Exercise

You have witnessed individuals following the same initial strength conditioning program month after month, year after year, using the same weightloads, exercises sets and repetitions, trying to lose those extra 10 pounds or improve their strength to no avail. There is a prime reason these people no longer see results in their strength conditioning program or their health and fitness goals… They fail to utilize periodization in their training program.To keep your workout primed and progressive, you must follow a few simple variables of periodization training. These variables will keep you on track for making gains toward your personal fitness goals as well as keep you from stagnating or worse yet, injuring yourself in the process.

Periodization is not a new term or concept in the field of athletics. Eastern Bloc countries were using forms of it with their athletes in the 60’s. Not too many years later the Western countries began to catch on and used their variations of periodization in athletic training. Today, this type of program is near universal with certified strength and conditioning specialists working with sport athletes. It is used with athletes of all ages to assist them in efficiently reaching new goals in an organized and planned manner, while helping them peak with their athletic performance at the right time and still reduce the potential for program plateau or injury. The wonderful part about all of these athletes using periodization over the years is that the process has been well tested and proven for its effectiveness in exercise programming. Now, these same principles are being spread into the world of general fitness programs and the opportunity for individuals to realize new and renewed achievements has arrived.

Specifically, periodization of a fitness program has to do with breaking that program into various periods. The training periods are called different things by various group or in different regions of the globe, but essentially they are: Endurance Phase, Hypertrophy Phase, Strength Phase, Power Phase, and generally after you have cycled at least once through the various training periods you will take a short active rest before starting another cycle of a periodized program. Each phase is distinct from the others in its primary target goal during that period and this difference is accomplished by either the type of exercise or the number of exercise repetitions and the rest we give our selves in between each exercise set. Working with a certified personal trainer will assist you a great deal in understanding and properly establishing an organized periodized program.

Briefly, here are the basic variables for each training period:

• Endurance – (sets 4-6) (rest <30 seconds) (repetitions 13%2B) (Intensity low) (volume very high)
• Hypertrophy – (sets 3-5) (rest 30-90 seconds) (repetitions 8-12) (Intensity moderate) (volume high)
• Strength – (sets 3-5) (rest 120-240 seconds) (repetitions 2-6) (Intensity high) (volume moderate)
• Power – (sets 3-5) (rest 180-300 seconds) (repetitions 1-5) (Intensity very high) (volume moderate)
• Active Rest – think of this as generally a 1-2 week period where you will not actively follow a resistance training program, but will instead participate in various rec sport type activities that you have not been participating in during your just completed cycle.

Now, with a basic understanding of periodization and the efficiencies it has proven to add to goal achievement in fitness programming, we have two primary variations to be concerned with in completing our periodized training program… Will our program be designed in a “linear” or “non-linear” format. Similarly this asks the question as to how long will each periodized cycle run? Ultimately, either is fine when compared to a standard “non-varied” program (ie. one that for example does 5 sets of 10 repetitions for multiple months in a row). The most current research appears to show that a non-linear program provides the greatest results in strength gain, muscle development, and likely body composition of fat free mass when compared directly to the linear periodized program.

• Linear Training Program – A periodized exercise program that utilizes equal or near equal time allotments for each period of the program. Each period can be as short as one week, but have most often ranged from 2-6 weeks per period.
• Non-Linear Training Program (also called undulating periodization) – A periodized exercise program that treats each day as a new period. Hypertrophy training may be the target of the first exercise session of the week, while strength and then endurance are the targets on sessions 2 & 3 respectively. Active rest is inserted after a selected length of time for a break.

These basics of periodization training really do only scratch the surface of the many factors that go into a exercise training program for an athlete, or an enthusiast who is looking to simply improve their general fitness profile. The efficiencies gained while utilizing a properly designed program are significant and will often make the difference in whether participants will even provide the time commitment in an attempt to reach their goals. Enthusiasts are STRONGLY encouraged to seek out the counsel of a certified fitness professional for their assistance in goal setting through proper assessment as well as the development of their personal training program. These and multiple other training variables will be taken into account and a properly designed program will be created specific to the needs and desires of the enthusiast.

Tom is a health and wellness professional, certified as a strength and conditioning specialist and member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He provides Fitness Professional business, education, and travel opportunities through his company http://www.fitlaunch.com FIT Launch, Inc.

Visit FIT Launch- to contact Tom for Quality Fitness Professionals in your area or to receive online fitness coaching at a distance.

