Biranda

At one time, or another, we all think, “Why am I here?” Sometimes we think, “Why do I even bother?” Thinking about giving up is a temptation for all of humankind, but we continue to pursue our goals just like our ancestors did.

My wife, Marie, puts it bluntly, “You have two choices, push forward or give up.” Sometimes, it is a joy to sit in the back of her Yoga classes, so I can listen to a candid approach to life and teaching Yoga.

Look at how far we have come as a species in regards to Yoga, art, holistic health, medicine, technology, and much more. It is easy to look at the downside of humanity, but a lot of our ancestors did not give up. In fact, they recorded past failures and achievements from which we could learn.

As a Yoga practitioner, or Yoga teacher, you have the ability to learn a complete health maintenance system, “loaded with archives.” The archives of Yoga are so plentiful that none of us will be able to study, digest, and practice it all in one lifetime. We know that knowledge is power, and Yoga will improve our lives exponentially.

In getting back to making excuses: Everyone makes them now and then. Some Yoga practitioners have stated they are too old, too stiff, and too weak to continue practicing with intensity. Most Yoga students, interns, and Yoga teachers, will admit to being distracted by life. Sometimes, this is a good thing because your body, or mind, needs a rest, and a little change is harmless.

However, this is not an endorsement to avoid the benefits of steady Yoga practice. Also, this is not an endorsement to become a “couch potato.” Having worked with Yoga students who have a variety of physical disabilities, Yoga can be practiced on your couch, on the floor, in your bed, or sitting down.

Granted, some of the vigorous styles of Yoga would have to be modified, but there is still no reason to abandon Yoga practice for long. Having seen the improvement of Yoga students in wheelchairs, and hospital beds, there is no reason why the study of Yoga should be, “put on the back burner.”

There is a saying that, “Seeing is believing.” This is true for most of the world, but the evidence of improved health, from steady Yoga practice, is obvious. If you want to worry less, become stronger, become more flexible, or clear your mind, Yoga does all of these things and much more.

There is no excuse for keeping the gift of Yoga to yourself. If you have seen Yoga improve your life, you are a “witness”, and you have the ability to help others improve their lives. Almost every obstacle that life throws in front of us can be overcome, unless we give up.

© Copyright 2005 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Copyright 2006 Marc David

Which is better, the pump or the feeling of totally exhausting your muscles to the point of failure when it is nearly impossible to pick up a pencil? Good question because I can promise that one is asked a lot. People love the feeling of being pumped and the blood flowing thru their muscles. In fact, Arnold has quite a few ‘interesting’ quotes on this subject.

But really, what is better? The pump or the taxed feeling?

Let’s get down to brass tacks…

A pump does not build muscle. But overloading and giving your body a reason to grow does.

By the way…

There is some evidence to suggest that pumping the muscle full of blood will help get more nutrients to the area and therefore, help to build muscle. That is a weak argument that a pump builds muscle but nonetheless, I have run across that bit of debate.

While you might leave the gym feeling weak but not pumped, that certainly doesn’t mean you are not making some serious progress. And in fact, some programs I’ve tried, I leave the gym feeling completely weak but I’m not pumped at all and I even have the feeling I could do more work but that’s not part of the program.

My strong hunch is…

That you love the pumps! I mean honestly who doesn’t? I know I do and that’s why I found a little way to get the best of both worlds. Sort of like having my cake and eating it to.

It’s called super setting. It’s not a new concept at all. In fact it’s an old bodybuilding method but is foundational and can give you a great pump but at the same time, leaves you feeling weak and not wanting more.

Really think about…

A pump is just the blood flowing to the area. You can get a good pump without working all that hard. Giving your body no reason to grow. But you can get a great pump.

Overloading your muscles doesn’t have to give you a pump either. If you engage in training that has you lift heavy weights but only in the 4-6 rep range, you may not feel a pump at all. But you will be weaker and you will get stronger. Yet you’ll lose the feeling of pumps entirely because lifting heavy and resting simply doesn’t give your body a chance to get all that blood to the area like a typical pump will do.

