When a famous realtor was asked about the formula for success in real estate investing, the response was, “Location, location, location.” The same mantra applies to building lean muscle mass: “Protein, protein, protein!”

You cannot construct a building or a bridge or a highway without building materials. Protein is the building material of our bodies.

Without protein, lots of protein, the only thing you can build on your body is a fat storage dump around your middle.

Your body can convert protein into energy. Starving people lose a lot of muscle tissue in an effort to survive their ordeal. Your body cannot convert carbohydrates into muscle tissue, however. Only protein can do that.

By definition, proteins are essential compounds made up of amino acids arranged in a linear chain and folded into globular formations.

There are twenty recognized amino acids, two of which are very important in muscle construction and function.

Proteins are essential parts of organisms and participate in every process within our cells. Some proteins build muscle tissue, some build skeletal material and others participate in the metabolic processes.

Proteins are very necessary in our diets because our body only produces a few of the amino acids needed for bodily functions. Dietary proteins provide the majority of the essential amino acids.

Enough of the scientific jargon . . . what does a diet high in proteins do for our bodies? It supplies all the building material necessary to grow muscle tissue.

Meat, fish, poultry and some vegetables are good sources of proteins. Only the animal protein is considered “complete,” containing all the essential amino acids. Vegetables must be combined to form complete proteins.

From a dietary standpoint, fish and poultry are the best forms of animal protein.

Beef, pork and other meats have a much higher saturated fat content, than fish and chicken. Some dietitians maintain that we should minimize saturated fats in our diets.

Our bodies do need some carbohydrates as fuel for our daily activities. The best carbs are found in fresh vegetables and fruits, which also supply the fiber necessary for good digestion.

Vegetable proteins are readily found in legumes, mainly beans, which also contain some carbohydrates and dietary fiber. Including beans, peas, chickpeas and other legumes in your diet will provide protein, carbohydrates and fiber.

A muscle building diet should be made up of four to six small meals per day. Animal protein along with some fruits and vegetables should be included in every meal.

For the vegans amongst us, their diet should be all vegetable proteins.

For both carnivores and vegans, some protein supplementation will assist in achieving that hard-body goal. Protein powders, drinks and capsules are readily available at your local supermarket or health food store.

In evaluating which protein supplements to buy, read the label carefully. Avoid any products that contain sweeteners, preservatives or flavoring agents that may be harmful to your program.

Avoid any hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup and anything listed as a preservative. Sample high protein menus can make meal preparation a snap. Many are available from online searches or in many of the low-carb diet books.

A high protein-low carbohydrate diet, coupled with your intense bodybuilding workouts will give you the lean muscle mass that you desire.

Looking your best is its own reward, but good health and a long, satisfactory life are also part of the equation.

Obtaining as much as 25 percent of your calories from protein is not unhealthy, particularly if the protein replaces refined carbohydrates in your diet.

Replacing white bread, pasta and white flour products with high-protein foods is very healthy.

For normal people (not bodybuilders) it is recommended that protein consumption be 0.8 to 1.0 grams for every kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight.

This represents about fifteen percent of the dietary calories. For a bodybuilder, 1.33 to 1.50 grams of protein per kilogram equates to twenty-five percent.

Insider Eating Secrets To Building Lean Muscle Mass is a post from: Home Gym Fitness Equipment Reviews

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Every bodybuilder has some idea of how to bulk up, but few of them really know how to lose fat and gain muscle. Bulking up is the easy part, all you have to do is pump ever-increasing amounts of iron.

The losing fat is the hard part because that requires a lot of self discipline and dedication.

It is a fact that the more muscle you build the more fat you burn. Muscle requires three times more energy to function than fat will use. Part of the solution to losing fat is to gain muscle.

The other part of losing fat is diet. This is the hard part because it requires that we shut off all desires for desserts, candy, soft drinks, bread made with any type of flour and alcoholic beverages. No refined sugars or grains allowed on a bodybuilders diet.

