Need to drop a few pounds, add some extra energy?

   Here is a great way to drop a few lbs and add energy to your      lifestyle

Start your day with a green smoothie. 

You can flavor it to your taste, here is a quick recipe:

A few kale leaves, romaine, spinach whatever you have. Tear them up a bit and stuff in your blender. I use a Magic Bullet blender. 

Add a scoop of protein powder. I use Pea Protein from VITACOST.COM
Add a small dab of raw honey or 1/2 tsp Stevia. Add a tsp of tumeric powder - great for the joints and blood health.
I flavor it with 100% unsweetened cocoa powder.
Blend it. 

Drink 8 oz or so. 

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Then try the morning routine for warm up here  it's easy and will make you feel great.
                                                  Have a great day!

Simple way to do Hiit

Want a simple way to do Interval or HiiT training? The benefits to this are easy to attain. The work is short and hard. You expend as much energy as you can in a mere 20 seconds, then rest for 30 - 60 and do it again. A total of 3 times. That is about 3-5 minutes work.

SO if you have no stationary bike, no rowing machine, etc. To do this on...merely drop to the floor and do pushups. Do 20 seconds worth as many as you can, then rest and do it again.
No equipment needed.

Can't do pushups? Start with a few only, exerting the strength and energy is what this is about.
If you only get a few in 20 seconds that is ok. You will get up to 20 or more in no time.

Pullups are great also. Deep squats with out weights work too.  

Get the idea?
Now go for it.

Interval Training and Cellular Health

Hiit Training or interval training has been studied by scientists and reported in Journals. It is said to be the best way to improve overall fitness and health, while combating aging.

Amazing that short burst exercise over a minimal time period can do all that. But physiology tells us as is seen here

quoted from Cosmos Magazine

" Exercise, and in particular high-intensity interval training in aerobic exercises such as biking and walking, can effectively stop ageing at a cellular level, a new study suggests.

Research, published in Cell Metabolism, showed that the physical activity caused cells to make more proteins for their energy-producing mitochondria and ribosomes, which are responsible for producing our cells' protein building blocks..

"Based on everything we know, there's no substitute for these exercise programs when it comes to delaying the ageing process," said study senior author Sreekumaran Nair, a medical doctor and diabetes researcher at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "These things we are seeing cannot be done by any medicine."

The study involved 36 men and 36 women from two age groups – "young" volunteers aged 18-30 years and an older group of 65-80 years. It set these two groups to work in into three different exercise programs – high-intensity interval biking; strength training with weights; and a combination of strength training and interval training.

The researchers took biopsies from the volunteers' thigh muscles, compared the molecular makeup of their muscle cells to samples from sedentary volunteers and assessed the volunteers' amount of lean muscle mass and insulin sensitivity.

While strength training built muscle mass, high-intensity interval training yielded the biggest benefits at the cellular level.

The younger volunteers in the interval training group saw a 49% increase in mitochondrial capacity, and the older volunteers saw a 69% increase.

Interval training also improved volunteers' insulin sensitivity, which indicates a lower likelihood of developing diabetes.

Ageing is marked by the steady decrease of the energy-generating capacity of our cells' mitochondria. There is evidence that all exercise encourages cells to make more RNA copies of genes coding for mitochondrial proteins and proteins responsible for muscle growth. Exercise also appears to boost the ribosomes' ability to build mitochondrial proteins.

Muscle cells divide rarely and, like brain and heart cells, wear out and aren't easily replaced. Functions in all three of those tissues are known to decline with age.

"Unlike liver, muscle is not readily regrown. The cells can accumulate a lot of damage," Nair said. He suggested that, if exercise restores or prevents deterioration in muscle cells, there's a good chance it does so in other tissues, too.

Simple fasting and HIIT

Football season- at least  for me means beer and TV. Both are not great for the body. This year no exception, I drank my share of favorite brews and enjoyed a lot of games. I especially like the array of craft beer locally for sale.
The weight gain was minimal but still annoying. In order to trim off the extra poundage I followed a simple fasting plan.

