6 Week Body Makeover - Fast Track Menu Card

Jul 27, 2009 @ 04:21 am by Guest Author
by James Kim

The 6 Week Body Makeover Fast Track Menu Card (FTMC) is a great meal plan guide for those who become confused on what to eat when dieting. The FTMC is divided up into gender and by the Blue Print Body Type. This article will describe examples of meal types for each body type. As a male body type “A” here are the following foods that you will eat on the body makeover diet. There are three types of menu categories: easy, gourmet and rapid weight loss. All of the food items listed in this article is under the “easy” category.

This meal plan is for males with a body type “B” who want to use the “gourmet” meal plan. Breakfast consists of spring omelet primavera (with mushrooms, green peppers, onions & fresh basil) & a fresh fruit salad. Lunch consists of luau chicken kebabs - chicken breast skewers with pineapple, peppers, onions, cherry tomatoes & ginger marinade over seasoned rice.

After reading the menu, you might think that this is a tremendous amount of food. However, if you look at the portions of each meal, you will realize that you are spreading out your food intake throughout the day. Creating smaller portions while eating numerous times a day will trigger your metabolism to speed up.

Here is an example of a male body type “B” meal plan using the easy category. Breakfast consists of 4 egg whites & 1 cup of fruit salad. Mid-morning snack consists of 4 oz. chicken breast or turkey breast & cup of fruit. You will eat 4 oz. chicken breast, 1 cup of rice & 1 cup of mixed veggies for lunch.

Most people fail on diets because they do not eat enough and they become bored with their diet. Learning how to eat healthy and changing your eating habits is the key to losing weight.

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Body Building Workouts, How to Exercise Your Shoulders

Jul 27, 2009 @ 04:00 am by Guest Author
by Ricardo d Argence

So, you’re trying to develop an impressive, muscular physique. And you want well-developed shoulders. Thick, round “cannon ball delts” will make your upper body appear wide and powerful and will help immensely in creating the v-tapered look that all bodybuilders strive for. Muscular shoulders is the greatest contribution toward the overall appearance of the upper body, at least, that’s what the most of the lifters in the gym will tell to you.

The shoulder is a 3-headed muscle that performs the function of lifting and rotating the arm. It consists of the anterior region (the front), the medial region (the middle) and the posterior region (the rear). These heads can be stimulated in the gym using two different movements: an overhead press and a raise.

Both a barbell and a dumbbell can be used to achieve your goal, but dumbbells are the best overall choice. The overhead press is the meat and potatoes of effective shoulder training. There isn’t a single lift out there that can match the incredible shoulder-stimulating effect of a basic overhead pressing movement.

With dumbbell presses you get a greater range of motion for overall development and each shoulder is working individually maximizing the effort put out by both shoulders completely. Also, doing presses with barbells to the front overemphasizes the anterior delts and upper chest while presses behind the neck using a barbell put a lot of stress on the shoulder joint risking injury. Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit on a bench with a vertical back support. Press the dumbbells overhead until your elbows are just short of locking out, and then lower them back to shoulder level.

After that, you have to work with side lateral raise, which can also be performed with a pair of dumbbells. Side lateral raises primarily develop the medial head (side delt) of the deltoid. Stand upright with your feet planted firmly on the ground about shoulder width apart and with your knees slightly bent. With a dumbbell in each hand, let your arms hang in front of your body with the palms facing each other. Using your shoulders, lift your arms up and out away from your body until your hands are at shoulder level or slightly higher.

Most people perform far too much work on their shoulders and actually hinder their gains as a result. Because of this I typically do not recommend that you perform isolation exercises for the anterior and posterior heads. The anterior heads are heavily stressed during all chest pressing movements while the posterior heads are hit equally hard on all rowing movements for the back. A couple of extra sets won’t hurt, but you should try to minimize the volume as much as you can. The key to massive shoulders is quality, not quantity.

Here is a sample shoulder routine that you can use: Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press - 2 sets of 5-7 reps. Standing Dumbbell Side Laterals - 1-2 sets of 10-12 reps. Standing Front Dumbbell Raise - 1 set of 10-12 reps. Seated Rear Lateral Dumbbell Raise - 1 set of 10-12 reps.

Bodybuilding exercise for the shoulders are a key to widening the shoulders. Increasing the shoulders’ width is the most crucial stepping stone to make them appear broader. All sets should be taken to complete muscular failure where no additional reps can be completed using proper form, if you do that you’ll be watching results after a few weeks.

