One thing that so many people overlook as they go about their weight loss progress is the mindset that they’re using.

If you’re not using the right mindset, this will definitely influence your results because not only will you feel as motivated to continue on, but if you do happen to fall off the bandwagon, you may not get right back up and on it again.

What you’re thinking on a daily basis has a very powerful influence on your day to day actions, so it’s vital that you get this figured out properly. Getting to the right frame of mind can make all the difference in how you progress along.

Let’s look at four great tips that will help to improve your mindset.

Imagine If You Couldn’t

One of the best ways to instantly improve your mindset and motivation is to imagine if you actually couldn’t workout. So many of us take this advantage for granted, always complaining about being tired or whatever the excuse may be.

But what if you were disabled and working out wasn’t an option? Start appreciating the basic fact that you can. Others would give everything to be in your shoes.

Vision Your Long Term Goal

Imaging reaching your long term goal is the next great way to improve your mindset. Spend five to ten minutes a day picturing what it will be like when you finally reach that end destination. This can do wonders for your mindset as well.

The more you can ‘feel’ yourself living in that situation, the more you will put forth everything you’ve got to make it come to reality.

Consider Your Up-To-Date Progress

The next quick tip to improve your mindset is to think about the progress you have made so far. Far too many people get discouraged when results aren’t happening immediately, but if you stop and look at how far you’ve progressed over the last few months, you come to see that you have made dramatic improvements.

Start looking at this more closely. It can definitely inspire you to forge ahead during those times you may feel otherwise.

Get Support

Finally, the last way to boost your motivation is to talk to someone. Have someone there for support who you can go to on the days that you aren’t feeling so motivated.

They can remind you of how hard you are working and how far you truly have come.

Sometimes it takes an outsider to remind us of the progress we really are making. We really can be our own worst enemy at times, so taking a step back and letting someone else put things into perspective for you can do just the trick to get you back on track.

So keep these mindset tips in mind. The better your mindset is as you move forward with your program plan, the more likely you will be to see the success that you’re after.

Click here to read more information on goal setting.

If you’re looking to improve your strength levels, chances are good that you immediately turn to weight lifting movements to get the job done.

But in some cases, it’s a good idea to add more variety to your program from time to time to not only keep yourself more interested in the workout sessions, but also ensure that you keep improving.

The body adapts to certain stimuli that are placed upon it and in doing so, fails to keep responding.

By changing things up every once in a while, you shock your system, causing it to grow back stronger than it was before.

An exercise ball is a fantastic tool to incorporate into your program plan as it’s entirely different from conventional strength training and will give you a nice change of pace.

Let’s look at a few good medicine ball exercises to perform.

Side To Side Passes

The first good movement is the side to side pass. Hold a medicine ball directly in front of you, arms bent, back to back with a partner. From there, turn to one side, pass them the ball, and then they are to turn immediately to the opposite side and hand it back.

Continue doing this 8-10 times and then switch the directions you’re turning.

Lunge With A Twist

Next, a lunge with a twist is a perfect way to challenge those obliques and firm your lower body at the same time.

To perform it, get into a lunge position and begin lunging down, but as you do, twist the ball to one side of the body.

Once twisted, pause briefly and then twist back to center as you press upwards.

The next rep, twist to the other side. You should always twist o the side that is opposite the leg in front of the body.

Sumo Squat

The sumo squat is the next good movement to perform and will nicely work the inner and outer thigh regions.

To perform it, get into sumo squat position holding the medicine ball directly beneath your legs, or in front of the body if you prefer (depending on the weight you’re using and your arm strength level).

Begin to bend at the knees and lower yourself down into the squat position. Pause there briefly and then press back up again to complete the rep.

Continue until all reps are completed.

Overhead Throw

Moving along, the final exercise to try out is the overhead through. This one is great for working the shoulders as well as the biceps and triceps.

To perform it, get into a standing position with the exercise ball by the chin near the front of the body. From there, toss it directly above you (or towards a wall if you want some diagonal movement pattern occurring).

Let it fall back down to the floor as the rep is finished. Be sure to do this one in an open environment where some noise is permitted.

So there you have a few great options for medicine ball training. Far too many people overlook medicine balls entirely, but you may want to just consider bringing them back to your program plan.

Here’s more tips on how to boost your exercise intensity.

Do you find that you’re constantly getting sick? Always feel run down and tired?

If so, your immune system may not be functioning as optimally as it could be.

Your immune system is the primary system in the body that is going to be responsible for fending off invading bacteria and viruses, so one that you want functioning to its best.

In addition to that, it’s also going to be the system that’s responsible for helping you recover quickly after each workout that you complete, so something that needs to be in place if you are participating in a vigorous workout program.

What you eat on a daily basis can definitely have an influence over your immune system, so by making a few simple changes to your diet plan, you can easily increase how well you feel and recover.

Let’s go over some of the top foods that you should know that will help you boost your immune function.

Berries

When it comes to boosting your health, you simply cannot go wrong with berries. They’re low in calories, relatively low in sugar content (for a fruit), high in fiber, and very rich in antioxidants.

Antioxidants are going to help to fend off free radical damage to your tissues as well as help to strengthen your immune system.

Raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries – they are all excellent choices.

Yogurt

Next, also consider adding some yogurt into the mix. Yogurt contains active bacteria that can strengthen the body’s own natural immunity, helping keep you disease free.

Yogurt is also an excellent source of protein, so important to have in your diet for that reason as well, so is a home-run hit for getting your nutrition in line.

Garlic

Garlic is not really a food per say, but can easily be added to any dish that you are creating. Garlic contains compounds that will work well to strengthen the immune system and fend off common colds and flu’s.

In addition to this, those who consume garlic regularly also have a lower rate of stomach and colorectal cancer as well.

It’s a great way to add flavor to your foods without boosting the calorie content and offering powerful health benefits.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are the next must-have food to get on your list if you want to boost your immunity.

