A common problem I see among men (and some women) is that they tend to have very thick and sometimes protruding waists. This is almost an epidemic among heavy powerlifters or prior athletes, especially football players. Often times the problem is not even that they have too much body fat, but that their midsections are simply so strong and muscular that they stick out. This can ruin your physique, and while useful in powerlifting, can cause muscle imbalances that will prevent you from performing activities in which you move your own bodyweight over distance(like basketball, soccer, or gymnastics).

What exercises to limit or avoid altogether to get rid of the “potbelly”

Right off the bat I need to mention squats and deadlifts. Now I`m definitely not against squats or sidebends despite the popular furor in many circles that they automatically create an ugly physique. I think that Deadlifts are awesome and will help you build insane Full body strength, great muscular coordination, and are simply fun to perform. Squats, I really don`t care for as much, but they definitely have their place in your routine. The problem I think is that people tend to get caught up in training specifically for these lifts, instead of using them sparingly as a tool to get in shape. If you`re obsessed with maxing our your deadlift or squat to insane levels, you either have awesome genetics so this won`t apply, or I`m betting your abs are way to bulky and your stomach sticks out. The key is to use these lifts in a limited fashion (i.e. lift moderate to heavy 1-2 times per week and keep the volume very low), and focus the rest of your workout on cardio, cosmetic lifts, or specific sports training. Moderation is key.

Why you shouldn’t be doing weight ab exercises

Two exercises you need to stop doing right now are weighted sidebends, and weighted situps. We used to train these really hard in high school for gymnastics, and I`m still trying to make up for the excessive hypertrophy and size in by abs. Now some people have the genetics that allow them to to whatever they want and maintain a perfect waist, but I`m betting that if you`re reading this that isn`t you. If you are having a problem with protruding abs, I will even go so far as to suggest that you drop all or most direct ab work at this point, particularly if you are an experienced lifter. Honestly, your abs need only a limited amount of direct work when you first start working out, and within a year or so should be developed enough that they will engage whenever you do any exercise or lift. I don`t do any isolated ab work at all and I can hold a perfect L, and do the Iron Cross on the Rings.

A “super secret” bodybuilding technique to shrink your waist

A cool trick that elite bodybuilders use to shrink the size of their waist is called the “stomach vacuum”. Basically you will try to make your abdominal muscles touch the back of your spine through muscle control. Yes, I`m telling you to suck in your gut, so those chubby dudes at the beach were actually on to something. This movement can take sometime to get used to, but once you have mastered it you can visibly and drastically reduce the size and appearance of your waist and abs. This is a great exercise since it can be done almost anywhere and at any time (Just not after a big meal, trust me). After a while, your abs will be “trained” to rest in this partially contracted state which will give a slimmer and more proportional look to your waistline.

Patience and persistence are important

This technique is incredibly effective for shrinking your waistline, but it does take time to get used to. How long exactly is entirely up to you. If you only do this for a few minutes a couple times a week, then expect very slow going and minimal results. Practice every constantly and consistently, and you can see results within weeks or even days!

We’ve all heard the advice before starting an exercise program: “See your doctor before you begin.” Often, many adults disregard this advice, presuming that it doesn’t really apply to them. However, regardless of your age, your current fitness level, or your health history, it’s always important to make sure that exercise is safe and appropriate for you before embarking on a new exercise program.

Fitness assessments — also known as pre-participation health screenings, or fitness tests — are important screening tools to determine the presence of risk factors and any symptoms of cardiovascular, pulmonary, and metabolic diseases, as well as other health conditions which may be adversely affected by exercise. The fitness assessment provides key information that can be used to develop a prescription of exercise that helps you achieve your health goals quickly, but safely.

These can range from simple self-administered questionnaires, to a physical examination and even complex diagnostic screening tests. Typically, the physician creating your exercise prescription will determine the screening procedures appropriate for his or her patient population.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) suggests three levels of fitness testing prior to participation in an exercise or sports program. In a Level 1 Screening, only a self-administered questionnaire is completed. The Level 2 Screening is more detailed, and can involve a medical history, physical examination, and laboratory testing. Level 3 Screening involves an even more detailed physical examination and exercise stress testing.

