Cardio Before or After Weights

A lot of people wonder whether they should do their cardio before or after weights. There really isn't a simple answer to this question. Depending upon your personal situation or fitness goals, there are a couple of variables that will influence the answer of whether you should do cardio before weight training or cardio after weight training. Perhaps the number one, biggest influence in this answer is your individual fitness goals. This will be determined by whether you want to train to gain strength, if you want to lose weight or if you are looking at improving your overall health, all of which will influence whether it is more important to do your cardio before or after weights.

Aside from the goals you want to achieve in your fitness workout regimen, there are other things to consider that will determine which order you should do your cardio and your weight training.

#1 - Intensity - Are you doing an aerobic activity that it HIIT or high intensity interval training, or are you working out at a stead rate of cardio? Beyond that, are you doing heavy lifting, high rep training or low rep training to the point of failure?

#2 - Duration - Are you doing a marathon-style cardio workout or a short and intense workout?

#3 - Conditioning - Think about how your muscles feel after you do weight training and cardio. Which exercise tires your muscles out more?

#4 - Motivation - Do you have a personal preference as to which exercise you want to do first? This could be determined by how focused you are throughout your workout from beginning to end.

In a small study that was conducted by Brigham Young University involving 10 men, it was determined that doing weight training after cardio was the most beneficial method. Here is a rundown of the findings from that study:

* When cardio is done before weights, the body's EPOC or caloric "after burn" effect was at its highest rate.
* It is much more difficult physiologically to do a cardio workout after weight training, than it is to do your cardio work before weights.
* The result of the study was that it is better to do aerobic exercise before weight resistance exercise if you will be combining both workouts into one session.

Unfortunately, this study was only conducted on 10 individuals, so it isn't a hard fast finding by any means. While there are benefits to doing cardio exercise before weight training, there is a lot of doubt raised on whether or not fat truly is burned at a higher rate using this method.

When you think about it, it's very practical to do your cardio exercise after weight training. It is very beneficial for your energy level to be at its highest rate when you are lifting weights. It requires a lot of mental focus and physical coordination to successfully do weight training. A bulk of most cardio workouts involve the legs, making it extremely difficult to be able to do sets of heavy squats following a 45-minute cardio workout. However, the opposite can also be true, as trying to get an aerobic cardio workout after doing sets of heavy squats would be very difficult as well.

In my experience I believe it is best to do cardio after weights or, if possible, split your cardio and weight training into different workout routines, however here are some suggestions to help you determine your own best order:

* To Increase Muscle - It is recommended that you do cardio after weight training so your energy will at peak levels during the weight training portion of your workout.

* To Improve Cardio Endurance - It is recommended that you do a cardio workout before weight training so you can focus your highest energy during the cardio phases and max out your marathon or HIIT workout training.

* To Burn Fat - Six of one, half a dozen of the other! When you are wanting to burn fat there are even more factors to consider, such as burning more calories during a longer cardio routine versus a rigorous weight training routine that might tire you out even faster. However, if you are advanced in your exercise routine, you could do a series of resistance training followed by cardio to help maximize fat burning due to an accelerated release of fatty acids and HGH into the bloodstream. * To Improve Health - If your goal is to improve your overall health, there is no difference in the order that you do your weight training and cardio.

There are so many factors that influence the outcome, which is why there really is no simple answer to the question of doing cardio before or after weights. Doing cardio work before weight training will increase your cardio endurance, however doing cardio work after weight training will help you to bulk up the size and strength of your muscles. This is why it is important to think about your individual goals and make a decision based upon what will help you achieve your goals as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Dave provides no-nonsense "best of the best" diet and exercise tips to lose fat and build lean, defined muscle without spending hours in the gym. There's no point in using a bodybuilder routine to get a fitness model physique. These are Not Your Average Fitness Tips. Read more about performing cardio before or after weights and download a FREE copy of Dave's Fitness in a Flash report to help get a lean, athletic look in no time. http://www.notyouraveragefitnesstips.com

Complications From Exercise and How to Prevent Them

Before we get started on the problems and complications that can arise with an exercise programs, let me make one quick note. Exercise is without a doubt, absolutely necessary to keeping and maintaining a healthy body.

