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Stay motivated by printing your own list and reading it daily.

Let's face it. Most of us have the best intentions when we start a new workout program. "This is the time that I will actually stick to bodybuilding and not quit!" or "Last time I was forced to quit because I was too busy to lift, but this time I am serious!"

Something went wrong and we ended up sitting on our lazy butts for six months straight as our muscles went into hiding and our waists expanded.

Everybody has an excuse about why they haven't yet achieved all their bodybuilding goals. Don't feel too bad though-how many really buff and ripped people do you see on an average day while walking around the city? Maybe one or two if any!

Most people don't look good naked. Sticking to a workout or diet plan is hard! Should that be depressing to you? No! It means that once you succeed, you will be one of the very few hard bodies around for everybody to be jealous of.

How do you become one of these motivated and dedicated people? It is 90 percent psychological. Most of the time when you skip a workout or quit your program it is because you were downright lazy.

You need to figure out what works for you when it comes to staying motivated for longer than a month or two. In this article, I will teach you what works for me and most of the people I know.

Emotions motivate us to want to do things. We feel the need to do certain things or accomplish certain goals. The following list of reasons to stay motivated are emotional triggers that can help you remember why you wanted to do this in the first place.

Most people forget these things 30 minutes before they are supposed to be at the gym. All they can think about is the fact that they are tired and had a long, stressful day.

Top 10 Reasons To Never Quit!

Yeah, yeah, I know. Bodybuilding is about the healthy lifestyle. It's great that because of bodybuilding you will live longer, feel healthier, have more energy, prevent diseases, decrease stress, get sick less often and all that other stuff.

But let's be truthful for a second. Did you start bodybuilding so that you could prevent some future disease that you might get someday in the distant future? I seriously doubt it.

Here are the real reasons to start bodybuilding. Modify this list so it fits your life and print it out. Put it in your car or in your bathroom so you see it everyday and read it before you decide to skip a workout or eat fattening foods.

Just think of the first time you take your shirt off or put on a bikini this summer. Won't it feel great to know that everybody is looking at you?

You will pull your shoulders back and stand tall knowing that you are looking good. Seriously imagine this happening. Don't just read this paragraph and go on. Take a minute to make a detailed mental picture and make it last for a few minutes.

Imagine your friends, family, and complete strangers looking at you. Think of your favorite beach or swimming area. Just as motivating can be the thought of not working out and then getting into a swimsuit looking as you do now. Scary, huh?

Many of us know those people. You tell them that you are starting a workout program and they just roll their eyes.

"Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it!" They expect you to fail and never expect to see any changes. They don't think you can do it. You will prove them wrong and you will love to see the look on their jealous faces when you succeed.

Take a minute right now and create a list of names of these people. It may be one person or it may be many. Write them down and look at these names before deciding to miss a workout!

Some of us were not born big. Some of us are actually pretty puny naturally. Don't you hate the fact that everybody thinks they can kick your ass? Yes, I know this is immature and doesn't really matter but let's be realistic. If you are a guy, this is one of the worst insults to your manhood.

We all know people who just act like they are better because they are buffer or more ripped. Some of these people simply have good genetics and have no reason to feel all high and mighty. You eat one Snickers bar and gain 10 pounds while this person eats fattening crap all day long and still doesn't gain an ounce of fat.

Ugh! How will they feel when they realize that you are bigger and more defined than they are? Laughing in these people's faces will be a new favorite pastime of yours. Write a list of people like this in your life and keep it close by. Do it now!

One of the top reasons that people workout is to become strong. Superman is my biggest hero. It just feels great when somebody asks you to open the bottle of ketchup instead of the 10 people sitting next to you.

Won't it be great to have people stare as you load the weight on for a heavy set of bench presses? Being able to do weighted pull-ups or dips gives you a feeling of power over your surroundings.

We all know that you don't look much different after one week of working out. Isn't it weird, though, that you suddenly find yourself flexing in the mirror a lot more often?

You walk around just feeling better looking even if you haven't changed at all yet. This self-confidence can extend itself to other parts of your life and make you an overall more successful person.

How many people can you name that gained a lot of fat almost immediately after high school? A lot. How many people can you name who are now in better shape? Not many, if any.

We all love to gossip about how we ran into Bob Smith and couldn't believe how fat he had become. His face was all pudgy and his body looked bloated. Don't let that be you! Be the one who people can't believe how great you look. Let them wonder how you did it.

Write down a few names of people you haven't seen in a while whom you will be happy to impress. A good list would include ex-girlfriends/boyfriends, people who used to look better than you and knew it, people from past sports teams that you were on, etc.

If you have a job where you see new people often, this could be important. Better-looking people have a better chance of getting the best jobs, getting promotions, making the sale, and being respected.

This may not be morally right, but it is true. We naturally trust good-looking people. Many people also assume that fat and out-of-shape people are lazy, dumb, rude and untrustworthy. This has been proven by many studies.

Think of how a good personal appearance can benefit you in your current job. Write these thoughts down now and be specific.

Most people's idea of the perfect life would be to be rich, smart, good looking, buff, tan, and happy. Obviously, bodybuilding can help you become better looking and muscular. Bodybuilding will help you have more energy and feel better about yourself.

"Bodybuilding will help you have more energy and feel better about yourself."

These will naturally help you to be more successful in your career. Many people will assume you are smarter than others based on your healthy appearance. This can all bring you closer to living the life most people only dream about!

After you belong to a gym for a while, you will get to know the people who work there or work out there. You will make friends with people who have your same interest. The gym becomes like a second home to many bodybuilders.

The feeling of lifting becomes an addiction to many bodybuilders. There is almost nothing better than squeezing out that last rep. The feeling of driving home afterwards knowing that you just ripped your muscles a new one is great. Your daily stress slowly fades away.

This is the number one reason most people start working out. They want to attract the best-looking girls or guys. The first time a hot woman asks to feel your bulging biceps, you will know that every ounce of sweat and pain was worth it.

If you are married or engaged, you may think this is not important to you. Wrong! Don't you want to make your spouse feel proud/lucky that they have you? I bet they will be a little nicer to you knowing that you could get any girl/guy that you want. Maybe this will motivate them to start working out too.

Print this page out and add your own emotional triggers. What made you decide to workout in the first place? Remember what it felt like being extremely motivated? Don't let it fade away! Write down everything you feel and want.

Keep this list nearby so you can read it whenever you start feeling lazy or undisciplined. Spend a few minutes thinking about each point and really imagine the feelings. Soon your testosterone will start to boil over and you will have no choice but to have the workout of your life.

Other Tips For Staying Motivated

The above will help almost anybody get into the gym. If you are truly serious about staying dedicated, use the following tips.

Get A Workout Partner

If you know this person will be waiting for you at the gym at 6:00 then you will be less likely to skip. This person is counting on you! Make sure your partner knows that he/she has the right to force you to go. Tell them in advance that you may get lazy one day and that they have the permission to keep bugging you until you go to the gym.

Take Supplements

If you know that you have been taking many great supplements over the last few days, you will be more motivated to go to the gym. Why waste those supplements that you made sure you took 12 times per day over the last week?

They won't do anything if just sit on your butt at home. Supplements will also help you get better gains which will help keep you from getting frustrated.

Join A Gym

Sign up for a long-term membership! You will know that you are wasting your hard-earned money if you don't go. Why write a check every month for something you are not using? Taking supplements and buying a gym membership can hit you in the pocketbook. They are both worth it if you actually work out. Otherwise, you are throwing your money away!

Joining a gym will also help most people work out harder than if they workout at home. Just knowing that people are watching you will motivate you to lift heavier and harder.

People would laugh if you spent 20 minutes in between sets watching The Simpsons. Nobody at home can motivate you quite like this, and besides, you've already seen every episode of The Simpsons.

Create A Set Schedule

Saying that you are going to work out "sometime tonight" doesn't work for a lot of people. Many gyms stay open to at least midnight nowadays. Many people keep putting off going to the gym.

They think that they will go "pretty soon". Then they say they will go right after this TV show. Pretty soon they are feeling tired and ready for bed. You can't go to the gym feeling like this! Besides, you can always work out tomorrow night, right?

Tell yourself that you will go to the gym at 7:00 p.m. on each workout day or whatever time is best for you. Do not change from this schedule no matter what is going on. Meet your partner there each day at that time without even calling him/her.

Tell Everybody You Are Working Out

Do it! This won't be scary to you if you know that you are not going to quit. Let all your friends, co-workers and family know that you are starting a new workout program and you can't wait to get results. Just the thought of failing in front of all these people will be enough to keep you going strong. Soon they will all be asking how you did it.

Change Your Routine Often

The same old routine for six months at a time will bore you to death. This can also lead to frustrating plateaus. Change your routine every 6-8 weeks. Change the exercises, the number of days per week, the order of the exercises, the time between sets, and the number of reps per set.

Don't Be Negative

Some people skip certain workouts (like leg day) because they are hard. Don't even let that thought enter your mind! Don't go around telling your friends, "Ugh! I hate leg day! I almost puke every time and I friggin' hate it!" Just saying a sentence out loud like that will help reinforce it in your mind.

Soon you will be skipping every leg workout and then skipping every workout altogether. Every time you start to think negative thoughts about working out, make yourself think of something else. Don't dread your workout all day long. Be positive and remember how it feels to finish a hard workout. Good pain. Think of the results!

Music

Most of us know the emotional power of music. Pick out your most motivational and exciting songs and put them in the car. Listen to them on the way to the gym to get motivated to work out harder than you ever have before.

"Pick out your most motivational and exciting songs and put them in the car."

Visit Bodybuilding.com Often

Reading a bodybuilding magazine, book, or website can keep you on track. The message boards are a great place where you can learn from others and make friends.

Check out the many new articles posted each day and learn everything you can. Make bodybuilding your life!

No More Excuses!

The human mind can justify murder. Don't let yourself make excuses for not sticking to your bodybuilding plan.

"I need a day off."

"My mother is in town."

"My leg kinda hurts."

"I'm too tired today."

"I have too much on my mind."

"I'm not making any gains, I might as well quit."

"I don't have time."

"A Simpsons marathon is on TV tonight!"

All those excuses (except for the last one) are lame. Just admit to yourself right now that there are no good excuses for missing a workout or forgetting to take your supplements. Admit it!

Stick to your plan for the rest of your life. The results will be more than worth it. Don't let yourself be one of the many who don't achieve their bodybuilding dreams.

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Motivation: Top 10 Shallow Reasons To Work Out!

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Stay motivated by printing your own list and reading it daily. Let's face it. Most of us have the best intentions when we start a new workout program. "This is the time that I will actually stick to bodybuilding and not quit!"

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Kay Ireland

Kay Ireland specializes in health, fitness and lifestyle topics. She is a support worker in the neonatal intensive care and antepartum units of her local hospital and recently became a certified group fitness instructor.

While regularly giving your heart a workout helps it work more efficiently, working your heart too hard can be dangerous and can result in chest pain, lightheadedness, shortness of breath and even heart palpitations, according to the American Heart Association. Monitoring your heart rate can tell you if and when your beat is beating too quickly so that if you're working out and heart rate is too fast, you can slow down the intensity to help slow your heart rate as well.

Video of the Day

Knowing your danger zone for a fast heart rate can help you keep tabs on your pulse to judge if it's going too fast. The American Council on Exercise recommends finding your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. Your max is the highest heart rate you should achieve. Even moderate to intense exercise is only 70 to 85 percent of that maximum. By wearing a heart rate monitor and checking your rate frequently, you'll know when it's time to pull back and take a break to avoid problems.

One of the easiest ways to slow your heart rate is to slow your body. If you're exercising at a fast pace, simply slowing down can help you catch your breath and avoid problems, notes the AHA. Reducing the intensity at which you exercise can also help slow a fast heart rate; if you're doing aerobics, for example, you could limit arm movements or modify the movements so they're lower impact. Lifting less weight can also help taper a quick heart rate.

