Archive | January, 2018

The Good and the Bad of the Atkins Diet

Here is a break down of the Atkins diet, via three good points to the Atkins diet and three bad points of the Atkins diet.

The Atkins diet three good points.

1. The Atkins diet burns fat. When you begin the Atkins diet your body is switching from burning carbs for energy to burning ketones which come from fat for energy. The Atkins diet is designed to do this so your body becomes a fat burning machine.

Conventional diets use the concept of eat fewer calories than you use in a day which causes your body to burn fat reserves. The Atkins diet approach burns fat quicker because you take in less carbs and your body is forced into burning ketones.

2. You are not hungry on the Atkins diet. The Atkins diet has you eating your main source of protein from meats at each meal. By utilizing meat as your main source of protein your body feels full longer. Meat takes longer to digest which keeps you feeling full longer.

3. The Atkins diet has health benefits. In studies the Atkins diet has been shown in some people to reduce cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure. Also the Atkins diet may help to relieve the symptoms of acid reflux, diabetes and sleep apnea.

The Atkins diet three bad points.

1. The Atkins diet burns fat fast. Toxins that have built up in your body and stored in fat cells may be burned off too fast when you first begin the Atkins diet.

2. You may feel tired on the Atkins diet. When your body switches its fuel source from carbs to ketones in the first few days of the Atkins diet you may feel some form of fatigue. The tired feeling should begin to settle out as your body begins to adjust to the Atkins diet.

3. You eat fewer vegetables on the Atkins diet. The Atkins diet promotes more meat and fewer vegetables. Vegetables are an important source of minerals, fiber and calcium. When your body shifts to the Atkins diet you may suffer a loss in vegetable intake.

After you read the three good points of the Atkins diet and the three bad points of the Atkins diet it is up to you and your doctor to decide if the Atkins diet is the best choice for you.

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Fast Food Candida Diet Style

Although diet and the fast food restaurant do not commonly go hand in hand, many quick food joints are providing options for the diner who seeks healthier fare. Even a person trying to follow the candida diet can enjoy a fast food meal by avoiding sugars and starches and going for the vegetables and proteins listed on the menu.

Of course, in a perfect world, one would always have time for a nice, home cooked meal with plenty of fresh ingredients and whole foods. But reality is that fast food restaurants come in very handy on days when you are on the go or simply don’t have the time, energy or desire to slave in the kitchen.

Fast food restaurants often get a bad rap, but just like the grocery store, most of these restaurants offer both healthy and less-than-healthy options. It is the individual’s responsibility to make the right choices, and there are plenty of meal possibilities to keep the candida dieter on track.

The best game plan when considering a fast food meal is to decide which restaurant provides the healthiest options. Pulling up menus online is a simple way to check out menu and nutritional information, and nearly all fast food places have a home on the Web in order to provide such information to consumers.

Compare menu items and ingredients and determine which restaurants offer items like salads, low-sugar salad dressings, un-breaded sandwiches, and good protein sources. Even a burger can be candida diet-friendly when the bun is removed. Just ask for extra lettuce and use the leaves as the covering for the meat. You can enjoy the burger without the candida-increasing starches found in the white, processed bun.

When choosing salads, remember to ask for grilled meat. The crispy-coated or breaded meat can be detrimental to the candida condition. Also, go for low-sugar dressings such as ranch or blue cheese. Sweet dressings like French, thousand island and even many types of vinaigrette are often packed with sugar.

Although many people assume a salad is automatically healthy just because it is a salad, the truth is that common salad toppings such as sugary dressings, croutons and breaded meat can make the salad just as much as a candida trigger as a burger, fries, and an ice cream shake.

Once you get the hang of the kinds of foods that work on the candida diet, eating out becomes easier. Candida diet staples include vegetables, protein, low-sugar fruit and some dairy. If you can find these items on the menu and avoid carb and sugar-laden foods, you will be able to enjoy your fast food meal while keeping your body as healthy as possible.

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The Ken Patera Workout

For those who are new to weight training/lifting and have no idea who Ken Patera is here’s a little background for you.