Most often, only the first level screening is performed. However, according to the ACSM, it is not inappropriate to perform all three levels of fitness testing, since the information obtained from all three screening steps can actually enhance your exercise prescription’s safety and effectiveness.

Fitness assessments typically focus on identifying the presence of major cardiovascular risk factors, looking for symptoms suggesting possible cardiovascular, pulmonary, or metabolic disorders. However, other important areas of consideration include your baseline joint range of motion and level of flexibility, since design of your exercise program should ideally take these into consideration in order to be completely safe. Your body composition and a test of your strength and endurance should also be performed, primarily to obtain a baseline so that you can see how much you’ve improved by the end of your exercise prescription.

Finally, perhaps the most important part of a fitness test is to make sure that those who have demonstrated some risks or health concerns are referred for additional evaluation. The presence of health risks doesn’t necessarily preclude you from participating in a fitness program, but your exercise prescription may need to be altered to allow for safe participation and to maximize health benefits.

Copyright Healthy U, LLC. All rights reserved.

Each morning is a challenge for busy women – rushing around the home to prepare breakfast, finishing other tasks from the office, and whole lot more! So, how about your beauty routine? You might be skipping it. Oh no! That's not good if you're doing so. Especially when it comes to your skin care, you must pay a great attention. Lack of skin care can end up to dull skin, ageing, acne breakouts, and other negative effects.

So, we've searched for skin care tips a busy woman like you can do to make sure you'll have an easy and effective skin care routine.

1. Wash your face every morning. Use with a gentle cleanser. First off, know your skin types before you use your daily face cleanser to avoid negative effects. In case you have dry skin, use a non-lathering facial cleanser. For oily skin, use a gentle foaming face. In case of sensitive acne prone skin, select an acne-fighting cleanser.
2. Use toners. Not all facial cleansers carefully clean the trace of oil and dirt. That's why it's best to use toner. Use a swipe of cotton pad and dab with toner in your skin and you'll see it will clean the dirt and residue left by facial wash. When you tone, your pores shrink which prevents acne and pimple from forming. Just remember, always use an alcohol-free toner.
3. Moisturize. All types of skin need moisturizing. Also, if you need to go out in the morning or during the day, do not forget to apply sunscreen. For busy women, pick a multipurpose product which has sun protection, hydration and at the same time, used as foundation. Products such as BB and CC creams can be your BFF. They act as serum, moisturizer, foundation, primer, and mostly as sunscreen with SPF.
4. Always bring facial wipes or facial cleansing sprays with your accessories. Whether you have oily, dry or combination skin, everyone has to deal with oil and sweats. In case your work requires you to spend a great amount of time under the sun (if you're working in the field, for instance), always bring a bottle of sunscreen in your bag. Apply every after 2-3 hours.
5. When you got home after the whole day's work, you may feel awful and look haggard. Imagine that sweaty, oily, and tired face … not a very good sight, right? Wash your face with facial cleanser and then use toner. Too, you can also spray some rose water to freshen up instantly.
6. Here's a bedtime skin care routine for you. Wash your face with a mild cleanser half an hour before sleeping. Or, you can just wipe your face with baby wipes. Dab your night cream and gently massage it to your face. You can also use a good and gentle eye cream. The best night cream is the one which is rich in antioxidants and other anti-ageing ingredients. The most important, get a complete and great night's sleep. This is because our cell repair happens during our sleep.

Additional Tips for Busy Women to Keep Skin Glowing and Healthy

Why you Need to Exfoliate

As we age, our skin is constantly renewing itself and shedding dead skin cells. Exfoliation can speed help us achieve a brighter skin tone. It's not necessary to exfoliate daily. But it's important to do this at least twice a week. Aster exfoliating, use toner and moisturizer.

How about Face Mask? You can prepare and put your face pack while you are getting your breakfast or lunch ready. Meaning, you can still do some home chores while you have the face pack on.

To maintain a healthy skin in your busy schedule, here are additional things to remember:

– Sip warm water and lemon juice as a detoxifier to start your day.

– Avoid junk foods. Instead, consume fresh, organic fruits and green, leafy vegetables. They are full of antioxidants and nutrients.

