By Paige Waehner, About.com Guide

You already know how to lose weight…At it’s simplest, you need to burn more calories than you eat, right? And exercising and eating healthy is the healthiest way to do that, right? But, successful weight loss doesn’t start with your body–it starts with your mind.

As we’ve all discovered, the mind is a powerful thing–it can take you to success or failure, depending on your attitude. What you think about yourself can make the difference between reaching your goals and quitting before you even get close. So how do you get your mind right to make exercise and healthy eating a part of your life? Below are some key ingredients you can rely on to reach your goals.

Commitment

You already know you have to commit to being healthy, but what does that actually involve? It’s more than just shouting from the roof tops “I’M COMMITTED TO BEING HEALTHY!” Being committed means you have to wake up every day and decide you’re going to make healthy choices. Being committed is a choice and something you have to reinforce each day. So how do you do that? Use these tips to help you commit to your goals:

• Plan and Prepare. The night before, plan your workout for the next day and get all your stuff (gym bag, clothes, etc.) ready to go. Decide what and when you’ll eat and get your meals ready. Make it as easy as possible to follow through with your plans.
• Motivate Yourself. Remind yourself throughout the day of your workout plans–send yourself a reminder or have a friend call and ask about your workout, so it’s always in the front of your mind.
• Hold Yourself Accountable. What will happen if you skip that workout? You need to have consequences so that missing your workout isn’t an option–maybe you can’t watch your favorite TV show until you exercise. On the other side, you can also reward yourself for working out–just make sure you don’t reward yourself with food.
• Remember Your Goals. As you’re getting ready for the day, remember what your goals are. Weight loss? More energy? Whatever it is, that workout is an important step in reaching it. Remind yourself of the big picture–what you do today counts!

Discipline

Such an ugly word, I know, but discipline is a part of successful weight loss and just another way of saying self-control. Think of how you practice self-control in the other parts of your life. Each day you fulfill your obligations to work and family, even when you’d rather just lie in bed and sleep late. That takes discipline. The same can be true of exercise. Of course, it’s easy to make yourself go to work because there are consequences if you don’t–you won’t make as much money or you could lose your job. But if you don’t workout, the consequences aren’t as immediate, are they? Try these ideas to get more disciplined with exercise:

• Make Exercise a Habit. Part of being disciplined is creating a habit. You may not want to brush your teeth every night, but you do it anyway because you always do it right before bed…it’s a habit. You can do the same thing with exercise by keeping your workouts on specific days and times each week (if you can). Knowing that every Monday at 6 a.m. will find you at the gym will make it that much easier to show up for your workouts.
• Know the Consequences. You already know what happens if you don’t brush your teeth–cavities, gum disease, painful dental experiences, etc. But what are the consequences of not exercising? Make a list of all the things that could happen to your body and mind without exercise such as weight gain, increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer, to name a few.
• Get Some Help. One sure way to show up for your workout is to have someone waiting for you. One option is a personal trainer–someone who will hold you accountable for your workouts while educating you all at the same time. Another option is to get a workout buddy and have consquences if you don’t show up. Having that support will make exercise more enjoyable AND keep you on track.
• Make a Deal With Yourself. Don’t feel like working out? Promise yourself you’ll just do a warm up. If after 10 minutes you still don’t want to workout, you can quit and go home. The majority of the time, you’ll keep going…trust me.

Honesty

Being honest with yourself about what you’ll really do is a tough one. Many people fail at weight loss because they set their sights too high, planning so many workouts and diet changes, it’s impossible to follow. This is where a little self-awareness comes in and what that means is figuring out what you’ll really do to reach your goals. Take some time to ask yourself some crucial questions before embarking on another failed journey. Ask yourself:

• How much time will you really spend exercising? Forget the guidelines and decide what you’ll actually do…then plan your workouts accordingly. If you’re not going to spend an hour doing cardio, don’t set that as a goal–set a goal you can reach!
• Are you willing to do what it takes to reach your goals? If you want to lose weight, are you willing to change your eating habits? What if that means spending more time cooking and shopping? Preparing your meals in advance? Saying no those daily lunches out with co-workers? What if it means you have to keep track of what you’re eating and work on your bad habits? Decide if you’re really willing to commit to doing that every single day.
• Can you accept failure? A big part of weight loss is falling off the wagon…and it WILL happen. It happens to all of us! What happens if you flub up one day and give into those pizza cravings? What if you eat that extra piece of pie? Are you willing to accept your slip-up and get back on track or will you just quit at the first mistake? Be honest with yourself about this one because willingness to persevere in these circumstances can mean the difference between success and failure.

Flexibility

Maybe this has happened to you: You start an exercise program–you’re working out, eathing healthy and feeling great. Then, Something Happens–an injury, an illness, a mean boss heaping more work on you. Whatever it is, it throws you off and before you know it, you’ve completely stopped working out.

