FITNESS SOLUTIONS - ALL ABOUT FITNESS - EXERCISE - MUSCLE

Interview with Jack LaLanne Legendary Fitness Expert, Health Pioneer, Diet and Nutrition Innovator

2012-01-14T05:10:00.000-08:00

Interview by Dennis Hughes, Share Guide Publisher

Jack LaLanne touted the value of exercise and nutrition long before it became fashionable. He was 30 years ahead of his time. His television programs brought these ideas to millions of people and helped change the way we all view health and fitness. Now age 91, he is living testimony to the value of regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle. His clear message is that before 50 or after 50, it's never too late to get in shape!

Share Guide: When I was in my early twenties I started a natural foods distribution company. My mom thought I was kind of crazy--eating health foods, taking supplements and exercising--but when I showed her a picture of me shaking your hand at the Natural Foods Expo, then she began to understand. That picture stayed by her bedside until she passed on, so she could explain to her friends what her oldest son was doing for a living.

Jack LaLanne: That is very touching. How old was your mom when she died?
Share Guide: She was only 62. She had ovarian cancer.

Jack LaLanne: There must have been something she was doing wrong along the line.

Share Guide: Yes, she didn't have the best lifestyle.

Jack LaLanne: That is sad. Everything you do in life, I don't care, good or bad--don't blame God, don't blame the devil, don't blame me, blame you. You control everything! The thoughts you think, the words you utter, the foods you eat, the exercise you do. Everything is controlled by you.
Share Guide: I agree. I see aging as not just about becoming feeble; I think it's about remaining hale and hardy in your senior years. What does aging well mean to you?

Jack LaLanne: It means being able to do the things that you want to do. So many people say, "I'd like to do this, I'd like to do that." The mind should control the body. When you move your fingers, when you move your toes, that's done by the mind. Remember this: your body is your slave; it works for you. If you had people working for you, employees, and it was very important what condition they were in, boy, you'd make sure you fed them right, you exercised them, gave them everything they needed so they could do things for you, right?
Share Guide: Right.

Jack LaLanne: That's what your body is. The more things you do to help your health, the more you'll be able to do. That is why a lot of people are sick and tired. They get arthritis and rheumatism and all these diseases. Then they decide to go on vacation and think that is going to help. Well, they take their problems with them! They can't leave them at home can they?
Share Guide: You can't leave your body behind at home.

Jack LaLanne: That's what I am saying. You have to take care of your 640 muscles, and the number one thing is exercise. You can eat perfectly but if you don't exercise, you cannot get by. There are so many health food nuts out there that eat nothing but natural foods but they don't exercise and they look terrible. Then there are other people who exercise like a son-of-a-gun but eat a lot of junk. They look pretty good because the exercise is king. Nutrition is queen. Put them together and you've got a kingdom!
Share Guide: So according to you, exercise is most important?

Jack LaLanne: Exercise IS number one! Think about it: the human body, how do you hurt it?
Share Guide: By not using it.

Jack LaLanne: Right! So many older people, they just sit around all day long and they don't get any exercise. Their muscles atrophy, and they lose their strength, their energy and vitality by inactivity.
Share Guide: You are right. I have done a survey of Share Guide readers, and many more of them buy natural foods than exercise.

Jack LaLanne: That's what I am saying. They think they are going to get it out of a bottle or a pill or food.
Share Guide: So people need to learn to make the time to exercise.

Jack LaLanne: Yes, exercise is the catalyst. That's what makes everything happen: your digestion, your elimination, your sex life, your skin, hair, everything about you depends on circulation. And how do you increase circulation? By exercise. I'll tell you one thing, you don't always have to be on the go. I sit around a lot, I read a lot, and I do watch television. But I also work out for two hours every day of my life, even when I'm on the road.
Share Guide: In your most recent book, Revitalize Your Life, you talk about reversing the aging process.

Jack LaLanne: Absolutely. For example, take a guy that's 60 years old and hasn't exercised. Say you exercise him for 6 to 8 weeks--you can double his strength and double his endurance. Test after test has been done all over the world to prove this. They have even taken people in their 90's and put them on a weight training program and doubled their strength and endurance. Just think what the younger people at 50, 60, 70 and 80 can do if they can do that with 90 year olds.
Share Guide: So you're saying that even though we all are aging every day, exercise can counteract that?

Jack LaLanne: Absolutely. You can ward it off; you can prolong your life. I've outlived the age of maturity. I have showed my system works.
Share Guide: Many people who go to the gym only go three days a week rather than six or seven. What do you think about this?

Jack LaLanne: Three days is enough if it's vigorous.
Share Guide: I go to the gym in the morning before work, around 7 am.

Jack LaLanne: Do you work with the weights?
Share Guide: Sometimes. I start with 30 minutes on the treadmill or stairmaster.

Jack LaLanne: Twelve to seventeen minutes is plenty on the treadmill--if it's done fast. That's all you need for cardiovascular benefit. You don't need to spend that extra time unless you are over weight and you need to burn off extra calories.
Share Guide: How fast do I need to go on the treadmill?

Jack LaLanne: Do it vigorously, like somebody is chasing you. You've got to do it hard. Otherwise, if you just take it easy and do it longer, you are spending all that time when you don't need it. Use that extra time with your weights instead. Focus on your problem zones, your strength, your energy, your flexibility and all the rest. Maybe your chest is flabby or your hips or waist need toning. Also, you should change your program every thirty days. That's the key.
Share Guide: How important do you think it is to have a personal trainer?

Jack LaLanne: If it's for the average person that doesn't have any willpower, it's important. For the person that is really progressing and they read up a lot and they have a lot of energy and discipline, they don't need a trainer. It depends on the individual. I don't need a trainer--I am my own trainer.
Share Guide: But someone that is just starting to go to the gym, they might want to get some training.

Jack LaLanne: Yes, just starting up it would be good to get a trainer for a couple of months. But not everyone can afford it. I know a lot of older people can't manage that.
Share Guide: So you think that working out three times a week is enough if you are vigorous about it?

Jack LaLanne: If you are ambitious and you want to do more, then I would do 4 days. Exercise vigorously one day and rest the next.
Share Guide: On the alternate days when I am not at the gym, I do yoga or tai chi.Those are not as vigorous.

Jack LaLanne: No, but they help with coordination and increase the circulation.
Share Guide: Right, they make the energy flow, kind of like a meditation in motion.

Jack LaLanne: I say if you enjoy it, do it. Let me ask this: when you are at the gym, how long do you rest before you do the next exercise?
Share Guide: Generally I do two sets of 10&endash;12 reps with a minute in between.

Jack LaLanne: That's too long. I rest ten seconds between sets.
Share Guide: Two sets per exercise?

Jack LaLanne: That is the very minimum. I do 20 sets for deltoids, 20 sets for pecs, and 20 sets for lats. It's important to change things around. Maybe for 30 days I might do ten reps with high weight, but the tenth rep should be to failure.
Share Guide: Meaning you can't quite do it?

Jack LaLanne: That's it. Then you build muscle and you build strength. Then for say 30 days I'll cut the weight down a bit and do fifteen reps. Then maybe for 30 days I'll add weight and do only 5 or 6 reps, then for another 30 days I'll do everything really slow. Try that sometimes. Like you are doing a prayer. Eight counts to bring it up and eight counts to let it down. That is very hard, I'll tell you! Then I'd do everything for a while real fast. You aren't used to any of this so the body responds. Pretty soon the hips and knees start to go, doing the same thing day after day. I am also very high on pool exercises. I started doing exercises when I was 15 or 16 years old called Jack LaLanne Hydronastics. I worked every muscle of the body in the pool. It's very effective.
Share Guide: I remember reading that you feel swimming is a very comprehensive exercise.

Jack LaLanne: Yes. You should do it against the clock. Say you are going to do 30 laps in 15 minutes. Then you try to do it each day a little faster. That is putting demands on the body, and that is how you build up. You keep up your energy instead of going downhill.
Share Guide: So it's important to challenge yourself and vary the things that you do.

Jack LaLanne: That's right. Many people have arthritis and rheumatism; they get bum knees, a bum back. A lot of guys get a little pain in the toe or knee and then they won't exercise. Well gee, you have 640 muscles in your body. There may be a few exercises you can't do, but there are hundreds you can do! Too many people make excuses like I am too old, or I don't have the time, or it costs money. Then when they get sick they go to the doctor and want a shot in the backside to make them healthy. Many so-called spiritual people, they overeat, drink too much, they smoke and don't exercise. But they do go to church every week and pray "Please help my arthritis. Please help me bring up my strength, make me young again." But tell me, can God go to the gym to work out for you? God helps those that help themselves. You have to do it! God or some omnipotent power or whatever you want to believe in gives you the energy, the will to do it, but you have to do it yourself. If you haven't exercised for a long time, just start out for a couple of minutes a day. Then work it up a little bit. You'd be surprised at the end of thirty days, how many things you are doing. How do you build up your bank account? By putting something in it everyday.Your health account is no different. What I do today, I am wearing tomorrow. If I put inferior foods in my body today, I'm going to be inferior tomorrow, it's that simple. What does age mean? Not being able to do the things you used to do. If I can get you doing things you haven't done for ten or fifteen years, isn't that exciting?
Share Guide: Yes it is. What about people who have disabilities and injuries, or are in a wheel chair?

Jack LaLanne: Work around it. If you can't use your legs, you can sit in a chair and you can do curls, you can do presses, you can do stretches. There are all kinds of things you can do. Or maybe you can't use your upper body but you can work your legs.
Share Guide: So you'd still be getting your circulation going.

Jack LaLanne: Absolutely! You can take them in a wheelchair and put them in a pool, so they can move their arms and legs. In a pool disabled people can do things that they can't normally do otherwise.
Share Guide: Have you modified your regimen since you were younger?

Jack LaLanne: Absolutely not. Although for many years I worked out at four in the morning and then later I started at five. Now my workout begins around 5:30 or 6:00 am. But I never think of age. The only person that talks of age is my wife. She says, "Oh look at Jack! He's going to be 88!" I think about TODAY; I don't think about tomorrow. I think about this moment and what I am going to do.
Share Guide: So you still exercise every single day even though you don't start quite as early.

Jack LaLanne: Yes, I do it as a therapy. I do it as something to keep me alive. We all need a little discipline. Exercise is my discipline.
Share Guide: In your book you mention that you were a vegetarian at one point for 6 years.

Jack LaLanne: I was a strict vegetarian. Then I decided to enter a Mr. America contest (which I won) and in those days they thought that in order to build muscle you had to have meat. So I ate meat for a while.
Share Guide: Why did you stop being a strict vegetarian?

Jack LaLanne: In those days everybody was saying that you had to eat meat to build muscle, so I went on a meat thing for awhile. NowI only eat fish--no chicken, no turkey, just fish. I get all my protein from fish and egg whites.
Share Guide: That is what my favorite healing authority says, Dr. Andrew Weil. He believes in eating fish and dairy on top of the vegetarian diet--the vegaquarian diet.

Jack LaLanne: I use no milk of any kind. Anything that comes from a cow I don't eat.
Share Guide: You aren't eating nonfat yogurt with your fruit anymore?

Jack LaLanne: I may take one bite. Or a little skim milk once in a while is not going to hurt you. It isn't what you do once in a while that's a problem; it's what you do all the time. Look at the average American diet: ice cream, butter, cheese, whole milk, all this fat. People don't realize how much of this stuff you get by the end of the day. High blood pressure is from all this high-fat eating. Do you know how many calories are in butter and cheese and ice cream? Would you get your dog up in the morning for a cup of coffee and a donut? Probably millions of Americans got up this morning with a cup of coffee, a cigarette and a donut. No wonder they are sick and fouled up.
Share Guide: Do you use supplements?

Jack LaLanne: Are you kidding? About 40 or 50 a day. Everything from A to Z. Ninety percent of them are natural, as much as I can take. I take enzymes, I take herbs, the whole bit!
Share Guide: Do you advocate a little red wine? Is that okay with you?

Jack LaLanne: Absolutely! I'd rather see you drink a glass of wine than a glass of milk. So many people drink Coca-Cola and all these soft drinks with sugar. Some of these drinks have 8 or 9 teaspoons of sugar in them What's the good of living if you can't have the things that give a little enjoyment? I never drink wine unless I am eating though. I take it with my meal.
Share Guide: How about water? I know I should drink more water.

Jack LaLanne: I drink 6 or seven glasses of water a day. I also drink vegetable juice. And I have at least 5 or 6 pieces of fresh fruit everyday and 10 raw vegetables.
Share Guide: How do you feel about organic foods?

Jack LaLanne: It's a bunch of bull. How do you know what's really organic? Today, there's all these impurities in the water and the air. The water for the fruits and vegetables has junk in it. If you get enough vitamins and minerals out of normal food and whole grains, and you get enough proteins and exercise (that's the key) then nature builds up a tolerance to all of these things. It's survival of the fittest. You can't have everything perfect, that's impossible, but the fit survive. The fit can handle the impurities in the air and in the water, but the poor people who are sick, it really affects them more.
Share Guide: So you're saying that people will have more resistance to toxins if they exercise.

Jack LaLanne: Absolutely, that's the key. If you want to eat more organic that's fine, but I don't go out of the way to get to organic vegetables. The way I eat, I am really high on vegetable juice. I have a juicer coming out right now on the Home Shopping Network, called the Jack LaLanne Power Juicer.
Share Guide: That's great. You know, I hadn't heard much from you for a long time. Then I noticed your interview in What Is Enlightenment magazine recently. It was nice to see that you are still healthy and on the scene.

Jack LaLanne: We've never been busier. I lecture all over the world. I lecture to medical doctors, lawyers and colleges. I have spoken to a whole group of millionaires, head executives at Microsoft. Boy did I chew those guys out.
Share Guide: For being lazy?

Jack LaLanne: Yes! I said, "You should be the examples. Here you are influencing thousands and thousands of employees. You should be the first ones to work. You are the ones that should set the example and stand for what it is to be healthy and successful. People look up to you. You have got to take care of the most important person in the world, YOU!" For many of these guys, the only things they think about is making money, money, money and business stuff, and they forget about their body. Without their body, they are nothing. I never got such response in my life. I got a standing ovation for about 5 minutes. Every one of those big multimillion-dollar execs that got my autograph said things like, "Jack, that is the most stirring speech I've ever heard in my life. I am going to start tomorrow. I am going to go get a physical, go back to the gym and get a trainer!"
Share Guide: How important do you think it is to get a medical check up?

Jack LaLanne: If you are over 25 or 30 years old, then get one.
Share Guide: And then once a year?

Jack LaLanne: Yes, that's a good idea. I don't care how well you think you are eating or exercising, little things can happen.
Share Guide: Once you have done that, then you chart a course for diet and exercise.

Jack LaLanne: Absolutely. You don't have to be a nut. You don't have to be like Jack LaLanne either. The way I eat, I get my nutrition from fruits and raw vegetables every day. My wife and I eat out practically every night, and I've got every restaurant trained. The Chinese restaurants we go to have brown rice, and other restaurants make sure they have the right soups for us, with no butter or cream.
Share Guide: So you think it is possible to eat healthily at restaurants if you're careful.

Jack LaLanne: Yes, we eat out almost every night. You can eat well if they do a good job. Sometimes I bring my own pita bread for example--we work at it.
Share Guide: In your book, Revitalize Your Life, you provide a chart in it for people to track their course. What would you tell a beginner?

Jack LaLanne: The main thing is to start a weight training program. It's not about seeing how much you can lift. I'm talking about specific exercises for your arms, shoulders, chest and back. With weight training you can control things, work around your infirmities, if you have an injury or pain in a certain area. That is the beautiful part about weights: even if you are 100 year old, you can lift something. Maybe it's only a half a pound or a pound or two pounds. It will still do something.
Share Guide: Do you prefer the free weights or the machines?

Jack LaLanne: Free weights. But I invented most of the machines in the gyms. All the leg extension machines to the weight selectors, every one of those I invented way back in the 30's.
Share Guide: If you prefer the free weights, then why develop the machines?

