Category — Employee Fitness

The creators of the female only circuit training fitness clubs had a great business idea. They created something for the fitness market that was fantastic for people who did not particularly fit in with the gym crowd, yet wanted to better themselves both physically and mentally. Unfortunately, the crowd drawn to these clubs and the staff working with them is often a bit less driven than a fitness program needs to be. Not that the clubs do not work, but starting the same style of circuit at home will save you money and allow you to work at your own pace and fitness level.
Life is about balance and balance can be achieved when we are able to push ourselves to the limits without the prying eyes of those around us. This is especially important for the person who is trying to lose weight and increase fat burning in order to move from the obese category of weight to the overweight category of weight. For many people in the world, this move means more to them than reaching a normal weight and when it comes to fitness, there needs to be a sense of drive to keep them going on a daily basis.
The circuit training programs set up for females are, in theory, put in place to handle this very problem. But, there are often crowds of people drawn to these clubs that quickly get to know each other and talk about this family event or that family event while moving slowly through the circuit training course. When fitness is on my mind, talking about anything is not my first priority. My priority is burning fat, raising my heart rate and working up a stinky sweat. Then, and only then, do I feel as though I have achieved what I came to the gym to do.
Just because a person is new to the gym experience, does not mean they have to settle for a circuit training set to outdated music. If this style of workout is more your speed, them have a little fun and create a circuit at home using every day items.
* Arms. Window cleaning with glass cleaner and towels, alternate hands.
* Legs. Lunges in a circle around the house.
* Calves. Standing calf raises.
* Back. Sitting can rows.
* Abdomen. Standing twists.
The entire circuit can be modified and rearranged as you see fit. All that is needed is a little timed music and you can make the most of your circuit training from the comfort of your home without the extra costs of a gym membership. Fat burning does not have to cost money, it can be free as long as you use your imagination and try to make the best and the most out of what you have.
The best part about an at home fitness circuit is the ability to change the exercises as your fitness levels increase. What to circuit outside today, you got it! Need a bit of a change, that’s your choice. Life is held in your own grasp as fat burning can be created with the help of your pantry items, laundry items, stairs and windows. You are the boss of your circuit, no gossip required.
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Lets talk about some baby weight loss tips today! There is a lot of information out there, but you have come to the right place. I know that you are thinking, how can I lose this baby weight fast? Well, it isn’t as hard as it sounds. We are going to turn you into a happy, healthy, and fit mom in no time!
Baby Weight Loss Tip Number 1: This is going to be an important step, maybe the most important. You need to come up with a plan. You don’t just jump in your car and decide to take a road trip to nowhere. Its the same with losing your baby weight. We need to come up with a plan to get that weight off quickly! So, how do we do that? It isn’t easy because you now have to juggle so many new things, but lets start with a simple goal. Lose a few pounds a week. Healthy weight loss after pregnancy is about 2 pounds per week. So, do the math and plan out how many weeks it will take you to have your new body. Next is coming up with your exercise plan. You need to work out to lose weight. And most importantly you need to plan out the kind of food you need to eat. Your diet is 90% of losing weight quickly!
Click Here To Learn How To Lose Up To 2 Pounds Per Week
Baby Weight Loss Tip Number 2:
Its time to get specific about your plan, and we are going to start with the most important. Nutrition. This is the most important tip to lose your baby weight. Now I know this is going to be hard but its time to get rid of the junk food around your house. I know its tough, but you want this new body right? OK. Now, here are a few rules to follow with your diet.
1. Eat Breakfast – This will get your day and metabolism started the right way!
2. Get good amounts of protein with each meal – Protein is a great source of energy, and it helps you build muscle and burn fat.
3. Eat Carbs – Don’t be afraid of cabs! They are great for long lasting energy, but just make sure to limit carb intake later in the day, this will help you not store them as fat!
4. Eat small meals throught the day – The more you eat the more you will lose! Now this doen’t mean eat until you burst. This means that eat to give yourself energy for the next 2 hours, then eat again.
To Learn About Some Great Pregnancy Diets Click Here
Baby Weight Loss Tip Number 3:
Exercise is very important, it helps you become stronger, tone up, and allow you to burn more fat at rest. A good exercise program will help you lose your baby weight fast! Now, I know you are thinking, when in the heck am I going to get the time to work out? You don’t have to go to the gym to be fit, be creative, exercise outside, take your baby for walks, or bike rides. Check out some workout videos to do in your living room, you can let your baby lay in their crib while you get your sexy back! If you are a new mom make sure you talk to your doctor before you start to lift anything!