As you exercise, you take in oxygen. When your breathing is labored or you're short of breath, you may not be giving your heart the oxygen it needs to work efficiently, which then results in a quicker, less-efficient pulse as your blood struggles to pump blood to your working organs and muscles. In this case, breathing exercises can help slow your heart rate and return it to a more manageable pace. Try belly breathing, where you breathe so deeply that your belly fills with air. You can also try counting breaths by breathing in for five counts and out for five counts to ensure your body gets the oxygen it needs.

A study published in a 2008 issue of the "Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology" found that when male cyclists took 8 grams of fish oil per day for eight weeks, their heart rate as well as their oxygen consumption during exercise was lower. Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, which contribute to heart health. Taking a fish oil supplement could help slow your heart rate if it's something you struggle with regularly, so talk to your doctor about adding it to your routine.

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How to Reduce a Fast Heart Rate While Working Out

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While regularly giving your heart a workout helps it work more efficiently, working your heart too hard can be dangerous and can result in chest pain, lightheadedness, shortness of breath and even heart palpitations, according to the American Heart Association. Monitoring your heart rate can tell you if and when your beat is beating too quickly so...

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TOPIC: What Is The Importance Of Drinking Water?

The Question:
We all know that water is essential to keep us alive. However, many people today do not understand the health benefits from water, and therefore do not meet their recommended daily intake.

What is the importance of drinking water?

Why is it so important for bodybuilders to consume water?

Are there any alternatives for the people who refuse to drink water?

Show off your knowledge to the world!
The Winners:

Prizes:

1st place - 75 in store credit.
2nd place - 50 in store credit.
3rd place - 25 in store credit.

To use your credit, e-mail Will @ will@bodybuilding.com for more info.

1st Place - FNULNU
View This Author's BodySpace Here.

It has been another tough workout. A 5K warm-up followed by 60 minutes of weight lifting and completed with 10 minutes of active stretching. Now all I want is my bottle of water, although I do not know if I can find it with these red spots I am seeing everywhere.

Well maybe this fictional workout is a bit overzealous, but I am sure that everyone can recall finishing a tough workout and reaching for that cool sip of water that seems to satisfy you to the very core of your soul. Why does that sip of water feel so satisfying and why is water so important anyway?

Often overlooked, water is arguably the second most important compound life is dependent on; oxygen being the first. Claude Bernard, a 19th century physiologist, was the first to state that living organisms live in an external environment (air and water) but the cells that make up the organism live in an internal liquid environment (Rhoades and Tanner 2003). That was actually a very profound statement for the time since we now know that the human body is approximately 70% water.

Click To Enlarge.
Claude Bernard,
"The Father Of Physiology."

Most of the cells in the human body are not in direct contact with the external environment but are in direct contact with the internal liquid environment which is required for proper physiological homeostasis (internal stability).

So what exactly does water do? Since there are so many answers and complex explanations required, I will hit the main highlights. We will begin on the molecular level to start.

Proteins are essential molecules within cells and serve a wide variety of purposes which range from enzymatic activities to being key mediators in cellular signaling pathways. However, a protein's function is critically dependent upon how it folds up into its unique 3-dimensional shape. This folding is dictated by the water that surrounds it (Fersht 1999). Improper folding means a non-functioning protein.

Moving up to the cellular level, with fully functioning proteins, cells work hard to maintain their volume. To overcome all of the osmotic forces, water is channeled into and out of the cell to maintain volume (Strange 2004). If the cell fails and it shrinks or swells due to osmotic pressure, it dies.

Finally at the level of the organism where more of the functions of water are "visible", water is the principle component of plasma and aids the shuttling of nutrients around the body in the bloodstream, aids in regulating body temperature, moistens the air for breathing and keeps our mucous membranes hydrated ( www.bottledwater.org).

Water is so important to the body that two organ systems, the kidney and lower GI tract, function almost exclusively to ensure excess water is not lost.

Click Image To Enlarge.
The Kidney & Lower GI Tract Function
To Ensure Excess Water Is Not Loss.

Water sure does a lot, which is why when the body has too little water the effects are devastating. Water loss, dehydration, occurs when the loss of body fluids exceeds the amount that is taken in. With dehydration, more water is moving out of our cells and then out of our bodies than the amount of water we take in through drinking.

Remember what happens when cells are not able to maintain volume? The symptoms of dehydration are varied but include increased thirst (your brain telling you your body needs water), dry mouth and dry nasal passages, weakness, dizziness, palpitations (due to the subsequent electrolyte imbalance dehydration causes), confusion, inability to sweat, heat exhaustion, heat stroke and if ignored long enough, death ( www.webmd.com).

The reason why that first sip of water after your workout feels so satisfying is because at the most fundamental molecular level, you need water.

Physical activity, such as bodybuilding, exposes people to a variety of influences that can lead to water loss. Everything from the duration and intensity of the workout, the environmental conditions in which it was performed and the type of clothing worn all greatly effect water loss (Sawka et al. 2007). Additionally, the individual's physical characteristics such as body weight, gender, age and metabolic efficiency also influence water loss.

In bodybuilding, the contracting of muscles during weightlifting produces metabolic heat. Since the body prefers to maintain a certain core temperature, this excess heat must be dissipated to the external environment. Hence exercise is always accompanied by sweating.

The loss of water through sweating can lead to changes in plasma volume resulting in the impaired ability to evacuate heat, increases in body temperature and decreased cardiac output (Ritz et al. 2003) In terms of the workout, dehydration results in a decrease in aerobic power and physical work capacity (Sawka and Montain 2000).

When you become dehydrated, you are not able to lift as much and workout at the same intensity as you would have if you were not dehydrated. It's estimated that a 2% reduction in body fluids can result in performance decreases of up to 15-20% (Kleiner 1999). To have the best workout you can possibly have, you need to stay hydrated.

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You Won't Lift As Much When You're Dehydrated.

To maintain proper hydration, the individual bodybuilder must consider their own water balance defined as how much fluid is consumed versus how much is lost. Exactly how much water is required to maintain the proper balance is the subject of debate.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends the following for proper hydration, summarized in the next few sentences, and is perfectly suited to bodybuilding (Sawka et al. 2007). Before beginning your workout, prehydration should be considered based on urinary output and color (darker indicates improper hydration) several hours ahead of time.

During your workout, the goal should be to prevent excessive dehydration. Unfortunately, no one-size-fits all amount of water to consume can be recommended. The individual must determine their own fluid replacement requirements. This can be assessed by monitoring changes in body weight due to sweat loss.

Frequently drinking during the workout is recommended at a rate of 0.4 - 0.8 liters per hour (~14oz per hour). Post workout, the goal is to fully replace any fluids. If time permits, consumption of meals and beverages will restore the proper fluid balance. If the food or beverages have sodium in them, it is even better.

It seems that a general recommendation is that an average adult consume at least 2 liters of water a day to maintain a normal hydration state. What do you do if you don't like carrying around the 'ole tasteless water bottle? Not a problem.

Maintaining the proper fluid balance, for most people, is relatively simple. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables contributes to your water intake. Drinking milk, fruit juices and caffeine-free teas and coffees are also good alternatives to plain tap water.

Caffeinated beverages on the other hand present a bit of a conundrum. Caffeine is a diuretic and promotes water loss. Yet beverages that contain caffeine can be considered adding to your fluid intake, albeit to a lesser extent, since most people do not consume the required amount for the diuretic effect to play a major role (600 mg or more).

For the exercise types, sports drinks are great both during and after the workout. Numerous companies also market and sell individual pour-in flavoring packs to add to your plain ol' bottle of water. While water is the best fluid to drink, there are more than enough ways to get your daily fluid intake required to maintain happiness and health.
References:

1. Fersht, A. (1999). Structure and mechanism in protein science : a guide to enzyme catalysis and protein folding. W.H. Freeman, New York.

2. Kleiner, SM. (1999). Water: an essential but overlooked nutrient. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 99(4), 411.

3. Rhoades, R., and Tanner, G. A. (2003). Medical physiology. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia.

4. Ritz, P., Salle, A., Simard, G., Dumas, J. F., Foussard, F., and Malthiery, Y. (2003). Effects of changes in water compartments on physiology and metabolism. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 57 Suppl 2, S2-5.

5. Sawka, M. N., Burke, L. M., Eichner, E. R., Maughan, R. J., Montain, S. J., and Stachenfeld, N. S. (2007). American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Exercise and fluid replacement. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 39, 377-390.

6. Sawka, M. N., and Montain, S. J. (2000). Fluid and electrolyte supplementation for exercise heat stress. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 72, 564S-572.

7. Strange, K. (2004). Cellular volume homeostasis. Advances in Physiology Education, 28, 155-159.

2nd Place - mawt
View This Author's BodySpace Here.

Water, H2O, the basis of life on this planet, or whatever you call it, has a role to play in everything we do, everything that happens within us, and every function of the body.

Water makes up 70% of our bodies' non-fat mass so water in our body weighs a lot more than the muscles and bones that we have. Water is a main part of our everyday diet and all fruits and vegetables that we consume consist of a lot of water...

Importance
What Is The Importance Of Drinking Water?

OK, so is there any importance? A question that most people would answer is a yes but they most certainly do not know why. We are told to drink 8-12 glasses of water everyday and our requirements differ with the climate we live in and our everyday activities.

The food we eat cannot be digested if there is not sufficient water in the body. The body needs to replace 2 1/2 quarters of this water everyday to remain healthy but this is what everyone does not know.

Water consumption plays an important role in the digestion of solid foods in the body. This digestion depends on a huge amount of water available for the whole process to take place.

Acids & enzymes in the stomach break the food down into a homogenized fluid state which can pass into the intestine for the next phase of digestion. In simple words water helps in breaking down what we eat, into energy and then in transporting it to the parts of the body where it is required.

Water dilutes the acids in the body, which may cause problems such as heartburn. Water is an undoubted vacuum cleaner for the body, as without it waste from the body would not be transported out of it.

A situation of having lesser water in the body than normal is known as dehydration and this causes many problems. Dehydration may cause joint pain, stomach pain & ulcers, back pain, low energy, mental confusion & disorientation. So whoever does not want all this to happen should drink a good healthy amount of water each day.
Back Pain:
If our lungs do not have proper moisture it would be impossible for them to function and without breathing there would be no chance of reading on... so drink enough water.

The body has its own way of keeping its temperature down which is by perspiration or sweat. As the body gets heated up we sweat and our temperature comes back to normal. This sweat is what dissipates the excess heat and without water even this cannot happen.

This is the part I guess everyone is more interested in reading.

The most important factor when bodybuilding is of course the diet that we eat (the inputs), our exercise, and the processes that take place inside the body such as digestion, transportation of nutrients, and the waste system; that is how we excrete our wastes.

We can conclude that a person who weighs 150 lbs with 10% body fat is made up of 15lbs of fat, 40.5lbs of bones and muscle and 94.5 lbs of water - now this is something that should be really stressed on when setting up a diet plan as water intake is as necessary as eating carbohydrates and protein.

We'll directly come to the process, how it takes place, what happens, and why water is needed.

Water, in the form of blood, is required for the transportation of oxygen, nutrients and hormones to other parts of the body and all play a role when it comes to bodybuilding. Oxygen causes proper respiration and the release of energy for workouts that would be impossible without it.

Nutrients required for growth and repair of muscle tissue are also transported with the help of water in the blood stream and to keep this entire process going on a sufficient amount of water is required.

Coming to hormones it can be said that without the proper release and supply of hormones muscles would not grow and without proper water supply these hormones would not be able to function properly thus causing exercise to be a waste of time.

Water metabolizes excess fat and so someone with fat loss goals would benefit from the drinking of water. A glass of cold water every now and then would restart the digestion function and use energy and burn calories as the water will first have to be heated to be used in other body functions.

Proteins and enzymes found in the body will function more efficiently in lower viscosity fluids, which is why it is important to balance with a proper intake of water.

Water regulates all functions of the body including everything that it helps to circulate and dissolve. So when it comes to body building and building muscle proteins play the biggest role in the body so making them function properly is also an important task. So the more water we drink the better.