Needless to say…

Many just get frustrated and go between trying to get the best pumps and actually working hard.

What they don’t know is that super setting is the ultimate way to work your muscle to a state of exhausting (increasing the intensity) and yet get that massive pump you’ve been looking to get.

Sample Pump Routine:

Incline Smith Bench Press (12 reps; slow, controlled reps, 70-75% of max)

IMMEDIATELY followed by

Incline Dumbbell Flyes (12 reps; 70-75% of max)

Keep in mind, this is just a sample but you are using weights that are challenging, in a higher rep range and following it up with another exercise that works the same area.

All this means is that you are going to bump up the intensity (forcing your body to grow) AND push blood to the area to get a great pump.

You can even experiment with rest intervals so that it’s even more intense and the area you are focusing on is totally pumped.

Please understand that a pump itself does not build muscle. Overloading it, challenging it and giving it a reason to grow does.

You can use various techniques to bump up the intensity of any exercise, making it challenging without stacking on super heavy weights and having long rest periods. You’ll not only get stronger and build muscle but you will get that pump feeling back.

Don’t think that one or the other is better or worse, it’s just different. But you can use techniques as I’ve shown above to build muscle and get them pumped up as well.

Certainly there are other ways in which to raise the intensity of an exercise and make it more difficult and still get the pumped feeling. Supersets were but one example. Drop sets are another variation that not only can overload the muscle and force it to grow thru intensity and progressive overload but you’ll get a fantastic pump from that method as well. There’s several other techniques you can use that I will detail in another article.

Impact of curb ramps on people with mobility impairments

Curb ramps are designed to provide access to people who use wheeled forms of mobility. Without curb ramps, people who use wheelchairs would not be able to independently access the sidewalk and street. However, not all wheelchairs perform the same on a curb ramp. Common types of wheeled mobility devices include manual and powered wheelchairs, as well as powered scooters. Each type of technology will benefit from different aspects of the curb ramp design. For example, most powered mobility devices are maneuverable in small spaces due to their short wheelbase. Scooters have a longer wheelbase but have manual steering, and most can perform a three-point turn in tight spaces. Manual wheelchairs can turn on their own wheelbase but are difficult to steer on a cross slope as they tend to turn downhill.

For many people with mobility impairments, curb ramps are not critical to access. In fact, in some situations curb ramps make it more difficult for some people with mobility impairments to navigate. Crutches and canes are sized to fit the individual user so that the energy required for ambulation is minimized on a hard, level surface. Use of these types of walking aids is more difficult on sloped surfaces such as curb ramps. Cane, walker, or crutch users must lower their body forward when going downhill. On uphill slopes, the cane or crutch must be lifted higher and placed on the surface. The user must have the strength to lift his or her body up over the supporting device. Widening the crosswalk to allow people to use either the curb or the curb ramp will enhance access for cane and crutch users who are not comfortable traveling on a sloped surface.

Nicole Thomas offers wheel chair tips and advice at:
http://www.wheelchairtips.com

Walking for exercise is a purposeful, brisk walk specifically designed for the purpose of improving health. It is one of the best and cheapest forms of exercise. If you want to improve your general health and keep fit, or if you want to reduce your weight, walking is a good place to start.

Walking keeps you fit and helps you take off extra weight and keep it off. It’s cheap, it’s simple and almost anybody can do it. Walking has a multitude of health benefits for everyone. Here are some of its many benefits:

- Helps reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke – Lowers high blood pressure – Helps reduce weight and body fat – Helps reduce risk of some cancers – Reduces anxiety and depression and improves your mood and mental well-being – Helps control joint swelling and pain from arthritis – Gives you more energy – Helps you sleep better – Helps you look better – Improves bone density and helps reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis – Helps those people who are recovering from a period of ill-health

Walking for exercise does not need to be strenuous to produce results. Even walking for 30 minutes a day has been reported to produce measurable benefits, even among those who are least active.

