Sunday, May 17, 2009

Do it yourself household cleaners

Environmentally friendly household cleaners can be just as toxic as regular ones. So here are some ways to save money, your health, and the environment at the same time.

What do you clean with?

It’s the hottest rage to go with environmentally friendly products to clean your home. But unfortunately when money is involved you don’t always get what you pay for, and sometimes there are cheaper healthier alternatives.

The law does not regulate products labeled non-toxic, green, and natural. So that echo friendly product you bought might be just as toxic as the regular version.

If you want to know more about toxic home cleaners I found this great article about chemicals in household cleaners.

Chemicals in household cleaners can cause fatigue, headaches, respiratory problems, disrupt hormone levels, nerve functions, and other serious diseases.

It simply makes no sense to pay extra money to use products that can have a serious effect on your current and future health.

So here are some simple home made cleaning products that will save you some money, your health, and the environment at the same time.

Glass cleaner:

Mix 1 part white vinegar to 2 parts water and fill and empty spray bottle. White vinegar is a natural deodorizer, dissolves soap scum and hard water deposits.

Sinks and tubs:

Sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge to replace products like soft scrub. Baking soda has natural deodorizing properties that make it great for replacing scouring powders.

Furniture polish:

Mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice with 2 table spoons of olive oil and apply to cloth towel. The citric acid of the juice cuts through the dust and helps the olive oil penetrate the wood.

Floor cleaner:

Mix 1-cup hydrogen peroxide to 1 gallon of water. Hydrogen peroxide is great for killing germs and cleaning all types of surfaces.

Bathroom mold:

Mix 1 part hydrogen peroxide with 3 parts water and put into empty sprayer. Spay area and let sit for 1 hour then rinse off.

Carpet stains:

Mix 1 part white vinegar to 1 part water and put into spray bottle. Spray on stain and wait 7 to 10 minutes then use a warm soapy sponge to clean stain. Vinegar is great for killing most molds, germs, and bacteria.

Carpet deodorizer:

Sprinkle baking soda on carpet 5 hours before vacuuming.

Dishwasher soap:

Mix equal parts borax (sodium borate), and washing soda. Please be advised that borax can cause skin reactions if it comes in direct contact with the skin.

Drain cleaner:

Pour half-cup salt into 4 liters water, then heat (do not boil) and pour down the drain. Don’t ever pour boiling water down plastic pipes you can damage them.

Laundry detergent:

Mix 1 cup ivory soap with half-cup washing soda and half-cup borax. Use 1 table’s spoon for light loads and 2 for heavy. Washing soda also called sodium carbonate can be found in the laundry section of most supermarkets. It cuts grease, will neutralize odors, removes wax, do not use it on fiberglass or aluminum. Make sure you use gloves if using it as a cleaner.


Buy microfiber clothes for your everyday dusting and cleaning. They are non-toxic and need no chemicals, plus they last for years.

Do you know of any other home made cleaning remedies?

Please add them to the list.

Want to know more read Parabens in your hygiene products can mimic estrogen

Read more!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Loose weight and unite for hunger and hope

People who loose weight and keep it off are driven by motive. Well here is your chance to help yourself and others that are starving around the world.

Will you help save a starving child?

Motive is the key to any weight loss plan; you need to have a driving force that compels you to alter your eating habits.

I can’t think of any better motive than to help save a starving child. You may, or may not already know that 15 million children die of hunger every year.

This is absolutely unacceptable when there are so many people struggling with weight loss issues. In order to be overweight you have to consume more calories than your daily requirement each and every day, most likely you consume enough extra calories to easily feed another person.

Just imagine if you eliminated just one unhealthy food or drink from your daily eating habit and donated that money to feed or buy an animal to help feed a starving child or family?

Did you know that you can buy a flock of chicks currently for $20 and donate them to a needy family, and a good hen can lay up to 200 eggs a year.

You can pass on your gift to a starving child or family here at Heifer International

You would be contributing to your own weight loss goals while doing something positive for the less fortunate. The next time you go to buy that soda, candy, or junk foods just think how lucky you are to have this choice.

Think about that starving child next time you pick up that item and ask yourself do I really need this?

Or would I rather help someone less fortunate?

I don’t know about you but when I do something that can help others there is a certain gratification that comes over me knowing that my life actually had some positive impact on theirs.

You can choose to help fight world hunger and loose weight at the same time plus its tax deductible.

What choice will you make?

If you have a blog join Bloggers unite and help spread the word.

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Tuesday, April 14, 2009

The best food to eat for fitness

You know you are supposed to eat a healthy diet; these foods should be nutrient-dense, disease-fighting muscle-growing foods to get maximum results.

Do you eat these foods?

There are a lot of foods that you can consume in a healthy diet, but if you want to be at the top of your game when it comes to overall fitness there are some that should be included in your diet each week.

They simply give you the most reward for your time and money; you simply are what you eat.

Here is the best food I have found for overall fitness and why you should include them in your weekly diet.

Please be advised that all meat and vegetables should be 100% organic to avoid pesticides, herbicides, and hormones.


Salmon a 3 ounce cooked serving contains 20 grams of protein, more importantly it is very high in omega 3s. Omegas 3s are a healthy fat known to keep your heart healthy, and your arteries and veins free of blockages. Plus it has an added benefit of reducing inflammation of the joints from constant use during exercise.

Beef is high in amino acids, and so nutrient dense that a 3 ounce serving contains more than 10% of the recommended daily intake of riboflavin, selenium, niacin, B6, B12. Not to mention it contains iron and zinc, which aid circulatory health, in order to keep your fat consumption low purchase lean meats only.

Eggs are simply the cheapest and best protein you can buy for your money, each egg offers 4 grams of muscle building amino acids. People are finally learning that the yolk is also beneficial containing healthy fats and are a great source of vitamin A, E, D. Egg yolks are one of the few foods containing naturally containing vitamin D

Turkey breast- it is high in protein, B vitamins, and zinc. It’s loaded with amino acids and contains very little or no saturated fat. It’s a known booster of sperm production and contains the cancer fighting selenium.


Oatmeal is a complex carbohydrate simply meaning that it takes much longer for your body to break it down for fuel. Eating oatmeal will provide you with hours of constant energy and help regulate your glucose levels. It can also promote weight loss and lower your risk of heart disease, contains a high level of zinc to help boost your immune system. Plus contains a high level of soluble fiber that help lower your cholesterol levels, but don’t by instant oatmeal since they most often contain sugar and chemicals for self life.

Whole wheat bread is high in complex carbohydrates it will leave you felling fuller longer. But beware of the ingredients not all bread is created equal, just because it says whole wheat or 100% whole wheat doesn’t mean that its healthy. Most bread contains high fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated soybean oil both is very bad for your future health, so read the labels carefully.

Sweet potato is another complex carbohydrate that has protein, vitamins A, C, E, iron and calcium, beta-carotene, these works together to protect your body against cellular damage. Plus if you eat the skin provides more fiber than oatmeal.

Black beans can help you feel energized and fuller longer than almost anything else you can eat. They’re high in fiber, carbohydrates, protein, and have no saturated fat making them the perfect food to eat.

Good fats:

Olive oil is rich in mono-unsaturated fat, making it ideal for a healthy heart. It also has potent anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce pain just like ibuprofen. Instead of using butter for cooking use olive oil

Flax seed oil is full of lignans and omega 3s fatty acids; the lignans benefit the heart and have anti cancer properties. Omega 3s promotes heart health by reducing cholesterol, blood pressure, and plaque formation. It also shortens recovery time from fatigued muscles after intense exercise.

Almonds are loaded with un-saturated fats, making them great for your heart, digestive system and skin. They are also high in protein, fiber and vitamin E

Fruit and vegetables:

Broccoli has to be one of the best vegetables you can eat. Its rich with a healthy supply of fiber, iron, calcium, vitamin C making it great for your bones, circulatory system, and fighting colds.