It should be understood that bodybuilding is the healthiest activity one could indulge in but makes the person different in a way. An enormous amount of water is lost while working out and so an enormous amount has to be taken back in by drinking; so when bodybuilding drinking water is even more important.

Why at the back of every supplement are we told to consume a large amount of water? The only reason is that water is required for it to dissolve and without drinking enough water not only would there be side effects but also a waste of money.

When talking about processes we should not forget the brain from where all the signals are taken. Although the brain makes up a very small amount of the total body mass it requires a huge amount of blood flow which is mainly water. So even for the brain to function properly water is required.

Coming to the waste that the body releases: when exhaling from the lungs a small amount of water vapor is released, water is required for sweating, and of course when it comes to the disposal of food water is again required. Bodybuilders require more water as more food is taken in and so there is relatively more waste of every form.

Water takes part in all the chemical reactions that take part in the body - metabolism is such a set of chemical reactions in which water is used - and without water these reactions would not take place and muscle building would seize.

It is very important to keep the body in an anabolic state and for that water along with other nutrients is always required. As water is required in all functions the stopping of a single function would lead the body to go into a catabolic state where it loses muscle which is the complete opposite of our goals.

Other Important Points

75% of the upper body weight is supported by the water volume that is stored in the spinal disc core. 25% is supported by the fibrous materials around the disc. The spinal joints are dependent on different hydraulic properties of water which is stored in the disc core.

Back pain is frequently alleviated with hydration. So to keep yourself away from back pain water is an important nutrient and it needs to be changed, the more you replace the better.

Our bodies require lubrication of our joints from water, much like oil is used to lubricate a car.

The cartilage tissues found at the ends of long bones & between the vertebrae of the spine hold a lot of water, which serves as a lubricant during the movement of the joint. When the cartilage is well hydrated, the two opposing surfaces glide freely, & friction damage is minimal.

If the cartilage is dehydrated, the rate of "abrasive" damage is increased; resulting in the joints getting damaged & increasing pain, and for a bodybuilder frequent joint pain could mean the end of a very good career.

A concept is that only camels have humps to retain water for times of shortages, but it should be noted that even humans can live for a few days without water, how? The human body too retains water which in bodybuilding terms is known as water retention and is one of the biggest barriers for guys competing in getting to their peak shape after the reduction of body fat.

The body would normally not do this if it gets a proper supply of water; so to lower fluid retention while competing in the off-season we should drink more water, not less. By not drinking water we disturb every physiological function of the body and create nothing but confusion within.

Drinking water also provides the body with most needed minerals such as potassium, sodium and zinc which are all essential. But these minerals are not found in the treated water that we drink these days a term called "hard water," is used for water that still has its minerals and this comes directly from rivers and lakes. People in some parts of the world still consume such water. There are a lot of benefits to a person working out from these minerals for example:
Magnesium:

Magnesium controls muscle contraction, protein metabolism, blood coagulation, and energy production, among other vital tasks. Failure to take in enough magnesium over time leads to high blood pressure and osteoporosis.

Calcium:

The human body needs calcium to develop strong teeth and bones. With that, calcium can combat osteoporosis and other bone disorders. It also helps in regulating nerve transmission, blood coagulation, and muscle contraction.

Sodium:

Though debatable, sodium has its negative effects and increases blood pressure.

These minerals can be taken from a multi vitamin, but the advantages would differ as would some properties.

After all that we've discussed this question is hardly debatable, but there may be 2 ways in which this question could be understood. Firstly, people who do not want to take as much fluid and secondly people who would prefer a beverage or drink over pure water.

To the people who don't want to take in fluid in any form... it's going to be quite hard for them to workout at least. But for those who want an alternative to pure drinking water, this might be possible as you have to bring in variety and it quite logically is hard.

Milk, some juices, maybe even decaffeinated drinks such as coffee can provide water without a negative impact. However most fruit juices, regular coffee, sodas, etc. are neither affordable nor good for health and could cause other problems.

So what would be most suitable is a combination so that it doesn't get too difficult; but soft drinks and too much caffeine should still be avoided for health reasons.

Conclusion

To conclude: drinking water is an essential part of stimulating growth in the body as well as keeping it running. I hope this helps everyone even though some points might still be debatable. How much water needs to be taken in depends on body fat, body mass, activity level, humidity, and heat exposure.

At least 8 glasses is what is suggested by doctors, but for anyone involved in a physical activity I would recommend more, what do you think?
References:

1. members.aol.com

2. en.wikipedia.org

3. Drinking Water - How Much?, Factsmart.org web site and references within

4. Bodybuilding.com and references within

5. Dietary Reference Intakes: Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate, Food and Nutrition Board9

6. www.freedrinkingwater.com

3rd Place - redhawk76
View This Author's BodySpace Here.

We all know that water is essential to keep us alive. However, many people today do not understand the health benefits from water, and therefore do not meet their recommended daily intake.

As you have probably heard many times, but may tend to forget, water accounts for approximately 60-70% of the weight of the human body. Something you may not have heard, however, is that the brain is made up of 95% water! It simply makes sense that keeping a regular water intake would be important to the average sedentary human. It is even more essential for the bodybuilder, however ₁.

Drinking water is one of the most undervalued variables in the quest for living a healthy life. When one attempts to get in better shape and turn their life for the better health-wise, nutrition and exercise is the concentration of most. While these two aspects are undoubtedly extremely important, overlooking the importance of water may be a downfall for many.

Like already stated, the human body is between 60-70% water. Signs of dehydration may become apparent with only a 2% drop in water! While that may not seem too bad at first glance, this is just the tip of the iceberg, as a 2% drop is likely to occur in many individuals. Some signs/symptoms of this dehydration may be hindering your work or performance, and you may have no idea it is water related ₁.

Those who suffer from daytime fatigue may be under the impression they need more sleep, or work too hard. While these are certainly possibilities, if they are suffering from mild dehydration, more water would do the trick.

Basically put, the body cannot perform the functions it needs to in order to stay alive with insufficient water. Every function in the body requires water, and if your intake is sub-par you could be in for some trouble.

If you happen to suffer from constipation, sore joints or dry mouth, your issues may be solved simply by increasing your water intake ₁. That is just a few examples of bodily functions affected by water, but there are plenty others.

Water also plays a huge role in maintaining metabolism, and can stabilize the appetite as well. Switching from soda or juice to water would help those who are overweight or obese immensely.

As already stated, water is extremely important for every human to consume. High consumption of water is much more important in bodybuilders, however.

The average sedentary individual needs enough water for their internal bodily functions throughout the day. A bodybuilder needs this water as well, but also needs more for all the other demands the body will have.

For starters, bodybuilders sweat more than a sedentary individual, so water is obviously important to replace lost fluids so the body can function optimally. Apart from the extra sweating, water is more important due to the bodybuilder's diet.

The normal diet for a bodybuilder is very high in fiber, but even more likely protein. With such high levels of protein there can be excess nitrogen and urea, which will be cleared out by extra water. Water also helps the kidneys do their job.

In regards to fiber, those who consume a lot of fiber, but a little water tend to become constipated rather easily. Water is essential for the digestion process, and will keep you regular when taking in so much fiber.

Bodybuilders are usually very concerned with water retention, especially near a competition. Although it goes against common sense, the less water you drink, the more you will retain (essentially). This may not make sense to some, but it is simply the way the body operates.

When there is a low intake of water, the body will think it won't be getting a lot, so it holds on to as much as possible. When intake is high the body knows it will have plenty of water, so it gets rid of excess water.

Unfortunately the diet of a bodybuilder tends to be very high in sodium as well, as many of the common foods have high levels of sodium. This simply increases the demand for water to prevent retention.

Water is also a very useful tool for those who are trying to lose weight. Water will help keep you full for longer periods of time, and like already stated, supports all metabolic processes.

It is more difficult to oxidize fat if there is no water to help with the process. Water also replaces calories from other drinks. Simply replacing juice/pop with water could do wonders for the average American, although most bodybuilders don't really have this issue, but some certainly may.

Water is also extremely important in the role of creatine supplementation, which all bodybuilders should use in my opinion, and many do. Creatine has many benefits for bodybuilders, and plenty of information can be found on this website. One thing it does is help to fill the muscles with nutrients, including water. If insufficient water is consumed, it will not work as well. So keeping water intake high is crucial while on creatine ₂.

Whether people admit it or not, it is impossible to literally refuse water without dying. What I mean is, everything you drink is composed of some, or in most cases, mostly water. So drinking other drinks is not avoiding water.

Now, for the person who refuses to drink simply water due to it being tasteless, there are some alternatives. The obvious alternatives are to drink other drinks to make sure that you still get a lot of water. Many of these drinks may consume unwanted calories and sugars, which is certainly not optimal for bodybuilders. In this case, there are much better alternatives.

Consuming drinks such as crystal light can be life savers for those who refuse to drink straight water. Crystal Light has very few calories, and tastes very good. Other flavored waters can also aid those who won't drink straight water. In this case the extra calories are not an issue; however artificial flavorings and sodium may be present. Of course, this is less detrimental than calories and sugar, but still not the same as pure water.

The bottom line is everyone needs an adequate intake of water, and it is even more important that bodybuilders get enough. It will assist you in your physique goals, as well as help you perform to the best of your abilities both in the gym and at work.

A general rule of thumb for bodybuilders is to get 1 gallon of water per day. This is very vague, however, as different bodybuilders have much different needs. I personally drink more than 2 gallons, because I need that much. You should be able to judge how much water you truly need after a few days, and adjust accordingly. Good luck with your goals, and I have no doubt that sufficient water intake will help you more than you could ever imagine.
References:

1. www.freedrinkingwater.com

2. www.bodybuilding.com/fun/animalpak21.htm

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What Is The Importance Of Drinking Water?

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TOPIC: What Is The Importance Of Drinking Water? The Question: We all know that water is essential to keep us alive. However, many people today do not understand the health benefits from water, and therefore do not meet their recommended daily intake. What is the importance of drinking water?

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Cardio. For some it's a dreaded word and for others it's a passion they can't get enough of. Either way you look at it though, cardiovascular exercise is one of the key components that should never be left out of a fitness plan.

Cardio, short for cardiovascular exercise, is any movement that gets your heart rate up and increases blood circulation throughout the body. There are various forms and methods of performing cardio exercise - all which will have specific benefits and guidelines.

Most individuals performing cardio are using it as a way to burn off excess calories and since you are moving the body, it is going to increase the need for energy. Some forms are slightly better when strictly speaking of fat loss but all cardio, regardless of form will burn off calories. Since fat loss does depend on calories burned versus calories consumed it is a step in the right direction.

The reason to do cardio does not end with fat loss though; there are a wide variety of health benefits you receive from a regular cardio program.

Benefits

Improved Heart Health

The first one is an improved condition of your heart. Your heart is a muscle just like any other and in order for it to become strong it must be worked. If you fail to work it, it will weaken over time and this can cause a variety of negative health effects.

By getting the heart pumping at a faster rate on a regular basis you will keep it in shape and healthy. Too many people are getting winded just performing simple exercises such as walking up the stairs and the primary reason for this is because they are neglecting to work their heart muscle.

Increased Metabolism

Another reason to perform cardio is for its effects on the metabolism. Along with speeding up your heart rate, cardiovascular exercise also increases the rate of various other processes in the body, also known as your metabolism.

Generally speaking, the more intense the cardio session, the more noticeable increase you will see with regards to your metabolic rate. Intense interval sprints (also known as HIIT) increase the metabolism; the highest with a process called EPOC (Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption). An increased metabolism means an easier time maintaining your weight (or losing weight as the case may be).

Improved Hormonal Profile

Performing cardiovascular exercise also changes the hormonal profile in your body considerably. It releases 'feel good' hormones that will help ease symptoms of depression and fatigue as well as releasing hormones that decrease the appetite.

Individuals who partake in regular cardio exercise often have a much more positive outlook on life simply because they are getting the stress-relief benefits from these hormones.

