Proper Breathing During Weight Lifting

"I turn my back to the wind

To catch my breath

Before I start off again"

Breathing during weight training - this is an area I never see addressed, be it in books, videos, or on the gym floor. All day I have to remind my clients to breathe properly during each phase of a movement. Folks tend to either hold their breath, or reverse the inhale/exhale during the shortening phase of a contraction. Why do we hold our breath during weight lifting? It is a natural physiological reaction to physical AND mental stress. Notice the next time you are stumped at your computer at work. You will most likely have to let out a huge breath of air, from stress. The same thing happens in the gym. Powerlifters actually try to take advantage of that stress and do what is known as the Valsalva Manuever in order to lift more weight. This is a fabulous way to spike your blood pressure off the charts, or in some cases end up with this or this.

Salma Hayek takes my breath away, and, for a slightly different reason, so does a tough set of barbell squats. There is great demand for oxygen here in your muscles, and in your brain. There is also a demand of sorts by your spine for you to breathe properly. You must meet those demands by breathing during each repetition. You inhale on the downward phases; dropping into a squat, lowering a barbell, and bear down on your abs and exhale during the upward phases. To clarify bearing down, I mean the same feeling you have in your core at the tail end of a cough or sneeze. Breathing this way has a two-fold action: you are supplying much needed O2 to your muscles, and you are forcing all your core muscles, which aid in expiring spent O2, to tighten around and support your spine.

Your blood pressure is elevated during exercise, which is a good thing. You are also elevating your heart rate during your workout. The end result is lower resting blood pressure and lower resting heart rate. Your cardiovascular system operates at greater output, with less effort. So, during your workouts keep your breathing correct to add to that efficiency. As my wise, pithy yoga teacher Ruzica tells me, "the difference between life and death is breath." Breathe properly, your back, brain, muscles, and insurance provider will thank you.

Scott Dawson, Chicago

I offer personal training services to clients in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Specializing in strength and flexibility training, I will work with you in your home, gym, or personal training studio. My qualifications include a Master's degree in Kinesiology and a fitness specialist certification from the University of Illinois. scott@sdpersonalfitness.com

Does sifted matcha really have more volume?

One of my readers asked me: “If the matcha you use is 1.2 grams when sifted or non-sifted, shouldn't the volume be the same?”  I learned from my experiences that the sifted matcha has more volume.  It always looks more when sifted, but I have never actually measured its weight and volume.  With his question, I got into thinking: “Does sifted matcha really have more volume?”  My understanding could be caused from optical sense error, or it might have been just a wrong assumption.It got me to actually measure it and make sure that my assumption is right.  I measured the same volume of the both sifted and non-sifted matcha with 15cc spoon. I concluded that sifted tea is lighter in weight, which means it has more volume compared with non-sifted one in the same weight.  I think that air gets between the tea parcels by sifting, and tea gets fluffy.  I’m glad that it was not just an assumption or optical illusion, hahaha^^

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A Challenge: What Are The 10 Most Useful Web Pages On White Tea?

This page is about a problem that you can help solve if you are a blogger or tea company webmaster, or if you have any web presence whatsoever. The gist of this post is that I am challenging bloggers and webmasters to come up with a list of, and then link to, the 10 pages that they think would be the best and most relevant pages to return in online search results related to white tea.

Why this challenge?

I work very hard on RateTea. I have now put in over three years of work designing and maintaining the site. Although I have received some help from the other two site admins, Sylvia, and Gretchen (who worked with the site two summers ago), and Sylvia still works on the site's graphic design, I do the bulk of the work (programming and writing) myself.

The site is not performing as well as I would like it to in search results for certain search terms, and there are numerous websites outranking it that I personally believe to be much less useful or relevant, and that do not seem to reflect the same sort of work that I've put into RateTea. Let me give you one example of a search query which I find particularly frustrating. Here is a screenshot of a google search result for "white tea":

RateTea's page on white tea is buried deep within this search. When opening a clean web browser and running a non-personalized search, it displayed first on the 11th page of search results; google webmaster tools shows that its average rank is 180th in the list. With my personalized search results, on which I have +1'ed RateTea's page, it is still on the fifth page. Barely any people travel this far. I think this is unfortunate both for RateTea, and for tea culture in general, as I will show, many of the search results that are returned before RateTea's page are ones that I think most people would agree are far less useful or informative than RateTea's page.

RateTea's page is not the only one that is getting buried...there are numerous pages by bloggers and tea companies that I would like to see on this list that are also buried very deep in this search (much deeper than RateTea's page).

RateTea's page on white tea:

I want to invite you to visit RateTea's page about white tea. I personally think this page is an outstanding, unparalleled resource for information about white tea--but I am biased because I have an interest in promoting my own site, so I would like to ask you to view the site with a critical eye. My intention for the page is that it can be a central resource on the topic of white tea, where people can go to find:
An introductory article defining white tea and talking about its production and origins, hyperlinked into articles on related topics, like the various regions producing white tea, caffeine levels, etc.Listings of over 200 white teas sold by numerous different tea companies, including a lot of small tea companies selling very high-quality, single-origin white tea.Currently, 50 reviews of white teas, and growing.Pages on specific varieties of white tea (currently listing seven different types, with an article on each one, and, similarly, listings and reviews of each one).(These are less important to me but I think others may want them) Top-rated and most-often-rated white teas on the site.

What pages are outranking RateTea?