– Make sure to rehydrate by drinking 6-8 glasses of water daily.

– Get a good night's sleep. Nothing can replace that as the best form of rest.

– Use natural ingredients for your face pack. Do some search about avocado, for instance.

– Have a moisturizer and lip balm in your bag, as well as moisturizer, especially if you're working inside an air-conditioned room.

Know more skin care tips? Feel free to share.

With knee replacements becoming more frequent in younger adults, many put off the surgery because of the limitations that they must follow to avoid possibly damaging the prosthesis. Many activities that are considered high impact like basketball, softball, running or jogging are no longer acceptable. One activity that you can continue on with is strength training or bodybuilding.

Though 99.9% per cent of the individuals receiving a knee replacement are not natural bodybuilders for instance, many younger adults would like the option to continue general strength training. There is no reason after having a replacement done that you should allow your physical appearance to go to waste. There is a small fraction that are involved in natural bodybuilding like myself that have not let a knee replacement slow them down.

Though the days of squatting heavy poundage may be over, there are numerous other exercises that can be done for the lower extremities themselves so that you do not lose that hard earned muscle tissue.

One exercise that you can use to replace the squat with is the leg press. You can still directly work the quadriceps without the forces of the barbell on your back causing extreme forces through the knee. Light dumbbell squats will work. You can easily use 30 pounds for 20-30 reps for instance without causing harm to the prosthesis as long as your technique is correct. Seated leg extensions can still be completed. I would recommend a higher rep scheme with these exercises as you do not want to use an extreme amount of weight which can torque the prosthesis. Your legs will respond to high reps and its also a great cardiovascular workout.

When it comes to the upper body there are really no limitations. In my training there has not been any upper body weight training exercise I have not done since having the knee replaced almost 10 years now.

So if you are someone that is involved in the iron game, bodybuilding or, just basic strength training do not let the prospect of having a knee replaced discourage you from continuing your lifting. just be sure before you start you get your medical clearance from your surgeon and start off with very light weights and slowly build up again to see what the new knee will tolerate.

For those of you interested in building upper body strength without having to use unwieldy or expensive equipment, you should consider getting into upper body primal plyometrics! By using plyometrics, you will harness your own body weight in such a way that you can get a great workout and build strength fast anywhere you go. Simply learn the following techniques, exercise techniques that can be employed in a pinch using just your body weight and gravity (and sometimes a small piece of equipment), and before you know it you'll be tightening up those muscles and gaining tons of strength and power. They're easy for almost anyone with a bit of athletic experience to jump into, and they'll serve you well long after you've mastered them.

Plyo Push-ups

To do this explosive twist on the classic push-up, assume the standard position: feet together and hands under your shoulders resting on the ground. Dip down as if you were doing a standard push-up, but instead of simply pushing up, explode upwards so that your hands come off the floor. Then, catch yourself and repeat as many times as you can. If you like, you can throw in claps at the top of each movement to force yourself even higher and to build primal upper body strength even faster.

Overhead Throws

For this one, you'll want to use a medicine ball weighing no more than 5 pounds. In a pinch, a basketball will do just fine. Stand facing a wall, with the ball in front of you. Raise the ball over your head and then throw it as hard as you can against the wall, making sure it bounces back to you off the floor. Catch the ball, bring it back over your head, and repeat. Go as hard as you can for maximum core exertion and total primal strength building.

Vertical Scoop Toss

Again, use a medicine ball. Stand with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders and swoop the ball down between your legs, cupping it the entire time. Explode upwards and throw the ball as high as you can above you. Let the ball fall, bounce once, and then grab it, swoop it between the knees and repeat the exercise.

Wall-ups

Sort of an assisted handstand push-up performed at maximum intensity, the wall-up will wear you out and build your shoulder strength. Get into headstand position with your heels resting lightly against the wall, hands slightly closer than shoulder width apart. Bend your elbows slightly, then explode upwards into a full headstand. Use your heels for traction and assistance if you need it. Let your feet fall back to the ground and then resume the position. Repeat as needed. Do enough of these and your upper body strength will explode!

