Lose Weight and Build Muscles -Supplements For Burning Fat & Gaining Lean Muscle

There is a belief that if you build lean muscle, you burn fat faster. This is true. Proper diet and workout go hand-in-hand if you want to lose weight and build leaner and toner muscles. To facilitate faster burning of fat and building of muscles, supplements can also help you achieve these goals. Warning: These supplements are not meant to be taken together. It is logical that before you try gaining lean muscle, you have to burn the flab first.

Here are some common supplements for burning fat:

1. Green Tea Extract is a known fat burner which contain EGCG and antioxidants. It is said that it is best used during intense workout because it speeds up metabolism and burn unwanted flab during these activities.

2. Fat Blockers are also very common and popular. They do exactly as the name implies, that is, to prevent fat from being absorbed by the body. They can also bring down the cholesterol level.

3. Carbohydrate blockers are very useful especially for people who eat a lot of carbs. They prevent these carbs from being converted into sugar in our body.

4. To build lean muscles, the most popular are whey protein and protein shakes. In order to build a lean and toned body frame, a low carbohydrate-high protein diet is recommended. Moreover, for body builders, protein shakes are popular because they are very convenient and easy to digest. There are also a number of different brands in the market to suit different tastes and needs.

5. Creatine is another supplement that is very popular in the market for serious bodybuilders. The good news is that it does both jobs: burn flab and create added bulk. There is a downside to this though; it increases testosterone level so women might as well not take it.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Faviano_Torres/250566

5 Strength Training Workouts - Build Muscle Fast With These Strength Training Workouts

There are several factors which determine how fast you will build muscle. One factor is proper strength training. You will only be able to build muscle if you have an effective strength training workout. One which truly puts your muscles to their limits.

The other factor is a proper meal plan. If you want to get ripped, bulk up, or just build some muscle, you are going to need a good meal plan. A meal meal with a good amount of protein, carbs, fats. Below are 5 killer strength training workouts, which will help you build muscle fast.

1) 1 Arm Dumbbell Rom - In order to perform this exercises, get a dumbbell and a bench. With one hand hold the dumbbell and place your other hand on the bench for support. To start, the dumbbell should be hanging, using your shoulder bring the dumbbell up to your chest. Then slowly lower the dumbbell to the starting position. Be sure to keep your elbow tight to your side. Perform for 3 sets of 10-12 reps each.



2) Push Aways - With resistance bands wrapped around a pole and your back to the pole, grab the resistance bands from behind your head. With resistance band handles in each hand, walk a few steps out to where the bands have tension. Then in a staggered stance, bring your arms forward until your elbows are straight, then slowly bring them back to behind your head. Perform for 3 sets of 10-12 reps each.

3) Pull Ups - I'm sure you have heard and know what a pull up is, but if you do not here is what to do. Find a horizontal bar and wrap your fingers around it. Then pull yourself up. To do this the most effective way, pull up in 1 second and let your self down in 2 seconds. Perform this for 3 sets of 10 - 12 reps each. Do not touch the ground during a set.

4) Dumbbell Press - To perform this exercise, grab two dumbbells of the same weight and lay down on a bench. With a dumbbell in each hand raise them up till your elbows are straight, then lower them slowly. To this for 3 sets of 10-12 each.

5) Squats with a dumbbell Twist - To perform this exercise, grab two dumbbells of same weight. Stand straight and with the dumbbells at your shoulder. Your arm elbow should make a 90 degree angle. Lower your body downward as far as you can without hurting yourself or losing balance. Then using your leg muscle, drive your your body back up. Once you stand up, raise the dumbbells straight upward and then bring them back down to the starting position slowly. Repeat for 3 sets of 10-12 reps each.

This are very easy, yet effective strength training workouts. However, your body reaches a plateau when you repeat the same exercises over and over again. They simply because ineffective. It is best to have a wide variety of exercises to perform, along with a high protein, healthy diet.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/R._Huber/539651

Home Fitness Program Tips - How to Get Ripped With a Home Exercise Program

An effective home fitness program consists of a nutritious diet, stretching, cardiovascular exercises and strength building exercises. You will not get a full body fitness package unless you make time for each and every one of these areas.

Starting with nutrition, your home fitness program will need to remove fatty, fried, and sugary foods from your diet. Your diet should follow the United States Department of Agriculture's food pyramid and should include low calorie grains, fruits and vegetables, low fat dairy products, and low fat meats.

