Monday, September 05, 2005

Real Muscle Real Fast

Adding muscle seems to be a mystery to most, yet if you pick up a copy of any fitness or bodybuilding magazine and you’ll almost always see a headline like this: “Gain 15 Pounds of Muscle in 6 Weeks.”

If it were so easy you’d have millions of muscle-heads running around. Even though building muscle tissue can be a challenge, I’m going to outline some very specific principles that can pack on the muscle faster than you can throw away that copy of “Muscle and Fiction”!

Before we get started though I want to clarify a few points.


1. The ridiculous claims made by most fitness and bodybuilding magazines are only there to get you to buy that issue – nothing more!


2. If you are serious about strength training you need to be reading books and NOT cheesy fitness magazines


Ok… here we go.

In order to add muscle tissue you must force the body to add it. Your body won’t just add a pound of muscle just because you followed a 3-set workout that you read about in Muscle + Fitness. You need to give the body a reason to make improvements – in this case add muscle tissue.

You have to provide what I call a “stimulus”. This can be done in many ways and I’ll address a few in just a moment. Basically, you need to force the body to add muscle by subjecting it to levels of stress it is not used to. Some methods are more obvious than others but all can work. Here are a few examples of how this can be done effectively.

First, the basic and common methods:

1. Increase weight or resistance

2. Perform more repetitions

3. Perform more sets

4. Move the resistance slower

5. Rest less between sets and exercises


Now for the more advanced methods:

1. Pre-exhaust (perform an isolation exercise first and immediately continue with no rest on a compound movement. ex. chest flye and then chest press)

2. Static holds (hold the resistance in the hardest position of the range of motion. ex. the top position during a leg extension)

3. Partial reps in weak range (perform a portion of the rep where you are weakest. ex. the top half of a rep of leg extensions)

4. Strip-set (after a warm-up set, perform 3 sets back to back with no rest while starting with the heaviest weight possible and each time strip off some weight to allow you to continue)

5. 1 ½ reps (perform one full rep and then on the second rep only perform half the normal range of motion and then return to starting position to begin the next rep. ex. one full rep of lat pulldowns, pull second rep all the way down, resist weight back up but only half way and then pull back down)

These are just a few examples of methods of increasing intensity to ensure progress. The key point to remember is that whatever you do it must be progressive in order for it to elicit a physical change. This is even more critical for those looking to add muscle size.

Although this article is geared towards individuals who are interested in gaining muscle size, the principles can also be used for individuals who want to build strength, increase metabolism, or tighten and tone muscles.

Here are some general recommendations for different goals…

If your goal is to tighten and tone muscles:

  • Focus on increasing reps, decreasing rest, and changing exercises frequently

  • Train each muscle group twice per week

  • Perform fewer sets of many different exercises (1-2 sets per exercise)



    If your goal is to increase strength and power:

  • Focus on increasing weight

  • Train each muscle group once every 7-10 days

  • Perform multiple sets of each exercise (2-5 sets per exercise)


    If your goal is to increase muscle size:

  • Focus on shocking muscles by changing variables frequently (exercises, set and rep schemes, rest time, etc)

  • Train each muscle group on a variable schedule (experiment by training a muscle group 3 times a week and then once every ten days)

  • Perform multiple sets for a while and the perform single sets for a week or two


    Some final reminders:

    The recommendations above are general and of course would need to be adapted and adjusted for your personal goals and experience. For those of you who are advanced and may be thinking there’s no way you can build strength by training once every 10 days I challenge you to try it for at least 4 weeks, or those of you who think that you need to stick to the same basic movements like bench to build size I challenge you to try shocking the muscles by changing the exercises you perform each week for 4 weeks, and those of you with little experience I hope that you’ll throw away the fitness magazines and learn what really works.

    There are some great books on these subjects and for those of you who are serious about strength training I personally recommend you check out the books “APEX” and “No Turning Back” by Brian Johnston. You can find them online at www.iart.com

    If you have any questions about the techniques described in this article please feel free to contact me. You can email me at jesse@achieve-fitness.com

    I wish you the best!