It’s important to realize that these kinds of things will happen on a regular basis. Your job is to be prepared and, to do that, you have to be more flexible. You need to be willing to…:

• Change your workouts when necessary. If you suddenly have to work late, decide you’re still going to exercise…just in a different way. This might mean squeezing in some stair walking or short, brisk walks whenever you can. Decide you’ll do something, even if it’s just a quick walk.
• Do shorter workouts. Many people quit exercise when they don’t have time to do a full workout. Remember this: Something is always better than nothing. If you only have 10 minutes, use it! It might mean getting up early and lifting weights for 10 minutes before work. Stay committed, but give yourself permission to do what you have time for until things calm down. Try these 10-minute cardio ideas and don’t forget strength training too.
• Be creative. Yes, there are guidelines for exercise, but when time is short, stop worrying about the rules and do what you can. This might mean combining cardio and strength workouts, spreading out your workouts throughout the day or making your household chores a workout, if that’s all you have time for. I have one client who runs around the ball field while she watches her son play baseball–now that’s creative!

Consistency

Consistency is what comes from all that discipline, commitment, honesty and flexibility we’ve been talking about. Why? Because being consistent with your eating and exercise is the only way to reach your goals. Exercising heavily for 3 weeks and then quitting for a month isn’t going to work. Your assignment?

• Find a program that you can live with for the rest of your life. Do something you enjoy and that fits into your daily schedule.
• Create, through trial and error, a workout routine that fits with your life, your goals and your needs.
• Find a way of healthy eating that you can live with for the rest of your life. You already know that diets don’t work–at least for the long-term.
• Give yourself a little leeway to make mistakes and, above all, don’t expect perfection. Be ready to screw up from time to time, acknowledge it and then use it to do better.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment. Try different workout activities and times. Try different ways of eating and preparing your food. Find what works for you!

In the end, losing weight requires you to draw on all of your strengths while acknowledging your weaknesses–not an easy thing to do. The good news is, you have many resources to rely on, most of them readily available right there in your own mind. And it helps to have some outside motivation as well. Don’t forget to reward yourself for your successes and don’t be afraid to count on yourself…you know what to do.

We all have goals. What are yours? To lose 20 pounds? Get in shape? Buy a new house? Make more money? Having a goal is the easy part. Reaching it? Well, that’s something else entirely. If you’re frustrated because you feel like you keep coming up short when it comes to realizing your dreams, maybe it’s time to try a different approach.

When setting a goal, ask yourself first of all if your goals are realistic and if you are really ready to make the changes in your life necessary to reach those goals.

“Most people don’t take into consideration whether they’re ready to do what it takes to achieve their goals,” says Steven Rosenberg, PhD. Rosenberg is a behavior therapist, the team psychotherapist for the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team, and author of I Hope the Hell I WIN! Turning Hope into Reality…How Winners Win! If you’re going through a stressful time at work, for example, this may not be the best time to start a weight loss program; maybe you’d do better to wait a few months and start on, say, your birthday.

Be realistic as well, says Rosenberg. You can’t lose 40 pounds in two weeks, or even a month. Set an achievable objective, such as 1 to 2 pounds a week; by the end of the year, you will have lost the 40 pounds.

Be Committed

“Goals that get reached are those that are firm, well-defined, and to which the individual is truly and completely committed,” says Susan Schachterle, director of the Denver-based Ahimsa Group, which provides consulting and coaching services to individuals and organizations worldwide. “Without that commitment, trying to reach goals is like grabbing Jell-O — you think maybe you have it, but there’s really nothing to hang on to.”

Schachterle suggests that you check your commitment. Ask yourself why you want to achieve that particular goal. What will that do for you? Why is it important? What will your life be like when you have reached it? How will achieving your goal change things for you?

“If you’re having trouble making a strong commitment,” says Schachterle, “make sure it’s the right goal and the right time for you.”

The Art of Saying ‘No’

Another reason many people don’t reach their goals is that they just can’t say no — to everyone else. “Many of us, especially women, put other things and people first,” says Susan Newman, PhD, a social psychologist at Rutgers University and author of The Book of NO: 250 Ways to Say It-and Mean It and Stop People-Pleasing Forever. We’re unable to refuse when asked for our time, our talent, our expertise, or merely our presence.

“Saying yes is a habit we’re not even aware of,” says Newman. “Think ‘no’ before you think ‘yes’ (not the other way around). By adding the word ‘no’ to your vocabulary, you open up vistas of time, not only to work toward a goal but also to think about how to reach it,” Newman says. “In short, you put boundaries in place and establish priorities in the correct order [for you].”

If you haven’t mastered the art of saying “no” and you think that’s derailing your efforts to reach your goals, Newman suggests taking these steps:

· Make a list of how many times a day you say ‘yes.’ “You’ll be startled,” says Newman.

· Pay attention to how you parcel out your time. “For most of us, it just disappears. … Who’s monopolizing the time you could otherwise spend on reaching your goals?”

