There are two types of cholesterol “good” and “bad.”

• GOOD (HDL)

HDL is the “good” cholesterol which helps keep the LDL (bad) cholesterol from getting lodged into your artery walls. A healthy level of HDL may also protect against heart attack and stroke, while low levels of HDL have been shown to increase the risk of heart disease.

Studies show that regular physical activity can help your body produce more HDLs. Reducing trans fats and eating a balanced, nutritious diet is another way to increase HDL. If these measures are not enough to increase your HDL to goal, your healthcare practitioner may prescribe a medication specifically to increase your HDLs.

• BAD (LDL)

LDL cholesterol is the “bad” cholesterol. When too much of it circulates in the blood, it can clog arteries, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke.

LDL cholesterol is produced naturally by the body, but many people inherit genes from their mother, father or even grandparents that cause them to make too much. Eating saturated fat, trans fats and dietary cholesterol also increases how much you have. If high blood cholesterol runs in your family, lifestyle modifications may not be enough to help lower your LDL blood cholesterol. Everyone is different, so work with your doctor to find a treatment plan that’s best for you.

http://www.heart.org/

* Perform at least 1-3 sets of 10-18 reps of each exercise (make sure form is correct before bumping up reps/sets)
* For added stability don’t be afraid to use a wall or furniture to help keep your balance.
* Perform exercises a minimum of 1-3 non consecutive days a week.

Back Extension

Position the ball under your hips and lower torso with the knees straight or bent. With hands behind the head or behind back, slowly roll down the ball. Lift your chest off the ball, bringing your shoulders up until your body is in a straight line. Make sure your body is in alignment (i.e., head, neck, shoulders and back are in a straight line), your abs are pulled in and that don’t hyperextend the back.

Ball Balance







Position the ball under your abs and hips, hands on the floor and legs straight and off the floor. Hold that position, keeping your body in a straight line, abs pulled in. Working to stay balanced, slowly raise your right arm out to the side, taking care not to roll or allow any part of your body to collapse. Hold briefly, lower the arm and repeat on the other side. Repeat for 12-16 reps, alternating arms.

Butt Lift








Lie on the ball with the head, neck and shoulders supported, knees bent and body in a table-top position. Lower the hips towards the floor without rolling on the ball. Squeeze the glutes to raise hips until body is in a straight line like a bridge. Hold weights on the hips for added intensity and make sure you press through the heels and not the toes. Repeat for 12-16 reps

Hip Extension

Lie down with feet heels propped on ball. Keeping abs tight, slowly lift your hips off the floor (squeezing the glutes) until body is in a straight line. Hold for a few seconds and lower. For added intensity, lift the hips and then take one leg off the ball, hold for a moment and lower.

Ab Roll







Place your hands on the ball in front of you, arms parallel. Pulling your belly button towards your spine and tightening your torso, slowly roll forward, rolling the ball out as far as you can without arching or straining the back. Push the elbows into the ball and squeeze the abs to pull the body back to start. Avoid this move if you have back problems.

Ball Rotation





Lie with ball under shoulders and lower back and hold a light-medium medicine ball over the chest. Hold your body in a straight line from hips to knees. Tightening your glutes and abs, slowly twist your body to the left, sweeping med ball parallel to the floor, then back up, repeating on the other side. Watch your knees on this move and allow them to turn naturally with the body so you don’t injure them. alternating sides.

Ball Twist

Get into the push-up position with the feet on either side of the ball (hugging the ball with your ankles). Hold body in a straight line with abs pulled in, hips straight and hands directly under shoulders. Slowly rotate the ball to the right while trying to keep your shoulders level, then to the left. alternating sides.

Body weight routines can be a great way to stay fit on a budget.  Below is an exercise routine you can follow anytime without any exercise equipment.  This routine is perfect for travel, home, or as an extension to any pre-existing workout routine.

Official Body-Weight Workout-Routine Guidelines:

• Intensity of three days per week on alternating days.  Try incorporating  aerobic exercises/activities on off days.
• Alternate between training each major muscle group: upper body and lower body
• Perform two exercises for each muscle group (if only one listed do it twice)
• Perform 3 sets per exercise
• rest for up to one minute between each three sets

CHEST_____________________________________

Push-ups : The basic push-up is a great exercise that builds upper body strength. It not only works your pectorals but also triceps, biceps and anterior deltoid. For this exercise try to push for a higher rep range adding weight with time.

Dive Bomber Push-ups*

Decline Push-ups

Dips – This is another great exercise that develops your chest strength as well as triceps, biceps and anterior deltoids.  Try pulling two chairs/couches together. Get creative, but stay safe

Wall Push-ups

Back_____________________________

Pull-ups

Chin-ups - chinups are known to be great for building up the back. It targets the whole back including the lats. Get creative in your thinking and you’ll be able to find a place to perform this exercise. If you cant do a chin-up try doing negatives until you build up enough strength

Hyperextensions - This exercise targets the lower back. Try performing this exercise on the edge of a bed or chair having someone holding your legs.

