You see them at the gym and running down the trails. You even see them on your home workout DVD’s being used by the trainers and the exercisers alike. But what is the purpose of a heart rate monitor exactly? Well, there are several reasons one may want to use a heart rate monitor. Depending on your fitness goals and your current shape, your reasons could be different. In the case of most workout programs, however, the reason to use a heart rate monitor is to ensure you get the absolute most out of your workouts.

A heart rate monitor reads the electrical signal of your heart. They process this electric beat with a small computer, relaying to you just how many times your heart is beating per minute. Some more high tech heart rate monitors can track the history of your heart rate and let you know how long you spend at a certain rate.

What is the purpose of a heart rate monitor? In most cases people use them to ensure they are getting the most out of their workouts.

This brings us to the question what is the purpose of a heart rate monitor and how can you use one in your daily workouts. With each workout you want to be working in a target heart rate zone. This means you want to have your heart rate elevated just enough to ensure your heart and your body is both getting an optimal workout. When you work within the target heart rate zone you will burn maximum calories, leading to better workout results.

Your target heart rate can be determined in a number of ways. Check out this chart from the American Heart Association basing your target heart rate on your age and a series of averages. If you want a more precise number, try this formula that uses your resting heart rate to calculate.

Once you know your target heart rate it becomes apparent what is the purpose of a heart rate monitor. Workout without enough intensity and you won’t see the results you want. Workout too hard and you run the risk of overdoing it.

For more information on using a heart rate monitor, type “heart rate monitor” in the blog search box above and to your right. There you will find several posts with valuable information.

I am a big fan of simple tips. Fitness, health, diet, and time management tips are just a few of the things I like to find online and in books and magazines. Healthy eating tips are especially beneficial when you are trying to lose weight or change your eating habits. Tips like these can be short, effective ways to make eating better simple. You can find them on front pages of online magazines and in blogs like this one. But some of the best healthy eating tips come from the source, people who already eat healthy.

Look around, there are health nuts everywhere. Maybe you work with a marathoner or a busy mom who always manages to look like a fitness instructor. Your best friend may have no problems managing their weight and fitness.

Chances are there are several great resources for healthy eating tips already present in your life. Use them!

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Most often, these people are proud of their lifestyle and more than willing to share. You would be surprised at the great deal of healthy eating tips you can get from people in your world.

I remember asking a friend, who was formerly a trainer, a very casual question about glute exercises. The following day I had a workout plan in my email inbox. Not one he found online, but one he created for me, just because.

Healthy eaters are the same way. The majority of them do little things throughout their life to make their healthy choices easier and they would love to share these with the world. Whether those healthy eating tips involve proportioning snack foods into Ziploc bags or always keeping frozen fruit on hand for hot summer sweet cravings, healthy folks can be a great source of high quality and easy tips.

And, as always, keep coming back here for great tips on staying fit and healthy!

There are many supplements on the market claiming to be the best. Afterall, a good supplement company should have enough pride in their product to believe they have the best to offer people. However, not every supplement can be the best. By knowing what to look for you can determine what is the best protein shake options with ease.

Knowing what to look for when searching out what is the best protein shake is crucial. The packaging doesn’t make the best supplement, nor does the thousands of dollar potentially spent on marketing and celebrity endorsements. The answer to the question “What is the best protein shake?” comes from looking at the ingredients contained within and the company behind the product.

There are several options when choosing a protein shake. Many shakes get their protein from milk, casein, soy, or egg. When determining which protein source you want in your shakes, you should know that many people consider the answer to “what is the best protein shake”, to be whey protein.

Whey protein is derived from milk. The difference between milk protein and whey protein, however, is that whey protein contains no fat and no lactose. This means with whey protein you get the benefits of a high quality protein source without the negative attributes of others.

What is the best protein shake should be answered by also considering the company that produces the shake. A high quality protein shake should come from a company known for their fitness smarts. Companies like Beachbody know a thing or two about what makes a fit body and how to incorporate high quality supplements into a fitness program.

In addition to seeking out a premium protein shake, like the Beachbody Whey Protein Powders, keep in mind that there are additional sources of high quality protein. Other options include protein bars and even the P90X Recovery Formula.

In all of the best workout programs, you progress. When you started P90X you may have wondered if you would make it through. Waking up in the morning with muscles so sore you could scream, you may have even toyed with quitting. But, if you are now considering P90X+ as your next move, you obviously didn’t give up. 90 days of P90X has you toned and fit. If you followed the program correctly, you saw some dramatic changes in the way you look and the way you feel. P90X+ is next on the menu.

