Protein and Endurance Sports

Endurance Sports are like music concerts. They start at a low key, setting a steady rhythm and culminate into a crescendo that enthralls the spectator and the athlete. And not unlike an orchestra, endurance demands a flawless performance from every organ, testing the limits of their resilience. As each system, conducted by the human will, endures a pace bordering on fatigue, the athlete begins to hear music from the heart. What’s often neglected, and considered unnecessary, in endurance sports is a high-protein diet that can expand the aerobic capacity and power the performance.
To sustain effort and delay fatigue, the body needs an adequate supply of oxygen and fuel without accumulating waste products, acids or heat. Greater the intensity of the workout, greater is the efficiency required. The capacity of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, the fuel stores in the muscle, the hepatic and renal support systems must all expand exponentially to perform in endurance sports. If any of these prerequisites are not met, the internal milieu becomes uncomfortable. Metabolism slows down, to allow excretion of wastes, acids and heat, as fatigue sets in. The aerobic stress of endurance sports provides the necessary stimulus for growth and development. The body is ready to build. All that is needed are the building blocks-the Proteins.
Given an adequate and appropriate supply of proteins, the body remains in a state of positive nitrogen balance. Sufficient protein consumption, along with a high-energy diet also influences the carbohydrate and fat metabolism. In the well-fed state, with sufficient physical activity, dietary proteins stimulate the simultaneous release of the growth hormone and insulin. The combined hormonal influence redirects dietary carbohydrate and fat to the aerobic muscle fibers where they are stored as fuels for exhausting workouts. The consequent increase in muscle stores of glycogen and lipid allows sustained activity for a longer time. With enough proteins, the lean body mass, stamina and performance increase throughout the training program.
Proteins and amino acids also directly supply between 1 to 6 % of the energy needs during a workout. The proportion of energy derived from proteins increases with the intensity of the exercise. Given their role in bodybuilding, proteins are too important to be used as fuel and attempts should be made to minimize this percentage. Studies by Bowtell and Tarnopolsky, report that a high-energy (carbohydrate) diet, when combined with an ample protein intake and hydration, has a protein sparing effect under aerobic conditions. However, when the protein intake is inadequate, the high-energy diet fails to protect proteins from being used up as fuel. Therefore, endurance athletes need to ensure high levels of protein intake not only to supply amino acids for growth, but also to make sure that the amino acids don’t get burnt up as fuel.
Endurance athletes need proteins but do they need protein supplements? The answer, till recently, was negative for recreational and modest athletes. Protein supplements were advised only for professional athletes and for sportspersons with a diet deficient in proteins. However, these recommendations, based on a parameter called ‘nitrogen balance’, have often been questioned. Young and Bier propose that there exists a subtle state of protein deficiency, called the ‘accommodative’ state, where an inadequate protein intake is masked by the breakdown of body proteins. Measurements based on nitrogen balance do not take the accommodating state into account and are therefore are not accurate enough to calculate protein requirements. Mark Tarnopolsky, in a recent review on Protein Requirements in Endurance Athletes, also raises similar questions.
Epidemiological studies, by McKenzie and others, also suggest that the dietary protein intake of up to 20% of athletes may be below levels recommended for sedentary individuals. Then there is always the ambiguous quality and absorb ability of a dietary protein. Just eating proteins in diet does not ensure that they will provide all the essential amino acids in adequate quantities. Given the vital role that proteins play in the metabolic and physiological response to aerobic stresses of endurance sports, and the uncertainties regarding dietary protein intake, a protein supplement like Profect®, can go a long way in improving performance.
Adequate training and a Profect diet will take endurance to its limits, to levels where aerobic metabolism stimulates the release of enkephalins, the human equivalent of opium. These enkephalins produce the natural high that is often referred to as the ‘flow’. As long as metabolism remains aerobic, the mind is flooded with enkephalins and the systems function in harmony. In ‘flow’ capacity seems endless and fatigue non-existent. Profect, the perfect protein supplement can do that for you.