Shoulders________________________

Arm Raises- try getting some weighted items like books and raising them with your arms straight.  Do sets out laterally then try in front.

Upside-Down-Shoulde -Press – Do a hand stand up against the wall while trying to bend your arms 90 degrees.

Biceps___________________________

Curls – By this time your arms should be pretty tired.  Try taking some weighted items such as books or a backpack full of books and perform bicep curls

Triceps__________________________

Bench Dips -  This is a great little exercise that can really hit those triceps.  You can setup two chairs or other objects to perform this exercise.

Quads_____________________________

Squats – wear a backpack full of weighted objects if body squats get too easy. You can also try one legged squats to further your training

Lunges- A great exercise to work those quads.  Try walking lunges as well

Hamstrings__________________________

Kickbacks – Get down on all fours while kicking one leg back at a time try staying flexed.

Stiff Leg Dead Lifts -  nKeep your legs straight while bending over to touch your toes. You can always apply weight when needed. Dont forget to keep your lower back straight throughout the whole range of motion.
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Sign up on the Bodybuilding.com forums for your chance to win free supplements! This week we will cover what the best calisthenics workout would be. Learn more… By: Workout Of The Week TOPIC: What Is The Best Calisthenics Workout? The Question: There are no weights, and no real machines around. Your only option for a workout is calisthenics. What is the best calisthenics routine to improve strength and physique? What kind of methods can be followed to get the best out of a calisthenics workout? Bonus Question: What are the best calisthenic programs you can do in a hotel room? Give your best routine! Show off your knowledge to the world! The Winners: Squats View Profile DSM18 View Profile 1st place – 75 in store credit. 2nd place – 50 in store credit. 3rd place – 25 in store credit. Prizes: To use your credit, e-mail Will @ will@bodybuilding.com for more info. 1st Place – Squats When there is no weight and no machines around, you have to be creative with what you do to help build muscle and get a nice physique. It’s pretty tough to get a good physique and build mass without weights, but you can use resistance. A lot of various exercises with body weight can be enough or you could get someone to apply pressure and resistance to help increase better stimulation of the muscles. You can also just use their whole body on certain exercises you are strong on. And if you can, invest in bands if you’re traveling or just got nothing else to workout with. Exercises Chest: Push upsThis is a good exercise to build your upper body with. It works your pectorals, triceps, and anterior deltoid. For this exercise work up to high rep range and then add weight.Say someone could only do 12 body weight push ups, well then they shouldn’t add weight and work on getting the rep ranges up. Then start to add weight gradually with some standing next to you pushing down on your back (lightly or hard depending on strength). Chest DipThis is another good exercise to develop and strengthen the pectorals, triceps, and anterior deltoids. Most people will not have any equipment as seen in the demonstration above.You can easily use two couches put together or two chairs together. Be creative with whatever you have, and make sure you are safe doing it. A bad setup can lead to instant injury, so be careful with how you set this up. Incline Push upsI don’t have a movie to show you how to perform this, but I will explain it the best I can so you can understand. Perform a regular push up and then elevate your feet with a bench, bed, chair, etc. This will target more of the upper pectorals and developing those. Back: Chin-upsThis is one of the best mass builders for the back. It develops the lats very well, more so than most exercises, and can really build a nice back. Find a place were you can do these safely that is sturdy. If you can do these for a high amount of rep ranges then get someone to push down on your shoulders standing on a chair. Underhand Chin-upsThis is the same exercise just with a different grip. Most feel more comfortable doing the underhand grip. You will be able to lift more when you do these, so use resistance if needed. Click To Enlarge. Underhand Chin-ups. HyperextensionsThis exercise is good to strengthen the lower back. Another way to perform this exercise is on the edge of a bed or chair with someone holding your feet so you’re solid in place and won’t fall. Make sure you do this exercise safely; injury can happen if you fall. Thighs: SquatsNow for this exercise you don’t need to do weight. Go all the way deep and back up and when you need resistance, get a friend or someone to hold your shoulders and apply pressure downward. This is great for developing the quadriceps. Sissy SquatsThis is another great exercise to develop the quadriceps. Be careful with this exercise and grab a hold of a sturdy structure to help support you through the movement. Most of the time you won’t need this weighted, but if you do have a friend apply pressure to your shoulders. LungesThis is a good exercise for developing the quadriceps. Just focus on getting low on this exercise and high repetition sets. It is hard to add weight, unless you want someone to sit on your shoulders. Lunges Video Guide.Windows Media (221 KB) MPEG (1.8 MB) Split Single Leg SquatsThis exercise is good without weight, great developer of the quadriceps. It is one of my favorites. You can put your leg up on a chair, step, and anything you can find that is sturdy and safe. Glute-Ham RaiseThis exercise is really good for developing the hamstrings. You will need someone strong to support you on this exercise, basically like a hyperextension, but you curl your leg when you go up. Straight-Leg