Blueberries has to be one of the best fruits you can eat, they pack more fiber, vitamins and minerals than any other fruit. They contain free radical fighting antioxidants that help protect your body against disease and premature aging. Plus they are also a great brain food by helping keep the connections between your brain and nervous system healthy ensuring quicker thinking, and memory.

Spinach is loaded with fiber, calcium, and beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is the only carotene that can be converted into vitamin A by the body. Vitamin A is crucial for bone growth, reproduction, and cell division. It also helps regulate the immune system and defend against bacteria and viruses.

Yogurt contains active cultures that boost the number of germ fighting bacteria along your intestinal walls. The beneficial bacteria in yougurt is know as probiotics because they enhance the growth of healthy bacteria and keep the bad bacteria in check to keep your immune system strong. It’s packed with protein and calcium something that most people lack in their diet, people who are lactose intolerant can usually eat yogurt to fill their calcium needs.

Tomatoes contain a nutrient called lycopene, this powerful antioxidant is best known to help fight against cancer risk, cardiovascular disease, and macular degeneration (vision loss). Studies have shown that men who consume the most tomato based products in their diet are less likely to develop prostate cancer.


Green tea:

Green tea has also been linked to reduce heart disease risk, lower high blood pressure, and decrease risk of numerous cancers as well as weight loss. Drinking tea speeds up your metabolism and with regular consumption you can expect to loose 8 ponds per year. You can drink it hot or cold making it the best overall beverage to consume.

Water flushes toxins from your system, regulates body temperature, acts as an insulator for joints, prevents kidney stones, and supplies the body with crucial minerals for your good health. Water is a crucial part to a healthy diet, you need water to digest your food and get rid of waste. Every cell in your body depends on water to function properly; even though every fluid contains water nothing beats the real deal since it has zero calories.

What do you eat for fitness?

Want to know more? Read- Cortisol can destroy your fitness goals

Read more!

Friday, March 27, 2009

Parabens can mimic estrogen

Parabens can mimic the hormone estrogen, which is known to play a role in the development of breast cancer. They can be found in most beauty and some food products.

Do you use Parabens?

I found this article about parabens can mimic estrogen in and older magazine that I had laying around the house. Being a guy who tries to avoid estrogen at all cost unless its associated with two legs I had to find out more.

So upon doing a little research I couldn't believe how many hygine products my wife and I use that contain this chemical.

Paraben is a common name for a type of chemical so it may appear on labels as propyl-paraben, ethylparaben, butylparaben, methylparaben, or benzylparaben.

It is used as a preservative to give shelf live to some food, pharmaceutical, and hygiene products.

Parabens affect the body in a manner similar to estrogen, high concentrations of estrogen in a person can lead to lower muscle mass, higher body fat, and the dreaded gynecomastia for a guy and breast cancer for a woman.

Gynecomastia happens when there is an imbalance in the hormones testosterone and estrogen. See the mayo clinic for more info on gynecomastia.

And im sure you know what breast cancer is but if you want to know more or other preventive measures here is the link to breast

If you are now asking yourself why is this chemical in our products you are not alone.

According to the FDA it is safe to use products containing paradens to a certain limit, but how do you know what your daily intake is if its in so many products?

They are still conducting research on long-term exposure, isn’t that nice.

Personally I think it would be better if we were not the test subjects.

With the high rate of cancer why would you want to consume anything that could add to that chance?

Now they say that if ingested orally that it won’t mimic estrogen, to me I simply don’t think it’s worth the risk especially if cancer runs in your family.

Here are some food products know to contain parabens:

Salad dressings
Processed vegetables
Jams and jellies
Soft drinks and fruit juices
Baked goods and candy
Spiced sauces
Marinated fish products

Here are the Pharmaceutical and hygiene products:

Ear, eye and nose drops
Vaginal and rectal medications
Moisturizing lotions and creams
Antiperspirants and deodorants
Shampoos and conditioners
Soaps and toothpaste
Hair styling and skin care products

As you can see it is in a lot of every day products, how many do you use?

Want to know more read- Will you get cancer?

Read more!

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Sex is important to your health

You may want sex because it feels good, but it has many health benefits that are too good to pass up. Here are the reasons why your lover should give you sex, and how much you should have.

How much sex do you have?

Did you know the amount of sex you get could have a great impact on your current and future health?

Studies have shown that people who have sex on a regular basis live a longer life than those who don’t.

So you may be asking yourself how much sex do you need for better health, well at least once to twice a week will do the job.

Now before you start running out looking for people to have sex with im sure I don’t have to lecture you about the unhealthy side of sex. With all the viruses and diseases running around these days you absolutely must choose your partners wisely.

Always use protection unless you are absolutely sure about the person you are with, this is one of the benefits of being married.

Lastly if you don’t have a willing partner, most of us were born with two hands so this is not a valid excuse LOL.

Oral sex can cause HPV (human papilloma virus) that can also cause cervical cancer in women. HPV can go undetected for years and using condoms has been shown to lower the risk by 70%

There also is a vaccine to help protect against HPV for women according to the CDC, if you want to know more here is a link to the CDC.

Here are the health benefits of regular sex:

It helps lower bad cholesterol

It’s beneficial for your heart and blood circulation

It will boost your immune system that lowers the risk of getting colds

Sex also is great for the pelvic muscles that will help women control the flow of urine.

Sex at night is the best sleeping medicine that you can take; your body becomes totally relaxed helping you fall asleep.

If you have sex for 20 minutes you can burn up to 200 calories. That sure beats running any day the week LOL

Semen contains many minerals that have been shown to retard tooth decay, if there is a taste issue, many women have reported their mans semen tasting better when they consume fruits that are high in natural sugars such as pineapple, papaya, cranberry, melons, apples, and grapes, which offset the bitter taste.

Sex is also a great beauty treatment. Scientific tests find that when women make love they produce greater amounts of the hormone estrogen, which makes their hair shine and skin smooth.

Sex is biochemically no different from eating large quantities of chocolate, sounds like a good trade off to me LOL.

During the female orgasm endorphins are released which are powerful painkillers. Sex actually relieves headaches; a lovemaking session can release the tension that restricts blood vessels in the brain. So next time she says she has a headache tell her you have the cure LOL.

A lot of lovemaking can unblock a stuffy nose. Sex is a natural antihistamine; it can help combat asthma and hay fever.

Instead of an apple a day to keep the dentist away try kissing. Kissing encourages saliva to wash food from the teeth and lowers the level of the acid that causes decay, preventing plaque build-up.




Guys if you want to boost your testosterone levels for a big workout or game it is best that you try to abstain from sex for a few days leading up to the event.

Have you ever had sex a couple of days in a row and noticed that something was a little off in the gym, ever hear of the old saying women weaken legs? LOL.

Testosterone levels will increase each day without sex up to 7 days, then drop off sharply by the eight-day, so make sure you get some relief by the seventh day to keep your natural testosterone production going.

Pornography has been shown to increase testosterone by 100% in men after only 15 minutes of exposure. Sounds like a good excuse before you head to the gym LOL

So the next time you are looking for a little, tell him or her, if they care about your health they will give it up. Just play safe!

Want to know more? See- The benefits of organic food

Read more!

Monday, March 2, 2009

Proper breathing for a healthy life

Oxygen is vital for a healthy life, yet few people breathe properly and this can have a serious effect on your future health and limit your fitness potential.

Do you use a breathing technique?

The other day I was in the gym working out with my son and he was turning beat red in the face in the middle of our workout.

His strength and energy were dropping quickly and he looked like he was going to collapse. He started asking me if I ever felt like I was going to throw up working out?

This is something a lot of people experience when they workout, especially doing heavy weights or high intensity sets (with little or no rest).

The reason for this is most people don’t pay any attention to how they breathe.

When most people exercise they usually follow two breathing patterns, they breathe in and hold there breathe through out the entire repetition.

Or they inhale before and during the lower phase of each repetition and exhale during the ending phase of each repetition.

Even though you can lift more weight by holding your breath doing so increases your blood pressure. This makes it more difficult for your heart to pump blood and eventually reduces blood flow to your brain.

Your lungs are a primary control of your energy level. Without the proper airflow your strength and energy levels will drop during exercise, and your blood pressure will rise.

