Think Fat Loss, Not Weight Loss

Weight loss is one of the hottest topics ever. Everyone seems to be trying to lose weight nowadays. Most diet programs are about weight loss and body weight is often used as an indicator of fitness progress. But, this is an incorrect approach.

Your ultimate goal should always be to lose fat and reducing excess body fat is what you should be concerned about. Weight loss and Fat loss is NOT the same thing! Many people confuse the two terms, often believing that they mean the same, when in fact weight loss and fat loss are very different from one another. This article will help you understand how weight loss is different than fat loss and how fat loss is far superior to weight loss in almost all ways.

Weight loss is not just fat loss

What Is Weight Loss?

(Weight Loss = Muscle Loss + Fat Loss + Water Loss)

Weight loss is attempting to lower your total body weight. It simply refers to a lower number on a scale.

Your body weight is composed of all the parts of your body such as muscles, fat, bones, water, organs, tissues, blood, water etc. When you lose weight, you lose a little bit of... fat, muscle and water.

You lose fat but very little and along with the fat you lose muscle and some amount of water. The higher you reduce your calorie intake, the faster you drop weight and the more muscle mass you lose.

Do know your muscle matters? Loss of muscle affects your health and your overall appearance.

Being fit means more than just fat loss

When you lose weight too quickly, your body cannot maintain its muscle. Because muscle requires more calories to sustain itself, your body begins to metabolize it so that it can reserve the incoming calories for its survival. It protects it fat stores as a defense mechanism to ensure your survival in case of future famine and instead use lean tissue or muscle to provide it with calories it needs to keep its vital organs such as your brain, heart, kidneys and liver functioning. If you reach a point where you have very little fat or muscle, your body will metabolize your organs to keep your brain functioning leading to heart attack, stroke and liver and kidney failure.

As the body loses more muscle mass, the body's overall metabolic rate decreases. The metabolic rate is the rate at which the body burns calories and is partly determined by the amount of muscle you have.

So the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate; the less muscle you have, the lower your metabolic rate and fewer calories you burn. This explains why it is crucial to protect your metabolic rate and not have muscle loss.

Loss of muscle also leads to loss of tone underneath the skin leaving you soft and unshapely with no form or contour. If you lose weight too rapidly, your skin won't have time to adjust either. Also muscle is what gives you strength and loss of it means a weak body.

With weight loss you shrink in size and become a smaller version of yourself with a fragile frame with saggy skin.

Weight loss works in the short run to make you smaller but is temporary, almost everyone rebounds and regains the weight. This forces you to find another diet. And then another one, and another one - because eventually they'll all fail.

What Is Fat Loss?

(Fat Loss = Loss Of Stored Body Fat)

Fat loss is attempting to lower your total body fat - i.e. the percentage of your total body weight that is made up of fat.

The right approach for fat loss is to exercise smartly and

Eat the right food to have the right body

eat intelligently in a way that maintains muscle and focuses on fat loss exclusively.

The muscle you have is not there forever. If you don't feed it and don't use it - you lose it. A proper plan with right combination of resistance and cardiovascular training with adequate progression and a right nutrition plan to support it can help you achieve this. Exercise only boosts the burning process but doesn't just melt the fat away on its own - if you do not create a deficit and feed the body too much - it won't touch the stored fuel reserves. On the hand if you drastically cut your calories and do not feed your muscle properly or don't exercise and use your muscle, you will lose it. Fat loss is about finding that right balance.

With fat loss you maintain the muscle and keep the metabolic rate running high. You also develop stronger connective tissue, tighter skin and stronger bones and joints. With fat loss you transform your body.

Fat loss is a lifestyle approach where you give your body what it needs without depriving and shocking it with threat of starvation. You get to see slow but permanent steady progress.

It may sound odd, but it's possible to get thinner without actually seeing a change in your weight. This happens when you lose body fat while gaining muscle. Your weight stays the same, even as you lose inches.

Lets see how this happens.

Muscle uses less weight than fat

Fat tissue is very loose and not dense. It occupies a lot of space in your body. Whereas muscle is more dense and takes up less space. When you lose fat, this space is freed and you can notice inch loss. If you are following a consistent strength training program then gain in lean muscle tissue will balance out this loss of fat and weight stays the same. Since muscle takes less space than fat, you lose inches and start to look more toned, lean and shapely.

consistent strength training program then gain in lean muscle tissue will balance out this loss of fat and weight stays the same. Since muscle takes less space than fat, you lose inches and start to look more toned, lean and shapely.

Myth: "Getting fit" means "Losing weight."

Truth: Getting fit means lowering your body fat percentage!

This Article By Written By:
Rashmi V Jolly
Online Fitness Coach & Founder of Body Redesign
Website: http://www.body-redesign.com

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Rashmi_V_Jolly/2240871

The Many Benefits of Coconut Water, Milk and Oil

What are the benefits of coconut water and other products derived from coconut? Not that long ago, unless you lived in the tropics, you probably seldom thought about coconut. Perhaps you had a coconut flavored drink every so often (more likely than not, one containing alcohol!) - but you never considered coconut to be one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Now, however, it seems that every other product that's for sale in a natural foods store has coconut in it!

Yes, we're hearing about the benefits of coconut water, coconut milk and coconut oil all the time. Coconut oil is not only good for cooking, but it's used in all kinds of skin care products. Coconut water is now becoming popular as an alternative sports drink. Coconut milk, meanwhile, is starting to become a leading milk substitute, especially as soy based products are becoming suspect in many ways. So let's take a closer look at this coconut craze and see what benefits can be derived from this wonderful fruit from the tropics!

Coconut Water

Coconut water is cool and delicious

Coconut water is the clear liquid you find when you open a young coconut. It's naturally sweet, yet low in calories and it's fat and cholesterol free. For this reason, it makes an excellent sports drink. It's the ideal compromise between people who find plain water too boring but who don't want to load up on sugar and empty calories that are found in commercial sports drinks.

Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is the thicker, creamier white liquid that's prepared from meat of the coconut. In other words, you can't crack open a coconut and get coconut milk - you only get coconut water this way. Coconut milk has to be made.

Coconut milk is sweeter and richer than coconut water, making it a good substitute for regular milk or soy milk. While coconut milk is considered by many to be very healthy, these claims are sometimes disputed because it's high in saturated fat (the same is true for coconut oil, as we'll shortly see). However, many nutritionists are rethinking the whole "saturated fats are bad" philosophy.

Coconut Oil

Discover the benefits of coconut oil

Coconut oil is enjoying a real renaissance in the health food community, probably even more so than coconut water or milk. Suddenly, we're hearing that this oil, though high in saturated fat, is ideal for cooking as well as for skin care.

It seems that previous research that supposedly proved that coconut oil caused a rise in cholesterol was based on using hydrogenated coconut oil. As many people are now aware, this is a process that produces the "bad fats" or trans fats that are the cause of so many health problems. Trans fats in anything raise the LDL or bad cholesterol to go up. Pure coconut oil, however, has no such effects - just the opposite.

One of the major benefits of coconut oil is that it contains lauric acid, which is a natural enemy of many harmful microorganisms and possibly even cancer cells. Lauric acid helps protect the body against bacteria, fungi and viruses, so it has many healthy qualities.

Coconut Products and Weight Loss

Coconuts can help with weight loss

If you're trying to lose weight, which coconut products should you consume? The short answer is, "all of them!" This doesn't mean, however, that you have to go overboard and drink or eat coconut products from dawn till dusk. Even though coconut milk and oil both contain healthy fats, if you're trying to cut back on calories you obviously don't want to overdo it with any kind of fat.

You can use all of the products in moderation and gain the benefits. This is true for everyone, whether you want to lose weight, gain weight or maintain your current weight. You can drink coconut water as a sports drink, or just when you want a refreshing cold drink. Don't drink it in place of regular water, though. Pure H20 should still be your primary beverage of choice!

Coconut milk is probably the best milk substitute if you're vegan or lactose intolerant. Even if you do eat dairy, there's no reason not to add coconut milk to your diet. You can find many healthy recipes that use coconut milk, or you can just drink it as a refreshing beverage that's a bit more substantial than coconut water.

Coconut oil is ideal for cooking. This is one big edge it has over the other super healthy oil - olive oil. I'd never suggest giving up olive oil, as this is not only delicious but it's one of the healthiest "good fat" foods you can consume. However, olive oil is not good for cooking, as it loses its benefits and actually becomes toxic. So, if you want a simple formula, consume olive oil raw and coconut oil for cooking (though coconut oil is also fine uncooked).

Coconut oil also has many other benefits, and it can be used as a moisturizer and even in your hair. You can find many products on the market that contain coconut oil, but very often it's safer to just use it straight up. Many products, even those sold in health food stores and online from health and nutrition companies contain all kinds of suspect ingredients.

Do your research - the Dr. Mercola website has a lot of good information on the dangers of many supposedly healthy and natural skin care products, shampoos and so forth. With plain coconut oil, you don't have any such worries! You can't really use pure coconut oil as a shampoo, but you can use it in your hair as a conditioner and then wash it out with a gentle and preferably organic shampoo.

In conclusion, more benefits of coconut-derived products are being discovered all the time. Of course, the native peoples of regions where coconuts grow - many tropical regions from Africa to the South Pacific- have long known how healthy, as well as delicious this fruit is. Now, however, modern civilization is finally catching up. So, coconut water, coconut milk, coconut oil - and just plain coconuts of course- are all foods you can eat with pleasure and without guilt!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Maire_Brody/205861

The Top 5 Fat-Blasting Exercises

The problem with this plan (or lack thereof) is that you are wasting huge amounts of your precious time and energy on activities that aren't giving you the best results, or in a lot of cases, any results. Exercise is a science and there are certain basic guidelines that need to be followed in order to get the most out of it. A couple of things to remember: not all exercises are created equal, and long, steady-state cardio (i.e. you walking or jogging on the treadmill for an hour) is not the most effective calorie burning activity.

Let's look at the first point: not all exercises are created equal. Question for ya.

Which exercise is best? Uhmm

Which exercise should you spend more time focusing on: squats or crunches? Some might say, 'Well, it depends on your fitness goal'. And, yes, that is somewhat true. But for the average exerciser whose goal is to tone up, lose fat, and stay fit, the correct answer is squats. Surprised? A lot of women are shocked by that answer. The reason is that there is no such thing as true spot reduction. So doing 1000 crunches does not make you lose significant amounts of fat in your stomach area. Doing crunches will strengthen your abs, but that isn't the same as burning fat. If you want to melt away the fat, you need to burn lots of calories. And doing squats will burn a heck of a lot more calories than doing crunches. The reason being that you use a lot of large muscles (quads, hamstrings, glutes, back) when you perform a squat. Working all those large muscles burns calories. (I'm oversimplifying the process to save time here, but the bottom line is the same.)

Now for the second point, steady-state cardio is not the most effective activity for burning calories. Steady-state cardio is any cardio activity (jogging, elliptical, treadmill, bike, etc) that is performed with the same intensity for long periods of time. So what is more effective at burning calories than going for a morning jog? Going for a morning sprint with walking breaks. Instead of jogging for 45 minutes. Sprint for 30 seconds, then walk for 45 seconds. Repeat for about 20 minutes. This style of cardio will burn 10 times the amount of calories in half the time as steady-state cardio.

Now that you know the above two facts, we will get to my list of the top 5 fat-burning exercises, and it will make sense as to why these are my top 5...they are either large-muscle exercises that burn a lot of calories, or they are interval cardio activities that burn a lot of calories, or both. (editor's note - before doing any exercise it is best to seek the advise of a professional and learn to do them correctly)

Here's the list of the Top 5 Fat-Blasting Exercises... (not in any particular order)

Clean and press - a lot of bang for your buck

1. Clean & Press. The clean & press works the legs, back, shoulders, and core. You can use heavy weights with this power exercise which really ramps up the intensity and gives you a lot of bang for a short amount of time invested.