Patera is a former Olympic Weightlifter and USA powerlifter. He won several medals at the Pan American Games (including gold), and finished second in the 1971 World Weightlifting Championships. He was the first American to clean and jerk 500 (503 1/2) lbs, which he achieved at the 1972 Senior Nationals in Detroit. He is also the only American to clean and press 500 lbs, and he was arguably the last American to excel at weightlifting on an international level.

Patera also competed in the first World’s Strongest Man contest in 1977, finishing third behind Bruce Wilhelm and Bob Young.

Patera went on to have a long career on professional wrestling. Here is a typical Patera workout. Patera would switch up his routines constantly, as well as sets and reps. Use your own judgement based on your comfort level.

The Ken Patera Workout

Snatch

Clean and Press

Bench Press

Squats

Notes: Lift 2-3 times per week using whatever set and rep scheme your comfortable with except for squats. Perform one set of each squat exercise and one set only. Get plenty of rest, eat good food and drink lots of water. Remember to lift heavy and with max intensity.

Understand that to be successful in any weight training program – hard work is a must! Half-hearted effort does nothing for you. If you’re new to weight training or grossly out of shape, consult a physician first. End of disclaimer.

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Know Your Muscles – The Lower Body

Becoming familiar with the muscles that make up your body has more benefits than simply allowing you to talk shop with your training partners. The more familiar you are with the muscles you’re working, the better you’ll be able to judge what’s needed to make improvements. In this article we’ll get to know the muscles that make up the lower body.

This is where you’ll find the big, strong muscles that allow us to get around. The main muscles found below the waist are as follows:

1. Quadriceps femoris – this is a group of four muscles found at the front of the thigh. These are the vastus lateralis on the outside, the vastus medialis on the inside, the vastus intermedius between them, and the rectus femoris above them. The role of these muscles is to extend the leg from a bent position.

2. Hamstrings – these are found to the rear of the leg and consist of the biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus. The hamstrings are used to flex the knee in the act of pulling the heel towards the buttocks.

3. Gluteals – these make up the buttocks and consist of the gluteus maximus covering the hip joint and the gluteus medius and minimus on the outside of the hip. The gluteus maximus facilitates hip extension while the other two lift the leg to the side in an action called hip abduction.

4. Hip flexors – these are found opposite the glutes on the front of the pelvis. Consisting of the psoas major and iliacus they raise the leg to the front.

5. Calves – these consist of the gastrocnemius and the soleus. Their role is to extend the foot at the ankle.

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High Cholesterol and the GM Diet

Welcome to the 21st century, where modern man has perfected the art of “Fast Food”. It may not be completely true, but thanks to the era of the “Global Village”, there is hardly any cuisine left in the work, which has not been the victim of this trend. It certainly is the need of the hour in the fast paced world, where so many people no longer have the time or patience to cook healthy food at home. It is ironic how the very population on whose shoulders the world economies are being built, are on the unhealthiest diets in the world.

Thanks to these realities, a considerable portion of this population is suffering from diseases like high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure etc. These are nothing but the direct results of these unhealthy food habits and lazy lifestyles. The youthful population is willing to work itself to death in today’s day and age of competition, not realizing that they can do more with a healthy body. High Cholesterol is just the beginning. It can lead to severe heart-related ailments resulting in a shorter lifespan.

It is about time, that people should pay attention to this horror and address it by changing their lifestyle. In order to combat these modern evils, there are two major steps that should be taken. Firstly, change your diet. If you are what you eat, then you should only eat the good stuff. As a youngster, you should look to be ripped and always be ready for swimsuit season. To achieve this goal, you need to plan a step by step plan to measure your progress. Try to eat more raw foods like fruits and salads. You may even want to consider looking into the GM diet. You can try out this week-long plan once every month. It is excellent for detoxifying your body helps to lose up to 5-7 kilograms or 12-14 pounds in a week. Keeping weight in check is a great to fight high cholesterol.

Secondly, start dragging your rear end to the gym. It is unacceptable that a girl or a guy in their twenty’s or thirty’s being out of shape. There is no simply no excuse. Exercising should be part of your daily routine. Regular exercise boosts your metabolism and overall wellness. High Cholesterol levels are no match for a healthy lifestyle. Carve out at least an hour of light workout every day, and rest on Sunday, just like God!

