Friday, August 23, 2013
Surfing, The Radical Alternative Workout
I think I just realized an
all encompassing truth about life—it's impossible to be out of
shape and be a surfer at the same time. Most athletes and people who
participate in sports work out on the side to help improve their game
performance, but very few people look at it from the opposite
viewpoint: Why not play a sport as a form of exercise? Get some surf training and go for it. I mean, look at this guy:
That's Andy Iron, a pro
surfer. Now go look at any other surfer. I guarantee they're going to
look just as healthy and ripped.
The biggest problem most
people face with sticking to a workout plan is that, well, it can be
boring. The point where you have to force yourself into the gym
against your will is usually the point that you start thinking about
giving up on your workout routine.
So here's a suggestion: Try
making your workouts more fun. I lived in Costa Rica for a few years
and my favorite thing to do was go surfing on the weekends. I never
really thought about it as a workout, but at the end of the day I was
just as sore as if I had spent the afternoon slamming kettlebells.
And I eventually realized that I was working out. I was just having
so much fun I didn't realize it.
And if you think that
surfing is too hard, keep in mind that it only takes most people a
single day to get the hang of it. It's even easier if you use a surf training program like Surf Coaches.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Health Benefits of Coffee
Throughout history, coffee
has been alternatively glorified and vilified. Actually, that's not
entirely true—most of our history has held up coffee as an
important beverage. It was only once certain health fads started
taking hold in the past few decades that coffee was seen as something
that could be dangerous, and we began asking the question, is coffee healthy?
Why has coffee recently been called unhealthy? It helps to look at the
environment of some of the studies that were done around that time.
According to the Mayo clinic, most of the coffee drinkers that were
surveyed didn't just drink coffee—they also smoked, and led
inactive lifestyles. What studies now are showing is that it was the
smoking that contributed most to heart problems—not the coffee.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Coffee?
These days, we have more
stringent controls on health studies, and we're slowly finding that
coffee has some pretty incredible health benefits. One study found
that coffee is effective against Parkinson's disease, and even
against some forms of liver cancer.
Coffee is packed with a
dense mixture of antioxidants and alkaloids that go above and beyond
simple caffeine (although the caffeine itself is healthier than you
might think).
And of course, coffee always
has a place in my kitchen because of that oldest reason of all:
Alertness and improved mental and physical function.
So, is coffee healthy? The
studies declare an overwhelming YES, but just remember: everything in
moderation.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
4 Health Areas In Which Protein Shakes Benefit The Most
The most popular form of
supplement used these days by bodybuilders and other athletes that
require muscular strength is protein shakes. They are considered the
best primarily because they help in increasing muscle mass;
therefore, they are the preferred choice of bodybuilders.
If the benefits of
protein shake be classified in major categories, then four categories
surface that represent the health benefits one can attain by using
the best
protein shakes and powder. The lines below give the four
different areas in which protein shakes help the health.
1. Antioxidants Supply:
The first domain in which
protein shakes help the body is in antioxidants supply. The body
requires antioxidants to help it fight the effects of free radicals
that are produced by the body and which actually harm the health of
the body. If the body has sufficient amount of antioxidants, then
these fight the negative effects created by free radicals by
neutralizing them. Therefore, as a result of consumption of protein
shakes, the antioxidant supply to the body increases thus bettering
the overall health of the body.
2. Maintaining and Building Muscle Mass:
The other health category
in which protein shakes benefit a person is pertaining to maintaining
and building of muscle mass. The reason why an ordinary person in
general or an athlete in particular requires muscle mass is to
prevent the occurrence of injury of any kind. Therefore, it is
imperative that in any case the muscle mass is maintained if not kept
on building on regular basis. The reason why protein shakes are
recommended or the best option in this regard is because they offer
the purest form of different proteins causing the muscles to receive
instant supply of protein to keep the muscle building process going
and thus the body maintains its muscle mass and stays healthy.
3. Suppressing Cortisol:
The most dangerous single
hormone linked to a variety of health problems is cortisol. This
hormone causes high blood pressure, anxiety, obesity and diabetes;
therefore, for better health it is imperative that the production of
this very hormone be limited to a certain level. In this regard,
protein shakes come in very handy, as they help suppress the
secretion of this hormone. This hormone is released when a person is
under stress or some fatigued situation. Thus, it is imperative that
the athletes who undergo training daily consume protein shakes to
suppress the amount of production of this hormone for better health
condition.
