Why Excess Abdominal Fat Is More DEADLY Than You Think

Why Excess Abdominal Fat Is More DEADLY Than You Think

I remember when I watched the first episode of The Jersey Shore, I was taken back by a few things;

1. How so many people in one room could possibly be wearing Ed Hardy t-shirts,

2. That someone would show up with all their belongings in a garbage bag - classy,

3. And that anyone who called himself "The Situation" had any hope of appealing to women...

...but then the guy lifted up his rhinestone studded shirt and revealed a 6-pack, no wait - 8-pack, that would make even the most experienced personal trainers jealous. But as it turns out, a toned torso isn't just something you should aim for because it's going to help you score at a bar or look hot down at the beach (although lets face it - it helps), it's also an indication of how healthy you are, and excess fat around your abdomen is a market of greater health risks, and could be as dangerous to your health as your addiction to bad MTV reality shows. Check out this article below by Mike Geary, the author of The Truth About Abs.  

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Post Workout Meals For Muscle Growth

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. When I wake up I am starving and in the kitchen within five minutes busily whipping up an egg and spinach omelette and if anyone gets in my way they will likely get whacked over the head with my Paula Dean non stick skillet. Although it may be my favorite meal of the day, it is not necessarily the most important. You see, if you are gym junkie or fitness enthusiast, or even just like to lift a few weights a couple of times a week, your post workout meal can determine whether all that work you have just done will equate into muscle growth or be in vain. And if you think consuming large amounts of protein is the answer, then you will be surprised. Today we are going to take a look at how and why post workout nutrition should be your most important meal of the day, and show you a ratio that will optimize your muscle growth that can apply no matter where or what you eat after you workout.

So why is what you eat or drink after you workout so important? Well when you are in the gym, lifting weights or performing resistance training, you are breaking down muscle fibers and depleting your muscle's glycogen stores to use as energy. When you step off the weights floor your body is in what's known as a catabolic state, which means that because of all the stress you have just put on it, you have hormones circulating that are counterproductive to muscle growth. You need to switch your body into an anabolic state, where you have replaced muscle glycogen stores and given your body the right amount of calories and nutrients to help your muscles repair.

How To Naturally Increase Your Testosterone

Ever since you were a child, whether you were aware of it or not, hormones have been coursing through your veins and have been responsible for all of your biological processes. From growth, to decision making, to what you choose to eat and when, and even that annoying pimple you have on your back that has completely interfered with your plan on wearing that muscle bound tank top to show off your bulging biceps on the weekend. When it comes to health and fitness however, hormones play an even more prominent role; they determine how much energy you have, how much muscle size you can gain, and even how much fat you can lose and how quickly you can lose it. So much so that bodybuilders and fitness junkies have for decades tried to manipulate them, even via illegal means such as anabolic steroids, to get the best body, or best performance, possible. The main hormone we are taking about here is testosterone, but you don't have to resort to sticking needles in your butt or ordering questionable illegal drugs from that red-faced, bloated muscle head in the gym to reap it's benefits. Today I'm going to show you how you too can manipulate it naturally via a few diet and exercise tips and tricks that will help speed up your fat loss and help you put on lean muscle mass quicker than ever.

Testosterone is known as the male sex hormone, and is primarily found in the male testes and also in smaller amounts in female ovaries. It's associated with strength, youth and sex... that's right, all the fun things. Low testosterone can result in fatigue, loss of libido, premature aging, sexual dysfunction, muscle loss and fat gain, just to name a few, so you can see it's important to keep it at optimal levels for proper daily function and way of life. Low testosterone is a serious medical issue and should you suspect that you are suffering from this, you should consult your doctor immediately. However today for the purposes of this article, we are going to assume you are a healthy individual with normal, regular testosterone levels, as we show you ways of manipulating and optimizing it for your exercise and fitness goals. Take a look at the tips and tricks natural bodybuilders (they're ones that don't resort to using steroids) use to burn fat and get buff...

Food Poisoning

Unfortunately Healthy Boy hasn't been so healthy the last couple of days as I contracted a nasty bout of food poisoning. Feeling better but sunday night wasn't pretty. Hoping to have some new content up tomorrow.

Meanwhile, my abs have never looked better...

Healthy Boy x

Friday, August 27, 2010

The Ultimate Gym Bag

Do you go to one of those gyms that have those stupidly designed lockers that have multiple ledges? They are great for hanging up a shirt or putting your phone and keys in, but if you have a gym bag like most of us do, then you have to stuff it in and it ends up falling down the side of the locker and anything inside gets squashed including your that peanut butter and jelly sandwich you were looking forward to for lunch which ends up smooshed all over your work clothes. Not only that, but trying to get things in and out of your bag while you are changing in the locker room is a hassle. Well fret no more because a newly designed gym bag has become available that not only helps solve all those problems for you, but it helps you look stylish while doing so.