    About The Author

    Jesse Cannone is a certified personal trainer, nutritionist, and best-selling fitness author. Sign up to receive his free email course, Muscle Building Tips which is full of powerful tips and techniques for maximizing strength and size. http://www.seriousstrengthtraining.com

    support@seriousstrengthtraining.com

    Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/



  • 15 Muscle Building Rules

    WHY CAN'T YOU GAIN WEIGHT?

    Though there may be many reasons why you may be thin, the most apparent reason is because of your genetics. If your parents are naturally thin or have a small body frame, then you will most likely have the same small body type.

    To some degree, your size can also be controlled by your metabolism. If you have a difficult time gaining weight of any kind (fat or muscle) then you most likely have a fast metabolism. That simply means that your body burns calories at a faster than normal rate. You must take this into account whenever you are considering a particular diet or training program. Is it geared towards someone with your metabolism and goal?

    Now as you know, there are many ways to train. Hundreds, thousands even. Some work and some do not, but for the specific goal of gaining weight, there are a few UNIVERSAL things that all skinny guys must do.

    Though much of the information I cover here is not as "magical" as you may like, I consider these rules to be the basics with regard to weight gain. These are not all of the answers, but they are definite elements that MUST be addressed in any successful weight gain program.

    You should be able to easily integrate these rules into your current program to make it more suitable for your particular body and goals.

    GENERAL RULES

    1.Get the proper information that pertains to your SPECIFIC condition and goals.

    The first big problem I find in most people is the lack of correct information. Yes you are motivated and doing things, but your effort is wasted on incorrect dieting and training information. Basically, skinny guys are taking advice from people who have never had a weight gain problem. Want to know how to gain weight? Then find someone who has walked your shoes. Someone who has been where you are.

    2.Set a specific goal and create a plan of attack.

    If you were to drive cross country to another city, would you just start driving randomly, or would you plan a route that would get you quickly and efficiently?

    Think of your plan as a road map and your goal as your destination. Without a plan and a specific goal you will be without focus and can easily get lost or side tracked. This happens more often than you know. I see many people in the gym just doing whatever, or just eating whatever -- no plan or specific goal. They wonder why they don't make progress. They have no focus.

    Having a specific program to follow allows you to take action each day. This action is focused on specifically getting you to your destination quickly. There is no thinking, debating or guessing. You just do it. A specific plan provides necessary daily structure that not only keeps you on the road moving forward, it also helps to develop good eating and training habits that will benefit you long after you have reached your destination.

    3.Have confidence in yourself and belief in what you are doing.

    Let’s face it; we live in a cruel world. Hate and jealously is everywhere. For most people who begin a fitness program to improve themselves, getting started will be half the battle. The other half will be staying motivated throughout the constant onslaught of negativity from others. A few negative words can do serious damage if you allow it.

    The most insulting things you hear may be from friends, co-workers and acquaintances at the gym. People hate change. It makes them insecure, because they suddenly discover there’s more to you than they were probably willing to admit. They fear that you may actually achieve your goal. It makes them look less “superior”.

    Once you have begun your plan, you must have faith and believe in what you are doing. Stay focused and avoid overly critical or negative people. If you have to, keep your business to yourself. When I first began my program, I stopped talking about what I was doing because I got tired of hearing things like “you can’t do that”, “that’s impossible”, “you’re wasting your time and money”. Funny thing is, now those people are constantly bugging me for advice.

    It’s your life. It’s your body. It’s your dream. Don’t allow your success or failure to rest in the hands of others.

    WORKOUT RULES

    4. Stop listening to every ridiculous piece of advice you hear in the gym or read on a message board.

    Recently a client of mine informed me that someone in the gym stated that he was training all wrong and he needed to train 5-6 days a week, and aim for more reps during his workout. Somewhere in the range of 15-20 reps per set.

    The person giving the advice was quite confident about his recommendations, and he had an impressive physique that typically elevates him to the elusive "listen to me if you want to look like me" level in the gym. He was bigger than my client, so even though my client's "intellectual" mind knows that advice is absurd; his "unrealistic dreamer" mind took this information very seriously. So seriously that he changed his program and didn't inform me until a week or so later. This particular person had been making great progress on his current program, yet he allowed this one person’s comment to overshadow that progress and convince him that his program was inadequate. This is a mistake and it showed in his lack of further progress.

