Chances are that someone you know has been a victim of heart disease or high blood pressure, and the frightening part is that it is one of the top 3 causes of death in the country. In fact, my father died due to a sudden, massive heart attack. Diet plays a major role in the development (and treatment) of heart problems. There are several things we can do to improve heart health.

For example, did you know that eating more garlic (in raw or cooked forms) is associated with a lower incidence of heart disease, owing to its anti-oxidant properties? Onions also have a similar effect. Munching on small amounts ( 1 to 2 oz. ) of nuts such as peanuts, almonds, and walnuts is extremely beneficial for the heart. These are rich in fiber and mono-unsaturated fats (the good type).

The health of your heart is a gift that’s yours for the taking. It’s time for a change of heart. Let’s take a look at the do’s and don’ts for a healthy heart.

Some diets are bad for your heart. A high sugar, low fiber diet. (pizzas, breads, rice, pasta) A high sodium to potassium ratio. (salted foods, low intake of fresh fruits and vegetables) A diet low in calcium and magnesium. (low intake of dairy products) A diet high in saturated fats and low in essential fats. (high intake of fast foods and red meats, low intake of fish and nuts) Each of these can be corrected in part, by a simple nutrition plan, which is outlined below.

Choosing the right kind of carbohydrates is important. Ask yourself if you find it difficult to get by without the following foods - Cakes, candies, chocolates, cookies, etc.
If you do, then it is time to cut down slowly. Eat more whole-wheat cereals, bran, oats, oranges, tomatoes, sprouts, mushrooms, cabbage, cauliflower, and lettuce. Make a fresh bowl of soup each day with these vegetables. Eat lean meats, chicken and fish regularly. Soda is a big culprit in obesity and heart disease. Just try and substitute it with plain old water!

The importance of minerals cannot be overlooked. A lack of calcium, magnesium, and potassium can increase blood pressure. Decrease the intake of sodium, and substitute regular salt with sea salt, which contains an abundance of minerals. Magnesium is strongly correlated with heart health. Non-fat milk, fish and yogurt are great ways to get extra calcium, without the saturated fat. If you take calcium supplements, ask your doctor if you can take a magnesium supplement as well.

Fat plays an important role in heart health, more specifically the type of fat. While we all know the long-term benefits of low fat eating, few realize the immediate repercussions of high fat foods. For example, eating a single high fat meal on Sunday night can increase your risk of having a heart attack on Monday morning!!

In a nutshell, the following foods / factors can prevent heart disease: seafood (omega 3? fats) and olive oil. Nuts like walnuts, almonds (omega 3’s and magnesium). Fruits, vegetables. (Anti-oxidants). Grains, legumes. Garlic and onions.

As always, try and minimize stress and avoid smoking. Check your blood pressure and cholesterol levels regularly. Don’t forget your annual physical!

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For more information and to register for free and get full-color exercise routines, diet plans and grocery lists, visit http://www.best-weight-loss-programs.net/ , for exercises for women, visit http://www.toningforwomen.com/ and to train with Nitin, visit http://www.phonefitnesstrainer.com/

I recently read two articles about travel fitness. One said that while you’re traveling, you should keep up with 50% of your normal training and the other said you should keep up with only one-third. Both were written by well known fitness professionals and both said that you should NOT expect to keep up your regular exercise program while you are traveling. That struck me as kind of “lame” and I said to myself, “Why the heck not? Why do people have such low standards and demand so little of themselves? Why do they let themselves off the hook and scale back?”

Sometimes, of course, traveling is purely for a vacation – including a vacation from training. Occasional time off from intense training is beneficial and necessary to let your body recover and rejuvenate completely from chronic training stress, just as time off from the office is needed to disengage your mind for a while. It’s also true that it really doesn’t take much to maintain fitness once it is developed, and an abbreviated, but still effective, workout routine could certainly be used, if you choose, when you’re on the road.

However, you still have healthy eating to think about and just because you’re traveling doesn’t mean you can’t follow your regular exercise regimen. Why settle? If you want to continue to improve your physique while on the road, you can! Here are 10 ways that I did it on my last extended business trip that you may find helpful as well. It begins with a simple decision.

