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I have enjoyed my career for many years now and have had the opportunity to work with and know hundreds of wonderful people. I have trained, coached, and counseled teenagers and golden agers, athletes and career couch potatoes. Over these years I have modified and improved my techniques and approaches, and tried to stay abreast of the latest techniques and methods in the field, and I will continue to do so. But most of the wisdom I have gained has come from observing human behavior and how people modify it. I have seen all types of people accomplish great things; perhaps more than they ever thought possible. I wish I could say that everyone I trained has achieved exactly what they desired and more, but the truth is not everybody has. The following are a few observations I have come to over my training career. I hope you can draw from these characteristics that have helped my clients be successful in achieving what they set out to do.

Success starts between your ears. The barriers you are facing are largely psychological. We will come up with techniques to modify your behaviors, habits, and hardest of all lifestyles. We must outline your triggers and mechanism that start unhealthy behaviors and learn to counteract and overcome them. Very few people have actual physical impairments that prevent them from exercising, and most can be overcome. Think and act positively.

Consider yourself an athlete. The only difference between an athlete and anyone else seeking to achieve their goals is that athletes compete formally. Athletes are focused, driven, and goal oriented. They will do exactly what it takes to win. They learn from each and every set back, and overcome adversity. They sacrifice. Athletes (and coaches) plan and analyze. Attain this same mindset and you will achieve success.

Outline and Plan. I will help draw the map, you have to make the journey. I require regular information on your eating habits, exercise duration, intensity, heart rate, medical data, etc.. The more specific input you give me, the more accurate and efficient the plan. Know this; when I stop getting the data I require, you are more than likely not sticking to the program. I realize it is cumbersome at times, but recording is crucial to your success. It is important to be structured and accountable, not just to me, but more importantly to yourself.

Objectives and Goals, Goals and Objectives. Daily, weekly, monthly, we will set little objectives that lead to big goals. Every work out, every meal can be building block, an objective that will add up in the long run. If you do not set objectives and goals there is nothing to accomplish and nothing to work towards. You have to set your own goals and objectives, but the first one always has to be making your health a priority; without it you have nothing!

Do not wait for divine intervention. I often hear I am waiting to get motivated. Motivation is internal and comes from accomplishment and achievement. Inspiration is gained from others, and is external. Look for sources of inspiration, use them to achieve your goals, and then you will earn your motivation.

Do not say I cant. Try, you can, I know it, I have seen it done many times, end of story. Eliminate negative self-talk, it gets you no where and ticks me off. I have no patients for self-loathing or self-criticism, because it is destructive and wastes our time.

There are no free lunches. If it is easy and quick it is probably does not work and may be unsafe. Few things in life worth having are easy, fitness and health is no exception. It takes discipline, work, deferred gratification, and time, but the payoff is huge.

Your victories and defeats are your own, I am only pleased to help you and support you.

About the Author

Matt Russ has coached and trained athletes around the country and internationally. He currently holds licenses by USAT, USATF, and is an Expert level USAC coach. Matt has coached athletes for CTS (Carmichael Training Systems), is an Ultrafit Associate. Visit www.thesportfactory.com for more information.

Matt Russ

It has been the bane of every womens existence since the dawn of time
- the affliction known as cellulite. We all have it to varying degrees,
and it seems to get worse as we get older in many cases. So, should we
just resign ourselves to the fact that it is here to stay, or is there a way to fight and get rid of cellulite?

Thankfully, the answer is yes, we can fight cellulite, or at least the
appearance of cellulite, through several therapeutic treatments that
are available on the market today. It is not, however, a one-time deal. Once you stop the treatments, the cellulite will inevitably return. So, the treatment of cellulite is an ongoing commitment, and it should be incorporated as part of your daily beauty regimen for consistent and lasting reduction in its appearance.

Some of the over-the-counter cellulite treatments actually do quite a
good job of significantly reducing the appearance of cellulite (for reviews of the best products see http://www.cosmeticsgalore.com/best-cosmetics-online-reviews.html ).
In order to achieve maximum effectiveness with these products, it is
imperative that you massage the affected areas vigorously for a few
minutes when applying the treatment. In addition to the smoothing and
tightening ingredients in the treatment, the massaging stimulates circulation and helps break the collagen bands that have constricted and resulted in the puckered look of the affected areas. The most effective ingredients, and what gives these products their smoothing effects, are caffeine and aminophylline. Many also add seaweed extract as well, but this is not the most effective ingredient in the product.

