Waist Your Breath - Breathing For A Thinner Waist

The crunch exercise is the backbone of abdominal training. It develops the muscles of the abs to help you build that much-desired six-pack. But did you know that there is a way to do crunches that can actually decrease the size of your waist?
The key to this technique is the top position of the crunch where your abdominals are contracted as hard as they are able to.
When you're in this top position, I want you to breathe in and out slowly a few times. Try to relax every other muscle except the abs. This breathing in and out will intensify the contraction (as you will find out very rapidly).
Here's how it works:
The muscles of the abdomen are arranged in layers around your midsection, similar in concept to the rings in a tree. While you are contracting the rectus abdominus (the top-most front layer of your abs, also known as your six-pack) continuously, the deeper abdominal muscle fibers are relaxing and contracting each time you breathe.
Each time the deep fibers relax, your rectus abdominus (because it is contracting so hard) will squeeze them in a little more, making your waist-area a little smaller and tighter.
The reason this works to decrease the size of your waist is simple. Usually, most people's abdominal muscles just kind of sit there. They don't stay tight, therefore your midsection tends to slouch forward and outward.
This technique teaches your abdominals to maintain a degree of tightness and tone in them even when you are relaxed. This keeps your abs in, leading to a visually smaller waist.
For more information on how to properly execute the Abdominal Crunch, go to http://www.fitstep.com/Library/Exercises/Crunches.htm?news

Why Protein is Crucial For Fat Loss - Part 3

The Best Protein Powder and How To Get It Dirt Cheap!
Without a doubt, whey protein is king when it comes to protein quality and digestability. Ironically, whey used to be considered a useless by-product of cheesemaking and was just dumped into ponds as waste!
There are two main classifications of whey protein, which are essentially based on how processed the whey is. The two forms are whey isolate and concentrate. The major difference between the two is that whey isolate is more processed and is thus a purer source of whey. Whey concentrate is still a very high quality protein however.
If you have the money to spend, whey isolate is the higher quality protein. If you're looking to get the most protein bang for your buck, I'm going to let you in on a little secret:
Whey concentrate is very nearly as good as isolate and is a whole lot cheaper!
I would compare it to driving a sports car. Imagine whey protein as the Ferrari of protein. It is a top-quality protein and a top-quality car. If you put a manual transmission into that Ferrari, you are going to get more performance out of it. This is what happens with whey isolate as compared to whey concentrate. Whey concentrate is your basic Ferrari, while whey isolate is your souped-up Ferrari.
My favorite protein supplement, which I always recommend to clients and friends, is the EAS brand whey concentrate protein powder called "Simply Protein."
EAS is a very high-quality, well-known brand name and is a pioneer in scientific supplement development. They know their stuff!
But here's the best part...
I know an online store where you can get this protein powder at a fraction of the price you would pay at a regular retail store. Let me throw some numbers at you.
For 2 pounds of whey isolate you will generally pay anywhere between $29.95 and $39.95.
For 10 pounds of EAS whey concentrate at the online store I will tell you about, you will pay only $49.95 (as of Nov 22, 2002). For this exact same brand at a retail supplement store, you will most likely pay around 35 to 40 dollars for only a 5 pound tub of it.
When you break down the numbers, it looks something like this: Whey Isolate: $15 to $20 per pound EAS Whey Concentrate Retail: $7 to $8 per pound EAS Whey Concentrate Online Store: $5 per pound
I've been using and researching protein supplements for the past 12 years and I have yet to find a better deal on this high a quality of protein.
Use this link and go get some today!

Why Protein is Crucial For Fat Loss - Part 2

How to Maximize The Results You Get From Your Protein Powder. Timing Is Everything!
Whether it be for fat loss or muscle gain, I always recommend taking a good protein supplement. The reason for this is simple: it is a convenient way to get high-quality protein without excess calories.
Be aware, however, that in no way am I advocating that you live on protein powder (like the dangerous Liquid Protein diets that used to be popular) alone. The key point to understand here is that a protein supplement is exactly what the name suggests: a supplement. It should be taken in addition to a nutritious diet in order to achieve a certain purpose, in this case increased protein intake.
Protein powders and protein bars can also be used as meal replacements on occasion, especially when you are on the go. They are far more nutritious than a fast food meal and more convenient.
The most popular and highest quality protein powder is whey protein. Whey is very digestable and is used efficiently in the body.
You can maximize the effects you get from your protein supplement simply by knowing exactly when to take it. Here is a list of the when, why and how of effective protein supplementation, ranked in order of importance.
1. Immediately After A Workout
If you only take protein once per day, this is the absolute best time to take it. Immediately after you finish your workout, your body needs raw materials to rebuild and recover with. If you don't supply the raw materials through eating, your body will break down muscle from elsewhere in your body in order to rebuild the damaged areas. This is very counterproductive as you can well imagine.
By taking in some protein (20 to 30 grams or so) within minutes after exercise, you provide your body with the raw materials it needs to recover without breaking down it's own muscle tissue.
2. An Hour After A Workout
About an hour following a workout, your body has settled down from the excitement and is ready to really start rebuilding. The protein that you took in immediately following the workout has been metabolized and your body is looking for more. Another protein shake at this time is a good way to help speed recovery. Try to take in another 20 to 30 grams about an hour after working out.
3. First Thing In The Morning
Immediately upon waking, or as soon after that as you can manage, take a scoop of protein powder. Your body has just been through an (approximately) 8 hour fast and is hungry for nutrients. Feed your body!
Protein powder is more quickly assimilated than solid food and gets into your muscles faster. This protein shot gives your metabolism a boost, which can help with fat loss. Be sure to follow it with a good breakfast, of course.
4. Last Thing At Night
Prepare your body for the long overnight fast by giving it a little something to work with. A good combination for this purpose is to mix a scoop of whey protein in with a small glass of milk.
Whey is what's known as a "fast" protein, meaning that it's digested quickly, while milk protein (casein) is what's known as a "slow" protein, meaning it's digested relatively slowly. At night, you want your protein to be metabolized slowly so that your body gets a more even supply over the course of the night. By mixing "fast" and "slow" proteins, you get the benefits of the higher-quality whey with the slower digestion time of the milk.
5. In-between Meals
A quick protein shake can be a great snack in between meals. It helps keep your body supplied with protein all day long. This is especially useful if you tend to have long periods of time in-between meals. It could mean the difference between losing muscle and building or keeping muscle!
6. With Meals
Taking a protein supplement with meals is a handy way to increase the protein content of a meal. This is perfect for when you make a meal that is somewhat low in protein.
7. In The Middle Of The Night
This is a trick that bodybuilders sometimes use in order to keep their muscles supplied with protein throughout the night. Keep a pre-mixed protein shake right beside your bed. Although some trainers have been known to set alarms to wake up to drink it, I prefer to have it there waiting just in case I wake up, but I don't try to wake up on purpose. If I don't wake up, it's right there ready for me to drink first thing in the morning! This strategy is more targeted for muscle growth rather than fat loss.
WARNING!
Never drink a protein supplement immediately before working out!
Some people do this thinking that it will give them an energy boost or give them a head-start for post-workout recovery. Basically, all it does is sit in their stomach and bloat them up. Valuable blood that should be going to working muscles gets sent to the digestive system to try and digest it. The same warning goes for taking protein during a workout. Don't do it!
By following these protein-intake recommendations, you will increase the effectiveness of your supplementation. Even if you choose to take advantage of only one or two of these timing techniques, you will certainly see an improvement in your recovery ability.

Why Protein is Crucial For Fat Loss - Part 1

Protein Is Crucial For Fat Loss! - Part 1
I Didn't Realize How Important Protein Was For Fat Loss Until I Discovered Something That Blew My Mind...
The year was 1992. I had just finished a long cycle of weight gain whereupon I had moved my bodyweight up from about 150 pounds to about 215 pounds. And let me just tell you, it wasn't all muscle!
I hadn't been all that careful about my diet previously but I thought I knew pretty well what I was doing. It was time to lose some of that fat.
The first thing I did was make the biggest mistake a dieter can make: in my focus of trying to eat only low fat foods, I unwittingly and drastically reduced the amount of protein that I was eating.
The result? I lost weight and plenty of it. The problem was, I lost mostly muscle! I was smaller, weaker, lighter and nearly as fat as I was before. Not quite the results I was looking for.
In retrospect, I know exactly what I did wrong and it's something I'll never do again.
I FORGOT ABOUT PROTEIN!
Protein is an extremely important nutrient whether your goal is to lose fat, gain muscle or just tone yourself up. It is the main structural nutrient in your body, making up the bulk of your muscles and organs. Protein is essential for proper hormone function and immune system health.
Most importantly, for our purposes, protein is used for building and repairing muscle tissue.
When you are trying to lose fat, you reduce your calories. Unfortunately, your body views fat stores as more precious than your muscle tissue and will tend to eat up muscle tissue before it goes to fat for energy. This physiological adaptation used to protect our ancestors from famine but works against us now.
This is very unfortunate because muscle tissue is a great calorie-burner. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn even when you're doing absolutely nothing! Protecting your muscle tissue makes fat loss so much easier, it will amaze you. Not only that, it will help you keep that fat off permanently!
What can you do to protect your muscle tissue?
The first thing you can do is exercise. Exercise, especially resistance training, provides a stimulus for your body that sends it a signal saying "keep this muscle, you're going to need it."
The second thing you can do is provide your body with enough protein. This can be in the form of food or supplements.
Good food sources of protein include chicken, fish, eggs, lean meats, legumes (beans), soy, and dairy products. Protein supplements are derived from food sources but are concentrated for convenience and effectiveness.
How much protein do you need?
The standard recommendation for athletes is between 1.2 to 1.7 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per day (or 0.5 to 0.7 grams per pound of bodyweight per day), though some research indicates a ratio as high as 2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per day (0.9 grams per pound) is beneficial. This means if you weigh 150 pounds, you should try to eat between 75 and 105 grams and up to around 135 grams of protein per day.
Essentially, you should experiment with your protein intake to find out what works best for you. As far as importance in your supplement program goes, I would rank protein as next in importance to a good multi-vitamin.
When I made my first grand attempt at fat loss, I made the mistake of neglecting protein and it cost me. Don't make the same mistake I did!

