Set Goals

It is hard to hit a goal when you do not know where the target is! That is why goal setting is crucial in achieving victory. You want to set short term and long term goals. Setting a long term goal by itself is not smart. This is like driving to a foreign destination with no map or guidelines to help you along the way. Try setting a short term goal to be reached every three to six weeks. By doing so, you are allowing necessary adjustments to be made if needed. This will keep you on the track to success. The long term goal is your motive that you have already visualized, it is your climax, it is not however the end. Once you have achieved it you will re-evaluate and set new goals.

How Do We Get There?

Which way is fast and most efficient? This is the most important question we ask ourselves in the beginning, however this question should be asked each time a short term goal is reached to prepare for the next. We all have different goals, physical capabilities and lifestyles. There is no “one size fits all” workout program!

Once we manage to begin an exercise program, we must then keep in mind that our bodies will adapt to that program within four to six weeks time. When this happens our bodies will then become stagnant in producing results. It is extremely important that we cover many avenues in fitness so that hitting plateaus can be prevented. This includes changing the number of sets, repetitions, the amount of intensity (resistance), the amount of rest time among sets and workouts. Changing the types of exercises performed must also be done over time.

This is not only the most productive way of exercising but, it also helps to keep things fresh so that boredom is not a problem. Remember, workout time is supposed to be fun, which can make reaching goals very exciting!

With the sedentary lifestyle so many of us lead nowadays, the chances of feeling like this are a little on the minus side. Hours of sitting at computers, driving to work and then watching TV at home, all lead to being overweight, having posture-related aches and pains and a general feeling of sluggishness.

These physical symptoms lead to mental sluggishness too. So we are trapped in this cycle of lethargy, draining us of our vital energy.

In order to lignite that vital spark, we need to break this cycle and the way to do it is…exercise. Exercise should not an optional extra that we fit into our lives when we feel like it, it needs to be an essential part.

Body and spirit are inextricably linked, so to achieve a healthy mind, you must firstly have a healthy body.

In order to make exercise an ingredient of our everyday lives, something that we will stick at, it needs to be fun. It needs to be enjoyable, challenging, motivational, have variety, achieve the desired results and suit your body and lifestyle.

One of the most natural forms of exercise is walking. Walking is an aerobic exercise that will not only increase your cardiovascular strength, but improve your posture as well.

Whereas any form of walking is beneficial, the most powerful is…Power Walking.

There are numerous benefits to be gained from power walking and some of them are:

Cardiovascular fitness is improved and thus the risk of coronary disease and strokes is reduced.

Mental well-being is improved resulting in a reduction in anxiety, stress and tension.

Muscles are toned and strengthened.

Helps to reduce body fat and manage your body weight.

Boosts energy and improves your self esteem.

The above are just a few of the physical and mental benefits to be gained from power walking. One benefit that deserves special mention and is often overlooked, is that if you walk with friends, it is socially enjoyable. This ensures that your power walking exercise is fun and not an activity that has to be endured.

Power walking is a low cost form of exercise. No special clothes or equipment are necessary to be able to participate.

However, there is one item that I would strongly recommend and that is a good pair of walking shoes. Each time your foot hits the ground, it is subjected to two and a quarter times your body weight, so the purchase of walking shoes is a wise investment.

So, muster your friends, grab your walking shoes and power walk yourself to new levels of physical and mental well-being.

This means that how you take care of yourself will have an impact in shaping your children’s health over the course of their lives. If you are overweight, and do not take the time to exercise and manage your health, how can you expect your children to do so? If you see exercise as a chore or a burden, how long before your kids pick up that attitude from you and carry it forward throughout their lives?

Obesity is something that is determined in part by genetics, but is mediated by several other factors as well, among them diet, exercise, and activity level. Kids are, by nature, high energy. They are always running and shrieking when they are little, and burn off lots of energy by playing.

Make that your focus. Take the time to play with them. Do not make exercise ‘trudge on the treadmill’. Make it, “OK, let’s go to the park and play ultimate Frisbee”. Do things together as a family. Plan family hikes, walks, and bike rides. Use them as an excuse to get some exercise together and talk about the day.

How much exercise is enough? In general, try to get 30 to 60 minutes of low-level exercise per day, whether it is walking through the park at a brisk pace, running with the dog, or chasing your kids around the playground with a super soaker. Whatever you do, make it fun.

Give your kids some input into what activities you will do as a family. Some kids get into competition and sports, while some would rather do something fun that does not involve proving that they are better than anyone else. In particular, pay attention to your introverted children and let them know that what they want to do matters and that they will not get bullied by their older, more assertive siblings.