In addition to the cellulite creams, lotions and gels, there is a
Procedure called endermology that has many women reporting extraordinary results. It is actually a large mechanical pressure device that uses a technique similar to the process of a rolling pin rolling out dough to make cookies. This action kneads the problem areas with substantial pressure to break down the aforementioned collagen bands, and smooth the sponginess and puckering out for an even and toned appearance. Drawbacks are it is expensive and does require return visits for maintenance, it can be an uncomfortable and even slightly painful process, and it may result in some temporary bruising.

Another option is oral herbal or medicinal remedies for cellulite.
Beware though. There have not been significant studies or proof verifying whether these products actually produce results. I cannot recommend investing in or experimenting with these newer products until substantial findings or proof are published regarding their effectiveness.

So, what else causes cellulite? This question is still the subject of
scientific debate. We definitely know that it mostly affects women, so
there is much speculation that the underlying cause is hormonal in
nature. Many other studies suggest it is related to age, diet, genetics, and fitness/level of activity. It has been noted that strength and toning exercises, as well as steady weight maintenance will help with the appearance of cellulite. Frequent weight fluctuation, high fat diets, and even excessive carbonated beverages have been some of the suspected culprits as well.

Whatever the cause, if you want to minimize these unsightly dimples,
There are options out there for you that are effective and affordable. New breakthroughs are being made every day in the field of cosmetic
Enhancement products, so we may soon see another product that blows them all away. It may be tomorrow, for all we know!

About the Author

Danna Schneider is the webmaster and founder of CosmeticsGalore.com, providing women with reviews of products using the latest in cosmetic and beauty technology.

Danna Schneider

Feeling stressed out lately? Dont worry, there is a simple and incredibly effective solution — one that will help you lose weight in more ways than you might think!

Relieving Stress with Exercise

Research has proven that relieving stress with exercise is one of the best ways to improve your overall health. Regular exercise provides an amazing array of anti-stress benefits to the human body — including reduced muscle tension, improved cardiovascular functioning, increased blood oxygen levels, and reduced cholesterol and triglyceride levels, just to name a few.

Relieving stress with exercise also, of course, burns calories and helps to reduce body fat. Since most other anti-stress remedies (especially pharmaceutical drugs, alcohol, and overeating) cause you to gain weight its obvious that exercise is the best option.

Control Cortisol, Lose Weight

But, besides burning calories, theres another reason relieving stress with exercise helps you to reduce body fat. Exercise produces chemicals that help to lower cortisol production. Cortisol is a stress hormone that has gotten a lot of press lately because many new diet products claim to block it.

While the effectiveness of these products has yet to be proven, there is little doubt that controlling cortisol levels is a very important factor in weight loss and long-term weight control — not to mention optimal health and fitness. Relieving stress with exercise is an absolutely fool-proof way to lower cortisol in the body.

Elevated cortisol levels are fully or partially responsible for everything from sugar and carb cravings to overeating to low energy levels… and more. Experts also believe that high cortisol production increases the amount of toxic fat stored on your body — this is the abdominal fat that may trigger cardiovascular disease and inflammation-related health problems.

Summary

Relieving stress with exercise is, without a doubt, the best way to deal with your physical and mental tension. Not only will regular exercise reduce stress levels, it will also help you control how much cortisol your body produces. This, in turn, will help you to avoid food cravings, reduce dangerous abdominal fat, and basically feel much better. So, next time you feel stressed out, get up, get out, and start relieving stress with exercise!

About the Author

Jamie Clark is a fitness writer and editor of the popular Really Useful Fitness Blog located at:

http://www.fitfaq.com/blog.html

Please feel free to use this article in your newsletter or on your web site. Just be sure to include this resource box as well as a live link to the fitFAQ.com Fitness Guide:

http://www.fitfaq.com

Jamie Clark

Exercising and staying fit doesnt have to mean hard work. Simply being active will help you get or stay in good shape. So with that said, here are some enjoyable activities that can help with your fitness goals too.

