Archive for exercise

How to help obese kids

Childhood obesity has become a national epidemic. The statistics are clear. Eighteen percent of children are overweight and eight percent are obese. These are serious statistics. What can parents do to help this situation?

1. You should be involved with your child’s life.

What does this mean? Children hate parents interfering with their life and the least hint of control can and probably will turn them against you. However, the problem is serious. Parents should first form a team within themselves and discuss strategy on how to talk to the child. Then, appoint one parent to have that discussion. Keep trying. Never give up. You should have an idea of your child’s life. What do they do day to day and on weekends? Invest some time getting involved with Project Child. It can be frustrating and may seem like the child will want to get rid of your involvement. However, you must persist and do it gently. You must approach it from a point of view of love, that the three of you are a team. The child’s problems are your problems. Create harmony and approach the conversation from a point of view of harmony rather than a top down approach.

2. When you get past step one, then plan out where the time is spent.

Where is the time being spent? Obviously, you should get some activity into the child’s life. Where can the change be made? Can you or both parents be involved in that activity? Are family activities a possibility? Explore family swim time, hike time, snowshoeing time and others. Make it a group activity. If the child resists family events, then try to organize a group activity with the child and their friends. This might also be difficult. However, give it a try. Volunteer to take them somewhere on a group hike, bike ride, snowshoe trip. You can’t take the top down approach of “You need to be more active”. You must come up with a plan where there is involvement of other people.

3. What is the food situation? You should take stock of your child’s eating habits.

What is going on? What are the meal plans? Take ownership of this issue and start planning out their meals. Take the extra time to make their lunches and snacks. My client’s daughter started working at a restaurant. She never ate her own meals properly during the time she worked. She just ate whatever was lying around in the restaurant’s kitchen. Most of the time, this would be bad food, like chocolate cake. The daughter ended up gaining weight. My client then took matters into her own hands and planned out her lunches and snacks. She made them in advance and took that extra time out of her day to do that. She also planned snacks and set them out around the house so that the daughter always had healthy snacks to choose from.

Following these three simple steps can help to alleviate childhood weight issues. It is because we let things go that these issues arise. Food is always the first resource to get rid of feeling bad. Make sure this is not a frequent issue by following the three steps in this article.
For the past 20 years Hema has worked with many individuals, including executives at large corporations, to reduce stress, improve general health and workplace productivity. A variety of personal interests and professional paths have led Hema to her current role as a certified personal trainer, yoga instructor and nutrition and wellness specialist. Hema is listed in Who’s Who in the World and is an author, lecturer and Can-Fit-Pro certified personal trainer who specializes in body-mind-spirit consulting and training women.

Hema offers keynote speeches, group workshops, and sees clients one-on-one in the Ottawa/Toronto area. Sign up for her free newsletter at http://www.getshanti.com

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How to workout like a caveman

Walk into any gym in just about anywhere in the world on a Monday, and chances are you will find every flat bench taken. Perhaps at some point in time, the gods of Olympia decreed that chest exercises were to be done on the first day of the week.

If it’s not by Zeus’ hand, maybe it’s just because so many people’s workout schedules are based on the same weekly calendar. Whatever the case may be, the fact remains that far too much reliance is placed upon what is considered to be convention when it comes to working out.

There are seven days in a week, which is why so many workouts are based on this unassailable truth. But, without trying to get all Plato on you, are there really seven days in a week? Or, could it be that there are no true days, weeks or even months - at least, as not as far as your body knows.

At the risk of turning the routine world that we live in into a land of confusion, try the following workout, which is based on…..oooh, are you ready? Eight days a week.

Caveman Workout Schedule

Your body has no idea what a week is. In fact, it doesn’t even know who you are. The collection and storage of knowledge are all functions of the brain. And while the brain is of course part of your body, it can sometimes be your worst enemy when it comes to working out.

Cro-Magnon, Australopithecus, and Neanderthal were all men…real men, with strong arms and small brains. If for some odd reason you were ever in a room with any of these evolutionary rest stops and asked them what the date was, they would likely club you nearly to death and then pee on you.

But, you will have learned a valuable lesson from these troglodytes, and that is you shouldn’t be focused on days or weeks, and should instead be more concerned with getting fitter and stronger. This workout is designed to make you think with your body and not with your brain, much like your hairier ancestors. What’s more, you will find that you will almost never have to vie for a flat bench again.

