The Truth About Cholesterol

I am going to let you in on something shocking. Cholesterol is not the major culprit in heart disease. I know this may be hard to believe after all we have heard about the dangers of high cholesterol from our doctors, and the media. But the truth is, it is not the cholesterol levels themselves or the cholesterol containing foods that are the culprits in heart disease, it is those foods and any other thing that causes inflammation in your body that is the major cause of heart disease (as well as diabetes and high blood pressure).

So what is cholesterol and why do we need it?

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found among the lipids (fats) in the bloodstream and in all your body's cells. It's an important part of a healthy body because it's used to form cell membranes. Cholesterol also aids in the manufacture of bile (which helps digest fats), and is also important for the metabolism of fat soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E and K. It is the major precursor for the synthesis of vitamin D and of the various steroid hormones (which include cortisol and aldosterone in the adrenal glands, and the sex hormones progesterone, the various estrogens, testosterone, and derivatives ).

So how could something so good be so bad?

Cholesterol has been wrongly accused because upon inspection of the arteries of someone at risk for a heart attack, levels of cholesterol and plaque build up are very high. Cholesterol is actually being transported to tissues as part of an inflammatory response that is there to repair damage. It will only lodge itself onto the artery and cause plaque if the artery has become damaged. Inflammation in the artery is what causes this damage. In fact, it is now known that the coronary disease that causes heart attacks is now considered to be caused mostly from chronic inflammation.

To blame cholesterol for heart attacks would be the equivalent of blaming increased police security in a high crime area. It was not the police that caused the crime, they were just placed there in response to the crimes.

So a more important question to ask ourselves, is how do we decrease the amount of inflammation in our bodies so that cholesterol will not bind to our arteries?

We must decrease all of those things that we do that cause inflammation and increase things that decrease inflammation. First and foremost we must stay away from foods that cause inflammation in our bodies. Any food that causes a fast rise in blood insulin levels will quickly cause inflammation in the body. These foods are sugar, white breads, most dairy products and almost all packaged and processed foods. What does this leave you with? Fresh, wholesome foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean animal proteins, nuts, and lots and lots of water. Also, taking in lots of omega-3 rich foods will dramatically decrease inflammation in the body (salmon, organic eggs, walnuts and sardines).

What about your cholesterol medication?

Some may be thinking, it is just easier to take a pill and not have to change what I am eating. But you may want to think twice considering the side effects of statins (cholesterol lowering drugs). The most common side effects reported are fatigued, headaches, nausea and the most common of them all, severe muscular pains and muscular degeneration. If you remember that cholesterol is essential for the formation of cell membranes, taking a drug that is drastically lowering cholesterol may be causing membrane damage in neural and muscle tissue. Most people on statins complain of neck, back or leg pain.

Millions of Americans are now on cholesterol lowering drugs, but the number of people suffering from heart attacks and heart disease is only increasing. Let’s take a personal responsibility for our health and truly get to the root of the problem. Managing your diet and staying away from those foods that are causing an inflammatory response in your body is your first step to decreasing your chance of heart disease and heart attacks.

Now that you understand the effects of cholesterol on your body, learn more about how your diet affects your health here: 5 Essential Truths - yours for Free Here. You can also learn much more about losing weight, living healthy, and great food in The Diet Solution Program.

Hip Flexors AREN'T Evil

Secret Training Tip #221 - Hip Flexors AREN'T Evil...Do They Hold The Key to Faster Running Speed?

By Nick Nilsson

If you believe the magazines, you want to do everything you can to eliminate the hip flexors from your abdominal training. But can this bit of advice actually be HURTING your speed?

The mere mention of the hip flexors often sends personal trainers into a tizzy.

"Do whatever you can to eliminate them from the exercise!" they scream.

And, for a lot of people, this CAN be decent advice. TIGHT hip flexors can be a huge contributor to lower back pain. TIGHT hip flexors can cause what's called "anterior pelvic tilt"...this is your hips tipping forward because your hip flexors are pulling them forward when the lower back and abdominal muscles aren't strong enough to oppose that pull.

Now, you'll notice I highlighted the word "tight" in the sentences above.

STRONG hip flexors present no such problems, especially when balanced by strong abs and lower back muscles.

It's only when those hip flexors are never stretched and tighten up so they constantly pull forward on the hips that they present a problem.

Hip flexors are definitely NOT evil.

In fact, hip flexor strength is one of the greatest limiting factors when it comes to running speed!

If you're an athlete, or if you train or coach an athlete, listen up.

A constant focus on doing exercises that eliminate or minimize the hip flexor involvement will slow down maximal running speed.

I'll tell you why...

In your head, picture somebody running...notice what happens each time they bring their leg forward. Looks like the hip flexors might be involved in that, doesn't it!

When you strengthen and TRAIN the hip flexors for explosive power, you can significantly (and very QUICKLY) boost running speed. Your body is able to bring your legs forward faster and you'll be able to accelerate faster.

Who do you think is going to win the race...the person with the faster stride turnover or the person with the slower turnover (assuming their strides are equal in length). Big duh.

The single most effective exercise you can do to increase running speed quickly in a person is not squatting or power cleans or anything like that. It's explosive hip flexion.

Now, it IS true that the hip flexors are highly involved in the sit-up exercise. But I'm definitely not recommending you do ballistic, explosive sit-ups to work the hip flexors.

You'll be much better off doing direct hip flexor work using bands or cables. Bands especially are excellent because you can explode strongly against them without having to worry about decelerating the resistance...the stretching of the band takes care of that for you.

So first, get yourself some training bands (if you don't have them or can't get them, a low pulley cable with an ankle harness will work just fine). I got my bands from here:

http://www.fitstep.com/goto/ironwoody-bands.htm

The simplest exercise you can do is to attach a band to a solid object down near the ground (or use the low pulley with the ankle harness). Loop the other end over your thigh. Hold onto something solid then EXPLODE up against the band.

The exercise itself looks like you're trying to knee somebody in the gut as hard as you can. Simple as that. Do it against resistance and do it explosively. This will do more to increase your running speed than squats ever will.

[If you're interested in seeing more explosive hip flexor exercises, I'll have a link at the end of the article]

To prevent that tightening problem I mentioned above, be sure to stretch your hip flexors after every session and regularly throughout the day if you spend a lot of time in a seated position (which puts your hip flexors in a shortened position for many hours at a time).

To stretch them, drop down on one knee like you're in a lunge position then just lean your upper body back. You'll feel a great stretch along the front of your thigh up through your hip flexor. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds then repeat on the other leg.

CONCLUSION:

Hip flexors are NOT evil.

They're CRITICAL, especially if you want to improve running and/or leg speed (I say leg speed because it's important in skating as well and I can't really call that running!).

By properly strengthening the related muscle groups (abs and lower back) and by stretching the hip flexors, you'll have no problem keep proper alignment in your body AND you'll experience great improvements in speed performance.

For pictures and video of explosive hip flexor exercises, click this link:

http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue65-flexors.htm

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Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 17 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including "Muscle Explosion! 28 Days To Maximum Mass", "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of" all available at http://fitness-ebooks.rxsportz.com. He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.

Is Muscle Soreness Necessary For Muscle Growth?

By Nick Nilsson

That's the question...do you need to be so stiff and sore you can
hardly move or scratch your nose in order to get maximum
muscle-building results? Find out here.

Anybody who has ever touched a weight knows the feeling...

It happens the first time you do squats or deadlifts...the first time you do negative-only training...the first time you do an exercise you've never done before...

Ironically enough, as painful as this feeling sometimes is, it can actually be quite addictive! Many people I hear from actively seek out ways to make themselves sore because they love that feeling of soreness. To them, it's an indication that they've made progress...that they've accomplished something in the gym.

Without that soreness to give them feedback, some people feel they haven't really done enough.

This has led to some pretty insane training methods and programs, let me tell you.

But here's the deal...even though I'm personally known for creating unique exercises and programs that no doubt result in a LOT of muscle soreness, the major goal of these unique techniques is NOT to make you sore!

Yes, it's a common side effect, but if I wanted to dole out pain, there are much more targeted ways of doing THAT. Cripes, just drop a weight plate on your foot - there's pain for you...lots of soreness, too.

My goal is not to induce soreness but to induce a training effect on the muscles through the application of unique training methods.

Pain is NEVER the goal. Adaptation is the goal.

So, IS muscle soreness required in order to achieve a muscle-building effect on the body?

No.

Simple as that.

I won't get into all the specifics of HOW muscle soreness comes about (there actually is debate on the mechanisms by which Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness operates) but muscle soreness is simply an indicator that you've done something your body is not used to.

It CAN be an indication that what you've done will result in muscle growth but there is no guarantee. I can make a person sore from doing a set of 100 reps on the bench press but do you think that will result in significant muscle growth? The load simply isn't great enough.

Heck, the most soreness I EVER experienced in all my life didn't even come from weight training! It came from running (and walking) a 20 km race without training for it (back when I was 16 years old and crazy). I was sore all over before I even FINISHED. Two hours later I could hardly move. And I can promise you, I didn't gain a pound of muscle from THAT experience.

I'll be honest with you...I've been weight training about 18 years and I very RARELY get any significant muscle soreness anymore (i.e. the kind that makes you walk funny or have a hard time scratching your nose). It takes a LOT for me to get even mildly sore. All those unique exercises and programs I've done over the years have resulted in muscles that have pretty much seen it all.

Even when I perform an exercise I've never ever done before or done a program that is totally new to me, soreness is never significant.

Yet, my results ARE.

I'll give you a specific example. In my Muscle Explosion muscle-building program (the link below), I've included a week where you perform ONE exercise 5 days in a row for more than 200 sets (I like to use deadlifts).

--> http://www.fitstep.com/muscle-explosion/

Without getting into the specifics of the program, I generally gain about 5 pounds of muscle in this single week alone, just based on this style of training. And even with that extreme workload, I RARELY experience ANY soreness.

Yes, my nervous and muscular systems are pretty well trashed at the end of those 5 days but soreness? Not much to speak of.

I'll say it again...soreness is an INDICATOR of the potential for muscle growth NOT a requirement.

Here's another example...any professional athlete.

Do you think an athlete who wants to gain muscle will pursue a program where excessive muscle soreness prevents them from practicing or affects the mechanics of their sport?

Absolutely not. Their coaches wouldn't permit it.

Muscle has no brain. All it knows is when it needs to adapt to a workload greater than what it's accustomed to. A targeted increase in workload will (generally) result in an increase in muscle mass, when all other factors are accounted for (like nutrition, recovery, etc.).

So where does that leave the trainer looking to build muscle?

Train to improve your performance. Try new techniques, programs and exercises.