Fast food value meals should be entirely removed from your diet since most value menus have little to no nutritional value. In case you need to eat at a fast food establishment, stick with a grilled chicken salad with low-fat dressing and a bottled water. Some places even have apple slices or some other kind of healthy substitute for fries.



Stretching should be completed every day, but this seems to be an area many people skip. Stretching helps prevent your body from injuries, so it's important to develop a routine. When you wake up in the morning, a few stretches can get your body ready for the day. You'll also want to do some pre-workout stretches to loosen your target muscles. Next, you'll want to stretch after your work out when your muscles are warmed up and can get the deepest stretch.

Getting 30 minutes of cardio per day is easy because there are activities you can do that will not seem like a workout. For instance, you can jump rope, take a bike ride or go swimming, which are all recreational activities as well as great for burning fat. If you prefer to stay indoors, ellipticals and treadmills are the most commonly used cardio equipment used in gyms and homes.

Finally, your home fitness program needs strength building exercises to tone the muscles and give your body a healthy appearance. A few basic strength building exercises are push-ups, bicep curls (with dumbbells), crunches, sit-ups, lunges and squats. Dumbbells can be added into most exercises for increased intensity. Breaking each workout into four sets of twelve makes them easier to accomplish since you have a small break between sets.

Now that you have the steps for a home fitness program, it's time to write out your goals and keep to your new program. Keep up the good work and you'll have results in no time at all.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/JP_Davis/320980

Best Cardio Exercises to Lose Belly Fat

If you want to get flat and sexy abs the only way is to shed off the excess fat that's covering the muscles beneath. It doesn't really matter how strong your abdomen is, as long as it's covered by fat, it will never show.

We all know that one of the best ways to burn stomach fat is to engage in rigorous cardivascular exercises. So, what are the best cardio exercises to lose belly fat?

In this article, I want to share some thoughts on how you can actually create a cardio workout without doing traditional cardio.

For instance, you can achieve a massive cardiovascular stimulation by doing circuit workouts. Circuit training is a workout in which you mostly do strength exercises, but during the resting time between sets, you do some form of cardio workout like jumping rope, sprinting on a treadmill, and so on.

When you're doing circuit training, you're basically pushing your body much harder than any other workout. You're getting a cardio workout and a strength workout at the same time, a powerful fat burning combination.



Another way you can do powerful, non traditional cardio exercises to lose belly fat is to do supersets. This technique also involves not resting between sets. I'm talking about upper body -- lower body supersets. With this technique, you do one set of an upper body exercise such as push-ups and immediately move to a lower body exercise such as a squat. You continue with another upper body exercise like the biceps curl and another lower body one such as the lunge.

By doing this kind of superset, you're once again pushing your body to its limits (which is why I recommend consulting your trainer before you do this) which creates a cardio stimulation which can burn a lot of body fat.

Naturally, you can and should do more traditional cardio exercises to burn belly fat. The key is intensity. Without intensity, your workouts will be close to nothing, the effect will be minuscule and you will not get the results that you seek.

I recommend sticking to the more rigorous workouts such as running, rowing, kickboxing, and to avoid the less rigorous cardio such as the elliptical machine and the stationary bike. You want to burn off the most fat possible in as short a time as possible, so the intensity of your workout is key. It's just easier to get a high level of intensity in more rigorous workouts.

There are a number of ways to do powerful cardio workouts. I like how you can use strength training to get a cardio stimulation and also the more rigorous traditional workouts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/John_Davenport/92959

Achieve Elite Fitness With Body Weight Training Workouts

Body weight training workouts can improve your fitness in ways you've never even thought about. For instance, if you're used to doing the normal weight training, cardio type schedule, then you're missing one really big component in your fitness...muscular endurance. Strength is great, and aerobic conditioning is great, but elite fitness comes from being able to use your muscles over and over doing difficult tasks, like push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups. The ability to do this is called muscular endurance, and it's just this aspect of personal fitness that body weight training workouts focuses on.

In addition to being a superior way of working out, focusing on bodyweight training workouts can also save you time and money. Done right a body weight workout can be done in thirty minutes. Don't think that's enough time to achieve your goals? If you know what you're doing, you can get more done during those thirty minutes than most folks get done in an hour at the gym.



As far as saving you money, how much are you spending for your gym membership fees? What if you could get your fitness taken care of without even going to the gym? You can with body weight training workouts. The only question now is exactly what do you need to do?