The first search result is Wikipedia's page on white tea, which I think is a good resource and a good first result to return, although, like many Wikipedia pages, it has considerable problems and could use more work by editors. However, the second site, WhiteTeaGuide, I think pales in comparison to RateTea, in terms of usefulness and accuracy. There is not only less information on that site, but the site provides no identification of authorship, cites no sources, does not provide any contact info, and does not link to many other useful websites. It is a complete mystery to me why this site is the second result returned. The third link is to Teavana's category for white teas, and the fourth, a single, brief article on About.com (which shows no evidence of being maintained and contains two broken links). Although I can understand how Teavana's page would rank highly, none of these pages offer anywhere near the sort of exhaustive resource that the page on RateTea offers.

Many of the pages returned, including some from tea companies, have blatant misinformation about white tea, such as myths about white tea's caffeine content. An Amazon search for white teas ranks very highly on the list, but this page is just a generic listing of products, unlike RateTea which takes great care to orient the information towards tea drinkers and tea culture, providing both more informational content, and indexing each tea by particular style (like white peony, silver needle, snow buds, etc.) and by region of origin.

If you browse through past the first few pages (but long before the 11th page), some of the sites that appear in search results are even less relevant or useful. I find this rather demoralizing. It's frustrating to work so hard to create a resource which I know to be really outstanding, and which people repeatedly tell me is useful and informative, only to see it buried so deep within search results while less relevant sites are returned first.

How can you help?

Google and other search engines decide what pages to return in large part by who links to a given website. I really have no idea exactly why some of the sites are ranking higher than mine. It's particularly demoralizing to see such brief articles that aren't even being maintained being returned so close to the top, when I am painstakingly checking RateTea to keep the articles up-to-date, incorporate new information, fix broken links, etc. Google does weigh some factors (like the domain name) which could partially explain the presence of some of the less useful sites with "whitetea" in their domain names. But in the end, if you want to see RateTea's page on white tea to rank highly on a search like this, people will need to link to RateTea's page on white tea. But I don't just want you to link to RateTea's page, I want you to link to all the best pages on white tea. Link to informational websites whose information you think is the most accurate, companies selling the teas you personally believe to be the best teas, bloggers talking about tea culture, whatever pages you think would be best for an all-purpose search on white tea.

Therefore I am asking you to:

Visit RateTea's page on white tea, and type in a search for yourself (the search results may be different if you use personalized search, so try it in a different web browser if you want a clean search), and visit some of the sites. See if you really agree with me that RateTea's page is more useful than any number of the pages returned on the first few pages of results.Brainstorm and search creatively for other pages on white tea.Publish a blog post or webpage about what you think the best top 10 search results would be for a search query on "white tea". Include live links to all the sites that you are highlighting.Even if you do not have a website or blog, you can still help by sharing the pages you wish to highlight on social media.This will help restructure the search environment surrounding white tea, and help out all of the best websites on white tea. I am not going to ask you merely to link to RateTea, only to consider for yourself what sites are out there, and to publish your own top 10 ranking of what you think the best or most useful search results would be. If RateTea is on your lists, then great, but if not, then at least I know that I need to spend my time improving the page on white tea rather than working to promote it and boost its search rankings.

Thank you!

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Beautiful machine-picked tea

As it turned out, the machine-picked tea leaves are very beautiful!  Since you can collect the tea leaves such beautifully by a machine, I might not able to tell the difference in taste between the hand-picked and the machine-picked tea.  I wonder if there is much advantage on expensive hand picking.  What do you think?By machine picking, you shear the surface of the plants in one stroke and collect the fresh buds and leaves.   I thought that it would contain some old stiff leaves and twigs, but I didn’t find any of them in the collected leaves as shown in the picture above.  I knew that you trim the surface in the fall and spring to make it even and to prevent mixing the old leaves and twigs when harvesting.  But I didn’t know that you can adjust the height of the shearing surface with such great accuracy.  That makes a good quality of harvest possible.  Now, let’s go back to my question in the beginning.  What is the advantage of hand-picked tea?  I’ll talk about it on the next post.

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Revisiting The Question Of Whether To Say "Herbal Tea"

Back in early 2010, I wrote a post Is Herbal Tea Tea? in which I explain. Recently, I read a post Let’s go there, shall we? on Joie de Tea, which expressed a similar sentiment. However, this post gets into an interesting aspect of this terminology, the question of inclusiveness vs. divisiveness:

...I regularly see people having other people jump down their throats before they can even have a sip of their lovely herbal tea, because the herbal-tea-drinking people called it tea rather than a tisane or an infusion. How tedious.

Let’s be inclusive, not divisive...

I found this post resonated with me quite deeply, not just because I also call these drinks "herbal teas", but because I could relate to the question of inclusiveness. I also get a gut feeling of some sort of exclusivity or snobbishness when I hear people forcefully insist on the correctness of the terms "tisane" or "herbal infusion", and even more so when they frame their statements in the negative, insisting on the "wrongness" of the term "herbal tea", or, in the most extreme cases, making personal attacks on people who use the phrase "herbal tea", such as by claiming that they "don't know anything about tea".

Why do I react this way? Experience with other pushy groups sheds some light:

Language is complex and dynamic. The meaning and connotations of words evolve over time, and even at a given time, not all people will use the same word a certain way. Furthermore, many words have specialized meanings within certain subcultures. Often, these "subcultures" can constitute people of a particular political ideology, or of particular religious beliefs.