4. Weight Control:
The other benefit of
protein shakes with which most of the people are not familiar is
their help in weight control. The reason why protein shakes can help
in controlling weight is because of their appetite suppressing
property. Proteins serve as appetite suppressants, thus as a result
of consumption of shakes you feel fuller for longer, thus preventing
excessive eating or overeating during the next meal. Therefore, if
you wish to stay slim yet healthy then you need to consume protein
shakes and preferably replace your meal with protein shakes for
better results.
Bottom Line:
In short, although
protein shakes help in general betterment of health; however, if you
know the major health areas in which they benefit, then it becomes
easy to consider the use of protein shakes.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Why Amazon Is The Best Place To Find Workout Supplements
The search for a great workout
supplement is, in my opinion, a never ending challenge. Not only is
there a huge variety of supplements out there to choose from, but
there are more hitting the market every day!
In my search lately, I've been turning
to Amazon. They're not a company that specializes in workout
supplements, sure, but I've found that they're one of the most
reliable sources. When I say reliable, I mean in terms of supplement
quality—I could tell you horror stories of the supplements I've
bought from third party sites—even the supposedly reputable ones!
One Amazon supplier I've been using recently
for my creatine and cleansing supplements is Beyond Genetics Supplements. Their customer service is top notch, shipping is quick,
but in the end my decision really comes from one thing—reliability.
I've ordered from them several times and I've always gotten the exact
same level of quality as the time before.
To sum up, if you're looking for a new
place to get a workout supplement—maybe you haven't had results with another
brand, maybe your normal source just doesn't seem to pack the same
punch it used to, whatever it may be—check out Beyond Genetics on
Amazon. They're pretty sweet.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Workout On YOUR Schedule With A Pay As You Go Gym
Let's talk about commitment.
My favorite kind of
commitment is the kind I can avoid. I hate those two year contracts
on cell phones; I try to pay with cash whenever possible to wiggle
out of credit card bills; I cross the street when I see someone up
ahead handing out flyers, that kind of thing. And one thing that's
extra high on my list of "things to avoid at all times" is
gym memberships.
Let me be a little more
clear about that: I love gyms. I love the versatility you get with a
facility filled with equipment that's there for the sole purpose of
improving your body. What I hate is paying for a year in advance when
I have no earthly clue if I'll be in the same area by this time next
year. There are cheap gyms, sure, but most of them still have a
contract.
Well it turns out I'm an
idiot, because apparently there are gyms without a membership that
let you pay as you go. There aren't a lot, but I personally think
this concept is the best thing to happen to personal fitness since
deodorant. In a pay as you go gym, you only pay for the time you're
using the gym. If you can't make it for a week, you don't pay for
that week.
So if you're like me and
want to find a cheap gym that won't lock you down, check out something like the fantastic Kiss Gyms, in Milton Keynes. The price is right, they don't make you sign a contract, and they're open 24 hours a day. In my opinion, that's the perfect trifecta.
It's your body and your fitness
goal—why should anyone else have control over it?
The Six Week Shred—Build Muscle and Lose Weight
What's the hardest part
about sticking with a workout routine? Is it the hours and hours you
have to put in before you see results? Is it the strict diet that
cuts out every single one of your favorite foods? Is it just a pure,
straightforward lack of motivation to keep going? For a lot of us (me
included), it's all of the above.
I don't like saying that I
like my hand being held through a workout program, but dang it,
sometimes that's EXACTLY what I need, and that's what you get in the
Six Week Shred workout challenge. This program comes with daily
instructional videos that keep you mentally focused on pushing
through and sticking to your workout goals. It's the next best thing
to having a fitness coach coming to your home. And come on, it's
FREE.
But that's not even my
favorite thing about the Six Week Shred. My favorite part has to be
the level of detail it gives for selecting a workout that's tailored
specifically for you. It'll show you how to pick your weights, how to
time your sets for maximum muscle gain, and how to plan your meals
around the intensity level of the workout you're doing—so your body
ALWAYS gets exactly what it needs. Whether your goal is to lose
weight or build some extra muscle, you're going to end up shredded.
Take a look here for more
information about the Six Week Shred. (That's not an affiliate link. The
program's completely free guys.)