The end result is a red face, dizziness, and sometimes nausea or fainting.

Since the bench press is a common heavy lift exercise here is the best breathing technique to use to avoid this from happening to you.

1. Lift the barbell of the rack
2. As you are holding the bar over your head breath in more than you normally would.
3. Hold your breath as you lower the bar to your chest.
4. Press the bar forcefully upward and start exhaling after you pass the sticking point till the end of the lift.
5. Inhale again as you prepare for the next repetition.

Now most people will inhale through their mouth and exhale out their mouth!

But doing so will accelerate water loss increasing possible dehydration.

Plus when breathing through your mouth, the brain thinks carbon dioxide is being lost too quickly and sensing this will cause constriction of blood vessels.

If you are lifting heavy or doing a high intensity workout (multiple sets and reps) you will end up exhausting yourself breathing to quickly this way.

But regardless if you are working out or living in your every day daily life proper breathing is essential for your overall future health.

Contrary to what most people think your nose isn't on your face for your stunning good looks. It serves a vital function to your overall health.

If you inhale through your nose, and exhale though your mouth slowly. You will be in control of your breathing and your overall future health.

By not breathing through your nose you can aggravate snoring or obstructive sleep apnea; untreated obstructive sleep apnea can lead to chronic fatigue, depression, weight gain, high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attack and stroke.

Plus there is an added benefit from inhaling through your nose; this will create nitric oxide naturally.

Nitric oxide made by your nose and sinus mucous membranes are produced in small amounts, but when inhaled into your lungs significantly enhance your lungs capacity to absorb oxygen.

This can increase oxygen absorption in your lugs by 10-25 percent, plus its lethal to bacteria and viruses keeping you healthier.

Nitric oxide that occurs naturally in your body helps prevent blood clots and regulates blood pressure, and is critical for getting an erection.

For more information on this subject read this post from Med Help


Regardless if you are training for strength, endurance, or building lean muscle.

Or you just want to live a longer healthier life; breathing through your nose is a must.

Try it right now; breathe in through your nose and exhale out through your mouth.

Start making a conscious effort in doing this daily; you might be pleasantly surprised how this simple thing will affect your quality of life!

Let me hear back from you on how this made you feel?

Want to know more? Read- Eat to beat stress

Read more!

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Eat Fiber Loose weight

The secret to loosing weight isn’t cutting calories, but adding fiber rich foods to your diet.

Do you eat Fiber?

Most people think when it comes to weight loss you need to cut calories from your diet. This is why diets inevitably fail!

Anytime that you have to deprive or sacrifice foods you set yourself up for failure in your long term weight loss goals.

So you maybe asking yourself what does fiber have to do with weight loss, well the more fiber a food contains the fewer calories it packs.

You can actually eat more food and take in fewer calories at the same time!

The calories you consume during your day will dictate your future weight; check out this simple calorie calculator to determine your daily intake.

Fiber comes in two forms, soluble and insoluble. They act very differently in the body but both are ultimately indigestible.

Soluble fiber is more like a sponge; it absorbs moisture-providing bulk in the stomach helping you feel fuller after eating.

Good sources of soluble fiber are oatmeal, citrus fruit, barley, beans and legumes.

Insoluble fiber is harder and helps clean out your digestive tract.

Good sources of insoluble fiber are broccoli, apples, and whole grain cereal.

Most people don’t eat enough daily fiber; you should try to eat between 30 and 35 grams a day.

Not only will this help you loose weight, but it will lower your blood pressure, cholesterol level, and lower your risk of colon cancer.

If you strive to eat 30 to 35 grams of fiber a day you will end up eliminating some other foods that you would usually consume that day since eating more high fiber foods takes up a lot more space in your stomach.

The end result is you will be cutting calories out of your daily intake without any thought on your part; it just doesn’t get any easier than that.

Try to eat fiber at least 3 to six times a day!

Plus you will have more energy since high fiber foods digest slowly limiting the up and downs spikes in your blood sugar levels. This will keep your body’s fuel stable throughout the day.

Here is a list of the best sources of fiber.

Food - Serving - Grams

Split Peas - 1 cup - 16.3
Lentils - 1 cup - 15.6
Black beans - 1 cup - 15.0
Baked beans, caned - 1 cup - 10.4
Avocado - 1 medium - 9.2
Peas - 1 cup - 8.8
Raspberries - 1 cup - 8.0
Blackberries - 1 cup - 7.6
Artichoke - 1 medium - 6.5
Brussels Sprouts - 1 cup - 6.4
Bran flakes - 1 cup - 6.4
Spaghetti, whole wheat - 1 cup - 6.3
Sweet potato baked - 1 large - 5.9
Pear - 1 medium - 5.1
Broccoli - 1 cup - 5.1
Turnip greens - 1 cup - 5.0
Oatmeal, cooked - 1 cup - 4.0
Brown rice, cooked - 1 cup - 3.5
Almonds - 1 ounce - 3.3

Want to know more see- Tricks to stick to your diet

Read more!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Will you get Cancer?

Over 70,000 people between 20 and 30 years of age are diagnosed with cancer each year.

Are you at risk of cancer?

I keep telling people that you future health is in your hands, but why is it that people only care to listen after the problem arises?

Most people still have the mentality that it wont happen to them, or they say you only live once so why worry about it.

I still see so many kids smoking even though this is a well-known cause of cancer. I also see older people with a cigarette in one hand and an oxygen mask in the other because they can’t breath from lung cancer.

On the surface one would think that cigarettes would simply be made illegal for this simple fact, so its no wonder that so many other products that we use on a daily basis also contain cancer causing agents.

In our modern world there are wide varieties off products that can cause cancer, some are well know like cigarettes others are hidden right under our noses.

Here is an example:

The other day I went to home depot to buy some fresh water lines and fittings to move some plumping lines in my house.

I told the person in plumbing what I was looking to accomplish and he recommended these really cool new water line connecters called shark bite.

They just snap right on to the water lines no tools necessary, sounded great to me. So I left the connectors sitting on my kitchen table and the next mourning at breakfast decided to read the back of the package.

To my surprise there was a warning label saying this:

This product contains a chemical know to the state of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. California law requires that this notice be provided to the consumer.

This is a fresh water connecter for your home and is know to cause cancer?

In today’s world you have to read the labels on everything you purchase, and do your own research on the products you buy. They might be made with know carcinogens that can cause cancer.

Your skin is the largest organ in your body; it is your first line of defense against injuries, infection, dehydration, and temperature extremes.

The skin also absorbs and uses nutrients that are applied topically, but people rarely think about what comes in contact with their skin.

Women need to be especially concerned about the beauty products they use, since many of them contain well know carcinogens.

Want to know about your favorite personal care products read this web site i found:

Is it safe to use?

Substances that can lead to cancer are called carcinogens.

Sometimes carcinogens do not act directly to cause cancer but create an environment that can cause cancer. Substances labeled as carcinogens may have different levels of cancer causing potential, and depending on exposure time, length, and the person’s genetic makeup will vary the risk.

