Fitness Guides

If you take part in sports or active hobbies, you will definitely want to learn how to jump higher in as fast a manner as possible. Clearly, sports like basketball and volleyball require the need to be able to jump high and in an explosive manner. However, there are other sports that can benefit from having such jumping abilities. Did you know boxing can benefit from such abilities? Some may wonder how this can be since there is no real jumping in boxing. No, there is not. But, there are such movements as push shuffles which are essential low, forward leaps. Really, no matter what activity you take part in, you can improve your performance by learning how to jump higher.

Of course, this raises the question as to how to jump higher. Is it really difficult to develop such unique skills? Honestly, you can develop amazing explosive jumping power in a relatively quick amount of time. The key is to know what types of exercises help develop these skills and how much effort you should put into these actual exercises. Here is some good news: the exercises are not complicated to learn or perform and they can even be undertaken with low impact intensity levels. In other words, virtually anyone can take part in these exercises and achieve results in a relatively short period of time.

At the core of to gaining greater height in jumping is the development of explosive power. This is achieved by performing exercises designed to promote the development of the muscle response to leaps and jumps. By enhancing these muscles, you will enhance the performance of the actual jump. This does not mean that your first workout session will only involve high intensity exercises. This is not necessarily the case. If you are not able to handle high intensity workouts, it would be far better ideas to perform on a level you feel most comfortable. Then, as your performance improves, you can up the intensity levels. How long will it take to improve? You will definitely notice an improvement in your jumping performance within two or three initial workout sessions. Yes, these workouts are a lot faster

The exercises that are designed to help a person jump higher are known as plyometric exercises. These exercises are often overlooked in a number of training circles. This is unfortunate because their benefits are quite well pronounced. Some colleges and universities utilize plyometric coaches to help develop their athletes’ performance. In many instances, the results are quite excellent and pronounced.

How do you perform a standard plyometric exercise? Honestly, plyometric exercises involve any type of exercise that entails jumping. So, if you were to jump rope for five minutes, you would be engaging in a plymetric workout. Incidentally, this brings us back to our original example of boxing as a sport that can benefit from ploymetrics. Is not jumping rope a staple in the training of a boxer? Most people assume it is to help develop cardio conditioning. Well, it most definitely does help in this regard. It ability to develop explosive movement is another prime factor.

Is there a plyometric workout one can perform that is simpler than jumping rope? Sure, there are several. You could stand in front of a chair and jump up on it and then jump off of it. You could repeat this ten times. Take a break. Then repeat for another ten times. Try for three to five sets of this and you will notice your explosive jumping power increases in height in a relatively short period of time. Best of all, this is an exercise you could perform in the comfort of your own home at any time of the day or not. Now, does that not sound like a convenient exercise program!

In general, plyometrics involves jumping on/off an object or jumping over it. When you jump over it, you do so forwards and backwards. The height of the object can vary depending upon your skill level. You could jump over a sawhorse that is three feet of the ground or you could just draw a chalk line on the floor itself. Again, you do what you are capable of doing. Do not try to jump higher than you are able to too soon. This can lead to burnout or, worse, an injury.

In addition to jumping forward, you can also jump laterally to the right or left. Using the chalk line on the floor as an example, there are a number of ways you could do this. You could jump right, pause, jump left, pause and repeat. You could jump right-left, pause, repeat. Or, you could do a rapid succession of right to left for 30 seconds straight. Really, when it comes to plyometrics, you are only limited by your imagination.

Speaking of imagination, a great deal of it went into the number of objects and workout devices that can be employed in plyometrics. People have employed boxes, chairs, cones, ropes, and tires in their plyometric sessions. All of these objects have proven to be very helpful in terms of their ability to deliver on the benefits sought from the sessions.

In parting, it is important to point out that all successful workout programs will have some sort of goal in mind. Those looking to develop the ability to jump higher will need to make that their primary goal during a plyometric session. That means each session should seek to incrementally raise the height that you are jumping. Once again, the prime word here is incremental. Trying to jump higher than your capabilities may prove self-defeating since an injury is possible.

So, if you want the ability to jump higher and you want to develop that ability in a relatively quick amount of time, you need to perform plyometric exercises. That’s the way to go about it!