But for crying out loud, DON'T train with muscle soreness as a major goal and DON'T worry if a training program doesn't immediately make you sore. You'll get results from overloading your muscles, eating enough quality nutrition to support the muscle-building process and recovering enough between workouts.

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Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 17 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including "Muscle Explosion! 28 Days To Maximum Mass", "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of" all available at http://www.fitness-ebooks.com. He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.

7 Secrets To Better Workouts

by Sean Barker, CPT
================================

1. Start your engines

As your old high school gym teacher might have led you to believe, stretching before weight training is not the best way to warm-up. Recent reports show that static stretching before exercise can reduce muscle strength. Stretching relaxes your muscles, so why would you want to relax your muscles when you need to lift explosively during weight training? The proper warm-up for weight training should involve 5-10 minutes of Dynamic mobility movements. These drills help improve active range of motion and activate the nervous system. Exercise like bodyweight squats, pushups and lunges help to fire up the nervous system, increase blood flow and fluid to the surrounding joints in preparation for intense lifting. In addition, a couple acclimation sets of the first exercise in your workout will get you prepared to train with your maximal weights.

2. Train What You Don't See

One of the most common complaints you hear from long time lifters is a chronic shoulder problem. This is mainly due to imbalances in their exercise selection where they perform more pressing exercises like bench presses than pulling exercise like bent over rows. You should be doing equal exercise volume in the horizontal push and pulls as well as the vertical push and pulls such as shoulder presses and chin-up variations. This will ensure proper balance for the muscles you don't see in your back to prevent tight upper back muscles, which contribute to most shoulder problems. Including some old school traditional pushups in place of bench presses also allow your scapula muscles in your upper back to move freely enhancing shoulder health unlike any lying bench press movements. Pushups are referred to as a "close-chain" exercise because during these movements, your hands or feet are in a constant, fixed position (usually on the ground) during the exercise.

3. The New Cardio

High intensity interval training has been proven to be nine times more effective than steady-state cardio for burning fat. You don't have to do cardio in the traditional form of what most people think. People were burning fat long before treadmills and stationary bikes with old-fashioned manual labor. You need to be doing high intensity exercise that revs up your metabolism each and every workout. You could run, sprint, swim, lift weights, do supersets with weights. Remember you don't really burn much fat when you are actually exercising, except for a small amount of fatty acids that are in your bloodstream. It's the calories your body burns during the other 23 hours of the day that count. With exercise and a clean diet you will put your body in a caloric deficit, which is still the ONLY proven way to melt off that unwanted fat.

4. Times Up

Standing around chatting about the news of the week for 5 minutes in between sets is not the most effective way to get a great workout. Keeping track and shortening your rest periods between exercises is an awesome away to burn calories and increase your conditioning. There is a BIG difference in "keeping track" of your time in your head and actually using your watch. Most people don't realize how short a 60 second rest period is once they start watching the clock. Increasing training density by shortening or eliminating some rest periods in between sets is a great way to get a lot of workout volume done in a short amount of time. Keep your headphones on to avoid unwelcome distractions and keep your eye on your watch!

5. Be Cool

You started your workout off right with a dynamic warm-up, now its time to call it a day with a proper cool down. This is when you should be doing some old school Static stretching, which basically consists of stretching a muscle as far as your flexibility will allow and then holding that position for 10-15 seconds. Static stretching is of value primarily for preventing or correcting excessive muscle tension and establishing proper muscle length at the joints, both of which will improve movement efficiency. This type of stretching is best performed post-workout or several hours after the exercise session. Always easy into a stretch while gradually increasing the range of motion as your flexibility improves.

6. Spice it Up

Most training research shows that your body begins to adapt to a training program after 6 weeks. More specifically, you adapt to the rep range before everything else. Like the saying goes, "variety is the spice of life". The same holds true for weight training. Ten reps might sound like a nice even number to aim for during each sets but that doesn't mean it's the most effective. For strength gains stick to the 1-3 rep range. For muscle growth work in the 4-6 rep range. For fat loss keep reps higher in the 10-12 rep range. Vary your workouts to prevent your body to adapting to the same training stress.

7. Failing To Plan

"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail". This rings true with a proper workout program as well. All of these workout secrets should be part of a long-term training plan. Certified personal trainers spend years learning proper methods for kinetics and exercise design. So why do everyone think they can just slap together a bunch of exercises and think it's going to get them the results they are after? Plan your workouts based on your goals. Are you looking to lose fat, build muscle or get stronger. It's better to focus on one in each training phase. The most common method most gym rats might use wither they know it or not is Linear periodization. This is when the reps are decreased and the loads are increased over a period of time.

Recent training research has shown that a method of structuring your workouts called undulating periodization - has proven to be more effective in inducing maximum muscle gains when compared to traditional linear periodization models. Rotating from heavy (4-6 reps), to medium (8-10 reps) to light (12-15 reps) all in the same week will ensure your make steady progress and prevent that dreaded training plateau.

For more workout tips for busy dads check out:
http://dadfitness.rxsportz.com

Why Dieting Is A Lot Like a Financial Crisis

By Nick Nilsson

Learn the parallels between dieting and the biggest financial
crisis of our time. And no, it's not because
both are painful and leave you hungry!

Now, let me be clear right off the bat…if you think I'm going to make a joke here about how your Freddie Mac and Cheese ends up on your Fannie Mae, you're wrong…I would never do such a thing.

What I AM going to do is draw some parallels about how the financial mess the United States is in can actually help you understand how dieting affects your body, and in turn, can help you get better results in your fat-loss efforts and, of course, make you millions of dollars richer in the process.

I'm going to drift around in between finance and nutrition here - I know, they're two almost identical subjects but, try to bear with me.

And keep in mind when you read this, I'm no financial expert. If something isn't 100% right, the SEC isn't interested in small fish like me so I wouldn't bother mentioning this article to them...

1 - The Boom Years

Your body is designed to store fat. Its how we've survived as a species over the millennia. When famine hit, it was always the individuals who could best store and use fat who survived. Evolution wasn't concerned about the potential for muffin-top when it loaded our bodies with easy-to-fill fat cells.

So when times were good (like in the U.S. housing market a few years back), those fat cells were getting filled up like crazy! Everybody was seeing their house values (i.e. waistlines) expand.

Now, greed operates not only in the financial markets but at the buffet table as well. The less regulation there is, i.e. portion and food quality control, the more things start to get unbalanced and the more potential there is for gluttony.

Some people were buying houses they really couldn't afford which is a parallel to some people eating the crappy food (i.e. pretty much anything that comes directly to you through a window). It compromises your health in the long run.

Heck, you can think of eating at McDonald's sorta like getting an adjustable rate loan…you're fine for the first little while but suddenly BAM. Your rate adjusts and it's time to bust out the fat pants.

But hey, while you're still in those first few years of your Adjustable Rate Mortgage, life is good. You may not look like you're gaining a lot of fat (it's all settling into those spaces between your internal organs) or setting up your financial markets for a crash until the moment of truth hits.

Then the balloon payment comes due, your mortgage doubles and you start blowing out the seams on your fat pants.

The internal workings of your system have been so corrupted by deregulation (and coagulation) that your markets can barely function. Your blood pressure is going up faster than a CEO's retirement bonus because your body is carrying too much debt around your waistline.

2 - The Crash

So it's time to diet. And you want to lose that fat FAST. So you immediately drop your calories to near starvation level. Of course, in the stock market, a strict diet looks a lot like a crash. Your body views it the same way.

Panic sets in. Just as brokers start selling off stock, your body starts getting rid of things it doesn't want to carry around.

And, of course, the greater the panic, the stupider the brokers (and your body) get. When you crash diet, your body tends to burn MUSCLE more than fat. Just like a broker selling off the good stocks that can help him recover from a crash.

It's the FAT you want to sell off, not the muscle.

But a big crash [diet], which was set up by the previous gluttony [the result of excess deregulation, akin to asking a 4 year old to guard the birthday cake], you're now attempting to accomplish very quickly what should normally happen over a longer period of time.

If you were to experience a slow economic downturn, your ability to get rid of the fat is much better, allowing you to streamline your portfolio smartly rather than just trying to get rid of everything all at once. You cut your calories, increase your activity and gradually lose the fat.

3 - Market Instability

If you've got a retirement savings plan and you've looked at it recently, you've probably seen a graph that does up and down just like the numbers on the scale of a yo-yo dieter.

The crash is followed by a binge of people buying cheap stocks (because the price is so low and because that Kentucky-fried birthday cake just looks so good), followed by another crash, followed by another binge. And so on.

This constant cycle of crashing and rebounding does nothing to stabilize the economy. It only makes you want to eat more and makes you fatter.

4 - The Great Depression

Now you're really feeling bad about yourself. You've gained back all the weight you lost when you crash dieted only you lost muscle and gained back fat.

You're in the middle of a great depression. What's it going to take to snap out of it?

5 - The Two Magic Words

I'm talking BAIL OUT, right! Government to the rescue, right! WRONG.

Look at how well the bail-out worked. The stock market keeps tanking and keeps yo-yo dieting. Until the government takes high fructose corn syrup out of the food-lobby pyramid, you can be pretty sure the government isn't going to solve your weight problems.

Now come the REAL two little magic words that will make everything okay…Personal Responsibility.

I am VERY sure there are predatory lenders out there who convinced people that they could afford homes that they really couldn't just as I'm sure there are food manufacturers trying to convince you that Lucky Charms are healthy because they suddenly contain calcium…

When you get down to it, nobody is holding a gun to your head to eat that last chunk of Texas Toast with extra cheese, butter and frosting. Just because something is available doesn't mean you HAVE to insert it into your face (or sign the paperwork that says you're fine with 5% APR jump on your mortgage when it resets).

When you put Personal Responsibility into practice, you take CONTROL over your finances and your nutrition. You realize that the world does not owe you a lean body…it's something you have to work for and make an effort for, just like it takes work and effort to pay your mortgage every month.

If it sounds too good to be true…well, you know how the rest of THAT goes…

In this case, it's a lesson Wall Street should learn from Sesame Street. Like Cookie Monster says, cookies are a "sometimes" food - meaning if you're greedy all the time, it's going to eventually catch up to you and you'll have to pay for it (unless you're AIG, apparently, in which case you've got a license to keep on partying without any hint of accountability - I guess the parallel to that would be liposuction!).

So how do you take the next step? Glad you asked! I've got links to a number of excellent fat-loss programs you can use to take control over your life and put that newfound Personal Responsibility to work!

Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss
by Nick Nilsson (that's me!)

http://www.fitstep.com/metabolic-surge/

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Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 17 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of" all available at http://www.fitness-ebooks.com. He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.

Pilates Workouts

Exercise is important for a number of reasons. It provides cardiovascular health which keeps the body looking and feeling younger. Exercise helps improve immunity and keep disease at bay. Pilates’ workouts are a part of that exercise equation.

