A six pack.... and not of beer

One of the most important exercises you can do is not building bigger arms or squatting 400 pounds. The most important exercise you can do is your core. Thats right if you want to be truly fit you need to focus on those amdominal muscles. Besides girls love it when your on the beach and you can show them a 6-pack.

Your core is like the foundation of a house. Everything you build is built off of the foundation and without it you can suffer from anything like poor form, bad backs, or just a weaker body than you would expect. Abs are important to keeping your posture and also maintaining physical fitness in the long run. People with a strong core are able to build their other muscles better and usually they are also able to perform better in areas like sports and activities.

http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises.htm

This website gives you 10 of the best and most effective Ab exercises known to man. It includes the crunch and the bicycle which are very popular ab routines. You can also find more ab exercises on youtube that will put your core to the test.

Jam Out While Your Pumping Iron

The other day I was about to go on a run and was looking through my mp3 player to make a playlist for my jog. I realized that all my songs were kind of dated and I didnt really have any good music to workout too. Nothing I had except for maybe a handful really stood out and made me think, hey this will pump me up and keep me going. So I did some searching on Google and found this site: http://rap.about.com/od/songs/tp/BestHipHopWorkoutSongs.htm

This site gave me a list of 25 hip hop songs that I could go an download to put on my mp3. I was extremely impressed because some of these songs I either had not heard before or they just were songs that I hadnt heard in a while that I used to like. I also found more sites with a more array of music that wasnt just a certain genre. If you google the workout songs you will find different links that will take you to the site like the one I found. Let me just say that my jog was more enjoyable because I was listening to different music and music that I liked.

Walk Into Shape

Shoe companies now are offering shoes that help keep you in shape and that actually tone your body while you walk around everyday life. I was watching tv the other day and saw this commercial for these Skechers that are called Shape-ups and they supposedly help keep you in shape by toning your legs and butt and helping your posture. Check out this video I found on youtube that shows them.



Also Reebok has a new commercial out that offers a shoe similar to the Shape-ups and the whole commercial focuses in on girls butts while they talk over it about how these shoes will give you a better looking butt and better looking legs. I thought it was interesting to see the new crave for fitness is now being done through walking tennis-shoes.

Creatine....good or bad?

Supplements have drastically made thier way into the world of workouts and because of this there is a lot descrepancy since some supplements have a bad rep of being harmful to your body. Supplements like N.O. explode and others have the stipulation of being helpful to increase gains and produce better results. You have to be careful though because supplements also have the rep of being linked with steriods.

Everyone knows that steriods are kind of taboo because of baseball and because of this supplements have been suffering. People link supplements with steriods because they do similar things for people that take them while working out. Some supplements though can be beneficial. They can help add nutrients to your body while you work out that can help with muscle growth and in turn help you get stronger faster.

On a website called http://www.vincedelmontefitness.com/blog/174/supplements-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/ this guy talks about how he thinks supplements are more harmful than good. He says that companies hype them up too much and these miraculous gains they promise is just false advertising. He has a point though, because most supplement stores and companies come out with new products all the time and sometimes these products are patent pending and havent really been fully tested to see if they are what they say they are. For the most part I believe that supplements can help if you take the right ones and are being careful with them. I do believe though that some individuals think that by taking a whole bunch of stuff they will get stronger, but taking all these different supplements may not be as good for you as you think.

Curls for the Girls

For years it has been known to men around the world that women like guys that look good. This means they like guys with big arms and if your like me big arms do not come easy. Girls are always looking for guys that can protect them and that have a solid body and arms are usually one of the first things they see.

In Men's Health there is an article that directs its attention completely to arms. Many guys can work out and work out and sometimes arms just dont come like you would like them too. The article talks about how some trainers have seen average guys do every arm workout in the book and still cannot see improvement in their arms.

The solution: Look at your other body parts like your shoulders, your core, and even your gluts (a.ka. buttox). Yes these areas need to be strengthened in order for people improve gains on thier arms. You need to improve your core because it is the base of your body and the framework for building your body. Your shoulders and butt also help put your body into a better posture and by focusing on them it puts your arms into a location that will allow them to grow muscle wise.