Exercise has proven to help with all sorts of physical complications. Here is just a short list of those that can be treated with a regular exercise regimen: Diabetes 1&2, High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease, Arthritis, Breast & Colon Cancer and Thyroid problems. Regular exercise will also raise metabolism, strengthen tendons and joins, improve intelligence, fight mental disorders and the list goes on.

Now the negative effects that can arise are few, but can be serious or lead to more sever complications. First, we will list and explain each, but then show how to prevent them.

Issue 1, we all know that lifting weights can cause problems like pulled muscles, tendon rips or tears, spinal disc problems and hernias. If our bodies not used to exercises or movements with weights, it becomes very easy for us to workout inappropriately. Without knowledge or professional direction, we will tend to lift in jerky movements in order to complete a rep. By using a quick dynamic movement to complete a set of reps, the chances of serious injury become much, much greater. This is normally where a muscle or tendon is ripped or where a disc in our spine is slipped.

Injuries almost always occur when there is just too much exertion put forth or any big swinging

movements are used.

Rule #1, when it comes to exercise in general, find the proper and save technique for every exercise and follow it in exact manner. Research on the internet, get a weight lifting book or as a personal trainer for the proper instructions.

We tend to push ourselves harder then required to reach specific goals, because we think it will help us reach our goals quicker. Know this; you will get much faster results with the actual recommended weights and reps, but also with the proper technique. Master the technique in order to maximize the results. (Always keep the spine straight or in a neutral position with your level and abs slightly contracted.)

Issue 2, other complications that might arise, is the psychological and physiological effects of over-reaching or over-exertion. The psychological consist of the following: Depressions, Apathy, Low self-esteem, Poor motivation, and Sensitivity to stress. The physiological consist of the following: Chronic fatigue, Sleeplessness, Lack of hunger, Upset stomach, Joint pains, and Headaches.

By exerting to much energy in a workout or working out for too long without a day of rest, our body starts to deplete its nutrients and minerals. Without the proper rest and the proper diet our body will shut down in order to get that recuperation period. Our bodies need time to rebuild muscles. Every time we lift weights we are creating little micro tears in our muscles fibers, but only with rest and recovery can they rebuild and get stronger. This process leads to bigger and stronger muscles.

Rule #2, give yourself at least 48 hours between challenging workouts on a specific muscle group (If Upper body is worked on Monday, then the next upper body day will be Wednesday). Also, eat lots and lots of good foods like whole grains, vegetables, fruits, calcium-rich foods, and meats and beans. (Check out www.MyPyramid.Gov for a complete list of foods and ways to customize your diet.)

Number 3, a regular exercise regimen "does" actually help with issues of heart disease and high blood pressure, but on occasion, can actually do the opposite. Especially with weight lifting programs, we tend to challenge ourselves and lift real heavy weights. This heavy weight will then cause us to tighten up our abs and core in order to assist with the lift. The problem occurs when the tightening of the core causes us to hold our breath instead of continually breathing pattern. This is very bad for our heart and blood pressure. Holding our breath causes our heart to work overtime to get oxygen into our muscles, organs and brain. This in turn will raise our blood pressure for a short time, but if done continuously on a regular basis, can lead to long term damage to our heart, arteries and blood vessels. Another way we unintentionally raise our blood pressure is by gripping too tightly to the handles of weights or machines. This constricts the blood vessels in our arms, which causes the heart to work too hard.

Rule #3, remember to breath continuously, in through the nose and out through the mouth, while exercising. Use the proper grip pressure to hold onto the handle of free weights or machine weights.

Regular exercise will greatly improve our lives while helping to prevent or eliminate most complications. Just remember to always take the proper precautions and learn how to do each exercise correctly and safely. Knowing how to do something correctly will protect you from loads and loads of unnecessary pain.