What is Pilates? Many people think that it is just a dainty workout for people who are already in shape. These people believe it involves stretching, bending and eating celery to maintain the body, but don’t believe it has anything to do with fitness. For those who think along those lines, you might actually be surprised by the truth behind Pilates.

Pilates is a workout developed by Joseph Pilates that uses the idea of contrology. It balances the body through a series of controlled movements designed to stretch and build muscles in the body.

Anyone can do Pilates. The moves sound intimidating like the downward facing dog, but it isn’t sinister skinny people speak I promise. Your body might need a bit of time to adjust to the positions in the beginning, but that’s usually the case with any exercise routine. Those who have taken up the Pilates workout have come to love it and swear by its results.

The way Pilates was developed involved using a series of ropes and pulleys. More modern Pilates styles like the Windsor Pilates workout program don’t use such a contraption, but a mat and other small pieces of equipment to bring the amazing results some people have experienced.

The main target of Pilates is the core. Our core is the center of our body. It supports the rest of our body and resists injuries that are a result of poor muscle development in the core which includes the abdominals and the back muscles.

Pilates’ workouts keep the core muscles in mind through every movement and routine. As you work, you’ll see your stomach become shapely and defined. You can even get a six pack if you want it from the help of a workout like this. Building muscle through Pilates burns fat when combined with a decent eating plan.

Pilates has six principles that are built into the workout routines: breath, concentration, control, centering, flow, and precision. The entire body is connected and by working all of the muscle groups, the body becomes a lean machine that can handle anything.

Pilates’ classes can be taken at a gym, a private studio, or through a DVD series of workouts if you exercise at home or are limited on time. With Pilates, you won’t be running around or lifting heavy weights, but your body will get a deep workout that will change its shape. Pilates works well for people who can’t handle vigorous exercise.

Exercising at Home: Using your Body Weight

When do most people join a gym? It’s during the beginning of the year. If you are trying to begin the year with a healthy exercise regimen and save money on membership fees, consider a homemade workout where you are the only piece of equipment.

Advertisers sure know their job. They could sell ice cubes to Eskimos if they had a mind to. Instead, they spend their time selling us on the latest exercise equipment. Two hundred dollars later, you have no room in your house for whatever you bought and you are still no closer to starting your exercise program.

Whether you are busy or just out of other options for a workout, try creating your own workout that requires nothing other than yourself. It is not as hard as it sounds to do. Each muscle group can become strong and toned with consistent exercise sessions.

Suggestions for Exercises

1. Pushups – No one likes these but they are quite effective. Pushups work the triceps, chest, and abs. Begin with your knees on the floor until your arms gets strong enough to perform pushups on your toes.

2. Crunches – Crunches are more effective than sit ups because they reduce strain on the neck and lower back. Simply push your lower back into the floor and curl up about 45 degrees. Crunches can be done with a twist towards the outside of the body to work the oblique muscles. Holding the upper body stationary and lifting the hips works the lower abdominal area.

3. Walking – It’s one of the best exercises for people of all fitness levels. You can take brisk walk through your neighborhood for 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week for a great cardiovascular workout.

4. Jumping jacks – Everyone used to do jumping jacks in gym class as a kid. Performing jumping jacks for even five or ten minutes at a time is an intense cardio workout. Exercise is cumulative—even shorter workouts throughout the day add up. Try doing jumping jacks during commercials for a quick pick me up.

5. Jumping rope – When it’s raining out and you can’t go for a walk, try jumping rope indoors. Jumping rope will get that heart rate up fast and keep it there. Alternate jumping rope with other weight exercises for an interval workout.

6. Lunges and squats – Both of these moves work the lower body muscle groups. For thinner thighs and a toned butt, perform these exercises every other day, twice a week.

Any exercise that uses your own body weight will build muscle. As you lose weight, you may have to add hand weights to get the same intensity but that’s okay. Remember to warm up and cool down before and after your workout, respectively. Vary your exercise routine with cardio and weight-bearing elements.

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More Bodyweight Workout exercises

Bike Your Way to Fitness

Exercise and eating healthy keep our bodies feeling young and free of disease. Sometimes, it’s hard to find the time to exercise, no one will argue that. One way to get into the groove, without taking huge chunks of time to make use of a gym membership or wasting money on equipment that will just collect dust, is to ride your bike.

Some people have tried what seems like everything to find an exercise that works for them and fits into their schedule. We can join a gym but if we never go we are not losing pounds but instead just dollars from our pocket. Ever wonder what people did before there were workout facilities?

They used what they could to get a good workout each day – that’s what! They made the most of their resources. One valuable piece of equipment for exercising that almost everyone has already is a bicycle. Remember learning to ride as a kid? It was hard but oh so much fun. Once you learned, you rode without hands, through the woods, or down steep hills without your feet on the pedals.

Bike riding can be just as fun and athletic as when you were a kid. Warm or cold, a bike ride provides excellent fitness for young and old alike. Don your helmet and pump up those tires. If you haven’t ridden in years, visit a bike shop and find the perfect bicycle for your fitness level.

Besides fun, bicycle riding is a great source of exercise for anyone of any age. What are the benefits of riding a bike? Bike riding is a low impact exercise. For people with knee or other joint injuries, riding a bike won’t hurt those joints. In fact, riding a bike strengthens the muscles in the legs and the buttocks so help ease the pain in your joints.

When you have some time, hop on your bike and take a scenic ride through the neighborhood. Most bikes have tension levers to adjust for a harder or easier ride up and down hills. Mountain bikes are good for neighborhoods with rocky terrain.

If you live in an apartment, opt instead for a stationary bicycle. Even when it’s raining outside you can still get a great lower body workout without having to brave the elements. You can ride a stationary bike with hand weights to increase your heart rate. Add a few military presses, chest presses, or shoulder lifts to your bike riding routine.

Stationary bikes come in many styles. There are bikes that look similar to the bike you might ride outside. Others have a fan in the front wheel that produces wind as you ride the bike. For people with bad backs, a recumbent bike allows the rider to relax back while still getting a good workout. Stationary bikes have electronic monitors so you can measure heart rate, speed, and distance traveled during the workout.

Riding a bicycle was fun as a kid and can be fun again for exercise as an adult. Ride alone or with your family. Use an outdoor or indoor bike depending on your fitness level and preferences.

Arthur M.
Health and Physical Fitness
www.healthybiz2000.com

21 Minute Abs Makeover Workout

The biggest problem area of our bodies is our midsection. Many people, especially women, want to be able to wear a variety of clothing of their choosing and be able to show off the midriff area when the weather gets warm. With this workout, you can begin getting your abdominal muscles in great summer shape.

Our lives are so busy that we barely have time to eat let alone exercise. We do manage to find time to eat but it is often the wrong things or at all the wrong times (midnight snack anyone?). This workout will improve the look of your midsection and the rest of your body as well. The exercises for your abs are combined with cardio intervals to raise your heart rate and burn fat.

The 21 Minute Abs Makeover has six exercises for designed just for the abdominals. The abdominals are divided into three parts: the upper, the lower, and the oblique which are the abdominal muscles on both sides of your body. A good workout for the abs includes exercises that will work every part of your midsection creating a balanced look. If you just work the upper abs, you’ll end up with a four pack of abs, a pooch below the belly button, and love handles – not a good look for anyone.

Each abs exercise is performed for a certain number of repetitions and then you quickly move to the next in the set. After each exercise is performed, it’s time for the cardio portion of the workout. For two minutes you perform a high intensity routine like jumping rope or a kickboxing move such as front or rear kicks. To some that may not seem like much, but two minutes can feel like a lot longer time than it is when you’re moving fast.

After the two minutes is up, the process begins again. You perform the abs exercises again and the two minute cardio burst a second and a third time. The entire workout is supposed to take 21 minutes. At first it will probably take you longer until you get used to the workout and the various moves associated with each part of the routine.

Along with any workout, eating healthy is the other half of the work that will bring the best results. Following a plan that advocates eating fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains will keep you from being hungry while whittling the fat away from those fabulous looking abs you are working so hard to develop.

The 21 Minute Abs Workout is designed to fit into any schedule no matter how chaotic and full it might be. The abs muscles don’t need to rest like other muscle groups when you do weight bearing exercises. This workout can be done every day when you have about half an hour to spare. It can produce positive results when done consistently and coupled with healthy eating patterns.

---------------
Arthur M.
Online Muscle Fitness
http://www.healthybiz2000.com/rxsports/

26-Page Excerpt From "Creating Balance" e-book

Life is all about balance.

At least I think so.

So does hormone expert Dr. Holly Lucille.

Holly's idea of balance goes beyond day-planners and schedules. She talks about "internal" balance: Balance between your natural hormones to help create energy,  lower bodyfat, and jacking up your sex.drive.

Good stuff.

I wanted to give you this today. It's an excerpt from Dr. Lucille's fantastic book,  "Creating and Maintaining Balance."

Pick it up here freee:

http://www.naturapause.com/free-sample <--- 26 pages of Holly's book

Enjoy!

Bodyweight Workout Secrets

Are you sick of how busy the gym is at this time of year?

Do you want to use bodyweight exercises to burn fat and workout in the comfort of your own home?

If so, then Craig Ballantyne, creator of the Turbulence Training Fat Loss System, has some powerful bodyweight secrets for you.

On Saturday, Craig Ballantyne held the 1st-Ever Turbulence Training Seminar for an exclusive audience in a secret location in Toronto, where he showed TT users - from as far away as California - his new bodyweight interval training methods.

First, he shared his "patented" fat burning bodyweight circuit formula. By combining 8 exercises in a very specific manner, the TT Bodyweight Circuits give you...

- the same fat burning boost as interval training
- the same cardiovascular benefits of long, slow cardio
- improvements in your "core" strength

Craig even has some sample bodyweight workout videos up on his site:

=> http://turbulencetraining.rxsportz.com

(In fact, one of the men at the seminar was a firefighter, and he was raving to Craig about how the bodyweight exercises improved his core strength so that he was able to wear his firefighter gear without getting a sore back. He was thrilled and amazed by the power of bodyweight exercises - and he was a former bodybuilder, too!)

But the big TT secret Craig Ballantyne let out of the bag was his new focus on "Timed Bodyweight Intervals".

The seminar attendees discovered all of Craig's unique "timed" fat burning bodyweight circuits and supersets that could be done in short bursts, often paired with another non-competing bodyweight exercise to make things even more intense.

You'll find out more about Timed Bodyweight Intervals in the TT February Workout of the Month. I can't wait for you to give those a try!

After his presentation, he was overwhelmed by requests for the Turbulence Training Bodyweight DVD's, and he made a special offer to those folks in attendance. But he also wants to extend this special offer to you.

