Weight

Now we get to an important yet not so important topic: weight. Why is it not so important? It seems like society almost everywhere to be getting more and more obsessed with being thin. Thin does not mean healthy. Other factors play into healthy: spirituality, outlook, mentality, genetics, fitness level, strength, flexibility and more. Fat is needed, as shown in a previous blog. Having a "high" weight can mean that one has a lot of muscle, which weighs more than fat. Or it can mean that one is tall.

For some people, having low body fat may be all right, while for other people it is not healthy to have very low body fat and may not even look good.

Body mass ratio is one way to measure fitness. It is weight divided by height. A ratio of 20 to 25 is considered good. However, if one has a lot of muscle, the ratio may be higher and may not mean that he or she is overweight.

Regular checkups, balance in diet and endurance, strength and flexibility (which are different for each person) and, being connected with oneself are all key to fitness. A weight number may be important depending on the individual case, but cannot tell the full story of health, and may mean nothing.

This is a short and important blog.

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Disclaimer: Information on this blog is posted for information purposes, not as a substitute for professional medical advice.

Dancing

Dancing is wonderful for spirit, mind, emotions and body. You express yourself, gain in confidence, and cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength. You connect with yourself and with other people if you choose. You connect with and show your full range of emotions that are part of being human, and that we often hide (sometimes thankfully) in everyday life. It is also a great flexibility exercise.

Your muscles have memory. A ballerina can do things that a football player will find hard to do and a football player will do things that a ballerina will find hard to do. Each time you use a muscle in a different way and angle, you hit different muscle fibers and that muscle will grow and be stronger. Dancing at different rhythms and tempos can be a great form of interval training. You can go slow and then quickly. You can move and stretch muscles, increasing the level of muscle flexibility and strength.

You can monitor your level of expertise in a dance. This will increase your connection to yourself spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically. You will gain in knowing the distinctions of confidence, commitment, discipline, beauty, self-expression, creativity and more.

You can do all of this while you have fun, and even enjoy it with a partner or with a group of people! And of course you have the music to go along with it!

This is a short and important blog.

Don't forget to check out www.louizapatsis.com!

Disclaimer: Information on this blog is posted for information purposes, not as a substitute for professional medical advice.

Boxing

Boxing is a great cardiovascular work out which also gives you good strength training for the arms and legs, and an incredible mental and spiritual work out. I have done one-on-one training. I cannot begin to imagine what boosts in confidence, security and discipline more training and ring fighting can give.

Boxing is also a great form of interval training. Instructors tell students to do activities such as push-ups, punch the heavy and speed bag, and climb stairs.

Here are some benefits of boxing from the web site of Steve Franklin http://www.boxingprogram.com/overview.htm.
Benefits from Boxing:

1) The ability to relax, to keep calm and poised under pressure.
2) A boost in your self-confidence...knowing you can take care of yourself if necessary in a street fight. Boxing is a martial art by the way.
3) Faster reflexes
4) Stronger
5) Better endurance
6) Quicker movements
7) Improved flexibility
8) Better balance
9) More coordinated

This is a short and important blog.

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Disclaimer: Information on this blog is posted for information purposes, not as a substitute for professional medical advice.

Possible Three-Month Abdominal Exercise Program V

Here is another abdominal exercise program. Rest the muscle in between days that you work it out as a primary mover. The first day is like the Three-Month Abdominal Exercise Program I first day exercise. You can vary it, perhaps causing different muscle fibers to be used, by holding your legs crossed straight up in they air or against a wall.

Day One:

Do the abdominal exercise from the first abdomen blog. Rest two days.

Day Two:

Do five sets of ten repetitions of abdominal crunches. Put a ten-pound weight on your belly. You should be able to do this at this time, after at least six months of abdominal training. If you feel extreme pain, stop. Remove the weight and continue. Go to a physician if pain is severe. See the first abdominal exercise program blog. Do four sets of ten repetitions.