For More Info on Fitness visit [http://www.AnywhereFit.com]

Alan Kirshner, AFPA Certified Personal Trainer

[http://businesscentral.biz/anywherefit.html]

Alan Kirshner has created a site where you can find a personal trainer and list as a personal trainer for free!

Cardiovascular Exercises For Weight Loss

There are two things that I'm sure of in this life. The first thing is that the natural way is always the best and safest way to do anything and the second thing is that cardio can go a long way in helping you loose weight. I know how it feels to look at the skinny runway models and wonder what happened to the days when you could pass off as a swim suit model. Well I didn't just leave it at wishful thinking. I went and bought all the products you know of that promise to burn your fat sooner than you thought possible.

Some products were simply a waste of my money because the only thing that had grown visibly smaller is the amount of cash in my pockets! The ones that actually did work only had lasting effects for a very short while, before the weight all came back and at times even more than what I had before. I had gone on all those fat burning soups and weight loss diets that have ever been n existence. I bounced from one diet to another and at some point health actually started deteriorating. Let's just say hat there is only that much that your body can do when all it is being given are some herbs and some pills.

I woke up one day and decided that I'm done fighting with my weight issues. I decided that I will embark on a journey to love my body the way I am. However big or small I am. I got a job a coupe of blocks from where I lived but he fact that I didn't have a car meant that I had t walk to work every single morning. I would wake up early and walk for about 20 minutes to where the office was; of cause I had to wake up earlier so because my pace wasn't that fast and it would have taken a healthier person probably less than 10 minutes to get there. The building didn't have an elevator so I had to get to the 7th floor using the stairs.

At first it was hell and I actually thought of quitting the job because of how frustrating it was to go to work. With time my peed increased and I didn't notice any change until about two months down the line my clothes started getting buggy. In actual sense I was getting smaller. About 4 months later I had lost a considerable amount of weight that was visible even to my colleagues. I decided to couple it with a morning jog every morning before going to work. This increased the rate at which I was losing weight.

My progress gave me both hope and motivation to go on. I took a step further and signed up at the local gym. I started lifting weights and using all those shinny looking machines. In just a matter of 14 months I had gone from a size 16 to a size 10 and I maintained that weight.

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.

Exercise and Lifting Weights

A lot of men jump into exercise and lifting weights quickly and end up adding on weight too fast. This can be extremely dangerous and can severely damage your body. So it is important that everyone practice healthy exercise for weight lifting. That doesn't mean that you have to forgo gaining large muscles, but it means that you slowly build up rather than jumping into it too quickly.

Before you begin with exercise and lifting weights, you need to consult with a doctor to find out if you have any health problems that would limit what kind of weight lifting you can do. Once you have seen a doctor you need to either meet with a trainer, research information on how to properly do each type of weight lifting exercise, or watch a video that will properly instruct you. If you haven't sought guidance before, you will be surprised how many things you need to keep in mind when doing exercise and lifting weights.

One thing that you always need to keep in mind with exercises for weight lifting is that you also need to be doing cardiovascular workouts. The cardio exercises will help keep your body strong and healthy and will give you the flexibility you need to do lifting weight.

Another thing to recognize is that building up the muscles requires a different type of work out than just toning the muscles. It is recommended that everyone begin with toning before going to building up the muscles. Toning your muscles will strengthen you and get rid of unwanted fat. By doing this first, it will make building up the muscles much easier and will give the muscles a nicer shape.

In doing exercise and lifting weights to tone your muscles you need to focus on a low weight and a high number of reps. This works for any part of the body, whether it be arms, legs, or back. Once you are ready to move onto building up your muscles, you can start to increase weight as you decrease the number of reps. I highly recommend that you look into weight lifting exercises online, in a book, or talk with a trainer to come up with a routine that has a recommended weight, reps, and sets for each exercise.

Another good idea to keep in mind with exercise and lifting weights is that you should always do it with a partner. That way when you are increasing weight you have someone there to spot you. Make sure of course that your partner understands how to properly spot you. Your partner is there to support weight if you take on too much and need to back out, to challenge you, to motivate you, and to let you know when you need a rest.