Go this page to save $100 on the Ultimate Bodyweight Fat Burning DVD Solution:

=> http://turbulencetraining.rxsportz.com

To Your Health and Fitness,

Arthur M.
Online Muscle Fitness
www.healthybiz2000.com/rxsports/

I Hope You Get To See This In Time

I hope you don't miss out on this.

On Wednesday, January 21st at MIDNIGHT (EST), all of the new free bonuses in the Dad Fitness System will be gone!

After Wednesday all these bonuses will be only available at their current retail value. So why not get them for FREE while you can? Busy dads around the world use Dad Fitness to get fit in only 3 hours a week .

The "proof is in the pudding" as they say. That reminds me, Dad Fitness also comes with an awesome recipe book for quick nutrition desserts!

And I know that if you are a busy dad who is juggling work, family and friends, I promise you with Dad Fitness you will get the body you want while still living the life you want. You have nothing to lose except that sagging beer belly. If you don't love it, Sean Barker, the author of Dad Fitness, will personally give you your money back no questions asked.

So remember all the new bonus workouts will be removed from this incredible offer at MIDNIGHT (EST) on Wednesday, January 21st.

The clock is ticking on your health. Make sure you are there for your family for many years to come. Don’t waste any more time. Visit Dad Fitness to instantly download your workouts.

=> http://dadfitness.rxsportz.com

Sincerely,

Arthur M.
http://dadfitness.rxsportz.com 

PS.The real question you should ask yourself is what will the next year hold for you?

Will 2009 be any different?

Click Here To Be Different in 2009.
=> http://dadfitness.rxsportz.com

Don't miss out on these workouts!

Don't miss out on this special offer from Dad Fitness.

The Ultimate Workout For Busy Dads has just added 3 new FREE bonuses to the already jam packed fitness system for overweight busy dads. If you didn't know The Dad Fitness System already includes 8 additional bonuses to help you lose that bulging belly in only 3 hours a week!

Check out all the details and get your copy here:

=> http://dadfitness.rxsportz.com

You’ll get 16 weeks of belly busting workouts, easy to follow nutrition programs for real guys, and all the tips and tricks to lose that fat you don't want to carry around another year PLUS due to the Dad Fitness innovative exercise design it only requires 3 short workouts a week!

Don't forget for 3 days only in addition to the 8 regular bonuses you get with the Dad Fitness package, your readers will also receive:

1) No Gym-No Problem, Dad Fitness Home Workouts
(Retail Value = $29.99)

Dad's Fitness expert Sean Barker releases the Ultimate Home Workout for busy Dads who don't have time to get to the gym. Full of fat blasting workouts you can do in the comfort of your own home before work of after the kids go to bed.

2) Fat Loss To Go-4 Minute Abs
(Retail Value = $39.99)

You want abs...you got abs! In this book Ed Scow, CPT and super busy dads shows you how to get those rock hard abs you've always wanted and the workouts only take 4 minutes! Add them to the end of your workout and you've just turned a great workout into a phenomenal workouts!

3) Perfect Posture in 30 Days
(Retail Value= $27.95)

Finally get rid of those nagging back pains and improve your posture so you can play with your kids or do things around the house. You CAN, and now personal trainer Vince Delmonte is here to show you how. Discover how posture can make you healthy and a few simple exercises that can radically improve your posture fast!

Don’t delay, because these new bonuses will NOT be available after MIDNIGHT on Wednesday, January 21st!

Visit this site to get the Ultimate Workout System For Busy Dads and all of your fast action bonuses:

=> http://dadfitness.rxsportz.com

Sincerely,

Arthur M.
http://dadfitness.rxsportz.com

The Top Ten Weight Training Exercises for Building Muscle

By Jason Ferruggia

1) Deadlift- Not many weight training exercises work as many muscle groups and build muscle as fast as the deadlift.  The neck, traps, upper, middle, and lower back, glutes, hamstrings, quads, biceps, forearms, and abs are all utilized in the deadlift.  No other exercise is a better test of overall body power.  While uninformed people always ask, "how much can you bench," the question they really should ask is, "how much can you deadlift?" A deadlift is the most basic exercise anyone can do.  Bending down and picking a weight up off the floor is the one weight training exercise that mimics everyday real life situations.  Most people will rarely find themselves on their back needing to push a heavyweight off their chest but everyone has to bend down and pick things up. If you could only do one exercise to build muscle this would be the one to do.

2) Squat- The squat has been known for years as the "king of all muscle building exercises" and for good reason.  I'm not talking about sissy boy half squats either; I'm talking about real below parallel, full squats. If you don't at least break parallel it's not a squat.  Like deadlifts, squats involve an enormous amount of muscle mass and stimulate the release of anabolic hormones such as testosterone.  This is great for building muscle fast. The squat is probably the most revered exercise among serious lifters and the power rack is considered our sacred ground. If you ever want to develop any kind of real lower body strength and build muscle fast, you have no choice but to squat.

3) Chin up- Not many exercises will build muscle in the upper body like chin ups. Known as the upper body squat, chins stimulate nearly every muscle from the traps down to the abdominals. Any exercise that allows you to move your body through space as opposed to moving a weight or fixed implement around you has a much higher degree of neuromuscular activation, and therefore a much greater potential to elicit gains in size and strength. Look at the development of male gymnasts and you will see for yourself what years of chin ups and dips can do for the upper body. If you want to build muscle fast, be sure to include chin ups in your weight training program.

4) Parallel Bar Dip- A close second to chin ups as one of the best upper body exercises for building muscle fast, and for all the same reasons. If you want big arms you had better include dips in your training program. No other weight training exercise will add slabs of muscle to the triceps as effectively as dips. A huge chest and enormous pair of front delts are also a pleasant side effect that comes with regularly performing this outstanding muscle building exercise.

5) Hang Clean & Push Press- A total body muscle building exercise which hits the calves, hamstrings, glutes, quads, lower and upper back, traps, shoulders, biceps, triceps, and forearms.  Although it is, by definition, an Olympic lift, it can be done in more of a strict manner to really target the traps, upper back, and shoulders. When done in this manner, it is not performed solely with the intention of developing explosive speed like most Olympic lifts are performed. Doing the clean and push press in this manner is a form of power bodybuilding and will really blow up the traps and shoulders. If you could only pick one weight training exercise for building muscle, this might be the one. It’s a shame you don’t see this in more bodybuilding programs.

6) Bench Press- This is one of the three powerlifting exercises and along with Military Presses, is the greatest of all pressing movements for building muscle in the upper body.  When looking at the effectiveness of an exercise, the questions to be asked are what will allow the lifter to use the most weight and what exercise involves the most muscle mass.  The bench press meets both of these prerequisites and besides being incredibly effective as a muscle building exercise, it is one of the best measures of upper body power.

7) Military Press- Also known as the front press, this was once considered the number one measure of upper body power and was the premier muscle building exercise for the upper body.  In the old days of strength training most people didn't even do bench presses; every weight training exercise was done standing up. Bench pressing was looked down upon as a show lift and real men only did overhead presses to build muscle.  Bench pressing took over with the development of powerlifting and bodybuilding and the military press took a back seat.  It is still however, a great measure of upper body power and should be done by anyone interested in building an impressive set of shoulders and building overall muscle mass throughout the upper body.  Even though some uninformed doctors will have you believe that overhead pressing can be dangerous, old time strong men argue that there would not be as many shoulder injuries as there are today if the military press had remained the upper body weight training exercise of choice.  Equally effective variations of the military press include the push press, push jerk and split jerk.

8) Bent Over Rows- When it comes to building muscle in the upper back and lats, bent over rows are hard to beat. This weight training exercise can be performed many different ways; palms up, palms down, wide grip, close grip, to the abdomen, to the sternum, with an ez bar or with a straight bar.  However you do them, nothing will develop thickness in the back like rows will, and anyone who has been involved with bodybuilding for a while will tell you there is nothing more impressive than a well developed back, muscular back.

9) Good Mornings- Although they are a rarely performed weight training exercise by a large majority of bodybuilders, good mornings remain one of the staples of a good size and strength gaining program. Powerlifters seem to be the only ones who know about the muscle building properties of this outstanding exercise. The reason this muscle building exercise is often avoided is that good mornings are brutally hard work. But that hard work brings huge rewards. Good mornings will build muscle fast and pack tons of size on your lower back, glutes, and hamstrings. They are also one of the best weight training exercises to help improve your squat and deadlift, which is the main reason they are a mainstay in powerlifting.

10) Pushup- Yes, you read that right, I said pushups are one of the best weight training exercises to build muscle fast. For a beginner pushups are the absolute best muscle building exercise to do for the pecs, delts, and triceps. However, as you make progress and get stronger pushups become too easy and are usually forgotten about. That is a huge mistake. There are several varieties of pushups that can be used by intermediate and advanced lifters such as elevated pushups on pushup handles, dumbbells, or chairs. Pushups can also be done on gymnastic rings hanging from chains and suspended a foot or so above the ground to make them even more challenging. When either of these versions of this awesome muscle building exercise becomes too easy you can have a partner hold weight on your back, use a weighted vest or even drape heavy chains across your back. If you are looking for more variety, Hindu pushups are another great version of this exercise and can sometimes humble even the strongest of men.

So there you have it, the best weight training exercises for building muscle fast. All the food and supplements and drugs in the world are worthless if you train like a Nancy boy.  Machines and isolation movements are as effective as running on a treadmill when it comes to getting big and strong. Stick with the weight training exercises above; make them a staple in your training, and start saving up for a new wardrobe. Its time to build muscle fast!

Jason Ferruggia is a world famous fitness expert who is renowned for his ability to help people build muscle as fast as humanly possible. He is the head training adviser for Men’s Fitness Magazine where he also has his own monthly column dedicated to muscle building. For more great muscle building information, please visit http://ferruggia.rxsportz.com

Something Every Dad Must See!

If you are REALLY serious about getting in the best shape of your life this year despite your busy schedule as a time crunched Dad then keep reading...

My friend and expert fitness trainer to busy dads around the world Sean Barker, CPT. has put together The Ultimate Workout For Busy Dads! – and it is GUARANTEED to help you lose that sagging beer belly that has gotten mysteriously bigger again this year.

For 3 days only not only will you get the proven Dad Fitness System with the 16 weeks of workouts and nutrition programs, but Sean is also giving away THREE extra bonuses to celebrate his New Year-New Dad giveaway.

So in addition to the 8 regular bonuses you get with the Dad Fitness package, your readers will also receive:

1) No Gym-No Problem, Dad Fitness Home Workouts
(Retail Value = $29.99)

Dad's Fitness expert Sean Barker releases the Ultimate Home Workout for busy Dads who don't have time to get to the gym. Full of fat blasting workouts you can do in the comfort of your own home before work of after the kids go to bed.