P90X+ (P90X Plus) is to P90X as P90X is to Power 90. None of these workout systems are for the faint of heart, but P90X+ is the fitness king of them all. With P90X+ you will go from finally getting ahead with P90X to feeling the burn all over again.

As you completed the 90 day P90X program your body adjusted to the demands you made of it. With these demands came fat loss and muscle gain. As this happened the P90X workouts became easier and easier. In order to continue to make progress, a change is needed. P90X+ will bring that change and another opportunity for you to really bring it.

P90X+ is a companion to the P90X system. You won’t completely abandon the P90X workouts, you will simply add the new P90X+ workouts to your regimen. Six new workouts make up the P90X+ system. Those workouts include Interval X Plus, Cardio Kenpo Plus, Upper Plus, Total Body Plus, and Abs/Core Plus.

These 5 new workouts will give your muscles something to scream about again. Tony Horton keeps bringing the burn with this system and ensures that those P90X graduates who are craving more will find a system to challenge them and continue to bring major results.

P90X+ is the big brother of the P90X system. It is for those who have completed P90X and are ready for another challenge.

Omega 3 Fish Oil Tablets are a great way to get omega 3 fatty acids in your diet. They are simple and reasonably priced. They don’t require you to eat fatty fish every day but are meant as a supplement to an already balanced diet. Omega 3 fats have been shown to have numerous positive effects on general health and omega 3 fish oil tablets give you convenient delivery of these powerful fats.

Omega 3 fats are an essential fat. What that means is they must come from your diet; they are not produced by the body. Just how beneficial these fats are continues to be studied. There are numerous studies currently out suggesting these fats have far reaching benefits, however.

A diet rich in omega 3’s like those found in omega 3 fish oil tablets can improve cardiovascular health, for starters. Omega 3’s have a natural tendency to reduce inflammation throughout the body. This doesn’t only mean they are beneficial in regulating such pain disorders as arthritis but can also work to decrease blood pressure and improve brain function.

There is even recent evidence that supplementing your diet with omega 3 fish oil tablets can improve your mood. Check out this article I posted a few months back on the effects of omega 3 fats on mood disorders like depression.

Fatty fish like salmon and sardines are rich in omega 3 fats. This is why omega 3 fish oil tablets are such a potent way of getting the essential fats. Because not many of us get enough fatty fish in our diets, omega 3 supplements make it easy.

Omega 3 fish oil tablets like the Core Omega 3 capsules we sell here are a great way to ensure you are getting all of the benefits of a diet rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. One thing that makes these capsules different is the fats are released in the intestine rather than the stomach. This reduces the common fish burps that many people experience with other omega 3 fish oil tablets.

Omega 3 supplements are a great addition to any healthy diet.

The yoga craze is still in full force. Don’t expect this to be a fad though. Yoga is a wonderful way to build long lean muscle, keep your body limber, and reduce stress. It is one of the oldest forms of exercise in the world and it has lasted this long for a reason, because it works. Yoga doesn’t require any fancy tools or accessories. You only need a mat and some water for hydrating. With all of the options out there, however, why would you want to use an extra thick yoga mat?

Yoga mats serve a few different purposes in the typical yoga workout. One of these purposes is to give your palms and feet a good grip surface. Yoga has you in many different inverted poses. You will spend a lot of time with your hands on the floor with yoga routines like Yoga X in the P90X series. Stretching and holding poses requires your hands and feet not to slip out from under you. Yoga mats provide a slightly sticky surface to keep you stationary like carpeting can’t.

Another good reason for extra thick yoga mats: cushioning. Yoga is not a high impact workout. However, the cushioning provided in extra thick yoga mats is easy on the joints and your feet and hands. Yoga is done in your bare feet; a cushioned surface makes the workout more comfortable to all of your parts.

Here at ExtremeBody Workout, we have one last reason for using extra thick yoga mats. That reason is the Plyometrics DVD of P90X. If you have the P90X system you will want to own a yoga mat not only for the Yoga X but also for the high impact Plyometrics workout. This is where the cushioning really pays off.

If you are in the market for extra thick yoga mats, take a look at the Manduka Plyo/Yoga Mat that offers ¼ inch of cushioning.

There are many possible reasons you could be looking for exercises to jump higher. Perhaps you play basketball or aspire to dunk on your friends in your next pick-up game. Maybe you just started track and field and are looking to improve your high jump. Whatever the case, there are many people out there interested in exercises to jump higher. Well, practice makes perfect so one of the first ways to ensure you are getting maximum spring is by jumping!