If you want to feel great, have more energy and improve your overall health, take a walk. Walking is one of the best forms of exercise and you can do it almost anywhere, anytime, and for free.

Along with its benefits to the heart, walking improves circulation, helps breathing, combats depression, bolsters the immune system, helps prevent osteoporosis, helps control weight and helps prevent and control diabetes. It’s a gentle exercise and it’s suitable if you are recovering from heart trouble, a stroke or other illness. It helps the total circulation of blood throughout the body, and thus has a direct effect on your overall feeling of health.

Remember, if you have a medical condition, are overweight, over 40 years of age or haven’t exercised regularly for a long time, check with your doctor before you start any type of exercise program.

Selecting a new piece of exercise equipment can be daunting because there are so many possibilities. Before you buy, investigate the resources that are readily available to you. If your office building or neighborhood has an exercise room or program, check it out and try the equipment. Ask your friends what they do. Visit a YMCA, commercial gym, community college or any other nearby facility that offers classes or memberships. Make notes on everything that is available and what appeals to you. DON’T give in to high pressure sales people to buy equipment or memberships until you know exactly what you want.

There are lots of advantages to having exercise equipment in your own home. You can exercise whenever it’s convenient, in any weather. You never have to wait in line. You have privacy — a real plus if you’re embarrassed about your weight or lack of fitness. You can watch television or listen to music while you exercise.

But good exercise equipment can be expensive. Make sure you know just what you want before you buy. If you have access to a health club or gym, try out the pieces that interest you. It’s best to work through the first several weeks of a new exercise program on someone else’s machine just to make sure you’re comfortable, can master the movements and — hopefully — enjoy the activity. That way you’re less likely to end up with an expensive clothes hanger.

Once you’ve settled on the type of machine you want, find a store that carries several different models displayed so you can try them out. Remember that health clubs buy extremely heavy-duty equipment; many machines built for home use are lightweight and poorly constructed. If you buy a machine that doesn’t move smoothly, rattles and shakes, or fails to give you the range of resistance you need, you won’t enjoy your workout. You don’t necessarily need to buy the most expensive machine — you can do without all the electronic gadgetry. But do buy the sturdiest, smoothest-operating model you can afford.

Read my Good Food Book FREE, with 100 healthful recipes.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

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Please don’t be like me!

Several years ago I was warned to stay away from behind-the-neck exercises and movements, and do you think I listened? Of course not.

And as a result, I acquired a rotator cuff injury that slowly gets worse and worse over time.

It is often said that it is much smarter to learn from the mistakes of others than to have to suffer the consequences yourself. I’d say that I agree with that.

Just in case you are not quite sure what a “rotator cuff” is, its a handy little muscle on the back of your shoulder that literally helps your arm to “rotate” around the shoulder socket.

For most people, this muscle is not supposed to rotate far enough to take the arms too far behind the head.

Behind the neck exercises not only pull this muscle to the edge of its natural range, but often have additional weight resistance involved that cause even more stress to the area.

If this is done repetitively over time, the muscle will often get injured. Another thing that may happen is that it will become inflammed and swell to the point where the bone around it pinches the muscle. Both conditions are chronic, painful, and should be avoided at all costs.

So, if there are any behind-the-neck movements in your current workout, you will want to find more shoulder-friendly alternatives. And if such an exercise is ever recommended to you by a friend or exercise program, ask or look for a better alternative immediately.

You only get one body! Take care of it.

To YourBestBody,

Lawrence Cole Your Lifestyle and Fitness Coach

Read this Exercise and Weight Loss Article at YourBestBodyNOW.com.

Are you sick and tired of picking up that latest body building magazine off the shelve, opening it to the latest program on the current bodybuilding star and discovering that he is using a six day split program that has you in the gym for four hours and day!!

What it won’t tell you is that the guy is a professional and probably doesn’t have to hold down a steady job, pay off a mortgage or raise a couple of kids.

The thing is you don’t have to train like an athlete to put on muscle, all you need to do is follow these action ideas below and you will start making big gains fast without spending all your time in the Gym.

