Josh Perez Fitness

This year Bodybuilding.com has broken down their key points of transformational success: Information, Motivation and Supplementation. These points are so important in fact, they are also the basis of the Company Mission Statement, which states, “To help our visitors reach their health, fitness and appearance goals through information, motivation and supplementation.”

With celebrity workouts and diet plans (including Ryan Reynolds, Christian Bale, Hillary Swank, Gerard Butler, and many more), a 12-Week Online Trainer with daily video hosted by professional competitor and trainer Kris Gethin, printable meal plans and recipes and hundreds of other new articles and content, Bodybuilding.com has information to cover everyone’s needs. To get started Take $10.00 Off Your $200 Order! Use coupon code 10off200.

The Motivation SuperFeature gives people the tools to find motivation from within, including goal setting, maintaining both long-term and short-term motivation, and everything else that goes into making goals a reality. Most helpful is Bodybuilding.com’s new BodyGroups feature, where over 240,000+ BodySpace members (Bodybuilding.com’s on-line social community) come together to share common goals and to cheer each other along. More information on BodyGroups can be found at BodySpace.. Anyone without a BodySpace account is encouraged to sign-up to better track their progress, hold themselves accountable and have fun with other BodySpace members.

Bodybuilding.com is also providing contests to help provide further motivation. The 2nd Annual MuscleTech $50,000 Transformation Contest presented by BodySpace gives all BodySpace members the chance to win $25,000 cash, $1,000 in MuscleTech supplements from Bodybuilding.com and the opportunity to spend a day with 2008 Mr. Olympia, Dexter Jackson. Plus, MuscleTech is also giving away more than $20,000 in runner-up prizes. BodySpace is also holding a Hydroxycut Max! Transformation Contest for all female BodySpace members where the winner will take home $5,000 cash and receive a photo shoot vacation. And best of all, the winner’s transformation story and photos will be featured on Bodybuilding.com!

Bodybuilding.com’s third key point of transformational success, supplementation, helps people get faster, higher-quality results from their diet and workout programs. The right supplements will help with muscle gain and fat loss, and help people feel better and stay healthy (Bodybuilding.com’s TOP 50 selling products!). Bodybuilding.com offers premade supplement stacks based on different goals with Bodybuilding.com Supplement Award winning products. But don’t just take their word for it; their new Bodybuilding.com Product Ratings and Review section holds the largest source of supplement reviews online, generated solely from customer recommendations. This new review feature can be seen at Bodybuilding.com.

By combining Information, Motivation and Supplementation in one comprehensive feature, the 2009 Bodybuilding.com New Year’s Transformation SuperFeature will prove itself to be the true source for everyone’s transformational needs. Looking to be more fit then you were in 2008? Let Bodybuilding.com provide everything from workout plans to nutritional supplements.

This is a great article for the support of the Mediterranean diet. Thanks Internal Medicine! Here is a brief summary of the Mediterranean diet before you read this article:

The Mediterranean meal plan incorporates the traditional healthy living habits of people from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. It includes an abundance of vegetables, legumes, dried beans, whole grains, fruits, nuts, seeds, olive oil, as well as moderate consumption of fish, occasional poultry and minimal red meat. The food is fresh, unprocessed and unrefined. It is also low in saturated and trans fats. And if you’d like, you can include a glass of wine with your dinners.
Get started today and Lose 10 lbs in 5 weeks!

In older adults at risk for heart disease, a Mediterranean diet plus daily servings of mixed nuts may help manage metabolic syndrome, according to a Spanish study.

Metabolic syndrome describes a group of health problems that includes abdominal obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high glucose levels — all of which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Previous research suggests that a Mediterranean diet — which includes lots of cereals, vegetables, fruits and olive oil, moderate consumption of fish and alcohol, and low intake of dairy, meats and sweets — lowers the risk of metabolic syndrome.

This new study included 1,224 people, ages 55 to 80, at high risk for cardiovascular disease. They were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The control group received advice on a low-fat diet while the other two groups received quarterly education about the Mediterranean diet. One of the Mediterranean diet groups received one liter per week of virgin olive oil, while the other group received 30 grams per day of mixed nuts.

At the start of the study, 61.4 percent of the participants met criteria for metabolic syndrome. After one year, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome decreased by 13.7 percent in the mixed nut group, by 6.7 percent in the olive oil group, and by 2 percent in the control group.

