Showing posts with label Health and fitness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health and fitness. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
[Health Tip] Jump Rope To Lose Stubborn Body Fat?...
Most People Have Never Attempted a Jump Rope Workout.
When was the last time you jumped rope? For most people the answer would be
back in Elementary School or possibly Junior High. It's actually too bad,
because it is a very efficient form of exercise. Most people could easily walk
for 15 minutes, but I would bet less than 1 percent of adults could jump rope
for 15 minutes straight. Very few people, besides boxers, have ever seriously
used the jump rope to achieve top condition.
What Muscle Groups are Worked in a Jump Rope
Workout?
Jumping rope will seriously work every muscle in the body. I'm convinced
that it will expose your weak links. After your first jump rope workout,
you will be sore in many different parts of your body. Honestly, I think my
entire body was sore after my first jump rope workout. I was especially sore in
my calf muscles as well as my abs. As a side note I will say that jumping
rope will help you in your quest to get super-ripped abs. Your core really gets
worked hard since you have to use your abs to stabilize your entire body to help
you propel your body through the air.
How Jumping Rope Helps Your Body Release Fat Burning
Hormones.
HGH is a natural hormone that your body releases to burn body fat. You have
probably seen many ads for pills that will help increase your natural levels of
HGH. This was really popular about 5 years ago, but you don't hear too much
about HGH anymore. A high level of HGH in your body is the quickest route to
burning body fat! Unfortunately, low intensity cardio won't help your body
release HGH. The best way to increase HGH is performing high intensity
cardio for 30-60 seconds or so, followed by a minute or two of walking or low
intensity cardio. This is called High Intensity Interval Training.
What Type of Jump Rope To Purchase?
I recommend getting a "speed rope"...these run around $15 at most
sporting good stores. They are plastic ropes without the beads. You also don't
want to buy the weighted ropes. Get a jump rope that is adjustable. You are
going to want to adjust the rope to an optimum level to jump quickly without
hitting your head. If it is too long, you won't be able to jump at a fast rate.
How To Adjust Your Jump Rope to the Correct Height:
Set your jump rope on the ground
Stand on the midpoint of the rope (an equal distance between the handles)
Grab the handles and pull them up to your chest while standing on the rope
If the top of the handles reach above your collar bone the rope is too long
If the top of the handles reach your upper abs or lower, the rope is too short
I like to adjust the rope so the handles hit about 6 inches below my collar bone
If in doubt, go a bit too long and shorten the rope a bit as you get more experienced
Your First Two Weeks of the Program, Learn the Skill of Jumping
Rope
Most beginners "double bounce" in between rotations. This actually
allows them to rest their core a bit as well as their calf muscles in
between rotations and means that they have a low level of core fitness. You will
want to jump cleanly in between each rotation and keep the abs and core tight.
Your arms should barely move when you jump rope. The rotation of the rope
should come from wrist movement. If you want to increase the speed of the
rotations, simply increase the tightness of the circles that your wrist is
making (this will make more sense when you start jumping rope). The goal of your
first two weeks of jumping rope is to eventually work up to a point where you
can jump rope for 5 minutes solid without having to stop and start again. This
means that if you have to stop because the rope hits your feet, you have to
start again from zero. You also want to be able to jump rope alternating feet,
so it looks like you are running while jumping rope.
A Great 15 Minute Jump Rope Workout that You Can Customize to Your
Liking
Stand in front of a clock or timer of some sort
Jump Rope for 3 minutes to warm up
Rest for 30 seconds
Jump rope as quickly as possible for 60 seconds
Rest for 30 seconds
Jump Rope as quickly as possible for 60 seconds
Rest for 30 seconds
Repeat this alternating pattern for 15-20 minutes
Note: For the 60 second sprint, you can do it in running fashion, you can
learn how to rotate the rope twice for every one jump, etc. As you get more
advanced, you will be able to make the 60 second sprint extremely intense.
Also, if you want to take advantage of the fast heart rate and burn even more
body fat, hit a treadmill or exercise bike for 20-30 minutes after your jump
rope workout. Oh yeah...you might need a towel...you should be sweating like
crazy!
Hit this Jump Rope Workout Hard and you will begin to see
definition over your entire body!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Health Tips- Drinking More Water To Lose Weight?...
Why Drinking Water Really is the Key to Weight Loss
Don't roll your eyes! The potion for losing that excess body fat is all around you. It covers two thirds of the planet. If you eat right and exercise at the intensity, frequency and duration proper for you, but still can't get rid of a little paunch here and there, you're probably just not drinking enough water.