Here is a list from the American cancer society showing known carcinogens:

Arsenic and arsenic compounds (Note: This evaluation applies to the group of compounds as a whole and not necessarily to all individual compounds within the group)
Beryllium and beryllium compounds
N,N-Bis(2-chloroethyl)-2-naphthylamine (Chlornaphazine)
1,4-Butanediol dimethanesulfonate (Busulphan; Myleran)
Cadmium and cadmium compounds
Dyes metabolized to benzidine
Epstein-Barr virus
Estrogen-progestogen menopausal therapy (combined)
Estrogen therapy, postmenopausal
Ethanol in alcoholic beverages
Ethylene oxide
Etoposide in combination with cisplatin and bleomycin
Gallium arsenide
[Gamma Radiation: see X- and Gamma (g)-Radiation]
Helicobacter pylori (infection with)
Hepatitis B virus (chronic infection with)
Hepatitis C virus (chronic infection with)
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (infection with)
Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I
8-Methoxypsoralen (Methoxsalen) plus ultraviolet A radiation
Methylenebis(chloroaniline) (MOCA)
MOPP and other combined chemotherapy including alkylating agents
Mustard gas (Sulfur mustard)
Nickel compounds
Opisthorchis viverrini (infection with)
Oral contraceptives, sequential
Phosphorus-32, as phosphate
Radium-224 and its decay products
Radium-226 and its decay products
Radium-228 and its decay products
Radon-222 and its decay products
Schistosoma haematobium (infection with)
Solar radiation
Talc containing asbestiform fibres
Vinyl chloride
X- and Gamma (g)-radiation
Aflatoxins (naturally occurring mixtures of)
Alcoholic beverages
Areca nut
Betel quid with tobacco
Betel quid without tobacco
Coal-tar pitches
Herbal remedies containing plant species of the genus Aristolochia
Household combustion of coal, indoor emissions from
Mineral oils, untreated and mildly treated
Phenacetin, analgesic mixtures containing
Salted fish (Chinese-style)
Tobacco, smokeless
Wood dust

Known to be human carcinogens:

Alcoholic beverage consumption
Analgesic mixtures containing phenacetin
Arsenic compounds, inorganic
Beryllium and beryllium compounds
1,4-Butanediol dimethylsulfonate (busulfan, Myleran®)
Cadmium and cadmium compounds
bis(chloromethyl) ether and technical-grade chloromethyl methyl ether
Chromium hexavalent compounds
Coal tar pitches
Coal tars
Coke oven emissions
Cyclosporin A (Ciclosporin)
Diethylstilbestrol (DES)
Dyes metabolized to benzidine
Environmental tobacco smoke
Estrogens, steroidal
Ethylene oxide
Hepatitis B virus
Hepatitis C virus
Human papilloma viruses: some genital-mucosal types
Methoxsalen with ultraviolet A therapy (PUVA)
Mineral oils (untreated and mildly treated)
Mustard gas
Nickel compounds
Oral tobacco products
Silica, crystalline (respirable size)
Solar radiation
Strong inorganic acid mists containing sulfuric acid
Sunlamps or sunbeds, exposure to
Thorium dioxide
Tobacco smoking
Vinyl chloride
Ultraviolet radiation, broad spectrum UV radiation
Wood dust
X-radiation and gamma radiation

Now some people will argue that the chances of getting cancer from any particular product are low. But the real issue is that when you start combining most of those products in your daily life you increase your risk considerably.

Things you can do to help prevent against getting cancer:

Stop or minimize your drinking, drinking increase your risk of getting cancer.

Practice safe sex, unprotected sex increases your risk of getting HPV (human papilloma virus.

Eat a diet with either broccoli, kale, brussels sprouts, cauliflower. They are known to help prevent cancer.

Exercises at least 5 days a week, 30minutes a day. By keeping your body in good physical condition you keep your immune system strong.

Use caution in the sun in the peak hours of the day, But do not avoid the
Sun unless you take a vitamin D supplement.

Your current and future health is in your hands.

What will you do to protect it?

Want to know about a proper diet? read The benefits of organic foods

Read more!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

How to add muscle mass

This has to be the number one reason for a guy to go to the gym; they want to add muscle mass. Bigger chest and arms are usually at the top of the list.

What do you do for muscle mass?

First and foremost you have to eat a proper diet to be able to build that muscle mass. If you don’t you can actually loose size. If you need to know more on this subject read the testosterone diet.

In order to add mass to your body you need to put some serious stress on your muscles, this requires lifting heavy weights.

So lets start with the basics:

Before you start lifting any weights always stretch first, that’s if you want to help prevent pulling a muscle and have a better workout. This should take no longer than two minutes of your time if you are healthy.

Hold each stretch for at least 10 seconds

Never bounce, and keep a constant resistance on your muscles

If you feel any pain there is something wrong

Warm up sets:

Always do a warm up set for the muscle you are about to workout with a lighter weight of 12 to 15 reps before each and every new set. This will prepare your muscle for the heavy weights and get your blood pumping

The biggest mistake you can make is to jump right in to lifting heavy weights, sooner or later you will pull a muscle and you wont be able to workout for some time.

Since the goal here is to build muscle mass, you want to perform compound exercises that target specific muscle groups.

The first thing someone usually asks anyone that works out is how much do they bench?

For some reason the bench press is how most people will judge your overall fitness level, even though it has nothing to do with it.

The bench press is the meat and potatoes exercise for building a bigger chest, but a lot of people do it incorrectly.

Here is how to do the bench press:

Starting position:

Lie face up on a flat bench grasping the bar outside shoulder width at arms length above you. For balance and power keep your head, shoulders, and butt in contact with the bench at all times and your feet spread out flat on the floor.


Lower the bar to your lower chest, your elbows should point out to your sides at the bottom of the move. Without bouncing, smoothly reverse direction and forcefully press to full arm extension directly above your chest. This is one rep

Exhale as you are pushing the weight up!

Finish off:

Either have a spotter help you with two more reps or rack the bar and strip off around 40 % of the weight and rep to failure.

The goal here is to feel your chest burn!

They say for every front there is a back, well if you want a chest you need to also work your back.

One of the best ways to do this is with barbell rows. They will add thickness to the middle of your back and your lower lats.

Here is how to do barbell rows:

For beginners start with just a barbell to get the proper form down, you can seriously hurt your back if you perform this exercise improperly.

Bend over till your back is parallel to the floor, keep your knees slightly bent and grab the bar slightly wider than shoulder with. Slowly pull the bar to your lower chest, keep your head looking forward and your back straight at all times. This is one rep

Exhale on the pulling stroke, inhale on the down stroke.

When you first start doing barbell rows you might feel a little dizzy, this will stop as you become accustom to doing them.

Never swing, jerk, or use momentum to move the weight. You can seriously injure your back by doing so.

You can also work your lower lats by grabbing the bar with a narrower grip and pulling the bar towards your lower abs.

Once you have become experienced at doing barbell rows with proper form then you can use a bench or box to stand on. This will give you a greater stretch for a wider back if you want that V shape.

To go along with that back you need a set of shoulders and the best way to add some size is the barbell overhead shoulder press.

Here is how to do the shoulder press:

Stand with your feet shoulder with apart and grab the bar with a slightly wider than shoulder width grip. Since the goal here is to work your shoulders exclusively, use a power rack so you don’t have to lift the weight off the floor.

Presses the weights over your head moving your head back on the up stroke untill your arms are fully extended, but do not lock your elbows out. The barbell should now be over your back of your head. Then slowly lower the weight back to just below your chin this is one rep.

Keep your back straight at all times, exhale on the up stroke and inhale on the down stroke.

Shoulders without arms are like having tires without rims, what the point? Everyone wants big biceps; arms simply are the show and tell muscle.

Here is how to do the barbell curl:

The best way to add size to your arms is with the standing barbell curl; they will add width and peak. Most people do these completely wrong simply because they are trying to move more weight than they can handle.

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and grab the barbell with a slightly wider than shoulder width grip. Keep you back erect and straight, and then exhale as you curl the weight upward toward your shoulders.

Do not swing your elbows or back when curling, be in total control of the weight. Hold the weight at the top of the lift to make your biceps burn. Then lower the weight back down, do not lock your elbows out on the down stroke. This is one rep

Most people use momentum or swing the weight, this is a complete waste of time if you are trying to build muscle mass. Be in control from start to finish, anyone can swing or bounce weights around.

Most when they think of arms they only think of training biceps, this is only one part of the equation. The triceps make up the back half of your arm, without them you will never have huge defined arms.

There are a number of ways to work the triceps but only a few ways where you can use heavy weights without putting great stress on your elbows. Weighted bench dips are one of those exercises where you can use some heavy weights.

Here is how to do weighted bench dips:

Place two benches parallel to each other slightly less than your legs width away from each other. Stand between the two benches and squat down and with your back facing one of the benches placing your hands on the bench behind you at shoulder width apart on the edge of the bench.

