Author: Sven Ullmann.

If you would like to work in one of the many Pilates studios, fitness clubs, therapeutic clinics, or simply as a personal trainer the main thing you should focus on is getting certified from a reputable Pilates training facility. There are many training institution that offer certification course in Pilates. You would need to attend hundreds of hours of lectures, training, and apprentice work before you are considered qualified for a rigorous written and practical examination.

Every student is required to have studied the anatomy and must be a certified fitness professional or licensed rehabilitation practitioner to be able to even try to get a Pilates certification. All qualified Pilates instructors must attend continual education classes which are required in order to maintain certification status throughout the length of their instructing and training career.

Many of the most recognized Pilates training institutions include the Physical Mind Institute, The Pilates Studio, Polestar Education, and Stott Pilates. The majority of the courses offered are through their massive network of affiliated studios or fitness clubs.

The Pilates Studio has eleven course locations all over the world and teaches Authentic Pilates, which are true to the original forms, techniques, and sequences that were developed by Joseph Pilates. It is also affiliated with the Pilates Guild which is a non profit organization that is dedicated to preserving Joseph Pilates’ personal achievements through his work.

The beginning phase of the curriculum involves a series of seminars on the beginner, intermediate, and advanced exercised that are performed on the mat and equipment. The second phase involves a six-hundred hour apprenticeship program working side by side with a Pilates Guild certified instructor. The exams are required after each phase and must be fully completed within one year. The cost of the entire program is around $4,000.

Getting your certification is only the beginning. Pilates’ exercises have been getting more attention and devotion from people all over the world. The introduction to the American Population began in 1910 and has been practiced by millions of Americans since that day. When Pilates was first introduced it began with springs attached to hospital beds and became his first Pilates’ Machine.

Since that day almost a century ago the Pilates’ techniques and machines have improved drastically and become much more efficient. Pilates had many personal students who continued his teachings.

If your Pilates certification facts are out of date then it may drastically affect your students. Be sure to not let important Pilates’ information go in one ear and out the other. You owe it to the people you are instructing and the Pilates’ name to know exactly what you are doing to help them achieve the maximum results.

Author: Rusty Moore.

Having a tough time losing body fat from those problem areas? If your current cardio program is failing you, then interval training could be your answer. Interval training, done correctly, has been proven to be the most effective way to lose stubborn body fat.

Interval Training Burns a Massive Amount of Calories in a Short Time

Interval Training is tough work which burns more total calories than traditional cardio. A very basic approach to losing weight is to burn more calories than what you consume in a day. An intense session of Interval Training will raise your metabolism for a few hours after the workout. The total calories burned will be much greater than if a more moderate form of cardio was used.

Want to stay below 10 percent body fat and see your abs year round? Here is a great interval training workout that works extremely well.

1) Hop on a treadmill, exercise bike, or elliptical machine

2) Walk at the typical “target heart rate” pace for one and a half minutes

3) Increase the level of the machine so you are either jogging or peddling at a quicker pace

4) After 30 seconds back down to the slower pace you began at. Keep it at that level for one-and-a-half minutes like before

5) After one-and-a-half minutes at moderate, you are going to hit the intense level for 30 seconds again. This time you want it to be even more intense than the first 30 second bout.

6) Repeat this for 20-30 minutes

Some things to look for…you will want to make sure that you are a bit short of breath and sweating when the workout is done. If you are breathing normal or aren’t sweating, then you won’t get the full benefits of interval training. You can’t make up for a lack of intensity by training longer, you really need to tough it out for this to work well. Interval training isn’t the easiest way to workout, but it is the most effective for getting rid of stubborn body fat.

Author: Kaushik Das.

Generally most women can begin a formal exercise program within 6 weeks of giving birth, though this time frame might be slightly longer for some women, including those recovering from a C-section. Most women recovering from a C-section will be able to exercise after there incision has healed and their doctor has cleared them for exercise.

Just how soon you begin an exercise program will depend in part on how you feel. If you had an easy delivery with no tearing and few interventions and regularly exercised prior to birth, you may feel up to some light exercise within 2 weeks of giving birth.