The Workout

Although the following is designed for a more seasoned lifter, an intermediate or even a novice can still benefit from the basic 8-day week principle. Enough talking, Unga-Bunga….time to lift heavy things:

MONDAY Cardio & Abs
30 Minutes of High Intensity Cardio (choose from Treadmill, Stationary Bike, or Elliptical Machine)
2 sets Hanging Leg Raises
2 sets Hanging Knee Raises
2 sets Russian Twists
2 sets Raised-Knee Crunches

TUESDAY Chest & Biceps
3 Sets Bench Press x 8-10 reps
3 Sets Incline Dumbbell Press x 8-10 reps
4 Sets Cable Crossovers x 10-12 reps
3 Sets Standing Dumbbell Curls x 10-12 reps
3 Sets Preacher Curls x 10-12 reps
2 Sets Reverse Grip Pull-Ups x max reps

WEDNESDAY Cardio & Abs
Follow same routine as Monday

THURSDAY Rest Day

FRIDAY Legs & Shoulders
4 Sets Squats x 8-10 reps
3 Sets Stiff Leg Deadlifts x 10-12 reps
3 Sets Reverse Lunges x 10-12 reps
3 Sets Standing Dumbbell Press x 10-12 reps
3 Sets Side Lateral Raises x 12-15 reps
3 Sets Upright Rows x 10-12 reps

SATURDAY Cardio & Abs
Follow same routine as Monday & Wednesday

SUNDAY Rest Day

MONDAY Back & Triceps
3 Sets Single-Arm Rows x 10-12 reps
3 Sets Bent-Over Rows x 10-12 reps
3 Sets Wide-Grip Pull-Ups x max reps
3 Sets Close-Grip Bench Press x 10-12 reps
3 Sets Cable Pull-Downs x 12-15 reps
2 Sets Reverse-Grip Cable Pull-Downs x 12-15 reps

At the end of the first 8 days, start back at the beginning on Tuesday. Then, 8 days later, the first day of the “week” will be on Wednesday, and so on.

Modifying the Workout

Even though much of what has been suggested deals with the abandonment of structured time and dates, it is important to change your workout every 4-6 weeks. One of the greatest contributors to result plateaus is your body’s eventual acclimation to a workout.

Again, this is a primordial response, an innate ability of the human body to adapt to environmental pressures (even if it is you that is creating them). This is why it is very important that this workout schedule, or any workout for that matter, be changed after you have gone through your 8 day week cycle at least 4, and at most 6, times.

Change can come in the form of an entirely new workout, or even just a change in the exercises, tempo, rest time in between sets, or number of repetitions per set. The key is to keep it fresh and to keep your body guessing. The rest is simply evolution.
FitBuff.com is your portal to total mind and body fitness. We have a variety of articles, advice, and information to help you improve your overall life across ten different categories: brain power, dating, exercise, family, grooming, money, nutrition, sex, stress, and work.

FitBuff.com - Total Mind and Body Fitness

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How to add an inch to your arms

The internet is filled with hundreds of websites, articles and forum posts all focused on one thing: How to add one inch to your arm size.

There’s even a program that claims to pack one inch on your arms in just 24 hours.

But today, I’m going to cut through the hype and reveal the deep, dark secret about what it really takes to pack a full inch on your arms.

First things first.

Most Arm Measurements Are 100% B.S.

The muscle magazines are full of pictures and stories about guys with “22-inch guns”.

But the sad truth is that most guys “stretch the truth” when reporting their bicep measurements. They slip a finger under the tape measure, leave the tape a little bit loose… and just like that you’ve got a bogus arm measurement.

So don’t get discouraged if you feel like your arms don’t quite measure up. You might actually be a lot closer than you think.

The Fastest Way To Add Arm Size Is To Work Your Triceps

Many trainers don’t know this but the muscles of the triceps actually make up about 66% of the size of your arm.

Your bicep muscles only account for about 1/3 of your total arm size. So the fastest way to “beef up your guns” is to work the muscle that makes up the largest portion of your total arm.

Add Leg Work To Increase Arm Size

The body seems to have built-in mechanisms that prevent the body parts from becoming grossly dis-proportionate.

Many guys skip leg training and focus only on the beach muscles, like chest and biceps.