This food is very rich in vitamin A, which is an important vitamin for helping to develop connective tissue in the body and keeping bacteria, viruses, and any other harmful elements out.

In addition to this, these potatoes are also slower to digest in the body compared to regular potatoes, making them a much better choice for keeping your energy levels stabilized over time.

So there you have some of the top foods to get into your diet plan if you want to see greater immunity and feel your best on a day to day basis.

Find more nutrition tips in this article about how to increase the healthy fat content of your diet.

If you’re looking to get started on a strength training program, one question that you may be asking yourself right now is which equipment you should be considering purchasing.

When it comes to building a home gym, there are definitely a few options to consider and if you choose wisely, you’ll be more apt to actually do the workout sessions, so this is important.

You’ll be looking for something that you can easily tuck away out of sight in your home and something that’s relatively cost effective as well.

Resistance bands and free weights are both good options for this, so understanding which is best for you is a wise move.

Let’s go over the points to know.

Your Current Strength Level

The very first thing to look at is your current strength level. Those who are starting out at a higher strength level will likely find that using a set of dumbbells the better route to go.

While resistance bands definitely do provide resistance to the body, they are not going to reach the level of resistance that using free weights would.

With free weights, you can pick up dumbbell sets that run all the way up to 100 pounds (for the very strong!) so there are far less limitations in this regard.

With resistance bands, you can get those in varying resistance levels as well, but you’ll never reach this kind of resistance with them.

Whether Joint Pain Is Present

Next, you also need to assess whether joint pain is present or not. If you experience knee, shoulder, back, or any other sort of pain, the bands may be the superior choice for you.

Bands will place slightly less overall stress and tension on the joints compared to free weights, so tend to be the best option for most people.

If you are going to use free weights, then you’ll just want to be very careful as you use them and be aware of using good form at all times.

Your Degree Of Knowledge

Speaking of good form, this brings us to our next point.  Using resistance bands does tend to pose less of an injury risk due to poor form than free weights, so if you’re very new to strength training and your body is just adapting to the movement patterns, they may be a better choice because of this.

With free weights, if you make one wrong move and that dumbbell takes a bad pattern of movement, this can immediately set you up to experience a strained or pulled muscle, causing you to become sidelined.

So your best bet would be to use the bands while you learn the exercises and then graduate onto free weights.

So there you have the most critical points to consider as you choose which equipment is right for your home gym. There’s no right or wrong here – only what’s best for you.

Looking to build a home gym? Use this guide to help you.

If you’re going about your workout and are looking to increase your speed and power, it’s vital that you incorporate a few tricks and techniques that are designed to build explosive power.

This is very often the goal with many athletes in training as having good power development is critical for optimal sports performance.

This said, some don’t quite understand how to best go about enhancing this area of their fitness program.

Let’s go over what you should know.

Add Plyometrics

The very first thing that you should be considering doing is adding some plyometric training to the mix. This form of training is great for increasing power since it’s going to really target the fast twitch muscles in the body, making sure that you are able to contract them at top speeds.

That’s what will be most essential when you’re aiming to build more power.

Focus On Tempo

Second, you’ll also want to really think about the tempo that you’re using as you go about your weight lifting activities. While the classic protocol is to use a lifting pattern of two to three seconds to lift the weight, a pause at the top of the movement, and then two or three seconds to lower the weight back downwards, by speeding up the tempo on the first portion of the exercise, you can improve your power development.

Use a tempo of around a 1:2:2 ratio for best results. The pause at the top will decrease all the momentum you had built up from the fast raising portion, which will then help you ensure that you maintain full muscle contraction on the way down.

This way you can not only generate great muscular power, but strength as well.

Increase Your Flexibility

Finally, the last thing to remember is that flexibility will also be taken into account when establishing how powerful you become.

If you’re more flexible, you can move through a further range of motion, meaning you can develop more power behind you due to the wind up of the exercise. This will dramatically boost the explosiveness of the movement to come next, so can offer great benefits in helping you reach this goal.

So there you have the primary ways that you can improve your power development through proper workout programming.

Always remember that power training is going to be more intensive on the body than other forms of training, so rest is also going to be essential as well. If you aren’t resting enough between the workouts you do, you won’t see results either.

Aim to take one day off between each workout session for optimal recovery and improvement.

See this article for more information on glute building exercises.

A shocking 80 percent of runners get injured every year, according to the Harvard University. For being such a healthy habit and not usually thought of as a “dangerous” sport, why is running so risky? As humans evolve, we gain new knowledge, strength and skills. Unfortunately, we can also lose some of our basic instinctual skills. Over time, human beings have lost the natural talent of running, as simple a task as it may seem. With a few techniques and knowledge of the science of running, we can get back to basics and avoid unnecessary injuries.

Runner’s Knee

This is one of the most common injuries in runners. Many chock runner’s knee up to simply being an “overuse” injury, when in fact there are ways to prevent it no matter how much you run. According to Running Times, this injury is usually caused by patellar tracking problems. Having tight hamstrings and uneven strength in the quadriceps can cause stress on the patella. Stretching is always a good idea, but do some exercises that strengthen the core and hip flexibility. Also strengthen the inner quadriceps by doing leg raises against a wall. Flex your knees at a 90 degree angle and squeeze a pillow between them. These exercises do not work overnight, so run on softer, flatter terrain for a while. Running downhill or on hard surfaces can create problems too if you are not strengthened properly.

Lack of Sleep

It may seem like common sense, but many don’t realize how important a good night’s sleep can be for athletes, including runners. Of course if you do not sleep enough you will become fatigued and it will affect your performance, but lack of sleep can also affect other aspects. According to Sports Injury Bulletin, a consistent lack of sleep can reduce cardiovascular performance by 11 percent. It can also create emotional imbalance and stunt informational processing. It’s not enough to simply go to bed early. If you do not have the right amount of support and comfort you can wake up with stiffness, soreness and not enough REM sleep. Many put off buying a new mattress for years because their old one seems fine and it is expensive, but that can be deceiving. It’s possible to get a new mattress that is high-quality and affordable. Getting the right support at night is essential in an athlete’s routine.