The Top 10 Most Outrageous Exercises I.ve Ever Seen

In the course of my experience working and training in gyms, I've seen people doing some incredibly "interesting" exercises. Unfortunately, it's usually because these people have not been properly instructed in exercise technique.
Here are some of the top winners. Remember, these are actual exercises that I've seen people do. I made the names of the exercises up to match the lunacy of how they look.
DO NOT TRY THESE AT HOME! OR AT THE GYM! OR ANYWHERE!!!
1. Dumbell Hair Combs - Start by holding a dumbell in front of you. Do a front raise with it then whip the dumbell back and over the top of your head like you're combing your hair with it. Make sure to just miss your skull.
2. Hog-tied Face-Rubs - Lie on your stomach on the floor. Grasp your ankles behind your back and rub your face back and forth on the ground repeatedly. Continue until you've had enough.
3. Abdominal Earthquakes - Lie on the floor on your back in the classic start position of a crunch. Now yank as hard as you can on the back of your head up and down and thrash your legs around in the air like you're fending off starving dogs. This evidently works your abs. You will resemble Jello that has just been dropped on the floor. Your face should be as red as a tomato by the time you're done.
4. The Arm Wrecker - Do one cheating, momentum-filled rep of an arm exercise with ridiculously heavy weight then swing your arms around as fast as you can in a circle to get blood to the muscle. This technique will either help your arm grow or will smack the person waiting to use the machine/weights next.
5. Pelvic Demolisher - Stand with your fingers interlocked behind your head. Do a pelvic thrust forward and drop your spinal column down and backwards about 6 inches. This exercise is best done in front of a large group of people.
6. Dumbell Doggy Digs - Bend over at the waist so that your back is rounded completely over like an arch. Your legs should be completely straight and locked out. You should look like you are trying hard to touch your toes but not really succeeding. Hold two dumbells down at arms-length. Now spin them round and round repeatedly just off the floor so that you resemble a dog digging a hole.
7. Pec Rockets - Set the pec deck machine with far too much weight for you to handle safely. Make sure you are very sweaty and slippery before attempting this one. First, use your entire bodyweight to get one arm pad up to the front. Then, throw yourself at the other one to get it to the front. Hold them there for a half-second then get shot four feet out across the floor as you squirt from the machine like a greased banana.
8. Rush-Hour Bench Press - This exercise is done on the vertical seated chest press machine that has a foot pedal to help raise the weight to the starting position. Use this pedal at the bottom of every single rep to bounce the weight back up. Your footwork will resemble that of someone in rush-hour traffic going from 0 to 60 to 0 every 3 seconds.
9. Close-Grip, Behind-The-Neck Shoulder Press - Sit in a shoulder press station, gripping the bar overhead with about 6 inches between your hands. Bring the bar down directly behind your head. Be sure to lean forward 45 degrees and round your back over so that your shoulder joints and lower back each get their fair share of trauma.
10. C.P.R. Bench Press - Start by loading your safe maximum bench press weight onto the bar. Now add 20 more pounds just to be safer. Have your spotter lift the bar off the rack for you. Lower it 2 inches on your own power then allow it to drop and cave in your rib cage. Be sure your spotter is a strong deadlifter before attempting this exercise as you will need them to pull the bar off you at the bottom of every rep. When your spotter has pulled the bar off you after the first rep and is trying to put it back on the racks, yell out "I've got six more reps!"
Remember that this is just a small sample of things I have actually seen people doing. Please be sure when you do your exercises that you take the time to learn proper form and, if you do see someone performing an exercise that is potentially harmful, tactfully assist them.
For more information about exercise technique and errors, go to http://www.fitstep.com/Library/Exercises/Exercises.htm

One Simple Movement Can Double the Effectiveness of Pulldowns

The Pulldown is an excellent exercise for working the Latissimus Dorsi muscles of the back (also known as the lats). It is a little known fact but there is a way you can dramatically improve the effectiveness of this exercise by performing one simple movement before each rep.
Many people have a hard time feeling their lats working when they do pulldowns. The biceps may have a tendency to take over the movement. Some people just don't feel anything in their back at all.
This little movement trick can change all of that.
The movement is simply a shoulder drop and even though it may seem like a SMALL thing, it can have a HUGE impact on your back workout.
To demonstrate this movement, start by sitting in a pulldown machine with a moderate weight on the stack. Take a close grip on the bar with your palms facing you (known as a reverse grip). Do a few reps using your normal technique so you have a gauge to measure against.
Now we will add the shoulder drop. Let your arms go straight and let your shoulder girdle rise up as though shrugging. Your shoulders should be up by your ears. Now drop your shoulder girdle down in the opposite movement to the shrug, pulling the weight down as you do so. The range of motion is small, being only a matter of a few inches. Repeat this drop and raise several times to get the feel for the movement. You should feel your entire shoulder girdle moving up and down.
We will now do a rep with the shoulder drop movement. Start in the stretched position with your shoulders up by your ears. Drop your shoulders down, lean slightly back then do a pulldown. Be sure to keep your lower back arched and your chest puffed out to meet the bar on the way down. You should feel your lats working harder than usual.
Squeeze hard as though trying to touch your shoulder blades together as you come to the bottom then let the weight back up slowly. You can repeat the shoulder drop movement at the start of every rep or you can simply keep your shoulders down and locked in that position throughout the set.
Dropping your shoulders down like this serves to lock the lats into the movement and helps to minimize the biceps involvement in the pulldown. You should find that you get a much more effective lat workout using this technique.

Ephedra - Is It Safe And Effective?

Burn fat while you sleep! Eat whatever you want and still lose weight! Don't suffer through hours of grueling exercise to burn fat!
You've probably heard all these phrases before but are the fat burners containing ephedra that these claims are attached to really that effective and are they safe?
The primary ingredient in fat burners is the herb ephedra, also known as ma huang, or it's manufactured version ephedrine. It has been used in Chinese herbal medicine quite safely and effectively for thousands of years. It is often combined with synthetic or herbal versions of caffeine (e.g. guarana, yerba mate or kola nut) and aspirin (e.g. white willow bark).
But does it burn fat?
The answer to that question is yes. Ephedra does effectively help the body to preferentially burn fat for energy. But, according to medical studies, there can be side effects, some of which are quite serious.
Ephedra works to burn fat through several means.
-Its chemical makeup increases the breakdown of fatty tissue for fuel. -Its stimulatory properties help to increase resting metabolism. This process is known as thermogenesis, which is essentially excess heat production. You body burns more calories simply by producing more body heat. -When ephedra is combined with caffeine and aspirin, it may have appetite suppressant effects. -The nervous system stimulation you get can help you maintain your energy levels, which can aid you in your exercise program.
When used according to instructions and in moderate doses, studies suggest that fat-burning formulas containing ephedra, caffeine and aspirin can be safely and effectively used to SUPPLEMENT a good fat-burning program.
Fat burners should never be used as the sole means to achieve fat loss. A good fat loss program must also address diet and exercise, contrary to the hype you see on television and in print. Anyone who relies solely on pills to lose fat is usually doomed to regain the lost weight and potentially quite rapidly after they stop taking the pills.
There is a reason for this weight gain. These pills are effective, therefore the person does not necessarily have to change the habits that made them overweight in the first place. When a person discontinues use of ephedra without changing those habits, almost inevitably the weight will come back.
The fat-burning effects of ephedra do not come without a price, however. Ephedra has a number of side effects and should not be taken by people with certain conditions.
Some of these side effects may include: jitteriness, sleeplessness, increased heart rate and blood pressure, anxiety, skin flushing or tingling and nausea.
People who should not take ephedra include those suffering from heart disease, anxiety attacks, high blood pressure, diabetes, adrenal disease, thyroid disease or prostate disorders. If you are taking medication for high blood pressure or are taking antidepressants or MAO inhibitors, you should stay away from ephedra. Also, it is not recommended for pregnant women to use this herb.
Now that you know some of the pros and cons of taking ephedra supplements you, along with your doctor, can use this information to help decide whether or not ephedra is right for you.
For more information on fat loss and exercise, visit http://www.fitstep.com/Library/Tips/tip_index.htm

Do Electric Ab Stimulators Really Work?

Electronic muscle stimulators are the latest craze, the hottest fad... but you want to know "do they really work!" Right?
To answer that question, let's start with a little background information on what this equipment was originally designed for.
Electric ab stimulators were (and still are) used in medical rehab situations. They are designed to keep muscles from atrophying (wasting away) in situations where a limb must be immobilized. For example, if you broke your leg, the doctor could place an electrode on the muscle and use electricity to make it contract. This would provide a minimum level of stimulation, thus keeping the muscle active.
As far as building muscle, such as the ads on TV claim, this is not backed up by research. The level of electrical stimulation necessary to build up the abdominal muscles to what you see on TV would be extremely high, and thus very painful.
Many companies that sell these belts also claim that the belts help burn fat. In reality, the small muscle contractions produced by these belts burn about as many calories as the effort required to take the belt out of the box and put the batteries in.
If you read the fine print in these ads, you will also notice that the instructions for use also include a suggested exercise and nutrition plan. This, without a doubt, would be the true source of the results people get from this equipment.
But what about people you may know who have tried the belts and say that they feel something when they use it?
Let's put it this way... the belt does provide a small level of stimulation to the abdominal muscles. When a person's abs are totally lacking any form of stimulation, any amount of stimulation has the potential to produce results. It is simply a matter of something is better than nothing (in this case, not a whole lot better, though).
A much better solution for working your abdominal muscles effectively is to do the unglamorous crunch exercise. It may not send electric shocks into your guts but it will get the job done. Crunches, even done properly and regularly, won't burn fat but they will definitely tighten up your abs.
For detailed instructions on how to do the crunch most efficiently visit: http://www.fitstep.com/Library/Exercises/Crunches.htm
Do electric ab stimulators work? In a nutshell, no. These companies are simply preying upon society's desire for results without effort. Don't be fooled by the hype.

