Tag Archive | "muscle"

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The 15 Minute Sauna Therapy!


What? Just 15 Minutes?

Sitting in a sweat bath could be the most vigorous activity you’ve had all day. The heat sauna benefit,sauna health benefit,hot sauna,dry sauna,buy a sauna,build a sauna,sauna,infrared sauna,home sauna,arizona saunaproduces an artificial “fever” and urges every organ of the body into action. While outwardly relaxed, your inner organs are as active as though you were jogging or mowing the lawn. At the same time, you are being cleansed from inside out by the skin, your body’s largest organ and its excretion, sweat.

How Your Body React to Sauna Heat

When you lounge in a sweat bath, heat sensitive nerve endings produce acetylcholine, a chemical which alerts the 2.3 million sweat glands embedded in the skin. But not all of them respond. Nevertheless, the eccrine sweat glands, by far the most abundant, respond to heat. During a 15-minute sauna, about one liter of sweat is excreted, depending upon the individual. Normal daily rate ranges from .5 to 1.5 liters. Eccrine sweat is clear and odorless; any odor is only created by the presence of bacteria.

When you take a sauna, the heat causes increased blood circulation near the skin and stimulates sweating which helps the body rid itself of unwanted materials and improves general circulation. Some people suffering from toxic poisoning or severe allergies need to purge their systems by sweating heavily, the sauna delivers this easily.

The 15 Minute Workout

Sweat also has the function of being a judicious garbage collector. During a 15-minute sauna, sweating can perform the heavy metal excretion that would take the kidneys 24 working hours. Ninety-nine percent of what sweat brings to the surface of the skin is water, but the remaining one percent is mostly undesirable wastes. Excessive salt carried by sweat is generally believed to be beneficial for cases of mild hypertension.

A metabolic by-product, urea, if not disposed of regularly, can cause headaches, nausea and, in extreme cases, vomiting, coma and even death. Sweating is such an effective de-toxifier that some physicians recommend home saunas to supplement kidney machines. Sweat also draws out lactic acid which causes stiff muscles and contributes to general fatigue. Sweat flushes out toxic metals such as copper, lead, zinc and mercury which the body absorbs in polluted environments.

The body’s impurities are flushed away even nicotine from a smoker’s body. This total perspiration helps maintain clear, healthy skin and provides a rosy afterglow. Saunas are first and foremost a place of relaxation. The soft heat and humidity soothes and relaxes tired muscles, relieves stress, and promotes a wonderful after Sauna feeling of satisfaction and well being.

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How to become a Vegas Showgirl


All of the big Las Vegas casinos put on shows to attract crowds to the casino, and instead of hiring new dancers every time the change the show, they hire full time dancers and these girls are called Showgirls.

If you have ever thought about putting elaborate costumes and dancing in front of crowds every night, then becoming a Vegas Showgirl may be the job for you.

Being a Vegas Showgirl is not an easy job. You must be in top physical condition if you expect to be a professional dancer, and it is important to remember that not everyone will make it, becoming a professional dancer is a roll of the dice, you have better odds of winning an
game then making it as a dancer.

There are several things you can do to help improve your chances of getting your carrier as a Las Vegas Casino dancer started

Dance lessons, if you want to be a professional dancer you have to learn several different styles of dance, and dance them all well. This may be the hardest part to becoming a dancer. This part will take many years and require you to spend several hours a day every day taking dancing lessons.

Physical Conditioning, dancing requires lots of endurance and stamina. Besides the workouts you will get from all the dancing lessons you will take you will also need to work out on your own regularly. These workouts should include aerobic and some weight training.

Weight training should not be done to build muscle mass only for building strength and muscle toning. The best way to do this is by doing high repetition counts of low weights. This method will make the existing muscles stronger but will not bulk you up.

To pursue a carrier in dancing in a Vegas Casinos it is important to target the leg, stomach and back muscle groups. It is from these muscle groups that a dancer moves.

Diet, Dancers are required to be tossed around and lifted into the air, not to mention the fact that most dancers are skin tight and for these reasons dancers must always watch their weight.

Many Las Vegas Showgirls have to get on the scale every week and if they gain weight they could get thrown out of the show. Always remember there are many people that dream of dancing professionally, and the casinos will not hesitate to throw a girl out and replace her for the slightest reason.

Once you feel you are good enough you can start sending in resumes. A resume should include each different style of dance that you know and how long you have been doing it, and it should also include all prior dance experience.

A good way to get experience is to get yourself in as many different things you can. Local theater groups are a great way to gain experience. Getting a job as a dance instructor Is also a good way to gain experience and practice at the same time.

