Weight Loss Over 40, or ANY age!!

Do you seriously think that popping a weight loss supplement is going to help this guy look toned and be fit and healthy?  Think again!   Sitting on your butt scarfing back high fat foods, high sugar foods and high calorie foods is a recipe for an unfit and unhealthy lifestyle.   Bottom line has and always will a simple math issues.  Calories IN must be less than calories burned to experience weight loss.  There is no magic pill that will undo horrible eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle.

Keep this picture in your head.  There is no quick fix or super pill that can give you your healthy.  That is up to you!

Lose your excess baggage now: http://www.bodybuilder50.com/

Not OLD, it''s RETRO - Fitness Accessories Go Old School !!

Kettlebells are great tools to have when you are developing a new home gym.  They are compact and easy to use.  No electricity required, and no moving parts to break.  Never heard of them? This date back to the 17th century and seems they have be revived and now a popular and effective  strength training tool recommended by certified trainers.  

Like your basic dumbells, these come in various weights and some assortment on shape however all will take on the bell shape that makes them easy to use.  Being able to hold the handle and swing the kettlebell away from your body give you a large range of motion while forcing you to balance your core as well.   Being able to move through your weight training routine using this tool to hit several major muscle groups rather quickly will make this a good cardio workout to boot.

Simple guidelines to using these kettlebells will have you well on your way to improving your strength in no time.

Strength Training - 3 Common Errors

Common mistakes when weight training there are three areas to watch out for.  The first is the misconception that since you are training regularly you can eat all you want.  No my friends.  Calories are calories!  If you take in more than you burn then you will end up with calories that are turning into excess weight.

Second would be overtraining.  Going too hard and not allowing time to rest and muscles to repair is counter productive.  This healing process is how you strengthen muscles.   Also, you need to rest during your exercise program allowing for a break between sets.  Time to hydrate and catch your breath.

Lastly is the failure to change or challenge by increasing your intensity.  You cannot gain strength or muscle tone by repeating the same pattern, you need to change what you do to change the outcome.  More weight, more reps and changing your routine up to hit areas with new resistance programs will yield results.

These are some simple notes on what NOT to do and how to overcome these pitfalls so you gain the best results.

Women over 40 - Getting ready for a special day

Well it's only 2 days to go and weather has kept me indoors too much. This increases the chance of 'mindless eating' and also means I'm far less active. Knowing that I want to look and feel my best and how much work it takes to undo eating out of boredom, I think I have done well.

Drinking gallons of water to make me feel full, and using exercise videos to keep me moving when it's just not smart to be on the road to get to the gym.  I made the choice not to get discouraged and resort to emotional eating.  I chose to maintain the healthy lifestyle and respect all my efforts.

On Saturday I will put on my fancy dress, and my smile will be wide knowing that at 46 years old I am healthier, more active and showing myself far more respect than I did a decade ago.  2010 will be a new
beginning for a lot for me!

Womens Fitness Issues - the Wavy Upper Arm

Seems to be a problem area that sneaks up on us. Then it happens, one day we raise our arms to wave to someone and you can feel the back of your upper arm swaying around like a sheet hanging on the clothesline! OH NO!! Welcome to the club ladies, it's a sad reality that for many of us this has, or will happen. You now have two choices in dealing with it. You can wear long sleeves for the rest of your life or you can work the triceps and biceps to tone and improve texture with regular resistance training. If you opt for long sleeves, read no further.

Don't give up, it's not a lost cause you can have nice shapely arms again. This happens to us for three main reasons and you'll hear these three mentioned when it comes to many of the issues we'll have with our bodies as we mature. This can be a result of genes, age and hormones or a combination of these. The only way to combat this is with strength training that targets primarily the triceps,, which make up over 60 of the muscles in your upper arm. Many trainers seem to suggest that for the most effective results you train the biceps and triceps at least 2 times a week. There are several effective exercises including various forms of extensions that require your upper arm stay stationary and you extend from the elbow down. Proper form is critical for success with these so using weights too heavy for you may mean you end up swaying your entire arm and defeating the purpose. Start slow and light and make sure you are doing this properly. That applies to any strength training! Push ups and bench press with the arms in tight work this area as well. Dips are great and you can use your body weight and do these anywhere. Like a push up but you're facing upward, and with your feet closer to your bottom it shortens your lever and makes it easier. Moving your feet away from your bottom lengthens the lever and makes it more of a challenge. This movement is all about bending a the elbow, NOT raising our bottom up and down. Again, make sure you are doing it right