A bodybuilder weight and resistance training program will include exercises for every muscle group in the body; chest, shoulders, back, arms, core and legs. You need to make five trips a week to the fitness center for at least an hour or more of pumping iron per session.

If you are a fitness novice, you will need to seek the advice of an expert on the best way for you to lose fat and gain muscle. The trainer at your local fitness centre is the logical person to go to. They will establish a program for you that works every muscle to total exhaustion at least once per week.

Here is what a weekly schedule of workouts and other fitness activity will look like:

Monday – Workout focus is on chest

• Bench Press – 3 sets of 10 reps
• Dumbbell flies or Pec-Deck – 3 sets of 10 reps
• Incline Bench Press – 3 sets of 10 reps
• Decline Bench Press – 3 sets of 10 reps
• Push-Ups – 3 sets of 25+ reps
• Core Exercises

- Sit-ups

- Crunches

- Leg Raises

- Dumbbell Side-bends

Tuesday – Workout focus is on legs

• Squats – 3 sets of 10 reps
• Hack Squats – 3 sets of 10 reps
• Sissy Squats – 3 sets of 10 reps
• Leg Extensions – 3 sets of 10 reps
• Thigh Biceps Curls – 3 sets of 10 reps
• Calf Raises – 3 sets of 10 reps
• Donkey Calf Raises – 3 sets of 10 reps
• Lunges with Dumbbells – 3 sets of 25 reps

Wednesday – Workout focus is on Shoulders

• Standing Barbell Press – 3 of 10
• Seated Dumbbell Press – 3 of 10
• Front Dumbbell Raises – 3 of 10
• Lateral Dumbbell Raises – 3 of 10
• Upright Barbell Rowing – 3 of 10
• Bent-Over Dumbbell Extension – 3 of 10
• Barbell Shrugs –3 of 10
• Core Exercises – 3 of 25

- Flat bench crunches

- Decline bench crunches

- Compound crunches on mat

Thursday – Workout focus is on Back. Three sets of 10 reps on each.

• Pull-Ups on chinning bar
• Front Levers on chinning bar
• Lat Machine Pull-Downs
• Seated Rowing with cable-and-pulley
• Bent Over Rowing with barbell
• Bent Over Rowing with dumbbell, one arm at a time
• Core Exercises – 3 of 25

- Flat bench leg raises

- Compound sit-ups on mat

- Dip bar leg raises

- Upright twists

Friday – Workout focus is on Arms. Three sets of 10 reps

• Biceps Barbell Curls
• Triceps Press Down, cable-and-pulley (lat) machine
• Biceps Dumbbell Curls on incline bench
• French Presses on flat bench
• Preacher Bench curls with easy-curl-bar
• Bent Over Dumbbell Extensions
• Concentration Curls with single dumbbell
• Dumbbell Presses from behind the neck
• Core Exercises

- Decline Sit-Ups

- Compound Decline Sit-Ups

- Compound Leg Raises

Diet – The really hard part

Protein – 25% of calories from eggs, organ meats, red meat, poultry and fish Carbohydrates – 40% of calories from fresh fruits and vegetables. No potatoes or rice. Fats and Fibers – 35% of calories from natural fats, soluble oils and fibrous fruits and vegetables.

Supplements – Protein powder, amino acids and vitamins.

How To Lose Fat and Gain Muscle is a post from: Home Gym Fitness Equipment Reviews

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The recent movie “300” was the story of the Spartans who held back the mighty Persian horde at the pass of Thermopylae. The Spartans, led by their King, Leonidas, were the front line for a small band of Greeks who blocked that mountain pass so the invading Persians couldn’t descend into Greece.

It was a heroic movie and the cast, headed by Gerald Butler as Leonidas, looked the part.  The actors playing the Spartans all had these amazing rock hard abs, and if you’re anything like me, I bet you found yourself wondering how they got such a great look!