By sending your resume to all the different casinos you can greatly increase your chances of getting at least one audition. Do not expect to get hired at the more popular casinos on your first audition. The bigger Las Vegas casinos usually like to hire girls with more experience, so you will probably have to work as a showgirl at a smaller casino first.

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Sauna Safety You Must Know!


Sauna is the only bath in the world in which both dry and damp air is present at the same time. It is the body’s natural way to cleanse itself through perspiration. The high heat average of 180 F and the low humidity about 25 create an environment which promotes over-all perspiration and the deep cleansing of pores.

Saunas are safe for most people so long as the sauna user follows a few simple rules

Stay inside the sauna for no more than 30 minutes at a time.

Lie down or sit for at least 10 minutes after using the sauna. Make sure you drink plenty of mineralized water before and after the sauna. Add minerals or juice to your water if it is mineral-free. It is also a good idea to add extra sea salt to your diet to replace minerals lost through sweating in the sauna.

Use the sauna under supervision if you have a chronic condition. If you are debilitated or very sensitive to heat, begin with a shorter period of time in the sauna. The presence of an attendant or friend in the sauna can also be very helpful.

If you use the sauna once a day, the evening is probably the best time. If you are ill, however, the morning may prove a better time because your energy levels are higher. Using the sauna less often is also acceptable if you are just beginning or if your goal is to maintain your health. If you have a condition which is very debilitating, begin with using the sauna once a week. You may gradually work your way up to using the sauna daily as you feel able.

While using the sauna, it is important to take frequent showers in order to cool down as well as to remove substances from the skin and prevent their re-absorption.

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How healthy are the strength supplements that we are using today?


We’ve all heard of steroids, prohormones, and protein powders. And we know that the supplement industry is a billion dollar industry, often feeding on the weaknesses of people hoping to make dramatic changes to their physiques in a short period of time. But how do we know which muscle building supplements are the most popular, and how they affect the health of their users?

We could look at some retail websites and see the top-selling supplements on their home pages, or, alternatively, we can examine what people are searching for on the Internet. It is reasonable to assume that the most searched supplements are also going to be purchased relatively more frequently. This article will look at the latter option. Since we don’t have solid statistics, one reasonable way to estimate search traffic is to take one website which has supplement reviews as the major component of its content, and analyse the web server logs.

What we found was rather troublesome in some respects. The number one supplement in terms of Internet searches leading to this website, by a factor of greater than 2 over the next product, is RPN Havoc. This is thought by many people to be a prohormone, but it is, in fact, a “designer steroid”. How, might you ask, is a steroid generally available to the public when steroids are supposed to be illegal? As it goes, the well-known steroids and prohormones of the “past” are controlled substances, meaning that you need a prescription to buy and use them legally. But in the past few years there has been a gold-rush of marketing modified versions of old steroids; this is technically legal, since these modified substances in particular have not yet been banned. They are being sold OTC to an unsuspecting public that does not know the potential perils of using them without proper monitoring, support, and post-cycle therapy. In fact, one such OTC “supplement” known as Superdrol, was the culprit for kidney and liver failure of one bodybuilder, who used it according to directions on the label. Superdrol was discontinued by its manufacturer, but its ingredient is still used in other OTC products today, some of them purportedly even more potent.

Reading the forums, one gets the impression that many of these strength and muscle supplements are used by teenagers and early-twenties bodybuilders who have not yet reached their maximum potential from natural, i.e., non-hormonal, training and nutrition methods. What does not seem to get discussed is whether these hormonal products are actually beneficial in the long term. In this context, we deem beneficial to mean that the user has reached some strength or muscle mass goal with minimal side effects, and managed to hold onto their gains by switching to natural methods. Apparently, all or most people believe that with proper “PCT” Post Cycle Therapy, they can hold onto their gains indefinitely. However, this fundamental assumption has been challenged – just do a Google search on “anabolic steroids permanent gains”, and you will find some very interesting results. At least several highly experienced bodybuilders, who have used large quantities of steroids in the past, have categorically stated that within a period of six months to a year, they had lost all of their steroid-related gains, even though they had practised good natural training and nutrition upon cessation of their steroid use. Other people claim otherwise, however. It is, nonetheless, common sense to assume that the human body will revert back to natural, genetically-predisposed hormone levels after a while. The point here is that it is not fully known whether gains can be held onto or not in the long run.

