Stretching As Part Of Your Fitness Regime
By Cameron Abel – BestFitnessChoices.com
We certainly all know (well hopefully!) that regular and effective stretching is a crucial and vital part of your whole fitness and weight loss regime. Too often however, it is an area not done correctly or overlooked altogether!
Bouncing til we touch our toes and a few side stretches just won’t cut it anymore. What we are seeing today is a “shift” in the way we do stretches.
Traditionally, we isolated one particular muscle and performed an exercise that stretched and lengthened that muscle. Nowadays, there is a realisation that isolation exercises are not the best form of general fitness movements and we look more towards how the body actually moves in real life.
Today’s stretches work on this principle where we aim to stretch a range of muscles at the same time. All over, full body workouts have now been embraced by the stretching world as well!
The benefits of regular stretching are many, however the best ones are:
• Effective stretching can reduce injuries
Especially as we get older, we find that we can pull muscles, tear ligaments or just in general, feel absolutely awful a day or two after if we have not taken the time to warm up and stretch before we go full on into whatever activity we have chosen for that moment.
• Regular stretching will increase your flexibility
Can’t touch your toes? Or worse still, when sitting and stretching in your yoga, aerobics or other training class and the instructor tells you to touch your head to your knees – do you laugh at the thought? Believe it or not, regular stretching will dramatically increase your flexibility til you can do the splits like Jean Claude Van Damme! Well maybe not quite as good as him but you can get pretty close 
• You can target problem areas and also increase your balance.
Stretching can certainly play its part in helping fix your problem areas. As a stretch is a movement that almost provides the same results as a mild body-weight exercise and also that stretching creates long, lean muscles you will definitely see some visual improvements to your body. Putting yourself in many different stretching positions will also improve your balance and co-ordination.
The benefits of regular stretch sessions are surely there however there is one major problem – stretching is BORING! Yawn! Like eating one healthy meal a week, stretching for one session a month or even a week just won’t get the job done.
Sure you will feel good right after the time you actually do it but to be really effective and see results, you need to be stretching daily. Yep that’s right, I said daily!
So how do I go about making regular stretching occur I hear you ask? The easy answer is commitment, planning and organisation!
You need to make yourself (and commit to!) a structured “Stretching Plan”.
Slap a piece of cardboard or paper on the fridge which states how many times a week you will stretch, when you will stretch, how long you will stretch and also what areas will you target?
Maybe you will choose to stretch in every ad break of your favorite nightly show or even better, stretch consistently through the whole news bulletin! A good stretch session right before you go to bed is also a wonderful way to finish the day and your body will thank you for it.
It is also a great idea to record some measurements as a starting point as well which will give you something to refer to, keep you on the ball and track your progress. It is quite motivational to see the length and depth of your stretches improve and increase over time – who knows you may even surprise yourself with your results!
So just what muscles do I need to work on?
This answer is different for everyone! For those of us not quite fit or out of form, so to speak, you will find that just about every stretch you do will offer up some tension and be hard to do. If that is the case then perfect! Just work on a number of whole body stretches as well as throwing in some traditional ones as well.
Those amongst us with good fitness, great form and those that are regularly active can still benefit greatly from stretching.
There is an easy test to see what areas you need to target and basically if you go through a stretch and extend yourself as far as you can and there are still no feelings of a decent stretch then you are already pretty good in that particular area and your stretches will be mainly for maintenance. Mix it up and find new movements and areas that when fully extended, offer you up some resistance and strain.
As with all exercises and training, there is a right way and a wrong way to do stretches no matter how simple they might seem. There are four main rules for you to follow to ensure you get the most out of your stretching sessions.
1) A good 5 – 10 minute warm-up is still crucial before stretching
I know what you’re thinking “Isn’t stretching warming up anyway?” The answer is yes and no! There are many times when a person has raced straight into a deep or long stretch and actually done damage such as pulling a cold muscle or even worse, doing damage to a ligament or joint.
The best way to warm-up is to start with gentle joint rotations. Start from the toes and work your way up, taking note of each joint and ligament, moving them in both clockwise then anticlockwise motions. Once you have reached your head, try some jogging on the spot, a brisk walk, time on the stationery bike or just about any type of aerobic activity the will get your blood flowing throughout your whole body.
2) Make sure you stretch both before and after exercise
Your performance will be improved significantly when you stretch before exercise because your muscles and tendons will have been lengthened. Try and hold pre exercise stretches for around 10 seconds. For those stretches after exercise, you need to try and hold them a bit longer. 30 seconds will do the trick however if you can make it last out to a whole minute or more, this is where the best results are achieved.
Stretching after exercise will ensure you recover better and do not face the “day after blues”. After exercise stretches also reduce the risk of injury by making sure the muscles are relaxed.
3) Keep breathing!
You would think this is a given however I see so many people who actually hold their breath while they are stretching, particularly if it is a hard stretch. Holding your breath actually makes it harder to perform the stretch as the body now has more tension, less blood flow and hence less nutrients and oxygen to the muscles. All in all, a top recipe for ineffective stretching!