2. Deadlifts. Like the clean & press, you work a bunch of muscles when you deadlift, including your legs, back, traps, and glutes. Again, you can use pretty heavy weights for this exercise as long as you keep your form strict.

3. Hill Sprints. A lot of people swear by the effectiveness of hill sprints and that includes me. I always do these when I want to lean down a little more. Find a good sized, fairly steep hill and sprint up it as fast as you can. Then walk down and repeat.

Hills don't need to be steep or long to be effective

4. Squats. Squats are probably the king of all weight exercises. There are 100 different variations so you won't get bored. Try them all. Include at least 1 squat version in every full-body or leg workout.

5. Lunges. These are basically 1-leg squats. You have to do with one leg what you do with both legs in a squat. Therefore, you can't use as much weight, but you still work a lot of muscles doing this exercise. There is also more balance and agility involved. Like squats, there is almost an unlimited number of variations of lunges.

If you do a full-body workout 3 times per week, integrate 1-2 of these exercises in each workout. You will quickly find yourself getting stronger, leaner, and more toned than ever!

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Bobbi_Johnson/288619

Top 10 Weight Loss Tips That Burn Fat

As the number of overweight and obese Americans approaches three-quarters of all adults, dropping those extra pounds becomes a serious objective of many who are concerned with their long term health. For most, losing weight and keeping it off is a lifelong battle made more difficult with frequent on-the-run meals and failed fad diets.

Abdominal fat can be dangerous to health, as it increases the risk of heart attack, diabetes and certain cancers. Targeting belly fat has been shown to considerably reduce the incidence of health related concerns and provides for an improved level of self-esteem and confidence. Fortunately there are a variety of steps which can help with overall weight loss and specifically eliminate stomach fat. Create your own weight reduction program by choosing from these fat burning tips.

Tip 1. Eat Smaller Meals Throughout the Day

Eat smaller nutritious meals

Eating 2 or 3 larger meals per day causes the body's metabolism to stall as it's forced to process a higher number of calories. Eat 4 to 6 smaller meals each day and limit calories to no more than 300 to 400 at each sitting. Eat sensibly and avoid heavily processed foods in favor of natural choices including plenty of raw vegetables. Most important, never eat after 7 PM to allow complete digestion of your last meal before going to sleep.

Tip 2. Develop an Exercise Routine

To be successful in any weight loss plan, it's essential to incorporate an exercise regimen. It doesn't need to be strenuous, but must be done regularly on most days of the week. Use a combination of strength training and cardio to make it fun, and be sure to train for 20 to 30 minutes each session.

Tip 3. Eat at Home - Dine Out on Special Occasions

Most dieters have no concept of the excess calories they eat when dining out. Most restaurant meals include twice the number of calories as a home cooked meal. For weight loss to be successful, you must be able to control the healthy ingredients and quantity.

Tip 4. Drink Green Tea

Green tea is a known fat fighter

Studies confirm that drinking tea, especially the less processed green tea boosts metabolism when you're resting and specifically targets the release of stored fat. Brew the tea yourself to avoid the sugar added to prepackaged teas.

Tip 5. Drink More Water

Some dietary advocates promote the idea of drinking as much as 64 oz. of water daily. While the majority of studies don't confirm this, they do indicate the importance of drinking water through the day. Water reduces fluid retention naturally and promotes the release of toxins from the body.

Tip 6. Eat Slowly and Enjoy Your Food

Slow down when eating to allow your brain to send the satiety signal so you know when to stop eating. You should enjoy your food and chew each bite a minimum of 20 times to aid the beginning of the digestive process.

Tip 7. Cut the Sweets and Refined Carbs

Resist the temptation of sweets

All calories are not created equal. Refined carbohydrates and sweets are broken down immediately upon eating, providing an immediate surge of blood sugar and the desire to eat again in a couple of hours. Slow release calories from vegetable and protein sources require much more energy to metabolize and are less likely to be stored as fat.

Tip 8. Use a Smaller Plate

Most dieters don't even realize that the average dinner plate has gone from 9" to 12" in size. This means that 40% more food fits on your plate, and studies confirm that if it's on the plate, it's in your mouth.

Tip 9. Avoid Sugary Soft Drinks

The best place to begin cutting calories is in soft drinks. Each drink packs 150 to 200 calories, and most people consume several each day. Replacing sugared soft drinks with a no calorie substitute will result in losing 1 pound per week without any other changes.

Tip 10. Make These Changes Your New Lifestyle

Following these tips with the thought of short term weight loss can be beneficial, but it's important to develop a totally new lifestyle which incorporates most or all of these tips. Start by making these changes for 15 days, and be strict. You'll find that it becomes much easier as you go on, and the scale will provide encouragement.

All of these tips have been proven to deliver results. Follow as many as possible for maximum results, but don't let one or two push you away from your ultimate goal of permanent weight loss. Losing fat, especially from the midsection is critically important to living a long and healthy life.

Read More Expert Advice on Diet, Health and Nutrition

John Phillip is a Health Researcher and Author who writes regularly on the cutting edge use of diet, lifestyle modifications and targeted supplementation to enhance and improve the quality and length of life. Visit my Optimal Health Resource to continue reading the latest health news updates.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/John_L._Phillip/571991

How to Increase Your Metabolism to Stay Fit

Metabolism Basics

Weight loss is a major area of concern for modern consumers. Many of them would like to know how to drop their weight as quickly as possible for weddings, photo shoots, self-esteem and the like. Metabolism is one of the keys to rapid weight loss. Metabolism has to do with the speed at which the body burns fat. Some people have fast metabolic systems that seem to burn fat continuously no matter what they eat. Other people seem to have sadly stagnant metabolic rates. You may be wondering how to increase your metabolism. The following are a few tips that are designed to help you if you are:

Drink Cold Water

Water is essential

Drinking ice-cold water is one of the easiest and most popular ways of learning how to increase your metabolism. Ice-cold water provides a lovely jolt to the metabolic system. The activity burns about eight more calories per hour than drinking room-temperature water does. Drinking cold water first thing in the morning can get the system going rather quickly. The best thing about the water method is that it is not expensive at all.