Shin Splints

Another incredibly common, terribly annoying and absolutely avoidable injury among runners is shin splints. Shin splints can come in mild cases of inflammation and more serious cases from an actual separation between the fascia and the tibia. It is not running that creates shin splints but HOW you run. According to Chi running experts, people naturally run with their lower legs, land on their heels and push off with their toes. For whatever reason, these tendencies that have evolved are not correct and are hard on your body. Proper training should teach you to minimize use of your lower legs (let gravity do the work there), land on the balls of your feet and push off with your heels. It may feel weird at first but can drastically improve your form, speed and help prevent not only shin splints, but most running injuries.

Pulled Muscles

Stretching is an integral part of your running routine, both before and after. This helps with soreness and overextension. If the right warm-up and cool-down are not performed properly or not done at all, a pulled muscle can occur. This can leave a runner sidelined for a long time. Work on flexibility and learn proper stretches to do before and after running or exercising. Also, don’t forget to drink lots of water.

Stitching

Most runners (about 70 percent) are all-too-familiar with that stabbing cramp in the side that can creep up during a run and nearly floor you. It has long been said that this occurs when the diaphragm is overworked but a recent study, performed by Avondale College, has discovered that it could be caused from poor posture. In the study, they discovered no change in activity in the diaphragm while stitching was occurring and that runners who slouched or hunched were more likely to get stitching. Poor posture affects nerves and creates friction. Standing up straight and deep breathing will help prevent these injuries.

Equipment

The fitness equipment you’re using will play a major role in preventing injuries as well. Some people that are concerned with running injuries (such as in the back or knee) find it easier to accomplish their fitness goals by burning calories with the 3-in-1 motion of the new Bowflex line of TreadClimbers.

One food that you should be paying close attention to as you go about your diet plan is Greek yogurt.  Greek yogurt is high in nutrition as it provides you with a high quality source of calcium, is rich in protein, and is also relatively low in sodium as well for a dairy product.

Plus, Greek yogurt is available in many fat free varieties, so this makes it perfect for anyone on an intense fat loss diet plan.

Some people aren’t overly fond of the taste of regular Greek yogurt however, which is then reason to look into utilizing it as part of your meals rather than on its own.  This way you won’t notice the taste as much but will still be able to reap all the nutritional benefits that it has to offer.

Let’s give you a few ideas for how you can incorporate Greek yogurt into your day.

Prepare A Sauce With It

The very first way that you can utilize Greek yogurt would be to prepare it into a sauce.  Adding Greek yogurt along with some dill, Parmesan cheese, or any other ingredients you feel would work well with it and suite your taste buds is a great way to make a lighter, creamy sauce to serve with your dishes.

Even combining Greek yogurt along with some tomato sauce could work if you want a creamy tomato version to tempt your taste buds.

Add It To Smoothies

The second way to add more Greek yogurt to your day is to add it into smoothies that you’re preparing. Smoothies are a great way to get your protein intake up, so along with protein powder and frozen fruit, add in your Greek yogurt.

For healthy fats, toss in some flaxseeds or natural peanut butter and you’ll be all set.  Some people choose to use cottage cheese to thicken their shake but Greek yogurt can act as a standby instead.  Cottage cheese will give a different type of taste compared to Greek yogurt as well, so that’s something that you do need to consider.  Some people will have a strong preference for one over the other.

Use It As A Dip

Finally, the last way that you can consider adding Greek yogurt to your diet rather than having it straight on its own is to utilize it in dip format.

If you are also trying to increase your raw vegetable consumption and are struggling on that front to do so properly, using a good dip to help get it down with will definitely make things easier.

Combine the Greek yogurt along with some salsa and then serve that up with some raw veggies.  This will also make it that much more of a complete meal as well since you’ll have the protein along with the fiber and carbs from the vegetables.

So don’t overlook this powerful muscle building food any longer. Start considering adding it to your diet and see all the benefits it has to offer.

For more nutritional help, check this post on the best fruits to eat on your diet plan.

If you’ve been going about your workouts and have been seeing relatively good results, you’re likely satisfied with how everything is progressing along.

But, at some point or another, you may start to question whether you should be consulting with a personal trainer to help you take your fitness up a level.

There are individuals who need quite a large extent of guidance from a trainer, while there are those who are quite fine going about their workouts on their own.

Understanding where you are in this spectrum will be important so that you can feel confident you’re making the most of your workout sessions.

Let’s have a look at four reasons why you may want to hire a personal trainer so you can pinpoint if that needs to be your next move.

You’re Plateaued

The first time you might want to consider consulting a trainer is if you’ve reached a progress plateau.  This is perfectly normal and natural and comes about because you’ve been doing the same workout for far too long.

A personal trainer will help to show you advanced exercises that can help you bust through this rut and continue on to see faster results from the effort you’re putting in.

Your Goals Have Changed

Second, the next reason why you might want to consider a personal trainer is if your goals have changed.  If you were focused on muscle building and had a workout designed as such but now want to look at losing some of the excess weight that’s crept on, you need a new plan for that.

Get a personal trainer to revamp your old workouts so that you know they’re most applicable to the goals that you want to reach.

If you have set a goal that you aren’t quite sure how to go about accomplishing, it will be vital that you seek the support you need to get results.

You’re Bored

A third reason why some people might want to consider a personal trainer from time to time is simply because they’re bored.  You may still be seeing good progress from your workouts, but if you’re bored due to doing the same workout over and over again, you’re not going to stick with it much longer.

Learning some new exercises or getting a complete program overhaul can be one of the best ways to get past this.

Boredom is one of the biggest killers of results there is, so you need to avoid this at all costs. Figure out a few new workouts to add to your usual treadmill sessions.

You’re Trying A New Activity

Finally, the last time when you may want to consider seeking the help of a trainer is if you’re trying a new activity.