In conclusion, people are spending vast sums of money on hormonal supplements that may not produce any long-term benefits, and may cause undesirable side effects. Perhaps with more research and enough education, we might come to realize that natural methods of training and nutrition are far more healthy for us and can produce the best long-term gains. Other popular types of supplements used for building muscle mass and strength, such as creatine, whey protein, and quality carbohydrates, are known for their health benefits, and can be used long-term without any cause for concern. In any case, it is important to read reviews of muscle building supplements to learn about other users’ experiences with them, and hopefully avoid potential problems down the road.

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Getting Sound Sleep with Help From the Kitchen


The health benefits of sleep extend beyond the refreshed feeling that is experienced in the morning. It not only recharges one’s energy levels, but also replenishes the major body systems. Sufficient sleep nourishes the immune system and enables it to function at its best. When people sleep, the body repairs itself, building bone, muscle, and other tissues that are needed by the body to function at its best. Improved mental well-being is also one of the health benefits that can be achieved through sufficient sleep. It allows the mind to unwind, regroup, and adjust to the stress and issues that are experienced in daily lives. Sleep is essential in keeping neurotransmitters and chemicals in the brain balanced allowing the body to promote proper well-being.

However many individuals fail to gain from these health benefits because of sleep difficulties that are encountered. Nutritionists and dietitians advise these individuals to head to the kitchen and munch on foods that may relax tense muscles, calm the mind, and promote the production of serotonin and melatoninhormones that are known to induce sleep. Here is the list of top foods that may promote sound sleep.

Bananas. This fruit is said to be rich in tryptophan, an amino acid that is converted into melatonin and serotonin. This fruit also contains magnesium, a known muscle relaxant.

Warm Milk. Protein naturally found in milk may improve sleep quality and alertness the next day. It contains alpha-lactobumin which is rich in tryptophan. Milk promotes sound sleep and without the side effects that are often experienced after taking sleep-inducing medications.

Honey. Honey may act as a sedative because the right amount of glucose tells the brain to turn off orexin, a neurotransmitter that is linked to alertness.

Oatmeal. Oats may sooth the digestive and nervous system. The easiest way to improve sleep is consume a serving of oatmeal everyday. But begin with small servings because too much oatmeal may cause gas.

Turkey. This meat is probably the most abundant source of tryptophan. However, tryptophan works when the stomach contains food made up mostly of carbohydrates. Two lean slices of turkey on whole wheat bread are perfect sleep inducers.

If these food choices still do not help improve one’s quality of sleep, people with sleeping problems may use over-the-counter and prescription medications as treatment for their sleep disorder. But before using them, these individuals are advised to seek the approval of health professionals. They may recommend certain medicines that are required for your health needs.

Sleep is composed of distinct stages with each stage giving the body different health functions and benefits. The benefits are achieved when individuals sleep the the number of hours the body needs which is about seven to eight hours for adults and longer for teens and children. This allows the body to to go through all the stages properly and promote improved overall health. If individuals don’t get the enough sleep they may end up getting stressed, sluggish, and sickly. In addition, extreme cases of sleep deprivation may lead to depression or stroke.

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Advice for men who want to look ripped


To look cut, with great muscle definition, many people have the misconception that you need to hit the gym. That’s the general belief lift less weight and do more reps for definition. For bulk, lift heavier weight and do fewer reps.

The idea that less weight tones muscles is wrong. Less weight and more reps builds endurance. For explosive power, do fewer reps with heavier weight. Just remember that to really increase strength the general consensus is that you have to work with at least 60 of your maximum lift the heaviest weight at which you can complete a singe repetition. Definition is not an issue when deciding how many reps to do and how much weight to lift.

In reality, there is no such thing as lifting for definition. Muscular definition is one thing muscle mass minus body fat. You cannot lift to make your muscles more defined. To look ripped, you have to shed some fat.

It starts with your diet. You have to eat right. There are many ways to eat right. One thing that works well for almost everyone is to cut out milk and milk by-products creamers for coffee from the diet. Also, don’t eat any complex carbohydrates after lunch. A perfect dinner might be salad and tuna fish.

In addition to lifting weights, do cardio often. Many people are afraid that they will lose muscle by doing cardio. In reality, doing cardio in addition to eating well is the only way to get cut because you have to lose that body fat. The more cut you are, the more jacked you look.

In conclusion, lift weights, eat well, do cardio, and look ripped.

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They Dont Know Squat!


There seems to be much confusion amongst trainers and trainees as to whether squats should be performed all the way down or just half way. In most gyms today, a common instruction during squats, deadlifts, and lunges as taught by many personal training organizations is not to allow the knees to travel beyond the toes. Doing so will ultimately cause the destruction of your knees! I do not agree. There are certain instances where partial range of motion ROM is indicated, but for the most part, I teach people the full squat for the following reasons

It is the most primitive movement pattern known to man; our ancestors used to perform many daily functions i.e. harvesting, gathering, hunting, cooking, eating, etc. in a full squat position.