Keep your arms straight and place your heels of your feet on the opposite bench keeping your legs straight at all times. Then lower your body down until your shoulders are lower than your elbows; your back should stay only a few inches away from the bench behind you.

Then push up to the starting position exhaling on the way; do not lock out your elbows at the top position. This is one rep

Once you have the basic technique down and can do a few sets then you can start adding some weight.

If you are working out alone all you have to do is pick up a plate and lay it in your lap and sit on the edge of the bench, keep one foot on the floor and place the other on the opposite bench.

Then lift the foot that’s on the floor up to the opposite bench, you will now be in your starting position. Once you complete your set just remove one foot from the bench to the floor, then the other foot. Then sit on the bench and grab the plate or plates and lift them off your lap.

Now to complete your arm training for some eye-popping detail and wrist strength you need to do some forearms. Most people either never do them or do them completely wrong.

Here is how to do seated wrist curls:

Grab an Olympic bar in the center with your hands only a few inches apart palms facing up. Sit on a flat bench and place your forearms on the bench with your wrist hanging over the edge, now roll the bar out and down as far as possible without dropping the bar keeping your forearms and butt in contact with the bench at all times.

Now roll your wrist back up towards your head as far as you can, you should be looking at your knuckles. This is one rep, if the bar is too heavy for you to do at least 10 to 12 reps for your first set use a lighter bar.

The goal here is to use a full range of motion having the bar roll out on to your finger tips and then curling the weight back up to you can see your knuckles.

Once you have learned the proper form then you can start adding weight.

Your forearms should feel like they are on fire when you are done.

Congratulations you have just completed your arm workout.

I have saved the best for last, legs. For some reason a lot of people avoid the most important body part of them all.

I think most people are afraid to do legs after seeing a bodybuilder’s legs thinking that they will end up looking like them.

To get the extreme results you see in the magazines you have to take steroids or growth hormones it’s simply impossible to look that way naturally.

You can only disproportion your body size on purpose; your diet dictates that end result.

Squats are the foundation to build a better body; since they are the largest muscle in your body they will help produce the most testosterone.

Squats require you to use almost every major muscle in your body to perform them correctly. And they should be in everyone’s workout, but most people who do them use such lousy form that they are working there back more than legs.

If you do squats make sure you use a weight that you can handle with proper form, or you can seriously injure your back.

If you back hurts you while are doing squats you are using bad form, or have a physical problem that should be looked at.

Since form and heavy weights need to go together to build bigger legs we will be doing leg presses to make sure you can walk upright another day LOL.

Here is how to do leg presses:

The chances of hurting yourself on a leg press machine are slight as long as you follow some basic rules.

Adjust the padded support so you get the right angle for your body to get a full range of motion.

Sit on the bench with your back against the padded support and place your feet shoulder width a part toes pointed slightly outward on the platform.

Lower the sled slowly by bringing your knees towards your chest for a full range of motion, but never let your hips and back roll off the back support. Keep your knees in line with your toes and heels firmly on the platform at all times.

Your knees should stop about six inches from your chest, then push the weight back up using your heels not your toes. Make sure you don’t lock out your knees at the top of the stroke. This is one rep

Inhale on the down stroke and exhale on the pushing stroke.

By changing the placement of your feet on the platform you can work different muscles in your legs, quads, glutes and hamstrings, or abductors.

Now to finish off your legs you need to do calves so your legs look proportionate.

Here is how to do seated calve raises:

A seated calve raise machine is the easiest way to lift heavy weights for your calves. Sit on the seat with your knees under the pads and feet on the platform.

Make sure you keep the balls of your feet on the edge of the platform and press up as far as you can till you are basically standing on your toes. Hold for a second to make your calves burn then lower down as far as you can with you feet still on the platform.

The way you point your feet will dictate the part of the muscle you work. Feet pointing straight ahead works the overall calve, feet pointed inward will work the outer calve, feet point outward will work the inner calve.

Now to put it all together:

When trying to add lean muscle mass and burn fat its best to work with 3 to 4 sets per body part (not including a warm up set) and 8 to 12 reps per set.

You want to choose a weight that you can to make it to the 12 reps, if it is easy increase the weight. Your last set you should be lucky to make it to 8 reps and your muscle should be fatigued.

Make sure you control the weight on the down stoke, this is called a negative.

Always use proper form, and a full range of motion from start to finish.

Never swing, or bounce the weight.

Rest no more than 60 seconds between sets, the goal is to get your blood pumping and break down your muscles.

You should only work out each major body part heavy once a week, this will give your muscles plenty of time to repair and grow.

This is a push pull routine since you are working with heavy weights, with the largest muscle always going first.

Weekly workout:

Day 1- exercise Chest and Biceps

Day 2-Rest

Day 3- exercise Back and triceps

Day 4-Rest

Day 5- exercise shoulders and wrist curls

Day 6-Rest

Day 7- exercise Legs and calves

The high rep fast tempo routine forces blood through your veins that increases the diameter of you blood vessels helping create more size and mass.

If you use a lower rep ranger between 5 to 8 you will gain more strength not size.

Look to add more weight, sets or reps each week.

You should change your routine every 6 weeks. Change the order in which they are performed, or the exercises completely.

There you have it, a basic mass building routine. Have any questions just ask?

Want to know more read - Using Simple sugars to build bigger muscles.

Read more!

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Why you shouldn’t diet

Diets rarely keep the weight off long term and some can actually make you gain weight. But everywhere you turn a new one pops up promising quick weight loss.

Do you diet?

Not a day goes by that I don't search the web and see another site promising fast weight loss, or offering the same stupid advice. Things like

Loose belly fat fast

Loose 30 pounds in 30 days

Low carbohydrate diet

Only eat once a day

Just reduce 500 calories a day to loose weight

Eat less than 1200 calories a day

Flush your system

Detoxify your system



Diet pills, fat free food, low fat snacks, just and endless array of utter bullshit designed to get the consumer hooked on a roller coaster ride with no end in site.

Most people will be quick to try any diet or product that promises fast weight loss,even if it has taken years for them to get overweight they expect it to just disappear with very little effort on their part.

If you only have a few pounds to loose read this Why you cant loose that last few pounds

So here are the facts:

If you are overweight you are going to have to work to get in shape, there is no quick fix. Or should i say any that last!

If you take a fancy little diet pill or drink what happens when you stop? The weight will creep right back on.

You can’t eat less than 1200 calories a day and stay healthy, this is the body’s minimum requirement just to survive without and physical activity.

You simply cannot loose more than 2 to 3 pounds of fat a week safely; you might be saying well I know some one who lost 5 pounds a week?

Yes but it wasn't fat, they lost water weight and valuable muscle mass!

Diets for the most part require you to eat a certain way that includes eliminating or severely reducing a certain food group. This is not only unhealthy but also not maintainable for the long term.

Over the past 20 years I have seen more diets come and go than I can count, why is this?

Simply because they don’t stand the test of time, isn’t it funny though that 40 years ago the word diet was rarely ever heard and the majority of people weren’t overweight. So what has changed?

The quality and quantity of the food we eat, and people are doing less physical activities.

Most of the foods you buy are full of chemicals unless they are 100% organic, and a lot of these chemicals will alter your hormones causing you to gain weight.

See Not all meats is created equal

You absolutely must read the labels of the food you purchase to know what you are eating.

People have become addicted to super size meals; a lot of people will eat their daily intake of calories in one meal. This is a recipe for disaster!

As our technology becomes more advanced we keep taking away the little things in life that we use to burn calories in our everyday lives.

Imagine how many calories you would burn if you didn’t have your TV remote control and actually had to get up and walk to the TV?

More people are playing sports on a video game instead of in real life.

They are even coming out with cars that park themselves.

Today everything is becoming automated, combine that with the foods people eat and it is no wonder why we are an overweight society.

So you might be asking what is the solution?

You need to have a clear cut step-by-step plan to start with.

Step one:

Just like Dorothy stated at the beginning of the yellow brick road, a house needs a foundation before you can build the walls. A sound weight loss plan will only work if you start from the beginning.