Exercise and lifting weights is a great way to tone and build up your muscles, but always remember that you need to do it in a safe and healthy way.

Diane Winter share useful information about the benefits of daily exercise. Try visiting also her website to find out the best stretching exercises for your body and to learn more about benefit from fitness walking.

Exercise and Weight Loss For Women - Part 3

Importance of Strength Training

Nowadays, the importance of strength training is not confined to bodybuilder, athletes and fitness buffs. Average women, too, have seen the benefits of engaging in strength training for a variety of purposes, most notable of them for the maintenance of their ideal weights as well as to maintain a toned appearance. So, who says only bodybuilders have the right to sport muscles?

Benefits for Women

Resistance training produces stronger ligaments and tendons, both of which support the body's joints. Thus, you can decrease the likelihood of injuries brought by normal physical activities as well as by exercises in all its forms. Also, strength training dramatically increases bone density, hence, lessening the risks for bone diseases like osteoporosis. Ultimately, you can enjoy a better quality of life with strength training because you are more able to engage in physical activities that, in turn, enhances your self-confidence.

For women trying to lose weight and lessen body fat, the importance of strength training cannot be overemphasized. When it is done consistently and sufficiently, strength training leads to faster weight loss while increasing muscle size. Don't worry about bulking up as most women will not gain muscle mass as fast as men do due to genetics and physiology.

Optimum Technique

You need not engage in complex exercises as even your own bodyweight plus a few simple equipments like dumbbells can be used. You also need not exert more time than you can pour into training as even 20-30 minutes each session is sufficient.

Research has shown that the optimum levels for strength training in women is at 1-3 sets per muscle group, which depends on your current physical condition and fitness goals. Also, the lower and upper body will need a different set of repetitions, hence 8-12 reps for the upper body and 12-15 reps for the lower body.

You can start with light cardio exercises for 5-10 minutes, followed by 30 minutes of strength training using your bodyweight and/or gym equipment, and then end with cool down exercises for 5-10 minutes. You must cool down the same way you warmed up. Also, it is very important to take at least a day of rest between strength training sessions. You want to provide your muscles time to recover from its injuries sustained during training, even if it is of the relatively low-impact, low-intensity type.

If you are engaging in this type of exercise for weight loss, you must combine it with a sensible diet and regular cardio workouts. And it helps to consult a fitness professional to help you map out your weight loss plan.

Problem Areas

Unfortunately, some women may not be able to reap any benefits. Keep in mind that it involves lifting weights of various kinds such that women with pre-existing medical conditions that preclude weightlifting of any kind are highly advised to avoid training with weights. As such, it is very important to consult your doctor before embarking on any kind of fitness program for whatever purpose.

In conclusion, the importance of weight training for women in daily life can only be realized with the proper mindset and the proper guidance.

Brent McNutt enjoys talking about urbane scrubs and landau scrubs and networking with healthcare professionals online.

Free Weight Exercises

Exercise is the most important activity you can do for yourself and your loved ones. Everyone young and old can benefit from being physically active. Try to be physically active doing things like taking a brisk walk or jogging even doing yard work, all of these activities can be beneficial to your overall health.

However performing more intense exercises such as weight lifting for 30-45-minutes on a 3 day workout schedule will gain you more health benefits. Whichever you choose, the goal is to be physically active for 30 minutes a day.

If you are a beginner it is a good idea to start slow and gradually increase the intensity of your activity. It is also a good idea to get a physical exam and advise from a Doctor when starting any exercise program.

Starting out a program of exercising with free weights can be a little intimidating in the beginning. Trying to figure out how much weight to lift and the types of exercises for each muscle group can be a pretty daunting task however, it doesn't have to be.  To figure out how much weight you should be lifting depends on your goals. If you want to stimulate muscle growth and lose fat then you should be lifting in the range of 60-80% of your 1 rep max. A 1rep max or 1RM is a measure of how much weight you can lift for 1 repitition of an exercise. To figure what your 1RM is involves doing some math so to make it easier on yourself there are a number of sites that have a free 1RM calculator. Just Google 1RM and pick one.