Day Three:

Use the arm rest extension on a high bar. Ask a personal trainer to locate it. Put your arms in the arm rests, with your elbows on the edge of the arm rest. Hold on to the arm rest hooks with your hands. Bring your legs up, straight or bent. Keep your body steady. Concentrate on using your abdominal muscles. Do four sets of ten repetitions.

Don't forget to check out www.louizapatsis.com!

Disclaimer: Information on this blog is posted for information purposes, not as a substitute for professional medical advice.

Possible Three-Month Chest Exercise Program III

Here is a possible three-month program for your chest. Ladies, do not worry, you will not lose your breasts and look like a man, although you could if you want. Your chest muscles will tighten up. This will make you be strong and feel great. And you will look great, too. Your breasts will lift, although if you have sagging or huge breasts, they will not look very different. The breasts are made up of adipose (fat) tissue. The pectoralis muscles and intercostal (between the ribs) muscles will be work out; your breasts will mainly stay the same. To reduce breast size, you do cardiovascular exercises, as well as overall weight training, to burn calories and lose weight. To not lose breast adipose tissue, which concerns mostly women when they work out, is more difficult. You cannot tell your body what to do. Genetics partly or mostly determines what you lose from where first. You may be working out your legs mostly, but in a period of time lose mostly breast adipose tissue.You can feel your body, and use your spirituality add mentality to affect results. This is something you learn on your own.Feel your body and look in the mirror to see results. If these exercises do not seem to work, increase the repetitions or sets, or use a substitute exercise. For all of the exercises, exhale when you lift the weight or exert the most muscle tension, and inhale when you return to the beginning position. Use a weight that gives you a workout but is not too tough. Rest the muscle in between days that you work it out as a primary mover.

Day One:

Push Ups:

Put your palms on the floor, shoulder width apart, fingers facing forward. Keep your toes on the floor. Keep your back straight. Extend and bend your elbows in slow, smooth motions. Never fully extend your elbows. Exhale when you move up and inhale when you move down. Do five sets of ten repetitions.

Day Two:

Bench Press:

See prior blog. Do five sets of ten repetitions. Rest two days after this exercise.

Day Three:

Cable Rack:

You use one arm at a time. If you stand to the left of the cable rack, you use your right arm. Adjust the weight to one that gives you a work out but not the "wrong kind" of pain. (See the Pain blog.) Put a "handle extension" on the hook. Ask a personal trainer. Put the extension as high as the adjustable cable rack part can go.

Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Keep your back and shoulders straight. Pull the cable across, from your right shoulder to your navel. Exhale when you pull and inhale when you release back to starting position slowly. Do not fully extend your elbow. Do five sets of ten repetitions.

Repeat the movement. Either turn around. To face the same way, put the "handle extension" on the other side of the rack. Keep the same stanse and movement. Use your left arm. Do five sets of ten repetitions.

Don't forget to check out www.louizapatsis.com!

Disclaimer: Information on this blog is posted for information purposes, not as a substitute for professional medical advice.

Possible Three-Month Chest Exercise Program II

Here is a possible three-month program for your chest. Ladies, do not worry, you will not lose your breasts and look like a man, although you could if you want. Your chest muscles will tighten up. This will make you be strong and feel great. And you will look great, too. Your breasts will lift, although if you have sagging or huge breasts, they will not look very different. The breasts are made up of adipose (fat) tissue. The pectoralis muscles and intercostal (between the ribs) muscles will be work out; your breasts will mainly stay the same. To reduce breast size, you do cardiovascular exercises, as well as overall weight training, to burn calories and lose weight. To not lose breast adipose tissue, which concerns mostly women when they work out, is more difficult. You cannot tell your body what to do. Genetics partly or mostly determines what you lose from where first. You may be working out your legs mostly, but in a period of time lose mostly breast adipose tissue.

You can feel your body, and use your spirituality add mentality to affect results. This is something you learn on your own.Feel your body and look in the mirror to see results. If these exercises do not seem to work, increase the repetitions or sets, or use a substitute exercise. For all of the exercises, exhale when you lift the weight or exert the most muscle tension, and inhale when you return to the beginning position. Use a weight that gives you a workout but is not too tough. Rest the muscle in between days that you work it out as a primary mover.

