The Role Of Repetitions In Your Muscle Building Program
November 5, 2007
Repetitions are the basic building blocks of any strength or muscle building program but it is something that many lifters take for granted. How often do you see people at the gym speed through their reps, breathe haphazardly or fail to complete each rep correctly from a technical perspective? There is much more to the simple rep than meets the eye.
The first thing to note is that a repetition consists of three elements - namely lower, pause and lift. The speed at which this is achieved depends on the desired outcome, but to maximize muscle growth a slow, controlled tempo is required. The process should never be rushed, jerky or bouncy but instead should be controlled and smooth.
The second consideration relates to how many reps need to be performed. Once again, this depends on what you hope to achieve but you can use the following as a basic rule of thumb:
1. A single repetition maximum (1RM) increases muscle strength.
2. A six to eight repetition maximum increases muscle size.
3. A higher number of repetitions will have more effect on muscle endurance and little impact on size or strength.
Drink Beer AND Lose Weight
November 4, 2007
Want to shed that beer belly? Why not try the low-carbohydrate approach? Following the philosophy of today’s most popular low-carbohydrate books, dieters gradually increase the early restrictions of their daily carbohydrate intake while excess weight continues to come off, once again enjoying starchy foods like potatoes, rice and pasta … in moderation, of course.
But what about beer? Is it possible to include moderate amounts of regular brewed beer in a low-carbohydrate diet? One stumbling block that some beer drinkers find when trying to shed weight on a low-carbohydrate regime is the reliance on light beer with its minimal carbohydrate content (and some might say taste). Is it possible to move beyond the restrictions of light beer and on to one of your full-bodied favorites?
Don’t bother looking for the answer to this beer drinker’s quandary in the many low-carbohydrate diet books that can be found on store shelves today. Not one of these books addresses the possibility of moving on from light beers to regular brewed beers while the pounds continue to melt away.
Conquer Your Fear! Learn To Be Confident In Public Speech
November 3, 2007
Conquer Your Fear! Learn To Be Confident In Public Speech
by: James Masterson
In public speaking, fear maybe viewed as negative leading to ineffective communication. This is the tendency if you predict bad situations. Fear can be easily seen through physical manifestations: hands cold and clammy, rumbling speech, slouching and unwanted movements.
In public speaking, fear comes from the “fear of the unknown.” Most people are afraid of not being liked, offending someone, forgetting everything, of stumbling and falling or ruining the effort.
But fear can be seen in a positive aspect as well. According to Kenneth McFarland, “it is not necessary to banish fear in order to gain confidence. A wholesome fear of failure is one of the best guarantees of success.”
Fear can be a motivating force for the public speaker that adds strength, energy and conviction to otherwise lifeless ideas. Your courage is the ability to see fear in a realistic perspective. The way to curb your fear is to prepare thoroughly. But fear cannot be eliminated fully. It is meant to be conquered.
Sole Work ? Walking the Spiritual Path
November 2, 2007
For the past several years I have struggled with getting (and staying) fit. Ok I admit it, the struggle has been longer than just a few years. As a kid, instead of playing nicely with the girls, I fought with the neighborhood boys. I attempted to join their fun and received new scars weekly in bloody games of soccer. I was always the last one picked to play on the kickball team and, as the catcher of my 5th grade softball team, I pummeled the pitcher in the head with a fast ball. Uncoordinated in team sports, I succeeded only at baton twirling which was fun but I barely broke a sweat. After failures in group sports I thought I’d try running so, a few years ago I attempted to train for a half marathon. I ended up limping home in tears and thought I’d never exercise again. (I couldn’t even MOVE after that, much less exercise!)
Superhuman
November 1, 2007
Superhuman
by: Taitelul Verde
Interesting title isn’t it? Superhuman, what does this mean to you? Are you thinking of superman, the one that could fly, that would be invincible and that would melt ice with his eyes, or are you thinking of Einstein the super genius, the man that made so many discoveries, and that used his mind as it should be used?
Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I’m thinking of the second one! Actually, I’m not thinking about Einstein in particularly, but I am thinking at a superhuman race. Do you know that humans haven’t evolved in the last 5000 years considering the way that they think? They are still driven by the same inner needs, they are greedy, lazy and have a tendency to evil. The fact is that the thought process hasn’t changed at all, we learn as hard, we forget as easily, we are attracted by things that are easy to obtain and we don’t like complications.
Sex Without Intimacy and Intimacy Without Sex
November 1, 2007
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Excerpt From The Relationship Handbook: How to Understand and Improve Every Relationship in Your Life by Kevin B. Burk
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We no longer feel the social pressure to confine sex to committed relationships. In fact, we’re free to explore our sexuality with just about anyone we like. Sex is now an accepted recreational activity. What we often don’t realize, however, is that even casual, recreational sex still involves intimacy. We may have overcome our fear and shame about sex, but many of us still have issues regarding intimacy. If we experience more intimacy than we can handle, we will feel threatened; our safety checklist will be triggered. No matter how “safe” we make sex, sex may not be safe to us.
When we experience an orgasm, we reveal ourselves more completely and more honestly than at any other time. We let our egos die for a moment, and we have the chance to experience a true connection with another person. Then the ego comes back into the picture, and we’re hit with the fear of separation, and all of our old patterns. If we don’t have enough trust or enough safety, we will feel threatened, guilty, and generally unsafe. No matter how much society’s beliefs about sex have evolved in our lifetime, our core conditioning tells us that there’s no such thing as no-strings sex. We still equate sex with love, and love with commitment. And we equate love and commitment with vulnerability, responsibility, and the fear that our needs will not be met.