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Plyometric Training For Runners

Jul 27, 2009 @ 03:52 am by Guest Author
by Ben Mihajlov

Plyometric training is the little known secret that competitive athletes do not want you to know about, since it gives them an enormous advantage over their competitors. If you desire to increase your speed and explosiveness in movement, plyometric exercises are one of the few that are very effective. Even those who are not competitive athletes can benefit from plyometrics and greatly enhance their physical conditioning.

Plyometric training not only develops muscle strength, but speed and explosiveness in the jumping exercises. Weight lifting will strengthen your muscles, but it does very little in developing the quick twitch muscles needed for explosiveness and quickness. Plyometric exercises also develops other muscles besides the legs needed to jump higher.

Plyometric exercises focuses typically on the development of quick twitch muscles which are important for quickness and explosive movements. Competitive athletes are gaining enormous advantages by applying plyometric training exercises in their workouts.

There are a variety of exercises one can do. Many center on jumping onto, off, or over an object. One simple exercise could be simply jumping up onto a chair and then jumping off. When first starting out, jump on lower objects then build up. The number of times of doing this exercise is not as important as doing it at full maximum. The jumping higher after each rep is the goal, not repetition. Repetition builds endurance, while jumping higher with less reps helps builds explosion.

Depending on your goal or your physical abilities, you can adjust you plyometric exercise workout. For the novice athlete, perhaps the number of reps are less and with less intensity. But to fully benefit from plyometric training, each rep should be done with intensity and at the maximum effort.

Pay attention to your body when you exercise. If you begin to experience achy knees or sore muscles, take a break. By allowing your body to recuperate, your plyometric training will more likely be safe and effective.

Plyometrics is one of the keys in learning how to jump higher. Practice these tips, and you will increase your vertical jump drastically.

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Resveratrol Is More Than An Anti-aging Substance, It’s Good For Your Overall Health

Jul 26, 2009 @ 03:33 am by Guest Author
by Georgia Bell

Resveratrol supplements are among the latest craze when it comes to getting that youthful glow. This natural anti-oxidant has been found to be a very good anti-aging agent. It has triggered such attention that medical researchers even consider it as medicine’s newest breakthrough. Mostly found in grape skins, this substance has been also found to have numerous benefits to overall health.

This substance is naturally present in plants; most of it can be found in grape skins. It is also present in berries, eucalyptus and peanuts. The effect this has on plants has made researchers realize that Resveratrol can be very beneficial to humans as well.

Resveratrol supplements have been believed to be great in fighting aging. Research found out that regular doses of the substance can prevent the formation of wrinkles and enhances your body’s cell regeneration process, which leads to ‘fighting aging.’

Findings back up these claims of retaining your youthful look. Resveratrol is truly an effective anti-aging agent. It works by prolonging the cells in the body.

Resveratrol has other health benefits. Studies conducted on mice with tumors have unraveled that the substance actually has anti-cancer characteristics. It helps slow down the spread of cancer and repair deteriorated cells.

The substance has anti-inflammatory characteristics, making it good for your heart. It keeps inflammatory enzymes from clogging your arteries and prevents blood platelets from grouping together, as well as lower cholesterol levels. It can significantly reduce the risk for heart attacks and stroke.

Overall, resveratrol is found to be a good compound for the body. Its qualities that help prevent serious health problems should be enough to convince you to incorporate it to your diet. However, you still need to know that since it’s still being studied, you can experience some side effects (numbness in the extremities, stomach cramps, loss of appetite) which do not pose much health risk.

Taking Resveratrol supplements can do a lot of good to your body. However, make sure to consult your doctor first before taking such supplements. It’s always better to have a medical professional approve everything you do that concerns your health.

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Creatine and Some Facts You Need To Know About Bodybuilding Supplements

Jul 26, 2009 @ 03:29 am by Guest Author
by Ricardo d Argence

Creatine is pretty far from being a drug or steroid of any type. As a matter of fact it’s actually made by our own bodies in the course of nature. This is really a conglomeration of three different amino acids known as glycine, arginine, and methionine. Normally we get creatine from our diets, and the creatine that we store is kept within our muscles.

It helps the body do so-called “explosive” high intensity and repetitive exercise. This means that you can get a better workout when you take creatine, and you’ll feel better after your workout too, since your muscles can cover much more quickly from fatigue. It helps reduce the accumulation of lactic acid after your workout, which will help you avoid muscle soreness after your workout.