Tenderizing Meat and Other Uses For Home Exercise Equipment

Almost everyone has bought home exercise equipment at some point in their life, be it a few rusty dumbells at a garage sale all the way to a complicated new home gym.
But how many people continue to use it consistently? Here are some uses (that you should never, ever actually take seriously, of course!) you may not have thought of for your forgotten purchases.
Dumbells - The original dark basement booby trap.
Dumbells make great children's toys. They are, of course, heavier and more dangerous than a barbie doll or Play-Doh (tm) and are not really as exciting as a video game but they certainly are cheap and hard to break.
Tenderizing meat - bash the meat with the dumbell repeatedly. Great shoulder and arm exercise too! May increase the iron content of your food significantly.
Bowling - set them on end and use them as pins. You will need a really heavy ball for this.
Ab Rollers - These are the abdominal training devices that feature a head rest attached to a frame that you set your arms on so you can rock, rock, rock your way to six-pack abs.
Roll cage for a toboggan - for the safety-minded parent. Protect your child from the heartbreak of a rollover accident on the sled hill by having him or her carry this while going down. Nevermind that they won't be able steer because they're holding onto the thing...
Tenderizing meat - lay the meat down below the head rest and rock violently back and forth on top of it.
Baby toy hanger - nothing good on tv? Hook some old christmas tree ornaments from the top crossbar and set your baby underneath. You'll both be amused for hours!
Thighmaster (tm) - popularized by Suzanne Somers, no closet is complete without this device. You simply set it between your legs and squeeze!
Keeps doors closed - jam it in the corner behind a door. When you open the door, it squeezes the spring. When you release the door, the stored tension closes the door automatically behind you! At 40 miles per hour!!!
Tenderizing meat - set the meat on the counter, squeeze the Thighmaster shut with your hands then release the spring on top of the meat like a bear trap.
The Ab-Doer (tm) - This is the chair-like ab training device that resembles a chair with no back.
Tenderizing meat - of course, to accomplish this you'll have to throw the meat at it really hard.
Playing practical jokes on drunk friends - sit them in the machine then tell them to watch you as you run around it a few times and you'll see what I mean.
Pretending you're Captain Kirk of the Starship Enterprise - set phasers on "useless."
The Bowflex (tm) - This is a popular home exercise machine that utilizes the incredible power of bending things to sculpt your body.
Conversation piece - the classic display of this machine in the corner of your living room is sure to spur discussion. "You have how many payments left on this thing?"
Tenderizing meat - remove one of the bows and slap the meat silly with it.
Burglar deterrant - set the machine in front of a ground floor window with all of the bows rigged up to the latch. Be sure the thief signs a waiver before attempting to open the window, however, as he's going to get up to 410 pounds of resistance right where it counts.
Electric Ab Training Belts - Electrocute your way to a flatter stomach!
Unfortunately, they aren't very good for keeping your pants up, so that's out of the question.
Place mat/food warmer - somebody running late for dinner? Set their plate on it and turn up the juice!
Memorabilia - write the words "Golden Gloves" on it and set it on the mantle right next to your "Big Mouth Billy Bass (tm)" singing plastic fish!
Tenderizing meat - set the meat on the counter, place the belt on top of it, turn it to the highest level, then lean down on it with all your weight as it tenderizes and sears at the same time!
Driving safety gear - your spouse have a tendency to get sleepy at the wheel? That's a thing of the past when they've got the belt on and you've got the controls in your hand...
And last but not least, every piece of equipment that has handles, bars, hooks, stacks, pins, corners, rails, seats, clips, stands or attachments and does or does not come in a box...
CLOTHES HANGER!

Unstable And Proud Of It! Power to the Push-Ups!

When I get finished teaching you this never-before-seen version of the push-up, you're going to think that either I'm crazy or a genius or both! Of course, the results you'll get from it will speak for themselves.
First, we need to set the stage for this version of the push-up.
To begin with, exercises that move your body rather than the weight (such as the push-up) have been shown to fire more muscle fibers than exercises that move the weight rather than your body (such as the bench press). This means that the push-up has the potential to activate a lot of muscle fibers.
Next, we know that exercising in an unstable environment also increases muscle fiber activation. This is because your body compensates for the instability by firing more muscle fibers in order to stabilize the resistance. Anyone who's run barefoot on sand knows the tremendous work your calves get from it. The same concept is put to work in this exercise.
* NOTE: Effective exercise requires progression, and that is essential for learning to perform this exercise safely. Because you will end up doing it in a very unstable environment, you need to start slowly and work your way into it. Naturally, if you're an advanced trainer or are used to working in an unstable environment you may progress more quickly.
Only go as far as you're comfortable with these exercise stages. Each stage holds great benefits but you should always err on the side of caution.
Read through these exercise stages one at a time, then, at the end of the article, you'll find a link where you can view pictures of each stage.
Stage 1 - Dumbell Push-Ups
Set two dumbells on the floor in the approximate hand position and spacing you would use for a push-up. You will essentially be using the dumbells as push-up handles.
The plates on the dumbell should be round (meaning that they'll roll) for maximum instability. Use fairly lightweight dumbells, e.g. 15 to 20 pounds each, so they'll move around more.
This variation by itself is an excellent exercise for beginner to intermediate trainers. You may do this variation with your knees on the floor if you've not yet developed the strength for regular, full push-ups.
Stage 2 - Swiss Ball Push-Ups
Set a large Swiss Ball (the inflatable exercise ball) on the floor where you've got some space.
Place your hands on the floor in your regular push-up position then set your legs on top of the Swiss Ball. Your shins should be on the top of the ball, placed slightly to the sides so you can use them to maintain your balance.
Do push-ups in this position. You will find that the ball will shift around as you are doing the exercise and you'll be forced to move your body around to keep your legs on top of it. The ball will roll slightly forward with you as you drop down to the bottom of the push-up position and roll slightly back as you push yourself up.
Stage 3 - Swiss Ball/Dumbell Push-Ups
Now that you've experienced instability at both ends of the push-up, it's time to put them both together and feel the burn!
Be sure you are comfortable with other two progressions before attempting this one and be sure you are not too close to anything should you lose your balance and roll off.
Set the dumbells up as you did in Stage 1 and set the ball up as you did in Stage 2. Place your hands on the dumbells first then set your legs on the ball.
Now do push-ups on three rolling, unstable surfaces!
Make sure you drop down and get a full range of motion (the dumbell handles will allow you to go further down than if you were doing them on the floor).
The first few reps may feel easy but as you continue, you will notice a burning sensation in the deep muscle fibers of your chest. Keep going! This is where it gets good. You are now hitting muscle fibers that have most likely never been effectively worked by standard chest exercises!
And if you think you're getting a burn on the first set, just wait till you do a few more sets. You'll feel it across your abs and sides too!
The reason this exercise is so effective is simple: complete instability.
Since the vast majority of chest exercises are performed in a reasonably stable position, there are some muscle fibers that never get fully worked. They aren't required to work because you're stabilized.
By placing your legs and both hands on independently moving objects, you demand massive amounts of stabilizing work on the part of your pecs. Your pecs never normally get this work with most chest exercises. Now they're stabilizing your entire body and your limbs while you're moving yourself up and down!
All this intense stabilizing work fires many more muscle fibers than are normally required for a push-up, resulting in a tremendously effective exercise for the chest.
To view the exercise progressions explained above, go to: http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue8-chest-tip.htm
p.s. click on this link and you'll receive not only a great tip that can dramatically increase the intensity of this already incredibly effective exercise but a secret Stage 4, which was just too powerful to put into this article.

Cracked Up Glossary Of Common Gym Terms

If you've ever had occasion to visit a gym, you've no doubt heard people talking about "feeling the burn" and "pumping up." But did you ever wonder what people were really saying? Here are some common terms and phrases that will help you to learn what is really going on in the gym.
In The Zone - Tired and incoherent during a workout. Commonly described out of the gym as "spaced out."
Extended Warm-Up - 20 minutes at low tension on the stationary bike then 20 minutes of casual stretching then a shower.
"Just One More Rep" - Said to a spotter during a set. Really means: "Lift the weight for me."
Forced Reps - For the reluctant exerciser, every single rep of a workout is a forced rep. This is especially true when they have a mean trainer.
Hack Squat - The position a cat gets into when he's coughing up a hairball, commonly mistaken as a leg exercise.
"Can I work in with you?" - Translation: "Can I remove all your weights and sweat all over your bench?"
Drop Sets - What sometimes happens after doing a hard set of dumbell bench presses. A triple drop set occurs when you drop two dumbells and yourself to the floor.
Bulking Up - Name for the phase during which an otherwise healthy trainer will try to get bigger and fatter on purpose.
"I'm maxing out" - Translation: "I was going for 6 reps but I put too much weight on the bar and only got 1."
Cool-down - Sit on a bench and drink from a water bottle while talking about how much more you'll lift next time.
Olympic Bar - Athlete's nightclub.
E-Z Bar - "How dare you! I'm not that type of bar."
Squat rack - The lonliest piece of equipment in the gym.
"It's all you!" - Said by spotter during the last few reps of a set. Translatation: "It's mostly me."
Pro-hormones - Hormones that have lost their amateur status.
Meal Replacement Supplement - Cold pizza and warm beer.
Clean and Press - Surprisingly enough, it's a shoulder exercise, not laundry instructions. A variation of it is even known as the Hang Clean and Press.
High Intensity Interval Training - Occurs when there are two or more flights of stairs leading up to the gym.
Skullcrushers - An exercise where you make like you're going to bash your own head in with a barbell, a.k.a. lying tricep extensions.
"Hold the contraction at the top and squeeze for 10 seconds" - Said by a personal trainer when he or she wants to punish the client for missing a session.
Now that you've got an idea of what is being said at the gym, you'll be able to converse comfortably with the natives. You will be completely understood in any gym in the world when you walk in and say "I just did two sets of high intensity intervals and now I'm ready for some forced reps" or "I'm taking a lot of meal replacement supplements because I'm bulking up."

Target: Rear Delts. One simple movement and they.ll be on fire!

