Avoid These Workout and Post Workout Mistakes To Maximize Your Results

Below is a link to a very good and informative article about how to maximize your workouts written by fellow fitness blogger and bodybuilding enthusiast Mark Williams.
http://www.massgainsource.com/post-workout-mistakes/

Living a Healthy Lifestyle is Simply Your Choice

Getting healthier, losing weight, feeling better, and getting fit is not complicated. It’s about the daily choices you make. Choice is a powerful thing. You can choose daily habits that promote a healthy lifestyle or not. That choice is completely yours.

Many of the aliments that we associate with aging are the results of many years of making poor lifestyle choices. I’m a 57 years old personal trainer, and I hear people almost half my age complaining of the aliments of "getting older."  I can honestly tell you I'm as strong and as fit as I was in 20s, and you can be too, it's all about the daily choices you make.  I choose to live a healthy lifestyle. I eat a healthy diet, I exercise on a regular basis, and I fill my mind with positive uplifting thoughts.

Here’s an example of the power of choice. I was sitting in a coffee shop a few weeks ago, and across the room I noticed two women sitting together. One woman was extremely over-weight, and the other woman was very fit. The over weight woman was eating a big cookie and drinking a latte, while the fit woman was eating a health breakfast wrap. Now, I’m pretty sure that the over-weight woman did gain those extra pounds by eating a cookie and drinking a latte just one time. Most likely, her extra weight is from years of choosing to eat cookies and drink lattes, or something similar for breakfast, and getting very little physical activity.  No one forced her to make that decision. And on the other hand, no one forces the fit woman to eat the way she eats. It’s all about personal choice. While an occasional mocha latte and a big cookie for breakfast won’t make you over-weight, choosing to have them everyday probably will.

It’s your choice, it’s your health. You and only you are responsible for your health and well-being. Choose healthy eating habits, and healthy lifestyle activities, and you become a healthy person. It's that simple.

Strength Training Over 50, You Must Lift Weights

As you age strength training is the best thing you can do to improve your health and fitness level. Strength training is important because around age 40 you start to experience muscle loss. “If you don’t do anything to replace the lean muscle you lose, you’ll increase the percentage of fat in your body,” says Dr. Edward Laskowski, a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Left unabated, you can lose up to 10 pounds of muscle each decade starting at age 40.

 

Losing muscle is detrimental to your fitness because muscle is the component of your body that burns the majority of the calories you consume each day. Therefore, when you lose muscle your body requires fewer calories to function. Consequently, those extra calories you consume are stored as fat around your waist, hips, and other places.

Your body constantly burns calories, even when doing nothing. This resting metabolic rate is much higher in people with more muscle. Every pound of muscle uses about six calories a day to sustain itself, while each pound of fat burns only two calories daily. This small difference can add up over time. In addition, after a bout of resistance training, muscles are activated all over your body, increasing your average daily metabolic rate.

Increasing your metabolism isn’t the only benefit of strength training. It also helps: [1]

·        Develop strong bones. By stressing your bones, strength training increases bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis.

·        Control your weight. As you gain muscle, your body burns  calories more efficiently which can result in weight loss. The more toned your muscles, the easier it is to control your weight.

·        Reduce your risk of injury. Building muscle protects your joints from injury. It also helps maintain flexibility and balance which are crucial to remaining independent as you age.

·        Boost your stamina. Building muscle helps to increase your energy level while improving your sense of well-being. Strength training can boost self-confidence, improve body image, and reduce the risk of depression.

·        Sleep better. People who strength train on a regular basis are less likely to have insomnia.

·        Manage chronic conditions. Strength training can reduce the signs and symptoms of many chronic conditions, including arthritis, back pain, depression, diabetes, obesity, and osteoporosis.

A good strength training program should consist of exercises that target all the major muscle groups and should be performed two to four times each week.  I suggest you have a certified fitness profession design a customized program for you.

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[1] MayoClinic.org

Sharon Simmons, Former Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader Hopeful, Gives 8 Lessons On Aging Well

Sharon Simmons, Former Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader Hopeful, Gives 8 Lessons On Aging Well

A very inspiring article from the Huffington Post written by Anthonia Akitunde.  Below is an excerpt.

Last year as hundreds of beautiful and talented women auditioned for a spot on the Dallas Cowboys’ cheerleading team, only one warranted a number of stunned headlines: Sharon Simmons.

Simmons, then 55, tried out for a spot as a Dallas Cowboys’ cheerleader. “I thought, that’s something I never tried,” she told CBS DFW at the time. “I always wanted to try out. I got real close in my early 20s, but got busy raising my daughter. And I thought, why not now?”

480 lb Deadlift at 57

 

Who says your strength declines with age?

It Stinks Getting Old, or Does It?

In my profession as a personal trainer I often hear statements like this, "It stinks getting old" as people start to complain of some ache or pain that they associate with age.  To which I reply, "what's age got to do with it?"  The culprits behind most aches and pains people associate with aging is a negative outlook on life, lack of regular exercise, and poor nutritional choices. 

Your body is made for movement. It is a magnificently designed living organism and, if properly taken care of, will provide you health, strength, and mobility for all of your life.

People seem to think that once they reach the age of forty, their bodies start to deteriorate, slipping down the slope into “old” age. They blame their lack of energy, their pudgy appearance, and their aches and pains on “getting old.” Most of these symptoms are however the result of years of negative thinking, lack of exercise, and poor dietary choices. The key to keeping your body fit and firm as you age is making healthy lifestyle choices on a daily basis.

