Explosivelyfit Strength Training

Childhood obesity

Health care and fitness professionals throughout the United States and other affluent nations are increasingly alarmed at the growing epidemic of childhood obesity. This upward spiral of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease demands immediate attention if changes in these unhealthy trends are to be reversed. Perhaps a quick look at the problem will set the tone for action.

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) states that more than nine million of our children are overweight. Obesity in our 2-6 year old preschool children, and adolescents, 12-19 years old has doubled since the 1970’s. This rate has tripled in the 6-11 year olds!

Unfortunately, similar increases have occurred within the adult population during this nearly four-decade period.

We are not active enough to ward off this onslaught of health problems as evidenced by the fact that over half of the 12-21 year olds do not regularly engage in vigorous activity or exercise. Some blame the television or computer. The statistics are clear that overweight and obese children watch more television or play on the computer more than their healthier and lower weight peers.

Not only are these kids fatter but 7% of them suffer from sleep apnea when their breathing temporarily stops or is suspended briefly periodically throughout the night. This causes a lack of restful sleep that continues to accumulate. Loss of sleep upsets the hormonal balances within the body. These hormones regulate body fat levels.

Parents set the example. If one parent is obese, the child has a fifty percent chance of also being obese. This increases thirty percent up to eighty percent when both parents are obese. This kid doesn’t have a chance under these circumstances.

Obesity brings on the added risk of diabetes later on in life. For those born in 2000, a potential diagnosis of type 2 diabetes exists in thirty percent of the boys and forty percent for the girls during their life span.

The sad part is this situation can be dramatically altered simply by exercising or engaging in physical activity every day. However, we don’t because we have to watch our favorite show, play on the computer, eat fast food, rather than cook a healthy meal, drink pop and sugar filled fake fruit juices, ride instead of walk, use the escalator in lieu of the stairs….

In the education system, we have less than eight percent of our elementary and less than seven percent of our middle and high schools requiring daily physical education for the students. It should not be up to the schools to get the kids active, sure, it helps, but the main responsibility lies within the family unit. The modeling takes place at home. If the parents are inactive, overweight, and obese the chances are great, the kids will be too.

Different training and percentage loads produce different results. Each level of intensity elicits a particular range of responses in regards to learning and technique improvement within the athlete.

In general, the beginner gains the most from low intensity motor skill exercises when first learning the skill set necessary for their sport or sport position. This is a basic element of skill learning.

With low to moderate level intensity, the athlete is able to maintain control during the execution of individual parts or the entire movement. This allows total control of each element in turn or completion of the full range of movement for the complete exercise in the precise order necessary to achieve perfection.

Often times, especially in the weight room, lifters can be seen literally throwing the weights up and down with the hope they will be able to complete the lift with the load. Not only is this extremely poor technique but it is an accident waiting to happen.

A more advanced reason for not going too fast in the beginning is that it does not allow the body enough time to completely establish the sensory loops to fully work themselves out during the performance of the lift or exercise. This means there are gaps in the learning process that will eventually hold the athlete back when it comes to perfecting the motion.

A classic example is with the runner trying to go too fast too soon. Their form suffers due to a lack of attention to the task, their movement patterns suffer because of the increased attention to more speed. The final kicker in this is their undue concentration on more speed interferes with their brains ability to clearly establish the proper sequence of motor excitation necessary to actually run faster.

Using the big ten exercises in your training program.

Start out with one set of eight to twelve repetitions and after a week or two add an additional set. Several weeks later add one to two more sets until you reach four to five sets of each exercise. Begin with sets of eight and as you get stronger and can tolerate the stress of lifting gradually add more reps until you’re at twelve repetitions for four to five sets.

After three to four weeks have elapsed on this schedule begin to dramatically increase or decrease the repetitions on one of the days each week. This will shake up your body and make it realize that every day will not be the same. This is how growth takes place.

Once at the five sets of twelve it will be time to drastically change your entire program. But that is not what this article is about so I won’t address it now. Suffice it to say this will be the time in your program that new exercises, new reps and set schemes and different work to rest ratios will be needed to up the intensity necessary to continue your steady progress towards greater physical fitness.