Jack LaLanne: For variety. When you are running a gym for the public, you've got to get variety and change the people's programs every 30 days. Then the people break the monotony of doing the same thing. If you had to eat carrots for the rest of your life you'd be so damned bored and malnourished, wouldn't you? These machines of today are terrific. But the weights should be an integral part of it.
Share Guide: I broke my wrist when I was 20 and it's been a weak area ever since. What do you recommend I do?

Jack LaLanne: Work that sucker! Get a good ball that you can squeeze. The main thing though, is to take a weight and put your hand over a chair or bench with your palms down. Put a weight in your hand and lift it up. Then you take your palms facing up and you curl it into you. Work it backhand and forehand, to get the pronation and supination of it. Then take the dumb bells and spin them to the right and to the left. That gets everything in your wrist. These exercises are things you never do in your daily living.
Share Guide: How much weight should I use?

Jack LaLanne: Whatever you can handle, it's up to you. Pick something where you are going to do it to failure--in other words, where you can hardly do it. That's the key. So many people will just take five pound weights and do something 10 times. What are they getting out of it? Nothing! Say you are going to build up your bank account. If you put in a penny a day, it's going take a long while. It's the same with exercise--the more you put into it the more you take out.
Share Guide: So even with a weak area, you should work it to exhaustion?

Jack LaLanne: Absolutely, but start it slowly. Do a little bit, then start increasing it.
Share Guide: That makes sense. It's important to focus on weak areas rather than denying them.

Jack LaLanne: That's right, don't kid yourself. You have a mirror, right? And you know what you can do. One thing that you have to remember is SCALES LIE! The biggest liars we have are the scales. I always ask in my lectures, "What did you weigh when you were 20 years old?" Someone will say, "Oh, I weighed 170 lbs." But then they played football and basketball, and were in good shape. Now they guy is 50 years old and he says, " Jack, I haven't gained a pound! I weigh 170 just like I did when I was 20!" I'll say "Really, that's wonderful! How big was your waist when you were 20?" "Oh, 30 inches" "How big is it today?" "Oh, 36." The sands of time have shifted. The guy put five or six inches on his waist. You figure about every inch is five pounds approximately. That guy has gained about 30 pounds of fat and lost 30 pounds of muscle and the scale says he weighs the same.
Share Guide: So it's what you are made of not how much you weigh.

Jack LaLanne: Yes. What you need to do is get that tape measure out, and start measuring that gut. Then you start working out and you start eating properly till that gut gets down close to it was when you were in your 20's. Then you'll find out what your weight should be.
Share Guide: Sounds like a lot of sit-ups to me!

Jack LaLanne: It's not sit-ups, it's everything! In fact, if you've got a big gut and you start doing sit-ups, you are going to get bigger because you build up the muscle. You've got to get rid of that fat! How do you get rid of fat? By changing your diet. You can't get rid of it with exercise alone. You can do the most vigorous exercise and only burn up 300 calories in an hour. If you've got fat on your body, the exercise firms and tones the muscles. But when you use that tape measure, what makes it bigger? It's the fat! A two or three inch layer of fat. The only way you get that fat off is to eat less and exercise more.
Share Guide: Is that is what you mean by saying "your waistline is your lifeline?"

Jack LaLanne: Yes. Getting out of shape is like a thief in the night that sneaks up on you. I always tell people that it is never too late. I tell them about the folks in their 90's that doubled their strength and endurance. In the old days the doctors would say: "Slow down Jack, you're going to have a heart attack; you won't be able to get an erection; you'll make the women look like men." They thought that athletes that worked out with my system wouldn't be able to throw a ball because they'd be too muscle bound. Those are the misconceptions I had to go through for about 40 years. Now the medical profession is saying something different. Every one of the doctors without exception is saying, "Build muscle." Things really changed after I went on television and got the message out. That's when I starting reaching millions of people. In fact, I just made The Guinness Book of World Records for being on television 34 years non-stop (20 years in Europe).
Share Guide: Are you planning on going back on television?

Jack LaLanne: We are back on TV right now. I have a one-minute "Jack LaLanne Tip of the Day" on about 70 stations now.
Share Guide: Dr. Dean Ornish has written that social interaction is important as well as good exercise and diet--especially later in life. What do you think about social interaction and spirituality?

Jack LaLanne: You have to be pretty stupid to think there isn't a Supreme Being to put all this together. Do you think that man could ever make a heart that is indestructible? Do you think that man could make a calculator like your brain? Do you think that man could ever make a machine that the only way you could hurt it is don't use it? Could man make a machine that in every 90 days practically every cell changes? Think about this. Look at all the creatures, the snakes, the worms and the birds, and the entire universe and everything that goes on. Don't you think there is a universal power, that there is some Supreme Being that put this all together? You don't have to call it God or Jesus. That's religious humbug to a lot of people, but you've gotta believe that nature and spiritual things surround us. That is what put us here! I thank the universe for that every day of my life. We don't know all the answers. If we knew all the answers we'd be bored, wouldn't we? We keep looking, searching, trying to get more knowledge. I'm just trying to help people with my lectures. I say, "You are out on the sea and drowning yourselves. Here is a life preserver. Grab it. I can save your life. Help yourself!"
Share Guide: George Burns almost made it to 100 but he smoked cigars, drank alcohol and was not a health nut. How do you account for his longevity and others like him?

Jack LaLanne: George Burns was more athletic than you think he was. And he was a very social man--he loved people, he enjoyed life. He worked at living. Old George was a social lion, he got around and did things. That's the key right there. It starts with your brain. Some people, when they get to 60 years old have no interests anymore, have no friends left. George Burns was busy all the time doing something. My oldest son, Danny, was in Beverly Hills going down the street in his brand new car and this guy in a stretch limousine came through a stop sign and hit him broadside. Danny got out of the car and was going to punch the guy out. He looks in the car and who is riding in the limousine? George Burns! Can you believe this? Danny said, "Jack LaLanne is my Dad!" He said, "Jack LaLanne, That's my buddy! I watch him all the time. I want you to come over to the house. Don't worry about the car, I'll pay you cash. I won't tell my insurance, I don't want to fool with it." So Danny went over to the house and they had a couple of drinks. He gave him 300 or 400 bucks for the damage to his car and they became friends. He was a hell of a guy.
Share Guide: Do you see yourself living to be over 100?

Jack LaLanne: I don't care how old I live; I just want to be LIVING while I am living! I have friends of mine that are in their 80's and now they are in wheelchairs or they're getting Alzheimer's. Who wants that? It's terrible. I want to be able to do things; I want to look good; I don't want to be a drudge on my wife and my kids. And I want to get my message out to the people. I might live forever or it may seem like that. I tell people I can't afford to die; it will wreck my image! I am proud to say I was just voted in to the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This year I get my star.

Fitness guru Jack LaLanne dies at 96

2012-01-14T05:07:00.000-08:00

(

CNN) -- American fitne

ss guru Jack LaLanne died Sunday afternoon at his home in Morro Bay, California, according to his long-time agent, Rick Hersh. He was 96.

The cause, said Hersh, was respiratory failure due to pneumonia. LaLanne had been ill for the past week. His wife, Elaine, was at his side, along with his family and friends, Hersh said. No funeral arrangements were announced, but his agent said plans were being made.

LaLanne spent decades talking about the healthful benefits of exercise and fitness. He opened his own health spa in California in 1936, years before the fitness craze swept the United States. LaLanne even designed the world's first leg-extension machine, along with several other pieces of fitness equipment now standard in the fitness industry.

He was born in San Francisco on September 26, 1914. A self-confessed sugar- and junk-food addict as a child, he went on to study bodybuilding and weight-lifting by the time he was in his late teens.

From the 1950s through the 1980s, LaLanne performed multiple feats of strength and endurance. His first such stunt was an underwater swim the length of the Golden Gate Bridge, loaded with 140 pounds of equipment, in 1954. He went on to stage many attention-getting events, including completing over a thousand pushups in a little over 20 minutes, and towing 65 boats filled with thousands of pounds of wood pulp in Japan.

LaLanne had his own workout program, "The Jack LaLanne Show." First broadcast nationally in 1959, the show went on to run for three decades.

In his later years, he was easily recognized because of late-night infomercials on on the benefits of juicing.

He also made many appearances on CNN's "Larry King Live" and was a friend of the talk show host. "There was no one like Jack LaLanne," King said Sunday night. "He would go on forever ... a true guru. I guess Charles Atlas from the old comic books would be the predecessor for Jack LaLanne."

But it wasn't simply LaLanne's physical prowess that impressed King. "Elderly people were encouraged by him because he just kept on going," King said, adding that modern fitness celebrities owe a debt of gratitude to the original impresario of exercise.

LaLanne's wife of 51 years released a statement on her husband's passing: "I have not only lost my husband and a great American icon, but the best friend and most loving partner anyone could ever hope for," Elaine said.

Madonna turns hand to fitness with gym launch

2012-01-14T04:56:00.000-08:00

She writes children’s books and makes wine, dons a spandex leotard like no one else and has sold millions of albums around the world. Now she wants you to have a toned body.

Madonna launched her new brand of “Hard Candy Fitness” gyms in Mexico City on Monday, opening a huge, 30,000-square-foot (2,787-square-meter) compound where Mexico’s rich and the beautiful can go through dance classes and fitness routines inspired by the singer’s routines.

“I have a history with Mexico,” Madonna, wearing a black and white-striped dress with boots, said. “I have a connection that I have always felt anyways because of my love and interest in Frida Kahlo,” she added, referring to one of Mexico’s best-known 20th century painters. Hundreds of screaming fans, from boys wearing “Mexicans do it better” T-shirts to drag queens in leg warmers, lined up outside the gym in a fruitless effort to get a glimpse of the singer, who arrived tightly protected by security. reuters

Weight Loss After 40: Why It's So Hard -- and What Works

2011-07-23T13:24:00.000-07:00

A 10-step plan to win the battle of the bulge

Every year, it seems, the needle on the scale is a little harder to budge. You cut back on portion size; you say, "No, thank you," to dessert; you sign up for an aerobics class -- and yet your jeans size goes up and your energy level goes down. What's going on?

Starting in our early 40s, our bodies go through a series of changes that affect the very core of our being. Thanks to hormonal and other changes, the very growth rate of our cells slows down. Some of these changes are the result of the natural aging process. It's just something we have to learn to work around.

Sometimes, though, something's gotten off track, metabolically speaking, and there's an underlying medical issue that needs to be dealt with before the usual weight-loss measures will have any effect. Here's a ten-step plan for understanding the challenges that prevent weight loss over 40, and for learning how to overcome them.

1. Get to know your body's new biological rhythms -- and adjust to them.

In long-ago times, older didn't necessarily mean plumper. Think of those icons of the American prairie, the sinewy pitchfork-wielding farm couple pictured in American Gothic. But today, those of us over 40 face a twofold challenge: We're living longer, and we're no longer out there pitching hay to the cows at 5 a.m.

When it comes to burning calories, it's a fairly simple equation. What goes in must be burned off, or it sticks to our ribs. Acquiring weight is absurdly easy -- eating just 100 extra calories a day (100 more than what your body burns) will lead to a nine- to ten-pound weight gain over the course of a year, experts say. How much is 100 calories? Not a lot: A can of Coke contains 155 calories, a chocolate bar more than 200. Of course, that cola or chocolate chip cookie is no problem if we're walking or running it off. But after 40, our activity level tends to decline, too. So the challenge is to bring the two into balance.

Look back over the past year, and think about when your weight seemed to be holding steady and when it seemed to be trending slowly upward. What were you doing during the good weeks? What sabotaged you the other times? Make a list of what works for you, and what throws you off. Your own healthy habits in the past are the ones most likely to work for you now.

2. Eliminate underlying metabolic conditions.

Would it surprise you to know that thyroid problems strike as many as one out of five adults over age 40? The most common of these is hypothyroidism -- an underactive thyroid -- and hypothyroidism is one of the primary reasons many people over 40 can't lose weight. The thyroid is a tiny gland that produces hormones that regulate metabolism, and when it's underactive, so is everything else. Think of low thyroid as having your internal thermostat set too low. Symptoms include feeling cold all the time, poor circulation in the hands and feet, clammy hands, tiredness and lethargy, hair loss (including eyebrows and eyelashes), and weight gain -- despite real attempts to exercise and eat well.

If you suspect an underactive thyroid may be undermining your metabolism, the first step is to call the doctor and ask for a thyroid test. But beware: The first-line thyroid blood test, known as the TSH, is notoriously unreliable. And doctors are busy arguing about what's "normal" anyway. As of 2003, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists began recommending that the cutoff for normal TSH should be 3.0 versus the older standard of 5.5, but this news hasn't reached many labs or doctors. And lots of endocrinologists think having a TSH between 1 and 2 is ideal for maintaining normal body weight and function.

If your TSH result is above 3.0, make sure your doctor knows about the new recommendation. And ask for further testing; there a number of additional tests that many experts believe give more accurate readings of thyroid function.

3. Adjust your eating habits for maximum energy.

Your goal at this stage in your life is to keep yourself feeling full without succumbing to the temptation to eat like you could at age 20. One strategy recommended by internist Julie Taw, MD, of Englewood, New Jersey, is to eat more frequently but to consume less at each sitting. An added benefit of eating this way is that it's easier to keep your blood sugar steady, so you don't have the peaks and valleys that contribute to fatigue.

Here's the rule: Try eating five to six small meals a day, and don't go more than three or four hours without eating. For example, you might eat a healthy breakfast before you leave for work, then have a nonfat yogurt in the late morning. Then instead of eating a big pasta lunch and spending the afternoon in a stupor, eat a light lunch and spend the rest of your lunch break taking a brisk walk. An afternoon snack of trail mix and an apple keeps you from needing the 4 p.m. sweet treat and makes it easier to avoid overeating at dinner.

Your goal is the opposite of the starvation approach to dieting -- you want to trick your body into feeling satisfied and well-fed at all times, though the total amount you're eating is less.

4. Time your eating to take advantage of your body's natural rhythms.

Experts are sure of one thing: Snack (or eat dinner) after 9 p.m., and whatever you eat goes straight to your hips and stomach. Happily, the opposite is also true -- what you eat in the mornings, when your metabolism is revved up to its optimum operating speed, is much more likely to be expended efficiently.

Don't like to eat breakfast? Sorry, but there's no way around this one; eating a good breakfast is one of the key habits experts have identified that keeps thin people thin. When members of the National Weight Control Registry (people who have maintained a weight loss of 30 pounds for between one and six years) were surveyed, 78 percent reported eating breakfast every day and almost 90 percent reported eating breakfast at least five days a week. This was one of the only factors researchers identified that those in the registry had in common!

5. Trick your metabolism with fat-fighting foods.

I know you've heard it before, but it's true: It's really not just about how much you eat, but how much of which foods. There are plenty of healthy foods you can eat all you want of -- and no, that doesn't mean stuffing your fridge with celery sticks, 1970s-style. Instead, make a few simple tweaks to your diet, incorporating foods that actually fight fat instead of those that trigger it. Then eat other foods in moderation, and you should be OK.

6. Make muscles an ally in your weight-loss campaign.

There's one thing the exercise gurus have gotten right: The more muscle mass you have, the more effectively your metabolism burns calories. But sad to say, a natural tendency of aging is to lose muscle, gradually replacing it with fat. So in order to enlist the calorie-burning abilities of muscle, we do have to work at it.

A common misconception, though, is to mix up muscle-building with aerobic exercise. Both are good, but the aerobic part -- though it does burn calories -- isn't what we're talking about here. What you really need to focus on for long-term benefit is basic strength training. Buy some hand weights, a bar, and some stretch bands, and channel your high school gym teacher. Make it as pleasant as possible; work out while you watch the evening news or your favorite sit-com. Slowly and gradually build up those biceps, abs, deltoids, and glutes, and you'll have some key allies in your fight to prevent age-related weight gain.