Many women consider the waist to the knees the problem area and tend to focus on the legs and abdominals and forget all about the arms. Even when you engage in cariovascular exercise you are strengthening the legs but they will do next to nothing for toning the upper arms in most cases. If you want strong and sexy arms, you need to target this area with some serious strength training. Say 'so long' to the jiggle and the wiggle !

Fitness over 40, my ongoing challenges

My exercise issues may sound a lot like yours. Some days it is more of a struggle than others and there are obstacles and set back we need to either get over, or let them hold us back. The holidays are no exception and while I followed my own advice to a large degree by staying away from the sweets, and drinking TONS of water a couple of pounds snuck up on me. Three to be exact. Not unreasonable when I just worked for months and lost 19 pounds however, I'm getting married in a week and being at my goal or below will make my smile even wider in those photos.

How will I deal with it? I have all ready taken the critical steps to put me back on track. Getting to the gym is a priority and nothing will stand in my way. When I am there I am making full use of my time there and planning my workout ahead of time to make sure I hit everything I need to.  My dress is sleeveless so I'd like my arms to look nice and some serious strength training will make them just a little better!   I have increased the intensity and duration of my cardio workouts to burn more calories.  I am also tracking my food intake which helps a great deal.  All the exercise in the world doesn't help if I sneakin' sweets and over eating.

Check back in a few days and I'll let you know how I am progressing.  It's an uphill battle but I WILL WIN!

Home Gym Verses a Facility? Pro's and Con's

The new year is just around the corner and this is when many of us vow to change our eating and fitness habits.  Sadly only a small percentage of those who start into a regular fitness program come January first will still be committed to it 'regularly' if at all by the end of March.  As with anything in life if you are not doing it because you 'want' to and do it because you feel you have to, it takes the fun out of it.  Some people will find a type of situation perhaps at a gym, a regular exercise class or setting up a home gym that fits into their lives and makes it easy for them and they look forward to their time committed to their goal for health and well being.

The decision to joint a gym, or perhaps set up a gym at home is one of personal choice.  This hinges on you as an individual and how you function and your schedule.  You need to sit down and weigh out the obvious pro's and con's.  Ask yourself the following questions:

1/ Will I take the time to travel to the gym, does my schedule allow for this?

Most gyms are open extended hours and some even with 24 hour access where parking is well lit and there is camera survellience so you should be perfectly safe.

2/ Do I have the space for a full home gym? 

While resistance training is ideal, you can use your body weight for resistance or have some resistance bands that will store easily.  It is very possible to work out at home with some simple pieces and a small space.

These are typical road blocks people will throw up when they are researching their new route to fitness.  Some people need the music, people, selection of machines, classes and free weights to keep them coming back.  They have choice and selection at a gym and friendly supportive faces smiling and some to watch over and answer questions or offer assistance.   Others don't feel comfortable in a gym setting and prefer to use their own space, moving at their own pace and able to go 'do their thing' without much planning or forethought.

The main thing is for you to feel good about your environment and want to keep taking part in your program .  If it meets your needs and you are able to continue to make it part of your routine then you have made the right choice.  Giving up would be the bad choice.

Over 40 and Need to Whittle Your Middle?

We will tend to carry weight in new places as we 'mature' and some will be based on genetics and some on our activity, or shall we say 'INactivity'. Have you ever heard someone say they are trying to lose weight on your midsection or thighs? Well all I can say is 'good luck with that!'. When you lose weight you will drop it all over your body, you can't pick and choose. To trim down around the midsection there are three areas to address:

1/ Cardiovascular exercise at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes.  If you can increase your intensity, or perhapsy switch your machine of choice, or do an interval where you push your self for 2 minutes then step back for one.  These techniques will assist in burning calories and dropping the excess baggage.