Incline Push-up Depth Jump

Do not let the long name fool you – this one's a pretty simple upper body strength building exercise. You'll need a few items, though: two mats or boxes, 3-4 inches thick; and an 8-12 inch box. Get into the push-up position, placing your feet on the taller box. Put the mats in front of you, a bit further than shoulder width apart. Place your hands in between the mats and perform a push-up. Explode upwards and land on the mats. Perform another push-up, this time landing back in between the mats. Repeat. Again, you can incorporate the clap to blast your pecs and build upper body strength.

Greetings fellow Pickup and Social Artists.

I am going to be answering the above questions and helping your prepare for the festive season. After all everyone out to celebrate and no one to play with – we can not have that now can we!

At bootcamps we continually get asked the same questions – one being – "Which are the best Routines?" Mystery would say "with great delivery and good Vibe you can say anything" and I 100% agree. Of course you have to get great delivery and have had enough experience with the Flame and Ghost Vibe to pull that off. But if you are starting out or want to get back to basics, what should you use?

Just looking on my mind-map right now, I presently have 158 polished routines. Do I use them all – NO! – I simply used the routines as an objective for polishing my delivery and if truth be told, while I was new to the game, to help me focus on the delivery of the Gambit and not the responses I was getting from women (yep, they were not always great lol).

So let me help you cut a lot of crap and bad advice out the way so you can start to experience some rewards and begin enjoying this wonderful 'Game' of Social Interaction (no you can not ask Father Christmas to deliver it on the Dec 25th either)!

Back to that question; "Which are the best Routines?"

Put it like this, let's say you want to start bodybuilding and grow your size and muscles and you were to bump into Ol Arny (Arnold Schwarzeneggar) while visiting California, you would not be able to resist would you – "Hey Arny, what routine are you using to look as good as you do? " – His response might be … "Split training 5 x per week, 2 jogs and 3x 1 hour Cardio machine, combined with Cabbage diet, low carbs and lean meats" – He might not bother to mention monthly visits to the Surgeon for botox boosters, but hey, you got good advice right! WRONG !!!!! – What you got was – What is working for him now! Remember you are starting out, so you should be asking … yep you got it … "What did you use to GET STARTED?" … NOT "what is a good microcalibrated Opener, or when should I DLV in Qualifying ? instead ask … "Dude, what Routines did you use to get you started and get some results?".

So right now, I'm going to show you some examples of mini stacks many Master PUAs have used to get themselves going. We us mini Stack Cards with an example on the front and place for you to write your own on the back – for now you can just write this down on a scrap of paper or even in a text to yourself (great to pull out mid conversation [disinterest] check, have a laugh and return to the conversation)

Basic Starting Stack, Example 1

Opener (A1)

"Hey Guys, How long should you wait before changing your Facebook status to Single"

False Time Constraint

"I can only stay a moment"

Neg (target)

"Does she have an Off Button? (Role eyes and smile)

Observation (A2) **

(Look like you are about to walk off and then notice something)

"Wow, you guys have been friends for a while right! – [Girl Coding Routine]

Exit

That's it – just to get you talking – do not forget a fun playful vibe and attitude, if you then have to exit simply say: "OK Guys, that's all you get, I so can not be rude to my friends" Smile and Exit.

Basic Starting Stack, Example 2

Opener (A1)

"Breast Enlargements, Yes or No?"

False Time Constraint

"Hey, real quick as my friends and I are celebrating [open loop]"

Opener (A1) continued.

"Would you tell your good buddy that his girlfriend was planning to have her breasts done for his birthday (pause) if you knew he would not like it?"

Neg (target)

"OMG, ADD Girl (role eyes and smile) annnnd back to me"

Opener (A1) story part.

"The thing is, her twin sister just had hers done – do you think she's really doing it because of her or for him? … I mean, would a girl really go under the knife just to be competitive with another girl"

[This is an example of a phased opinion opener that drips intrigue with each phase – you have to have a friendly vibe to pull this one off – all in the delivery]

Challenge (A2) **

(Look like you are about to walk off and then notice something)

"You know you look like you could be a good liar – lets find out!" – [Lying Game / 5 Questions]

Exit

"Gotta rejoin my friends, Pleasure meeting you – come by and say Hi later!" Smile and Exit

So there you have it guys, 2 simple Stack systems to get you moving. In the next article I will be sharing with you an intermediary stack, including use of DHVs and Qualifiers.

