Club Fitness Gym

How our bodies adapt
Here's what happens inside your body when you do aerobic exercise regularly:

Your heart gets stronger and pumps more blood with each beat (larger stroke volume). Elite athletes, as I just mentioned, can have stroke volumes more than twice as high as average individuals. But it's not just that. Conditioned hearts also have greater diameter and mass (the heart's a muscle too and gets bigger when you train it), and they pump efficiently enough to allow for greater filling time, which is a good thing because it means that more blood fills the chambers of the heart before they pump so that more blood gets pumped with each beat.

Greater stroke volume means the heart doesn't have to pump as fast to meet the demands of exercise. Fewer beats and more stroke volume mean greater efficiency. Think about a pump emptying water out of a flooded basement. The pump works better and lasts longer if it can pump larger volumes of water with each cycle than if it has to pump faster and strain to get rid of the water. High stroke volume is why athletes' hearts don't pump as fast during exercise and why they have such low resting heart rates; sometimes as low as 40 beats per minute, whereas the average is 60-80 beats per minutes.

Downstream from the heart are your muscles, which get more efficient at consuming oxygen when you do regular aerobic exercise (remember, "consuming" oxygen means that the muscles are taking the oxygen out of the blood). This happens because of an increase in the activity and number of enzymes that transport oxygen out of the bloodstream and into the muscle. Imagine 100 oxygen molecules circulating past a muscle. You're twice as fit if the muscle can consume all 100 molecules than if it can only consume 50. Another way of saying it is that you're twice as fit as someone if your VO₂ max is 60ml/kg/min. and theirs is 30ml/kg/min. In terms of performance in this scenario, you'll have more endurance because your muscles won't run out of oxygen as quickly.

Mitochondria inside the muscle increase in number and activity. Mitochondria are the powerhouses of your cells. They do all the heavy-duty work to keep you moving. They use the oxygen to burn the fat and carbohydrate that makes you go. The good news is that they increase in number and activity, by as much as 50%, in just a matter of days to weeks in response to regular aerobic exercise in adults of all ages.

Burn, baby, burn

I mentioned that fat and carbohydrate are the fuels our muscles burn. The difference between them is that fat is high-test; it contains 9 calories per gram whereas carbohydrate has only 4, and so you get more energy and can go farther on a gram of fat than on a gram of carbohydrate.

You want to burn fat because it's such an efficient fuel, plus it's nice to lose some of your excess fat! The catch is that you need more oxygen to burn fat because it's denser than carbohydrate.

The good news is that your body gets better at using oxygen and burning fat when you do regular aerobic exercise; like I described, your heart pumps more blood, your muscles consume more oxygen, and you have more mitochondria.

What is Aerobic Exercise ??

What is aerobic exercise?

Imagine that you're exercising. You're working up a sweat, you're breathing hard, your heart is thumping, blood is coursing through your vessels to deliver oxygen to the muscles to keep you moving, and you sustain the activity for more than just a few minutes. That's aerobic exercise (also known as "cardio" in gym lingo); any activity that you can sustain for more than just a few minutes while your heart, lungs, and muscles work overtime. In this article, I'll discuss the mechanisms of aerobic exercise: oxygen transport and consumption, the role of the heart and the muscles, the proven benefits of aerobic exercise, how much you need to do to reap the benefits, and more.

The beginning
It all starts with breathing. The average healthy adult inhales and exhales about 7 to 8 liters of air per minute. Once you fill your lungs, the oxygen in the air (air contains approximately 20% oxygen) is filtered through small branches of tubes (called bronchioles) until it reaches the alveoli. The alveoli are microscopic sacs where oxygen diffuses (enters) into the blood. From there, it's a beeline direct to the heart.

Getting to the heart of it
The heart has four chambers that fill with blood and pump blood (two atria and two ventricles) and some very active coronary arteries. Because of all this action, the heart needs a fresh supply of oxygen, and as you just learned, the lungs provide it. Once the heart uses what it needs, it pumps the blood, the oxygen, and other nutrients out through the large left ventricle and through the circulatory system to all the organs, muscles, and tissues that need it.

A whole lot of pumping going on
Your heart beats approximately 60-80 times per minute at rest, 100,000 times a day, more than 30 million times per year, and about 2.5 billion times in a 70-year lifetime! Every beat of your heart sends a volume of blood (called stroke volume -- more about that later), along with oxygen and many other life-sustaining nutrients, circulating through your body. The average healthy adult heart pumps about 5 liters of blood per minute.