Well, there are basically two components to working out, cardio and strength. Both of these are better addressed through bodyweight training workouts than they are through more traditional workouts.

What we generally focus on in body weight workouts is a combination of strength and cardio, basically putting the two together. Instead of getting your aerobic conditioning by running, you get it doing something like a combination of sit ups and pull ups. Body weight training workouts tend to develop a lot of muscular endurance.

You're not going to get a big body like Arnold! You're going to achieve a lean, muscular look. The thing about it, though, is that's what most people want. Real, functional muscle. This is exactly what body weight training workouts will do for you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/R._Lee_Cole/221459

Foods That Build Muscle - Eat Right and Build Muscle Quickly

If you are weight training to build up muscle mass you're going to want to do so as efficiently as possible. No one wants to bust their butt in the gym with nothing to show for it you want results and you want them now. In addition to working out unique tea right to build muscle quickly. A good workout routine combined with foods that build muscle will get you the results you are looking for in the shortest time possible.

The building blocks of muscles are protein. So of course you want to eat plenty of things like chicken, fish, and lean red meat. Eggs are another good source of protein. Many diets telly to avoid the yolks and just eat egg whites but don't be afraid of the yolk. The yolk is rich in protein as well as vitamin A, D, and E. when it comes to finish one of the best to eat his wild salmon. It's a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids.



In addition to protein you want to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables have lots of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. All of these nutrients help your body function properly and also help you to recover after a workout.

You'll also need to eat carbohydrates to provide energy for your muscles during your workouts. You'll want to stay away from highly processed foods, simple sugars, and white flour. Good sources of carbohydrates would be oats, brown rice, and whole grain pastas and cereals. Eating carbohydrates and proteins within 30 minutes after your workout will actually help to speed up your recovery time by replenishing the glycogen spend during a workout. A good post workout snack would be yogurt which is a good source of carbohydrates and protein.

With the proper diet and a killer workout routine you'll be on your way to quickly building rock hard muscles.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jeffery_Harrison/250510

Vegetarian Weight Loss - A Solid Blueprint For Losing Weight Fast

People switch to a vegetarian diet for many reasons.

Some people feel that eating animals is wrong. Others make the switch for health reasons. Maybe they "go vegetarian" to lose weight-and, by the way, cutting out meat products to do with how much weight you lose.

The real variable in the equation is consuming fewer calories than your body burns in a day. Whether that's done through a vegetarian weight loss diet, exercise, or a combination of both is entirely up to you.

That being said, vegetarian weight loss is not entirely a myth. Studies have shown that on the whole, vegetarians eat as many as 500 calories less than those who include meat in their diet, even though they eat more food.



The trick to vegetarian weight loss is to stick to eating, you know, actual vegetables. There are plenty of meat-free products out there - including candy bars, cookies, and milkshakes. It's important to include grains, fruits and vegetables, and not simply rely on Kraft macaroni-and-cheese.

However, this doesn't mean that you need to eat salads all the time, nor does going vegetarian in order to lose weight mean you have to sacrifice taste, time, or Benjamin's. Many big-name supermarkets have plenty of frozen entrée vegetarian options, and if you're hankering for a burger, Boca Burgers and Garden Burgers are a great alternative.

Be careful to avoid the high-calorie, high-fat additions you might be tempted to use when trying to make things taste better. Saturating your perfectly healthy salad with a tub of Ranch salad dressing is not doing your waistline any favors. And it's true that fried veggies are still veggies-but with a ton of calories packed on.

Remember these 4 tips:

o    Breakfast will be your easiest meal when you're choosing vegetarianism for weight loss. Cereal, toast, oatmeal or fruit smoothies are delicious choices that contain no meats. You can even sneak in a leftover piece of cheese pizza if you're running late.

o    If you eat lunch on the run at work, there are many vegetarian options available that are healthy. Try a stuffed falafel pita, some hearty meatless chili, or a vegetarian burrito. If you're able to plan your meals, you can choose a frozen vegetarian entrée, a veggie burger, or a soup and salad with a spring roll.

o    Pasta with inventive, healthy sauces is perfect for a satisfying vegetarian dinner. Pesto is delicious, as well as julienned vegetables in a white wine sauce, or even spinach and cheese tortellini in a homemade marinara. If grilling is your thing in the summer, make veggie kabobs instead of meat - or throw on a couple veggie burgers for that delicious charbroiled taste.

o    Snack time is certainly fun for the vegetarian, as there are rarely meat-based snacks.  Bran muffins, popcorn, nachos and trail mix are all wonderful snacks for vegetarian weight loss.