4) Stretch slowly, gently and with fluid movements
Never bounce! This puts undue strain on the body and has the potential to create injuries. A true stretch is slow, gradual and fluid with no quick, jerky movements.
A stretch should also not be painful. If you are feeling pain while you are doing a stretch then what your body will actually be doing is going into pain response mode. In other words, your brain will tell your muscles and tendons that something is wrong and they will all contract. Obviously this is in direct opposition to what you are trying to achieve by stretching!
So there you have it! There is certainly more to stretching than meets the eye. Remember that regular stretching has so many positive benefits as a result and is something you really should be doing as often as you can.
Remember the key rules of stretching and commit to the task and you will have increased flexibility and balance, a stronger core and lean, elegantly sculpted muscles. Who doesn’t want that?!
Learn 5 Of The Best Ab Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of!
Yeah we all know it – everybody wants the washboard abs and the 6-pack!
As we know, we all have great abs already but for most of us, they are covered by too much fat!
So use the programs and teachings learned here at BestFitnessChoices.com to lose the fat but also as you near closer to your journey’s end and goal weight / body fat you may want some specific ab exercises to chisel those bad boys!
Using these exercises will also help in losing that flab currently suffocating your abs!
So sign up for the free email course below and find out these exercises for yourself along with some great fat loss info for good measure!
Good luck!
Cameron
Practical Exercise Ideas For the Time-Strapped Person
Short on time but need to exercise? Fitness Seekers, this is an article just perfect for BestFitnessChoices.com! As you probably know by now, my site is all about making sure you have the info and knowledge to get the maximum results from your invested time.
A massive momentum stopper in your heath and fitness programs is when you just have a busy day or two and find it really hard to squeeze in a workout. Now it’s OK to miss a session here and there (not ideal but!) however you don’t want it to become habit forming and you would be surprised to see how easily that can happen. So the answer is just making time for a few minutes to ensure you DO SOMETHING! Below you will find a heap of exercises and methods to make sure you get your butt moving without taking a heck of a lot of time!
Enjoy, Cameron – BestFitnessChoices.com
These ideas will help you fit a workout in no matter how much or how little time you have available.
What’s the number one reason people give for not exercising? That’s an easy one…not enough time!
Quite often, the trouble lies in mindset. If you think you need to FIND the time to exercise, you’re already a step behind. You must MAKE the time to exercise, be it 20 minutes or 2 minutes.
These practical, ready-to-use ideas will help you make that time, no matter how busy you are.
1. The Daily One-Set Workout
If you can spare 2 minutes a day from your schedule, you can do this workout. All it consists of is one single set of one exercise, done to muscular failure. This could be push-ups, curls, calf raises, or anything (I will explain in more detail below) for as many reps as it takes to reach the point where you can’t do another rep. Do this one set workout every single day without fail.
Though you can certainly do this once a day and get benefits, my preference is to do this 2 minute drill twice a day…first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
These very quick workouts are beneficial because they are intense and frequent. Pushing your muscles to failure has several benefits: it will help you maintain and build muscular strength and it will release a spurt of Growth Hormone (a potent muscle-building and fat-loss hormone).
If you’d like to focus on improving a single body part for a particular purpose (remember I like to recommend total body workouts normally ) , you can follow a Daily Specialization program for it:
For best total-body results, focus on primarily on exercises that work the back, chest and legs (the smaller muscles such as biceps and triceps will also get worked when you do exercises for these larger parts).
For example, on Monday, do push-ups (morning and night, if you’re doing twice a day). On Tuesday, do pull-up rows. On Wednesday, do squats, lunges or bench step squats.
Lunges:
2. Multi-Task Exercising
If you can do some form of exercise while you’re doing something else, you’ll save time. For example, if you’re carrying groceries, do some bicep curls with the bags! If you’re watching TV, you can do crunches or lunges or even squeeze a tennis ball to work your forearms.
There are many ways to incorporate activity or exercise into normal daily activities. Feel free to use your imagination! Even though it may not be conventional “exercise” in a gym setting, your body doesn’t distinguish between lifting a heavy bag of groceries or lifting a dumbbell. Your body will respond just the same!
3. Maximal Stair-Step Interval Training
Only got 5 minutes to do a cardio workout? That’s all you need for this stair-stepping workout. All you need are some steps or a low bench. Here’s how it’s done:
Stand in front of some stairs. There should be at least 2 stairs that you can step up and down on. A railing to balance yourself on is also useful for when you become fatigued. Be sure you have a clock or watch that you can keep track of time on (you may need to have someone shouting out times to you if your watch doesn’t have a timer alarm).
Step up and down the first two stairs for 1 or 2 minutes as a brief warm-up and to practice the pattern. The stepping pattern is as follows:
Right foot up on Step 1
Left foot up on Step 2
Right foot up on Step 2
Left foot down on Step 1
Right foot down on floor
Left foot down on floor
Repeat
Click here for pictures on how to do this pattern!
