The LuxMob Info Tags

If joining a fitness center is not for you, and you’re not the outdoors-y type, home exercise equipment is a smart choice for staying fit. Before you buy, you should do your homework in order to prevent your new exercise machine from becoming an over-sized clothes hanger.

Before you spend your money, first consider your current exercise routine (if any). Variety in an exercise plan tends to keep you from getting bored and provides a good route to overall fitness. With this in mind, consider a fitness machine that provides a different type of benefit to what you are already doing or plan to do.

For example, if you walk 3 times a week, you may want to consider home exercise equipment that offers resistance training, such as a home gym.

Be wary of “fad” equipment and always check for a warranty. Anything that sounds too good to be true, usually is. You want to try to find home exercise equipment that works your whole body or major portions of your body for the best results.

Decide where your home exercise equipment will be located in your home and take measurements. You want to be sure the machine you are considering will fit the space you have available.

Think also about your budget. Home exercise equipment prices can range from as low as $100 to into the thousands. The high end models are terrific and offer a lot of bells and whistles, but you can generally get a good workout and decent quality by spending a few to several hundred dollars.

A good strategy is to spend most of your budget on one quality piece, such as an exercise bike or home gym, then supplement it with inexpensive equipment such as dumbbells or aerobics videos.

Conray Knox is the owner and webmaster of Weight Training Info Discover how to eat and training for maximum weight loss and muscle gain.

Do as much as you can to avoid a confrontation - “anticipation
and avoidance” are the key words. If you get caught up in a
situation, try to talk to an aggressor without provoking them.
Practice relaxation, as appearing fearful or stressed can
actually provoke an attack. Remember that body language is
important in aggressive situations, so maintain a comfortable
distance between you and the aggressor.

Use a gas or electronic attack alarm, as these give out a short
piercing sound and will temporarily disorientate an attacker,
giving you enough time to escape. Carry it somewhere where you
can get to it quickly - don’t leave it buried at the bottom of
your bag. If you don’t have an alarm, just make a noise yourself
by screaming as loud as you can, or shouting “call the police” -
if you’re loud enough this can be just as effective as a
personal alarm. If you have an alarm, use it and shout as well.

Steady yourself if danger threatens. Panic can disable you, so
again it’s useful to learn how to keep control in a difficult
situation. If you must fight back, adopt what police term the
“bash and dash” approach. Primary targets are the eyes, nose,
mouth, ears, throat, groin, knees, or shins; choose whichever is
easiest to get to.

If held from behind, don’t struggle forward, you’ll only exhaust
yourself. Instead, throw yourself backwards to surprise your
attacker or stomp on the lower leg or foot.

You have the right to defend yourself with reasonable force and
this includes using items you have with you such as an umbrella,
bag, briefcase or keys. However, don’t carry or use anything
that the law would regard as an offensive weapon. Once you’ve
achieved your primary aim of stunning or surprising your
attacker, get away as fast as you can. If you manage to overcome
them, don’t attack again. You could be putting yourself in more
danger or you could end up being charged with assault.

These are just the very basics of self-defense, but to learn
more about it and get some exercise at the same time, find a
local self-defense class and encourage your family along to join
you. Just remember, “anticipation and avoidance” are the best
forms of defense.

Stay safe! Visit http://www.UrbanSafetySupplies.com and
http://www.HiTechHiddenCameras.com for all of your self defense
and security item needs.

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.

We all know that professional hair-care products are best, but
what happens if you can’t find something that you like or can
afford in professional product lines? Are there any products
that you can purchase from the department store that will not
cause too much damage? You bet there is, but you have to be
choosy and have an eye for detail.

When it comes to over-the-counter hair care products, pricy does
not always equal high-quality. In fact, the most inexpensive
shampoos are often your best bet. We’ve all seen those
commercials that claim that a certain shampoo can make your hair
shiny, thick and strong from within, but the reality is that
there is no shampoo that you can put on the outside of your hair
to change its internal structure. Shampoos and conditioners
merely mask the problem until your next shampoo.