Remember, the future of the human race depends on the youth of the world. So always keep this in mind, that when you do make it big, you better look like a million bucks as well.

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The Basics Of The Ketogenic Diet: Which Diet Menu Plan Is Best For You

Are you a meat lover but need to lose weight? Then you might find yourself in a dilemma as most diets out there limit the intake of meat and other fatty food products because of high fat content and calories as well. With that said, people who need to lose weight no longer have to be contented with eating carrot sticks or lettuce as one can now enjoy their favorite bacon and egg while still losing weight. The ketogenic diet, which once served as an epileptic prevention meal plan, is now being used by people who need to shed excess weight. There are 2 types the “long chain triglycerides” (LCT) and the medium chain triglycerides (MCT).

Ketogenic Diet Overview

In a normal diet, humans need to consume higher amounts of carbohydrates as this acts as energy source for the body to be able to function well and less of fat as fats are only stored in the body as a reserve for when the body needs more fuel. As the body needs more carbohydrates, it processes the food group first and thus one feels hungry after a while which is not so in the case of breaking down meals that are high in fat content.

In the ketogenic diet, this theory is reversed. One will need to consume higher amount of fats and trick the body into realizing that it has insufficient amount of glucose so that it would breakdown the fats first and convert these into energy. The first diet which is the LCT deals with high fat – low carbohydrates with adequate protein. Calories are restricted and fluid intake may be taken into consideration as well. The strict diet usually makes use of strict meal plans taking into consideration the dieter’s calorie and protein needs per day. These are then divided into several meals for the day which are designed by dietitians.

In the Medium or MCT diet, the meal plans are less strict and structured especially when it comes to the calorie prescription; however, dieters should stick to the meal plan and make the necessary substitute as needed. Unlike the LCT which makes use of complex fats, the MCT makes use of fats that have higher ketones, the most popular of the use of coconut oil. Some dieters develop intolerance with the MCT diet; as such, dietitians make use of the John Radcliffe diet. The John Radcliffe diet is a combination of LCT (30%) and MCT (30%) ration with the rest coming from protein and carbohydrates.

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The Six O’Clock Diet

Perhaps you are wondering what “time” is doing attaching itself to a diet description. Well, some of you may have guessed or know it already; however, the Six O’Clock Diet has something to do with restricting eating time. In this diet, you are allowed to regularly eat anything until the clock hits six o’clock in the evening. Your next meal follows the next morning when you wake up. This diet is also known by the description “after six”.

The concept lies on the body’s metabolism and activities. It is more active during the day and because of that, burning fat and calories is faster and easier as compared to when your body is inactive. Everything you’ve eaten in a day would be difficult to burn if you continuously munch on food as your activity levels drop. Aside from that, food gets “stored” by the body at night. Most of the body functions are turned off when we sleep, making metabolism slower and weight gain faster.

Why six o’clock? Some say that it is just the right time between night and day. When you stop eating at this point, you give your body some time to work on all the food you’ve eaten without having to deal with more incoming calories and fats as it does.

What you should remember about the Six O’Clock Diet is that you can eat in the morning but not anything you want. The idea is to eat what you need, not what you can. You still have to watch out for what you eat and what you need. If you overeat during the day, your body may not be able to burn down all the excess you’ve taken in. If that happens, you will just gain weight. In the same way, don’t eat too little during the day and then eat nothing after six. This will cause stress and fatigue and is more likely to get you sick than healthy. What some people do is that instead of eating three full meals a day, they eat four to six meals and snacks instead.

Of course, Six O’Clock Diets have its pros and cons. And just like any other diet, it isn’t for everyone. The After Six diet can be quite useful to people who have this urge to raid the refrigerator or eat while watching TV at night. However, for some people, this may cause insomnia and sleeping disorders. Also, the After Six diet can also cause you to eat a lot during the day because you have this feeling of “making up for lost time”. It is supposed to be a diet program, not an eating race against the clock.

What does the After Six diet have in common with other diets, though? The main thing here is discipline. If you’ve made up your mind not to eat after six, then you must also have the firm resolution not to overeat during the day, even though you still have to eat right and healthy for you to support the energy and nutritional needs of your body.

