1) Apples

How many times have you heard the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”?  This fruit has been known to lower high blood pressure and reduce inflammation in the body. Apples also contain antioxidants and immune system-boosting vitamin C. The fiber in apples is excellent for regularity of the digestive tract and the pectin in apples breaks down gall stones allowing them to be passed with minimal discomfort. One of the top varieties is Red Delicious and is best when eaten fresh. To avoid ingesting the heavy pesticides, buy organic whenever possible.

2) Bananas

In addition to being an excellent source of potassium, bananas have a wide variety of health benefits which include:  controlling blood pressure, improving heart health, soothing ulcers, improving waste elimination, protecting eyesight, building stronger bones, and improving kidney health. Bananas are filling and satisfying. As an ice cream substitute, peel, slice, and freeze 2 medium bananas. Remove from the freezer and either blend or run through a food processor until smooth.

3) Lemons

Widely known for its vitamin C content, lemons neutralize free radicals which can cause tissue inflammation and cancer. They are wonderful examples of healthy foods that can be consumed daily. Upon rising each morning, squeeze the juice of one lemon into 8-16 ounces of water and drink. In addition to boosting the immune system, the citric acid rids the intestinal tract of harmful parasites.

4) Carrots

Carrots are healthy foods that contain high amounts of vitamins (like A, C, and K) and minerals (like potassium, folate, and manganese). It is one of the most powerful antioxidants and detoxifiers. Health benefits include improved eyesight, reduced acne breakouts, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer prevention. (Hester, 2007) Carrot ginger soup is a great way to enjoy all of these benefits. Peel and slice 4 large carrots, add 1 tablespoon of fresh minced ginger, add ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and add salt to taste. Combine all ingredients in a pot and cover with 6 cups of water. Boil until just tender. Blend until smooth and add sea salt to taste.

5) Spinach

Spinach contains vitamins A, C, and K as well as folate, potassium, phosphate, selenium, and iron. It is good for fighting anemia and is a potent detoxifier. Spinach is high in antioxidants, has powerful cancer-fighting agents, has anti-inflammatory properties, and is excellent for bone health. Eat it fresh in salads, lightly sauté it, or even juice it along with carrots, apples, lemon, and ginger to cleanse your system and boost your energy levels.

6) Quinoa

Quinoa is a protein-packed grain that contains fewer carbohydrates and more healthy fats than other grains and meats. It is gluten-free and has high concentrations of iron, calcium, potassium, and fiber. Quinoa is high in antioxidants and heart-healthy. Use quinoa as a side dish or as a base for meatless dishes like bean burgers.

These six foods can be used in a variety of recipes, but they can also be enjoyed as side dishes or snacks. By consuming a variety of these nutrient-dense, healthy foods, the body will be able to heal itself and move quickly along the path to vibrant health.

Works Cited

Hester, D. R. (2007). 21 Pounds in 21 Days: The Martha’s Vineyard Diet Detox. New York: Harper Collins.

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Don’t eat carbs, don’t eat fat, do a bunch of cardio, do a bunch of resistance training, go on a liquid diet, give up and get lipo, I’ve heard all the crazy things people try.  Most of it done with little or no results.  So what’s the key to losing weight?   To lose weight all you have to do is burn more calories than you take in.  That’s it!  There is no secret workout, training method or diet trainers have hidden away in their back pocket on how to lose weight.  In fact most good trainers will out right tell you how.  Eat less and move more!  It’s the law of thermodynamics.  Energy cannot be made or destroyed, only transferred.  So if I eat more calories than my body can burn in a day, I’ll have excess calories left over.  Those calories cannot be destroyed so they will be used to rebuild tissue or stored for latter.  Meaning, those calories will build muscle or be stored as fat.  So, obviously the reverse of this is to eat fewer calories than you burn in a day.  That will result in a deficit.  My body needs energy to function.  Where will this needed energy come from?  Ah yes, the stored fat!  Seems pretty simple right.

Earlier I stated that you don’t even need to workout to lose weight and that’s true.  You can lose weight by simply eating less than you do now and burning the same amount of calories.   Don’t want to eat less?  Fine, just workout out more.  If you eat the same amount of calories as you currently do yet perform strength training or cardio to burn more calories, you’ll lose weight that way too!  Yet, not performing resistance training your muscles will not be toned and bikini, or Speedo, ready.  Performing resistance training will build or maintain the lean body mass you have.  Strength training will also burn calories during and 2-3 days after your workout.  Nobody wants to be thin yet flabby right!   The bigger the gap between calories consumed and calories burned will cause a greater reduction of weight.  So what if you reduced the amount of calories you ingest while also increasing the amount of calories your body burns by performing strength training and some cardio?  Well that would increase the gap between calories consumed and calories burned causing a greater weight loss!

No crazy weight loss diets.  No outlandish workouts.  Losing weight to get ready for bikini season is as simple as sticking some strength training into your week,  going for a run a few times a week or just eating less each day.  How to lose weight before bikini season?  Just east less and move more.