Improved Recovery Ability

Certain types of cardio exercise, usually lower, more moderately paced forms, can decrease your recovery time too. If you have just performed a hard session in the gym, hopping on the treadmill for a walk or light jog will help to remove some of the by-products that were created during the lifting session.

This will help to reduce your DOMS (delayed onset of muscle soreness) and help bring more oxygen rich blood to the muscle tissue improving in the repair and rebuilding process. To you, this translates to your being able to get back into the gym quicker and work the muscles again.

Building muscle mass is a combination of an overloading stimulus and sufficient rest to allow the muscle to heal itself. If you skew this balance either direction, either working out too much or providing too much rest in between, you aren't going to get optimal results.

The more frequently you are able to work a muscle though (assuming full recovery has been achieved) the faster you will add additional new muscle. Cardio helps you do this. Just don't take this too far as excess cardio or cardio done at such a high intensity that it places additional strain on the muscles is going to actually hinder recovery rather than aid it.

Management Of Diabetes

Lastly, for those who have diabetes, cardiovascular exercise helps them manage this condition. By performing the exercise you will increase your muscle's ability to utilize glucose. Those who exercise regularly tend to have better control of their blood sugars and do not see as many blood sugar swings as those who don't. For diabetes this is increasingly important as they are extremely sensitive to changes in blood sugar levels.

Key Components

Those are just a few of the benefits that you will see with regular cardiovascular exercise.

If you are just getting started, first focus on simply finding an activity that gets you moving and gets your heart rate up. Those are the two key components to what cardio is. Any form of exercise will do, whether it is going for a walk, a bike ride or performing in an organized sport.

The important thing is to keep your body moving. Weight lifting, unless done in a circuit style fashion, would not be considered aerobic cardio exercise since you are not moving continuously. It would be anaerobic and would use a different energy system than that of cardio (the ATP-CP system).

As you build up your fitness level, then you can concentrate on performing more advanced forms of cardio such as interval training, tempo training, HIIT sprints and so forth. First get started on building a solid cardio base though and then work from there.

Cardio is one thing you do not want to overdo in the beginning because spending hour upon hour on a machine at a moderate pace is really not going to give you any further benefits than someone doing a more moderate volume.

Once you are able to do 30-45 minutes 3-5 times a week then step it up a notch and look at those advanced principles. It's usually better to increase the intensity of your cardio, rather than the volume (unless you happen to be training for a long distance even such as a marathon for example).

Conclusion

So now that you know the basics of what cardio is, the benefits of including cardio and how to go about starting it (or progressing from where you currently are). Put this knowledge to good use in your workout program.

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5 Great Benefits Of Cardiovascular Exercise!

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Cardio. For some it's a dreaded word and for others it's a passion they can't get enough of. Either way you look at it though, cardiovascular exercise is one of the key components that should never be left out of a fitness plan.

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Advice personal trainers tend not to give.

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Advice personal trainers tend not to give.

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It's a great feeling performing the exercises you enjoy at a 'comfortable' weight when everything moves exactly how you expect it to, you're almost certain of the outcome; you've pressed that weight hundreds of times and you always hit the desired rep range. The weight you work with and your routine are pretty much set in stone and serve you just fine.

This mindset is perfectly acceptable, you're working out and keeping fit, but at the same time you often wonder how others manage to take it to the next level. You look around the gym and see feats of strength and wonder, how in the world is that possible? What are they doing that I am not?

Well theres one trick you might be missing that your regular Personal Trainer won't teach you, and I don't blame them. As an ex-Personal Trainer of many years myself, I know the industry very well. When you take the necessary courses to become a Personal Trainer, along with learning full anatomy and nutrition, you also learn the more practical method, of demonstrating and correcting form when performing exercises.

Now when you qualify as a PT and begin taking on clients, you will follow what you were taught, you will teach clients to lift to the industry standard, the safest way. This is great for beginners who will no doubt make huge gains in the first instance, it is also fundamental for beginners to know what perfect form looks and feels like as a foundation for their weightlifting progress.

So what is it Personal Trainers won't teach you and why?

A PT (be aware I am generalising) won't teach you how to, or the benefits of 'safely' breaking form.

There are two reasons why they won't teach you this, the first is obvious, it simply doesn't look good and won't be good for business. Imagine looking across the gym at a PT session, where the client is performing a barbell curl, and his/her back doesn't remain ruler straight and the PT doesn't correct them, oh the shame! What on earth is he/she teaching them.

The other reason is because its actually quite difficult to define and teach, and would only truly be beneficial for those who are already very well experienced weightlifters; remember perfect form should always be the foundation.

Knowing when to break perfect form comes with experience; which is ironic, as visually, breaking form looks like ignorance to, 'how it's supposed to be done,' when in reality you are fully aware and purposely do so.

It is not necessary to break form to build muscle, however I do feel it is very necessary to break form, to lift considerably heavier weight and take your strength and size gains to the next level, but it is difficult to advise, as a blanket statement, 'go forth and break form,' will do the general public more harm than good.

My physique was not built from perfect form, many of my peers who some of you may follow and aspire to, will attest to the same. We know perfect form, we use perfect form, but we also push beyond, sometimes way beyond, and the fact is the results speak for themselves.

From renowned bodybuilders who have built tremendous proportioned physiques, to power lifters and strongman athletes and their unimaginable strength, non could attribute their progression to 'perfect form' lifts alone. All would stress the need to allow some flexibility with form, to make progression untapped and unreachable by the rigid constraints of picture perfect form.

So no I am not saying, 'go forth and break form,' especially if you are relatively new to lifting, but I am trying to enlighten you to methods many of us use, that your Personal trainer might not let you in on.

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The Secret Personal Trainers Won't Teach You

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It's a great feeling performing the exercises you enjoy at a 'comfortable' weight when everything moves exactly how you expect it to, you're almost certain of the outcome; you've pressed that weight hundreds of times and you always hit the desired rep range.

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What are 5 easy things to remember in order to help gain strength? 1. Warming up. You step in the gym, eager to lift some heavy ass iron with a few scoops of pre-workout pumping through your veins. You load the bar with weight and start reppin' it out, but all the sudden you feel a sharp pain...fuck.

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Common mistakes throughout your training process.

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Common mistakes throughout your training process.

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TOPIC: What are the most common things we do to hinder our fitness progress?

The Question:
We may not often realize it, but unconsciously we may hinder or even hurt our fitness progress on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.

What are the most common everyday things we do, unconsciously, to hinder our fitness progress?

What's the worst everyday thing that one can do which would hinder their progress?

Bonus Question: What have you done that has hindered your progress and have you done anything to make corrections.

Show off your knowledge to the world!
The Winners:

Prizes:

1st place - 75 in store credit.
2nd place - 50 in store credit.
3rd place - 25 in store credit.

To use your credit, e-mail Justin @ justin.podzimek@bodybuilding.com for more info.

We may not often realize it, but unconsciously, we may hinder or even hurt our fitness progress on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
What are the most common everyday things we do, unconsciously, to hinder our fitness progress?

"The chains of habit are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken." -- Samuel Johnson

Whether our goal is to lose weight, gain muscle, increase flexibility or improve strength, the focus is on change. As human beings we have the ability to identify our options and then the response. We have the ability to make a choice. The question we need to ask ourselves, then is, is the choice made one that hinders or one that facilitates our fitness progress?

Without bringing into our conscience and becoming aware of what we do on a daily, weekly and monthly basis we cannot move forward and our fitness progress is put to a halt. I am a big believer on the Prochaska and Diclemente's 6-stage model of change. The theory behind this is that change is a process not an outcome.

You may move from one stage to another but whether you move forward or take 2 steps back, you are still changing. You may have already read about the Transformational Theory of Change but here is a quick overview:

Stage One: Precontemplation is aka "The Ignorance Is bliss" stage or denial phase. There is no awareness of the unhealthy habit and no readiness to change.

Stage Two: Contemplation is when there is an awareness of the unhealthy habit but still no plan to change and very little time considering alternative options.

Stage Three: Preparation is when we finally make the decision to change and begin to get ready for taking action. Here, an examination of the pros and cons, benefits and disadvantages to making the change occur.

Stage Four: Action is making the change. Removing or making adjustments to the bad, unhealthy habit.

Stage Five: Maintenance is about holding on to that healthy change and making it a daily healthy habit.

Stage Six: Relapse / Reaction can occur when certain triggers re-appear (like that Thanksgiving dinner with family or the night out with friends)

As I provide you with some things we may do unconsciously that hinder our fitness progress, consider what stage you are in the process of change:

At Home:

At Work:

Sit for long periods.

Too much caffeine or other stimulants.

Snack, snack, snack.

At The Gym:

Resist setting up a purposeful workout plan.

Not working out 'til fatigue.

Not cooling down by stretching or meditating.

In Life:

Psychologist and behavior experts say that it takes about 20-70 days to change and form a new habit. There is no quick fix and of course, change is never easy. It takes patience, perseverance, discipline and determination.

But as we all know, even the well-intentioned people can fall off the health and fitness wagon. (I raise my hand and plead guilty) ... But by challenging ourselves to change, forming healthy habits and getting rid of unhealthy ones, we learn more about ourselves, we grow in our knowledge in how to respond to change and begin to develop skills to adapt and transform.
What's the worst everyday thing that one can do which would hinder their progress?

We read constantly in the newspapers, magazine articles, self-help books and Bodybuilding.com about ways to eat right, get fit, lose fat and gain muscle. But why is it so hard to achieve fitness progress? Why is it not easy to eat the food we know is good for us? Why is it so hard to keep to our workout plan?

You may know the answers to these questions already or you may still be struggling at finding the reasons why. But there is only one reason: Lack of motivation. Without motivation, there is no desire to change what we know hinders our progress.

Jim Loehr, a sports psychologist and CEO of LGE Performance Systems in Orlando, FL states that those who succeed in achieving a healthy lifestyle create a habit that is seductive enough so their behavior pulls on them rather than having to push it.
Motivation is driven by intrinsic (i.e. your motivation to play outdoor soccer is because you love it) and extrinsic values (i.e. you are motivated to work because of the financial rewards). So instead of thinking of making the change as "I have to stop eating bad, and drinking too much booze," think back to why you wanted progress in your fitness in the first place. To live a long healthy life, enjoy friends and family and have an abundance of love and laughter!

During winter and holiday season festivities, my biggest challenge is staying motivated. "I want that turkey withcranberry sauce andpumpkin pie." "I don't want to workout because my favorite reality show is on." "What's wrong with a couple of glasses ofwine on a Saturday night with friends?"

It's that constant dialogue between my good and bad side! Here are some strategies I'm working on to facilitate rather than hinder my progress:
Plan my work then work the plan

I keep the reasons why I want to achieve success in front of my fitness/nutrition log. I try to set goals weekly and keep them in front of me as much as possible to keep from being distracted.

Set Deadlines

This is the difference between a dreamer and one who lives their dreams. By setting a deadline, I force myself to do what needs to get done.

Visualize Success

I'm a visual learner so by visualizing ways to succeed, I end up doing without thinking.

What's motivating me right now are designing dream boards, keeping my favorite quotes posted on my fridge, computer, bag and phone. Instead of meeting the girls for a drink, I suggest to go to the mall to shop and power walk. Instead of sitting on the couch to watch television, I sit on my stability ball for core balance and strengthening when I watch.

I try to stay conscious of where I can fit activity into my day. I keep a log book and continue to write in it even if I know I cheated or was "bad" that day. By reviewing this log book regularly, I can monitor my success and discover ways to improve and fine tune my fitness success plan.

Many people start fitness programs in hopes of losing weight, gaining lean body mass, or other reasons. They train hard, but see little results. The reason lies in them not taking their nutrition seriously. It is of great importance to eat 4-6 balanced meals consisting of high protein, moderate carbs, and little fat.

If you eat fatty foods all the time and train hard in the gym, you will see little if any progress in your body. The best bet in continuing your fitness progress is to plan meals in advance and that includes your cheat meals which allow you to enjoy your favorite foods.