    In addition, don't judge the validity of what a person says by how they look. Just because the guy is huge doesn't mean he is spewing pertinent advice for you. Many people that have big physiques are big despite of their training, not because of it. I know some huge guys that know very little about training and dieting correctly. They can do whatever and still gain muscle; unfortunately we are not that way, so we much approach things in a more intelligent way.

    5.Workout Infrequently

    This is the most difficult concept for many to grasp simply because it involves less action, instead of more. When we get motivated and start a new program, it’s natural to want to do something. We want to train and train and train. Thinking all along that the more you train, the more muscle you will build. Unfortunately, this could not be farther from the truth.

    More training does not equal more muscle growth. Understand that the purpose of weight training is to stimulate muscle growth. That takes very little time. Once that has been done, the muscle needs to be repaired and new muscle needs to be built. That only happens when you are resting. You do not build muscle in the gym, you build muscle when resting! If you never give your body any essential “non active” time, when will it have a chance to build muscle? Think about that.

    Now, add in the fact that you have a difficult time gaining weight and the importance of rest increases. Individuals who are naturally thin and have difficulty building muscle tend to require less training and more rest.

    6. Focus on Multi-Jointed Lifts

    Multi-jointed exercises are those that stimulate the most amounts of muscle fibers. Unlike isolation exercises which only work individual muscles, multi-jointed lifts work many different muscle groups simultaneously. For those needing to gain weight, this is ideal because these lifts put your body under the most amount of stress. This is the stress that will shock your nervous system and cause the greatest release of muscle building hormones. This results in increased muscle gain all over the body.

    You can still do some isolation work; however it should not be the focus of your workouts, and should only come after your multi-jointed lifting is complete.

    7. Focus on Using Free Weights

    Free weights are preferred over machines for many reasons, but most importantly because they allow the stimulation of certain supporting muscle groups when training. Stimulating these stabilizer and synergistic muscles will allow you go get stronger, and ultimately build more muscle faster. Yes, some can most likely still build large amounts of muscle using machines, but why make it more difficult if you already have a difficult time gaining weight?

    8. Lift a weight that is challenging for you

    Building mass involves lifting relatively heavy weight. This is necessary because the muscle fibers that cause the most amount of muscle size growth (called Type IIB) are best stimulated by the lifting of heavy weight. A heavy weight as one that only allows you to perform 4-8 reps before your muscles fail.

    Using a lighter weight and doing more reps can stimulate some Type IIB fibers, but again if you have a difficult time gaining weight, why make it more difficult? You need to try and stimulate as many as you can with the use of heavy weights.

    9. Focus more on the eccentric portion of the exercise.

    When you lift a weight, it can be divided into three distinct periods. The positive, the negative and midpoint. The concentric or “positive” motion usually involves the initial push or effort when you begin the rep. The midpoint is signaled by a short pause before reversing and returning to the starting position. The eccentric, or “negative” portion of each lift is characterized by your resistance against then natural pull of the weight.

    For example, when doing push-ups, the positive motion is the actual pushing up motion. Once you have pushed all the way up, you hit the mid point. The negative motion begins when you start to lower yourself back down. Most would simply lower themselves as fast as they pushed up, but I recommend extending and slowing down this portion. Slowing down the eccentric part of the lift will help to stimulate more muscle growth. It actually activates more of the Type IIB fibers mentioned about in Rule 7.

    10. Keep your workout short but intense.

    Your goal should be to get in, stimulate your muscles and then get out as quickly as possible. It is not necessary to do large amounts of exercisers per body part trying to target every muscle and hit every “angle”. This should only be a concern of someone with an already developed, mature physique who is trying to improve weak areas.