2/ Working the muscles in the core area through balance exercises will give you some stronger, leaner toned abdominal muscles.  You can modify almost any strength training exercise so that you are challenging and strengthening your core.

3/ All the exercise in the world can be so easily undone by eating too many calories and specifically those foods high in fat and sugar.  These can work to load you up on calories.  Eat a healthy well balanced diet, 5-6 smaller meals a day, focus on whole grains and make sure at least half your plate or two-thirds of it is loaded full of vegetables and fruit if you can.

Success with Diet and Exercise – No change, no gain

Are you of the mindset that you are too old to start an exercise program? Too heavy to lose weight and get in shape? The odds are against you so why bother? Then the life you have now will never change or improve. If you repeat the same behavior, whether its sitting watching TV doing nothing in terms of exercise or overeating junk food, fatty food and high sugar food why would you think for one minute things would become different in your world? You do nothing to make positive changes in your life, so you get no positive changes in your life.

People today are taken with ‘reality’ TV where they take ordinary people and follow them in unique situations. Take two groups, one set of strangers put in a remote location for weeks on end with little to eat and exposure to the elements and another that is set on a farm with chefs providing healthy nutritious meals and a strict exercise routine. At the end of the challenges for both teams one is tired and gaunt looking, the other group are smiling and happy that they have made huge strides in changing their lives for the better. The second group learned the importance of nutrition and exercise and how to use those tools to continue on a path to good health. These are people from age 18 to age 70 and we all feel good to see those before and after pictures knowing it came from very hard work.

While you may not have access to a chef and trainer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week there is plenty of information available to you to assist in achieving similar goals. Discuss with a doctor, trainer, and nutritionist to get some expert advice when you are uncertain. Learn how to shop for food, prepare and portions when it comes to your diet plan. Learn to do exercises correctly so you don’t injure yourself. Gimmicks and fads don’t work for anything. The promises to make thousands a day online doing nothing – not true, there is always a catch and the same thing applies to losing 10 pounds in a week with one magic little pill. Hard work and being focused is how people get rich, in terms of wealth and in terms of a happy healthy lifestyle.

5 Holiday Tips for Healthy Eating and Tackling Temptation

1/ Take inventory of the events you have to attend, or host. Be very aware of what you have on your agenda that will make eating healthy a bit of a struggle. You never need to deny yourself a little indulgence now and again however pick what is really ‘worth it’ and what you can walk away from. Don’t make it a free for all at the buffet, tiny portions and sample sizes of those things you really, really want to taste will be a mouthful of liquid gold. It’s like budgeting for your gift giving, don’t spend your calories all at once!

2/ Work up a sweat. Perhaps add a few minutes to each weekly cardio session to make up for the extra intake. Small steps like parking as FAR away from the mall as possible and a brisk walk in and out will be a little extra step. Try to power walk through the mall to get your heart pumping, maybe a couple of laps around. You’re there, it’s not snowing inside so go for it! Just because you are ‘busy’ running errands doesn’t mean you are active. Sitting in the car or a shuffle through the grocery store does not count as exercise.

3/ When doing any cooking or baking search out some healthy recipes. There are all kinds of low fat, low sugar substitutes for almost any tasty treat, just look online! If you are not sure what is in something that is offered at a party, you can always say ‘NO’.

4/ If you have to get groceries for a party or meal, eat a meal so you are full before you head out. If you go out hungry you are more likely to pick up more than you need and things you can consume quickly… like in the car on the way home. This same process will work when going to a party, try snacking on something that fills you up a bit before you go. High protein and fiber items will make you feel full and ward off the nibbling temptations.

5/ Drink LOTS of water!

This is a hard time of year so if you overdo it don’t beat yourself up. Stay positive and get your motivation back so you don’t worry and get back on track.

More on womens health and fitness over 40