Your Weight! Your Health! Your Skin!

If you are considering taking a yoga class I have one piece of advice for you: do it.  It’s a great experience.  I first tried yoga while in college and have been a believer ever since.  Yoga is especially rewarding because it improves your mental as well as physical health.  If you are experiencing back pain, muscle pain, or constant anxiety, you may be able to find some relief through yoga.

Increased Strength
One of yoga’s physical health benefits is increased strength.  The various yoga poses target different muscle groups.  The Tree Pose works the leg muscles by having you stand on one leg, while Downward Facing Dog strengthens your arm muscles.  Perhaps even more important, virtually all yoga poses work to strengthen your core (back and abdominal muscles).  Our core muscles are responsible for supporting much of our body weight, yet generally receive little attention.

Weak core muscles are often responsible for injuries chronic back pain—just think of all the tasks you do throughout the day that involve lifting or bending.  Your core muscles are also responsible for balance control.  If you want to improve your balance, the first step is to strengthen your core.  Yoga helps to prevent injury by gradually improving core strength and balance.

Flexibility
While flexibility may seem more like a bonus than a necessity, it plays an important role in health.  Many people suffer from muscle and back pain.  Back pain is often caused when a bone becomes displaced from its original position.  Chiropractors work to relieve pain by manipulating the bones back into place.  However, chiropractics alone is not a permanent fix to the problem.

If you have visited a chiropractor you have probably noticed that the bone eventually slips back out of place. This is because the muscles around the bone tightened while the bone was out of place and they begin to pull it back out of place after it is fixed.  This can be prevented through regular stretching.  I have dealt with lower back pain, and about two years ago began stretching every day.  The difference it has made in my pain level is astonishing.  Yoga helps reduce and prevent pain by increasing flexibility.

Stress Relief
I first tried yoga while in college.  It was finals week and the stress of deadlines kept me from sleeping.  One of my friends had a yoga tape so we hosted an amateur yoga session in the basement of our dorm.  It struck me was how relaxed I felt afterwards.  Sure, when I first started yoga I didn’t have the best balance and I couldn’t touch my toes, but it still felt great.

Yoga incorporates fluid and slow movements that help calm your mind.  It also teaches you to take slow, deep breathes to relax the body.  Constant stress can have terrible effects on the body so finding ways to relax and release tension is vital.  If you are frequently anxious and overwhelmed, taking a yoga class can teach you how to relax.

Guys, you have to read this article by Jon Benson, it really is the best 16 minute workout, because it burns a lot of calories. When I did it, it was hard because I was panting and my heart rate was sky high, but I felt so great afterward.

The effort and hard was all worth it. I hope you will try it for yourself! Here it is:

When I wrote “7 Minute Muscle” and “7 Minute Body” (the in-home version; both books come in the same package) I thought I was doing the muscle-mass crowd a huge favor.

I was right… and I was wrong.

I was right because the 7MM-style training has put serious muscle shape, tone, and size on people from all ages.

I was WRONG because it did more than just add lean muscle:

THIS makes people THINNER…

7 Minute Body workouts < – fastest bodyshaping workout EVER

The short version of the science behind why this happens and a sample workout routine is included in today’s newsletter.

Yep: the workout I intended people to use for building muscle turned into one of the fastest ways to melt body fat.

Weird.

I say “weird”… it’s not that weird to me. I know why it works so well. But it was kinda weird for my readers.

The secret is density training.

Density is basically getting the most amount of work done in the least amount of time. More work in less time = more energy.

More energy spent = greater fatloss.

Fatloss (and muscle-shaping) is not an issue of length of time as much as it is an issue of work divided by time.

The body was made to perform in bursts, not in long bouts. This is why our immediate fuel sources (which come mostly from carbohydrates) are WAY too efficient… so much so that we store incredible amounts of fat from consuming too many of the “fast-fuel” foods.

The best way to combat this fat-storing problem is to use your body the way it was designed to be used: In bursts of fat-burning power that are intense, short, and highly focused.

That’s the basics behind density training.

More here:

7 Minute Body workouts < – fastest bodyshaping workout EVER

Want a practical example? Great… let’s look at a 7 Minute Muscle chest workout followed by a 7 Minute Muscle “GXP” Cardio workout.

Your total workout time: A whopping 16 minutes.

That’s “TOTAL” workout and cardio time, minus a short warm-up.

After your warm-up, you would start with the first of two “Phases”:

The first 5 minutes is called The Power Phase.

This is followed by The Mass Phase (Mass is for adding lean muscle) which last only 2 minutes.

During the Power Phase, your weight you select for any movement (from a bench press to a push-up) stays the same. This makes it very easy to shorten your rest intervals between sets.