1. Decide to improve while you’re traveling and to come home in better shape than when you left

Nearly every time I travel (the exception being if it’s a complete rest and relaxation vacation), I set a goal to come home in better shape than when I left. The only reason most people usually come home with lower fitness and a few extra pounds than when they left is because they didn’t make a decision to do otherwise. In fact, many people hold a belief that it’s “impossible” to stay on their eating and exercise program while they are traveling! Why not get in better shape no matter where you are? The truth is, all it takes is a decision and some planning. I find it a fun and exhilarating challenge to improve myself no matter where I am in the world.

2. Write out your workout schedule in advance

There’s nothing like writing your goals down on paper to keep your mind focused and keep yourself motivated. In addition to writing out goals regularly, preferably every day, you should also commit your training schedule to paper and especially when you are traveling. Write down the days, the time of the day and the exact workout you plan to do and you will be amazed at how easy you will find it is to get to the gym and have great workouts.

3. Get a hotel with a kitchen

The single most important part of my travel arrangements was to book a hotel with a kitchen. For me, not having a kitchen is not an option. If you don’t have kitchen, you will be much more likely to skip meals, it’s very difficult to eat 5 or 6 times a day (as required by any good fat burning or muscle building nutrition program), and you may end up at the mercy of restaurant, hotel or convenience store food. For my most recent trip, I stayed at Homestead Studio Suites, one of several national hotel chains in the USA which includes a full kitchen including a refrigerator, microwave, stove – the whole works. Exteneded Stay America and Marriot Residence Inn offer similar accomodations

On previous trips, if there wasn’t such a hotel with a kitchen in the vicinity, I searched the internet for apartments for short term rental. You may be surprised at the type of lodging you can find and often you will be pleased with price as compared to hotels. I once booked a luxury condo for 7 days and it ended up costing less than the hotel I was first considering, and the hotel didn’t even have a kitchen. Nothing beats a full kitchen, but you may also find that many hotels will provide you with a microwave and mini-refrigerator if you ask for them.

4. Go food shopping immediately after checking in

The FIRST thing I did after checking in was to make a beeline straight to the local grocery store. I took a shopping list with me because on past trips I found that I nearly always seemed to forget one or two small items if I didn’t have the written grocery list. Once you have a fully stocked refrigerator and kitchen, your meal planning and preparation is NO DIFFERENT than it is when you are home.

5. check the local restaurant locations and menus and commit in advance to making healthy choices when dining out

Since I had a kitchen at my disposal, the majority of my meals were just business as usual. I cooked them right in my hotel room and brought them along with me wherever I went. However, when traveling, it’s likely that you will probably be having quite a few restaurant meals.

I make it a habit to scope out the local restaurants in advance and even check their websites. Most have their menus online these days. I make a decision in advance whether it will be a regular meal or a “cheat meal.” If it’s a cheat meal, I enjoy whatever I want, but I always keep portion sizes in mind. For example, last time, I split a slice of cheesecake with a friend. Was I guilty? Heck no, it was my planned cheat day, I only ate half a slice and it was the first cheesecake I had in 12 months!

If you walk into a restaurant without having made a decision in advance whether you are staying on your regular meals or having a cheat meal, you are much more likely to have a “diet accident” and make a poor choice on impulse, especially if you’re influenced by non-healthy-eating companions (don’t under estimate the negative peer pressure factor). All it takes is one unplanned cheat meal and that can often lead to guilt. Then “all or none thinking” tends to set in and you may tell yourself, “Well, I blew it,” so the next meal and then the rest of the week tends to completely fall apart as well.

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Tom Venuto is a natural bodybuilder, certified strength coach (CSCS) and author of “Burn the Fat, Feed The Muscle,â€
which teaches you how to get lean without drugs or supplements using secrets of the world’s best bodybuilders and fitness models. Learn how to get rid of stubborn fat and turbo-charge your metabolism by visiting:
http://www.burnthefat.com . Visit Tom’s fat loss support community at http://www.burnthefatinnercircle.com

The best calves that I have ever seen in bodybuilding belonged not to Mike Mentzer, or Chris Dickerson but to Shawn Ray. Shawn Ray was not genetically predisposed to great calves; He was predisposed to hard work. The high calf and long soleus of Shaw Ray would be called (by quitters) racially disadvantaged calves, but when he stood on stage next to anyone his calves was never a weak point.