As always Gentlemen, it's been a pleasure sharing with you. Have a great weekend.

** Note: although A2, the observations, challenges, humour stories, keep you in the set and demonstrate your Value as an interesting guy, they are merely 'Buying Temperature' and NOT core DHVs – Demonstrations of HIGHER Value (of an Evolutionary nature that flip unconscious, psychological attractions switches (covered in other articles).

If you hate to exercise, you are not alone. But rather than giving up on exercise like most people do, try wogging. Wogging is fun. Wogging is healthy. And wogging is a great way to get lose weight.

Wogging is a term for an exercise that combines the best of two worlds: walking and jogging. Wogging removes lots of fat from your body. Wogging firms your lines and makes you feel altogether wonderful. Moreover, when done on a regular and systematic basis, wogging will prolong your life by many years.

It is generally agreed that there is no better workout for your body (and your mind!) Than walking. But when you walk you only burn about 260 calories per hour. It is pleasant but as effective as other exercises.

On the other hand, when you jog, you burn about 600 calories per hour. But jogging is strenuous, monotonous, and because it is a high impact activity, tends to lead to injuries of the back, knees and ankles.

In short, walking is pleasurable and safe while jogging is boring and can lead to injury.

Considering that the majority of dieters hate to do anything that is not fun, they consistently avoid jogging. And they miss the opportunity to burn calories.

If you belong to the class of jogging avoiders, then wogging is the answer for you.

There are two ways to wog. There is the steady wog and the variable wog.

When you do the steady wog, you walk somewhat like the Racewalkers do. (If you would like to review the technique, there are many helpful videos on You Tube) You use leg motion of a race walker but then you swing your arms like a Nordic Walker (Once again review the technique at You Tube). Unlike a Racewalker, your feet leave the ground. You involve your entire body and burn a lot of calories.

When you do the variable wog you just change your speed of movement intermittently. You walk for a while, you stroll for a while, you jog for a while, and you steady wog for a while. You get exercise while you enjoy yourself.

Actually, variable wogging is a lot of fun. You do not bore yourself with a monotonous routine.

And having fun is important when you are exercising. The more fun you have the more likely you will continue with your fitness program.

When it comes down to it, wogging gives you the best of the worlds of walking and jogging. You burn about 520 calories per hour, you avoid the injuries that come with jogging, you get to enjoy the scenery, and you improve your body condition.

If you have never tried wogging, the next time that you are wearing your sneakers, start with the steady wog and go from there.

You might find that it is a lot more effective and fun than you think.

The modern world is where the human being has mastered one art above all others to perfection. Being sedentary, spending hours sitting, whether it be whilst driving, at work, watching television or eating meals.

Movement to our ancestors was a necessary part of survival, yet today it is optional or discarded totally. Due to this growing phenomenon the human body has to pay a price.

A global epidemic of gross obesity. Look around at the 'flabby people' with their bodies pushed and pulled in all directions. Sadly this includes children, yet they can not be blamed, for in this case it is the sins of the fathers (and mothers) in feeding them the WRONG food. Do you feel guilty yet? You should!

Take a look at it from the muscular skeletal aspect. When muscles are not properly engaged in vigorous exercise, they become weaker. All of that affects the bodies capacity to work efficiently. In time this will translate to the bones too. Bones also need physical activity in order to keep them strong. If you choose to ignore this, it will lead to the strong possibility of osteoporosis in later life. Exercise is not just for the young, but for everyone. Daily exercise, as little as 30 minutes for the rest of ones life. The benefits are immense, allowing a better quality of life.

Today humans are full of excuses, why they can not exercise. Not enough time. Too tired after work, etc, etc. Put aside those prejudices and take a fresh look at exercise. Make a commitment to a plan of action 5 days out of 7. Have you got what it takes? Then choose a programme that suits you. A good time to exercise is first thing in a morning, such a peaceful and delightful time. Get up an hour earlier than normal.