If your are curious you can purchase the April 2010 issue of Men's Health and it has a "Big Arms Workout" that you can try.

Being in Better Shape

So a lot of people may believe that if it has been a while since they worked out that they cannot get back into shape fast. This is not necessarily true. Let's say that you have been out of the gym for about 3-4 weeks and are planning on getting back into the gym there are ways to improve and get back in shape fast.

Some people will try to go back into the gym and do the weight that they had left off at. This is not at all what you need to do. This can actually harm and affect you in ways like injury and strains. When you get back into the gym, step back again. Do weight that you know is less but that you can handle and do high repetitions. This will condition your body back to what it is used to faster and then you can begin adding weight and improving upon from where you were at a month ago.

If you are curious as to where your body stands, a recent article I read in Men's Health Magazine talked about doing a fit test. The pushup is a universal work out method that involves your core, arms, shoulders, and back. The challenge is to set a timer for 3 minutes and do as many pushups as you can in that time maintaining good form. You can take as many breaks as you want but once the 3 minutes is up you have to stop. Then whatever number you reach there is a chart that tells you how good of shape or fit you are.

<55= below avg.
55-74= avg.
74-99= good
100-110= excellent
11 or more= extraordinary

So if you were in the lesser area you can improve your score by doing sets of push ups each week and each week you should improve some.

Can Facebook Be Bad For Your Brain?

In this article from the Townsend Letters by Jule Klotter it talks about how social media can have adverse effects on your health. People are seeing that social media sites can have negative effects on both your brain and on your relationships with friends and family. In the article neurosurgeons are asked if social media is bad for your brain. Their answer, yes. They do beleive that prolonged use of social media sites can lead to stress and poor brain circuitry. It can lead to poor health like stress, depression and fatigue.

On another side social media can take away from your relationships. It can ruin how we communicate and how we interact with our family and friends. The human body requires stimulas and meaningful human contact. Interaction with others through social media does not fill this human necessity and therefore it can lead to bad things for society and even your health. All of these things combined show the negative affects of social media and how eventualy prolonged use of social media can affect society greatly.

I Blame Twitter

One interesting article that caught my eye came from the Advertising Age Magazine and this article really bashed social media like Twitter. It is by Simon Dumenco and is called "I blame twitter for reason I hate kittens." This title alone caught my attnetion because it is a funny way to describe social media and why it may be negative towards society.

In the article the author talks about how as an author and a writer he notices that with social media people in the world can take comments and articles the wrong way than they were intended. He mentions a couple of examples that in an article he wrote he had some of his own opinions, but they slanted it against who he was writing about or took the comment for face value and didnt apply the context around the statement. He claims that poeple nowadays have short bursts of thought that do not have any substance to them and because of this people who blog on topics or tweet on different subjects do not have substance or credibility. He says many writers like himself are worried people are now just writing to write and are not critically reading anything anymore.

He does mention that on occasion social media can be okay though. He mentioned that certain information is learned through social media. For instance in the Iranian election there was an assination and the way the world learned of it was through Youtube and Twitter.

Are social networks harmful to society

I have found a lot of information that claims social media are bad. I am in the beleif that although I use social media (alot) social media is a distraction and can have adverse effects. In an article by Ryan Dube it asks the question, are social networks harmful to society. One problem is that many teens are using these sites to maintain relationships. Relationships that they have contact with that person frequently, yet they still try and maintain them through social media. It can lead to poor interpersonal communication between people. Also when people become obsessed with social media or are on them for hours at a time this leads to poor health and lack of exercise, which in turn can lead to obesity, which is something America has a problem with. It also describes positive sides to social media. It shows how social media can help researches collaborate world wide and it can help families that live a distance apart they can stay in touch. The main point of the article is to show how social media can be a detriment to society and negative on your health.

Three Tweets For the Web

I found this article that came from the Wilson Quarterly, which is a pretty legitimate source that talks about the good of social media. It praises social media because it is the new age of communication. People do not sit down and read books as much or write letters to each other. People tweet or communicate through facebook. Info can be found easier and quicker with the web and with social media you can find information and relay it to your friends and family quickly.