Do your research, and visit your doctor for advice before beginning any weight loss diet.

Do this, along with a light cardio routine, and you are sure to succeed.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Cornell_Dayne/242391

4 Reasons Why the 10 Minute Trainer Workout Routines Work Fast

Busy people do no usually have enough time to deal with their fitness or workout routines. They just spend their whole time on their works. They tend to eat more while sitting a lot of times in their offices. Their muscles are not even exercised and the metabolism could not burn all their fats and cholesterol resulting to obesity. This lifestyle is one of the main causes of obesity among Americans.

Obesity is one of the fitness problems that the 10-Minute Trainer Upgrade-Medium Resistance deals with. This upgrade is just an addition to the original 10-Minute Trainer Deluxe. This upgrade best fits the health conscious people that do not have enough time for a complete workout or fitness program. The following are the reasons why you should take up this 10-Minute trainer upgrade.

1. This trainer upgrade, like its original, is basically designed for the busy professionals who do not have a spare time to do their full-length workout. Even the busiest person in the world can sneak some little time to do this workout. They just need 10 minutes a day to complete a set of this workout. They can do this on their break time or any of their very limited free time. In ten minutes, they can flex and stretch their muscles to achieve their toned muscles and body shape.



2. This program has two levels-the medium resistance and the heavy resistance. The medium resistance requires less effort and energy while the heavy resistance needs more strength and endurance to perform. If you are not fit enough to take greater challenges, you can take this medium resistance workouts.

3. The program is presented in an easy to follow format. You will just have to follow the set of instructions in order for you to finish the workout in exactly 10 minutes. No repetition is needed because the instructions are easy to understand and easy to apply. Even kids can understand the given instructions, but of course this workout is not designed for kids.

4. Immediate results are noticeable after a week of regular workout. You don't have to wait for months just to see little results. This workout gives you noticeable results after six days or more. The slight changes on your body will give you much motivation to continue with the other set of routines. You may experience different body changes from time to time because you are using different routines that work on different muscle groups.

These are the reasons why you should take this workout as your next daily routine. And the obesity problem is addressed by means of prevention. Obesity can be prevented if you develop a healthy lifestyle that includes the 10-Minute Trainer Workout series.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jesse_Miller/64829

Does "The Best Exercise to Lose Belly Fat" Really Exist?

Read the title of this article again. "The Best Exercise to Lose Belly Fat." Let me be frank now. It does not exist. In the body building and weight training world, there are hundreds of exercises that we can use to work our abdominal muscles. All can be effective exercises that can help us lose stomach fat fast if we consider some key points in our training.

When we ask questions like, "How to lose stomach fat fast?", "How do get a flat tummy?", and "How to get ripped abs?" we must understand that losing weight and belly fat will only come about in a holistic way. Just doing hundreds of crunches everyday and not paying attention to other aspects of abdominal training like diet and general endurance work will not lead to a flat and lean tummy. Here are some things you need to consider and include when thinking of the best exercise to lose belly fat.

1. Increasing General Fat Burning Capacity
Fat is present in every part of our body, but we tend to only associate body fat to abdomen fat. Studies have shown that in order for fat to be burned in our body, aerobic exercises must be done beyond twenty minutes. Before that, the body depends more on carbohydrates as fuel to supply the aerobic activities. Beyond twenty minutes, fat metabolism kicks in big time because it is by far the most efficient energy mechanism to support long term aerobic exercise. It does not matter what kind of aerobic activities you perform.



The best exercise to lose belly fat is actually any form of aerobic activity in excess of twenty minutes. The activity itself need not be too intensive. Low intensity activities like brisk walking or tour cycling for extended period of time are very effective forms of fat metabolism activities. So the next time hear someone ask, "How to get a flat tummy? get them on some form of prolonged low intensity aerobic activities first.

2. Diet Watch
No matter how good and comprehensive your exercise program is to lose fat, it will never be effective if you do not watch your diet. How do you expect to lose weight if you indulge in high calorie sinful meals immediately after your perfect workout? It is just not possible. Losing stomach fat and fat is a very simple thing for the body. As long as calorie intake is lower than calorie output, the body will eventually tap on the fat reserve in the body to make up the difference.