7. Get more sleep to burn more calories.

As any perimenopausal woman or hardworking man over 35 can tell you, sleep gets ever more elusive as you age. It's not just that we're busier and more stressed. We also have multiple physical issues, from back pain to snoring to night sweats, any of which can interfere with getting a good night's sleep.

Yet, paradoxically, getting a good night's sleep is one of the keys to losing weight, says neurologist David Simon of the Chopra Center in Carlsbad, California. In recent years, significant research has shown that lack of sleep is directly connected to weight gain because of the actions of two hormones, leptin and ghrelin, that control hunger and satiety, or feeling full. When you're sleep deprived, your ghrelin levels increase at the same time that your leptin levels decrease. The result is more craving, less feeling full. Add to that the fact that sleep-deprived people often crave "energy" foods, which tend to be sweet or salty, and you can see how small changes in your routine can add up to big weight gain.

Lastly, there are tantalizing new studies demonstrating that our bodies are most metabolically active while we sleep. So the longer we sleep, the more we rev up our inner fat-burning engines. (You still shouldn't snack late at night, though. Researchers also believe that calories eaten late in the evening are processed less efficiently than those consumed during the day, no matter how active our nighttime metabolism.)

Add these all together and you can see a pattern emerging: The older we are, the harder it is to get a good night's sleep -- and the less we sleep, the more likely it is we'll gain weight. What to do? Take steps to combat sleep problems and your waistline will benefit, too.

8. Strike up a healthy relationship with your sweet tooth.

If you're dying for a sweet treat, give it to yourself, savoring it slowly so it registers fully with your brain's pleasure sensors. A trick that many experts recommend: Cut the treat in half before you start eating, carefully wrapping the second half up to "save for later." You may or may not want it -- sometimes if you eat the first half slowly and consciously enough, you'll feel satisfied. But knowing it's there if you do plays a nice trick on your brain, which tends to crave things it perceives as being in short supply.

Also, don't try to substitute artificially flavored sweets. Researchers have recently discovered that artificial sweeteners fail to trigger the body's natural satisfaction response. So eating that 100-calorie artificially sweetened cookie only adds to your problems; you'll keep on wanting the real cookie, so the 100 calories you just ate were in vain.

9. Forget dieting. Instead, focus on your fuel-to-energy ratio.

If, like most 40-somethings, you're packing some extra pounds, you've probably made plenty of resolutions to go on a diet. You've also probably figured out by this point in your life that diets rarely work, and neither does suddenly embarking on a strenuous new exercise regimen. There's a good reason that sudden, drastic changes don't lead to long-term weight loss, and may even lead to a rebound. Have you noticed that your weight tends to stay fairly constant week to week, even if one day you go on a junk food binge and the next day you're fairly good? Nature designed us with optimum abilities to maintain a steady metabolic rate, because it helps us weather food shortages and sudden demands on our energies.

Unfortunately, this means that when you've gradually gained weight over time, your body has adapted to the new weight and now does its best to hold onto it. So here's what you do: You make slow, gradual adjustments to each end of the equation. And you -- and only you -- decide which end of the fuel-in, energy-out equation to emphasize and when.

10. Make slow, realistic changes in tune with your lifestyle.

Let's say you want to lose ten pounds. To do so right now, you'd have to eat nothing at all for about 2 weeks, or jog for 51 hours, or walk for 126 hours. Not only would it be impossible, attempts like those would send your body into starvation-mode metabolic slowdown, sabotaging your efforts.

But you could also, much more effectively, set out to lose one to two pounds a week for the next five to ten weeks. Remind yourself that you are the only one in charge of tuning up your metabolic engine. Decide whether you prefer to focus your energies on cutting down the number of calories you're consuming, or on upping the number you're burning. Most likely, you'll strike a balance between the two that suits you. If adding three half-hour walks a week is relatively painless for you, that's a good choice. If going outdoors in ten-degree weather is singularly unappealing and you wouldn't be caught dead in a gym, then focus on dietary changes instead.

Your primary goal should be making small, gradual lifestyle changes that you can incorporate into your daily routine and stick with over time. That's the ultimate secret to combating over-40 weight gain.

Learning to Love Exercise

2011-07-22T11:59:00.001-07:00

Yes, working out can be fun! Here are ideas to help you move beyond "having" to exercise to actually enjoying it.

We've all made an early dash to the grocery store and witnessed that woman jogging. She looks graceful as she bounds through the neighborhood, and we wonder what on earth made her get up so early on a Saturday and dive into her running shoes. The answer, of course, is that she moved beyond the "need" to exercise and entered that mysterious land where she "wants" to.

We all possess the ability to tap into that place. In fact, it's kind of like Dorothy's red slippers — you've had it all along. It's called play. Or, it's what exercise professionals like to refer to as "the fun factor." The theory goes that if it's enjoyable, it won't be a chore, and you'll want to do it.

Tapping into your enthusiasm

There are two ways to increase the fun in your workout: minimize monotony and maximize enjoyment. Another clue: this doesn't involve checking heart rates or concerning yourself with aerobic thresholds.
"Explore doing things you loved to do as a kid, things that were naturally athletic," says Ingrid Bacci, author of The Art of Effortless Living (Vision Works). "Rolling on the floor or down a hill, wrestling, running, rollerblading...it's all about feeling your body and feeling the elements — water, wind, earth — against your body."
Researchers even say that engaging in fun physical activities seems to have a stress-reducing component that goes beyond ordinary exercise. But only you can define fun for you. If you're a social animal, maybe try out group activities such as walking, team volleyball, square dancing, a running club or soccer.
If the wild calls, consider mountain biking or trekking. For those who crave singular, intense tasks, try rock-climbing or marathons. But the key is to investigate, experiment and try a variety of activities.

Experiment with your inner athlete
Remember, even athletes get the blues — or at least bored. "I've always enjoyed exercise, but like anyone, I can get in a rut, especially when I'm not improving," says Bacci. For her, the rut arrived when she felt her tennis game stalled. "So I did something a lot of people might consider odd," she says. "Instead of focusing on my game, I started focusing on my body while I played."
Bacci thought about her feet when she was running on the court, the feeling of the racquet in her hand, and her shoulders and face. And her game improved by leaps and bounds. "I was getting more in touch with myself, instead of trying to perform or achieve some goal."
The moral of the story: stop trying so hard and focus instead on being curious about the sensation of your body as you play. Let yourself be interested in how you feel and as you do that you can do whatever you are doing with less effort and tension. And more fun!

9 Sneaky Ways to Get Your Kids Moving

2011-07-22T11:58:00.001-07:00

Getting your kids to exercise shouldn't have to be a struggle. Here are a few ways to get them going without the usual song and dance.

Kids are more sedentary than they've ever been, which should come as no surprise since, as a whole, the US population is too. Some causes are obvious: Playing once involved baseball gloves and sweat, and now it involves joysticks.

As a parent, you have a huge influence on how much activity your children get: You're not only a role model but an on-site coach.

But mandating exercise won't always work. "If you say, 'That's it, Billy, you have to sign up for a sport,' there's generally backlash," says Karen Miller-Kovach, chief scientific officer at Weight Watchers International and author of Family Power: Five Simple Rules for a Healthy Weight Home. So it may require craftier tactics.
Below are nine stealth tactics to get kids under 12 to exercise without realizing it.
1. Buy video games that make them sweat
There are games that force children, including Nintendo's Wii Fit system, to move around in order to win. "If you're at the arcade," says Molly Carmel, senior clinical director at the Academy of the Sierras weight-loss boarding school, "think Dance Dance Revolution instead of Tetris."
2. Rotate active chores
Mowing the lawn, vacuuming, taking out the trash — they all count as activity. Change the assignment board every week so everybody gets to do something new and work different muscles.
3. Make family night about moving around
Ditch the movies in favor of bowling or miniature golf — exercises that are fun, competitive and can involve the whole family. Bike, hike, run races or play soccer or catch with a football or softball. All of these will help keep them on their feet.
4. Have a step competition
"Something we've seen be really successful is when everybody in the family wears a pedometer and keeps track of how many steps they've taken over the course of a day," says Carmel. Write each person's daily score on a white board on the refrigerator. "At the end of the week, whoever wins decides the activity for the weekend." Low-end pedometers can be had for less than $10, and as long as everyone has the same model, all should be fair.
5. Walk, walk, walk
Encourage kids to walk to the store, the library, their friend's house. Or anywhere the kids look forward to going. Walk with them. Strolling aimlessly for exercise is an adult quirk in their view, so make the destination count.
6. Give in
Speaking of putting them on the heel-toe express as much as possible, cave in and get them the puppy they've been asking for. Dogs, after all, need to be walked two or three times a day. Make caring for the pet a condition of bringing Fido home, and you've built in additional daily exercise.
7. Pool resources
Not every family has the money or a back yard big enough for a pool. To mitigate the temptation to crank up the AC and stay indoors when summer hits, Carmel recommends signing up for the community pool. There, the kids will have so much fun, she says, they won't realize that they're exercising.
8. Be handy
Buying a badminton or tetherball set can't hurt, but after five minutes any game you suggest can mysteriously be labeled "lame." Instead, strap on a tool belt and ask them to help you install a floodlight. Or a backyard basketball hoop. Or anything else extremely cool. They'll be your happy gofer and proud to take credit with you when the task is finished.
9. Be creative
There are "very simple things you can do, like set up an obstacle course in the basement," says Miller-Kovach. "Think up ways they can actively play rather than sit in front of the television on a rainy day."

Exercise and Preventing Weight (Re)Gain

2011-07-22T11:57:00.000-07:00

Exercise is one of the best predictors of weight-loss maintenance.
Studies have established exercise's role in preventing initial weight gain and preventing regain of weight that has been lost.

While exercise alone as a weight-loss method is of limited value, its role in preventing initial weight gain and preventing regain of weight that has been lost is well established.Many studies have suggested that the amount of exercise needed to prevent initial weight gain and the level of exercise needed to sustain a weight loss are different. In addition, the amount of exercise required for weight management appears to be greater than the amount needed to achieve general health benefits.

Recommended Levels of Activity
The current recommendation for physical activity encourages adults to do 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity on most days, and preferably all days, of the week.¹ The majority of people currently don't achieve this goal, which is considered a reasonable and obtainable one that would benefit most people. This level of activity has been linked with limiting the health risks for a number of chronic diseases including coronary heart disease and diabetes.
As part of a consensus statement published by the International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO), the recommendation of 45-60 minutes of moderate intensity activity each day was made to prevent the development of overweight or obesity. The IASO report goes on to recommend obtaining this activity by reducing sedentary behavior and focusing on including lifestyle activities (such as gardening, brisk walking, and household chores) and leisure-time activities into the daily routine.

Exercise and Sustained Weight Loss
Regular physical activity is one of the best predictors of weight-loss maintenance.⁴In addition, the amount of exercise connected with sustained weight loss is consistent from study to study, and it is a significant amount.
People in the National Weight Control Registry, a database of people who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept if off for at least one year, report expending over 2,800 calories per week doing physical activity. These people also report that they find activity an enjoyable part of their lives and look at this weight maintaining as a pleasure, not a chore.⁵ Another study found that 1,500-2,000 calories per week of exercise (equivalent to walking 15-20 miles) is associated with improved weight maintenance.

Reducing Stress Through Exercise

2011-07-19T23:02:00.001-07:00

Exercise is something everyone does, whether it be in the interest of losing weight, bodybuilding, or in controlling diabetes and hypertension. However, in addition to all of this, exercise proves to be very beneficial in stress management. Recent studies show that today most of people are suffering from stress, due to our hectic lifestyles. With the increase of stress in modern life, experts are now advocating the benefits of exercise on mental health and as a stress management tool.

Besides offering benefits for the mental effects of stress, exercise is a great means of letting out negative emotions from stress, like anger and irritability. This letting out of negative emotions is very good for stress management and is possible with the positive outlook that exercise provides. With exercise, endorphins are produced in the body which are considered to be the stress management chemicals of the brain. When looking at the physical benefits of exercise, it tends to strengthen the heart and provides greater elasticity to the blood vessels. This in turn provides for an increase of oxygen in the body.

All stress management seminars emphasize the benefits of exercise. It is emphasized that those with high blood pressure, those at risk of a stroke or those having a heart condition will benefit from exercise. This is because exercise helps in the lowering of blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. With exercise, the blood flow to the brain tends to increase and this is how exercise works as a great tension reliever.

It has been proven, and found through research that it is physically fit people who are able to handle the long term effects of stress without actually becoming ill or burning out. Researchers have proven that if and when you decide on an exercise program, it is always better to choose an exercise that you enjoy doing. If you prefer to exercise with other people, then it is better to join an aerobics class or run with a group of friends. You might even consider participating in a team sport like football, basketball, cricket or hockey where you will enjoy yourself with other players and at the same time, get sufficient exercise.

However, if you prefer your solitude, you can always get your exercise by jogging on the beach or by walking around your neighborhood. For optimal stress management relief, it is better to exercise at least every alternate day. With this, your body can recover and rest from a heavy workout. Just remember that when working out alone it is important to make your work out locale convenient enough to fit into your daily routine and lifestyle. There is no point in joining a health club found an hour from your home or office as you not only waste money traveling to the place, but it is very likely that you will discontinue exercising without someone to properly motivate you.

Keep in mind that exercise works for stress management only if and when it is fun. Moreover, when exercising for stress management, it is necessary to exercise with caution and not to start an exercise program without consulting the doctor or stress management professional. This is because if stress management is difficult for you, the doctor may advise to maintain a low to moderate range when exercising. It is very important to use exercise as an intelligent tool for the management of stress; this can be attained by unwinding and cooling off before using the treadmill. This is because if you exercise when in great stress where the heart rate is elevated; it is possible to have a heart attack or stroke. This only leads to a failure in stress management. Always start slow when exercising for stress management. If there is any chest pain, cramps or dizziness, it means that you are straining yourself.

The best exercises for stress management are relaxing exercises like yoga or stretching for those having jobs involving the climbing of stairs, walking or anything that increases the heart rate during exercise. However, those having a sedentary job should opt for running, cycling, swimming or the playing of sports. Remember, exercise and stress management work together for the health of your body.

The Power of Self Talk

2011-07-19T23:01:00.001-07:00

What you say to yourself is what you will believe. You determine whether the language you use when talking to yourself is positive or negative, and your choice has a lot to do with how much success you have in life. If you call yourself a loser, tell yourself how much you hate yourself, or how fat you are, then guess what. Soon you will begin to believe those things and become those things, unless you change your self talk.

Self talk is very powerful — it is the thing that can enable you to be a winner or make you feel like a big loser. So which do you want? To be a successful achiever or someone who is always in a slump, creating depression and an unhappy life?

It might not seem like that big of a deal to be down on yourself once in a while — but listen to your language. Is it really once in a while, or is it most of the time? The fact is, negative self talk can destroy your life and make it virtually impossible to have your dreams come true, while positive self talk can help you get what you want and motivate you to achieve your dreams.

Positive self talk means telling yourself things like you’re a winner, you’re beautiful, and what a success you will be — all things you either believe now or will soon come to believe. The positive or negative language we use absolutely will determine our success or failure, though even more important than what we say is how we speak to ourselves.

Professional athletes are masters of positive self talk. Many of them know how to bring themselves out of a slump by changing what they say in their heads. But what if you’re not a pro athlete, or an athlete at all? What if you have developed a pattern of negative self talk? How can you get out of that cycle?

The first thing you need to is recognize that you are doing it, and then do something to interrupt the negative pattern. A common strategy is to wear a rubber band around your wrist. As soon as you notice yourself beginning that negative talk pattern, pull the rubber band back and snap the hell out of your wrist. This motion will create pain while it interrupts your negative self talk. Since you want to avoid pain, if you keep snapping the band, eventually you will

change your behavior and self talk to something positive, if only initially to avoid the pain.