Perhaps you’ve always stuck with weight machines but now you want to venture into the free weight section. A personal trainer can help you learn the ropes.

Having the confidence to perform this new activity correctly will ensure that you keep at it, developing the skill that you’re hoping you will.

So don’t be shy about talking to a trainer and getting their help. Remember that you don’t have to sign up for multiple sessions – sometimes one session is all it takes to get you back on track again.

For more information on setting goals and making stick with or without a trainer, see this article.

As the New Year rolls around, you might be thinking of a few different resolutions that you want to set so that you have something to strive towards next year.  Working on self-improvement is always a great way to enhance your quality of life and can lead to higher levels of wellness.

But, as you go about setting these resolutions, it’s going to be imperative that you are smart with the process or you may find yourself in the same situation as so many other people at this time of year – frustrated that you’ve given up yet again.

Let’s look at a few things to take note of so that you can set some resolutions that you will indeed stick with and realize success.

Assess Your Resources

The first thing that you should be doing is assessing your resources.  Will you have access to all the equipment that you’ll need to see success on your program? Do you have the resources to purchase a home cardio machine or will you be investing in a gym membership?

And, what is your schedule like? How much time are you able to dedicate towards this goal?  Time is a huge barrier to many people’s success, so this is not one that you should take lightly.

Be Realistic

Next, also make sure that you are being realistic as well.  Is the goal something that is realistic given your body and your natural tendencies?

Far too many people get over ambitious at the New Year.  While it is quite common at any point throughout the year, New Year’s is particularly bad as most feel they are really turning a new leaf.

Just because it’s a New Year, doesn’t mean it’s a completely new you.  You are still the same person and while you may be a little more determined to create the change you want to see, you still will have the same habits you had before.  Remember that and adjust your goal accordingly.

Consider Your Past

As you assess how realistic your goal is, also make sure you consider your past.  They say the past is the best predictor of the future, so while you can overcome your past through some hard work and internal self-pushing, know that your past results will influence where you go tomorrow.

If you know something has given you a high degree of trouble in the past, consider looking at what you can do to overcome this one thing especially as you strive to move forward.

Get Support

Finally, make sure that you get some support.  Whether this means hiring a personal trainer or talking to a nutritionist, get the support you need to see the results you desire.  Those who have more support are always more likely to succeed, so don’t overlook this factor. You may also want to consider purchasing a piece of home cardio equipment to assist with getting your workouts completed.  Please see this article for more advice.

Setting New Year’s resolutions is a great way to keep yourself motivated but you must make sure you are setting them properly.

Lots of people talk about the dozens (or 100′s) of things we should all be doing to stay healthy, but sometimes it helps to look at the other side:

If a doctor told you it’s possible to live 5 years longer if you were completely lazy for 23.5 hours of every day, you’d probably be excited, right?

Obviously there’s a catch to this line of thinking, but you’ll get a much better idea of how this works from the cool illustrations in this video. Check it out:

The fact that you’re reading this blog means you probably knew about this concept, but I hope you enjoyed the facts and illustrations to support the idea.

Have fun being lazy (97.92% of the time)!

As you get all geared up for the holiday season, one thing that might be causing you a slight amount of anxiety is how you ever plan to make it through with your workout intact.  There’s no questioning the fact that it’s an incredibly busy time of year and chances are you aren’t going to have time to keep up with your usual gym routine.

But, does this mean that you need to forgo your fitness level and just accept the weight that normally comes on during the next four weeks?

Not if you are smart in your approach.

By using the following three strategies you can ensure that you don’t end up facing the New Year with a weight loss resolution in mind.

Accept Maintenance Over Progression

The very first thing that you should be doing if you want to maximize the success that you get with your workout plan is to focus on maintenance over progression.  Now is not the time to set a lofty fitness goal to strive for because you’ll already be fighting an uphill battle.

Instead, simply opt to aim to maintain your current fitness level.  This will require far less time in the gym as you can cut back on your current workload by 2/3’s and still see great results.

If you can get into the gym twice per week and perform two full body workouts, aiming to complete two to three sets of a compound exercise for each major muscle group, this should be sufficient to helping you keep your current strength level.

Be Active Outdoors

Second, also make sure that you consider all the various outdoor activities that you can do during this time as well.  If you want to get out of the gym and interact with others, try skating, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, or even just walking around looking at Christmas lights.

All of these activities will produce a high calorie burn and help you maintain your body weight as the season progresses on.

Don’t think that you absolutely have to be in the gym to see results.

Watch Your Diet

Finally, last but not least, make sure that you do attempt to watch your diet.  While it is hard at this time of the year, if you can make it a rule that you will only allow two indulgences per week, this should go a long way towards helping you maintain your body weight.

Remember that what you eat will have more of an influence over weight gain than whether or not you’re hitting the gym, so tighten up with your diet and you should be fine.

There’s no reason to deprive yourself completely and be miserable that you can’t enjoy any holiday goodies, but practice some strict moderation.  And when you aren’t treating yourself, stick to protein and vegetables only to allow for more calories to go towards those indulgences without setting you over your target intake.

So there you have a few quick tips to help you get through the holiday season. Make an effort to stay active both in the gym or in other activities while watching your diet and you should get through the season without a problem.

For more advice on how to schedule your workouts, check out this article.

If you’re looking for a new way to get in your cardio workouts and you’re tired of using the treadmill day after day, one excellent method that you’ll want to consider is the elliptical trainer.

Elliptical trainers are growing rapidly in popularity as many people shift their workout sessions over to these to reap all the benefits that they have to offer.

Let’s go over a few of these benefits so that you know what you can gain from leaving your former cardio session behind and moving to this machine instead.

Reduced Impact On Your Joints

The very first reason why most people will move their workouts over to the elliptical trainer is because it will help to reduce the amount of impact on your joints.

Often what draws someone to using the elliptical is the knee or back pain that as developed from constantly pounding on the treadmill.