The article talks about blogs. It talks about blogs and how blogs are misunderstood because they cover many different topics and can cause an individual to think more about different subjects than they would just reading them. People claim that having all this information streaming at you diminishes your attention span, but according to this article by Tyler Cowen actually having multiple windows open we use multi-tasking more and more in our lives. An example of this is finding a song on Youtube and then sharing it with your friends on facebook. The author does a pretty good job of showing the good of social media when a lot of sites I've seen show the bad.

College Kids and thier facebooks

In a book I found on google books it talks about how students on college campuses are using social newtorking more and more. The book is by Ana Martinez Aleman and also by Katherine Lynk Wartman and it talks a lot about the influence of social networks like facebook in college campuses. With social media on college campuses students are able to network with kids in thier classes and also they can develop thier relationships.

One thing the book talks about is that students use these social networks to change thier personas. They can be a totally different person on Facebook than they are in the classroom. For instance we all know somebody that is a good student and is respected by peers and professors. But with social media people can find out that this person is also a crazy partier that does keg stands on the weekends with the frat boys. It just goes to show you how social media is an outlet for people to let other people see more of who they really are.

But people have to be careful now adays. Many students and professors are becoming friends on these social networks. College faculty are trying to involve the social media more and more and because of this they are not immune to student profiles anymore. Becuase of this the book warns that students need to be careful when they are on these networks because we have all heard stories of people putting up status' or photos and getting fired over them. Playing this risky game with professors could lead to poor grades or maybe not as good of reference letters.

Do you think it is a good idea to be facebook friends with a professor considering what you have on your facebook page?

How bad are social networks?

On a website about social networks I read that social networks are a growing problem that people should recognize. It seems teens are a using social networks to maintain relationships....that they have everyday. 82 % of teens are using facebook and twitter to maintain relationships with people that they see almost everyday.

They also think that because of this communication skills are going way down. People are losing the ability to communicate face to face and this is cause for huge concern. It is cause for concern because many comments made are less spontaneous and lack thought. Also people will say things over social media they normally would not in person.

It can also lead to excessive use of computers which in turn leads to poor health. You stop exercising your brain and your body because you are constantly in front of a computer. On the other hand social networks do help in their own ways. They can help people communicate around the world. Researches can collaborate and people can maintain long distance relationships easier.

Social Networks Are Good?

I found this article that finally voted in favor of social networks. Every article I have read so far have shown the negative effects of social networking. This article I found is from the BBC news website.

It talks about research findings from Cambridge, which I think we all know is a pretty prestigious school. Their findings show that Facebook actually helps relationships by enhancing storing biography and enhancing social memory. Many people try to use it to check up on ex patners or track people they like. They find that people can gain more info from Facebook than a phone call or something like that. Also they can keep in touch with people they have lost contact with wich can rekindle old relationships.

This is interesting because although I do see how you can gain more information from looking at someone through facebook, I also believe it is not the same as having a face to face conversation. Face to face convos are more personal and therefore I think are why social networks are not as good.

Laptop Addicts

Laptops are in every campus around the nation. Colleges require them or highly suggest students to have a laptop and use it for class. In an article from the Washington Post by Daniel de Vise, he tells about how many schools in this day and age are now banning laptops from the classroom. Some professors are seeing a common trend and this trend is not a good one. The professors are finding that laptops are doing more distracting in the classroom then learning.

Professors are not stupid and they realize with wireless Internet and laptops students are making these professors compete with their attention with sites like YouTube, facebook, blog sites, etc. Some professors have gone to drastic measures to prove their point that they do not want laptops in their classroom. One professor from Oklahoma took liquid nitrogen and poured it onto a students laptop and then threw it onto the floor where it broke into a thousand pieces. Professors also believe that students that do use laptops in class tend to score as low as kids that do not show up to class at all. One professor tracked the grades of 17 students who were "laptop addicts" and found that their average grade in the class was a 71% which was close to the average of students that do not show up.

Check out this YouTube clip. It is the actual clip of the professor destroying the laptop and has grossed over 1,000,000 hits. Its pretty funny.