When I started bodybuilding, black men were not expected to grow great calves. Robby Robinson would have had the perfect physique had his calf development not been sub par.

I entered the Mid-Atlantic back in 1992 my calves measured 17?. In preparing for the contest my bodyweight went from 210lbs to 192lbs ( I start contest training 24 weeks out) and my calves went from 15? to 17?. This was the first time in my life that I ever had such a development burst and I needed to know why.

If I could patent this I would be rich! The results of scientific study for the most part were the dependent on who financed their project. However antidotal study seems to answer many questions on the level that was important to me. I never needed to know how protein worked in the body to build muscle, just that if I took “X” amount, at a given body weight, I would get a desired result.

So I did some study (antidotal of course) of those individuals that had great calves and “claimed” to have been born with bad calves. I paid no attention to race, or “Donkey Calf Raises” Quite possibly the best secret there is in calf development Not many bodybuilders today do donkey calf raises because this movement brings to question their Machismo. “I don’t want no man climbing on may back that’s nasty” However when you can put your ego, and homophobia aside and just do the work you will grow!

There was a book I read a while back called “Critical Mass”
I’m not sure who wrote it but the book subscribes to the theory of “Point of Flexion” that if you work a muscle from all angles than the muscle will grow. I followed what was in the book and got some pretty impressive results so I
know it works. Remember I am antidotal, but I’m still analytical in my assessments. So the first thing that came to my mind was why is it that there are three positions, flexed, mid-range, and contracted, but for claves and hamstrings there are only two movements?

The other thing that I noticed was most people in the gym with poor calves did only two exercises for calves standing calf raises and seated. Both of those listed in the book as being needed for explosive growth but results speak louder
than words. Now of those that did have great or at least
above average calves they did donkeys.

You know the group of crazies that benched 450lbs squatted 600lbs and had huge backs so littered with pimples that some busted from lying on the bench when the were doing heavy sets. You know the guys, all the other gym members tried to stay away from. If you don’t know who I’m talking about it’s because I’m talking about you. These guys did donkey calf raises almost every night before they went home. They piled on one, two, even three of their workout buddies, and the cute girl that worked behind the counter every night to grunt out at least three set of donkeys every single night.

What I have here is a routine designed to develop your calves in about a month, remember that you must follow the
rules below for this to work! Before you can do the routine here are some rules you need to take into consideration first.

• Make sure the number of triceps sets is equal to or less than the calves. What this rule is doing is trying to teach that your calves are as important as any of the more showy muscles.
• Rep range stays the same even when the weight increases
• As soon as you can complete the rep requirement add weight (this is about every two weeks or so) less in the beginning longer as you get better. However, if you are using the same weight after 2 months than you have not
• putting enough efforts to see results
• Every 6 weeks change the order of the exercise, • Change the order every 7th week.

Here is the routine

Standing Calf Raises (3-5 set of 25 to 40 reps) Seated
calf Raises (3-5 sets of 15-25reps) Donkey Calf Raises (
3-5 set of 15-20 reps)

PS: don’t use the donkey calf machine you see at health spas. If you must use a machine use a leg press machine and do lying toe raises, the goal is that your body be in a “L”
shape while doing the exercise. Please don’t get me wrong the leg press machine is not a substitute for the “jump on my back” donkey calf works so don’t be tempted replace donkeys with a leg press machine.

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Troy Pearsall is a dedicated Christian, bodybuilder, and grandfather. He owns Fire Iron Online a hardcore bodybuilding website that tries to promote the sport of bodybuilding in a healthy and honest way. Motivated by the amount of high blood pressure, diabetes and other health related disease, and living in Philadelphia the fattest city in America, Troy was moved to give the knowledge of health and fitness to strengthen the body mind and spirit of those that needed it. To learn more on how to build the body in an upright fashion go http://www.fire-iron-online.com

Over the weekend, a really good friend was discussing how he “just can’t seem to lose 2 kilos”. He feels that it is fat weight and we discussed ways in which he can change his workout to optimize fat loss. This got me started thinking about how many different methods of fat loss and fads have come and gone over the many years that I have been a fitness instructor.