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"Polynesian Bodies" – Why Polynesian Bodies Build Muscle Better

Polynesian people are descendants of those early mariners that crossed the great waters and became the original inhabitants of the South Pacific Islands. In order to survive those long cold oceanic journeys, their Polynesian bodies evolved to develop maximum muscle building capabilities as a means of generating and preserving body temperature.

This was a direct adaptation to an environmental factor. Those that could not adapt died, whereas the survivors carried with them genetic advantages, creating a hybrid body of sorts, capable of performing enormous feats of physical labor, on very little calories, and very little water.

Colonization of the Pacific Islands only encouraged the Polynesian body to propagate these gene characteristics, as the early Islanders literally hacked their homes out of the forests with their bare hands. Domesticating wildlife and horticulture, was a herculean feat, and the scarcity of fresh water developed a need for the Polynesian body to store fluids efficiently.

These early evolutionary patterns form the basis of the contemporary Polynesian body. It enables Polynesian bodies to:

1. Build muscle easily

2. Possess unique strength to mass capabilities

3. Withstand harsh environmental conditions more easily

4. Endure long periods with little food and little water

Unfortunately these adaptations also mean Polynesian bodies will

1. Store excess energy more easily in the form of body fat

2. Store excess water subcutaneously

3. Burn calories at a slower more gradual pace

In the absence of the extreme physical labors performed by our Polynesian ancestors, and the readily abundant food in western cultures, it is no surprise that Polynesian bodies have a tendency to gain unsightly body fat. This storage of excess energy was a survival adaptation for the days of leanness prevalent in the island cultures, but completely absent in western cultures.

Here are 3 of the best tips to improve a Polynesian Body

1. Exercise, choosing intense weight training over cardio.

Polynesian bodies are designed to work out with maximum intensity. Once or twice a week is sufficient. If you are weight training 5 – 6 days a week, I guarantee that you can train twice as hard once or twice a week. Another way of looking at it is this: If you can weight train for 90 min’s, I assure you, you can train harder for 40 min’s. Remember that you can train hard or you can train long, but you can’t do both. Always choose to train hard. Intense training triggers the release of muscle building hormones into the blood stream. Jane Fonda workouts do not. Polynesian bodies respond well to incredibly intense training regimes performed less often.

2. Don’t eat everyday.

This one may come as a shock to you, especially if you are Polynesian, but it is true. You may have heard that if you don’t eat every few hours then your body goes into starvation mode, yada, yada, yada. Who came up with this idea, did they get the rest of the day off for such brilliance? It is simply not true. Polynesian bodies have descended from a genetic strain of humans that could survive for weeks without food and rest and very little water.

Early man tracked herds over vast expanses, on foot, and when they finally engaged their prey they could somehow muster the strength and energy, in this depleted state, to run down and kill a beast more than ten times their size. I know one thing’s for sure. Put a bunch of these early hominids in the NFL and they would stomp the snot out of those juice heads. We need to tap into that power, and utilize the body’s stored energy.

The idea that you feel tired all the time, and that you need to eat constantly to maintain your energy levels are fabrications of the weak modern mind that prevent us from exploiting the vastness of our true human potential.

3. Eat real, natural, unprocessed foods indigenous to the islands, and eat just enough to be satisfied.

A Polynesian body can store more water, so drink plenty to discourage water retention.

Organic fruits, vegetables, seafood, coconut oil, taro, along with chicken, pork and beef are the mainstay of the Polynesian diet. These are the foods which Polynesian bodies have adapted to assimilate efficiently through hundreds of years of evolution. Polynesians should not consume processed foods. Canned foods and commercially packaged foods combined with the naturally high fat Polynesian diets create metabolic mayhem in the Polynesian body. Eliminate all processed and man made foods gradually.

Through the evolutionary process of natural selection, Polynesian bodies can become the ultimate muscle building powerhouse, or an unsightly storage system for excess energy and water weight. Polynesian bodies can build muscle more efficiently because they possess slightly lower metabolisms, and have a genetic propensity to store more water. Over 70% of muscle is water. This is a wonderful adaptation for gaining muscle mass, but slightly detrimental when the desire is to burn body fat, and flush subcutaneous water. Polynesian bodies also possess a unique hormonal environment that allows muscle gain to take place more effectively. A gift to the contemporary Polynesian body from their ancestors who survived some of the most brutal oceanic endeavors.