How to Achieve That 6 Pack Stomach - Easy Tips That Will Transform Your Midsection

Ask any woman what the most attractive part of the male body is and most of the time, they'll tell you its well-defined abdominals, or a 6 pack stomach as they're more commonly referred to. These muscles are generally regarded as a symbol of a fit and healthy person and as we all know, women are attracted to men with confidence and a strong self-esteem. Well-defined abs help make such confidence possible.
So is it any wonder that in any gym across the world, you see men of all ages doing crunches, sit-ups, and leg raises in the hope of obtaining six-pack abs? However, unfortunately most men will never achieve the ultimate goal of seeing their abs. But why?
One reason is fat. A layer of fat "covers" the stomach in all of us, but more so in men. Men tend to hold any weight gain in their bellies while women seem to hold fat in their buttocks and thighs. So for a man to ever have the chance of seeing a 6 pack stomach, he must lose that layer of fat. Doing thousands of crunches and sit-ups will certainly help, but if you aren't eating a diet for building muscle and losing fat, then you'll ultimately fail in your goal.
To lose fat effectively and permanently in your midsection, you must include:
1. a calorie restricted diet for building muscle;
2. frequent cardio workouts;
3. strength training with weights;
to build muscle so you can effectively increase your metabolism in order to lose weight and burn fat naturally. However, take note that your weight loss goals will not be achieved if any one of the three elements is done incorrectly.
Please don't waste your time with any fad diets, magic "potions", weight loss pills, detox tablets, or electronic stimulator gadgets that we all see on infomercials. All are pie-in-the-sky and in the end, scams. Spend your hard-earned money elsewhere and on plans that involve real, consistent work that in the end will have you accomplishing your goals.

7 Signs You Are Doing Too Much Cardio Exercise

Tis the season for folks to be hitting the cardio confessionals...
But too many folks are doing too much cardio exercise and expecting to lose weight with cardio, even though cardio is over-rated for weight loss. In fact, you might suffer from the Dark Side of Cardio if you do too much cardio exercise.
So today while I did my short, burst exercise style workout, I watched all those folks on the cardio machines and I noticed they go through some interesting rituals during their workouts.
This got me thinking, and I came up with "The 7 Signs You Are Doing Too Much Cardio".
#1 - You have to spend 5 minutes before your workout flipping through all the magazines in the gym to find one you haven't read before.
#2 - You know the other cardio addicts on the machines beside you (that you talk to everyday) better than you know your own friends.
#3 - You know exactly how many calories you burn per minute on every machine in the gym. (And you use that information to justify every calorie you eat.)
#4 - You simply hate doing it and dread your workouts more than a trip to the dentist.
#5 - The only thing you are losing is precious time - and not belly fat.
#6 - You go to the gym to watch your favorite television shows while doing cardio.
#7 - You're getting overuse injuries from repetitive motion because you keep doing the same activity over and over again everyday.
Listen, cardio is not the be all and end all of exercise for fat loss.
Most of your fat burning results are going to come from your nutrition when starting a weight loss program. So focus on whole, natural foods, and avoid foods that come from a bag or a box. If it's been modified in any way, you don't need it.
Once you've taken care of your nutrition, look for workouts that you enjoy that allow you to build strength, mobility, and fitness. Just don't do the same cardio workout over and over again everyday.
Beware the 7 signs you are doing too much cardio!