While they may see some quick results, progress will grind to a halt because the body does not want to become disproportionate.

Many guys will see a sudden surge in arm size once they start working their legs with the same intensity they use to work their arms.

Finally, Here’s The Deep Dark Secret About Adding An Inch To Your Arms

You won’t read this in any bodybuilding magazine.

All the “gurus” conveniently omit this fact. But here’s the dark, dirty truth.

If you really want to add an inch to your arms, you will have to add 10-15lbs of muscle mass.

If you weigh 165 pounds and have 15 inch guns, you can do all the curls you want but you probably won’t stretch the tape at 16 inches until the scale registers 175 -180 lbs.

This isn’t what most guys want to hear. Most guys want to hear that you can pack an inch of muscle on to your biceps by taking some magic supplement or trying to magical one day cure.

The Truth (While Painful) Will Set You Free

Now that you know the truth about what it really takes to pack size onto your arms, you can forget about all those silly instant arm size solutions.

And you can focus on adding lean, quality mass. And as your whole body grows larger and more muscular, your arms will grow too.

Here are few quick tips for adding lean, quality mass:

1) Consume 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight daily

Your body needs protein to grow… and lots of it. If you fail to hit your daily protein target your growth will suffer.

2) Brief, Basis Weight Training Workouts

Stick with compound exercises (squats, deadlifts, bench press, dips, pull-ups) and fight to increase your strength every week.

3) Allow ample recovery time

Your muscles don’t grow in the gym. They grow when your work out ends. Your body goes to work to rebuild the muscles bigger and stronger.

Don’t short-circuit the system by lifting again too soon.

Follow these three tips and you’ll not only gain lean muscle mass but your arms will grow too.
************************************************************************ Matt Marshall is not a personal trainer or a professional bodybuilder. He’s just a former skinny guy who figured out how average guys can build muscle and develop outstanding physiques. To see his blog, go to http://www.AverageWhiteDude.com

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How to build a six pack

Wondering how to get a six pack in a week? Perhaps you need to get in shape for that school reunion, or you want to show off your awesome abs at the beach next week. If you’re looking for how to get a six pack in a week, well, good luck. The truth of the matter is that it takes dedication and consistent routine to build the perfect set of abs.

Those wondering how to get a six pack in a week may be disappointed by this fact, but achieving such high results is impossible in just a few short days. In fact, if there was a way to accomplish this so quickly, the process would be incredibly difficult. In order to get your abs to appear, they must be large enough to be visible, and your body must have limited body fat covering them.

In other words, one must build up the size of the abdominals while also cutting the fat that is covering them up. Under the layers of fat at your midsection, everyone has a six pack. The goal, then, is to get them to show up. If you’re twenty pounds overweight, out of shape, and you’re wondering how to get a six pack in a week, then you can see the impossibility here. You must lose the weight around the midsection while also performing strengthening exercises to build up the size of the muscle.

If you are out of shape, you may begin to see how this process can be one that is a difficult one. This is perhaps why there is so much craze around those who have an attractive six pack. However, achieving the sexy stomach that you desire is not incredibly difficult. Instead, it simply takes time and a regular routine. By eliminating fat-causing foods from your diet, adding aerobic activity to your workouts, and inserting different abdominal exercises into your workouts each week are the best ways to do this. No, this is not how to get a six pack in a week. Instead, it is a plan for long term results that are obtainable and sustainable.

While people constantly strive for the latest and greatest to find out how to get a six pack in a week, they will always be left disappointed. The development of these muscles takes routine in order to eliminate body fat and build up the abdominal muscles. When you combine these two together, you can achieve the flat stomach for which you strive.
In order to get the abs that you want, you’ve got to combine these two important ingredients. However, not all routines are equal. To find out the best ingredients to put into your “six pack stew,”

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How to jump higher

I was speaking to one of my good friends, he plays basketball for his college, and in the conversation a question popped up ‘How to jump higher?’ I told him that jumping requires explosive movement and this like most strength related activities can be increased, with the correct training. A vertical jump is total reach during the peak of the jump minus the standing reach. A true vertical jump is a jump without taking a step and touching the highest point achievable. Since the vertical jump is an explosive movement, both strength and power need to be developed in order to increase it.