2) Fat Loss To Go-4 Minute Abs
(Retail Value = $39.99)

You want abs...you got abs! In this book Ed Scow, CPT and super busy dad shows you how to get those rock hard abs you've always wanted and the workouts only take 4 minutes! Add them to the end of your workout and you've just turned a great workout into a phenomenal workouts!

3) Perfect Posture in 30 Days
(Retail Value= $27.95)

Finally get rid of those nagging back pains and improve your posture so you can play with your kids or do things around the house. You CAN, and now personal trainer Vince Delmonte is here to show you how. Discover how posture can make you healthy and a few simple exercises that can radically improve your posture fast!

The only catch is that he doesn’t open the doors on this amazing offer until 12 noon (EST) on Monday, January 19th. So mark that in your calendar, program it into your Blackberry or IPhone so that you don’t miss your chance at the limited time bonuses!

So be ready at 12 noon (EST) on Monday, January 19th when Sean opens the doors on the New Year-New Dad, Dad Fitness Giveway.

Here’s the site where you can grab your copy of the Ultimate Workout For Busy Dads and all the extra bonuses:

=> http://dadfitness.rxsportz.com

Sincerely,
Arthur M.
http://dadfitness.rxsportz.com

One-Sided Barbell Deadlifts For Lower Body and Core Strength

Secret Training Tip #991 - One-Sided Barbell Deadlifts For Lower Body and Core Strength

By Nick Nilsson

The deadlift is one of my very favorite exercises. THIS version of the deadlift, however, is going to not only
hit the lower back and lower body, it's going to tighten up your core like a steel corset. Just don't
mind the strange looks you'll get in the gym when you do it...

I love deadlifts...I don't deny it.

But sometimes, you just don't have the energy to blast out full-power sets with maximum weight even though you still WANT to do your deadlifts.

Well, have I got a variation for you!

It's definitely going to get you some strange looks in the gym but I can promise you, after the first set, it's going to feel so good, you really just won't care!

This one is not only going to target the lower back and legs, it's also going to hit the core (especially the side abdominal area) VERY strongly. The uneven load on the body forces an extremely strong contraction in the core to help counterbalance the load.

You'll see...

The first time you do this one, use a light weight, e.g. 1 plate. You're going to load just ONE side of the barbell (that's where the one-sided part of the name comes in).

You should be experienced with regular deadlifts before attempting this one - it's not a beginner exercise!

Step up to the bar, squat down and grip with your left hand (using an underhand grip) right beside the collar of the bar, as close as you can get it.

Your other hand should grip outside your leg (e.g. the right hand outside the right leg in this case) using an overhand grip. This gives you what's called a mixed grip, which gives you a stronger grip on the bar.

Stand up with the bar - standard deadlift technique applies. Keep an arch in your lower back and keep looking forward.

The difference here is that only one side of the bar is loaded so the majority of the load is on the left side on the body. Your right hand will actually be pushing down a bit to keep the other end from flying up!

So basically, it's a one arm deadlift using two arms...wrap your head around that one!

Because the bar is loaded just on one side and the weight is outside your center of balance, your abs are going to be contracting HARD to keep your torso vertical and stable as you come up with the bar.

This is going to tighten up and strengthen your abs EXTREMELY fast.

Do 3 to 5 reps on one side then step over the bar and do 3 to 5 reps on the other side to keep things balanced.

You'll feel how well this one works after the very first set! Once you get a feel for the exercise, you can bump up the weight a bit to see what you're capable of.

Bottom line, this will strengthen just about everything in your body. Naturally, you won't be able to use as much weight as you could with "normal" deadlifts, but it's a great alternative when you have deadlifts on your list but you're not feeling up for maximum weights.

You'll get plenty out of this one with much more moderate loads.

And believe me, you'll get a LOT of curious looks at the gym when you do these...my favorite thing is when I get those looks then the very next day see those very same people using that very same exercise they were eyeing up.

------------------

Nick Nilsson is Vice-President of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for more than 17 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including "Muscle Explosion! 28 Days To Maximum Mass", "Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!" and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of" all available at http://fitness-ebooks.rxsportz.com. He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.

FR*EE Fitness Reports and eBooks

Top Fat-Loss & Strength Training Myths -- Busted

The Truth About Fat Burning

Turbulence Training: 10-Minute Holiday Workouts

Six Pack Abs Revealed

Mission Abdominals: Top Secrets to six pack abs!

The Truth About Building Muscle

The Truth About Burning Fat

Posture and Core Conditioning

Perfect Posture in 30 Days!

Fat Burning Fairy Tales - Separating FACT From FICTION: The Top 12 Fat Loss Myths Exposed!

Delicious Body-Sculpting Recipes & Smoothies: Over 25 Tasty Fat Burning & Muscle-Building Meal Ideas 

Fat Loss Facts, Tips & Tricks

Supplement Company Secrets: What They Don’t Want You To Know!
The supplement industry uses a number of terms (Clinically proven, Patented, Doctor Recommended, All Natural, Scientifically formulated, and and many others) to con consumers into purchasing their products. In this e-book Will Brink will dissect those terms and tell you what they really mean and whether they have any worth. Also, introducing Will Brink’s “Fat Loss Revealed” e–Book: Your Guide to Reducing Unwanted Body Fat and Improving Health!

The Perfect Rep: How to Optimize Your Muscle Growth and Performance

Shape Up Now Lose Fat & Gain Muscle Fast!

Seven ‘Super’ Nutrients Your Body May Not Be Getting Enough Of!

7 Super Supplements - What Works, What Doesn't and How To Tell The Difference!

The Stubborn Fat Solution

Bathing Suit Season Crash Course: 13 Simple Strategies for Looking Great!

Training & Nutrition Secrets for a Lean Body

8 Things You Must Do to Build Maximum Muscle

Beach Ready Body Report

Kettle Bell Strength Training Catalog 

19 Tips To Build 5 Lbs Of Muscle In 28 Days Or Less

The Top 20 Ways To Screw Up In The Gym

Fat Loss Secrets - Interview

Turbulence Training Bodyweight Workout 4-Week Program

Skyrocket Your Fat Loss Success

Creatine Report

Four Sample Fitness eBooks

Tasty Fat Loss & Muscle Gaining Recipes

The Whey It Is

Top 12 Beginner Fitness Mistakes Revealed

You will need Acrobat Reader to read these items. If you do not have it installed on your computer, Click here to get the free software.

Right click on the title(s) you're interested in and save to your computer to read at your convenience.

Stress Nutrition: How To Adjust Your Diet To Relieve Stress

If you are suffering from stress nutrition is something you should take in hand right away. Changing your diet for the better in times of stress has many benefits. Among the greatest of these benefits is the simple fact that what and how you eat is something that is in your control.

One of the most distressing aspects of stressful events of all kinds is feeling that things are out of our control and that we cannot cope. Changing our eating habits in a few small ways can make life seem manageable again.

1. Carbs And Veggies, Not Fats

Base your diet around slow release carbohydrates (whole grains, starchy vegetables and fruit) plus plenty of other vegetables including leafy greens, beans and peas. Carbs trigger the release of serotonin, which is a 'feel good' hormone that will help relieve anxiety.

Vegetables also help to calm us because they contain L-Tryptophan, an amino acid that also helps in serotonin production. Fresh fruit and vegetables are also very rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that will support our immune system and help us to resist viral infections, auto immune disease and other conditions that tend to attack us when stress has run down our immunity.

Many people have digestive problems under stress. The fiber in fruit, vegetables and whole grains will help your digestive system work smoothly. Whole fruit is better than juice both because it will release its natural sugars more slowly, and because of the fiber that it contains.

It's fine to have a little meat or dairy products but try to have fewer, smaller portions. Saturated fats have been shown to contribute to heart disease and they will not help a stressed body. Choose olive or canola oil over butter and other oils.

2. Avoid Refined Sugar

Sugar gives us an energy boost but this is the last thing we need when we are stressed. Our body is already pumping us with more energy than we can use in most modern day stress situations.

Sugar also leaves us with an energy low after the first effects wear off. This is sometimes called 'the sugar blues' and it will leave us feeling depressed, despairing and wanting more sugar. Long term of course this can lead to weight problems and insulin/blood sugar disorders.

So instead of rushing for candy when under pressure, just wait. The digestive system is switched to standby when we are stressed and it is better not to eat anything. Wait for 30-60 minutes until the anxiety, tension, panic or anger is gone, and then, if you are hungry, choose some healthy food.

Check the ingredients of packaged foods, too. Most of them contain added sugar which may be listed as something ending in -ose (sucrose, dextrose, fructose, lactose etc) or syrup.

3. Avoid Caffeine And Tobacco

Caffeine is a substance that many people turn to when they are under stress but in fact it makes matters worse. When stressed, the body is tense, on 'red alert'. This puts a strain on the heart and slows down other systems which are necessary for our health.

A cup of coffee and a cigarette are the last things that a person should have at this time. However comforting they may seem psychologically, they are not physically relaxing at all. In fact they are just the opposite. They are stimulants, so they increase the stress.

Don't forget that caffeine is in tea as well as coffee (including green tea), though in smaller amounts. Some sodas contain it too, including regular cola and most drinks that are advertised as giving you an energy boost.

Chocolate contains both caffeine and another caffeine-like substance called theobromine which has many of the same effects, so avoid chocolate too.

4. Avoid Alcohol

Alcohol is another substance that seems attractive when we are stressed. We think it will relax us but in fact it is another stimulant. Used to excess, it puts us at risk of heart disease and other serious conditions.

It also puts high demands on the liver, preventing the liver from detoxifying and expelling the excess hormones that are created when we are under stress. This means that it actually keeps the body in that stressed state for longer.

If you have any medical conditions, take medical advice before altering your diet. See your doctor for further advice on stress nutrition and treatment.

60-Day TT Twitter Transformation Contest

At the last minute Craig Ballantyne decided to do another Twitter Transformation Contest inside of the regular Turbulence Training Transformation Contest.

Here's what you need to know...

1) You can do both the regular TT Transformation Contest and the TT Twitter Transformation Contest at the same time.

2) The Twitter Contest starts today and lasts 60 days. The deadline to submit your "Before and After Photo" and Essay is March 20th,  2009 (60 days from tomorrow).

3) There are cash prizes and Membership give-aways for this contest.

I hope this gives you the incentive you need to start transforming your body - and your life - today!

For all of the details about this contest and how you can win big money by burning fat, go here: http://transformationcontest.com/twitter/

Arthur M.
Online Muscle Fitness
http://www.healthybiz2000.com/rxsports/

3 Fitness Programs

The Real Deal Body Transformation System
This is a complete fat loss system that teaches people how to burn fat and tone their bodies without supplements, fad diets or fancy training equipment. The full package contains the main e-book ,"The Truth About Burning Fat", along with a full collection of support modules and bonus items.

The Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail System
This is a comprehensive muscle-building program that teaches people how to maximize their muscle size and strength gains quickly and naturally. The full system is made up of the main e-book, "The Truth About Building Muscle", along with a detailed list of additional support modules and free bonus gifts.

The School Of Muscle Inner Circle
This is a members-only bodybuilding and fat loss community that keeps subscribers up to date on all of the most cutting edge fitness strategies available. It contains a regularly updated library of information, along with a long list of interactive applications that let members chat, make friends, ask questions and share advice with each other.

Is Your Scale Driving You Crazy?

- by Melanie Mendelson

(c)Melanie Mendelson - All Rights Reserved
http://www.Foolproof-Diet.com

Your goal is to lose weight. Perhaps, this is a good reason
as any to obsess over the numbers on your scale. After all,
the scale measures your body weight, and weight is something that you want to lose, right?

Not exactly!

What you want to lose is FAT. Our body is mainly comprised
of water, muscle, organ tissue, fat and bone. The scale
measures the total weight of all the elements that our body
contains. It does not give us any idea on how much of this
weight is, in fact, fat.

For adults, the weight of the organ tissue and bones is
constant. The fluctuation of numbers that we see on the
scale reflects changes in volume for the other three
components of our body - water, muscle and fat.

Have you ever weighed yourself twice on the same day and
found a difference of several pounds? Such differences,
whether it is positive or negative, should be attributed to
changes of water in your body.

You cannot gain or lose a pound of pure fat in just one day.
It is also not possible to gain or lose a pound of muscle
overnight.

However, it is very easy to retain or lose several pounds of
water.

Gaining or losing water will affect the number on the scale,
but will not make you slimmer. Eventually, your water
volume will return to the balanced amount, and the scale
will adjust accordingly.

Muscle Weighs More Than Fat

Muscle, another crucial component of your body, weighs more
then fat. This is the reason why ideal weight charts and
formulas do not work for bodybuilders.

Even when bodybuilders have very little body fat, the amount
of muscle that they have makes their total body weight go
way up. According to the standard weight charts, most
bodybuilders would fall under the category of being "obese".
This clearly illustrates how "losing weight" does not equal
"losing fat".

Tools to Measure Your Progress

Since fat is the third component that influences the number
on your scale, the scale is merely a useful tool for
measuring progress on your fat loss journey. However, the
key here is not for you to fixate on the scale, but to
use it as only one of the tools to track your progress.

Weigh yourself just once a month on the same day to avoid
stressing out every day over weight "ups and downs" caused
by water fluctuation.

In addition, you do not want to rely totally on your scale.
Instead, judge your progress by the way your clothes fit.

Take your tape measurements every month to see how far
you have reduced your fat factor; because, it is inches--
not pounds, which really matter most!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Melanie Mendelson has designed the Foolproof 30 Day Diet
that will help you lose up to 25 lbs in 30 days. For more info,
visit http://www.Foolproof-Diet.com

The Easiest Way To Lose Up To 48 Lbs

- by Melanie Mendelson

(c)Melanie Mendelson - All Rights Reserved
http://www.Foolproof-Diet.com

If you think there is no easy way to lose weight - think
again. The easiest weight loss method could have been
staring you right in the face all this time. Here it goes:
stop drinking soft drinks. Drink water instead.

Dumping the soft drinks from your diet will result in
dropping some serious pounds. Think about it:

* A can of coke packs in 150 calories.
* Just 3 cans of coke add up to 450 calories.

Now, you are in for a shock: a cheeseburger sets you back
by only 360 calories, which is less than those 3 cans of
coke. Now, what would you rather have: a warm juicy
cheeseburger or the sugary water from the can?

If you currently drink 3 soda cans a day, you can save 450
daily calories by switching to plain water. Water has zero
calories. Let's do the math: since one pound of fat equals
to 3500 calories, you will lose roughly one pound per week
just by leaving the coke behind.

Yes, you've heard it right - you can lose a pound of fat
every week while you eat as much as you normally do. No
dieting, no starving - don't change a thing about what you
eat. The only thing you change is what you drink.

Now, let's do some more math, which gets better and
better. 1 lb per week equals 4 pounds per month. Multiply
4 pounds by 12 months, and we get 48 lbs of ugly fat per
year!

Unbelievable, huh?

Calorie savings on drinks provide you with yet another
advantage: you can now eat more and still lose weight. For
example, if you substituted 3 cans of soda every day with
water, you have 450 calories to play with. If you eat an
extra piece of chocolate that's worth 200 calories, you
still save 250 calories and lose 24 lbs per year.

I can now almost hear you say - "Well, Melanie, what if I
don't drink 3 cans of coke a day? I only drink one soft
drink for lunch!" Good for you! Now, consider this: if
you swap this lunchtime coke with water, you will lose 16
pounds per year. How's that for a freebie weight loss?

Since soft drinks don't make you full, it is very easy to
dump them. Drinks are "liquid calories", "empty calories" -
calories that are just not worth it. Soda drinks have no
nutritional value - just useless sugars and chemicals that
rot your teeth, make you gain weight and don't even fill
you up.

Take advantage of the easiest weight loss tip on Earth -
eat your calories, don't drink them.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Melanie Mendelson has designed the Foolproof 30 Day Diet
that will help you lose up to 25 lbs in 30 days. For more info,
visit http://www.Foolproof-Diet.com

Change Your Mindset and You Will Build Muscle Fast

By Jason Ferruggia

Let’s be honest. Everybody wants to improve the way they look. I don’t know of too many people that don’t want to build muscle fast or lose more fat in a hurry. It’s just human nature. You want to appeal to the opposite sex and command respect from you peers. Personally, I am obsessed with performance gains and train for strength and function first and foremost, but even I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to look better. We all do.

But wanting and doing are two entirely different things. Everyone wants to dramatically transform their physiques and make mind blowing gains, but how many people actually do? How many people do you know that build muscle fast and get absolutely jacked in the course of even a one year period? Very few. And do you know why? Because they don’t have the right mindset. Change your mindset and you will change your body. With the right mindset you can make gains in as little as 12 weeks that other guys don’t even make in 12 years!

People who have made unbelievable physical transformations first accepted the fact that it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park and they were willing to work for it and do whatever it took. That’s not to say that it takes an incredible amount of time. You don’t have to spend every waking hour in the gym. You can progress incredibly well in just a few short hours per week. But if you don’t possess the proper mindset and the determination to do whatever it takes during those three or four weekly hours of training you will never get anywhere.

We all have commitments and time restraints that prevent us from working out as much as we would like to. But lack of time never was and never will be an acceptable excuse. If you search hard enough and cut out the wasted hours of TV time and other useless nonsense, you will find that we all have two or three hours per week to dedicate to our health and to transforming our bodies. After all, what is more important in life than your health and your body? Very little if you ask me.

Guys like Arthur Saxon, Dorian Yates, Arnold, Bill Pearl, George Hackenshmidt and Ed Coan all had the never-say-die, take-no-prisoners attitude that is an absolute prerequisite of massive physical transformation. Bill Pearl found that he was so busy that he had to rise at 4am every day just to get his workouts in. But that’s what it took, so he did it happily.

It doesn’t require fancy machinery and a high tech gym, it doesn’t take a lot of time each week, it doesn’t take any over hyped, over priced supplements; but it does take hard work, dedication and a burning desire to be the best. If you think you are going to loaf through your workouts and make head turning changes to your physique you are simply lying to yourself.

Will be this be the day when you finally make the mindset change necessary to achieve greatness or will you just keep putting it off ‘til tomorrow?

For a simple to follow, step by step plan that will motivate you beyond your wildest dreams and finally help you build muscle fast and get in the best shape of your life, while spending less than three hours per week in the gym, check out http://ferruggia.rxsportz.com now.

Jason Ferruggia is a world famous fitness expert who is renowned for his ability to help people build muscle as fast as humanly possible. He is the head training adviser for Men’s Fitness Magazine where he also has his own monthly column dedicated to muscle building. For more How to Build Muscle Fast tips, check out http://ferruggia.rxsportz.com

How to Build Muscle Fast and Avoid Shoulder Injuries

By Jason Ferruggia

Many moons ago when people asked me how to build muscle fast I told them that they had to squat, deadlift and bench press. That was before I injured my own shoulder and saw it happen to countless others. It happened again yesterday. My friend and ex training partner called and told me he tore his rotator cuff while benching heavy over the weekend. This did not come as shocking news. This bench press has been injuring shoulders and tearing pecs since the first time it was ever performed.

Back in the golden days of the Iron Game, when the military press was the main upper body exercise of choice, nobody ever heard of rotator cuff injuries or pec tears. It was only after the bench press achieved extreme popularity that shoulders and pecs started getting obliterated at record rates.

The bottom position of a heavy bench press puts your shoulders in a very vulnerable and dangerous position. Some people can tolerate this for decades. For others it will only take a few years. But sooner or later it’s bound to happen. It’s really not a question of if, but when. The flat bench press will eventually lead to some kind of shoulder problems or pec tear in the majority of lifters who do it heavy enough and long enough.

Like a lot of you, I have always been obsessed with learning more about how to build muscle fast, and the bench press has long been a staple in popular mass building programs. For years I proudly proclaimed it to be a great size and strength building lift and measure of upper body power. Nothing made me happier than helping one of my athletes add 50 pounds to his bench in the off season and watching him go to camp and destroy the competition.

But after 20 years in the game, having been witness to far too many injuries resulting from the flat bench press and getting my own shoulder cut open recently, I have finally had to look myself in the mirror and admit the truth that I have been hesitant to come to grips with for far too long…

Bench pressing sucks!

I have discussed this issue with many of the worlds top shoulder specialists in recent months and they are all in full agreement.

That’s not to say that you can never bench again. I know many of you will refuse to stop and I can relate to that mindset. If you get tested on the bench or compete in powerlifting, of course you have to do it. For the rest of you, who still love to press big weights and impress your friends and gym members I recommend you do so with extreme caution.

Make sure your technique is picture perfect and you bring the bar down to the right spot while properly activating your upper back and lat muscles. Secondly, don’t use the flat bench for more than 4-6 weeks without switching to a safer version of a barbell press like an incline or floor press.

The smartest route, however, is to get rid of this destructive exercise forever. There are far more effective movements that will build mind blowing strength and size in your chest, shoulders and triceps while saving you years of frustrating and costly injuries.

While the bench press is probably the most dangerous exercise most of you are doing on a regular basis, it is not the only harmful one. Unfortunately many of you are probably doing damage to other body parts without even realizing it.