· Set priorities. Who has first dibs on you and your time?

· Look at your limitations. When do you start to lose your stamina? “Don’t keep pushing until you run out of steam and collapse altogether,” Newman advises.

· Let go of control. You don’t have to do it all yourself. “If you’re doing everything else, there’s no time for you to get back to your goal.”

Be Specific

There are two tricks to properly setting your goals, says University of Alabama at Birmingham clinical psychologist Joshua Klapow, PhD. Klapow is co-author of Stop Telling Me What-Tell Me How: The Simple Answer to Better Health.

First, turn goals into specific behaviors, says Klapow. “To say that you are going to exercise doesn’t tell you which exercise to do, for how long and how frequently. If you don’t know what to do, you are less likely to do the behavior. Be specific. Saying that you plan to walk five minutes a day — and increase the time by one minute each week until you are walking 30 minutes per day — is better than just saying that you plan to exercise.”

Klapow’s second tip is to make sure you are successful at reaching your goals right from the start. “Resolutions need to be things you can actually do,” he says. “This is important because you are more likely to repeat the behaviors in which you are successful. Set short- and long-term target goals and make the short-term goals easy to reach.”

At this time of year, when many of us are making New Year’s resolutions, Klapow reminds us that resolutions are basically a set of new behaviors. Because the behaviors are new, and not learned habits, we have a tendency to slip back into our old behavior patterns.

“The best way to keep track of what you are doing every day,” says Klapow, “is to get a calendar and write down every time you perform your new habit. Don’t leave it up to your mind because your mind can play tricks on you. Three days without performing your new habit is your sign that you may be slipping.”

The Benefits of Intuition

Using your intuition can also help you reach your goals, says Lynn A. Robinson, MEd, author of Real Prosperity: Using the Power of Intuition to Create Financial and Spiritual Abundance. Robinson offers three tips for achieving a specific goal:

· Stay focused on the positive. Pay attention to what is working, not what isn’t. Perhaps a friend called to cheer you up, or your child got off to school this morning without a major tantrum, or you had a really nice lunch with a colleague. “Find those precious slivers of appreciation in each day.”

· Take small steps. There is a two-part trick of working toward a goal: No. 1, just begin, and No. 2, start small. Take a first step toward what you feel excited about and then take another one, and then another one. “Remain centered in the present.”

· Make your intuition your ally. Intuition is “quick and ready insight” and it’s one of the most helpful tools to use when faced with any kind of decision making. It’s also a skill that can be developed. The more you practice it the better you get at it. How does your intuition speak to you? Do you receive information in words, feelings, a flash of insight, a body sensation? Do you just know? “Intuition is the secret weapon of many successful people who describe it as knowing something directly without going through a long analytical process,” says Robinson.

Getting your friends and family involved can also help you reach your goals, says Sandra Beckwith, leader of “Finding the Courage to Change” workshops. “You need someone who will reject your usual excuses — ‘I can’t afford it,’ ‘I don’t know how,’ etc. — and help you see that there’s a way around every obstacle,” says Beckwith. “He or she can brainstorm with you. … This allows you to see a situation from a different perspective, through fresh eyes.”

Actually seeing your goal written down can also help you keep it in the forefront of your mind, adds Newman. “Tape reminders all over the house so your goal will always be in front of you — literally.”

Be Positive

Visualization and mindfulness (including approaches such as meditation and hypnosis) are also ways to help you achieve your goals. Mindfulness trainer Maya Talisman Frost explains that goal-setting is only one aspect of getting what you want. “It’s the intention that gets us where we want to go,” says Frost.

Goals tend to be arbitrary and number-oriented, says Frost, such as the number of pounds lost, amount of money earned, number of hours spent in the gym, and so on. Intentions, on the other hand, are “big-picture” statements about what fulfills you.

Yes, your goal is to lose 20 pounds in six months, but what’s your intention? How about, “I feel strong, healthy, fit, confident, attractive, and sexy,” says Frost. “The number on the scale isn’t what matters most — it’s how you feel each day.”

Positive thinking is often more effective than negative thinking when it comes to changing health behaviors. For example, people quit smoking more readily when the positive aspects of health are emphasized, rather than the negative side.

“Intentions allow us to picture ourselves — and how we’ll feel — when we are successful,” says Frost. “There’s no room for failure in the picture. We focus on the positive and powerful feelings we’ll have.”

Picturing Success

The most effective way to change our beliefs is to create a mental story of success, Frost says. We need to picture ourselves as we want to be, and we need to talk about it. Her basic formula: See it. Say it. Hear it.

· See yourself in the circumstances you desire. Picture it perfectly.

· Craft a one-sentence story that you would like to be true, and say it in the present tense, as though you are describing your life right now.

· Keep repeating yourself. Demand to hear that same story every night before you go to sleep.