Lets have a look: 1/ Back to Basics – To build muscle you must train short and with intensity, you only have a limited amount of energy per session. Tests reveal that blood sugar levels drop dramatically after 20 minutes, so exercise selection is crucial.

Compound multi-joint movements have to be used as these offer more training stimulus, are more functional and heavier loads can be lifted. Examples of compound movements include squats, bench press, dips, and chin- ups. Performing three to four exercises with high intensity during a session are what is needed.

All the main structures of the body are worked hard during this time, remembering that as you get stronger in your upper body exercises i.e. Dips, Lat Pull downs, you will also add size to your upper arms as well as your shoulders.

Working on these big compound movements has a knock- on effect throughout the whole body; there is no need for specialization techniques or isolation movements.

The thing is, the whole body is worked hard, rest and recuperation is allowed to take place and at the next exercise session we push out a few more reps than before with the same weight, then we have gotten stronger i.e. more muscle.

2/ Perform One Set Per Body Part – Having performed one set of an exercise to total failure then it should be near on impossible to generate the same force and intensity for another set.

If you are able to generate the same force and intensity for this second set then the first set was not worked hard enough.

If you give the first set 100% effort and work it to total failure (You cannot move the bar after the last rep) there is no more requirement for further stimulation.

Therefore you need to do one set per exercise, remembering to complete the training session in 20 – 30 minutes so to have the most stimulus as possible and then move on to the next exercise.

Current research shows that single set training is as beneficial as multiple set training, decreasing the chances of over training and saving energy for other lifts required during the workout.

Because you are doing one set per exercise, you will have to work it hard and to total failure.

3/ Cycle Your Strength Training – The development of muscle and strength is interrelated so the exercise session will have to be designed so that increases in strength are equal to increases in functional muscle.

Cycling intensity through changes in repetitions and poundage’s throughout your training program is an effective way to maintain progression and avoid training plateaus.

4/ Don’t Train To Long – Training itself causes the breakdown of muscle tissue. When a person trains very intensely cortisol is released into the blood stream, which causes the breakdown of muscle tissue.

The amount of cortisol released is highly dependant upon the length of training time.

Therefore to minimize this effect training should be completed in the absolute minimum time required which is no longer than 20 to 30 minutes max.

Your blood sugar levels are also dropping by this time, so do what you have to do in this time and get out of the gym, go home and grow.

5/ Don’t Cheat – Do not cheat on your reps! Every strength- training trainee runs into this problem sooner or later and it will grind your gains to a stand still. There are many ways to increase the intensity of your sets and the weights used in order to maximize results.

Cheating to increase your weights actually takes strain off your muscles and places it on your joints, which is counterproductive.

Now that you are armed with this information, you wont need to spend all of your time in the gym, by all means workout hard while you are in there but when you are finished go home and grow and enjoy life.

Gary Matthews is the author of the popular fitness eBooks Maximum Weight Loss and Maximum Weight Gain. Please visit http://www.maximumfitness.com right now for your ‘free’ muscle building e-course.

Copyright 2005 Trevor Dumbleton

With the hectic life that most people lead in today’s world, reducing stress has become a vital skill. With work stress, school stress, family stress, teen stress, parent stress, and a whole host of other kinds of stress continually knocking on the door, it has become vital to manage stress in order to keep up with everything needs to be done. Though reducing stress is difficult, it can be done with a little effort and a little dedication to improving yourself.

The first thing to do when reducing stress is to get enough sleep at night. Yes, there is always something that needs to be done and there are projects that need to be taken care of and there is always something that should get done before you go to bed and there is still one more television show to watch, but that is exactly the problem. By spending too much of the evening worrying about everything that needs doing and trying too hard to get it all done right now, you are not helping yourself. Rather, you are increasing your stress to an alarming level. If you need to get things done, then do yourself a favor and just get them out of the way before you sit down in front of the television. When they are done, then you can relax and not worry about everything that needs to get done after the show is over.