If there is one thing I have learned exercising regularly over time will work to burn fat. The methods that work for each individual vary depending on the individual’s weight, cardiovascular fitness level, activity level, metabolism, muscle development, size and even gender!
For all of us, though, if we eat more than our body requires we either store it as fat or have to “burn it off”.

The body at rest uses energy (calories) to power the organs, brain, cardiovascular system, immune system and skeletal muscle. In other words, all of the cells of the body require energy. The rate in which the body uses energy to function is known as the basal metabolic rate. There are two other areas of calorie requirements, one known as the thermic effect of eating (energy required to digest
food) and the thermic effect of exercise.

So how does the body convert energy for use during exercise? There are 3 principle metabolic pathways, which are the ways in which the body produces Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). I promise not to go too technical here and risk boring you.

1. The ATP-PCr System

This is used during the first few seconds of exercise.
Creatine phosphate (PCr) in the blood is used to produce ATP which powers the cells.

2. The Glycolytic System

Glycolysis means the breakdown of glucose. The body uses this system for the first few minutes of exercise. If the exercise is very intense (say sprinting), glucose in the blood is used without oxygen and the by product of this will be lactic acid. After a while, the lactic acid accumulates (the burning sensation in the muscle) and leads to muscle failure. This is known as anaerobic or fast glycolysis. If the exercise is less intense (jogging), glucose in the blood is used with oxygen to produce ATP and the by product will be pyruvate which then is used by the oxidative system below. This is known as aerobic or slow glycolysis.

3. The Oxidative System

This system is has 4 parts which I definitely won’t go into except to give you the names: slow glycolysis (discussed above), the Krebs Cycle, Electron Transport Chain and Beta Oxidation It is in this system, fats more than carbohydrates (glucose) are used to generate ATP. This process is called lipolysis. The fat produces more “energy” (ATP molecules), but also requires more oxygen.

What Does It All Mean?

In order to burn more fat, the intensity level must be kept at a level that is sustainable for long enough to move into the “fat burning zone” or Oxidative System.

Most people have about 2 hours of stored glycogen (glucose) in the muscle when exercising at moderate intensity. So it’s safe to assume that unless you are running a marathon, you are using both stored glucose and fat when doing your aerobic training. This applies to whatever type of aerobic training you choose.Weight training, on the other hand, relies on stored available carbohydrate (glucose) because the short duration/high intensity of each lift doesn’t call for the body to burn fat for fuel.

The argument that low intensity long duration exercise burns a greater percentage of calories from fat still stands. Example: a comparison of the calories expended by the same person walking for 1 hour and jogging for 1 hour reveals that the walking burns a much greater percentage of calories from fat although the overall calorie expenditure is lower.

In terms of just pure calorie consumption during exercise the more oxygen you use the greater your calorie use. If we look at the Oxidative System which uses fat, but requires more oxygen to do, we can infer that working out at medium intensity for longer durations will burn more calories AND a higher percentage of fat.

The current thinking is that the more muscle groups engaged during the activity (example: aerobic dance with arms and legs), the harder the body works requiring more oxygen and more calories. Do it long enough, the body will burn a higher percentage of fat.

There’s a lot of discussion about the “afterburn” or the thermic effect of exercise recovery. Yes, the body does burn energy to recover. A more intense workout requires more energy to recover - hence more calories burned after the workout.

There are many fitness programs that advocate interval aerobics for fat burning. There are just as many that advocate long duration aerobics for fat burning. I advocate a combination of the 2. Both will burn fat. Each has benefits beyond fat burning.

Interval training increases your cardiovascular strength, output, heart rate recovery and produces a stronger “afterburn”.

Long duration trains the cardiovascular system to sustain an increased load for a longer period of time and teaches the body to convert fat to energy more efficiently for use during exercise (endurance).

Whatever aerobic activity a person does, the key is to keep doing it. Why? The more a person exercises, the more efficient the body becomes at converting and using available carbohydrate and fat. So regular aerobic exercise over a long period of time is more important for fat and calorie burning than which method used.

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About the Author:
Ainsley Laing, MSc. has been a Fitness Trainer for 25 years and writes exclusively Body for Mind eZine. She holds certifications in Group Exercise, Sports Nutrition and Personal Fitness Training. To see more articles by Ainsley visit http://www.bodyformind.com

There seems to have been a rash of unexplained, dramatic weight losses in Hollywoodland as of late, and some are suspecting that there is more than just a strict diet and punishing exercise routines at work.