Bicycling

When you ask many adults when the last time they rode a bike is, they cannot answer. Although bicycling is a favorite pastime, many adults do not take advantage of this great option for exercise. Not only does bike riding exercise the body and build a stronger cardiovascular system, it allows you to get out and enjoy nature, fresh air, and see new sites.

Jogging or Walking

Both jogging and walking are GREAT ways to get fit. Not only do they tone the muscles, relieve stress, create a healthier heart, and improve lung capability, they make you look wonderful, which in turns helps you get excited about doing other exercise for fitness activities.

Swimming

Swimming is an excellent way to get into and stay in shape. If you do not own a pool, many high schools have aquatic centers, or there is always the YWCA or YMCA, or your local gym. Many offer water aerobic classes that will help you tighten your body, lose weight, and get a good overall workout.

Tennis Anyone?

Tennis is not only a fun sport, but also a great way to exercise. You do not have to be a Venice Williams to play; in fact, you do not even have to be good. Just running after the ball alone will help get you into shape. This is a great way to strengthen your cardiovascular system and lose weight. You can find tennis courts in just about every city and if you would like to play but have no idea how, lessons are reasonable.

Tip: Raquetball is sort of a one person tennis. If you dont have someone to play tennis with, or you arent feeling sociable, try raquetball instead.

Dancing

Dancing is so much fun and whether you enjoy a slow, Ballroom dance or a nightclub packed with people all moving to heart-pumping techno, as long as you are moving, it really does not matter what type of dance or music. The whole idea is to move your body. Dancing has long been recommended as an avenue to fitness.

Tip: Belly Dancing is an excellent workout for your stomach, waist and hips ladies!

VCR

If you have a VCR or DVD, rather than just using it for your favorite comedy or action-packed movie, try sticking in some good workout tapes. Even taking 15 minutes every day to work out will get you started. Try that for two weeks and you will be surprised at the results. Once you see that 15 minutes a day makes a difference, you will be encouraged to increase the time spent.

And one of my personal favorites… Yardwork!

Whether youre pulling weeds, planting flowers, mowing the grass or chopping wood: All of these activities can help you get into better shape. Dont cheat yourself though. Using a riding mower to cut the grass wont help you use the muscles or get your blood pumping

So go out and get active, have fun, and work on getting or staying fit too!

This article is provided courtesy of http://www.health-and-fitness-information.com - You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.

About the Author

2004 Kathy Burns-Millyard and The Health and Fitness Information Network - A large and growing health portal featuring quality health and fitness articles, tips, news, advice and resources. Visit http://www.health-and-fitness-information.com now and get subscribed to our RSS feed so youll have the newest articles as theyre published!

Kathy Burns-Millyard

The perfect diet should be combined with a healthy weight management or activity program.

Weight management may conjure up that dreaded exercise word. And exercise to some means pushing the body beyond limits, experiencing painful in joints, muscles, bones everywhere.

No pain no gain, right? Wrong.

Instead, replace the word exercise with activity and incorporate this in your daily routine. And a general rule of thumb for guidelines about activity would be to strive for a minimum of 30 minutes for adults or 60 minutes for children of moderate physical activity daily.

Individual activity goals depend upon each persons health and weight goals and issues. Begin by checking with your medical advisor or healthcare physician to get a green light on which activities would be suitable for you, what your target weight range should be and a strategic plan to improve your health.

In a nutshell, during activities, calories are burned, pounds are shed in the long run. And the number of calories burned depends upon the duration and intensity or the activity. Slow and steady is the rule of thumb. And note daily progress. For those who have never been very active at all, it may be advisable to begin slow like with walking 10 minutes each day, gradually building up time and distance with increased brisk pacing.

Even if you cant get out to walk, bike or swim, take stairs instead of elevators and escalators. Clean your house. Clean your car. Wash windows. Wash your dog. Check out exercise videos, cassettes and workout books from the public library and put some of their ideas into action. Check out your local fitness centers, YMCA, community center, too, for ideas. Partner up with a neighbor to walk or join a community volleyball team.