No need to get defensive. You're actually quite normal. Most people don't drink enough water. Most people are also carrying around a few more pounds than they would be if they did drink enough water. If you can't seem to get that weight off, try drowning your sorrows in nature's magical weight-loss mineral. It works, and here's why:
"What on Earth is 'metabolism', anyway?" People use the term all the time, but ask them what it means and you'll get all kinds of answers. Merriam Webster defines it as, "The process by which a substance is handled in the body." A little vague, but that's really all it means.
There are many forms of metabolism going on in your body right now, but the one everyone is talking about it the metabolism of fat. This is actually something that the liver does when it converts stored fat to energy. The liver has other functions, but this is one of its main jobs.
Unfortunately, another of the liver's duties is to pick up the slack for the kidneys, which need plenty of water to work properly. If the kidneys are water-deprived, the liver has to do their work along with its own, lowering its total productivity. It then can't metabolize fat as quickly or efficiently as it could when the kidneys were pulling their own weight. If you allow this to happen, not only are you being unfair to your liver, but you're also setting yourself up to store fat.
"I've tried it and I couldn't stand it!" The problem is that, though many decide to increase their water intake, very few stick with it. It's understandable. During the first few days of drinking more water than your body is accustomed to, you're running to the bathroom constantly. This can be very discouraging, and it can certainly interfere with an otherwise normal day at work. It seems that the water is coming out just as fast as it's going in, and many people decide that their new hydration habit is fruitless.
Do take heed , though. What is really happening is that your body is flushing itself of the water it has been storing throughout all those years of "survival mode". It takes a while, but this is a beautiful thing happening to you. As you continue to give your body all the water it could ask for, it gets rid of what it doesn't need. It gets rid of the water it was holding onto in your ankles and your hips and thighs, maybe even around your belly. You are excreting much more than you realize. Your body figures it doesn't need to save these stores anymore; it's trusting that the water will keep coming, and if it does, eventually, the flushing (of both the body and the potty) will cease, allowing the human to return to a normal life. It's true. This is called the "breakthrough point."
One recent finding, as irresponsible as it may be, that caffeine increases the body's fat-burning potential has many people loading up on coffee before going to the gym. This finding may hold some degree of truth in it, but caffeine is, in essence, a diuretic, and diuretics dehydrate. Caffeine may increase the heart rate, causing a few more calories to be burned, but this is at the expense of the muscles, which need water to function properly. This isn't doing your heart any favors, either. It's already working hard enough during your workout. Never mix caffeine and exercise. In fact, your best bet is to stay away from caffeine all together. It's a big bully that pushes your friend water out of your system.
Water is the best beauty treatment. You've heard this since high school, and it's true. Water will do wonders for your looks! It flushes out impurities in your skin, leaving you with a clear, glowing complexion. It also makes your skin look younger. Skin that is becoming saggy, either due to aging or weight loss, plumps up very nicely when the skin cells are hydrated.
In addition, it improves muscle tone. You can lift weights until you're blue in the face, but if your muscles are suffering from a drought, you won't notice a pleasant difference in your appearance. Muscles that have all the water they need contract more easily, making your workout more effective, and you'll look much nicer than if you had flabby muscles under sagging skin.
"Eight glasses a day? Are you kidding?!" It's really not that much. Eight 8-ounce glasses amount to about two quarts of water. This is okay for the average person, but if you're overweight, you should drink another eight ounces for every 25 pounds of excess weight you carry. You should also up this if you live in a hot climate or exercise very intensely.
This water consumption should be spread out throughout the day. It's not healthy at all to drink too much water at one time. Try to pick three or four times a day when you can have a big glass of water, and then sip in between. Don't let yourself get thirsty. If you feel thirsty, you're already becoming dehydrated. Drink when you're not thirsty yet.
Do you think water is yucky? Drinking other fluids will certainly help hydrate your body, but the extra calories, sugar, additives and whatever else aren't what you need. Try a slice of lemon or lime in the glass, or if you really think you hate water, try a flavored water. Just make sure you read the labels. Remember that you're going to be consuming a lot of this fluid.
It's probably a good idea to stop drinking water a good three hours before you go to bed. You know why.
"How cold should it be?" This is debatable. Most experts lean toward cold water, because the stomach absorbs it more quickly. There is also some evidence that cold water might enhance fat burning.
On the other hand, warmer water is easier to drink in large quantities, and you might drink more of it without even realizing it. Do whatever suits you, here. Just drink it!
When you drink all the water you need, you will very quickly notice a decrease in your appetite, possibly even on the first day! If you're serious about becoming leaner and healthier, drinking water is an absolute must. If you're doing everything else right and still not seeing results, this might just what's missing.
Don't roll your eyes! The potion for losing that excess body fat is all around you. It covers two thirds of the planet. If you eat right and exercise at the intensity, frequency and duration proper for you, but still can't get rid of a little paunch here and there, you're probably just not drinking enough water.