DeadliftThis exercise is a little more difficult. You will probably need to add some resistance with it when performing it. Always keep your lower back straight through this whole movement. Apply pressure to the shoulders and do it safely. Neck: Neck Exercises Deltoids: Upside-down Shoulder PressStand up against a wall and do a handstand, have someone spot you when you do this. Then bend your arms to a 90º angle or till your head touches the ground. Biceps Chin-upsThis hits the biceps as well, very good mass builder that some don’t realize. Triceps: Bench DipsBasic exercise that builds the triceps. Good for mass and strength. Setup two chairs and do dips, add resistance to shoulders if needed. Abdominals: CrunchesJust a basic crunch is all you need to work your abdominals. Calves: Calf RaisesDo calf raises on a step or block that is sturdy. The Routine Monday Wednesday Friday: Push ups, 3 sets, max reps Chin-ups, 3 sets, max reps Single Leg Squats, 3 sets, 3 max reps Bench Dips, 2 sets, max reps Ham-Glute Raises, 3 sets, max reps Calf Raises, 3 sets, max reps Upside-down Shoulder Press, 3 sets, max reps Crunches, 5 sets, 25 reps Neck, 3 sets, max reps Click Here For A Printable Log Of Monday-Wednesday-Friday. Hotel Training For a lot of people traveling, they usually stop at most modern hotels. Most new hotels now include a little gym area with some free weights or a machine or just some cardiovascular equipment. Well depending on what you got determines what you’ll do. If you have no gym at the hotel you’re at or there is not a local gym you could go and pay a small fee to workout at for a day you would do the basic exercises listed above. You will have all the equipment there except for the chin-ups. If you do have access to a hotel gym with some dumbbells and barbells or a machine to work with, just do the basics. Most of the time there will be a free weight bench where you would do most exercises. You could even perform a full-body workout with all the equipment easily. 2nd Place – DSM18 What Is The Best Calisthenics Workout? Not everyone has access to weight training equipment, but not all hope should be lost. Bodyweight exercises are an excellent substitute, giving you a quick muscle burn. Because there aren’t a lot of bodyweight exercises in existence, it’s important to get as much variety in your calisthenics workout as you can. If you want run of the mill results, then just do push ups, squats and crunches, but if you want to get the absolute most out of your workout, it’s necessary to delve deeper into each exercise, and each variation of that exercise to ensure you are training as much like you were at the gym as you can. Here are a selection bodyweight exercises and why they are useful, followed by an effective sample weekly calisthenics training program. Exercises Legs: Quads Feet positioning: Feet facing forward will emphasize on your outer quads, giving you that highly sought after “outer sweep”, whereas pointing your feet outwards will hit the inner areas of the rectus fermosis. Similarly, a close foot stance will hit the outer portion, whereas a wider one will better hit the inner quads. Only apply these to squats (and leg extensions), not lunges and step ups. Pushing off your forefoot will better work the quads, whereas pushing off the heels will tend to hit the glutes, particularly the gluteus minimus. Traditional Squats: Traditional Squat Video Guide.Windows Media (295 KB) MPEG (1.9 MB) Hack Squats: This is a very good exercise for hitting the front sweep of your quads and developing the tear drop, or lower quad area above the knee If you do it right, the upper part of your quads can get a good workout as well. Hack Squats Ups Video Guide.Windows Media (539 KB) MPEG (3.9 MB) Wall Squats: These are squats done against a wall. These are good as they allow you to squat deep, and your knees always remain behind your feet which protects the knees from potential damage. This exercise responds well to static holds – it’s an idea to pause each 1/4 of the movement and hold for up to 30 seconds, and increase gradually when you’ve built up the strength. These are great for a line of separation between the quads and hams on the outer leg. These can be done with either a short or long stride; the shorter you step, the more the quads you will recruit, but too close will stress the knees (when your lunging knee overrides the same legs feet). The longer the step the more the glutes are recruited. Alternating Lunges, Non Alternating Lunges: Lunges with your front foot elevated onto a block. (You can use a stool instead). Alternatively, you can elevate your back leg onto the platform, and lunge this way for a nice stretch. Alternating Lunges Video Guide.Windows Media (259 KB) MPEG (1.8 MB) Side Lunges: These will hit the quads and adductor muscles on the inner thigh. Side Lunges Video Guide.Windows Media (248 KB) MPEG (1.7 MB) Crossover Lunges: These are done by starting in a normal lunging stance, then instead of lunging directly forward, lunge to the side and over your opposite leg. These more isolate the glutes. Make sure your front leg is forward enough so you can comfortably bend the back leg down. Crossover Lunges Video Guide.Windows Media (281 KB) MPEG (2 MB) Step Ups. You can do these with a stool, or anything that is stable, non damageable and around 16 inches high. Make sure it is safe. The higher the platform, the more difficult the exercise is. These are very similar to lunges, so the total volume of each doesn’t need to be that high.Like Lunges, a longer stride will hit the glutes, anything in between both, and close will hit the quads. And remember, pushing off the heels will hit the glutes; the forefoot will better work the quads. Step Ups Video Guide.Windows Media (341 KB) MPEG (2.4 MB) Variations: Height of the platform. The angle to which you are stepping. Try side step-ups, and also back step-ups, where you step backwards onto a platform, instead of ahead. Step Up Variation 1 Video Guide.Windows