After the exercises have been completed it’s time to start the cool down phase of the session. This period allows your body to readjust back to its normal temperature, pulse and breathing rates.

Midway through this cool down process do one or two static stretches for the various areas you’ve just worked out. Avoid, if possible, doing the same stretches each time by selecting a different one from any of the vast movements that are available.

Several of my favorite books are the Stretching Handbook by Brad Walker, Stretching by Bob Anderson, The Whartons’ Stretch Book by Jim and Phil Wharton, Stretching for Athletics by Pat Croce and Sport Stretch by Michael J. Alter.

After you have cooled down then it’s time to replenish your muscles with fuel. Eat a protein and high glycemic carbohydrate snack to help get your muscles back into the positive growing zone.

Summary

Start out by learning how to do the exercises correctly, be consistent in your exercise sessions, maintain the intensity, stick with the basics and eat well.

There you have it; a full schedule to get you into shape safely and effectively. But don’t get in a hurry to leave the gym just yet because you still have to cool down

A beginning resistance training routine part one

A beginning routine is made up of large muscle group exercises featuring balanced applications of sets and repetitions for both agonist and antagonist groups. After a movement specific warm up where each exercise is performed ten to twelve times do eight to twelve repetitions at your workout weight for two to four sets. A set is one group of eight to ten repetitions.

Follow each set with a rest period of sixty to ninety seconds, depending on your present conditioning status and then begin the next set of the same exercise. Move through the list at a steady pace. You should not be in the weight room much longer than forty five to fifty minutes.

The decision to do them all at one time will be a personal matter, one that takes into consideration the time you have to exercise. The full body workouts are good at helping to improve your general physical conditioning. This schedule would be done on alternate days so you have a recovery period interspaced between workouts.

If you make the decision not to do them all in one session then consider doing the upper and lower body exercises on different days. Following this exercise schedule allows you to exercise five days in a row with the weekend off for active recovery activities.

These are the essential ten and form the foundations of any strength program regardless of how you decide to do them.

1. Military presses
2. Chin ups or pull downs
3. Bench presses
4. Barbell rows
5. Squats
6. Deadlifts
7. Curl ups or full range sit ups
8. Back extensions
9. Laterals

1. Calf raises

Next up, how to use these exercises to in your training program.

14099 Cutting calories to lose weight

If the goal is to lose weight then match your activity level with the calories you consume.

Too many calories in, excess fat on. It’s that simple, more or less.

Cutting calories is not the total answer to weight loss. By cutting too many calories your body becomes extremely efficient at hoarding the ones it does get. This leads to excess fat tissue build up.

Look at the body weight charts and find out your ideal weight, next decide how you are going to achieve this goal. Write it down. Let others know what it is. Get your support system in place. Find a friend who shares a common goal and work together in helping one another out.

A membership to the gym is next in line. Get professional help with your exercise program.

I can hear it now…I used to play football and this is how we did it then. Well then is a long time ago and things have changed-just look at your body in the mirror. Is this how you want it to look? Alternatively, how about when you ran track or were a cheerleader or gymnast. Without the guidance of your coaches, would you have been in the shape you were back then? It’s the same now.

A professional strength or fitness coach knows how to get results and those who work with these professionals achieve their goals on a regular basis.

Always keep in mind this thought: a super strength or fitness plan will never overcome a poor diet.

Now that you’ve decided to actually start eating better and exercising it is time to get rid of the junk in your home. Go through all of your cupboards, freezers and the refrigerator and throw away the bad food choices of the past.

If it’s there you will eventually eat it won’t you? Yes, you will and you know it so avoid the temptation and just get rid of it. Forget about the moans and groans from the rest of the family, just do it. You and they will be better off without it in the long term.

Make a shopping list of food you need and make healthy choices when you are in the store.

While there pick up a 5×8 spiral notepad to keep track of the stuff you eat or drink. Along with food and drink entries in this diary, keep track of your exercise progress on a daily basis. Keep it current and soon it becomes a healthful habit that will continue to guide and encourage you toward your fitness goals.

Health and fitness both come at a price and that price is eating healthy and exercising on a regular basis.

07099 Reducing your dietary fat calories

Adding a nice dressing to your summer salad is a matter of picking out a fat free dressing. A few ideas here can save you many unnecessary fat calories.