There's nothing wrong with having specialized terminology, when it is necessary. But specialized language and jargon can cause harm in several ways. One way such language can go wrong is when it is used to exclude others, such as when people are judged by whether or not they follow the linguistic conventions of a small subculture (even when those conventions go against the usage of similar words in mainstream society). Another way in which language can go wrong is when it is used to push an ideology onto someone else.

Examples of pushy language:

An example of pushy political language would be how far-right conservatives describe as "socialist" any more liberal policy which they disagree with, or how far-left liberals might describe as "reactionary" or "facist" any conservative policy they disagree with. These uses of language, which differ from the widely-accepted definitions of these terms, serve to advance the agenda of the person using them, because they paint the opposing viewpoint in a negative light. Religion can also be one of the biggest offenders when it comes to using these sorts of negative labels (think "unbelievers", "heretics"); I am confident you can think up many of your own examples here.

Pushy language, in religion, politics, and other spheres, is usually much more subtle. One Philosophy or movement that I find uses language in ways I react negatively to is Ayn Rand's Objectivism. This movement uses language in several non-standard ways: one, the choice of name implies that the philosophy itself is objective--rather than having a neutral name and allowing people to choose for themselves whether or not they personally find the philosophy to be objective. Secondly, the philosophy uses certain words, like selfishness, quite differently from the mainstream uses of these words. The word "selfish" has a strong negative connotation in mainstream society, yet within the "Objectivist" philosophy it has a positive connotation.

Non-standard uses of language can restructure a person's value system:

I find these non-standard uses of language to be pushy because they can restructure a person's value system without their consent. When people begin to use language in a different way, it changes how they think. I am a huge believer in continuously questioning your beliefs, but I believe that people reach healthier conclusions when they question their beliefs consciously, rather than allowing their beliefs to be unconsciously restructured through processes like using special jargon. I find this to be a particular matter of concern because groups often choose their jargon or special language in such a way as to promote their own agenda (like the political examples above). When people allow for their beliefs to be restructured unconsciously, they open themselves up to being influenced by people or groups who would manipulate them for profit or gain, against the person's best interest, and also in potentially untruthful ways.

I think that this potential for unconscious manipulation of value systems is a very legitimate reason that people have for reacting negatively and defensively to language that is used in non-standard ways.

The religious group my friends and I are in the process of founding has discussed these issues at length. From the start, there was a strong resolve in our group to do everything we could to avoid being pushy or overstepping people's boundaries in attempts to advance our views. Because of this, one of the core rules of communication that we agreed upon was to Use language and definitions based on societal consensus. We are hoping that this rule, which few groups of any sort embrace as centrally as we do, will help us to create a novel religious organization that will succeed at avoiding the pitfalls of pushiness more successfully than past organizations have done.

Back to tea: what exactly is the mainstream definition of tea?

The mainstream definition of tea is a broad one. The word tea is not only used to refer to true teas, but also to a wide variety of other beverages prepared in the same manner as true tea. You can check the Dictionary.com definition of tea, which pulls from a number of different mainstream dictionaries, to verify this. The strict definition of tea as only referring to true teas made from the Camellia sinensis plant is one that is only agreed upon in a small subculture.

In conclusion: yes, I do think that insisting "tea" only be used to refer to true tea is divisive:

I hope I have convinced some people that there is indeed something inherently divisive about insisting that the word "tea" only be used to refer to true tea. I am a huge advocate for pure teas, and I have done and continue to do a lot of things to promote them, both in terms of sharing them with my friends, in terms of what I recommend to others, and in terms of how RateTea is structured. But I think that when people get too pedantic about the use of the term "tea", it actually harms this cause. It makes people react defensively, and it creates an inclusion-exclusion dynamic. This sort of decision harms the advancement of tea culture, and, if carried out in a business context, is a bad business decision because it can alienate potential customers.

You don't need to use the word "herbal tea". If you don't like it, then use whatever other term you'd like (tisane, herbal infusion, etc.). But, if you're going to criticize the use of this term, be mindful of how this criticism will be perceived...you may be having the opposite effect that you actually want to have!

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10 Top Pregnancy Diet & Exercise Tips From Fitness Expert Kelly Rennie

Pregnancy can be miraculous but overwhelming. Women are used to living their lives a certain way; suddenly, they question everything they do. Unfortunately, fitness is often the first to go, which is a big mistake.
Exercise during pregnancy has tremendous benefits for the mum-to-be, most of whom have shorter times in labor, easier births, and faster returns to pre-pregnancy figures as a result.
Being pregnant doesn't mean you have to stop exercising, and it doesn't have to mean being tired all the time. By planning a regular exercise routine and by eating a wide variety of wholesome foods, you can maintain your fitness and health during this time of extra demands on your body.
That's what I've done, and you can too. Here are some basic tips you can follow when exercising as a pregnant woman:
When it comes to pregnancy exercise, the first thing that you want to do is discuss this with your doctor or midwife. Your doctor is going to have the most information about your personal health issues and any risks you and your baby face in the months to come.
Follow their recommendations. A professional or qualified pre/post natal trainer with experience training pregnant women is also a great asset during this time. The more knowledgeable people you have helping you, the better.
If you exercised regularly up until your pregnancy, the chances are you can continue what you're doing, unless your activity is classified as "high risk."
If you don't usually exercise, this is still a great time to start and your baby will definitely thank you for it. But, heed the changes your body is undergoing.
For example, your body produces a hormone called relaxin during pregnancy.
This hormone softens joints and ligaments
to make the birth process easier, so gentle
stretching is recommended after your workout.
However, overextending joints may result in an injury, one
that could be permanent.
A whole new person is growing inside your body. That person needs more oxygen and energy, so watch for shortness of breath and other signs of overwork.
If you work at just the right pace, you should be able to carry on a normal conversation while exercising (the talk test).
But, to be more accurate, learn to measure your own pulse to tell you exactly how your body responds to exercise.
If at any time during exercise you feel extremely fatigued, faint, dizzy, lightheaded or clammy, stop exercising and cool down.
Advise someone before you leave the gym; tell them how you have been feeling. If it gets worse, contact your doctor or midwife.
Once you get the go-ahead from your doctor, stick to a regular routine. Thirty minutes of daily exercise can help reduce back pain and body aches. It may also help you sleep better, improve your posture and boost your mood.
Working out during pregnancy promotes muscle tone and strength, helps you cope with labor pain and allows you to bounce back after pregnancy.
It also helps maintain natural body rhythms. Starting and stopping exercise throughout a pregnancy is much harder on the body than simply maintaining a routine.
Of course, you need to adapt your exercise routine as your body (and the baby!) gets bigger, but setting and sticking to a workout schedule is a smart choice.

