Let me start by saying that there’s no one specific best weight loss workout. You can find a large number of variations which can help you get excellent results. However, all the effective weight loss workouts have common characteristics which they all share. In this article, I’ll relate for you the guidelines that you need to follow in order to make the most of each exercise session.

An effective workout for weight loss doesn’t have to be long. In fact, if you spend more than an hour at the gym, you may even be hurting the process rather than helping it along. Don’t make the gym your home. However, make sure that every minute you spend there is pure work time. It’s not a place to socialize but to get lean.

The best workout for fat loss will consist of 2 segments: full body weight training and cardio training.

Weight training is something which many people overlook and it’s wildly important for your results. The reason is that muscle mass burns a lot of calories just by being there. This means that the more lean muscle tissue you have the faster you burn calories even when you’re resting. If you’re looking to maximize your after workout weight loss, than you need to spend at least 20 minutes doing weight and strength exercises for all your muscle groups.

It won’t matter which muscles you exercise because you can’t spot reduce fat. However, working all of your body will help keep it in a balanced and healthy state and help to increase overall muscle tissue.

As for your cardio workout, you can make them pretty short as long as they’re intensive. The way to do that is through high intensity interval workouts. These are highly effective workouts to lose weight and they’re done by changing the pace and intensity of your workout every few minutes. For instance, you can run fast for 2 minutes and follow that by 2 minutes of walking. Repeat this cycle over and over again and you’ll have a massive workout. You will also sweat like crazy but that’s part of the fun, right?

If you make sure your workout sessions are a combination of these 2 parts, you will burn a lot of fat and do it faster than you could have otherwise.

What we all know about cardio is that it is a type of exercise that helps burn calories leading to weight loss. That is why most people who are trying to gain weight wonder if it will be right for them to do cardio. Although this fact is generally true, there are other benefits of cardio that makes it a very important part of a healthy life. You should do some cardio while gaining weight for three important reasons.

Cardio helps in recovery

Weight and strength training are exercises that produce large amounts of by products which make recovery take longer time. The longer you train, the more byproducts the body produced naturally. On the other hand cardio helps reduce recovery time. That is why those training for weight should do cardio to reduce the recovery time between training days. Cardio leads to an increase in circulation helping to remove byproducts that create problems during recovery.

Muscle gain is leaner with cardio

There is no doubt that when people gain muscle, they necessarily gain some fat in addition. It is only a very few people who are exempt from this. Naturally, a third of the muscles people gain is made of fat. By following a well planned nutritional plan and doing cardio, the amount of fat that accompanies muscle gain can be reduced appreciably. This helps a lot when it comes to putting the muscles in shape. Losing fat leads to leaner muscles which are more sustainable than fatty ones. Cardio is what makes this possible.

Cardio ensure general fitness

It is possible to gain muscle and still remain unfit, and there is nothing worse than that. There are some well built people who are constantly gasping for breath when they do simple physical activities such as climbing the stairs. This is because they forget that the heart is also a muscle that needs to be trained to be healthy too. Cardio simply means cardiovascular exercise which has the primary aim of keeping the heart healthy and in good condition. A well built body without a healthy heart cannot survive.

Finally, the issue with cardio and weight gain is how intensely it is done. Doing high intensity cardio over very long periods will lead to depletion of calories needed for building muscles. What is recommended is about 20 to 30 minutes of cardio two times a week. That should help keep the whole body fit. There should be a good balance between weight training and cardio.

In every single guide to building muscle you will find that they all say the same thing about nutrition – you should have a high protein diet. No matter whether you look on the internet or in magazines, it will all say the same thing…have a high protein diet. Have you ever wondered why though, have you ever wondered why on earth do I need to consume so much protein to build muscle, why can’t I just eat healthy and lift my weights? As great as that method would be, building up is harder than that and in this article you will discover why protein is so important and when you should have it.

Firstly why is protein so important?

When you workout you break down your muscle fibers which is actually a good thing. By breaking down this fiber you actually stimulate growth. The growth however doesn’t occur when you are working out but instead when you are resting.

Resting could be sleep, taking naps and also (and more importantly) taking rest days from working out. You should sleep for at least 8 hours a day (or less if you take naps) and you should only exercise for 3-5 days with 2 days rest for recovery.

So what does protein have to do with what I’ve just mentioned above?