Let me introduce you to the Glo Bag and the newest must have for any gym junkie or fitness enthusiast. It separates everything via two self contained shelves within the bag, dividing it up into three compartments. One compartment is designed for your gym shoes which has ventilated compartments so that stinky sweaty smell your feet get after a long run on the treadmill doesn't linger. The second shelf is designed for your toiletries bag (because who doesn't need some hair product after a grueling workout), and the upper compartment is to keep anything you need to be fresh and clean. The bag also comes with a cell phone pouch and a water bottle holder.

Not only that, but the manufacturer is also throwing in a free toiletries bag for all your manly skin care and body wash products, and a wet bag so you can throw your sweaty gym shirt and shorts in after your workout, normally at a value of $34.

Lucy enough to have a standard level locker at your gym? Well this gym bag is for you also. It can stand on a flat surface or hand from any coat hook or hanger.

The bag comes in solid black, black with gold webbing, or black with silver webbing. You can buy them below or with other healthy products via my shop tab above.

Solid Black                            












Black with Gold Webbing

Black with Silver Webbing

Happy Shopping!

Healthy Boy x

What's Really In Your Red Bull

Energy drinks have become increasingly popular amongst health minded individuals over the last decade for the extra "kick" they can provide before or during a workout. Not only that but they have become a staple for students wanting to stay up late studying for exams, and even made their way into our everyday lives by being available in office vending machines, and at your favorite bar as an ideal mixer in alcoholic beverages to keep you from passing out all over your friend like a Jersey Shore housemate at 2am in the morning... although I vaguely remember consuming one two many Vodka Red Bulls a few weeks back and still managed to eat the pavement. But whether you are consuming them with your favorite tipple, or as a much needed energy kick at 3pm in the afternoon, do you really spend the time to turn over the bottle to see what's inside? Today we are going to look at the ingredients in a regular Red Bull and why some of those ingredients may not only be detrimental to your health, but can interfere with your quest for a better body.

Sugar
Think energy drinks like Red Bull are better for your waistline than soda? Well they're not. One can of Red Bull has 27 grams of sugar, which is roughly the equivalent of 6 teaspoons. Still not hitting home? Well let's put that into perspective. A Dunkin Donuts Glazed Donut has 19 grams of sugar, Reeces Peanut Butter Cups have 21 grams of sugar, and a Twix Bar has 28 grams of sugar. So you are basically eating the sugar equivalent of a candy bar. The whole can itself only has 110 calories, but all of that is coming from sugar. You could throw 6 teaspoons of sugar in your morning coffee and basically get the same effect for much cheaper.

Are You Making These 10 Workout Mistakes?

How many of you out there have actually ever sat down with a personal trainer, developed a workout routine, and had them show you how to correctly lift weights and perform cardio for optimal muscle growth and fat loss? Unfortunately, a lot of people never have, and consequently make their way through years of working out by watching other people in the gym, and surfing the web for tips and techniques. While many people are satisified with this approach, and because of the fact it is the only one they can afford, it often leads to countless mistakes, from incorrect form when lifting, to over-training. Because of these mistakes some people never truly realize their physical potential or know that with a few simple changes, they could be seeing greater results. Take a look at this article below by Tom Venuto (I know this is the second article I've posted from him this week but Healthy Boy is a little strapped for time today and wants to make sure you are still getting some good reading). It's a great article where Tom not only tell us what the Top 10 Workout Mistakes are, but even tells you what you need to do to rectify them, which will result in some positive changes to your body. Number 9 should definitely resonate.

The Top 10 Bonehead Workout Mistakes

By Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCSwww.burnthefat.com

“Common workout mistakes” has always been a very popular topic in fitness publications. But no matter how many times this subject is re-hashed, you almost always hear about the same half a dozen or so mistakes, including poor form, overtraining, going too heavy, not stretching, not warming up, yadda, yadda yadda. Ironically, you seldom hear about the biggest mistakes of all. I call these humongous bloopers “bonehead mistakes” because once you start to analyze and think about them, they’re really just common sense and they all seem so obvious… except of course to the person doing it… who is often quite oblivious until someone else points it out to them... then the light goes on and it's like... "Doh!"

Before I begin the countdown, (in no particular order), there’s one more gripe I have about the treatment this subject has been given in the past: Most of the attention has been put on the mistakes, but very little on the solutions. It’s all too easy to point fingers and say, “Don’t do that” and “Shame on you, dummy” but only 1% of your time should be spent on problems. 99% should be spent on solutions. So in that spirit, after I bring each mistake to your attention, I’ll give you a solution-oriented training tip to help you avoid boneheadedness and join the elite group who “kick butt” in the gym at every workout…

http://www.thehealthyboy.com/