Media (254 KB) MPEG (1.8 MB) Step Up Variation 2 Video Guide.Windows Media (268 KB) MPEG (1.9 MB) Squats: Lunges: Variations Of Lunges: This bodypart has the most bodyweight movement. Be sure to maximize this. Tips: Exercises: Legs: Hamstrings Get someone to hold onto your heels while you lie face down in the absence of a glute/ham machine. Depending on strength levels, get the person to press against the heels at the appropriate force. This can be done with any exercise as a means of adding resistance. A lot of bodyweight exercises are difficult to do a small amount of reps to failure, so only get someone to add pressure when you’re confident you need to. This is an exercise that requires resistance; otherwise it is too easy and will only serve as a stretch. Get someone squatting down facing you, in front of you. Bend down, then hold their hands, and get them to press in the opposite direction you’re pulling as you go back to starting position. I recommend they kneel down, rather than sit, because they need to get onto their feet if their arms aren’t long enough. Semi-Stiff Leg Deadlifts: Varying both feet positioning and stance. Semi-Stiff Leg Deadlifts Video Guide.Windows Media (220 KB) MPEG (1.5 MB) Glute/Ham Raise: Stiff-Leg Deadlifts: Variations Of Stiff-Leg Deadlifts: Exercises: Legs: Calves Make the most of your feet direction and stance. Feet close and pointing forward will target the outer head. Feet far apart and pointing out will target the inner head. Also, when doing any calf raise, you can press off either the smaller toes, or the bigger toes. The bigger toe will hit the inner head, the smaller toes will hit the outer head better. Try and do each, close/medium/far ETC. one for each set for better isolation of each head. Many have said this technique has helped them overcome plateau. These are an ideal exercise because the balancing required to do them makes it more difficult. The more the bodyweight exercise, the better. These are great to hit the upper calf, and due to the stretch, they are the best calf exercises in existence. Often neglected, this exercise targets the tibialis anterior muscle, and adds thickness to the calf from both a front and side view. These can be done on any chair. Like standing calf movements, still use the plank. These are great because you use your own arm strength as resistance by pushing against your quads. Calf raises can also be done in either incline or decline fashion. To do this lean forward and hold onto something. This exercise will focus on the upper half of the movement. Or you can lean against a wall with your legs straight, and out in front of you. This will have the opposite affect, and focus on the bottom half of the movement. It’s really important to use a block under the feet here to maximize the strength on the way down. Seated Calf Raises Video Guide. Windows Media (196 KB) MPEG (1.5 MB) One-Legged Calf Raises: One-Legged Calf Raises Video Guide. Windows Media (199 KB) MPEG (1.4 MB) Donkey Calf Raises: Reverse Calf Raises: Reverse Calf Raises Video Guide. Windows Media (162 KB) MPEG (1.1 MB) Seated Calf Raises: To get a full range of motion, do these on a block. Tips: Exercises: Chest Great for the chest, but also the triceps and delts. Push Up Tips: Placing your hands lower will recruit more of the lower fibers of the pec. major, and the higher you place your hands, the higher on the chest it will work. If you go all the way up to your face, this will hit the traps. The wider your arms are placed, the more outer chest is recruited, the closer, the more inner chest. On knuckles. Clapping in between each repetition. Using one arm, with the other placed behind the back. These can be done on a chair. Consider the steepness of the incline or decline. Depending on the steepness will work higher or lower on the chest. These can be done in between chairs or two pieces of furniture such as a bedside table. Make sure they are stable and safe. Don’t lock your shoulders in to maximize chest recruitment, and lean forward. Push Ups: Push Up Variations: Knuckles Pushups Video Guide. Windows Media (94 KB) MPEG (619 KB) Clapping Pushups Video Guide. Windows Media (109 KB) MPEG (839 KB) One Handed Pushups Video Guide. Windows Media (173 KB) MPEG (1.3 MB) Incline Push Ups: Incline Push Ups Video Guide. Windows Media (141 KB) MPEG (1 MB) Decline Push Ups: Decline Push Ups Video Guide. Windows Media (147 KB) MPEG (1.1 MB) Chest Dips: Chest Dips Video Guide. Windows Media (203 KB) MPEG (1.5 MB) Exercises: Back These are excellent for lower back and upper glutes. To intensify this exercise, you can hold for 2-5 seconds. You can use the end of your bed here. Try and go past parallel, but not by too much. Like stiff-leg deadlifts, get someone to apply pressure. This is a max out exercise, so make sure they apply a lot of force so you can get the most out of it. If you don’t have a chin-up bar, find something stable, and comfortable to grab hold of. Ideas include the railing of a pogola in the backyard, the top part of a side-gate, play equipment at the park, any pole, or even a strong branch above you. I have done chin-ups and pull ups on all of these before. Chin-ups are a great upper lat builder. Chin-Up Tips: A wide grip will hit the upper lats, and the closer the grip, the more the lower lats are recruited. If you tuck your elbows in this will not only make the exercise more difficult, but will hit the upper lats, where as keeping your elbows out will take away from the lats and focus on the traps. One arm. Behind the neck. Lying Torso Raise: Hyperextensions: Bent-Knee Deadlifts: Bent-Knee Deadlift Video Guide. Windows Media (264 KB) MPEG (2.1 MB) Chin-Ups: Chin-Up Variations: Exercises: Shoulders These are done in a hand stand position, easiest with your back against a wall for balance. Push your body down until your head just touches the ground. These will really blow up your anterior and mid delts and with a wide grip will also target the posterior delts. Push