We all know that “normal” women are under a lot of pressure to be thin and look a certain way to fit a barbie doll image of sexiness and desirability, but women in Hollywood experience this same pressure tenfold, and they may be succumbing to the use of dangerous drugs to achieve this effect.

A drug called Clenbuterol is suspected to be behind some of the Hollywood dramatic size reductions these days, and it seems it is being used with no regard to the fact that the drug is not even approved for human consumption, and may have potentially life threatening effects.

Not only that, long time users may soon find that Clenbuterol can actually have the opposite effect desired, it may actually make them gain more weight in the long run, even if they eat very little.

What is Clenbuterol, and Why is This “Fat Loss” Pill Potentially Dangerous?

Clenbuterol, or “Clen” as it is referred to sometimes, is actually a veterinary drug, approved mostly for use on horses with breathing problems.  It is known as a bronchodilator ths is essentially steroidal, but it’s side effects are as a long time thermogen, or fat burner, because it elevates resting heart rate and increases internal body temperature.

This is why it is known to quickly make people drop weight and burn off fat, because it increases the heart rate and the rate at which calories are burned, even when a person is not being physically active.

This is also why it is potentially life threatening.  Lab tests is rats had actually shown that the drug has a hardening effect on the walls of the heart, which can lead to any number of heart problems and potentially even heart failure or irregular heart beats.

Clenbuterol is only legal for veterinary use in horses to treat breathing problems, and is not approved for human consumption (for a reason), yet people are buying this stuff over the internet with relative ease.

Logic would tell us that a drug powerful enough to treat a horse cannot be healthy for a much smaller human to consume, and yet it seems thin-obsessed women are still putting their lives at risk in the name of being unnaturally thin.

It gained notoriety within “inner circles” when bodybuilders began using it to help them up their muscle mass while simultaneously reducing their body fat.  In an unnatural amount of time, body builders were gaining significant amounts of muscle while reducing their body fat.

To put muscle on this quickly while also reducing body fat cannot be good for the heart, as it may put undue strain on it to keep up with the unnaturally high muscle content.
Muscles notoriously burn more calories than fat, and this puts the body into overdrive, forcing it to constantly burn it’s energy reserves (hence, the fast fat loss and size reduction).

The Long Term Effects of Clenbuterol : Not So Appealing to the Body Conscious

As with anything else that seems like it’s a “magic fix” in one area, Clenbuterol can has some extremely negative consequences to overall health and well being, and the side effects have not been studied on humans yet, so there is almost definitely more that we don’t even know about.

One side of this drug that may not be so appealing to the people who are taking it expressly to look rail thin is that those effects the drug was initially taken for may actually come back to bite you in the skinny rear end.

Apparently long term “Clen” users have experienced an unexplained ballooning of weight, presumably because the drug’s effect has worn off and the user’s body has become immune to it, and is trying to gain back the much needed fat that we are all genetically programmed to have (especially women).

Even if these long term users eat virtually nothing, or what would be considered a fairly restrictive diet, they have reported experiencing an uncontrollable surge in their weight.  So, clenbuterol is no magic bullet by any means it seems, and it can even be the snake that comes back to bite you in the end.

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Danna Schneider is the founder of
http://www.dailydietblog.com where dieting and nutrition news as well as product reviews can be found, and also http://www.dietingmagazine.com

Failure to set goals - Goal setting is one of the most important aspects in anything you attempt. What do you want to accomplish and in what time frame? If you don’t have concrete goals, you don’t have a plan.

You should set short-term goals, (daily and/or weekly) as well as long-term goals (monthly and/or yearly). Goals give you vision and depth. They allow you to work toward something, rather than floating around aimlessly with nothing to shoot for.

Jumping in with both feet - Jumping into a fitness program with both feet is very common. Many times people get all ho-hum with their goals and exercise program and have a do-or-die attitude. Granted, it’s a good attitude to have, but it can also be a legacy.

Begin your program slowly by taking small successful steps each day, week, and month rather than just diving into the program and hitting rock bottom suddenly. You must have elbow room to ensure success. The body does respond to small amounts of exercise and those who begin by doing too much too quickly end up on the sidelines due to burnout.