If this is the case, your doctor will probably allow you to engage in some light activities, including walking. Strenuous activity should generally be avoided however until several weeks after birth.

For some women however, even light exercise in the weeks following delivery is not possible. If you had an episiotomy or tore severely while delivering for example, your body may not physically be ready for a formal exercise program for at least 4-6 weeks after birth (note… this is also how long most physicians recommend that women abstain from intercourse!).

How soon you begin exercising thus depends on your body and your unique situation. Be sure you consult with your physician before embarking on a new exercise program regardless of your activity level before and during pregnancy.

Let’s say that one more time because it is important… YOU MUST CONSULT WITH YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IF YOU WANT TO EMBARK ON AN EXERCISE PROGRAM. Your body goes through a lot of physical trauma when you deliver a baby. Starting an exercise program too soon will delay your recovery and could potentially injure your body permanently. It may also take you longer than six weeks to heal fully if you start exercising too soon.

Now, if you feel better and capable of working out before you hit the six week mark, don’t hesitate to contact your healthcare provider. Most will encourage light exercise including walking, and some may encourage other types of activity particularly if you were active before you got pregnant.

Each and every individual is unique and different, thus their ability to return to a regular exercise routine will vary after delivery. It is important that you listen to your body.

About the Author:
For more information about Pregnancy . Visit: http://www.manomanju.com/pregnancy

Author: NARA.

Walking inside a public park, seashore or even in a railway platform is a great fun for all age groups of both genders.

It’s also a great exercise to lose weight, reduce stress and enjoy oneself easily.

Walking in the early morning or late evening brings great relief to our body and mind.

One can feel the arm sunshine caressing the back, the fresh air – crisp and clean.

We can listen to the chirping of the birds, the humming of insects and above all the sound of our own foot steps.

While walking, the heart beat increases and in turn pumps oxygenated blood.

Walking as we all know, is one of the easiest most enjoyable and the least expensive exercise one can start.

It does not need expensive equipments except a pair of canvass shoes.

We have to plan and stick to it.

The time allotted for walking should be kept up because the time spent on walking is just for ourselves to improve our body, mind and spirit.

One can walk with one’s friend or dog.

Dogs make great walking companions.

Even we have neither of them, we can walk alone enjoying nature without anyone else’s interference.

When we start a walking program, we start out slowly to warm up the muscles by walking for about ten minutes breathing deeply.

This will certainly help to relax and oxygenate our blood.

As we walk, it is better to swing our arms and walk briskly.

It is said that distance does not matter, movement does.

Slowly over time the walking time may be increased to a maximum of one hour daily.

Even thirty minutes a day will do, but it should be regular, every day.

We may even do ten minutes of easy walking, ten minutes of very fast walking and then 10 minutes of slow walking again.

Regular walking will bring down the excess weight.

We should make walking a daily habit or at least 4 – 5 times a week depending on our schedule.

Walking or physical aerobic exercise has become an absolute necessity nowadays for all who enjoy a modern sedentary life.

Walking for fitness has become a motto among most of the urban population.

Walking is not only for old people but also for the young.

Converting food into energy needs more a physical activity.

So we need to choose any one convenient exercise and do it regularly to get the desired benefit.

Everyone knows the benefits of walking, but only some gets the benefits.

About the Author:
Retired professor

Author: Robert McEvily.

You used to run a lot. Now? Not so much. But you want to get back into it. It’s easy! Just…)

Imagine Yourself in Your Future Kick-Butt Body
Everyone wants you. Everyone craves you. Everyone loves you! Now start running and make it happen!

Get an iPod and Use It
Well, it doesn’t have to be an iPod, but if you don’t already have some kind of portable listening device, I highly recommend you get one. Nothing pushes you like music. It makes a world of difference. (Forget about watching TV while jogging on a treadmill. You need to create your own personal visuals.) Music is a rhythmic kick in the butt. (I dare anyone to NOT feel like running when they hear Fatboy Slim’s “Weapon of Choice.”)