Since your kids will learn from your example, make sure you are setting the right one. If you are not taking the time to run around and play, they will emulate you and, once a child becomes obese, they can get ’stuck’ in that health problem for the rest of their lives.

Dead Cells and Toxins.

Dead cells and toxins must be flushed from the body or they will accumulate and cause disease. Place a rotten fish in a refrigerator and it will contaminate all the other food. This is exactly what happens when your body fails to cleanse itself of debris and toxins, it becomes contaminated and disease sets in. Your body relies on you to provide it with water to flush this debris out. Not alcohol, not soft drinks, not tea or coffee, not milk but water. Put dirty fuel in your car and it will misfire, cough and splutter. Drink anything except pristine water and chances are you will do much the same. There never has been or ever will be a better substance than pure water for internal cleansing.

The Immune System

The power of the immune system is located in the blood where protection is found from foreign pathogens (an agent that causes disease, especially a living micro-organism such as bacterium or fungi). Antibodies within the blood search out and destroy these pathogens attached to organisms within the body. When blood, which is ninety percent water, becomes contaminated with toxins the antibodies become sluggish and unable to function properly. By providing our bodies with the best possible water we enhance its ability to heal and repair. Modern medicine can indeed cure us of many ailments, however quite often it can only be a “quick fix.” If the antibodies cannot do their job properly it is only a matter of time until another disease strikes.

How Much Water Do We Need?

Your lungs expel between two and four cups per day, another two to four cups are expelled through perspiration (not including exercise induced perspiration) and on average another six cups when you go to the toilet. You need a minimum of two liters per day. To some this may seem to be an impossible task, however, taken in small quantities throughout the day, it is not hard at all.

People may wonder that what type of cardio workout will prove best for burning fat. There are many companies in the market which claims their cardio machines are the best, but this is not true. Each and every person has different cardio needs and an individual workout plan. To start with a cardio workout plan, you should consult a physical fitness trainer.

Trained physical fitness trainers can show you the best cardio workout which will help you to burn fat and lose weight. A person should workout in ways that he truly enjoys. But consistency in the cardio workouts is very important. Consistency can lead a person to a healthy physical health. Burning of fat and weight loss depends upon the intensity of workouts. Consistent and intense cardio workouts will help a person to lose a good amount of weight and fat.

People who are just beginners should start with low intensity workouts. Low intensity workouts can help a person to work out for a longer time building stamina and energy. It is possible to increase your intensity level gradually with the time. Increased intensity cardio workout can further help a person to lose fat and weight. However, it is always advisable for a person to reach higher intensity cardio workout after numerous sessions of moderate workouts. Otherwise there are chances for tearing of muscles or other serious injures.

Treadmills are considered on of the best cardio machines to burn fat and tone muscles. Today, there are many types of treadmills available in the market with different price ranges. Even, doctors and trainers have considered treadmills as a great cardio workout. The results of the treadmill can be seen very fast and help a person to achieve weight loss goals. To prevent boredom on treadmill, people can either walk or run while listening to music or watching television.

For the people who want a cardio workout at a lower intensity can opt for elliptical exercise. Elliptical exercise equipment is also considered a good cardio workout, because people can lose weight without having impact on their joints. A person should also take the help of a trainer for the elliptical equipment for varying intensity workouts.

Candis Reade is an accomplished niche website developer and author.

To learn more about cardio workouts, please visit Sport Amp Physical Recreation for current articles and discussions.

Swimming is an excellent way to keep in shape for those who don’t enjoy going to the gym and running on a treadmill or sweating their way through a stair climbing routine. Swimming activates all the main muscle groups in the body, and the intensity of the workout depends on the individual swimmer. Since swimming is performed alone, it can be less intimidating that taking up a team sport, seeing as the swimmer is only racing against their personal best times.

Before hitting the pool, the swimmer must be properly equipped with a competitive-style swimsuit, a waterproof watch, a tightly-fitting swim cap, and a pair of comfortable goggles that don’t pinch the face too much, yet aren’t so loose that they allow water to seep in through the sides. Many swimmers like to chart their progress in a training diary where they can log their times so that they can adjust their swimming workouts accordingly.

Writing the Routines

In order to gain maximum benefit from swimming for fitness, the swimmer will need to develop a series of swimming workouts that will evolve as the swimmer progresses with their craft. Generally, swimming workouts should consist of a short warm-up to get the muscles lubricated, a series of drills to build technique, kicking to strengthen the legs, pulling to strengthen the arms, a main set for stroke development and practice, and a cool down to help the muscles readjust after the workout.

