Archive for February, 2007

Mesomorphs are mostly athletes who don’t have problem putting on mass. They are symmetric and have good posture.

They have broader shoulders which help to give a natural athletic look.

Mesomorphs are with full of energy and capable of lot of physical activity. Generally mesomorphs store fat equally in all parts of the body, but they can become overweight if they consume high fat and high calorie food.

Mesomorphs who are overweight have the risk of cardiovascular disease. They have to maintain a healthy diet and exercise program.

As their muscles are thick and powerful, moderate to heavy weights are required to stimulate growth. For each muscle group, start with three to four exercises. They can change their order of their exercises and type of exercises. They can use higher reps and lighter weights. Use variety of stimulation to challenge the muscle. This helps in reducing the injuries and maximizing the gains. Overtraining should be avoided and attention should be paid for proper rest and nutrition.

Most trainers and experts will recommend three types and combinations of exercises per body part, 3-4 sets each with 12-15 repetitions total for maximum impact and lasting effect. Keep workouts under one hour. They can use advanced techniques like drop sets, forced sets, strip sets and super sets.

Mesomorph is sport and athletic built, has more muscular looking, healthy, good physical attributes, broad shoulders, visible defined muscle-packs, good stature and build, making a good impression, exhuberating vitality and energy.

Characterized as typically social and very outgoing, always surrounded by outdoors, company and activity, these groups of indivdiuals are mostly considered and described by others to be strong-willed and tempered. They are dynamic personalities, active and extremists at times, highly competitive. Football player-types, even body-builders will typically fall into this category.

Everyone wish to be of this body type, but unfortunately very few have this type of body. Mesomorph have the advantage of dropping the weight quickly and gaining it easily. A mesomorph can easily lose fat with doing one or two cardio workouts a week and can get good results.

They can lose the fat while holding on to muscle which gives them a calorie burning advantage. If mesomorphs do more cardio workout sessions, they lose more fat than ectomorphs and endomorphs as the greater muscle mass helps in burning more calories.

Endomorph body type should work towards burning off more body fat directly from fat cells. To burn off the body fat, low intensity and aerobic exercises are required.

There are many routines that will work wonders for this body type. They should work more on the cardio exercises.

If endomorphs did not start to exercise for weight loss before, they can start with easy exercises.

They can use heart rate monitor to keep the heart rate within the target and to maximize weight loss.

It is best to stick to, especially initially to routines sporting one exercise per body part. They will get the most and best results over time.

What should be done for this body type?

1. Most trainers and experts will recommend two sets of each exercise set, done preferably with a weight sticking to 10-12 repetitions for the best results.
2. Look for exercises that helps you with boosting metabolism
3. Burning calories and fat (aerobic/high cardio) should be a priority
4. Opt for activities like

• Priorities include building muscles/strength, changing the shape a bit for optimal functioning
• Light weight training will do wonders for this type of physique

Endomorph is bulky and chubby with a slower digestive system. Individuals that fall into this category typically are prone to being somewhat overweight. From a personality perspective, endomorphs are perceived to be more easy-going, tolerant and creatures of comfort, routine and habit. They love food and the company of others and often eat/exercise for the shared experience and being around/with others. Obsesity rates tend to be higher in these categories and eating for socializing is a main motivator.

Endomorph body type have a tendency to settle fat into lower regions of the body, mainly lower abdomen, thighs and hips rather than being distributed evenly throughout the body. Endomorphs contain small to medium bones, limbs that are shorter in relation to your trunk and musculature that is not defined.

A male endomorph have a different fat distribution tendency pattern from a female endomorph. In female endomorphs, fat is collected in legs, hips and buttts. In male endomorphs, fat is collected in their abdomen. According to the research, fat deposited at abdominal area is dangerous than fat in the butt and leg area. This is mainly due to the risk of heart disease and an increased risk of cancers, blood pressure and diabetes.

How can you make the best of what your body has to offer for fitness, exercise, and healthy living?

How can your workouts give you more, with some consideration for and of how you are build, your bone structure, stature, physique, physical height/weight, presence and distribution of body-fat, metabolic rates and more? Have you ever considered these aspects as part of your overall health and fitness assessment(s), your workout routines, types and duration of exercises and the like?

We are often left to ask and wonder why our exercise routines at times can seem so highly ‘ineffective’ or uneventful, with little explanation, clarification or specifics for our own circumstance, build, condition, health, fitness, goals or frustrations!

The unique and beautiful thing here is that each of us has a kind of default body-type, frame and naturally endowed physique, which in turn is coded (encoded/decoded) into our genetics, manifested in our bodily appearance – into how we look and function. Our bodies and what we do with them are uniquely defined and individually different, bestowed and we need to unlock these inner secrets to make the most of our body type and exercise dynamics.