Avoid high-risk sports and activities during pregnancy. Extreme and contact sports are out of the question - this isn't the time for BASE jumping.
Any sport where you are highly likely to fall should be postponed until after the baby is born.
Use common sense: If the activity could harm you while you're not pregnant, then don't do it while you are pregnant. Low-impact, low-risk, non-contact sports are what you want.
These include:
Hydration is always important with exercise. but it is even moreso when pregnant. To maintain enough hydration for you and your baby, drink up to 1 pint of liquid before exercising and 1 cup of liquid every 20 minutes during exercise. Even if you don't feel thirsty afterward, replenish the fluids lost during the exercise.
Also, pay attention to your temperature when you exercise. Overheating your body can lead to exhaustion and other problems. Wear breathable clothing and pay attention to the temperature in the room or outside while training.
If you start to feel too hot, do your cool-down moves another time.
Although your doctor can provide you with a wealth of information about exercising when you are pregnant, don't ignore the feedback from your own body. Your body knows what it can and can't handle, so listen.
If you do a form of exercise that your doctor approved, but it doesn't feel right or even hurts, set down the weights.

Mums-to-be must eat well to ensure they get all the nutrients they and their baby need. Start shopping in the produce section. Bananas and whole grains, rich in vitamin B6, encourage red blood cell formation.

Sweet potatoes contain Vitamin A for growing bones. Spinach and salmon are full of calcium, which helps prevent bone loss during your pregnancy and aids the growth of your developing baby's bones.
Your pelvic floor is a layer of muscle that supports the uterus and helps you maintain bowel and bladder control. It's put under immense pressure during pregnancy.
Do pelvic floor exercises every day and you'll help keep your back and spine strong, flatten your tummy post birth, and alleviate the problems with bladder and bowel control that are common after childbirth.
Clench your muscles as if you are trying to prevent a bowel movement; at the same time, draw in your vagina as if to stop the flow of urine. Hold for as long as you can, then relax.
Repeat as often as you can throughout the day, and make sure you carry on after the birth.

During pregnancy, don't dive right in to your workouts. Prepare your muscles and joints for the work ahead, and increase and decrease your heart rate slowly, not sharply.
Leaping into strenuous activity before your body is ready could strain your muscles and ligaments, leading to post-workout aches and pains.
Go slowly, tuning-in to your body and acting consciously during exercise.
Make sure to pay attention to this part of your exercise routine.
During pregnancy, sleep can be a fleeting commodity. Unfortunately, anxiety and stress, hormonal fluctuations, and physical discomfort make sleep all the more critical.
Taking short 20 minutes naps through the day will help you recover and maintain your energy.
Please note that this information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the author, nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.

 About The AuthorFitness expert Kelly Rennie is a personal trainer, model and author who owns 2 successful gyms. She specializes in pre/post natal exercise...
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Avengers Fight Training: Jonathan Eusebio Takes You Behind The Scenes

As the fight coordinator on movies like 300 and The Bourne Identity, Jonathan Eusebio's work packs a punch. Stunning choreography and well-trained actors are the trademarks of movies that include Eusebio's name in the credit scroll. Passionate and well-versed in moviemaking, Eusebio knows what it takes to make a fight scene exciting, emotional and fun to watch.

His early love of Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung movies influences the way he sees fight sequences. His background in martial arts helps him to keep one foot in reality while still embracing the no-contact camera-magic combat of the film industry.

We chatted with Canadian-born Jonathan Eusebio to get the low-down on the fight coordinating for the The Avengers. He had a lot to say about the training, the actors and bringing his own touch to the film.
Can you explain what a fight coordinator actually does on a movie?

Jonathan Eusebio: We're in charge of the design and choreography of the sequences. We also train the actors and are involved in the pre-visualization of fight scenes.
Do you work mostly in film preparation or are you actually there when the cameras are rolling?
We're involved with the prep and the shooting.

What other films have you worked on?
I've worked on The Bourne Trilogy, 300, Iron Man 2, Conan The Barbarian and a number of others.
What is your background as a fighter?

I grew up doing a bunch of different things. I was an instructor in Filipino martial arts like Muay Thai, and Savate, which is a French form of kickboxing. I've also done a lot of shoot wrestling, which is a form of MMA in Japan.

