Bridging the Gap: The Top 5 Fitness Secrets for Housewives and Athletes
Why does the title of this article mention Housewives and Athletes? Brace yourself for the answer: Because the training protocols for both are exactly the same! "How can that be?" you ask. "Is the author of this article on drugs?" "How can an athlete and a housewife train the same way?"Here is your answer: Because each of them works diligently towards their respective goals using the same time-proven training techniques that you are about to learn. The goals of an athlete may be different than those of a housewife, but the science behind the training program is exactly the same.EXERCISESIf your goal was to bench press the heaviest weight in history would it help you to take ballet classes? If your goal was to have a trim, toned body with a low level of bodyfat, would you get a lot out of Power Lifting classes with a squad of 350 lb athletes at 'Bruno's Iron Body Weightlifting Dungeon'?The point is that you have to train for what you want out of your exercise program! Don't choose exercises out of a magazine just because they worked for the author of a particular article. Don't do the "classic" exercises at the gym just because everyone else is doing them.Determine what your goal is, decide which exercises and which training programs will get you to your goal, and then just follow your program. This is pretty basic information, but you may be surprised by how many people just follow the crowd, which will get you exactly nowhere.FORMOnce you have your training program ready to go, you have to do it right! If your program calls for eight 30-second wind sprints in 5 minutes, guess what you have to do?If your program calls for picture-perfect free weight squats, bench presses, or lunges, how should you do your free weight squats, bench presses, and lunges? You have to get your training program from a reputable, trustworthy source, such a personal trainer, or a friend or family member who is in very good physical condition.
Once you have determined that your source is qualified to tell you how many wind sprints to do, or the proper way to do lunges, then you need to do exactly that.Too many people get "distracted" during their training sessions and just end up going through the motions. During each and every exercise or activity, your form should be perfect, your concentration should be fierce, and your effort should be maximal. Safeguard your health as well as your fitness goals by doing things the right way. You'll achieve maximum results, with minimal risk or wasted time.SETSHow many sets of each exercise should you do? No doubt your favorite fitness magazine has instructed you at some point to do 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions. That is good advice in some instances, but not in ALL instances.
Who came up with that number, anyway? The proper number of sets to perform of each activity depends on the activity itself, what your training goals are, and where you are at in your training program. 3 sets may be perfect in the beginning, but later on down the road, you may need more or less than that. Don't do the "traditional" number of sets, or the traditional number of exercises. Think outside of the box! This will keep your mind and your body from getting bored or over-stressed by any given exercise program.PROTEINHere is a newsflash: You need protein at every meal, regardless of your fitness goals. It doesn't matter if you are a bodybuilder or a glass blower - your body needs protein several times per day, every single day of your life.Don't think that just because you aren't trying to put on muscle mass that you don't need to consume protein.
Your body uses the amino acids in protein to repair damage that happens naturally to your body everyday, even if you don't exercise. If you are involved in an intense exercise program, then your need for protein is amplified by a large percentage.Do you need the latest protein supplement? Maybe, maybe not. It depends on your present training program and nutritional intake. Decide if you are getting at least 20% of your calories from protein everyday, and as much as 40% for some competitive athletes. If not, then you may need to take a protein supplement, or at least increase the amount of lean protein in your daily diet.CARDIOVASCULAR TRAININGCardiovascular training is just good for burning off calories, right? Wrong! Cardio does burn a lot of calories, but let's break down the word "cardiovascular".
Cardio: Having to do with the cardiac muscle - your heart. Vascular: Having to do with your circulatory system - your veins and arteries.When put together into the term "cardiovascular", can you determine the primary reason for doing cardio? To improve the strength and efficiency of your heart and circulatory system! Yes, improving the strength and efficiency of your heart and circulatory system burns a lot of calories. Yes, cardiovascular training is part of any good health and fitness program.However, if you don't do it right, you won't get much out of it. There are various formulas for determining the intensity of your cardiovascular workouts, and they include the Target Heart Rate Zone and the "Talk Test".Whichever method you choose, you must always put forth a true moderate to intense effort, and you must also practice different activities, and different amounts of time spent doing cardio. If you always do the treadmill at 3.5 mph for exactly 30 minutes, your body will quickly adapt to that, and your progress will cease.Change the activity that you engage in, change the intensity, and change the amount of time you spend doing it.
Keep your body guessing, and it will reward you by literally "throwing your fat into the fire" to fuel the workout!.