Clip Pictures of People with Bodies You Admire
Are you about to trash that magazine? Wait! Don’t trash it until you’ve torn out the pages (you know the ones) that make you feel excited about working out and improving your body. Do Olympic swimmers do it for you? Beckham bending one? Whatever works – clip it, file it, and focus on it.

Enjoy the Focus on You
You spend a lot of time focusing on others, both personally and professionally. Running allows you to spend time with yourself, alone in your head, lost in your thoughts. Soak it up.

Upgrade Your Running Shoes
Enough with the stinky gray sneakers with the holes in the soles! Get yourself a jazzy new pair (and hit the streets to show them off)!

Think About How Crappy You Feel…
…when you skip your run. You feel lazy. You feel like you took the easy way out. You feel like a slug. A big fat dum-dum. Don’t this happen! Think of how great you’ll feel when it’s over!

About the Author:
Robert McEvily is a copywriter, social media consultant, and the creator and editor of Six Sentences.

Author: Raymond Lee.

Aerobic exercise is important at all ages. You are never told too old to begin an aerobic exercise program and to experience the often dramatic benefits. There are, of course, a few special considerations involved in beginning an exercise program later in life. If you have been de-conditioned by avoiding exercise for some time, you are likely to start at a lower level of physical ability than would a younger person. You may be more susceptible to fractures if you fall and injure yourself. You may have an underlying medical condition that limits your choice of exercise activities. You may need to talk with your doctor for advice as to exactly how to proceed. Nevertheless, at your age, you need aerobic exercise more than ever, and there is almost always a way to get it.

Some people worry that they have only so many heartbeats in a lifetime, and that exercise will increase their heart rates and use them up. In fact, because of the decrease in resting heart rate, the fit individual uses 10 to 25% fewer heartbeats in the course of a day, even after allowing for the increase during exercise periods. Aerobic training also builds good muscle tone, improves reflexes, improves balance, burn fat, and makes the bones stronger.

Much has been made of reaching a particular heart rate during exercise, one that avoids too much stress and yet provides the “training effect.” Usually it is difficult to count your pulse while you are exercising, but you can check it by counting the pulse in your wrist for 15 seconds immediately after you stop exercising and then multiplying by 4. more important, as your training progresses, you may wish to count your resting pulse, perhaps in bed in the morning before you get up. The goal here is a resting heart rate of about 60 beats per minute. An individual who is not fit will typically have a resting heart rate of 75 or so.

There are easier ways of telling how you are doing. Endurance activity is a bit uncomfortable at first, and then becomes quite comfortable as your training program persists. It is not “all out.” You should be able to carry on a conversation while you are exercising. On the other hand, you should be breaking a sweat during each exercise period. The sweating indicates that the exercise has raised your internal body temperature.

Aerobic exercise must be sustained activity. You need at least 10 or 15 minutes of exercise each session. You can progress up to 200 minutes per week, spread out over five to seven sessions; beyond this amount little further benefits seems to result.

Your choice of a particular aerobic activity depends on your own desires and your present level of fitness. The activity should be one that can be graded; that is, you should be able to easily and gradually increase the effort and the duration of the exercise.

Walking by itself not always an aerobic exercise, but it provides very important health benefits. If you haven’t been exercising at all, start by walking. For seniors, a gradual increase in walking activity, up to a minimum of 150 minutes per week, usually should precede attempting a more strenuous aerobic program. Walking briskly can be aerobic, but you need to push the pace quite a bit to break a sweat and get your heart rate up. Walking uphill or upstairs can quite quickly become aerobic.

Jogging, swimming, and brisk walking are appropriate for all ages, and many seniors of all ages participate. Master swim programs are increasingly popular.

Inside the house, stationary bicycles or cross-country ski machines are good. Some individuals like to use radio earphones while they exercise; others exercise indoors while watching evening news. While almost any activity from gardening to tennis can be aerobic for some, remember that the exercise can’t be “start and stop.” Aerobic activity can’t come in bursts; it must be sustained for at least a 10- to 15-minute period.