Killing you Socially

Social networks have been vastly growing over the past 5 or so years. In a New York Times article I read about how some researchers fear that these social networking sites are having a negative affect on people. The article written, by Robert Mackey, describes how one researcher from Oxford fears that social networking is making people revert back to the state of being a baby.

This is described by researcher Susan Greenfield. She says that social networks are making people revert back to baby mentallity and need constant reassurance of who they are and that they exist. She says people are having smaller attention spans which is scary to think about. The article goes on to talk about how other researchers have found that actual face to face conversation may be biologically better for you than face to screen. For instance people with contact with actual people are healthier then loners.


Here is a interview with one of the researchers talking about the effects of social networking .

Social Networking Express

I was looking for social networking sites and how they affect our society and what I found was pretty interesting. The article I found described how social networks like facebook and twitter are the new way of communication. I was pretty amazed when the article said that facebook has 300 million active users and 40 million of those update their site each and every day. It was amazing that people that have gotten social networking sites have quadrupled over the past 4 years. The one interesting thing though, and the main point of the article is that social networking has made business much easier. People with similar interests or similar needs and wants are able to find each other in these social sites and thus can interact with a more diverse base of people. I was a little confused though in the article because it talked about this ASSE group and never really described what they are or what they do. For now I assume that they have something to do with business but I think I will do some more research to figure out what they are and what they do and how social networks have improved them.

If you know who they are or what they do let me know.

Being the ultimate lifter

Many people dont lift properly and because of it they suffer injury or pain. Also poor lifting techniques can result in not seeing the proper results you were going for. For instance you might be trying to do a exercise and by doing it poorly you notice that you are not increasing weight or strenght off of that lift. Check out you tube for more lifting examples so that you do not hurt yourself while exercising.

Hurting Not Helping

One big problem in the world of exercising is that some people go into the gym and start exercising with different machines and amounts of weights without really having the knowledge they need. Doing this can lead to either poor results or worse, injury. One big problem is people will try to do way to much when they enter the gym. By doing to many exercises or doing too much weight because you think you are a hardass is a good way to wake up the next morning and not be able to get out of bed. Most lifters will expeirence some soreness, especially if you are just starting out or if you have not been in the gym for a while.

Another huge thing that lifters or people exercising can do that can seriously have negative effects is bad form. Poor form with exercises can put your body at risk for injuries or strains. Some of the most common types of this are: rounding your back or straining your knees. I personally see this alot in the gym. People will do squats or lunges and put too much pressure on thier knees, when thier knees need to be behind thier toes. Also rounding your back is horrible for not only you back, but your spine and posture. Lifters need to try and maintain an arch or flat back as much as possible. Performing the lifts with the correct form ensures that you are getting the most of the exercise.

These ideas and many others are discussed on this site, http://exercise.about.com/od/injurytreatmenthelp/tp/7waystohurtyourself.htm

Fitting Exercise In

In college you have a busy schedule that involves classes, homework, and sometimes even a job. So when are you supposed to get in exercise? Well a recent article I found that follows the line of being healthier in college gives 5 good ways college students can fit exercise into thier daily lives:

1. Walk to class- walk instead of driving to class it will burn calories


2. Take advantage of the gym- most colleges offer a gym and taking advantage of this is crucial. Even if you have to spend money to use the equipment it is key to get some sort of exercise in.


3. Walk in between courses- instead of sitting around waiting walk around in between classes


4. Take classes- take courses that offer exercise and physical activity


5. Get involved in sports- most colleges offer intramural sports and getting involved in those is a great way to keep in shape

At Northwest all of these things are possible. Walking to classes is easy because of the close vicinity of all the classes and also our campus is very beautiful to look at. Also here at Northwest we offer a free gym in the rec center and also one you can pay for. Both of these have free weights and treadmills and other equipment that can help you to exercise during your busy schedule. We also offer many courses that will help you fit in exercise to your busy schedule and these classes are fun and easy. For instance one class that Northwest offers is volleyball, which is a great way to meet people and play a fun sport. Finally, Northwest offers a wide variety of intramural sports and getting involved in these is a great way not only to exercise but to meet new people.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/186686/5_ways_to_exercise_at_college__pg2.html?cat=4

College is unhealthy?