But guess what? The secret to having those amazing abdominal muscles that looked flexed all the time is getting an animator to doctor the film. Hey, I’ve seen photos of Butler and he does not have the rock hard abs as shown in that film, nor do the other actors . . . at least not the constantly flexed look we saw in the movie!

The real secret on how to get rock hard abs lies in two words, “workout” and “diet.” You have to work your midsection correctly in order to build those abdominals. Then you have to diet to rid your body of subcutaneous fat so those abs can be displayed.

For a program on how you can build those chiseled abs, we turn to real champions with real abdominal development and share their secrets.

The abdominals are only one muscle group in several that make up your “core.” The obliques and lower back are also important parts of what make up you midsection. All of these muscles should be worked and developed.

Core Workout

Sit-Ups – The jury is still out on whether you should ever do full sit-ups. Some trainers maintain that these moves are very important, but others say all you need are “partial” sit-ups, crunches that contract the abdominals and help build them.

Most great bodybuilding champions performed a wide variety of sit-ups; flat bench, incline, decline and compound (where you twist while sitting up). They also performed crunches to further define their abs.

• • Decline Board Sit-Ups – Three sets of 50 reps, the last set being compound sit-ups.
• • Crunches – Three sets of 50 reps on the decline board, the last set being compound crunches.

Leg-Raises – These tend to work the lower abdominals.

• • Decline Board Leg Raises – Three sets of 50 reps keeping legs straight for two and bringing the knees to the chest alternately for the third.
• • Chinning Bar Leg Raises – Three sets of 20 while hanging at arm’s length from the chinning-bar.
• • Side-Bends with Dumbbells – These will work the front and rear obliques and the small of your back. Perform three sets of 100 for each side and then three sets while holding the dumbbell behind your leg for the rear obliques.
• • Roman Chair Reverse Sit-Ups – These will work your lower back and rear obliques. Perform three sets of 25 with the last set being compound, where you twist your torso as you raise to contraction.

Bodybuilder’s Pre-Contest Diet

This diet came from the Iron Guru, the late Vince Gironda, who was probably the best trainer of champion bodybuilders of all time. Vince claimed that “bodybuilding is 80% diet.”

This diet should not be undertaken for more than a short period of time. This describes the first cycle of the diet. Five or more cycles may be undertaken to reduce subcutaneous fat.

Days 1 through 4 – Eat as close to zero carbohydrates as humanly possible. Consume high protein foods like eggs, poultry, meat and fish.

Day 5 – Eat a balanced diet in which 25% of the calories are from protein, 40% from carbs and the remainder from fats and fibers.

Supplements: Protein powder taken with raw milk, wheat germ oil, lipotropic amino acids (inositol, choline, betane), desiccated liver and kelp tablets.

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Okay, you’ve spent all that time and energy pumping iron and you’re as big as a bull buffalo. Now it’s time to get cut-up and defined because you want to display the results of all that effort in the best possible manner.

Here’s how to get ripped in 4weeks.

Losing all that adipose takes a special dedication, particularly since you are in such great shape from those hours in the gym. You will have to replace your heavy iron workout routine with medium weights and very high repetitions.

You will also have to go on a highly specialized diet for about four weeks. After all, bodybuilding is about 80% diet, according to several fitness gurus. Are you ready to get started? Let’s go then.

Weight Training

You are still going to be working the muscles to total exhaustion, just like with the heavy weights, but instead of poundage it is going to be reps that wear and tear the muscles.

Instead of six to eight reps of massive weights, you are going to be going for 12 to 15 reps of moderate weights.

Additionally, you are going to use a lot of dumbbell exercises for shaping those massive muscles. You are still going to have focus days in which you work mainly on one muscle group each workout. You are still going to work up the ladder on poundage, but you will not be pushing to your maximum.