To Sum It Up:
3 great tips to lose your baby weight fast! Come up with a plan, get your diet back on schedule, and create a good exercise plan. If you follow those tips, you will lose your baby weight in no time at all. Remember to be patient, this is a process, but it can happen quickly if you stay focused. I have a blog I write in regulary and I encourage you to check it out. If you have any questions please post them there in a comment and I will make sure I answer you asap!
Click Here To Visit My Blog For Support With Your Weight Loss Goals
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Lets face it. There are a lot of different approaches out there to losing that extra weight. Fad diets, diet pills, pre-packaged dietary menus, and the list goes on and on. The diet industry is a multi-billion dollar business, has been for quite a while, and will continue to grow in the future. It seems as though everytime we turn around, there’s a new pill, or “super”diet that guarantees to be the best, and work for everyone. Well,…….truth is; It WONT work for everyone.
Im not saying that these methods dont work at all. I’m sure that you know of someone that has lost weight by taking diet pills, or following fad diets and such. Truth be told; A few years ago, I lost weight (about 5lbs) in one week experimenting with the Atkins diet. Unfortunately, I gained it all back in a short period of time. I simply could not follow the strict regimen of “low-carb” dieting. I’m certain you can offer a similar experience, either with yourself, or someone you know.
As with most people that are overweight, It mainly (not always) has to do with two factors. The first factor is poor eating habits (diet), and the second is lack of exercise. Taking immediate control over these two factors, (and that would mean as soon as possible) is the first and best step in gaining control of your weight management. Having a set program (routine) and a good sound nutrition plan in place will have you well on your way to a fantastic, new you. The benefits will be both visual and most importantly, just plain better for your health.
Watching my health has always been important to me. I am in my early forties and have been living a “healthy lifestyle” for about 20 years. Please, (Let me give you my “definition” of healthy). DIET & EXERCISE. Plain and simple. DIET & EXERCISE. Eating good healthy balanced meals (smaller portions and more frequently), combined with a good exercise routine is the key to safely losing the weight, and keeping it off. Most people realize, after doing these two things for a short period of time, that the diet portion is simple to follow, and the exercise really is a lot easier, and more fun that anticipated.
MAKE IT FUN. If it is fun, than you are more likely to continue doing it. As this process begins, and you stay with it, you will also notice other changes in addition to shredding the unwanted pounds. Your confidence will grow in whatever it is you are doing. Mentally, you will feel “up to the challenge”. Energy levels will increase, and fatigue will decrease. You will feel this inclination to improve other areas of your life, set new goals and push to achieve them. “MARK MY WORD”, because these things do happen. You will find it just becomes a positive change in every aspect of your life.
I am a former YMCA certified fitness trainer, Golds gym personal trainer, and current martial artist. I still workout with various different advanced training techniques, utilize a nutritious diet, participate in martial arts tournaments, and instill in my daughter the values of fitness in addition to the importance of school. I would like to see as many people as possible , even if you are not overweight, but just want to get in, or maintain good physical condition, take advantage of BETTER FITNESS. I’ve done the reviews of other programs, and given you one that I think is top shelf.
So if your ready to assume the wheel, take control, and put in the effort needed to improve your health, tone your body, increase your outlook on life, and have your own trainer guide you in the program, then give BETTER FITNESS a look. You can visit the site at http://burjam51.bezoogle.com/pp/weight-loss. Good luck and Happy fitness.
Click here: www.goodlife4u.info to start losing that extra weight, and most importantly,…….NEVER finding it again.
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Don’t Starve Yourself
Cutting kilojoules may help the kilograms drop off, but it can also leave you feeling lethargic and weak, hindering your efforts in the gym. Worse, your body can end up hoarding instead of burning fat. A sudden drop in kilojoules is interpreted by the body as a signal to conserve energy because starvation could be imminent.
The body goes into survival mode and the rate at which it burns energy slows. To compensate for the low kilojoule intake, it starts to break down precious lean-muscle tissue for energy – bad news if you want a sculpted-body look. To lose weight, cut your kilojoule intake by no more than 15%.