Your repetitions will be a maximum of 5 for your Power Phase using a weight that’s about 60% of your normal 5-rep max. You will rest as little as possible between sets.

The first few sets will feel light, but as time progresses this “light” weight will become more and more challenging. In fact you will drop your repetitions down quite low in order to complete the 5-minute Phase… and that’s GOOD.

That’s what we want: As many repetitions as you can get during 5 minutes, but never exceeding FIVE repetitions, during your Power Phase.

Your rest intervals are up to YOU… you can rest a short or as long as you need.

This is a very creative and personal workout!

Your goal is simple: Get more TOTAL reps (called “Aggregate Repetitions”, or “AR”) than your previous workout.

This is what makes 7 Minute Muscle so unique: The progression is built-in.

Most people fail to progress in the gym because they simply do not track their workouts carefully enough.

With 7 Minute Muscle you don’t have to track an entire workout: Only ONE number. The total number of repetitions, or your “AR”.

Simple!

Your Power Phase for a chest workout may look like this:

EXERCISE:
Incline Machine Press (upper chest)

5 reps (rest 20 seconds)
5 reps (rest 15 seconds)
4 reps (rest 20 seconds)
3 reps (rest 30 seconds)
3 reps (rest 30 seconds)
1 rep (rest 20 seconds)
1 rep (end)

]Total AR: 22 reps
Total Time: 5 minutes

Your goal next time is to get 23 repetitions using the same weight. Once you can get 5 repetitions every set it’s time to increase the weight for this movement.

You would then move to your Mass Phase (2 minutes) which would be a different chest exercise for TEN repetitions.

Same goal, same principles apply… beat your previous AR.

The end result is a 7-minute workout that shapes your chest AND burns a lot of fat due to the principles of time/energy expenditure and the fact that muscle burns calories.

You end your 7 minute workout with “GXP” Cardio. This is 9 minutes long… that’s it! But your body is primed to melt off a lot of fat after your 7 minutes of intense weight training… and you will drop the fat if you do this workout right.

You start with 3 minutes on the exercise device of your choice (I prefer the treadmill.)

You work your way up to 85-90% of your maximum heart rate, or a perceived exertion rate on a scale of 1-10 of 7 to 8. No more is needed to get the desired results.

You stay at this level for just 3 minutes.

Then you cool down for 3 minutes.

That’s IT.

That’s your entire cardio workout and weight-training workout… all in 16 minutes (about 20 with a warm-up.)

And you will progress faster, burn a lot more fat, and save SO much time you may have to take up a new hobby!

Get more info here:

7 Minute Body workouts < – fastest bodyshaping workout EVER

[ Note: This article was written by fitness and nutrition author Jon Benson. It benefited me so much, so I wanted to share it with you.]

Another good article appeared today in the fitness section of MSNBC.

Since you’re busy, I’ll do a quick summary of the article — the good stuff, the bad stuff, and what you need to do today to get started…

First, you need to know this…

And this will probably shock you…

Rarely, if EVER, do you need to suppress your appetite!

The real secret is to increase your metabolism… the rate at which your body uses food for fuel.

Then being hungry is a good thing… as long as you’re eating the right foods at the right time.

My “Favorite Foods” plan is a great way to do this…

My “Favorite Foods” Dietplan revealed < == click.

But let’s say you want to curb your appetite at night…. that’s the time most people really lose it on a dietplan. Even on a plan that ASKS you to eat frequently like mine, there are times where night-time cravings need to be put to sleep.

So use these tips from the article to ease the urge to eat at night:

1. Protein First

As I say in my dietplan, “Rise and shine with protein.” What does this have to do with night-time cravings you ask?

Everything.

Set the body up to use your own fat-stores for fuel by eating protein in the morning and your appetite FOR fatty foods goes way down during the day and the night. Protein is “thermogenic”, meaning it helps increase your metabolism. It also acts as a natural appetite regulator.

Notice I said “regulator” and not “suppressant.” That’s because you only need to regulate your appetite, no matter how much bodyfat you desire to drop.

I show you how here:

My “Favorite Foods” Dietplan revealed < == click.

Cool, right?

2. Go For The Grapefruit

In a study at the Nutrition and Metabolic Research Center at the Scripps Clinic in San Diego, people who ate half a grapefruit with each meal lost an average of 3.6 pounds in three months. That doesn’t sound like a lot (and it isn’t) but that’s ALL they changed.

It doesn’t matter for our purposes… we want to lower insulin at night. Why? Insulin is not only dangerous for your health in excess but it also can cause a LOT of fat storage if secreted too much at night. Enter the lowly grapefruit.