Using Aerobics For Better Abs

The fact is that we all think doing crunches will decrease that stomach fat. With the warmer weather just around the corner, we all start to look at our bellies. It seems that aerobics are a good way to burn that fat because you are working so hard that your body will be using those fat reserves for energy. You actually need to incorporate aerobic exercise a couple of times a week for success. This would include walking, dancing, cycling, rowing, or swimming for at least 30 minutes. Aerobics work by increasing oxygen to the muscles and allows them to work longer. The best aerobic exercise for losing that stomach fat is walking. If you can walk at a pace to work up a sweat, then you are on your way to a flatter stomach.
Remember to give your abs a rest. You should not be working your abs every day because they need time to repair. Your muscles actually get micro tears when you work them so every other day is sufficient and safe. The abs are hard to work because it takes a lot of effort to actually move them. They bulge when they are relaxed and stretch thin when flexed. The term "core" is used to describe that middle section of your body. A good way to incorporate a workout is to use a fitness ball. Along with working out and aerobic exercise you should eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of water.
One thing to remember when working out is to not overdue it. Here are some tips:
-You should be able to talk and exercise at the same time.
-However, if you can sing, you need to work a little bit harder.
You can monitor your heart rate and try to reach your targeted range. As you continue to work out, your heart rate should decrease, meaning you are getting in shape!
So I hope we have learned that it takes more than repetitive crunches to get a flatter stomach. You actually have to incorporate some aerobic exercises into your regular routine. Aerobic exercises will target those specific areas of fat and use them up, thus decreasing your body fat. It is even harder for women because so many things can affect their abdominal region, including hormones. Hopefully, if you follow some simple tips and incorporate aerobics into your workout, you will find that you can shrink that pouch around your stomach area.

Running for Success

Though it may not seem like it when we’re drenched in sweat and our legs feel like lead, marathon running is as mental as physical. When we’re exhausted, continuing consists of mind over matter. This takes enormous mental power. Once developed, this skill can be transferred from the racetrack to the boardroom.
Training for a marathon is an ideal place to improve the skills needed to achieve success in business: strategy, clear objectives, and a positive attitude. These techniques are also crucial to completing a marathon. Without them, even the most fanatically fit athlete is doomed to fail. Through physical training we can develop and master these skills.
In business, investment and marathon, a well-planned strategy is essential. In each situation, we must commit to our plan, yet be willing to adapt it if it isn’t working. Though strategy can be complex or simple, with our first marathon it’s best to choose the latter. Simplification is a great way to remove self-imposed pressure. This can mean concentrating on maintaining a steady heart rate or pace. We need to do this during both training and our marathon, since sustaining this relaxed-focus helps remove the barrier of performance anxiety.
The strategy of shifting attention to our body’s sensations is called association, and it’s a tactic used by many elite athletes. The self-focused introvert may find this more comfortable than directing attention outside. The outgoing extrovert, however, may be more suited to the disassociation technique. This involves turning our awareness outward. According to a report published in The Journal of Sports Psychology: “ Considerable evidence exists to link disassociation strategies with increased pain tolerance during endurance tasks.” Disassociation may also useful during a dull seminar, or an extended visit from our mother-in-law.
Just as business meetings have objectives, so should your marathon training. Whatever your personal goal, it needs to be specific, measurable, and reasonable. Similar to our professional life, these can be accomplished by choosing to focus on either the process or the outcome. In our business life a process goal would be improving our customer relation skills, while an outcome goal would be making X amount more dollars. For your first marathon, process goals are better. Since meeting them may be as simple as adhering to our training schedule, they guarantee success. As we all know, success produces self-confidence. Developing this gives us courage to challenge ourselves to achieve greater victories. Outcome goals, like beating a rival, are more risky. Since external factors can interfere with them, they are harder to succeed at.
Maintaining a positive attitude is crucial to accomplishment. Without belief in eventual success, we’ll quit at the slightest obstacle. This is true both in career and running. Everyday, marathon training teaches us persistence through discomfort. This is essential. Without challenging ourselves we can never progress to higher success. Besides the things we tell ourselves, a positive attitude also includes motivating inner images.
Many superior athletes use mental imagery, or guided visualization. These include Marion Clignet, 1996 and 2000 silver medallist on the French cycling team, and 6 times Masters winner Jack Nicklaus. Medical experts have also tested this method. A recent article published in the Journal of Sports Science states: “The power of mental imagery in sport performance has been widely noted. Keep your thinking and mental rehearsing of your upcoming races positive and it may contribute to new personal records.”
The importance of mental imagery is also noted in Olympic runner Jeff Galloway’s Marathon: You Can Do It. In this book, Galloway encourages us to rehearse parts of our marathon every day. He says that this will help us prepare for and find solutions to problems we may encounter and help us “tough it out.” This strength doesn’t end in out legs and lungs. Finishing a marathon makes us more tenacious, helping us bring home “the gold” in business.