ups and dips will indirectly hit the delts. There is an exercise to isolate the delts, but it takes time to have the strength to do it. Exercises: Hand Stand Military Push-Ups: Biceps These will not only hit the lats, but also the biceps. If your aim here is to isolate the biceps, really feel the biceps during the movement doing all the work, and imagine you are curling your body up, rather than pulling. A shoulder width grip will better work the bi’s. Many people I know swear by this exercise as an awesome bicep mass builder, so give it a go. Exercises: Pull Ups: Triceps These can be done in-between two chairs. Be sure to lock your shoulders in to avoid recruiting chest muscles. Go all the way down until your bum touches the ground. Dip Tips: Facing your palms away from you will hit the hard to reach small head located near the elbow. Lock your shoulders in, and position your arms at your lower chest for an ultimate tricep exercise. You’ll be surprised how difficult it is. Feel the burn! Dips: Decline Close Grip Push Ups: Exercises: Abs Crunches V-ups Twisting crunch Scissor kicks Lying leg raisesTips: To intensify exercises, keep your legs straight in the air at 90 degrees when training the upper portion of the abs. Cross legs and keep them bent in the air to make it slightly less intense, or for easiest way do them, keep your feet planted on the ground.Another way to intensify your ab training is to keep your arms extended above your head. To make it less intense, cross your hands over your shoulders, with elbows facing up, or for easiest way to do them, cross your arms over your chest. The options here are almost limitless. Take advantage of this. Some Examples Of Exercises: Sample Training Program Due to the nature of bodyweight exercises, setting a rep range isn’t necessary. There are 3 workouts, do them on alternating days, and do cardio on days off for 30 minutes a session. Legs (Utilizing different feet direction/stances for all squat variations) Squats: 3 sets, maximum reps Hack Squat: 1 set, maximum reps Wall Squats: 2 sets, maximum reps Lunges: (1 set with front leg elevated, 1 set with back leg elevated) 4 sets total Side Lunges: 2 sets, maximum reps Step ups: (utilizing stride length) 3 sets, maximum reps Stiff-Leg Deadlifts: (don’t do these if you are alone) 3 sets, maximum reps One-legged calf raises: 2 sets, maximum reps Donkey Calf Raises: 2 sets, maximum reps Reverse Calf Raises: 2 sets, maximum reps Seated Calf Raises: 3 sets, maximum reps Click Here For A Printable Log Of Legs Workout. Back/Triceps/Delts Chin-ups: (wide grip for 2 sets, medium for one set, narrow for one set) 4 sets, maximum reps Handstand Military Push-ups: (Only do these if you are confident you can) 3-5 sets, maximum reps Glute/Ham raises: 3 sets, maximum reps Tricep Dips: 3 sets, maximum reps Decline Close Grip Push-ups: 2 sets, maximum reps Hyperextensions: 2 sets, maximum reps Lying Torso Raises: 2 sets, maximum reps. Click Here For A Printable Log Of Back/Triceps/Delts Workout. Chest/Biceps/Abs Abs can be trained twice a week if you wish. Flat Push-ups: 2 sets, maximum reps Incline Push-ups: 2 sets, maximum reps Decline Push-ups: 2 sets, maximum reps Chest Dips: 3 sets, maximum reps Pull-ups: 4 sets, maximum reps Click Here For A Printable Log Of Chest/Biceps/Abs Workout. Abs Crunches: 3 sets, maximum reps Scissor Kicks: 3 sets, maximum reps Twisting crunches: 3 sets, maximum reps Lying Leg Raises: 3 sets, maximum reps Click Here For A Printable Log Of Abs Workout. Bonus Question What are the best callisthenic programs you can do in a hotel room? Give your best routine! The above program is perfect to use when on holidays, and in a hotel room. The best thing about it is that it can be done almost anywhere. You can utilize the bed to aid with hyperextensions, hopefully there are two chairs available to do dips on, if not lock the doors and move both bed side tables together and use them. Be creative, there’s usually a way around things, such as an alternative. If your a regular trainer at the gym, be positive and open about your experience with training in this new way, don’t be negative. The gym is only way you can keep in shape. If there is a gym at the hotel, by all means use it. Continue with your program you were on at home if time allows for it and the equipment is similar to what your gym has. If not, look for alternatives. When I was on holiday earlier this year there was a gym around, but I didn’t throw the towel in, I continued to train using bodyweight exercises and actually enjoyed the change. So, if your positive, you will find a way to make whatever your doing work for you. Review Of Other Articles Or “Why Wasn’t Mine Picked?” FieldingBLUE Con’s Plagiarism. 152 words were directly copied from here.This resulted in automatic disqualification. quigebo Pro’s Interesting information on background history of calisthenics. Con’s Too short. The workout was very short compared to the whole article. Exercises were just listed with no information or ideas about them. Limited information and detail. There was no mention of why or how the writer came up with this routine. They never discussed why the routine works, or why certain exercises were chosen. Comments More time needs to be spent researching and explaining. Their workout routine was straight and direct with little information explaining it. The writer has a base for an article, but needs to expand their ideas and reasoning more to the reader. [ View The Other Responses! ] View This Week’s Topic Recommend this article to a friend by e-mail here! Visitor Reviews Of This Article! Read Visitor Reviews – Write Your Own Review Back To Workout Of The Week’s Main Page Back To The Articles Main Page. Related Articles Manipulating Hormone Release Naturally With Resistance Training! Sculpt That Body: Train For You Body Type! The Rep: Learn What To Do To Not Get Hurt Back To Top SciVation Xtend Scientifically Advanced Endurance and Recovery Enhancer! Learn More!