On a movie set, do the main actors come to you with different levels of fighting skills?
I got lucky in a sense that for the movies I've worked on, all the actors had done a lot of action movies. They really understood how movie fighting and real fighting are different.
They had a good sense of performance when it came to understanding camera angles and stuff like that.

What are the main differences between movie fighting and real fighting?
In movie fighting, you have to rely on camera angles. All of your movements have to be over-exaggerated and really wide. In real fighting, everything's really tight and fast.
You don't want to telegraph a punch in real life, but for movies, you almost have to over-exaggerate so the camera can see it and other actors can see it.

You have to retain the essence of body mechanics to what's real, but you have to adjust for cinema.
Can you do multiple takes until you get it right?
There's good and bad to using multiple takes. You can always stop and re-do a sequence, but that means you can be filming a fight scene for 8-10 hours.

A real fight only lasts 5-or-10 minutes. The actors have to work really, really long and really hard.
Especially during a movie like 300 where fighting is an enormous part of the show, right?
The thing with that movie is we trained those guys for 3-or-4 months prior to filming, so they were already in really good shape when we started filming. But still, when we're on set, the actors need to adapt to any changes in choreography and be ready to go for long periods of time.
What type of physicality does Robert Downey Jr.
bring to a role?

He's a very creative guy who's in good shape; I don't think the general public knows that. He trains martial arts, especially for action movies.
Unfortunately for Avengers, he's not actually in the suit; Iron Man is more of a stuntman. He's in the suit sometimes, but for the majority of fights I was dealing mostly with stunt people.

He brings up a lot of good, creative points which I have to utilize when I'm creating stuff for Iron Man.
 Would You Say Robert Downey Jr. is naturally physically gifted?
Yeah. I think all of them brought something to the table in terms of how they're going to move and what motivates their character to do what they do.

For me, as a choreographer or coordinator, I have to see how they move, and what makes their movements believable, and then choreograph around their strengths.
How much do special effects help with fight scenes?

The special effects, depending on what they are, only enhance what the actors are doing. When you see the actors doing stuff, there are no special effects in terms of what they're doing. They're doing it.
They might interact with special effect elements, but these guys are 100 percent doing everything physically.

What is the relationship between fitness and fighting?
In order to get the actors to do what we want them to, they have to be in shape. We spend a good month, even before fight training, getting them in shape.

If they have the time, some actors will do both fighting and physical training at the same time. If you haven't been doing anything physical for a year, you can imagine how hard that is on the body.
I think I was fortunate enough that these guys were in shape from their prior movies, so it was just a matter of them coming in and training specifically for what I choreograph for them.

In terms of what we do with training necessities, it's just like anything else: you have to train what complements what you're going to perform. We incorporate a lot of footwork and technical stances.
Is it like sports-specific training?

Exactly. Of course actors have to look a certain way, so they need to get their bodies sculpted correctly. But in my experience, because we do a lot of these choreographed action movies, we usually work in conjunction with a trainer and their training complements what we're trying to do.
The actors need to train for specific movements, just like an athlete.

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Ten Things You May Not Know About Weight Lifting For Runners

1. Do NOT stretch before you run!

Now, before you have a coronary, let me explain. Studies support that static stretching (holding a stretch for 30-60 seconds) before physical activity can INCREASE your chances of injury and decrease your athletic performance. What should you do? Perform what we call an active warm-up prior to your run. This warm-up involves moving through ranges of motion that mimic athletic movements, while enhancing your flexibility.

2. Strength training makes you MORE flexible.

Forget about the giant bodybuilder who can't clap his hands or scratch his booty because he is simple too developed. Weight training performed properly will promote flexibility by working your joints safely through a full range of motion. This is especially important for distance runners due to the limited range of motion that distance running requires.

3. Increase strength = Increase endurance

We all have fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibers. Fast twitch fibers are used for explosive movements (jumping, weight lifting) and slow twitch fibers are used for endurance activities (distance running). There are times when both types of fiber are necessary (running up a short steep hill in the middle of a 10K). The better conditioned your fast twitch fibers, they slower they will be to reach fatigue, thus making you faster over a longer period of time.

4. Crunches make you slow!

We could all work on our posture these days. With all of the sitting we do, it's no wonder that tight hips and rounded shoulders are not all that uncommon. Crunches, by nature, mimic poor posture. The last thing we want to do is include an exercise that will exacerbate poor posture. A far better choice is planks (front and side). Planks will make your abs look great and train your core to stabilize in the correct position.

5. The opposite game - contra lateral lifting

Running takes place on one leg with one arm forward. Try to train your body with weights in the same manner. Example: hold a weight in your right hand

and step up to a box with your left leg. This works your core musculature and builds coordination for running.

6. Stroke it!

Studies support that weight training can increase the stroke volume of your most important muscle. If your heart can pump more blood with each stroke, it won't have to work as hard over the course of a race or run.

7. I like big butts and I cannot lie! It's your most important muscle.

Your hips are actually part of your core! Also, your hip complex contains some of your largest and most powerful muscles. If you want to run fast and have healthy knees, back and feet, you need to build strength in your hips. This can be addressed with lunge and squat variations a few times a week.

8. Sitting stinks! Daily posture habits make a huge difference!

Like I mentioned in point #4, sitting can now be considered a dynamic activity. Tight hamstrings, short hip flexors, and rounded shoulders are all the result of excessive sitting. Armed with this knowledge, you can plan your intense runs around the days when you are not strapped to the desk!

