Everything is done at full speed in your life. From your commute to your meal preparation, you hardly take a break to sleep. The minute the alarm sounds in the morning you are in the shower, dressed, and out the door. Meals are always something easy and within reach and workouts are non-existent. Perhaps you have toyed with the idea of starting a fitness program, but time has been the major obstacle. You need a fast workout for your fast life that will give you great, maintainable results.
 
We must take time for ourselves in our busy lives. You can’t go on running at full speed without giving yourself moments to recharge and reconnect with your body. Non-stop action leads to serious stress. Stress can be a factor leading to obesity, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Because you are constantly on the move, it takes some serious scheduling and dedication to stay with a fitness routine. However, when your fitness routine contains fast workouts like 10 Minute Trainer, finding time is easier.
 
10 Minute Trainer was created with people like you in mind. Tony Horton knew that the modern adult needed a fast workout that could easily be incorporated into their busy daily schedule. With manageable 10 minute workouts, busy adults can more easily fit fitness into their lives. By simply carving 10 minutes out before your morning shower or 10 minutes when winding down in the evening you can be on your way to a healthy body and lower stress.
 

A fast workout can still be an effective workout.

 
When your body multitasks like you do, the work pays off. Tony created the “super stacking” technique in 10 Minute Trainer to cause your muscles to multitask. Rather than work one group at a time, you often find yourselves working two muscle groups simultaneously to get the most out of your 10 minute workout.

If you have a little more time on the weekend, you can do more than one 10 minute routine. Because these fast workouts are so versatile, you can mix and match them, even doing a full 30 to 40 minute workout if time permits. 10 Minute Trainer workouts will work your body. These aren’t some simple way to spend 10 minutes. But, we know that if you give your fast workout the intensity that you do the rest of your life, you will see great results in a short amount of time.

Finding an effective fast workout to fit into your busy schedule shouldn’t be difficult. When you spend all day running around, you should be able to dedicate 10 Minutes to your health. An excellent fitness routine that even includes 10 minute recipes for meals on the go, the 10 Minute Trainer was made for someone like you.

Plyometrics was developed as a way to gain speed and strength in the former Soviet Union. It was used primarily as training tool for track and field sports initially and later gained acceptance over the world as a form of training for a variety of sports as well as a fitness routine for the amateur athlete and health conscious adult.The goal of plyometrics is to gain strength, shorten reaction time, and even affect your central nervous system. With lots of jumping and limited time spent with two feet on the ground, there is no doubt that plyometrics is a one of a kind workout. Plyometrics is power training that involves “loading” muscles and contracting them in a quick manner. As with most power training, it is designed to increase the speed at which muscles contract, whether in jumping, running, throwing, punching or kicking.

Plyometric training is not just quick muscle reactions; it is a combination of events within the body working together for explosive movements. Plyometrics depends on a cooperative effort between the muscles, tendons, bones, and even nervous system to work. All of this cooperation ensures serious results in a high powered workout. Similar to the way your leg reacts when the doctor checks your reflexes, plyometrics is an attempt to get a powerful reaction from your system with short and fast stimulations.

By “loading” the movements, or increasing the tension within the muscles, a more explosive reflex or reaction can be expected. For instance, if measuring your vertical jump, being able to take a few steps prior to the jump increases the load on your muscles and will likely increase the height you are able to reach.

Pushing the body to achieve maximum response (think: reflex or spring movements) with coordination in a short amount of time, leads to great increases in power. Focusing on “fast-twitch” muscles leads to an improvement in speed and strength in short fast movements. Whether you are a runner, kick boxer, or softball player, plyometrics can improve strength and agility in your sports performance.

In addition to reducing the response time of your muscles and increasing overall strength, a plyometric workout is an extreme calorie burner. For people interested in losing fat while simultaneously gaining muscle, plyometrics is a great solution.

As with other high powered movements, plyo workouts are not without the risk of injury. Being careful to warm up and stretch out the muscles will help prevent injury. Also, because the intensity of plyometrics is so high, it’s a good idea to do it sporadically as a part of a total fitness program.

Be sure to check out the plyometrics workout that is part of the P90X series. P90X is a total body transformation system that includes many high quality and high powered workouts, including plyometrics.

Whey, whey, whey, everyone is touting the benefits of whey protein. But what exactly are the benefits and what makes whey so great?
As we know, protein is a great substance, important for our bodies in everything from our muscles to our fingernails. Protein is the building block of life and is responsible for tissue growth and repair. It aids in the production of hormones, enzymes, and other substances that make our bodies efficient. It is an important component in the makeup of our muscles, skeleton, skin, and blood. Without protein, our bodies would not exist.
 