To approach genetic potential a Polynesian bodybuilder should train with extreme intensity, less often, control caloric intake and manage their water correctly.

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My Top 15 Non-Traditional, Muscle Building, Fat Scorching Workouts

If you have been a subscriber to my newsletter for some time, you know that I'm always trying to give you ways to make your workouts more interesting and fun, while also stimulating big-time results. Do not you agree that your training should be fun? This is what separates the people who jump on and off the "fitness bandwagon" a couple times every year without ever making any real progress from the people that actually adopt a true fitness lifestyle and finally achieves the body they have always wanted. Make it interesting, make it fun, and make your fitness a priority, and you'll have the body that you want.

What I have noticed over the years is that many people will train regularly for a few months and then either get bored with the same old weight training and cardio routines, or will get discouraged because their progress comes to a grinding halt after a while. In my opinion, I do not think your workouts ever need to get boring or stale. You just need to have an open mind to the huge world of various training styles and techniques that are out there. Seriously, there are so many different and fun training styles out there, that there is no reason you should ever get bored with your workouts and give up on that lean ripped body that you've been looking for. Also, mixing in various training styles builds stronger joints by reducing repetitive movement pattern overload and varying your training pressures.

Now before I start with some of my favorite non-traditional training styles, I will state that I think one of the best ways to achieve a lean, muscular and healthy body is through a consistent weight training routine with free weights. You can choose to integrate some of these alternative training techniques with your weight training routines on the same day, as alternate workouts on separate days of the week, or even as separate training cycles where you try some of these techniques for a few weeks at a time before cycling back to a traditional weight training workout. Try some of these training styles out and you'll be on your way to never being bored again with your workouts … and your body will thank you with muscles popping out that you never knew exhausted!

Alright, here are some of my favorite non-traditional training techniques:

1. Staircase Workouts – This is great because stairs are everywhere. You can go to a football field and do stadium stairs, any building that has stairs like a hotel (most people take the elevator, so you will not even have many people looking at you while you're working out), or even the stairs in your own home. For an awesome full body workout, try mixing stairs sprints with an upper body exercise like pushups or pull-ups. If done with a high enough intensity, stairs workouts help to create changes throughout your entire body due to the muscle building and fat burning hormonal response and metabolism increase that you get through working the largest muscle groups in your entire body. If you thought that going up and down the stairs was the only way to get a good stairs workout … think again. My fellow trainer and friend, Virgil Aponte, has developed a website that focuses on creative stairs workouts using all kinds of exercises you never would have thought of before. You can find out more info on stairs exercises workouts at my 'fitness products' page at truthaboutabs.com at the link below.

2. Wind Sprints and Hill Sprints – Find any open field in a park or athletic field and try 50, 75, and 100-yard all-out wind sprints. After each sprint, rest long enough to catch your breath before the next one (generally 1-2 minutes). Try workouts of anywhere from 6 to 20 wind sprints for a great "cutting" workout. Also, if you have a hill nearby, hill sprints are also great workouts. Sprint up the hill as fast as you can and walk down for your rest interval. Repeat until you're whooped (a 20-30 minute hill workout is plenty). These sprint workouts are so amazingly effective at changing your entire body for the same reason as stairs exercises … by vigorously working the largest muscle groups in your entire body, you greatly stimulate your metabolism while simultaneously increasing your fat burning and muscle building hormones.

Just look at any world class 100-meter sprinters and notice how ripped-to-shreds those guys are. Now compare that to the emaciated weakling physiques of many marathoners, and you'll see that sprinting is where the action is at for a healthy, ripped, powerful body! Now I do not want to upset all of you distance runners out there. Hey, if distance running is something you enjoy, then go right ahead. But do not say you're doing it for the health benefits, because I might just have to disagree. You can read my full story on why I believe variable intensity training is far superior to steady-state endurance training in one of my other ezinearticles.com articles at Cardio-Enthusiasts: Discover a More Effective Training Method for Fat Loss and Heart Health!