Lose Pounds - 2 Simple and Cheap Ways That I Was Able to Lose Pounds, All 47 of Them

eople are getting busier no matter how old you are and who you are. You can even see a 5 years old kid will have a schedule for tuition's, leaning music instruments, swimming classes in some countries, while some adults will be drowning in their jobs to make ends meet. Connected to this matter, fast food restaurants will be exactly blissful in doing their business. People tend to settle their meals by consuming fast food to save time. Let's us see some points that might make you draw back from fast food and junk food.
The first issue that we definitely cannot put it aside is obesity. A burger in fast food restaurant basically contains more than 1000Kj of calories, while that's exceeding half of our body needs for a day! I won't believe that you will just have a burger in you right hand without a cup of vanilla coke in your left hand. Where do you think these extra calories will go inside your body? They will change to become fats in your abdomen and that's what you usually can see down the street there are uncountable fast food lovers with a fat-bellied. Well, you might love that if it's not on your body.
Obesity not only makes you dare not to stand in front of a mirror, it's not just simply an eyesore to the public as well. In fact, obesity is the major cause for some chronic diseases such as high cholesterol, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and many other types of cancers. This explains why the age group of people in getting chronic diseases is showing wider range nowadays. Who wants to go on long term medications and run in and out to the hospital forever? In this case, you always have the choice to choose the way you want.
Not to mention that our brain is the organ in affecting how we think and move. Fast food and junk food are very low in nutrients; instead they are full with colorings, flavors and preservatives. You won't want to know how the unhealthy ingredients could lead to some severe mental disorders. Researches have shown that junk food might cause dyslexia, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and worse is autism. An individual's mood and attention are highly influenced by the food taken, which means it will affect your concentration in school. For the parents out there, you won't want your children to be called as stupid in school, don't you?
Does that mean you can't have fast food and junk food at all? It is not necessary so. You just need to reduce the amount and frequency of having them in your diet. To begin with, you could bring your home-cooked food to your school or workplace. Of course, bacon, sausages and canned foods should not be your choices. Try some fresh foods and vegetables. You still can have your favorite fast food not too often; with the condition you drink a lot of water and exercise regularly.

How to Achieve Weight Loss If You Can't Exercise

Weight loss is a sore subject, right? You want to lose weight but you can't exercise. Maybe you've been injured in an accident or perhaps you're too heavy to safely exercise. You might be feeling like it's a hopeless situation. You need (or want) to lose weight but without being able to get on the treadmill or hit the walking track, you're thinking you'll have to stay the size and weight you are right now. That isn't true. To jump start your metabolism, curb your appetite, and start melting those pounds away, all you have to do is follow the steps I'll be addressing below. By spending a few dollars and dedicating some time and flexibility into your daily regimen, you'll see results that will have you skipping down the road of weight loss success!

Take the pen and paper and write down your goals. If you have a visual of what you're wanting to accomplish, it will help you to stay focused and succeed to lose weight. Also write down the benefits of losing weight. Write down anything else you think of. It could also be beneficial to keep a food journal. Seeing what you put into your mouth can be a big wake up call and help you reach your weight loss goal.

Go to the health food store. Purchase organic apple cider vinegar with Mother. ("Mother" simply means that the vinegar is not processed and the living enzymes remain intact.) This will cost between $3 and $5. Not a huge investment for something so precious as your health and self-esteem. (Not everyone suffers low self-esteem from being overweight. But if you are, you'll realize that spending a few dollars to feel better about yourself is a small price to pay.) What are you going to do with organic apple cider vinegar, you ask? You're going to drink it every day, religiously, to curb your appetite, promote a healthy bowel, give you glowing skin, and start melting that fat right off your body!