Protein is important because it is the building blocks for bulking up. A high protein diet will ensure that your muscles are supplied with the right “goods” to recover and rebuild whilst you rest. This is why it is essential to have a high protein intake.

You should be looking to consume the same amount of protein as your body mass, so if you’re 180 pounds then you eat 180 grams of protein.

To work out how much protein you need in each meal you have to get your body weight and divide it by 6 (the amount of meals you will have to eat). Again if you are 180 pounds you should look to eat about 30grams of protein every meal.

After reading this article you should realize how important protein is for body building. Just as long as you eat a lot of protein over you 6 meals you will have no trouble building up muscle (make sure you eat a healthy diet too, that is also important).

Most people are now carrying their weight in their mid section. This is bad for 2 reason. First of all android obesity (belly fat) puts you at a higher risk for heart disease and second it looks terrible. Knowing the right way to lose fat is key to getting a great body in shortest amount of time possible.

Don’t be fooled by some bogus fat burning pill. You can’t get a ripped body by using ab contraptions or other diet pills. You need to listen to certified trainers that will give you good advice.

There are many workouts that are more affective than cardio. In fact I would not count cardio as the number one way to get a six pack. You need to tackle the weight loss issue from both the nutrition side and fitness side. Doing crunches alone will not get you the flat six pack stomach that you want but it will help.

Lets look at some exercises to lose belly fat:

First you need to focus on the lower abs because they are the hardest to develop. A great exercise for the lower stomach are leg lifts. Lay on the ground and put your hands under your butt. Keep legs straight while raising your legs up until they are straight up and down. At this time you will lift your butt off the ground while your legs and toes go towards the ceiling. Bring the butt back down and then let the legs slowly go back down. Don’t let your feet touch the floor but allow them to come with an inch or two from the ground.

Next you need to focus on the obliques (the sides of the stomach). Sit on the ground and lean back so that your torso is at a 45 degree angle with the ground. Now put your hands together and rotate from side to side touching the ground on either side of you.

These are 2 great exercises to lose belly fat but there are many more exercises you can do.

How to Get Six Pack Abs  It may sound simple, but doing exercises to get those Six Pack Abs you’ve always wanted can take time and a lot of effort on your part. This article will focus as a guide on how to get perfect abs.

Building Muscles

Six Pack Abs Workout

The first thing you should know about building abs is that you’ve got to build up enough muscle. In order to do that, you need to do some abs exercises. Here are some ways to do that:

o Crunches: Lie down on the floor while crossing your arms on top of your chest. In that position, bend both your knees to your body. Don’t put your hands behind your head or neck because this usually puts a strain on your back, and you wouldn’t want that. Raise your shoulders to your knees while making sure you don’t lift your entire back off the floor. Repeat process over and over. This one happens to be the best Abs workout tip.

o Leg Lifts – While lying down on the floor, lift both your legs up straight (90 degree angle). Repeat lifting and lowering your leg until you’re done. There are some variations you can try with this exercise such as V-Ups or Jackknife sit-ups.

o Static Holds – This is basically a push-up position and you’re going to have to hold that posture for as long as you can. Don’t push off the floor, just stay in that position for about a minute or more.

o Side Statics – This is a push-up position in which only one hand supports you from the ground instead of two. The other hand is raised straight up as your body is poised sideways.

o Sprinting – Doing this instead of just jogging is a good exercise for developing Six Pack Abs.

o Bicycle: While lying on your back, do bicycle pedaling motions as you breathe in an even and relaxed manner.

Losing Fat

This next step is all about losing fat. Here are some ways to do this:

o Lift some weights. It’s best if you do this while doing some cardiovascular exercises such as running, swimming, biking, sports, etc.

o Don’t eat too much. Eating a lot means gaining more fat. Keep your diet steady by not overeating.

o Consume More Fiber. A lot of people don’t get enough fiber. Eat vegetables, fruits, whole grains or fiber supplements so you can be ensured of a healthy diet.

o Don’t Skip Breakfast. Make time to eat after you wake up. Skipping breakfast will cause you to become hungry and you might be tempted to eat a whole lot during lunch.

o Drink More Water. Water is important after an Abs workout since you lose some fluids while doing some exercises. It’s also important before and after meals. Drink lots of water everyday.