Having your 4-6 meals scheduled in advance will lessen your temptation to eat fatty foods. Write down everything in a nutrition log and a training log. Motivation is the key. In the words of Skip La Cour, "This is a great time to determine exactly why you will absolutely commit to eating the way you should to build the physique you really want." (Ironman's Ultimate Guide to Bodybuilding Nutrition, 10300)

The substances I am talking about are cigarettes, alcohol, and various illegal substances. Many people overindulge in these activities and fail to realize how it hinders them in the gym. They blame others for their lack of progress when instead they should be looking at themselves.

Click To Enlarge.
The passion to smoke a cigarette
can turn into an addiction.

The passion to smoke a cigarette or drink alcohol could turn into an addiction which could prove hard to break. These substances can hinder or slow down your progress-remember that the next time you puff or drink. Without these substances, your fitness progress will be a lot smoother.

It amazes me at my college how people take cars to classes when they live within 5 minutes of campus. You could be walking to classes and getting that fresh natural air. There is no excuse for not walking.

Walking is natural and more people should enjoy it instead of getting in their car. I understand how cars give us that freedom, but when class is only five minutes away why not just walk or bicycle. Then, when people go to school they take the elevator instead of the stairs. In my opinion, this is just plain lazy. Taking the stairs is great for exercise people.

The fourth and last problem lies in the lack of motivation. Motivation was mentioned earlier and without being motivated you can not accomplish your goals or make significant progress.

People blame money as one reason why they can't make fitness progress. You can always go shoot hoops in your backyard or jog around your block. You just have to be motivated. People say they don't have time, but they have time to do other things. It only takes 30-60 minutes to have a productive workout. Stop making excuses ladies and gentleman ... get motivated.

These four things in my opinion contribute as things that hamper our fitness programs. You have to be motivated to make progress. Motivation will take you to new heights that other people see and want to soar along with you. Your motivation in the gym and hard work can inspire others to take the high road to success.

I use to have problems with eating fatty meals all the time without taking in account what it did to my body. Now, I keep a nutrition log to write down what I eat and try to schedule proportioned meals in advance to avoid overindulging. I have set cheat meals that are planned in advance, so I have less problems maintaining progress. A log will always help you strive for the top.

I am a firm believer that our mental and psychological states impact our everyday lives and behavior. Think about it, if you are in a bad mood you may not want to hit the weights that day, and if you do, it could be just a mediocre lift, not trying to hit a new PR or go for those last few reps.

So how do you prevent this from happening? One way is to clear your head of any bullsh*t before you go to the gym. Now everybody has their own way of doing this, some listen to music, some watch an action movie, some meditate; whatever gets you focused and motivated, DO IT!

Another thing that can impact our progress is just general daily behavior. Not getting enough sleep can be very detrimental to your progress, especially if you workout in the morning.

Waking up after 4-5 hours of sleep can leave a person groggy, unmotivated, and lacking a good mind-muscle connection, which plays a large physical and psychological role. Even still, afternoon and night lifters need enough rest to get them through the day, AND THEN workout. Of course there are supplements that can help aid with sleep and recovery, but nothing beats a good old-fashioned slumber.

Click To Enlarge.
Nothing beats good
old-fashioned slumber.

At the gym, not warming up properly can easily affect your workouts and progress, and worst case even leading to an injury. Proper stretching and warm-ups are essential to getting the blood flowing and filling your muscles, helping you lift more and harder.

Improper diet I believe is the worst thing that can hinder your progress, even if you do bust your butt in the gym five times per week. We all see those people in the gym, they are in there Monday-Friday lifting and running, then go party all weekend, drinking and eating everything they stayed away from during the week.

There is just no excuse for lifting hard to just go wash the hard work away with a #5 combo, even if it is with a diet soda. Sure we need a psychological boost every so often, but nobody needs one every weekend and to such an extent.

Even on a daily basis, improper nutrition has numerous negative effects. Eating poorly during the day can make a person sluggish, not to mention malnourished, and obviously impact their lift. Getting enough water in, especially if taking supplements that work best with proper hydration, is another key daily factor.

Eating poorly can also have a negative psychological effect, as a person may make themselves feel guilty for cheating, and possibly even second guess why they even bother going to the gym in the first place.

One of my favorite quotes about bodybuilding is "Compliments kill a bodybuilder, criticism makes one." Most people will look at this and think that is ridiculous, but I feel it is very true.

Personally, when a friend compliments me it does give me a psychological boost at first, but then I let it affect my day, specifically my diet, and I believe I subconsciously think something like, "I worked hard and got this compliment, I can have a little cheat snack."

I am still working on correcting this, but I am getting better. To help me avoid slacking I do something that will make me feel good but not impact my progress.

For example I will reward myself by buying something I wanted for a while, maybe even some more protein (it's nearly impossible to have enough on hand), or I will do something fun like see a movie (no popcorn though) or go out with friends but not drink. It basically works to reinforce my belief that I am doing this for a reason and I can find other reinforcements outside of food.

A few days ago, a coworker of mine was walking around taking orders for breakfast. It was about 9:30 when he started taking orders. We open at 8 a.m. I was the lone person who did not order anything. When he came to my desk, I pointed to my diet, which I have clipped to my board, and said, "Unless they have something from this list, I'll pass."

And here's the thing, everyone at work already had breakfast that morning ... every single person.

The unconscious need to not pass up free food prevailed. No one was hungry. There was no need to eat. No one was hungry. But no one stopped to think.

And it's the little things like this, every day, that hamper us.

Mindless snacking in the break room.

Eating just because it's there, not because you're hungry.

Saying yes to dinner with friends without thinking how it will derail your trip to the gym.

Every choice we make during the day has a consequence, and so often it's those unconscious, spur of the moment decisions, that hurt our fitness goals the most.

The single worst thing you can do to hinder your own progress is to not make a plan.

I always have a plan, and that's how I lost 121 pounds. I have already looked at my calendar from now through the holidays. I know that between now and the end of the year, I have mor than 25 opportunities to eat off the plan.

Looking at it like that and planning ahead makes me know I simply cannot miss that many workouts or eat off plan that many times.

If I didn't make a plan, I would think, "It's OK, this only happens once per year," when in reality "it" happens more than 20 times just in the next few months.

I don't wait for my health and fitness goals to miraculously fall into place. I plan every day. I know what I'm going to eat and when I will exercise, and I do not let other things get in my way.

The biggest thing I did along the way to hinder my own progress was to believe that it was someone else's fault that I was overweight.

I blamed my daddy for leaving.

My mom for keeping honey buns in the house.

My ex for making me unhappy, and my kids for keeping me too busy.

I even blamed random strangers for having better metabolisms than me.

Never once while I was pointing that finger at others did I look at the three folded fingers that were pointing back at me. The same fingers that kept shoveling those honey buns in. Day after day. Year after year.

I finally had to accept responsibility for my own actions. I had to realize that I was grown and responsible for every bite of unhealthy food I put in my mouth and every workout I chose to miss.

I had to decide to rise above my circumstances and become the fit and healthy person I wanted to be.

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What Are The Most Common Everyday Things We Do, Unconsciously, To Hinder Our Fitness Progress?

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TOPIC: What are the most common things we do to hinder our fitness progress? The Question: We may not often realize it, but unconsciously we may hinder or even hurt our fitness progress on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. What are the most common everyday things we do, unconsciously, to hinder our fitness progress?

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The resistance that you fight physically in the gym and the resistance that you fight in life can only build a strong character.

-Arnold Schwarzenegger

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How To Gain Weight With A Fast Metabolism - 5 Easy Steps To Follow

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Go here to see how to gain weight with a fast metabolism: http://www.WeightGainMethod.com/view/yt2b This video shows you 5 easy steps to follow so you can start making faster muscle gains. (If you want a more complete and straightforward approach that you can follow, you can find that by clicking the link above.)

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TOPIC: What Is The Importance of Vitamin And Mineral Supplementation?

The Question:
With such a variety of supplements today, supplementing vitamins and minerals may seem like the real basics. However, even properly supplementing the bare basics can be vital to athletes.

What is the importance of proper vitamin and mineral supplementation?

How should one properly supplement vitamins and minerals?

Where does vitamin and mineral supplementation rank in importance amongst other supplements?

Bonus Question: Do the more expensive vitamins/minerals really offer more benefit than their less expensive counterparts?

Show off your knowledge to the world!
The Winners:

Prizes:

1st place - 75 in store credit.
2nd place - 50 in store credit.
3rd place - 25 in store credit.

To use your credit, e-mail Justin @ justin.podzimek@bodybuilding.com for more info.

1st Place - soundcheck129
View This Author's BodySpace Here.

With such a variety of supplements today, supplementing vitamins and minerals may seem like the real basics. However, even properly supplementing the bare basics can be vital to athletes.

Despite the fact that ages of scientific research has brought about miraculous scientific advances, the world doesn't seem to be at its healthiest. An obesity epidemic is sweeping across the globe, and diseases such as AIDS still ravage entire continents. And while there are countless sports supplements available for every purpose - from gaining strength to burning fat - some athletes are still missing out on the essentials.

Perhaps the tremendous number of options has distracted athletes from what matters most, the core nutritional supplements: vitamins and minerals.

You know you're supposed to take your vitamins, but have you ever really stopped to think about what they do? Well, perhaps a better question would be, what don't vitamins do? Most vitamins are substances your body can't manufacture on its own, so supplementation is necessary unless your diet is flawless, which is nearly impossible.

Vitamins play a key role in bodily functions, acting as coenzymes in chemical reactions. In addition, vitamins support the immune system, nervous system, contribute to growth, convert nutrients into energy, process carbohydrates,fats andproteins, and aid in the clotting of blood. And vitamin deficiencies can have serious consequences, such as anemia, mental disturbances, muscle weakness, sterility, disease, infections and even paralysis.
While far from exhaustive, here is a list of five key vitamins and their contributions, as well as food sources:

Vitamin A:

Like vitamins, minerals play a role in nearly every process your body performs. While minerals are the most basic for of matter, their functions are often enormously complex. Minerals are not produced by the body, and therefore must be obtained from food or supplements.
Minerals coordinate the activity of muscles and nerves, aid in the proper growth and development of the entire body, and are responsible for building and regulating cells. Obviously, these are vital roles, and deficiencies can be quite damaging. Some symptoms include: cramps, loss of cellular function, muscle weakness, anemia, energy loss, vomiting and exhaustion.

What Does Anemia Mean?
Anemia is a decrease in normal number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. Anemia is the most common disorder of the blood. There are several kinds of anemia, produced by a variety of underlying causes. Anemia can be classified in a variety of ways, based on the morphology of RBCs, underlying etiologic mechanisms, and discernible clinical spectra, to mention a few

Some important minerals and their sources are:

Calcium:

As you can see, vitamins and minerals play integral roles in a wide variety of functions. While their supplementation is needed for the average person, strength athletes who are pushing their bodies to the limits should be sure to get enough of these elements to maintain a high level of performance.

While it may seem as though a healthy diet may be sufficient in terms of obtaining vitamins and minerals, it would be extremely difficult to satisfy the body's needs without taking in an excessive number of calories. Therefore, I think anyone can benefit from a multivitamin, which offers a wide variety of vitamins and minerals in one convenient package. This should help the average person cover all the bases in addition to a nutritious diet.

A multivitamin isn't going to be perfect, though. Individuals should assess their individual needs and try to make up for elements that may be lacking in their diet or they have natural deficiencies of. For example, women often have iron deficiencies and may want to supplement with iron in addition to a multivitamin.

Those living in areas with low levels of sunlight or those not consuming dairy may also want to supplement vitamin D, which guards against osteoporosis. Likewise, those who do not consume may want to use a calcium supplement to ensure they reach recommended levels.

While many supplements are sold individualy, I like the potent combination of ZMA - zinc, magnesium and vitamin B-6. In addition to the immune system boost provided by zinc, the nervous and muscular system regulation of magnesium and the cardiovascular and liver benefits of vitamin B-6, ZMA can help boost testosterone and trigger gains in lean muscle mass.