Knowing this, some hair care manufacturers have started using
ingredients that coat the hair strand and remain even after you
shampoo the next time. To the consumer, it seems like the
product is working because their hair feels so much better. But
what they are really feeling is the build up of these materials,
and extreme build up is responsible for hair breakage, spotty
color jobs, inability of hair to hold curl and a host of other
problems.

This problem involving product build up is your number one
concern when purchasing non-professional products. Granted, you
might not be able to get a product that conditions as well as a
professional product, but you’re not going to do any damage to
your hair if you use the non-professional product. So, that
means that you must keep your eye out for products that can
build up on your hair and avoid them at all costs.

Avoiding hairsprays and gels that build up on your hair is
fairly easy. You can almost tell that something is horribly
wrong the first time you shampoo your hair after using the
product. The tale, tale white gunk and flakes tell you so. But
when it comes to spotting build up caused by shampoo and
conditioners, the signs are not as obvious. The first thing that
you should watch out for is the feeling that your hair has
already been conditioned after you shampoo it. Most of the time,
you will be able to feel a coating on your hair when your hair
should be squeaky clean. You can also check for product build up
by running the sharp edge of a pair of scissors down a section
of hair. If a white gunk appears on the scissor blade, that’s
build up.

Fortunately, most of the products that can build up on your hair
are the more expensive products. These are the products that
claim to work miracles and make your hair strong enough to be
used as a tow cable. So, if in doubt, stick with the tried and
true hair care products that contain only the essential
ingredients.

We are in a world where things are changing all the time. One
thing, which is changing at a fast speed, is technology.
Technology is becoming more advanced year by year. Fashion is
also another thing that is changing on a regular basis. In fact
a lot of people are now more likely to make sure that they are
looking good and also keeping up with the fashion than what they
use to. This is not just the women, a lot of men are also making
sure that they are looking good. In fact, there are more men
buying health and beauty products now to what there us to be a
few years back.

As we all want to look and feel our best at all times, this
sometimes requires that we spend money on some health and beauty
products. In fact, some people spend hundreds of dollars on
products every year just so that they can improve their looks
and feel good. Some people are even having surgery just so they
can improve their looks.

Not all, but some people think that if they want to look better
than what they do now, they have to then spend money so that
they can improve their appearance and get noticed by others. The
more they spend the better and younger they will look and fell.
The only problem with this is that if you keep buying health and
beauty products so that you look and feel good, the costs add up
over the years.

A good option would be to buy your health and beauty products of
the Internet by using a health and beauty price comparison guide
before you make a purchase. This is good as you can find the
products that you need, you can then compare the prices from a
large amount of different online merchants and you can then
purchase your required products and save at the same time.

HREF=http://www.1healthseeking.com rel="nofollow">http://www.1healthseeking.com<
/A> is a US product price comparison site that only lists
products to do with health and beauty. In fact, it lists
thousands of products from a large amount of different top
quality online merchants.

If you are located in the UK then buying products from a US
merchant is something that you may not want to do. So you could
always use 1HealthSeeking’s UK product price comparison guide
at: HREF=http://www.1healthseeking.co.uk rel="nofollow">http://www.1healthseeking.co
.uk. This guide also lists thousands of health and beauty
products from top quality merchants in the UK

Off course, some people are still weary about spending and using
their credit cards online. There are more people spending on the
Internet everyday, but there are still some people around the
world that may not think that using an online site to purchase
products is a good idea.

That’s one thing that is good about an online price comparison
site. If you are not happy about spending money online, then you
could still use a product price comparison site as a lot of
price comparison sites include merchants that you have most
likely seen at your local supermarket.