Recipe for organic apple cider vinegar weight loss drink:

Put 1 teaspoon organic apple cider vinegar in 4-8 ounces of water. Add
1 packet of Stevia Balance packet. (Stevia Balance is a healthy, natural sweetener that helps balance your blood sugar and can help you lose weight). Add ice if you'd like, stir, and enjoy! (It is similar in taste to Lemonade in that the tartness of the vinegar balances out with the sweetness of the Stevia.)

Alternately, if you prefer hot drinks you can add 1 teaspoon of the organic apple cider vinegar to a cup of hot water and a drizzle of (raw) honey or Stevia Balance packet.

While you're at the health food store, pick up a box of organic green tea. Make yourself a cup of hot tea each morning before you eat. You can also drink it (hot or cold) throughout the day. Several cups per day is perfectly safe. It will curb your appetite, help melt away fat, help your metabolism, and also helps fight cancer and disease!

Go to the grocery store. Choose your favorite vegetables. Don't like vegetables? Try at least one or two. Work in raw foods whenever possible. By limiting your intake of processed foods and beverages, you'll discover that pounds come off a lot easier.

Start eating organic, omega eggs. These are a wonderful source of protein that are rich in nutrients and will help your heart, skin, hair, and overall health. If you eat a healthy protein for breakfast - such as an organic, omega egg - you'll notice that your appetite is held over quite nicely until lunchtime. Most people who eat eggs for breakfast feel more energized throughout the morning as well.

Be creative with snacks, lunches, and dinners. Mix veggies with proteins. Snack on raw nuts and seeds. They're filling, nutritious, and healthy for you!

5 Cardio Workouts to Burn Fat

Everything you know about cardio is about to change. You're about to discover the truth about 5 cardio workouts to burn fat and lose more belly fat in less workout time. Let's start by looking at the old, outdated way of burning fat.
Cardio Workout #1 to burn fat: Slow cardio
The first cardio workout to burn fat is "Old School Cardio". For years, we've been fooled into thinking that we need long, slow, boring cardio workouts to burn fat. However, too many men and women slave away on the cardio machines for 40, 60 and even 90 minutes per workout without burning fat. How is this possible?
To be honest, I don't know exactly why it doesn't work, but two recent research studies found that women doing 40-60 minutes of low intensity cardio, 3-5 days per week, did not lose belly fat after at least 12 weeks of cardio. Based on those results, slow cardio is not one of the best cardio workouts to burn fat.
In fact, in one of those studies, researchers tested high-intensity cardio, and found that high-intensity cardio was able to burn fat.
Cardio Workout #2 to burn fat: High-intensity cardio
The only problem is that high-intensity cardio requires you to work as hard as you can until you burn at least 400 calories in a workout. That will take you at least 40 minutes - so while this is one of the better cardio workouts to burn fat, it's still not the best.
A better approach is to use interval training. This is the third cardio workout to burn fat.
Cardio Workout #3 to burn fat: Interval training cardio
In a study from Australia that compared 2 cardio workouts to burn fat, subjects doing 3 interval training workouts per week lost a significant amount of belly fat while another group doing 40 minutes of slow cardio per week did not burn belly fat.
So interval training is a much better workout choice for fat loss. To do interval training, you do a normal warm-up, and then you alternate between hard exercise and easy exercise, then you follow with a cool down. This routine only takes twenty minutes.
Here's a sample of the interval cardio workouts to burn fat. Do a 5 minute warm-up, and then exercise for 1 minute at a pace that is 10-20% harder than your normal cardio intensity. After that 1 minute, decrease your exercise pace all the way down to cool-down level. Repeat that hard-easy cycle 5 more times. Finish with 3 minutes of cool-down.
Cardio Workout #4 to burn fat: Tabata Interval cardio
Since interval training became popular, personal trainers have been looking for other short cardio workouts to burn fat. A study from Japan used something that is known as the "Tabata Protocol", and many trainers believe this is even better than cardio and regular intervals. The fourth cardio workout to burn fat is the Tabata Interval program.
I'm not convinced it is better than regular intervals, but it is a heck of a hard way to do a fat burning workout. After a warm-up, you 20 seconds of hard work followed by 10 seconds of recovery. Repeat that 8 times. This fat burning workout takes only 4 minutes!
Cardio Workout #5 to burn fat: Bodyweight circuit cardio
Finally, the fifth cardio workout for fat burning is bodyweight circuit training. Like intervals and the Tabata workouts, bodyweight circuit training is not really "cardio", however, these are the three better cardio workouts to burn fat.
Whatever you want to call bodyweight cardio, here's how it works.
First, you start with a quick, easy bodyweight exercise, such as Jumping Jacks.
After that, alternate between 3 lower-body and 3 upper-body bodyweight exercises, using squats, pushups, lunges, pulling exercises like rows or chinups, split squats, and total body ab exercises like mountain climbers.
Finally, finish off the 8 exercise circuit with a tough total body exercise like jumps, burpees, or running in place. Now that's fat burning cardio!
Those are 5 cardio workouts to burn fat. Only two are "traditional", but those 2 are the longest, and least effective. The shorter fat burning cardio workouts are the best way to burn belly fat fast.