Aaron Potts is a Personal Trainer and Fitness Success Coach whose customers include consumers as well as other fitness professionals. Sign up for his free Fitness Journal at http://www.fitnessdestinations.com or visit his coaching site at http://www.ptsuccesscoach.comCreative Potty Training
When I was potty training my two young boys, I discovered this method of potty training that made it an enjoyable, yet very effective way to potty train toddlers.First, make sure your child is ready for potty training, shows interest, wants "big kids pants" etc.
If they show no signs of readiness, it may be best to let them mature a bit more.
Make this a game, make it fun and you will not run into stubborn opposition (after all it is the child's body). Go out and buy or find around the house items you don't normally let your child play with.
Some examples might be toys that can be used in water (3 or 4 things), like little plastic pitchers, balls, tiny cups, whatever, but make them SPECIAL.
The only real rule to this game is these special "potty" toys can only be played with while the child is sitting on the potty!
This is very important; no breaking this one rule, or it won't work. Once the child is sitting on the potty fill a large bowl or...
Potty training > Creative Potty Training
Power Training for your Website
You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included.Power Training for your Website ? Build that trafficBy Marc LindsayWe all know what it is like to get in the gym and do a darn good workout don't we??It feels exhilarating and you walk away with a sense of achievement and that you have done something right to your bodyWell I was in the gym the other day doing the strength component of my training and I it made me question myself.
What is it that makes us bigger, grow more muscle, and get stronger.
Or in the Internet side of things create more traffic flow, have more links coming in and achieve a higher Search Engine Ranking.They both require constant attention and work,
It is better to work two or three major area's at the same time doing "power movements" as this creates more "bang for your buck" so to say.Well I have taken the major concepts of what is working for me in the gym and...
Potty training > Power Training for your Website
Eating Wisely and Weight Loss
Please bear in mind that I am not a dietician, or a physician, and my opinions are those of a Yoga teacher and life-long student of Ayurveda. Always consult your family physician before changing your diet.It may be generally agreed that eating wisely and weight loss do not often agree. Just look back that the parade of "fad diets" that didn't seem to work over the long term and, in retrospect, were not wise from the onset.This article will be a "union" of ideas from Ayurvedic principles, modern fitness concepts, and overall strategies for better health.It goes without saying that a vegetarian diet is healthy. Only a decade ago, there were many reservations, among local physicians in New England, in regard to this concept. How rapidly knowledge, insight, and opinions change.Marie, my wife, exposed me to the vegetarian diet.
Before that, I ate what is now called the "Mediterranean Diet." The diet I eat, to this day, is a combination of the two. The combination of these two, "classic"...
Eating Wisely and Weight Loss
Potty training > Eating Wisely and Weight Loss
Positive, Reward-Based Training for Dogs of All Ages Opens Its Doors in Red Bank, NJ
Red Bank, NJ (ContentDesk via ContentDesk Direct) September 20, 2005 -- Dog training used to be considered a chore, but times have changed.
Now dog owners can train their dogs using scientifically proven positive reinforcement methods that are fun, dog-friendly and effective.As announced on the Today Show ? Dogs are the new "kids."
More and more people have dogs instead of kids or care for their dogs as well as they care for their children.
Much like it is considered inappropriate to physically punish kids, it is equally inappropriate, outdated and ineffective to use choke chains to give a dog correction.
The dog pampering doesn't stop at dog boutiques, bakeries and daycares? people also want the best education for their four legged fur-kids."This is a great time to be a dog.
Modern training techniques are not only effective, but also fun for both ends of the leash," states owner and trainer Vyolet...
Potty training > Positive, Reward-Based Training for Dogs of All Ages Opens Its Doors in Red Bank, NJ
Athletes to Win Battle Over Self
Camarillo, Ca (ContentDesk) February 1, 2006 -- The Mental Strength Training Center announced today the release of a course to help long distance runners, triathletes, cyclists and other endurance sports enthusiasts win the battle over themselves.
Sometimes the most important win of all.Officially released last month, "Mental Strength for Endurance Athletes" is an introduction to assist both competitive and non-competitive long-distance athletes with their mental strength. The 25-minute audio is in an easy-to-listen to interview format featuring Michelle Cleere, M.A., with questions coming from Samuel F. Hirschberg, CEO of the Mental Strength Training Center.The teaching is from Michelle Cleere, a World class sport psychologist who reveals little-known, highly effective secrets of mental preparation every endurance athlete can benefit from.
Drawing from her career as a competitive triathlete, certified personal trainer, USAT certified coach and now a practicing sport...
Potty training > Athletes to Win Battle Over Self