You should perform a warm-up with a light weight and pump out as many reps as you can. Try to use a weight that you can squeeze out 25 or more reps. Your next sets will be using moderate weights for 12 to 15 reps. You are shooting for total muscle exhaustion, so plan on five sets per exercise.

You will minimize cardio workouts because cardio will not help you lose fat. You will lose muscle tissue instead. Did you ever notice that marathon and other long distance runners have little or no upper body musculature? But they often have a little pot belly! This is because their bodies need the stored fat for prolonged exertion, so they burn muscle tissue until they “hit the wall” in their running.

The Workout

Chest

• • Dumbbell Flies, flat bench, incline and decline.
• • Dumbbell Presses, flat bench, incline, decline.
• • Push-ups with feet elevated, hands widely spaced.

Shoulders

• • Dumbbell Presses, standing or seated.
• • Front dumbbell raises, standing.
• • Lateral dumbbell raises.
• • Upright rowing with barbell.
• • Shrugs with barbell.
• • Bent over dumbbell extensions.

Back

• • Pull-ups on the chinning bar.
• • Seated rowing with cable and pulley.
• • Lat machine pull-downs.
• • Bent over rowing with barbell.
• • One-hand bent over rowing with dumbbell.

Legs

• • Squats with barbell.
• • Leg extensions on machine.
• • Thigh biceps curls on machine or with wall mounted cable-and-pulley.
• • Lunges with barbells.
• • Calf raises.
• • Donkey calf raises.
• • Seated calf raises.

Core

• • Crunches, flat bench or mat.
• • Compound crunches, twisting right and left.
• • Side bends with dumbbells.
• • Rear side bends with dumbbells
• • Twists with barbell across shoulders.

Diet – maintain this diet for five cycles (25 days)

• • Consume zero carbohydrates for four day.
• • Eat a balanced diet on fifth day.
• • Consume zero carbs for days six through nine.
• • Eat a balanced diet on tenth day.

Supplements

• • Protein Powder
• • Essential amino acids (Lipo3 compound, inositol, choline, etc.)
• • Wheat germ oil
• • Desiccated liver, kelp tablets.

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Rob Poulos has written the definitive book of weight training and dieting in Fat Burning Furnace. Rob advances and proves his theory that you don’t have to spend hours and hours in the gym to build your body and lose weight.

Rob is also a living testimonial to the success of his program. After trying to emulate his bodybuilding heroes by spending hours pumping iron, Rob finally realized that his body and metabolism just couldn’t build muscle like those muscle magazine cover men.

When he finally did begin to gain weight, it was for the wrong reason . . . he was overeating and had gotten fat. He then dedicated himself to losing that fat and discovering better ways to work out and build muscle.

The result of Rob’s research and experimentation is the complete program outlined in Fat Burning Furnace. Rob’s contention is that you can convert your entire metabolism into a fat burner by eating the right foods and exercising in the proper manner.

The book points out our genetic predisposition to certain body characteristics, some of which make it hard to gain or lose weight or to pack on any muscle tissue.

Rob is a strong advocate of strength training by pumping iron with the goal of increasing muscle strength and size. It is the increase in muscle size that helps your body to become a fat burning furnace – that and eating the right foods.

Rob points out that if you increase your lean muscle mass by just fifteen pounds (while losing about six or seven pounds of fat) you will actually burn about 700 more calories per day at rest. When active, you will burn even more.

He points out that the ladies should not be concerned about getting “bulky” from lifting weights because they lack the testosterone levels necessary to build bodybuilder muscles. Most of us lack the genetic make up to get huge like Arnold. Even with chemical enhancements, most people will not get that big.

Poulos is also not an advocate of extensive cardiovascular exercising. He claims that long duration, low intensity exercise will burn some fat, but it sends a message to your body that says you need to store more fat to be able to handle that exercise the next time you work out.

Also, says Poulos, long duration exercise may be harmful to your health because as you push past your aerobic limits you ultimately limit your heart and lung capacity as your body gets used to the long exercise period.