The Bent-Over Lateral Raise is one of the most common exercises used for working the rear or posterior deltoids. For most trainers, it can be difficult to really feel the rear delts working during this movement as the larger, stronger muscles of the back have a tendency to take over.
To really get the most out of this exercise, you need to remove the back muscles from the equation. This can be easily accomplished with a simple technique.
How to Do It:
First, get yourself into position for the Bent-Over Lateral Raise. This can either be standing, seated or with your chest on an incline bench. The same technique applies to all variations.
Your arms should be hanging straight down in the start position.
Now, drop your shoulders down towards the ground without moving your torso. You will be keeping them down throughout the exercise. This forces the back muscles into a stretched position, thereby reducing their involvement in the exercise.
Once your shoulders are dropped, start the movement by doing a reverse wrist curl with the dumbells. This means simply bending your wrists back and up and holding them there.
Now squeeze the weights up to the top position of the lateral so that they are in line with your head at the top and squeeze hard at the top.
Here is an excellent tip for the way up: as you raise the dumbells, imagine as though you are trying to wrap the backs of your arms around a tree. You've often heard that you should try to wrap your arms around a tree for dumbell flyes, now apply it to this movement.
Also, try to force your hands into as wide of an arc as possible and keep the dumbells as far away from your body as possible. This technique will help you to keep your shoulders down as you lift the weights.
What all these tips accomplish is to reduce the ability of the stronger back muscles to contract during the exercise, forcing the rear delt muscles to "shoulder" the burden of the exercise.
The keys to remember are: Shoulders down throughout the movement. Do a reverse wrist curl at the start. Wrap your arms around a tree on the way up. Raise the dumbells up in line with your head.
Incorporating these tips into the bent-over lateral movement will target your rear delts like a laser beam!
For pictures on how to execute this technique go the following URL: http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue10-delt-tip.htm

Secret Training Tip #242 - Be 10% Stronger in Leg Curls Instantly!

This is a trick to be done on a leg curl machine. By simply changing where you grip your hands on the machine, you can increase your strength in the movement by as much as 10% instantly!
Lie face down on the bench as you normally would when doing the exercise. Instead of gripping the machine on the handles below the bench with your arms bent, extend your arms straight overhead in front and grab on to whatever is there. This is generally the frame on either side of the weight stack. Be aware that this trick will not work if there is nothing there to grab - some machines just end at the bench and have the weights stack to the side or behind.
Do your leg curls as you usually would but using this different grip. You should feel stronger when doing them.
One of the best ways to see this principle in action is to do a set as you normally would with your normal grip for about 10 to 12 reps. When you can't do any more reps, switch to the grip as explained above. You should be able to get a few more reps out.
When using this grip you should also find that you can use a little more weight than you usually do for reps.
The reason this trick works is that having your arms straight removes your biceps as the limiting link in the exercise. It transfers the force through your stronger back muscles instead, resulting in instant increased strength!
For information on how to do the leg curl exercise, go to http://www.fitstep.com/Library/Exercises/Leg_curls.htm

10 Things You Can Do To Lose Fat Without Even Trying

1. Eat smaller more frequent meals - not only is your metabolism boosted every time you eat something, your body can more efficiently process smaller meals. Instead of having 3 large meals in a day, try to break them up into 5 or 6 smaller meals.
2. Drink more water - regular water intake helps to flush away waste products in the body. Get at least six to eight 8 oz. glasses per day. An easy way to do this is to keep a water bottle handy and drink from it frequently.
3. Be inefficient - do you need to go to the kitchen to get a couple of things? Break it up into to two trips even if you can do it in one. Being inefficient like this can easily double your activity level, burning calories without even trying.
4. Eat more protein - sources of protein include foods such as chicken, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, lean red meats, etc. Your body burns more calories processing protein than either carbohydrates or fats. Protein also helps to support your muscle tissue, which burns calories all day long!
5. Take the stairs instead of the elevator - any time you can add in a little more physical activity, do it. This doesn't mean you need to slog up 20 flights of stairs. Even a flight or two done regularly will add up.
6. Don't let yourself get hungry - when you get hungry you will have a much greater tendency to overeat when you do finally get something to eat. As well, because your body is starting to go into starvation mode, it will be much more likely to hold onto whatever you give it.
7. Order small portions at restaurants - it's tough to order small french fries when "supersizing" your order is such a great "value." Take note, however, your real savings will occur in the calories that don't end up on your backside.
8. Eat more fiber - fiber is very filling. By eating more fiber you will find yourself full sooner. This feeling of fullness will last a long time as well.
9. Wait 20 minutes between servings - your brain takes at least 20 minutes to register that you're full. By waiting that long, you'll give your brain a chance to realize that you don't really need any more food.
10. Cheat on your diet - one thing I always make my clients promise is that they will cheat on their diet. The only thing I ask that they do is to cheat ONLY when they have planned to cheat. By planning when you are going to eat the foods you crave, you take back control of your eating habits.
This way you no longer "give in" to your cravings. You "reward yourself" for sticking to proper nutritional habits. Do this once or twice a week and you will feel far more in control of your eating.
In conclusion, if you follow even a few of these 10 easy tips in the long term, you will certainly notice a difference in your overall weight and health.

Pizza, French Fries, Beer and Other Diet Foods...

Now this is the real American Dream! I'm here to let you know that it is totally possible to lose all the fat you want while eating nothing but junk food. The only hitch is that all the fat you want to lose is going to have to be zero!
Here are some tongue-in-cheek (or burger-in-belly) suggestions for how you can turn even the greasiest, sugariest, most overprocessed calorie bomb into lean, mean diet food.
How is this done? Here's a hint: it's all in how you choose to look at the food...
Eat donuts instead of solid pastries. You will be saving a tremendous number of calories by eating something with a hole in the middle. You can save upwards of 3 to 5 calories per pastry by doing this. That means if you eat 10 donuts, you've saved yourself almost 50 calories! Besides, everyone knows nuts are good for you...
French fries can help prevent heart attacks. It is a fact that French people suffer fewer heart attacks and have lower rates of heart disease. French fries are obviously from France, therefore it naturally follows that French fries can prevent heart disease.
Pizza is one of the healthiest foods on the planet. There are many reasons for this: The bleached flour in the crust sucks up all the grease that drips down from the toppings, trapping it so you don't see it while you're eating. If you don't see it when you eat it, it has no calories. It's round (stay with me here). Because square-shaped foods have corners, they contain a lot more calories than round foods. To save even more calories, cut a hole in the center of the pizza (refer back to #1 for full details). The cheese on the pizza is loaded with calcium - even more than the Tums you're going to need after eating the whole thing. You can easily reduce your servings without sacrificing enjoyment. Instead of cutting the pizza into 8 slices, try cutting it into only 4. You've just eaten HALF the number of slices you ate before! Imagine how many calories you'll save by doing that! Vegetables covered in grease are still vegetables. Never mind that all the nutrition has been baked out of them, you're still getting you're recommended daily servings of veggies. There is plenty of fiber in the paper that's stuck to the bottom of the pizza. Don't be afraid of it.
Beer is the absolute best beverage you can drink when you're watching your waistline. It helps to put it right out there in front you where you can see it.
Look for foods that have air bubbles in them. Examples include chocolate bars, Twinkies (after you suck the cream filling out), soda pop, sponge cake, and cheese puffs. As you know, air has no calories. Look at these foods as the wrapping for a low-calorie, low-fat serving of air.
Putting ketchup on anything makes it healthy. Think about it. You're getting your vegetables in a concentrated paste. It's like stepping into the future... today!!
Here are a number of delicious, zero-calorie foods you may not be aware of: Anything eaten while standing has zero calories. Anything eaten off somebody else's plate has zero calories. Food sampled for "tasting" purposes during preparation has no calories. Food sneaked from someone after you distract them is also calorie-free. Anything eaten after the expiration date contains no calories.
Eating ice cream can actually help you burn an enormous amount of calories. The key to this lies in its temperature.
Ice cream is very cold. When you eat ice cream, your body must expend energy (a.k.a. calories) to warm it up to your internal body temperature.
When you work through the scientific formulas for heat conversion, you can see you will end up expending approximately 6,000 calories to heat up a small dish of ice cream to body temperature. Drinking ice cold beer with your ice cream amplifies this effect.
These diet tips should have you well on your way towards effectively peeling off pounds of unsightly fat.
Think of me next time you're eating a pizza with french fries and ketchup on top, dunking your donuts in a glass of cold beer, and shoving down Twinkies (with the filling sucked out) mashed into a dish of nice cold ice cream!
DISCLAIMER: The preceding information is not medical advice and should not be taken as such. If you feel the urge to take any of this "information" seriously, please lie down until the feeling goes away. Thank you.

The Most Amazing (and Ridiculously Simple) Trick For Stiff-Legged Deadlifts You Will Ever Read In Your Life!

