Sign me up, that sounds great!  Every single fly-by-night fitness program on the internet talks about melting fat in no time at all.  Sure you can melt fat but you need to be aware that if you proceed on a crazy exercise program that is not right for your body you will be cannibalizing your muscle.  Muscle is what your goal should be because it eats up more calories, allows your body to move and feel great in all your tasks and sports, holds your entire body up (your core) and of course, looks great!

But seriously, if you understand your body and how it works you can be much more successful on your health endeavors.  There are some key points that you need to know so that you are working out effectively.

1. Understand that hormones regulate and mediate virtually every process in the body including muscle development.

You may not know that exercise actually damages muscle cells, depletes energy stores and causes stress which triggers the endocrine system to release stimulating anabolic hormones (which build muscle protein such as testosterone and IGF-1 insulin-like growth factor) – and the notorious catabolic (which break down muscle protein, lead to fat build up and suppressed immune function) hormones such as cortisol and progesterone. The trick is to get the ratio right.

2. The more muscle tissue you can recruit and involve the greater the stimulating effect on the endocrine system.

So, the more weight you lift and the more muscles you use at the same time to perform the exercise (compound exercises like Squats, Hang Clean and Press, Dead lifts and Man Makers like in Vital Living’s Fit n Fantastic Supreme Sparta Program) the more muscle fibers participate and the more fat you metabolize.  The more muscle you want – the more weight you can lift and less reps (about 5 or 6 reps) you can perform – the better.

3. Performing compound and multi-functional movements stimulate hormones through the entire body resulting in all around muscle development and fat loss simultaneously.
4. The next is to keep rest periods short – no more than 1 to 2 minutes between sets.  This also optimizes hormone release.

Too short rests diminish strength while longer rests result in a weaker metabolic signal to the endocrine system. The trick is to keep breathing ‘heavy’ throughout your entire workout.

5. Don’t overdo it – when your workout is too long (over an hour) the release of cortisol, a catabolic hormone spikes.

When cortisol spikes, you wind up breaking down more muscle proteins than you build thus creating a negative “cannibalizing” effect on your body. What this means is that no workout if performed effectively enough should be performed for more than 30 or 40 minutes. 

For a real workout program that has been documented as an excellent method for melting fat but most of all building muscle see Vital Living’s Fit n Fantastic Supreme Sparta Workout http://bit.ly/cq34pF  and get serious about your fitness.

Sincerely,

Dennis Croll

www.vital Living.co.nz

There are many activities that we can do to stimulate our minds and bodies and help us create lives full of joy and good heath. When it comes to staying healthy leisure and fitness really do go hand in hand. If you don't enjoy the exercise and activities that you have committed to doing in order to lose weight and get fit, then chances are that you won't be doing them on a regular basis. You also won't be doing yourself any good if you are not motivated to get healthy. Sometimes we need a little help in this area, as motivation can be hard to come by when we are overwhelmed with life and its obligations. A personal trainer can customize a workout that will suit your physical needs and stimulate your inner desire for fun and enjoyment, making your routine more fun, rewarding and stimulating. Let's face it, we all get stuck sometimes. Our lack of knowledge of what really works can stop us short of our goal to be fit and fabulous. What is better? Aerobics or yoga? Weights or cardio? The answer depends on the body and the individual. A healthy combination of leisure and exercise is more effective than one single method of movement. Attitude is everything, and a conscious decision to be healthy is crucial if we are to succeed in our weight loss goals. It is normal to feel downhearted at times, especially if we feel that we have a long way to go. If trying to figure out your perfect routine is difficult and you are tired of flailing about looking for the right diet or regimen to slim you down and boost your energy, then maybe you should consider the benefits of hiring a personal trainer to make your workout more fun and effective and to give you someone besides yourself to be held accountable to.

It’s Tuesday after work and it’s time to go to your step aerobics class. You didn’t have time to feed the kids and now you are all eating fast food for dinner so you won’t be late. How can this be healthy? Keeping ourselves in shape is one of the most difficult tasks that we face after 40. As middle age sets in we lose the time and the desire to add exercise and activity into our lives due to long days at work, family and personal obligations.

We will not reclaim our health and fitness unless and until we make the effort and the commitment to include it in our lives again, and hiring a personal trainer to enhance one’s workout is one of the most effective ways to zoom in on your own needs and give you the flexibility that you seek.

A personal trainer will customize your workout based on your own body type and dietary habits, weight goals and measurements. They take down all of your information and use it to create a plan of action that they then help you implement. You will never again go to the gym without a set course of action and a road map to follow.

Often having a customized exercise routine also includes monitoring your diet and providing you with information you need to stay healthy in regards to supplements, massage and physical therapy and more. If your schedule does not accommodate several trips to the gym each week, a trainer will create a program that you can do from home to suit your schedule in many cases.

Hiring a personal trainer to customize your workout offers flexibility in scheduling and it also offers something that we could all use more of, and that is external support and motivation. It makes a tremendous difference to know that someone other than the little voice in your head is pulling for you, and excited about your progress and your success.

Feeling as if we have a partner in our growth, we are able to move ahead more rapidly. If you are the type of person that needs to be held accountable by someone else in order to motivate you into action, then the individualized instruction of a professional will benefit you very much.

A personal trainer also keeps records of your workout progress at each session, giving you feedback, providing you with information and helping you with your posture and your movements, taking you step by step through your routine and making sure you get the most out of your workout.

Our time today need not be wasted  on failed attempts to get something going in our lives that will get us healthy again. We can keep ourselves on task and on track by partnering up with someone who has the knowledge and wisdom that we need to get us where we want to go.

Finding balance in life is up to each one of us. We are the sculptors of our experiences and we can change them with presence of mind and some well placed intention. Figuring out how to balance work, life and health can be challenging. How do we learn to craft our lives into a manageable and competent whole when we can't even get to work on time? Here are some suggestions for creating lasting change. We all have plenty of responsibilities to attend to,  but we will not learn how to balance work, life and health until we begin accepting our ultimate responsibility; for ourselves and for everything that is happening in our lives. More importantly, we must accept full responsibility for changing it. No more victim mentality. No more blame. Just a keen awareness that we create every situation that we experience so that we can learn from it. While we take ultimate responsibility for ourselves, our inner wealth shines when we let go of the need to have everything work out a certain way. Staying open in the moment and present to the opportunities at hand will result in a more well rounded experience. Letting things occur naturally is how to balance work, life and health in such a way that our needs are being met as they arise. In order to be truly balanced, our body needs to be strong, alert, well functioning and able to serve us. Our sedentary lifestyles must be traded for a hobby or an interest that we enjoy. It could be rock climbing or dancing, sword fighting or pole vaulting. Keeping our bodies active not only helps us live longer, it helps us get things done that other people wouldn't have the energy to undertake, such as starting our own yoga class or creating our own exercise routine. This is how to balance work, life and health, by tying our exercise into our passions, combining the two, and making it fun. Feeling like part of a group is another experience that helps us learn how to balance life, work and health into one harmonious whole. Our community involvement can be large or small, but the more emphasis that we put on active participation and open communication with other people, the more we are able to see the lessons that we are meant to work on, and continue on our path to wholeness. Indeed the more people that we know and associate with, the more opportunities for growth we will be presented with. Tying all of this growth together and acknowledging ourselves at every turn for our dedication and our effort, we can enjoy the fruits of our labor. The attitude with which we approach our lives is a direct contributor to the adventures that we get out of them. We may as well make an effort to do it right. Living a great life after 40 is possible. Read Power, Passion and Vitality Forever to find effective ways to live in healthy balance throughout the rest of your life.