Oxygen consumption and muscles
All that oxygen being pumped by the blood is important. You may be familiar with the term "oxygen consumption." In science, it's labeled VO₂, or volume of oxygen consumed. It's the amount of oxygen the muscles extract, or consume from the blood, and it's expressed as ml/kg/minute (milliliters per kilogram of body weight). Muscles are like engines that run on fuel (just like an automobile that runs on fuel); only our muscles use fat and carbohydrates instead of gasoline. Oxygen is a key player because, once inside the muscle, it's used to burn fat and carbohydrate for fuel to keep our engines running. The more efficient our muscles are at consuming oxygen, the more fuel we can burn, the more fit we are, and the longer we can exercise.

Effect Of Energy Drink

Energy drinks are very popular, but there are side effects of energy drinks you need to be aware of.

Energy drinks are beverages that contain large amounts of caffeine and sugar, although sugar-free versions of some energy drinks are available.
Most energy drinks also contain additional ingredients like B vitamins, amino acids and herbs. Energy drink manufacturers often tout the energy producing benefits of these additional ingredients, but there's little scientific evidence to support many of the claims. Most of the energy from energy drinks comes from the caffeine and sugar.
The caffeine in most energy drinks comes from multiple sources, so it's often hard to tell how much caffeine the drinks actually contain. Energy drinks list herbal stimulants (like guarana) as separate ingredients from caffeine, but they often don't tell you how much additional caffeine these herbal stimulants provide. Guarana contains two to three times more caffeine than coffee beans do.
The typical energy drink contains about 80 mg of caffeine per can, but many energy drinks contain much higher amounts than this. 80 mg is about the same amount of caffeine that's in an average strength cup of coffee and about twice the amount of caffeine that's in a cup of tea or a can of soda.
Here are the side effects of energy drinks that you need to know about:

The high amount of caffeine in many energy drinks can overstimulate the heart and nervous system and increase blood pressure.

The high amount of caffeine in many energy drinks can cause dehydration.

The high amount of sugar in many energy drinks can cause energy to spike and then crash.

The high amount of sugar in many energy drinks can lead to excess calories and weight gain.

Some of the herbs in energy drinks may not interact well with certain medications.

If you're consuming energy drinks because you're frequently tired, there are better ways to boost your energy: get adequate sleep, exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet. You also need to stay well hydrated, as dehydration is a common cause of tiredness.
Water is the best type of fluid to drink to stay well hydrated because water is processed by the body differently than other types of fluids. Water also has plenty of health benefits.

In conclusion, many energy drinks can have unhealthy or harmful side effects, and they should be used infrequently, if at all.

Water : for Healthly Lifestyle

You need water to regulate body temperature and to provide the means for nutrients to travel to your organs and tissues. It also helps transport oxygen to your cells, removes waste, and protects your joints and organs. Taking in too litter water or losing too much water leads to dehydration. Symptoms of mild dehydration include thirst, pains in joints and muscles, lower back pain, headaches and constipation.

A strong odor to your urine, along with a yellow or amber color, may indicate that you may not be getting enough water. Note that riboflavin, a B vitamin, will make your urine bright yellow when you take dietary supplements that contain large amounts of riboflavin. Certain medications can change the color of urine as well.

You lose water through urination, respiration, and by sweating, and you lose more water when you're active than when you're sedentary. Diuretics, such as caffeine pills, certain medications and alcohol may increase the amount of water your body loses. Lost fluids must be replaced by the fluids in the foods you eat and the beverages you drink.

How much water do you need to drink? At least twenty percent of the water you need comes from the foods you eat. The rest comes from the beverages you drink.

Some experts believe you can estimate the amount of water you need by taking your weight in pounds and dividing that number in half. That gives you the number of ounces you may want to drink each day.
For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, you might want to drink at least 80 ounces of water or other fluids per day. Other factors include amount of physical activity and the climate where you are located. My hydration calculator can help you determine how much water you need to drink each day.

Water is probably the best choice for rehydration because it's cheap and has no calories or added ingredients. Tap and bottled was is often fluoridated, to help prevent tooth decay. Sweetened soft drinks and sodas have added sugar that adds extra calories but no additional nutritional value.

Sports drinks contain minerals that may help keep your electrolytes in balance, which is good for recovering after a hard work out, but look out for added sugar and calories that you may not want.

Fruit and vegetable juices can be a good choice because they have vitamins and minerals your body needs (read labels, however -- vegetable juices may be high in sodium).

Caffeinated beverages like tea and coffee count too, but too much caffeine can make you feel jittery.

Top Fitness Myths

Everywhere you look, there are different sources of information on the next greatest fitness method. Trying to categorize a piece of information as fact or myth can be quite challenging, but it must be attempted if you hope to reach your fitness goals.

Here are nine of the most popular myths that have been unmasked for you. The sooner you learn the truth about exercise, the closer you'll be to achieving your desired results.