Also, in case anyone hasn’t noticed, we spend 40 weeks in the fetal position which is basically a full squat prior to entering this world – do we come out with bad knees?

We should strive to train in full ROM for each and every exercise. The squat is no exception.

Every exercise produces stress around a joint – the body then adapts to this stress.

Cocontraction of the quadriceps, hamstrings and gastrocnemius maintains integrity around the knee joint.

Sheering and compressive forces do occur around the knee joint as opposed to only sheering forces that occur in some open kinetic chain lower body exercises, such as the leg extension; however, the large contact area of the patella with the femoral groove as knee flexion increases during the full squat helps to dissipate compressive forces.

Therefore, not only is the squat – as a closed chain exercise – considered a natural movement pattern with high functional carryover, but it is also a safe exercise if performed correctly and that includes full ROM!

Drawer tests are performed at a knee angle of 90 degrees because there is a greater amount of laxity in the knee joint at that specific angle. So, does it make sense to only go down half way where you are most vulnerable especially when greater loads can be used because you are much stronger in this partial ROM?

According to Ironman contributor, George Turner, the fulcrum moves to the knee joint in a parallel squat as opposed to the muscle belly of the quadriceps in a full squat.

Think about it, if you constantly trained in a limited ROM, the likelihood of injury increases if one day you happen to squat beyond your trained ROM.

Partial squats performed on a regular basis will decrease flexibility.

There is a low incidence of lower back pain and knee injury in Aboriginal and Oriental societies which perform full squats on a regular basis.

Even Olympic weight lifters who practice full squats have quite healthy knees compared to other athletes.

Although you may find some research that indicates full squats as potentially harmful to the knees, only one study has ever proved this to be true. However, it was performed on a skeleton – the same results do not hold true with surrounding connective tissue. On the other hand, numerous studies show the benefits of full squats.

Unfortunately, many personal training certification courses are teaching half squats as a safe version suitable for all individuals and this has now become written in stone. God forbid that you deviate from this golden rule to do something that our bodies are meant to do! Read this carefully squatting should be performed in a full ROM where the hamstrings make contact with the calves so that no light can be seen passing through your legs at the bottom position. It is okay for your knees to travel beyond the toes just do not relax the knees in the bottom position. In other words, keep the legs tight and try to stay as upright as possible throughout the exercise. So, next time some fitness instructor approaches you in the gym and advises not to go deep while squatting tell himher that they don’t know squat!

About the Author

Keith Londrie II is a recognized expert with respect to muscle building. Please stop by his web site to learn more about
the subject.

Keith E. Londrie II
infoserve mchsi.com

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Amazing Kettlebell Workout Produces Superior Results


Russian Kettlebells are amazing! These kettlebell workouts may be the answer to maintaining a home gym or having an expensive club membership.

With Russian kettlebells you can develop superior gains over traditional workout methods and save lots of space in your home.

The man who teaches Russian Kettlebell training is Pavel Tsatsouline. He is a former Spetznaz trainer. For those who may not know, Spetznaz is the Russian equivalent of the CIA or special forces.

As every high-risk agent would wish for, after studying some of Pavel’s books you can definitely find out how to have explosive instant power ready at all times.

But, not everyone is a spy; in fact very few of us are. So what benefits does kettlebell training have for the average woman or man?

Kettlebell training can be a great way to lose weight, tone up the body, and stay in shape once you get it there with the added benefits mentioned above.

And not only that, kettlebell workouts may be better for you than weights. In one of his books, Pavel mentions some of the fitness tests that were used to compare kettlebell training to traditional workouts.

The kettlebell trainers seemed to be in much better shape according to Pavel. And Pavel would know – You can see a picture of Pavel on his web site. The guy is well muscled and toned for someone that avoids weight training like the plague.

Speaking of muscle and tone, check out the incredible Ab muscles that Pavel can show you how to develope. Pavel, being an expert in physical training combined with his unique experience and insight is fully qualified to show you all about physical fitness.

Whether you are female or male, Pavel can show you the way to fitness. He has also collected for our benefit, what he believes to be excellent advice in nutrition.

Another thing I think that is interesting about Pavel and his work is that he brings his colorful and interesting Russian personality into play. For example, just think of the title of one of his books, Power to the People.

Me? I find that title humorous, but if I had to explain why I think it’s funny, I’m not sure that I could. It might be the underlying but subtle notion that liberation is in order for someone. Come to think of it, I guess liberation is in order.