The next things you need to do are to eat right and exercise. No, it doesn’t seem like taking care of physical needs with help with a mental issue such as reducing stress, but there is a connection. After all, the brain is part of the body and when the body is working right, the brain will be more effective. By putting the right nutrients into your body, you will be feeding the brain as well as the muscles and you will be able to think clearly and concentrate more effectively. As well, when you are getting all your fruits and vegetables and whole grains, you will have more energy and be less susceptible to fatigue. After all, fatigue clouds the mind and a cloudy mind is a mind that tends to wander. And, when you mind wanders, you will not be getting things done. Thus, projects and tasks will pile up, giving you even more to be stressed about.

Additionally, exercising routinely will help you keep stress at bay. When you exercise routinely, you are more aware when you are awake and you sleep better at night, both of which are very good for reducing stress. This is because exercise helps you release hormones into your body that make you feel better, both mentally and physically. And this effect is not limited to the time when you are exercising. In fact, these hormones stay in your body even after you are done exercising, so that you will feel better all day. If you can, try to work out in the morning to get that hormonal burst before you begin your day. Or, if you cannot work out in the morning, at least exercise in the early evening so that you will at least have a body that will be ready for a good night’s sleep and ready for the following day.

Another great technique for reducing stress is through proper time management. Let’s face it, most people spend most of their day spinning their wheels as they move from one project or task to another, making them incapable of focusing on what they are doing. However, with a time management system in place, your day can be mapped out in the morning so that you are able to complete tasks one at a time. Then, with each little success, you will be able to feel the relief of knowing that there is one less thing to worry about.

Finally, you can help lower your stress levels by taking regular vacations. The best advice is to take one week off every year so that you can recharge your batteries and face the world again. By getting away and traveling, you can feel the relief of simply leaving it all behind. Getting out of the house, the city, or even the country is an excellent way of reducing stress and, when you get back, you will come back refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to get back to the tasks of daily life.

By reducing stress, you can feel better, work better, be more sociable, and improve your health. Stress is very hard on the body and the mind, so managing it should be a priority. Thus, with a little effort, a little time, and the dedication to do the right things for yourself, you can keep your mind clear and keep yourself moving forward. Then, once you have mastered the art of reducing stress, you will also have the pleasure of not having to worry about stress.

You wake up out of bed one December morning, turn on the television, only to find out your favorite ski resort is being belted with 2 feet of fresh power. Up until today, the resort didn’t have enough snow for you to even consider making a road trip. However, now it is time to get into the ski mood. The next step is a visit to the ski store to get new skies, boots, and clothes.

But wait! Have you prepared your body physically for the demands of skiing? Many ski enthusiast get fired up at first snow fall to get all the proper equipment, but fail to prepare their bodies from a physical exercise standpoint.

The most common mistake skiers of all ages make is they fail to prepare their bodies for skiing. It is similar to the weekend warrior, forty year old, athlete who thinks they can play like a twenty year old.

Preparing your ski equipment is one thing, but getting ready physically to ski is the most important thing. Here are some tips to help you get ready to attack the slopes, and decrease your chances of injury.

First off, the best way to exercise or train for skiing is to ski. However, if you don’t live close to a resort, you must properly design an exercise program that will prepare your muscles for such a vigorous event.

Listed below is a skiers fitness plan checklist.

1. Plan Ahead – Even though you should already be on a year long exercise plan, it is imperative that your fitness program starts 3 months prior to the ski season.

2. Incorporate All Components – Make sure your program involves strength training, cardiovascular training, and flexibility. All components are important for skiing.

If you need more information on how to design a fitness program visit www.WellnessWord.com and subscribe to the zero cost email course.

3. Focus On Your Legs – Your quadriceps, or thighs take quit a pounding on the ski slopes. Make sure you do such exercises as leg press, leg squats, isometric wall sets, hamstrings curls, abduction/adduction exercises, and calves. I like to utilize the superset method of going from one exercise to another without rest to simulate the duration of a ski run. The goal is to get your quads to feel the burn. Exercise biking is another great ski training method. Put the intensity level up as high as you can go for the duration of a ski run, and pedal away.