9. Bodybuilding magazines are evil. Train movements not muscles.

This single biggest mistake I see runners make in regards to weight training is to design their workouts based on routines featured in bodybuilding magazines. You should aim to develop your weight training regimen so that it compliments your running. Bodybuilding program are design for one thing and one thing only- building massive muscles. The goal for runners is to develop as much strength as possible with little or no weight gain. Strength to weight ratios make all the difference in endurance sports. Just ask Lance Armstrong!

10. Bay to Breakers. Are you ready?

Would you be willing to run naked in front of thousands of cheering fans? No? Then you need to add some weight training to your weekly schedule. While running is a fantastic weight loss tool, nothing will change the shape of your body like weightlifting. Adding a little lean tissue to your body will elevate your metabolism and turn your body into a calorie burning machine. Would you like to burn an additional 50-100 calories on every 30 minute run? Hit the weights!

Rick Mayo CPT

President

North Point Personal Training

NorthPointPT.com

rickmayoblog.blogspot.com

770-998-9009

Rick Mayo is a fitness industry expert, author, speaker, certified personal trainer, and fitness business consultant. He is the owner of North Point Personal Training in Roswell, GA., which has been in business since 1992. Rick and his team are available for fitness coaching, writing, and speaking engagements.

http://www.NorthPointPT.com

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The Controversy Between Cardiovascular Exercise and Weight Training

Have you ever thought to yourself today is the day you are going to start working out? Have you ever been unsatisfied with what was reflecting back at you in the mirror? Low self-esteem can form especially when we do not look the way we would like to. For some people it can be very stressful and often times lead to depression. For the most part most of us just need to learn self control. Once that is achieved you will take control of your life and you will have so much more confidence by doing so.

For most beginners just starting to contemplate on which exercises to begin can be a challenge. With so many various types of exercises, how can you choose which one will produce the best results for you?

Each person is built differently so picking the right exercise for yourself can be mind-boggling if you are unfamiliar with the different types of methods. There are basically two main categories in the Fitness World, either Cardiovascular Exercises or Weight Training. Whether you want to get in shape or build muscles, you want to find a method that is suitable for you.

Most people worldwide are too busy with work to even begin to fathom how important it is to make the time to begin working out. If you are one of those people try using your free time more sparingly. Try creating a weekly schedule for yourself and make time for exercise whenever possible. Dieting is also a great way to lose weight and stay healthy. Both diet and exercise go great hand in hand and is an excellent strategy to losing weight quickly.

Before you begin to choose which exercise you want to proceed with, it's best to consult with a medical expert or physician to help determine the proper method that is right for your body type as well as health.

Tips

Also before any workout you want to remember to always start with warm-ups and end with cool-downs. Both are used to prevent any serious injuries to your muscles, heart, and lungs and proceed for about 5 to 20 minutes. Warm-ups are used to prepare the body and organs by building up your heart rate and increase the oxygen taken in by the lungs safely before the actual workout. Cool-downs are used to slow down and decrease the oxygen taken in by the lungs safely after the workout.

No matter what method of exercise you choose, remember to drink plenty of water to prevent dehydrating. When you work out, your body loses fluids and your body needs water to replenish. Water also delivers oxygen your muscles need to function properly. Basically the more your muscles contract the more oxygen you need to prevent fatigue and strain.

Cardiovascular Exercise

Cardiovascular exercise is called a few different names such as: Cardio, Aerobic Exercise, Aerobics, Callisthenic's, drills, or which ever name you decide to go with is fine. (I will use Cardio to keep it simple.)

The term cardiovascular is defined as; "relating to both the heart and the blood vessels," which Cardio exercises help stimulate both the heart and blood vessels. You can think of these exercises as, "exercises for the heart." Walking and jumping rope are considered to be in the cardio category, whereas they both stimulate the heart and lungs.

Benefactors for a Cardio routine include:

- Reduces anxiety, stress, and depression by a substance created from the body known as endorphins.

- Stimulates the heart and lungs and reduces the risk of diseases such as heart disease and osteoporosis. Also improves the health of your immune system.

- Slim and tones your body by tightening your muscles. Weight loss is greatly achieved with maintaining a healthy diet.

- Decrease in muscle pains.

- Medically claimed to increase the life span.

- Can also be executed with weights such as dumbbells or a resistance/exercise band.

- Increases your metabolism, strength, and stamina.

Weight Training

Weight training which also is known as strength training is commonly used to increase physical strength and developing the size of certain muscles. Believe it or not weight training has a long line of historical facts dating back to the Ancient Greeks. It also is a great workout to maintain lean muscle mass. Weight training can also prevent the risk of osteoporosis. This method of training involves use of equipment such as machine weights and free weights. It is best to use back supports or weight lifting belts to prevent severe injuries to the spinal cord and lower back.

Warm-ups and cool-downs

There are many companies that sell weight training equipment that is designed to allow you to workout at home. However, using equipment improperly is most common, and to avoid injuries it is best to work out with a professional trainer or instructor. Since the benefits and results are quite different between free weights and machine weights, breaking down each method just seems easier to follow.

Free Weights

- Reduces anxiety, stress, and depression by a substance created from the body known as endorphins.

- Increases your metabolism, strength, and stamina.

- Are suitable for all shapes and sizes.

- Has a various range of weights available for lifting, depending on your preference.

- Will produce lean muscle mass quicker and efficiently.

- Various types of exercises can be performed, and allows you to move more freely and natural.

- Great for people who have injuries and need rehabilitation.

- Produces more lean muscle mass quicker.