About the Author:
Raymond Lee is one of the foremost experts in the health and fitness industry and is the Founder of Bodyfixes.com specializing in body health, muscle development and dieting. Visit http://www.bodyfixes.com for more information.

Author: Darren O’Connell.

When it comes to exercises for the abdominal muscles you’re spoilt for choice, there are so many to choose from. That’s great but which ones are the most effective is the question and in what order.
There are many ineffective abs exercises out there, so it is important to spend time and energy only on the ones that will actually work.

Try these effective exercises for RIPPED abs:

Crunches –
Lie on an adjustable abs bench with roller pads. Set it to 30°
Wrap your legs around the roller pads so that your legs are locked into place.
Your head should be lower than you legs.
Keep hands crossed at chest.
Raise your head and shoulders off the bench.
Contract your abs for a count of two at the top position.
Reps – 15 12 10 8 8

Hanging Leg Raises –
Hang from a chin bar with toes pointing straight ahead.
Raise legs up to just above 90°
Hold for a count of 2.
Return to start position.
Don’t use momentum to swing your legs up.
Reps – 15 12 10 8 8

Lying Leg Raises -
Lie on a 40° angle bench and grab the bench behind your head with both hands.
Raises legs quickly to 90°
Hold the position for a count of 2 while contracting the abs.
Reps – 15 12 10 8 8

Note: You should always check with your GP or Health Practitioner before starting or changing any exercise program.

Here’s how it’s done:

The above three exercises are done as one giant set with no rest in between exercises. The only rest you have is how long it takes you to walk from one exercise to the next.
Do 1 set of Crunches for 15 reps followed immediately by 1 set of Hanging Leg Raises, then onto the Lying Leg Raises.

Rest for 1 minute and repeat the giant set above for 12 reps. Rest again for 1 minute and repeat for 10 reps. Then 8 reps and then another 8 reps. The reps should be performed slowly and with full concentration on bringing out the abs.

That’s it. Do this twice a week and you should notice a big difference in a few short weeks. If you’re looking for more detail on how to Firm and Flatten your Abs then visit http://www.abs.explosivemusclegrowth.com

About the Author:
Darren O Connell - has over 20 years experience in Muscle Growth, Health, Fitness, Fatloss & Nutrition http://www.abs.explosivemusclegrowth.com - www.explosivemusclegrowth.com

Author: Lori Jones.

Because NOTHING is more important to your success than your overall health and fitness.

“Getting and Staying Fit: The Connection Between Health, Wellness and Success.”

Your personal ENERGY level is critical to success, because the truth is, there are no dead peak performers. For even minimal performance, you have to be, act and feel alive.

A high commitment to personal health and fitness gives you a serious performance edge. It’s the one ingredient that helps you overcome the obstacles that inevitably come your way—and keeps you going strong all day long.

The Power of Interval Training.
“It’s not how hard you train. It’s how smart you train.” is one of my favorite sayings. Why?

Because if you train SMARTER, you get FIT faster!

This is my way of introducing you to Momentum Fitness and helping you instantly boost your TQ as well!

Whether you are trying to lose weight or just get in shape, incorporating interval workouts into your routine will help you maximize your results.

Interval workouts will help you burn 30% more calories per workout and can leave your metabolism elevated for up to 12 hours after each workout. When you think of this in terms of the extra weight you could lose or the major increase in fitness you could accomplish, it is a no-brainer that intervals should be a central part of your workout routine.

Professional athletes use intervals as an important part of their training. But these days, the use of interval training is one of the hottest trends in health and fitness, which is why you see more and more people at the local gym doing interval workouts.

In fact, the American College of Sports Medicine now recommends intervals to beginners as a great way to maximize results.

Why is Interval Training so Powerful?
Here’s an explanation of what makes intervals so effective: Most people currently do steady-state exercise, which means they work up to a level and then stay there for an extended period of time. Of course, this is better than not working out at all, but it is not the most efficient way to maximize your results.