Go through this pattern until it becomes second nature to you. It can be reversed by starting with the left foot on Step 1 as well. Try both and work with whichever is most comfortable to you.
Now comes the work…
- For 30 seconds, step up and down the stairs in this pattern as fast as you can – sprint stepping, basically. The pattern
in the pictures above is done slowly to show you how to do the pattern. You will be moving a lot faster than that when
you do this training!
- Hold onto the rail (if there is one) if you need to balance yourself. You should be really pushing yourself to keep going as you get to the end.
- Now rest for 30 seconds. Walk around a little. Swing your arms – do whatever you need to do.
- Sprint the stairs again for 30 seconds then rest again for 30 seconds. Repeat this pattern for a total of 5 work
intervals.
- By the time you start getting to the later work intervals, your pace will be slowing down significantly. Be sure you
are still at least trying to go as fast as you can, even if it’s not really that fast anymore. That’s the most important thing. You should be breathing extremely heavily towards the end.
Now you’re done! That short workout is extremely effective for burning fat and boosting your metabolism. It’s quick and it gets the job done when you’re in a hurry.
4. Weekend Warrior Training
Got little or no time during the week to workout but more on the weekends? Here’s a training schedule that may suit you. You will do one training session mid-week (e.g. Wednesday) and two on the weekend (one Saturday and one Sunday). This gives you 3 sessions per week, which is plenty to make good progress!
On Wednesday, you will do a total body workout. Do 2 or 3 sets for each of back, chest and thighs and 1 or 2 sets each of shoulders, biceps, triceps and calves. This is more of a maintenance workout.
On Saturday, work half of your body (however you prefer to split your body parts up, e.g. back, chest, biceps and calves). On Sunday, work the other half of your body (e.g. shoulders, triceps, thighs and abs). This split will allow you to do more sets for each body part, e.g. 5 or 6 sets per body part.
You can also include cardio training on the weekends as well, either as separate sessions (if you have time) or immediately following your weight training (the 5 minute cardio workout I explained in #3 is an excellent way to go!).
5. Isometrics
“Isometric” basically means “without movement.” To do an isometric movement, you can push or pull against any immovable object.
For example, to work your chest muscles isometrically, press your palms together in front of you and push them together as hard as you can for 30 seconds.
To work your back, grab a solid railing or post with one hand and brace the other one against something solid. Now pull as hard as you can for 30 seconds, squeezing your back muscles hard.
Simple isometric contractions can also be very effective and convenient to do. These are done without working against objects but just by flexing the muscles.
Want to tone your glutes? Clench them hard and unclench them while you’re driving in the car (though if you’re not alone, you may have some explaining to do). Actively squeezing and contracting muscles for 20 to 30 seconds is a great way to keep the muscles active and toned.
Isometric contractions are very techniques to incorporate into the “Multi-Tasking” exercise technique I mentioned previously.
Conclusion:
While there always seem to be plenty of reasons why a person can’t find the time to exercise, there are also plenty of reasons why a person should MAKE the time to exercise.
These ideas should allow even the busiest person to make that time and reap the benefits of regular exercise!
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Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 16 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including “Metabolic Surge – Rapid Fat Loss,” “The Best Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of,” “Gluteus to the Maximus – Build a Bigger Butt NOW!” and “The Best Abdominal Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of” all available here at FitStep. He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.
Cardio Training For Fat Loss – Should I Do It BEFORE or AFTER My Weight Training For Best Results?
By Nick Nilsson
Training for fat loss is not easy and proper cardio training is an important part of the
process. But if you’re doing your cardio at the WRONG time, you could be
shooting yourself in the foot! Find out the best time to do it and why.
When it comes to fat loss, one of THE most frequently-asked questions I get is “to maximize fat loss, should I do my cardio before or after my weight training?“
I know there are times when I like to be kept in suspense…
But I’m not going to do that to you here…
Physiologically speaking, if maximum fat loss is your goal and you want to incorporate cardio into your training schedule, you’re better off doing your cardio training immediately AFTER your weight training.
Here’s why:
1. When you do weight training first, you have more energy and strength for that weight training.
I know cardio junkies won’t want to hear this, but intense, QUALITY weight training is actually MORE effective for fat loss than cardio training. Why the emphasis on quality? Well, if you go to the gym and just flail around with light weights for 30 minutes, it’s not really going to be very effective for fat loss.
However, if you really put some effort into it and train hard, the metabolic boost you get from weight training (in terms of not only calories burned while doing it but the increase in metabolism after AND the increase in muscle mass you get from weight training) is greater than the boost you get from cardio training. And, when compared to slow, long-duration cardio training, that boost is MUCH greater.
So by performing your weight training FIRST, while you’re fresh, you’re going to have more energy to put into it and you’re going to be stronger. This will increase metabolic and muscle mass stimulation and therefore overall fat loss. It’s a win-win situation!
That’s not to say you can’t do a couple of minutes of cardio as a general warm-up before starting into the weights…just don’t do an entire cardio session before weight training. Always keep in mind that the weight training is the REAL engine behind your fat loss efforts.