Of all the desired features on a competitive weightlifter, most people wish to have the amazing six pack of abdominal muscles. There are very few physical attributes that are more impressive than the development of defined abdominal muscles. Since the abs are located on the core of the body, most people’s eyes are drawn to it which makes these defined muscles hard to miss. Also, most people realize that it takes a lot of work to develop solid abs. This adds to the impressiveness of their development and further speaks highly of the person who can achieve an impressive physical trait.

So, how can someone get a six pack of abs? Well, first we need to dismiss a myth regarding how they are not developed. Namely, you cannot develop a six pack of abs solely by doing a lot of abdominal exercises. Yes, abdominal exercises are extremely important in the development of the muscles. But, these muscles exist under the skin and between the skin and the muscles the body will store a layer of fat. So, no matter how hard you develop the muscles in the abdominal region, no one will see them if they are covered by fat!

Some may wonder why the ab exercises do not eliminate fat in the abdominal region. The answer is no exercise can spot reduce. The body is simply not designed that way. Fat is eliminated gradually throughout the body when calories are reduced and the metabolism is raised. Thankfully, the way to do this is not difficult and can be achieved with the proper effort. One of the best ways to eliminate these calories is through a combination of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and good, old fashioned weight lifting.

Most people already have a general notion of what weight lifting entails, so we will a look first at HIIT training.

HIIT training is the alternative to those long, boring cardio program that burn a lot of calories but are not exactly enjoyable. For example, an elliptical trainer is an excellent device for burning calories and you can certainly become “shredded” if you were to get on the elliptical for one hour straight and do this 5x a week. Of course, that is an enormous time commitment that most people would prefer not to make. Actually, some of them simply do not have that kind of time to spare. And, quite honestly, you don’t need to. Whether you burn 300 calories in 45 minutes or you burn them in 15 minutes, you will be burning the same amount of calories. However, you will certainly be doing it is a lot less time if you follow the HIIT approach. Additionally, the HIIT approach can significantly raise your metabolism which will further add to your weight loss benefits.

What does HIIT entail? Basically, as its name implies, an HIIT workout centers on performing very high intensity exercises for a short period of time. Sound easy? Well, it all depends on your conditioning level. You may have to work up to it, but it can be done in a relatively short period of time. The general way a HIIT exercise is performed involves a rapid, sustained burst followed by a short rest period. A common example of this would be cranking a treadmill’s speed up to as fast as you can go for about 20 seconds and then slowing it down to a virtual stop for 8 seconds. Repeat this process for about 4 minutes. This could be considered a set of HIIT. You could take a short break between two sets of 4 minutes or you could even perform this high intensity HIIT workout several times throughout the day.

But, does such a workout REALLY burn a lot of calories? Well, look at it this way. 20 minutes of walking would burn about 75 calories. Perform 4 sets of 5 of the aforementioned treadmill workouts would certainly burn a lot more calories than just 75!

Also, there really is no limit to the type of HIIT exercises you could do. You could easily perform a rope jumping exercise in a manner no different from the aforementioned treadmill workout. Such versatility adds to the potential for the exercise to succeed.

As for weightlifting, most people do not understand the correlation between building muscle and burning fat. Actually, you cannot have one without the other. Muscles require calories to maintain their size and shape. They will take these calories from food and, when they cannot get them from food sources, they will metabolize stored fat. This process literally works 24 hours a day and helps burn up stored fat in an extremely efficient manner.

How much weightlifting should you do? It would be wise to dedicate 3 – 4 days per week to a total body mass workout. Once you have reached the desired amount of muscle mass, you can then switch to a maintenance routine. There is no need to assume you need to always be on the road to packing on a lot of muscle mass. However, you do want enough lean muscle mass that it has a noticeable effect on your metabolism.

When weightlifting is combined with a series of HIIT workouts, the ability to shed an enormous amount of fat can be realized. Your metabolism will stay amazing “revved” and the fat will melt away throughout the body. And, of course, as your body fat percentage lower your abdominal muscles will become much more visible. At this point, all those situps will finally be able to show their true value. HIIT and weightlifting is the way to go if you want to show off your abs. They strip away fat like nothing else. Consider that a glowing recommendation.

Is it really as difficult to build muscle mass in an expedient amount of time? For some, the ability to build muscle mass in a relatively quick manner is next to impossible. They may work out as hard as humanly possible but they do not seem to be able to add on the extra muscle mass they would like to attain. In time, many will quite out of despair. But, there really is no reason to feel such despair. All one needs to do is take the right steps to enhance the growth of muscles. Is this really a tough venture? Well, it does require a lot of effort but it is not an impossible mission. So, let’s take a look at the most common means of building muscle fast.