Vital in the fitness world, protein builds and repairs muscles. When we workout our muscles experience trauma and tears. Proteins are what repair those tissues and make them stronger the next time around. By patching our muscles, protein repairs and reinforces what was already there, making us stronger and possibly bigger than before. Because of the great tissue repairing power of protein, it is seen as the optimal post-workout snack. Whey protein powder, a good source of protein, then is a great supplement to a fitness regime.

So why should we choose whey protein powder over other forms of protein or supplements?

Whey protein is a natural source of protein that comes from cow’s milk. In its purest form, whey protein contains little to no fat, cholesterol, or lactose. In addition to the regular benefits of protein, whey protein and subsequently whey protein powder also have added benefits.

For instance, whey protein acts in the digestive system similarly to yogurt. Because of the bacteria in the protein it is seen as a natural remedy for many common digestive issues, including bowel problems and gas. Whey is also seen to be a natural immune boost, improving your body’s ability to fight infection and stay healthy.

Also, whey protein has the highest “biological value” (BV) of any known protein. This means that whey protein is one of the best sources of pure protein. Right up there with egg whites, whey protein is one of the best, natural ways of getting pure protein.

Whey protein can also aid in fat loss. When you consume a shake made with whey protein powder, for instance, you are typically using it as a substitution for a higher fat and higher calorie source of protein. Because of this, you are likely to decrease caloric intake and are more likely to lose weight. Also, diets high in protein are thought to decrease insulin sensitivity, reducing the body’s urge to store fat as well as reducing cravings.

When deciding to include a whey protein powder as part of your healthy diet, it is important to find one that has limited fat and calories. A good whey protein powder will contain pure protein with less additives and extra ingredients. If you’re in the market for a whey protein powder that fits these requirements and can give you the benefits of whey protein in a convenient shake, check out the whey protein powders we have, available in chocolate and vanilla.

If you enjoy hip hop, or at least enjoy dancing, Hip Hop Abs will have you moving to some great beats, sure to get you heart rate up. The moves will firm your midsection and do so in a fun and hip way. Shaun T. created Hip Hops Abs as a hip hop dance workout to get big results. With the level of energy in this series, you likely won’t even realize you are working out. It’s a fun, rhythmic way to get fit to some hot music.
 
Shaun T. uses his “Three T’s” to get your abs rock hard and your body on track for fitness. The Three T’s include: Tilt, Tuck, and Tighten, a sort of standing crunch that is incorporated throughout Hip Hop Abs. Never before has a hip hop dance workout delivered the abdominal results like Hip Hop Abs. By following Shaun T.’s instructions and keeping your core engaged as you “tilt, tuck, and tighten”, you will create the abdominal muscles you have dreamed of.
 
Pair the Three T’s with great cardio and you’ve got a recipe for a hard body. Cardio burns fat, while the Three T’s build muscle. Like any fitness routine, cardio and strength training must work together to get the best results. Unlike running or biking, moving to the beat in a hip hop dance workout is a fun way to get your heart rate up and your body’s fat burning on high.
 
Shaun T. won’t lead you blindly into this hip hop ab workout. With the instructional and introductory DVD, Secrets to Flat Abs, he will lay out the basic moves that are going to get you fit. Breaking the moves down into easily learned steps, you will be ready to take this hip hop ab workout by storm. Fat Burning Cardio is the DVD that will have the calories melting away as you dance to high energy music with big beats, certain to get your heart rate up. Ab Sculpt focuses specifically on the abs and transforming them into a rock hard group of serious muscles. The final DVD, Total Body Burn combines the high energy of cardio with some serious sculpting to give you a great total body workout.

 
When searching for a hip hop dance workout, you want something that is fun and productive. Hip Hop Abs pairs great music with fun moves, a great combination to keep you interested and get you fit. Hip Hop Abs even has the option of turning the music up while keeping the instructional voice of Shaun T. down. So on days when you just feel like dancing or once you get the moves down, you can crank the beats and drown out everything else.

Hip Hop Abs is a great hip hop dance workout that will get you fit and do it in a fun way.

We’ve all heard the overused phrase “no pain no gain” in reference to fitness and weight loss, but is there any truth to it in the world of strength training? The answer: yes. Discomfort, not excruciating pain, is a sign that your muscles have been worked appropriately and are in the process of repairing, or building. Whether you are doing a strength training routine for muscle building and definition or more for a weight loss aid, a certain level of discomfort is a good sign.When muscle is worked to the point of failure (or complete exhaustion) it will be sore. This soreness is due to muscle trauma. During strength training, or any strenuous exercise, tiny tears occur in the muscles. As your body works to repair and reinforce those tears and trauma, muscle is built and gained. Think of it as a thick layer of spackle on a crack in the wall. Our body naturally repairs these traumatized muscles and this is where we gain muscle mass.
 