10 Motivational Tips to Enhance Your Energy

10 Motivational Tips to Enhance Your Energy!!!

By: Richard Chan

info@flex-fitness.com

Last week, I was at a convention with old friends who were in the field of fitness and athletics. The past few months my training has been sub-par with my hectic schedule. Anytime I gain momentum exercising I would have to disrupt the consistency of my own routine due to the scheduling of people I train.

In this profession we are so busy helping others that we tend to forget about taking care of our own health. It's all about balance and this is something I've tackled a little better over the years since it can be a challenge if you don't make it a priority. Just seeing the condition of my colleagues has always put a reminder that you should also be on top of your game. I always thrive on a friendly competition and I look forward to seeing them once or twice a year to keep me on my toes.

Personally, this is the only thing that really keeps my energy levels up when I think about it because for me it is motivational to be in top conditioning when interacting with others in the same industry. Now that I've given you an example what keeps me motivated. Let me discuss 10 ways you can enhance your energy; it has given me dramatic changes as well.

1. Know The Difference Between Knowing And Doing

The majority of us know what we must do to achieve our dreams but we sometimes don't move forward with the endless excuses or reasons. Our excuses range from being busy, we don't have the money to continue, we don't have the patience, and we don't have the talent or skills, and so on.

In actual fact, with all these excuses we've probably burnt out a good portion of our energy just thinking of those excuses. Put away those excuses and write down what you'll be doing to achieve that goal.

Write down that message that motivates you. Carry it with you so you can look at the message and take heart in the knowledge. Leave these notes in key places such as your house, your car, or a locker before you step into the gym. When you begin to slip into the "excuses mode", pull out that message so you can be back on track!

2. Get A Picture Of A Physique You Hate

What I personally like to do is display photos or pictures of you that you hate or imagine you would look like if you stopped exercising. Grab a picture of yourself that you hate the most and carry it around with you, such as your wallet or somewhere you can access it.

3. Download Audio Clips

I'll sometimes download audio clips and listen to them while I am training. Some of my clips would come from the movie "300". A quote I enjoy very much is from King Leonidas declaring "Madness... This is Sparta", or "Spartans tonight we dine in h*ll".

You can also listen to clips of someone yelling at you for being lazy. The movie "Full Metal Jacket" comes to my mind when Sergeant Hartman is blasting down your throat to get back into the gym. What a great motivator boosting your energy levels.

4. Eat The Right Foods For Recovery & Energy

An important aspect is your diet which can develop or increase your endurance. By knowing you are eating the correct foods to help stimulate your body's recovery and energy levels gives you an edge and greater confidence in yourself.

5. Get A Visual Aid

Visual aids can be another motivator for some people if you need an additional push to head to the gym. For the single people like me, it's always good to have a sexy picture of a girl or guy motivating you to work hard in achieving that good body you want. Heck, don't you want to look good at the beach and impress the opposite sex?!

6. Use Aromatherapy

Using aromatherapy promotes your health, well being, and vitality by the use of plant essences. These natural plant essences are also known as essential oils and have been used by man for their therapeutic benefits in cosmetics, perfumes, medicines, and massage oils.