Most people try to skip the beginning and just replace the foods they eat with diet food, what the hell is diet food?

Think about this, have you ever seen a diet tree? Diet cow? Diet plant? Diet food is nothing more than a man made chemically enhanced junk food. The majority of diet foods and drinks are actually worse for you than their regular counter parts.

Forget diets and do it the right way:

You need to know exactly how many calories that you need to consume each and every day to be at the weight you wish to obtain. This is the most important thing you can do if you are trying to loose weight, yet few people ever do.

Now I have heard a lot of people say that they don’t want to count calories, and I don’t blame you. And once you have your basic eating plan in place you wont have to.

But you must have a starting point to work from, so I have made this simple calorie chart to make this as easy as pie. (Excuse the pun LOL)

Now that you know how many calories you need to consume, you need to figure out how many you are currently consuming.

Use a daily diary to write down what and when you eat each day for a week, keep track of the calories also. Most people are in complete denial of their eating habits and when it is in black and white in front of them reality has to set in.

Step two:

When you eat is as important as what you eat. Spread you calories out over 5 to 6 meals through out your day.

By spreading you meals out when cutting calories you keep your body from going into hunger withdrawals. Plus when eating the right combination of foods you will speed up your metabolism helping you loose weight even faster.

See simple steps to speed up your metabolism

If you are currently taking in way more calories then you should then slowly reduce them each week, not all at once. This way you give your body time to adjust to taking in less food.

Step three:

A healthy diet consists of lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and good fats.

Lean protein is the building blocks of your muscle; if you don’t consume enough protein your body will go into a catabolism mode using its own muscle mass to get it. If this happens your metabolism will slow down and weight loss will come to a halt.

Your body also has to work much harder to digest protein versus carbohydrates or fats, thus speeding up your metabolism. The faster your metabolism the more weight you will loose.

Protein comes from meat, dairy, nuts, fish, and poultry.

Complex carbohydrates give you the energy you need to get through your day; your body converts carbohydrates to glucose for energy. Contrary to what most people think consuming complex carbohydrates will actually make you loose weight also.

If you eat a low carbohydrate diet your body will use your fat and protein for glucose your body’s energy source. You will have less energy and if you don’t consume enough protein this can be dangerous since your brain uses glucose for learning, memory, and motivation. See- The human brain

Carbohydrates come from fruits, vegetables, and grains like oatmeal.

Good fats:

Your body must consume good fats to be healthy, fats that are high in omega 3 fatty acids. Good fats protect your heart and joints; they also keep your skin and hair healthy

Good fats come from fish, nuts, flax seed oil, and fish oil pills.

Now to put it all together, if you are going to be exercising start with consuming 40% protein, 40% complex carbohydrates, and 20% good fats in your daily diet. Spread this out over the course of your day trying to consume protein in most of your meals.

This is just a starting point; since each and every person is different you will most likely have to adjust these percentages accordingly.

If you don’t do much physical activity you will most likely have to lower your carbohydrates and raise your protein intake.

Step 4:

You must exercise at least 3 days a week, and don’t give me that crap you don’t have time. A friend of mine once told me he worked too much to go to the gym, so I asked him if he watched TV at home and he said yes.

So I told him to exercise while watching TV, he did lost weight met a girl and got married.

I used to work 70 hours a week and went to the gym on my lunch hour. Your health is the most important thing in your life, find the time there simply is no excuse.

Your body looses muscle mass each year as you get older unless you take steps to prevent it. Stop by a senior center to see your future if you don't, it’s not a pretty site.

Your exercise goal should be to add lean muscle and cardio, both will burn more calories.

The obvious ways of doing this is going to a gym lifting weights, jogging,or playing some sport for cardio.

But maybe you don’t have the time or the dedication to follow the tradition route, there is a way you can do both without leaving your home.

There was a day when kids went to gym class and had to do the basic calisthenics, these were simple exercises that used your own body weight as resistance.

Jumping jacks
Squat thrust
Leg raise

You can start out doing these six basic exercises keeping track of the time it takes you to do this routine, and how many repetitions you do for each one of them.

Don’t worry if you can do only a few, the goal her is to set a basic bench mark for you to beat the next week you workout.

Any time you exercise you should always look to challenge your body, if you keep doing the same thing (sets or reps and even exercises) your body will adapt and progress with come to a halt.

Every six weeks at most you should change your routine, change the type of exercise or order in which you perform them.

This is why people will spend years in the gym lifting weights only to look not much different than when they started.

They spend years doing the same routine with the same tempo.

Its called hitting a plateau and this is when most people give up on trying to loose weight or build muscle.

If you don’t know how to do these calisthenics let me know and I will tell you how?

Or if you have any questions lets here them?

Read more!

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

The News Year’s resolution

Three basic steps you must follow to make your new years resolution become a reality, without them you will most likely be saying the same thing next year.

What is your resolution?

Its that time of year again where most people make promises that they will never keep, simply because they don’t follow the three basic steps.

It always amazes me why anyone has to wait till new years to evaluate his or her life and say this year I will do something. For most people their resolution is about loosing weight, or getting into shape.

But regardless of what your resolution is there are three basic steps you must follow, without them you will end up in an endless loop year after year.

So what makes this year any different then 6 months ago, or even last year?

Not a dam thing, for the majority of people the new years resolution is nothing more than a wish list. They start off with all the right intentions, but sadly another year goes by.

Others dust off their gym memberships and head back to the gym with good intent only to fall right back into the vast hole they call life.

So why is it that the new years resolutions is just empty words?

Why can’t people seem to fulfill these promises?

This is simply because a promises is nothing more than words if you don’t have an action plan.

People make promises every day.

I promise to pick something up.
I promise to clean the house.
I promise I wont lie.
I promise?

How many promises have you broken?

A promise is nothing more than a goal with a time limit.

There are short and long term goals, and without the three basic steps you most likely will fall far short of reaching them.

The three basic steps are as followed:

Step 1:

Acknowledge that an action needs to be taken; this is a very easy thing that most people do on a daily basis. I hear people all the time say they promise, I will, or I want to do something. But that’s about as far as it goes for most, simply because it’s the easy part.

Things like:

I want to get into shape.
I want to loose weight.
I want to make more money.
I want my own business

I think wanting something is an American tradition, you will be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t want something.

And there is nothing wrong with wanting something. But unless you create an action plan to obtain it you are simply making a wish list.

The say talk is cheap; this is because it requires little effort or action!

Saying you will do something is a good start, at least you acknowledge that an action needs to be taken. Most people will go through life saying why me, I have bad luck, it wasn’t meant to be.

Really? Or maybe you didn’t have a clear-cut plan on how you would accomplish your goals so your actions and words were truly meaningless.

Simply empty promises?

Step 2:

An action plan: Without one your words will most likely fade into the wind. You might be saying to yourself right now that you have a plan on how you will do something, and that is a great start. But unless you turn it into an action plan it is nothing more than a plan.

Most people make plans on a regular basis, they

Plan to go on a trip
Plan to buy a new car
Plan to go to the movies

These things require only a few steps to complete them, and are simple daily plans.

How many times have you said to yourself, I will do it tomorrow?

There is a big difference between a plan, and an action plan!

Ever started a project only to never finish it?

This is the end result of a plan without action!

You can get away with this for most simple daily plans, but for any major plan that will truly shape your life you must have a clear-cut action plan.

An action plan is a detailed daily, weekly, monthly, yearly step-by-step plan on how you will accomplish the goal at hand. Some of you right now are probably saying yearly, what the fu___k.

I know most people are used to living in our microwave society, expecting everything to happen instantly. But I hate to break it to you some things in life you have to work for!

Forget all this crap about getting rich quick, or loosing weight fast. You may have noticed that people who do end up broke, or heavier than when they started.

Without a clear-cut action plan you will never build a solid foundation to obtain your goal, or have it last. You need to set specific times and days that you will work towards your goal.

Step 3:

This is where most people go wrong; they do the first two steps but lack the most important ingredient.

Desire, without it all is lost.

People will desire:

A person
An Object

They will do what ever they have to obtain something they desire. It is a driving force that knows no excuses, and has no limitations.