Say you’re a business person who needs to make a prospective call and you hear yourself saying, “Who wants to talk to little old me? What do I know anyway?” As soon as these negative thoughts enter your mind, snap the hell out of your wrist with that rubber band, and than rephrase the negative language with some positive self talk, like “Everyone wants to talk with me because I’m so smart” or “I know way more than anyone else out there, and I’m a super pro at talking to people.” This process is called reframing because you are reframing your old negative self talk into something positive.

Now that you’ve learned how to reframe your negative self talk, let’s discuss ways you can make your positive self talk more powerful than a speeding locomotive. The tone of voice you use inside of your head is very important, because there’s a big difference between hearing a pencil-pushing geek tell you to go for it or make it happen versus a big strapping giant telling you not to bother because you’re going to fail anyway.

So the positive self talk voice inside your head should be like the Wizard of Oz, very deep and strong, demanding you to take action and go for it. Then, add some theme music that has a powerful, motivating beat with background singers, and even thunderbolts coming down as you move closer to achieving your goal.

This powerful voice inside of you can get you to do anything and achieve everything you ever wanted, and more. You no longer are someone who can’t get what they want. You are now a well-oiled machine that tells yourself you can do it and believes you can achieve anything you put your mind to. Use this self talk process when you are nervous about asking someone out, in a business meeting, or on the playing field. You can do anything and be anything when you believe you can.

You really are great, but first you’ve got to believe it to be it. If you constantly tell yourself you are a winner, you will believe it. But if you’re still calling yourself a loser, you will most likely believe that. You need only to believe what you say and think, not what others say or don’t say about you. Speak to yourself only about how great you are, not about how bad you are, how many mistakes you make, or how you have never succeeded at anything.

Believe me, you will become what you tell yourself, so if you’re not hearing how great you are, then you won’t feel great. Don’t wait for others to tell you how great you are. Believe it yourself, first, and once others start jumping in about how great you, that will only reinforce how great you really are. Without believing if first, and telling yourself how

powerful you are, you will make it much more difficult to achieve success.

So I don’t care how many times you have to tell yourself you are great or a winner or sexy or beautiful or whatever you want to believe. Say it until you are blue in the face. Say it loud and say it proud. Use a big James Brown voice to say what you want to believe. Be creative, have fun, and say it 100 more times after you have already turned blue in the face.

Remember, say it until you believe it, and then keep saying it, using a powerful voice that propels you forward. Then add a chorus or big band sounds. These creative, powerful, and motivating tactics will get you to really believe what you are telling yourself. Don’t wait for others to call you great. Do it now. Start to be amazing on your own — others will realize it once you realize it yourself.

Use positive self talk to make your business, relationship, and life much happier and immeasurably more successful.

Train for the Look You Want

2011-07-19T23:00:00.001-07:00

So the Olympics are almost upon us. While you have the chance, compare the differences between a marathon (long distance) runner’s body and a sprinter’s body. What do you notice? The long-distance runner is skinny, frail, kind of bony, thin and almost sickly looking. On the other hand, the sprinter has well developed muscles, and looks strong, fit, healthy.

Of the two, which one would you rather look like?

Well, this is what should determine how you develop your own training program. If you want to look like the sprinter — and about 98 percent of people desire a sprinter’s body type — why do you spend all that time doing cardio on a treadmill while you watch CNN? In order to look and feel like a sprinter, you must train like one.

Remember, start out slowly. You’re probably not a sprinter now, and if you went out and followed their regimen, tomorrow you’d be insanely sore and probably give up exercising altogether.

Let’s consider, for a moment, these creatures (sprinters). They only move rapidly for about 10 to 60 seconds at most, during a single sprint. Well, that isn’t very much time, if you compare it to long-distance runners, who run for three to four hours, without stopping.

So if long-distance runners are active for much longer periods of time, why do sprinters have more attractive bodies?

The reason is this: sprinters maximally contract their muscles, which requires a lot more work from their bodies than a slow, staggered, constant run. Not to mention that with the short maximal energy bursts, testosterone and growth hormones are released in greater amounts. These hormones are anabolic in nature, which means bodybuilding — they build your body up. On the other hand, running for long durations releases cortisol, a catabolic hormone, meaning it breaks the body down. This effect is associated with muscle wasting, and over time, it is extremely bad for the body. It also is the reason for the ultra-skinny, no-muscle look of a long distance runner, versus that of anaerobic athlete like a weightlifter.

If you think about our anthropological history, we were designed to move rapidly, so we could catch our food back in the caveman days. We weren’t built to run our food to death by having the animal get so tired that it just fell down and collapsed because it was exhausted from our chasing it. Well, that same design serves us today. We may not have to track, catch, and kill our food anymore, but our bodies are still meant to MOVE.

So if you want to look like a sprinter, with a lean, athletic physique, you must train like one. Limiting the aerobic exercise and incorporating an anaerobic weight-training program will cause you to look better and burn fat much more quickly. Anaerobic weight training will elicit more results, both in terms of gaining muscle and melting fat, than any other method of training.

Exercise to Prevent Diabetes

2011-07-19T22:59:00.000-07:00

Diabetes can be a terrible word to hear coming out of a doctor’s mouth. Diabetes means constant monitoring of blood sugar, painful testing many times each day, worries about your health and circulation, and even death if it is not monitored very carefully. The good news that has just arrived from a recent study is that type two diabetes is highly preventable. Are you wondering how?

Diet and exercise have been recommended by physicians for years as a way to help stave off and even control diabetes. Studies have been concluded that backed this theory up so strongly that one study concluded a year early because of the staggering results. Eating right means that your body is ingesting less of the fats, preservatives, and other poisons that make its work less efficient. Losing some weight can also lower your risk of contracting diabetes, and this is important in our modern world where obesity reigns with younger and younger people.

It used to be that type two diabetes was a mark of later life, and would haunt the golden years of many of our family and friends as their bodies simply got too old to work everything properly. As time progresses, however, younger and younger people are contracting diabetes. This problem does not just affect America’s middle aged. Young children whose lifestyle habits are unhealthy are beginning to contract this late-life disease. Do not let it happen to you, and especially not to your children. Diet and exercise now can ensure you a better quality of life for years in the future.

Even better is the news that you do not have to reach an ideal bodyweight to benefit from a healthy lifestyle. There is no need to starve, and no need to be running the treadmill for hours at a time. Studies revealed that a lifestyle change as small as eating healthier and walking for a half hour a day, five days a week can make a significant difference in your health and lower your risk by up to fifty-eight percent. The older people in the studies actually cut their risk the most, bringing it down to around seventy percent.

Preventing diabetes is such an important step that it is amazing that people are not more careful to take these few simple actions for themselves. Relying on modern medicine will not do the trick. Instead, try taking up a fun sport like biking with friends, going on nature hikes, or swimming. Walk the neighborhood or to a local park with your spouse or children after supper. The diet changes do not have to be big either. Use lemon instead of butter to add flavor to veggies. Drink low fat milk and eat lower fat products. Have grilled chicken instead of fried food. More water, less soda, a little walk every day, and you could find yourself and your whole family on a path to a healthier (and longer) life.

Talking to your doctor and keeping up with his concerns are important. If you are in a high-risk category for diabetes, try to keep your healthcare provider abreast of how your lifestyle changes are progressing. Being honest with your doctor (and getting a diagnosis if your changes came too late) could save your life. If it’s not too late, then it’s time for a change (change couldn’t hurt even if you have already been diagnosed). Take life into your own hands and get out there and experience it fully. And best of luck to you.

Back to the Future of Abdominal Training

2011-07-19T22:54:00.000-07:00

Today’s world is ab crazy! Book stores are loaded with exercise books promising to flatten your abs, countless TV infomercials are selling hundreds of abdominal conditioning gimmicks guaranteeing "rock-hard" abs and every fitness magazine available has a monthly article focusing on ab training. People going to gyms apparently weren’t getting enough abdominal results from aerobics and sculpt classes so they invented "Ab Blast" classes; classes designed to torture your abs, and only your abs, for thirty minutes or more! As if that weren’t enough, there are companies trying to convince you that with the application of a special cream or use of an electrical gadget, you will flatten your abs in just a few minutes a day performing less work than ever!

Is all this necessary or even worth the time, money and effort? More importantly, does all this abdominal blasting have anything to do with improving performance in a functional environment (See article What Is Functional Exercise?)? To answer these questions, we must look at the role the abdominal musculature played in ensuring man’s survival while under selective evolutionary pressures.
DID CAVE MEN DO SITUPS?
Imagine primal man out on a hunt. He has been hunting for hours but, having no luck, decided to hit the dirt and knock out a few crunches to keep the abs looking good for the primal babes (Figure 1). Does this scenario seem very likely? I don’t think so!

Figure 1 The actions of the abdominal wall are quite complex indeed. It is common for us to think of the abdominals as muscles whose primary function is the aesthetics they provide in front of a mirror. This sort of thinking is analogous to thinking that a car is a box on wheels, the sun is merely a light source for earth, or that having a headache is an indication of an Aspirin deficiency! To appreciate both the complexity and capacity of the abdominal wall, we need to briefly look at how the abdominal muscles are innervated.
INNERVATION OF THE ABDOMINAL WALL
The abdominal muscle group receives innervation from every segment of the spinal cord from T-5 all the way to L-1 (Figure 2). Now, to give you a perspective on the significance of this, most muscles in the body have only two sources of innervation - one primary and one secondary. For example, the deltoid is primarily innervated by C5 with secondary innervation by C6. This knowledge allows doctors and therapists to assess neurological function by testing specific muscles innervated predominantly by one segment. For example, the deltoid is commonly tested to assess the C5 nerve function.

Figure 2
Each section of our spinal cord receives and sends information, acting as a brain and controlling each of the muscles it innervates.

This is such an important distinction to make because each nerve is a branch from a specific segment of the spinal cord. There, motor cells stimulate the nerve which then stimulates the muscles it feeds. The nerve cells in the spinal cord are stimulated by motor cells in the brain, which acts like the conductor of an orchestra (Figure 3).

Figure 3
The throwing arm and opposite lead leg are drawn closer to one another by coordinated contraction of the Anterior Oblique System. Primal men who had a better developed and more finely coordinated system stood a greater chance of survival than someone with a less functional Anterior Oblique System.

Each section of the spinal cord acts like a brain with the respective nerve delivering it’s message to the muscle and specific muscle fiber it feeds. Therefore, considering that the abdominals have nine innervations per side coming from nine different spinal segments (brains), the abdominal muscles could be considered as having nine spinal brains directing and controlling them. Think of all the tasks you could carry out if you actually had nine brains in your head!

When one considers all the vital functions provided by the abdominal wall, including joint stability, visceral (organ) support, respiratory support, circulatory/immune system support and digestion/elimination system support, the necessity of such intricate innervation becomes obvious.
Although I will expand on each of these issues in my upcoming book "Flatten Your Abs Forever! - Secrets Of Abdominal Training", what I would like to show you today is a retrospective analysis of man’s evolution as rationale for how we should train our abdominals. It will become blatantly obvious that, with the exception of specific rehabilitative attempts to isolate weak upper abdominal muscles, base conditioning programs focusing specifically on hypertrophy of the abdominal wall, or purely aesthetic conditioning, crunches, sit-ups and similar isolation tactics are relatively useless for improving abdominal function and performance!
BACK TO THE FUTURE OF ABDOMINAL TRAINING
Who we are today, is an expression of what our ancestors were a long time ago. Scientists have strong evidence that our direct ancestors, Homo erectus, began to inhabit the planet about 1.6 million years ago (1).
An interesting and somewhat controversial scientific supposition is that it takes 100,000 years for 0.001 percent of the genome to change (2). Therefore, using this information, it can be stated that our bodies are almost identical to our ancestors roaming the planet over 100,000 years ago. Correlating with this genetic information, researchers state that Homo sapiens, better known as modern man, appeared in South Africa around 100,000 BC, and within the next 70,000 years had replaced all the previous species of hominid throughout the entire globe (1).
During the majority of the past 100,000 years, we existed as hunter-gatherers, surviving on available meat and plant life. Scientists suspect that our ancestors (Homo habilis) developed a taste for meat as far back as 2.3 million BC. Meat was not only preferable in terms of flavor, but nutrition as well. Two pounds of venison, for instance, provides almost six times as many calories as the same weight in berries or green vegetables (1).
With that in mind, it is safe to assume that when ever possible, man favored hunting for meats over foraging and harvesting berries and vegetables (Figure 4). Throwing rocks, using clubs and throwing spears were all methods of choice for killing meat sources that, for the most part were much bigger and faster than man, not to mention protecting oneself. To accelerate a spear adequately enough to penetrate and sufficiently wound the hunted prey required a well coordinated effort between the deep abdominal wall to stabilize the necessary joints and the larger outer unit muscles working to accelerate the spear (Figure 5).

Figure 4
You can see that the tension of the musculoskeletal "sling" between the opposite shoulder and hip creates a powerful pulling mechanism in the body.

As you can see in Figure 5, the musculature of the anterior oblique system work together producing a synergistic action between the lead leg, torso, and opposite shoulder and arm. This is important to note because in most functional activities there are necessary requirements for the same degree of synergy. My question is, can this synergy be maintained and developed with the abdominal exercises primarily used in gyms and athletic training programs today?

Figure 5

Once a primal hunter downed an animal, it is doubtful he could convince it to follow him home! He most likely had to pull the animal to a suitable location (Figure 6) to gain adequate leverage and get it on his back (atop of a log for example) or he had to share the load with fellow hunters. If that didn’t work, he would have cut it into sections small enough to pack and bring home. Quite a tough job with a piece of sharpened flint or a sharpened antler!

Figure 6
The Anterior and Posterior Oblique Systems represent a complex network of musculofascial integration designed to allow primal man to meet the demands of daily life with minimal energy expenditure. These systems were essential to the survival of primal man.

During the action of pulling, the posterior oblique system (Figure 7) serves as the agonist or prime mover for the majority of the pulling force (3,4). Because it is often more natural to pull with greater force from one arm to move heavy and/or awkward objects, a rotational torque would have been placed on the hunter’s body. The abdominals contributed to the combined actions of pulling and trunk rotation, and as antagonists (stabilizers) for the prime mover muscles of the posterior oblique system.

Figure 7
The Lateral System provides essential frontal plane stability (left-to-right) allowing primal man to ambulate while reducing the risk of back, knee, hip and ankle injury.

To get an animal home, the hunter had to hoist it onto his back (Figure 8). This would have required a bend pattern, from which he may have used a power clean type movement to get the deer in to a comfortable carrying position. During the bend pattern, the deep abdominal muscles (inner unit) play a vital stabilization role, providing segmental stabilization for the pelvis, thoraco-lumbar fascia and spinal column. There is also a production of intra-abdominal pressure, which via the tendons of the diaphragm, may decompress the lower lumbar segments (5, 6). The outer unit muscle systems will serve to provide gross stability and helps to prevent the hunter from losing his balance during this lifting task.

Figure 8 Getting the animal home would have required that the hunter trek back along trails and through the bush using a combination of the gait pattern (walking), high stepping and lunging. During the trek, the anterior oblique (Figure 9-A) and posterior oblique (Figure 9-B) systems would have been intimately involved in producing an efficient gait pattern. To appreciate the contribution of the oblique systems, Gracovetsky (3) identified the increased demand on the abdominals while running in sand. Because the ground was not as paved and perfect as it often is today, the primal hunter would have needed fully functional abdominals to handle the challenging terrain while ambulating through the wild, particularly with a load on his back.

Figure 9-A Figure 9-B During his trek through rough terrain carrying a heavy load, the primal hunter would have encountered numerous obstacles including large rocks and logs. Traversing across these objects required the hunter use a lunge pattern (Figure 10). As many of you are aware, performing a loaded, dynamic lunge requires significant stabilization from your abdominals, not to mention the added work associated with acceleration and deceleration of the load atop the hunter’s body while traveling over unpredictable terrain. This constitutes real abdominal training!

