A workout that improves both strength and endurance, and jump-starts your metabolism? The world’s most scientifically proven workout, it’s time efficient and incorporates strength, flexibility, coordination and cardio fitness into the same workout? Studies at Baylor University and Cooper Institute, show it’s the most efficient way to improve fitness.
What in the world is this new wonder workout? Well, actually it’s not so new. It’s been around for decades. But it is a wonder. This wonder workout is called circuit training. For decades Soloflex has been famous for being a great circuit training machine. Circuit training combines 6-10 exercises that are completed one right after the other, with little or no rest between exercises. You get your heart pumping hard doing this circuit but that’s the idea.
This workout is a great time saver. No rest between exercises really gets the ball rolling fast. Circuit training can be weight lifting only or you can sprinkle in a few aerobics between resistance exercises.
Designing your own workout for circuit training, you want to choose exercises that work different muscle groups. For example: Using dumbbells, do squats, bent-over rows, overhead presses, curls, deadlifts and then run in place. You do 10-12 reps of each exercise then rest 1 minute. Repeat the whole circuit 3 times.
Make the effort to try circuit training. It really is the best workout for fast results and it’s a big time saver. Studies show circuit training helps you achieve your goals faster and maintain them longer than any other form of exercise or diet. Exercise is cumulative. Each time you do it, the benefits add to the last time you did it.
Anyone out there have any circuit training tips for us? Or maybe a few samples of good workouts? It’s good to have variety in your workouts so samples are a big help.
I used to go to the gym… I went almost every day for a year or two. First during the day and then at night. During the day, the personal trainers “trained” the Hooters Girls (yes, my gym had actual Hooters Girls), and the serious body builders glared at anyone who dared enter the freeweight area. Groups of young girls in $200 sneakers and way more makeup than I wore at my wedding giggled and gossiped in the cardio areas. I stuck to the perimeter, did my own thing and got the hell out of there. Kind of like high school.
Eventually I switched to nights because I thought it would be less crowded. It was, but it wasn’t any better. In fact, it got worse. Enter the night shift, a group of young men who showed up every night without fail. I’m not sure what these guys were doing at the gym, but it was definitely not to work out. Swear to God they were dressed in street clothes, a la Night at the Roxbury, and sporting enough cologne for a football team. OMG WTF!!!?! These spiky haired clones looked ready to troll the nearest meat market for easy prey. Ok, so they did use a few of the machines (mainly the ones I wanted to use!), but not for working out. Instead they sat on machines making what I can only guess were booty calls. After about a week, I decided to call it quits. That’s how I became a drop out. I’m happy to say that it hasn’t taken much to continue my workouts at home. Just some hand weights, good music and a pair of sneakers. Now my workout doesn’t feel so much like work.
Intense weight lifting will increase the bodies production of human growth hormone. HGH has been proven to increase bone density, increase muscle mass, decrease body fat, strengthen the heart and increase blood vessel elasticity. Some studies have shown that HGH increases skin thickness, which helps eliminate wrinkles.
It is known that human growth hormone is important for attaining optimum health. Reduction in levels of HGH leads to premature aging and an entire host of other aging-related symptoms. But an increase in growth hormone should ONLY come from natural sources, your body!
Lifting weights will increase HGH, which in turn has the power to make you:
- Look Younger
- Lose fat
- Reduce wrinkles
- Improve your skin texture
- Improve your skin elasticity
- Feel younger
- Elevate your mood
- Improve your sleep
- Restore your sex drive
- Increase your overall energy
- Restore your bone and muscle mass
- Reduce your blood pressure
- Reduce your cholesterol
- Normalizes your blood sugar
- Regenerate your heart, liver, kidneys, lungs
Start weightlifting today and begin to change your biological age!
PS…here are a few reasons not to inject HGH
- Swelling in your arms and legs
- Arthritis-like symptoms
- Headaches
- Bloating
- Muscle pain
- Diabetes
- Abnormal growth of bones and internal organs
- Hardening of the arteries
Nothing has significantly helped children who are being treated for Crohn’s disease in regards to bone and muscle atrophy, except whole body vibration. This is after years of experimenting with various drugs and nutrition programs, most of which, are having little or no effect on these children’s bone and muscle density.
The reason for the lack of bone density in children with Crohn’s disease is unknown, but it is thought that steroids taken to control the disease can accelerate the problem. Until now, doctors were unsure how to reverse the effects of this devastating problem, but after years of study they have finally found that whole body vibration may be the answer. 
A new $3mm study called ” healthy vibrations” is under way and is being funded by the National Institutes of Health.
First of all, what is serotonin? Serotonin is a chemical that helps relay signals from one area of the brain to another. Serotonin is manufactured in the brain. That’s where it performs it’s major function. However, 90% of our Serotonin is in the digestive tract and in the blood.
It is believed Serotonin influences a variety of mind and body functions. It affects brain cells related to mood, sexual desire and function, appetite, sleep, memory and learning, temperature regulation and some social behaviors. It affects the function of our heart and muscles.
There are ways to increase Serotonin levels: 1) A diet of whole grain carbs and low in protein (Inhibitors are whole wheat and rye bread
). 2) Acupuncture has been known to stimulate the release of Serotonin. 3) Fruits such as dates, papaya and bananas. 4) Prescription drugs.
However the very best way to raise Serotonin levels would be to get exercise. Studies have shown that Serotonin levels are raised with increased activity and it is increased for some days after the activity. This is the safest way of increasing Serotonin levels. Exercise affects the biology in the brain the same way anti-depression drugs do.
Researchers believe men and women may use Serotonin differently. Men and women react differently to a reduction. This may be why women suffer from depression more than men. Men become impulsive but not depressed. Women experience a marked drop in mood and become more cautious. This is a response common in depression.
Several research centers around the world noted a Serotonin deficiency in Alzheimer’s patients.
Increasing muscle is important in Serotonin levels. Muscles don’t use the amino acid needed to make Serotonin.
Instead of using drugs to fight depression, evidence reveals that exercise can be a natural route to treating mild depression. Patients can learn how to treat themselves without relying on prescription drugs.
Winter generally makes us all more depressed. A winter workout is very important. During our recent snow storms I increased my muscles building exercises just to keep me happier. And it worked!
I started out wanting to write a blog post about great workouts and got totally distracted by these workout video gems…….enjoy!