And if THAT isn’t enough to convince you to do cardio after weights, I’ve got another reason for you…
2. Performing weight training first decreases available blood sugar and puts the body in “fat burning” mode.
When you train with weights, you’re performing short, intense muscle contractions. Glucose (blood sugar) is the preferred fuel for driving these intense contractions. As you go through your workout, your body gradually uses up its readily-available supply of sugars and starts mobilizing fat for energy.
Here’s the key…mobilizing bodyfat for energy is a process that takes time. If you do your cardio first, your body will be initially working on that blood sugar before getting started on the bodyfat. By the time you’re done with cardio and move to weights, THAT is when you’re in the optimal fat-burning mode.
But the problem is, fat is NOT an efficient fuel for weight training. By doing cardio first, you use up all the “good” stuff for weight training and force your body to make do with a less powerful fuel source. Your weight training workouts will decrease in quality and your cardio efforts won’t be as effective for achieving fat-burning, which is your primary goal!
So basically, you’re shooting yourself in the foot TWICE!
Think of your body as a hybrid gas-electric car. This car uses gas to provide more power for acceleration and electricity to provide long-term power for maintaining speed.
Now think of blood sugar as gas and weight training as powerful acceleration. When you press the pedal (performing weight training), you’re going to get much better acceleration when you’re using the proper fuel (i.e. gas).
If you try and power the acceleration with electricity, you’ll go forward but not nearly as quickly as if you were using gas.
The bottom line is this…perform your weight training first so you use up the “fast” energy first. Then, by the time you hit the cardio, you’re ALREADY in fat-burning mode and every single second you’re doing that cardio is going to be burning more fat than if you did it first.
These two reasons apply no matter if you’re doing slower, long-duration cardio or high-intensity interval training (which I recommend). The key thing to keep in mind is that WEIGHT TRAINING is what’s going to help you change your body FAST…cardio is a useful tool for improving your results but it’s NOT what drives your fat-loss results.
And that being said, if you absolutely feel you MUST do your cardio first, I’m NOT going to tell you it’s the worst thing in the world…the fact that you’re doing SOMETHING trumps doing nothing ANY day of the week!
But if you’re looking for maximum impact for the time and effort you’re putting your training, DEFINITELY hit the weights first and cardio after.
If you’re interested in more articles and information on fat-loss, interval training and programs, check out the following links:
How To Lose Fat NOW – A Basic Fat-Loss Program That You Can Put To Work Today!
What Do You Mean Low-Intensity Training Isn’t The Best For Fat Burning?
The Insider Secrets of Interval Training – Learn How Now!
Metabolic Surge – Rapid Fat Loss
——————
Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 17 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including “Metabolic Surge – Rapid Fat Loss,” “The Best Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of,” “Gluteus to the Maximus – Build a Bigger Butt NOW!” and “The Best Abdominal Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of” all available at (http://hop.clickbank.net/?camnjane09/betteru). He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.
Using Fitness Kickboxercise To Get In Shape! Part 2
By Cameron Abel – BestFitnessChoices.com
Welcome to part 2 of how fitness kickboxercise can help you get into the best shape of your life!
In part 1 we talked about how fitness boxercise is an all over body workout and also that it is a mixture of both high impact and low impact movements.
Here in part 2 we discuss the other two main factors why this is such a great choice for fitness training and weight loss.
3) It targets both the Upper and Lower body!
Big secret here – Women and Men want the complete opposite to each other when desiring their perfect body image… Umm yeah, not so big a secret!
Us men are obsessed with our top half wanting a good strong chest, powerful shoulders and of course those bulging biceps! Meanwhile the softer sex prefer a tight and lean bottom half.
We have all seen the imbalances out in the real world of people who only train either the top or bottom half of their bodies. In men we see the big muscly top half dudes who could crush a coconut bare handed and yet have the “chicken legs” syndrome! Elsewhere we see those women whose bottom half looks like an Olympic athlete thanks to endless step classes and aerobics yet they have the floppy arms and a neglected torso!
Targeting the whole body works so much better than just working certain areas because all over body fat reduction is what gives you the results and definition you want in those specific areas such as the abs, butt, thighs and top half as well.
Women should also rest assured that any sort of strength training will NOT bulge them up like an Olympic shot putter! It is one the biggest myths in the exercise industry. Fitness boxercise encourages the development of elegantly sculpted, long and lean muscles which in my research so far is what both men and women find very attractive in each other!
I have “busted” a few myths not only in this 2 part series but in many articles across BestFitnessChoices.com. If this type of info gets your juices flowing and also if you need to find out more then I would really recommend you taking a quick look at Global Health & Fitness. They really are what I like to call one of the most complete, all round fitness and weight loss partners you can find anywhere in the world be it online or offline! The amount of info, articles and reports is astounding, they have endless workouts, virtual exercise classes, video description of hundreds of movements and exercises, expert consultation, motivation, tracking software, recipes and a magnificent support network. If you are struggling and need a fully “pimped” system with all the help and support you could ask for, then Global Health & Fitness is for you!