-Eat normal most days, but no food or snacks after 7PM, and then the next day no food until noon.
 I chose black coffee to start my day. Stevia sweetened. Minimal calories.

At noon I returned from a morning work out and had salad, or egg/bacon lunch.

I dropped about 6 pounds pretty quickly and was glad to see it go.
This is the method called EAT STOP EAT, form the book by the same name. Also a web site.
This is a simple to follow method of fasting intermittently which has great results for weight control.

Another method is the 5 and 2.  You eat five of the seven days each week, and fast on two. Pick two you can deal with, like Friday and Monday or whatever, The method is also great for weight control and is easy to follow.
Combine an intermittent fasting program with HIIT Training and see results that will astound you.

Less weight, great blood chemistry and overall well being.

How's that working for you?

I constantly see guys killing themselves at the gym. Too many sets, too much time on the treadmill, or straining themselves to lift way too much weight. That last one will hurt your back and make you miserable.

I use a simple theory- keep the workouts short but steady. One machine to another with little time in between. Do HiiT training to warm up, if you need it, and maybe some moderate stretching for  keeping the back limber.

Train 4-5 times a week so you have enough rest to recover fully.

Thats it - If you want an example here:

Warm up-  Cycle 4 to 5 minutes, 30 seconds moderate, 20 seconds at max pace.

Ab training- alternate Leg raises with machine crunches. Use as much weight in the crunch as you can for 5-8 reps. After a warm up set with moderate weight for 8 reps.

Day one - Legs, Back , Bicep.    Use machines or free weights, and after a moderate set to warm up, use max weight for 6-8 reps or failure. Whatever your choice of exercises are. Change these frequently to keep it interesting and different.

Day 2- Chest ,shoulders, triceps.. Same idea as above. AB work, cycle, then you choice of routine for these muscles.

I take a sauna afterwards for 15-20 minutes, Shower and done.

The whole thing takes 45 minutes .... IT works!
Combined with proper nutrition this can make a big change in your life without killing you, or taking hours and hours to get through.

Remember to max out on the weight after the initial warm up on each machine or movement.

You should only be able to get 6 or so reps before you fail.

3 Moves for a Stronger You

Keep it simple, that is one way to be sure you are progressing in maintaining your body.

Here are 3 moves, basic but beneficial. 

Practice these at your ability and then work up to get more out of them. 

Squat- no weights needed. Just squat as low as you can, trying to keep your feet flat on the floor or ground.
tips-  extend you arms if you have trouble with balance.
Hold on to a chair, table, or whatever for stability to start.
Stand on slightly angled ground to help with balance as well.
You should after a time be able to get lower and more steady.
 This is a simple but effective move for  legs, back and overall tone.

Push up= we all know how to do these correctly, or do we? 

Arms directly under shoulders, elbows back, push down not out. 

Go all the way down flat, not stomach or chest first. Push up slowly. Breathe!

For more challenge, put one leg on the other crossing the ankles. Do one good one if that is all you are able. Aim for 20-25 repetitions.

That's it for now. 

Just these two moves when done correctly and often can be very helpful for overall fitness.

Update on new workout

So how is the 15 to 20 minute workout going for me?

Just great!

In a short time I have put on a few pounds ...4 to be exact...and all muscle. I can tell because my waist size is the same 31 as when I started this routine.
My strength has increased, for example the crunch machine: I used 40 to 50 pounds for a set prior to this, now using 70 and ready to go up to 80. My abs are more defined, and for sure stronger in my mid section. This at age 66 is hard to accomplish for sure.

My only issue is some tweaking in my left elbow, from using cables for curls, and elevating them to above horizontal for the most effect.

To reiterate the workout:
Start with 4 HIIT exercises ... 30 seconds all or effort (after a brief warmup)... Followed by 30 seconds of recovery, then rinse and repeat. All together 4 times each for a total of 4 minutes.
Sounds easy huh? It isn't.