There are unlimited ways to be active and enjoy life at the same time without using painful weight loss strategies.

For further information visit http://diet.jubiz.com

About the Author

None

Jeff Usher

Getting enough of the good fats will help you lose fat,
build muscle, and recover faster from your workouts.
In addition, it has myriad health benefits, including being
good for your heart.

Good fats include: polyunsaturated (especially Omega-3s),
such as those from fish and nuts, as well as monosaturated fats,
such as those from peanut butter, olive oil, egg yolks, and fish
oil.

Bad fats include saturated fats from things such as animal
and coconut fats. Then there is the worst kind of fat the man
made kind, trans fatty acids which can be found in our typical,
of no redeeming value, junk foods such cookies, chips, fries
and margarine.

Limit, if not stay completely away from, the bad fats and try
to get about 30 - 35% of your calories from the good fats.

Studies show that higher-fat diets make more sense for fit
people than low-fat diets, says Liz Applegate, Ph.D., author of
Encyclopedia of Sports & Fitness Nutrition. In one study,
endurance athletes ran up to 24 percent longer before they fatigued
when they ate a diet that was above 30 percent fat compared to one
that was below 20 percent, she says.

More importantly to most readers of this newsletter, researchers
are now beginning to realize the fact that a nutrition plan high in
the good fats helps the body to burn fat. Omega-3 fatty acids increase
the size of your cells fuel-burning furnaces so your metabolic rate rises
and you burn more calories every minute of every day.

Omega-3s also help your bodys sensitivity to insulin. This helps
your body store less fat. In addition, the fat you do store is more
readily and easily converted into energy and burned during activity.
This keeps your blood sugar levels stable and keeps you away from those
famed sugar crashes and cravings and irritable mood swings.

Another important exercise effect is that Omega-3s also help your
body produce testosterone, the hormone responsible for building new
muscle. The late Dan Duchaine has called the essential fatty acids
the most anabolic legal food supplement one can take to build muscle.

Of course, more muscle equals more calorie burning equals less body fat.

Fat can also help you recover from your workouts. Vitamins A, D, E
and K are fat-soluble and are very important antioxidants in the muscle-
building, bone-repairing category.

As I mentioned above, fat also helps your heart. Omega-3 fatty acids
and monounsaturated fats help lower bad LDL cholesterol and help prevent
blood clots, making your heart able to do its job with less stress.

On a personal note, I suggested my favorite essential fatty acid
supplements to a friend of mine recently who has always suffered from
high cholesterol, despite working out five plus times a week and eating
a very healthy diet.

Im going to quote the email she sent to me. I love getting stuff like
this.

I was at a demo this morning, from 10-2, and it was at a gym that was
having a members appreciation day, so they had other tables set up.

This guy who had a table next to mine was doing blood pressure tests and
cholesterol tests.

When it slowed down and bit he asked me if I wanted my cholesterol done.
I told him it would probably be pretty high, its been over 230 for the
last few years.

I told him about the marine oil supplements I was taking and told him I
have been taking them only about 7 weeks or so, and he told me hed check
my cholesterol, to see if the supplements are bringing it down any.

I got a reading of 150!!!

He thought maybe he did it wrong, so he did it AGAIN, on my other hand,
(pin prick and blood taken) and it read 150 AGAIN!! Exactly!

He got all excited and asked me for the n3inc website!

I told him I have not changed my diet OR exercise — the only thing I
am doing different is taking ResQ 1250 and ResQ LDL-X.

I hear testimonials like this time and time again from people who
take these supplements. Making sure you get a proper supply of the
good fats will go a long way toward a healthy life and the fit, toned
sexy body that you want.

About the Author

Gregg Gillies - trainer, fitness, fat loss expert, speaker, author, Get Fit Fast and publishes a free newsletter at buildleanmuscle.com

Gregg Gillies

Its no wonder so many people of all ages are turning to dancing. It kills two birds with one stone: its a great way to meet members of the opposite sex and new friends, and it offers exercise, one of the antidotes to depression with or without therapy, with or without medication.