Even though you can get creatine from your diet, taking supplements of creatine will give you larger amounts of it; taken within reason, this can help you exercise longer with less fatigue and soreness, and with faster recovery times so that you’ll recuperate for less time between workout sessions. This is especially helpful for bodybuilders or other athletes who wish to build muscle mass quickly by working out longer and harder.

So let’s explore how all this actually works. In essence, there is this composition called adenosine triphosphate, which is also known as ATP. ATP is kept within your muscles until you need it, generally during a workout, at which time it’s instantly released. This is where the term explosive workout comes from.

Creatine works quite well, primarily because right after ingestion it turns into what is known as creatine phosphate. This will replenish the ATP stored in muscles through replacing phosphate that was expended during your workout. During intense activity such as exercise, ATP turns into ADP or adenosine diphosphate.

This is what creatine does for you. It replenishes that lost the phosphate molecule so that you have a ready supply of ATP once again. Used correctly, creatine can increase your workout times and give you better muscle mass.

As with anything though, there are some disadvantages to using creatine, one of which is that water will be retained in your muscles. This means that if you want to keep your body hydrated and get water to other organs in your body, you will have to drink more water than usual when you are using a creatine supplement.

Your exercise routine will be maximized by using creatine and your muscles will be developed significantly faster. There will be reduced soreness, meaning a minimum cool down time between workouts.

There are some drawbacks to actually using creatine however. One of these drawbacks is that you’ll gain weight due to the water being held within your muscles. This won’t hurt anything, but you do need to be prepared for it when you step on your bathroom scale. You may also become dehydrated and experience other symptoms such as seizures or even vomiting. If you have kidney problems you should also avoid taking creatine.

Diet is something that needs to be observed as well, and that is true also with creatine. Creatine isn’t a magic substance that will take care of everything, and as such you will need a good diet.

Regardless of how much creatine that you take, it won’t make any difference at all if your diet is just junk food. Make sure that your diet is made up of complex caps, lean proteins, and fruits and vegetables. This will help you to maximize your workout and make sure that you are getting everything that you need.

Muscles need a place to start, and that’s why diet is so important. Make sure that your diet consists of adequate lean proteins like lean meats, fish, complex carbs, and lots of other things.

With these guidelines in place, creatine can certainly help you improve your workouts and therefore your muscle mass as long as it’s used properly.

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The Facts About The Chinese Acne Alternative Treatment

Jul 26, 2009 @ 03:28 am by Guest Author
by Jason Cartwright

If you are probing for a normal but useful and safe acne alternative treatment, we advise you to believe what the Chinese have to recommend. We all accept that concerning a cure for just about whatever thing, the Chinese have beaten the market.

Their cures go back millenia, and they still are a common choice for acne sufferers. As opposed to American and European beliefs, the Chinese think that acne is caused by toxins and heat in your blood and digestive organs.

For example, doesn’t your acne always seem to crop up around your chin, forehead and nose? Well the Chinese believe that these areas are linked to your digestive system. So your acne appears because of toxins or problems with your stomach or intestines.

So what does a Chinese acne cure home remedy entail? Generally it requires you to eat more healthily, get enough vitamins and nutrients, be very hygienic, and then stick to a long-term, sustainable eating plan. When it comes to eating fats, you should stay away animal fats and margarine that leek toxins in your body and cause inflammation, and use extra virgin olive oil instead.

With a Chinese acne alternative treatment, it is also thought that eating non or low-fat dairy goods is a great deal better on the digestive system. You should keep away from anything, which is processed, which includes several of our much loved foods such as crackers, cookies, potato chips, and so forth. You ought to also enhance your diet with foodstuffs like flax seed and salmon, both rich in omega-3 fats.

Nevertheless, what you desire is to keep away from omega-6 fats. These would comprise materials such as soybean, corn, sunflower, and cottonseed oils, all oils that promote swelling. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables is also encouraged by the Chinese as an efficient acne cure treatment.

These foods are a good source of nutrients that aid in the cleansing of your body and skin. Also the fiber, beta-carotene and vitamin A in some of these foods help to cleanse your stomach and intestines. And to further aid the proper functioning of your digestive system, the Chinese at home acne treatment prefers you to eat more protein and fewer carbohydrates.