    If you have no pec, don’t concern yourself with trying to target inner, outer, upper, lower or whatever. Just work your chest. You should do no more than 2-3 exercises per body part. That’s it. Doing more than that won’t build more muscle, faster. In fact it could possibly lead to muscle loss. Long training sessions cause catabolic hormone levels to rise dramatically. Catabolic hormones are responsible for breaking down muscle tissue resulting in MUSCLE LOSS. While at the same time, long training sessions suppress the hormones that actually build muscle.

    If you don’t want to lose muscle during your workouts, I suggest limiting your sessions to no more than 60-75 minutes MAXIMUM. Less if you can.

    11. Limit your aerobic activity and training

    Honestly, I do not do any aerobic activity when I am trying to gain weight. This is mainly because it interferes with the important “non-active” time my body needs for muscle building and recovery. I do understand that people have lives and other activities that they don't want to give up, so it must be kept to a minimum. It won’t hurt your progress as long as you don’t over do it. If you find that you are doing more aerobic activity weight training, that’s overdoing it.

    I also don’t recommend it because people tend do it for the wrong reasons. Many start aerobic activity because they believe it will help them to lose fat. While that is true, it won’t do so on a high calorie mass diet. To lose fat, you need to be eating fewer calories.

    12. Don’t program hop

    Here’s how it usually happens. You’ve just read about a new exercise or workout that is supposed to pack on the mass. Now, even though you had already started another training program a few weeks ago, you are tired of it and really want to start this routine instead because it sounds better.

    I call these people, “program hoppers”. They are very enthusiastic when starting a new program, but they never follow it long enough to actually see any results. They are easily distracted and love to drop whatever they may be doing to follow the latest "hot" workout or exercise.

    My advice is don’t do it. This is a bad habit that never leads to a positive outcome. Understand that it takes time for any program to work. To be successful, you must follow your program consistently. Yes, there are many different training methods and interesting routines out there, but you can’t do them all at the same time and jumping around won’t allow enough time for any of them to actually be effective for you. Pick one that is focused on your current goal and stick with it. There will be plenty of time to try the others later, but NOT NOW.

    EATING RULES

    13. Eat more

    This rule is pretty simple, but usually the one that is not done correctly. If weight gain is your goal, then you will need to eat more food. Period. In most cases, you will need to eat more than you are normally accustomed to.

    One large problem that I had when starting out is I just had no appetite. I knew I needed to eat more, but I just did not want to. I had to force myself to eat at each meal. Thankfully, after about 2 weeks, my appetite grew. I was becoming hungry before each meal, and if I didn't eat my meal at the normal time, my body knew it.

    If you have this problem, you still must eat something, no matter how much. Start off making yourself eat something small like fruit every few hours. Then, as your appetite becomes more active, gradually move into more real food.

    What this will do is gradually get your body accustomed eating at regular intervals. Eventually you will be hungry before each meal time.

    When eating more, you will need to make sure that you are getting plenty of good quality protein. Protein is a nutrient that is essential for building muscle. Every meal that you eat should contain some form of protein. Meal Replacement Powders like Myoplex are excellent for this purpose. They enable you to eat large amounts of good quality protein in a very convenient manner.

    14. Eat more often

    In addition to eating more calories, you should also strive to eat more often throughout the day. Eating infrequently, or going long periods without eating, will cause your body to breakdown muscle tissue for the calories it needs. This is especially true for those with fast metabolisms.

    Spreading your meals throughout the day will give you more manageable meal sizes, improve nutrient assimilation, and make sure that your body always has the calories it needs for muscle building and repair. I recommend eating a high protein meal every 3 hours. During normal waking hours, that usually equals about 6 meals.

    Now, I know what you are saying, “I’m too busy to do this”, or “how can I do that with a full time job and school?” Don’t let the thought of this being too difficult keep you from doing it. It may seem very inconvenient at first, but once you get in the habit of doing it, it becomes second nature and you don’t have to give it much thought. Trust me, I’ve been doing it for years and do not feel that it’s limiting or time consuming.

    15. Use Nutritional Supplements.

    Before you buy any product, remember that supplements are not magic. Too many people think that just because you buy the latest product, it guarantees that you will automatically begin to pack on the pounds. The truth is that supplements are only there to enhance an already solid diet and workout program.