Myths No 1 :

If you want to be strong, you need to get huge

In reality: Strength and size do not have a direct correlation. Power training (one measurement of strength) encompasses training that may not add any size, yet you can still see a great deal of strength improvements. If you look at many well-recognized martial arts experts -- like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan -- they are very small, but incredibly strong. Their small sizes contribute to their quick speed; therefore, this is the best type of training for them. Obviously, some people will have the goal to bulk up as much as possible and that's fine. Just remember: Bulking up isn't necessarily a requirement to gain strength.

Myth No 2 :

More hours spent in the gym leads to better result

In reality: If you think making the gym your second home is a great way to get results, think again. Overtraining is a surefire way to stop any muscle growth -- instead of your body rebuilding its muscle tissues, it'll continue to break it down. This means you'll actually start to lose muscle. You need to train smarter, not harder. When you are in the gym, give 110%. Push your muscles, then give them the rest they need to grow bigger and stronger. Make sure to do cardio training. If your workouts are taking much longer than an hour, chances are you are either wasting too much time between sets, or you're not training in the most effective manner.

Myth No 3 :

If cardio is part of your training, you won't gain any muscle

In reality: Since performing cardio may make gaining muscle a little harder, it doesn't make it impossible. Remember: Since you are going to be burning more calories while doing your cardio, you'll need to ensure you are making up for these lost calories in your diet. This is so you still maintain the surplus of calories needed to gain muscle mass. Focus your cardio sessions on shorter sprints rather than on longer endurance ones; this will probably aid your strength training.

Myth No 4 :

Always work a muscle to failure

In reality: While you may be tempted to push your body to the max during every single workout, this isn't the best approach since it can lead to overtraining. You need to create a proper, moderated workout -- have some hard days interspersed with some easier days that your body can use to recuperate. These "easy" days aren't wasted workouts; they can be used to focus on other aspects of your training, like muscle endurance by performing more reps with a lighter weight.

Myth No 5 :

Muscle turns into fat

In reality: Just as fat can't transform into muscle, muscle won't transform into fat. Building muscle and losing body fat are two completely different processes and, while this can be done simultaneously, it is very rare. Most of the time, you need to focus on one objective before you can focus on another. This is so because, in order to gain muscle, you must consume more calories than you burn and, in order to lose body fat, you must burn more calories than you consume.

Myth No 6:

If your parents are overweight, chances are you will be too

In reality: Obesity is slightly genetic, however, there are a great number of factors that you can do to reduce your chances of becoming overweight. A good portion of weight gain is attributed to environmental factors, such as overeating, the rise of automated technology replacing manual tasks and a decreased rate of exercising. Instead of relaxing on the couch after work and diving into a bowl of potato chips, take a trip to the gym first. You'll be more energized and it'll help you take the necessary steps to defy any bad genetics that may be at play in your body. So, attaining the ultimate physique all boils down to this: genetics, a great fitness program and a proper diet.

Myth No 7 :

In order to see maximum results, you must use the latest equipment

In reality: There are so many different pieces of fitness equipment out there, knowing what will deliver can be difficult. Truthfully, often the best choice is still a simple set of dumbbells. When using dumbbells to perform your workout, you will target all your core muscles. Dumbbells also offer the most variety of exercises you can do, which is critical in preventing plateaus from occurring. Finally, dumbbells are incredibly cheap to buy. So, if you don't belong to a gym, you can get a very effective, affordable workout in the privacy of your own home.

myth No 8 :

Lose your love handles & gut by doing ab exercises

In reality: Ever see the guy laying in the corner doing thousands of sit-ups in his quest for a six-pack? While he may be developing unbelievably strong abs, he won't be doing anything to reduce the layer that is covering those muscles. In order to see this specific group of muscles, you must lower your overall body fat percentage, which is best accomplished through a good cardio program and a proper nutrition plan.

Myth No 9 :

If someone looks fit, they know what they're talking about

In reality: While it may be tempting to believe everything that guy in the gym tells you simply because his body resembles Brad Pitt's during his Fight Club days, you still need to judge this information for accuracy. Some people are blessed with good genes and will look great no matter what type of training they do. Also, everyone is unique, so what works for one person will not necessarily produce the same results in another. Half the battle of fitness is determining what works for your body, so while listening to what this guy has to say, make sure you analyze it and see how well it will apply to your own situation.

Benifits Of Morning Exercises

If I had to pick a single factor that I thought
was most important in a successful exercise or
weight loss program, it would be to exercise first
thing in the morning - every morning! Some mornings,
you may just be able to fit in a 10 minute walk,
but it's important to try to do something every
morning.
So why mornings?...

1. Over 90% of people who exercise *consistently*,

exercisein the morning. If you want to exercise
consistently, odds are in your favor if you exercise
first thing in the morning.

2. When you exercise early in the morning, it
"jump starts" your metabolism and keeps it elevated
for hours, sometimes up to 24 hours! That means
you're burning more calories all day long just
because you exercised in the morning!