In an interval workout, you will increase and decrease your exertion levels several times during your routine, striving for progressively higher levels (based on perceived exertion or heart rate) several minutes at a time, with a minute or two in between each interval to recover.

By pushing your effort level (and heart rate) up and down, this taxes your body and causes it to work harder (and burn more calories) than exercising at one set level. Also, by adding the rest periods in between your intervals, you are able to exercise at a higher level during the intervals and therefore burn that many more calories than staying at one set pace.

Doing intervals not only works your heart and lungs, strengthening them along the way, it also elevates your metabolism so that your body burns more fat for up to 12 hours after each workout, making it extremely effective as part of a weight loss program.

Good luck with your workouts!

About the Author:
Lori Jones Fitness Professional, Personal Trainer. You may contact me at ljhealth@gmail.com or send me your email address and join my fitness of the week newsletter.

Author: John Izzo.

1.) Not Drinking Water During the Workout

My girlfriend is guilty of this. I notice that when we do our cardio training together, she never sips her water. The bottle just lays in its little cubby-hole on the cardio console and she gulps it down at the end. Did you hear what I said? I said she GULPS it down at the end of the cardio session. Hydration is so important, especially during strenuous physical activity, that even a 2% loss in hydration will affect performance. Dehydration, combined with strenuous exercise, creates an environment of not only physical, but mental stress. How does mental stress affect your performance? If you “feel” that you are over-exerting yourself, chances are you will not increase the level on your treadmill, crosstrainer, bike, or stepper. Chances are as performance decreases, so will your drive to increase the power outage that you may be capable of doing. Hence, steady state cardio work prevails…
The lesson here? Take sips throughout your cardio session every other minute. There are various physical signs that you are beginning to experience dehydration during exercise: 1.) you cannot keep posture and composure during cardio exercise, 2.) your cheeks and face become rosey red and flushed, 3.) you do not sweat normally.

2.) Doing the Same Cardio Machine Day After Day
I know why we all do this. We get good at what we started out doing! Just think 6 weeks ago, you thought level 5 on the elliptical trainer was impossible. Now you are continuously jumping up to level 7 with no difficulty whatsoever. That is a great accomplishment for the standard sedentary individual who has finally adapted daily exercise into their lives and has made some improvements in body composition and overall health. BUT…for the typical hardgainer, this is a carnival merry-go-round. Typically, we need to feel successful to justify the work we put into improving our bodies, increasing strength, or losing fat. I have always said that “success breeds success”. So psychologically, when we “get good” on a particular type of cardiovascular activity (i.e. running, elliptical, rowing, stepper, etc), we tend to believe that we have reached a pinnacle in our training. That’s not a bad thing. But again, for the hardgainer, this can be a vicious cycle of nothingness. This cycle is a result of the body’s specific adaptation to imposed demands (SAID) principle. The hardest exercise becomes easier the better we get at it. Therefore, the better we are at it, the more efficient we become at that particular activity. The more efficient we become at the activity, the less calories we burn. (Read that again if you do not understand) Oh yea…forget the little calorie counter that pops up on the screen. It’s based on total weight and keeps going even when you step on the sides of the treadmill.