If you need company get others involved or join a gym, but only if you make a promise to yourself to keep it up.To learn more about the necessity of exercise visit "Nutrition and Diet Planner."

The masses are suffering from inertia, a disposition to remain inactive or inert. What will it take I wonder to get adults and children motivated to move their bodies and bring them alert and in tune to the world around them?

Seriously, daily exercise will bring you alive, you will be full of energy, have vitality, and a lean body mass. Which by the way does not mean you have to kill yourself to get down to a 6,8 or 10, for quite simply we are not always meant to be that small. Exercise itself will take you to where your own body mass says it should be.

Do not carry on seeing your legs getting more flabby, your stomach wobbling around as though it has a will of its own. Upper arms jiggle. Time for action.

Daily exercise prevents disease. Please understand that your body was born to move, it craves the exercise, which you are denying it. Have longevity, improve your appearance with fitness and good health.

Exercise or be in the front of the queue, when it comes to heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes. A much shorter lifespan. There are so many different types of exercise to choose from, there is one waiting for you, such as yoga, pilates, tai chi.

Aerobic exercise – for a healthy heart, this activity uses oxygen, raises heart rate and makes you slightly breathless. Combine this with healthy eating and you surely will be on the right track of sustained weightloss.

Strength (resistance) exercise, which includes strength training in your exercise programme, may help improve posture and give your body a more toned look. Muscle burns more calories than inactive tissue even when you are resting.

Flexibility exercise stretches the muscles, if you do not do this on a regular basis, muscles are in danger of becoming shorter and less elastic. Should this occur it will reduce how much you can move your joints and will increase stiffness. Aim to do some flexibility exercises for a few minutes a day, this will stretch all the major muscles in your upper and lower body.

Note: Make sure you do your own research before you begin a daily exercise regime.

Nutrition and Diet Planner suggest that you start an exercise regime and continue five days out of seven for six months solid. We guarantee that you will never go back to being a sedentary big person ever again!

Benefits include improving stamina, strengthening and toning, enhanced flexibility and weight management.

A common problem I see among men (and some women) is that they tend to have very thick and sometimes protruding waists. This is almost an epidemic among heavy powerlifters or prior athletes, especially football players. Often times the problem is not even that they have too much body fat, but that their midsections are simply so strong and muscular that they stick out. This can ruin your physique, and while useful in powerlifting, can cause muscle imbalances that will prevent you from performing activities in which you move your own bodyweight over distance (like basketball, soccer, or gymnastics).

What exercises to limit or avoid altogether to get rid of the "potbelly"

Right off the bat I need to mention squats and deadlifts. Now I`m definitely not against squats or sidebends despite the popular furor in many circles that they automatically create an ugly physique. I think that Deadlifts are awesome and will help you build insane Full body strength, great muscular coordination, and are simply fun to perform. Squats, I really don`t care for as much, but they definitely have their place in your routine. The problem I think is that people tend to get caught up in training specifically for these lifts, instead of using them sparingly as a tool to get in shape. If you`re obsessed with maxing our your deadlift or squat to insane levels, you either have awesome genetics so this won`t apply, or I`m betting your abs are way to bulky and your stomach sticks out. The key is to use these lifts in a limited fashion (ie lift moderate to heavy 1-2 times per week and keep the volume very low), and focus the rest of your workout on cardio, cosmetic lifts, or specific sports training. Moderation is key.

Why you should not be doing weight ab exercises

Two exercises you need to stop doing right now are weighted sidebends, and weighted situps. We used to train these really hard in high school for gymnastics, and I`m still trying to make up for the excessive hypertrophy and size in by abs. Now some people have the genetics that allow them to to whatever they want and maintain a perfect waist, but I`m betting that if you`re reading this that isn`t you. If you are having a problem with protruding abs, I will even go so far as to suggest that you drop all or most direct ab work at this point, particularly if you are an experienced lifter. Honestly, your abs need only a limited amount of direct work when you first start working out, and within a year or so should be developed enough that they will engage whenever you do any exercise or lift. I don`t do any isolated ab work at all and I can hold a perfect L, and do the Iron Cross on the Rings.