A great snack, especially if you have a few bites of lean protein with it.

3. Smell This!

This is a trick I didn’t know about until recently.

Smelling food can trick your brain into thinking you’ve eaten.

A recent study found that those who inhaled peppermint in scent form every 2 hours at (get this) 2700 calories LESS per week than they normally did.

Let me put that in perspective: That’s a fatloss of more than half a pound a week… from sniffing peppermint!

Vanilla also works. You can keep vanilla-scented drops or even candles around the office and take a wiff every few hours.

How easy is that?

The Bad Part

The MSNBC article goes on with advice like “eat potatoes” and “eat just a little bit of fat”, both of which are nonsense.

Potatoes may fill you up, but they are still starch – and starch should be consumed on your “off” days.

Potatoes are especially bad due to the higher-than-desired glycemic index of 85 (anything over 50 is too high.)

You also need dietary fat… and not just “a little.” You need a moderate amount to stay healthy and keep insulin regulated.

Olive oil and even coconut oil are excellent sources, as are naturally occurring fats in fresh fish, grass-fed beef, farm-raised chicken and whole eggs.

The rest of the article is common sense stuff: Workout, eat dense food that requires you to chew a lot (tire out the jaw muscles and you naturally eat less), etc.

The top 3 are the real winners.

Most of us use alcohol when we go out with friends or family, and in most of our homes, alcohol is served with meals. For me, I have always used it because I am a very shy person, so it would help me socialize more with my peers. That’s the reason I have always used when I thought about why I even started to drink. It has been said that a woman should not consume more than one alcoholic day, and men are not to consume two alcoholic drinks a day. Learn these facts about alcohol and see the effects it has on your body.

1. Increases estrogen and decreases testosterone levels.

Estrogen can give you women characteristics if you are a guy, and the reduction in estrogen levels can mess up your muscle mass. For me, alcohol made me gain so much weight and increased my breast size by 3 cups. So, if you want to lose weight, stay away from alcohol or at least cut down on it.

2. Alcohol dehydrates you and causes water loss. The problem with the water loss is that it takes important minerals and vitamins that your body needs. Also, when you are dehydrated, it means that your body is craving for water, which is needed for most chemical reactions in your body.

3. Alcohol has empty calories and it increases the storage of fats. When the alcohol enters your body, the body basically gives it first preference, which means the calories that you get from food will have to wait being digested. That food ends up being stored as fat. Now you know, alcohol slows food processing in your body.

4. Alcohol contains 7 calories for every gram. Unfortunately for you and me those calories are empty, with no nutritional value for your body. If you are going to add calories into your diet, why don’t you opt for calories that are healthier?

5. I don’t know about you, but I tend to be more relaxed when I am drinking. This causes me to lower my inhibitions, and as a result it makes it easier for me to have a go at that pizza that I have been trying to avoid.

If you are planning to drink with your pals, make sure you eat a healthy balanced meal beforehand. Drinking on an empty stomach is not a good thing, and it will just end up making you feel hungry, and this will increase you binging on some take out.

You have to take care of how you manage your drinking, especially if you are trying to maintain an ideal body weight and size. A few drinks occasionally aren’t bad as long as you can handle the effects. Otherwise your muscle gaining goals can be totally affected in a very negative way.

Hi guys,

Here is another great article that I wanted to share with you. Try the techniques in here, I guarantee you will feel great!

Circuit Training – Unlimited Benefits!
Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN
www.myFitterU.com

Nowadays, most people don’t have time for lengthy, grueling 2-hour workouts, be it with work and family demands or simply the search of free time. Well, what if there was a way to be in and out of the gym in less than 1 hour and still feel absolutely worked? What if you could combine your cardio and weights so that you wouldn’t have to spend hours on either? Well, I’m going to let you in on a little secret – it’s called Circuit Training – and it is the most effective and time efficient means of exercise for those looking to lose weight and tone.

CIRCUIT TRAINING 101

Circuit Training involves completing several resistance exercises in a continual sequence. For instance, a circuit may be comprised of 8 exercises (push-ups, plank, lunges, etc…) with each one being performed for any length of time (30 sec, 45 sec, etc…) or number of repetitions. Between each exercise is a rest period of a certain length. Note that circuits that have lower rest periods will be more challenging and provide more aerobic benefit. An example of a typical circuit is 8 exercises each 30 seconds in length with 30 seconds to recover between each. This is only one example of 1000s of possible circuit combinations. There are many factors involved in determining the effectiveness of a given circuit including: number and types of exercises, load, tempo, duration of work bout, duration of rest bout. Basically, the more intense you make the circuit, the more challenging, yet effective, it becomes.