The oils deliver a source of energy that includes physical and spiritual affects. The physical side effects are contributed by components of essential oils (the chemistry, biophysics, etc): antiseptic, antibacterial and antiviral, to name just a few.

On the spiritual side of things - energy is present in all organic life. It flows through us all; it is also known as Qi, Chi (Chinese), or Prana (Sanskrit) - the life-force that emanates from all living things. You can use essential oils in everyday life through inhalation or oils for a relaxing massage. You can also use essential oils because it harmonically affects your physical, emotional, or spiritual level and thereby increases your energy.

7. Get Enough Sleep

This next point isn't anything new and we just sometimes forget to take care of our body. Resting your body allows you to recuperate and workout effectively for your next routine. Getting adequate sleep in conjunction with a nutritious diet will provide a foundation of energy and productivity.

8. Write Down Your Progress

Having a log book or diary can help you stay motivated by seeing if you've progressed from your previous numbers a few weeks ago. Concentrate on your strengths rather than your weaknesses. Concentrate on your potentials. By building on the positive things it will translate to your inner confidence.

9. Don't Forget To Breathe

A person's performance can dramatically increase if you were to understand proper breathing. Our breathing mechanism has changed over the years due to stress in our life. This change has increased the amount of tension in our body.

When we are born we naturally breathe through our diaphragm which is also called fetal breathing or natural breathing. The natural way of breathing is when you inhale and your stomach inflates and as you exhale your stomach deflates. We build the amount of stress in our life by the time we become an adult - this creates tension which also goes into our mind & thoughts and carries over to our face, neck, and shoulders.

Over time, we carry so much tension that it eventually effects our breathing mechanism. We then breathe shallow breaths and use only 1/3 of our diaphragm (also known as upper breathing) due to this. We need to relax the upper body and letting it sink or flow downwards to our body.

This is specifically important to any form of exercising or heavy lifting. The diaphragm is the most important muscle for lifting and the strongest as well. The diaphragm works as a pump, up into the lungs and to the remainder of the body.

Learning to fill the lungs from the bottom is important for your training. Let me explain how you should breathe properly. By simply relaxing your shoulders at a sitting or standing position with shoulder width apart. Place fingers tips into the soft part of your abdomen and be relaxed.

When inhaling, the muscles of your diaphragm push out and as you exhale your fingers go back in. So as you inhale you will inflate and exhaling you will deflate.

Proper breathing plays an important part in protecting your spine when you lift. It compresses your surrounding core area and contracts when you lift weight. By keeping it stable the contraction is generated throughout your body. Try lifting heavy without a belt and you truly know you've mastered your breathing.

10. Involve Your Mind, Body & Spirit

To get maximum results, people need to involve their mind, body, and spirit. Qi Gong and Yoga is an ancient system that has been around for centuries.

Qi Gong will help re-boost your energy levels helping you feel recharged. It can be practiced once or twice daily and will prepare you for your exercising. It will also assist those recent or old nagging injuries that will eventually be gone. Simply practicing Qi Gong will help promote the blood flow (Qi) within your body.

Anyone has the capability of becoming a healer to oneself or to others. Knowing you have this type of energy gives you a new profound confidence and allos you to do things more confidently. Drop me a line and I'll be glad to explain further how you can build Qi within your body!

Conclusion

Alright, I have to confess to everyone, being competitive isn't the only thing that motivates me. It's time for me to do that late night work out and I need an additional boost of energy. Ok, there are just too many selections and I just don't know which one to choose? Since it is a Wednesday I'll choose that nice picture of Jessica Alba from the Fantastic Four. Tomorrow... Scarlett Johansson!

6 Ways To Get More Out Of Your Daily Life!

Almost everybody finds it difficult to arrange time to train. That is why in this article I have listed six ways to get more out of each day. In addition to training, reading this article will help you in your daily chores too.

This may sound irrelevant, but it is not. The less you have to struggle with your daily chores, the more you have time to train and the better results you will get.