    They can give you the extra edge by:

    * Adding More Convenience: Using food supplements like Myoplex or Designer Protein help to eliminate the common problem of 'not enough time', by providing you with a quick, efficient way to get your required nutrients each day. They make eating large amounts of calories and protein easier for people with low appetites.

    * Increasing Strength Levels: Products that contain Creatine, like Phosphagen HP or Cell-Tech enable you to swing the odds of gaining more weight in your favor by increasing your strength output. Creatine enables you to lift heavier weights, which will stimulate more muscle fibers and cause more muscle growth.

    * Decreasing Recovery Time: Vitamin C is essential to prevent free radical damage, which is accelerated after the heavy trauma of weight training. It is also essential is helping to repair connective tissue. All of this helps decrease the amount of time you are sore.

    * Enhancing Your Immune System: Weight training increases the body's need for many minerals like magnesium and selenium. I always use a good multi-vitamin ensures that I am not deficient in any major essential vitamin or mineral. Deficiency symptoms include muscle weakness and suppression of the immune system, muscle cramping and fatigue.

    I can honestly say that I could not have built the body I have today without the convenience and enhancements supplements provide. I simply don't have the time or desire to do it any other way. This is a choice that you must decide for yourself. You will be spending your money on these products, so make sure that you know their place in your program.

    IS THIS POSSIBLE?

    Yes, but I have to be honest and say that from my experience, gaining weight is much more difficult than losing fat. Even if you are doing everything right, it will still be difficult because you are fighting against what your body naturally prefers. If you are naturally thin, building an impressive physique involves persistence and determination, but no matter what anyone says, it is well within your ability. Good luck and for more information on how to gain weight, be sure to check out my website at http://www.fastmusclegain.com

    Former "skinny guy" Anthony Ellis is the author of Gaining Mass. The most widely used weight gain program in the world. This unique program designed to help people gain weight and build muscle, is currently being used in over 90 countries. For more information on how to gain weight and build muscle, check out his website at http://www.fastmusclegain.com

    Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

    Increase Your Vertical Jump

    A very common dream these days is to have a 40" vertical jump. Being able to do acrobatic dunks and soar for rebounds just makes playing basketball more exciting. Achieving a 40" vertical will take a lot of hard work and dedication. I will show you how to put together a program that will help you jump higher.


    The first thing that you will need to do is build strength in your legs. Exercises like squats, deadlifts, and glute-ham raises will accomplish this. You will want to do about 3 sets of 5 reps on these exercises. You will also want to do some Olympic lifts. I would recommend doing cleans or snatches. Only perform these lifts if you know the proper form, as you can easily get injured if you do them incorrectly. Plyometrics is the last form of training that I would recommend. There are many different plyometric exercises you can do, but I think that Depth Jumps are the best way to go.


    If you put together the strength training, the Olympic lifts, and the plyometrics, you should be able to increase your vertical jump by 4-6 inches if you stick with it for about 5-6 weeks.
    One last thing you can do is to stretch your hip flexors. Stretch them out as much as possible before and after you workout. If you need more description of the exercises, you can Click Here and you should be able to find them.

    Fat Loss in General

    This morning I conducted a search engine "search" on the word fat loss. "Fat Loss" and "Fat Loss Supplements", being the most popular keywords, came up with a combined 1800 links, in one search engine. I went to the next search engine I ran a word count on "fat loss" rather than a link count. The results came up as 46106! WOW! Why is it that fat loss / losing body fat related information and products are so much in demand, yet obesity and being overweight are on the up and up, and are actually at the highest rate ever. With the health and fitness industry booming it seems absurd that this is occurring. Doesn't it?

    Temptation and Obstacles Effecting Your Attempts at Fat Loss

    The fact is that losing body fat or fat loss is not easy. We are tempted every day with fast fatty and sugary foods with super deals of quick easy meals involving drive through access and home delivery. These fast food meals are "fast" and often "affordable" with meal deals for a family of four sometimes costing under $10 - $12. Who wouldn't pass this up! Before you know it, it's the end of the day, the family is hungry, dinner time is drawing nigh and your beat. I can fully understand why people choose this option when our lifestyles are so hectic.