Think about the last time you really desired something; you wanted it so bad you could taste it. Nothing would stand in your way to get it.

Imagine what you could accomplish if you applied that same desire to your new years resolution?

Anyone who has every turned there life around did it because they had a desire to do so.

Amazing weight loss stories happen because of desire.

Rags to riches happen because of desire.

Desire turns dreams into reality!

Isn’t it time you started to add some desire into you new years resolution?

Follow the three steps and have a save and happy New Year.

Read more!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Five steps to choose a new gym

Not even a sign on the door, but my Ballys gym is closing. I have seen many gyms come and go over the years and Ballys prevailed, is this end of the big gyms?

What do you do when your gym goes out of business?

I joined Ballys when I moved to Florida, bought a lifetime membership for the whole family. It has been almost 20 years, the good news for me is we are all alive and well, the bad news for Ballys is life is apparently over.

The big questions being asked in the gym is where are you going to workout when the doors get locked. Being that I live in central Florida there is a hand full of gyms to choose from.

On the surface you would think this is something simple to do. But there are a lot of considerations in choosing a gym, and you need to do a little groundwork before you sign on that dotted line.

First and foremost is location, to me this is on the top the list. I don’t know about you but if I have to spend too much time driving to and from the gym it will just take all the fun out of going. And for some people im sure it will open up the door for making an excuse not to go.

Second is how crowded is it in the gym when you want to go? Most people have a set schedule when they can work out, so it would be in your best interest to actually go to that gym at that time to see how many people are working out there.

The point of going to a gym is to actually be able to work out when you are there, but if there is a waiting line for the equipment it defeats the purpose of going.

This is the biggest complaint about big gyms, being overcrowded at peak times.

Third is what type of equipment they have for you to use, this is where a lot of gyms can vary completely. Most gyms offer a free weights section, and depending on your fitness level and goals will dictate if the gym is for you.

If you are new to working out and only looking to tone muscle, the basic free weight section in most gyms will fit your needs. But if you are looking to build muscle, or have been lifting for some time you need to scope out the free weight section carefully.

In order to keep building muscle you need to keep constantly challenge your muscles in your workouts, you can accomplish this in two ways. Lift the weight you have in less time (faster tempo) or lift heavier weights.

Sooner or later you will end up needing more weight.

If the gym you join has a limited amount of free weights, your progress will stop at some point. And if you joined that gym with hopes of getting that lower renewal fee a couple of years down the road you just wasted your money.

Or if you have been lifting for a while you might be in for a serious disappointment on day one. I stopped by a gym called Planet Fitness to check out there free weight room, the first thing I checked was how heavy the dumbbells went up to.

Only 75pounds, for me this was a problem. I constantly switch between barbells and dumbbells and I am used to using 100-pound dumbbells on many exercises.

The next thing I noticed is there were no weight racks in the gym for plates. So I started looking to see how much weight was at each station. Only two 45-pound plates at each bench press and incline press.

So asked the girl where are the 45 pound plates and she points over to the leg press machine that was about 25 feet away from the free weight area. A quick count gave me about 16 45-pound plates, again for me was a problem.

If i alone used just the leg press machine the rest of the gym would stop, if this weren’t bad enough it gets worse. They even have an alarm in the free weight room that goes off if you drop a dumbbell.

Don't get me wrong this was a very nice gym, it just didnt fit my needs.

A simple thing like no mirrors, or mirrors in the wrong place can have a dramatic effect on the quality of your workout. I checked out a new Golds gym once and they actually had the small benches bolted to the floor.

This brings me to the Fourth thing to check out, gym rules. These can range widely also from gym to gym.

Some basic rules that you might find:

Bring a towel, great rule. No one wants to sit or lay in anyone’s sweet.

No tank tops, Bad rule. Nothing is more de motivating than to have the muscle you are working covered up.

Put your weights away, great rule. Safer workout area, faster workouts. I never understood why anyone would go to the gym to workout, but be too lazy to put the weights back in the racks.

No moaning or groaning lifting weights. I had to add the weight part for the perverts out there LOL. If you ever have tried to lift an extreme amount of weight you most likely let out a moan or groan along the way. It simply goes with the territory of heavy lifting.

I can understand no screaming or yelling, but come on. God forbid you got constipated in the gym the alarm would go off LOL.

With that being said, it seems the bigger gyms are adopting some rules that are counter productive to working out. Its no wonder why they go under, the big gyms are only looking for people to pay memberships dues not keep working out.

A gym is supposed to be motivational, you should be going there to get results. In order to get results you need the proper environment to achieve your fitness goal. This requires a wide variety of free weights set up in the right places; you also need to see people working out there that will inspire you.

I cant tell you how many times older people came up to me thanking me for inspiring them to try harder, and younger guys would mimic my routine

Not to mention how are you supposed to learn how to work out correctly? Oh I forgot that’s how gyms really screw you over. This brings me to the fifth and most important thing to really check over, the contract.

Never ever sign a contract without reading in completely, or let anyone draft your bank account for billing. This can be a hard lesson to learn in life, just do a google search on La Fitness if you don’t believe me.

The new game is to put in vague language that gives them the right to change the contract at any given time. This happened to my son at La fitness, he joined with a set renewal rate only to have them raise it saying that contract is no longer valid.

There was a day when gyms were about working out; the big corporate gyms pushed them out of business to sell memberships. But in the process created an environment that was counter productive to working out, creating there own paradox.

People will quit a gym because they are not benefiting from the experience, other people wont join a gym since they cant benefit. Leaving only one outcome, closing.

Is this the end of the big gyms?

Want to know more? see- Is super slow training for you ?
Read more!

Saturday, December 13, 2008

The Holiday Rear

Christmas and New years are almost here, and the economy is faltering creating some holiday fear. People will be eating everything in sight, trying to relieve their stress that keeps them up at night.

Will you sacrifice your rear for the upcoming New Year?

The holidays are the time, when good eating habits go out the window for a short length of time.

Cookies candy and alcohol are hard to avoid, unless you live in some kind of void.

This year will be worse for some, with the economy looking so ho hum.

You could write Santa a letter, but he has isn't doing much better.

I always-here people say it’s the holidays as an excuse, to indulge in all things that have their waistline bulging from over use.

Once the holidays are over, you will step on the scale and your eyes roll over.

So I created the Holiday Rear, in hopes you will think about it over and over!

The Holiday Rear

You have hung the stockings with care, making sure the candy is all there.

You have trimmed the tree to a tee, hanging candy canes for all to see.

You have baked your cookies with glee, not caring about the calories.

You have eaten everything in sight,to find your rear has grown to some sight.

You have forgotten the basic rule; to many calories are never cool!

You have only one person to blame, and you know their name.

You have the power, its in your willpower.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year!

Read more!

Saturday, December 6, 2008

How to loose belly fat and get Abs

For many the six-pack is the ultimate fitness goal. And some will go to great lengths to get them; mostly it’s because of vanity. But they represent so much more

Do you know how to get abs?

Everyone wants a well-defined lean mid section, simply know as abs. People will buy any supplement, or gadget that offers the promise of delivering them.

They will devote great effort, doing many sets and reps trying to uncover their abs.

I have to admit I was one of them once wasting my money, and endless hours to no avail.

Athletes and bodybuilders know that training abs isn’t for looks alone; your abdominal muscles are the core of your body’s power production.

Almost everything you do in your life revolves around your abs, standing, bending, twisting, and lifting. If you develop abdominal strength you can avoid, or eliminate lower back pain. So all that abdominal work wasn’t for nothing!

But the simple fact is you can do all the abdominal exercises in the world and most likely never see your abs, so let me tell you why. The single most important factor above anything is your diet, you will never see your abs if you have a layer of fat covering them or you retain too much water.

Now some of you might be saying im not fat, clinically maybe not.

But I hate to break it to you but if you don’t see your abs you are fat. Now the degree of how fat you are will dictate how you proceed.