Fat Burning Furnace outlines exercises and nutrition that will maximize your potential and help you develop a strong, lean, fit and good looking body. Maybe not like Arnold’s, but one that will look great at the beach or on the tennis court. Also, you will be healthy.

Rob claims that if you follow his routine as outlined, you will get all the benefits of a cardio workout without the dreary time on a treadmill or Stair Master or elliptical stepper. His routine is short and sweet and he is a testimonial to the results – how appealing is that?

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It’s very exciting when you first start out on your journey to live a healthier lifestyle and it can become the focus of most of you free thinking throughout the day.

You’re okay with this because you’ve already recognized the dedication it’s going to take to reach your ultimate goal of healthy living.  The problem is, your friends and family seem to be a little stand-offish towards you.  Keep reading to get a better understanding of why this happens and what you can do to change it.

Tone it Down a Little

Okay, so you’re revved up about you new found discipline and outlook on life.  You want to share your healthy living experiences with everyone you care about – after all, if you’re going to improve your own quality of life, wouldn’t it be selfish of you to let your friends and family continue on their misguided ways?  Nope…it wouldn’t be.

For one thing, some people are perfectly content being out of shape and unhealthy – therefore. it’s annoying to them when you’re constantly giving the the calorie count in everything their eating.

For another thing – some people really struggle to get to the point that you’re at.  They may not have the dedication that your presently so excited about and your constant chatter about how great living healthy is simply depresses them.

So, continue on your happy way to health and fitness, but don’t force your views on the people you care about.  If someone else brings it up and expresses genuine interest in getting your advice, by all means, unleash it on them.  But until that moment, keep it to yourself.

Don’t Dwell

If you’re at a sticking point in your healthy living program and you want to binge on every greasy plate that passes in front of you during ladies night out, don’t project your longings and temptations on others.  Either order the junk food or don’t, but don’t carry on a 5 minute monologue about how you want to but you really shouldn’t.

Politely Decline and Make Plans for Another Time

If all of your friends are planning a big gathering at your favorite restaurant, but you’re sure that you shouldn’t go because the memories of greasy appetizers and sugary desserts may be more then you can handle – don’t ask them to change the venue to accommodate your apprehensions.  Simply decline the offer and plan a later gathering at a more manageable establishment for you.

Oh, yes, and if you do accept the invitation and go anyway, please refer back to tips 1 and 2.

Keep a Healthy Balance

Finally, no matter how tempted you are to hang up the rest of your life in pursuit of healthy living, don’t do it.  That’s the point that healthy living becomes and unhealthy obsession.

So, if your friends start asking you questions like – “isn’t three hours a day a little much to be spending working out?”  Or, “do you even remember what chocolate tastes like?” – it may be time to evaluate your mindset.  If you determine that your slightly obsessed, just back off a little bit.  You’ll probably find that you’ll feel like a more complete person if you do.

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If you’re anything like me, you love to eat out!  For some reason, even the simplest meals seem to taste better when someone else does all the work in preparing them (maybe that’s an indicator of my cooking ability).  The problem is, when you’re trying to live a healthy lifestyle and avoid high fat high calorie foods, dining out can turn into a stressful event.

Don’t worry though, I’m here to help you get through a night out without falling off the healthy eating train altogether.  Below are just a few suggestions about how you can eat out, enjoy yourself and still maintain healthy eating habits.  Happy dining!

Leave your appetite at home

What?  I know what you’re thinking, “that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard – the reason I’m going out is to eat!” Am I right?  Perhaps I should word that a little more carefully – don’t arrive at the restaurant starving.

If you have a small healthy snack before you leave for your dinner date, you’ll be less inclined to order everything on the menu when you get there.  It’s the same philosophy behind the “don’t grocery shop on an empty stomach” advice.  The hungrier you are, the less control you’ll have.