The stiff-legged deadlift is one of the best exercises you can do for your hamstrings. The only problem is, it can also be one the hardest exercises to perform properly.
For years, I tried to feel my hamstrings working when I did the stiff-legged deadlift. I knew it was the best exercise to work the hip extension function of the hamstrings but I never succeeded in feeling my hams work until I came up with this simple technique.
Let me tell you, the very rep of the very first set I used this technique on, I could feel my hamstrings like never before! It was like a revelation. It was also extraordinarily simple. I guarantee if you've never had success with stiff-legged deadlifts, you will definitely have it after applying this technique.
The trick? Elevate your toes on weight plates while you do the exercise. That's it! It's very simple but very elegant in the way it addresses the kinesiology and anatomy of the hamstrings. I will explain exactly how to set it up and the mechanisms of why it works so incredibly well.
How To Do It:
Set two 25-pound weight plates on the ground butted up against each other (one for each foot). They should be right beneath the barbell you will be using for the exercise and placed side-by-side so you can set your feet on both of them.
Stand in front of the barbell with your feet half on the plates and half off. The front parts of your feet will be on the plates and your heels will be on the ground. Use the weight plates to brace your feet up so that your toes are up in the air and your feet are flexed up (known as dorsiflexion). At the end of this article you will find a link to a picture of how to set up this exercise.
Bend over and grasp the bar at about shoulder width with an overhand grip. Keep your knees locked but slightly bent while doing this exercise and keep a tight arch in your lower back.
Look directly forward while you are coming up and going back down. This will help you to keep an arch in your lower back.
Squeeze the bar off the ground slowly and deliberately, coming up only until your upper body is slightly above parallel. Any higher and you'll start to lose tension in the hamstrings and throw it on your lower back. The real value of this exercise lies in the stretch at the bottom anyways.
Come down slowly, being absolutely sure to keep the arch in your lower back. As you near the bottom, stick your butt out and try to raise your toes as high up as possible. This dramatically intensifies the stretch you put on your hamstrings. Hold that stretch for a moment or two then reverse the direction without bouncing.
Repeat this for 5 to 7 reps. At the end of the set, place the barbell down gently then get ready to grab onto something for support. If you've done this technique correctly and intensely, your hamstrings will probably feel like jelly and you might find yourself prone to falling down suddenly (this is not a joke - I can't tell you how many things I've had grab onto to catch myself on after doing a hard set of these)!
Why Is This Technique So Effective?
The reason this toe-raising technique is so effective for the stiff-legged deadlift comes straight from biomechanics and anatomy.
The stiff-legged deadlift exercise places the most tension on the hamstrings at the bottom, stretched position. Therefore, in order to maximize tension on the hamstrings, we must maximize the stretch on the hamstrings at that point.
In the standard stiff-legged deadlift, this is normally accomplished by simply bending at the hips. But this is not the greatest anatomical stretch that can be put on the hamstring muscles.
As you may or may not know, the muscles of the calves are tied in with the hamstrings. Therefore, placing a stretch on the calves also places more stretch on the hamstrings. This is what the weight plates accomplish - they raise your toes, putting a stretch on the calves, which then puts a greater stretch on your hamstrings.
By stretching the hamstrings at both the hip joint and the knee joint (from stretching the calves), you literally force your hamstrings to activate strongly during the stiff-legged deadlift movement.
The difference is quite amazing! Try it for just one set and I promise you'll never go back to doing it the standard way ever again!
For a photograph of how to set this exercise up, visit: http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue9-hamstring-tip.htm

Strong To The Core of Your Being - The Benefits Of Core Training

If you were to ask me which muscle group in your entire body you could work to get the greatest benefits in the shortest amount of time, I would tell you without hesitation, "the core." Strengthening the core can realize tremendous benefits to anyone regardless of his or her training experience and can do so very quickly.
But what is the core?
The core, as it's known in strength training circles, consists of all the muscles in your abdominal and lower back areas. This includes all the abdominal muscles (rectus abdominus, internal and external obliques, transverse abdominus and intercostals) as well as the muscles associated with the spine (the erector spinae group) and the hip flexors (iliacus and psoas, collectively known as the iliopsoas).
These muscles all work in harmony to provide stabilization for your body and to transfer power from the legs to the upper body and vice versa. The core muscles also function to keep your insides in, where they belong!
And why is strengthening the core so important?
Weak core muscles contribute to all kinds of problems in the body, the most prevalent of which is lower back pain. By strengthening the muscles that help support the spine and improve posture, you can dramatically decrease the symptoms of lower back pain.
Picture your spine as a column of soda cans stacked one on top of the other. If you wanted to keep that column standing up under stress, what do you think would work better: a "tenser" bandage (as is used for wrapping injured ankles) or Scotch tape? Sure the tape would keep the cans together but the cans wouldn't receive a whole lot support, would they?
When you strengthen the muscles of the core, you are in effect turning that Scotch tape into a nice, tight "tenser" bandage, increasing the amount of support that your spine gets.
Core training also has the potential to greatly improve sports performance. Watch a baseball pitcher throw a pitch in slow motion. The power of the throw starts at the legs, gets transferred through the abdominal area (a.k.a. the core) then ends up in the arm where the ball is released. Imagine how much speed and power would be lost from that throw if the core muscles couldn't efficiently transfer the force from the legs to the throwing arm.
The core is the one area of the body that will always give you a great return on your investment.
So how do I train my core muscles?
Exercises that work the abdominals and the lower back are the staples of core training. Also, exercises that target the stabilization and power-transfer duties of the core muscles are very effective.
The most basic abdominal training exercise is the standard crunch. You can go to the following URL to see the proper technique for this exercise:
http://www.fitstep.com/Library/Exercises/Crunches.htm
But I've got an exercise for you that blows the standard crunch right out of the water. The equipment required for this exercise: one rolled-up towel.
The exercise is known as the Abdominal Sit-Up. It uses a sit-up-like movement but focuses directly on the abdominal muscles rather than the hip flexors (which a regular sit-up does). It is also very safe for your lower back. Another advantage it has over the standard crunch is that it targets the stretched (arched back) range of motion of the abs, which is totally missed in standard floor crunch.
How To Do It:
Lie on your back on the floor. Roll up a towel or mat and slip it underneath your lower back, just above the waistband (the size of the towel affects your body position during this movement - use a fairly large towel).
Your knees should be bent about 90 degrees. Keep your feet close together and knees fairly wide apart. This prevents the hip flexors from having a direct line of pull, helping to minimize their involvement.
Do not anchor your feet or have someone hold them down. This automatically activates the hip flexors. You will get the most out of this exercise by minimizing their involvement.
The difficulty of this exercise depends on where you hold your hands. The hardest position is above your head at arms-length, then beside your head, then across your chest, then straight down between your legs or at your sides. Start with the easiest first then progress to the other positions as you get stronger.
You are now ready to begin.
Keeping your torso straight and stiff, start the sit-up by tightening your lower abs then lifting your upper body off the floor.
As you continue up, imagine trying to push your face up against the ceiling (think up, not around).
When you reach about 25 to 30 degrees above horizontal, hold there for a second or two and squeeze your abs hard.
Keep your lower back in contact with the towel at all times and always maintain tension in the abs.
Lower yourself down slowly and under control. Do not just drop back to the ground. The negative portion of this exercise is extremely effective.
Remember to adjust your arm position depending on the strength of your abs (see above).
You can see pictures of how this exercise is done by going to:
http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue9-ab-tip.htm
Incline Ab Sit-Ups
If you are a beginning trainer, this is a good starting variation of the Abdominal Sit-up.
Set an incline sit-up board to a slight incline. If you don't have an incline sit-up board, you can use an adjustable incline bench, a decline bench, a Step platform with a riser under one of the ends or a flat bench with something under one end. You can even use a propped-up 2 x 6 board!
Your head should be on the higher end with your feet placed on the floor.
The execution is exactly the same. The only difference is that the tension on the abs is much less due to the greatly improved leverage in this position, allowing even people feel that their abs aren't strong enough to do the exercise.
Lying Superman Raises - An Exercise For The Lower Back
Though this exercise has a rather unique name, it is an excellent strengthening exercise for the lower back that you can do almost anywhere.
How To Do It:
Lie face down on the floor with your arms stretched out directly overhead (like Superman flying, hence the name).
Raise your left arm and right leg into the air at the same time, also raising your chest slightly off the floor. Hold there for a second and squeeze the muscles of your lower back. Lower your limbs back to the ground then raise your right arm and left leg and hold for a second.
You can push down with the hand that is on the ground to help raise your other arm and chest higher off the ground.
This exercise, even though it only uses your limbs as resistance, provides an excellent way to strengthen the lower back muscles.
Conclusion:
These two exercises will give you a good place to start with core training. You can begin improving your core strength by doing these exercises 3 times a week for 2 to 3 sets each.
Make core training a priority in your exercise routine and you will rapidly reap the benefits of having a stronger, more injury-proof midsection and back.
If you have any questions about core training or the exercises described here, go to: http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Contactus.htm

Follow the Path of MOST Resistance! Why Weight Training Is The Fast Track To Sculpting Your Body

Resistance is NOT futile! When it comes to changing your body for the better quickly and permanently, nothing comes close to good old-fashioned weight training.
The shape of your body is determined by three things: muscle, bone and fat. While there's really nothing you can do about changing your bone structure, there is a whole lot you can do about muscle and fat. This ratio of muscle to fat is commonly known as your body composition.
And what is the fastest way to change your body composition? Weight training. Why is it so effective? Because it builds muscle.
Muscle is the key to changing your body. While fat certainly gives your body shape, muscle is what gives you the shape you actually WANT!
One of the greatest things about muscle is that it burns calories all day long, even when you're lying on the couch. What this means is that the more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn during the day and the more you'll be able to eat without gaining weight. Sound interesting? There's more.
Weight training stimulates your metabolism more than aerobic training such as cycling or walking. This means that you'll continue to burn calories long AFTER you've completed your weight training session. The calorie-burning effect of aerobic training generally declines rapidly once you stop the exercise.
Beginning trainers, who are just starting with exercise, are often under the impression that they should stay away from weight training because they might gain weight before they start losing it.
I like to use a car as an analogy. Imagine your body is a car, your muscles are the cylinders in the engine, and your bodyfat is the gas.
With a four-cylinder car, you only burn a minimum amount of gas/fat. Weight training and building more muscle is the equivalent of putting more cylinders into your engine. As you can imagine, you'll burn a whole lot more gas even while idling! And, just like a car with more cylinders, you'll be a lot more powerful too!
The bottom line to you is this...with more muscle, you'll get greater fat loss with less effort.
While it certainly is a possibility that you could gain weight before losing it, if you gauge your success solely by numbers on a scale then you're not getting an accurate picture of yourself. Measure your progress by how you feel, how you look and how well your clothes are fitting, not by which direction the needle on a measuring device is moving.
At the end of the day, I'm not suggesting for a moment that you should eliminate cardiovascular training from your exercise routine, but, if you are struggling to lose fat and keep it off, weight training may be just the thing you need to lose that fat and keep it off for good!
For more information on resistance exercises you can do at home, go to:
http://www.fitstep.com/Library/Begin/exercises.htm
For more information on weight training exercises you can do at the gym, including optimized exercise technique, tricks for improving the exercise and common errors, go to:
http://www.fitstep.com/Library/Exercises/Exercises.htm
If you are interested in having a personal trainer set up a personalized weight training program for you based on your goals and designed around your life, go to: http://www.fitstep.com/Personal-training/Training/Training.htm