3.) Steady State Cardio

We all heard how this one is a waste of time. Let me explain how it is a waste of time in regards to fat loss. The body uses 3 sources of energy to sustain ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) production. ATP is the body’s end-all, be-all source of energy. In order for the body to live, it must continuously produce ATP. Well, it does this in 3 ways. Our immediate source of energy production comes from creatine phosphate (CP), where a creatine molecule is donated to ADP (adenosine di-phosphate) to create ATP. This action is anaerobic and requires only creatine which the body supplies or is obtained from meats. This immediate source of energy lasts only around 5 seconds and is primarily used for power. The second source of energy is glycolosis—the breaking down of sugars to produce ATP. This process is also anaerobic and lasts usually 3 to 5 minutes. Glycolysis refers to the body using glycogen (stored sugar) in blood and muscles to continuously make ATP. This process is the one we usually exercise in. The third and often never tapped into is oxidative phosphorilization. This process is aerobic and calls upon oxygen to aid in mobilizing fat cells to be used as energy. This process allows the body to last longer in endurance type bouts or high intense bouts of exercise. So…how does this correlate with steady state exercise? Easy. When we perform 30 minutes of walking, we never step out of glycolosis as our primary source of ATP production (energy). We are simply burning off the sugars of foods we have eaten in the last 24-48 hours. We never try to sprint on the treadmill, pick the higher level on the ellipticals, or take a spinning class…we basically do what we have been taught or what comes easiest. This has been my argument in regards to watching TV while doing cardio. If your goal is fat loss, you can try the steady state stuff for a while, but when your cardiovascular system improves and your diet is better, then you need to work harder to expedite oxidative phosphorilization. This fat mobilizing process is also known as EPOC (Excessive Post- Exercise Oxygen Consumption). In simple terms it means that the body continues to mobilize fat as fuel for up to 1 hour after an intense bout of cardio (180+ bpm).

4.) Scared to Do Cardio Before Weights

This is an old bodybuilder’s myth that started way back when. Why do we think cardio (the right kind—not steady state) will cause muscle loss? It is okay to perform your cardio BEFORE your strength training—even if your goal is hypertrophy or strength. Why? Because if you follow the proper food intake and understand the amount of calories you need to sustain lean body mass, than intense bouts of cardio (defined as above 180+ bpm, short duration (12-15minutes)) will actually promote muscle gain. The real fear should come from figuring out the total amount of calories you ingested for a 24 hour period. This is what I used to tell my clients…ever see a sprinter? Ever see how muscular they are?
Doing your cardio first and then performing strength training can lead to the EPOC phenomenon that I mentioned above. Of course, this is dependent on your intensity, rep schemes, rest periods, and fitness level.

5.) Old Sneakers

There is no doubt in my mind that 70% of foot and knee problems come from poor or old sneakers. How many times have you seen gym-goers running on the treadmill with old, beat-up sneakers with grass stains, and cracks all over the “p-leather”? I mean, those sneakers are used for Saturday morning lawn mowing and then taken to the gym to perform your 30 minutes cardio routine? C’mon….
In the last 4 years, every client that I met that had old sneakers evidenced by the condition, wear of soles, and or “lack of bounce”, I had them purchase new ones. I would not start their training program until they came to me with new sneakers. Period. An you know what happened? Knee pain disappeared…foot pain disappeared…and clients didn’t cut cardio out of their workouts. They felt better running or doing inclines. You know that pain you feel on the elliptical in your foot? It disappeared with a brand new pair of Addidas. How does sneaker condition affect lower body function? If your soles are worn, or your have pronated or supinated ankles, chances are your foot strike is not optimal on hard surfaces or a treadmill. What this does is create dysfunction at the ankle joint (usually due to dynamic instability) and weak/tight peroneals and tibialis (ankle muscles). This kinetic chain dysfunction travels up to the next joint, which is the knee and then the hip and causes undo stress on the lower back and entire spinal column. This is another reason why people skip out on cardio or like the steady state easy stuff—because their feet can’t handle it! Besides, a new pair of sneakers gives people the sense of starting something new and committing to a fitness program.

1.) Not Drinking Water During the Workout

My girlfriend is guilty of this. I notice that when we do our cardio training together, she never sips her water. The bottle just lays in its little cubby-hole on the cardio console and she gulps it down at the end. Did you hear what I said? I said she GULPS it down at the end of the cardio session. Hydration is so important, especially during strenuous physical activity, that even a 2% loss in hydration will affect performance. Dehydration, combined with strenuous exercise, creates an environment of not only physical, but mental stress. How does mental stress affect your performance? If you “feel” that you are over-exerting yourself, chances are you will not increase the level on your treadmill, crosstrainer, bike, or stepper. Chances are as performance decreases, so will your drive to increase the power outage that you may be capable of doing. Hence, steady state cardio work prevails…
The lesson here? Take sips throughout your cardio session every other minute. There are various physical signs that you are beginning to experience dehydration during exercise: 1.) you cannot keep posture and composure during cardio exercise, 2.) your cheeks and face become rosey red and flushed, 3.) you do not sweat normally.