“When it comes to achieving your goals, being positive is so important,” agrees Rosenberg. “When you see in your mind’s eye what you want to achieve, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

By Carol Sorgen

WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Sugar-free products have no sugar in them. Period. Instead, they use artificial sweeteners, such as Nutra-Sweet®, Splenda®, saccharine and other carbohydrate-free products. Carbohydrates are the key factor. Diabetics need to watch their carbohydrate intake, and sugar is just one type of carb. If you look at the nutrition label on a product, sugar-free foods will have a very low carbohydrate count—less than a half-gram per serving. That’s what a diabetic shopper looks for.

No Sugar Added (also called NSA) products do not use sugar as an ingredient, but there may be other natural sugars present in the food. Milk contains natural sugars (lactose), and vanilla, eggs and other ingredients have naturally occurring sugars. Other natural sweeteners include honey, fructose, corn syrup and dextrose. These ingredients aren’t sugar, but they will still raise your blood glucose levels. If you look on a nutrition label, No Sugar Added foods will have a higher carbohydrate count. If you’re looking for healthier types of sweeteners and don’t have a need to restrict carbs, then NSA foods are a great choice.

Benefits of Exercising During Pregnancy

No doubt about it, exercise is a big plus for both you and your baby (if complications don’t limit your ability to exercise throughout your pregnancy). It can help you:

• feel better. At a time when you wonder if this strange body can possibly be yours, exercise can increase your sense of control and boost your energy level. Not only does it make you feel better by releasing endorphins (naturally occurring chemicals in your brain), appropriate exercise can:
  • relieve backaches and improve your posture by strengthening and toning muscles in your back, butt, and thighs
  • reduce constipation by accelerating movement in your intestine
  • prevent wear and tear on your joints (which become loosened during pregnancy due to normal hormonal changes) by activating the lubricating fluid in your joints
  • help you sleep better by relieving the stress and anxiety that might make you restless at night
  • look better. Exercise increases the blood flow to your skin, giving you a healthy glow.
• prepare you and your body for birth. Strong muscles and a fit heart can greatly ease labor and delivery. Gaining control over your breathing can help you manage pain. And in the event of a lengthy labor, increased endurance can be a real help.
• regain your pre-pregnancy body more quickly. You’ll gain less fat weight during your pregnancy if you continue to exercise (assuming you exercised before becoming pregnant). But don’t expect or try to lose weight by exercising while you’re pregnant. For most women, the goal is to maintain their fitness level throughout pregnancy.

While the jury’s still out on the additional benefits of exercise during pregnancy, some studies have shown that exercise may even lower a woman’s risk of complications, like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.

What’s a Safe Exercise Plan During Pregnancy?

It depends on when you start and whether your pregnancy is complicated. If you exercised regularly before becoming pregnant, continue your program, with modifications as you need them.

If you weren’t fit before you became pregnant, don’t give up! Begin slowly and build gradually as you become stronger. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 150 minutes (that’s 2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week for healthy women who are not already highly active or doing vigorous-intensity activity. If you’re healthy, the risks of moderate-intensity activity during pregnancy are very low, and do not increase risk of low birth weight, preterm delivery, or early pregnancy loss.

Before you continue your old exercise routine or begin a new one, you should talk to your doctor about exercising while you’re pregnant. Discuss any concerns you may have.

You may need to limit your exercise if you have:

• pregnancy-induced high blood pressure
• early contractions
• vaginal bleeding
• premature rupture of your membranes, also known as your water (the fluid in the amniotic sac around the fetus) breaking early

Exercises to Try

That depends on what interests you and what your doctor advises. Many women enjoy dancing, swimming, water aerobics, yoga, Pilates, biking, or walking. Swimming is especially appealing; as it gives you welcome buoyancy (floatability or the feeling of weightlessness). Try for a combination of cardio (aerobic), strength, and flexibility exercises, and avoid bouncing.

Many experts recommend walking. It’s easy to vary the pace, add hills, and add distance. If you’re just starting, begin with a moderately brisk pace for a mile, 3 days a week. Add a couple of minutes every week, pick up the pace a bit, and eventually add hills to your route. Whether you’re a pro or a novice, go slowly for the first 5 minutes to warm up and use the last 5 minutes to cool down.

If you were a runner before you were pregnant, in many cases, you can continue running during your pregnancy, although you may have to modify your routine.

Whatever type of exercise you and your doctor decide on, the key is to listen to your body’s warnings. Many women, for example, become dizzy early in their pregnancy, and as the baby grows, their center of gravity changes. So it may be easy for you to lose your balance, especially in the last trimester.

Your energy level may also vary greatly from day to day. And as your baby grows and pushes up on your lungs, you’ll notice a decreased ability to breathe in more air (and the oxygen it contains) when you exercise. If your body says, “Stop!” — stop!

Your body is signaling that it’s had enough if you feel:

• fatigue
• dizziness
• heart palpitations (your heart pounding in your chest)
• shortness of breath
• pain in your back or pelvis

And if you can’t talk while you’re exercising, you’re doing it too strenuously.

