4 Ways To Burn More Fat

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There is nothing quite as frustrating as seeing your results fizzle out.

This is a common occurrence, usually after a few months of doing the same exercise routine for the past several months. At first your body responds, loses some initial weight, gets a bit stronger…, then all progress comes crashing down and stops.

Why does this even happen in the first place? And, more importantly, how can you stop it?

Your muscles adapt quickly to any repetitive routine. It’s like what Albert Einstein once said: “the definition of ‘insanity’ is to do the same thing over and over while expecting different results.” The same can be said of your workouts.

When your results stop, it’s time to do something new.

• The problem: Your muscles have adapted to your routine.
• The Solution: Apply the concept of muscle confusion (AKA new stimulus for the body/mind).

Muscle confusion, a buzz word that’s overused, makes people think that your muscles can actually be confused. Well your brain is responsible to transmitting messages and electronic signals to respond to actions and thoughts… so muscle confusion is pretty much mind confusion.

But, to keep it easy, we’ll stick to saying “muscle confusion.” Anyway, it’s your body’s way of staying off of what’s now becoming very predictable.

I have good news – the following 4 strategies are guaranteed to crank your workouts up to the next level and to deliver better results.

Strategy #1: Do a Superset or a Compound Set

Supersets are when two consecutive exercises are done back-to-back with no rest at all for opposing muscle groups. For example: every man’s #1 favorite exercise… the bicep curl, followed immediately by any exercise that works the triceps.

Compound sets are when two consecutive exercises of the same muscle group are done with no rest in between at all either. For example: dumbbell lunges followed by bodyweight squat jumps.

Such techniques are often used to fight off exercise plateaus, increasing muscular endurance, and adding a cardiovascular element to your workout – which results in more fat burn.

Strategy #2: Focus on Negatives

Each time that you do a weight lifting repetition you are using three types of phases.

1. Concentric Phase: lifting the weight.
2. Static Phase: holding weight in a contracted position.
3. Negative (Eccentric) Phase: lowering the weight.

So many people miss out on this third phase because they tire and just quickly drop the weight or rush through the exercise. It’s totally understandable that pushing or pressing a challenging weight is a bit tough and sooner or later the body can only take so much, however the negative phase of each repetition is just as important as the concentric phase.

Before lean muscle can be built from within, it must be destroyed and repaired many times over. The stress our muscles feel during the eccentric phase can in some occasions trump that of the concentric phase due to the fact that extra focus and control is being given to balancing and controlling the resistance. This extra work goes a long way when it comes to building lean muscle and burning fat.

The best way to utilize this phase is to push, pull, or press the resistance (dumbbell, machine, medicine ball, etc.) and gently bring it back to its point of origin. For example, instead of focusing on pushing the body up from the ground during pushups, slowly allow the body for 5 seconds to come close to the ground without second. Each second that passes, your body lowers itself. When 5 seconds pass and you’re close to the ground, immediately push yourself up quickly-as normal-and repeat this process. A uniquely different ‘pump’ or ‘burn’ will take place in the abs, arms, and chest.

Strategy #3: Use Active Rest

Every minute of your workout is an opportunity to increase intensity and burn more fat. Don’t waste precious minutes with long rest periods by chit chatting with others, texting, waiting to see what happens on TV, or people watching.

While it is important to catch your breath if you feel winded, most of the time you would benefit more from an active rest. Do one of the following activities for 30 seconds between exercises and turn your regular workout into High Intensity Interval Training.

• Burpees: Start in a sanding position and bend at the waist. Once your hands hit the floor, push your entire body back, extending your legs until they’re straight and you’re in the push-up position. Go down for a push-up, and when you push yourself up, jump slightly to bring your feet back near your hands. Finally, jump in the air with your arms fully extended over your head.
• Mountain Climbers: Place your hands wider than shoulder-width apart on the ground in a push-up position. Bring one knee to your chest and then back to the starting position, alternate each leg quickly.
• Side-to-Side Ab Twists: With feet close together, jump and twist your legs left to right – holding your abs tight. Keep a bend in your knees and swing your upper arms with each twist.
• Jump Lunges with Pop Squat: Start in a lunge position, lunge down then quickly jump up, switching your leg position in midair, land in an opposite leg lunge. Once you’ve done both legs, jump straight into a squat.

Strategy #4: Adjust the Exercise

Some exercises are considered ‘cornerstones’ of the big chain gym.

The bicep curl. The chest press. The squat. The shoulder press. Been there, done that…right?

While it’s not to suggest that these exercises should never be done again, it’s so important to find different ways to do them to challenge your muscles.

Try some of these exercise adjustment:

• Squat on a Bosu ball
• Use a stability ball for dumbbell chest presses instead of a bench.
• Do a full squat between each repetition of shoulder presses.
• Do a shoulder press between each repetition of bicep curls.

If you’d like a sure-fire way to break through your fitness plateau and to melt away unwanted fat, then other things such as weight loss coaches, personal training or boot camps can certainly take care of all of these different strategies for you.

About this Author

Call 877-250-9423 or come visit www.MercerCountyBootCamp.com and together we will come up with a fitness plan that is uniquely yours, one that fits your lifestyle and brings you promptly to your goals.