I use the stationary bike for this.
Then choose your weights...machines or free weights are fine.
A warmup on each activity for enough light reps to get the blood going. Then a low rep set of maximum weight. I do 4 to 5 reps with as much weight as I can handle. The last rep is a failed on, where I am unable to complete it. That is the secret to challenging the muscles.
So there it is a total of around 20 minutes.

I do this two days on, splitting back,legs,biceps one day...chest, shoulders, triceps the next.
If I feel,overworked or need extra rest, I take another day or two between workouts. Simply stretching on those days, or walking.It works!

HIIT REVISITED

I last wrote about a short workout that is very effective. I myself have increased muscle and strength using this workout.
Basically you are employing the HIIT training method. This is High Intensity short interval training.
Weightlifting is already a HIIT method as done right you are using short bursts of high intensity, then resting for a moment before doing it again.
If you do any movement that you can expend a lot of energy quickly, then rest for a few moments, the repeat, you are getting a HIIT benefit.
For example. Walk really fast, as fast as you can for 30 seconds. Then stop or walk slowly for 30.
Then repeat.
Bike as fast as you can for 30 seconds, the. Slowly to catch your breath for another 30, etc.
Once you can do this with ease, shorten the rest or recovery segments.
I do 30 and 30 on a stationary bike for only 4 minutes. Yes 4. This has been found in studies to be very effective cardio work and improves blood pressure, heart and lung function after only a month or so of two times a week repetitions.
I do every other day.
Then I go to the weight machines and do a warm up set followed by a set of low reps with as much weight as I can do for 4 to 6 reps.
For example on the bench press machine, I start with 100 to warm up. Then 170 for as many reps as I can get until I can't get even one more. This might be only 4 total, but it wears you out and does what you need which is getting to FAILURE of the muscles involved. It builds you up.
If you can only use 5 pounds to warm up, then try 15 for the failure set. Get the idea?
When you train this way the whole workout takes 20 minutes or so and gives better benefits than an hour of steady biking or walking.. Try it for 30 days and see!

Check this out if HIIT is new for you
http://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness/high-intensity-interval-training-for-beginners.aspx

10 Minutes to Fitness

You see them at the gym every day. Men and women on a cardio machine for 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 60 minutes or more. They might be reading, listening to their iPod or just daydreaming while they pedal or walk at a steady pace. How boring, and worse than that- how unproductive.
The only good thing is that they are moving rather than sitting on the couch.

They could gain a higher level of fitness, and health in just 10 minutes if this time was spent better.

Here is a plan for you to try - 10 minutes to strength and fitness. Give this plan 5 or 6 weeks to work for you.. You can choose to alternate body areas daily for 4 to 6 days a week, or do two days of split upper and lower body work then rest.
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Start with whatever cardio you are comfortable with. I choose a stationary cycle. You could walk..or run,

Warm up for 30 seconds to 1 minute at a comfortable pace. At the 30 second mark, go all out as fast and hard as you can for another 30 seconds.  Then drop back to the slow steady pace for 30 additional seconds. Rinse and repeat.
Once you have done this 4 time in total...STOP. You have just used the first 4 minutes of workout time.
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Now go to your strength training...Machines, dumbbells, free weights, cables WHATEVER you like.
Start with a moderate weight to warm up the muscle. For example on a chest press machine - do about 8 reps at moderate weight to get blood flowing into the muscles.

Then raise the weight significantly. For me I start with 70-80 lbs, then go to 130-140. ( 140 is my body weight)

Now do as many reps as you can until you simply cannot do one more rep. This should be only 4-6 reps. If you can do more the weight is too light.

Then move onto another machine or movement. If you were on the chest press, go to a shoulder machine or movement. Do the same sequence.
Continue onto other exercises until you have used up about 5 minutes of steady work.

Now go to the  shower!
This 10 minute plan will force your body to evolve and create muscle, eliminate fat and increase cardio fitness.
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One caveat- here it comes; you must eat right... Lower carbs, preferably little or no grains or sugar. Eat whatever you like that is not highly processed and as close to fresh food as you can. Vegetables, meats, fruits, dairy with full fat.