Most swimming workouts last between 75 and 90 minutes, though they can be amended for shorter practice sessions. When reducing the length of swimming workouts always vary the parts that are lessened or cut out completely. Never omit either the warm-up or cool down sections of the workout, as that can cause injury.

It is critically important to rest between sets of strokes, since the most rest a swimmer gets, the faster they swim. When warming up and throughout the first sets of the workout, concentrate on using perfect technique as opposed to speed. If the mind begins to wander too much during swimming workouts, switch things up to avoid being caught in a rut.

Sample Swimming Workouts

Here are some sample swimming workouts, but remember these are only a guide for developing a personalized swimming program suited to the individual needs of the swimmer.

Workout 1

Warm-Up: 5 sets of 100 meters of stroke of choice, rest for 20 seconds between sets.

Kick Set: 5 sets of 50 meters with board performing kick of choice, rest for 20 seconds between sets.

Pull Set: 10 sets of 50 meter sprints with a leg float, rest for 20 seconds between sets.

Kick Set: 10 sets of 50 meter sprints wearing swim fins, rest for 20 seconds between sets.

Cool Down: 5 sets of 100 meters of stroke of choice, no resting between sets.

Workout 2

Warm-Up: 4 sets of 100 meters, one each of freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke or butterfly, resting for 30 seconds between each set.

Pre-Set: 4 sets of 100 meters, one each of freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke or butterfly focusing on proper technique, resting for 30 seconds between each set.

Main set: 400 meters freestyle, 200 meters backstroke, 200 meters breaststroke, 200 meters sidestroke or butterfly, resting for 30-60 seconds between each stroke.

Cool Down: 4 sets of 50 meters, one each of freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke or butterfly, swimming slowly, resting for 30 seconds between each set.

More Swimming Workouts

Toby Huseman publishes his tried and true swimming workouts and practice plans online, you can access them at the site below:

Swimming Workouts & Practice Plans (http://www.swimmingpracticeplans.com/)

The other hurdle people collapse at is they do the wrong exercises, or, more commonly, the right exercises the wrong way. Being informed is your number one weapon in getting those dream abs you’re after.

Here are some exercises I have found highly effective:

Bicycle Ab Exercise

This exercise isn’t considered one of the most affective ab exercise for no reason. It’s absolutely ideal as it targets the abdominals and the obliques. This is done by twisting as you raise to cover a wider area. If done correctly, you should really feel it after this one.
To do a Bicycle Ab Exercise:

1. Lie on your back with your hands behind your head and legs raised and straight.

2. Bend your left knee and move it towards your chest while lifting your right elbow up to connect with your left knee. Please don’t pull on the neck during this process.

3. Straighten your left leg then repeat with the right leg and left arm.

4. Continue with both legs airborne for 15 reps or about a minute.

Reverse Crunch

This one more targets the lower abs but it does it in a very effective way. Done correctly, this exercise will do wonders for your abs and will set you on the fast track to your goal.
To do a Reverse Crunch:

1. Lie on your back with your legs perpendicular to the ground. Rest your arms alongside your body on the ground.

2. With your knees bent, slowly raise them bringing them towards your chest.

3. Contract your abs to get your hips off the floor and reach the legs towards the ceiling.

4. Restart and repeat for 15 reps.

The good news is, if you do these exercises correctly, there is no need to buy all that expensive equipment you see on TV all the time. Follow the steps, and be persistent, and you’ll be rewarded.

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There are many abdominal exercises out there that can assist you in getting the abdominals you want. Check out my website Health and Fitness with Motivation (http://healthandfitnessmotivation.wordpress.com/2008/06/21/abdominal-exercise-ab-workouts/) for more.

Some people do weight training but are unaware that this form of exercise also conditions the mind, while it helping you to lose weight and strengthening and firming those muscles. This is an excellent exercise with many rewards for the best health possible. Your mind is stimulated by this exercise which makes for better reaction when making rush decisions and also improves your awareness and overall mental well being.

Exercise is also good for improving high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes and high cholesterol. In fact doctors recommend certain specific exercises for people suffering with these ailments. Your doctor may tell you that you need to get some exercise, but he does not necessarily tell you what exercises you need, so this is where it is advisable to consult a professional exercise trainer, simply tell him what your ailments are and he will suggest a type of exercise that best suits your personal needs.