You can view quality related weight loss, conditioning, and nutritional products through his http://www.healthygatherings.com Healthy Gatherings website.

There are two basic things you need to know when you’re setting up an exercise program.

1. Your body needs at least twenty to forty minutes of aerobic activity three to four times per week.

2. You need to include strength training at least twice per week, but preferably three times a week.

If you absolutely, positively are going to choose between cardio exercise or strength exercise – choose aerobic exercise. With that choice you are exercising your heart muscle and aside from the obvious advantage to that, the aerobic workout can help you maintain your weight loss.

You need to remember that muscle burns fat, so if you can add in approximately 50 push-ups before your aerobic workout, you will start to reap the benefits….

Why strength exercise before aerobic exercise?

Actually, for the first twenty minutes of your aerobic workout, your body is burning approximately eighty percent carbohydrates and twenty percent fat. So, if your goal is to decrease your body weight, you want to burn more fat and less carbs, right?

Well, the next twenty minutes will get you into about a fifty/fifty mode. You’re burning a bit more fat than you were and that’s a great thing.

If you exercise beyond forty minutes, you will be burning approximately eighty percent fat. Let’s be real though, the majority of people are not going to exercise for that long period of time. Twenty to thirty minutes of aerobic exercise is about average.

If you start out with pushups, you actually start the aerobic activity…not much, but it is a start. So, when you begin your aerobic exercise, you may begin burning that fat a little quicker.

Okay – Lets begin! First, find an aerobic activity you like. A variety of exercise is recommended so you can keep your workouts enjoyable and having the variety will help keep your workout from getting stale.

Let’s say running is an exercise you enjoy and you also like aerobics, For example, you enjoy using some of the exercise DVDs from Denise Austin.

Now, plan your schedule by selecting which days and times you are available to exercise. Make it at minimum three days per week and do not take more than two days off consecutively. The most popular workout schedule is Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The vast majority of fitness experts highly recommend to exercise at the same designated time on those days; it’s not necessary but it can help get you into a routine and you’re more likely to continue.

If you’re not going to included strength training, as mentioned previously, at minimum do a few reps of push-ups.

Make sure to start your workout with a brief warm up, and gradually pick up the pace. If you’re following an exercise DVD, it’s easy to know what intensity you should be doing. If you will be running, try throwing in periods of sprinting along the way, followed by slower running. This will definitely get you into shape.

Try to complete the aerobic DVD workout on the days you don’t feel like running and on the days you feel like going on a run, go run.

If you decide to strength train as well, complete this 2-3 times a week! A great workout should consist of:

-Biceps Curl

-Triceps Curl

-Shoulder Press

-Bench Press

-Lunges

-Calf Raises

Work up to 2-3 sets of eight reps for each exercise. By doing this will give you a total body workout.

complete this routine for a month and see if you do not feel a difference.

Natasha Hopkins strives to inspire people who are looking to lose weight and get healthy by sharing her Nutrisystem success story. For more information please visit http://www.my-weightloss-journey.com

The simple and honest truth about ab exercises and how to you should exercise your abs to get them better. There are no secrets or one night wonders available that work. The basics are really simple if you want to get your abs in better shape. Many offer different solutions for better abs, but those infomercial machines and gimmicks don’t simply work.

Exercise your abs. There it is, there is nothing else into it, just exercising gets them better. Give your abs something to work on and you’ll have a little leaner stomach and stronger abs. Of course just doing ab exercises will not get you a six pack abs, or a really flat stomach. For that you need to look into your diet and start to eat healthy to lose that extra fat around your belly. You need to choose 3 – 4 ab exercises, spend a 15 minutes of doing them 3 – 4 times a week and you should be on your way to getting a better abs. You shouldn’t do over 20 repetition sets, or your exercises are too easy and then it is time to make them harder or to choose some other exercises.

Choose different ab exercises to workout the whole abdominals of your body. Something for your sides, something general and something for the lower abs as well. Choose the exercises on depending where you are going to exercise, at home or at the gym. It is more difficult to do those “really good” ab exercises that really make your abs work, without any special equipment. So, if you exercise at home, you need to be a little creative when your basic exercises start to feel too easy.

Only thing for you is to choose those different exercises for your abs and start to do them!

Author of this article and sites such as Exercises for butt and has over 15 years of experience in different sports, including 7 years of martial-arts and over 10 years of weightlifting.