Remember to Monitor your progress, and raise the weight whenever it becomes too light...

Tell us how you do on this program.

Any workouts you do are at your own risk and we assume no responsibility for your safety. Use common sense and caution when starting any new program.

A great warm up

 A great exercise for a quick warm up or a short workout is the HINDU SQUAT.
Not sure why it is called this, but there are also Hindu pushups to go along with these.

These squats warm up and strengthen the legs and help with balance problems.
You perform them like this-

Stand straight with your back a few inches from a wall. Rise on your toes as you squat down with your arms just behind you. The wall will add some security to the balance part of this exercise.
Also if you lightly touch your fingers to the wall it will help you go down straight and increase your balance.

Do not do these if you suffer from bad knees. Instead only go down partially until you are comfortable with a deeper squat.

No weight are necessary, rather aim for 12-15 reps to start, then go for as many as you can.

In the Hindu pushup you do a floor push up, but as you go down you move forward on your hands into an arched stretch, the curve backwards as you go up. This adds an extra challenge to the pushup. Start with your butt up higher than you normally would.

Combine these two moves for a great quick work out. You will be surprised at the results.

In this video there re modified versions of these two moves..

A Happy New Year

So many people make a resolution to work out in the new year. I see it every year at the gym. January is crowded, with lots of new members. They slowly disappear in February and by March the same old crowd is there with very few exceptions.

Don't make a resolution you can't keep! It takes 30 days of working out to make it a habit and to start to see some results. Keep going for at least 30 days and you will develop the will and desire to continue.

Once you really start to see some positive changes in your body you will never want to stop.

I started at age 15 and still doing it with little time off for 50 years now!

Sure I take a break whenever I feel like it. Rest is necessary and time away for a week or two can be invigorating. But I always get back to the weights. At 66 I can still say it is well worth the effort.

Go for it!!

Here I am at age 63.... no body builder. just staying in shape

Photo taken at the Dead Sea

Cable Training

A great alternative to the barbells and dumbells are to be found in almost any gym. Cables.
An example of using these is to substitute for bench presses, which are very hard on the shoulders.
Use a reasonable weight that you can do 10 reps with. Set the cables at chest height or a little above, and pull in to the center of your chest while crossing your hands when they meet.

This is a fine pectoral builder.

You can do overhead presses, curls, rowing, shoulder raises, and more with cables.

Try this to get out of any rut you might be in with your workout.

Change is good.

Do it Right

I am amazed at how many people I see at the gym who simply have it wrong. They are banging away on exercise equipment without the clue for how to use to correctly.
For example, doing leg raise on parallel bar type equipment. Slamming their legs up and down fast.
Really you should be raising knees to chest or doing an "L" slowly then dropping the legs back slowly afterwards.

This is just one example where you will minimize the benefits you get and make yourself frustrated.

Go for slow, smooth movements that maximize the muscle use and engage it fully.

Fixing sore muscles

If you work out hard enough sooner or later you will be sore. A little soreness in the muscles is good as it tells you that you have done your job well.
To build muscle you must tear it down a bit first, then in the rebuilding process it becomes stringer and possible larger as well.

To treat sore areas, people have applied heat or ice. Rested, raised the affected area..and so on.

It is advisable however to get moving again, get the blood flowing back into that area and help the body heal though it's own process.

Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation  does work but is slow and can be avoided by...well read this article and see.
Inflammation which causes the soreness, is a natural event that has healing closely behind it.

Maybe you have never done this

If you have never strength trained and wan to start. Great.
This is a good move for anyone.

You can begin by using your body weight to strengthen the muscles.
An example- Curl your arms up pretending that you are raising a weight. Feel the tension in the arm muscles, don't strain.

Just apply tension and relax, then do it again. After 10 or so repetitions you should start to feel the muscle swell up and maybe tighten a bit.

Do the opposite move, push down be bending from the elbow to tighten the tricep in the back of your arm..

Next push up your arms as if lifting a weight overhead. You should feel this in your shoulders.