2.) Doing the Same Cardio Machine Day After Day
I know why we all do this. We get good at what we started out doing! Just think 6 weeks ago, you thought level 5 on the elliptical trainer was impossible. Now you are continuously jumping up to level 7 with no difficulty whatsoever. That is a great accomplishment for the standard sedentary individual who has finally adapted daily exercise into their lives and has made some improvements in body composition and overall health. BUT…for the typical hardgainer, this is a carnival merry-go-round. Typically, we need to feel successful to justify the work we put into improving our bodies, increasing strength, or losing fat. I have always said that “success breeds success”. So psychologically, when we “get good” on a particular type of cardiovascular activity (i.e. running, elliptical, rowing, stepper, etc), we tend to believe that we have reached a pinnacle in our training. That’s not a bad thing. But again, for the hardgainer, this can be a vicious cycle of nothingness. This cycle is a result of the body’s specific adaptation to imposed demands (SAID) principle. The hardest exercise becomes easier the better we get at it. Therefore, the better we are at it, the more efficient we become at that particular activity. The more efficient we become at the activity, the less calories we burn. (Read that again if you do not understand) Oh yea…forget the little calorie counter that pops up on the screen. It’s based on total weight and keeps going even when you step on the sides of the treadmill.

3.) Steady State Cardio

We all heard how this one is a waste of time. Let me explain how it is a waste of time in regards to fat loss. The body uses 3 sources of energy to sustain ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) production. ATP is the body’s end-all, be-all source of energy. In order for the body to live, it must continuously produce ATP. Well, it does this in 3 ways. Our immediate source of energy production comes from creatine phosphate (CP), where a creatine molecule is donated to ADP (adenosine di-phosphate) to create ATP. This action is anaerobic and requires only creatine which the body supplies or is obtained from meats. This immediate source of energy lasts only around 5 seconds and is primarily used for power. The second source of energy is glycolosis—the breaking down of sugars to produce ATP. This process is also anaerobic and lasts usually 3 to 5 minutes. Glycolysis refers to the body using glycogen (stored sugar) in blood and muscles to continuously make ATP. This process is the one we usually exercise in. The third and often never tapped into is oxidative phosphorilization. This process is aerobic and calls upon oxygen to aid in mobilizing fat cells to be used as energy. This process allows the body to last longer in endurance type bouts or high intense bouts of exercise. So…how does this correlate with steady state exercise? Easy. When we perform 30 minutes of walking, we never step out of glycolosis as our primary source of ATP production (energy). We are simply burning off the sugars of foods we have eaten in the last 24-48 hours. We never try to sprint on the treadmill, pick the higher level on the ellipticals, or take a spinning class…we basically do what we have been taught or what comes easiest. This has been my argument in regards to watching TV while doing cardio. If your goal is fat loss, you can try the steady state stuff for a while, but when your cardiovascular system improves and your diet is better, then you need to work harder to expedite oxidative phosphorilization. This fat mobilizing process is also known as EPOC (Excessive Post- Exercise Oxygen Consumption). In simple terms it means that the body continues to mobilize fat as fuel for up to 1 hour after an intense bout of cardio (180+ bpm).

4.) Scared to Do Cardio Before Weights

This is an old bodybuilder’s myth that started way back when. Why do we think cardio (the right kind—not steady state) will cause muscle loss? It is okay to perform your cardio BEFORE your strength training—even if your goal is hypertrophy or strength. Why? Because if you follow the proper food intake and understand the amount of calories you need to sustain lean body mass, than intense bouts of cardio (defined as above 180+ bpm, short duration (12-15minutes)) will actually promote muscle gain. The real fear should come from figuring out the total amount of calories you ingested for a 24 hour period. This is what I used to tell my clients…ever see a sprinter? Ever see how muscular they are?
Doing your cardio first and then performing strength training can lead to the EPOC phenomenon that I mentioned above. Of course, this is dependent on your intensity, rep schemes, rest periods, and fitness level.