AEROBIC BENEFITS

Studies have found that aerobic benefits related to circuit training are mainly determined by the duration of the exercise (work bout) and by the amount and type of rest given between exercises. For instance, a meta-analysis done on circuits showed that a 10-exercise circuit (using weights) using a 30 seconds for both work and recovery, performed 3 times per week over 8-12 weeks improved VO2max (measure of aerobic capacity) by 5%. Compare that to continuous running, cycling or rowing at around 75% of max heart rate for 20-30 minutes, three times a week for 8-12 weeks which boosts V02max by around 20%. Obviously, this 30s work: 30s rest protocol is not optimal for yielding staggering aerobic improvements. However, other studies have shown that by shortening the rest period to 15 seconds or jogging during a 30 second recovery bout improved VO2max by 12% and 18%, respectively.

Further, some research has even shown that Circuit Training can be just as effective at maintaining previous aerobic gains as following a strictly aerobic conditioning regime.

Incorporating more compound movements (several different muscle groups involved) into your circuits will make it more challenging for both your muscles and aerobic system. This is because as you use more muscle mass, more oxygen is required to supply the working muscles. As a result, you begin breather heavier and your heart rate increases to provide the muscles with the oxygen they need. This technique makes circuits much more challenging and effective. As an example, perform lunge walks with a shoulder press, instead of either one separately.

Here is an example of a 7.5-minute aerobic based circuit:

1. Lunge Walks with Biceps Curls- 30 sec

2. Jogging on spot – 1 min

3. Stability Ball Chest Press – 30 sec

4. Jogging on spot – 1 min

5. Plank – 30 sec

6. Jogging on spot – 1 min

7. Back Rows – 30 sec

8. Jogging on spot – 1 min

9. Squat Presses – 30 sec

10. Jogging on spot – 1 min

BODY COMPOSITION CHANGES

Circuit Training has been shown to decrease body fat by 3%. Research also shows that lean body mass is either maintained or increased alongside the decrease in body fat. This is a major benefit for those who want to get in better shape, lose weight, and tone. With traditional aerobic training, a decrease in relative fat mass leads to a decrease in total weight with little change in lean body mass. The resistance work involved in the circuits encourages muscle-mass development, and thus any fat loss is replaced equally by muscle gain. This makes it easier to maintain the lower body fat or reduce body fat even further because the increase in lean body mass pushes up basal metabolic rate and overall calorie expenditure.

It has also been estimated that calorie expenditure during a bout of circuit training is approximately 5 – 6 kcal per minute for women and 8 – 9 kcal per minute for men (this may vary depending on body weight). Thus, if a man were to perform 30 of circuit training he would burn upwards of 180 calories.

OTHER BENEFITS

Because of the duration of each exercise many people claim that strength may be compromised as a result of working at a lower percent of 1RM (maximum weight you can lift once). This is definitely true in most cases and thus, I would not recommend circuit training for those looking to improve strength. However, some studies have shown that circuit training increases muscular strength anywhere from 7% to 32%.1 Achieving such strength gains requires working at a much higher percent of 1RM (>80%) and thus the duration of the work bouts would need to be much lower (<20 sec) in view of sustaining the heavier load.

Circuit Training is also beneficial for the development of the anaerobic system. Anaerobic conditioning occurs when exercising at a higher intensity for upwards of 20 seconds. This is the zone when you begin to feel the burn in the muscles as a result of lactic acid production. As such, your body’s ability to tolerate and buffer elevated lactate levels will be improved, allowing you to sustain higher intensities for a longer period of time.

CONCLUSION

Circuit Training is an excellent means of training the body if you are looking to lose body fat and maintain lean body mass. Depending on the protocol followed you will experience any number of the aforementioned benefits. Overall, it is great if you are short on time and are looking for a short workout that will leave you feeling great and more energetic.

References:

Gettman, L. R., & Pollock, M. L. (1981). Circuit weight training: A critical review of its physiological benefits. The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 9, 44-60.

Mosher et al. (1994). Effects of 12 weeks of aerobic circuit training on aerobic capacity, muscular strength, and body composition in college-aged women. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 8 (3), 144-148.

About the Author

Yuri Elkaim is a world-renowned fitness, nutrition, and weight loss expert. He is the creator Fitter U and Treadmill Trainer, author of Eating for Energy, and the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for men’s soccer program at the University of Toronto. His trademarked 12-week Fitter U iPod workout program has been helping thousands of people around the world get in shape and lose weight fast without the cost and inconvenience of hiring a trainer. Go to www.myFitterU.com now to get your FREE Fitter U workout and “How to Get Fit and Lose Weight Fast” report!