Athletes in particular, may want to pay special attention to the benefits of vitamin and mineral supplementation, as physical exertion can deplete the body of vitamins and minerals. If you have any doubts, consult with a medical professional.

No matter what supplement you choose to take, a healthy diet will do wonders as well. In addition, pay attention to the directions on the supplements - many are to be taken with food because they are fat-soluble, and your body cannot absorb them without the presence of fat.

And while you may think that "more is better," be careful not to take too much of any one supplement. Megadosing a vitamin or mineral can have negative effects, balance is key.

Some people may disagree with me here, but I think vitamin and mineral supplementation ranks first, bar none. Making sure your body is in the best shape possible and that all of your internal organs are functioning properly is far more important than any pump supplement or energy booster.

In fact, B-vitamin deficiencies are notorious for causing sluggishness, so a simple B-vitamin supplement may be able to replace your caffeine colada. More importantly, vitamins and minerals are vital for long-term health in addition to boosting athletic performance.

Even though our society now has more medical knowledge than at any other time in history, the fast pace of modern life and the instant gratification attitude have led to the prevalence of very poor diets.

It's much more convenient to grab a burger from the drive-thru on the way to class than to get up early and pack a nutritious lunch full of lean protein, vegetables and fruits. If you're eating most of your meals out of microwavable containers, you should probably make vitamin and mineral supplementation a very high priority.

It would be nice to think that quality considerations are as simple as the old saying suggests - "you get what you pay for." Unfortunately, this is not often the case.

In a market saturated with similar products, companies spend countless dollars on marketing in order to set their product apart. This in itself can contribute to a higher price, regardless of the actual quality of the product. In addition, a good reputation and a brand name seems to be enough to boost price alone; I've had "no-name" supplements that were just as effective as those sold by well-known companies.

The key to figuring out whether one supplement is worth the extra cost lies in being an educated consumer. Search online for reviews - It is easy to find a product review forum that is a great resource. You should also read labels carefully and see which supplement offers more of the nutrients you need.

When doing so, be careful of serving sizes! While common sense might dictate that one pill is one serving, vitamin and mineral supplements often designate two or more pills as one serving. What looks like a great value might turn into a rip-off once you review this factor.

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Be Careful Of Serving Sizes!

Most importantly, don't buy into the hype, whether it comes in the form of shiny packaging or celebrity endorsements. Figure out what works best for you. And remember - the greatest value lies in whole foods, because you get calories for energy as well as essential nutrients - so a varied, balanced diet is a must.

2nd Place - Lynx_Lightning
View This Author's BodySpace Here.

With such a variety of supplements today, supplementing vitamins and minerals may seem like the real basics. However, even properly supplementing the bare basics can be vital to athletes.

Vitamins and minerals are essential to athletes of all types and creeds. They are important in all biological processes, and keep the body functioning properly. Some are of particular importance to athletes, more so than to sedentary people.

Besides being important for health reasons, vitamin A has an isomer (different form) called beta carotene. Beta carotene is an antioxidant, which prevents oxygen damage to the cells of the body.
Despite being necessary for life, oxygen is very dangerous for the body, and can form radicals and peroxides which can damage cell structures, including DNA. Cardio pumps the body full of oxygen, and increases the likelihood of dangerous oxygen species forming. Increased antioxidants can form a barrier to protect the body from harm.

Related Antioxidant Articles:

The suite of vitamins that composes this category of chemicals are all similar, and all have important roles to athletes. They help with cell division, especially of red blood cells. They speed up metabolism, and help maintain nervous system function. Without them, energy and endurance would drop, and the CNS would not be able to meet the demands of weightlifting.

Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant, so it will protect the body during extended cardio sessions. More importantly, it plays a role in the synthesis and repair of collagen, a major part of tendons and other connective tissue. Since mostplateaus andinjuries result from weak connective tissue, vitamin C is essential to prevent these scenarios.

RELATED ARTICLE

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Calcium intake is helped along byvitamin D (see below for the importance of calcium). The notion that the body will produce vitamin D in the sun is something of an overstatement. Vitamin D from sources such as milk is in an inactive form, and sunlight will convert it to the active form. Thus, supplementation may be necessary.

Vitamin E coats the lungs to prevent oxygen damage to them. Extendedcardio can be wearing on the lungs, so more vitamin E is necessary to protect them.

Calcium is the mineral directly responsible for muscular contraction. When the nerves tell the muscle to move, calcium is released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, so it can bind with a protein known as troponin, which will trigger a series of events leading to muscular contraction.

Most of the calcium is recycled after each contraction. Calcium is also vital for cardiac muscle function and bone integrity. Obviously, our goal here is to build muscle, so calcium will help new muscle fibers contract. High rep work will increase the size of the sarcoplasmic reticulum, so more calcium can be held, which will also increase muscle size. Of course, sturdy bones are necessary to layer muscles on top of.

Iron is one of the most important minerals for those concerned with bodybuilding and endurance sports. Iron is used in hemoglobin, myoglobin, and mitochondria. Hemoglobin is used in red blood cells to transport oxygen to the muscles.
Without iron, no more heme can be produced, and thus mo more red blood cells, which will stall the development of endurance and limit recovery. Myoglobin stores oxygen in cells other than the lungs.

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Without Iron Your Endurance Development Will Stall.

Higher-rep training and endurance sports increase the amount of myoglobin present in the muscles, which will help with endurance and size. Mitochondria use iron as part of the electron transport chain, which is the main power house of the cell.
More iron allows more mitochondria to be made, meaning more energy and more size. In addition, new cells require iron for their mitochondria and proteins. In short, iron is necessary to grow.

Potassium is essential for the proper functioning of cells, as it is part of the control of action and graded potentials on the cell's surface. New cells need to be full of potassium if they are to communicate properly (and thus contract for muscles).

Trace elements are used to help build proteins and enzymes, which wear down as cells are used.

As can be seen above, vitamins and minerals are nearly as important to athletes as protein and other macronutrients. Without them, performance would begin to drop rapidly.

A simple multivitamin should be all that is necessary for a supplement. Vitamins and minerals are ingested in the course of regular eating, but not in sufficient quantities. Multivitamins usually contain a full complement of what you need every day, and overdosing on vitamins and minerals can be dangerous, especially for fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E).

Hyperdosage of certain vitamins, such as vitamin C, is not of any increased benefit to the body, as only a certain amount can be absorbed at any one time, and the rest is excreted.

It is important to take calcium and iron supplements at separate times, however, as calcium is more reactive than iron and will out-compete it for absorption. This will negate the benefits of iron supplementation. Usually, these minerals are not found together in the same product, but be careful.

Proper nutrition can offset the need for vitamin and mineral supplementation to some extent, but a simple multivitamin is still important and relatively cheap. Since I do not take many supplements myself, I would have difficulty ranking it effectively on a performance scale. But on a health scale, it is one of the most effective. Personally, I would rank it with protein on the "must have" list.

Not at all. Any pill with the proper amount of nutrients in it will suffice. Some multivitamins do not contain an extensive list of minerals, and should be avoided. The only other difference is the delivery method. There is some controversy I've heard over different types of pills, but I prefer to keep it simple and go with the old-fashion types of pills.

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What Is The Importance Of Proper Vitamin And Mineral Supplementation?

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TOPIC: What Is The Importance of Vitamin And Mineral Supplementation? The Question: With such a variety of supplements today, supplementing vitamins and minerals may seem like the real basics. However, even properly supplementing the bare basics can be vital to athletes. What is the importance of proper vitamin and mineral supplementation?

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TOPIC: What Top 20 Foods Benefit Health The Most?

The Question:
With high rates of obesity and soaring success of fast food restaurants, one must keep a check on the foods they consume. To maintain a healthy lifestyle, one must follow a healthy diet plan.

What top 20 foods benefit health the most?

What are 5 foods that one may be lead to believe are healthy, but actually are not?

Are we actually losing some of the nutritional values that were once in our foods?

Bonus Question: How can one balance the healthy foods with their not-so-healthy urges to still maintain a healthy diet?

Show off your knowledge to the world!
The Winners:

Prizes:

1st place - 75 in store credit.
2nd place - 50 in store credit.
3rd place - 25 in store credit.

To use your credit, e-mail Justin @ justin.podzimek@bodybuilding.com for more info.

1st Place - soundcheck129
View This Author's BodySpace Here.

With high rates of obesity and soaring success of fast food restaurants, one must keep a check on the foods they consume. To maintain a healthy lifestyle, one must follow a healthy diet plan.

Despite the fact that we live in a society with easy access to the highest level of nutritional knowledge at any point in history, the world has incredibly poor eating habits. Of course, society isn't helping, with mammoth-sized portions everywhere and diet destroyers lurking in the most innocuous places.

An iced coffee with 50 grams of sugar? No thanks. It's enough to make one want to live off in the wilderness. Fortunately, healthy choices are available; it just takes a little extra effort and discipline to find them. Here's a hint though - you're not likely to find these top 20 foods at a drive-thru near you.

There is a nearly endless amount of healthy foods, so picking the absolute best can be a tough task. What I've done is compiled a list of very healthy choices packed with vitamins and minerals, but delicious flavor as well. Because after all, it doesn't really matter how healthy something is if you can't bear to eat it. Choosing to be as health-conscious as possible is a lifestyle, which means that you have to be able to LIVE a little - don't forget that.

An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but I findYams to be much more delicious, and these cousins ofsweet potatoes are also more versatile. In addition, one cup of yams packs nearly 30% of your RDA ofVitamin C,Potassium andManganese, as well as more than 20% of your dailyfiber and 15% ofVitamin B6. And all that comes in a tasty, 160-calorie serving.

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The Lean, Green, Cholesterol-Fighting Machine.

This orange-colored fruit packs plenty of Vitamin A andVitamin C, as well asfiber andPotassium. The beta carotene inApricots boosts eye health and prevents damage from free radicals. Theantioxidants in apricots would make them worth eating even if they weren't as delicious as they are.

No offense to pork, but I thinkcrab should be "the other white meat." Crab is ridiculously low in fat and also providesVitamin B12 andZinc, which help yourimmune system fight offdisease. Crab is also high inprotein, which has a high thermic effect and is essential for building muscle.

Another fatty favorite, almonds are very versatile and are high infiber. But that's not all. In addition to the brain-boosting unsaturated fats, almonds contain nearly half of the RDA forVitamin E,Manganese, about one quarter of the RDA for Manganese and Tryptophan and 20% of the RDA forVitamin B2 and Phosphorus. In addition, almonds are loaded with protein and are easily portable.

There's a reason Popeye ate this stuff.Spinach is practically the equivalent of amultivitamin, with a 40-calorie serving packing an absurd amount ofVitamin K,Vitamin C andVitamin E,Manganese,Folate,Iron, andFiber. This leafy plant is also full ofprotein,B Vitamins,Calcium andOmega-3 fatty acids.² I also like it because it is readily available year-round, canned, frozen and fresh.

Ah, the magical fruit - beans. In addition to providing protein,pinto beans are filled withfiber,folate,iron, copper andVitamin B1. Pintos compliment every type of cuisine and are very inexpensive, which is another very important consideration. Pintos are a great source of complexcarbohydrates and contain folate, which fights birth defects andheart disease.

The incredible, edible egg, egg-celent, etc. There's a reason so many lame puns have been made with the name of this food - it's a nutritional powerhouse. Packing just the right amount ofprotein, unsaturated fat, and saturated fat fortestosterone boosting, eggs have it all. Additionally, eggs are chock-full ofB Vitamins,Selenium andVitamin D. Pretty egg-straordinary.

What's more, garlic has B Vitamins andVitamin C as well as heaps ofManganese. Garlic is also touted as a natural antibiotic, antioxidant and even a tool for prevention of the common cold!³ You know something is good when people not only eat it but supplement it.