Women With Gluten Intolerance More Likely to Suffer From Depression

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Celiac disease and gluten intolerance are becoming increasingly common in many households throughout the world. Each is an autoimmune disorder affecting millions across the globe. In order to understand this disease in more depth, extensive research is being carried out but much is still unknown. Results from one such research has documented that women suffering from celiac disease or gluten intolerance are more likely to experience depression as well as eating disorders. The research has also stated that women experienced bouts of depression even when they were put on gluten free diet.

Apart from depression, people with gluten intolerance also suffer from abdominal distention, bowel disturbances, diarrhea, vomiting and nausea. These conditions can be controlled by adhering to a gluten free diet.

According to Josh Smyth, PhD, and professor of biobehavioral health and medicine at Penn State, said that “People, who do not manage their disease well, suffer more from depression and appear to be more stressed as compared to those individuals who smartly manage their disease.” To this he added that “researchers had not carefully looked at whether people who are effectively managing celiac disease exhibit greater risk for such difficulties.”

A research study was carried out by Smyth and his co workers and researchers from Syracuse University and Drexel University, in order to study the adherence to gluten free diet and the management of the symptoms as a result of celiac disease or gluten intolerance. In this study, 177 American women who reported to have been diagnosed were surveyed. The research established a kind of relationship between the symptoms experienced by patients and the difficulties faced by them in their daily activities due to the same. Those in the study also experience differences in their thoughts and unexplained change in behaviors due to sudden changes that take place in their body image and eating pattern.

The results showed that majority of the participants who strictly adhered to a gluten free diet experienced low levels of stress, had significantly decreased bouts of depression and an improved emotional well being. In addition to this, the research had some contradictory findings too; Smyth reported that a particular percentage of the research population that followed a well planned gluten-free dietary regime continued to complain of high levels of stress, depression and their perception with regards to sudden change in weight, shape and size of their body.

Smyth added that, women who suffer from celiac disease or gluten intolerance also suffer from eating disorders, because effectively managing the disease requires a strict dietary control. He said that “What we don’t know is what leads to what and under what circumstances”.

To this he added; “Disease, depression, weight, shape and eating disorders are all interrelated. But we need to understand and know whether women experience stress due to celiac disease and depression or vice versa, this is yet to be known.”

Enjoying eating out or a picnic is a pretty different kind of experience for those that suffer from celiac disease or gluten intolerance, as they need to pay careful attention to what’s on their plate. They also may feel that they are a burden on the host or hostess as they would be required to prepare gluten-free recipes especially for them.

Smyth suggests that patients need to be educated about the disease and the dietary restrictions so that they can effectively manage a ‘gluten elimination diet’ to resolve or reduce symptoms. He said that “I am a proponent of elaborating our treatment models to not just address diseases, but also to address the psychological, social and behavioral aspects of disease as well, as they can influence disease outcomes and the well being of patients”.

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Tired of tasteless gluten free recipes? Download 60chef-created gluten free recipes that actually taste good. 60 yummy gluten free recipes

7 Important Guidelines for Universal Protection

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The nature of any healthcare facility is such that there is an ever-present risk of infection and passing on communicable diseases. Universal protection is thus prescribed because a majority of medical personnel have to come in contact with patients or contaminated materials in course of their work.

The following guidelines will help you to ensure better protection while using personal equipment.

1. Washing Hands: This simple procedure is also many times the most neglected. But the fact remains that washing your hands before and after any treatment is one of the most effective ways to avoid spreading infections and must be followed regularly. If soap and water are unavailable even waterless hand cleaners work well.

2. Equipment: You may know of all the equipment used under universal precautions but you must also actually wear the required gear without skipping on any of them. The most important being the gloves, which should be used for all kinds of treatments or procedures, no matter how basic they are.

3. Wearing Equipment: It is equally important to wear your gear properly. Any equipment worn loosely can allow a splash of blood or fluid to touch your body especially the eyes, mouth and nose if an ill-fitting mask is used. Always remember to use properly fitting gear and wear it securely before starting treatment.

4. Reuse: All equipment that can be reused must be given for suitable cleaning. Decontamination, laundering and sterilization may be some of the methods used according to the equipment. You must ensure that the gear is clean before reuse and also look for damages like tear or breakages that might have been caused during the cleaning process.

5. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Masks: CPR requires close contact with a patient, thus use of CPR masks is highly recommended in such cases. If the mask is unavailable, quickly look for resuscitation bags or any similar ventilation device before proceeding to administer artificial respiration without any protection.

6. Proper Disposal: All disposable items of your gear must be discarded properly in the designated containers or bags that have proper labels indicating the potentially bio-hazardous contents. Do not leave such used gear lying around which can lead to spreading of infections, and follow the procedures of your healthcare facility at all times. Even if you are administering first aid away from the facility remember to put such gear in small plastic bags and seal it. Never throw them on the road side after use.

7. Accidental Contact: Even after wearing all the required gear, if some fluid or blood does come in contact with your skin you must use an antiseptic agent to clean it off. If your skin is broken or if you feel unwell then seek medical treatment immediately.

Under universal precautions it is assumed that every patient can potentially carry an infection. Thus it is very important to ensure that the few basic pieces of gear like gloves and face masks are also kept in your first aid kits. Such gear can be helpful to keep you from contracting any disease or even from spreading it to others around you.

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For more information, please visit our universal precautions website.