So instead of spending hours a day looking through every shop
just so that you can find the cheapest price for a product, you
could always do a search online through a product price
comparison guide and then once you have done your search and
found the product that you are interested in, you can then go to
your local supermarket and purchase the product directly from
the merchant itself.

After using a product price comparison guide, no matter which
one you use, you are more likely to find the same products for a
cheaper price and more quickly than what you would if you didn’t
use one. After time, you will notice your savings adding up
meaning that you will be able to afford making your self look
good and feel a lot better at a cheaper cost.

Copyright 2005 Paul Bunting

I met her at a networking group early one morning. Lacy (name
changed for privacy reasons) was in her 40s and had a lot going
for her. She was intelligent, well spoken, and confident in her
ability to run her own Law Firm as an attorney. Lacy was able to
enjoy many things in life that others whom believed themselves
to “less fortunate” did not think they could enjoy. However,
there was one big issue Lacy struggles with. It is an issue that
you may recognize in another person, or even in yourself. Body
image and fitness.

It was no secret that Lacy was a woman of large bone structure;
something genetic that she has absolutely no control over
whatsoever. It was also no secret that Lacy tried just about
every trick and diet in the book to lose weight and get into
shape. In fact, Lacy was bold enough to announce to the entire
networking group of over 30 people her ambitions to fit into a
sexy lingerie outfit for her husband and feel like a word I
better not mention in this article (but I’m sure you have a good
imagination).

Being a fitness professional myself, Lacy and myself were bound
to be a magical match made in fitness and diet bliss, or one may
have thought. After all, my track record is very good, and over
the years I have been able to guide many people into discovering
how to stay fit, so helping Lacy make this discovery would come
naturally right?

Actually not. I worked with Lacy for a couple of months and
after that Lacy decided the low carb diet she was insistent on
sticking to was not working, and she was going to go off on her
own program again. Think this is uncommon? Think again, Lacy was
doing what many people do when it comes to health and fitness.

As previously mentioned I have helped many people discover how
they can live the fitness lifestyle. However, there is another
side to the story. There have been more people that I have
crossed paths with in a professional manor that have not been
able to maintain the fitness lifestyle. For years I wondered how
and why this happens. What causes a person to invest so much
time, thought, and effort into the idea of getting into shape
only to succumb to disappointment and end up exactly opposite of
where they wanted to be?

I eventually discovered it’s all in the mind. Lacy was the way
she was because of the way she thought about fitness and
nutrition in relation to herself. In her career Lacy obviously
demonstrated the characteristics of successful thinking. In her
idea of diet and fitness Lacy demonstrated the opposite.

You may be wondering how does one swing the thinking pendulum
from fitness failure to fitness success and make it stay to
fitness success?

If “one” is willing to change some basic fundamentals in thought
the process can be happen with great ease and simplicity.
Outlined below are five things you can do to adopt the fitness
mindset and easily be as fit as you decide to be;

1. Do NOT set goals for yourself. When you set a goal you create
an expectation that is formulated from a desire. Very often
people will set a goal that they do not believe in their hearts
they can achieve, but it would be nice. There are many small
things that must be done in order for a big “goal” to
materialize. Additionally, not accomplishing a goal often leads
to feelings of disappointment, failure; resentments and the end
of the New Year’s resolution to be in shape. Instead of
definitive goal setting you can:

2. Decide to move the direction of fitness and wellness:

There are many ways to exercise, with none being “the ultimate
workout” or supreme to the rest. Selecting an activity that you
can decide to enjoy is a key element to lasting exercise
success. Make the decision to eat foods than help you feel well,
not frenzied. If something is called a die-t you may be better
off passing and selecting a different way of eating. It is
relatively common knowledge at this point that low carb is not
the most effective choice in weight loss. Do you homework about
nutrition and:

3. Let go of the habits that are not working, including thinking!

If you have decided to want to change something you are going to
have to do something different than what you have been doing to
get you to this point. Assess the way you think about yourself.
If you think of yourself as not being able to stick to a fitness
program, or someone who is constantly struggling to get in shape
decide to think different thoughts. You can do this by:

4. Asking yourself a series of questions:

If being in shape is what you want; hold that question in mind
and ask yourself what would it take to do that? By going inside
and looking to your own higher consciousness for answers there
is no limit as to what you can discover. This process works best
when you make the decision to take time for yourself on a daily
basis to inquire inward. When you make a regular practice of
inquiring inward you will discover many things. To materialize
and experience them you must:

5. Take Action!

What you discover by looking inward you can materialize through
your actions. Through a series of small actions repeated on a
regular basis you can materialize and experience a big change.

You have the ability to make the coming year your personal best
starting with the moment or right now. When your right now is
good, things that you enjoy can naturally happen without even
having to make a whole lot of effort. It all starts in your
mind!

The primary reason we need to eat food is to provide fuel for
the body. This fuel comes from the breakdown of carbohydrates,
proteins, and fats. To explain it simply, food is broken down to
produce energy, and it takes many chemical processes for that to
occur. Molecules are removed, heat is produced, but basically
all that is left in the end is water, carbon-dioxide, and
energy.

But it’s far more complicated than that. Carbohydrates,
proteins, and fats, each get converted to energy but each take a
different path.

Before I start on how fat is burned (or broken down), let me
first explain a few key terms in the process of converting food
to energy:

ATP: Adenosine Tri-Phosphate is energy. It’s what the body uses
as fuel at the cellular level. It can be produced using oxygen
(aerobic), or without the presence of oxygen (anaerobic).

Glycolysis: An anaerobic process where glucose is converted to
pyruvic acid.

Pyruvic Acid: If oxygen is available it is converted into
acetyl CoA. If no oxygen is available it is converted into
lactic acid.

Acetyl CoA: All this potential energy can only be achieved if
it enters the Krebs Cycle, and to do this it must first be
converted in to acetyl CoA.

Krebs Cycle: This is an eight step cycle that amongst other
things, removes hydrogen and carbon-dioxide. It also produces a
small amount of ATP.

The Electron Transport Chain: The final process in the
breakdown of foods. This is where most of the ATP is formed.

How Fat Is Broken Down

There are a number of fats in the body but it’s the
triglycerides, or “neutral fats”, that are usually converted to
energy. The triglycerides come from both stored fat (from within
fat cells and skeletal muscle fibers) and diet (the foods we
eat). This single triglyceride will eventually produce 441 ATP
molecules. When compared to the 38 ATP that are produced by
glucose, you can easily see why fat is considered a much richer
source of energy.

Step 1: The break-down of triglycerides To be used for energy a
triglyceride needs to be broken down into its basic units: one
molecule of glycerol and 3 molecules of fatty acids. This
process is called Lipolysis.

Step 2: Conversion to acetyl CoA Although they both have the
same outcome, the glycerol and fatty acids each follow a
different path. Their goal is to enter the Krebs Cycle, but
first they must get converted to acetyl CoA.

Step 2a: Glycerol to acetyl CoA Glycerol, which is a basic
sugar, follows the glycolytic pathway (glycolysis). During this
process it is converted into pyruvic acid. For entry into the
Krebs Cycle, the pyruvic acid must be converted to acetyl CoA.

This is done in 3 steps:

i) One carbon is removed from the pyruvic acid and released as
carbon dioxide, which is released from the cell and exits via
the lungs.

ii) Hydrogen atoms are removed and will later exit be used to
produce more energy.

iii) What’s left is called acetic acid, and it is combined with
coenzyme A to form Acetyl CoA

Step 2b: Fatty acids to acetyl CoA Fatty acids are converted
into Acetyl CoA via a process called beta-oxidation. During this
process the fatty acid chains are broken apart, forming two
acetic acid molecules. Each of these are then fused to coenzyme
A, forming acetyl CoA.