It also isn’t good for your baby if you become overheated because temperatures greater than 102.6° Fahrenheit (39° Celsius) could cause problems with the developing fetus — especially in the first trimester — which can potentially lead to birth defects. So don’t overdo exercise on hot days.

When the weather is hot, try to avoid exercising outside during the hottest part of the day (from about 10 AM to 3 PM) or exercise in an air-conditioned place. Also remember that swimming makes it more difficult for you to notice your body heating up because the water makes you feel cooler.

Exercises to Avoid

Most doctors recommend that pregnant women avoid exercises after the first trimester that require them to lie flat on their backs.

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, it’s also wise to avoid any activities that include:

• bouncing
• jarring (anything that would cause a lot of up and down movement)
• leaping
• a sudden change of direction
• a risk of abdominal injury

Typical limitations include contact sports, downhill skiing, scuba diving, and horseback riding because of the risk of injury they pose.

Although some doctors say step aerobics workouts are acceptable if you can lower the height of your step as your pregnancy progresses, others caution that a changing center of gravity makes falls much more likely. If you do choose to do aerobics, just make sure to avoid becoming extremely winded or exercising to the point of exhaustion.

And check with your doctor if you experience any of these warning signs during any type of exercise:

• vaginal bleeding
• unusual pain
• dizziness or lightheadedness
• unusual shortness of breath
• racing heartbeat or chest pain
• fluid leaking from your vagina
• uterine contractions

Kegel Exercises

Although the effects of Kegel exercises can’t be seen from the outside, some women use them to reduce incontinence (the leakage of urine) caused by the weight of the baby on their bladder. Kegels help to strengthen the “pelvic floor muscles” (the muscles that aid in controlling urination).

Kegels are easy, and you can do them any time you have a few seconds — sitting in your car, at your desk, or standing in line at the store. No one will even know you’re doing them!

To find the correct muscles, pretend you’re trying to stop urinating. Squeeze those muscles for a few seconds, then relax. You’re using the correct muscles if you feel a pull. Or place a finger inside your vagina and feel it tighten when you squeeze. Your doctor can also help you identify the correct muscles.

A few things to keep in mind when you’re doing Kegel exercises:

Don’t tighten other muscles (stomach or legs, for example) at the same time. You want to focus on the muscles you’re exercising.

Don’t hold your breath while you do them because it’s important that your body and muscles continue to receive oxygen while you do any type of exercise.

Don’t regularly do Kegels by stopping and starting your flow of urine while you’re actually going to the bathroom, as this can lead to incomplete emptying of your bladder, which increases the risk of urinary tract infections.

Getting Started

Always talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise program. Once you’re ready to get going:

Start gradually. Even 5 minutes a day is a good start if you’ve been inactive. Add 5 minutes each week until you reach 30 minutes.

Dress comfortably in loose-fitting clothes and wear a supportive bra to protect your breasts.

Drink plenty of water to avoid overheating and dehydration.

Skip your exercises if you’re sick.

Opt for a walk in an air-conditioned mall on hot, humid days.

Above all, listen to your body.

Reviewed by: Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD

1. Beginner Squats: for Thighs

   If you’re new at this, get started with a beginner version of squats using an exercise ball. Stand against a wall with the ball at your low back, feet hip-width apart and out in front. Slowly lower your body by folding at the hips and bending the knees, dropping glutes toward the floor; slowly move back to the starting position. Your knees should remain over your heels. Perform 10 challenging repetitions.

2. Squats: for Thighs

   Once you’re ready, try squats without an exercise ball. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and your back straight. Bend your knees and lower your rear as if you were sitting down, keeping your knees over your ankles. To target more muscle groups in less time, add an overhead press at the same time. With a dumbbell in each hand, rise from the squat position and push weights overhead, palms out. Really focus on good form. Perform 10 repetitions.

3. Forward Lunge: for Thighs

   Standing with feet hip-width apart, take a big step forward with one leg, then lower your body toward the floor, front knee aligned with ankle, back knee pointing to the floor. Return to the starting position, and repeat by stepping forward with the other leg. For more challenge, hold a free weight in both hands and complete the lunge with a rotation in the torso, twisting the body toward the forward leg. Perform 10 repetitions on each side.

4. Romanian Dead lift: for Hamstrings

   To perform a dead lift holding a body bar or free weights, stand up straight with feet hip-width apart. Fold at your hips, moving the hips backward as you lower your upper body parallel to the floor. Keep the legs straight without locking the knees, and keep the back level and the spine in neutral. Lower the weight to just below your knees, then slowly return to the starting position. Perform 10 repetitions.

5. The Bridge: for Hamstrings

   The bridge works the glutes (butt), hamstrings, and the core. Lying on your back with knees bent and feet hip-width apart, peel your spine off the floor, starting at the tailbone, forming a diagonal line from knees down to shoulders. Slowly return to the starting position. Target your triceps at the same time by holding light weights, lifting your arms ceiling ward, bending your elbows, lower the weights towards the floor. Perform 10 repetitions.