There are two core points that need to be understood when it comes to the issue of building muscle mass. The first point is that you will need to consume a great many calories so that the body has something in which to draw from to build the muscle. The second component is proper weightlifting. Now, some may say they know that weightlifting is mandatory for building muscle mass. The key word to focus is “proper” because simply lifting weights will not deliver the results that you may be seeking. There needs to be an effective weightlifting plan engaged in so as to deliver the results that are desired. That means your weight training has to be targeted and focused on building muscle mass….fast!

In terms of calorie consumption, you must not burn all the calories you eat. You want to clearly avoid creating a calorie deficit. This may fly in the face of what a lot of exercise gurus tell you, but it is important to point out that for mass building, you do not want deficits. Burning more calories than you consume is the strategy of getting more defined. That is why professional bodybuilders only follow this strategy during the pre-contest phase. During the off-season, they will pack on tons of good calories so as to enhance their muscle growth potential.

And, yes, you will need to ingest good calories. That is, you will want to avoid ingesting a lot of slop calories that pack on unnecessary fat. This will certainly not help your physique develop in a positive manner. It will simply lead to a bulging midsection. Eat high quality natural fruits, vegetables, and grains as well as lean meats and fish. These food items will provide excellent nutritional benefits on top of the calorie content that they provide.

How many more calories will you want to add? Probably about a thousand calories a day would do the trick. Now, the foods that were previously mentioned are somewhat low in calories. That is why a high calorie healthy snack like a natural grain cereal or peanut butter would be a nice addition to one’s diet. They come with a lot of calories and adding them into your daily diet could definitely increase your daily calorie content.

In terms of the actual weightlifting process, anyone who is interested in building mass is recommended to perform compound exercises with low reps. What are compound exercises? These are exercises that involve more than one muscle group. The bench press, for example, stresses the arms, chest, and shoulders. Because so many muscle groups are involved in a compound exercise, heavier weight can be lifted that what one would lift with an isolation exercise.

What are the most common compound exercises? Here is a list of the top ones:

• Bench Press. (Primary: Chest. Secondary: Arms, Shoulders)
• Squats (Primary: Quads Secondary: Calves, Lower back)
• Military Press (Primary: Front and Rear Shoulders Secondary: Arms and Chest)
• Dead Lift (Primary: Lower Back Secondary: Quads)
•
Performing these compound sets with a heavy weight load you are comfortable with will yield significant muscle growth results. The number of reps that you perform them for will be roughly 5 – 7. The number of sets range from 3 – 5 depending upon your strength level and the condition you are in. All of these compound exercises can be performed with dumbbells or a barbell. It is generally recommended to perform each individual exercise only once or twice per week.

Does this mean that you do not perform any isolation exercises? Actually, there are a number of isolation exercises that have targeted mass building potential. Here are the ones you will commonly use:

• Bicep curls (Dumbbells and Barbells): 6 – 8 reps.
• Triceps Pulley Push Downs: 10 – 15 reps.
• Triceps Overhead Extension (Barbell): 10 Reps.
• Leg Extensions on a Machine: 15 reps.
• Lat Pull Down Front and Back: Both would be for 10 reps.
The number of sets here can vary but they will usually be 3 -5.

How can you craft a workout program with these? The many ways are vast. Commonly, it is best to only workout about 4 days a week. Perform one of the compound exercises for each particular day and then one of the aforementioned isolation exercises on each day as well. Of course, we listed two triceps exercises so that particular workout day would involve both triceps exercises.

Now, a good workout session should be 45 minutes. Only doing two or three of these exercises per session will not cover 45 minutes! Well, these are only the basic mass building exercises that need to be stressed in order to build muscle fast. You should add two more exercises you are interested in to your workout session. These can be compound or isolation and they should be performed with moderate weights. For example, on your bicep curl/bench press day, you could add forearm curls and calf raises as well. Also, it is necessary to work the abs all four days in order to add an aesthetically pleasing core symmetry to your physique.

Lastly, it is necessary to get a lot of rest on those three days you are not training. Muscles only grow when the body is at rest. If you work out too much and too often, they won’t grow. Always keep this in mind when looking to expand your muscle size.

One of the reasons why a majority of the people you meet seem to be emulating a state of zombie-dom and extremely lethargy is because they have not been getting enough of rest at night. This dearth of rest is going to take the shape of a sapping and falling off energy levels, during the day. That is the reason why many people are looking for quick solutions to have more energy fast.