Now what exercises are best for each muscle group? There are so many that it's too much to list here. Instead I am going to list the best exercises for each muscle group and you can take it from there.

Chest: Incline bench press,flat bench press,flat bench dumbell flyes.

Back: Dead lift,bent over barbell row, bent over one arm dumbell rows.

Biceps: Seated or standing dumbell curls,preacher curls (with dumbells or barbells),standing barbell curls.

Triceps: Triceps press down,dips,french press.

Legs: Squats,calf raises.

Shoulders: Seated or standing military press ( with barbell or dumbells),shrugs.

Now that you know what your 1RM is and the types of exercise you want to do for each muscle group it's time to begin your weight trainig program. Also keep in mind that any exercise program cannot work without proper nutrition and rest. Before you start learn the basics of weight lifting. Learn to lift properly to cut your risk of injury.

If you plan on working out at home as opposed to a gym then make sure to purchase a good weight set 120 lbs. to begin with, bench,gloves,belt,shoes,and assorted dumbells 5-30 lbs. should be good to start out with. For additional information go to www.free-weight-exercises.com. 

Danze Yanos

http://www.free-weight-exercises.com

Exercise Guidelines for Lymphedema Survivors

When I was diagnosed with lymphedema in 1997, the standard advice was to "baby" my swollen arm. Exercise was limited: anything weighing more than three pounds had to be carried with my other arm. I would feel lopsided as I lugged a gallon jug of milk with my normal right arm. And I hadn't heard of medical problems such as muscle atrophy and frozen shoulder.

Last year a study was conducted at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania by an exercise physiologist to determine whether a slowly progressive program of strength-training exercises is safe for breast cancer survivors with and without symptoms of lymphedema. ("Weight Lifting in Women with Breast-Cancer-Related Lymphedema," the New England Journal of Medicine ( August 13, 2009) by Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH.

According to Dr. Schmitz,"This problem(lymphedema) affects up to one-half of the nearly two million breast-cancer survivors alive in the U.S. today - which means that there may be as many as one million women who suffer from some form of lymphedema...Further, the psychological effects are enormous...Indeed, many women have reported that they would rather have another mastectomy than lymphedema - because it's a painful, constant, and debilitating reminder of their breast cancer."

Why should you exercise? Because it is beneficial for people in general (weight loss, feeling of well-being, health benefits, etc.). For those with lymphedema, muscle exercise increases the lymph flow rate multiple times over the resting rate. In addition, exercise is a key element of Complete Congestive Therapy (CDT), the gold-standard treatment of lymphedema, because it helps drain lymph fluid from the swollen limb and into the circulation.

But before you begin any exercise program, check with your therapist or physician. Build your strength up gradually, exercise in a controlled manner, and stop if you experience any pain. Be sure to drink adequate amounts of water, warm up before the activity and cool down afterward, wear your compression garment on your affected limb, and opt for loose clothing. Many therapists also advise that you perform deep abdominal breathing before and after exercise to stimulate lymph flow.

Aerobic exercise is a great way to stay fit when you have lymphedema. Any way you increase the circulation helps. While there are many ways to do it (biking, jogging, and walking), I particularly recommend swimming, which is a great overall endurance exercise that uses water as part of the compression.I joined a club with an indoor pool just to get the year-round benefits that swimming offers. Activities that used to be taboo when I was diagnosed are now allowed, such as golf, tennis, and triathlons if done using the precautions noted above and approved by your therapist. And one activity that had been advised for lymphedema patients in 1997, a mini-trampoline, is now no longer recommended due to the risk of injury.