6. Push-Ups: for Chest & Core

   Now, let’s move on to the upper body. Push-ups strengthen the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core muscles. Lying face-down, place hands a bit wider than your shoulders. Place toes or knees on the floor, creating a smooth line from shoulders to knees or feet. Keeping core muscles engaged lower and lift your body by bending and straightening your elbows. To boost the workout, add an exercise ball under the hips, knees, or feet. Perform 10 repetitions.

7. Chest Press: for the Chest

   Instead of push-ups you can try the chest press with weights. Lying face-up on a bench, with knees bent or feet on the floor, spine relaxed, press a body bar or free weights from your chest toward the ceiling. Extend your arms but don’t lock the elbows, and move slowly in both directions, keeping shoulder blades on the bench. For an extra challenge, do the chest press with your head and upper back on an exercise ball. Perform 10 repetitions.

8. Bent-Over Row: for Back & Biceps

   The bent-over row works all the major muscles of the upper back, as well as the biceps. Begin the exercise in a bent-over position with your back flat, one knee and one hand on the same side of the body braced on a bench. Hold a free weight in the other hand with arm extended. Lift the weight toward the hip until the upper arm is just beyond horizontal, then slowly lower weight to the starting position. Perform 10 repetitions.

9. Shoulder Press: for Shoulders

   A shoulder press works the shoulder muscles and can be performed standing or seated. For extra back support, use a bench with a back rest. Begin with elbows bent and weights at shoulders. Slowly reach toward the ceiling, keeping the elbows under the hands and the shoulders away from the ears; slowly lower back to the starting position. Perform 10 repetitions.

10. Cable Pull Down: for Upper Back

    For the last upper body exercise, do the cable pull down, which works the upper back. Using a cable machine, sitting straight with a neutral spine, slowly pull the bar down past the face and toward the chest. Only go as far as you can without leaning back, and control the weight on the way back up. Perform 10 repetitions.

11. Bicycle Crunch: for Core & Abdominals

    Lying on your back on the floor, fold knees toward the chest and curl the upper body off the floor. With hands behind head, slowly rotate upper body to the right while drawing the right knee in and reaching the left leg out. Then rotate left and pull the left knee in and extend right leg out. Focus on bringing the shoulder toward the hip (rather than the elbow to the knee), and keep the opposite shoulder off the floor. Perform 10 repetitions.

12. Side Plank: for Core or Abdominals

    For another abdominal alternative, lie on your side with a bent elbow directly under your shoulder, and use your torso muscles to lift the body up into a side plank. Then lift the hips higher, then back to the plank, then lower. Do as many as you can with proper form, then repeat on the other side.

13. Have You Completed 20 Minutes?

    Before moving on to the cardio portion of the workout, be sure you’ve completed 20 minutes of resistance training (You can reverse this workout as well by starting with 10 minutes of cardio, then circuit train). If you haven’t, go back and start the circuit over again until you reach the 20 minute goal.

14. Cardiovascular Training

    Once the 20 minutes of resistance training are up, move right into 10 minutes of cardio. Use intense intervals during your cardio session, taking about a minute to get from moderate speed to intense. Whether you’re on the stair-stepper, the elliptical trainer, or the treadmill, do:

    • 30 seconds of the highest speed you can tolerate.
    • Then 30 seconds of normal speed.
    • Then 30 seconds of the stiffest resistance you can handle.
    • Then 30 seconds of normal.
    • Keep moving back and forth between speed and resistance until you’ve completed 10 minutes.

Frequency of Workout

Perform this 30-minute workout routine every other day, or do it two days in a row if that better suits your schedule. These are not hardcore bodybuilding-style routines where the high degree of muscular overload requires full rest to recover.

One of the simplest and most important things you can do to clean up your diet and improve your health is start making your own salad dressing. When I look at the ingredient lists of most salad dressing, I see a host of problem ingredients.

Commercial salad dressings are often loaded with sugar including high fructose corn syrup which greatly increases insulin levels in the blood leading to insulin resistance and diabetes.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is sometimes present which is a known neurotoxin causing problems such hyperactivity, poor attention, difficulty concentrating, and headaches. MSG has also been shown to increase weight gain in an animal study.

Commercial salad dressings are usually made from refined vegetable oils such as soy and cottonseed oil. Even the ones that advertise being made with olive oil usually have a little olive oil and a lot of the refined oils. These refined vegetable oils become rancid in the extraction process and cause free radical damage throughout the body; this leads to faster aging, a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Besides being good for you instead of harmful to your health, your homemade salad dressing will cost about the same as commercial ones.

Making salad dressings is quick, easy, and tastes delicious. You can be creative with them adding different herbs and spices for different flavors.

Recipe: Makes 1 cup salad dressing.