Click here to see for yourself (and grab the two free eBooks while you are there!) => Global Health & Fitness
4) It’s An Interval Training Workout!
You will have surely heard of the magical “Fat Burning Zone” whereby exercising at a moderate rate will actually burn the most fat. This is true to a point whereby the body does actually burn fat as fuel when doing this type of exercise. However fat loss and weight loss comes down to calories out and total calorie expenditure is what truly matters at the end of the day.
Now if you work out moderately for half an hour you will burn around 150 calories depending on your individual body type and mass. But if you worked out as hard and as fast as you could for that half hour you could double and sometimes triple that result!
Of course training flat out the whole time is not a great idea, is hard to do and can even cause you injury and damage. This is where interval training workouts come into their own! Interval training workouts cause the body to lose more weight during but also after the exercise due to the “after-burn” created by alternating periods of high intensity with low intensity.
This concept of interval training is used by all athletes to improve their fitness and students of Fitness Kickboxercise classes also benefit from this formula as they mix heart rate raising routines like kicks, punches and strikes with less strenuous activities such as squats and lunges.
Interval training is by far one of the absolute best and easiest ways for those with little time to add massive value to their workouts and helps people of all ages and all walks of life improve their fitness, lose weight and look great!
I thoroughly recommend fitness kickboxercise and fitness boxing training as a fun and effective part of your weight loss journey!
Best of luck with it!
Cameron
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For less than $5 you can have a FULL ACCESS 21 day trial to all that Turbulence Training has to offer. You just can’tgo wrong! It’s less than the price of a good cup of coffee and far better for you than another Big Mac
=> Turbulence Training $4.95 Trial Offer!
PS: Important Info! Fitness Kickboxercise is a fantastic foundation in the basics of several martial arts techniques such as Muay Thai and Karate. The punches, kicks and strikes are taken from these complex arts but Fitness Kickboxercise alone will not give you self defense lessons or enable you to be proficient in these ancient martial arts.
I myself am a big fan of Muay Thai and find it an excellent choice for those experienced in the arts or even total beginners. There is an excellent program all about Muay Thai which includes heaps of video footage and awesome information. You can take a look at it here! => Muay Thai Boxing Secrets (Tell me what you think! Is it for you?”
Using Fitness Kickboxercise To Get In Shape! Part 1
By Cameron Abel – BestFitnessChoices.com
A fantastic way to get fit, tone up and lose weight is with Fitness Kickboxercise. Also called fitness boxercise, boxing fitness or boxing fitness training, it is sweeping the world and and with its close relation to interval training workouts is fast becoming one of the most popular fitness options of late.
Its ever increasing popularity is due to the variety of the workouts, the differing skills you can learn and of course for the effective results achievable. Many people with an interest in perhaps taking up a martial art like Muay Thai, Karate or similar also find that an introduction into the basic techniques, kicks and punches prepares them more and it is an easier transition into full martial arts training classes.
There are 4 fantastic reasons why workouts such as Fitness Kickboxercise will get you in your best shape ever. This article is the first in a two part series explaining the individual factors and how fitness boxercise can help you not only lose weight but also get stronger and more confident.
1) It’s a workout with a mix of high impact and low impact!
The difference in low and high impact exercise or movements is pretty basic. What it entails is simply that high impact means that the body leaves the ground and then a considerable force is jolted through the body when landing. Low impact means that the body does not leave the ground and thus there is no excessive jolt through the bones, joints and muscles.
Having said that, certainly do not shy away from high impact exercise as this form of exercise is the absolute best way to raise your heart rate and therefore burn more calories! Also a great side affect is that these “shocks” actually can increase your bone density which is vital for building strong bones and especially helpful for women who are more at risk from osteoporosis and other bone diseases.
So Cam, get to the point! Is high impact good or bad for you?!
Well the answer is both!
High impact exercise is great as mentioned above but too much of it changes those shocks to major damage contributors. This is why exercise is best done as a combination of both high and low impact exercise. Fitness boxercise, box fitness or kickbox fitness all mix high and low impact moves so you will certainly increase your fitness and do this also without doing yourself any damage.
Of course to keep variety in your workouts, I strongly recommend that you take a look at the BodyBot software which creates super fast 4 minute, quality workouts that will surely leave you gasping for breath at the end.
Don’t believe a 4 minute workout can get you puffing?!
Take a look (I dare ya!) =>BodyBot
2) Every workout is a TOTAL BODY EXPERIENCE
Most people have a particular area that they wish to lose fat from or tone up and they wrongly feel that if they just train that particular area, they will get rid of the problem. For instance, have a fat belly and then try and just do hundreds and hundreds of sit up. Oops! Doesn’t work does it and most people give up long before success. That sort of approach to weight loss is not just boring but also unbalanced.
When conditioning your body you need to think about more than just burning fat otherwise all you will achieve is a smaller version of your current form with the same imbalances! By combining cardiovascular work with strength and flexibility training you will lengthen your muscles as well as improving your posture by strengthening weak muscles.