Conquer your Carb Fear
Sweets and cakes may sound like a fit girl’s no-no but if you work out daily, sweet treats can sit happily on your menu. Eating a high-GI snack, such as a slice of ginger loaf, immediately after your workout will deliver fast-release carbs to your fuel-depleted muscles. That snack will be converted to glycogen (muscle fuel) one-and-a-half times faster than normal. It doesn’t matter whether you opt for solid or liquid nutrition; the important thing is to consume the carbs within two hours of exercising. But don’t overdo it.
Don’t Pile on the Protein
It’s tempting to think that a high-protein diet will boost your performance in the gym and make you stronger, but the truth is you need only a little more protein than your non-active friends. Regular exercisers need about 1,2g to 1,4g per kg of body weight daily, depending on their sport and how hard they work out.
(That’s 72g to 84g if you weigh 60kg.) Most people get sufficient protein from their daily diet. Two or three daily portions (each the size of a deck of cards) of lean meat, fish, poultry, beans, lentils or dairy products will meet your needs. Serious bodybuilders (who need up to 1,8g of protein per kg of body weight daily) and vegans (who exclude meat and dairy products) may need protein drinks or bars to help make up the shortfall in their diet.
Be a GI Jane
Tuck into a bowl of porridge before your morning workout. Studies found that athletes who ate a low-GI meal (foods that produce a gradual rise in blood sugar levels) two to four hours before exercise were able to keep going for longer than those who ate a high-GI meal.
According to a study at Loughborough University in the UK, runners who ate a low GI meal three hours before exercise burnt more fat than those who ate a high-GI meal with the same amount of carbs. For a healthy, high-powered snack, try fruit with yoghurt, Weetbix with milk or a baked potato with cheese.
Watch the Water
You’re probably familiar with the advice to drink lots of water when you’re exercising but, following a few cases of hyponatraemia (a dangerous condition caused by drinking too much water) among marathon runners, sports-medicine experts now caution against over hydrating yourself in events lasting more than four hours. Drinking water constantly may dilute your blood, causing sodium levels to fall. Although rare, hyponatraemia is potentially fatal. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking only when you’re thirsty. You shouldn’t drink so much that you take in more fluid than you lose. Sports drinks are better than water if you’re running a marathon – their sodium content will prevent hyponatraemia.
Take a Snack
Whether you exercise early in the day or late in the evening, you need to refuel your muscles within a couple of hours. Skipping a post-workout snack or meal will delay your recovery and leave you feeling sluggish the next day. Provided you don’t overeat, these kilojoules will not be turned into fat. After working out, have a drink (water, diluted juice or a sports drink) immediately, then a snack (even if you’ve worked out after supper) or a light meal within two hours. Try a smoothie, a milkshake, a jacket potato with tuna or cottage cheese or a chicken-and-rice salad. Include this snack in your daily kilojoule total and plan ahead to ensure you have the right sort of foods on hand.
Never Run on Empty
It’s a myth that training on an empty stomach will help you shed weight faster. The theory behind it is that your blood-sugar levels are low when you’re in a fasting state, which prompts the body to burn fat. The problem is you’ll tire sooner, so your total kilojoule burn is likely to be less than if you had eaten a light snack two to four hours before exercise. You’ll burn more kilojoules if you eat before you work out. When you don’t eat before your workout, many of the reasons for exercising – conditioning, fitness, building muscle and losing weight – go out of the window. That’s because your body turns to muscle protein for fuel when it doesn’t have enough carbohydrates to burn.
Avoid Goo on the Go
Energy gels (concentrated syrupy carbs designed to slip down your throat when you’re on the run) may promise instant energy but they can end up as a mass of goo in your stomach if you don’t drink enough water with them. You’ll need to swig 350ml of water per 25g sachet. Energy bars and gels are not essential if you exercise for an hour or less.
Having a snack – such as dried fruit or a bagel with peanut butter – an hour or two before you train, as well as being properly hydrated at the start, should sustain you for workouts of up to an hour.
Make Friends with Fat
Extremely low-fat diets won’t make you leaner in the long term. There may also be adverse side effects, such as poor vitamin and mineral absorption, and reduced immune responses.
The American Dietetic Association and American College of Sports Medicine recommend that regular exercisers consume 20% to 25% of their daily kilojoules in the form of fat. So, if you eat 9 000kJ a day, you should aim to eat 56g to 69g of fat. Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial if you exercise, as they boost fat metabolism by lowering the levels of insulin. Eat at least one portion of oily fish a week, or a tablespoon of walnuts, pumpkin seeds or flaxseed oil daily.