Let’s talk about what a jump is before we delve into finding exercises to jump higher. A jump occurs when force is applied to a stationary surface, which propels a reactionary force propelling you, the jumper, into the air. You’ve heard the old adage “every action has an equal and opposite reaction”? Well that applies here.

The key to jumping higher is increasing the force you apply to the ground. This force is where you find your spring and what propels you into the air.

The force we are talking about is generated when you prepare to jump. If you are doing a stationary jump, this force is marked by a slight bend at the knees right before you push off. That push is the force. And that push is governed by the muscles in your legs and glutes primarily.

Good exercises to jump higher will involve strengthening those muscles that propel your jumps. Strength training your legs and glutes are a surefire way to increase the force which you apply to the ground when preparing to jump. Weighted squats and step ups are a good place to start.

In addition, practicing your jump moves will strengthen those muscles and train them for the powerful spring action. The P90X Plyometrics DVD workout delivers some serious jump training. Plyometrics is actually called “jump training”. It trains the body to react with strong and fast movements.

For additional in-depth information about plyometrics, check out this blog post.

Strengthening the muscles used in jumping and practicing your explosive power moves will all but guarantee more powerful and higher jumps.

One of the hardest parts of starting a fitness regimen is staying motivated. If you don’t like the workout it will be far more difficult to continue it day in and day out. When you do find a workout system that you enjoy it makes your daily exercise routine more fun and enjoyable. It makes it far easier to actually get the workout done. You may even find yourself looking forward to your workouts. For many people, a dance exercise DVD is where this fun can be found.

Dance exercise DVDs pair fitness and choreography. Depending on the workout, you could be getting fit and not even realize. Okay, the sweat rolling down your body might be a good sign of your effort, but the fact is, a high quality dance exercise DVD can improve your chances of following through on a consistent workout plan.

There are many dance exercise DVDs currently on the market. The options are truly endless. When seeking out the best dance exercise DVD for your fitness needs remember to not only look for something with good music and moves but something that has shown results for people.

Hip Hop Abs is one good option that we carry here. It is a dance exercise DVD like no other. It works your core in a way that you may not have realized was possible, all while getting loose to hip music. You will workout your midsection without any crunches and that in itself is a good reason to check this system out.

In addition, Turbo Jam combines elements of kickboxing and dance to create another system that makes working out fun. Turbo Jam has given major results to many people who have stuck with it. It is a high energy fun workout system that engages you and gets you moving with Chalene Johnson’s infectious attitude.

Finding a dance workout DVD to help keep you motivated is easy here at ExtremeBody Workout!

Celiac disease is a growing problem in this nation and in the world. It is becoming more and more common but is still surrounded by an air of mystery. Many people don’t know what celiac disease is even when they have it. It is under-diagnosed and often misdiagnosed as other digestive problems. Once diagnosed, however, it is completely normal to wonder about celiac disease and working out and how the two may affect or inhibit one another.

Celiac disease is a sensitivity to gluten in food products. Symptoms of the disease are fairly common to many digestive disorders and include bloating, fatigue, pain and cramping, diarrhea, nausea, and weight loss. It is easy to see why this condition is often misdiagnosed as IBS or more common ailments. The problem lies when the small intestine is damaged because of this sensitivity. Once diagnosed, people who suffer from the disease must overhaul their diet eliminating all things with gluten including all wheat, barley, and rye products. Next, they must concern themselves with how everyday activities have been affected by the disease. This includes looking at the relationship between celiac disease and working out.

Celiac disease and working out doesn’t have to be a problem. However, there are a few things that should be considered. As this short piece from eHow points out, years and years of living with the disease without a diagnosis can damage bone density due to malnutrition. Because of this, high impact fitness may not be a good idea if you have suffered for years with the disease. Things like running and jumping could put unnecessary stress on your joints.

Exercise is crucial to overall health, however, and even people with celiac disease need to stay active. Speak with your doctor about fitness and more than likely he will echo that even once diagnosed with celiac disease, fitness is important. Celiac disease and working out do not have to be independent of one another.

If you find yourself with symptoms of the disease that seem to be more troublesome in the morning, try working out in the evening instead. Tailor your exercise regimen to your disease. Many people live comfortably with the disease once their symptoms are brought under control. During this time, with the consent of your doctor you can pair celiac disease and working out together as a normal healthy adult.

For additional information on celiac disease, check out this article: What is celiac disease and why is it on the rise?