The result is that the Chinese have found out that eating provisions that heat up the body like garlic, some spices, and coffee are damaging and can only cause a flare-up of acne. The Chinese also encourage drinking lots of hygienic, purified water. Actually, while most professionals advise around two quarts of water, the Chinese say for dirt free acne, you ought to drink up to four quarts. This facilitates the body by flushing out harmful toxins, consequently making it a straightforward but helpful acne alternative treatment.

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The Acai Berry Is Good For You Brain Fare

Jul 25, 2009 @ 05:21 am by Guest Author
by Jorge Carroll

Berries are beneficial for your brain. This includes all of the innumerable varieties of berries for instance blueberries, boysenberries, cranberries, purple grapes, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and acai berries. Berries are elevated in antioxidants and they are especially high in a powerful antioxidant. This antioxidant is really the deep dark pigment that gives berries their brilliant colors.

Science has demonstrated that berries shelter the brain from oxidative stress and inflammation both of which are a factor dramatically to brain aging. Scientific research has shown that a diet extraordinary in the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents found in berries lessens the risk of developing age-related diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Animal studies have shown that berry extracts increase memory. In a study on rats, the rats that were given the berry extracts did better in maze tests than the control grouping.

Another study gave rats a berry supplementation that was equivalent to one cup each day for two months in human consumption. After the time had passed it was established that the motor functions of coordination, balance and memory showed considerable improvement. The berries were also shown to be effective in reversing motor behavior deficiencies.

It has also been established that berries help your jack up the good cholesterol, HDL. They decrease inflammatory markers and thin the blood in an effect that is parallel to aspirin. Berries are good for your brain and your heart and circulatory system.

Of all the healthful berries, one of the healthiest is the acai berry from the acai palm tree in the rainforest’s of Brazil. This little berry has one of the uppermost antioxidant contents of any food found in nature. It is not possible to find this berry in a fresh and unprocessed state outside of Brazil because this berry is extremely perishable. However, you can still enjoy the benefits of it because you can find it in a processed form in juices, smoothie mixes, a assortment of powdered forms and extracts and even in a pill or capsule form. Just make sure that it is processed with a freeze-dried method to maintain the nutrients.

Blueberries, cranberries and blackberries are also listed as some of the highest-ranking antioxidant foods. You can find these berries fresh in season just about everyplace and you can also obtain them in frozen form, which is very often just as nourishing as fresh, since the nutrients are locked in place during the freezing process.

Many of the difficulties of aging such as age-related dementia and Alzheimer’s disease can be prevented with the addition of wholesome and nutritious berries to your day after day pattern of eating.

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Finding That Acai Berry Diet - Rachael Ray Link

Jul 25, 2009 @ 04:39 am by Guest Author
by Travis Van Slooten

If you come across that “acai berry as seen on Rachael Ray” slogan all too often and in different acai sites at that, you’ll no doubt wonder why Rachael seem to be endorsing different brands. The truth is, she isn’t. When it comes to this little berry that has taken the health industry by storm, there are so many half-truths and scams perpetrated that it’s tough sifting through the myth from the reality. That Rachael Ray is backing an acai supplement brand is one such myth.

What is the Lie?

It’s quite straightforward, really. Any company that says their product is endorsed by Rachael Ray is making false claims. There has been no mention made of the acai berry diet on Rachael Ray, the tv show, as well. Somehow, these people and businesses find it easy to attach their products to the popular talk show host and claim an acai berry - Rachael Ray connection, even if such an endorsement has never been made. Even if this company were selling a good product, such business practices would put their sincerity and legitimacy in question. And all these lies are made in order to make easy money.

What Does Rachel Ray Have to Say?

Rachel Ray has been forced to make public comments that she does not endorse any acai berry diet companies or products. The truth is that she is amazed at the nutritional value of the acai berry and has featured it on her show. But that does not suggest a connection to any specific companies. There has never been an acai berry diet on Rachel Ray that she endorses and you should avoid any company that claims such a thing. Rachel Ray has been fighting these companies with her lawyers, but they continue to pop up day after day.

What is the Real Connection?

While many celebrities have gotten involved in the recent acai berry craze, you need to avoid companies that claim endorsements. Not all acai berry supplements are the same. It is very easy to manufacture a cheap and nearly worthless acai product and try to pass it off as high quality. Since the acai berry is not native to the United States, many Americans do not know what to look for in the fruit. This makes it very simple for companies to bill their product as high quality acai when it may not be.