Get the best ingredients you can—organic is ideal.

¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup vinegar (balsamic, wine, or apple cider) or to taste
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon prepared mustard (Dijon style is best)
1 tablespoon flax oil (adds omega-3 fats)

Mix the vinegar, salt, and mustard into a bowl.
Add the oils slowly while whipping with a whisk or fork. This will emulsify the dressing to keep it from separating (or you can just shake the dressing up each time you use it). Serve it into a jar or an old salad dressing bottle. Use as much or as little as you like. It is good for you.

Options:

Add a dash of herbs and spices to the dressing. This can be done anytime in the process. I almost never add the same exact spices twice; this is where you can be creative. Avoid using commercial spice mixes; these typically contain MSG. If you use fresh herbs, be sure to keep the dressing the fridge.

• For a slightly spicy dressing, add black pepper and thyme (dried or fresh).
• For a cooler dressing, add mint and tarragon.
• For a good all-around dressing, I like to add rosemary, thyme, basal, and fennel.
• You can add a little honey or maple syrup if you want a sweeter taste. I recommend trying it without sweeteners first.

Benefits:

• A balanced omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio helps build cell membranes that are more sensitive to insulin. This decreases insulin resistance helping to prevent diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis among other things.
• Vinegar is very helpful in stimulating your digestive system to digest your food more efficiently. Some people with heart burn have improvements with the simple addition of a little vinegar at the beginning of their meals.
• The herbs mentioned above have various qualities depending on the herb. Many of the ones mentioned are wonderful digestive aids calming indigestion and/or curbing the formation of gas. I love the fact that our culinary spices are also digestive aids.

Use these little-known trainer tips to bust plateaus and make instant progress.

This article is all about strategy—the best methods for busting plateaus and making new size and strength gains. Tripple Sets: ”The key to building big muscles is to recruit as many muscle fibers as possible,” says Chad Waterbury, a strength and conditioning coach in Los Angeles (visit him at chadwaterbury.com). “However, your largest, strongest muscle fibers fatigue very quickly,” which is evidenced by a decrease in your rep speed toward the end of your set. You can get more out of those fibers by using triple sets.

How it Works: Choose a weight that lets you get 10-14 reps. Perform each rep as fast as possible, but keep perfect form. As soon as you feel your speed beginning to slow, end the set—do not go to failure. Rest 30 seconds and repeat. Then rest 30 seconds and repeat once more. Now rest 180 seconds and repeat the entire triple sequence. Terminating your sets when you begin to lose speed allows you to focus on the muscle fibers that have the greatest potential for growth. Once they’re fatigued, continuing to perform the set is almost moot. By stopping to rest until those big fibers are recovered, you’ll reap the most growth stimulus the set can offer.

1 1/2 Reps: You already know that compound exercises are the best muscle builders. “The problem is, they don’t always emphasize the muscles that you’re trying to build,” says Waterbury. For example, the chinup works the biceps hard, but since it’s mainly a back exercise, your back muscles can overpower the movement. Rather than doing curls to isolate the biceps, use the 1 1/2-rep method. “This allows you to build up the smaller muscles you want to focus on,” says Waterbury, “while also deriving all the strength-building benefits of compound movements.”

How it Works: Perform half of a full repetition for a particular exercise. Then return to the starting position and perform a complete rep through the entire range of motion. The half rep and full rep together count as one full rep. For example, on the chinup, start from the full hang position and pull yourself up halfway. (In this portion of the range of motion, the biceps are working at their max.) Lower yourself back down, and then do a full chinup (in which the lats are the prime movers). On the squat, you would lower yourself into the bottom position, come up halfway, and then go back down and up again to the start position. Perform five sets of 4-6 reps like this twice each week and you’ll shatter strength plateaus while stimulating a ton of new growth.

Heavy and Fast Sets: “There are two indisputable ways to build big, strong muscles,” says Waterbury—”by lifting heavy and by lifting fast.” Trouble is, muscles can’t move really heavy loads fast (it takes milliseconds longer to coordinate a muscle action under high tension), and while they can move light loads quickly, light weights aren’t stressful enough on muscles to elicit growth. How do you lift heavy and fast in the same set to reap maximum benefits?

How it Works: Choose a compound exercise for what- ever muscle group you’re training. For example, if it’s a chest workout, you could use the bench press (as opposed to the dumbbell fly). Perform a set with a weight that al- lows you to get five reps (do not go to failure), rest 10 seconds, and then hit the floor and do as many plyo pushups as you can (explosively push up so that your body rises off the floor and you can clap in midair. Rest 180 seconds, and then repeat the sequence twice more. The set of five reps allows you to lift heavy weights, providing plenty of muscular tension. The explosive plyo pushups recruit your biggest and strongest muscle fibers. This combination provides a one-two punch for lightning- fast muscle gains. If you’re training legs, do squats followed by body-weight jump squats. “This method also works really well for biceps development,” says Waterbury. Perform one set of weighted chinups for five reps, rest 10 seconds, and then do a set of barbell curls as fast as possible with a load you could lift 10-12 times.