Strength exercises are slow controlled actions. There are certain strength exercises that will benefit the vertical jump, we use our legs to jump thus obviously strength development of the muscles in the legs such as the Gastrocnemius, Gluteus maximus, Quadriceps and the Hamstrings is key. The best exercises are squats, lunges and step ups. The reason these are the best is because they are compound movements which encourage development of more then one muscle such as squats workout the Gluteus maximus, Gastrocnemius, knee joint and hip joint all simultaneously. Rule of thumb which is important during any exercise is that form is key to an effective workout.

Squats are one of the elite exercises an athlete can use to achieve strength gains when performed correctly. If poor form is used then it can lead to serious injuries involving the lower back which can be very painful and hampering. These days I workout at a local gym nearest to my house which a lot of young athletes from the nearby college use, it’s painful just watching the guys squat. The majority of the squats are incorrectly performed, over the time I’ve analysed the two main areas of concern in form: extreme forward lean of the upper body, which can cause lower back injuries and excessive forward movement of the knees.

The key points of a good squat are:

- Athletic stance.
- The bar across the upper back (on traps and shoulders).
- The chest out and the back tight with a slight forward lean.
- The knees stay directly above the feet at all times.
- Sit back deep to parallel, keeping weight on the heels.

Before attempting squats, have a trained professional or someone who knows what they are talking about scrutinize your technique to make sure it is fundamentally sound. Concentrate on technique and achieving perfect form and then later work on ramping up the weight, for now stick to a few extra repetitions with ideal technique.

Step ups are performed with dumbbells and a step-up box or bench. Standing in an upright position holding the dumbbells in each hand, you step up on to the box or bench at the height that would put your knee at a 90-degree angle. Do 10 repetitions with one leg and repeat with the other, alternating which leg you use every set.

Lunges can be done holding dumbbells or with the bar across your upper back similar to the position the bar is placed during a squat. Stand up in an vertical position, step as far forward as possible with no forward lean of the upper body until your front knee is at a 90 degree angle. Then step back to the original position in one step. Steps and lunges complement squats because they work each leg independently while on the other hand the squat being a compound exercise works both legs at the same time. All three of these exercises not only promote the growth and increase in strength of the large muscle in your legs but also enhance your balance by working the synergists= muscles in the legs, these are the normally smaller muscles which advocate properties such as balance during an exercise.

Power exercises involve explosive quick movements. They include power cleans, plyometrics and weight box jumps. These are the types of exercise that use explosive movements to develop muscular power, the ability to generate a large amount of force in a short period of time. It may be used, for example, to improve the effectiveness of a boxer’s punch, or to quicken the throwing ability of a baseball pitcher. Plyometric training acts on both the musculotendinous and neurological levels to increase an athlete’s power output without necessarily increasing their maximum strength output.

Power Cleans

Power cleans are a very advanced technical exercise that develop core muscle strength and explosive hips. Normally associated with power lifting as it is one portion of the Olympic lift, the clean and jerk. They involve the use of many joints and muscle groups in a coordinated movement

Plyometrics

Plyometrics are explosive, hopping and jumping callisthenics. Jumping in this manor brings together the strength and speed components to lead to an increase in power. Plyometrics have one key feature, which resembles a lot of workouts such as HIT (High Intensity Training) they require maximum effort for greatest results. Practicing maximum effort jumps will increase your vertical jump - ‘Practice makes perfect.’

Weighted Box Jumps

The most obvious form of exercise to perform would be jumping with a greater resistance this is where weighted box jumps come in to the equation; they are a form of plyometrics. You hold light dumbbells in each of your hands (start with a light weight) with your arms straight right the way through the exercise. Stand in front of the box and jump as high as feasible and then landing softly as possible. Step down and repeat for 3 sets of 10 jumps, this high rep range is adapted because your legs are used to being used a lot; we use our legs a lot day to day, thus they can endure a greater force against a resistance. This should be done twice a week with the rest of your leg workout. Never land with your hips lower than your knees and concentrate on each jump and maximise effort for every jump to achieve the best results.

Conclusion

There are a few key rules that should be implemented with any workout to achieve results, such as using the correct form and putting maximal effort into each and every rep while focusing on the task at hand. With consistent, proper training, I have seen young athletes increase their vertical jump by 6 inches over a few months of dedicated training. This article covers all bases of improving your jump, this training is key if you want to excel in sports such as basketball.

By AJ

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