Resistance training-once frowned upon for lymphedema survivors-is now considered beneficial, thanks to Dr. Schmitz's study noted above. It requires that muscles exert a force against some form of resistance. Dr. Schmitz's study specifically found good results when these strength-training exercises were part of a slowly progressive program. I purchased a set of dumbbells with progressive weights (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 pounds) that I use to increase my arm strength in a gradual, controlled manner as now recommended. And bench pressing can be beneficial if done properly. Again, it is best to consult your therapist on the proper technique to use.

Stretching exercises, including yoga and pilates, are another way to improve the symptoms of lymphedema, when combined with the other activities noted in this article. Stretching moves the skin, muscle and other tissues in the affected lymph and relieves the feeling of tightness that patients often experience in their affected arm or leg. Range of motion, flexibility and freedom of movement of the lymphedemous limb are also improved by stretching. My therapist taught me active elongation exercises on a stability ball to help to stretch scars to increase flow of lymph fluid to the bloodstream.

Please note that Dr. Schmidt mentions six misconceptions about her exercise study on the National Lymphedema Network Web site:

1. Misconception: Weight training prevents lymphedema. Short answer: The study did not address prevention of lymphedema.

2. Misconception: If weight lifting is safe, and all those years we told women not to weight-lift, then all those other cautions like avoiding blood pressure or blood draws on the affected side must be wrong, too. Short answer: When lymph nodes are damaged or removed, many risk reduction guidelines still apply to avoid infection, inflammation, injury and trauma.

3. Misconception: The study results mean that all women with lymphedema can buy weights or a gym membership and do what they want without fear of their lymphedema getting worse. Short answer: This study was done in a controlled and supervised way with precautions.

4. Misconception: If I do weight-lifting, I will never have another flare-up of lymphedema. Short answer: Lymphedema can flare up if safety guidelines in the study are not followed.

5. Misconception: If it is safe for me to do weight-lifting, then it is okay for me to lift heavy things at work or at home. My boss can ask me to lift heavy things at work now because the trial results show it is safe for me to do so. Short answer: Some of the women in the study never progressed beyond 5-pound dumbbells.

6. Misconception: The trial results mean it is safe for those with lower extremity lymphedema to do weight-lifting, too. Short answer: The results are inconclusive, so they cannot be extrapolated to leg lymphedema.

Please note that this information does not replace the advice of a qualified health care professional.

A retired patent attorney, Jan Hasak authored a memoir, "Mourning Has Broken: Reflections on Surviving Cancer." In this work she shares how her hope in Christ sustained her as she underwent breast-cancer treatment at ages 43 and 52, and dealt with lymphedema.

Her second book, "The Pebble Path: Returning Home from a Forest of Shadows," takes a poetic look at her cancer journey, relating the story of a princess who picks up pebbles of wisdom while traveling down the path following her cancer diagnosis.

Ms. Hasak is listed on the National Cancer Survivor Day Speaker's Bureau roster and is an American Cancer Society volunteer and a patient-advocate for the National Lymphedema Network (NLN). She received a Lymphedema D-Day Award for her service to the lymphedema community.

To read more, please visit Jan Hasak's Web site at http://www.janhasak.com or http://outskirtspress.com/webpage.php?ISBN=9781432754198.

Fun Exercise Options For Diabetics - Don't Just Stroll on That Treadmill!

I've had people ask me if you should do cardiovascular exercise if you're diabetic. The official answer is yes, you should. The true answer is that yes, you should... but I don't.

Why not? Because it's kind of boring. You sit on a bike and you pedal. That's not terribly exciting. Or, you run on a treadmill. Or climb imaginary stairs that just keep going around and around and around. It's a step up to run or bike outdoors, but I still get bored. There's something about the mindless repetition that rubs me the wrong way.

But yeah, you should still do it - especially if you have diabetes. You should do it because cardio is good for your heart. And it will help burn off that fat - which, if you're a type 2 diabetic (I'm type 1), you probably have in excess. I'm not a doctor, and you should ask your doctor about this rather than trusting me. But yeah, I'm thinking that doc will tell you to do it in some form or another.

Although honestly, for me personally, I don't really think cardio is necessary.