Step 3: The Krebs Cycle At this point both the glycerol and the
fatty acids have been converted to Acetyl CoA and are now ready
for the Krebs Cycle. As the Acetyl CoA is broken down,
carbon-dioxide and hydrogen are removed. Once again the
carbon-dioxide exits the body via the lungs. However, the
hydrogen moves on to the final stage.

Step 4: The Electron Transport Chain The Electron Transport
Chain is the final process in the break down of food. Each of
the hydrogen molecules that were removed during the previous
processes have been transported here. They now combine with
oxygen to form water (H20), with the resulting energy from this
reaction causing the formation of ATP.

Press Conference 1996 - Lance Armstrong

On Wednesday October 2, I was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
I have been made aware that it has spread to other parts of my
body……….I ….. I am…. here is say, I will work with the doctors
to overcome……..and I will work hard to race once again.

“Just DO it” Nike Ad

Sunday July 24, 2005 Lance Armstrong not only beat cancer, but
also went out on top after winning seven consecutive Tour De
France bicycle races. If you don’t know, the Tour De France bike
race is with out a doubt the most grueling endurance race ever.
For the most conditioned athletes it is the hardest optical they
will ever face. However, for Lance after cancer, the race seems
as if it were just a formality of a race already won.

No one will ever know what truly drives a human being to
overcome such odds. No one will ever know what demons they had
to face each and every day in those beds, bikes and back roads
of their minds. What I do know is Lance did go from denying his
condition to having a deep desire to overcome it and succeed! In
my best selling book I write what it takes to go from denial
about your health to incorporating exercise into your daily
routine.

Here’s a small portion:

>From Denial to Desire

Living in a state of denial can really be a big weight to carry
for anyone, no matter what the circumstances are surrounding it.
But, what does it mean to be in denial of your health? What are
some of the behaviors that are associated with denial?

I know I need to make an appointment for a checkup! But you
don’t.

I may have a few pounds on me, but I still feel fine.

I walk on the golf course isn’t that enough?

I’m going to die sooner or later, why start now on an exercise
program?

Ok, I get the point, but……

Where do I go from here? What’s next for me?

HAVE A DEEP DESIRE

What does it mean to have deep desire for something? Remember
those feelings you had back when you wanted your first bicycle.
That Barbie doll you made a fit over in the toy store in front
of everyone. Or what about that girl or boy you would have done
just about anything for? There was such a hunger, a burning in
your gut. You couldn’t even think straight, eat or sleep because
it occupied your every thought. You just had to have it!

HAVE HOPE

Have hope! Acknowledging the reality of your life does not mean
you have to give up hope. It can mean just the opposite, “A new,
fresh beginning.” Many a people have done extraordinary things
with nothing but a little bit of hope. Combine that with some
faith and a deep desire to feel better, you may be surprised how
your life will change.

HAVE AN OPEN MIND

Have an open mind toward exercise and eating better, rather than
resenting the actions.

Accept the fact that life will not hand you a perfect situation.

Learn that your self-worth is not based upon if you ask for help
along the way.

We age. Our metabolism slows down, and we are more prone to
injuries and illness. However, it does not have to be fatal or
depressing if you exercise and eat better. The threesome of
denial, pride and laziness will always be followed up by some
unwanted consequence to your health. And things that make you
resist exercise and eating right are only illusions you have
created.

If the whys are big enough, the hows don’t matter! Niche

HAVE A LONG-TERM ATTITUDE

If you want to go from denial to desire, call on the “all or
nothing attitude.” If you are going to start now, you have to
start for good. The reality is you will have good attitude and
bad attitude days for the rest of your life. But understand, if
you are going to be healthier through exercise and eating, you
are going to have to participate in some form of exercise till
the day you die. This is not a temporary fix to a long-term
problem; it is a lifestyle.