Don’t Pop Pills
If you regularly work out intensively, you’ll need more vitamins and minerals than the RDA, so consider taking a multivitamin supplement. But be wary of other sports supplements: ephedrine-based fat-burners, for example, may contain substances that cause diarrhoea and headaches. A 2001 survey funded by the International Olympic Committee of 634 non-hormonal nutritional supplements found that up to 20% were contaminated with banned substances, including steroids. The British Olympic Association and UK Sport advise athletes not to take any supplements.
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1162779

As a personal trainer I get asked quite often about how I stay focused and motivated to train every day. Is there some secret that I know about that other people don’t? No. Is there some piece of fitness equipment that I have found that helps me? Not really. The truth is, despite the hype of gym-oriented fitness industry, one doesn’t have to be a gym regular to be fit and healthy, though it is immensely beneficial.
While there is no one right answer for everyone, over the years I have seen some things that seem to help people more than others. I’ve complied a list of “top 10″ ways to stay motivated and on track with your workout routine. Hopefully you can find a few that will help you stay on track and stay fit.
My top 10 ways to stay fit and motivated are…
1. Get an iPod and find music that you love to listen to. You can download virtually any music from sites like iTunes.
2. Buy an outfit you would love to fit into (a few sizes smaller) and work for it! Show your partner how strong your determination and will power is by making workouts a part of your routine!
3. Maintain a Fitness Diary where you can make an entry while you have the statistics of time, distance, pulse rate etc fresh in your memory. In a month’s time, you will be able to notice the improvements in your statistics. This really works to keep you motivated because on any given day you might not see any real improvements in your fitness level, but over the course of a month or two you will.
4. Get outdoors. Don’t just workout in your gym or basement. Walking/Jogging/Running are all much more fun in nature. Walking helps sleep better, builds leg muscles and helps you lose weight without injuring your knees or ankles. Plus, you can burn 125 calories for every half hour your walk. If you are fit, you can choose to alternate jogging and running in the same session to provide beautiful interval training.
5. Swimming is perfect at any age and helps tone every part of your body without impacting any one of them! And it’s never too hot to go swimming! You can burn up to 140 calories in half an hour with moderately paced breast-strokes. More calories burn during back strokes. A mere 20 minutes will help tone in 3 weeks time pitting in 5-6 days a week.
6. Cycling is another great low-impact high aerobic exercise. Get out your cycle to visit a friend or do groceries. It can burn up to 150 calories at speeds of 9.5 mph for a half hr ride. Plus it’s a great cardio and lower body workout.
7. Hiking can be an opportunity to spend time with friends or family away from home. And, it is a BIG calories spender  up to 200 calories or more every half hour. Some hiking expeditions are more strenuous than others. So be careful here.
8. Aerobics Class work great if you are a social person. Join an aerobics class with workouts such as Step (bench), weights, Taebo etc built in. You can use up to 150  200 calories in half an hour depending on whether your class is a low or high impact one.
9. Dancing is a great exercise with your partner. There’s lots of fun dances that you can learn, Tango, Waltz, Swing. What a fun way to burn up to 200 calories in half an hour of fun!
10. Household work can be a blessing in disguise. Sweeping the porch, gardening, wiping down the counter tops, taking down curtains and washing them, dusting, and polishing furniture can burn as much as 200 calories a day… the same as jogging for 20 minutes!
Bonus tip #11. Set time aside: Staying fit should be a commitment to yourself and your family. Make sure you set a firm time aside from all work to get any exercise of your choice that will help you stay fit and stay on track.
As you can see one of the keys to staying fit and being able to maintain a regular fitness regiment is simply to mix it up. This keeps things interesting and makes you look forward to your next workout instead of dreading it. Good luck!
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Forget chatting and reading – to get the best results from your workout you need to focus. Here’s how to make the most of your gym-time.
Endless Reps
Doing countless reps with a light weight won’t do any good other than increasing muscle stamina. For best results, use a repetition range of 10 to 15, using a weight that allows completion of the allotted reps while still providing a challenge.