I've gone through periods where I only lift weights and really do nothing else, and my pulse stays nice and slow (my resting pulse is usually around 48), and I don't tend to gain weight unless I really eat terribly. This is especially true when I do a lot of metabolic training. Like, if you do that kind of thing until you can finish CrossFit.com's "Fran" workout (21 95-lb thrusters/21 pullups/15 thrusters/15 pullups/9 thrusters/9 pullups) in, say, 5-6 minutes, your heart is going to be gonzo strong without any traditional cardio. You know it.

But yes. If you don't lift weights (and even sometimes if you do), you should run or bike or something. However, if it's me, I'd take the "or something" because cardio is boring. Have I mentioned that yet?

Here's some stuff to try if you're a diabetic and need more cardio, but think it's lame. (And of course, you're asking your doc if you're cleared to do this first, right?)

Boxing

All other things being equal, the fact that you have diabetes in and of itself should not keep you from doing something like boxing. (And FYI, I'm talking about working by yourself, hitting a heavy bag that hangs from the ceiling.) Hit the thing hard with padded sparring gloves for 3 minutes, rest one minute, and then repeat that combo four more times. Work up to it, and don't go too hard too fast. Boxing rules. You're done in under 20 minutes and you'll be quite tired.

Racquetball

When you play racquetball, you're not thinking about exercising. All you're thinking about is chasing that little blue ball, and before you know it an hour has passed and you're all sweaty. It's like a workout sneaks up on you without it feeling like you worked hard.

Bike tours

My family and I used to do these all the time. It's not a literal tour. It's more like a race in which nobody cares how long it takes you to finish or who finishes first. They give you a number and plan out a route, and they give you snacks and drinks and stuff. It's a cool planned day of biking with a group, at as fast or slow of a pace as you'd like. I've seen them range from 10 to 100 miles (called a "century"). But seriously, even if you're only a moderate biker, you can cover 25 miles in one of these before you think twice about it.

If you like hamster work on a treadmill, then knock yourself out. But if you're like me, try that stuff above. It'll take the irritating out of cardio and strip that weight fast.

Johnny B. Truant, AKA "The Diabetic Weightlifter," has had type 1 diabetes for 20 years and can deadlift 475 pounds. He writes his blog at [http://www.thediabeticweightlifter.com] about how diabetics can and should stop being victims of a "disease" and start taking charge, under the tagline "Don't just manage your diabetes. Kick its butt." (Only he doesn't use the word "butt.")

Getting a Fast Bulging Chest - The Best Chest Exercise For You

Heads up! For most males, the summer means that it's time to hang around by the pool or lounge on the beach to check out girls. At the same time, the summer means that girls can check you out too. So before you head out and take your shirt off, be sure that your chest is the center of attention. Turn it into a muscular powerhouse by using the best chest exercise. In this article, I will list the 5 best chest exercises (in no particular order); each of them has their own advantage, and I'll leave it up to you to choose the best chest exercise that suits you best.

Best Chest Exercise #1: Dumbbell Flyes

This is an excellent chest exercise that works both your inner and upper chest.

a. Sit on a flat bench with a dumbbell in both hands. Extend both arms in front of you with palms facing inward.

b. Without locking your elbows, swing open your arms to your sides and then bring them back to your starting position.

Best Chest Exercise #2: Cable Crossovers

The movement of this machine closely resembles the dumbbell chest fly. Both exercises are good for working your pecs, but the cable crossover offers one advantage from the range of motion. As you reach the middle when you're doing a dumbbell fly, you'll find that your pecs get a negligible amount of resistance. However, with the cable cross over, there's constant resistance even at the point of when your hands are brought together, which gives your pecs a significant amount of resistance.

a. Get in between 2 pulleys, which should be a little above your shoulder height. Hold on to the pulleys, with your palms facing towards the front and elbows bent slightly.

b. Bring your arms your arms together below your chest, and then return to the starting position.