Free weights can be difficult to master at first and often times used improperly. To prevent injuries it is best to have a trainer or instructor to guide you, especially with the more heavy weights. Free weights are typically inexpensive and vary in weight up to 500 pounds or more depending on your range.

Machine Weights

- Reduces anxiety, stress, and depression by a substance created from the body known as endorphins.

- Increases your metabolism, strength, and stamina.

- Can be used in the comfort of your own home or at the gym.

- Can use lighter weights, but do more repetitions (reps for short).

- Are limited to how greatly strength is achieved due to limited weights available.

Machine weights most often are limited up to 200 pounds of available strength training. Injuries often occur less but equipment is fairly more expensive. Switching from machine weights to free weights can cause you to be unsteady and shaky, but over time you will get used to it.

So now that you are more familiar with the differences between Cardio exercises and Weight training, you can now decide which type of exercise is right for you. Now deciding on which one isn't as difficult as you thought.

You will be fatigued and sore at first after working out, but this will pass. Some people find that continuing regular daily workouts actually stop the pain from worsening. Others find that working out every other day will lessen the effects as well.

If any minor or major injuries occur you should seek out professional help when ever possible. Foot pains may seem insignificant but it's not always normal and should be checked out and taken care of as well. If pain persists try changing your routine to every other day or discontinue if needed. Foot pain may seem meager but can sometimes lead to damage of the spinal cord. Having pain in the soles of your feet can also lead to difficulty balancing.

A great thing about both cardio exercise and weight training is that you can decide to either use one or the other. Or if you are just beginning to join the Fitness World and want both the benefits of being physically fit inside and out, you can start your routine with cardio exercise and end with weight training. However you want to alternate and use these leading workouts is totally up to you.

For faster results and to maintain your weight loss goal it is highly recommended to exercise and follow a well balanced diet on a daily basis. Your diet should consist of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats or alternative meats, and 6 to 8 glasses of water each day. If you decide on taking dietary supplements be sure to add exercise and dieting as well for faster results. Although it is not recommended to necessarily take diet supplements, I know that it is an ultimatum we face that is also in the Fitness World. Before deciding on dietary supplements it is suggested to seek information from a doctor or expert and to make sure the contents are safe.

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The Best Weight Lifting Exercise To Lose Fat Fast

Only a small amount of people are aware that lifting weight is one of the best exercises to lose body fat and even a smaller amount of people are aware how to do it right. Weight training increases your lean body mass and this speeds up your metabolic rate. Your basal metabolic rate increases with other words you burn more calories at rest. This is the beauty of weight lifting for fat loss you burn the most calories after the workout. In this I don't give you a list of weight lifting exercises. You get a much better deal I show you how to lift weights in such a matter that you see maximal results.

First of all let me tell you that lifting weight is not the answer to lose fat properly, you think it is cardio, you are also wrong. What you need is a combination of these two. Lifting weight and doing cardio together with a solid nutrition plan are the answers for maximum fat loss without muscle loss. This is by far the best method to lose fat permanent and save. Most people don't do this because it takes time and self discipline to achieve the results.The duration of the best weight lifting exercise is about forty-five minutes.

Don't try to train with weight longer than one hour if you train to long you will ee the opposite result. If you train to long you will increase your level of cortisol and that is catabolic hormone that breaks down muscle.As said before even the best weight lifting workout won't get result without cardio. The question is should I lift weight first or should I start with a cardiovascular exercise. If your time schedule allows it split your routines into separate sessions. Split testing your routines minimizes the risk of overtraining Perhaps it is not possible to split your routines then do your cardio immediately after your weight training.

Muscles are not growing during the workout but after the workout. You should give your muscles enough time to recover so it is not recommended training more then two days in a row without giving yourself a day rest. If you are a beginner start to train with three days a week but never train more then five days a week even if you are more advanced.Most people don't know how much repetitions they must do and giving a correct answer is nearly impossible. A repetition between 6 and 12 is ideal however how much exactly depends on your goal. Is your primary goal fat loss or muscle loss? Which muscles do I want to train. But one thing is sure high reps don't mean that you burn more fat. Resting between sets is also an important factor and again it plays a role if your main goal is to burn fat or to increase muscle mass.

I'm sure you have some ideas know how to select the best weight lifting exercise for fat loss. No matter if your goal is fat loss; gaining muscles or both you still need a good nutrition plan.

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Using Exercise And Weight Training For Cellulite Treatment

Exercise and weight training for cellulite are a very effective treatment for cellulite when used together. By combining resistance weight training and an aerobic exercise routine you not only tone and firm muscle mass but also burn off excess fat at the same time. Many women try to avoid exercise and weight training for cellulite and instead try to rely to much on creams and similar products. While they definitely have their place creams alone will not reduce a cellulite problem. If you are serious about your skin problem then you really need to start on an exercise and weight training program for cellulite today!

A minimum of three times a week you should be doing some sort of resistance weight training exercises to target your troubled areas. If you need to work the legs and buttocks do exercises like squats, lunges, leg presses and leg curls. To target your abdomen do exercises like crunches, leg lifts and other abdominal machines available at the gym. Spend about 15 minutes after your weight training routine on a cardio machine like a treadmill or exercise bike. When you are in a exercise and weight training for cellulite program always be sure to target different body parts on different days and give your self some non workout days to avoid over training muscles and possible injury. BY sticking to a good exercise and weight training for cellulite program you will definitely see results in a matter of weeks.