3. Kettlebell Training – If you've been reading my articles for some time, you've probably heard me train kettlebell training many times before, but I will have to repeat that it has been one of the best training methods that I've ever tried and has taken my physical capabilities to a whole new level. Kettlebells are an alternative type of free-weight training instead of barbells and dumbbells. Their unique construction and weight distribution (basically a cannonball with a handle) allows for a whole different realm of exercises that's available compared to dumbbells and barbells. Kettlebells have been typically used for training hard-core athletes, military units, martial arts competitors, and other tough individuals, but there is no reason that anyone looking to get stronger, bigger, or more cut can not learn the exercises and benefit from them.

It's been a little over a year now since I've incorporated kettlebell training into my routines, and I'll admit that I'm hooked for life! At between $ 100- $ 150 per kettlebell, they are definitely not cheap, but they are well worth the money. Just one or two kettlebells and you've literally got yourself an entire home gym that you can use for the rest of your life … worth every penny in my book! If you want to give these body-hardening kettlebells a try, you can find more info at my 'fitness products' page at truthaboutabs.com at the link below.

4. Bodyweight Workouts – For a change of pace, try adding to your routine one or two workouts a week at home with just bodyweight based exercises. These can be great because you can get a high intensity workout done in only 15-30 minutes without having to go to the gym on days that you might not have time for a trip to the gym. Try alternating bodyweight squats, pushups variations, lunges, and floor abs exercises continuously for 15-30 minutes. Try to take very short rest periods or none at all to really amp up the intensity since this will be a brief workout. If you're more advanced, you can even incorporate more challenging exercises like handstand pushups, one-arm pushups, and one-legged squats into your bodyweight training routines.

5. Ring Training – This type of training basically uses portable gymnastic rings that you can take anywhere with you. You throw the straps up over any high bar like a pullup bar, the top of a power rack, or even over a football field goal crossbar. Then you can quickly adjust the rings to do exercises like ring dips, ring pushups, ring pull-ups, hanging leg raises, horizontal body rows, L-sets, and more. Dips and pushups on the rings are my favorites and the rings really make them a hell of a lot more difficult, while also incorporating your stabilizer muscles to a much greater degree. The rings allow your joints to move in a more natural pattern and can help you prevent or even recover from shoulder injuries. Personally, when I try dips on a normal dip stand, it hurts my shoulders. However, dips on the training rings feel perfect, and also give me a much better muscle pump. The training rings are one of the best training devices I've ever bought. Give them a try … I think you'll like them if you're up for a challenge. I found my rings, which you can hang up easily on a power rack, pullup bars, or at a park, at ringtraining.com.

6. Swimming – A great full body workout that stresses the muscles and joints in a much different way than most resistance training. Incorporating swimming workouts once or twice a week into your normal training routines can really strengthen your physique. I recommend trying a "sprint" style swimming workout, which will help more for building muscle compared with endurance long distance swimming. For sprint style, swim as hard as you can to the other side of a 25-meter or 50-meter pool (or sprint swim similar distances in a lake or the ocean if you like to swim outdoors). Rest enough to catch your breath between sprint swims (about 20-40 seconds). Try to keep the rest intervals fairly short with swim sprints. You can also mix different strokes (crawl, breaststroke, sidestroke, backstroke, butterfly) on each swim sprint. I've found that sprint swimming gives me a great muscle pump (especially in the upper body), without any soreness the next day as is typical with weight training. This is because swimming has no eccentric movement (the negative portion of a lift), which is what causes muscle soreness. Keep in mind that even though swimming works your muscles well and is a nice alternative workout to mix in once or twice a week, it does not strengthen your bones. You still need to do regular weight training to do that.

7. Sandbag Training – This form of training is a nice variation to mix in with your strength training. It works your body with an unstable object, which makes muscles that might normally be neglected get in on the action to perform the movements. I've been mixing some sandbag training into my routines for over a year now, and I've found it a very intense method of training that works your muscles in a different way and gets you huffing and puffing like crazy. You can make your own sandbags to train with filling various various duffle bags with sand, or you can use those construction type sandbags that come in several shapes. Sandbag exercises can be done as squats, cleans, presses, lunges, shouldering, throws or heaves, carrying up hills, etc. Make no mistake, training intensely with sandbags will get you ripped in no time flat! I've actually found an entire book devoted to sandbag training, which has given me some great ideas for doing sandbag based workouts. If you're interested in this type of training, you can find more info at my 'fitness products' page at truthaboutabs.com at the link below.

