Busy Fitness

Monday, December 31, 2007

3 Top Metabolism Myths

There are a number of misconceptions about metabolism and calorie burning. Here are the top 3 myths ...

Myth 1: Cardio workouts are the best activities for increasing metabolic rate.
FACT: Running for 30 minutes will burn more calories than 30 minutes of weight training workout. However, weight training can maintain metabolism for longer period of time because it builds your muscle mass. As many studies and researches had shown that if your body has more muscle, you will have higher metabolism also.

Myth 2: Thin people can burn calories faster because they have a fater metabolic rate.
FACT: If you have a bigger body size, your body will burn more calories than a slimmer because you need more energy to move extra pounds in your body.

Myth 3: You will get fatter as you get older.
FACT: Although it's true that our metabolism will get slower as we age. However, this natural change of metabolic rate is very small, only about 4 percent per decade if we continue to exercise regularly. The reason why people gain weight as they age is because they are sedentary most of the time. So, if you want to keep those extra pounds off, stay active to maintain your muscle mass as you age!

Hope you find the above information useful. HAPPY NEW YEAR and have a SAFE HOLIDAYS!

Sunday, December 16, 2007

5 Tips To Keep Losing Fat While You Are Travelling

1. Eat healthy snacks. Now, this is a commitment or decision you need to make. It's difficult to eat healthy when you're on the road. But, it you're committed, it can be done! It's all up to you. Here are the healthy snacks you should always keep in your minds: green tea, almond, apples, protein bars and of course WATER (drink plenty of it).

2. Plan and make necessary arrangement for the hotel you're going to stay. Choose hotels that have gyms inside so you can continue to do your regular workout.

3. Don't skip your exercise with an excuse that you have a busy schedule. You must take advantage of whatever time slot is available during your travels for exercise. Schedule your workouts time with as much dedication and commitment as you schedule your business activities.

4. Spend your waiting time walking. If you have stops in between your journey, take a chance to walk around the airport.

5. Travel with a "maintenance mindset". Stick to your commitments to eat nutritious foods and exercise routine. If you have a strong commitment, you will return home without gaining any pounds and losing your exercise routine.

For more workout tips to lose fat, visit Turbulence Training for Fat Loss. The time-efficient and research-proven workouts that boost muscle growth and torch body fat.

Friday, December 7, 2007

4 Classic Excuses For Not Exercising And How To Kick Them Out


There are many good reasons for exercising but unfortunately there are just as many excuses for not exercising as well. Perhaps you've heart them all: "I have no time", "I feel tired", "I travel all the time", "I have to wait to use the equipment in the gym", and the list goes on...

These 4 excuses are the most commonly used by the working professionals for skipping their exercise routine. And here are the tips to get rid of them...

Classic Excuse #1: "I have a job and busy schedule. I don't have time to work out".

Tip To Kick It: Exercise first thing in the morning. If you normally wake up at 6AM before you go to work, set your alarm clock half an hour earlier. When the alarm goes off, get up immediately, wash your face, get changed, get on your track shoe and take a briskwalk for 20 minutes. Believe me when I say this, if you can do this every morning, you will feel that you've more energy and can concentrate better throughout the day.

Classic Excuse #2: "When I do have the time to work out, I feel that I'm too tired."

Tip To Kick It: Trick your brain and body by not thinking about being too tired. Odd as it may sound, by just not thinking about being too tired, you will start to get on your exercise gears. When you start moving, you will feel better because more oxygen are being pumped to your brain and muscles. Understand that low energy is often a result of reduced oxygen flow. Like the Nike's ad says... Just do it!

Classic Excuse #3: "I travel all the time".

Tip To Kick It: Take your exercise with you. Have a crazy travelling schedule? No problem! Just pack a resistance band with you. It's very convenient and you can do a lot of gym-like exercises in the comfort of your hotel room. You can even get a very compact but complete set of home system for as low as $40. Check out a review of Bodylastics portable home gym system here. Another option is of course use the hotel gym.