Of course tears in the muscle will cause pain and slight discomfort. When working your muscles to the point of failure, however, or participating in a strenuous fitness program, you must be able to recognize the difference between good pain and bad pain. True “no pain, no gain”, but too much pain will not increase your results. As you design or embark on a strength training routine, you will get to know your body, what it can handle and when you have gone too far. It is important to ease into these intense routines, however, because pain can also be a sign of injury.
 
Injury can keep you out of a strength training routine for weeks. Knowing how much to do in order to reach muscle failure is key, rather than pushing your body past what is a healthy level of exertion. With any repetitious strength training move, you should be able to comfortably execute the move for the first several reps, but be struggling by the last. If the first few reps are exhausting, you may be pushing too hard. Taking it slow to find the balance that is right for you is vital. 
 
“No pain, no gain” isn’t just a cute term, it’s true when it comes to exercise and strength training. The next time you wake up and feel like you were run over by a truck, or wonder if everyone notices your funny, uncomfortable gait due to a great leg routine, remember you are building muscle and while you are experiencing this discomfort, your body is getting stronger for next time.
 

Your resting heart rate is how many times your heart beats in a minute when you are at rest. When you heart beats it pushes blood throughout the body. People whose heart has to work harder will have a higher resting heart rate than those with a very strong heart. A very strong heart pumps more blood with each beat and therefore requires fewer beats per minute.
 
Your resting heart rate then is a decent indicator of your heart strength. The resting heart rate is best taken in the morning before you get out of bed. By placing your fingers on the neck or wrist to find a pulse and tracking beats per minute you will arrive at your resting heart rate. To avoid counting beats for an entire minute, you can count them for ten seconds and take the result times 6 for the same answer.
 
Many elite athletes have very low resting heart rates. Long distance runners who work their hearts on a daily basis through extended training and cardiovascular exercise may have a resting heart rate as low as 30 in extreme cases. Ideally, adults want to have a resting heart rate between 60 and 100 beats per minute. Average resting heart rates for men are typically 70 and for women, 75.
 
 
Because the resting heart rate can be a good indicator of overall cardiovascular health it is something you should monitor. It can be interesting to take your heart rate before beginning a fitness training program and then again several weeks into it. There is no doubt you will see a reduction in the resting heart rate.

Activities that strengthen the heart and therefore lower the resting heart rate are called cardio or aerobic activities. Cardio exercises are an important part of any fitness program, burning calories and increasing heart health. Things like running, brisk walking, kickboxing, and bicycling are all good cardio activities that will aid in the strengthening of your heart.

Your resting heart rate is also used to determine a number called your “target heart rate”. Your target heart rate is the number of beats per minute you want your heart to reach during cardio activities. This number represents a good spot for calorie burning and for increasing heart strength. Check out this blog post for more information about finding your target heart rate.

By using your resting heart rate as a measuring tool in heart health, you can see how your cardio program aids your heart strength over time. It’s fascinating to watch that number drop as your heart gets more efficient at pumping blood through the body.

The short answer is no. Spot training does not work. Crunches will not immediately burn fat on your stomach. Nor do leg raises melt fat off of your thighs. There are several reason spot reducing isn’t effective. It’s true that genetics has a lot to do with where we gain weight and were it comes off first when we lose. For some people fat around the middle goes last. You can lose weight but because of genetics, your tummy won’t go until you really step up the exercise and buckle down on the eating.Although spot training will not reduce fat on those areas specifically, it will improve the muscle tone. For instance, if you are trying to lose weight in your stomach and do 200 crunches or 3 ab routines a day you won’t necessarily lose the fat there but you will gain strength and muscle tone in your midsection. What this means is when the fat finally does come off, it will reveal more defined muscles because you have already been training those muscles.
 
Also, spot training can increase metabolism and help you lose weight just like any other strength training routine. When you build muscle, your metabolism is increased thereby increasing the likelihood that your body will burn fat. This works because muscle burns more calories than fat, even at rest. As a part of any weight loss program , you must incorporate strength training. While this won’t burn fat immediately where you train (saggy arms anyone?) it will increase your metabolism and cause your body to burn more fat overall.
 
Also important in losing fat is cardio workouts. Cardio or raising your heart rate to an aerobic level immediately burn calories. Things like running, kick boxing, dancing, and biking are all good cardio exercises. While this calorie burn isn’t sustained like the one you get by strength training and gaining muscle mass, it is important none the less.
 
If you stomach or thighs are the last trouble area to go when you lose weight, it’s definitely time to pick up the fitness effort. By strength training and increasing cardio you can lose fat overall and gain muscle definition. Spot training won’t get you closer to your goal, but is an okay addition to any strength training workout.