There is so much information about health and fitness coming from different sources. Before joining any fitness program you need to understand the basics of fitness training.

You may be having several misconceptions about exercise and weight loss but don’t be confused. Here are the top 10 fitness myths and the truth behind the myths.

1. Exercising with weights bulks women up:
Women who lift weights get bulky muscles. This myth makes women scared of exercising with weights. The fact is that men have high testosterone levels which increase the muscles throughout the body and make bulk.

Females have low testosterone levels and high percentage of fat and have less muscle to build and bulk up. Weight training for women is aimed at producing stronger muscles that can take more stress out from their lives. Women’s fitness is essential for their healthy living.

2. Running is the best way to get fit:
The fact is that there is no one best way to get fit. You can workout any exercise which you feel comfortable in a right way. If you are following the right way, you will be fit with any workout. But getting fit physically and mentally is a process that takes time and patience.

Both yoga and Pilates have distinctive approaches to fitness and can provide significant benefits for the strengthening and conditioning of the body.

Yoga was developed five thousand years ago in northern India. Yoga was practiced and refined by Vedic priests, who documented the practice in their writings.

Yoga approach to exercise and conditioning focus on overall health. From its Hindu philosophical origins, yoga practice involves body, mind and spirit, and encourages you to seek balance in the way you live your life.

Yoga is the best time tested path to physical and mental well-being known to mankind. While some of them think that yoga is simply a physical exercise, it is actually a complete system for overall health and well-being. It includes personal hygiene, healthy diet, premeditation, physical postures, breathing and relaxation techniques.

Yoga asanas effectively stretch and strengthen your body. The benefits of yoga asanas come from the internal systems of the body. By stretching, twisting, flexing and bending in various postures, the oxygenated blood flows through the internal organs of the body.

Yoga asanas tone and soothe your nerves and regulate the endocrine system, which is responsible for the production of hormones. Yoga also improves your digestion and elimination, tone the reproductive organs and strengthen the respiratory system.

Yoga pose works on your mind and body and makes your body lighter and healthier.

Yoga pose helps in supply of blood to brain and various parts of the body.

Your body becomes purified and you become healthy and conscious.

Some of the yoga poses are described here.

Lotus pose (padmasana): Lotus pose requires crossing your legs while keeping your back straight. Sit down on the floor with legs stretched and keeping your palms down. Hold your right foot and put it on the left thigh until it touches the hip joint. Similarly, hold your left foot and put it on the right thigh until it touches the hip joint. Keep your hands upwards or downwards.

This pose has lot of benefits such as increasing attentiveness, stimulating body parts, relaxing effect and increasing awareness. It also develops in maintaining good body posture.

Easy pose (sukhasana): Easy pose is a comfortable seated position for meditation. Sit on the floor by crossing the legs and placing the feet below the knees. Place your palms facing up on the knees. Press your hip bones down in to the floor. Drop the shoulders down and back and press the chest forwards. This pose is used to open the hips and strengthen the spine.

Many of them don’t get sufficient amounts of nutrients from the food they eat.

A balanced diet is the way to maintain health, energy and proper weight.

That’s why everyone needs supplements for healthy life.

These supplements don’t replace a balanced diet but they will make up for the missing vitamins and minerals which are not present in your diet.

Long back, these supplements were taken by athletes and body builders to feed their body. But, now almost every one recognizes the necessity to take the health supplements. Nutritional supplements were taken by athletes as they know that nutrition and fitness go hand on hand.

They know that in order to correctly feed the cells in their body, they need minerals, fats, health vitamins, and amino acids. These nutrients are responsible for your mood, your strength, and recovery time from your workout.

If you eat right and eating nutritious foods required by your body keeps you healthy. You can get required vitamins and nutrients from fresh vegetables and fruits which protect against diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other health problems.

Everyone knows that walking is good for health. But often you may be tired, you may not find time to walk or some other reason.

But some of them make walking as their daily activity due to their interest, activities and responsibilities. They make walking as part of their everyday living.

Making walking as part of your life is easier than you think. You need a pair of shoes, comfortable clothes, and desire.

You can make walking enjoyable by listening to music. If you want to go to grocery, bank or for any other work, you can walk without a vehicle if it is ten minutes walk.

If you have parking lot or a park nearer to your home, you can walk for twenty to thirty minutes. You can take your friend for a walk, or join walking club, or participate in community walk event. Try different walks each day. Walk up and down hills or walk on stairs.

Walking is the best workout choice for beginners. Start walking slowly in the beginning. Start walking for ten minutes in the beginning and return back in ten minutes. If it is easy, add another five minutes for going out and for coming back.