If you know you should be exercising more and just cant drag yourself out of bed an hour earlier in the morning to go jogging in the freezing cold, or cant find tennis and racquetball partners, dancings an option you need to consider. It requires no partner, no special equipment, costs little, happens after work hours, and you probably have something appropriate to wear already in your closet.

Many dance halls now offer free or nearly-free group dance lessons and there are dancing studios cropping up all over the country where you can get individual and group lessons.

Typically the dance teacher in the private school tries to balance the ratio of men to women (arguably the hardest part of the job), and encourages changing partners, partly to increase your leading and following skills, and partly so you can develop the social skills of dancing where to look, what to say, how to invite someone to dance with you, and how to decline politely.

They also may fill in with dance assistants who are learning how to teach and want the practice. You dont need to have a partner, they advertise. Singles are welcome, often outnumbering the partnered, and theres likely to be a wide age range, skewed slightly on the older side. How sweet it that?

The private dance studio may also offer social outings and field trips to other dance halls which will extend your knowledge of whats available and also bring you new acquaintances and dance partners.

And a nod to the future? Many schools offer training for your first wedding dance. Its a big moment when the bride and groom take the floor, and they will teach you how to make it look and feel good.

If youre a man, you can also use this training to allow you to become a Gentleman Dance Host on cruise ships, including the coveted Cunard line. These gentleman, who are older and have good social and dance skills, are on duty every night in the various lounges of the ship dancing with women in need of dancing partners, as part of their working vacation. For more information on this, see my ebook, Presenting on a Cruise.

Country and Western dance halls, Salsa Clubs and Big Band Ballrooms are filling empty nights (weeknights and Sundays) by offering group lessons you can take advantage of. They usually have a male and a female teacher, so you can see what it looks like when you actually dance with someone.

You can learn the Triple Two Step, Salsa, Merengue, West Coast Swing and the new line dances, as well as the traditional ballroom dances like the waltz and polka. My dance school is having a Polka Party this Sunday afternoon. 2 hours of instruction followed by open dancing. Can you imagine the exercise?

Check with the dance halls in your area, or go here to locate a dance teacher: http://www.dancespots.net/Find/FindATeacher.asp?SE=Y. This website needs more names and numbers (there were none listed for my zip code, while there are many opportunities in this town), so if your dance school or teacher isnt listed there, call and tell him or her to get on this website. It provides needed information.

Once you get into it you may not want to stop with purely social dancing. More people all the time are recognizing the fun and physical fitness aspects and want to get more serious about it. For this you need a steady partner to practice and compete with and theres even a website for finding a dance partner: http://www.dancepartner.com/?AC=1 .

If you really get into it, youll also need wardrobe. Matching Western shirts for you and him? (Buy it and he will come!) I cant imagine dancing the tango without a ruffled skirt, can you? (The rose in your teeth is optional!) If you dont want to spend a fortune to outfit yourself, take a trip to your local Goodwill store. They may have just what youre looking for, including cowboy boots.

How to begin? Find the place, check out the dress code, and show up. You may be a little nervous at first, depending upon how rusty you are, and especially if youre a true beginner, but dont worry, youll soon be out there doing the Jitterbug with the best of them. The teachers and atmosphere will make you feel at ease immediately, and chances are youll find nice people who are there to enjoy dancing in a friendly, healthy atmosphere thats contagious.

Once youve learned the basics and found the venues, you can add dancing to your social schedule. What better way to work off that Thanksgiving dinner than to go dance the night away afterwards?

Dancing makes a great family activity. There are at least two dance halls in my town that offer special family-friendly times. They offer food as well as drink, and its sweet to see the dads dancing with their little girls in their arms, and toddlers taking the floor solo to bounce to the beat.

Theres also a chance to dance at local festivals. The recent Wurstfest in my area featured a huge dance floor with a 10-piece brass band imported from Germany that got everyone up and on their feet from 18 months to 80.

As more people stay single for extended periods of time, line dancing is being offered more frequently. If you dont have a partner, or just dont want to dance with someone you dont know, you can wait till they play Cotton Eyed Joe, Mambo No. 5, Strokin or Boot Scootin Boogie and get out there on your own.