No Plan
Planning a workout helps you use your session efficiently: you won’t waste time wondering what’s next. It’s also easier to keep track of your progress. Use a heart-rate monitor. It will indicate the amount of kilojoules burnt during a session, which could be logged and used as a reference and platform for your next session.
Bad Technique
Bad technique will result in an ineffective workout or even an injury that can set you back for weeks. Use equipment and weights that you can manage. Trainers are on hand at most gyms to help you develop the proper techniques – ask them.
Socializing
Working out with a friend can often motivate you to maintain your exercise regime. However, friends can also be a distraction if they don’t show up for workout sessions or talk too much. Work out with a friend who is as focused as you are and well matched in terms of fitness, commitment and ability. Set aside a certain amount of chat time, and agree to keep the rest for training.
Sameness
Always doing crunches on the floor or a flat bench in the same sets and reps won’t extend you. Try reverse crunches, crunches using a Swiss ball and crunches alternating elbow to knee. Focus on using all your abdominal muscles in each session and train opposing muscle groups. For example, strengthening your lower-back muscles will help support and tone your stomach muscles.
Reading
Reading or watching TV can distract you from the intensity and intention of the workout. Mix it up. Experiment with free weights and body-weight exercises Do three different exercises one after the other without a rest. Do two to three sets of these, then take a break. Listening to high-energy music is also a great motivator.
Being Muscle Specific
Don’t think that simply working out on the Stair Master for hours will tone your tush. Unless you’re a body builder trying to bulk up specific muscles, it’s pointless to use an exercise machine that focuses only on certain muscle groups. Use dumbbells and do compound exercises that work more than one muscle group at the same time. This will save time and burn more kilojoules. And it’s ideal for weight loss, shaping and toning.
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If you’re reading this article it’s likely that you workout with weights. It seems that people that don’t workout think that anyone that has knowledge of nutrition or lifts weights must be a bodybuilder. Personally I compete in powerlifting. Not many people have heard of the sport so they tend to call me a bodybuilder or one of those guys from ESPN which isn’t correct either. If you’re wondering what people in your gym are doing and what you should call them than read on because this article will clear things up.
Bodybuilders
This is probably the most confusing term and is often used as the catch all phrase to describe people that weight train. This is incorrect though, not all people that train with weights are bodybuilders. A true bodybuilder is someone who competes in the sport of bodybuilding. They are concerned with using weight training, cardio and nutrition to change the way their body looks so that they compete on stage against others. Competitive bodybuilders try to gain muscle size, reduce body fat and develop muscular symmetry and balance. For example a bodybuilder wouldn’t want huge biceps with skinny calves because this will hurt their appearance.
There are also non-competitive bodybuilders. These people have the same goals as competitive bodybuilders they just don’t compete on stage. They too train for appearance by trying to build muscle size and symmetry. Bodybuilding is not easy because the diet aspect is just as hard if not harder than the dedication it takes to work hard at the gym. Some people stereotype bodybuilders and think they don’t lift heavy weighs and aren’t strong. Although muscle strength is not their goal, many bodybuilders train with heavy weights to build size and can be just as strong as strength athletes.
Other people that are working out to lose a little weight, feel better about themselves or tone up a bit are in fact building their bodies but shouldn’t be called bodybuilders.
Powerlifters
Yes its true powerlifters lift weights too. In fact they even lift at the same places as many bodybuilders, they do some of the same exercises and sometimes they’re even the same strength level. There is the keyword, strength. Powerlifters compete in a sport called powerlifting. Bet you could have figured that one out on your own. Powerlifters are not concerned with how they look they are concerned with how strong they are.
Specifically they try to get stronger in the Squat, Bench Press and Deadlift which are the three lifts that comprise a powerlifting meet. On meet day powerlifters will be testing their maximal strength. They will lift the most weight they can for a single repetition. Powerlifters do have weight classes so they will need to watch their weight if they are trying to stay in a particular weight class.
When competing in powerlifting the results are pretty obvious. You either lift the weight or you don’t. It’s pretty straight forward. In bodybuilding however a panel of judges will critique your physique and the results or winner will vary based on the scores of the judges.
Typically powerlifters will lift heavier weights with lower repetition ranges. They are strengthening their tendons, bones, ligaments and training their central nervous system to handle heavier and heavier loads. You can’t always judge a book by its cover. Someone who competes in bodybuilding may look very strong and probably are very strong yet a powerlifter that doesn’t look as muscular may be able to lift more weights and actually be stronger.