For example, plain yogurt tastes great in sauces for pasta, and sandwiches. Plain yogurt and tuna makes an excellent tasting sandwich spread. This is certainly better for your heart than mayonnaise. For a snack, bagels and bread are tasty when topped with fat free cream cheese. Pureed cottage cheese offers a nice smooth spread.

Substitute beans as your protein one or two meals a week, this automatically cuts down on the fat content. Add them to your salads, or soups for a healthy change. These are high protein, low fat and the best part is they have no cholesterol.

If you are unable or unwilling to try eating more beans and legumes during the week then use lower fat cuts of meat. Beef sold as select rather than choice or prime is much healthier for your heart.

Buy the extra lean ground beef, or for another taste treat try the ground chicken or turkey. Speaking of chicken and turkey, peel the skin off before or after cooking. This will save you many calories that in most cases aren’t needed in your diet. Another option is to pick up a pound or two of Canadian bacon instead of the regular fat filled bacon.

Fish is excellent as the main course for a meal. Adding a nice dressing to your summer salad is a matter of picking out a fat free dressing. A few ideas here can save you many unnecessary fat calories. Choose salmon, mackerel or herring not only for their lower than normal fat content but because of the high omega-3 fatty acid content. This fat has demonstrated its effectiveness promoting cardiovascular health.

Even meatless products have a place in reducing the fat in your diet. Meatless hotdogs, hamburgers, and even sausage taste all right occasionally. TVP, textured vegetable protein, comes in a variety of flavors that are available in the specialty stores.

A meal is not complete without dessert. Nonetheless, it is at this time when all of your good diet conscious decisions fall flat. There are good tasting options such as fat free frozen yogurt and ice cream, sherbet and sorbet. Put a heap of wild berries on top and you’ve got a dessert made in heaven.

Read the labels on the food before buying it. If it’s high fat move on down the line until something else that is healthier shows up in the next aisle. As the saying goes, become an informed consumer.

The roof is on, the house has been leveled out, the dishwasher is in, and now we are having a new heat pump installed. I did the dishwasher. The rest was contracted out.

Each time I contract a job out it looks easy to do. However, my experience with things around the house leaves a lot to be desired.

Getting people strong and powerful is a kick,  as is working on cars. In both areas, I feel comfortable and capable of success. Moreover, I read and study all I can about each subject.

I find it strange that my competence is so lacking when it comes to doing much with the house. It took me several days to get the sink to stop leaking after I changed the drain strainer.

The key to success is to be knowledgeable about what you’re doing. I have a library of strength and training reference books along with car manuals up the ying yang. But for the house, we have at most fifteen how to do it books. So I wing it a lot of the time and then end up paying for it as I redo the projects over to get them right.

In training others, I am comfortable with what I am doing based on my constant research and experience with my trainees. There is always something else to know and I want to know it…Now and not later.

There in lies the difference between working on the house and guiding others in getting stronger or fixing up cars. The knowledge and continually reading, studying and learning more every day.

Learn something new every day or the day is wasted.

31089 Healthy ways to reduce your fat intake

The two quickest ways, mentioned earlier were cutting back on unhealthy fat by skimming off the fat from your gravies, soups, and stews and using skim milk in place of whole milk.

Next up on the fat reduction list; cooking smarter, using fewer yokes, and decreasing the use of butter and margarine in your recipes.

Cooking smarter

Do you really need that extra glob of butter on your eggs or that much margarine on your morning toast? Probably not, but it’s hard to give it up isn’t it? As with all things in life (except lifting weights and healthy exercise), moderation is the key.

Substitute the butter and margarine with a bit of vegetable oil, nonstick spray, or olive oil lightly smeared on the pan. Another option is to use the nonstick Teflon pans. Substituting other ingredients for butter or margarine may take some getting used to but the new flavors offer a new taste sensation. For example, use apple, plum, apricot, peach, or any other fruit butter on your toast or bread. When baking unsweetened applesauce, prune puree can sometimes be substituted for half the called for amount of butter, oil or shortening in the recipe

Bake, broil, grill, poach, or steam instead of frying. When you poach your egg, stir the hot water in a circle so the egg centers in the middle and stays together while it poaches its little heart away. Speaking of eggs the yoke contains the most fat and cholesterol so leaving out a few yokes in your omelet may be in your best interest. There are some high quality egg substitutes on the market. Try a few and see which ones you can tolerate.