Eat Frequent Meals

Another tip for learning how to increase your metabolism is to eat between five and six small meals every day instead of eating three huge meals. The first bit of food that you eat in the morning kick-starts your metabolism. Giving the body a boost every four hours or so keeps it burning. Drinking the recommended number of water glasses per day can help keep the metabolism going, as well. Medical experts recommend that every person drink at least eight glasses of water per day. You can also aid the boosting process by eating foods that will work with the metabolism. Nuts, vegetables and fruits are always good.

Confuse the System

Sometimes it is good to trick the body a little bit so that it can get a kick to the system. The consumer can keep the metabolism on its toes by changing the diet. For example, the person may eat fruits and vegetables for six straight days and then eat a huge helping of ice cream on the seventh day. The change will boost the metabolism.

Exercise as Much as Possible

Exercise is also a key to success

Finally, exercise always gives a boost to the metabolism. You can get exercise a number of ways. One way to get exercise is to take a brisk walk first thing in the morning. Another way that you can get exercise is by riding an old-fashioned bicycle. Just an hour of walking or bike riding can burn hundreds of calories. Stair-stepping is another way that you can get some daily exercise. Stair-stepping works the thighs, buttocks and the bottom of the legs. All previously mentioned activities are great cardiovascular activities.

You can try any or all of the previously mentioned activities to quickly boost your metabolic rate. They are inexpensive and highly successful methods that should cause a significant difference in the speed at which you burn fat.

Read more: How to Increase Your Metabolism to Stay Fit http://www.sooperarticles.com/health-fitness-articles/weight-loss-articles/how-increase-your-metabolism-stay-fit-1483144.html#ixzz4G0ArJyL3
Follow us: @SooperArticles on Twitter | SooperArticles on Facebook

The science is in - Exercise is not the best way to lose weight

Why working out is great for health, but not for weight loss, explained in five minutes.

Fat Loss Friday - Foods That Speed Up Metabolism

Eat For Heat: Foods That Rev Up Your Metabolism

Stoke Your Furnace

Metabolism makes up all the processes that fuel our bodies. The constant need for energy for all the things that make us alive is demanding, and the more active we are, or the more mass we have, the more energy is necessary to keep us running. Eating in general creates a thermic effect, that is, since it requires energy to breakdown and extract nutrition from food, food itself increases our metabolism. That's great, but there are certain foods that speed up metabolism even more than others. Focusing on including these in your diet can really boost your metabolism over the long term, increasing fat loss and improving health in general.

1 - Spice Up Your Life!

Spicy foods like jalapeno and habanero peppers and spices like cayenne can get the heart rate up and the body heat activated, requiring sweat to cool us down. This small spike in metabolic rate is actually used by hot countries to help keep them cool. As counter-intuitive as this might sound, by causing a little bit of sweat from food, you're constantly in a state of cooling as it evaporates from your skin, keeping your metabolic furnace stoked and your body cool.

2 - Protein Punch!

Protein is king for metabolism boosting

As stated above, all food requires energy to break down, but protein in particular requires a bit above and beyond. About 25% of the total energy provided by protein is required to break the food down and absorb the nutrients. That means a 100 calorie portion of meat will require about 25 calories to process it, leading to a net intake of 75 calories. Not only does this off-set some of the ingested calories, but it also increases your metabolic rate for a while after eating as it takes your body longer to break down protein than it does for carbs or fat. As far as foods that speed up metabolism are concerned, protein is king!

3 - Ice, Ice Baby

Cold drinks in general that have no calories, but particularly water, have a great effect at slightly boosting metabolism. The energy your body needs to return your temperature to normal after ingesting cold drinks makes your metabolism spike, even if only for a short while. Starting your day with a big glass of ice water is a great way to wake up and get your metabolic furnace firing on all cylinders.

4 - Coco-nuts About Coconut Oil!

Coconut oil is almost entirely made of medium-chain triglycerides. This type of fat is immediately useful to the body and a perfect addition to foods that speed up metabolism, providing a quick boost of energy that is harder for your body to store than other types of calories. Pure MCT oil is another source of these medium-chain triglycerides, and an even more potent one than coconut oil. Saute food in it, use it instead of butter, or if you're brave, try blending 1 or 2 tbsp in your coffee with heavy cream for a fatty, frothy coffee that boosts your metabolism to new heights!

5 - Coffee and Green Tea

Coffee is great for boosting metabolism

For most people, a quick pick-me-up is a nice cup of coffee in the morning or afternoon. Tea is a staple the world over, and both are great sources of caffeine, which greatly boosts mood, metabolism, and fat-burning rate, as well as concentration and focus. There's also evidence that daily coffee intake protects the liver and helps prevent diabetes, so grab yourself another cup (just maybe skip the sugar and flavored creamer!)


Read more: Foods That Speed Up Metabolism http://www.sooperarticles.com/health-fitness-articles/weight-loss-articles/foods-speed-up-metabolism-1482910.html#ixzz4G0B49ecS
Follow us: @SooperArticles on Twitter | SooperArticles on Facebook

Wednesday Video - How to Lose 10 pounds in 2 Weeks

Can you safely lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks? Yes, it is hard, but very doableHave you been looking in the mirror and telling yourself that it’s about time you shed off those pounds? Or were you staring at a pair of skinny jeans and feeling bad that they can’t fit you anymore? Or maybe swimsuit season is fast approaching, but your body fat still thinks its winter and doesn’t want to leave yet? Whatever your reason, losing weight can be a good idea, not only for a sexier new look, but also for a healthier body.