So if you think that you cannot wake up completely without your morning cup of Java, and should be considered a clear-cut case of “do not try talking to me, until I have had my daily fix of caffeine,” you might want to look at other solutions to get energy real quick.

Many people are still bright and chirpy the next morning with 6 hours sleep; on the other hand, some people do not consider themselves fully rested until they get about 9 hours of sleep. It all depends upon your physiological makeup. There are also some people who go to bed in time, but cannot manage to drop off, just because their mind cannot relax. This case of continuous insomnia can leave you feeling tired and grumpy, when you get out of bed the next morning.

So, to make sure that you get your daily dose of sleep, you might want to try sleep enhancement programs. An extremely heavy dinner at night is definitely not going to help you sleep better, because your overstuffed stomach is going to have lots of trouble digesting it, while you are asleep.

Thanksgiving– style dinners may lead to low energy levels because you have stuffed your digestive system with rich and large quantities of food to which it is normally unaccustomed. Lots of food in your tummy means less energy, because you would not want to move about with your full tummy. So your energy level is going to be touching rock bottom, until the food is digested.

A number of small meals eaten a number of times in a day is a much more sensible proposition.

You might want to look at the option of adding more vegetables and fruit to your diet. Apart from being digested very easily, these natural energy boosters are extremely healthy. You might want to start eating freshly cooked meals instead of eating processed foods.

There are plenty of energy drinks in the market today, especially ones containing caffeine and sugar like Red Bull, NOS, and Rock Star. I would not recommend those drinks; rather I would want to focus on some very good energy sources in the form of fresh fruit juices. The problem with many “green” drinks is that they do not taste really good. But you might want to look at a really energy giving combination which tastes good, is naturally healthy and best of all, is extremely easy to make.

One handful chopped Spinach
Juice of one lime and one lemon.
One head lettuce finely chopped.
2 apples, peeled and cut to pieces
2 carrots
Some peeled grapes, deseeded.
Juice of one orange

Wash all the chopped ingredients and pop them into your blender or juicer. Add lemon, orange and lime juice. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Drink immediately!

The most essential point you have to remember about making healthy energy giving drinks is to make sure that you do not keep them for a long period of time. Fresh is best.

Get a blender/juicer, which suits your purpose and budget. Find a high-powered juicer that has the wide feeder tube in which you can feed in the fruit and vegetables without chopping them up into bite sized pieces.

If you just have a blender, and do not want to invest in a juicer, never mind. There are other easy to make energizing smoothies that can be made quickly in your super blender. This energizing recipe has lots of fiber, which is definitely an added bonus. You might want to go in for something like BlendTec, which is really high-powered and makes your smoothie drink even smoother. This blender is also capable of crushing the strawberry seeds in the recipe.

1 cup strawberries
One banana
1 cup pineapple chunks
One tin pomegranate or mangosteen juice
One spoon powdered Maca root
2 capsules of He-Shou-Wu root-normally called Fo-Ti

Mix in your blender and then blend for about 45 seconds. If you are using your BledTec, press “whole juice” to get a smoother bend.

This smoothie is a high-powered energy booster. It also tastes good!

There are some places on the Internet, where you can get FRS Energy (free samples), so you might want to look around and get a supply of about 2 weeks of these energy boosters. You just need to pay for the handling and shipping. This energy booster seems to have the ability to give you plenty of energy without your finding yourself crashing down after the high is over. That seems to be the case of a number of over the counter energy boosters found in the market today.

Boosting up your energy level can be done with plenty of exercise. You might consider this to be a contradiction in terms, because exercising supposedly tires you out, does not it. Nevertheless, exercising is an amazing way in which you can get a quick energy boost. If you cannot be bothered to go for a workout in the gym, try a bit off on the spot running for a couple of minutes. This is going to give you an immediate energy boost!

Exercise

The last way to improve your energy levels is by exercise. I know that it sounds counter intuitive, but a quick workout is a great way to give yourself a quick boost of energy. No time to get to the gym? Just run in place for 2-3 minutes. Whether you’re at home, the office, or just about anywhere, you can use this trick to get more energy.

If you’re looking for a great full body workout, here’s an extremely effective one you can do in just 7 minutes!