Classic Excuse #4: "Every time when I go to the gym, I have to wait for the equipment I want to use. It's such a hassle!".

Tip To Kick It: Forget about going to the gym and consider to invest the monthly membership fees in a home gym. For starter, I recommend Bodylastics Home Gym. You can get a complete set starting at $40. This home gym system is a no-brainer! And I love the fact that I can take it with me when I travel. It's so portable and easy to use. Try it, I'm pretty sure you will love it.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Using Fitness Home Gyms To Lose Weight


When it comes to losing weight, different people may have different motivation. Some are motivated the moment they notice that their bodies are no longer fitted with the clothes they wear. Others may feel that they are gaining much weight when standing on a scale or in front of the bathroom mirror.

When they have decided that they want to lose some weight, most people are tempted to join a gym. After joining, they will go to the gym on a regular basis initially. But after a while, many will lose their motivation and find themselves paying membership fees to a gym they no longer going. Don’t fall into this trap! Instead, why not try to set up a fitness home gym to lose weight. With a fitness home gym program, you can get to use the equipment you like, you also have the benefits of using it whenever you want to and use it from the comfort of your own home.

Now on to deciding the type of equipment...

After you’ve made the decision to set up a fitness home gym to lose weight, you now have to decide which types of equipment you want to buy. Here is the rule of thumb... First of all, you should determine what your goals are. If your goals are to lose weight, your fitness home gym should include some form of cardio equipment. On the other hand, if your goal is to get stronger, you should choose strength building equipment.

However, if you want to have a balanced physique, you should include both cardio and strength building types of equipment. Once you have your fitness home gym set up, perhaps the next step is the hardest one because this involves your commitment and discipline to stick with a workout routine consistently until you achieve your goals. I say this can be the hardest part because many people don't have the discipline to stick with something till the end. Many will quit half way or worst they quit when success is just one step away.

So, remember to stick with your workout routine and don't give up!

Sticking with your workout routine is crucial if you want to lose weight using your fitness home gym equipment. As with anything worth doing, you must work for it if you hope to achieve the results you want. One way to motivate yourself to stick with your routine is to make your workout fun. For example, play some music you love while you do your workouts, or watch your favorite movie as you work out in front of the television, whatever you to do, just make sure you keep it fun and interesting.

Doing that will help to motivate you to stick with your workout routine and you will soon accomplish the results you want. You can definitely use your fitness home gym to lose weight, you just need to have some patience and a never give up attitude. And also remember to drink plenty of water and stick to a healthy diets that include a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

7 Tips for Starting a New Exercise Routine


What does New Year mean to you? Are you looking forward to a better year ahead? Well, to me New Year is a time to reflect what I have done and achieved during the year and look forward for improvements in the year ahead. New Year provides new opportunities and new commitments to change my life for the better.

If starting a new exercise routine is part of your new year resolution to get healthier, you have come to the right place. I am going to share with you 7 tips for starting your new exercise routine, hope these tips can help you to achieve your exercise goals in the coming year.

Tip #1: If you've been sedentary for a while now, the first thing you should to is to consult your doctor before you begin any exercise program. It is really important to make sure you’re physically up for it. A doctor can advise you on how to approach a new exercise routine and tell you what signs to look for if you’re overdoing it.

Tip #2: Set smaller goals in the beginning. If you're just starting out, don't start setting a goal that can make you feel overwhelming. For example, you promise yourself to go to the gym everyday. If you have a day job and busy schedule, it's unlikely that you can achieve your goal. So, start with a small goal. For example, go to the gym one day a week for three weeks as a starter. Once you've accomplish that goal, step it up. Decide to go to the gym twice a week for another three weeks. Once you’ve accomplished that goal, step it up again. Soon you’ll be going to the gym almost every day.