Determination is the key to success whenever you want perfect abs. As a few final tips, always warm up before any exercise. Don’t rush into the workout as you keep your steady routine of exercises. Do these everyday and you’ll ensure yourself great Six Pack Abs.

Copyright © 

LetsGetSlimFast

Weight Loss Diet Plans & Fitness Programs

If you find walking and running boring, then you may enjoy in-line skating as a way to get physically fit. Instead of running in straight lines skating allows you to turn, glide, curve, sprint and spin. Because of the varied muscle movements required to skate, you will find that it works your legs, hips and rear end very well. Since in-line skating is a great cardiovascular workout it is also a great way to burn calories.

Here are a few tips for beginning in-line skaters:

• To maintain balance keep your hands in front of your body with your elbows in, your forearms straight ahead of you, and your palms down.
• If you start to lose your balance you should crouch lower.
• If the surface you are skating on suddenly changes to a different type of surface you should run on your skates instead of trying to stop quickly.
• The proper skating position will have you been in your knees as if you are about to take a seat. You will keep your weight on your back wheel and push off with your heels.
• You should practice maintaining your balance by walking on your skates on a soft surface such as carpet or grass.
• You should also practice braking is this a difficult maneuver for beginners to learn. To slow yourself properly you should lean forward from your waist, tilt the braking skate up, and exert pressure on your heel pad while trying to maintain balance.
• If you are skating near traffic you should always skate with traffic not against it. Even though you are on skates you must abide by the same traffic rules as cars.
• You should not hold anything in your hands while you are skating. It is a natural reaction to try to save what you are holding instead of protecting your body if you fall.

What equipment should you purchase in order to incorporate in-line skating into your overall physical fitness program?

Essential gear for in-line skating should include a pair of quality in-line skates, a protective helmet made specifically for in-line skating, wrist guards, knee guards and elbow guards.

You should try on several pairs of skates before you purchase a pair. A good pair of skates will not be cheap therefore you want to make sure that the pair you purchase fit very well, are comfortable and safe. You should wear any pair of skates for at least 10 minutes and make sure to tilt your feet inward and outward to simulate a skating motion before you purchase them. This will help ensure that the skates fit your feet properly which will help prevent blisters as well as give you more control when you need to stop.

Purchasing a quality pair of skates and safety equipment will go a long way towards making in-line skating an enjoyable activity. The more enjoyment you get from in-line skating the more likely you are to continue your workouts and achieve physical fitness. In-line skating may also be performed indoors or outdoors allowing you to continue your exercise program regardless of the weather.

There are many options for fitness and exercise for seniors. Here are 3 different options you can choose to become stronger, leaner, and develop more energy through exercise and fitness.

At Home Chair Exercises.

This is perhaps the simplest and easiest way to employ fitness and exercise for seniors. All exercises are performed sitting in a chair in the comfort of your own home. Now these are NOT just for seniors whose mobility is limited. At home chair exercises can be very effective for anyone seeking to tone muscles and develop greater flexibility in a safe and stable exercise environment.

Seniors who do have mobility issues will of course find chair exercise routines ideal. Those taking certain medications where balance and stability issues may be side effects, will also find chair routines to be ideal.

In any event, chair exercise programs are low impact, convenient to perform and ideal for seniors who want a good workout to improve flexibility, muscle tone, and increased energy.

There are different options for at home chair exercises which you can perform based on what it the most comfortable for you and wheat benefits you seek:

• Chair yoga. This employs stretching and easy to perform seated yoga movements. You can easily perform a variety of yoga poses in a chair and hold them for several seconds at a time, release and perform another pose. If yoga is something you’ve always wanted to try, yoga in a chair can be an ideal form of senior fitness with benefits of improved flexibility and increased energy.
• Light dumbbells or weighted hand balls. Seated dumbbell exercises are actually some of the most effective weight lifting routines that bodybuilders employ when they are training. So they definitely have huge benefits when it comes to developing muscle tone. You can do curls for your arms, presses for your shoulders, and extension movements to tighten the back of the arms up which are notorious for developing flab.
• Arm and leg movements without weights. You don’t need weights to perform effective chair routines. These range from leg lifts to arm raises, as well as movements which are performed repeatedly so as to get a good cardio workout in, as well as muscle tone development. You can actually combine chair yoga, arm curls and other exercises without weights, as well as repeated weight free motions like small circles, straight out punching movements, and repeated toe raises.