Please Note: Each exercise program is specialized due to specific, individualized medical history. Always consult your doctor, and exercise professional prior to starting a program.

4. Work Your Core Muscles- It is important to exercise and fatigue the lower back, abdominals, hip flexors, psoas, and gluteus muscles. By doing so will help improve your stamina and overall balance.

5. Upper Body – Don’t forget your upper body. Work all the major muscle groups to prevent upper body fatigue while skiing.

6. Start Slowly and Build – Begin your skiing fitness program slowly, and try to increase the intensity and/or duration with each consecutive session.

Also Note: The first day of the skiing don’t do your maximum duration – build up to it. Be smart about it!

7. Stay Consistent – The key to an effective ski fitness program is to stay consistent,week in and week out, at least three months prior to the season.

In my consulting practice, I work with skiers up to 80 years old. They follow these same principles I have listed above and always come back ranting and raving about how strong they felt.

Plan ahead, prepare by following a ski specific fitness program prior to hitting this years ski slopes. it will decease your chances of injury, and increase your chances of having a good old time. _______________________________________________

Skiers who prefer to train for skiing at home should visit www.HomeGymMistakes.com to pick up a complimentary consumer protection guide. ______________________________________________ *** Attention: Ezine Editors / Website Owners *** Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine, Blog, Autoresponder, or on your website as long as the links, and resource box are not altered in any way.

Jim O’Connor – Exercise Physiologist / The Fitness Promoter

Copyright (c) – Wellness Word, LLC 9461 Charleville Blvd. #312 Beverly Hills, CA 90212 1-866-935-5967

http://www.WellnessWord.com http://www.HomeGymMistakes.com

Smooth Fitness was established in 1984 as a bricks and mortar fitness specialty store and made the move to on-line sales in 1996. Today Smooth Fitness is the only manufacturer of fitness equipment that sells primarily on-line (90% of total sales are on-line). By eliminating the overhead of retail operations, they can offer their products at a lower price – they claim 45% lower.

Their product lines include home gyms, treadmills, and elliptical trainers. Since the Internet is their primary sales channel, they are focused on servicing customers who purchase on-line. Smooth Fitness offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and all treadmills and elliptical trainers are backed by a 1-year in-home repair warranty.

They provide an extensive nationwide network of certified technicians and also encourage customers to email questions to their support group. I can attest to their responsiveness to email questions. The Smooth Fitness Director of Internet Sales promptly answered all emails I submitted inquiring about the Smooth CE.

Smooth Fitness Elliptical(s):

The selection in Smooth ellipticals is currently limited to one model – the CE. The PE, an entry level, low-end trainer and the ME are no longer available. Actually, with an elliptical trainer as nice as the Smooth CE, Smooth Fitness only really needs to offer the one model.

The Smooth CE is a joy to workout on and that’s owed to its solid feel and smooth motion. Kettler, a company that is well known for building quality elliptical trainers, manufactures the Smooth CE elliptical trainer in Germany.

The Smooth CE inherits the sleek styling and German engineered quality of its Kettler counterparts. It’s also easy on the eyes. Many cheap elliptical trainers are clunky looking, plastic-clad eyesores. Not so with the Smooth CE elliptical trainer. There seems to be a more aesthetic approach to elliptical trainer design in Europe. This is also evident in the Tunturi C6, which is manufactured in Finland by Tunturi Fitness.

Since the Smooth CE is sold factory-direct, it is not possible to test one out prior to purchase unless you happen to know someone who already has one. Smooth Fitness is aware that this may concern some customers, so they offer a 30-Day money back guarantee. So be sure to save the shipping box and all packing material until you’re certain you want to keep it. However, you may agree that this is a fair price to pay in order to save up to 45% by buying factory-direct on-line.

Rich Rojas writes elliptical trainer reviews and articles on health and fitness. Read the complete Smooth CE Elliptical Trainer Review at http://www.ellipticalhome.com