Tip #3: Reward yourself. Make your goal-setting and achievements fun! When you reach a goal, whether it is a little one or a big one, reward yourself. For example, when you reach your goal of going to the gym once a week, treat yourself a good movie or get a new piece of workout clothing.

Tip #4: Make it a variety. Exercising doesn’t have to be running around a track all the time. Dancing is exercise, walking in a park is exercise, jumping on a trampoline is exercise, as is tennis, swimming, yoga, pilates etc. Find a sport that you enjoy, and reaching your goals will become easy and fun.

Tip #5: Be a bit adventurous, try out different exercises. It’s easy to get into a rut when you’re beginning a new workout routine. In order to keep things interesting and maintain your motivation, consider a few exercises or sports you enjoy. This can make it easier on your body too. For example, if you’re running two or three times a week, consider swimming, walking or riding your bike on the other days. Maybe add aerobics, pilates or yoga to keep your muscles flexible.

Tip #6: Get some friends to exercise together. Friends can motivate you to get to the gym and challenge you to push yourself just a little bit farther than you might if you were working out alone.

Tip #7: Find your best time of day for exercise. If you’re a morning person, then the best time for you to exercise is probably in the morning before going to your office. That means you need to plan to wake up very early in the morning. If you’re a night person, then try to plan your workout in the evening.

Starting a new exercise routine and stick with it consistently is a great way to feel good and healthier. So, make it as your new year resolution and improve your health.

If you're looking for some great home exercise routines that can help you to achieve results fast, check out the home Turbulence Training. I learnt a lot of new tricks that can get results fast.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Six More Fat Burning Tips for You


The holiday season is just around the corner and it's useful to remember some fat burning tips if you're in the process of losing weight.

Here are 6 more fat loss tips to help you control your weight and achieve your goals...

Tip 1: Avoid liquid calories and alcoholic drinks. These include all the sports drinks, juices, and sodas. If you want to drink liquid calories, make sure you drink after a workout. Liquid containing sugar should be the last thing on your mind if you're trying to burn fat. FYI: Calories in a can of Coke (330ml) is 139kcal. Calories in a glass of orange juice (200ml) is 88kcal. One bottle of beer contains about 150 calories.

Tip 2: Avoid eating at fast food restaurant. Forget about what you've read in a magazine telling you that you can choose to have healthy foods in a fast food restaurant. Fast food restaurant is all about making profit and giving you cheap and quick to prepare foods, the quality of the food ingredients will suffer. Walking into a burger outlet and grabbing a chicken breast on a white bread bun with a piece of lettuce and a half-green, half-pink tomato is NOT healthy eating. Conclusion: Fast food = Poor protein!

If you can handle the TRUTH, it's this... Preparing a healthy meal requires you to take significant amount of time and efforts. You will need to plan and shop for nutritious foods that have good ingredients and you will have to spend time preparing and cooking your foods. Now, that's the truth!

Tip 3: Eat more fruits and vegetables. If you are eating 2 servings per day, then go up to 4 servings per day by the end of the week. And even if you think you are doing great by having 5 servings per day, you still need to double that (take 2-3 weeks to work your way up to 10 servings per day). Stick with fiber-rich fruits and vegetables - organic if possible.

Tip 4: Eat 1oz of almonds or walnuts per day (1/2 oz in the AM, and the other half in the afternoon). Most nuts are roasted in oils (possible source of trans fats), so stick to natural or dry-roasted nuts. Rest assured that this small amount of nuts won't make you fat, but will fill you up and help you burn fat.

Tip 5: Be consistent with your workouts. And make sure the workouts are efficient and effective. To make it easy for you to follow, stick with the "Turbulence Training fat burning workout system". It doesn't matter if you train in the morning before or after breakfast, or at night before or after dinner, don't worry about the details, just follow the "Turbulence Training fat burning workout system" to train consistently.

Tip 6: Go for a walk after lunch or dinner (or anytime you eat a big meal). Research shows this will help you control your cholesterol and triglycerides, plus any movement is better than sitting around watching the TV and snacking.