tone your abdominal muscles. A 45 minute cardio training routine at least 5 days a week will do the trick and in as little as 4 weeks you will start seeing visible results in your abs.

4. Target Exercise

A common misconception amongst most people is that to develop great abs you have to do sit-ups. It's true, but not entirely since cardio training is a vital part of overall weight loss. What targeted exercises like sit-up and crunches do, it to specifically target the abdominal muscles. When you build and work these muscles it increases the muscle activity which raises metabolism and increases weight loss in that target area. The best way to do these target exercises is to combine it with your cardio workout as your muscles will be more active and supple.

5. Posture

It's vitally important to stretch regularly, especially after exercise. By stretching your abdominal area for at least 15 minutes after exercise you improve blood circulation in the muscles and the flexibility of the abdominal muscles. Great abs are not just about having a six pack, but it's about having a well toned upper body. Apart from stretching you have to pay attention to your body posture. Your abs play an important part in keeping your body upright. Most people tend to slouch over when walking which actually relaxes the abdominal muscles. An upright body posture where your abs are extended, will keep your abs active even while walking or sitting.

These five tips for how to get great abs is not about picking one or two. What will do the trick however is a combination of all of them. There are no quick fixes and the sense of pride in doing the hard work is what will give you the real 'feel good' factor. You can have great abs. Just do the hard work and you WILL reap the rewards.