Depending on the individual, peoples needs vary when it comes to exercise programs to join. There is not just exercises for keeping fit, but also some people just want to be able to do normal every days tasks without being overwhelmed, such tasks as going grocery shopping or keeping up with the kids can be a real task for people who are not physically fit. They tire very often, and this is where weight training exercises as well as other exercises can help you lead a much less stressfull lifestyle.

There are people who may have had a heart attack or stroke and are unaware of how beneficial exercise will be in their overall improvement, also they may sometimes feel uncomfortable to even venture to do these exercise on their own. These persons can benefit greatly by having a qualified trainer to guide them through these exercises, deciding what kind of exercise will best suit them and devise a program for them to follow. They will most certainly have better checkup results and it will greatly improve their lifestyle.

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For more great resources on fitness issues visit http://www.allaboutkeepingfit.com/ a website offering tips, advice and resources on topics such as getting buns of steel, aqua aerobics, the benefits of crunch exercise routines and even complete relaxation exercises to try at home.

What many people fail to realize about building your fitness muscles is that the best way to get into shape is to find a healthy combination of aerobic exercise and strength training. One of these does little good without the other and it is important to find a healthy balance between the strength training and the aerobic workout, one that works for you and your fitness muscles as well as what you are able to handle.

The reason why aerobic exercise is so important to building your fitness muscles is because it helps to regulate the amount of oxygen that flows through all of the important organs and muscles in your body, including your heart, your lungs, and other areas of your body. The more efficiently oxygen flows through the body, the more easily the body is able to handle additional resistance, making it easier for the body to build its strength and fitness level in the end.

While steroids are often the resort that many people turn to when it comes to building their fitness muscles, this is not a healthy option. This is not genuine fitness, and what is not genuine fitness never lasts. This is not to mention the fact that steroids cause health problems as well, including problems with the heart and the lungs that can be hard to repair.

Depending on your level of strength and fitness, at least thirty minutes of aerobic exercise are required in addition to any strength training that you may do in order for your workout to truly pay off. The more repetitions you do the more lean fitness muscles you will be able to build in the long run.

Before you start strength training to build your fitness muscles you should definitely pay a visit to your physician. Have your health checked out and make sure that you are up to the task and whatever you do, make sure that you stay away from the bad things like the steroids and the supplements, as they are not effective ways to build strength and retain your fitness muscles in the long run.

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To get more insights and more information about Fitness Muscles Strength Training please visit our web site at http://www.my-health-fitness-guide.com

One basic way in which a muscle fitness training system is structured is by utilizing a “split routine”, dividing the muscle groups up and targeting a certain group one day and another group on another day and so forth. One of the best and basic muscle fitness training systems consists of a split 3 day a week routine which basic structure looks something like this:

Basic muscle fitness training system: 3 day a week workout:

Monday: Chest/Shoulders/Triceps

Wednesday: Back/Biceps

Friday: Legs

Looking at this basic 3 day a week muscle fitness training system, Monday three different muscle groups are worked. The pectorals (chest), the deltoids (shoulders), and the triceps. Since there is some overlap in muscles being worked, that is the deltoids and triceps will be assisting in pushing movements involving pectoral work. So it makes sense to also train shoulders and triceps in this workout as they’re already being “activated”. So shoulders are followed after chest, and the workout concludes with tricep training (the two larger muscle groups are worked first, and then the smaller triceps muscles are worked last).

Wednesday in the basic muscle fitness training system consists of back (latissimus dorsi) and biceps. Once again there is muscle overlap. When one trains the back performing pulling movements, the biceps also get activated to a degree. So the biceps will be trained on back day since they’re already getting worked.

An added note to back and forearm training in Wednesdays muscle fitness training system. The back is sometimes split between upper back for width, and mid back for back thickness. After the biceps are performed, some trainees will also train their forearms, if their goal is overall arm development and especially if their arm development is particularly lacking in the forearm department.

Friday in this muscle fitness training system calls for legs, or in gym circles its “leg day”, or in hardcore dungeon gym settings, its “DLD”, “dreaded leg day”. Since dreaded leg day can be so taxing on the entire body, two days rest are given for recuperation before starting up again with chest on Monday. Leg day consists of training the front leg muscles-quadriceps, the back leg muscles-hamstrings, and the calves round out the Fridays muscle fitness training system.

This is just one basic muscle fitness training system split, which provides the trainee the benefit of working overlapping muscle groups in the same day and allowing rest and recovery in between each muscle building workout. There are a number of other muscle fitness training system splits, routines, and workouts. Only through beginning a routine and seeing what personally works for your bodytype and genetic capabilities, can you begin to personalize your own ideal muscle fitness training system. Future articles will outline specific exercises one can implement within this workout split.

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