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How much you way is a simple equation of the calories you take in opposed to the calories you burn.   If you take in more calories than you burn, you have a calorie surplus.  Those extra calories will be used in one of two ways.  Stored as fat or used to build tissue.  This is why so many people are scared to try and gain weight.  They have tried before and only put on fat weight not lean body mass.   Knowing how to gain weight in a healthy way will negate the storing of fat and optimize the building of muscle.

Let’s start with what type of calories its takes to build muscle.  First, protein.  The amino acids that come from protein are the building blocks of the body.  Your body will use these amino acids to repair tissues.  Bone, ligaments, skin cells and yes muscle.  About 20-30% for your diet should be made up of high quality protein.  When I say high quality I mean a protein source that contains essential amino acids.  There are two types of amino acids essential and non-essential.  Non-essential amino acids are actually made by your body, so it has an abundance of those.   Essential amino acids are not made by the body and need to be added from another source.  Lean meats, eggs and cheeses contain essential amino acids.  Plants based proteins do not contain high levels of essential amino acids.

So, we have the building blocks but who is going to do the building?  Carbohydrates are the main fuel source for the body.  50-70% of your caloric intake should be a form of carbohydrates.  Carbohydrates will fuel your muscles for the workouts as well as perform the rebuilding process of the muscles using the amino acids as the building blocks. There are two forms of carbohydrates, complex and simple.  Complex carbohydrates are no refined, meaning they have not been processed.  Vegetables, some fruits, whole grain breads, rice and beans are all sources of complex carbohydrates.  Complex carbohydrates are also high in fiber.  Simple carbohydrates are a more refined carbohydrate.  Some fruits, white bread and rice as well as anything that has been processed for a longer shelf life would be a simple carbohydrate.  Simple carbohydrates are usually referred to as sugars.   Complex carbohydrates should be used pre workout for a long chain of energy.  Simple carbohydrates should be used post workout to refuel the body quickly and start the muscle rebuilding process.  Ingestion of simple carbohydrates should happen within 90 minutes of workout.  The remaining 20-30% of your diet should be from fat.  Digestion and other essential body functions require fat.

You should spread these calories out over 5-7 meals thought the day.   The total number of calories you need to ingest will be determined on your current body weight and the amount of activity you perform each day.  A good number to start with is to take your current weight and multiply it by 20.  This is a starting point for a calorie surplus.  Of course to convince your body to use these excess calories to build bigger, stronger muscles we need to traumatize those muscles first.  A consistent resistance training program is also essential for gain weight in a healthy way.  When you perform resistance training you’re actually breaking small weak muscles fibers.  Your body will then rebuild those muscles fibers using protein and carbohydrates to make bigger stronger muscles fibers.  This will increase your lean body mass, ultimately gaining weight!  Yet, you can’t just perform any old resistance training.  To build optimal muscle you need to force your muscles to use all of their motor units.  Your muscle has different bundles of muscles fibers, each controlled by a motor unit.  Your muscle will only use as many motor units as it needs to produce enough force to move the joint.  So to build excess muscle you must force your muscle to use all of its motor units.  This is done by using heavy weight with medium to low repetitions and multiple sets.   This will tire the regularly use motor units and force the muscle to use all of its motor units.  So, we’ve fueled the body, traumatized the muscle, and refueled the body with the excess calories now all it needs is rest.   This is where most people drop the ball.  Your muscle needs 48-72 hours of rest before being traumatized again.  If you don’t allow that muscle to rebuild the damaged fibers it will never get bigger or stronger.  Over training the muscle will actually decrease strength and size of the muscle.  So, if that muscle is still sore from a previous workout, let it rest!

Calories, resistance training and rest.  That’s all it really takes to gain weight in a healthy way.  The right percentages of carbohydrates, protein and fat will give your body the energy and building materials to gain muscle.  Performing the right type of resistance training with the correct amount of weight and the right number of sets trigger your body to build muscle.  48-72 hours of rest after you workout will allow your body the it needs time to repair and rebuild the muscle fibers so you can gain weight in a healthy way.  So follow these steps, tweak those diets and resistance training programs and never again be told you look to skinny, need to put on weight or you need to eat a sandwich!