Best Chest Exercise #3: Bench Press

This classic exercise is considered a "best chest exercise" because it's one of the best at working your upper body. You can even do incline/decline variations to place more emphasis on your upper/lower chest.

a. Lie on a flat bench (or incline/decline if you're doing a variation). Grab the barbell with your hands being shoulder-width apart.

b. Lift the barbell off of its rest, and then slowly bring it straight down to your chest, and then straight back up. Repeat.

Best Chest Exercise #4: Dumbbell Press

The dumbbell press is a great alternative to the bench press for a chest exercise. Even though the bench press is very effective, a dumbbell press has one advantage in that you can bring them down lower than the barbell (because there's no bar that's going to touch your neck). This allows you to workout a larger part of your chest.

a. Lie down on a flat bench (you can also use incline/decline for variation). Grab a dumbbell in both hands. Bend your arms so that you can bring the dumbbells up to your shoulders. Your palms should be facing your lower body.

b. Bring the weights straight up, and then straight back down. Repeat.

Best Chest Exercise #5: Push-Ups

I had to include the push-up; one of the most underrated exercises is also one of the best. You can even do it anywhere and anytime, which is great if you're in a time crunch. (Plus, it's free!) Not only that, a push-up has a multitude of variations that can place more emphasis on certain parts of your upper body.

You should know how to do a standard pushup, so I'm going to show you two great chest variations:

Decline Push-Up: Have your feet raised off the ground by placing them on a bench, ball, or any raised surface.

Diamond Push-Ups: Assume a normal pushup position, except place your hands directly in the center of your chest. Open your index and thumb fingers so that both hands will form a diamond together.

Did you find the best chest exercise for yourself yet? Give them all a try... you'll be amazed at the results and how soon your chests will be developing. Perhaps none of them can be considered "The Best Chest Exercise" because all of them are considered the most effective, and each has their own advantage. You should also take a look at my fitness site to learn more exercises, techniques, and healthy diets to improve your body. If you're really serious about building a nice body, then check out my No Nonsense Muscle Building review. This is a program designed specifically to build muscle mass on the average guy. It gives you a full workout routine for 52-weeks, along with full diet schedules to maximize your muscle growth. Give it a look to see how it will fit your needs.

Gain Muscle While Losing Weight

Is it possible to gain muscle while losing weight? In fact, it is very possible to achieve this goal. In this article, I will show you all aspects of losing weight while gaining muscle.

In order to add muscle, you must have a very low percentage of body fat first. Cardio exercises, weight lifting and dieting are the best way to help you add muscle while burning fat. Cardio and dieting can help you burn a lot of fat and weight lifting is necessary to muscle building. So the best way to add muscle while losing weight is to change your diet while incorporating an exercise routine.

Firstly, food is important to make a good body.

Believe or not, you can lose weight fast by eating the right foods at the right time. It is better to eat 4-6 healthy smaller meals instead of eating 3 big meals a day because your can speed up the fat burning process by eating frequently. To get rid of body fat, you also have to stay away form junk foods and unhealthy foods form today. Try eating healthy foods like fiber rich foods, complex carbohydrate, healthy fat and lean protein. These foods will help you burn calories as well as help you build more muscles.

Secondly, do cardio exercises.

No body can reach their weight loss goals fast without doing cardio exercises. Cardiovascular exercises such as running and swimming will help burn calories and boost metabolism, when your metabolism increases, the fats in your body will burn off faster. Try to do 30-45 minutes of cardio 3-5 days a week. You can start doing with any exercise that you like such as weight training, jogging, running, cycling, swimming - anything aerobic.

Thirdly, weight lifting is also important.

Weight Training builds muscle massive, rev up metabolism, burns calories and is the basis of a hard rock muscular body. What is more, the most important thing about strength training is it keeps on burning fat hours after your actual workout session. It is suggested to perform strength training for 30-45 minutes, 2 times per week. To avoid risk of injury, make sure to stretch first before weight lifting.

In summary, if you want to gain muscle while losing weight, the best way is to alter your dieting habits while incorporating cardio exercises and weight lifting.

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