Figure 10 Now that you can appreciate what it would have taken for the primal hunter to get his prey home (walking, lunging, climbing), you can understand that a system of muscular actions designed to support and move the body laterally would be mandatory. That system is called the lateral system (Figure 11).

Figure 11 Upon returning home with his kill, there was a threat that he would have to fight to protect his food from less fortunate hunters. Such combative situations would have required the use of a primal push pattern (Figure 12). Such combative interactions would have required full and synergistic activation of the anterior, posterior and oblique systems . . . more good abdominal training!

Figure 12 Aside from the duties of feeding and protecting his family, primal man had to work with family members to build and maintain their shelter. As demonstrated in Figure 13, there would have been countless opportunities to use the primal squat pattern, particularly the more functional front-loaded squat pattern, requiring functional stabilization from the abdominal muscles.

Figure 13 OUT OF THE PAST AND INTO THE FUTURE OF ABDOMINAL TRAINING
Today, there are many debates regarding how the nervous system stores and accesses movement information, otherwise known as motor programs. One contention is that the brain is not large enough or fast enough to store the billions of movements that we perform in a lifetime, nor can it create new movement patterns at real-time speeds of movement.

Of the numerous proposed theories, Schmidt’s theory of generalized motor programs (6) has always correlated my own clinical observations. Schmidt proposed that the brain stores key movements with a relative timing sequence that allows them to be easily modified to become other movements both in velocity and amplitude. For example, there have been numerous research studies that have proven squatting improves vertical jump performance far more than leg presses, knee extensions and leg curls.
The reason the squat is superior to any form of isolation or machine training is because the relative timing (rate at which body segments move relative to one another) is similar. This means that when you improve squat strength, you are developing strength in a sequence that the brain can immediately apply to similar movements, such as the vertical jump, because it shares a similar relative timing sequence.
Using my clinical observations and correlating them with motor learning research, I have developed a system of exercise based on the movements I felt were necessary for survival in our developmental and primal environment. I call this system the "Primal Pattern^TM" system (7).

I’ve proposed that any primal man or woman who could not perform any of the primal patterns (squat, lunge, bend, push, pull, twist and gait) from a standing position, would have perished. Based on countless clinical examples of people that were not successful with the traditional approach to conditioning or rehabilitation, I have found that their ability to perform one or more of these Primal Patterns? was notably deficient and/or dysfunctional.

I have surmised that most all sports or work activities can be broken down to any single Primal Pattern? or combination of primal patterns. Appreciating the essential role of the abdominal wall as a key stabilizer mechanism and literally the "core" of most movements, I have found that abdominal conditioning using Primal Pattern? movements is critical to long term athletic success and injury prevention!
Most interestingly, one need only look back in the literature to find that abdominal isolation exercises such as the crunch are relatively new. They are exorbitantly new in terms of the evolutionary development of our nervous systems! In fact, the US Army’s "Manual of Physical Training," published in 1914, is a 335 page book, chalk full of exercises to train soldiers. Take a guess how many sit-ups, sit-up variations, crunches or such abdominal isolation exercises were presented in this thorough manual of physical conditioning? If you said "0", you are correct! There were however, multitudes of Primal Pattern? movements found on page after page of this manual!
Examples of functional abdominal training, the kind that gives you a "six pack that works," are the Single Arm Cable Pull (Figure 14), the Single Arm Cable Push (Figure 15), the Wood Chop (Figure 16), and any of the other Primal Pattern? movements. These exercises all meet the requirements of functional exercise based on the guidelines used here at the C.H.E.K Institute and serve, not only to improve one’s abdominal aesthetics, but when executed correctly they will train and maintain optimal motor skills in the body.

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16 TRAINING FOR THE GOLD AND A SPOT ON THE PODIUM!
After all this, I am not saying that abdominal isolation exercises are useless. What I am saying is that they are only training the body to be strong at the particular movement of that exercise. Doing crunches makes you strong at crunches, but does nothing to improve your ability to swing a golf club, bat or hockey stick!
Aside from rehabilitative settings, first phase base conditioning and bodybuilding competitions where isolation and hypertrophy are necessary to achieve a specific objective, Primal Pattern? training can be considered as real abdominal training! As outlined in Figure 17, the way to the podium is through a careful and intelligent progression of abdominal or "core" training. The ultimate goal of any exercise, aside from the benefit of improved strength, is to develop automaticity. This is the ability to produce movements, or their approximations, with optimal form and at real-time speeds without having to think about it. After all, if you have to think about how you are moving, your brain will not be free to concentrate on how to win the game!

Four Simple Cardio Programs

2011-07-19T22:51:00.000-07:00

Jumping Rope

Jumping rope provides a number of health benefits: not only is it a great cardiovascular exercise that burns calories and fat, but it also develops good coordination between the hands and feet, as well as rhythm (muscle coordination). The greatest thing about jumping rope is that it is very inexpensive and you can do it almost anywhere.

Jumping rope has been proven to be a very effective method for burning fat. It has been shown to burn as many as 1,000 calories per hour. Wow — that is some serious caloric expenditure! Some of the best and leanest athletes swear by it. Movies often depict professional boxers skipping rope because it develops great cardiovascular endurance and stamina. It’s no wonder that boxers are some of the best-conditioned athletes.

Grab a jump rope and try it yourself!

s Stand erect, but relaxed, when you jump.

s Keep your knees slightly bent.

s Look straight ahead, not at your feet.

s Land on the balls of your feet, not on your heels.

s Keep your arms fairly still — do not flail.

Start by jumping slowly, building up your speed so you can jump rope more quickly over time. See how many times you can jump without missing. Try to do 100 skips before you have to stop — then, beat that record the next time. Do 50 super fast jumps, followed by 50 slower jumps.

Jumping rope is great for the whole family. Have even more fun by getting some friends to play Double-Dutch. Jump rope for 30 minutes, five times a week, and watch your waistline shrink. Go invest in a jump rope today, and quickly get the body you want.

Jumping on a Trampoline

Jumping on a trampoline — yes, I said jumping on a trampoline — is a great workout. It not only develops excellent proprioception (body awareness), but it also burns a ton of fat and calories. And did you know that the rhythmic bouncing has a powerful effect on the lymphatic system, which builds a stronger immune system?

A trampoline provides exercise that are easy on the joints, very low in stress, and great for the body.

It’s easy to start a trampoline regimen. Buy a mini-trampoline for your living room and jump while watching your favorite TV show, or bounce to a trampoline workout video. For tons of family fun, buy a large trampoline for the backyard. Start jumping on your trampoline for 30 minutes a day and bounce away your pounds.

Outdoor Sprints

What a workout: go outside and sprint as hard and fast as you possibly can. Once you feel like you’re going to collapse, stop; walk until you’re no longer huffing and puffing; then, sprint again. You might call this the “Forrest Gump” Workout. Repeat as many times as you can, or until you complete a full 30 minutes of sprints and rest- walking.

This is a very intense workout, so you need a good level of fitness and conditioning before trying it. Sprint your butt off, walk until you catch your breath, then do it again. The harder you push yourself, combined with the faster and longer distance you run, the sooner you will get in shape and the more fat you will lose.

Outdoor sprints offer fat loss and a great body at no cost, so push harder than you ever have pushed before. If this sounds too difficult, consider the payoff. Any successful athlete will tell you they have put their bodies through this type of workout challenge.

If you are in good physical health, a sprint workout is extremely safe — so remember, just because you might feel like quitting doesn’t mean you have to. In other words, keep pushing and get your butt in shape — no whining, no complaining; just results, and a happy, more confident you.

Stadium Stairs

Running up stairs is a great no-cost, outdoor workout available at your local high school or college stadium. Sprint to the top of the stadium, then walk down the stairs. Remember, safety first! As soon as you get to the bottom, sprint back up to the top, and repeat.

This extremely high-intensity cardio program will burn fat quickly and send your heart rate through the roof. Sprinting stairs is a common exercise for all levels of athletes, and who among us doesn’t want the lean, muscular shape of an athlete? So stop complaining about not being able to afford the fancy equipment. Go to the stairs and run your butt off! You’ll get a tight, firm rear because you’ll lose that fat from your behind, and everywhere else, as you burn up the calories running up those stairs.

Benefits of Meal Replacement Shakes

2011-07-19T22:48:00.001-07:00

Do you feel too rushed to eat? A busy schedule may give you little time to supply your body with the nutrition it depends on. A wide range of meal replacement drinks and supplements can help fulfill your nutrition requirements and provide you with a quick energy boast. A meal replacement to invigorate your weight-loss program, or increase your protein – can all be had in a glass.

When you’re trying to juggle a frantic schedule taking the time to sit down to a full meal three times a day can be difficult. Planning meals, grocery shopping and cooking are all time consuming. For those times when you feel too stressed to cook a meal, relax and open a can or a drink box, or whir up a delicious and nutritious meal replacement drink, the never-easier nutrition solution.

One tip for dieters: it is better to eat or drink on the run than skip a meal. Your body needs regular nutrient intake to give the energy to do your best every day.

Most meal replacement shakes are well-balanced liquid meals with lots of vitamins and minerals, varying amounts of carbohydrate and far, and a punch of protein. Vanilla chocolate and strawberry are not longer your only flavor choices either – today you can choose from cappuccino, cookies and cream, chocolate peanut butter swirl or nutty berry burst. These are just a few of the flavors that can turn your supplement meal into something of a dining event.

For convenience ready-to-drink meals cannot be beaten. Many of them a shelf-stable and can be kept at room temperature for months, so you can keep one in your car or handbag for meals on the run.

Depending on what you choose as a “mixer”, the caloric content of drinks made from powdered mixes can vary. Mixing with water adds no calories, with skim milk 90 calories, and whole milk adds 150.

For diets that need a little extra balance, liquid meals are a welcome addition. As we grow older, for various reasons, or nutrient intake can dip and may leave us short of certain vitamins and minerals. In addition our absorption of different nutrients in our digestive tracts can be compromised.

Aging can cause a nutritional gap that can be helped by the convenience of replacement drinks and supplements. A study analyzing nutrition research concludes that supplements provide nutritious benefits to the elderly, some of who may be at risk for poor nutrition.

People who are looking for a high protein shake can choose from many protein-packed liquid meals. Some drinks have up to 40 grams of protein per serving. You can also choose a nutrition profile that best suits your needs: several high protein drinks keep carbs at a minimum, and can be high in fat (12 grams or more per serving). Be certain to check the ingredient and nutrition face label so you know you are sticking to your plan.

High-protein drinks can rehabilitate people who are ill, or have undergone injury or trauma. A study of burn victims found that the addition of protein increased the rate of muscle building. People gained an extra 1.5 pounds of muscle each week when given high-protein shakes.

Weight-loss formulas make up a large segment of the nutrition shake market and have become popular as more people try to loose weight. These meal replacement shakes also give you a range of nutritious choices. The majority of slenderizing drinks are high in protein to help preserve muscle mass and fat-free, though some include a bit of fat to help sustain energy and make you feel full.

Multi-Vitamins: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

2011-07-19T22:46:00.001-07:00

Ideally, humans would eat wholly nutritious diets rich in protein, vitamins and minerals. The fact is, most people do not meet all their nutritional needs through their food. As a result, many of us rely on multivitamins and supplements to achieve more complete nutrition.

Question: Do you know what those vitamins and minerals are doing in your body? Do you know how much of the product your body actually absorbs when it comes to taking a multivitamin?

No federal regulations

Vitamins, minerals and nutritional supplements produced and distributed in the U.S. are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. In fact, if you or I wanted to start selling our own personal brands of vitamins, mineral supplements or similar products, we could do so without anyone, including the FDA, having a say in the matter.

This lack of regulation should sound a warning signal about these products’ contents. Most supplements on the market are basically garbage. While they may contain good-for-you ingredients, they do nothing to bolster your nutrition because your body cannot absorb them.

Nutritional companies spend thousands of dollars marketing their products to convince consumers how great they are. For example, the best-known multivitamin brands found in drug and discount stores are virtually useless. Rather than trying to dazzle you with their exaggerated claims, supplement companies would be better off spending their dollars on research to determine that their products really are benefiting you. The quality of a supplement’s contents is far more important than any sexy claims its manufacturer can make. Your main concerns should be the quality and bioavailability (level of absorption and use by the body) of any product you purchase.

Supplements cannot repair the effects of bad eating

Hippocrates said it best, “Let food be thy medicine and let thy medicine be thy food.”

Eating naturally nutritious food is the most important aspect of your diet. The foundation you lay with proper eating habits is far more important than any food supplement you can take. Examine your eating and exercise habits before you consider seeing a doctor for almost any problem.

However, even the best vitamins and supplements available will not propel you to optimal health if you otherwise eat unhealthy food. Say your diet consists mainly of pre-packaged and/or fast foods, but you take your Centrum or One-a-Day, so you talk yourself into thinking you feel fine. Your body knows otherwise, and you may find yourself in big trouble in a few years. All this amounts to is killing yourself slowly.

Why take supplements at all?

Even the most healthful eater might want to consider supplements, due to the lack of nutrients in our soil. Soil in the U.S. slowly has been losing more and more nutrients each year, making our foods less tasty and less nourishing to our bodies.

The single most important health factor is nourishment. If we lack proper nourishment, we will slowly die of disease, obesity and malnutrition. Yes, extremely overweight people are largely malnourished! The way to achieve optimal health is to eat as few calories as possible, while still providing your body with the highest levels of nourishment.

This is where organic food plays a key role. Organic food has been shown to contain 40 percent more nutrients than regular commercially produced food. Add high quality supplements which provide your body with bio-available vitamins and minerals, and it becomes easy to live a long, healthy life while consuming fewer calories and still obtaining the nutrients you need to function optimally.

What to look for in a supplement

Almost everyone should start off with a multivitamin supplement. Multivitamins work better than taking individual supplements because they provide the body with a combination of all the vitamins a minerals it needs in a single source. The body prefers this delivery method because it can better absorb and utilize them in combination than it can when you take each vitamin and mineral separately.

Other beneficial supplements include antioxidants found in trace minerals, and some specific vitamins and minerals not contained in most multivitamins. Antioxidants contain nutrients to help fight off the oxidative properties in free radicals that cause your body to break down. Taking an antioxidant supplement will keep your body strong and healthy, allowing less breakdown.

Still other important supplements are cod liver oil, fish oil, flax seed oil, and whey or egg protein (sometimes used as a form of meal replacement).

Each individual requires different nutrients and a generic multivitamin certainly can help address these deficiencies. Remember, though, any supplement is still a synthetic and not real food. Experiment until you find a high-quality product that works for you. There are dozens of good products out there, but none is “the best.” Because we’re all unique, no single product can be all things to all people. Specialty vitamin companies do develop personalized products. By performing blood, hair, and saliva work, they determine the necessary ingredients to create the best multivitamin for an individual. As you can imagine, that level of individualized production comes with a hefty price tag.

High-quality general-use supplements are out there. They can be found at the health food store and almost certainly will cost more than the famous name brands. But if you don’t invest in your health first, every other investment in your life will be wasted. Isn’t optimal health worth the cost and effort it takes to purchase quality products?

It might sound cliché, but it’s true: You take care of your body, and your body will take care of you.

How Many Ways Can You Workout

2011-07-19T22:44:00.001-07:00

It makes sense that those who vary their workout have a better chance of continuing to exercise regularly than those who stick with just one form of exercise. Sure, there are exceptions. Everyone knows someone who runs regularly as if their life depended on it. But for most of us, variety is the best choice.

In addition to breaking the monotony of a stale routine, varying your routine can help you achieve your fitness goals more quickly. Muscles can plateau when being worked the same way day after day and exercises need to be changed to continue to challenge your muscles. Also, if you do a variety of exercises, you can achieve a total body workout.

There are two main types of exercises people do – cardiovascular and weight training/muscle toning that targets specific areas. Most of the following ways to work out will fall under one or the other, or be a combination of both.

Walking – Walking is a fantastic form of cardiovascular exercise. By walking either outside or on a treadmill a few times a week for 30 minutes a day, you can strengthen the heart. There has also been a lot of talk about the 10,000 steps a day method. The belief is if you can manage to walk 10,000 steps each day, your body will get a good workout. Pedometers can be purchased inexpensively to count the number of steps.