Nothing fishy about this one. Salmon is delicious, packed withprotein and contains much lower levels of mercury than the bodybuilder's best friend,tuna. Salmon is easy to cook and is available frozen, fresh and canned year round. Salmon is also loaded with unsaturated fat to boost the immune and cardiovascular systems.
This fish is very high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which cannot be made by the body and are found in few other foods. In addition, Salmon is loaded with Vitamin D and B vitamins, niacin and magnesium.

Soy often gets a bad rap because a lot of people are afraid it will have detrimental affects on men. However, soybeans actually have some great benefits - a recent study specifically in men found thatsoy protein improvedcholesterol significantly and "would be effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease" for men.⁴
As if that wasn't enough of an endorsement, soybeans are very high in fiber, protein, iron, Omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin K and Vitamin B12, magnesium and copper.

Be careful with this one. When I say yogurt, I don't mean the stuff pumped full of high fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners. Natural yogurt is rich inB-vitamins andzinc, and provides a slow-digesting protein in addition tocalcium and probiotics, which improve digestion.
Studies have also shown yogurt to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol, improve immune response, and even boost fat loss! ⁵ It's also incredibly versatile, and can be used as a snack, dessert, a filling for baked treats and even a main ingredient in creamy sauces. Try some Greek yogurt for a twist and some extra protein.

Just another reason to love Fig Newtons. You may not think of figs as healthy, if you think of them at all, but they have an abundance of benefits. Figs are filled withpotassium andfiber, as well asVitamin B6, which is linked to the production of serotonin, the neurotransmitter linked to happiness. Figs also lower blood pressure, protect against breast cancer anddiabetes, promote bone density and reduce water retention.⁶

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Just Another Reason To Love Fig Newtons.

This fuzzy fruit is fun to eat - slice it open down the center and then scoop it out of each side. It's so tasty that you may forget about its benefits, but I won't - Kiwi packs moreVitamin C per serving than oranges in addition toVitamin E,fiber,potassium andmagnesium.
This green fruit also is a great source of antioxidants and protects against colon cancer, macular degeneration, asthma and blood clots. Additionally, it keeps blood sugar levels stable and protects DNA in your body's cells. ⁷

I first gained an appreciation for lentils when I had them in Indian food, but they can be used in any cuisine, mixed in rice, soup, or on their own. They are an excellent source ofprotein andcomplex carbohydrates, a ton offiber andfolate, andisoflavones, which may inhibit breast cancer.⁸ Lentils also promote heart health, stabilize blood sugar, and are an excellent source of iron.

How healthy is Quinoa? So healthy that the underappreciated and somewhat rare seed was once known as the "gold of the Incas." Quinoa is an excellent substitute for grains for those on gluten-free diets, but it is much more than that. High in protein, iron, riboflavin and magnesium, quinoa has many benefits. A few of them are: protection against migraines, hypertension, breast cancer, gallstones, asthma, heart disease and diabetes (9).

This bark is so easy to use and compliments so many food, it's almost unacceptable not to use it everyday. Ground cinnamon is incredibly low in calories, yet still has an incredible amount of benefits.
Studies have shown that cinnamon can control blood sugar, prevent blood clotting and the growth of microbial fungi, improve colon health and prevent heart disease. It also contains iron, calcium and fiber, and one study showed that the mere scent of cinnamon boosted brain activity. ¹⁰

If you've been anywhere near the fitness community lately, you'll know that Acai is everywhere right now. However, I was hesitant to add it to my list because so many of its claims have not yet been scientifically confirmed.

The benefits are pretty amazing though, so I couldn't justify leaving it out. Acai is powerful stuff, with fiber, unsaturated fats,minerals and an incredible amount ofantioxidants. It is also lauded for its detoxification abilities and improving skin tone,heart health,sleep,sexual performance and digestion. Additionally, Acai has valuableamino acids and is supposed to increase energy levels.¹¹

Even if one is trying to be health-conscious, it can be difficult to make the right choices. There are plenty of healthy-posers out there, and a lot of manufacturers try to market their products as healthy even though they are far from it. Be careful, here are some to avoid.

Just because an athlete endorses something, it isn't necessarily healthy. Case in point: Vitamin Water. While this product does contain vitamins, it is also loaded withsugar, often containing as much as a regular soda, and we all know how healthy that is.
The same goes for iced teas, such as Snapple. While tea leaves do have benefits, they are dwarfed by the insane amount of added sugar. Something like "Mango Madness" sounds like it may be the equivalent of a V-8, but it's not... and it truly is madness.

Don't get me wrong, I love frozen yogurt, but I realize that it is dessert. While it may be marketed as a healthy ice cream alternative, it's essentially the same thing. Don't think for a second that Mint Chocolate Chip frozen yogurt is better than Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream.
Although the frozen yogurt is probably lower in fat, it still contains a boatload of sugar, usually in the form of high fructose corn syrup, and may contain partially-hydrogenated oils, the euphemism for trans fat. It looks like ice cream, it tastes like ice cream... it's gotta be the nutritional equivalent of ice cream.

There isn't much dispute about this: salads are usually the healthiest option around. Except, of course, when it's a Caesar Salad. It does contain greens, but it's also covered in fatty, oily dressing, a variety of cheeses and croutons (also known as stale bread).

This is one of the few salads that routinely contains more calories and fat grams than most entrees on the menu. And to think a lot of dieters may have this just as a first course? Hopefully they'll know to skip the frozen yogurt for dessert.

You may wonder what's wrong with muffins. After all, they're not cupcakes, right? That's right, but that's about all you can say about them that's positive. The first issue is that these are massive, definitely more of a meal than a snack.

Here's a shocker... try grabbing a Pumpkin Muffin from Panera. Seems like a healthy enough choice, right? Wrong. The muffin clocks in at 530 calories, with 20 grams offat, 82 grams ofcarbohydrates (47 of which are sugar), and only 6 grams ofprotein.¹² Not exactly a great way to start the day. Worse, a lot of muffins contain HFCS and shortening or partially-hydrogenated oils. Muffins are tricky - they hide behind fruity flavors and healthy assumptions before pounding you with sugar and trans fat.

If you feel that a food that's being marketed as healthy may not be, keep a few facts in mind:

"Low Fat" doesn't mean healthy. A lot of times, the flavor from fat is replaced by a lot of simple sugars, which doesn't make it any healthier.

Trans Fat is sneaky. Just because something says it has "0g Trans Fat per serving," it could still contain Trans Fat due to a loophole in labeling laws - any amount under .5g is legally allowed to be listed as 0, and if you're using more than one serving, then you may be getting a heaping of Trans Fat.

Your best bet is to check the ingredient list; if it contains any of these terms, it has Trans Fat: shortening, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil or hydrogenated vegetable oil, trans fatty acids.
Sugar also hides behind other names. If an ingredient list contains any of these terms, it can be read as sugar: high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, rice syrup, dextrose, crystalline fructose.

If something appears too good to be true, it probably is. Always use common sense.

Sadly, we are losing some of the nutritional values that used to be in our foods. Technology is great, but sometimes it can rob nutrients from food. For example, microwaving cauliflower can cause it to lose up to half of its antioxidant value! Similarly, pressure cooking and boiling can drastically decrease antioxidant levels. ¹³ Canned vegetables also contain fewer nutrients than fresh.

Also, modern farming techniques, including the use of fertilizer, using less than optimum soil and not rotating crops properly can lead to nutrient and even flavor loss. For this reason, try to pick organically grown produce, which tends to be more nutritious. ¹⁴

Lastly, modern society has trained people to indulge, and instant-gratification, fast food restaurants tend to be far less healthy, and products everywhere focus on taste first and nutrition second.

Despite what you may think, healthy eating habits don't have to be an all-or-nothing situation. You can still indulge in your favorite, tasty dishes without worry that you will jeopardize your health unnecessarily. As long as you practice moderation, you should be fine.

The ultimate factor that determines weight gain and loss is whether you are in a caloric deficit or surplus. What this means is that no particular food will cause you to gain fat just because you ate it. But if it pushes you into a caloric surplus for the day, you will gain weight.

One thing that is very helpful in balancing urges is to make things yourself. This way, you know exactly what is going into your food and you can control the portion sizes. It is pretty easy to make sensible substitutions to make your favorites more healthy. Some of them are:

Substitute two egg whites for every yolk

Substitute applesauce for oil in baking recipes

Substitute a sugar-free sweetener for sugar if you are cutting calories

Substitute protein powder for some of the flour in recipes to add a boost of protein

Substitute whole wheat bread and pasta for white bread and pasta

Substitute chicken broth or oil spray for oil when sautéing

Substitute cinnamon for cinnamon sugar

There are also 100- calorie packs available for just about every snack. Portion control is key - you can create your own 100 (or whatever) calorie packs by breaking a bulk size container into smaller portions using plastic bags.

One last thing - don't deprive yourself of something just because it isn't necessarily the most nutritious. If you are leading an active lifestyle, the damage will be minimal. And trying to avoid something that you absolutely love may lead you to binge later on. Enjoy in moderation.

Sources:

1. World's Healthiest Foods - Avocado: www.whfoods.com

2. World's Healthiest Foods - Spinach: www.whfoods.com

3. Garlic Health Benefits - www.garlic-central.com

4. World's Healthiest Foods - Soybeans: www.whfoods.com

5. World's Healthiest Foods - Yogurt: www.whfoods.com

6. World's Healthiest Foods - Figs: www.whfoods.com

7. World's Healthiest Foods - Kiwi: www.whfoods.com

8. The 29 Healthiest Foods on the Planet - www.bellybytes.com

9. World's Healthiest Foods - Quinoa: www.whfoods.com

10. World's Healthiest Foods - Cinnamon: www.whfoods.com

11. Acai Berry: www.wikipedia.org

12. Panera Bread Nutrition Facts: www.panerabread.com

13. 5 Ways to Cook Vegetables Without Losing Their Nutrients: www.rodale.com

14. How Organic Food Works: www.howstuffworks.com

2nd Place - mrkdrt
View This Author's BodySpace Here.

With high rates of obesity and soaring success of fast food restaurants, one must keep a check on the foods they consume. To maintain a healthy lifestyle, one must follow a healthy diet plan.

Sometimes it's hard to eat know what foods to eat, why to eat them, and which "healthy" foods to avoid. But with the following healthy food option tips, we can make better, informed meal choices, for a healthier lifestyle.

I made my top healthiest food choices list based on certain criteria. Not only would these criteria be important to my personal goals, but almost any fitness goal, or simply to eat healthier.

For most foods I chose, nutrient density was a big concern. Sure a food can have great benefit, but if I have to eat 500 Calories of it to gain the nutrients, it defeats the purpose of a balanced diet!

Major concerns when choosing carbohydrate sources included its level on the GI scale and its fiber content. This way I can maintain healthy blood glucose levels, and have sustained energy.

I'm going to try to organize my healthy food choices into macronutrient groups, in no particular order of "healthiness":

Including the outer husk of rice, this grain is great to meet your "staples" category. Complex carbohydrates ensure you don't drastically spike your insulin, and keep you energized longer.

Sure, some people may shiver at the thought of plain oatmeal in the morning, but you'll end up doing your body real good. A good source of complex (low GI) carbohydrates and nutrient dense, it's a great start of your day, or anytime!

Broccoli

After hearing how good broccoli is for my body, I stopped spitting it discretely into my dinner napkin. The health benefits are endless - includingcancer-fighting properties! A fantastic fibrous green vegetable that can be added to nearly any meal!

Grapefruit
Blueberries

Blueberries are rich inantioxidants that can help prevent SEVERAL health disorders. Not only do they taste great, they actually are beneficial in fat loss programs (in combination with high fat diets).

Sweet Potatoes

Spinach

Albacore Tuna
This fish is often found in cans, or packets. Sure a fresh fish can't be beat, but you can't beat the convenience of ready-to-eat tuna. This tuna still packs high complete protein and is easy to flavor for any palate.

Chicken Breast

Chicken breast is a great complete protein source, tastes great, and is low in saturated fats. Chicken also contains some vitamins and minerals - bonus!