Don.t Blow Your Nose In The Water Fountain

We all know the general rules of the gym: don't drop the weights, wipe your sweat off the machines when you're done, etc. But do you know all about the more "colorful", lesser known rules of the gym?
NOTE: These rules are JOKES! If you ever see any of these rules posted at any gym you ever go to, please take a picture for me!
1. Don't blow your nose in the water fountain.
This is a crude habit and can contribute to the spread of colds and viruses. Besides, that's what the gym towels are for...
2. No smoking on the cardio machines.
Those little circular spots are water-bottle holders, not ashtrays. If you need a cigarette that badly when you're working out, tape one to the pulldown bar and take a drag on it as a reward for each rep you do.
3. When spotting someone on bench press, be sure to wipe your face first.
You are not a stalactite, and dripping sweat into someone's eye is not a good way to make friends.
4. If you choose to wear cologne or perfume to the gym, please don't marinate in it.
If the person on the stair machine next to you lights up a cigarette, you could both be seriously injured.
5. Those stands that have all the weight plates on them should not be used for holding your donuts.
Your donuts will end up with a terrible metallic taste that even the coffee in your water bottle won't be able to get out of your mouth.
6. The Crunch Machine is not a vending machine for candy bars.
Please don't try to put money into this machine. It's for working your abdominals. You will never, EVER get a Nestle's Crunch bar out of it.
7. Even though the gym has stair machines, it is not required by law to have elevator machines.
Please stop asking about this at the reception desk.
8. Pick up after your dog when you walk him on the treadmill.
No explanation necessary.
9. If you have a habit of spraying spit when you lift, ensure there is no one in your target area.
It's bad enough that the mirrors by the squat rack look like a St. Bernard shook himself in front of them.
10. Do not give yourself C.P.R. when doing bench presses.
Bouncing the bar heavily off your ribcage instead of pressing it properly may cause damage to the bar and voids the warranty on the bench. Besides that, you don't want your spotter feeling as though he's dribbling a barbell down the court do you?
11. Beer and/or liquor in your water bottle are prohibited.
Unless, of course, you bring enough for everybody. This also goes for mochaccinos, frappaccinos, and anything with an umbrella in it.
12. Use the rowing machine at your own risk.
If it sinks, there are no lifeguards on duty.
Following these rules to the best of your ability will ensure a pleasant exercise experience for everyone.
Thank you.

Get a Grip! Get More Out Of Your Biceps Curls

Would you like to know how to get more out of every single dumbell curl you do? Amazingly enough, you can do this simply by changing where you grip the dumbell.
First, I'm going to tell you what the trick is, then I'm going to tell you exactly how and why it works. Then I'm going to finish by telling you how to make the trick so powerful it'll blow your mind!
In a nutshell, instead of gripping the handle in the middle (as is normally taught), grip the handle with the thumb and forefinger side of your hand pressed up against the inside of the dumbell plates. There will be a space of several inches between your pinky and the other side plates.
To take full advantage of this change in your grip, start the curl with your palms facing in to your thighs, otherwise known as a neutral or hammer grip. As you curl up, rotate your forearm so that your palm is facing up at the top of the movement. You should feel a strong cramping in your biceps.
For pictures demonstrating exactly how to execute this technique go to:
http://www.fitstep.com/Misc/Newsletter-archives/issue7-bicep-tip.htm
Here's how and why it works:
The biceps muscle has two main functions. The first is flexing the elbow (in essence, bringing the forearm closer to the upper arm like when you bend your arm to scratch your nose). The other function is called supination, which is a biomechanical term for forearm rotation. Supination occurs when you turn your hand from a palms-down position to a palms-up position.
The traditional dumbell curl without forearm rotation addresses the flexing function of the bicep. Rotating your forearm as you curl the dumbell up invokes the supination function of the bicep, working more of the muscle mass of the bicep and giving you a stronger contraction.
Holding the dumbell off-center essentially adds resistance to the supination function of the bicep muscle. If you think about it, when you hold your hand in the middle of the dumbell, the two ends are balanced like two identical-weight people on a see-saw. You get very little, if any, resistance on the supination.
By holding the dumbell off-center, you tip the balance of the dumbell towards the pinky side of your hand. Your bicep must then work against resistance to accomplish the supination, adding in more resistance to the curl movement.
This resistance translates into more efficient work for the bicep and, ultimately, more results for you!
---
Now I'm going to tell you how to adapt this trick into something that will make your jaw hit the floor on the first rep you do.
You've learned about supination and adding resistance to the supination movement by holding the dumbell off-center. You've felt the difference this makes in your biceps.
Now imagine how much more effective this trick will be if you add actual weight for resistance instead of just shifting your hand over!
In order to accomplish this, you're going to need one of two things: do-it-yourself dumbells with which you can add or remove weight or Plate Mates (TM), which are small magnetic weight plates that stick to the metal of the dumbell.
The execution is simple: make a dumbell with more weight on one end than the other. That's it. For example, place 20 pounds of weight on one end and 25 pounds of weight on the other.
Grip the dumbell in the middle when you use it, making sure that the heavier end is on the pinky side of your hand. If you are using Plate Mates (TM), stick a few of them onto only one side of the dumbell to accomplish the same imbalance.
Now when you curl up and supinate, your bicep is going to have that added resistance on the supination movement. The cramping sensation you get on the very first rep as you come to the top and squeeze the muscle hard will show you just how powerful this technique is. The pump you get in your biceps after your set will seal the deal!
You will also notice that your forearm and grip are getting a lot of work with this trick. This is just icing on the cake and will not decrease the tension on your bicep in any way.
Note: If you are using dumbells that weigh less than 30 pounds total, I would recommend you use a 2 1/2 pound plate on one side rather than a 5 pound plate. Any more than 30 and you should use a 5 pound plate.
Being a dedicated trainer myself, I love to hear how well my tips work for other people. It would be really gratifying to hear from you about how this technique worked for you or any suggestions you might have as to how to make it more effective.
You can send your comments to me at betteru@fitstep.com.
And, when your biceps are so pumped and sore that you can barely brush your teeth the next day, be sure to tell everyone who will listen to you who did this to you:
Nick Nilsson at Fitstep.com!
For more information about the anatomy of the biceps, go to http://www.fitstep.com/Advanced/Anatomy/Biceps.htm?news

What Do You Mean Low-Intensity Training Isn.t The Best For Fat Burning?

But how can this possibly be? Everywhere you look, it's always said that long-duration, low-intensity training is best for fat loss. All high-intensity work does is burn carbohydrates, right?
Wrong.
After reading this article, I guarantee you'll develop a new respect for high-intensity cardio training for fat loss.
Low-intensity exercise is defined as working at a heart rate of about 60% to 65% of your maximum heart rate (which is equal to 220 - your age = maximum heart rate, thus if you are 20 years old, 220 - 20 = 200 max HR). High-intensity exercise is defined as working at about 75 to 85% or more of your maximum heart rate.
Using the previous example for maximum heart rate (max HR=200), working at 60% of your max HR would be 120 beats per minute and 80% of that would be 160 beats per minute.
There are several reasons low-intensity exercise is normally recommended for fat loss.
It's easy - In many cases people who are trying to lose fat don't always feel energetic enough to do hard training due to the caloric deficit (a.k.a. diet) that they are on. In these cases, just sticking to an exercise program can be hard enough, never mind making the exercise itself challenging.
It's low risk - A personal trainer generally can't go wrong by recommending low-intensity exercise to clients. Even the most out of shape person can usually do low-intensity cardio training safely. While this is certainly appropriate advice for novice trainers, it does not necessarily apply to the more experienced trainer when it comes to effective training.
It burns a higher percentage of calories from fat - this is very true: exercising at a lower intensity does burn a higher percentage of calories from fat than high-intensity exercise. But, as I will explain, this does not necessarily mean you're going to burn more fat.
Let's crunch some numbers to show you exactly what I mean when I say high-intensity exercise burns more fat.
Low-intensity training burns about 50% fat for energy while high-intensity training burns about 40% fat for energy. This is not a huge difference.
Say, for example, walking for 20 minutes burns 100 calories. Then 50% of 100 calories is 50 fat-calories burned.
Now say 10 minutes of interval training at a high intensity burns 160 calories. Well, 40% of 160 calories is 64 fat-calories burned.
By doing the high-intensity work, you've just burned 14 more fat calories in half the time. Starting to sound good? There's more...
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Low-intensity exercise only burns calories while you are actually exercising. That means the moment you stop exercising, your caloric expenditure goes back down to nearly baseline levels. Within minutes, you're not burning many more calories than if you hadn't done anything at all.
High-intensity exercise, on the other hand, continues to boost your metabolism long after you're done (often up to 24 hours after, depending on the length and intensity of the training session). This means you're continuing to burn many more calories all day long!
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Low-intensity exercise does nothing to build or support muscle mass. Maintaining muscle mass is critical to an effective fat-loss strategy as muscle burns fat just sitting there. Want to keep your metabolism working to burn fat? Do whatever you can to build or keep your muscle tissue.
High-intensity exercise has the potential to increase muscle mass. Compare the body of a top sprinter to a top marathon runner. The sprinter carries far more muscle mass. You won't get big bulky muscles from high intensity training but you will get shapely and more defined muscles!
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How To Do It
Now that you've seen how effective high intensity training can be for fat loss, how is it done?
The absolute easiest way to start this type of training is to get on a cardio machine at the gym and select the interval training program. As you'll see, you'll start off with a fairly light warm-up cycle, then quickly jump up to a high intensity level for a short burst. You will then drop back down to a low level for a period of time, then back up to a high level again, repeated several times and finishing with an appropriate cool-down period.
The repetition of these intervals is the nuts and bolts of high intensity interval training. You can also do it manually by adjusting your intensity level up and down over short periods of time.
For example, do 30 seconds at high power then 30 seconds at low power. Repeat. It's very simple and very effective.
Another excellent method for doing high-intensity training is called aerobic interval training. It is essentially the same concept as the previously explained interval training but the work intervals are longer with the intensity level somewhat lower. A good example would be running at a pace that you can only keep up for about 5 minutes then walking for 2 minutes then running 5 more minutes, walking 2 minutes, etc.
High-intensity training can be applied to any form of cardiovascular exercise. Anything from walking/sprinting to swimming to bike riding will work perfectly. I would recommend doing his type of training 2 to 3 times per week for best results. As always, be sure to consult with your physician before starting any exercise program.
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Remember, what you get out of exercise is directly proportional to what you put in. Work at high-intensity training for awhile and see just how much better your fat-loss efforts go.
For more information on cardiovascular training, including advice on activities you can do, reviews of different types of cardio machines, other forms of cardio training, and some well-explained, useful, basic physiology go to: http://www.fitstep.com/Library/Info/Info.htm?news