It’s a proven fact that people who make healthy lifestyle choices live longer and have a better quality of life than those who adopt unhealthy habits. So, deciding to incorporate healthy habits into your life is the first step to getting and staying fit and firm with age. The next step is choosing those activities that are the most beneficial in your quest to stay fit and firm.

Those, including myself, who stay fit and firm as the years pass find that a positive state of mind, a proper mix of strength training, and cardiovascular exercise, and balanced nutrition is fundamental to getting and staying healthy as you mature. Al Beckles and the late Jack LaLanne can teach us so much about living a healthy lifestyle.

Al Beckles is a legend in the bodybuilding world. At the age of 55, Al placed second in the Mr. Olympia competition, the premier bodybuilding event which thousands of competitors from across the world dream of winning each year. Al Beckles competed into his sixties because his physique was still phenomenal and better than competitors more than half his age

Jack LaLanne was a living icon to the benefits of healthy thinking, eating, and exercise. Over the years he performed amazing feats of strength and conditioning on his birthday. Jack worked out well into his 90s, devoting one and a half hours each day to strength training. This is a true testament to the value of strength training as you mature.

Let me tell you the value that healthy lifestyle habits have in my life. I am in my 60s and I'm a National Masters powerlifting champion. In competition I have benched 320lbs, squated over 460lbs and deadlifted over 500lbs; none of which I could do in my 20s.  More importantly, I don't have the "aches and pains of aging."

Exercise and Fitness as You Age: Exercise Tips to Get Fit and Stay Fit as You Grow Older

Another must read on the benefits that exercise has on aging.  Exercise is the best medicine to stay healthy and fit as you age.



Exercise and Fitness as You Age: Exercise Tips to Get Fit and Stay Fit as You Grow Older

You are as Old as You Think

Daily I hear people attributing some ache or pain to "getting older", or I hear people saying such things as; "I'm beginning to look just like me parents". The mental image of aging they have is one of declining mental and physical health. So, they surely come to realize declining health and fitness in their lives as they age.

Your body is designed to be healthy and fit all of your life if given a positive mental outlook, proper nutrition, and regular exercise.  Do you know your body completely rebuilds itself every 11 months? That's right, each year every worn out cell is replaced by a new healthy cell. I believe your body gets it's plans for rebuilding from the mental image you hold of what "getting old" looks like to you.

By constantly holding an image of health and vitality in your mind your body will be rebuilt and maintained in a healthy and energetic pattern. I know this to be true for me. I'm in my 50s and I am as healthy, strong, and fit as I was in my 20s.  I hold an image of healthy aging in my mind and that's what I get.

I've been in the health and fitness industry for over 22 years now, and I know that the right mental attitude, regular exercise, and proper nutrition are the keys to staying healthy and fit as the years pass by.  And I also know "you are as old as you think you are" to be true.

 But the real secret to lifelong good health is actually the opposite: Let your body take care of you.
  -- Deepak Chopra

A regular strength training program is the most effective and proven way of building, and maintaining your muscle mass, and strength as you age.  Download my favorite strength training programs that I use with my clients by following this link: Forever Fit and Firm

 

Two Stretches for Lower Back Stiffness

Ever get up with a stiff back?  If so, try these two stretches below after a 10 minute walk to warm-up your muscles.

Lower Back Stretch

Lie on your back, and fully extend your body.   Bend your knees, and bring them in front of you to a position where you can reach them with your hands.  Firmly grasp your knees, and gently pull them toward your chest until you feel the stretch in your lower back.  Hold that position for 30 seconds.  Breathe normally.

Hip and Oblique

Lie on your back, and fully extend your body.  Bend your knees and bring your feet close to your butt.  Place one ankle over the knee of the opposite leg.  Slowly rotate your body in the direction of your crossed leg, while keeping your shoulders flat on the floor until you feel the stretch in your hip and oblique.  Hold this position for 30 seconds then, relax and do the other side.  Breathe normally.

Strength training is the best form of exercise you can do to maintain your muscle mass and strength as you age.  Trust me, I'm in my 50s and I strength train 3 to 4 times each week, and I'm as fit and strong as ever.  You can download my strength training programs by clicking on this link: Forever Fit and Firm.

Two Exercises For a Strong Mid-Section

Having a strong mid-section is key to preventing lower back pain.  Add these two exercises to your fitness program to really strengthen your abdominal and lower back muscles.

 Planks

Planks are good for strengthening and developing your abdominal and lower back muscles. Position your elbows on the floor directly beneath your shoulders, and fully extend your body flat on the floor. Now, in one motion raise your entire body off the floor with your back completely flat. Tighten your stomach, and hold this position for at least 30 seconds. Relax for 15 seconds, and repeat this exercise 10 more times

Vertical Knee Raises

 

Vertical knee raises strengthen and develop your abdominal and lower back muscles.  Position yourself on the machine to where your weight is resting on your elbows and your lower back is firmly pressed against the back rest.  This is your start position.  Exhale while slowly bringing your legs toward your chest and keeping a slight bend in your knees.  Lift your legs to slightly higher than parallel to the floor, and inhale while slowly returning to your start position.  Start with 2 sets of 15 repetitions.

Strength training is the most important type of exercise for maintaining your muscle mass, and improving your strength as you age.  Download my complete strength training programs for beginners to advanced level by clicking on this link: Forever Fit and Firm.