Lets face it, we all get bored with our workouts at some point. If your finding yourself in this cycle look below for possible tips on how to jazz up your routine.

Listen to music:

It’s not a secret that music can be one of the strongest personal motivators out there.  It has been proven that listening to music can keep help you burn extra calories, lift heavier, and stay longer.  When exercising and  listening to music your mind tends to focuses on the beat while ignoring the strain being put on your body.

Mix up your routine:

Lets face it our workouts always get stagnant at some point.  Our bodies not only get psychologically bored, but physically too.  Staying on the same routine month after month lets your body adapt to the routine.  Once your body adapts it stops guessing and makes it easier for you to hit a plateau.   Try to add some spice into your workout with new exercises and routines.  If you feel like you are getting bored go ahead and switch it up.

Workout with a buddy or exercise class:

We are social by birth- Find physical activities you can do with friends or family. Working out with a partner can help pass time and give you that extra boost you need.  This person can also act as an accountability partner pushing you, making sure you are staying on track.  It also help knowing someone is counting on you, you are more likely to feel responsible and follow through with your plans.

Challenge Yourself

Try to constantly challenge yourself,  don’t let your body get stagnant and bored. Set small goals and challenge yourself to reach them.  If you are not feeling the motivation like you used to take a step back and reevaluate the situation.  From here you can set up small reachable goals.  This will help give you motivation and a new purpose.

Most importantly: Have Fun

Working out isn’t always about they gym, instead learn to have fun with it.  Your main goal should really be to  have fun, get your heart rate up, all while enjoying life at the same time.

Bill Starr’s 5×5 might be one of the best and well known linear programs out there. Although this routine may focus on strength, it has huge potential for those wanting to build mass as well. The linear progression coupled mainly with compounds lifts makes this routine a perfect equation. If your looking to build muscle fast, gain incredible strength then look no further then Bill Starr’s 5×5 program.

