Whenever you set goals to strive for in your fitness plan, you always want to have a set date.  Of course, generally we all want to be in the best shape possible, but there needs to be a cut off point where you either reach your objectives or fall short.  Falling short isn’t really a bad thing as long as you have been following the course and put in real effort.  I tend to set goals really high so I always know I’m pushing it ahead of time.  If I fail, it’s usually a good failure.  For example, instead of …read more

If you’re still having trouble getting past your plateaus, whether they be weight loss or weight lifting, try bringing in your competitive spirit into the equation.  When you against you isn’t enough, challenging a friend or family member can increase your feelings of accountability and provide the extra motivation to get you in the gym and in shape.
The only way a competition works is if you’re very specific about the parameters and measurements.  Loose goals with no clear cut winner will only lead you back to where you were before.  Instead, write down what it takes to win including weight …read more

Over the past year or so I know that I’ve put on some weight, probably a good 8 pounds. I know I’ve lost some strength along the way too but I didn’t realize how badly I’ve let it get until I took some pictures of myself now and then pulled up pictures of myself when I was in my best shape.
Looking at the pictures at my best, I really had to think about how I got there, how hard I worked and what I was doing differently then.
It’s really easy to let yourself go and not realize how far off …read more

Are you self conscious about your fitness? Is it your fitness as in body performance or self image? Going on three years ago was when I started my trek to become a fit, healthier person. I started with little things like doing sit-ups and push-ups, then I started reading up on health, fitness and dieting . I started being more active in everything that I did and soon started shedding off the pounds. I dropped almost 30 pounds in a matter of  4 months before I started trying to put on muscle mass.
Ever since I trimmed down, ever ounce of …read more

How do you compare with the average man in fitness?  Here are some interesting stats to give you a feel for where you stand.
The average guy in his 20s runs a 1.5 mile in 12:18.  The average guy in his 30s is at 12:51.  Body fat jumps from 15.9% to 19% in the older bracket.  Another measuring stick is stiups in 1 minute.  20 year olds hit 40.  40 year olds topped out at 36.
Here are some more very cool stats:
The nondieting, nonexercising guy will have the most muscle between 18 and 25 years old.  The sedentary guy also gains …read more

An ideal calf muscle’s appearance is sculpted by a number of activities.  In large part, the reason why some people have lackluster calves despite working out is because they don’t isolate the calf and only work on calves collaterally through exercises.
Here are some exercises to build your calf muscle bigger and give it a more diamond cut.
1. Stair steppers on your toe.
2. Calf raises (rotate your foot angle)
3. Bike riding
4. Jumping Squats
5. Broad Jumps
6. Sprints
7. Lateral speed drills
8. Foot taps (in and out of spot)
As you can see in many of these movements, you are forcing your calves to work …read more

I bought a bike yesterday and I’m heading out to ride about 10 miles. This will be the first time I have rode such a distance in a long time and I’m really looking forward to the wind in my face and working up a good sweat. I’ve been wanting to get back in to bicycling for a long time but the roads here in NC do not have significant shoulders and it makes it kind of dangerous to ride.
The bike isn’t what I really wanted, which is a standard road bike with the ram-horn handle bars and narrow tires. …read more

Spot Reduction. There is no such thing as body-fat spot reduction unless its being done through liposuction. I think the term spot reduction was created in order to try to market various fitness or fat loss products. The fact is that you can’t reduce body fat in specific spots by doing specific exercises.
We’re are all built differently. You may accumulate fat in different areas of your body than I do. My arms and legs don’t get fat. I get fat around my gut, pectorals and around my face. There aren’t specific exercises that I can do to reduce fat in …read more

Dieting And Exercise . How many times have you heard someone talking about dieting and they say it never works. They have tried various exercises but have had no success. Some give up after a short run while others say that they stuck to a diet but had little or no results over a months time.
Dieting is never easy. It takes some drastic lifestyle changes depending on what you are currently used to, but dieting alone will not show results in a short period of time. You may lose a few pounds over a months time but most often you …read more

Do you need more reasons to stay active with fitness? Sometimes it’s hard to stay active and sometimes you create a habit out of it and it comes second nature. Sometimes you have to force yourself to get back in to a groove. Once you’re there you feel much better, don’t you? Here are 7
fitness facts that you can take in and pass on to others.

After 4 weeks of inactivity, muscle power decreases by 17% (Ref: Journal Of Strength And Conditioning Research)
Fitness practice speeds up your metabolism as you burn more calories for energy.
Exercising boosts your energy. This coincides …read more