There were no weight changes in any of the groups over the one-year study period. But the number of people with large waist circumference, high triglycerides or high blood pressure significantly decreased in the Mediterranean diet/mixed nuts group compared with the control group. This suggests that the Mediterranean diet with mixed nuts improves certain features of metabolic syndrome, such as oxygen-related cell damage, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation, the researchers said.

“Traditionally, dietary patterns recommended for health have been low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets, which generally are not palatable. The results of the present study show that a non-energy-restricted traditional Mediterranean diet enriched with nuts, which is high in fat, high in unsaturated fat and palatable, is a useful tool in managing the metabolic syndrome,” concluded Dr. Jordi Salas-Salvado, of the University of Rovira i Virgili, and colleagues.

The study was published Dec. 8 in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

For more information, please visit The Mediterranean Diet Official Website.

I would have never expected the former Ultimate Fighting Championship champion Chuck Liddel to get knocked out by the showboat sugar Rashad Evans. The look in Chuck Liddel’s eyes matched those when he faced off against Wanderlei Silva and took him down by unanimous decision at UFC 79 Nemesis!

Here is the video of sugar Rashad Evans knocking out Chuck Liddel.

This video is sponsored by:

• UFC Back to School Sale - New items marked down - Up to 60% Off!
• UFC Ultimate Knockouts DVD now on sale!

Studies now correlate an increase in certain health risks with soda consumption. For four years, researchers tracked the soda drinking habits of 50,000 women. When women went from drinking one regular soda drink a week to at least one a day, they gained an average of 10 pounds during the four year period.

An increase in body weight was also seen when consuming fruit drinks, but not with diet soft drinks. In another study of 90,000 women, those who drank soda or fruit drinks daily had about twice the risk of developing diabetes compared with those who drank soda less than once a month.

Currently, the federal government is considering its first-ever warning that soft drinks can cause unhealthy weight gain. While soda sales have nearly doubled during the past 20 years, so has the percentage of obesity. Battle lines are being drawn and the debate is heating up.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Should a warning be issued concerning weight gain and soda consumption?
• Should there be a ban on soda commercials during children’s television programs?
• Should soda be eliminated at school? Currently the sale of soda helps fund many school activities.

We often face situations similar to these two. Normally, we choose to think one step ahead. “I am tired, hungry and stressed out. I need to eat something quick. I don’t care what it is!” Unfortunately, those decisions come back to haunt us in the future, only adding to the stress already in our lives.

After a long day with the kids, doing laundry, reading books, and working on night school homework, you might have to decide between exercise and a couch that is screaming your name. Another difficult decision we face on a regular basis, and once again we often choose to think one step ahead. “I need to rest – I’m so drained!”

The difference between one step ahead and two steps ahead can mean the difference between staying on the fitness roller coaster or achieving your goals. Two steps ahead, we are still tired, stressed and cranky, BUT also determined, committed and able to see the big picture.

Having a few thoughts that motivate and inspire you will help fight through step one and see that vision. Here are a few:

1. “My self-confidence is going to be so much higher because I’ve struggled through a difficult situation and found a way to conquer it!”
2. “I’ve had to find a way to deal with things during a very stressful time in my life. I can’t wait to see what I can do without all the stress!”
3. “I’m going to be able to keep up with my kids and be a part of their lives for a long time!”
4. “Why shouldn’t my health be the most important thing in my life – it doesn’t make me selfish, just smart!”
5. “If there is one thing I have complete control over, it’s my health. I am going to do whatever it takes to figure out a way because I have pride in who I am!”

“Step Two” reminds us how important consistency is in reaching our goals and helps us envision that beautiful feeling you get when you work hard to achieve something.

Step One - “Oh, what a great idea. I should try that sometime, but I really have to go clean my oven.” Step Two – “What a great idea. I’m going to come up with three things that will motivate and inspire me each time I have to choose between a healthy and unhealthy decision, and I’m going to write them down so I see them on a regular basis! Now, I’m going to go clean my oven!”

Hopefully this help out with planning ahead and making the right decisions

Combine Exercise With Other Goals:

Most exercise programs fail because they work against instead of with your current goals. Instead of competing for time, perhaps your goals could share it.

IDEAS

• Read while on the exercise bike, but maintain your target heart rate
• Play with your kids or pets
• Hold a work meeting at the gym or while jogging or walking outside
• Work out or play sports with friends and become a weekend warrior
• Do a home workout while watching a basketball game or movie you want to see

Take Exercise Out of The Gym

Which is easier to reschedule, a two-hour meeting or a series of five-minute chats? Take advantage of all those chances throughout the day to stay on your feet and stay active.