    The Alcohol "Social and Relaxation" Temptation

    An odd heading for this paragraph, I know, but I needed to draw your attention to the fact that alcohol will not help your fat loss efforts. I know we hear the saying so often that "doctors say that it's healthy to have one or two wines per day", however this is in regards to the properties of red wine assisting in the prevention of clogged arteries - not a fat loss miracle! If red wine is necessary for medicinal purposes and perscribed by a doctor then obviously your health comes first. However the topic here is fat loss........................My views are "everything in moderation". BUT I DO KNOW THAT if you want to make a genuine effort to lose body fat that a couple of alcoholic drinks per day could easily effect your fat loss attempts. So unless your's is the case above then I would seriously think about "cutting back".

    Since I began as a trainer years ago I have found that it is usually junk food or alcohol that prevents my clients from losing body fat. Just going without those few EXTRA drinks after work or consuming less alcohol at social gatherings will make a considerable difference to how much body fat you lose.

    Quit Fooling Yourself

    Do not fool yourself by thinking that if you just fat burn or exercise for one extra session per week you can rid yourself of all those extra calories and fat from alcohol and food. Unfortunately our bodies aren't that easily fixed.

    Why Most People Don't Succeed at Losing Body Fat

    Other than the temptations mentioned above people tend not to succeed at fat loss because they are either not committed, not well informed on fat loss or they are committed for the wrong reasons. In other words you either aren't abiding by the rules, or have been mislead by some other belief or you are trying to lose body fat because you are trying to keep other people happy by doing so rather than yourself.

    Making Sure You are Trying to Lose Body Fat to Please YOU, Not Everyone Else.

    Think about why it is you want to lose body fat. Make sure you really want to put in 100% effort.. You want to feel great about making this decision not obliged to do it. Losing body fat can help increase your self-esteem as well as boosting your health so giving it your best shot with a positive frame of mind is always the "way to go".

    Things that You Should Do Before You Get Started!

    First you may want to make notes on what time of the day, when and where that you will most probably find it the most difficult to stick to this program. If, say for instance, "calling in at the drive thru for fast food on the way home from work or picking the children up" is where you find that you are most likely to go wrong then be prepared for it by making the appropriate changes. eg Having a meal which is already partly prepared in the fridge so that it will only take an extra 10 - 15 minutes to cook. Being organised with food preparation is very very important. It is exhausting coming home after a long day and realising you have to then organise something for dinner (amongst other things) You can bet the children would jump for joy if you offered them Mac's - so you do - at least there is no washing up the dishes after dinner either...Sound familiar?

    Re-orgnanising Your Lifestyle - Don't Make it Difficult on Yourself!

    Re-orgnanising your lifestyle may be quite a challenge for most people and families. But if you want to succeed at fat loss I am sure you want to be able to do it without tearing your hair out. Your goal is to re-arrange and plan your day so that you, your family and your new lifestyle can run smoothly. Such as planning your low-fat meals and recipes in a diary. Planning your grocery shop with a shopping list to prevent you from buying unnecessary junk food is also a great idea. Pre-preparing meals, making appointments for your exercise time slot etc all needs to be written into your appointment book or diary. You can tick each appointment off as the day progresses. When planning your shopping list remember, that unless you have the time, don't go getting all creative with lowfat banquets etc for lunches and dinner. Choose simple to prepare ingredients and meals.

    What Exercise Should I be Performing to Burn Body Fat?

    There seems to be alot of controversy over what to do and what not to do when it comes to "fat burning" exercise. Mostly it depends on your fitness level and if you have any type of injuries, back pain or medical conditions that may affect what you can and can't do. Make sure you check with your doctor first before starting any type of exercise or eating program, so he / she can indicate and provide you with a letter verifying that it is "ok" for you to start exercising and at what level.