To learn how to build muscle fast and to discover the most effective and safest exercises that will replace the bench press and many other useless movements, check out http://ferruggia.rxsportz.com today… before it’s too late.

Train smart,
Jason Ferruggia

Jason Ferruggia is a world famous fitness expert who is renowned for his ability to help people build muscle as fast as humanly possible. He is the head training adviser for Men’s Fitness Magazine where he also has his own monthly column dedicated to muscle building. For more How to Build Muscle Fast tips, check out http://ferruggia.rxsportz.com

7 WAYS TO INCREASE YOUR ENERGY

- by Melanie Mendelson

(c)Melanie Mendelson - All Rights Reserved
http://www.Foolproof-Diet.com

1. Get enough sleep.

Sleep deprivation is the most common cause of low energy and fatigue. Most adults need 8 hours of sleep every night. If
you are sleeping in late on weekends, it's a sign that you
don't get enough sleep during the week.

If you have to wake up early in the morning, go to sleep
earlier in the evening. Going to bed even 30 minutes
earlier can make a huge difference in your energy levels
during the day!

2. Reduce clutter.

Not being able to find anything among out-of-control piles
of papers is stressful. Clothes that you never wear, papers
that are falling everywhere and useless items that you feel
sorry to throw out can invade your space and take over your
life.

Clutter causes stress and saps away energy. Dump all
unnecessary stuff in a big garbage can, and you'll be able
to breathe easier and have more energy.

3. Drink more water.

Being dehydrated makes you feel tired and irritable. If you
are not thirsty, that does not mean that you drink enough
water. By the time you feel thirsty it's too late - you are
already dehydrated.

Most people need at least 8 cups of water per day. The
easiest way to know that you are drinking enough is to buy
one of those "8 glass" water-bottles that they sell in most
drugstores.

4. Take a walk.

Sitting in the chair all day can make you feel stiff and
tired, and then you'd feel too lazy to get up, creating a
vicious cycle of inactivity.

Make it into a habit to take a walk every day, and your
energy levels will increase.

5. Break a routine.

Having the same old routine every day sucks out your soul
and steals your energy.

Do not allow yourself to get stuck in a rut! Do something
new on a regular basis.

6. See a friend.

Isolation is a recipe for bad mood and low energy. Even
when you don't feel like dealing with anyone, spending time
with a person whose company you enjoy will energize you.

7. Lose weight.

Carrying excess weight puts additional strain on the body.
Even an extra 10 lbs are hard to carry. Try lifting a 10 lb
sack of potatoes! Now imagine it being permanently attached
to you - day and night.

If you are overweight, your body has to work hard to
constantly carry around the extra pounds. Shed the excess
fat, and you'll feel lighter and more energetic.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Melanie Mendelson has designed the Foolproof 30 Day Diet
that will help you lose up to 25 lbs in 30 days. For more info,
visit http://www.Foolproof-Diet.com

10 Easy Weight Loss Tips

- by Melanie Mendelson

(c)Melanie Mendelson - All Rights Reserved
http://www.Foolproof-Diet.com

1. Stop Drinking Soft Drinks

Each soft drink is 150 empty calories. Replacing just one
soft drink per day with water will result in losing 16 lbs
per year.

2. Keep Yourself Busy

When there is nothing to do, we reach for the food out of
boredom. Staying busy with other activities will help to
keep your mind off food.

3. Get Rid Of Tempting Foods

We all have foods that we can't resist. Knowing that, it's
best to not have those foods around the house. Out of
sight, out of mind.

4. Watch Your Portions

How much you eat is just as important as what you eat. If
an average person starts eating just 10% less, he will lose
about 20 lbs per year without changing his diet.

5. Think Of Calories In Terms Of Exercise

You have to do the whole hour of aerobics to burn off the
500 calories contained in a big piece of cheesecake. What
is easier for you: exercising for 1 hour or not eating the
cheesecake?

6. Take A Pause

Next time when you are about to eat something you
shouldn't, pause for a couple of seconds and ask yourself -
"Is It Worth It?" If the answer is "Yes", go ahead and
indulge. If the answer is "No", step back and congratulate
yourself for taking that pause.

7. Eat Slowly

It takes our brain about 20 minutes to realize that we are
full. When you eat too fast, there is not enough time for
the "full" feeling to register, so you'd end up literally
stuffing yourself with food.

8. Don't Skip Meals

When you skip a meal, you get way too hungry. When you are
too hungry, you won't be able to control yourself at the
next meal. As a result, you'll end up eating more than 2
meals worth of calories.

9. Plan Your Meals

Try to plan your meals in advance. Not knowing what you
are going to eat will send you right to the fast food
joint.

10. Do Everyday Physical Activities

Take the stairs instead of taking the elevator. Park your
car at the far end of the parking lot. All those activities
add up. Walking briskly for 15 minutes per day will help
you lose an extra 10 lbs per year.

About The Author:
Melanie Mendelson has helped hundreds of people lose weight
fast with her Foolproof 30 Day Diet. Who else wants to lose
up to 25 lbs in 30 days? Read weight loss success stories
at http://www.Foolproof-Diet.com

You Are NOT A Garbage Can!

- by Melanie Mendelson

(c)Melanie Mendelson - All Rights Reserved
http://www.Foolproof-Diet.com

Do you clean off your plate even when you are already full?
Do you finish the dinner scraps just because you can't stand
the thought of throwing out the food? Do you eat that last
spoonful of chili in the pot just because nobody in your
family wanted to finish it? To get rid of this extra food,
do you choose to throw it right in your mouth?

If that sounds like you, you are not alone. This behavior
is very common. Most of us have been taught not to be
wasteful. When we were little, we were told to clean off
our plates, so it is deeply ingrained in our minds. We feel
guilty about throwing out good food, especially since we
know that there are so many starving people in this world.

In addition, since we paid money for the food, we perceive
leaving food on our plate as wasting money. It is
especially true in restaurants - if there is not enough
leftovers to take home, most of us will clean off our plate
because we feel we have to get our money's worth.
Obviously, those last pieces of food that we eat just so we
don't have to throw them out go right to our waist and hips.
Day after day, it really adds up. All this food that we eat
after we are already full turns into tens of pounds of
body fat. You avoid wasting the food, but instead you waste your
health, your goals and your weight loss efforts.

Next time you are about to eat because you feel guilty for
the wasted food, tell yourself:

- You Are Not A Garbage Can!

Instead of throwing the unwanted food in a trash, you are
throwing it into your stomach. By doing that, you are
treating your body as a garbage can. You are not the medium
to gather stuff that nobody wanted to eat!

To get over the guilt associated with wasted food, think of
it from the perspective that this excess food is actually
serving a better purpose when it's thrown out than it would
have if you'd eaten it. If you'd eaten this excess food,
this food would do harm (make you gain weight). If that
food is thrown out, it has no benefit, but it does not do
any harm either. No use versus harm - throwing the food out
is the lesser of the two evils.

When you do clean off your plate, it definitely does not
help any of those starving people that you feel so guilty
about. Also, don't think that you are wasting your money if
you don't finish all the food you paid for. The money is
already spent - you are not going to gain more money by
eating more!

If you break the habit of cleaning off your plate when you
are not hungry, you will automatically start losing weight.
Treat your body well. Don't use it in the same way you'd
use a garbage can.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Melanie Mendelson has designed the Foolproof 30 Day Diet
that will help you lose up to 25 lbs in 30 days. For more info,
visit http://www.Foolproof-Diet.com

The 5 Simple Keys to Guaranteed Fat Loss

This extraordinary new DVD contains fat loss secrets and strategies so valuable, we could easily sell it for up to $50 or more. But for a very limited time, it's yours FREE.

Claim your free copy NOW before we run out! (Hurry! Supplies are limited.)

http://www.fasttracktofatloss.com/FTFL_Home.html

5 New Ways to Burn Belly Fat & Build Muscle

Wow, just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, even MORE fat burning goodies have been added to the Ultimate Turbulence Training Fat Loss Solution.

Not only will you get over 52 weeks of fat burning workouts, but you’ll also get these new “beat the deadline” deals Craig Ballantyne has added to the Ultimate Turbulence Training Fat Loss Solution.

But you have to hurry, because these bonuses are going, going, gone at Noon (EST) on Thursday, January 8th. After that, you’ll have to pay over $225 to get separate access to all of these bonuses.

1) 6 Months of Social Support in the TT Membership Site (plus, you’ll get 6 new workouts, one each month, all designed by Craig using the latest fat loss science)

2) Access to another free motivational, inspirational Turbulence Training tele-seminar (and if you don’t make the call, you’ll get access to the exclusive recordings)

3) A free copy of TT Mass at Home E-book (a 4-week dumbbell muscle building workout)

4) A free copy of TT Female Bodysculpting E-book (a 4-week bodyweight workout for women)

5) A free copy of the TT Hotel Room Workout E-book (bodyweight exercise workouts that don’t require any exercise equipment at all)

Oh, and you get the 21-Day Quick-Start to Fat Loss Audio Call, too!

But you only get these if you grab your copy of the Ultimate Turbulence Training Fat Loss Solution today!

Visit this site to get started:

=> http://turbulencetraining.rxsportz.com

Sincerely,
Arthur M.
Online Muscle Fitness
www.rxsportz.com 

PS – If you’ve already grabbed your copy, don’t worry!

Craig has promised that you’ll get all of these bonuses as well. And if you have any questions, feel free to contact Craig on his site here:

=> http://turbulencetraining.rxsportz.com

Why Weight Lifting Is An Exercise That Delivers Top Health Benefits

By Vince DelMonte

While some individuals are strictly interested in obtaining muscle for aesthetics, for most people, this isn’t an interest. Instead, you’re more interested in knowing what health benefits weight lifting will have for you…
Far too many people overlook the many health and fitness benefits that weight training has to offer, and because of this, experience problems down the road with their body such as decreased bone density, a slowed metabolic rate, increased stress levels and other negative consequences that are associated with constant stress.

Increased Bone Density
Weight lifting, being one of the best weight bearing exercises you can do, will increase your bone density and help ward off osteoporosis or stress fractures in the future. Many people think running is the best exercise for increasing bone density, but this isn’t necessarily true. If the truth is told, running actually promotes muscle breakdown in the body, while weight lifting, being an anabolic process, helps to promote the building of tissues.

Therefore, weight lifting is going to be much better at preserving your bone mass, not to mention it’s far less impact than going for an hour run.

Decreased Frequency of Injuries
When you strength train, not only are your muscles going to get stronger, but you’ll also work the ligaments and tendons that are connecting bones, muscles, and other tissues, thus reducing the chance they become injured when participating in other physical activities.

If you’ve ever been injured, you know just how frustrating this can be. In about 80% of all injury cases, the injury is a direct result of a tendon, ligament, or muscle not being strong enough when a stressful force is applied.