But youll have the most fun if you go ahead and ask someone to dance, and ladies, dont be shy. Its quite acceptable to ask men to dance. In fact I think the guys appreciate it.

Whatever your goal, looking for friends or a partner, wanting to master new dances, or simply to get exercise and have fun, you cant go wrong. Its highly probable youll find all these when you go out dancing.

About the Author

Susan Dunn, MA, Midlife Dating and Relationship Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc . Offering coaching for men and women in dating, transitions, retirement and other midlife issues. Newly divorced or widowed? Let me make it easier for you. Susan is the author of Midlife Dating Survival Manual for Women, available at www.webstrategies.cc/ebooklibrary.html . Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc .

Susan Dunn, MA, Midlife Dating Coach

In an earlier article we concluded that muscles must be worked to failure if an adequate hypertrophic response is to occur. Whether this involves one or more sets is irrelevant as in either scenario the muscles must be worked to failure and beyond. This causes significant microscopic damage to the muscle tissues and it is during the period of recovery that protein synthesis undertakes the repair process that results in bigger muscle fibers.

But how long does this process take and when is it safe to expose those same muscles to further intensive exercise? Scientific studies suggest that muscle fiber degradation takes approximately five to seven days to repair and recover. Any further exposure of the affected muscle to intensive activity will interfere with the recovery process and actually prevent it from achieving maximum growth. However, using the muscle to assist in exercising other body parts or even taking part in low intensity aerobic exercise will not prevent recovery.

It follows therefore that each muscle group should be trained intensively only once each week in order to allow full recovery. This can be achieved by incorportating a split training regime that allows you to work out several times each week but still exercise each muscle group intensively only once every seven days.

About the Author

Rick Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding Advice to learn more about the issues covered in this article.

Rick Mitchell

You can only build muscle tissue if you can generate progressively stronger muscular contractions, so this calls for an emphasis on finding ways to increase exercise intensity. This should not be confused with exercise duration as maximum training intensity will actually shorten the time needed to achieve maximal muscular growth.

In an earlier article I outlined the ways in which you can intensify your training. Here well focus on the role that partial repetitions have to play in intensifying the training effect.

One of the biggest dangers confronting serious bodybuilders is the tendency to overtrain. Bodybuilders at the advanced level must resist the temptation to seek improvement by simply adding more exercises or extra workouts to an already demanding schedule.

One way to maintain progress yet avoid overtraining is to make constructive use of partial repetitions. This allows the introduction of additional intensity without adding significantly to the duration of training. To get the most out of partial repetitions you should follow these simple steps:

1. Use a much heavier weight than you would for the full range version of the same exercise.

2. Perform partial reps only from the halfway stage or mid-point of the exercise.

3. Use this method primarily on lagging body parts.

4. Perform only one exercise for one set per body part.

5. Use only as a supplement to full range movement exercises, not instead of.

About the Author

Rick Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding Advice to learn more about the issues covered in this article.

Rick Mitchell

Every bodybuilder and weight trainer will have his or her favorite exercises for each body part. Thats how it should be - as you progress through the various stages of learning youll understand what works best for you. It is useful, however, to take stock of your progress every so often and carry out an analysis of where you are and what changes, if any, are needed to move onwards and upwards.

Part of this analysis should include an assessment of the core exercises that make up your bodybuilding training program. In this article well look at the leg exercises that have proven their worth to serious bodybuilders for many years. Where appropriate a series of exercises suitable for achieving pre-exhaustion will be presented. All exercises should be performed to failure with one set of six to eight reps.

1. Leg extension - this exercise will allow you to isolate the thigh muscles preserving the strength of the other leg muscles for the compound exercise to follow.

- Push the pads until the knees are almost locked.

- Pause.

- Lower with control to the starting position.

2. Leg press - you can move straight on to this exercise if you are sufficiently experienced.

- Place your feet firmly at shoulder width on the foot board.

- Bend the legs until they are almost touching the chest.

- Pause.

- Return with control to the starting position.

3. Calves - the best way to work the calves is to perform raises on special gym equipment that allows standing raises and sitting raises to work both calf muscles.

About the Author

Richard Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding Advice to learn more about the issues covered in this article.

Rick Mitchell