Shrimp/Prawns

Low-Fat Milk
Choose milk that's low fat (1% or skimmed). Dairy can have a bad reputation, but its great for a protein choice. Hey, our mothers made us drink milk for a reason! Rich incalcium - important for all ages.

Yogurt

Yogurt comes with all the benefits of milk, PLUS active bacteria perfect for your gastrointestinal tract. This not only keeps you healthier, but also can improve your body's absorption of the nutrients from the foods you eat! Be sure to choose a yogurt with low fats and sugars.

Egg whites pack a good amount of completeprotein while still enjoying lowcalories. Basically no fat, and cholesterol and carbohydrate-free, egg whites are a pure and healthy choice for protein.

Cottage Cheese

Low in fats, and a phenomenal source of casein protein - to keep a positive nitrogen balance in a longer period -cottage cheese is the bomb.

Soy

I may catch heat for this one, but in my opinion soy is a healthy option for a complete protein source. It is also full of healthy vitamins and isoflavones - and great for the prostate (you guys).

Oh the evils people warn! As many studies as I've read on soy, positive and negative, it seems soy does not have the extreme estrogenic effect, nor the thyroid suppression some would like to think. But overall, soy is a healthy food option.

Easy to eat on the go and dense in vitamins andminerals - thesetasty nuts are also a good source of protein and contain mainly unsaturated fats!

Natural Peanut Butter

This favorite of mine can also be put under protein source, as it has quite a bit. But healthy fats are strong in natural peanut butter, and who doesn't love the taste of peanut butter? (No offense to those allergic)

Olive Oil

Rich in healthy unsaturated fats (keeps HDL high), olive oil is great for meals - and your heart. Add it to your meals, or have a few teaspoons straight up! See it is a food! Your heart will be happy!

Rice is healthy, isn't it? These quick rices, especially flavored, are convenient, but not so healthy. High GI and often include artificial flavors and coloring. And yes, some nutrients of the initial rice are lost in these products also.

Hey, they come in multigrain and whole wheat - that's good, no? Bagels are crammed full of carbohydrates, so dense, the calories are quite high for one measly bagel. One bagel can easily through off your meal plan's balance and your macros. Also, be sure when you choose whole wheat breads, you are getting whole wheat, and not just bread colored with brown sugar (yes, it happens).

In my opinion, organic meat and produce do enjoy more nutrition than their mass-farmed counterparts. These are the foods that most often find their way into our meals.

A way to tackle this issue is to buy from local farmer's markets - you can take home fresh and nutritious produce, without the steep rates organic food stores would have you pay. Win, win. Also when buying meat products, ask the monger or consult the label to ensure the animals are fed with actual food, and not just scraps and junk.

The best way I put this is try your best. Let's face it, especially if you're eating strictly healthy foods, your urges for some "cheat foods" can sometimes be overwhelming. In my opinion, unless you're pre-competition, you can afford a cheat meal now or then.

Sure you may succumb to temptation of cheat foods once in a while, but get over it, and get back on the health wagon! Just try not to go overboard. Try not to look forward to your cheat meal, or expect it - eat as best you can until you feel you need to cheat. Sometimes, you may lose the cravings and last longer without cheat foods than you think!

3rd Place - History in Effect
View This Author's BodySpace Here.

With high rates of obesity and soaring success of fast food restaurants, one must keep a check on the foods they consume. To maintain a healthy lifestyle, one must follow a healthy diet plan. Nutrition is the also of importance when you are training in the gym.

The proper foods give your body energy and help in building stronger muscles. These foods will include protein, carbs, and fat sources. This plan that follows will target not just the average person, but also bikini, fitness, figure, and bodybuilders alike. It is time for History in Effect to weigh in and offer detailed info!

I love eating chicken from fast-food places, but I don't eat that much of it. Chicken without skin is much healthier for your body and is so tasty.

I used to hate broccoli, but now I love it. It keeps your bones strong and keeps your eyesight strong.

I hate prunes with a passion, but adding these into your meals will make sure you use the bathroom in no time. You won't be constipated again with prunes or for that fact, plums.

No, not those homemade French fries or Lays chips. I'm talking about sweet potatoes (or yams because nobody knows the difference... LOL!) and white potatoes. They combine an abundance of nutrients like iron and vitamin A.

I have eaten mushrooms only in spaghetti because of my dislike of them. "This fungi's metabolites - by-products created when mushrooms are broken down during digestion - have been shown to boost immunity and prevent cancer growth, report researchers in the Netherlands." (http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/he...oods/index.php)

I love salmon because it contains omega-3s to protect you from damage after training or if you get injured.

Athletes know what I am talking about. Bananas contains a lot of carbs, but also have potassium. There are times on the court when your cramp up. The banana helps to replace some of the lost nutrients you experience. It is a lot cheaper than Gatorade or Powerade.

Kidney beans are so amazing and packed with nutrients keeping you constipated-free and keeping cholesterol at bay.

What are you talking about... well let me inform you that quinoa contains fiber and more than 10 grams of protein in just half a cup. They have a nutty taste to them.

They contains lycopene which protects your prostrate from getting cancer. Prostrate cancer is a big thing and you should put tomatoes into your arsenal to combat it.

Get it lean and you will reap the rewards. It contains protein and can be prepared in a variety of ways.

These includes oranges, tangerines, and nectarines which all contains adequate amounts of Vitamin A and C.

Milk is amazing in anything from cereal to cakes. Calcium keeps your bones strong to prevent bone cancer.

They contains high fructose corn syrup; aka: death in a bottle. The oats might be nutritious, but its slathered in HFCS.

They are usually highly processed food and they enter your blood fast getting your insulin level to rise which increases fat storage.

I love dried bananas but they appear to be much healthier and nutritious. Well, after actually looking at the lable... They contain too much sugar. Also, I can go through plenty of bags of them and still be hungry.

These are healthy because you just mix fruits together with some ice and voila... healthy... not! They have lots of sugar and those dreaded HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) wreaks havoc again.

Add in those artificial colors and everything not natural. Also, I find it a lot easier to drink more diet soda than regular.

No, I just feel sometimes the labeling can be deceiving. We are making advances in the nutrition industry, but a lot of people are marketing their products in deceiving ways.

Right now, the focus is on organic product and people just smack organic on their label because they barely pass the organic standard. I am tired and sick of people trying to make a profit without having any respect or concern for the consumer. There is nothing wrong with making a profit, but I would like to see quality standards followed too.

I been saying this for so long that it's a record playing over and over. Put a cheat meal into your week so you can enjoy your favorite foods. Schedule it in advance and you will be fine. This will keep you motivated at the end of the week or whenever you put it in your schedule to go on. Moderation is the key - just because I said almonds are good doesn't mean you need to eat the whole bag.

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What Top 20 Foods Benefit Health The Most?

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What top 20 foods benefit health the most? Fortunately, healthy choices are available; it just takes a little extra effort and discipline. Here's a hint though - you're not likely to find these top 20 foods at a drive-thru. Learn more.

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HOW TO START WORKING OUT || Gym for Beginners - Life After College: Ep. 492

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Full Day On How to Start #workout #exercise at the #gym for summer featuring IFBB Pro, Mr. Olympia Men's Physique Bodybuilder Tory Woodward. Training tips, cooking, workout supplements, clothing, shoes, eating, and more for Ectomorph (hard gainers), mesomorphs, and endomorphs.

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Gain Muscle Fast for Teens & Adults Edited

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How can I gain muscle fast? By following these 5 EASY RULES! 1. FOOD. Eat it. Put it in your belly. Give it some friends, put them in your belly too. Hell, make it a party, invite ALL the food! Again and again and again. 2. WORKOUT.

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#1 Fat Burning Tip:  Burn Body Fat and Lose Weight Fast (2 Week Challenge)!

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Big Boy Billy Makeover: http://www.iamalpham.com/index.php/topics/big-boy-billy-gets-a-makeover/ Target Heart Rate Calculation: http://www.iamalpham.com/index.php/topics/number-one-way-to-burn-body-fat/ My Website: http://www.iamalpham.com Alpha M. Style System (As Seen On Shark Tank): http://aaronmarino.com/alpha-m-style-system/ In this video men's style, grooming and fitness expert, aaron marino, shares with you his best fat burning tip to lose body fat, belly fat and lose weight with this simple lifestyle modification.

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by JODY BRAVERMAN

Jody Braverman

Jody Braverman is a professional writer and editor based in Atlanta. She studied creative writing at the American University of Paris and received a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Maryland. She also received personal trainer certification from NASM and her 200-hour yoga teacher certification from YogaWorks.

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Whenever you check out any fitness website or magazine, buff and chiseled men and women stare back at you, toned, tanned and happy. Although many of those images are probably Photoshopped, it's clear those people have put in their time at the gym. But maybe they're on to something: Research shows that not only can weightlifting improve your body composition and give you a toned appearance, it can also improve your overall health and make you a happier person. Weightlifting can help you burn fat, reduce your risk of diabetes, prevent back pain and even help you fight depression. Read on to find out all the benefits of weightlifting.

4 Be Better at Your Sport

Whether you're into basketball or baseball, weight training in the gym will translate into better performance, says fitness expert John Carrico. He gives the example of a soccer player doing heavy squats in the gym: "Obviously, a soccer player doesn't sit in the middle of the field and squat, but if he's able to do a high-rep squat with 200 pounds on his back, and he's in a high-intensity situation where he's pushing his limits, then those muscles will be able to push at a high intensity on the soccer field." Carrico, who co-owns Excellence Health and Fitness in Seattle, Washington, notes that weightlifting also improves dexterity, endurance and hand-eye coordination, all of which will help you be at the top of your game.

Related: Excellence Health and Fitness

11 Ladies, You Won't Get Bulky

Stop fearing the weights -- lifting them is not going to turn you into a muscle-bound freak. Building huge muscles is intentional and takes a great amount of work, says certified strength and conditioning coach Mike LoBue, including lifting heavy weight at a high volume many times a week, following a weight-gain diet with copious amounts of lean protein each day and taking supplements. LoBue assures that lifting weights and eating a healthy diet will result in a fit and lean body, not a big and bulky one.

Related: 5 Reasons Women Should Lift Weights

Where to Start?

Even though you know all the benefits of weightlifting, it can still be a challenge to start or stick to a weightlifting routine. John Carrico, fitness expert gives his number one tip: "Show up. Just walk in the door, just put the video in, just put your exercise shoes on. If you don't feel like doing it, just take the first step toward it. And then see if you can take the next step." Carrico also recommends getting your friends and family to work out with you to increase motivation. "Put yourself in an environment with other people who are like-minded and want to work out as well. Recruit your network."

What Do YOU Think?

Do you regularly lift weights? How many times per week? Do you lift at the gym or at home? Have you experienced any of these benefits? Whether you're a seasoned weightlifter, or just starting out, you know how hard it can be at times to get yourself into the gym for a workout. How do you motivate yourself? Leave a comment below and let us know.

Weightlifting Exercise Charts

Developing Detachment and Forming a Healthy Self-Image

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13 Benefits of Weightlifting That No One Tells You About

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Whenever you check out any fitness website or magazine, buff and chiseled men and women stare back at you, toned, tanned and happy. Although many of those images are probably Photoshopped, it's clear those people have put in their time at the gym.

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Guidelines For Managing Weight Gain or Loss

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Guidelines For Managing Weight Gain or Loss

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20-30% Gym
70-80% Diet
Diet is the most important aspect of fitness, so make sure that category has the most focus in order to reach your goal(s).

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According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), your clients should exercise 20 to 60 minutes, three to five days a week for health/fitness promotion (ACSM 1995).
http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/top-10-most-frequently-asked-questions-in-a-fitness-center-and-their-answers

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1. Don't skip meals, eat breakfast.
2. Do cardio & lift weights.
3. Establish your macronutirient percentages (i.e. - Protein 35%, Carbs 45%, Fat 20%).
4. Large quantities of water. Water is your friend :)
5. SLEEP. (7-9 Hours)

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http://tone-and-tighten.com/2014/05/top-ten-best-foods-to-eat-before-working-out-what-to-eat-before-your-workout.html