Running/Jogging – Another fantastic form of cardiovascular exercise, running gives your heart a great workout. By running 3-4 times a week, you can increase the health of your cardiovascular system.

Martial Arts – Karate, Ju Jitsu, Tae Kwon Do, Kickboxing and other forms of martial arts give the body a great work out and teach important skills such as self defense and self esteem.

Weight training – Weight training targets specific muscle groups to tone and strengthen them. This can be done either by using free weights or by working with machines. Weight training is an important part of a varied exercise routine, especially if loosing weight is a goal. As muscles become stronger they increase the metabolism. This helps the body to burn more fat.

Cardiovascular Machines – Treadmills, elliptical machines, stair climbers, rowing machines, and stationary bicycles all are designed to increase the heart rate and strengthen the heart muscle while burning calories. Many of these machines also target specific muscle groups. Elliptical machines and stair climbers workout the muscles in the leg and but, while rowing machines give the arms a great workout.

Jumping – Kids know fun when they see it and jumping rope or jumping on a trampoline is great form of exercise for grownups as well.

Swimming – Swimming is a fantastic total body workout that is very low impact.

Aerobics – Although many types of exercises are aerobic, aerobics refers to a routine of exercises often done to music. In the 1980’s the fitness world went crazy with aerobics classes and although the routines have varied since then, they are still a popular form of exercise.

Yoga – This Middle Eastern meditative exercise targets the body and the mind. Adding a class or two a week can benefit any exercise program.

Pilates – This form of exercise offers a series of controlled movements to strengthen muscles while not building bulk.

Floor Exercises – Sit-ups, push-ups, stretching, leg lifts and other exercises that are done on the floor with no additional equipment can target specific muscles and can be done just about anywhere.

So, how many ways can you workout? These workouts are just a few of the many that can be added to a varied routine.

The Benefits of Pilates

2011-07-19T22:42:00.000-07:00

Pilates has become one of the most popular fitness methods in the United States, although the concept is not particularly new. The routine was devised during the early part of the 20^th century by a German, Joseph Pilate, who was obsessed with restoring his asthmatic body back to health.

Pilates incorporates movements and exercises from such disciplines as dance, yoga and gymnastics as well

as breathing techniques, although the Pilates routine does include some original movements as well. Whereas for some people Pilates is a lifelong commitment, most people will see benefits after just a few sessions.

Most of the 500 movements that comprise the Pilates routine can be practiced on a regular exercise mat with no need for expensive or specialized equipment. Pilates can also be practiced by people of all ages, body types and fitness levels – many people in their 70s practice Pilates.

Players of many sports such as skiing, running, cycling and gymnastics can also benefit from the Pilates program. Pilates is well known as an aid to helping people recover from sports related injuries or strains and dancers can benefit from the movements.

On the other hand, some of the gentler exercises are suitable for pregnant women as they help improve concentration and flexibility while giving birth and assist in recovering the body shape after pregnancy. The gentler exercises also mean that Pilates can be safely and effectively used in physical therapy to help treat injuries.

Virtually all Pilates exercises work on the concept of “centering” which is basically a way of improving posture by strengthening the muscles close to the spine and the abdominal muscles. By concentrating on this group of muscles, grouped together in the center of the body, Pilates is also particularly effective in decreasing the symptoms of lower back pain. And such things as slumped shoulders and potbellies may be a thing of the past with Pilates.

Many people who practice Pilates find that it leads to improvements in their life such as sitting up straight at a desk, walking straighter and a better sense of balance. Pilates has even helped people who ride horses maintain their balance more effectively, and in some cases has increased a person’s height slightly.

Pilates is what is commonly known as a “no impact” method of exercise – it can be practiced effectively in conjunction with other exercise methods. It is also gentle on the joints of the body and has been proven to counter the effects of over-worked muscles, which otherwise may lead to aches and pains.

One key feature of Pilates is that the series of exercises are designed to improve the mind as well as the body. While doing the exercises you are encouraged to focus and concentrate, which leads to a more relaxed state and better awareness of your body. Practitioners point out that this aspect of the exercises also helps to reduce stress.

Pilates has many other benefits that wouldn’t perhaps normally be associated with an exercise regimen. Practicing Pilates on a regular basis can help alleviate such conditions as urinary incontinence, osteoporosis, sleeplessness and relief from the symptoms of menopause.

Joseph Pilate dies in 1967, leaving as a legacy the many advantages and benefits of his innovative fitness system. Today, Pilates is practiced regularly by around 5 million people - including such famous names as Sharon Stone, Oprah Winfrey and Julia Roberts.

5 Economical Ways to Get Your Workout Space in Shape

2011-07-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

You've turned your living room, garage, bedroom, or office into your personal gym. But how can you help yourself think of it in that new way? With just a bit of arranging, you can create an organized, functional space that'll encourage you and motivate you to keep moving.

Here are five simple ideas to make your workout area a place you'll love to go to get sweaty and fit.

Make your space you-friendly. Take a moment to think about the equipment you need during a workout. Do you use weights? Resistance bands? Yoga blocks? What about your towel? Standing in your space, get a sense of where it's most convenient for you to grab them before, during, or after a workout. Then try to create storage as close to those spots as possible. Makes sense, right?
You don't need to get fancy. Stack your weights neatly, or pick up a weight rack at a discount store or yard sale. Or there's nothing wrong with a good old milk crate. You can hang bands from a clothing hook, or repurpose a coat rack. Even pegboard, that home workshop classic, can do the job. If your workout space spends the rest of the day as a living room or bedroom, check out storage boxes that will slide neatly under your bed or sofa.

The point is to keep your area tidy and your tools ready at hand. That way you won't have to hunt for your equipment, or get distracted by stray objects. Organization creates calm, and an orderly workout space will make it easier for you to focus and get going. Having the right storage also makes it easier to straighten up afterwards, and free the area for its other uses.
Decorate with positive images. What's your workout goal? Are you trying to lose weight, get more muscle definition, or regulate your cholesterol or blood sugar? Maybe you're getting in shape for an event, like a wedding, a marathon, or a fabulous beach vacation. Or perhaps you're making healthy changes in your overall lifestyle, and you're looking forward to hiking, cross-country skiing, or learning to surf.
Help envision your transformation by putting up pictures in your workout space that express your target. Clip or print photos showing flattering clothes you're going to wear, exciting activities you plan to do, exotic places you intend to travel. This is called creative visualization. If you don't think it helps, just ask a Russian Olympics coach.

Before the 1980 Olympics, Soviet coaches did tests with their athletes to compare the effects of mental and physical training. They found that the greatest performance improvements occurred in the group whose training regimen consisted of the highest ratio of mental training to physical training among the participants: 75 percent to 25 percent. Like karate masters and Indian yogis, "The Soviets had discovered that mental images can act as a prelude to muscular impulses."¹

So the photos on your wall are more than pretty pictures. They're practical motivation. On a day when you're not fired up to work out, or if you feel yourself losing steam midway through, just look up. You'll see a clear image of the reason why you're working so hard. It'll help you dig down and find renewed energy to keep going.
Do some soundproofing.
Want your family or roommates to support your workout routine wholeheartedly? Allow them to see the changes in your body without having to hear every single thump and grunt that's helping it happen.
Making your workout area quieter will also keep down your outside distractions, which will help you focus. Don't worry—those other tasks will still be waiting for you after your workout.

If you work out in a detached building, like a garage, lucky you! Much of your soundproofing is already done. If you pump iron inside a house or apartment, however, there are several fairly easy ways to muffle unwanted noise:
- Lay down carpet. Most carpet stores sell remnants or carpet squares you can install yourself. Even if you want an uncarpeted floor for your workout area, adding floor covering to other parts of the room will help to minimize the volume of your workout noise.
- Hang fabric or drapes. Lining the windows and walls will help muffle higher-frequency sounds. For more urgent noise-reduction needs, look for special soundproof curtains.
- If there's a gap above or below your door, attach weather stripping, readily available at the hardware store, to close it. Installing weather stripping just takes a little DIY skill. If you own your abode and there's a hollow-core door on your workout room, if you don't mind shelling out a little more dough, you might want to consider changing it out for a solid wood or composite door.
Make sure the area is well ventilated. When you commit to your workouts, you're bound to work up a good, healthy sweat. That's the whole point, in fact, and it's great—as long as you don't let weeks' worth of stink build up in a small space. That musty smell gives many of us traumatic flashbacks of the high school locker room. (Or is that just me?)
Anyway, when in doubt, air it out. After you finish your session, crank open the window. If your area doesn't have a window, throw open the doors and switch on a portable fan. Flush out the humidity and get some fresh air in there, so everything can dry out. You're trying to build muscles, not a mold farm.

Speaking of which, be sure to wash your towels and workout wear regularly too. And your exercise mat—but not with a detergent or harsh cleanser. For a great, mild mat cleaner, add a few drops of dishwashing liquid to 2 cups of warm water, along with a teaspoon of baking soda. Wet a cloth and wipe down your mat, then blot any excess moisture with a paper towel. Hang the mat on a line and allow it to dry thoroughly before rolling it up again.
Energize with color. Ever notice how color affects your mood? It's been posited that yellow promotes cheerfulness. Blue and green encourage relaxation, while red and orange stimulate energy. Color also influences our perception of space: Walls painted in lighter, pale colors seem to recede, making a room seem bigger, while darker, saturated wall colors make a room feel smaller.
Researchers Ravi Mehta and Rui Zhu discovered that different-colored environments improve peoples' performance at different types of tasks.² Specifically, they found that subjects in a bright red room did better on a detail-oriented task, while those in blue room excelled at a creative task. They theorized that red, traditionally associated with danger, may put people at a higher level of alertness. Blue, on the other hand, with its connotations of sea, sky, and relaxing wide-open spaces, opens up the mind and allows ideas to flow—and doubling the creative output of the people in the blue room.

Choose colors to prime yourself for your best workouts. Do you need to feel stimulated? Soothed? Uplifted? Add red, green, or yellow to your space accordingly. If painting is an option, even one wall of color can brighten your mood. Many paint stores sell returned gallons at discounted prices, and someone else's "mistake" might be your favorite shade. You can also incorporate color through the steps discussed previously, including drapery, workout equipment, storage units, or the pictures you hang on your wall.

As you head for the home improvement store, here's the overall point to remember: You want to make your workout space a place where you feel empowered and uplifted, ready to face your physical and mental challenges. By engaging your mind and all your senses in positive ways, you'll create a space you'll feel excited to come back to day after day.

Recipe: Fresh Pea Soup

2011-07-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder why you rarely see fresh peas in the produce section of your supermarket? That's because the harvest season for fresh peas is exceptionally short, which is why they're usually found either frozen or canned. But if you hurry now, you can get fresh shelling peas from your local farmers' market before the season ends. Here's a delicious summer recipe for fresh pea soup.

2 lbs. fresh shelling peas (in pods)
4-1/2 cups water
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and minced
1 small carrot, minced
1/2 medium celery stalk, minced
1 tsp. chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt (to taste)
1 Tbsp. minced chives

Remove peas from pods (you should have about 2-1/4 cups). Place empty pea pods, water, bay leaves, and thyme in large saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer briskly for 15 minutes. Strain through sieve, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Reserve broth and discard solids. (You should have at least 3 cups of broth.)

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and parsley and sauté until vegetables soften, about 6 minutes. Add 3 cups broth (reserve any extra to add later if needed) and simmer for 5 minutes to blend flavors. Add peas and cook just until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Puree soup in batches in blender until perfectly smooth, adding extra hot pea broth or hot water to thin if desired. Return to saucepan and add salt to taste. Ladle soup into individual bowls. Garnish with chives and serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Preparation Time: 1 hour

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories	Protein	Fiber	Carbs	Fat Total	Saturated Fat
99	5 g	5 g	15 g	3 g	< 1 g

Power Walking

2011-07-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

Power walking goes by several different names: speed walking, exercise walking, fitness walking, etc. And of course there is that close cousin of walking which is — hiking. Believe me, the lines separating the names are blurry.

One encyclopedia defines power walking as “walking at a speed at the upper end of the natural range for the walking gait, typically 4.5 to 5.5 mph (7 km/h to 9 km/h).” That is moving at a pretty fast clip. Maybe the other names are associated with slower speeds.

Whatever the speed, walking or hiking is the most accessible form of exercise because nearly everyone can do it, and it can be done almost anywhere and at any time. There is a low risk of injury and, except for proper shoes, no special equipment is required. You can begin a walking program by moving at a slow pace and gradually work up to a faster one.

However, don’t be fooled by thinking power walking is too easy to be beneficial. It can be as intense as you want it to be. By maintaining good form and a brisk pace, you can easily achieve a heart rate level of 60 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. Add some hills and you can really get huffing and puffing.
Getting started with a walking program . . .
Sometimes we over-complicate things that are really quite simple. Walking is one example. It is something we all learned to do at about a year old, and have been doing it ever since. So let's not over-think it. Put on some proper shoes and just go for a walk.
In my beginners’ fitness book, I tell trainees to begin the cardio portion of their lifestyle change by doing the following: The first day, open the front door of your home, step outside, and walk for five minutes. (I ask them to do cardio every other day.) The second cardio day, walk 10 minutes. Add five minutes more each cardio day, until you reach 30 minutes.
After reaching 30 minutes, add some hills and/or walk faster. Take it easy the first five minutes of your walk, and then pick up the pace. Work up a healthy sweat. Gradually slow down during the last five minutes.
When finished, stretch your hamstrings and calves.
Mostly, you will discover on your own the joy of walking, without much coaching from others.
However, I do have a few tips . . .

• As much as possible, don’t walk on hard pavement.

• Do wear properly fitting shoes.

• Don’t walk alone (especially women) in remote places. There is safety in numbers. And always tell friends or family where you are going and when you expect to return.

• Walk naturally. Stand straight and don’t swing your arms wildly or take exaggerated, long strides.

• I’m not a fan of hand or ankle weights. They tend to throw off your stride. If you want to carry extra weight, do it with a waist or back pack. Incidentally, nothing I can think of takes off body fat like carrying a backpack on a mountain trail.

• Wear proper clothing.

• When climbing hills, maintain your rhythm and shorten your stride.

If you would like to read more about walking and hiking, here are somebooks to consider.
And when it comes to backpacking, let me suggest a favorite of mine: The New Complete Walker by Colin Fletcher. It may be the most thorough analysis of backpacking gear found anywhere. Even more than that, he has a wonderful style and wit, and expresses the pure joy of walking like no one else I know of.

The George Boedecker Home Gym

2011-07-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

George Boedecker began training in 1955, at age 17. He’s 71 now and still loves to strength train, deciding years ago to get and stay lean and fit rather than massive. And as you see in the photo, he also built a very complete home gym.He has two certifications from the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA): one as a Certified Fitness Trainer, and the other as a Specialist in Fitness for Older Adults. He is currently studying to get certified as a Specialist in Performance Nutrition by ISSA.

He and his wife, Karin, live in Lyons, Colorado, along with their 10 rescue dogs, four rescue cats, and three horses. They live at 6,000 ft. and daily walks take him as high as 7,000 ft. -- LF

George sets yearly strength goals and uses three different training protocols.