TAKE AN “INSIDE-OUT” APPROACH

It is really important to understand that in order to sustain a
healthy lifestyle, you have to develop a positive type of mind
set. Sure it looks great and feels great to have a well-shaped
body on the outside. However, you will never win the aging
battle if you think that all you have to do is work on the
outside of the body.

You will have a better chance of feeling better inside and
outside if you have a deep desire to be healthy both physically
and emotionally first! When your motives and desires come from
the heart or “INSIDE-OUT”, then true health begins to grow. And
if your physical appearance changes during the process, that is
icing on the cake.

Changing from the “INSIDE-OUT” is a concept or idea, a
day-to-day mindset. When your main desire to exercise centers in
your heart, it is here you start to live your life with the
attitude of

What’s next?

In a Nut Shell

What’s next? Only you can answer that question.

Denial, Pride and Lazy will be your biggest obstacles when
getting in better shape. And it would be unrealistic to think
you will ever be totally rid of them. On the other hand,
building a strong desire to stand on your own can be your
biggest strength against them. When your desire to feel better
is so strong, the truth becomes a tool instead of a barrier.

Denial, Pride and Lazy are fictional characters in our minds.
While paralyzing, immediate action without compromise tends to
scare them away. Waiting to feel better makes no logical sense.
Starting right now makes all the sense in the world because the
result will be that you feel better.

“If only I had known.” they said.

>From the coach’s box:

The process will be a lot easier with an open-minded, long-term
approach to your health.

Most importantly, focus on what matters most in the long run–
working on your inside physical and emotional well being.

No, you may not be a Lance Armstrong, but you do have the
capabilities to overcome adversity in your life. We may not be
able to win races on a bicycle, however we can LIVESTRONG! Way
to go Lance. Thanks for being such an inspiration to us all!

Looking for a muscle building solution? Try going back to basics
for new muscle mass. Sometimes, the best muscle mass methods get
lost and buried under all the new weight training tips,
techniques, innovations and ‘breakthroughs.”

A great example is the traditional four day upper body, lower
body split. It used to be quite popular but you hardly see it
recommended anymore.

This four day split has you training four days a week on Monday,
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. You perform an upper body weight
lifting workout on Mondays and Thursdays. You train your lower
body on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Some people find it very difficult to keep progressing when they
have to hit the weights five or six days a week. Yet, they stall
out if they don’t work a muscle twice a week. So what’s the
solution? The four day upper body, lower body split of course.
You’re only in the gym four times a week. You don’t workout with
weights more than two days in a row. And yet you still get in
work for each muscle group twice per week.

In addition to all that, you eliminate most of the overlap
problems you see in other splits. There’s a lot of overlap when
working various muscle groups. For example, both the back and
chest require working the shoulders. The back hits the bicpes
and the chest also hits the triceps. So even those splits that
divide muscles over 5 or 6 days find themselves working the same
muscle group two days in a row which is a surefire prescription
to the overtraining land of no gains and no new muscle mass.

So what’s a weight training program utilizing this split look
like? Here’s a great example.

Monday and Thursday (Upper Body)

Decline Bench Press 3 x 6-8

Dumbbell Bench Press 3 x 5

Chins 3 x 8-10

One Arm Dumbbell Rows 3 x 6-8

Seated Dumbbell Press 4 x 8 - 10

Standing Dumbbell Curls 3 x 8 - 10

Tuesday and Friday (Lower Body)

Leg Press 5 x 10 - 15

Squats 3 x 8

Leg Curls 2 x 12 - 15

Stiff Legged Deadlifts 3 x 12

Standing Calf Raises 3 x 15

Weighted Crunches 5 x 15

Your muscle grow when you are resting, not when you are working
out. You need to give your muscles enough rest and recuperation
to allow the building process to take place. If you head back to
the gym too soon, you won’t build muscle. Eventually, you’ll get
weaker, lose muscle mass, feel like crap, and stop working out.
And you definitely don’t want that to happen.