ON THE JOB

• Find a few sturdy, thick phone books and do some step aerobics or plyometrics
• Close your door and shadow box for a few minutes
• Lift 1-3 packs of printer paper in each hand. Curl them like weights or press them over your head
• Jumping jacks or pushups its simple, quick, and pumps you up

AT HOME

• Get out the rake and shovel
• Try some gardening
• Walk to your neighbor’s house to visit instead of calling
• If you must watch TV, do some crunches commercials or core work
• Sprint – don’t walk – to the mailbox
• Walk up and down the stairs while on the phone

Create an In-Home Workout

Smaller workouts can take the pressure off of those more intense visits to the gym – and without all that expensive equipment. Just 20 minutes a day is all it takes, which just happens to be the same amount of drive time you’d probably save.

Going to the gym is supposed to be good for your health, but if you don’t take the proper precautions, it may have the opposite effect. Germs can lurk on any surface, from exercise equipment to the spigot on the water fountain, and locker rooms are ideal places for bacteria and fungi to thrive. But you can lower your risk of catching other fellow member’s germs—and with them the risk of catching a cold, athlete’s foot, or even the potentially deadly staph infection methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (or MRSA). Here are some tips:

• Cover any breaks in the skin. Normal, unbroken skin can’t be invaded. But when a skin break—even one as minor as a small scratch or the raw skin characteristic of psoriasis— comes in contact with an infected surface, MRSA and other bacteria can worm their way in. The earliest danger signs:
  • Pimple Red Bumps
  • Boils

  To protect yourself, put a band-aid on any cuts, abrasions or blisters. And don’t shave immediately before a workout to avoid being in the locker room with cuts and scratches.

• Don’t go barefoot. Along with the human traffic and the absence of sunlight in locker rooms, the heat in showers, saunas, hot tubs and steam rooms all conspire to create a perfect growing environment for germs. Wear flip-flops or water shoes to avoid athlete’s foot, a fungus condition that usually starts with itchy scales and blisters between the toes (a blister counts as a skin break, another reason to protect your feet from the floor). Shoes will also keep you from slipping on wet tiles.
• Use disinfectant. Clean exercise equipment before and after you use it, with paper towels and disinfectant or with disposable wipes. Do the same with communal yoga mats.
• Change your towels and clothes. If you can, use a fresh towel provided by the club on each visit. If you’ll be bringing your own, be sure to bring a new one daily. A damp towel left in a locker or gym bag is a germ magnet. Besides, chances are your towel has hit the floor at some point. The same goes for socks and gym clothes. Wearing the same sweaty items over and over isn’t just smelly, it’s unhealthy. Wash everything in hot water and use the full dryer cycle.
• Don’t share. When it comes to goggles, sweatbands, razors, and towels, neither a borrower nor a lender be. Don’t even share soap—use liquid soap rather than a communal bar.

This is one of the most common bad habits of gym enthusiasts! You finally committed yourself to a fitness routine, and you don’t want to waste any valuable time. Often individuals jump right into exercising without considering warming up or stretching because it seems meaningless and a waste of time.

Warming up and stretching should be the foundation of your exercise. They should be viewed as a transition into exercise, allowing your body and mind to prepare for strength training, running, endurance, etc. This is your reward from a proper warm-up/stretch and cool-down/stretch:

• Improved coordination
• Your muscles and connective tissue loosen to prepare for the stress of exercise
• Oxygen and blood flow to your muscles and connective tissue increases, providing fuel for better muscular performance
• Tension in your body decreases
• Breathing patterns establish, helping relax the body during exercise
• Joints are lubricated to allow for better performance
• Muscle soreness is prevented and/or reduced during and after your workout
• Quicker reaction time
• Improved posture

You’ve probably exercised without warming up, your stretching is non-existent, and maybe nothing horrible happened. It may seem unnecessary, but consistently skipping it will limit your results and put yourself at risk for injury. You could even be injured without even knowing it since you may not feel any pain right away.