8. Mountain Biking – As you may have figured by now, I'm not a proponent of steady pace endurance exercise, but rather, highly variable intensity exercise that works with bursts of exertion followed by recovery intervals. Well, mountain biking fits this bill perfectly. You get the leg pumping exercise during the uphill climbs, while also getting the adrenaline rush of the downhill acting as your recovery intervals. Mix it all together and you get a super-fun, high-intensity, leg burning workout that will melt fat off of your entire body and build awesome legs at the same time. The climbs can be tough and will challenge you both physically and mentally as you pump away trying to make it up steep hills without having to resort to getting off of the bike. Then after you make it up the challenging climbs, you get rewarded with the adrenaline rush of flying down steep hills while jumping off of boulders and logs and trying not to stumble or fall off the bike. It's such an addicting thrill … I love it! See, who says that working out has to be boring!

9. Indoor (or outdoor) Rock Climbing – This is yet another fun way to get in a great workout that will also challenge you both physically and mentally. Indoor rock climbing gyms have starting popping up all over the place in recent years and will be more accessible than outdoor rock climbing to most people. Rock climbing is a great workout for your legs, arms, shoulders, and your entire back. It also really works your grip strength and forearms like crazy. Whenever I go indoor rock climbing (which is only on occasion), my forearms are sore for about 2-3 days afterwards. Give it a try if you've never done it … it may be just what you're looking for to spice up your fitness routine.

10. Stick Wrestling – This is a killer full body workout and can also be a great competition between you and your friends. This is probably more of a guy thing for most people. You could even come up with your own "fight club" and have stick wrestling competitions with your buddies to see who is toughest. There are actually sticks designed specifically for stick wresting, but you can even just use a strong broomstick cut down to about 30-36 inches long and taped up with some athletic tape to prevent splinters. For your stick wrestling workout, stand on a soft mat or carpeted area (or grass if outdoors), match up with a friend or foe. You'll both grab the same stick toward the ends with your hands on the outsides of your partner's hands, on the inside, or staggered. Then you simply push, pull, jerk, and thrash your opponent around trying to knock them off balance until they either fall or lose their grip of the stick … and you win that round! Be careful not to get the stick up high and knock each other in the face. Use common sense. You can do this in 1-2 minute rounds or just keep going until someone gives up. Be creative and keep going until you've gotten a killer workout. Your forearms and legs will be screaming!

11. Strongman Training – This type of training is a little more hard-core, but it's a blast for those who are into trying something different. The premise is based on the types of exercises competitors perform in the "worlds strongest man" competitions. If you have a yard, you can even set up some of these exercises in your yard and do some outdoor workouts to have a little fun. Your neighbors will probably give you some funny looks, but it's fun, so who cares! You can get one of those giant tractor tires and do tire flips (which is basically a deadlift followed by a push-press). You can also try your hand at log lifts, boulder lifts and carries, keg lifts and tosses, weighed sled dragging … anything that involves pulling, pushing, lifting, or maintaining any types of odd objects. You do not need to be a monster to enjoy this type of training … just handle whatever size objects are challenging for your individual strength. Strongman training works your entire body in a very intense fashion and could easily spark some new results. If you're interested in finding out more ideas for strongman training, check out my 'fitness products' page at truthaboutabs.com at the link below.

12. Rope Climbing – This goes back to the old high school days of climbing the rope in gym class. Seriously, if you have access to a rope, either at a gym or somewhere outdoors, rope climbing builds a powerful and ripped upper body like no other exercise. A great way to incorporate rope climbing into intestinal workouts is to do a climb up, then lower yourself back down. Then while your upper body is recovering for the next climb, you can do a lower body exercise like squats or lunges, or go up and down stairs. Keep alternating the upper body rope climbs with the lower body exercises in between and you'll get one hell of a full body workout.