Beginning a new nutrition program is never easy, especially for beginners. If you are looking to learn how to structure your diet for building muscle and adding mass then follow the following proven principles of proven success.

Bodybuilding nutrition does not have to be a chore as many people think of it. You certainly do not have to starve! A bodybuilding diet plan is very healthy, and includes all of the major food groups, making it a complete nutrition solution that you can incorporate into your lifestyle. A sound nutrition plan has to include all of the essentials for health but muscle growth as well.

Therefore, a bodybuilding diet plan has to be higher in protein and healthy fats than most other diets. It’s also higher in energy potent carbohydrates and uses much different types of foods than most people consume in their normal daily eating habits. Bodybuilding diets do not include most of junk foods and unhealthy treats such as candy full of simple sugars, fried foods, white flour products and alcohol. If you want to follow a healthy lifestyle then you certainly must minimize your consumption of these unhealthy treats.

Here’s a sample bodybuilding diet plan that will work very well for pretty much anyone who is looking to add muscle mass. Depending on your weight and body fat levels, you may need to increase of decrease the amounts of foods consumed.

Meal 1: 6 egg whites, 1 yolk 2 slices low fat cheese, 3oz oatmeal, 1 apple or banana, 1 cup of low fat milk.

Meal 2: 6oz tuna in water, 1 whole wheat bagel, 1 tablespoon low fat mayo, 1 tomato.

Meal 3: 8oz grilled chicken breast, 2 baked potatoes, 2 cups salad, low fat dressing.

Meal 4: 4oz turkey breast, 2 slices whole wheat toast, 2 slices low fat cheese, 1 cup of low fat milk.

Meal 5: 8oz grilled steak, 1.5 cups brown rice, 2 cups salad or steamed vegetables, 2 tablespoons olive oil for dressing.

Meal 6: 6 egg whites, 1 yolk, Half cup oatmeal, 1 cup low fat milk.

You can also include a daily multivitamin supplement to ensure you are getting all of the essential micronutrients needed for proper muscle growth and recovery.

This diet plan will provide you with all essential proteins for muscle building, carbohydrates for ample energy & glycogen replenishment and healthy fats for additional calories. Try to space meals three hours apart and always remembers to drink plenty of water throughout the day.

So you want to learn how to build muscle quick? Building muscle quick actually happens to be quite a simple task if you only take the right steps towards this goal. Whilst working at it hard is a significant part of building your definition, it is not likely to help without getting the proper amount of rest.

You need to make certain that all objectives in your current workout work towards your final goal of achieving that lean more muscular body which you desire. A great way for you to help yourself in achieving that goal is increasing the intensity of your workout. This will help you build quick muscle at a faster pace. Here you will discover a few ways as how to build muscle quick and safely.

Optimize Your Workout

The first thing which you should do is start working towards getting your body where it ought to be in regards to fat content. When you have accomplished this goal, this means you are ready to start the program of weight training. By effectively increasing the amount of weight you work with only by a couple pounds at a time you will be quickly but steadily moving towards your goal to build muscle quick and getting bigger.

Protein, Protein, Protein!

The most important block for building is the proteins high in quality! High protein content foods and beverages will aid you in building muscle quick and efficiently. Keeping a large amount of protein in your daily diet is incredibly easy considering protein can be found in many different common foods such as meats, fish, dairy, etc.

To maximize your efforts, upon completion of a work out it is a good idea to drink or eat something high in protein. The time to do this ideally would be right after you finish your work out as this is the time your muscles do the most of their rebuilding, in most cases.

A lot of people enjoy drinking one of the many different types of protein shakes because they usually taste excellent and are very convenient to carry along with you when you make your way over to the gym. Drinks containing high levels of protein have all the essential elements needed to assist you in your quest to build muscle quick, but it’s also quite essential that these beverages contain complex carbohydrates also. Carbs are going to also help you very much so in building muscle quick just so long as you don’t drink or eat a whole bunch of sugar orientated products. Again, it’s also very important that you eat various meats, eggs, whey, tofu, and all the other protein rich foods in conjunction with your protein drinks in your ultimate goal to build muscle quick to be a success.

These are just a few quick valuable tips. There is still much more to learn as in how to build muscle quick.