Pavel wants to show us a better way to fitness and free us from our need to spend an inordinate amount of time in the gym and spend it more wisely and effectively, so that we can have great physical fitness and time to enjoy it as well.

As you can see by glancing at his pictures, Pavel not only knows how to develop an amazing physique but he also knows how to keep himself flexible at the same time.

Maybe now you can understand why I think this man has some answers to fitness that we might not be able to find anywhere else, nor all in one convenient location either.

As always, consult a primary care physician before embarking on any fitness regimen. This article is for information purposes only and is not to treat, prevent or diagnose any physical condition.

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the author bylines are included and any hpyerlinks are left active on web pages. You may make minor editorial corrections.

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Weight Lifting is a Multi Purpose Exercise


Weight lifting in addition to developing muscle mass actually assists the human body in burning fat. For every pound of muscle you have, you will burn 35-50 calories a day. This is why you may notice that those who lift weights regularly seem to eat more, their bodies are constantly burning fat and they need to replenish the calories that are necessary to feed cells. Building muscles by lifting weights will help you passively burn calories.

Lifting weights is a great way to work out, increase your personal energy level, and develop good muscle tone, as well as a way to bulk up. For many guys bulking up is the primary goal of losing weight and girls have for a long time resisted the idea of lifting weights for fear of bulking up. Fear no more ladies, by building muscle tone you are eliminating fat and burning those pesky calories.

In addition to those goodies is the energy boost that lifting weights provides. If you lift weights early in the day you will have an initial boost of energy, if you find that you are sluggish near the middle of the day, try lifting weights then. I believe you will find that lifting weights will provide just the spurt of energy you will need in order to make it through the remainder of your day. Others find that lifting weights late in the day is relaxing and prepares them for a good nights rest.

In todays world where obesity is becoming more prevalent in young and old alike, developing a habit of lifting weights on a daily basis is a great way to tone your body and help your body passively burn calories. If you havent considered this as part of your daily fitness regimen, then perhaps it is time you do.

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How Does Alcohol Affect Exercise?


Its finally Friday and you just got off work. Now youre thinking about going out later and having a few drinks with your friends and relaxing. After all, you worked hard all week and you certainly deserve a little enjoyment and fun now that the weekends here so theres nothing wrong with going out and having a few drinks with your friends, right?

Anyway, like always, tomorrow is a workout day and since you exercise regularly and take care of yourself a little alcohol wont hurt anything along the way, right? Well, before you head out to the local pub, here are a few things to consider in making your choice of just how much you really want to drink.

Studies have shown that small amounts of alcohol increase muscular endurance and strength output, but, these benefits are very short lived. After around twenty or so minutes, the problems start. All the negative side affects of alcohol fully outweigh any possible benefits it can have to anyone. Alcohol is a toxin poison and so a whole host of physical abnormalities can arise.

These can reduce your strength, endurance, recovery capabilities, aerobic capacity, ability to metabolize fat and muscle growth. Alcohol can also affect your nervous system and brain. Long term use can cause severe deterioration of your central nervous system. With short term use, nerve-muscle interaction can be reduced resulting in a loss of strength.

When alcohol reaches the muscle cells, it can cause damage to them. Inflammation of the muscle cells is common among alcohol users. Over the long term, some of these damaged cells can die resulting in less functional muscle contractions. Alcohol will also leave you with more muscle soreness after exercise making recuperation periods longer.

Alcohol has many affects on your heart and circulatory system as well. You may see a reduction in your endurance capacities when you drink alcohol. When drinking alcohol, your heat loss increases, because alcohol stimulates your blood vessels to dilate. This heat loss can cause your muscles to get cold thus becoming slower and weaker during contractions.

Alcohol can cause digestive and nutritional problems as well. Alcohol causes a release of insulin that will increase the metabolism of glycogen, thereby sparing fat making fat loss more difficult. Because alcohol also can interfere with the absorption of many nutrients, you can become anemic and deficient in the B vitamins. Since your liver is the organ that detoxifies alcohol, the more you drink, the harder you liver has to work and the extra stress can damage and even destroy some liver cells.

Alcohol is also diuretic so large amounts can put a lot of extra stress on your kidneys. During diuretic action, ant diuretic hormones are secreted. This can result in heightened water retention and no one who exercises wants that to happen.
Alcohol, although having no nutritional value, also has seven calories per gram so excess consumption can lead to weight gain as well.

If you must consume alcohol, do so in moderation and never consume alcohol right before exercise as this will impair your balance, coordination and judgment. Remember this, if youve taken the time to make the effort to improve your physical conditioning and your overall health, why take major steps backwards and impede you improvements by excess consumption of alcohol?

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