These moves will start your training. Later you can replace them with lifting actual weights. Body tension exercises work!
 See information on Charles Atlas. This was from his Dynamic tension routine.

To Supplement or not to Supplement

If you work out and want to grow more muscle you need to eat protein, but often  that is not enough.
Supplement with Protein Powder. Choose a natural unsweetened or minimally sweetened product , preferably one that is also low carb. You want the protein and not the sugars.

Whey protein is good unless you restrict dairy. There are brown rice protein, hemp protein, soy protein and many more that will give your muscles the ability to grow and stay firm.

Mix the powder with purified water, whole milk, coconut water, coconut milk,  or almond milk. Any liquid that you prefer the taste of.
Ok just not beer. Not that I am against a little beer, but not right after a workout which is when you should drink your protein shake.


Other supplements that are helpful :
Magnesium- most of us are deficient in this and it can help prevent cramping especially those painful calf cramps. Take this after dinner.

Vitamin D3- Ultra important as we never get enough form sun exposure.

Vitamin C- 100 MGS daily is anti-aging and anti-cancer. Support for bones and blood.

Other supplements can be helpful, depending on your body's needs.

The main thing is to eat clean and healthy, Limited or no grains.

More on this later.....

What to do when not lifting

There should be days, sometimes even a few in a row where you don't strength train.

Your body needs rest and the regeneration that comes with it.

So what can you do on these off days?

A walk is great. Easy on the body and helps keep the blood flowing to those muscles that need repair to grow. Walk at least 45 minutes at a steady pace, but pause to enjoy the scenery. Drink water to stay hydrated, especially if the temperatures are high.

Stretch.  A good stretch is relaxing and helps to maintain your body tone. Start with basic YOGA stretches to warm up the back and abs.  Go slow and enjoy the sensation.
If you cam get into a yoga class on your off days that would be helpful.

Do light body weight exercise. A few push ups or some ab work can be good, but not if you just did that with weights the day before. The muscles need rest.

Enjoy you rest and make good use of the time. This is very helpful and will bring you back to the weights ready for more.

70 Year Old looks 20 years younger

Here is a 70 year old man - at the time this video was made...who looks awesome. He proves that heavy weights work for you. He looks 40.

be Inspired and train harder!

Where to begin?

Maybe you have always wanted to lift some weights and gain muscle and strength. But you were busy working and it simply never happened. Or maybe you did some of this training back in your teens or 20's and would like to start up again.

Here are some tips to get you off to a good start.

1. Don't be too aggressive. Lifting heavier weights can hurt you and possibly damage your body. You don't need to rush into anything. Start light and maybe even without weight. Use a book in each hand or a brick, or whatever you have to get moving and acclimate your joints and muscles to this work. Remember Charles Atlas and his dynamic tension?  This was done without any weights, you go through the exercises by adding your own tension to the muscles involved, pretending that you are lifting or moving weight. This works...you may not make large gains but it is a place to start.

2. Set a goal to just DO THE WORK. If you can get through a 20 minute or 30 minute routine 3 or 4 times a week you are on the path to success.

3. Check your progress, by keeping notes of where you are at the start and updating after every workout/ Once you see some progress you will be gratified and motivated.

4. Keep it up. even if you are feeling sluggish and tired, a bit of training will actually revive you. Get through it and see.

Enjoy what you do! Use the mirror and see the results. Just be patient and look towards the goal.

Get healthy. Stick to a lower carb diet by eliminating sugar and most if not all grains. Balance proteins with good fats and lots of vegetables and some fruit. This works.

See CUREALITY.com   for more diet tips.

Check out this article on the benefits of training for older people.

More weight than I thought

I checked the unloaded weight of the squat machine I have been using. It says 52lbs.

I now know that my squats have been 1 set each of 5 reps X 142, 232, 282.   Not bad for a 140 lb guy.

Also bench press with olympic bar is 1 x 135, 155, 175

The low rep method is working well for me...

I sometimes add a set of Pullups - 10 reps, and assorted other things like dumbbell shrugs with 45 each, or tricep presses after the bench press routine. Keeps it interesting.