Watch this video tutorial to learn how to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks.

Monday Muscle - Muscle Memory - Can Muscles Actually Remember?

Ask any bodybuilder what muscle memory means and they will readily answer that it is the ability to regain muscle mass more quickly after a period of inactivity than it took to gain the same mass originally. However, if you type the term "muscle memory" into a search engine on the internet, you will find there are many different interpretations of this term. And depending on which authority you consult, the meanings are diverse.

Some believe that muscle memory is simply the application of learned processes much like a baby learns to walk or feed itself.

Repetition can bring success

After many repetitions of the same action, parts of the body are able to react without the person thinking about what they are doing, and the action involved seems to come naturally. If this is true, then muscle memory is actually a neurological function that is built into all humans. According to Andersen, et al. (2005), some studies have shown that neurological and physiological changes occur during skill training, but not during strength training alone.

Others believe that there is an actual physiological change that occurs in the muscles during strength training, altering the function of certain muscle fibers, causing them to bring about muscle growth more readily than before training. In both cases, the muscle's ability to regain both strength and size may be enhanced if training is stopped for a period of time and then started again.

Resistance training and weight training require a combination of strength and motor skill. As a person learns how to perform certain exercises, it is important to learn the right patterns of movement that will achieve the desired muscle growth (Jensen, Marstrand & Nielsen, 2005). Many people define muscle memory as muscular hypertrophy, kinesthesia, proprioception or a result of neuromuscular facilitation. To some extent, all of these definitions play a part in muscle memory. Let's start by defining these terms and showing their interaction with one another to facilitate "muscle memory" during strength training and bodybuilding (as well as other types of exercise).

Muscular Hypertrophy Hypertrophy is the increase of the size of an organ or select area of tissue that occurs due to an increase in the size of cells. Muscular hypertrophy occurs through increased contractile proteins. Myosin heavy chain isoforms, or MHCs, refer to the types of protein seen in a given muscle fiber.

MHCs determine how the muscle fiber functions.

Some moves give more muscle

There are two types of MHCs - IIX, which are neutral until they are put to use by the muscle, and IIA, which have a specific purpose of causing muscle growth. Certain MHCs undergo a change in response to resistance exercise and serve as a reservoir of sorts for muscle hypertrophy because they can transform themselves into the types of fibers which grow easily in response to training (Haycock, 2004). Many scientists believe that once these types of muscle fibers are generated by regular resistance or weight training, they remain in the muscle, waiting to be reactivated. If a person does not exercise, or detrains, for a long period of time, and then begins an exercise regimen again, the fact that there are an abundance of muscle-growing fibers already present from previous workouts helps to regain muscle more quickly the second time around. In fact, certain types of strength training advocate detraining for a period of time in order to facilitate this type of response in the muscle, therefore eliminating the possibility of hitting a plateau that is difficult to overcome (Haycock, 2002). Without that plateau, a bodybuilder is better able to continue growing in muscle size and strength.

Kinesthesia Kinesthesia is the body's ability to sense the position and movement of all parts of itself, such as limbs and muscular tension. For example, if a person closes their eyes and holds their arms straight out in front of them, they are able to tell without looking if their palms are facing up or facing down. For a bodybuilder this translates into the body's ability to know the precise location and position to stop during a repetitive exercise in order to achieve the right amount of flex and tension to maximize the results. If you've taken part in a good program of resistance training, you will retain the ability to repeat the correct movements even if you stop training for a while.

It is important to note, however, that learning the correct way to perform an exercise is the key to achieving the best results. If a person learns the wrong movements, they will not achieve the same results. It is best to use a personal trainer or receive some sort of instruction when learning to exercise the different muscle groups, because learning the wrong form can cause damage or result in a workout that does not meet the exerciser's goals. And the time and effort involved in unlearning bad technique can be substantial and can totally demoralize the individual.

Proprioception/Neuromuscular Facilitation Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation is the term used to describe stretching exercises that increase range of motion in a muscle, thereby increasing strength and flexibility. It is often used as therapy after an injury or long periods of inactivity such as bed rest. By stretching and contracting and rotating a muscle, sufficient use can be regained even though the muscle has not been used as much as it would be normally, thus allowing a person to regain normal function. Stretching is an important part of physical fitness because it prepares the muscles for the physical activity involved in performing certain movements. It can reduce muscle strain and the danger of injury during a workout session. In order to be in top physical condition, a person must have good flexibility. Of course, there are different types of stretching for different routines.

Is Muscle Memory a Myth or Fact? Many articles and studies exist that discuss whether muscle memory in relation to bodybuilding and weight training is a myth. Some experts believe that muscle memory is simply a normal function of the body, that it is more related to the way the brain sends signals when performing any movement.

Correct movements mean optimum benefit

However, we'll use the term to define the memory of a learned pattern of behavior, such as how to make the correct movements while performing resistance training exercises to obtain optimum benefit.

Based on my interpretation of the literature, as well as my own experience, muscle memory is real and does have an impact on a person's ability to regain muscle mass quickly after a period of no exercise when they previously practiced a regular exercise regimen. A good analogy is learning to ride a bicycle or learning how to swim - once a person learns how to do these things, even if they don't do them for a long period of time, they are able to operate the pedals and retain their balance on a bicycle, or kick their feet and rotate their arms to stay afloat when swimming.