No one wants to just lose weight. Everyone wants to lose weight fast! This is understandable. When a person is packing a very unattractive 20 extra pounds on a frame, they probably are depressed about it. Once the decision is made to lose weight, they want to experience all the benefits possible from being thin and they want to experience it as soon as possible. Often, conventional wisdom will state that it is not feasible to lose weight fast. Weight loss is gradual and you have to be extremely patience.

Well, the truth of the matter is you are never going to be able to drop 20lbs of fat in a couple weeks. That is just outside all realms of possibility. However, you can lose weight faster than average if you are truly willing to work at such a goal. Here is a look at some of the lesser known ways you can dramatically increase the amount of time it takes to lose weight:

Without a doubt, the quickest way you can lose weight is to take part in a detoxifying program. Now, some will say, “What about diet and exercise?” Honestly, a proper diet and exercise program that burns and cuts your calorie consumption will definitely help in terms of the ability to shed excess pounds. But, if the goal is to lose weight in as quick a manner possible, utilizing the aforementioned detoxification program will prove beneficial. Additionally, detoxifying your body of impurities also helps quite nicely in terms of being able to improve your overall health.

What Does Detoxifying the Body Entail?

Before explaining what detoxifying is, it is important to first explain why it is necessary to perform. All through our life, our bodies will ingest things that are not completely natural to it. For example, it we eat a lot of processed foods we will be absorbing a lot of rather unhelpful things. In some cases, when we eat things that are good for us. A number of poultry and diary products become harmful because of all the hormones and other foreign substances contained within. Then, there are also more ominous means in which the body absorbs foreign substances.

Those that take prescription or over the counter drugs are delivering potentially dangerous toxins to the body. And, shockingly, there is also the potential for breathing in toxins through the air.

What do these toxins do when they collect in the body? Their effects can be wide-ranging. Mainly, they contribute to the body performing far less optimally than it would without the toxins. They can lead to the slowing down of the metabolism which contributes to weight gain. Then, there is the direct relationship between fat cells and the actual toxins. In order to protect you from the ravages of these toxins, the body will cause fat cells to surround and insulate the toxins. As a result, the more toxins you have in the system the more fat cells you will retain. Conversely, through removing the toxins you can eliminate a number of fat cells.

To engage in the proverbial war against these toxins, a detox diet will be necessary to combat the problem. What type of diet plans can be used to detox the body naturally? There are a few and let’s look at some of the more well known ones:

A juice fast diet has become wildly popular in recent years. Not only is this a nice diet for those looking to detoxify, it also has a great deal of weight loss potential. As the name implies, this is a diet where you will only be drinking fruit and vegetable juice for a short number of days. This is an extremely low calorie diet. You would only be ingested upwards of 800 per day. Such diets cannot be maintained for a lengthy period of time. But, it can be undertaken for about 5 days. In addition to the juice you drink, bottled water is also recommended during this time frame as well. The combination of fruit juice and water will flush out an enormous amount of fat and retained fluids. So dramatic will be the impact of such a diet, 10lbs could be shed by the end of the five days!

It is critical, however, to stick with the right juices. You do not want any processed fruit juices that are loaded with sugar. Stick with natural fruit juice drinks. You could also make your own with the help of a juicer machine.

For those who may be a bit leery about only drinking their calories for several days, the raw food vegan diet may be an excellent alternative. This diet is rather basic and simple on the surface. You eat raw fruits and vegetables. That’s it! No, you may not have raw meats or raw dairy as they won’t help you detox one bit. Plus, raw red meat and raw dairy are loaded with calories and fat. Why would you want to build your diet around that? Stick with the raw fruits and vegetables. They will have a two-fold effect on your diet. First, they are mostly promised of water which will help flush out toxins from the body. Secondly, they are very low in calorie density. That means your body will burn stored fat due to the resultant calorie restriction.

Obviously, you can go much longer on the raw food vegan diet than you could on the juice fast. You could easily eat 2000 calories worth of raw fruit and vegetables everyday. Some people are on the raw food vegan diet exclusively all year round. If you opt to do this, it is suggested to take a multivitamin since it will provide nutrients you would other not acquire from the fruits or vegetables.

Yes, it is possible to lose a great deal of weight in an expedited manner. Using a detox diet program is among the best ways to do this. It is safe, healthy, and efficient. Doesn’t that sound like a good plan?

Welcome to the first post of the WorkoutWell blog.  I don’t have too much to say here.  I’ll be posting several specific guides to getting in shape or improving your fitness level very soon.  I’ll also be adding some new blog posts in the near future so stay tuned…