Carrying all your eggs in one basket - All too often, many people begin their fitness endeavors by cutting calories, adding endless hours of cardio, and popping weight loss supplements left and right. Your body adapts very quickly and if you use all your resources at one time, you won’t have anything to fall back on when you hit a stalling point.

Begin lowering calories slowly and adding cardio slowly.
Keep harmony and balance. After a few weeks you can incorporate the supplement of your choice to help give the body a boost.

Not knowing where to begin - Not knowing where to begin is not uncommon. Many people don’t have a starting point or know how to create one. Establishing a starting point is crucial and can be a significant factor in your success.

A quality starting point should include your current body status (weight and body fat percentage). This will allow you to determine your caloric base and macro nutrient intake. In addition to your stats, you need to make a fitness plan to include resistance training and cardio to build lean muscle and decrease body fat.

Not following the fitness plan - Many create wonderful fitness programs, yet fail to follow it properly. This can be anything from not doing it at all or simply doing too much. Most of the time my focus is on those not following it, but in this case I want to tap on those who do follow it, but in excess.

If you create a plan of weight training four days a week for 45 to 60 minutes and cardio for four days a week for 30 minutes for the first week and cardio 40 minutes the second week, then do that. Don’t overstate your cardio before it’s time. More is not better. It’s how you implement it.

Improper nutrition - You can exercise until you are blue in the face and you won’t see desired results until your nutrition is in order. Many venturing onto a fitness program choose poor quality food rather than whole food that nourishes the body.

For continual success in your fitness endeavors, set short and long-term goals, pace yourself, create a fitness program and follow it as prescribed. Staying consistent on your program will ensure success.

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Karen Sessions has been in the fitness industry since 1988.
She is a nationally qualified bodybuilder and holds two personal training certifications. She has written 6 ebooks on fitness and has helped hundreds of clients transform their bodies. http://www.theelitephysique.com

The muscles in the lower abdominal region (below the navel) do not exist in isolation. The abdominal muscles consist of a series, called the upper, lower and oblique abdominals.

It’s not possible to train the lower abdominal muscles and leave out the others, but it is possible to do exercises that emphasize this area. Let’s try and understand the function of the abdominal muscles.

Contraction of the upper abdominal muscles tends to bring the ribs towards the pelvis. Imagine you are lying on your back for the abdominal crunch. When your shoulders are raised off the floor, the action is initiated by the upper abdominal muscles.Contraction of the lower abdominal muscles tends to bring the pelvis towards the ribs. Imagine you are lying on your back for the traditional reverse abdominal crunch (one of the best lower abdominal exercises). When your legs and hips are raised off the floor, the action is initiated by the lower abdominal muscles.

The secret to a flat, toned and trim lower abdominal region lies in aerobic exercise and diet. In addition, you need to do specific exercises, which I am about to teach you.

How to stimulate change when your abs stop responding. As human beings, we are creatures of habit. We tend to do the same exercises over and over again, in the hope that we will see results at some point. This does not work, because the body becomes accustomed to the same type of stress and becomes ‘energetically efficient’. This means that when you do the same exercise over a period of time, the body becomes so efficient at it that it burns fewer calories while doing it!

For example, if you use the treadmill 3 times a week, your body progressively burns less calories each time (as long as the speed, incline and duration remain the same). To get results, you need to adjust one of the 3 factors.

Also, following the same exercise regimen over and over not only gets boring, but can lead to exercise plateaus that can decrease your results.

Hence, if you  normally exercise for 45 minutes four days a week on a treadmill with the same intensity and time for each workout, over time you will not benefit as much as you did when you began. Your body will become accustomed to the routine, and it can become increasingly difficult for you to meet your fitness goals. The repetitiveness also can be boring - even with music, TV or a magazine for distraction, the exercise might become mundane, which also can decrease the likelihood you’ll continue working out.

Mix it up! Do you work out at a gym? Instead of 45 minutes on a treadmill each time, jump on a Lifecycle exercise bike for 30 minutes, then spend 15 minutes on a stairclimber.
Swim one day and lift weights another.