Sources:
Andersen, L. L., Andersen, J. L., Magnusson, S. P., Suetta, C., Madsen, J. L., Christensen, L. R., & Aagaard, P. (2005). Changes in the human muscle force-velocity relationship in response to resistance training and subsequent detraining. Journal of Applied Physiology, 99, 87-94.
Staron, R. S., Leonardi, M. J., Karapondo, D. L., Malicky, E. S., Falkel, J. E., Hagerman, F. C. & Hikida, R. S. (1991). Strength and muscle adaptations in heavy-resistance-trained women after detraining and retraining. Journal of Applied Physiology, 70, 631-640.
Trappe, S., Williamson, D., & Godard, M. (2002). Maintenance of Whole Muscle Strength and Size Following Resistance Training in Older Men. Journal of Gerontology: BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, 57A (4), B138-B143.

Darrin Clement runs http://worldfitnessnetwork.com, a blog covering the Art and Science of Building Lean Muscle Mass and An Awesome Physique. Sign up and get our free e-book on bodybuilding.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Darrin_Clement/96563

Fat Loss Friday - How to Speed up Your Metabolism - Learn How You Can Speed Up Your Metabolism

Did you know?

Your metabolism is the machine inside you that keeps on working away to keep the weight off and burn fat.

Increase your metabolism at any age

The sad part is most people in their 30's and up struggle with their metabolic rate. This being a leading factor to why you have weight problems. But let's be honest, everyone out there who have the problem of everything you eat turning into excess fat or water weight is upsetting. A fast metabolism means more calories burned. You can speed up your metabolism so it works harder for you. It's very easy to regulate it and keep it at a medium to high rate to drop those unwanted pounds of fat.

Things you should consider

There are many sayings about fast and slow metabolism. Truth is you don't have as much control over your metabolism as you think but you can control how many calories you burn through your level of physical activity. The more active you are, the more calories you burn. There are three very effective ways to lose weight and burning calories to speed up your metabolism. Aerobic activity is the best way to burn calories. The goal should be 150 minutes a week of walking cycling and swimming. You can reach this goal by doing 30 minutes five days a week and breaking down your activity sessions in 10 minute sessions. To speed that metabolism up drastically you likely need to do more than that a week and make changes to your diet.

Any age is a good age to start weight training

Strength training is another excellent workout to help you speed up your metabolism. Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissues so increasing your muscle mass will help you lose weight. Aim to do two or more days a week that work all major muscle groups like lifting weights and high intensity rounds of exercise like cross fit workouts.

Try This...

We all know working out is great for your our health and it is the most beneficial for your metabolic rate but it isn't the entire picture. What you eat and how you eat it eat plays a big role in all of this. First thing you want to do is drink two glasses of ice water as soon as you wake up. The water will wake your body out of sleep mode and into awake mode. The cold water will start to shunt the water from the internal organs to the peripheral muscles. This gets your blood pumping and flowing, which boosts your metabolism one to two percent.

Eating certain foods at certain times of the day, waking up early and eating your breakfast is key but also eating your dinner before six and nothing after that except water throughout the evening. A food group in particular that helps speed up your metabolic rate is spicy foods. Hot peppers have been linked to reducing obesity and related disorders because they increase energy expenditure and fat oxidation by increasing the metabolism. Another excellent natural

For information on how to speed up your metabolism to lose weight go to http://taylorsmith.myautomaticbuilder.com/cp/12046



Read more: How to Speed up Your Metabolism - Learn How You Can Speed Up Your Metabolism http://www.sooperarticles.com/health-fitness-articles/weight-loss-articles/how-speed-up-your-metabolism-learn-how-you-can-speed-up-your-metabolism-1472883.html#ixzz4G0BdX4TX
Follow us: @SooperArticles on Twitter | SooperArticles on Facebook

Wednesday Video - 5 Common Weight Loss Mistakes - Lose Weight Fast By Avoiding These Mistakes!

The reason many people don't lose weight is because of mistakes they're not aware of. Make sure you do everything you can to avoid these mistakes! If you do, you'll lose weight effectively and fast!

Monday Muscle - Muscle Memory, Going Back to Muscle Building

Some people can't do something without motivation. Most first time gym goers quit because of fatigue, laziness, time constraints, injury, or some other silly excuse. Stop dreaming of a super soldier serum.

Use motivational images

Captain America is a just a comic book super hero. It's not impossible but we're far from that kind of technology.

Don't worry. I quit several times since I was teenager. The important thing is the willingness to keep coming back.

Some, people can't take the challenge of lifting weights for self-improvement. They grow big for a few months and then stop. Most never go back to the gym but there are a brave few who decide to go back.

And that, is the purpose of this topic. One should never fear going back to the gym to get bigger and do the same thing in the same amount of time over and over again. This, my friend, is something you don't need to experience because of muscle memory.

So what exactly is muscle memory? Muscle memory is man's retention in the memory of movement stored trough repetitive motor tasks. Muscles become accustomed to certain type of movement. It's when you try something like riding a bike for the first time and then learn from a series of trial and error. And then, after a few years of not riding a bike, you try using one, and then you don't fall. It's because your mind still knows exactly how to balance your body in a bike.

So when exactly muscle memory helpful for us bodybuilders?

Remember the rule that progress is needed to gain bigger muscles? Muscle memory is very helpful for people who quit bodybuilding but decided to bulk-up again. Muscle memory allows bodybuilders to immediately return to their old physique faster than when they first tried.

Muscle memory let's you lift weights easier too. When the body does the same thing over and over, like doing squats, dead-lifts and other exercises, the body automatically adjusts to the act. Doing it feels like you don't need to think about proper form anymore. The act becomes second nature to your body. This means you can lift more weight. More weight means bigger muscles!

I've had my share of quitting too.

The important thing is not quitting

I already gave all kinds of excuses. I've already quit several times since my teenage years. But I kept coming back. And every time I came back I became better and better. This should be the same to most people who have already quit. It's never too late to start building muscles again. You never know what would happen next. You might be the next Mr. Olympia. You might become a fitness coach. You might even be the next boyfriend of your dream girl. Or you can just be a better person and feel good about yourself.

Just take one step further. All it takes is that courage to try something again. This time, things are easier than your first.

It's because of muscle memory.

Remember that!




Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Elnel_Andrew_Nagoy_Roque/1119156

Fat Loss Friday - Ways on How to Lose Weight Fast

Would you trust that it's conceivable to diminish around 5 pounds from your body weight in a week without starving, assuming how to lose weight fast or even totally disposing of some nutrition class from your eating routine? Trust it or not, it's conceivable! That as well, just by making a couple gives up and tailing some particular methods. Perused on to take in the right eating and practice system you have to take after, and how to get more fit in a week.

Plain water is best

We continue letting you know on numerous occasions, you have to drink more water to get more fit. There's no point drinking any sports or caffeinated beverage, or some organic product smoothie they all include no less than 100 superfluous calories to your ordinary calorie admission. A few fluids may likewise be high in sodium and sugars and trap your body into holding water to puff you out.

In actuality, plain water has zero calories and carbs, and next to zero sodium. It's in this manner the ideal thin down beverage which likewise flushes out overabundance water while kicking off your digestion system. In the event that required, you can include some lemon wedges or mint leaves to the water to upgrade its taste with least calories!

Quit eating white bread and pasta, white rice, sandwich rolls and spaghetti. This will eaffect your weight as these basic carbs just purpose bloating, particularly close to your paunch as they are processed rapidly. This abandons you hungry rapidly, and expansions the propensity of your indulging later on.

Rather, supplant them with more beneficial entire grain bread items and vegetables. So as opposed to eating a chicken sandwich, it's better on the off chance that you eat a chicken plate of mixed greens and rather than chips, have some carrot and a plunge. As vegetables are intricate carbs, they take more time to process and in this way keep you full more. Additionally, they are for the most part water which flushes out abundance water weight from your body.

30 minutes cardio a day is an absolute necessity as it builds your heart rate to expand the quantity of calories you smoulder.

The right cardio can torch fat

However, pick your cardio routine well as you can blaze more calories if your standard uses more muscles at the same time. Great choices are training camp workouts, cardio kickboxing and Muay thai.

All you have to do is thirty minutes of these activities to condition your legs, arms and center so that your body becomes sleeker and more tightly. You can blaze considerably more calories per exercise session if your workout incorporates interim preparing, comprising of option short blasts of extreme cardio alongside slower action. In order to know more about methods to lose weight fast, check the online medium. Now!

Mark Lee is a health fitness expert having years of experience on How to Lose Weight Fast & Lose Weight Fast He writes online contents related to healthcare industry.



Read more: Ways on How to Lose Weight Fast http://www.sooperarticles.com/health-fitness-articles/weight-loss-articles/ways-how-lose-weight-fast-1509848.html#ixzz4G09qcXMT
Follow us:@SooperArticles on Twitter

Wednesday Video - The Ketogenic Diet Explained in Under 5 Minutes. Low Carb = Best Weight Loss Diet?

The Ketogenic, aka "Keto" Diet is a widely popular diet that stuck through longer than many of the fad diets that have come and gone. So what's so special about this diet? This video explains it all

Monday Muscle - Muscle Building Nutrition - Stop Training Like a Pro! Here's The Right Strategy

Speaking of muscle building, most people rely more on advice and muscle building programs. But one thing they've forgotten is the muscle building nutrition. No matter how intense your workout is, you will never see development unless you pay attention to everything that you eat. Some people said training like a pro body builder will give you the muscle of the body builder. But why is it there are still millions of people searching for advice on how to build muscles? If training like a body builder will give you the figure that you desire, then why is it there are still people who are now spending long hours on the gym just to get the figures they desire?

Consider proper nutrition for your body

Muscle building is not about idolizing professionals. Yes, you can follow some of their advise but you should be warned because not all of them are true and effective. In the first place you should understand that most body builders were not trained naturally. Maybe some of them are using steroids to enhance their resistance. Besides, they're genetically gifted with strong bodies. People don't have the same body types. And to tell you the truth, training like a body builder will only make you suffer from muscle cramps.

So what are you going to do after you've read the information above? Of course, there's no other way to build muscles but to consider your nutrition. Until now, there are still mistakes people did when considering their diets. First and foremost, people are afraid of fats, isn't it? You can't deny that you also hate fats too. Fats are not poisons so you don't need to avoid it. Plus, would you know that there are good fats and bad fats? Good fats are the ones found of vegetable oil, nuts and olive oil. While on the other hand, bad fats are the ones found of fast food including burgers, steaks and fries.

Just like losing weight, you also need to plan your meals. But this time, you don't have to reduce the serving of your regular meal. Instead, you have to add or as much as possible consume the maximum serving an hour before the work out. For best results, it is better to divide your meals into 5-6 meals every day. This strategy is used simply to ensure that your body is getting the required nutrients.

Maybe you heard it many times. But it's true that protein is important for building muscles. Why? It's because protein is the one that provides amino acids to the body. On the other hand, amino acids are the ones that provide nitrogen which is therefore needed in muscle building process.

High protein foods:

Choose healthy high protein foods

• Eggs
• Nuts
• Lean meats
• Turkey
• Chicken
• Nuts and beans

Take note that muscle building nutrition plays a vital role in muscle building. But apart from that, you should also have a continuous workout. The proper nutrition and intense workout when combined can definitely bring good result though you should leave 2 days for your rest. Rest is important to regain the energy you have lost in the workout. But of course, don't forget to keep your body hydrated.


By Russ D. Edwards

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Russ_D._Edwards/416640

Fat Loss Friday - What to Eat to Lose Weight

Losing weight is a matter of choice. Today, many people are considered overweight. This is both in men and women. It is attributed to increased calorie intake and intake of foods which are rich in fats. The excess fat is stored in the adipose tissues and is not utilized. When you realize that you are overweight, the first thing to know is that, there are natural methods that can enable you lose weight easily. They are much safer than when synthetic medicine is administered. For instance, restricting yourself to some foods can help you achieve this goal. You therefore should not worry about what to eat to lose weight. Below are some of the foods you can consider.