At the beginning the exercise and weight training for cellulite program may seem difficult and strenuous. Make sure you start with lower weights and easier exercises, starting with activities that are more fun the work can make starting a exercise program fun. Try activities like walking the dog, riding a bike or swimming to get your body, mind and heart ready for the weights and more physically taxing exercise and weight training. And remember to always consult your doctor before you start any exercise programs!

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Tips For Perfect Weight Lifting Routines

Weight lifting is one of the most practiced routines within the body building field. This is because of the perception which people have about muscle mass gain, in that, they believe without weight training muscle toning is not possible. This is also the reason as to why you will never lack weightlifting equipment in a gym and yet other equipments are shared. This perception is very true since the lifting training is good in helping to shape the muscles and burn any excess fats. Therefore, body builders must be well equipped with the information regarding weight lifting in order to perfect it fully and gain maximally from it.

Weightlifting tips are plentiful and they serve the individual needs of the weight lifters. If you happen to have been in a gym for at any time you must have definitely met someone perfecting a weight lifting program and they normally do it with a lot of enthusiasm. But the mistake with many people is trying to copy other people's body building programs because they have noticed a great deal of change on their muscle development. But this is the worst thing ever you can try, let a weightlifting technique be a unique experience and individually based not a generalized experience. Biologically, our bodies have distinct genes and they respond totally different from others in terms of nutrients intake and weight lifting trainings. Give your self time to understand your body and earn more on the techniques which can give you success in weightlifting.

There are times when a body builder tries all types of weight lifting and they prove futile even with a great effort put in place. This should not worry you as a body builder. All you need to do is change the approach you have been using for your weight lifting. The first thing which leads to negative outcomes is the lack of a well performed warm up before exercises. Always make sure that when weight lifting, you have already undergone through a warm up routine to ensure that the muscles get ready for a vigorous workout and that you reduce the chances of injury when body building. You can start with 3 sets of standardized pushups and then continue on to closing the grip with pull-ups. These two are some of the main warm up routines you can try and your weight lifting can be made far much easier.

Another secret of success of weight lifting is to practice some cardio routines, at least three times in one week. Cardio training has been known to be neglected in many body builders' program and many body builders wishing to develop lean muscle mass tend to avoid them, reasons best known to them. One thing you should realize is that, cardio helps in increasing oxygen being inhaled in the body. There is also a good and improved intake of the important nutrients within the body and therefore muscle growth cannot be delayed. With the use of these tips, your weight lifting will absolutely lead you to success in body building.

Dane Fletcher is the world's most prolific bodybuilding and fitness expert and is currently the executive editor for BodybuildingToday.com. If you are looking for more bodybuilding tips or information on weight training, or supplementation, please visit http://www.BodybuildingToday.com, the bodybuilding and fitness authority site with hundreds of articles available FREE to help you meet your goals.

The Top 7 Weight Lifting Training Tips

When it comes to weight lifting training for muscle building, certain knowledge of what to do is necessary. A lot of people are misguided by inaccurate and outdated information, which can actually cause them more harm than good. There are a lot of people who fortunately practice weight lifting training each day. Even if this is your first time giving the idea some thought, these 7 helpful tips should prove beneficial in the long run:

1. Always eat a source of lean protein directly before your weight lifting training session. Be sure to add more than less, especially if you are exercising for muscle building. Make sure to throw in a healthy source of carbohydrates as well so that your body will have energy to burn. Without food before your workout, you risk burning off already accumulated muscle, which can be very devastating, giving you exactly what you didn't want.

2. Change your weight lifting training workout routine every five weeks. It is important that you do your best to try to avoid plateaus. When you hit a plateau, there are no more results. It is literally like you are working out day after day, and seeing absolutely no progress. The problem begins when the body gets used to the same old routine. Plateaus generally occur every five weeks, that is why it is important to switch it up at about that time, every time.

3. Always eat no later than 90 minutes after your weight lifting training session. A good thing to do would be to make sure that you get a hearty source of protein to your muscles as soon as your workout comes to an end. Some people choose to consume a larger source of protein during their post-workout meal, which is fine. Just make sure that you get those muscles taken care of before 90 minutes or you will find yourself with less muscle than what you went in with.

4. Muscle building takes time, so do not expect your weight lifting training workouts to give you what you want overnight. Try not to set unrealistic goals for yourself. When attempting to gain muscle weight, it is best to aim for 1-2 pounds per week, assuming that you are eating when necessary.

5. One of the most overlooked aspects of weight lifting training regimens is the importance of resting between workouts. It is perfectly okay to rest! There is no need to go in and work the same muscles every single day. What is going to happen is that those muscles are not going to have time to grow, they will inevitably become overworked. Muscles only grow when they are resting, so if they are in a constant state of exertion, there can be no growth.

6. Do not plan for your weight lifting training workouts to last longer than 45 minutes tops. The reason is because the glycogen stores are all used up once you hit that mark. If you continue to persist, your body will just start to burn off the muscle, and everything literally starts to work in reverse order. Get out as soon as possible, and eat!

7. If you find that you are becoming discouraged with your weight lifting training workouts, don't hesitate to bring a friend. Various research has shown that bringing a friend with you to workout can be motivational for the both of you. Not only are you burning off calories, but you are also having a good time, which can make you want to go just for that one simple reason.

Remember to abide by these valuable pieces of advice before embarking on a weight lifting training workout. Muscle building can be a tedious process, especially when you don't know all that there is to know. And knowledge is ultimately helps you get to where you need to be when it comes to your weight lifting training workouts.

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