Elliptical trainers are great for those who are already suffering from joint pain or those who simply want to avoid it.

The smooth motion of the elliptical also tends to prevent further muscle pulls or sprains, so this should be a very pain-free workout for most people to complete.

Full Body Workout

The second nice thing about elliptical trainers is the fact that they’ll work your upper body. Most other cardio machines cannot say the same thing, so this really sets this machine apart.

If you’re someone who isn’t doing a weight lifting workout and who wants to gain upper body definition, this is the only form of cardio that’s going to bring you that.

You can run all you want but running is going to do very little to change the way your upper body looks. As an added benefit, since you are working against resistance when using the elliptical trainer, this also means that you’ll see greater overall strengthening and toning benefits.

Large Range Of Movement Patterns

Moving along, another advantage to using the elliptical machine is that it allows you to move through larger movement patterns.

Not only can you use the long forward stride as you perform this exercise, but you can also reverse directions and use a back stride as well.

This gives plenty of variability to your workout session so you can always keep your muscles guessing.

You can also increase the speed in which you’re using the machine or increase the tension, so there are two other additional ways to change things up and make sure that you continue to see the progress that you’re after.

Greater Safety

Finally, the last clear benefit that the elliptical trainer has to offer is safety. Very few people will find they become injured using this machine as you are held in place very well and won’t detour from the movement pattern.

With running for instance, you could very easily roll an ankle or even have difficulty staying on the treadmill if you were doing intense interval sprints. If safety is a concern, the elliptical is your best bet.

So there you have some of the main benefits of the elliptical trainer that you’ll want to keep in mind. If you are serious about your cardio training, it’s definitely an alternative to consider.

For help choosing your perfect elliptical, please see our Elliptical reviews.

Contrary to what so many people believe, having a pre-bed snack does not need to mean bad news as far as your fat loss diet is concerned.

You’ve heard it time and time again with all the other weight loss information you read – if you want to succeed with fat loss, cut your food intake off at 6 or 7 pm.  This information has people everywhere going to bed with aching stomachs that are crying out for food.

So why isn’t it necessary to forgo food past the 8pm hour? Can you really have a pre-bed snack and not have it hinder your progress?

You bet you can.  Let’s look at the many reasons why a prebed snack may just be the thing that you want to consider adding back into your diet plan.

Reduced Anxiety

The very first reason why you should consider adding a pre-bed snack into your diet plan is because it can help to reduce some of the anxiety that some people often feel with their diet in general.

If you are often battling hunger on your plan, there’s no doubt that the thought of another night going to bed starved evokes some anxiety in you.  This anxiety could eventually come to be so strong that you start eating much more food in your last meal in order to try and ‘make it’ to bed time without eating.

This could be so much food in fact that it totals more than what you would have eaten with a normal sized dinner meal and a small pre-bed snack.

If you’re anxious on your diet, it’s going to be that much harder to stick with you so you really want to be doing everything in your power to ease this anxiety.

Improved Sleep

The next reason to consider a pre-bed meal as you go about forming your diet plan is because this can also help to improve your sleep quality.  If you’re starving, there’s a good chance that you could wake up in the middle of the night, and those who aren’t sleeping enough do tend to experience greater hunger and blood sugar fluctuations through the next day.

In addition to that, their metabolism is actually smaller as well, so you can see just how badly this will work against you.

A small meal before bed comprised of the right foods can calm your tummy and actually help you sleep soundly.

Decreased Catabolism

Finally, the last reason to consider adding that pre-bed meal into your diet plan is because it can help lower the amount of catabolism that takes place as well.  If you’re going hours on end without eating, as you are with the overnight fast and then add another 5 hours to this because you haven’t eaten since dinner, on a very strict diet plan this could definitely increase the chances that you start burning up lean muscle mass for fuel.

This is most definitely what you don’t want if you hope to make improvements in your body composition, so must be avoided.

So as you can see, a pre-bed meal really isn’t as bad as so many people make it out to be.  The key is choosing your foods properly and keeping your portion size under control so that you can easily integrate these calories into your total daily intake.

Lean towards lean protein sources with some healthy fats and you’ll be all set to enter the overnight fast without disrupting your diet progress.  For more help choosing great sources of dairy before turning in for the evening, check out this article on smart dairy choices.

As you go about designing your workout program, one exercise that you should definitely be considering making good use of is the leg press.  For those who have difficulty squatting due to back or knee pain, the leg press can be a wonderful alternative because it reduces the stress load on the back while still making sure to challenge those muscles as much as possible.

The only problem with just doing the standard leg press is that eventually your muscles are going to adapt and you could fail to show progress.

That’s where the leg press variations come into play.  If you want to continually progress with your workout program, these will help take you there.

Simply change between the variations every 2-4 weeks and you’ll continue to make the gains that you’re after.

Let’s have a look at a few to consider.

Leg Press With High Feet

The very first variation that you should consider is the leg press with high feet.  Placing the feet higher up on the foot pad is going to encourage more of a hamstring and glute activation in the exercise, taking some of the stress off the quads.

If you also don’t plan to add deadlifts or hamstring curls into your workout program, this is a great substitution to use.

Most people will find that they are most strong in this position, so likely this is the variation where you’ll lift the most weight.

Leg Press With Low Feet

The second variation to think about is the leg press with low feet.  Placing the feet low on the foot pad is now going to totally change the stress loading pattern of the exercise and now you’ll be placing much more stress on the quads instead.

This is a good one for those who aren’t going to be doing any squats since squats are primarily a quad dominant activity.

Just note that if you do suffer from knee pain you’ll want to go easy on this one at first to make sure it’s not going to aggravate you.

Let Press With Feet Turned Out

Moving on, the third variation of the leg press to consider is where you turn out your feet.  This variation will place more emphasis on the inner quad muscle, so if that’s the area you want to strengthen, you’ll definitely want to be sure to get these in.

Think of it as being similar to performing a standard sumo squat.