One last thing to mention about powerlifters, when you hear the word you might picture a big bald guy with a gut and a goatee. Okay some do look like that, but than again some have abs and small waists just like a bodybuilder so don’t jump to conclusions thinking every guy or gal with abs is a bodybuilder.
Athletes
Once again you may find athletes training side by side with powerlifters and bodybuilders performing bench presses and squats. Athletes are weight training to improve their performance in their designated sport. A football player might be squatting so that they become a faster sprinter and can become more explosive in their tackling.
Many times athletes are training for one rep max strength, just like a powerlifter. At other times they are training certain muscles to improve coordination, explosiveness or to prevent injury. In this case weight training is not the sport but rather a tool used by the athlete to perform better in their sport. How can you tell if someone is an athlete by looking at them? Not sure but they will probably have a t-shirt on with their team name and logo.
People that participate in sports can all benefit from some sort of weight training. The exercises will vary from sport to sport.
Strongmen
These guys are intense. You’ve probably seen them on ESPN throwing kegs, pulling trucks, flipping tires, pressing logs, picking up stones and carrying refrigerators on their backs. You probably won’t see these guys at your local gym because most gyms don’t have the specialized equipment these athletes need.
Strongmen are strength athletes as well. They need to be extremely strong and possess tremendous conditioning. Unlike powerlifting, strongman events aren’t usually for a single repetition. For example if there is a pressing event it will be timed and each competitor will need to press the weight as many times as they can in a designated amount of time.
Strongmen need to have super grip strength, great endurance and lots of power. This is sport of strength not appearance.
Olympic Weight Lifters
People often incorrectly use the word weight lifting when they are referring to weight training. Anyone that is resistance training with weights is weight training. Weight lifting on the other hand is a sport in itself.
Olympic weight lifters or Olympic style weight lifters compete in one rep maximum lift attempts. Weight lifters compete in two lifts the, “clean and jerk” and the “snatch.”
As you can tell by the name, weight lifting is a sport in the Olympic Games. The lifts are very explosive and often beneficial to athletes to improve athletic performance in other sports.
What About The Rest Of Us?
Well if you’re not included in the above titles than feel free to give yourself a term. Maybe you’re a weight trainer. Perhaps you’d like to be called a weekend warrior or a gym rat. Don’t like any of those titles? That’s okay why does everything have to have a title anyway? Just remember next time you see someone drinking a protein shake doesn’t mean they’re a bodybuilder. If somebody else is trying to lose some weight for a special occasion doesn’t mean they are trying to become a fitness model. Until next time keep training hard all you fitness enthusiasts. Fitness enthusiast, I think that covers just about everybody!
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You have set a goal for yourself to lose 45 lbs. over a 4 month period. You feel the timetable is aggresive but doable. You work hard both in the gym and at the dinner table. After 6 weeks, you have lost 20 lbs. You’re happy and content. Everything is going just as you planned, right on schedule. 25 more pounds to go, and then you will have accomplished what you set out to do. You’re proud of yourself. If you just keep plugging away, it will be mission accomplished, and a great personal achievement.
Then, in week 7, trouble. You weigh yourself and you have not lost one pound from the prior week ’s weigh-in. You tell yourself, “I have just got to work harder in the gym,” so you increase the length of time you spend on the treadmill and on the stationary bike 5 minutes each and you increase the amount of workouts per week at the gym from 3 visits to 4 visits. You figure more sweat equates to more lost weight.
You weigh yourself after week 8 and it is the same as the prior week – zero pounds lost. A sinking feeling. You are determined to lose this weight. Nothing is going to stop you, so you increase your workouts to 5 per week, and you decide to increase the length of time on the treadmill and the bike a few minutes more on each machine.
Week 9 comes and you are nervous about getting on the scale. You have worked very, very hard, harder than you ever thought you could. You have earned losing some weight this week. You get on the scale, and you have actually gained one pound from the prior week ’s weigh-in. Disaster.
How is this possible? The scale has got to be broken. There is just no way. This is like a nightmare. Are you destined to never losing the extra 25 lbs.? Should you just give up? Is it worth all this working out and coming up empty on the results side? Have you peeked and hit a plateau that you will never get past?