How many of you would say that college is unhealthy lifestyle? Probably not many of you would think college could be unhealthy, but when you think about it college is plagued with stress ridden students who do not always get enough sleep. Also think about the recent outbreak of N1H1 and how vast the spread of that was. Many of us college students either got the virus or knew somebody who did. College can be dangerous for out health and I want to let people know how they can combat this.

I found this article that gives a good list of things you can do to improve your health. It alos outlines why college students need exercise. Simply walking to class is not enough, students need to get thier heart rate up. Going to the gym or riding a bike is something the article discusses. Also f.y.i. the binge drinking that some college students know and love is not healthy. Drinking "shockingly" can cause weight gain. This is also something the article discusses and it links to another webpage that talks about the effects of binge drinking, so check out this article and become more knowledgeable about your college health.

http://collegeuniversity.suite101.com/article.cfm/college_student_health_tips

Why exercise is so important!

Staying physically active can play a huge role in your health. By constantly keeping your body busy you are giving you joints, muscles and especially heart more power and life. No matter what age you are being physically active has a drastic effect on your health. The risks that you run by not exercising are heart attacks, overwieght, high blood pressure, poor joints, and bad posture. You will also have less energy when you are among you friends and family. This can have an adverse effect on the relationships you build.

By building muscles and stamina you have the ability to avoid injuries and soreness. It will make your heartbeat stronger and let you be able to run longer and work out better. Also eating a balanced diet will make your arteries less clogged with gunk and you will feel better as a person. If you want to lead a healthy lifestyle, you need to find a way to introduce exercise into your daily lives. Whether it is walking, running, or a ten minute ab routine, getting your heart rate up and pushing yourself will lead to a healthier life.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/sci_tech/features/health/healthyliving/exerciserisk.shtml

Eat Like a Champion

Diet Tips
1. Keep track of how much fat is in everything you eat, pay attention to the nutrition facts and keep in mind that all of these are for 1 serving which is usually less than the typical person eats
For now, keep your fat intake very low, I would recommend shooting for 20-30% of daily fat value
2. Steer clear of candy and any fried foods
3. Do not drink soda, even diet soda contains empty calories, which are not nutritious
When you drink milk, make sure it is skim
4. Drink plenty of water, water speeds up the metabolism—I recommend at least 2 liters a day (preferably 3 liters)
5. A foundation of muscle also helps metabolize fat (this is why strength training is important)
6. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, they are fat free and contain many vitamins that are essential—Make a point to include them in your regular diet.

7. Eat wheat bread instead of white, but be weary that it still contains fat (check nutrition facts)Note* If you are going super healthy, don’t eat enriched bread or cereal.
8. Keep a diary or log of what you are eating and how much fat is in it
9. Stock up on fat free snacks (fat free fig newtons, fat free yogurt, fat free rice cakes, ect.)Check to make sure it is fat free—Keep in mind that if you are eating large portions, the trace amounts of fat per serving will accumulate.

These are some ideas that I have found through a fraternity brother who works in the fitness center here on campus. These ideas are especially good if you are trying lose percentage body fat. It will help you to build muscle faster and also feel better too.

The Scientific Opinion

Everybody always is looking for a new and improved working hoping for the "perfect workout." The problem with that is there really is no perfect workout. According to an article on LiveScience.com by Robin Lloyd the best type of exercise is....exercise. Exercise causes people to feel good. It release endorphins that make the person doing the workout feel refreshed and relaxed. The article goes on to say that the thing that causes stress, one of the hormones called Cortisol, is burned when one exercises. The author continues to say that heavy lifting or exerting yourself in an intense workout seems to have the best effect to give you that feel good feeling. While lifting light or resistance training is good for health, doing explosive lifts and at a fast pace is the ideal way to burn the Cortisol and release good endorphins that make you feel better.