So the great thing about fitness boxercise is that it combines cardio, strength and also flexibility training into an all over body workout including kicks, punches and other strikes, all at once!
The strength training aspect is taken care of by the use of your own bodyweight! It is a myth that you have to lift heavy weights to get anything out of strength training. Take for example the average male is over 200 pounds. This is quite a lot of weight to shift around doing push-ups, crunches, lunges etc and we have not even started with the martial arts style moves yet! Throw in the hand weights and there is more than enough resistance to get the job done!
Any fitness or weight loss program needs to be complemented by a healthy nutrition program. I really learned so much about this area in Tom Venuto’s Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle eBook. It was my bible for ages and really set me up with what I needed to know about healthy eating, goal setting, macro-nutrient ratios and actually understanding the way the body stores and of course loses fat. I strongly suggest you take a peek at it and see for yourself!
=> Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle
See you in part 2 of how Fitness Kickboxercise is truly a great interval training workout.
PS: Important Info! Fitness Kickboxercise is a fantastic foundation in the basics of several martial arts techniques such as Muay Thai and Karate. The punches, kicks and strikes are taken from these complex arts but Fitness Kickboxercise alone will not give you self defense lessons or enable you to be proficient in these ancient martial arts.
I myself am a big fan of Muay Thai and find it an excellent choice for those experienced in the arts or even total beginners. There is an excellent program all about Muay Thai which includes heaps of video footage and awesome information. You can take a look at it here! => Muay Thai Boxing Secrets (Tell me what you think! Is it for you?)
5 Guaranteed Fat Burning Tips for 2010
If it’s January, it must be crazy time in the gym…and it must mean that every huckster out there is selling the magic potion to help folks lose the blubber
Be very careful about “gurus” who make claims that sound too good to be true…after all, none of that stuff has worked in the past, why would it start working now? It’s easy to get caught up in the latest “weight loss craze”, but it is essential for you to never stray too far from the basics.
The basics are what work time and time again. That’s how the TT Transformation Contest winners get such great results.
The 5 simple steps to success are:
1) Review your food journal.
Research shows that if you use a food journal, you should lose up to 3.5 pounds more than if you didn’t. Pretty simple, huh?
2) Use Fitday.com to see if your calories have crept up.
When people ask me how many calories they should be eating, I simply tell them to do three things.
- Go to Fitday.com and find out how many calories they are eating now.
- Cut that number by 20% if they are not losing weight.
- Improve the quality of their diet by eating at least 5 servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetables each day (in addition to your other healthy foods). The fat will fall off with this simple guideline.
3) Stop doing long, slow, boring cardio and switch to interval training.
Unless you are training for a marathon, a 10-K, or if you just love cardio more than life itself, there’s really no reason to do long, slow boring cardio. Switch to shorter interval training sessions and you’ll get more results, have more fun, and do it all in less than half the time.
4) Review your workouts for best results.
In addition to your food journal, you should keep a workout journal. This will allow you to go back through your past workouts to find out which ones worked best for you and which ones you enjoyed. If you’re struggling now, I suggest returning to the program that gave you the best results in the past.
5) Include resistance training in your workouts to help you sculpt your body.
Look at your body as a sculpture…sure you might have a little extra plaster on it, but you’ll get that off fastest with nutrition, not long cardio.
So use nutrition to lose the fat, and resistance training supersets, like the ones in the world-renowned Turbulence Training program, and you’ll sculpt your body like a beautiful work of art.
If you’re ready to go sleeveless, to get a flat stomach, and even to show off your body at the beach, then you’re ready for the world’s most popular home-workout program, Turbulence Training.
As featured in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Oxygen, Men’s Fitness, and even Prevention magazine, Turbulence Training and Craig Ballantyne’s fat loss tips have been used by millions of men and women all over the world.
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5 Excuses That Won’t Fly in 2010
It’s 2010. Your old excuses for not getting in shape won’t work. As Dr. Evil (Austin Powers) said, ZIP IT! I don’t want to hear them anymore! Read em’, then haul your excuseless butt to the gym!
1. I have no time.
According to a story in a recent issue of Men’s Health magazine, Barack Obama works out for 45 minutes a day, 6 days a week. Obama doesn’t just play basketball either. Our new president stays fit to lead with cardio and weight lifting. He also says he wishes he could train 90 minutes a day. Have you ever seen what the daily schedule of a U.S. president looks like? If the busiest man in the world can train every day for 45 minutes a day, then what’s your excuse? ZIP IT! You ain’t got one!