Here is how he explains them:
"I started training with one work set per

body part and I still like one hard set to almost failure.
"Sometimes I'll do two sets and will not add weight until I can achieve 10-12 reps in both sets. I then add weight and start around 6-8 reps and gradually work the reps up, double progression.
"I also really like Escalating Density Training (EDT) by Charles Staley. My last training session was 15 minutes super setting dips and pull-ups using the perfect pull-up device. I then did another 15 minutes for one work set of squats, overhead dumbbell press, push-ups, again using the perfect push-up device, curls, and AB bench sit-ups. I'm finished in 30 minutes total, including warm ups."
George also developed the fully-equipped Boedecker home gym and agreed to share information about it.
Q. Where on your property is your gym located, and how much space do you have?
A. My gym is in a one car oversize garage, about 600 square feet.
Q. When did you decide to create a home gym?
A. I've had a home gym for as long as I can remember, even when I belonged to other gyms. I was very busy as a sales rep and manager for IBM, so sometimes I only had 30 minutes total to train and having a gym at home made it easier to squeeze in workouts.
Q. Do you take all your workouts at the Boedecker home gym, or do you also have a commercial gym membership?
A. I have a membership to 24 Hour Fitness. Most of my heavy training is done in my home gym.
Q. What was the first piece of equipment that you purchased?
A. 150 lb Weider barbell set plus instructions.
Q. Can you list all the equipment that you have now?
A. Yes, I have . . .

Olympic bar and about 500 lbs of plates
Trap bar for dead lifts
Power block dumbbells sets up to 85# and a 24# set
Prone hyper extension bench
Power rack
Gravitron for assisted dips and pullups by Stair Master
Perfect pull-ups and push-ups
Power Tec squat machine. Makes squatting fun again and can be done without spotters
Pull down machine
Safety squat bar
AB machine and AB bench
Schwinn Airdyne bike
Jackhammer grip machine plus assorted hand grippers
Dumbbells from 20 lbs to 50 lbs
Step up platform adjustable from 12-20" high.
Kettlebells in five sizes

Q. Is there any single piece of equipment that you consider indispensable? In other words, if you had to select only one piece of equipment for your workouts, what would it be?
A. The Power Block dumbbell set that adjusts from 5 lbs to 85 lbs. With them I can do heavy pressing, rowing, curls, triceps curls, step-ups to a bench, and squats.
Q. Do you have any training partners who workout with you, or clients who come to your gym?
A. I train two young men, ages 19 and 20, and sometimes I train with them. I also train a 55 year-old man, my 44 year-old daughter, granddaughter, and grandson. Mostly though, I train alone.
Q. Any final thoughts?
A. Training should be fun, as you know, and I emphasize this to everyone I train with or train by phone. I read over 50 years ago in an article inStrength and Health, by Bob Hoffman, that a person should feel better after the workout than before, and I believe this. I record everything I do and try to make a small gain each session. I also record all the weights and reps of the people I train.

Ab Exercise and a Trim Waistline

2011-07-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

Ab Exercise: Beneath the fattest, flabbiest belly there is a six-pack. Hard to believe? It is true. But do you need an actual six-pack to be fit? No, you don’t. Six-packs are highly valued these days. But even if you never reach that exalted level, you can have a strong, firm midsection. The most important thing is that you don’t want to be carrying around a spare. It’s unsightly and it’s definitely unhealthy.

Look at this six-pack. It belongs to my daughter, Jennifer, who often demonstrates the exercises on my blog videos.

Though not a senior, Jennifer is over 40, has had two children and, like all females, by nature's rules she carries a little more body fat than males. Yet six-packs are possible on both men and women, if they are determined and know the right way to go about it.

Let me explain first that Jennifer didn’t get those abs by doing endless crunches and “going for the burn” ab exercise. You won’t get them that way, either. Yet plenty of experienced trainers still harbor the misconceived notion that “spot reducing" works. It doesn’t.

To understand about eliminating fat anywhere on your body, start with a few facts:

No. 1 - Fat is distributed throughout your body, with some areas storing more of it than others. Where a person’s fat seems to be concentrated is determined mostly by genetics.

No. 2 - The first place on your body where fat accumulates is the last place it comes off as you reduce. (But it will come off.)
No. 3 - Doing thousands of isolation ab exercise reps may build ab muscle endurance, but reducing body fat anywhere requires taking in fewer calories than needed for present energy and maintenance requirements.
No. 4 - Exercises that strengthen underlying abdominal muscles areessential in a balanced fitness program, but assigning them special significance as "fat burners" is a mistake. The burn you feel after doing the umpteenth set of crunch/sit-up type movements is lactic acid buildup —not fat cells miraculously melting away. As actual fat burners, isolation movements do very little.
An item from Men's Health magazine put fat loss in proper perspective: "If your abs are covered with fat, cut 250 to 500 calories a day from your diet (or 10 to 20 percent of the calories it takes to maintain your current weight). Focus on eliminating refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and pasta. Don't bother working your abs more often [Emphasis is mine. –LF]. It takes 250,000 crunches to burn 1 pound of fat — that's about 100 crunches a day for 7 years."

Here is a much better strategy:

Do mostly big, compound muscle building exercises. The kind that make you huff and puff a bit: the clean and press, squats, push-ups, lunges, etc. The itsy-bitsy crunches won't get it done.
Include some specific ab exercise work.
Do regular cardiovascular workouts (short but intense intervals are usually more effective than long slow distance). Or combine your cardio and resistance training for high intensity circuit sessions.
Quit eating sugar foods and refined carbohydrates.
Eat more often but smaller portions. Three small meals and two or three nutritious snacks daily is the way to go. Don't go to extremes. Cutting calories too low will send your body into starvation mode. In other words, your body will adjust and adapt by slowing up your metabolism. That is not the way to burn fat.
Balance your macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fat). Yes, most overweight people eat too many carbohydrates, and especially the wrong kinds. But programs that practically eliminate all carbs, or any one of the three macronutrients, are not sustainable and may be unhealthy.
Drink plenty of water. Stay hydrated.
Get a full night of sleep every night.

TOP 100 SPORTSPICTURES OF 2010

2011-07-16T13:06:00.000-07:00

It was a big year in sports. in 2010 we had the usual suspects such as the tennis majors,
the golf majors, baseball’s World Series, football’s Champions League, the Superbowl,
all the famous horse races, an exciting Formula 1 season, the NBA play offs,
the Tour de France and some great boxing. And then we had some big, bigger and biggest sporting events.
The biggest of them all being the Football World Cup in South Africa.
Add to that the Winter Olympics and golf’s Ryder Cup and 2010 was a vintage year of sports.
These are 100 of the best pictures of that year in sports.

101. A snowboarder soars through the centre ring of the Olympic Rings during the opening ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics February 12, 2010. REUTERS/Mike Blake

202. Referee Tony Weeks (C) gets hit by a punch from Bernard Hopkins (L) of the U.S. after Hopkins and compatriot Roy Jones Jr., continue to fight after the end of the sixth round of their light heavyweight fight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada April 3, 2010. REUTERS/Aaron Mayes

303. Lindsey Vonn of the U.S. skis on her way to win the bronze medal in the women's Alpine Skiing Super-G race at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, February 20, 2010. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

404. Bari's supporters wave their team's banners during a match against AC Milan at the San Nicola stadium in Bari February 21, 2010. AC Milan won 2-0. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi

505. Canada's Kelsey Serwa (C) leads France's Ophelie David (L) and France's Marion Josserand during the quarterfinals heat of the women's ski cross at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics February 23, 2010. REUTERS/Mike Blake

606. Canada's Sidney Crosby celebrates with teammates Scott Niedermayer (L) and Drew Doughty after scoring the game winning goal against the U.S. during overtime in their men's ice hockey gold medal game at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics February 28, 2010. REUTERS/Todd Korol

707. Abby Wambach (R) of the U.S. fights for the ball with Sweden's Caroline Seger during their women's Algarve Cup soccer match in Ferreiras March 1, 2010. REUTERS/Jose Manuel Ribeiro

808. A Bursaspor player hides behind shields from the objects thrown by Diyarbakirspor fans, as an injured assistant referee lays on the pitch, during their Turkish Super League soccer match in Diyarbakir March 6, 2010. The game between Bursaspor and Diyarbakirspor was suspended at the 17th minute on Saturday, when Diyarbakirspor fans began throwing foreign objects onto the pitch. REUTERS/Anatolian/Ibrahim Yakut

909. Canada's Andrea Dziewior crashes at the finish line during the women's alpine downhill standing at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Whistler, British Columbia, March 18, 2010. REUTERS/Andy Clark

1010. A horseman falls from the saddle as he takes part in a Kok-boru, or goat dragging, competition as part of Navruz, an ancient holiday marking the spring equinox, celebrations in the capital Bishkek March 21, 2010. Kok-boru is a traditional Central Asian game which is considered to be Kyrgyzstan's national sport. Players grab a goat carcass from the ground in full gallop and try to place it into their opponents' goal, who attempt to foil the attack by snatching the headless goat away and score for their side. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov

1111. Sauber Formula One driver Kamui Kobayashi of Japan (front) crashes out of the race during the Australian F1 Grand Prix in Melbourne March 28, 2010. REUTERS/Mark Horsburgh

1212. Tiger Woods of the U.S. looks at his iPhone after using it to take a picture of playing partner Mark O'Meara on the 10th green, during a practice round for the 2010 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 6, 2010. REUTERS/Hans Deryk

1313. Khachaturian falls, unseating jockey Jason Maguire, in the Mildmay Novices' Steeple Chase during the second day of The Grand National Meeting at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool, northern England April 09, 2010.. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne

1414. Sebastien Ogier of France and his co-driver Julien Ingrassia drive their Citroen C4 WRC on the first day of the Turkey Rally during the FIA World Rally Championship near Istanbul, April 16, 2010. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

1515. Toronto FC's Chad Barrett celebrates his first of two goals against the Chicago Fire during the second half of their MLS soccer match in Toronto May 8, 2010. REUTERS/Mark Blinch

1616. Australian freestyle motocross rider Robbie Maddison jumps during an trainings session in the Sahara desert near the Gizah pyramids during sunset in Cairo May 11, 2010 in preparation of the second stage of the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour, which takes places in front of the Sphinx sculpture in Cairo on May 14. Picture taken May 11, 2010. REUTERS/Joerg Mitter for Global-Newsroom/Handout

1717. Spain's Marc Duran serves against Germany's Bastian Steger during their match in Group C First Division at the 2010 World Table Tennis Championships in Moscow, May 24, 2010. REUTERS/Mikhail Voskresensky

1818. Local school children play with soccer balls during a team training session on a dirt ground in front of houses in Soweto, Johannesburg May 25, 2010. The 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup kicks off on June 11. REUTERS/David Gray

1919. Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest jumps into the arms of team-mate Kobe Bryant after scoring the game-winning basket against the Phoenix Suns with less than 1 second on the clock during Game 5 of their NBA Western Conference final playoffs in Los Angeles May 27, 2010. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL IMAGES OF THE DAY)

2020. Heavyweight boxing title holder Vitali Klitschko of Ukraine celebrates after defeating Albert Sosnowski of Poland during their WBC world heavyweight championship title fight in the western German city of Gelsenkirchen May 29, 2010. REUTERS/Ina Fassbender

2121. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing driver Mike Conway flies through the air after crashing with Andretti Autosport driver Ryan Hunter-Reay (37) during the 94th running of the Indianapolis 500 auto race in Indianapolis, Indiana May 30, 2010. REUTERS/Larry Papke

2222. Australia's Lucas Neill is reflected in the water as he jogs with the team during a training session at Ruimsig Stadium in Roodepoort, just outside of Johannesburg June 7, 2010. Australia will play Germany in their opening World Cup 2010 soccer match on June 13. Picture rotated 180 degrees. REUTERS/Daniel Munoz

2323. South Africa's Siphiwe Tshabalala (2nd L) dances with team mates after he scored the first goal against Mexico during their 2010 World Cup opening match at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg June 11, 2010. REUTERS/Henry Romero

2424. Argentina's coach Diego Maradona celebrates his team's goal against Nigeria during the 2010 World Cup Group B soccer match at Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg June 12, 2010. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

2525. Takashi Okada of Japan (L) lands a punch against McWilliams Arroyo of Puerto Rico during their flyweight bout at Madison Square Garden in New York June 12, 2010. Okada was declared winner by unanimous decision after their four round fight. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

2626. England's David Flatman stands in midfield with a bleeding ear during a Rugby Union match against the Australian Barbarians in Gosford June 15, 2010. REUTERS/Tim Wimborne

2727. The pack of riders including HTC Columbia's team rider Mark Cavendish (3rd R) crash during their sprint next to the finish line in the fourth stage of the Tour de Suisse from Schwarzenburg to Wettingen June 15, 2010. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

2828. England's Wayne Rooney (L) and Frank Lampard reacts during the 2010 World Cup Group C soccer match against Algeria at Green Point stadium in Cape Town June 18, 2010. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

2929. Photographers gather in front of Argentina's coach Diego Maradona as he sings the national anthem before the 2010 World Cup Group B soccer match against Greece at Peter Mokaba stadium in Polokwane June 22, 2010. REUTERS/David Gray

3030. Paddy Games staff Joya Kuin and Colin Carroll (R) pose with colleagues Becky Neal (L) and John Meade while demonstrating the fireman carry event in Cork, Ireland June 22, 2010. With an events list including mobile phone throwing and the backwards 100 metres, the inaugural Paddy Games being held in Ireland in August looks set to break new records - but not many conventional ones. Picture taken June 22. REUTERS/Miki Barlok/Handout

3131. Brazil's Maicon fights for the ball with Portugal's Fabio Coentrao (R) during a 2010 World Cup Group G soccer match at Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban June 25, 2010. REUTERS/Christian Charisius)

3232. Chile's goalkeeper Claudio Bravo (C) concedes a goal by Spain during a 2010 World Cup Group H match at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria June 25, 2010. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

3333. A Spanish fan reacts moments before the end of Spain's World Cup soccer match against Chile in Madrid June 25, 2010. REUTERS/Susana Vera

3434. Britain's Prince Harry falls off his horse as he plays polo in the Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic on Governor's Island in New York June 27, 2010. REUTERS/Stephen Lovekin/Pool

3535. Serena Williams of the U.S. celebrates winning a point against Russia's Vera Zvonareva during the women's singles final at the 2010 Wimbledon tennis championships in London, July 3, 2010. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

3636. Netherlands' John Heitinga (R) celebrates with Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben (L) and Dirk Kuyt (2nd L) after their 2010 World Cup semi-final soccer match against Uruguay at Green Point stadium in Cape Town July 6, 2010. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

3737. Spain's soccer team celebrates with the World Cup trophy after their final match victory over Netherlands, during the award ceremony at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg July 11, 2010. REUTERS/Michael Kooren

3838. Shaolin students play soccer at Tagou Wushu School in Zhengzhou, Henan province July 11, 2010. Picture taken July 11, 2010. REUTERS/Donald Chan

3939. Olympic champion Usain Bolt of Jamaica looks from a door before a news conference to present the Paris Areva Golden League athletics meeting in Paris July 12, 2010. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer

4040. Honda MotoGP rider Marco Simoncelli of Italy crashes during a free practice at the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring circuit near the eastern German town of Hohenstein-Ernstthal, July 17, 2010. REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz

4141. Mexico's Yahel Castillo competes in the men's 3 metre Springboard final at the Central American and Caribbean games in Mayaguez July 19, 2010. Castillo won the gold medal. REUTERS/Jose Miguel Gomez

4242. Paula Creamer of the U.S. hits her second shot on the fifteenth hole during the ProAm round of the Evian Masters golf tournament July 21, 2010. REUTERS/Valentin Flauraud

4343. The pack of riders cycles during the 17th stage of the Tour de France cycling race from Pau to Tourmalet Pass, July 22, 2010. REUTERS/Bogdan Cristel

4444. Brazil's Joao Antonio Souza (L) competes against Venezuela's Antonio Leal in the men's individual foil fencing semi-finals at the Pan American Fencing Championships in San Jose August 3, 2010. REUTERS/Juan Carlos Ulate

4545. RNPS IMAGES OF THE YEAR 2010 - Brazil's Ioran Etchechury (C) falls into the water during the men's 2000m round one steeplechase qualification race at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Singapore August 18, 2010. REUTERS/Vivek Prakash