13. Bag Boxing – You can use a heavy bag, a speed bag, or even one of those rebound bags to get a great workout. Among the three, the heavy bag is the best all around full body workout, while the speed bag will test your rhythm and timing and give you a great upper body workout. If available at your gym or if you have a bag at home, try mixing these in as a good warm-up or as an intenet finish to your strength routine.

14. Rope Skipping – You can not beat rope jumping as a great full body exercise. I like to use it as a warm-up for my weight training workouts. I prefer to use the really cheap "speed" routes with a plastic rope instead of a fabric rope. Once you get good, you can jump rope much faster with the plastic routes than the fabric ones, which will allow you to get a more intense workout. And do not mess with the weighted handle routes … they're just slow you down. Your goal is speed when rope skipping. Try mixing together two legged jumps, one-legged jumps, arm crossovers, double jumps (rope passes under feet twice for each jump) to keep things interesting and increase the intensity. Also, try alternating 15-20 second high intensity bursts where you jump as fast as you possibly can, followed by 15-20 second recovery intervals where you jump slowly to get ready for your next burst. Keep repeating until you're whooped, which might happen pretty quick!

15. Jumping exercises – squat jumps, box jumps, lunge jumps, and broad jumps are some of the best ways to incorporate explosive jumping exercises into your routines. The explosive and powerful nature of jumping exercises works your leg muscles in an absolutely different way than most normal slow grinding strength training moves. I've even seen a university study cited once that found squat jumps to elicit the greatest testosterone response of all exercises studied. That means more muscle and less fat on your entire body, not just your legs. Try super-setting jumping exercises with upper body exercises for some really intestinal workouts.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed all of these ideas for ways to really shake up your workouts and make them fun again. I know some of them may seem a little "out there", but open your mind to the possibilities and you'll never be bored again … and your body will respond with new found results!

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Boron Citrate Nutrition

Boron Citrate, the fifth chemical element, is also is a trace nutrients found primarily in fruits and vegetables Prunes, grapes and raisins, dates, apples, pears, grains and soybeans, almonds and other nuts, and unprocessed honey all contain boron.

Boron citrate, when taken in the recommended dosage of from 3 milligrams to 9 milligrams daily, has a variety of benefits.

Boron citrate, by activating Vitamin D and estrogen, helps prevent or alleviate the effects of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women

Boron, by increasing cognition, may prevent memory loss and be valuable in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. It has also been known to relieve the symptoms of arthritis.

Boron citrate is available in 3 milligram capsules and 3 milligram and 6 milligram tablets. Although safe when taken at the recommended doses, boron can, in amounts over 500 mg, cause side effects, including loss of appetite and digestive problems.

Acute boron toxicity produces nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal cramping.

Chronic toxicity also causes nausea diarrhea, poor appetite and weight loss.

Boron deficiency contributes to Vitamin D deficiency which can lead to brain wave alteration, arthritis and joint swelling. While boron deficiencies are relatively rare, you should consult your doctor, who can provide you with the appropriate information and support, if you think you are suffering either from a deficiency or overdose of boron.

And if you are thinking of including a Boron Citrate supplement in your nutritional regime, your doctor will work with you to find a vitamin and supplement regimen that is just right for you. Don’t make any changes until you consult with him or her. And, to prevent negative interactions, let your doctor know of any illnesses you have or have had, and all medications (including over the counter) that you are taking.

The comprehensive nutrient supplement Total Balance contains Boron Citrate, and over seventy other necessary nutrients. Total Balance, produced by the New Zealand company Xtend-life Natural Products, possesses a Certificate of Analysis guaranteeing its potency.

Xtend-life also maintains pharmaceutical GMP compliance, the world’s strictest manufacturing standards for dietary supplements, and use only standardized herbal extracts, containing the herb’s active ingredients, in their formulas.

Xtend Life has the best money back guarantee for nutrient supplements which is a full year with an entire refund with no questions asked.

Xtend-life offers timely delivery, reasonable shipping costs and a generous one-full-year, no questions asked money back guarantee

To avoid serious problems with your prescription medications, consult with your doctor before you begin to include this, or any new supplement or over-the-counter medication, in your diet.

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