What does this have to do with lower abdominals?
Everything! Change is good, and stimulates fat loss, which in turn helps the lower abdominal muscles become more visible and defined. Treat your body as a complete unit rather than over emphasizing the waistline. Don’t make the same mistake that everyone does - doing hundreds of repetitions of abdominal exercises in the hope of getting a flat abdominal region.

Lower abdominal muscle exercises. These exercises involve the lower body, specifically the gluteals (the muscles in the hip and buttock region burn a lot of calories, the gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the body) and the quadriceps and calves. Translation - you burn more calories and more body fat. Strength training for the back and shoulders also helps boost metabolism, which is critical to low body fat.

Plank - Lower Abdominal And Lower Back Muscles.

Starting Position: Get on an exercise matt on all fours, with your elbows touching the matt directly underneath your shoulders. Extend your legs back as far as you can, and keep the toes on the floor. Movement: Raise the hips up and hold yourself in this ‘plank position’ with your back completely flat. This is an excellent exercise for the hips, thighs and abdominal muscles. Lower the hips slowly down to the mat. Repeat 15-20 repetitions. (Most individuals find it hard to complete 15-20 reps for this exercise and 8-10 might be a more suitable starting point).

Reverse Crunches - Lower Abdominal Muscles.

Starting Position: Lie on your back with your hands at your sides.
Raise your legs straight up in the air. Movement: Exhale as you bend your knees while curling your lower body towards your chest. Inhale as you slowly return your legs to the starting position. Remember to squeeze your abs, and repeat as required. Repeat 15-20 repetitions.

Lying Scissors - Lower Abdominal Muscles.

Starting Position: Lie on your back on an exercise matt with your palms on the mat under your lower back and your legs outstretched. Movement: Exhale as you alternately raise your legs up in the air with a slight bend in them. Inhale as you lower your legs back down to the matt. Repeat for 8-10 repetitions.

These exercises will help you get results, as long as you are consistent with the program. Good luck on your way to a flat lower abdominal region!

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By Nitin Chhoda
http://www.best-weight-loss-programs.net
Get a free, full colour exercise routine instantly by emailing home-exercise@aweber.com For more information about lower abdominal muscle exercises, please register for free and get full-color exercise routines, diet plans and grocery lists at http://www.best-weight-loss-programs.net

We shop on the internet, we pay bills on the internet, we talk to other people on the internet - why not increase your fitness on the internet as well?

While many of us have always thought of the internet as a very inactive part of our lives, there are more ways to use the internet to increase our fitness than ever before.
Just run over to your nearest web browser to start the search for great fitness workouts.

One of the easiest ways to start bettering your body on the internet is through the various fitness websites. Some of these are sponsored by fitness personal trainers, while others are created by fitness magazines and other resources.

They can detail the correct ways of performing basic exercises or even set up programs that you can follow, based on your fitness goals. For example, Runner’s World magazine runs a website that gives everyone from beginners to advanced runners programs for running their next 10K or even marathon.

Online fitness resources are also found through a number of fitness website programs. Much like online weight loss programs, you can sign up with various sites in order to reach certain fitness goals.

Simply enter in the goals that you wish to achieve, and a trained fitness counselor can prescribe the right training program, based on your current fitness level (provided that you give them an accurate picture of this) and body type.

For a monthly fee, you can follow the program and report your results as the trainer adjusts the program when you’ve hit higher levels.

Fitness resources can also be found through the many DVD clubs that are now available. Certain monthly DVD membership websites allow you to request fitness DVDs for as long as you like, giving you the ability to test out certain DVDs before you buy them, or just switch up your routine from time to time. You can also find a number of fitness downloads that you can then load into a digital music player.

And of course, there are plenty of outlets for fitness training gear on the internet as well, helping to suit you up for any sport imaginable. You can find every kind of shoe or outfit for whatever sport or activity you wish to enjoy as well as all of the weight equipment you might ever need.

If you want to get in touch with other exercise and fitness enthusiasts, you can also find a number of message boards and interactive sites that allow you to converse with others that are trying to get into the fitness groove inspire and motivate each other along the way.

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Lynn VanDyke is a master trainer and fitness nutritionist.
She has authored the wildly popular ebook called Melt the Fat (http://www.melt-the-fat.com), and she offers personalized online personal training at http://www.TrainerLynn.com

Sounds simple enough doesn’t eat - eating 5 or 6 meals a day as opposed to our standard 3 meals a day. Eat twice as many meals and you’ll lose weight, feel better and be healthier. Almost too simple.