Overtraining, mostly found in weight trainers, runners, and serious athletes can lead to injury and physical exhaustion. When training, whether for an athletic event or for weight loss, people sometimes get over anxious and quit listening to their body. Being aware of what causes overtraining can help you avoid it and minimize time spent on the sidelines. Listening to your body and being aware of its limits will reduce the chance of overtraining. The truth is: the body only makes improvements during rest times. Yes, seriously. The benefits of all of that heavy lifting and those situps happen once you stop. When you are training, tiny tears occur in the muscles. During periods of rest the body repairs these tears, similar to patching drywall or welding metal. These reinforced areas become stronger than they were pre-trauma and this is where the benefits of training come in.
 
When you fail to give your body time to heal, you not only fail to make progress, you actually start to do damage. Weight training without recovery periods is like punching holes in the wall without taking the time to patch them up. Good fitness routines account for this by having rest days or periods of cross training.
 
Another key in being able to recognize overtraining before it happens is listening to your body. When you don’t pay attention to how your body feels, you increase the chances of injury and other symptoms of overtraining. A twinge of ankle pain may turn into a sidelining injury if precautions are not taken when the pain first starts. Adjusting your workouts to cater to any overly sore muscles or joints will protect you from injury associated with overtraining.
 
Keep in mind this doesn’t mean you have to take a whole day off of exercising every other day. It just means that you don’t want to work the same muscle groups everyday consistently or you may push them too hard. This is why many routines will have you do shoulder and back one day followed by legs the next. If you did shoulders and back three days in a row you would be missing out on the recovery period and pushing those muscles to the point of potential injury.
 
Keeping the science of muscle gain in mind can help prevent overtraining. In order to make progress, your muscles must repair themselves. Without repair comes further damage and possible injury. Overtraining can have you completely out of the exercise game for a long period if not cautious. By learning to alternate workouts and listening to your body, you can prevent overtraining and get the maximum benefit from your fitness routine.
 

Metabolism is the scientific process within our body that burns calories to function optimally. If you have a “high metabolism” your body burns more calories than if you have what is referred to as a “slow metabolism”. While there are many theories about what can increase your metabolism, very little of it is actually proven. Supplements may work to elevate your heart rate and get things moving within your body, but if you are looking for an all natural way to increase metabolism, here are a few hints.
 
1. Increase Muscle Mass: Muscle burns more calories than fat. This means that even at rest, muscles are using more energy than fat. If you increase your lean muscle mass through exercise you will increase metabolism.
 
2. Eat Breakfast: You have been fasting through the night. Our bodies are taught to put the brakes on our metabolism when it seems as if we might be entering a period of starvation. This is why starvation diets often backfire. By keeping a steady stream of nourishment going you are stoking the metabolic fires.
 
3. Eat Whole Foods: Your body uses energy to digest food. Highly processed food is often already broken down. There is evidence that whole, unprocessed foods require more energy to break down, thereby increasing your metabolism.
 
4. Add Sources of Lean Protein: Protein requires more energy for your body to digest. By introducing good sources of lean protein you are pushing you increase metabolism easily.
Anyone trying to lose weight is interested in easy ways to increase metabolism. If you think a supplement is more your style, then check out Slimming Formula. Slimming Formula has a good blend of green tea extract and pyruvate to keep your metabolism running on high.

You have no doubt heard the term “core training” lately. What is meant by your “core” is the central muscles in the trunk of your body. These muscles work together to protect organs, produce movement, and keep you upright. They have something to do with nearly every movement you make, so their importance is obvious.One of the best side effects of having a strong core is good posture. When your muscles act together in harmony your body is carried in a way that reduces pain and strain. Many people suffer from back pain (particularly in the lower back) that can be minimized with core training and subsequent improvement in posture.
 
Think about it. Your abdominal muscles, back muscles, and the muscles in your hips and butt all work together to keep you upright and standing tall. When one muscle or group of muscles in this team isn’t doing its part, the other groups have to compromise and work harder to keep you up. By training your core you can ensure that all of the core muscles are pulling their weight and none of them are overcompensating for the others.
 
Core training includes a wide variety of exercises. Anything that causes you to engage your stomach muscles, back muscles and gluteus muscles is likely good for your core. Moves that require stabilization of all three of these groups are excellent in the world of core training. Pushups and planks are an obvious choice when core training.

Yoga is another great exercise for core training. Because yoga requires good balance, and coordination it is often using more than one group of core muscles at a time. You engage many muscles through the trunk of your body while holding yoga poses. Yoga workouts like those in the P90X series and 10 Minute Trainer are both great for core training.

By increasing the strength of your core you encourage great posture. With great posture come alleviation of pain and discomfort in the back and hips as well. Core training is a great way to get your exercise while improving your posture and gait and giving you a physical reason to walk with your head high.