Leg Press With Close Feet

Finally, the last exercise variation to be adding to your workout program is the leg press with close feet.  You can do this either placing the feet in the middle of the foot pad or towards the bottom depending on where you want to be working the muscles.

The lower you go, the more quad dominant this variation will be.  Note that by placing the feet close together though you will already be placing more emphasis on the quad muscles, so this is a very good variation or those who want to build up this muscle in particular.

So there you have a few leg press variations to consider adding into your program.  When done properly they can really influence the overall shape that your legs take and provide a complete lower body workout.

For more information on workout programming, check out this article that talks about finding your best workout split.

As you set out to perform your workout sessions, one thing that you’ll want to take into consideration is which running shoes you’re using. Having a good running shoe is vital to not only ensure that you’re able to perform your best, but also for making sure that you’re well supported and are at a decreased risk of injury.

If you aren’t wearing properly fitted running shoes that are supportive, you could be at a greater risk of suffering from knee or back pain, as well as you could potentially have a greater likelihood of rolling your ankle as you go about your daily activities.

To help you choose the best running shoe, we have a few important tips in mind.  Make sure that you follow these next time you’re purchasing a new pair.

Bring Your Typical Workout Socks

The very first quick tip to remember when choosing a running shoe is to make sure that you wear the same socks you normally wear when working out.

Many people don’t go into the store prepared and while they may carry a pair of socks for you to wear, if they’re much thinner or thicker than what you use, this could in fact influence the fit of the shoe.  While you may not think it will make that much of a difference, the truth is that even small changes in the fit could totally influence how you feel when using the shoe.

Know The Running Shoe Variations

The second thing that you’ll want to make sure you either read up on or ask a shoe specialist in the store is what different variations are available.  You can get shoes that are specifically designed for cross training, so if you plan to do some running mixed in with weight training, this will likely be the route to go.

On the other hand, if you’re a long distance runner, there’s shoes for that.  If you want to be logging miles upon miles on your treadmill, you need a shoe that’s going to go the distance.

Likewise, if you’re someone who does a lot of interval sprints, then a sprinting shoe that’s more light weight with high shock absorption will be a smarter move.

Jump Around In Store

The third quick tip to remember is that you should always jump around and get moving in the store. While you obviously can’t take the shoes out for a run, you can simulate some of the common movements that you perform to see how they feel.

Don’t just stand up and take a step or two around.  That isn’t going to give you enough of a sense of how they really feel on your foot.

Remember that as the shoe heats up slightly, it could change the feel of it, so try and be in them for at least five minutes to get an accurate view of things.

Consider Your Pronation

Finally, also make sure to consider your pronation.  If you have a high degree of pronation, you’ll need a shoe that accommodates to this.  If you don’t, you could be in for some serious knee problems down the road, so it’s vital that you get this checked out.

A good shoe specialist will be able to help you out with this, so shop around until you find a store that has one.

So there you have the few important things to remember as you purchase your new pair of running shoes.  Choosing carefully will ensure that you not only get the best results from your sessions, but feel great as you go about them as well.

For more information on using a treadmill as you go about your workouts and staying safe, be sure to check out our article on Treadmill Safety.

As you go about making positive changes to your workout plan and diet program, one thing that you must make sure you’re not overlooking is how stress is influencing your progress.

Far too many people are highly stressed out on a daily basis and this is really influencing the results that they see.

Unless you fully realize though what an impact stress has on your system, it can be hard to understand just why it’s so important that you take measures to control it.

Let’s have a quick peak at some of the biggest issues related to stress and your overall well-being so you can come to understand precisely what this is all about.

Stress and Insulin Sensitivity

The very first area where stress is really going to influence your overall state of health is with regards to your insulin sensitivity.

If you’re highly stressed out on a regular basis, your body isn’t going to be as sensitive to insulin that gets released any time you eat a carbohydrate rich food and this could then mean that you suffer from wide blood sugar fluctuations and a greater chance of gaining body fat.

If the stress is very extreme and it’s more of a state of chronic stress , this could in fact also cause you to develop adult-onset diabetes as well, further demonstrating just how serious stress can be.

Stress and the Metabolism

The second issue that relates to stress on your body is the influence it has on your metabolic rate.

Your metabolism is the primary determinant of how quickly you burn calories throughout the day so when your metabolism is low, it’s going to be harder and harder to lose body fat.

Stress has a negative impact on the metabolism and will cause it to grow sluggish over time. If stress should lead you to fall short on sleep as well, that will further aggravate this problem, causing your metabolism to decline even further yet.

For a fast metabolism, you want to aim to get seven or eight hours of sleep each night and aim to lead as low stress of a lifestyle as possible.

Stress and Force Generation

Finally, the last influence that stress has on your results is the fact that high-stressed individuals won’t be able to generate as much force in their workouts, thus this could translate to fewer overall strength gains.

This is largely due to the fact that stress will wear on the CNS over time and the CNS is the primary determinant of force generation.

If your CNS is tired, you won’t be setting any personal bests in the gym and may even find your desire to workout drops off the radar as well.

So there you have some of the primary issues that stress can cause as you work towards your goals.  Stress is a real problem for many people but fortunately with some good stress-busting control tactics, you can gain control over your stress so you can get the results that you’re looking for.

Since one of the best ways to combat stress is through the positive endorphine release you with exercise, having a home treadmill is the perfect way to conveniently take a positive pro-active step towards getting past this.  Get help choosing the perfect treadmill with our treadmill ratings guide.

As you go about your workout program, there are a number of myths that you should always have in the back of your mind to ensure that they don’t come into play and keep you from seeing the success you’re looking for.

Many people fall for a few key workout myths that entirely take them off track and cause them to quickly become discouraged when they don’t see results.

By squaring these away in your mind you can feel confident that you are on track with your program and will be one step closer to building the body that you desire.

Lifting Light Weight For High Reps Burns Loads Of Calories

The very first workout myth that you must know about is the myth that in order to burn more calories, you should do very high reps with lighter weight.