    Different Types of Exercising for Fat Burning

    Treadmills, indoor cycles, cardiovascular machines etc any of these are great for performing fat burning exercise, provided your doctor says it's cool to go ahead with it. If you enjoy being outdoors then walking and cycling are also great. Finding a program that suits your bodies needs and fitness level is important. Make sure you add variety to your fat burning program as you advance adding hills, inclines and speed rather than increasing the time. A reasonable time for fat burning is approx 20 - 30 mins.

    You should also know that if you increase the time of your fat burning session, and not the intensity and other variations, you will find that as you advance your program your sessions may become too long. This will only encourage you to think that your exercise is becoming too time consuming and a chore - which will lead you to "throwing in the towel". So keep up the variety to keep it interesting.

    The Wrong Program for You: A Common Mistake that Leads to Lack of Fat Loss

    Have you ever read a successful fat loss story that you, and everyone else you know, tried only to find that it didn't work that well for you or them? Did you stop to think that maybe the person in the success story had their program specifically designed for their body type, not yours! If you really want to "kick some fat loss butt" you need a program that is designed to suit your body type and fitness level. Don't expect super results from a program that someone else used, remember they may have had a different metabolism, fitness level, body shape and eating program to you, which makes it very difficult for you to reach the same levels of fatloss as they did.

    FREE FAT LOSS EXERCISE Sample Program: http://www.virtualfitnesstrainer.com/articles/Fat_Loss_Cardio_Program.htmThis program is a sample program to give you an idea of the variations you can use for your fat burning programs.Where to go from here.............After reading this article you should have a greater knowledge of where you may be going wrong with your fat loss or how to get started on a new fat burning program.If you are keen to get started on your own personally designed health and fitness program please feel welcome to visit my web site: http://www.virtualfitnesstrainer.com.I look forward to seeing you again soon.Happy Training!Kind Regards Yours in fun, health and fitness Mandy Gibbons Virtual Fitness Trainer http://www.virtualfitnesstrainer.com/Persons who are of good health, suspect of their health or are aware of any conditions, physical deficiencies or diseases should always consult a physician before undertaking any eating or exercise program. Mandy Gibbons, Virtual Fitness Trainer, www.virtualfitnesstrainer.com.au and www.virtualfitnesstrainer.com disclaims any liability or loss in connection with the above program or advice given in this article.The above article (in it's entirety) is free for use on other health and fitness related web sites and newsletters on the condition that the following section below is copied and pasted to the base or top of the article.This article was written by:© Mandy Gibbons 2001 Personal Fitness Trainer & Consultant VIRTUAL FITNESS TRAINER"Make your Health and Fitness Program a Success today!"12 month Online Personal Training & Health and FitnessMembership. Workouts, Exercises, Low Fat Eating Plans,complete with instructions, all designed to suit specifichealth and fitness goals. Better yet -- it's all included in theone affordable membership package!mandy@virtualfitnesstrainer.com http://www.virtualfitnesstrainer.com/Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

    Sunday, August 21, 2005

    Keys to Staying Motivated

    One of the biggest reasons that people quit working out is due to a loss of motivation. They go to the gym and eat healthy, but they just don’t seem to be making any progress. They will start coming up with excuses of why they shouldn’t go to the gym any more. In this article, I will show you many different things you can do that will help you stay motivated.

    The first thing that you will have to do is set goals for yourself. You need to set both short-term and long-term goals. It is better to set more specific goals so you know exactly what you are working for. This is a very easy and effective way to stay motivated.

    The second thing that you can do is track your progress. Keep detailed workout logs with all of your sets, reps, and weights. If you do this, you will be able to see exactly how much stronger you are getting each workout. You can also take pictures of yourself. Take a new picture every few months to compare with older ones. You will be able to see all the changes that your body has made. It is very pleasing to see how much better you look each month. It will also show you if you have a body part that hasn’t improved as much as others.

    For short-term motivation, listening to music will definitely help. You can listen to music while you drive to the gym or by using some headphones. Watching movies such as Rocky IV or other personal favorites will also work. One last thing that I will recommend is to get a workout partner. Get somebody that will push you to work your hardest and that won’t let you skip a day. Using some of these tips should keep you motivated and in better shape than ever before.