1. Get Organized

Organization is important. Anyone, who wants to be effective, must organize each day. First, you must think about your goals. The world is moving faster than before, and that is why it is important to recognize the things that you want to achieve. You cannot concentrate on everything therefore you need to decide what are your primary goals.

After you have prioritized what is most important in your life you can organize your days. The before mentioned can be done pretty easily, but the hard part is yet to come.

Now, there is no point in making plans, if you do not stick with those plans. Therefore you should never deviate from your routine. Commitment is the key word. If you want to be successful at life, you need to co-ordinate your time well and you ought to have a proper schedule.

2. Write It Down

Write down your goals and everything that must be done to achieve those goals. You ought to do this in order to keep a clear mind. It may sound old-fashioned and boring, but just do it. It is worth it. Average person has so many things to remember in an ordinary day that it is almost impossible to learn them by heart.

By writing down your goals, you can check what needs to be done and what you have already taken care of. Easy, yet, effective.

It does not matter whether you make these notes in the morning or before going to sleep, but there is no way you can accomplish your goals if you do not do it. Try it, you will be surprised to see how well it works.

3. Avoid Temptations

There are so many things that can distract your attention that it is good to think about them for a while. For instance telephones, stereos, Internet, DVD players, movies, friends and your family are all time-consuming and they can make your day a failure.

Okay, so does this mean that a person, who wants to be successful, must abandon all the above mentioned things? No, it does not. Just do not think about your friends or watching TV until you have finished your duties.

Your friends will not vanish in one day and you can call your mother later. Make no excuses - you must accomplish your objectives, otherwise you have failed. Again commitment is the key. So do not let temptations get in your way!

4. Search For Other Success-Orientated People

Batman has Robin, Ronaldo has Beckham, Lucky Luke has Jolly Jumper and the list goes on and on - almost all the successful persons have their partners. There is no point in trying to do everything by yourself. This does not mean that a partner would somehow make your task easier - he or she can just drop helpful hints to you and it is up to you to decide whether you take the person's hints or not.

Utilize your family and friends during your most hectic times, and help them in return when your load is lighter. This is something that some of you will find hard to do, but you just need to trust your closest friends and family members. You cannot do it all by yourself!

It is common knowledge that, for instance, all the most successful businessmen have caring wives/girlfriends. Some think that they do not play big parts in their husbands� lives, but - trust me - they do! They take care of the house chores and all the other stuff, so that their spouses can concentrate on working. This is something that ought not to be belittled!

5. Combine

This is something that sounds so easy, but still so many of us do not understand it. Lack of combining is the reason why ordinary people run across the streets over and over again just like headless chickens.

To illustrate my point, let's take my last Friday. I was in a hurry to go to a food store, and I was of the opinion that I have no time to write down the other things that I must do. I ran to the supermarket and bought all the goods that I considered significant. When I returned to my apartment, I noticed that I had forgotten half of the goods that I was supposed to buy. Irritatingly enough, most of the goods that I forgot to buy were in a store next to the supermarket.

Does this sound familiar to you too? Well, it should not. I learned from my mistake, and you do not have to make the same mistake to learn from it. Learn from my mistake and combine your chores! You can also combine workouts, when you are short of time. After all, it is something is better than nothing.

6. Be Realistic

Whatever you do, be realistic. This does not mean that you should underestimate your skills. Set your goals high and then do your utmost to reach them. If you work hard enough, you won’t fail.

Separate your goals from your daydreams, so that you know what you really want. You need to find the balance between realism and optimism, so that you can avoid setting your goals either too high or too low.

The professionals do it, so why should not you?

All the professional bodybuilders and fitness models conform to those above mentioned "rules of succeeding", so why should not you? Some of those may sound difficult to follow and irritating to obey, but, oddly enough, they make your life easier. They do not make your life harder in any way, in contrast, these "rules" relieve stress and help you achieve more successful life.

Try it for a week. What do you got to lose? Nothing. So get organized, write down your goals, avoid temptations, search for other success-orientated people, combine your chores and be realistic. All this so that you can train properly and get better results.