Many people who are seeking fat loss immediately drop the weight that they’re using and move into this high rep protocol, thinking it’s going to help them melt fat quickly.

This is far from the case. For the absolute best calorie burn, using higher levels of weight for the rep range of 8-12 reps but keep your rest periods shorter.

This will not only cause you to burn more calories during the session, but also cause you to continue burning more calories after the workout is completed as well.

Body Part Splits Are Best

The second important myth to know is the myth that body part splits are going to be best for building muscle mass.  Many people think that going into the gym and really overworking a single muscle group and then letting it rest the rest of the week is a fast way to make progress.

This again is not the case.

For best results, you want to aim to work any given muscle twice per week minimum, making body part splits useless.

Instead, use a full body or upper lower approach.

You Can Spot Reduce

Another myth that needs to be mentioned is the myth that you can spot reduce, which most often comes into play with abdominal crunches.  People go into the gym and perform crunch after crunch after crunch thinking that’s the fastest way to get flat abs.

Again, not so.

Remember, if you want to increase the definition in any given muscle group, you have to lose fat from all areas of your body.  You can’t specifically target just one muscle and lose fat from it.

You can certainly build up certain groups of muscles more than others, but you can’t reduce fat from just a single region.  You must lose body fat from all over your body to notice yourself getting leaner.

You Can Out-Eat Overtraining

Finally, the last workout myth to know is that you can’t out-eat overtraining.  Some people think that overtraining is just a matter of not feeding the body enough calories to recover between sessions, but this isn’t entirely true.

While having good nutrition definitely does play a key role in preventing overtraining, there does come a point where the body will just say enough is enough. It can only take so much exercise before rest must be taken.

Fail to give it this rest and you will start to feel it.

Don’t think that you can just eat around a high training load. If your body is telling you to back off, it may just be time to listen.

So there you have a few of the top workout myths that you should always keep in mind. Were you falling for any of these?

As you go about your getting started on your workout routine and diet plan, you’re likely going to come across a wide variety of new terms.  Some of them you may have heard in passing before, while others you’ll have no idea what they could possibly mean.

By taking the time to understand some of the common fitness terms you may come across, you can ensure that you’re not left questioning what you’re supposed to be doing in your workout sessions.

Recently I came across a post by DailyBurn.com that discussed a few to get you started, but now let’s expand on this list to enrich your knowledge.

Here are some further fitness terms that will help you take your workouts to the next level.

Drop Sets:

A drop set is one of the fastest ways to really boost your fitness progress by strengthening the muscles, increasing your tolerance to fatigue, and sending your metabolism into high gear.

To perform a drop set you start with a standard set of an exercise and immediately after that set is completed, drop the weight down by about 5 pounds and complete a second.  Once that set is completed, drop the weight one more time and continue on with a third.

Supersets:

Supersets are like drop sets in that they will enhance the intensity of your workout, but the structure of them is slightly different.  With a superset you’re going to pair two exercises immediately back to back, only resting after the second one is complete.

So for instance you might perform a bicep curl and then perform a tricep extension. Or, you could perform a lunge followed by a set of shoulder presses.

This will cut down your total workout time and get your body burning up calories quickly.

Fat Oxidation:

Fat oxidation is a term that’s used to describe the actual process of burning fat in the body.  When you’re consuming fewer calories than your body needs to maintain its weight and performing exercise, fat oxidation will be taking place.

Interval Sprints:

Interval sprints are one of the top rated cardio workouts as they’ll quickly boost your fitness level, increase your metabolism, and allow you to get in and out of the gym in less than 30 minutes.

With interval sprints you’ll alternate between all out bursts of activity for 20-45 seconds and supplement this with active rest periods lasting two to three times as long as the work interval.

These intervals are repeated 6-10 times to complete the workout session along with a five minute warm-up and cool-down.

Compound Exercise:

When looking at the specific exercises to add to your workout program, compound exercises refer to those that are going to target more than one muscle group at once.

So for example, since the squat will work the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and core muscles, this makes it a compound exercise.  Compound exercises will also call into play two different joints as well, so that’s another way to recognize them in your workout program.

Isolation Exercise:

On the other hand, isolation exercises are those that will zero in and target one specific muscle group. So for example, a bicep curl is an isolation exercise. It’s only going to target the biceps as no other muscle groups will be involved.

Likewise, a leg extension is an isolation exercise as this one will primarily hit the quad muscle only.

These exercises should be added towards the end of your workout program once your compound exercises are completed.

So there you have some of the top fitness terms that you should know so that you can fully understand any workout program you come across.  Sometimes it can feel overwhelming trying to understand the language of fitness, but with a little bit of research and time learning, you’ll be a pro in no time.

Ah, there is nothing quite like the spring.

It’s true, with the warmer weather and longer daylight hours, spring is a phenomenal time to break out of winter hibernation and end that exercise slump. However, with warmer weather humans also have a tendency to strip down and that is when comparing your body to others in revealing outfits like a bikini can quickly make you self-conscience.

Therefore, it’s important to embrace the spring for what it is but not dread too much on what it could be. Exercise and fitness is a discipline and like any discipline, you’re NOT going to achieve results immediately. This is not a fairy tale land.

As a result, you should set simple, short term goals that allow you to eventually focus on the “big picture”. If you want to lose weight, set your mind to it but also realize it’s going to take some time.

Check out these simple and effective spring weight loss tips…

It begins with breakfast…

We’re not just talking about eating your Wheaties (although a good source of nutrition), nor once again reiterating the lesson your mother always said about how important breakfast is to your day (again, it is). Rather, this builds on what you have learned in the past and stresses the importance of a small, protein filled breakfast within one hour of waking up. Why the time frame? Your metabolism needs to wake up as much as you do in order to kick start your weight loss goal.

