Six Pack Abs To Die For

In order to create a great ab section you need to do these simple steps. You will need good nutrition. If you are eating a lot of fatty food obviously you are not going to see your abs. Therefore eating the kinds of food that have a lower calorie intake will help you in burning the fat faster. Also if you eat several small meals through out the day helps you keep your metabolism burning full blast. A lot of people eat three big meals a day and snack the rest of the day. If you don’t burn the energy you eat your body will start storing the fat. For most people that fat ends up in your abdominal area. If you surround yourself with fruits and vegetables these are the things you will eat. Again if you eat smaller amounts through out the day it will burn your fat faster. Eating those small amounts of fruits and vegetables goes even further and faster in burning the fat.

Exercise is your next important step in six pack abs. Combining these two steps work the best. You can walk, run and workout for a long time and not see results if you do not try to eat right. This step is very important because if you put the calories into your body you need to find a way to burn all those calories up. You need to do a cardiovascular workout combined with a good ab workout. Abdominal muscles come in three layers, transversus abdominis, this is the muscle that provides stability and plays a roll in exhalation. The next layer is the rectus abdominis. This muscle flexes the spine. Then there is the internal and external obliques these muscles are closest to your skin. They provide your rotation and lateral movement of your body. Working these muscles with a cardio workout will burn your stomach into submission and get the abs you dream off.

The next step is abdominal exercises, lets face it with out this step it will not happen. You need to burn these muscles for a stronger core. You will have a better posture and your back will be strong to fight against a back injury. An easy way to remember if you worked them to hard or not hard enough is to think if you were doing your bench presses or arm exercises how many sets would you do? If you do two or three sets and your muscles burn then that is probably the same you should do with your abs.

Your desire to have six pack abs is a desire everyone wants but there are other reasons why we should loose our midsection fat. Our abdominal fat is dangerous to our over all fitness. Being over weight is dangerous for our heart and blood pressure. By doing the steps we talked about above will not only get you six pack abs but also give you the physical fitness you need to live a healthy life. Also it is most important to not give up your program you choose. Staying focused and persistent you will get you the results you always hoped for.


Source: www.fitness.com

Measure Your Cardio Fitness

This simple test offers an easy way to measure your cardio fitness—one of the most important indicators of your overall physical health.
By Diane Vadino for MSN Health & Fitness

This simple test offers an easy way to measure your cardio fitness—one of the most important indicators of your overall physical health. Cardio fitness is a prime bulwark against myriad medical problems, including but not limited to the No. 1 killer in the United States, heart disease; more than 70 million Americans suffer from some form of it.

This test really couldn't be easier: all you need is a 12-inch step (or stair) and a stopwatch. You’ll step up and down for three minutes. Alternate your feet and try to maintain a pace of 24 sets—that's one up, and one down, on each foot—per minute. When the time's up, sit down and take your pulse immediately: With your fingers lightly on the pulse-point on your neck, count the number of beats for 15 seconds, and then multiply by four for the number of heart beats per minute.

In this case, you're aiming low. A low number suggests that your body is better able to recover quickly from exertion—a key element of a healthy body—so the lower the figure, the greater your cardio fitness. Once you have the number of beats per minute, it's easy to gauge your situation.

Excellent: Anything less than 97 beats per minute

Good: 97-127 beats per minute

Fair: 128-142 beats per minute

Poor: 143-171 beats per minute

Very Poor: anything above 172 beats per minute

Don’t despair over an unsatisfactory result, however: Your level of cardio fitness can improve remarkably quickly, with as little as 20 minutes of cardio exercise four to five times a week.

Source: GMTV and the American College of Sports Medicine

Building Strength

Building Strength

Whey Protein: the ultimate nourishment

Whey is the ultimate protein in terms of bio availability (around 100) and content of essential amino acids, which the body needs on a daily basis to promote a healthy body and assist in maintaining muscle tone. Whey protein is a by-product of cheese making, which has been concentrated and purified by a filtration process to yield a high purity protein product, that is both natural and pure without any added preservatives.

The amount of protein in Whey Protein Concentrate is 22 grams per serving and the balance is made up of 2 grams fat, 2 grams carbohydrate and a mixture of minerals amounting to less than 1 gram. All the Whey Protein Isolate is the purest form of whey protein and contains 25 grams of protein per serving, less than 1 gram of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of minerals and trace amounts of fat.

Advertise Here
Without protein, you may spend hours in the gym and never increase your lean muscle mass simply because you cannot grow a muscle without protein.


Benefits of Whey Protein:

*
Recent research shows that it’s best to consume whey protein two hours before exercising - after exercising, within two hours or less. This is the time when the body needs protein the most. More recent studies have reduced this time to as little as 15 minutes. Whey Protein digests easily to start nourishing muscle tissue in need of repair. It has a high concentration of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) which are used by muscle fibers during exercise. The body prefers to use BCAAs during periods of exercise as a source of energy. The muscles break down BCAAs into glucose which passes directly into the skeletal muscles from the bloodstream. Low levels of BCAAs may lead to increased fatigue, especially during endurance exercise. Whey Protein replenishes the BCAAs to help prevent muscle fatigue, produce favorable psychological effects, improve performance, and foster faster recovery after intensive exercise.