3. When you exercise in the morning you'll be
*energized* for the day! Personally, I feel
dramatically different on days when I have and
haven't exercised in the morning.

4. Many people find that morning exercise
"regulates" their appetite for the day - that they
aren't as hungry and that they make better food
choices. Several people have told me that it puts
them in a "healthy mindset."

5. If you exercise at about the same time every
morning, and ideally wake-up at about the same
time on a regular basis, your body's endocrine
system and circadian rhythms adjust to that.
Physiologically, some wonderful things begin to
happen; A couple of hours *before* you awaken,
your body begins to prepare for waking and exercise
because it "knows" it's about to happen. Why?
Because it "knows" you do the same thing just about
everyday. You benefit from that in several ways..

a) It's MUCH easier to wake-up. When you wake-up
at different times everyday, it confuses your
body and thus it's never really "prepared"
to awaken.
b) Your metabolism and all the hormones involved
in activity and exercise begin to elevate
while you're sleeping. Thus, you feel more
alert, energized, and ready to exercise when
you do wake-up.
c) Hormones prepare your body for exercise by
regulating blood pressure, heart rate, blood
flow to muscles, etc.

6. For many people, that appointed time every
morning becomes something they look forward to.
It's time they've set aside to do something
good for themselves - to take care of their body,
mind, and soul. Many find that it's a great time
to think clearly, pray, plan their day, or just
relax mentally.

7. Research has demonstrated that exercise
increases mental acuity. On average it lasts
four to ten hours after exercise! No sense in
wasting that brain power while you're sleeping. :)

8. Exercise first thing in the morning is really
the only way to assure that something else won't
crowd exercise out of your schedule. When your days
get hectic, exercise usually takes a back seat!

9. If finding time to exercise is difficult,
anyone can get up 30 to 60 minutes earlier to
exercise (if it's a priority in your life). If
necessary, you can go to sleep a little earlier.
Also, research has demonstrated that people who
exercise on a regular basis have a higher quality
of sleep and thus require less sleep!

10. You'll feel GREAT! DO IT! :)

Positive Attitude Towards Fitness

Maintaining a positive attitude toward fitness is imperative, as few people stick to a program if they feel negatively about it. A person who wants to develop a positive attitude about fitness can benefit from the insights of two fields founded 100 years apart: sport psychology and positive psychology.

Sport Psychology

The insights of sport psychology and positive psychology were initially developed for very different groups: athletes and people with severe depression. But these ideas can be adapted by the average couch potato. Sport psychology trains psychologists to help athletes achieve their best possible performances. The field was founded in 1898 by Norman Tripplett, a psychologist at Indiana University, who published a study documenting that racing cyclists rode faster when another cyclist was around.

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Sports Attitudes

Sport psychologists carefully studied athletes' mental attitudes. The Association for Applied Sport Psychology, in an essay titled, "Resources for Athletes," has prepared advice on what sport psychologists have learned about positive attitudes and fitness. The association advises athletes to develop a "cue statement" or positive affirmation--such as "calm, confident, in control"--to recite when things are not going well. Athletes are encouraged to maintain a "glass half-full" outlook, optimistically anticipating the best possible outcome in every situation. Performance goals should be realistic, moderate and measurable. Creating mental movies or structured daydreaming, in which positive outcomes are repeatedly visualized, also helps improve performance.

Positive Psychology

A 2007 Positive Psychology News Daily article by Senia Maymin, MBA, MAPP, titled "What is positive psychology?," describes how positive psychology emerged in 1998. Dr. Martin Seligman, then president-elect of the American Psychological Association, announced a new focus on studying ways to improve positive mental attributes. Dr. Seligman was tired of psychology's previous overemphasis on mental illness. Psychologists subsequently undertook numerous studies to determine how people can cultivate positive attitudes for many purposes, including fitness.

Positive Outlook

Marie-Josee Salvas Shaar, MAPP, applied the findings of positive psychology to fitness in a 2008 article for Positive Psychology News Daily titled "Top Ten Stimuli to Exercise Your Body." Salvas Shaar recommends that people embarking on a new fitness program try to associate it with a positive stimulus, such as listening to their favorite music before starting the exercises. Using personal mental strengths to sustain interest in the fitness program is helpful--if someone likes learning new things, that person should try to learn a new exercise frequently. Keeping a journal about a fitness program and marking off each goal as it is achieved can be a powerful incentive to stick with a program. Because physical exercises create new synapses in the brain, spending an hour after exercising doing a pleasurable mental activity can gradually associate the fitness program with fun.

Positive Attitude Help

Both sport psychology and positive psychology have produced large numbers of books, DVDs, videos and audio files with advice on how to cultivate a positive attitude. It is very easy for a couch potato to create a personally designed combination of techniques from both fields that will bolster a positive attitude toward fitness.