If you find it hard to escape the sights and sounds of the tube, or if watching your favorite show turns into more wasted hours than you planned, you’re not alone. Americans watch TV for an average of 4 hours every day; even when we’re not watching, the television is on- for almost 8 hours a day in the average home. Have you ever realized how much TV has become a part of our lives? Here are some more startling facts, from the non-profit organization, TV-Turnoff Network:

By age 65, the average American has seen 2 million TV commercials. Many of the commercials we see show appetizing foods-fast food, junk food, soda, alcohol, sugary cereals, and candy. Think “out of sight, out of mind.”

The average American youth spends about 900 hours per year in school, and over 1,000 hours per year watching TV. While you can’t place all the blame on TV, soaring rates of childhood obesity are a result of both poor nutrition and an inactive lifestyle. Limit the amount of time your kids (and yourself, leading by example) watch TV and encourage more physical activity like walking the dog, helping with yard work, playing sports, or other active hobbies.

Think it would impossible to turn off your TV for an entire week? Imagine how much more free time you would have if you didn’t spend time watching TV! There are lots of fun (and healthy) things you could do with your newfound time. Here are some examples:

• Start a vegetable garden or plant flowers
• Take a class–drawing, woodworking, sewing–whatever interests you
• Take a trip to the grocery store. Without the usual rush, take the time to compare labels, find new foods, and stock up on fresh fruits, veggies and healthy snacks
• Write a letter to someone you haven’t seen in awhile
• Spend more time with your pet! Go for a walk or play a game of Frisbee
• Prepare healthy bag lunches for the family

These 8 tips may help you cut your breast cancer risk.

1. Check out your breasts. Performing breast self exams (BSE) regularly—once a month—can help with early detection. When breast cancer is detected early, less aggressive treatment is needed and the chance of survival is higher. Ask your doctor to show you how to examine your breasts properly.
2. Maintain a healthy weight. And if you’re overweight, lose it. Keeping your weight in a healthy BMI range can have a protective effect. Why? Because being overweight increases your body’s levels of estrogen, a hormone that plays a key role in the development of breast cancer.
3. Get a mammogram. If you’re 40 or older, regular mammograms will help detect breast cancer—especially lumps that are too small to detect during a self-exam.
4. Breastfeed your babies. Nursing isn’t just good for babies—it benefits mom too! One study by the University of Southern California found that breastfeeding seems to lower the risk of breast cancer, even in women who have their children later in life. As more women choose to delay childbearing until after age 25, breastfeeding should be encouraged to provide protection against the hormones that can contribute to the development of breast cancer.
5. Eat your vegetables (and fruits)! Eating at least seven servings of fruits and vegetables each day will supply your body with cancer-fighting phytochemicals. You’ll get the most protection from cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower), dark leafy greens (collards, kale and spinach), citrus fruits, berries, cherries and pomegranates.
6. Choose the right fats. Today, our diets contain a lot of unhealthy fats—omega-6’s (found in sunflower, safflower, corn and cottonseed oils), saturated fats and trans fats—and too few healthy fats (omega-3’s from fish and monounsaturated fats in nuts). Reverse the trend! Decrease your consumption of the bad stuff and start eating more heart-healthy fats to protect your breasts.
7. Keep moving! You know exercise is good for you, but did you know it can also reduce your risk of breast cancer? Studies by the Women’s Health Initiative found that women who walked briskly for just 1-1/4 to 2-1/2 hours each week reduced their risk for breast cancer by 18 percent. University of Southern California researchers found that women who exercised more than five hours a week cut their risk of invasive breast cancer by 20 percent and their risk of early stage breast cancer by 31 percent, compared to women who exercised less than 30 minutes a week. When it comes to cancer prevention, experts agree that duration (length of your workouts) and consistency are more important than intensity.
8. Know when to see your doctor. Besides your annual gynecological checkups, visit your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following symptoms in your breasts: a lump, hard knot or thickening tissue; swelling, warmth, redness or darkening; dimpling or puckering of the skin; an itchy, scaly sore or rash on the nipple; a pulling in of your nipple or other area of the breast; sudden nipple discharge; or new pain in one spot that doesn’t go away.

Refer to my Fitness Products - Deals and Fitness Products - Store for your savings on all things fitness

December 5th, 2007

Overestimating Calories

Cardio machines are also estimating your calorie burn. Some can be more accurate than others—for example, if you input variables like your age, height, weight, and gender. However, even the actual machine you use tends to be inaccurate—and some overestimate calories burned by up to 30%.

December 30th, 2007

Ace Your Blood Test

Start at age 20, ask for a cholesterol blood test at least every 5 years, especially if you have a family history of heart disease.