The Lifts:
Squats – These should be full range Olympic style squats. Using full range of motion means going low as you can go, which for most is just past parallel. Try to get the top of your thighs to at least parallel.
Dead lifts – While performing this exercise make sure each rep is de-weighted fully on the floor. After each rep the weight should be “dead” on the floor
Military Press – Perform the military press with either barbells or dumbbells. Supporting weight overhead is a great fundamental exercise and stimulates the whole body.
Rows – Perform rows at 90 degrees by accelerate the weight into your body.

Additional Comment: Please review these lifts before you start. Start light and learn the lifts before attempting to lift heavy. Jumping into this routine without knowledge on how to perform these lifts may lead to injuries. Compound lifts load the entire body and have a “full body” effect.

Time Between Sets:
Try to use a natural rep spread between sets. Don’t get lazy but don’t worry about rushing either. On lighter warm-ups/reps go ahead and take a minute at most, but for those heavier sets 2-5 minute range may be needed.

Diet:
Your diet should be solely based on your goals. For gaining muscle, a caloric excess must be present.  Ultimately there is nothing any program can do if don’t eat right and that goes for fat loss, hypertrophy, aerobic, or strength. This caloric excess is a requirement for those looking for strength/size.  While  you don’t need to eat like a slob, it would actually be  better than not eating enough. It may sound backwards as most people are looking to lose weight, but the reality is if your not growing your not eating.

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Spot reduction is the idea of working a specific area or muscle group to target fat loss.  For example: performing sit-ups to target abdominal fat.  Unfortunately, our body doesn’t work this way.  It is actually impossible to target fat loss in a given area.  As the body metabolizes fat for energy it comes from an unspecified location that is most likely genetically coded.

Let’s for instance suppose we are driving a car with a 20 gallon gas can in our back seat.  There is no immediate way the car can use this gas for energy.  Our body works in a similar way.  We may have a layer of fat covering our abdominal muscles, but because those muscles do not own that specific fat, it can not be targeted.

When our body needs fat for energy it uses stored fat from anywhere within the body.  Excess ingested calories are stored as fat within our bodies in what is called adipose tissue.  As this fat is metabolized it is sent to the liver where it is converted into FFA (free fatty acids) for our cells to use. Our cells use this as energy for daily functions, exercise, or etc.

Fortunately there are options for decreasing this stubborn fat.  As noted in previous posts one must consume fewer calories below BMR (see Weight Loss For Idiots…BMR). A combination of dieting, cardio, and strength training is key. One must either eat less or exercise more in order to reach this calorie deficit below maintenance.

Let’s face it we cant always make it to the gym. Sometimes our busy lifestyles challenge our ability to stay on top of our workout routines. While working out with free weights and weight machines have their advantages, there are plenty of reason to introduce body weight exercises. For instance there are those of us that don’t necessarily want to build muscle, instead want to work on the endurance and flexibility that calisthenics offer. These exercises also have the advantage that they can be performed anywhere whether at home, at work, on vacation, or etc.

The use of body weight exercises can be tailored to your needs whether its building muscle, maintaining current muscle, increasing endurance, or adding a little change to your current routine. Below are a few techniques to help boost your body weight routine/exercises.

Reduce Your Time In Between Sets

Try slowly decreasing the time between sets.  For example try starting at 60 secs, once that is mastered try 45 seconds, 30,  15 and then to no rest.  To challenge yourself even more try doing your first set to failure while only allowing a few seconds of rest before your next set.  Or you can always up your first sets reps while decreasing your rest time.   Mix it up but keep pushing yourself to new goals.

Be Creative, Use/Make Your Own Weights

There is no  limit to being creative with your workouts. If you find they are getting too easy try adding  weight with common items.  Get creative for example: wear a backpack full of books for your pushup, dips, or squats.  Adding resistance keeps your body guessing and growing.

Take Out A Limb

Try taking a limb out of the game.  Try using just one limb in some exercises such as one legged squats, one handed push-ups and etc…While it may take more balance and strength to complete it has its advantages if you are looking to advance your routine.

Stay Flexed

Throughout your exercises and workout try to keep your muscles flexed.  Keeping your muscles contracted takes more energy and in a way keeps your rest time down.

Try Going In Slow Motion

While conducting your exercise try taking your time going slow throughout the movements.  Take longer on the positive and negative movements. Don’t lock out at any time and smoothly transaction into the negative and positive.

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Lets go back for a second and take a look at some of our favorite grade school activities.  For instance, do you remember what your favorite part of school was?  Most of us probably answered recess, and rightly so.  It seems when we were kids getting exercise was simple almost effort less. Unintentionally or not we could easily rack  up two or three hours of physical activity a day.