2. It’s too expensive.
Getting in shape certainly is expensive… if you keep wasting hundreds of dollars, month after month on worthless “miracle” weight loss pills, internal cleansing gimmicks and “magic” potions that all claim to make you slim. Deceptive advertising and slick marketing for bogus diet aids is more rampant than ever. 2010 was the year of thewu-long tea scam, the acai berry scam, and, of course, the ubiquitous “cleansing” and “detox” gimmicks . Unless you put on your critical thinking cap and learn to investigate before you invest, then you’ll get scammed by 2010’s flavor of the year as well. Your quest for those elusive “6-pack” abs will not only continue to be expensive, you’ll go broke. Walking, jogging, calisthenics and body weight exercises are FREE. If you want to know what’s really expensive, tally up the cost of legitimate expenses like natural food, gym memberships, fitness education, dumbbells and so on, and compare that to your doctor’s bill when you’re sick.
3. No one will support me.
Experts on social influence say your income will be approximately equal to the average of your 5 closest friends. Not only do I think that’s pretty darn accurate, I also believe that your health is your greatest wealth, and your physical condition will be about equal to the average of your 5 closest friends. It’s a real challenge to stay positive, focused and active when you’re surrounded by critical people and negative influences. However, in 2010, lack of support is no longer a valid excuse. Online social networking is exploding (check out Twitter and Facebook ) and more IN PERSON friendships and associations are being made from an internet connection than ever before. Training buddies can be found online. Connect with them. Mentors and coaches are easily found online. Hire them. Support forums have been around for years. Use them. No support from your current friends? Stop whining, start reaching out and go make new ones. In 2010, support partners and new friends are just a click away.
4. I can’t lose weight because of my genetics.
The marvels of modern medical and biological research are astonishing. Our top scientists have mapped the human genome! In the past few years, numerous genes linked to obesity have been discovered. However, the obesity epidemic we’re facing today has only developed over the past 50 years and genetic mutations that lead to serious obesity are extremely rare. Genetic predisposition only means that you have a tendency. It’s when the genetics meet lifestyle and environment that the genes express themselves. If you have a family history of heart disease, is it smart to smoke, eat junk, be a stressed-out, type-A maniac and a couch potato? Well of course not, and it’s the same with obesity. If you have a tendency predisposing you towards obesity, you’d better be the person doing the MOST exercise, not the least. You’d better be the person paying the MOST attention to your nutrition. You’d better be the person with the healthiest lifestyle. But unfortunately, it’s usually the opposite. Most people throw up their arms in frustration saying, “what’s the use, I was dealt a bad hand.” Sorry. That won’t fly in 2010. The latest research says genetics are a factor, but a tendency is not a destiny!
5. I don’t know how.
The lamest excuse of them all in 2010 is “I don’t know how.” NO ONE KNOWS HOW TO DO ANYTHING UNTIL AFTER THEY HAVE ACTUALLY DONE IT! Ponder that for a while. You don’t need to know how at first. To get started, you only need to know WHAT… what is the goal? Setting well-formed goals is the master skill of success. Not wishy-washy resolutions that have no resolve behind them, but real goals. In writing. With emotional ooompf! As you continue to affirm, visualize and focus on your goal with clarity, belief, and expectation, your new goal or intention will be received by your subconscious. Once a goal is accepted into your subconscious mind, your brain, being a goal-seeking mechanism, will turn on your attention filters to seek out all the information you will ever need to reach your goal. It will also turn on an infallible navigation system to guide you to your goal like a torpedo to its target. As your brain guides your attention, your direction and your behavior, you will discover that today, in 2010, there is more good information, coaching and instruction available than ever before. And when you’ve activated that “success radar” in your brain by setting goals effectively, it’s not as hard to find honest, accurate and helpful HOW-TO advice as you might think. In fact, you found this webpage, so you’re doing pretty good right now, aren’t you?
No more excuses. In 2010, remember my Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle Creed: You can either make excuses or get results, but you can’t do both!
Your friend and coach,
Tom Venuto
Fat Loss Coach
BurnTheFat.com
About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a fat loss expert, lifetime natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, independent nutrition researcher, freelance writer, and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat-Burning Secrets of The World’s Best Bodybuilders & Fitness Models (e-book) which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: => burnthefat.com
3 Amazing Fat Burning Interval Training Options
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
If you are looking to cut down on the amount of time you spend in the gym without jeopardizing your fat loss goals, then including interval training alongside your strength training program is the only way to go.
Just imagine spending half the time in the gym – if not more – and getting way better results. Isn’t that what you deserve?
I thought so.
And to make the notion of ditching long, slow, boring cardio even more convincing is the fact that you will be far less susceptible to sustaining an overuse injury with interval training.
For some of you, however, the thought of giving up your daily cardio machine routine is too much to bear. But not to worry because you can still use your favorite machine, but we’ll just tweak things a bit so that you get more out of your workout in half the time.
1) Interval Training Option #1 – Classic Intervals
For example, try incorporating intervals on the treadmill by running hard for 30 seconds, at an 8 out of 10 intensity level, followed by 60 seconds of light recovery at a 3 out of 10 intensity level.
That is one interval, and so you will repeat this process up to 6 times, while using a five minute warm-up and a 5 minute cool down.
Each week try to do more squats in the same amount of time. This may sound easy, but trust me; it can be as difficult as you make it!