Since weight training will really hit all those deep tendons and ligaments, it’s the best injury prevention out there.

Reduction of Health Related Risks
Numerous studies have demonstrated that regular weight training can have a positive effect on health by showing reductions in the rate of insulin resistance, blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer.

If you couple a solid weight training program then with a well-thought out diet, you’ll be putting your best foot forward at warding off these chronic problems.

Prevention of Fat Gain
The more you weight lift, the higher your metabolism will be, thus the more food you can eat while maintaining your weight.  If that isn’t good news for your future and the fight against body fat, I’m not sure what is.

Now,  with all of this said, one big problem many people run into is the thinking pattern that using a muscle building program will make you big and bulky.
This is most certainly not the case.

Let’s look at an analogy to gain an understanding of this.

Pretend you have two teams and each are going to try and build a house using the exact same building technique.

One team is given 10,000 bricks to construct this house, and the second team is given only 1,000 bricks.

Who’s going to build the bigger house?
The choice should be obvious – team one since they have more bricks to build it with.

Now, think of those bricks as being the calories you put into your body.  Unless you’re supplying enough calories, you aren’t going to build really big muscles.  This is precisely what makes bodybuilders look like bodybuilders.

It’s not just about the way they train, but more about the way they eat (if you’ve ever had a teenage son in the growing process in your house, you likely know just how much food must be consumed when growing at rapid rates).

Whether it’s growing in height during puberty or trying to build bigger muscles later on, calories must be supplied for this growth process to take place.

You can’t build a house out of nothing.  Likewise, you can workout all you want, but if those building blocks – in the form of amino acids, carbohydrates, and dietary fats are not there, you aren’t going to see too much muscle growth.

So, don’t get caught thinking that just because you add weight lifting to your workouts, you’re going to develop large bulky muscles.  If you control your diet, this simply will not happen.

So, hopefully it is clear now that just because you’re weight lifting, it does not mean you will end up with bulky muscles as a result.  Many people make this incorrect assumption – but it really is the diet that makes all the difference in how this weight lifting will shape your body.

When you make the decision to work with me using my 6-Pack Ab Quest program, I’ll take you through the weight lifting and ab techniques that will provide maximum results with minimal effort on your part (why spend more time in the gym than you have to?), as well as provide you with meal plans that are custom designed to ensure you get the best results from your training without the muscle bulk – in fact, the plans are formulated to help you shed the fat so you look leaner and more defined.

Not choosing to include weight training as part of your current workout program is without-a-doubt the biggest mistake you could make as far as your long-term health and fitness level is concerned.  Don’t let this exercise pass you by any longer. 

----------------------------------

About the Author:

Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found at http://nononsense.rxsportz.com

He also specializes in teaching skinny guys how to get a six-pack and build muscle, without drugs, supplements and training less than before with his program found at http://6pack.rxsportz.com

Stress Nutrition: How To Adjust Your Diet To Relieve Stress

If you are suffering from stress nutrition is something you should take in hand right away. Changing your diet for the better in times of stress has many benefits. Among the greatest of these benefits is the simple fact that what and how you eat is something that is in your control.

One of the most distressing aspects of stressful events of all kinds is feeling that things are out of our control and that we cannot cope. Changing our eating habits in a few small ways can make life seem manageable again.

1. Carbs And Veggies, Not Fats

Base your diet around slow release carbohydrates (whole grains, starchy vegetables and fruit) plus plenty of other vegetables including leafy greens, beans and peas. Carbs trigger the release of serotonin, which is a 'feel good' hormone that will help relieve anxiety.

Vegetables also help to calm us because they contain L-Tryptophan, an amino acid that also helps in serotonin production. Fresh fruit and vegetables are also very rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that will support our immune system and help us to resist viral infections, auto immune disease and other conditions that tend to attack us when stress has run down our immunity.

Many people have digestive problems under stress. The fiber in fruit, vegetables and whole grains will help your digestive system work smoothly. Whole fruit is better than juice both because it will release its natural sugars more slowly, and because of the fiber that it contains.

It's fine to have a little meat or dairy products but try to have fewer, smaller portions. Saturated fats have been shown to contribute to heart disease and they will not help a stressed body. Choose olive or canola oil over butter and other oils.

2. Avoid Refined Sugar

Sugar gives us an energy boost but this is the last thing we need when we are stressed. Our body is already pumping us with more energy than we can use in most modern day stress situations.

Sugar also leaves us with an energy low after the first effects wear off. This is sometimes called 'the sugar blues' and it will leave us feeling depressed, despairing and wanting more sugar. Long term of course this can lead to weight problems and insulin/blood sugar disorders.

So instead of rushing for candy when under pressure, just wait. The digestive system is switched to standby when we are stressed and it is better not to eat anything. Wait for 30-60 minutes until the anxiety, tension, panic or anger is gone, and then, if you are hungry, choose some healthy food.

Check the ingredients of packaged foods, too. Most of them contain added sugar which may be listed as something ending in -ose (sucrose, dextrose, fructose, lactose etc) or syrup.

3. Avoid Caffeine And Tobacco

Caffeine is a substance that many people turn to when they are under stress but in fact it makes matters worse. When stressed, the body is tense, on 'red alert'. This puts a strain on the heart and slows down other systems which are necessary for our health.

A cup of coffee and a cigarette are the last things that a person should have at this time. However comforting they may seem psychologically, they are not physically relaxing at all. In fact they are just the opposite. They are stimulants, so they increase the stress.

Don't forget that caffeine is in tea as well as coffee (including green tea), though in smaller amounts. Some sodas contain it too, including regular cola and most drinks that are advertised as giving you an energy boost.

Chocolate contains both caffeine and another caffeine-like substance called theobromine which has many of the same effects, so avoid chocolate too.

4. Avoid Alcohol

Alcohol is another substance that seems attractive when we are stressed. We think it will relax us but in fact it is another stimulant. Used to excess, it puts us at risk of heart disease and other serious conditions.

It also puts high demands on the liver, preventing the liver from detoxifying and expelling the excess hormones that are created when we are under stress. This means that it actually keeps the body in that stressed state for longer.

If you have any medical conditions, take medical advice before altering your diet. See your doctor for further advice on stress nutrition and treatment.

Get Ready for This!

If you want to finally lose belly fat and transform your body, my friend and world-famous trainer Craig Ballantyne has put together the Ultimate Turbulence Training for Fat Loss Solution – and it is GUARANTEED to help you lose weight this year.

Not only will you get the proven Turbulence Training for Fat Loss workouts and nutrition programs, but Craig is also giving away bonus copies of his #1 best-selling book, “Just Say NO to Cardio” and UNLIMITED email support for the first 25 people who get started with his proven Turbulence Training for Fat Loss System.

PLUS, if you are one of the first 200 to grab your copy of Turbulence Training for Fat Loss you’ll also get access to an exclusive coaching call to help you lose more fat this year than ever before!

And you’ll get a free 6-month Turbulence Training membership. There are even MORE free early-bird bonuses, but I don’t have space to list them all.

The only catch is that he doesn’t open the doors on this incredible offer until 12 noon (EST) on Monday, January 5th. So mark that on your daytimer and set your alarm so that you don’t miss your chance at the fast action bonuses!

So be ready at 12 noon (EST) on Monday, January 5th when Craig opens the doors on the Ultimate Turbulence Training for Fat Loss Solution.

Here’s the site where you’ll grab your copy and bonuses:

=> http://turbulencetraining.rxsportz.com

Sincerely,
Arthur M.
Online Muscle Fitness
www.healthybiz2000.com/rxsports/

Ditch the Gym: 5 Ways to Lose Weight Right in the Comfort of Your Own Home

For most people who are trying to lose weight, the gym can either be their best friend or their enemy. Those who consider the gym as their 'enemy' immediately think of the work associated with all the exercising that they have to do, which is why they make up excuses not to go.

But if you really want to shed off those excess pounds, why not look for ways on how you can finally ditch the gym – and lose weight right in the comfort of your own home?
 

The Advantages of Having a Home Weight Loss Program

The good thing about having a home weight loss program is that you don’t need to take the time out of your busy schedule to go to the gym.  There are instances when people who profusely workout for 'one season' and stop the next gain even more weight once they stop.

This is because for that period of time that your body got used to the exercise, your metabolism was on its peak. When you suddenly stop, there's a big possibility that you'll gain even more weight than when you first started going to the gym – especially if you have poor eating habits.

To counteract this effect, it is much better if you will have a weight loss program – which includes both diet and exercise – that you can do right in the comfort of your own home. This way, you will have no excuse to skip the workout. One of the best home based weight loss program that I can have found is Turbulence Training by Craig Balantyne. The other program that gets a lot of recognition is Truth About Six Pack Abs by Mike Geary. You should read more about expert reviews of two programs here: Turbulence Training & Truth About Six Pack Abs.

5 Tips on How to Ways to Lose Weight at Home

So are there any tried-and-tested ways on how you can lose weight at home? Take a look at these 5 weight loss ideas which you can implement right in the comfort of your own home:
 

1. Do the step-up's!
   How many hours do you sit in front of the television to watch your favorite series? Instead of munching on popcorn or allowing your brain to get fried during the seemingly endless commercials, you can place a small step-up box in front of the sofa instead. 
   
   Do the steps ups in between commercials.  Just imagine how many calories you will burn if you will do the step-up's in between the ads of the 2-hour season premiere of "Lost"!
2. Stock the fridge with healthy foods only.
   Unless you're always out and about, the only way that you can appease your hunger is by eating what you have on stock in the refrigerator. If you will stock up on healthy, low-calorie foods only and there's no junk food in sight to 'tempt' you, you will develop better eating habits that will significantly help with your home weight loss program.
    
3. Be physically active even while at home.
   Just because you're home doesn't mean that you have to sit around doing nothing.  Try to stay physically active by doing household chores. Ditch the remote so that you need to get up and actually walk in front of the TV if you have to switch channels.

   Explore your neighborhood by jogging or walking instead of taking the car – you'll even save up on gas. When you put together these little things, they will add up to a  lot of calories lost in one year.
    

4. Have a regular intense workout schedule.
   All the exercise equipment in the world will do nothing if you don't exert the effort to actually using them.  By setting a regular intense workout schedule at home that you absolutely must follow on a weekly basis, your body will fall into a pleasant pattern of physical exertion that will let you sweat it out and make you shed off those extra pounds.
    
5. Set realistic goals and reward yourself for a number of pounds lost.
   Finally, set small and realistic goals for yourself. Aim to lose five pounds, for example.  Once you reach your goal, relax a little or give yourself a tiny reward – then aim for five more pounds.
    

With these five easy-to-follow weight loss tips, you'll reach your ideal body weight in no time at all!