Be Familiar With the Menu

If you can, look at an online menu or a takeout menu from the restaurant you’re planning to dine at.  Have an idea of what they offer and what you’d like to order before arriving to eat.  That way, you can avoid looking at the menu altogether, minimizing the temptation to order every greasy dish offered.

Save Your Cheat Meal

If you want to eat healthy for life, you have to cut yourself some slack.  You can’t expect to deprive yourself of all he foods you love and stick to it for any significant amount of time.

So, since in your infinite wisdom, you allow yourself a cheat meal or two a week, save that meal for a night that you have dinner plans.  By doing this, you’ll be able to eat what you want (within reason) and you won’t have to beat yourself up for it later.

Of course, I did say within reason.  A quick clarification on a cheat meal…when you hear fitness professionals talk about allowing yourself a cheat meal, they don’t mean that you should eat a 5 course meal of fried food and dessert to make up for all of your week’s cravings.

A cheat meal is still a fairly healthy meal with an unhealthy option added in.  For example, have a smothered chicken breast instead of a plain one or eat a plain chicken breast but have a piece of cake for dessert.  The point is to avoid totally pigging out during your cheat meals.

The Old Stand byes

When all else fails, if you’re eating out and your stomach is rumbling and every high calorie dish on the menu is calling your name, break out the old stand byes – chew some sugarless gum, drink a lot of calorie free beverages and eat a big serving of salad.  Hopefully these tricks will help you through the temptations unscathed.

Finally, if all of these tips and tricks don’t work and you find yourself binging on cheese fries and chocolate cake – don’t dwell on it.  One bad day doesn’t have to mark the end of your healthy living efforts.  So, get over it quickly and resume your healthy eating habits after that meal is done.

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Understanding the difference between good carbs and bad carbs is essential to maintain a healthy, balanced diet.  Some people will tell you that carbs are bad for weight loss – this is not true!

Good Carbs

Good carbs are also known as complex carbohydrates. Foods containing good carbs are low glycemic, which means they have negligible effects on your blood sugar and insulin levels (better for diabetics). They also contain lots of valuable vitamins and minerals.

You can get your fill of good carbohydrates in foods like fruits, veggies, legumes, and whole grains. Good carbs are not usually processed or altered by man-made devices.

Bad Carbs

Bad carbs are also known as simple carbohydrates and are high glycemic foods, which means that they raise your blood sugar and insulin levels rapidly. These foods typically cause weight gain and should be avoided by diabetics.

Bad carbs are found in processed foods such as candy, chips, ice cream, white bread, white rice and white pastas.

We All Need Good Carbs

Here’s why – Good carbs are considered slow burning carbs (the reason they don’t create a spike in your blood sugar levels). As a result, they provide you with a sustained source of ready energy.

What??

Okay – Carbohydrates are the bodies primary source of usable energy. That means they don’t have to be converted to a usable form of energy like proteins do – they are usable upon digestion.

So, when you consume good carbohydrates, which burn slowly, the result is a steady source of energy that stays with you through the day.

In comparison, bad carbs are also a usable source of energy, but they burn very quickly, which leads to an intense, but short lived boost in energy. Once these bad carbs are used up, you will be overcome with exhaustion. This process is commonly referred to as a “sugar rush” and the long term effects are simply not worth the quick burst of energy.

Incorporating the Good Stuff

A good rule of thumb to follow when adding good carbohydrates into your diet is to consume your weight in grams of carbohydrates. For example, a 140 pound woman would eat 140 grams of good carbohydrates a day.

If you use this approach to modify your diet instead of cutting out carbs altogether you’ll find that you have tons of energy, you’ll be able to focus better, you’ll lose weight more easily and you’ll stay more physically and mentally healthy.

All of the food groups have some place in our diets. If you want to maintain a healthy diet, you can’t just eliminate food groups – it’s unsafe, unproductive and unsustainable.

So, take all things in moderation, learn about nutrition and then make it work for you. Bon appetite’!