No need to get defensive. You're actually quite normal. Most people don't drink enough water. Most people are also carrying around a few more pounds than they would be if they did drink enough water. If you can't seem to get that weight off, try drowning your sorrows in nature's magical weight-loss mineral. It works, and here's why:
"What on Earth is 'metabolism', anyway?" People use the term all the time, but ask them what it means and you'll get all kinds of answers. Merriam Webster defines it as, "The process by which a substance is handled in the body." A little vague, but that's really all it means.
There are many forms of metabolism going on in your body right now, but the one everyone is talking about it the metabolism of fat. This is actually something that the liver does when it converts stored fat to energy. The liver has other functions, but this is one of its main jobs.
Unfortunately, another of the liver's duties is to pick up the slack for the kidneys, which need plenty of water to work properly. If the kidneys are water-deprived, the liver has to do their work along with its own, lowering its total productivity. It then can't metabolize fat as quickly or efficiently as it could when the kidneys were pulling their own weight. If you allow this to happen, not only are you being unfair to your liver, but you're also setting yourself up to store fat.
"I've tried it and I couldn't stand it!" The problem is that, though many decide to increase their water intake, very few stick with it. It's understandable. During the first few days of drinking more water than your body is accustomed to, you're running to the bathroom constantly. This can be very discouraging, and it can certainly interfere with an otherwise normal day at work. It seems that the water is coming out just as fast as it's going in, and many people decide that their new hydration habit is fruitless.
Do take heed , though. What is really happening is that your body is flushing itself of the water it has been storing throughout all those years of "survival mode". It takes a while, but this is a beautiful thing happening to you. As you continue to give your body all the water it could ask for, it gets rid of what it doesn't need. It gets rid of the water it was holding onto in your ankles and your hips and thighs, maybe even around your belly. You are excreting much more than you realize. Your body figures it doesn't need to save these stores anymore; it's trusting that the water will keep coming, and if it does, eventually, the flushing (of both the body and the potty) will cease, allowing the human to return to a normal life. It's true. This is called the "breakthrough point."
One recent finding, as irresponsible as it may be, that caffeine increases the body's fat-burning potential has many people loading up on coffee before going to the gym. This finding may hold some degree of truth in it, but caffeine is, in essence, a diuretic, and diuretics dehydrate. Caffeine may increase the heart rate, causing a few more calories to be burned, but this is at the expense of the muscles, which need water to function properly. This isn't doing your heart any favors, either. It's already working hard enough during your workout. Never mix caffeine and exercise. In fact, your best bet is to stay away from caffeine all together. It's a big bully that pushes your friend water out of your system.
Water is the best beauty treatment. You've heard this since high school, and it's true. Water will do wonders for your looks! It flushes out impurities in your skin, leaving you with a clear, glowing complexion. It also makes your skin look younger. Skin that is becoming saggy, either due to aging or weight loss, plumps up very nicely when the skin cells are hydrated.
In addition, it improves muscle tone. You can lift weights until you're blue in the face, but if your muscles are suffering from a drought, you won't notice a pleasant difference in your appearance. Muscles that have all the water they need contract more easily, making your workout more effective, and you'll look much nicer than if you had flabby muscles under sagging skin.
"Eight glasses a day? Are you kidding?!" It's really not that much. Eight 8-ounce glasses amount to about two quarts of water. This is okay for the average person, but if you're overweight, you should drink another eight ounces for every 25 pounds of excess weight you carry. You should also up this if you live in a hot climate or exercise very intensely.
This water consumption should be spread out throughout the day. It's not healthy at all to drink too much water at one time. Try to pick three or four times a day when you can have a big glass of water, and then sip in between. Don't let yourself get thirsty. If you feel thirsty, you're already becoming dehydrated. Drink when you're not thirsty yet.
Do you think water is yucky? Drinking other fluids will certainly help hydrate your body, but the extra calories, sugar, additives and whatever else aren't what you need. Try a slice of lemon or lime in the glass, or if you really think you hate water, try a flavored water. Just make sure you read the labels. Remember that you're going to be consuming a lot of this fluid.
It's probably a good idea to stop drinking water a good three hours before you go to bed. You know why.
"How cold should it be?" This is debatable. Most experts lean toward cold water, because the stomach absorbs it more quickly. There is also some evidence that cold water might enhance fat burning.
On the other hand, warmer water is easier to drink in large quantities, and you might drink more of it without even realizing it. Do whatever suits you, here. Just drink it!
When you drink all the water you need, you will very quickly notice a decrease in your appetite, possibly even on the first day! If you're serious about becoming leaner and healthier, drinking water is an absolute must. If you're doing everything else right and still not seeing results, this might just what's missing.
[Source: http://www.inch-aweigh.com/]
-WhieBee? [wh-eye-b-ee]
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