Post-Exhaustion Training: You’ve probably tried the pre-exhaustion method before, which involves performing a set of an isolation exercise followed immediately by a compound movement. The goal here is to work one target muscle group in an area of the body first and then tax it some more with a compound movement in which the other muscles in that area can assist you in getting more reps. For instance, you could do a set of biceps curls prior to chinups. The challenge, however, is that isolation lifts don’t permit heavy loading (you can chinup with a lot more weight than you can curl), so you’re cheating your- self out of the chance to lift big, muscle-building weights when you’re fresh. Post-exhaustion training is just the opposite.

How it Works: “Work the muscles with a compound lift first, and then follow it with an isolation exercise that involves the prime movers,” says Smith. That means you can do chin-ups paired with curls, close-grip bench presses with triceps extensions, and shoulder presses with lateral raises. Now you can thoroughly stimulate your target muscles with a heavy weight first and then finish off with a move that provides a more direct hit afterward.

Diminished-Rest Intervals: You can break a plateau in a matter of seconds. In fact, you don’t even have to lift more weight or adjust your sets and reps. “By gradually reducing the time you take between sets,” says Rachel Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., a performance-enhancement coach in Santa Clarita, Calif., “you can force your muscles to recover more quickly, and that leads to faster growth.”

How it Works: Reduce the amount of time you rest between sets by 5-10 seconds every week—but make sure you don’t have to decrease the weight you’re using to allow for it. In other words, if you’re currently resting 60 seconds between sets, try going for 55 or 50 seconds next week, and 50 or 45 seconds the week after. Continue in this manner for four weeks. At that point, you’ll be recovering in approximately half the time you used to, and you’ll need to use heavier weights to return to your old rest periods again.

Back-Off Sets: Your body is capable of lifting some badass weights—you just don’t always have the confidence to try. One great way of reducing your inhibitions toward heaving big loads is to use back-off sets, which allow you to use heavier weights than normal for a higher-rep set.

How it Works: Choose a weight that allows you to get about six reps, and perform two sets with it. Now reduce the weight by 40%, and do as many reps as possible—however many you complete, it’s sure to be more than you could have gotten if you’d just done a normal warm-up and then tried to rep out with that load. “Your nervous system is already excited from your heavy sets,” says Cosgrove (rachelcosgrove.com), “so when you do the back-off set, it’s primed to make your muscles do more work than usual.”

by Sean Hyson, C.S.C.S. ]]> http://thefitnessfactory.biz/2009/07/29/muscle-tricks/feed/ 0 http://thefitnessfactory.biz/2009/07/27/5-reasons-why-women-should-lift-weights/ http://thefitnessfactory.biz/2009/07/27/5-reasons-why-women-should-lift-weights/#comments Mon, 27 Jul 2009 22:49:00 +0000 admin http://thefitnessfactory.biz/?p=176 Women who lift weights will be stronger and more capable in their everyday lives.

Weight lifting helps women to burn fat efficiently. The more lean muscle a female has, the higher your
resting metabolic rate will be. Someone with a fast metabolism will burn more calories than someone
with a slow metabolism doing the same amount of work.

1. When combined with cardio, weight lifting optimizes the body’s defenses against heart disease. It helps
   decrease LDL cholesterol, increase HDL cholesterol, and lower blood pressure. It also helps the body
   process glucose more efficiently, lowering the risk of diabetes.
2. Weight lifting fortifies connective tissue and improves joint stability, which helps strength trainers to
   allay pain and lower their risk of injury. Certain people lift weights just so they’ll have fewer muscle
   aches. Strength trainers also have increased bone density, lowering the risk of osteoporosis.
3. Weight lifting contributes to better sleep, helps people to blow off steam, and is one of the best ways
   to look and feel better about oneself. Who wouldn’t like more confidence, especially when it comes with
   an enhanced capacity to burn calories?

• Chest press. 3 sets of 8 repetitions.
• Bent over row. 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
• Triceps. 3 sets of 12 repetitions.
• Biceps. 3 sets of 12 repetitions.
• Knee extensions. 3 sets of 12 repetitions.
• Calf raises. 3 sets of 25 repetitions.
• Push ups. 3 sets of 20 repetitions. (If you can do more in a repetition, then go for it.)

Weight Training Schedule

– 3 times a week is a good starting point when determining your needs for strength training. Your muscles need time to recover.

Seek guidance from a properly qualified trainer or coach.

It is easy for teens to injure themselves when strength training due to the fact that their joints, bones, muscles and tendons have not finished growing. Any sudden pain, or popping feelings or sounds, should be immediately checked out by a doctor.

Don’t forget that a well rounded fitness program will also include some aerobic activity like running, walking, skating or swimming, to keep those lungs and heart fit and healthy as well.