While I’m sure we don’t miss every aspect of being a child, lets go for a minute, back to the ones we do.  Wouldn’t you love to be able to incorporate physical activity into memories, adventure, family time, and more.  I put it this way, because physical activity doesn’t and shouldn’t be something we dread.  There is no rule that our cardio has to be running on a treadmill or jogging on a track.  Take those memories of childhood games and  hobbies and put them towards a physical goal.  Spend time with your kids and family by playing sports or tag, take your dog for a jog/walk, go on a hike with friends, the possibilities are endless.  Your main goal should really be to  have fun, get your heart rate up, all while enjoying life at the same time.

When exercise isn’t fun your routine can easily become stagnant and boring.  You’ll more then likely start finding excuses to skipping workouts.  Learn how to BURN THAT FAT while having fun! Below are a few tips for keeping exercise fun:

• We are social by birth- Find physical activities you can do with friends or family
• Constantly challenge yourself,  don’t let your body get stagnant and bored. Set small goals  and challenge yourself to reach them
• Don’t limit yourself to the gym.  Get out and exercise doing things you love such as dancing, hiking, sports, swimming, or other activities

So what are you waiting for…Burn that fat while having fun….

Weight Loss For Idiots…

First off lets be  honest here,there are no miracle/fast diets or pills that will make you lose weight fast. Even if there was, losing weight at an advanced rate usually means gaining it back even faster (yo-yo dieting).  Fortunately there is an extremely effective way to lose weight; yup, you guessed it diet and exercise.

In theory losing weight is actually easier then you would think.  Ultimately, what it  comes down to is calorie intake vs. calorie expenditure or calories in vs calories out.  To lose that suborn fat you must be in a calorie  deficit through eating less or exercising more(burning calories).   Again, “in order to lose extra weight you must be in a calorie deficit below maintenance.”

How Do I Find What My Maintenance Calories Are?

Glad you asked…That number is actually your BMR (basal metabolic rate).  Your BMR is the minimum amount of calories needed by your body on a single day to perform its routine functions.   If you consume  more than this calorie requirement per day you will  be in a calorie surplus ( gain weight), but consuming fewer calories would put you in a calorie deficit (lose weight).   Being in this calorie deficit means your body must find its needed energy somewhere else.   During this time your body breaks down fat from adipose cells (fat cells) and converts them into energy for your body to use (ie:  losing fat).

To find our your BMR go to the bottom right of trufit-source.com’s home page and check out our BMR calculator.

Additional Notes:

3500 calories = 1 pound

• 3500 extra calories = 1 pound gained
• 3500 less calories = 1 pound loss

Example:

Dropping 500 calories below maintenance a day for a week:

7 (days) x 500 (calories) = 3500 calories (1 pound loss)

While that may sound discouraging if you eat 500 calories less a day + exercise and burn 300+ calories a day. You are well on your way to losing 2-3 pounds a week.

*Try not to get pressed on your scale weight. You may see if fluctuate a lot at the beginning and thats normal. Your body will be reacting to the new stimulus (ie: diet/exercise routine) by building muscle, storing extra water and glucose. Just go by how you look, how your clothes feel, and more importantly how you feel.

*Also, you may want to try counting calories for a few days to see where you stand.  While counting calories may not sound fun, there are ways to succeed.   For instance try some free online calorie managers such as (my favorite) fitday.com.  Knowing where you stand calorie wise will help you better understand your goals.

Do you know where you stand when it comes to your weight?  Are you overweight, obese, or even underweight?  I’ve seen a lot of questions regarding this specific topic and hopefully this will help clarify things.

If you look on the right sidebar of trufit-source.com you will see a BMI (body mass index) calculator. BMI is a fairly reliable indicator of total body-fat levels using your height and weight as a guide.  The BMI calculator is valid for both adult men and women, but may show a margin of error for the following individuals:

• BMI may overestimate body fat for fit/athletic individuals with more then average muscle mass
• BMI may underestimate total body fat for older individuals whom may have loss muscle mass over the years

After imputing your correct height and weight you will be given a number.

What exactly does this number mean?

First off that  number is your BMI. This number is a reliable indicator of total body fat, which can be related to the risk of  certain diseases. Below are the guidelines for BMI and the risks involved.

BMI Guidelines:

• Underweight = <18.5
• Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
• Overweight = 25-29.9
• Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

Those with a BMI of >25 may want to consider some form of weight loss.  It has been proven that even a small percent of weight loss can lower your risks for developing diseases related to obesity such as diabetes or heart disease.

If your BMI is elevated you may want to talk to your doctor about the risk factors associated with obesity and whether or not you should lose weight. Your doctor should be able to advise you and get you on track to starting a weight loss routine. There are many risks involved with individuals whom are overweight or obese such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol or other lipid disorders, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.

For more information view our database articles reviewing this and other important topics:

ASSESSING YOUR WEIGHT!

Database page  listing all topics:

Fitness Database