The end result is a leaner body. The best exercises to lose belly fat must be complemented with a diet that will lead to a calorie deficit. This will result in fat lost, and you can bet that a lot of your belly fat will be used to fuel your energy needs.

3. Abdominal Training Focus
All abdominal exercises are best exercises to lose belly fat. The reason is that these exercises build up the abdominal muscle groups. These have an indirect effect on "how to lose belly fat fast?" and "How t get ripped abs?" When muscle mass of the abdominal muscles increase, this will result in a higher metabolism rate. Chances are, the muscles will tap on close by body fat to fuel this increase rate. Where is the nearest fat source for the abdominals? That's right! Your belly fat.

So one of the key to "how to lose belly fat fast?" is to develop all abdominal muscle groups as best as possible. However, most weight watchers often concentrate only on the rectus abdominals, forgetting the larger obliques. Do pay attention to the obliques as well. If you can shape your obliques up, this will provide a greater mass of muscle for increase metabolic rate and also shape the V-shape trunk that many people desire.

There is no best exercise to lose belly fat. All abdominal exercises are important and beneficial to losing belly fat fast. These must be combined in a holistic way with a proper diet, inclusion of prolonged aerobic activities as well as a general development of all abdominal muscle groups to induce the greatest weight loss of belly fat.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Mike_Mass/534694

7 Healthy Snack Ideas For Weight Loss

"Snacking" and "unhealthy eating" may seem to be synonymous, but they don't have to be. If you snack on healthy foods, you can actually speed up your weight-loss efforts and get long-lasting results.

Many diets fail because people get hungry between meals, particularly between lunch and dinner, and turn to unhealthy foods as snacks. However, eating healthy snacks can help keep your metabolism running at maximum efficiency.

Here are 7 great choices for healthy snacks that won't expand your waistline:

1. Nuts
The monounsaturated fats in nuts can reduce your levels of bad (LDL) cholesterol and your overall cholesterol, while preventing plaque from building up in your arteries. They also keep you feeling full for longer because of their high protein content.

2. Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds and nuts share many of the same nutrients. Be aware, however, that sunflower seeds often have salt added to them, which can make them a less-than-healthy snacking choice. If sunflower seeds are your healthy snack of choice, make sure they're labeled "salt-free," "low salt," or "no salt added."



3. Popcorn
Popcorn has lots of good fiber and is low in calories - as long as it isn't covered with salt and butter, that is. Popping popcorn in an air popper is the healthiest way to do it. If you pop it on a stove, use a type of oil with monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil or canola oil.

4. Soy Crisps
Soy crisps might be described as the lovechild of a bag of nacho-cheese chips and a bowl of edamame. They're low in fat, high in fiber, and a good source of healthy soy protein.

The International Journal of Obesity recently conducted a study that concluded that soy protein doesn't just contribute to the weight-loss process - it also helps to ensure that you're losing fat, not muscle.

5. Peanut Butter
Peanut butter and other nut butters are a delicious and fun way to get your protein, which helps you feel full between meals. It tastes great all by itself, on crackers, in a smoothie, or with fruit. (There's actually a plate of apple slices and almond butter in front of me as I'm writing this - a personal favorite of mine.)

6. Fruit Smoothies
With enough healthy, filling ingredients, fruit smoothies can become more than a snack - they can act as a healthy lunch all by themselves. Depending on what you put in them, they can have as many as 600 calories, the same amount found in a healthy meal, and you'll feel full for a long time after having one. (Of course, fruit smoothies can make great snacks, too.)

You can make a homemade fruit smoothie out of your favorite fruit, some yogurt, and some peanut butter, or you can order one from a cafe or juice bar. When ordering, add protein to your smoothie by asking for a shot of soy protein or whey powder.

Keep in mind, though, that most fruit smoothies are high in fructose (the natural sugar in all fruits), and if you don't burn off that sugar, your body will store it as more fat.

7. Gum
If the answer you get when you ask yourself the question "Am I really hungry right now?" is "No" or "I'm not sure," try chewing gum instead of having a snack, even one of the snacks on this list.

According to studies, when you chew gum, the up-and-down motion of your jaws burns about 11 calories an hour. That may seem insignificant, but if you were to spend an hour every day chewing gum, you'd lose about an extra pound in a year - and that's not counting the calories you'd save by not eating snacks!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Marie_Sanchez/1366004