2) Interval Option #2 – Short Burst Squats
I personally recommend a Gymboss timer for this type of training, but it isn’t essential.
So, for the bodyweight interval training you will do as many bodyweight squats as you can for 20 seconds and then hold the bottom position for 10 seconds, then repeat your squats for 20 seconds, and then hold at the bottom for 10 etc. Repeat these intervals for 8 rounds.
3) Interval Option #3 – Kettlebell Swings
If you have a kettlebell, you can do swings or kettlebell squats for 30 seconds and then walk for 30 seconds and alternate for 6-10 rounds. That’s a great way to finish a fat burning workout.
Alright, so those are just three of the countless ways in which you can include interval training into your workouts that will burn fat faster and help you avoid spending more time than necessary in the gym.
Turbulence Training Bodyweight Deluxe Program
Instead of New Year’s Resolutions, Set S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Goals
Why do new year’s resolutions usually fail? Why do you start with guns blazing on January 1st, but by February, you’re losing motivation, cheating on your diet, skipping workouts, and slipping back into old patterns? John LaValle, a master trainer of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) suggests that we should take a closer look at the meaning behind the word “Resolution.” Being derived from the word “re-solve,” it really means “to solve again.” And isn’t that exactly what happens? You solve the same problem again and again, year after year?
You know what I’m talking about… That 20 pounds you lost last year, and promptly gained it right back… you are now resolving to take it off again aren’t you? The very nature of the word resolution implies gaining it back again.
Suggestion: don’t make resolutions. Set SMARTER goals.
Resolutions aren’t real goals. They’re more like wishes, and wishes are wishy-washy. A wish becomes a goal the moment you put it in writing. When you write your goals in a certain way, following scientific principles of success psychology, you’ll skyrocket your chances of getting what you want this year… and keeping it.
One of the most tried and true methods for goal achievement is the SMART goals formula. If you searched the net for SMART goals, you would probably find a dozen different variations on the SMART goal acronym. Here’s my version of SMART goals, along with a little extra to make them even SMART-ER.
1. Specific. Set goals with clarity. Your mind does not respond well to vague generalities. If you say your goal is to lose weight and then you lose one pound, then you’ve reached your goal. Is that what you really wanted? Get clear. Be precise. Be specific.
2. Measurable. Set goals that can be quantified in measurable units such as pounds, body fat percentage, lean body mass, inches and clothing sizes. Performance goals can include strength (lbs or kilos lifted) and repetitions completed. Don’t forget to include health goals as well, such as blood pressure and blood lipids.
3. Accountable. Set goals you can be held accountable to. First be accountable to yourself by using a weekly progress chart, a daily nutrition diary and a training journal. Then double your motivation with external accountability and submit your results and journals to someone else who will hold you to your commitments.
4. Realistic. Set goals that are attainable and maintainable. If you lose two pounds of fat per week, you are doing awesome. 30 pounds in 30 days sounds great in the advertisements, but it is not typical, and rapid weight loss is likely to consist of muscle and water, not fat, and is nearly impossible to maintain.
5. Time Bound. Set goals with deadlines. Time limits are highly motivating. With no time limit, there is no urgency for completion. Set goals for daily workouts and nutrition, weekly weight and body composition and 12 week changes in weight, body fat or measurements. Set long term goals as well for one year, five years and even beyond. For all time periods, be certain that your deadline is realistic.
Now we add some motivational ooompf for this year by making your goals even SMART-ER!
6. Emotional. Goals give you a direction, but strong emotions are the propulsion system that drives you in that direction. Build up a burning desire by focusing on the emotional reasons why you want to achieve your goal. Connect your goals to your values. What’s most important to you about reaching your goal? If you reach 9% body fat, or whatever is your target, what will that do for you? What will your life look like then? How will it make you FEEL?
7. Reviewed often. Resolutions fail because they are casually set once at the beginning of the year and easily forgotten. Stay laser-focused by writing and reading your goals every day. Repetition is one of the keys to re-programming your mental computer for success. Use the goal card technique. Write your single most important body or fitness goal on a small card, then carry it with you every where you go, reading it several times a day.
S.M.A.R.T.E.R. GOALS is a simple, memorable formula for goal setting and goal getting. It may not be new, but then again, there are no new fundamentals. Methods and tactics may change, but scientific principles of success never change. And don’t forget to make your goals even smarter this year. A goal that’s not strongly desired and kept in front of you every day will be forgotten. Stay focused, eat right, train hard and expect success!
“A goal that is casually set and lightly taken will be freely abandoned at the first obstacle.” – Zig Ziglar, Motivational Speaker
Your friend and coach,
Tom Venuto
Fat Loss Coach
BurnTheFat.com
About the Author:
Tom Venuto is a fat loss expert, lifetime natural (steroid-free) bodybuilder, independent nutrition researcher, freelance writer, and author of the #1 best selling diet e-book, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle: Fat-Burning Secrets of The World’s Best Bodybuilders & Fitness Models (e-book) which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models.
Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and increase your metabolism by visiting: =>BurnTheFat.com