Exercise

If you want to lose weight, exercise is obviously a given but the important factor is how you exercise. Even though your goal might be to drop 20 pounds within 4-5 months does not mean you have to exercise relentlessly, 4-5 hours a day. Moderation is the important factor because remember, this is not a fairly tale land with fairly tale results.

Believe it or not, just going for a walk can be classified as sufficient for weight loss purposes. In fact, you can actually do more harm than good by exercising too much. Why? Your body always needs to refuel and the common answer is food. If you exercise too much you will probably end up eating more. Thus, if you’re exercising a lot but overeating the result is a TON of wasted energy and time.

Build your support system

Humans are all different but in general we have always found a desire (need if you will) to connect with others through conversation, activities, etc, etc. Just as it may help to have support on a project at work it will probably really benefit you the same with weight loss. Let’s face it, regular exercise is very hard and demanding. If it was easier, more people would be trim and physically fit. You’re attempting to conquer something that is definitely a big challenge and it becomes even more complicated the longer you have been out of regular exercise.

Consequently, building a support system with friends and family who support your weight loss, challenge your goals and/or make a great partner for workouts are all ways to greatly enhance your chances of fulfilling your weight loss goals.

Reach your weight loss goal? A support system is never more important. Think about it! How easy would it be to just “take a couple of weeks off” after a grueling six month weight loss routine? Weight loss does not just end when you reach your ideal weight. It’s a constant battle with all of us.

Eating

Often the biggest question related to weight loss is eating. Should I just eat less? No fats and sweets, right? What about red meat? Wine? How often should I dine?

What makes eating in regards to weight loss so complicated is that very few people actually understand the best solution and there are a lot of ridiculous diets out there that only add to the confusion. Even experts might agree to disagree in terms of the “correct diet”.

Still, probably the most appropriate answer is to eat five to six low-fat meals daily. Why so many meals? Spreading your calories out throughout the day, not exercising or counting calories alone, is the most important factor in raising your metabolism and keeping the energy level consistent.

Some people might falsely think, well if I only eat two times a day as opposed to three I will not consume as many calories, right? Unfortunately, what they do not realize is that the first thing you do when hungry is overeat. So instead of having five to six, balanced, low-fat meals the fool only eats twice a day yet consumes more junk.

A good example to follow when it comes to eating for weight loss is professional athletes. Why? The pros are very conscious about when they eat and sleep in relation to their next game. If they are able to master this delicate formula, athletes will be sure to maximize their energy and maintain peak performance. Therefore, if you can find a way to fuel your body throughout the day (in order to regulate blood sugar and insulin production) you will notice a HUGE difference with your energy level.

Again, this is why some think the “5-6 light meals per day” is the best solution for weight loss.

Time for YOUR plan

Here’s the bitter truth — everyone is different! No single plan is the answer to true weight loss because we all have certain quirks. What works for one person may work for you or could even turn out to be a disaster. You should take into account your lifestyle, financial situation, individual tastes, ability to cook and other factors that will directly relate to weight loss.

It’s always important to monitor your progress so you can try and access what is working and what is not. This is where your goals come in handy, because you can then judge what is actually working. Two weeks in, do your goals seem too easy? Unrealistic?

Recently, I stumbled across Fit by Fun by a very, very legit source. TIME magazine had just released it’s top 100 websites for 2010 and Fit by Fun was one of the five sites listed under the “Exercise and Fitness” category. Quite a honor indeed.

Due to the high praise, FitRated was curious…very curious. So we ventured deep into the darkest corners of the self-professed “simple fun aerobics game that makes your exercise entertaining” to see if the program is actually simple, actually fun and actually worth the $29.85 six-month “premium package”.

 Fit by Fun opens with a basic yet effective home page in which it introduces new users to the web site’s highlights:

1. improve your well being
2. lose weight and shape your body
3. simple on screen instructions
4. personalized to your ability and time constraints

A personalized and simple guide to losing weight and shaping your body. Okay, we’re sold. Now where is the catch?

Well, despite the early excitement we were bummed to find that the trial version is very basic. New users may take the quick tutorial and then proceed to try a couple of different lessons (one basic, one intermediate). At around 12 minutes of “face-time”, users will get an opportunity to experience the workout first-hand but may be surprised by what they discover…

The Study

When you’re paying monthly for a service the first question consumers always ask is if the price is worth the admission. In other words, what is the value? The value of Fit by Fun is not disguised. The Web service makes it very clear that it offers numerous basic, intermediate and advanced workouts, various durations of those workouts, an informative “calorie counter”, as well as different tempos, song tracks and themes to make your experience all the more interesting.

BUT is it worth the six months at $29.85 for what they advertise as their best value?

Let’s investigate further…

The Fit by Fun interface is really easy to access, although the on-screen step instructions may leave a rhythmically challenged individual such as myself a little lost. The “basic” workout, for example, mixes different steps such as a few different variations of a march and easy walk. Those who love Dance, Dance Revolution will quickly notice the similarities in how the steps are presented.

The timer gives you a real, live countdown until your workout is completed and the calorie counter is as much motivation as any to keep the steps a comin’. However, the dance tracks have a lot to be said for, as all are generic tunes that sound like someone created out of a basement on their keyboard. We were at least hoping for a little Bon Jovi!

The option to network, additionally, is rather weak considering you can see who is working out and even add classmates yet lacks the personal interaction at say, an actual aerobics class.

Which brings us to our prime point…and biggest criticism with Fit by Fun. It’s effective…sure, diverse…check and perfect for those who are on the go and/or lack the time for a class at your local gym. Hell, it’s even fun. Yet at the price of nearly $30 (or $20 for the value, 3 month subscription), we cannot help but ask if you could find similar workouts at the cost of nothing or much, much more enjoyment at your local gym for a little more change.

The Conclusion: Fit by Fun works and they’ve clearly succeeded with their simple game-plan. However, in the closing seconds of a tight game we expect a little more from a monthly expense. The program will not ‘wow’ you with innovative workouts or viral features, but it can provide a secondary alternative to local aerobic classes. Nothing less, nothing more.