Sweet potatoes

A sweet potato is considered one of the foods that burn fat fast. They have double benefit such that they are sources of energy and also, they contain fibers that help to prevent over-absorption of food and peristalsis. You can get these from your local market at a cheap price.

Green vegetables

Load up on vegetables

There are many people who like the green vegetables. These have several benefits in the body in line with losing of weight. Simply get to the market and purchase kales. If you are tired of them, you can as well order for another suitable type. Green vegetables are important sources of mineral salts and vitamins. On the other hand, minerals salts normally accelerate metabolic pathways while some vitamins act as co-enzymes. This therefore means that you need them for effective metabolism in the body. One of the greatest advantages of these is that, anyone can get them at any given time. Include these in your lunch and supper and wait for the good results.

Adequate water

For any person who wants to lose weight, he or she must be ready to drink a lot of water. There are some people who do not like to take adequate amounts of water and therefore, they end up becoming dehydrated. Without adequate water, the most important metabolic processes will be hindered from occurring. For instance, glycolysis, which is the breakdown of glucose into energy will not occur. Water in this process, provides a media through which the reactions occur.

Fruits

Most fruits are common to people from various parts of the world. For instance, the bananas, mangoes and lemons are all important. They contain fibers that are important in regulating food absorption and also help in maintaining a normal flow of food in the intestines. You do not have to eat a lot of them. Simply include one or two in your diet and you will be glad.

Fish

Fish has multiple advantages for your body

Some people may not concur with the fact that fish can help one lose weight. The food has multiple advantages in the body. For instance, it contains certain mineral salts that are important in body metabolism and therefore, this helps to speed up the breakdown of food into energy. Moreover, itr also contains omega fats that are important in tissue formation.

Parry joeperia is a fitness trainer. She provides online training on full body strength training. The effectiveness of strength training exercises depends on the proper use of machines and weight tools.





By Parry Joeperia

Read more: What to Eat to Lose Weight http://www.sooperarticles.com/health-fitness-articles/weight-loss-articles/what-eat-lose-weight-1508304.html#ixzz4G0AC7IcF
Follow us: @SooperArticles on Twitter | SooperArticles on Facebook

Wednesday Video - Top 10 Food Myths

These are the (possibly) false truths we convince ourselves to believe in regards to our food. Join http://watchmojo.com as we count down our picks for the Top 10 Food Myths.

Monday Muscle - Facts About How To Lose Fat And Build Muscle - 7 Effective Tips For Your Diet And Workout

How do you lose fat and gain muscle? It's a contradiction, actually because a lot of people think that in order to gain muscle mass, you have to gain some fat, too. This is not applicable for most people. Unrealistic expectations of building more muscles lead many muscle building enthusiasts to believe that they cannot gain muscles and lose fat at the same time.

Facts about gaining muscles state that mature adults normally gain 15 pounds of muscle at most every year.

Quality calories mean quality muscle

However, many people tend to gain only 5 pounds of muscle at the same time duration. This is equivalent to only 1.25 pounds of muscle gained every month while maintaining the same amount of body fat. To gain more muscles, you have to add more calories in your diet. Take in 100 more calories each day so that in one month, you have an additional 3125 calories per month.

What about losing fat? You can lose fat faster than gain muscle. That is, in order to lose fat, you have to reduce your calorie intake per day while increasing your calories output. For an average person to lose weight, he or she should take in 400 calories lesser per day than they normally do. That totals to a reduction of 12,000 calories intake per month. It results to 1 pound lost per week which again totals to 52 pounds lost in one year.

Considering this equation, you'll realize that the calories increase you need to gain muscle is relatively very small compared to the calories reduction that you need to lose fat. Now, how is it to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time? It basically means that you have to eat more and eat less altogether. To get this straight, you have to first get rid of a particular muscle gaining myth, and that is the myth that you need to eat more so that you'll gain more muscles.

To get a better scenario about this endeavor, take a look at what your body does to the calories that it consumes. Twenty-five percent of your energy intake goes to your brain while 50% of the calories your body consumes goes to the activities that keeps you alive, such as breathing, regulating body temperature, pumping blood and replenishing dead cells.

Most calories are needed simply to keep the body going

Another 20% of your body energy is allocated to your physical activities such as moving, walking and lifting. Surprisingly, only 5% of your energy is contributed to adding muscles. As you notice from this calculation, only a small amount of the calories you consume are distributed to exercise and building muscles.

Your body has 2 main requirements in order to keep you alive:

· Carbs or fat for energy that you burn

· Protein amino acids

If the food that you take in is scarce, your body comes to the rescue by way of its emergency back up system. If it deems that you are in dire emergency, your body activates this nuclear power plant that cannibalizes your muscles. You have to stop the activation of this nuclear reactor so that it doesn't eat up your muscles. Here's how you lose fat and gain muscle:

1. Take 1 gram of protein per pound of your body weight. That means eating 5 to 6 equal portions of protein consumed evenly throughout the day.

2. Eat just enough calories to stop sending signals to your body that you are starving. Be wary of consuming too much calories or else you'll gain fat. A good value for this plan is to eat 10% less of your energy consumption every day. In other words, 10% calorie reduction.

3. Eat proper nutrition, make every calorie count. Skip eating processed foods. Add lots of fresh vegetables to your diet

4. Make a 30% calorie reduction from fat. Eat good fats instead, such as from nuts, olives and avocadoes.

5. Add more whole grains to your meals as well as low G.I. carbs.

Consume good fats 

Skip consuming simple carbs from alcohol, sugar and white flour. Have a daily intake of omega 3's from salmon and flax, among other food sources.

6. Be consistent in doing hardcore exercises. Ask a fitness trainer to design an appropriate workout plan for you.

7. Do 30- 40 minutes of cardio daily. Cardio helps in your endeavor to lose fat and build muscle.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Walter_H_Menuet/1833556