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The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a method used to determine if a person is overweight or not by comparing weight to height.  It’s a very popular way to assess a person’s body mass because you don’t have to do any measuring beyond height and weight and it doesn’t require any special equipment.

How To Calculate Your Body Mass Index (BMI)

The formula used to calculate BMI is weight in kilograms divided by height squared in meters.

BMI= Weight(kg) / Height Squared (m)

So, if I weigh 140 pounds and I’m 63″ tall this is how I calculate my BMI:

140 lb/2.2 = 63.64 kg

63″ X 2.54 = 160.02 cm / 100 = 1.6 m

Next, I divide 63.64 (my weight in kg) by 1.6 (my height in m) squared:

63.64 / (1.6 squared) =

63.64 / 2.56 = 24.86 rounded up to 25

Based on the formula, my BMI is 25

What Does it All Mean?

Additional official charts and references have established the following standards:

Normal Weight = BMI 19 to <25

Overweight = BMI 25 to <30

Obese = 30 to <35

Seriously Obese = > 35

So, if I were to take the Body Mass Index at face value, I’d come out of this thinking I’m an overweight individual.  I’d be depressed and I’d spend a couple of days beating myself up and staring at myself in the mirror in order to pinpoint my “trouble spots”.  The whole scene would be pretty pitiful and frankly, a big waste of time.

You see, here’s the problem, the numbers I used above are real numbers taken from a fitness competitor around the time she won a state fitness title.  So, how is it possible that she could have been overweight, as the BMI indicates, and still in shape to win a fitness contest?  Because the BMI doesn’t account for muscle mass!

The fact is that muscle weighs more than fat.  So, if you’re short and muscular, you’ll weigh more than someone who’s short and fat, but your body fat percentage will be lower.  However, it’s entirely possible that your BMI will be higher since the only things BMI considers are height and weight.  Not body composition.

To Sum It Up For You

BMI only evaluates body weight as a whole, not estimates of body fat versus lean body mass.  For this fact, the system doesn’t differentiate between those who are over-fat and those who are athletic.  It’s a decent measure for the majority of the population who isn’t highly athletic or muscular, but ideally, BMI assessments will be used in conjunction with other means of body composition measurements.

Please, if you’re over weight and it’s from lack of exercise and overeating, don’t estimate your BMI and go celebrate because this article states that people with a lot of muscle can have a high BMI so you figure you must be genetically blessed with all kinds of natural muscle.

In the absence of additional methods of body composition assessments, common sense will go a long way in helping you decide whether or not you should take your calculated BMI at face value.

What is Body Mass Index? is a post from: Home Gym Fitness Equipment Reviews

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Do you have a hard time eating right during the holidays?

I know I do.

It’s not easy to keep things under control when there are constantly social events, family gatherings, delicious baked goods, calorie-filled drinks, and more just about every day for the next two months. Sticking to a workout routine is more important than ever!

I’ve had years where the holidays pass and I am left feeling like a stuffed turkey, with more pounds to shed than I care to admit to. I have become much more moderate in my holiday eating and drinking, and I’ve been much more disciplined about keeping my workout schedule regular.

First and foremost, I try to make healthy choices. Okay, so that’s a bit of an exaggeration…

…let’s just say I don’t have those tasty baked goods EVERY time, sometimes I pass. And, portion control has a whole new meaning for me now, I no longer have to eat my body weight in delicious foods. It pays off.

Also, when you have some home gym equipment and workout at home, it can be easier to squeeze in at least partial workouts. While you may not have a full hour to spare, you might be able to hop on your treadmill for a half hour or so while those pies are baking. Especially around the holidays, every little bit counts.

I know I will make sure I treat myself to some regular workouts, whenever possible. That’s definitely a terrific holiday gift to give yourself!

Sticking to a Workout Routine During the Holidays is a post from: Home Gym Fitness Equipment Reviews

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