Your whole body needs rest. Working back one day, chest the
next, and legs the day after that may give your individual
muscles some rest but this is definitely not how to build lean
muscle. Why? Because each workout puts a systemic stress on your
entire body, no matter what muscle groups you are working. Your
kidneys, etc. don’t understand or care that you are working
different muscle groups each day. So get out of the gym, get
some rest, and grow! This is why you can struggle to make
progress working out five or six times a week, even when you are
splitting up your body parts.

Give this four day split a try and you’ll be rewarded with new
muscle mass and strength.

Anyone who has ever become involved in exercise, especially
aerobic exercise, has probably heard the term “target heart
rate” or “target heart range” or THR. This is a very important
concept for anyone who is involved in an exercise program or
someone who wants to start a program. Unfortunately, some
exercise professionals gloss over this concept and don’t let
people know just how important it is. My wife belongs to a
Jazzercise group and she tells me that the instructors hardly
bring up the need for monitoring your THR during an exercise
session (my wife wears a heart rate monitor to keep checks on
her THR all the time, so I guess I’ve had a positive influence
on her in that respect). I sure am glad that I’m not the
insurance company handling the liability insurance for this
group. You see, not monitoring your THR can actually be
dangerous. And, not only can it be dangerous for mature people,
but it can also be dangerous for younger people too.

So, let’s look at the concept of THR and why it is so important.
Under normal circumstances, the human heart can only beat so
many beats per minute. If it goes above or below these certain
parameters, it usually means that something is wrong, and that’s
one of the reasons we need to know what it is. For the average
person, a simple rule of thumb to determine your maximum heart
rate (MHR) is to subtract your age from 220 (women can use 210).
Example: a 60 year old male can calculate his MHR by taking 220
- 60 = 160, so his MHR is 160. A 60 year old female would take
210 - 60 = 150, so her MHR is 150. Keep in mind that this is
just a rule of thumb. If you want to find out what your exact
MHR is, you will need to have a doctor put you through an
aerobic exercise test to exhaustion (a “max test”), which isn’t
usually worth while for most of us. When I was in graduate
school they would put me through a “max test” about once every
other week to give the other students a chance to see how all
the equipment worked and what they needed to do to run
everything properly. They used me because I was a well
conditioned triathlete and a little stupid too. Believe me,
those tests are tough, and you don’t want to go through one
unless you absolutely have to.

The reason you need to know your MHR is that it is used to
determine your THR for different exercise goals. What do we mean
when we say “different exercise goals”? Some people are going to
exercise just to stay or get healthy. Others will want to
exercise to lose weight. And, still others may be exercising to
increase their aerobic or anaerobic capabilities for a certain
sport (swimming, sprinting, marathons, etc.). Whatever these
goals are, the THR to achieve them is going to be different. If
someone just wants to use aerobic exercise to help become or
stay healthy, a good THR for them might be 65% - 80% of their
MHR. Using our 60 year old male whose MHR is 160, his THR for
staying healthy would be 160 x 65% = 104, 160 x 80% = 128, so
his range would be 104 - 128 heart beats per minute (this is
measured by taking your pulse). If he wants to lose weight, he
might use a THR of 60% - 70% of his MHR because this level will
burn more fat. And, don’t forget, monitoring your heart rate
isn’t only to achieve your exercise goals. It is important that
you keep track of your heart rate so that if anything unusual
starts to happen while you’re exercising you will be able to
stop.

A really convenient way to keep track of your target heart rate
is with a heart rate monitor. These can cost anywhere from about
$60 up to $250 and more depending on how many bells and whistles
you want. You can also just take your pulse at your wrist or
neck (how to do that is food for another article), several times
during an exercise session to make sure you stay within your
range.

Knowing your THR and MHR is very important, both for safety and
for appropriate exercise goal setting. Learn what they are, and
monitor them regularly.

©2005 Thomas D. Manfredi, MS