WorkoutHealthy Blog | Physical Fitness Articles & Diet Tips

1. Before lifting weights, it is probably the single most efficient advice for a beginner to seek knowledge and demonstration from an experienced fitness instructor. Most gyms have their very own fitness instructors that you can ask questions about and teach you how to perform the exercises properly. This will ensure that the targeted muscles are stressed strictly and to avoid injury.
2. One common mistake that beginners make when performing certain lifts is that they just lift the weight with their arms causing less stress to the targeted muscles. Say for example, a beginner performing pull down exercises just pulls the weights down to the chests back and forth, without engaging the muscles of the back. This not only lessens the stress to the back but allows only the biceps to take the work. Keep in mind that when performing back exercises, squeeze your shoulders blades together as you pull down the weights as this will ensure specific muscle involvement, not just the arms. In short, know how to utilize strict muscle involvement with every exercise to promote muscle growth and men’s fitness over all.
3. When trying to build muscle and mass, take for consideration the weights and the set to rep scheme that you will be performing. The most basic principle for muscle and mass building would be to lift heavy weight for approximately 8 to 10 reps for three to four sets. This rep to set scheme ensures that you work your fast twitch muscle fibers which are involved with sudden bursts or energy and are also known to be well developed among people with massive muscle mass. When undergoing a heavy set, make sure that an assistant or a training partner is present to spot you should you fail during your last few reps.
4. Another important fitness tip that you have to keep in mind as a beginner is to perform warm up exercises before your weight sessions. Your warm up sessions may include lighter exercises using light weights, a short fifteen minute cardio and/or stretching exercises. This will ensure that your muscles are pumped up before the upcoming vigorous weight training. This will also allow full range of motion before your exercise or your game. Furthermore, proper warm up prevents premature fatigue and muscle cramping.
5. In order to develop over all fitness, you may ask your trainer to create a program for you that may involve over all body development that ensures you perform exercises for the whole body within two day sessions. For example, you can perform squats, bench press, pull ups and the bridge for the first day, then barbell military presses, barbell row, and dead lift for day two. Total body workout saves you time especially when you do not have the luxury of time to perform split training.
6. Core workouts, develop the core which aids in stabilizing the torso when performing standing exercises, and aids in equal power distribution from the core to the limbs. One mistake that beginners often make when it comes to core exercises is to skip it then eventually forgets to perform the exercise. Core exercises such as the plank or the bridge, the side bridge, the bicycle crunch and the reverse crunch are essential moves that help in strengthening the core. When you notice that you may have plateaus, it is about time to give your core some attention. This is due to the fact that when you fail to lift more weights or when you have stopped to progress when it comes to your strength, then you may have a weak core that needs efficient core exercises.
7. The exercises that you must perform must include compound exercises such as the squats, bench press, dips, barbell rows and dead lifts. These compound exercises are known to build mass, over al strength and promotes fat loss as well as they keep your fat burning ability running even hours after your workout session.
8. Your rest periods, when trying to build muscle are as important as lifting weights itself. The rest periods that you may incorporate are actually dependent on your goal. Take the following rest principles then apply.

• For muscle building, keep your rest periods between one to two minutes as this length of time allows your muscles to recover amply as you prepare for a harder and heavier lifting for your next set.
• For weight loss, supersets give you the most benefit. This can be done by performing two exercises back to back and by resting after the two has been finished for 30 seconds maximum. Circuit training is also an efficient weight loss program as you will be performing a succession of four to five exercises before resting for two minutes.
• For strength training, the key is to rest for three to five minutes. The said time is enough for your muscles to completely recover as you add more significant weights for the next set, which is an essential element for strength gaining.

These 8 tips are essential rules that you must always keep in mind when trying to achieve men’s fitness as a beginner. Using compound exercises, giving attention to your core, allowing rest periods, consistency and proper execution are the foundations that help build a strong and lean physique. Being a beginner should not deter you from pumping out in the gym, after all, let it be your inspiration for you to build a healthy body that will promote confidence and benefit you as you perform your daily activities.

WorkoutHealthy Blog | Physical Fitness Articles & Diet Tips

Appropriate Use of Ankle Weights

Ankle weights could be used in a weight training program to add resistance to pull-ups and dips although it would make more sense to use a weighted backpack or dip belt, keeping the added weight closer to the core and on the much more robust joints of the hip. Adding weight nearer the center of body mass degrades balance less and mimics the natural fat deposition areas for humans on the stomach and thighs.

Weight at the ankles is analogous to the ability of the hands to grip weights in training for the upper body. This is helpful in performing slow, controlled exercises – like leg raises and front, back, and side kicks – for certain articulations of the spine, hips, and knees.

Risky Use of Ankle Weights

Ankle weights are not going to bring desired intensity to and deliver intended results in either cardiovascular or plyometric workouts. Training with weights strapped to the lower extremities will not translate into meaningful gains in speed, power, or endurance when the weights are absent.

The main issue is that ankle weights are positioned comparatively far from the core. In a rhythmic, dynamic, and/or high-speed event, it places unusual and undue stress on precision, comparatively fragile joints. In simple locomotion, it alters the human gait and stride frequency.

Fully extending the legs at high speed, and with less control, makes it exceptionally difficult to affect controlled stops to such movements or to transition to other movements, particularly repeatedly, and significantly raises the chances of experiencing joint overextension or dislocation. This puts ligaments and tendons and muscles at much higher risk for sprains and strains, respectively.

Indeed, you will exert yourself more with weights at the ankles; but, you can challenge yourself with less risk of injury and more athletic reward without them. Simply increasing your pace, adding intervals, and varying terrain are all superior training methods.

Carefully Consider Your Use

Ankle weights can be a useful piece of resistance much like dumbbells in hand. However, you have to use them in the same environment, with the same discipline, and affording the same respect as other free weights. The purpose of ankle weights is to provide resistance to those exercises meant for developing strength and building muscle mass in the core, hips, and thighs.

I would definitely use ankle weights in the context of a weight training routine but I would absolutely not consider them safe for my joints in the context of a cardiovascular or plyometric training routine. Ankle weights can be safely used and belong in the weight room with dip belts, barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells.

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