Many people first become interested in the P90X Peak Recovery Formula after hearing Tony Horton discuss it in the P90X workouts or after seeing it in their P90X materials. The P90X Formula is designed to give people optimal recovery for their P90X workouts. This drink mix goes far beyond any other nutritional shake and provides the body with the nutrients and fuel it needs following a workout as strenuous as P90X.

Here at ExtremeBody Workout, we recommend the P90X Formula be part of your initial program start up. While there isn’t much you need for the dramatic results with P90X, the Recovery Formula will ensure your body is getting the nourishment it needs for serious success.

During the workouts, your body undergoes some intense stress. Your muscles will experience trauma in the effort to get bigger and stronger. You will sweat and you will use up your glycogen stores for energy. The P90X Formula was designed with all of this in mind.

P90X Recovery Formula provides the body with protein to assist in the repair of those muscle tissues. Muscle growth happens through tiny traumas and their subsequent repair. Protein is the nutrient responsible for this repair and the P90X Formula ensures you are getting a good dose of it when you need it most.

The P90X Formula also works to replenish all of that spent energy but replenishing your glycogen stores and ensuring your cells have fuel to thrive. It’s packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to promote better overall health and wellness.

When taken immediately following a workout, the key ingredients in the P90X formula are quickly absorbed for maximum benefits. The hour or so following your workouts is a crucial window in which you can feed the body a perfect combination of ingredients to ensure maximum recovery.

P90X Recovery Formula is the perfect nutritional companion to the P90X system.

Whether you pulled it working out or lifting something incorrectly, a pulled muscle can mean serious discomfort and a hiatus from your fitness regimen. The key to a total recovery is treating the pulled muscle with TLC and not rushing the recovery. Not taking a break to care for a pulled muscle or jumping back into the regular routine too quickly can lead to further injury and an even longer recovery time.

A pulled muscle isn’t the same as a muscle cramp. A cram involves the tightening and constricting of a muscle. A pulled muscle refers to an injury that is caused when a muscle is pulled too far and small tears occur in the fiber. For information on muscle cramps, see my post last week on the causes and treatments of cramps.

A pulled muscle can occur when you overdo a workout or strain your body when lifting, bending, or reaching. The pain involved in a pulled muscle can range from mild (something you can walk off and goes away in less than a day) to severe (marked by muscle spasms, limited motion, and possible bruising).

The treatment for a pulled muscle should involve immediate rest. Elevating the injured body part whenever possible will help reduce and prevent swelling. Ice is another essential treatment. It reduces inflammation and can also numb pain. Anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprophen are a good choice as they will relieve some of the pain and also reduce swelling.

As the pain subsides over a few hours or several days, you can start to slowly stretch and use the muscle again. It is at this stage that many people think they are on the mend and push their body too hard, ending up back at square one.

The key when nursing an injury like a pulled muscle is to take your recovery slowly.

Before you know it, with the right care, you will be back to your workouts. If pain is constant and you think your injury may be more than a pulled muscle, visit a doctor to eliminate other possibilities.

We find that many people are directed to this site after searching for the PX90 workout. Unfortunately, they won’t find that here. What they will find is P90X workout, which we are fairly convinced is what they wanted anyways. Regardless of how you spell it, the program is a serious fitness phenomena created to give people the body they have always wanted.

PX90 is the premier fitness program for intense life changing transformation. Celebrity trainer Tony Horton created this program in conjunction with the Beachbody company to give people the tools for optimal fitness. If you do this program you will see major results, simple as that!

The PX90 workout isn’t just a few exercise DVD’s. This is a lifestyle program that includes an entire Nutrition Guide. Not a pamphlet with handy suggestions, but a high quality glossy book filled with meal plans, recipes, and sound nutritional advice.

You aren’t just thrown into the PX90 workouts without assistance. The P90X Fitness Guide walks you through each one of the workouts, instructing you correctly on the moves and letting you know how each one will improve your shape and fitness level. In addition you will be able to read up on the science of muscle confusion and how the whole PX90 program works.

On top of all this you get the 12 DVDs with the transformational PX90 workouts. This isn’t your average workout system, this is an entire lifestyle program.

PX90 has changed the lives of many people. All you have to do is take a look at some of our testimonials. If you have had a good experience with the PX90 program, tell us about it here in the comment section. We love to hear about the success of our customers and so do potential consumers.

When you enter the fitness world, whether from purchasing a product like P90X or reading a fitness magazine, it won’t be long before you begin to realize just how popular protein supplements among people working on creating the best body possible. Protein supplements like vanilla whey protein shakes are used by everyone from professional bodybuilders to the average housewife looking to lose some extra weight.