*
Whey Protein contains a protein fraction known as glycomacropeptide, which is a powerful stimulator of the pancreatic hormone cholecystokinin (CCK). CCK is an appetite suppressant that plays many essential roles relating to gastrointestinal function, including the regulation of food intake. Also, CCK stimulates gall bladder contraction and bowel motility; regulates gastric emptying; and stimulates the release of enzymes from the pancreas.


*
Certain specific types of hydrolyzed whey protein show promise in helping to naturally reduce blood pressure (High Blood Pressure). While whey proteins should not be substituted for prescription medication, they may be a good complement to your current program. Look for more information later this year.


*
Whey Protein is a very useful and key component in weight management programs. Protein has long been known to provide a higher level of satiety versus carbohydrates, and may help dieters feel less hungry between meals. The Journal of the American Dietetic Association compared the effects on body weight and composition of two diet plans. One plan included liquid protein meal replacements, and the other followed a more traditional approach. At three months, both groups experienced significant weight loss. After one year, most of the participants in the protein supplement consuming group maintained their initial weight loss, while the traditional group regained most of their weight.


*
Whey protein has been researched in prevention and life extension studies for such things as cancer, AIDS and other degenerative diseases. It may help T-cell activity and decrease wasting tissues during illness and therefore increase well-being and the speed of overall recovery. Whey proteins contain high levels of the amino acid cysteine, which is needed to help the body produce glutathione, a powerful anti-oxidant that plays a key role in maintaining immune health. In fact, one of the first symptoms often noticed in individuals with autoimmune diseases, such as HIV, is a decline in glutathione levels. Numerous studies have demonstrated the positive effects of whey protein supplementation on individuals with various types of cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, and HIV. One recent study found that whey proteins inhibited the growth of breast cancer cells in a test tube. Another study showed a reduction in the size of cancer tumors in some patients when they consumed a whey protein product that delivered 24 grams of pure whey protein per day.


*
Whey Protein provides High Quality Protein For Those on Lactose, Casein or Gluten Restricted Diets-- Whey protein isolate is the purest form of whey protein and is made up of over 90 percent protein. It contains only trace amounts of lactose therefore individuals with lactose intolerance can safely take whey protein isolate. It is also a great protein source for individuals with Celiac disease who are on gluten or wheat protein restricted diets.


*
Osteoporosis, is a major health concern. Studies show that low protein intake, including lower levels of animal protein intake, is significantly related to increased levels of bone loss. Regular exercise and adequate amounts of protein and calcium in the diet can make a positive difference to bone health and may help to reduce the incidence of osteoporosis.


*
Exciting new research is being conducted that indicates certain whey protein components help promote the growth of new body tissue. This work is ongoing and still in the early stages.


Types:

Whey protein comes in three, distinctly different types, of which some are better than others, depending on different factors. One of great importance is absorption, followed by the price.

Hydrolyzed Whey - Protein Isolate (HWPI)

In the whey protein family, Hydrolyzed Whey Protein is the most readily digestible. While having the highest efficacy of all the whey proteins it is also the most expensive. HWPI is partially utilized to aid in the human digestive process, which makes it very soluble. The problem with HPWI is that it has an extremely bitter taste that is impossible to overcome with sweeteners or flavorings, which prevent it from possibly ever becoming a primary ingredient in this class of protein supplementation. HPWI still can be found in some supplements but as one of the lesser ingredients.


Whey Protein Isolate (WPI)

WPI has a good taste and is also extremely digestible. WPI is almost entirely void of fat and is lactose free. The latter is of great importance to individuals with lactose intolerance. The process of cross-flow microfiltration helped to revolutionize this type of protein. This is the phase in processing which follows the "concentration" phase to "isolate" the whey protein.


Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC)

Whey Protein concentrates have a variety of different problems associated with them. Symptoms from users of WPC included bloating, gas and in some cases diarrhea. There is a very large variance in the protein content itself. Actual protein content can vary widely from twenty-five (25) to eighty (80) percent that is a direct result of the dependence on the quality and cost. If you were to compare WPI to WPC you will find that WPC has higher concentrations of fat, carbohydrate and lactose. The absorption is also reduced due to the lower assimilation in the stomach and intestines. Due to the lower cost of manufacturing and the reduced quality and quantity of the protein content, this is the most economical.

Intake Recommendations:

For sedentary, unstressed people, the recommended daily protein intake level is approximately 0.4g per pound of body weight daily (60g of protein per day for a person weighing 150 lb).

At the other end of the scale, for people on an intense training or workout program, up to 1 g. of protein per pound of body weight is ideal to fuel the muscle tissue. At this level of consumption, it is recommended to spread the protein intake over a number of meals through out the day to allow for efficient assimilation of the protein by the body.

Whey protein is readily available in a concentrated powder form and may be purchased in nutrition or health product stores, in many large grocery stores, or directly from suppliers on the Internet. There are many ways to consume whey protein as it can easily be added to water, juice or other liquids. It can also be added to softer solid foods, such as applesauce, or used as an egg replacement in many baking recipes.


Source: http://www.womenfitness.net/bodybuilding_why_protien.htm