Take a look for yourself. http://www.livescience.com/health/060530_exercise_good.html

"Never Give Up, Never Back Down"

I recently watched this movie, "Never Back Down." It is about a kid who has problems fighting and he finds an outlet in working out at a mixed martial arts gym. The reason I am showing you this clip is because mixed martial arts has become a huge phenomonon and it takes intense full body workouts to prepare you body for a beating. Mixed martial arts workouts include cardio, weights, agility, and the basic techniques it takes to fight. This mix of execise is a great option if you are looking to get in shape and also have different type of intense work out. Take a look at the clip and you can tell by this that these two actors are in extreme shape, and mixed martial arts exercise offers that option.

P90X

Many people might have heard about this new exercise craze called P90X. It is a new program that is an intense workout that claims to get you in shape quickly. You may have seen the informercials on late at night and now everyone seems to be trying to get back in shape with this program.

Check out this Youtube clip that gives you a view of what P90X is.

Sore Subject

If anyone is new to working out or is just starting up again after getting out of shape please know you will be sore and stiff for the first couple of days. Do not be discouraged by this though because this is perfectly natural. Your body not being used to the exertion and strain you put on when lifting or running will have to deal with some muscle soreness. This is a good sign though because it tells you your muscles are working and transforming into what you are looking for. So again if you experience soreness this is a good sign you are heading in the right direction for your fitness. By working out consistently the soreness and stiffness will subside and you will begin to build muscle and become fitter. Don't forget to stretch though otherwise your muscles will be tight and you don't want to be tight, you want to be loose. I am currently trying to get back into shape and believe me I am sore and stiff, but I take 10 to 15 minutes a day to stretch out my major muscles and it helps you not only relax but feel loose.

The basics

Everyone that works out has a different purpose. Whether its losing weight or adding muscle everyone ultimately has some goal when they go to exercise. The real problem exists though on whether or not you follow through with those goals and if you are working at them in the correct fashion. There are 3 types of ways a person can work their body out and will get results that better thier lifestyles and they are:

1. If you are looking to tone your body and are already in good condition, but you want to work on having a better looking physique it is usually wise to work each body part. Doing sets of 3 and doing 10-12 reps per set about 3 times a week will help you on your way.

2. If you are building muscle you need to focus on explosive lifts that target the main muscle groups. These areas include legs, arms, shoulders, back and core (or in other words abdominals). Doing sets of 3-5 and reps of around 5-7 will help build muscles faster, just be sure to give yourself a couple days to recover in between lifts.

3. Finally, if you want to build endurance doing lifts of lighter weight and doing 3 sets of anywhere from 12-20 reps will help. This way you are conditioning your muscles to obtain more oxygen and you will be able to run farther and be in a lot better shape.

Even Plato thought about Fitness

Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it. ~Plato

http://www.quotegarden.com/exercise.html

Exercise is my drug of choice

Exercise was never on the forefront of my mind when I was younger. This is probably because I was always active in sports or different activities and did not have to worry about being in shape. The last semester of senior year though, I started working out with my football buddy and realized how much better I felt about myself and how much I like working out. Since I've been in college I have tried to maintain a healthy body, which turns out to be harder than one would think. I have thought about being some sort of health major like physical therapy, but I was never overly good at science. Anyway, I started reading magazines about fitness and started working out to better my health and body style and it just interests me how much physical fitness can do for one person. Sadly I have not been keeping on it. I have gotten lazy to say the least. I was in awesome shape over the summer, running 2 miles a day and working out 3 to 4 days a week. I want to get back to that shape and I think by using this blog it will help me let you know about exercising and what I have found as well as help me focus and get back into shape. So, in a sense I can knock out 2 birds with one stone.

Never thought I would do a blog

I always was a skeptic when it came to the whole blogging world and even the public social websites like facebook. I have never had a myspace but do have a facebook and now it seems odd to be writing a blog. I am going to run with it though because for our composition 112 class we were given the option to write on a subject that interests us.

My subject is excercise and working out. I wont get into a lot of detail right now but I am a pretty avid reader of Men's Health Magazine and these issues have given me some good information on how to become more fit

Here is a link to thier website if you want to check out what I am talking about.

http://www.menshealth.com/