The answer is “No, you don’t give up. Ever!” Part of the problem could be the way you are working out in the gym. You have been concentrating on the cardio machines(the treadmill and the stationary bike), because that is what has worked for you in the past when you needed to lose some weight. However, this ‘plateau problem’ is something you have never experienced before, and you find it extremely frustrating.
Try the following in week 10: when you first enter the gym before getting on the cardio machines(treadmill and stationary bike), try working out with several strength building machines spending 15-30 minutes on these machines before you go to work on the cardio machines. Then, when you get on the treadmill, vary the height and speed more than you have in the past. Not a lot – don’t kill yourself – just enough to make a difference.
I”ll bet you find that if you make these few simple adjustments, you’ll get past that annoying ‘plateau’, and that you will lose the final 25 pounds to reach your 45 lb. weight loss close to the 4 month time limit you originally set. This worked for me. I set a personal weight loss goal of losing 37 lbs. I lost 22 lbs. relatively quickly, then hit a plateau for several weeks until I changed my workout regimen. I then lost the remaining 15 lbs. fairly quickly.
Try this workout regimen change, if you have hit a plateau, and see if this doesn’t work for you.
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For years, women have been saying that they are objectified by the media but these days it looks as though guys are getting the same treatment. Everywhere you look the “ideal” male physique is portrayed as being super-buff, with giant pecs, bulging biceps, perfect six-pack abs and a super-trim waist. And it’s not just models and movie stars-it’s happening in cartoons and with action figures. If it seems that the Batman, Superman, GI Joe or even Star Wars action figure that you bought your kid has a bigger, way more muscular physique than you remember it having when you were a kid, it’s not your imagination, they’re getting bigger-a lot bigger.
Several studies on the subject done over the last ten years all came to the conclusion that portrayals of the ideal male figure-even cartoon characters and kid’s action figures-have become larger-than-life. In her study, Male body image obsession: the number of men with eating disorders and “bigarexia” is rising, researcher Susie Langley says that measurements of children’s action figures today have “measurements approaching steroid-enhanced biceps, rippled abs and nipped waist compared to the early G.I. Joe.”
The 1998 study Evolving ideals of male body image as seen through action toys, demonstrated that a “human-sized” GI Joe action-figure in 1964 would have had a waist size of 31.7″, a chest measuring 44.4″, and biceps of 12.2.” But the 1998 version-Extreme GI Joe-would have the human equivalent of a 36.5″ waist, a 54.8″ chest and 26.8″ biceps. That’s a big difference and he’s not alone.
Other action figures with long-term popularity, like Batman, Luke Skywalker and Hans Solo, have also apparently been hitting the gym over the years, because they’re all bulking up too. Some action figures like X-Men’s Wolverine have physiques that far exceed the muscularity of even the largest competitive bodybuilders. A life-size Wolverine would have 62″ chest and 32′ biceps!
Like the boys’ action figures, the ones for girls have been evolving too. Barbie has gotten a lot bustier over the years. There has been a lot of backlash about this from different advocacy groups too. Psychologists and sociologists say that the tiny waisted, super boobed dolls put unrealistic expectations on girls. The result they say is a dramatic increase in the number of girls and young women who suffer from bulimia, anorexia, depression and more.
But what about boys? How do the super-bulging ripped action figures impact boys and not only when they’re young but also when they grow into manhood? Not surprisingly, the number of boys and young men with eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia on the rise among both male high school and college students. For these guys, even though to the rest of the world they might be in really great shape, to them they fall short of their imagined “ideal.”
Incidents of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) are also on the rise among males. Susie Langley’s research shows that incidents of BDD among young men are increasing at a steady pace. BDD is a condition that causes sufferers to become preoccupied with imaginary defects in their physical appearance. Among body builders, you’re mostly likely to see muscle dysmorphia-a subclass of BDD which results in a pathological preoccupation with muscularity (”bigarexia”). It’s kind of like a reverse anorexia but unlike never being “skinny enough,” the bigarexia sufferer can never get “big enough.” Though the rest of the world might see a ripped specimen of masculinity, these a guy with bigarexia looks in the mirror and sees himself as being skinny.
So far, men only make up about 10-15% of the cases-up from about 3-5% not that long ago. But even so, eating disorders in men can not only be debilitating, but downright dangerous.