As you grill or broil your meat, keep it on a rack so the fat drips off and makes a mess (or catches on fire) but at least it’s not going into your stomach. You may want to put something under it to keep either of the aforementioned things from happening.

After your grill is fired up and everything is cooking to perfection, or burning up, it’s time to make a good tasting salad filled with your favorite vegetables.

However, that will have to wait until next time when the super high red-hot heat, burn it and get it done quickly chef from explosivelyfit strength training shares more dietary fat reduction ideas. Adding a nice dressing to your summer salad is a matter of picking out a fat free dressing. A few ideas here can save you many unnecessary fat calories.

The transfer of training- Identifying the weak links is the first step in the process.

There isn’t just one single program or exercise that is best; instead, there are several best ones that will provide the greatest benefit for those involved in the training. Furthermore, out of these best ones there will be an infinite number of combinations that will make it even more individual to them or to the team.

It is up to you to identify the individual and team strengths and weaknesses and then address them in your training program.

One way to pick out the weak areas would be to look at the injury history of the person or team sport and build a prehabilitation program that addresses the recurring injuries. Certainly, a strength and flexibility program would be in order to avoid repeating these types of problems. On the other hand if your search of the injury data does not show a pattern of similar injuries and the person or team displays adequate endurance for the sport then strength training will be the main focus of the sessions.

An old school way to find weak areas is to go through the exercise session with a moderate level of sets and repetitions, generally not exceeding 39-40 total repetitions, on each exercise. The next day it is easy to identify those who are sore. Usually this will show up in the lower torso, especially the legs if they haven’t been keeping up with their individual training program.

Now your work beings because once the weak areas have been recognized then it’s time to develop a plan to address them.

Cutting back on dietary fat in your food and drink

If it were easy to maintain or regain an ideal healthy weight, our nation wouldn’t be one of the fattest on the face of the earth.

However, it’s not, so we have to deal with reality and the reality is this:

We eat too much and we don’t exercise enough.

As the saying goes, you will NEVER out train bad eating habits. It can’t be done and it won’t be done. Period.

So what is the answer? Following a fat reduction-eating plan. Notice it said fat reduction, not fat elimination; you must have fats in your diet to live. Without fat, vitamins A, D, E, and K, have a difficult, if not impossible time, of being absorbed into the body.

Any meal plan that contains more calories than your body uses will cause excess fat to build up. This isn’t rocket science; it’s simply good sense. Once eating this way becomes a habit your body will thank you for taking such good care of it. It’s easy to start.

Begin by looking at the food labels and becoming aware of the contents. Now gradually cut back on those with saturated and transfats listed in the ingredients section.

The evidence is overwhelming that eating a diet rich in plant foods, fruits, whole grains, and low fat is conducive to lowering the risks of getting cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases such as a heart attack and a stroke.

Losing weight is simpler if the amount of fat in your diet is at a reasonable amount. Recall from your high school science class that each gram of protein and carbohydrate contains four calories.

Fat on the other hand comes in over double that amount at nine calories per gram. So it’s no wonder that a couple of handfuls of potato chips each night packs the fat on is it?

In order to make your life healthier here are a few suggestions to consider in reducing your fat consumption.

When making gravies, soups and stews let them set and cool off. Once cool, the fat rises to the top and can be skimmed off and tossed out.

Get used to drinking skim milk. It may take a few days, or in the case of the hard-core full fat, high calorie, fat filled, non-healthy milk drinker a few months. Start out with a 2% reduced fat, graduate to the 1%, and finally into the fat free skim milk.

If you think you are eating substantially less fat in the 1% and 2% types compared to the whole milk think again. It is almost an insignificant difference.

Other ways to cut back on the dairy fat is to try the fat free yogurts, reduced fat cheeses, fat free or low fat sour cream, and cream cheese.

Put a few of these ideas into practice over the seven days and you will notice the difference in your health and appearance.