High quality vanilla whey protein shakes offer optimal nutrition for muscle maintenance and fitness goals. Protein is a crucial nutrient in the whole fitness process. It is not unusual at all to see nutritional plans that recommend a dramatic increase in protein consumption with a fitness program. P90X is a great example of this.

While there are other excellent sources of protein, you may tire of egg whites for breakfast. Vanilla whey protein shakes are a great alternative to the regular protein rich foods. Post workout, a whey protein shake is a great way to refuel and also gives your muscles the nutrition they need for healing and growth.

While some people prefer to use protein like that in a vanilla whey protein shake for their post workout nutrition, the P90X recovery formula offers a perfect balance of carbohydrates and protein for muscle growth and energy replenishments.

Protein supplements can also be used in a meal replacement program for people on the move or those wishing to lose some weight. Simply use chocolate or vanilla whey protein shakes as part of your breakfast or lunch along with a piece of fresh fruit for a lower calorie option with great nutritional value.

Lastly, many vegetarians want to follow the P90X diet and struggle with the protein requirements. Protein supplements are the perfect solution to this. They allow people with limited diets get superior quality protein in a yummy alternative.

When seeking out a high quality whey protein shake product, be certain to check out those we sell here at ExtremeBody Workout.

I would venture to guess that the vast majority of people who start a fitness program do it in order to lose weight. I admit, not everyone has that as a goal. But, given the number of obese adults in this country and the booming weight loss industry, I don’t think it’s a stretch to assume most people exercise to get trim. Those people won’t be impressed with programs that promise gradual weight loss. Instead they are lured by exercises to lose weight quickly.

The rate at which you lose weight depends on many factors. You can’t just Google “exercises to lose weight quickly” and expect to find the holy grail of fitness moves. There are simply too many variations to weight loss for this to be possible.

Rather than being overly concerned with finding the groups of exercises to lose weight quickly, those people with weight loss goals should be looking for fitness programs that promise healthy and long lasting weight loss. Quick weight loss simply isn’t as rewarding when you gain it all back.

Depending on your current fitness level, a dramatic change in your diet and exercise program will bring about an initial fast weight loss. As your body gets accustomed to eating right and working out on a regular basis, your progress will slow. It is important during these times that you pay attention to more than just the number on the scale. As you build muscle your weight may remain the same even though your body composition is changing and improving. Body fat measurements and tape measures become crucial tools at this stage.

The fact is there is no magic pill or simple group of exercises to lose weight quickly. Hard work and a healthy lifestyle will lead to weight loss and confidence gains. When you are ready to get the body you have dreamed of, you must also be ready to take the changes as they come, whether dramatically fast as some points or painstakingly slow at others.

Finding a program that uses both cardio workouts for the health of your heart and lungs as well as strength training for muscle development is crucial. Pairing this with a nutritious diet will give you the results you want in a manner that is far more maintainable than any lose weight fast scheme.

Muscle cramps are part of being human. Chances are you have experienced them at some point. Whether you got a “charlie horse” in the middle of the night or felt the onset of a cramp while working out in the heat, they aren’t fun and definitely remind you you’re not invincible. The key to preventing muscle cramps is understanding how they happen.

Not all cramps are the same. They can occur throughout the body from your fingers to your toes and even your internal organs. Of course the muscle cramps we talk about here are those that occur in your muscles. They are most common in your arms and legs, as well as your back. Muscle cramps like these are characterized by a tightening or over excitement of the muscle which leads to pain and even temporary immobility.

Muscle cramps are commonly caused by dehydration. Fluid loss through perspiration when working out or working outside can lead to this dehydration. This is one of several reasons it is important to drink plenty of water throughout the day. They can be a precursor to heat stroke and serve as a warning sign to you that you need to hydrate and cool off.

Muscle cramps can also come from muscle fatigue or injury. Sometimes if you work your muscles too hard, they will cramp up. Similarly, occasionally cramps will occur as your muscles try to compensate or protect an injury, like a broken bone. This is commonly seen when muscles in the back spasm due to inflammation around a ruptured or bulging disc.

Vitamin deficiencies and some prescription medications can also lead to muscle cramps. Taking a good multivitamin and being aware of the side effects of your prescriptions can ward off these types of cramps.

For additional types of muscle cramps and several more causes, check out this great detailed article from the MedicineNet.com. Some of the best prevention for muscle cramps comes from hydration and muscle conditioning. Don’t forget to warm up and cool down before your workouts, and always make stretching a part of your fitness routines. Here’s some additional reading on how much water is enough and some good stretching information from the Mayo Clinic.