Another thing that you should be wary of is when a brand makes such incredible claims that they cannot follow through. Examples of these supposed benefits that don’t ring true are acai as a weight loss aid, anti-aging product, and can even prevent erectile dysfunction. These statements are just as misleading as the acai berry diet on Rachael Ray claim.

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Bodybuilding and Your Biceps

Jul 25, 2009 @ 03:41 am by Guest Author
by Ryland Greg Brown

Biceps are one of the smaller muscle groups, they don’t need the same rest period as the larger muscle groups like the quads or back. It is important to build up gradually, making sure that you develop your back muscles enough to carry the extra workout. Don’t do this exercise too quickly, or build up the weights too fast.

The fundamentals to bodybuilding your biceps is the repetitions, rather than extreme weights. Working out with too heavy weights will make it hard to do the repetitions you need, which is not a good thing.

Another important factor is recuperation. Muscle builds when it is resting, not during training when it is being broken down. You need to give the biceps muscle enough time at rest to build itself to the max. One of the most important parts of recuperation is getting eight hours of good sleep a night.

Bicep exercises are satisfying because you can really see the muscle working. It is best to train the biceps together with the triceps, it is always good to work muscles on opposite sides of the body.

For bodybuilding your biceps, you usually use dumbbells, but muscles don’t know whether the stress is being applied by free weights or a machine. Muscles respond only to the level of stress being placed on them.

Dumbbell curls are one of the easiest weightlifting exercises you can do and after a few repetitions you will feel your biceps being toning.

To make the most of your bicep workouts stand with your back straight, with the barbells in your hands, palms towards your sides. Take deep breaths from lower down in your lungs, not from your chest. Focus on your breathing, this can make a big difference.

Slowly pull the dumbbells up towards your chest, keep your elbows tight in next to your body. Don’t get in a hurry, the slow pull on your muscles is what works best. Breath out fully, all the way to the bottom of your lungs.

Rotate your wrists so that when the barbells get to you chest they are facing the chest comfortably. Hold this for a couple of seconds before you let the weights down. Let the dumbbells down slowly. Take a breath in from the lower part of your lungs rather than at the top of your chest. Do up to 15 to 20 reps. Gradually increase the weight so you can gain strength without doing damage. Ryland Greg Brown

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Colon Cleanse Frequently Asked Questions

Jul 24, 2009 @ 05:14 am by Guest Author
by Daniel Fuller

There are many inquiries that most people have regarding colon cleansing.

Mentioned below are a few of the answers to simple colon cleansing questions that are usually asked.

This is a practice that is done to the colon that is meant to allowing the colon works as it is supposed to.

In case you may not know, the colon is one of the most important parts of the digestive system that is in charge for eliminating undigested food and excretion.

As the name suggests, it involves ‘cleansing’ the colon from the lethal wastes that have been deposited in it.

That is the simplest explanation of colon cleansing.

In this world that we are in, there are elevated measurements of deadly substances, in the environment and also in the things that we eat.

The amount of the toxins depend on the eating habits, exercises, environment and age of a person.

It is said that the older we get, the more contaminations build up in our system.

One of the major considerations in the health of the colon is the food we ingest.

Nowadays, on every other block, we see a McDonald’s or Burger King, or even a convenience store selling processed foods.

The more of these kinds of foods we consume, the more chemicals settles in our colon.

Additionally, the environment that we live in is full of very many dangerous substances that get left in our bodies.

The majority of them eventually end up in the colon and can’t be excreted on their own.

The more they collect, the more you have symptoms of many infirmities.

Simply, if you have even one of the above problems that have been listed, then you are a candidate for colon cleansing.

This is also for those people who are generally experiencing constipation problems, skin problems, intestinal bloating, and low energy, and also for people who are obese.

Anybody with even one of these problems needs colon cleansing.

Colon cleansing forces out all the built up toxins in the colon including toxic matter, yeast, feces, hormones etc.

If these toxins are allowed to collect in the colon, then some of them will find themselves in the blood and will cause a number of dangerous diseases.

Poisoning your colon with these chemicals can make your immune system weak and at some point you will develop a disease.

There are different techniques in which the colon can be cleaned.

One can get formulations where the supplements have detoxifying elements that can deal with toxins in the colon.

There are also diy detoxification procedures that can be used to clean your colon.

Also, there are many awesome colon cleansing supplements that can help you detox your colon, reduce your weight, and feel better.

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