There are three abdominal areas that need to be improved in achieving rock-like abs. These are the upper abs, lower abs, and obliques. All areas should be included in a workout session.

Take note of the following reminders before doing any abs workout for better results.

1. Slow down

Each repetition should last for about 4 to 6 seconds. Longer repetitions increase the workout intensity, and higher intensity tends to be more efficient in improving abdominal strength and appearance. Work should be done by the abs, not by the momentum caused by fast repetitions.

2. Change the repetitions

Repetitions for abdominal routines can be varied depending on the person. Its counting is not as strict as those with other body parts that stick with 15 repetitions for lighter weights, and 8 repetitions for heavier weights.

3. Change routines

Exercises have varying difficulty level. Routines should be changed from time to time as the person increases their strength.

4. Take a short rest between sets

Allow the abdomen to rest in between sets, but it should only be a maximum of 30 seconds.

Presented below are some abdominal exercises for each area. Select one routine from each group, proceed to the next routine after a short rest, and repeat the circuit. Some circuit might also include transverse abdominis and lower back.

Upper Abs Workout

Traditional Crunch

Set: 1
Repetitions: 12
Level: Beginner
1. Lie on a mat with knees bent, and hands behind the ears.
2. Lift the shoulder blades off the mat by slowly crunching up. Make sure to use the abs in doing this. Never put hands behind the head and crunch by pushing the head to avoid injury.

Long-Arm Weighted Crunch

Sets: 1
Repetitions: 12
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
1. Lie on a mat with knees bent.
2. With a light dumbbell in both hands, stretch the arms over the head on the floor. Dumbbells should be resting on the floor upon stretching.
3. Crunch the rib cage towards the pelvis. The arms should be kept stretched as the dumbbells get off the floor. Do not generate momentum through the arms.

Modified Raised-Feet Crunches

Sets: 1
Repetitions: 12
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
1. Lie on a mat with knees bent, and hands behind the ears.
2. Slightly raise the feet off the floor and maintain the position.
3. Crunch the body up, pause for a moment, and lower the body back to the original position. Make sure that the feet are slightly raised throughout the movement.

Lower Abs Workout

Bent-Leg Knee Raise

Sets: 1
Repetitions: 12
Level: Beginner
1. Lie on a mat with bent knees and relax the head and neck. Palms should be on the floor near the buttocks, and feet should be flat.
2. Raise the knees towards the rib cage using the lower abdominal muscle, and pause for a moment.
3. Slowly bring back the feet to the original position.

Flutter Kick

Sets: 1
Repetitions: 20
Level: Intermediate
1. Lie on a mat with arms close to the sides, and palms should be on the floor near the buttocks.
2. Slightly raise both feet off the ground.
3. Place one leg over the other, and repeat with the other leg.

Push Away

Sets: 1
Repetitions: 10 for each leg
Level: Intermediate to Advanced
1. Lie on a mat with hands cross folded in the chest. Legs should be extended and feet should be slightly raised.
2. Raise one knee towards the head, and do a forceful kick without allowing the feet to touch the floor. Try to lift the head and tuck the chin towards the chest if there is a discomfort.
3. Repeat with the other knee.

Oblique Abs Workout

Oblique V-Up

Sets: 1
Repetitions: 10 for each side
Level: Beginner
1. Lie on mat in a sideward position. Body should be straight and arms should be cross folded in the chest.
2. Raise both legs as the top elbow is moved near the hips.
3. Perform 10 repetitions and switch to the other side.

Speed Rotation

Sets: 1
Repetitions: 10 for each side
Level: Intermediate
1. Stand still and hold a dumbbell with both hands. Hands should be in the midsection.
2. Twist the body 90 degrees and face to the right. Hip and leg movements should be minimal. Quickly twist the body 180 degrees to the left. Tighten the abdominal muscle and make sure to move fast.
3. Go back to original position and repeat to the other side.

Two-Handed Wood Chop

Sets: 1
Repetitions: 10 for each side
Level: Intermediate
1. Stand still and hold a dumbbell with both hands. Bring it close the right ear.
2. Flex the abs so that the torso will rotate to the left. Extend the arms and dumbbells should be lowered to the outside of the left hip.
3. Go back to original position and finish 10 repetitions. Switch to the other side.