So what’s a guy to do to make sure he stays on the right track and avoids any of these problems? Or if you have children, what do you need to know about eating disorders and what can you do about it to help them? Aside from any psychological or pathological issues, self-esteem seems to be the big culprit. According to Dr. Howard Steiger, a clinical psychologist and director of the eating disorder program at Douglas Hospital in Montreal, most people with eating disorders have unstable self-esteem.
As far your children go, Brian Pronger at the University of Toronto says that we should teach children to look at body images in the same critical way they are told to consider art and literature — to be able to recognize what has merit. “If we were doing the same with physical education, people could learn to have a different reaction to these extreme body images,” he says. “They would say, ‘Hey, I don’t want to be part of this pressure to fall in love with a highly commercialized image.’ ”
As men, the solution is to be self-confident enough to realize that self-image shouldn’t depend on outside images and false perceptions. It’s good to workout and workout hard. Guys who train religiously and adhere to strict dieting regimens should be proud. It shows discipline and commitment. But at the same time it’s important to focus on what’s happening on the inside-no amount of change on the outside will make up for how you feel on the inside. Self-assurance and self-confidence need to come from within, not from someone else’s hyped-up unrealistic portrayal of what a guy should be.
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1163410

Commercial health clubs and gyms can be great but they can also be a huge hassle, jam-packed with little annoyances and major headaches that can just about put you over the edge. Call me strange but I go to a gym to train, not to look for conversation, watch guys strutting around in short shorts that would make Daisy Duke blush or listen to unsolicited advice from out of shape, opinionated loud-mouths.
Today I want to spotlight a few of the most annoying things that can come from having a gym membership and talk about some of what goes on there that than can drive you nuts.
Sometimes, just having a gym membership can be a hassle. And good luck if you move or need to cancel for some reason. I’ve had friends who have had to keep paying for years-long membership commitments even though the gym had gone bankrupt and was no longer in business. And with a lot of gyms-especially some of the big chains-you can forget about freezing your membership if you want to take an extended vacation or are just otherwise going to be out of commission for a while.
It is an understatement to say that the employees at some gyms can be enough to make you want to go ballistic. Too many of them seem to think that they’re doing you a favor just by showing up to work.
The quality of personal trainers at some gyms seems to have gone way downhill over the years too. I’ve seen plenty who I wouldn’t trust to train an inflatable CPR dummy strutting around offering unsolicited and very bad (really bad) advice to people who unfortunately, don’t know any better. There’s nothing like getting training advice about proper form from a freshly-minted 18-year-old personal trainer who couldn’t lift a 100-pound dumbbell if his life depended on it.
And it’s too bad, but not everyone who goes to the gym is there to train. Some of them are there just so they chat with their friends. Others want to hit on anything that moves and some just want to show off or otherwise practice their strange behavior in public. Every gym on the planet seems to have at least one guy who wears shorts so tiny they’d make a $5 hooker look twice. And entire books could be written about the strange and annoying behavior some people seem hell-bent on displaying in the locker room. I’ll just stop there except to say that I’ve seen enough to last me three lifetimes.
If you don’t bring your own IPOD or MP3 player, you’re going to be stuck listening to the gym’s choice of tunes, whether or not you like their choices. Once, I bought a week pass but ripped it to shreds when I realized that the gym only played their own compilations of “motivational” music with nauseating lyrics like “you can do it, yes you can,” and “try just a little bit harder, you’ve know you’ve got it in you,” repeated endlessly over and over. Now I listen to the music before I buy my pass when I’m traveling.
And even if you do bring your own music, that’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to focus and workout in peace. Plenty of people don’t seem to take headphones as a definitive sign of “leave me alone.” I’m willing to cut some slack if a guy politely taps me on the shoulder because he needs a spot and there’s no one else around, but some people just because they want to talk. I’ve come real close to clocking a few guys in the nose because they couldn’t get it through their thick skulls that when I’m wearing headphones, I’m not interested in conversation.
I’ll wrap this up by saying that the “real” gyms, where a guy can go and train with a bunch of other like-minded folk who are there for the same reason, are fewer and fewer and a lot harder to find. Nowadays the landscape is cluttered with jumbo-sized gyms that are built to appeal to the masses, not the serious trainer. They pay their people minimum wage so you don’t get the service you deserve and they’re full of people who are there for lots of other reasons besides wanting to train. These and a host of other annoyances can make it really frustrating to have a gym membership. As you can probably tell I had an annoying day at the gym today. Thanks for listening to my rant.
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1163441