4646. Youths practice traditional Swiss Alpine wrestling in a ring covered with sawdust at a traditional 'Schwingkeller' gym in Sumiswald in the Swiss Emmental valley August 10, 2010. Swiss Alpine wrestling, called 'Schwingen', is the oldest sport in Switzerland. The Swiss Federal Alpine Wrestling Festival (Eidgenoessisches Schwing- und Aelplerfest) takes place in Frauenfeld from August 20 to 22. Picture taken August 10. REUTERS/Michael Buholzer

4747. An Italian couple sits during lunch as Steve Black of Australia dives past their balcony in the lead up round four of the 2010 Red Bull Cliff Diving world series in Polignano a Mare August 5, 2010. Gary Hunt of England currently leads the six round series, with the fourth stop taking place this Sunday, August 8. REUTERS/Dean Treml/Red Bull Photofiles

4848. Pakistan's Wahib Riaz leaps as he celebrates after dismissing England's Eoin Morgan (R) during the third cricket test match at the Oval in London August 18, 2010. REUTERS/Philip Brown

4949. Sam Oldham of Britain falls from the high bar during the men's individual all-around final of the artistic gymnastics competition at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Singapore August 18, 2010. REUTERS/Issei Kato

5050. McLaren Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain celebrates on the podium after winning the Belgian F1 Grand Prix in Spa Francorchamps August 29, 2010. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

5151. Barbara Bujka of Hungary bleeds after she was injured during their European Water Polo Championships preliminary match against Germany in Zagreb September 4, 2010. REUTERS/Nikola Solic

5252. England's Sarah Hunter walks past the trophy after losing their Women's Rugby World Cup final match to New Zealand in London September 5, 2010. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

5353. France's Teddy Riner celebrates his win during the men's judo +100 kg final match over Germany's Andreas Toelzer at the World Judo Championships in Tokyo September 9, 2010. REUTERS/Issei Kato

5454. Kim Ju-hee (R) of South Korea punches Jujeath Nagawa of the Philippines during a 10-round bout for four light flyweight titles, in Anyang, southwest of Seoul, September 12, 2010. WIBA-WIBF-GBU Champion Kim won the match by a decision (2:0). The titles being fought for are the WIBA (Women's International Boxing Association), WIBF (Women's International Boxing Federation), GBU (Global Boxing Union) and World Boxing Federation (WBF). REUTERS/Jo Yong-Hak

5555. Ferrari Formula One driver Fernando Alonso of Spain celebrates on the podium after winning the Italian F1 Grand Prix at the Monza circuit September 12, 2010. REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini

5656. Team Rabobank rider Laurens Ten Dam of the Netherlands grimaces after falling during the 16th stage of the Tour of Spain La Vuelta cycling race between Gijon and Cotobello, September 13, 2010. REUTERS/Miguel Vidal

5757. Russia's Dimitry Vassiliev soars through heavy snow clouds during the practice for the third event of the four-hills ski jumping tournament in Innsbruck January 2, 2010. The practice and the qualification were cancelled due to heavy wind and snowfall. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

5858. Tatjana Ivanova of Russia is overtaken by her sledge after crashing in the first run of the women's luge World Cup competition in the western German wintersport resort of Winterberg January 10, 2010. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

5959. AC Milan David Beckham celebrates at the end of the match against Juventus during their Serie A soccer match at Olympic stadium in Turin, January 10, 2010. AC Milan won 3-0. REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini

6060. Tiger Woods of the U.S. reacts after his tee shot on the sixth hole during the second round of the 92nd PGA Golf Championship at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin August 13, 2010. REUTERS/Matt Sullivan

6161. A Jockey from Montone parish rides his horse during a training session of the Palio race in Siena August 15, 2010. Every year on August 16, almost without fail since the mid-1600s, 10 riders compete bareback around Siena's shell-shaped central square in a bid to win the Palio, a silk banner depicting the Madonna and child REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini

6262. Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Aaron Hill fails to make the play on a single hit by Boston Red Sox's J.D. Drew during the fifth inning of their MLB American League baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts August 21, 2010. REUTERS/Adam Hunger

6363. Spanish banderiller Pedro Muriel is gored by a bull during a bullfight at the Malagueta bullring in Malaga August 22, 2010. Banderillers are bullfighter's assistants whose role is to weaken the bull's massive neck and shoulder muscles using harpoon pointed sticks known as banderillas (little flags). Muriel was gored in the right thigh but his wound is not serious, said his manager Ignacio Gonzalez to the magazine Mundotoro. REUTERS/Jon Nazca

6464. Liverpool's Steven Gerrard (C) celebrates after scoring his second goal during their English Premier League soccer match against Manchester United at Old Trafford in Manchester, northern England, September 19, 2010. REUTERS/Phil Noble

6565. The mother of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili, Dodo Kumaritashvili (L) mourns at home holding a photograph of her son in Bakuriani, some 160 km (99.4 miles) west of Tbilisi March 23, 2010. Kumaritashvili was killed in a horrific training crash during the final luge session for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics at the Whistler Sliding Centre on February 12, 2010. REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili

6666. Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Harrison (35) dives for yardage after being tripped up by the Kansas City Chiefs during the first quarter of their NFL football game in Cleveland, Ohio September 19, 2010. REUTERS/Aaron Josefczyk

6767. Miami Heat's LeBron James poses for a portrait during Media Day in Miami, Florida September 27, 2010 before the NBA basketball team kicks off their training camp. REUTERS/Hans Deryk

6868. A young fan (L) watches as San Jose Sharks Douglas Murray (C) and Vancouver Canucks Tanner Glass fight during the second period of their NHL pre-season hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia September 28,2010. REUTERS/Andy Clark

6969. Philadelphia Phillies Ben Francisco reacts after being hit in the head with a pitch by Cincinnati Reds Logan Ondrusek during the sixth inning in Game 2 of the MLB National League Division Series baseball playoffs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 8, 2010. REUTERS/Tim Shaffer

7070. Yamaha MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo of Spain makes a wheelie before crossing the finishing line during the the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang October 10, 2010. Lorenzo clinched his maiden MotoGP world title with a third-place finish at the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday. REUTERS/Bazuki Muhammad

7171. Horses jump over the Big Taxis obstacle during the 120th Velka Pardubicka Steeplechase horse race in Pardubice October 10, 2010. REUTERS/Petr Josek

7272. Australia's Michael Clarke (L) and Shane Watson gesture during the third day of their second test cricket match against India in Bangalore October 11, 2010. REUTERS/Andrew Caballero-Reynolds

7373. A wrestler performs during the unveiling of the 2011 Pan American Games countdown clock in Guadalajara October 14, 2010. People gathered to watch the unveiling of the Pan American Games countdown clock which will take place in Guadalajara in October 2011. REUTERS/Alejandro Acosta

7474. Russia's Ksenia Afanasyeva falls as she competes on the uneven bar at the qualifying round of the Gymnastics World Championships at the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam October 16, 2010. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

7575. WBC boxing champion Vitali Klitschko (R) of Ukraine lands a punch on Shannon Briggs of the U.S. during their WBC Heavyweight Championship boxing bout in Hamburg October 16, 2010. Klitschko won the fight by points after twelve rounds. REUTERS/Christian Charisius

7676. Two grid girls shelter from the rain in the pits during the warm up session of the Australian Grand Prix in Phillip Island near Melbourne October 17, 2010. REUTERS/Mick Tsikas

7777. Texas Rangers pitcher Neftali Feliz (R) celebrates with catcher Bengie Molina after defeating the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball's ALCS playoff series in Arlington, Texas October 22, 2010. REUTERS/Jeff Haynes

7878. Golfer Tiger Woods hugs his mother Kultida Woods during his first public statement to a small gathering of reporters and friends at the headquarters of the U.S. PGA Tour in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, February 19, 2010. REUTERS/Joe Skipper

7979. Palestinian contestants prepare for a bodybuilding competition in Gaza City October 29, 2010. A total of 25 men from 20 to 40 year-olds took part in the competition. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

8080. San Francisco Giants players celebrate defeating the Texas Rangers in Game 5 of Major League Baseball to win the World Series in Arlington, Texas, November 1, 2010. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

8181. Venus Williams of the U.S. plays a shot during her match against Arantxa Parra Santonja of Spain at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris May 26, 2010. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau

8282. Antonio Margarito of Mexico is hit with a left by Manny Pacquiao (R) of the Philippines in the 5th round of their 12 round WBC World Super Welterweight title boxing fight in Arlington, Texas November 13, 2010. Pacquiao eventually cemented his place in the pantheon of boxing greats by recording an unanimous points victory over Margarito on Saturday to claim the vacant WBC super welterweight title. REUTERS/Tim Sharp

8383. England players attend a team training session at Wembley Stadium in London November 16, 2010. England are due to play France in an international friendly soccer match in London on November 17, 2010. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

8484. Lu Yong of China reacts after a missed attempt during the men's 85kg weightlifting event at the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, November 17, 2010. REUTERS/Mick Tsikas

8585. IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight champion boxer Vladimir Klitschko of Ukraine prepares during a workout in front of media in Going November 23, 2010. Klitschko will defend his titles against Zimbabwe-born British heavyweight champion Derek Chisora in a fight on December 11 at the SAP arena in Mannheim. REUTERS/Dominic Ebenbichler

8686. Red Bull Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany speaks to television reporters after winning the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix at Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi November 14, 2010. Vettel became Formula One's youngest world champion on Sunday by winning the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah

8787. Players from the Laval University Rouge et Or football team celebrate their victory over the Calgary Dinos in the Vanier Cup college football game at Laval University in Quebec City, November 27, 2010. REUTERS/Mathieu Belanger

8888. Chicago Blackhawks John Scott (R) punches Los Angeles Kings Kevin Westgarth during the second period of their NHL hockey game in Los Angeles, California, November 27, 2010. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

8989. Juan Manuel Marquez (L) of Mexico connects on Michael Katsidis of Australia during a WBA/WBO lightweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, November 27, 2010. REUTERS/Mark Damon

9090. Latvia's four-man bobsleigh team, piloted by Edgars Maskalans, begins its training heat at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia February 24, 2010. REUTERS/Issei Kato

9191. Valentina Marocchi of Italy competes in the women's 10m platform diving final at the European Swimming Championships in Budapest August 12, 2010. REUTERS/Peter Andrews

9292. Bryan Clay of the U.S. competes during the men's heptathlon event at the IAAF World Indoor Athletics Championships at the Aspire Dome in Doha March 12, 2010. REUTERS/Dominic Ebenbichler \

9393. Norway third Thomas Lovold delivers a stone during their game against the United States at the World Men's Curling Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo April 5, 2010. REUTERS/Valentin Flauraud

9494. Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov (R) shoots and scores his goal against West Ham United during their English Premier League soccer match at Old Trafford in Manchester August 28, 2010. REUTERS/ Eddie Keogh

9595. England's Paul Collingwood (R) leaps out of the way after Australia's Ricky Ponting hits out watched by Craig Kieswetter (C) during the third one-day international cricket match at Old Trafford cricket ground in Manchester June 27, 2010. REUTERS/Philip Brown

9696. Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates defeating Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic in the men's singles final at the 2010 Wimbledon tennis championships in London, July 4, 2010. REUTERS/Toby Melville

9797. Gerek Meinhardt of the U.S. (L) competes against Venezuela's Cesar Bru during the men's fencing team florete finals at the Pan American Fencing Championships in San Jose August 6, 2010. The U.S. team won the gold medal. REUTERS/Kent Gilbert

9898. Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after missing an opportunity to score during their Champions League Group G soccer match at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid September 15, 2010. REUTERS/Felix Ordonez

9999. Austria's Gregor Schlierenzauer soars through the air during the third event of the four-hills ski jumping tournament in Innsbruck January 3, 2010. REUTERS/Dominic Ebenbichler

430-Pound Sumo Wrestler Completes The LA Marathon

2011-07-16T12:45:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, 26 year old Ethiopian runner Markos Geneti, finished the Los Angeles marathon in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 35 seconds; winning the race and beating the previous record set in 2009.

But Markos picked the wrong day to make history. His accomplishment was overshadowed by Kelly Gneiting, a 40 year old, 430-pound American Sumo wrestler, who completed the marathon in 9 hours, 48 minutes, and 52 seconds.

Kelly also broke a record; his 2008 LA Marathon time of 11:52:11. And on Sunday, Guinness World Record certified Kelly - who is a three-time national Sumo wrestling champion - as the heaviest person to finish the 26.2-mile race.

Kelly jogged the first 8 miles through the pouring rain, and walked the final 18 miles. Ten miles into the race Kelly says he became delirious and thought about stopping due to painful blisters on his feet, but towards the end of the race he got a second wind.

"I was really struggling in the last five miles," Kelly told reporters, "But I said to myself, 'If I have to crawl, I will.'"

After the race, Kelly goofed around with the media calling himself "one of the best athletes in the world." And he joked, saying, "I'd like to see the Kenyan improve his marathon time by two hours."

(Video from Kelly's 2008 race.)

Kelly isn't done putting his super-sized runners build to the test. He also wants to swim the English Channel, play for the Philadelphia Eagles, and hike from the Dead Sea to Mt. Everest.

Kelly better hurry, though, studies claim the average life-expectancy of Sumo wrestlers is short; between 60 to 65 years old. And Sumos have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, and diabetes; all dangers also associated with obesity.

5 Simple Fitness Tips For Losing Weight

2011-07-16T12:43:00.000-07:00

Many people at the beginning of their weight loss journey, want to find easy to implement fitness tips that will help them get started on the right foot.

If that's where you're at, there a few things that you need to consider and focus on so that you'll experience positive results as quick as possible.

Knowledge is the secret to getting the strong, slender body that you have always wanted. If you are ready to get in the best shape of your life, the right fitness tips for losing weight can make a huge difference in your life.

Build A Strong Core

One of the most important aspects of weight loss and exercise is a strong core. In fact, if you do not have a strong core, it will be difficult to perform several exercises in the average workout routine. A strong core improves both balance and coordination.

Keep in mind that sit-ups are your friend, so do as many of them as you can. In the past, many people did not believe doing sit-ups was an adequate way to build the core. However, these days that tune has changed. Sit-ups effectively increase range of motion, which in turn causes your abdominal muscles to work even longer and harder.

If you prefer, you can do crunches on a stability ball or use a rolled-up towel underneath your lower back which are also effective ways to build core strength. Remember to avoid doing sit-ups or crunches with your feet anchored because you will risk injury to your lower back.

Wear Proper Attire

You would not wear sweatpants to Sunday school or a bathing suit to the grocery store, so it is understandable to wear appropriate attire during your workout routine.

The clothes that you wear when you're working out should be tight enough to stay in place and out of your way, yet loose enough to allow easy flow of movement. You do not want to be constricted in any way as you exercise. Clothes that are too loose may wrap around your limbs, entangling you as you move. Likewise, clothes that are too tight can cut off circulation and cause serious discomfort or pain.

If The Shoe Fits

It is also important to wear appropriate footwear when exercising as well. Exercises such as running, jumping rope, plyometrics, etc. can jar the joints, leading to pain, discomfort, or even serious injury. Your best option is to purchase a good pair of shoes for working out and for working out only. It is acceptable to go without shoes if you are performing exercises such as yoga or Pilates.

Make it a point to shop for your workout shoes later in the day when your feet are at their largest. You want to make sure that you have about a half of an inch of space between your longest toe and the end of the shoe. You should be able to wiggle your toes with ease.

Keep It Loose

Stretching and keeping your muscles limber are just as important as fat burning exercises. As you grow older, you muscles will become less and less pliable. Fight the aging process by staying loose.

Never stretch cold muscles. It is important to warm up your muscles before you stretch to prevent painful injury. Hold each stretch for fifteen to thirty seconds in order to get the full effect.

Keep Moving

Staying fit and healthy is more than working out for an hour or so per week. In order to get fit and stay healthy, you need to move as much as possible. Take the stairs when possible and park a little further away from the front door to squeeze in a little extra fitness in your day-to-day life.

These are only a few fitness tips for losing weight. The key to getting fit is to try out a few things to determine what best fits into your life and then stick to it.