Resistance Training With Your Dog

You may be wondering, "How can I possibly do resistance training with my dog?" Well, here are a few exercises you can do with the aid of your faithful furry companion.
Leg raises - if you have a male dog, he's probably already shown you how to do this one.
Abdominal crunches with a paw on your forehead - laying down on the floor and grunting in pain can cause your dog to do it's own investigation to find out if you're all right. The scratch marks across your forehead are simply a byproduct of that concern.
Deadlifts - if your dog has any inkling that you're taking him to the vet or someplace else he doesn't want to go and you've had to scrape him up off the floor to get him in the car, you've just done a deadlift.
Pull-ups - this involves pulling up furniture, rugs, carpets, clothes, etc. to pick up all the fur that gets into the strangest of places.
Pushdowns - one for the overly-enthusiastic dinnertime beggar.
Lunges - when you're trying to grab her for a bath.
One final word of advice when doing resistance training with your dog is never yell out "Spot me!" if your dog is not housetrained. It's a mistake you'll make only once.

The Atkins Diet - Separating Fact From Fiction

Have you ever wished for a diet where you ate bacon, eggs, red meat, butter and sausage all day? Surprise! It's not the Atkins Diet.
The Atkins Diet has been in existence for over 30 years and has enjoyed a surge in popularity over the last few years.
Pioneered by Dr. Robert Atkins, the theory behind the Atkins Diet is simple. Your body prefers to utilize carbohydrates (such as in grains, cereals, breads, etc.) for energy and will burn them first prior to body fat. By cutting down dramatically on carbohydrates in your diet, you force your body to burn fat for energy.
Reducing the carbohydrates in your diet puts your body into a state called "ketosis." This word is derived from the "ketones" that are used by your body for energy when sugars/carbs aren't available. When you are in this state of ketosis, your body is producing ketones from your fat that is being burned for energy. Ketones are essentially the leftovers from this process and are used in place of sugar in the body.
For more information on ketosis, go to
http://www.ketosis-ketoacidosis-difference.com/
One of the major misconceptions about the Atkins Diet that has been widely reported is that you can or should eat extremely unhealthy, fatty foods all the time. This is not actually true. Dr. Atkins recommends that you limit your intake of these types of foods (e.g. butter, sausage, bacon, etc.) and instead focus on healthy fats such as olive oil, fish oil, nuts, etc.
The Atkins Diet has many positives and negatives that have been associated with it. Some of the positives include:
Rapid Weight Loss - though the first couple of days the majority of weight lost is water, your body does become more efficient at fat burning and you do lose fat.
Reduced Mood or Energy Swings - eating carbohydrates (especially sugary ones) can lead to mood and energy swings. This is often seen as the post-lunchtime or afternoon energy crash. When you eliminate the carbs, you eliminate the source of this problem.
Reduced Consumption of Refined Foods - highly refined foods are the source of many health problems. The more processed a food is, the less nutrients are generally in it. The Atkins Diet encourages a focus on the consumption of more natural state foods such as vegetables, lean meats, fish, eggs and healthy oils.
Some of the negatives that have been associated with the Atkins Diet include:
Rapid Regaining of Lost Weight - this can happen when a person comes off the Atkins Diet. They regain all the weight they lost. One of the major reasons for this is that when you eliminate the carbs from your diet for a long period of time, your body becomes more sensitive to them. When you go back to your regular eating habits (which may not have been great to begin with), your body reacts more strongly to the sugar and carbs in foods, leading to weight gain. This weight gain can be reduced by easing off the Atkins Diet gradually rather than by feasting on carbohydrates.
Lack of Food Choices - it can be difficult to find things to eat that are low carb. Most grocery stores are primarily stocked with carbohydrate-laden foods and it can get boring eating the same things over and over again. Luckily, with the popularity of the Atkins diet and other low carb diets, there are many delicious recipes available to help alleviate this boredom.
The Atkins Diet may not be for you but by incorporating some of the principles in it, such as lowering your carbohydrate intake and eating more natural-state foods, you may find that you can achieve great results without ever having to restrict yourself. It may take a little longer but the results will be more permanent as it is more of a lifestyle change than a diet.

Will The Real Fitness Hormone Please Stand Up!

WILL THE REAL FITNESS HORMONE PLEASE STAND UP!
New Medical Research shows high-intensity exercise can increase the body's natural production of the fitness hormone by 530%!
By Phil Campbell, M.S., M.A., FACHE
When I completed the research phase for a health and fitness book in 2002, the bio-medical research was complete enough to draw hard conclusions about the type of fitness program that would make your body increase anti-aging, anti-MIDDLE-aging, and athletic performance improving HGH growth hormone - THE FITNESS HORMONE. However, the research didn't specifically test high-intensity sprints — until now!
NEW LANDMARK RESEARCH
In a new study, researchers compared HGH growth hormone levels in several ways — resting (for a baseline measurement), after a 6 second cycle sprint, and after 30 second cycle sprint. Researchers also measured growth hormone for hours afterwards to see how long HGH stayed in participant's bodies after exercise, (The time course of the human growth hormone response to a 6s and a 30s cycle ergometer sprint, 2002, Stokes).
THE RESULTS ARE INCREDIBLE!
The 6 second sprint method did move HGH some, but didn't come close to the body's potential to release this powerful hormone. The 30 second all-out effort sprint experiment increased HGH by 530% over resting baseline and 450% over the lesser intensity sprint.
Like earlier research studies, HGH stayed elevated for 1.5 to 2 hours after the sprinting program. And according to the researchers at the University of VA, the HGH released during exercise targets body fat for up to two hours after training. (Impact of acute exercise intensity on pulsatile growth hormone release in men, 2000, Pritzlaff).
This new research became the essence of my book; how to increase HGH through specific types of fitness training, and how to keep the fitness hormone in your body for two hours after training going after body fat.
The Synergy Fitness anaerobic sprint workout can be performed in many different ways — cycling, swimming, skiing, running, XC skiing, or even power walking. It can be performed in the gym on an elliptical trainer, stationary bike, recumbent bike, or a treadmill.
What ever the method, the goal is to reach all FOUR critical HGH-release benchmarks during fitness training. This workout multi-tasks aerobic and anaerobic training during the same workout, and it takes about 20-minutes. (Details in Chapter 8, Accelerating Growth Hormone Release with Anaerobics) www.readysetgofitness.com
MAY BE THE MOST POWERFUL HORMONE IN YOUR BODY
HGH may be the most powerful fitness improving, anti-aging (and anti-middle-aging), body fat reducing, muscle toning, hormone in your body. And the FITNESS HORMONE can be increased by 530% with specific types of anaerobic fitness training. Natural is almost always better. And increasing the Fitness hormone naturally through exercise is the NATURAL choice!
Thanks for reading!
Free Newsletter on this topic at www.readysetgofitness.com

A Youthful Approach to the Fight Against Diabetes

The desire to be thinner can lead to extreme weight control behaviour in girls and young women. Girls with type I diabetes mellitus (DM) appear to be at risk for disturbed eating. Dr. Gary M. Rodin, and colleagues at the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children, will study 120 adolescent girls with DM for 3 years, to assess their eating attitudes and behaviour, family functioning, and medical status. The goal is to learn about eating disturbances in this group and identify risk factors for early warning signs in order to design an intervention to prevent the development of eating disturbances in a younger group.
Dr. Rodin's research is being funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). CIHR is Canada's preeminent health research catalyst and is funded by the government of Canada. An exciting new concept, CIHR is modernizing and transforming the health research enterprise in Canada.
To learn more about CIHR please visit: www.cihr.ca, e-mail: info@cihr.ca or write to: CIHR, 410 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa ON K1A 0W9.

Working Hard To Correct Lazy-Eye

A baby is born. Soon after it opens its eyes, there is a critical period, during which time its visual experiences have a profound effect on the development of the visual areas of its brain. Ideally, both eyes have visual experiences of equal quality. But, if the baby is born with a cataract or with a serious vision problem in one eye, the child may develop a severe and permanent loss of vision, commonly known as lazy-eye. By understanding the changes in the brain that are associated with lazy-eye, Kathryn Murphy and a team of researchers at McMaster and Dalhousie Universities, aim to improve treatments for children at risk for developing this condition.
Dr. Murphy's research is being funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). CIHR is Canada's preeminent health research catalyst and is funded by the government of Canada. An exciting new concept, CIHR is modernizing and transforming the health research enterprise in Canada.
To learn more about CIHR please visit: www.cihr.ca, e-mail: info@cihr.ca or write to: CIHR, 410 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa ON K1A 0W9.

Small Babies Beware

Chronic hypertension, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, is found in one-fifth of adult Canadians. Although it is not fully understood, scientists have found a connection between having a low birth weight and a higher risk of developing hypertension and cardiovascular disease as an adult. Dr. Anne Nuyt of the Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Centre in Montreal says the connection may have something to do with increased activity early in life of a hormonal system (the renin-angiotensin system) in parts of the brain that regulate the cardiovascular system. Her work may allow people in the future to be more aware of their risk of heart disease.
Dr. Nuyt's research is being funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). CIHR is Canada's preeminent health research catalyst and is funded by the government of Canada. An exciting new concept, CIHR is modernizing and transforming the health research enterprise in Canada.
To learn more about CIHR please visit: www.cihr.ca, e-mail: info@cihr.ca or write to: CIHR, 410 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa ON K1A 0W9.