Day One:

Incline Chest Press:

Follow the instructions for the flat chest press on the blog of December 16, 2005. Have your writs face each other as you hold the free weights. Do four sets of ten repetitions. Now repeat while having your wrist facing forward. Do four sets of ten repetitions. Rest two days after Day One.

Day Two:

Cable Machine:

Stand with legs shoulder width apart. You may find it easier to balance by putting one leg about a foot in front of the other. Bring the cables closer together, and then release them slowly. Inhale when you bring the cables closer, and exhale when you bring the cables further apart. Do not let the weights rest until the end of each set. Perform the exercise slowly. You may want to ask a personal trainer to demonstrate. Do four sets of ten repetitions.

Day Three:

You will need a partner! This can be fun! Throw the medicine ball in rhythmic slow and powerful motions between yourselves at upper rib level. Do four sets of ten repetitions.

Don't forget to check out www.louizapatsis.com!

Disclaimer: Information on this blog is posted for information purposes, not as a substitute for professional medical advice.

Possible Three-Month Upper Arm Exercise Program III

Here is a possible three-month program to sculpt your upper arms. Feel your body and look in the mirror to see results. If these exercises do not seem to work, increase the repetitions or sets, or use a substitute exercise. For all of the exercises, exhale when you lift the weight or exert the most muscle tension, and inhale when you return to the beginning position. Use a weight that gives you a workout but is not too tough. Rest the muscle in between days that you work it out as a primary mover.

Day One:

Biceps:

Use a barbell. Do five sets of ten repetitions.

Day Two:

Triceps:

Use the cable rack. Use the rope attachment. Ask a personal trainer if you do not know which attachment that is. Find the right weight according to the first paragraph's instructions. Do this exercise as you would with a bar, but as you extend your forearms past your elbows, start to slowly separate the two ends of the rope until you do so as much as you can (while not extending your elbows totally). Ask a personal trainer if you cannot figure this out by these instructions.

Day Three:

Shoulders:

Use the overhead press machine. Do five sets of ten repetitions.

Day Four:

Shoulders:

Front deltoids:

Pick free weights that will give you a good work out, but not pain. Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Bring one arm extended (with elbow almost fully extended) in front of you one at a time until your arm is shoulder level. Do four sets of ten repetitions. One repetition will be each arm coming up to shoulder length.

Rear deltoids:

Do one of the exercises on the January 4, 2006 blog or use the rear deltoid machine. Ask a personal trainer. Use an amount of weight that will give you a good work out, but not pain. One motion is pulling the weights toward you and one is releasing them away from you. Do both movements slowly. Ask a personal trainer or use the instructions on machine. Do four sets of ten repetitions.

Don’t forget to check out www.louizapatsis.com!

Disclaimer: information on this blog is posted for information purposes, not as a substitute for professional medical advice.

Possible Three-Month Leg Exercise Program III

There are almost countless exercises that you can do for legs. Some of these exercises have not been described in blogs so far. Here is a possible three-month program to sculpt your legs. Feel your body and look in the mirror to see results. If these exercises do not seem to work, increase the repetitions or sets, or use a substitute exercise. For all of the exercises, exhale when you lift the weight or exert the most muscle tension, and inhale when you return to the beginning position. Use a weight that gives you a workout but is not too tough. Rest the muscle in between days that you work it out as a primary mover.Lunges twice a week:

See the lunges blog from January 9, 2006 for instructions. Overall legs twice a week:Use the leg press machine. Use the leg press machine where you have your legs above you once a week. Use the leg press machine where you are horizontal once a week. Do four sets of ten repetitions. For two sets of repetitions, have your legs close together. For two sets of repetitions, have your legs apart, putting your heels on the corner of the leg press machine.

Do four sets of ten repetitions for calves. Put the ball of your feet on the edge of the leg press machine. Move your feet to move the weights up and down.

Don't forget to check out www.louizapatsis.com!

Disclaimer: Information on this blog is posted for information purposes, not as a substitute for professional medical advice.