Now in case you didn’t know it your stomach is the final frontier in fat loss, it’s the first place you will get fat, and the last place you will loose fat. And contrary to what you might have heard, you can’t spot reduce fat.

So if your arms wiggle when you wave, and your ass is droopy when you stand, or you cant see your knees when you stand. You have a lot of work to do before abs are in your future.

The reason I tell you this is I see way to many people in the gym doing countless abdominal exercises when they clearly need to be focusing on other areas to cut down on their overall body fat.

In order to get abs you need to do a combination of cardio and strength training along with a proper diet.

Here is a proper diet:

Step 1. What to eat:

1. Choose lean meat, poultry, and fish for proteins.

2. Eat low glycemic carbohydrates like oatmeal, sweet potatoes, broccoli, or brown rice.

3. Consume only good fats like flax seed oil, and omega 3s.

Avoid foods that are high in sugar and salt, salt makes your body retain water giving you a bloated look. Also eliminate processed foods and try to eat everything fresh, not from a can or box. Organic is best!

A balanced diet is essential for overall good health and longevity, cutting out any of the three will only come back to haunt you in the long run. This is why fad diets fail and people gain back all the weight they lost, plus more.

You should eat at least 1 gram of protein for every pound of body weight you wish to achieve, or keep. (if you want to weigh 150 lbs you need to take in at least 150 grams of protein a day).

Here is why:

Your body uses more energy to process protein than carbohydrates, or fats. You can burn up to twice as many calories consuming protein verses the same amount of carbohydrates.

Protein is the building blocks of your muscle, if you are active and don’t consume enough protein your body will go into a state of catabolism using its own muscle for fuel. This is a bad thing since the more muscle mass your body has the faster your metabolism will be, and the more calories your body will burn.

Step 2. When to eat:

Try to eat at least every 3 hours, or 6 times a day if possible.

Here is why:

First by spreading your daily calories out over 6 meals you will be eating less food at any one sitting, by stuffing less in your stomach it will shrink over time. Have you seen how very obese people loose a lot of weight? They have gastric bypass surgery (have their stomach stapled smaller).

When you eat your body will only use what it needs at that time and store, or discard the rest.

Your body will store carbohydrates, or fats. It will not store protein, so any excess calories from protein will be turned into fat. This is why portion size is so important, and people become fat who super size their meals.

By spreading your daily calories out you keep you body nourished throughout the day and speed up your metabolism without it storing calories. You will have more energy and your waistline will shrink.

This will also keep your hunger satisfied, and help eliminate any desire to binge eat.

Now it’s not the eating that speeds up your metabolism, it’s the food you eat.

Remember when I said your body has to work twice as hard to digest the protein you eat? But it also won’t digest more protein than it needs at any one time.

Depending on your muscle mass, stress your body has been under that day will dictate the amount of protein it will use at any one time. This can range approximately between 20 to 50 grams per serving so the key is to consume a little protein at each and every meal.

Lets say you need to consume 150 grams of protein a day, just spread that out over the 6 meals. Now you are taking in only 25 grams per serving keeping your hunger satisfied, your muscles in a positive nitrogen balance, and your metabolism working overtime.

Step 3. Training the abdominal muscle:

The three basic parts of the abdominal muscle you need to know:

1. Rectus Abdominus - which is the upper and lower abs, the six-pack look.

2. Oblique muscles - internal and external, the muscles on the sides of your waist, the definition, V shape.

3. Transverse0 abdominis - surrounds and protects the internal organs, keeps your waist tucked in.

There are many different exercises you can do to train your abdominal muscles, and they all should be included in your exercise routine to work your abs from different angles.

All crunch exercises work the upper and lower abdominal muscles.

All twisting or crossing over exercises work the oblique muscles.

To train your transverses abdominis simply suck your stomach in. Exhale all the air out of your lungs sucking your navel in as far as you can and hold it as long as you can using your abdominal muscles, then release. You can do this every day if you want and your waistline will shrink.

But unfortunately most people do the same mistake each time. Regardless of which abdominal exercises you do there is one thing that never changes, this is tempo.

Tempo is the speed in which you move from start to finish. You want to perform your abdominal exercises with perfect form, concentrating on the contraction.

Take each rep slowly; the goal is to make your abs burn. Exhale at the top of the rep pulling your stomach in tight, and lower back down slowly.

Use the proper range of motion; if the space between your hips and sternum doesn’t shorten your abdominal muscles are not contracting.

Do at least one upper, lower, and oblique move in each abdominal workout.

Its best to give your abs a rest in between workouts, do cardio on alternate days.

If you have excess fat you need to do a higher rep routine consisting of bicycles crunches, stick twist, floor crunches.

If you are trying to make your abs stick out more you need to do weighted abdominal exercises like decline sit ups with dumbbell plates, kneeling rope extensions, reverse crunches.

Step 3. The plan:

No one plans to fail they fail to plan:

You need to know how many calories you need to consume a day from day one, even if you eat a healthy diet you can still get fat eating too many calories.

The reason I say start out with is each and every person is different, nothing is ever set in stone. Adjustments usually always need to be made along the way.

Now this is where most people give up since it’s a real pain in the butt to figure out calories in the foods you eat on your own, but once you have your basic plan it becomes easy after that.

Here is a simple calorie chart to get you on your way.

Want to know more see- Simple steps to speed up your metabolism

What abdominal exercises work best for you ?

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Monday, December 1, 2008

Cinnamon as a health food

Cinnamon is not only a spice, but with it’s unique healing abilities make its health benefits too good to pass up.

Do you use cinnamon?

Cinnamon has gotten a bad rap in the past because it always mixed in with sugar. But on its own it’s fantastic for your health.

Now the funny thing about cinnamon is it taste terrible on its own. But when you add it to foods that need something to spice them up, it makes them taste great.

Cinnamon contains:


It is a great source of manganese, manganese is an essential trace mineral needed for healthy skin, bone, and cartilage formation.

It helps to protect us against viruses and other infections by strengthening our cell walls, bones, collagen and connective tissue such as ligaments.

Manganese is good for athletes who need help with joint lubrication.


High fiber foods help control your weight!

Most people don’t come close to getting the 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day necessary for good health.

Eating a higher fiber diet has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels; prevent constipation, and slow digestion.

But make sure you drink plenty of water with a high fiber diet.


Calcium is necessary for strong bones and teeth, not to mention it plays an important role in weight loss.

Most people on strict weight loss diets do not take in the enough calcium since they avoid cheese, and dairy products.

If you do not consume enough calcium your body will rob your bones of it and you will be at risk of getting osteoporosis. Adults require around 800 milligrams per day.

The health benefits of cinnamon:

It helps in the relief from congestion from colds, or allergies.

It aids in digestion.

It helps to relieve or eliminate muscle, and joint pain.

It thins the blood to increase its circulation.

It contains anti-inflammatory properties to reduce pain from arthritis.

It helps prevent tooth decay, and gum disease.

Just smelling the odor from cinnamon boost brain activity.

Cinnamon aids in controlling blood sugar helping people with type 2 diabetes. Just sprinkle it on a high carbohydrate food to lesson its impact on your blood sugar levels.

How to buy and store cinnamon:

Cinnamon is available in either stick or powder form. The sticks can be stored for a longer period, but the powder has a stronger flavor.

Try to smell the cinnamon to make sure it has a sweet smell to indicate that it is fresh.

Cinnamon should be kept in a tightly sealed glass container in a cool dark, and dry place. Ground cinnamon will keep for about 6 months, while sticks will stay fresh for about 1 year.

Make sure you buy organic cinnamon!

Remember if it doesn’t smell sweet it isn’t fresh, throw it away.

Foods to add cinnamon to:

Oatmeal - most people don’t like oatmeal plain. Just add I teaspoon of cinnamon to make it a tasty dish.

Yogurt – add half teaspoon of cinnamon to give it some extra flavor.

Bananas – sprinkle quarter teaspoon to take it up a notch.

Coffee – sprinkle half teaspoon to make your own blend.

Do you use cinnamon? If so what foods do you add it to?

Want to know more? See - The health benefits of drinking tea
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