Music Hath Charms ...

Sandra Trehub at the University of Toronto studies how people develop hearing and speech perception from infancy to adulthood. She has developed ways to measure hearing and speech perception in both quiet and noisy surroundings. This work leads her to believe that background noise interferes with children's abilities to understand natural speech. Trehub is comparing monolingual and bilingual kids under similar circumstances. She is also studying perception of musical and speech patterns by children with cochlear implants and by children with a genetic disorder that is associated with unusual talent in language and music. Trehub's work in this area may have far-reaching effects on issues related to hearing, learning and musical abilities in both children and adults.
Dr. Trehub's research is being funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). CIHR is Canada's preeminent health research catalyst and is funded by the government of Canada. An exciting new concept, CIHR is modernizing and transforming the health research enterprise in Canada.
To learn more about CIHR please visit: www.cihr.ca, e-mail: info@cihr.ca or write to: CIHR, 410 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa ON K1A 0W9.

A Head Start for Preemies

The presence of too much of a steroid hormone called cortisol, either from a baby's own adrenal gland, or reaching the baby across the placenta from the mother, can lead to premature birth. As well, excessive exposure to cortisol in the womb may impair growth, alter the way individuals respond to stress after birth, and may result in diabetes and cardiovascular disease, leading to high blood pressure and stroke. The placenta normally protects babies from too much cortisol. John Challis, of the University of Toronto, is seeking to understand how this protective mechanism becomes ineffective. In doing so, he hopes to be able to diagnose, prevent, or treat threatened premature birth, giving babies a better head start on life-long health.
Dr. Challis' research is being funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). CIHR is Canada's preeminent health research catalyst and is funded by the government of Canada. An exciting new concept, CIHR is modernizing and transforming the health research enterprise in Canada.
To learn more about CIHR please visit: www.cihr.ca, e-mail: info@cihr.ca or write to: CIHR, 410 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa ON K1A 0W9.

Breathing Easier in Montreal

In cystic fibrosis, the lungs are destroyed after they become too inflamed, which can in turn sabotage the whole respiratory system. While advances in drugs, diets, and physiotherapy have helped improve the quality of life for sufferers, we still need to treat the inflammation of the lungs. A recent small study showed that ibuprofen, a standard inflammatory medication, can help children with cystic fibrosis. However, the study's results are not conclusive. At McGill University, Larry Lands hopes to prove that the medication can work in the real world. He will use a large sample of 440 children from across Canada to help determine if ibuprofen can be used safely and effectively over the long term.
Dr. Lands' research is being funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). CIHR is Canada's preeminent health research catalyst and is funded by the government of Canada. An exciting new concept, CIHR is modernizing and transforming the health research enterprise in Canada.
To learn more about CIHR please visit: www.cihr.ca, e-mail: info@cihr.ca or write to: CIHR, 410 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa ON K1A 0W9.

Arresting Asthma

According to the Asthma Society of Canada, asthma kills 10 people every week and afflicts 10 per cent of the Canadian population. Dr. Dean Befus, from the University of Alberta, in collaboration with Dr. Alan Schreiber from the University of Pennsylvania, are trying to arrest this process. Asthma usually strikes people when they are children, in the form of an allergic reaction to something. The body develops an antibody that reacts in the form of excess mucous or breathing difficulties. Dr. Schreiber discovered that one gene helps this reaction is called the Syk gene, and developed a way of blocking the inflammation. Dr. Befus implemented a test on a lab rat and effectively blocked the inflammation in the rat's allergic reaction to egg shells. This could lead to promising new treatments for asthmatics everywhere.
Their research is being funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). CIHR is Canada's preeminent health research catalyst and is funded by the government of Canada. An exciting new concept, CIHR is modernizing and transforming the health research enterprise in Canada.
To learn more about CIHR please visit: www.cihr.ca, e-mail: info@cihr.ca or write to: CIHR, 410 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa ON K1A 0W9.

Repetitive Strain Injury

Repetitive Strain Injury (R.S.I.) occurs when muscles, nerves or tendons become inflamed or irritated. R.S.I. is often reflected in people who have developed arthritis as a result of sports/workplace injury or carpal tunnel syndrome, for example. It is caused by performing repetitive motions, using excessive force or using extreme movements.
Causes:
Repetitive tasks - small, rapid movements that are repeated over and over.
Awkward sitting or standing positions - working in an awkward position or not moving regularly.
Heavy moving - using force or moving heavy loads.
Lack of rest time - no time to take a break during work or activity.
Symptoms:
Stiff or tight muscles in hands, wrists, fingers, forearms, elbows or shoulders.
Tingling and/or coldness in hands.
Loss of coordination in hands.
Pain.
Solutions:
Make sure your work station feels comfortable.
Take regular breaks before pain or discomfort develops.
Take time to gently stretch and exercise during those breaks.
Slide or roll objects, if possible.
For more information on Arthritis in the Workplace, call us:
The Arthritis Society Information Line - 1-800-321-1433 or log on to www.arthritis.ca.

Ergonomics - What Is It?

Ergonomics is the study of the relationship between people and their work or workplace. It's also about matching jobs to the needs and abilities of workers.
What can I do, because of my arthritis, to make sure I'm performing daily activities effectively?
Pace yourself and try to alternate between standing, sitting and walking.
Work at a regular pace alternating strenuous activities with lighter ones.
Perform important duties when you are more rested and energized. If you know a special event is coming, plan rest time to store up energy so you can perform when necessary.
What can I do, because of my arthritis, to make sure I'm working safely?
Organize your workstation making sure your work materials are within reach and minimize reaching and twisting your body.
You may want to use a sit/stand stool which lets you sit in almost a standing position. This will relieve strain from prolonged standing.
Use a proper chair which ensures correct posture and access to your workstation (computer monitor, keyboard).
Get up and stretch regularly - It's important to move!
Choose the right shoes that are comfortable and fit correctly - remember, your feet DO increase in size as you age and feet also swell as the day progresses. Make sure your shoes are also well cushioned.
Try to avoid heavy lifting. Use a cart or dollie to help transport items rather than lifting them.
For more information on Arthritis in the Workplace, call us:
The Arthritis Society Information Line - 1-800-321-1433 or log on to www.arthritis.ca.

Take The First Step Towards 'Making The Connection' Between Cholesterol And Your Heart

Like many Canadians, you probably have not given much thought to your cholesterol levels. High cholesterol is a silent and a significant risk factor for heart disease, which is the number one killer of Canadians. It is estimated that eight million Canadians have high cholesterol, affecting 48 per cent of Canadian men, and 43 per cent of Canadian women.
Awareness of cholesterol and its role in heart disease is growing. The Canadian Lipid Nurse Network (CLNN) is a non-profit organization dedicated to patient education in the assessment and treatment of lipid disorders, including cholesterol, as a step to prevent heart disease.
In the Spring of 2002, members of CLNN conducted a series of public forums across Canada to inform people about the dangers of high cholesterol. The 'Making the Connection' public forums were held in 14 cities across Canada including Burnaby, Prince George, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Windsor, Ottawa, Sherbrooke, Ste. Foy, Montreal, Moncton, Halifax, and St. John's. More than 1,300 Canadians attended these free information sessions, learning about the different types of cholesterol, how cholesterol affects heart health, how to reduce cholesterol levels through diet and exercise, and medical treatment options.
Liz Helden, a lipid nurse specialist at Chedoke-McMaster Hospital Lipid Clinic in Hamilton, and co-chair of the Canadian Lipid Nurse Network, was one of the presenters at the public information sessions.
"High cholesterol is one of the most common medical conditions affecting people from every walk of life," said Helden. "Since one cannot feel elevated cholesterol, or the effects it can have on their arteries and heart, many people do not fully understand the danger of high cholesterol or what should be done to reduce it.
"'Making the Connection' has been designed to inform Canadians about the role of cholesterol as an important risk factor in the development of heart disease and the risk of stroke," said Helden. "Knowing and recognizing the risks for heart disease is critical, and reducing cardiovascular risk by lowering cholesterol is key."
Based on the popularity of the Spring series, the 'Making the Connection' public forums will be continued this Fall. Check your local paper to see if a 'Making the Connection' public forum is coming to your city. For information on cholesterol and heart disease, please visit www.makingtheconnection.ca
or call toll-free 1-877-4-LOW-LDL (1-877-456-9535).
For more information regarding the CLNN, please visit www.lipidnurse.ca.

Are You At Risk For Having High Cholesterol?

High cholesterol is a common medical condition, affecting approximately eight million Canadians. Since high cholesterol cannot be felt, many people do not fully understand the effect it can have on their arteries and heart. High cholesterol is a contributing factor for the development of heart disease.
1. If any of these apply to you, talk to your doctor about having your cholesterol tested: You are a woman over the age of 50. You are a man over the age of 40. You have heart disease (angina, heart attack, coronary bypass, stroke, angioplasty). You have diabetes. You have family history of heart disease or cholesterol (mother, father, sister, brother or grandparent).
2. If you have two or more of the following: You are overweight. You are physically inactive. You are a smoker. You have high blood pressure.
If you checked off one from the first list and two or more in the second list, you should ask your physician to have your cholesterol tested. Realistically, people may have more than just one risk factor. For example, someone who is physically inactive may also have high cholesterol in addition to high blood pressure. The combination of two or more risk factors multiples the chances of developing heart disease, the number one killer of Canadians.
High cholesterol is one of the major modifiable risk factors of heart disease. It is possible to reduce cholesterol to a safe level with lifestyle changes and sometimes medication. Most importantly, for those who have diabetes or heart disease, lowering your cholesterol to target levels is crucial because of the increased risk for a cardiovascular event like a heart attack.
Do not be discouraged if you have identified more than one risk factor. For more information on cholesterol and its link to heart disease, please visit www.makingtheconnection.ca or call toll-free 1-877-4-LOW-LDL (1-877-456-9535).