A "super secret" bodybuilding technique to shrink your waist

A cool trick that elite bodybuilders use to shrink the size of their waist is called the "stomach vacuum". Basically you will try to make your abdominal muscles touch the back of your spine through muscle control. Yes, I`m telling you to suck in your gut, so those chubby dudes at the beach were actually on to something. This movement can take sometime to get used to, but once you have mastered it you can visibly and drastically reduce the size and appearance of your waist and abs. This is a great exercise since it can be done almost anywhere and at any time (Just not after a big meal, trust me). After a while, your abs will be "trained" to rest in this partially contracted state which will give a slimmer and more proportional look to your waistline.

Patience and persistence are important

This technique is incredibly effective for shrinking your waistline, but it does take time to get used to. How long exactly is entirely up to you. If you only do this for a few minutes a couple times a week, then expect very slow going and minimal results. Practice every constantly and consistently, and you can see results within weeks or even days!

At home dumbbell workouts are better for reaching your fitness, fat loss and physique building goals than gym machines. It is hard to believe that these hand held weight training tools can replace a room full of expensive equipment. But it is true, which is welcome news to some exercisers.

In tough economic times, the gym membership is one of the first things to go. Many gym members calculate the cost of each gym visit and realize it is just not worth it and that the money can be best used elsewhere. But what are they to do? Should they give up their dreams of a fit, lean, athletically muscular body along with their gym card?

Absolutely not! As a matter of fact, ex gym goers should look at this as an opportunity, not a drawback. Now they are free to take responsibility for their fitness, fat loss and physique and explore highly effective training methods they may have previously overlooked … like at home dumbbell workouts.

Exercise Is About Movement

Walk in to any commercial gym and … listen. Just listen to other exercisers to see what they are saying. Inevitably, you will overhear talk of what MUSCLES a certain exercise works. You'll hear a trainer explain to a new client that this gym machine "works the glutes" or "hits the lats". And you'll hear enthusiastic gym rats talk about "pumping up their pecs" or "blasting their bi's". It is clear … they are concerned with specific muscles the exercise works.

But focusing on muscles is the wrong focus. Exercise is about movement, not muscles. You performance improves because of your ability to better MOVE either your own bodyweight around, or a weighted object. And ironically, training to move better strengthens the muscles needed for the movement and makes them grow … resulting in the athletic, lean, muscular body most exercises strive for.

Dumbbells are better for training weighted movement than gym machines. Therefore, they are better for creating the physical changes that lead to higher performance and a more attractive appearance. Let's look at gym machines first …

Gym Machines Restrict Your Movement

Strapping yourself into a machine and working against resistance in a predetermined movement pattern is a lousy way to train. Even if you can get the machine set right for your body type and size, the movement is completely foreign to any movement you'd find in the real world. This makes if less effective!

Oh, but I forgot. You are training muscles, not movements, right? If that is your only concern, sit down, put on a seat belt and push and pull in these foreign ways. But if you want to improve the way you perform (and look) OUTSIDE the gym, you need to train movements. And that's where dumbbells come in.

Dumbbells Train Your Body Like It Moves

Dumbbells are an extremely versatile training tool. You can use them together, one limb at a time or in an alternating fashion. This means they closely mimic movements you'll find in real world activities, sports and work. This means more physical improvements you can see, feel and USE!

Now, just do not think that by switching to dumbbells you are free from the "muscle vs movement" problem. Most dumbbell workout are designed by bodybuilders who are ONLY concerned with muscles. And they use the versatility of the dumbbells to "isolate" specific muscle groups. This is not the way to get the most from your dumbbell training!

A well constructed dumbbell routine uses a wide range of exercises to train every movement imaginable. And it does it in a way that most closely relates to movements you'll find in the real world. Using a full body workout that uses dumbbells in unison, one at a time and alternating is one of the best ways to improve fitness, burn fat and build an athletic body. If those are the reasons you use gym machines, it's time to quit the gym and get yourself some dumbbells. If you are considering quiting the gym to save some money, this could be a blessing in disguise. Take this opportunity to break out of the "training muscles" mindset, and start using dumbbells to train movements. I think you'll be happy with the performance, health and appearance RESULTS you get. At home dumbbell workouts will become your new best friend.