But until you try it you won’t believe the benefits.

The aim of this article is to give you a very quick overview of the subject and based on my own experiences (I’ve been eating like this now for 8 months) to convince you to at least give it a try.So let’s look first of all at the benefits of the six meals a day diet…

1) No Snacking

When you eat a proper meal every 3 hours or so during the day it cuts out the need or want for snacking. Why bother with a bit of chocoloate if you know you’re going to be eating a proper meal in the next few hours? Eating regularly keeps those “pangs” at bay.

2) Less Surplus Calories

By splitting your normal daily intake of food into 6 smaller meals you’ll be consuming far less per meal. This means that your body will be regularly refuelled with smaller amounts of energy.

Typically, excess calories in your body will be laid down as fat for later usage, which is the typical result of a huge meal.

However if you’re consuming fewer calories per meal, there will be lower levels in your body meaning there is far less chance of putting on weight.

In addition, eating more regularly “primes” the metabolism and encourages fat burning when you’re not eating so not only will you be unlikely to put on weight but you will likely burn off any existing fat far easier.

3) Less Energy Slumps

You know the energy slump that you can feel in the early afternoon just after you’ve had lunch? That’s because your body is working so hard to digest the huge meal you just ate.

By eating more regularly you’ll smooth out these “peaks and troughs” of energy in your body keeping you going for longer and feeling better.

What’s more, dieticians are increasingly believing that it is these energy spikes that can result in the onset of diabetes so you’ll be greatly reducing your chances of ending up with this unpleasant disease.

Now the potential downsides of the six meals a day diet and what to do about them…

1) Eating Every Few Hours Is Impractical

Many people think that eating every 3 or 4 hours is going to be hard with such a busy life. Actually when you get into the routine it’s not hard at all. Develop a list of healthy, tasty foods that you enjoy that you can munch quickly if necessary. Anyone can eat a quick sandwich or down a meal replacement drink during their coffee break in the morning and afternoon at work. Breakfast, morning break, lunch break, afternoon break, when you get home, early evening.

That’s 6 meals managed easily.

2) How Do I Cope With Meals Out?

If you decide to adopt the six meals a day diet as a regular part of life rather than a crash diet, how do you cope with meals out? An evening at a restuarant? A birthday party?

Easy. You just budget for it. Go, enjoy yourself just like normal. Then get back to the plan afterwards. Don’t let yoyur social life suffer just because of your diet, but
*do* get back on as soon as possible and make these “meals off” as seldom as possible.

There’s a reason why people who love food tend to be grossly overweight.

3) How Do I Fit It Around My Family?

Many people worry that as they eat with a partner and/or children it will feel strange to be eating one small meal while everyone else eats a huge meal.

Don’t worry - you can easily prepare a healthy yet tasty meal that everyone can enjoy and you just eat a smaller portion. Eat slowly and you won’t be finished ages before everyone else. And if they love you, they’ll support your decision.

So go try it. I assure you that you won’t look back!

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Richard Adams is a keen advocate of diet and weight loss programs having experimented on himself over the years with many different plans to find those which are most successful. His latest site will tell you everything you need to know about the six meals a day diet - http://www.sixmealsadaydiet.co.uk

Stretch marks are a big problem with women that lose fat quickly. The pulls in the skin usually develop over years of being overfat and when you lose the weight sometimes the skin isn’t elastic enough to bounce back and completely heal. Stretch marks can also happen with pregnant women and with obese men as well. 50% of pregnant women develop - striae gravidarum - stretch marks during their term. They resemble red or blue streaks on the skin and are often found on the stomach and thighs but can also be found on the breast and buttocks.

TriLastin SR was seen on the Tyra Banks show as women dished on the best topical creams to remove stretch marks

Stretch marks do not apply just to pregnany women. If you gain weight quickly you have increased risk.. The skin is elastic and capable to stretch a bit, but with extreme weight gain in both men and women it is common to get stretch marks. There is no miracle cure to remove them, but topical creams like TriLastin has been shown to help the skin tighten and even reverse the effects of stretch mark damage on the belly and hips. This is good news for men and women.