5.) Old Sneakers

There is no doubt in my mind that 70% of foot and knee problems come from poor or old sneakers. How many times have you seen gym-goers running on the treadmill with old, beat-up sneakers with grass stains, and cracks all over the “p-leather”? I mean, those sneakers are used for Saturday morning lawn mowing and then taken to the gym to perform your 30 minutes cardio routine? C’mon….
In the last 4 years, every client that I met that had old sneakers evidenced by the condition, wear of soles, and or “lack of bounce”, I had them purchase new ones. I would not start their training program until they came to me with new sneakers. Period. An you know what happened? Knee pain disappeared…foot pain disappeared…and clients didn’t cut cardio out of their workouts. They felt better running or doing inclines. You know that pain you feel on the elliptical in your foot? It disappeared with a brand new pair of Addidas. How does sneaker condition affect lower body function? If your soles are worn, or your have pronated or supinated ankles, chances are your foot strike is not optimal on hard surfaces or a treadmill. What this does is create dysfunction at the ankle joint (usually due to dynamic instability) and weak/tight peroneals and tibialis (ankle muscles). This kinetic chain dysfunction travels up to the next joint, which is the knee and then the hip and causes undo stress on the lower back and entire spinal column. This is another reason why people skip out on cardio or like the steady state easy stuff—because their feet can’t handle it! Besides, a new pair of sneakers gives people the sense of starting something new and committing to a fitness program.

About the Author:
John Izzo holds multiple fitness certifcations, including a BS degree in Public Health Promotion. He is the founder of www.standAPARTfitness.com, a unique web site geared at providing information and products to help personal trainers, strength coaches and fitness enthusiasts become better at what they do: training clients…training athletes…training yourself.\”

Author: Jitender Zaman.

Aerobic or cardiovascular exercise has many benefits to your health and is something that most people should consider making a regular part of their lifestyle. Aerobic exercise has been shown to help increase energy levels, boost the metabolism and contribute to weight loss when combined with a balanced diet.

Unfortunately most people do not do enough aerobic exercise and this is due to many reasons. For some it is because they have certain medical conditions that prevent them from running or even jogging however even a light 30 to 60 minute walk indoors or outside if the weather permits can be just as beneficial.

Lack of time is often the number one reason people fail to do aerobic exercise regularly. The best way to deal with this is to get something like a stair climber or treadmill in your house. This way you can exercise any time and it is the most convenient. There are many different models and types of aerobic exercise equipment. The recumbent exercise bikes can be great as they are the most comfortable to use but they can be rather expensive. If you look around you are sure to find something good that is within your budget.

The ideal time to do aerobic exercise is first thing in the morning on an empty stomach as this will help to also burn the maximum amount of calories helping you to lose weight too if that is a problem. Aerobic exercise in a gym type environment can be great as it can also provide the added benefit of being around other health conscious people and who knows you may even make a lot of great friendships by socializing with the people at the gyms.

Also consider implementing some sort of weight training program also in addition to the aerobics. This will help to build and maintain your muscles which are important for strength and also for the purpose of burning more calories. Remember that muscles burn calories all the time even when you are not working out so they are really necessary to help you to maintain a healthy weight.

Aerobic exercise should be done around 4 to 5 times a week and depending on whether you are running, jogging or just walking the amount of time spent should be between 20 to 60 minutes. There is no need to overdo it as this can have negative effects such as fatigue and you can even get sick. Also make sure you take a day or two off every week to give your body a chance to fully recover from any previous workouts. The combination of aerobics and weight training is the ideal way to lose weight and stay strong.

About the Author:
Jitender is a webmaster and operates several websites. Visit our site and learn about top nutritional supplements.

Also check out some of our articles on: Benefits Of Recumbent Exercise Bike and Exercise Ball Workout Advantages.