Josh Perez Fitness

What Vitamin World is:

High-quality vitamins and supplements at unbeatable prices! The first Vitamin World store opened its doors in 1976. Headquartered in Long Island, NY, Vitamin World manufactures over 1,000 superior-quality vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other nutritional supplements in our own state-of-the-art facilities. The manufacturing facilities total over 1 million square feet and we produce supplements in every available form, including tablets, two-piece capsules, softgels, powders and liquids.

They’re high-tech laboratories are located right here in the USA, where their quality control experts can oversee every step of the manufacturing process. Their commitment to producing the highest quality products is evident in the many sophisticated tests that they perform throughout the production process. In many ways, Vitamin World has set the standard for high quality vitamin manufacturing.

The scientists and researchers in their laboratories adhere to the strictest government testing procedures to assure the potency, stability and purity of their products. Additionally, they guarantee that their vitamins and supplements are absolutely free of contaminants.
For more information please visit the Vitamin World website.

Vitamin World’s Guarantee: Vitamin World is proud of the quality of their products and want to make sure you are completely satisfied. Vitamin World guarantees every product that they sell. Vitamin World products are manufactured under even more stringent quality controls than required by federal and state agencies for food. Your satisfaction is totally guaranteed for a full year from purchase date. If you are not completely satisfied, return the unused portion with a short explanation and they will promptly refund your money for the unused portion.

Which supplements is Vitamin World designed for:

Vitamin World supplements and products are designed for toddlers to the adults. Remember, a supplement is used for exactly like it says it is, to supplement your nutrition. We use vitamins, nutrients and minerals to fill in the gaps with what we are missing from food. Taking a multivitamin, antioxidant, fat burner, muscle builder will help you to achieve your goals effectively than without.

Refer to my Fitness Products – Deals and Fitness Products – Store for your savings on all major fitness brands.

You don’t have to be a elite athlete to reap the benefits of efficient interval walking, in which you alternate between bursts of intensive effort and slower recovery periods. In fact, by doing effective interval walking for a mere 20 minutes every other day, you can shift your metabolism into high gear so that you burn more calories from fat in less time than if you were working out at a steady pace.

With any interval training, the higher the intensity of the exercise, the longer the EPOC (Excess Post Oxygen Consumption); that is, you will continue to burn more calories from fat even while at rest! Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your efficient interval walking workout:

1. Instead of going at a steady state, warm up for five minutes. Then, walk almost as fast as you can for 3 minutes, Then do a slow down walk recovery for 1 minute. Repeat this 3-4 times pending on how your feeling that day.
2. Wear shoes that will give you proper support: walking shoes, cross-training shoes, or running shoes. And choose synthetic athletic socks over cotton ones because they wick away moisture and keep your feet dry and blister-free. Here’s how to find a good investment into great workout shoes.
3. Be mindful of maintaining good posture while you’re walking. Draw in your core, or simply hold your abdominal muscles in tight.
4. With each step, strike the ground from heel to toe and feel your glutes (butt) contract. This will help strengthen your glutes and the backs of your legs as you walk.
5. Wear a heart rate watch or carry a stopwatch to keep track of time so that you can complete the designated number of intervals per session in or under about 20 minutes.
6. Remember that doing a little is better than nothing. Do what you can at first, and then gradually increase your periods of intensity and total distance.
7. On the days that you’re not doing higher intensity interval training, be sure to take a recreational walk for 25 to 35 minutes.

Refer to my Fitness Products – Deals and Fitness Products – Store for your savings on all major fitness brands.

An exerciser or athlete’s expectations of meal replacement formula’s are often unrealistic. This is completely understandable considering the barrage of advertisements that one encounters in the popular media (magazines and television). Like in Flex magazine, Muscle and Fiction whoops I mean Muscle and Fitness and other notable popular magazines. What meal replacement formulas are, as exactly as the name implies, meals designed for a quick absorption. I created this meal replacement formulas buying guide for the understanding of the everyday exerciser and athlete.

Currently in vogue is the high protein, low carbohydrate meal replacement. The implied or stated use and its pre- and post workout aid in creating an anabolic (muscle building) environment. All sports and exercise research shows that carbohydrates are necessary in a higher proportion than protein to facilitate recovery. Carbohydrates are absolutely necessary to replace glycogen lost during high – intensity exercise.

Additionally, the presence of carbohydrates via post workout stimulates the release of insulin, which basically is a anabolic signal, starting the cascade of events leading to protein synthesis (The rate your muscles rebuild themselves after being broken down by intense training). Protein should always be present in the meal replacement formula (but shouldn’t be the highest percentage) to supply the amino acids necessary to rebuild and increase muscle. Remember the more muscle we have – the more calories we will burn at rest and will have a smaller percentage of bodyfat.

The proper ratio of proteins, carbohydrates and fats can also optimize the anabolic environment by supporting favorable testosterone levels. Many exercisers and athletes consume high protein diets in the hopes of stimulating muscle anabolism (the process in a plant or animal by which food is changed into living tissue) yet this will actually impair ultimate muscle growth through a reduction of serum testosterone (A testosterone test measures the amount of the male hormone, testosterone, in the blood.).

For Females:

If your a female exerciser or a athlete competitor – look for “Lite Meal Replacements Powders.” Each serving typically contain less than 200 calories with smaller amounts of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. This still works well because it is nutritionally packed with essential amino acids, minerals and vitamins. Here are my top picks for meal replacement formula’s for the women exerciser and athlete.

Click on the following Meal Replacement Formulas image for a full description:

For Males:

If you are a male exerciser or a athlete competitor – look for “High Carbohydrate/Protein Meal Replacements Powders.” These meal replacements formulas contain the highest amounts of protein ranging from 39 grams of protein per serving up to 60 grams of protein per serving. These meal replacement formulas cater to men who also seek to elevate their protein intake and performance. Here are my top picks for meal replacement formulas for the male exerciser or a athlete competitor.

Click on the following Meal Replacement Formulas image for a full description:

Refer to my Fitness Products – Deals and Fitness Products – Store for your savings on all major fitness brands.

During an athletes competitive career or an average person fitness routine, an anti-oxidant formula that complements your multivitamin is paramount. The goal of taking an antioxidant is to decrease some of the deleterious oxidative effects of exercise.

We are all susceptible to harmful environmental chemicals, aging, intense exercise, and the rays of the sun on a daily basis. This increases our already delicate but normal free radical production and protection balance from increasing damage to our bodies. In other words, this will accelerate our aging process and possibly speed up the start of certain diseases.

Though moderate exercise can increase free radicals, high intensity exercise may exceed the body’s natural ability to protect against long-term damage. Many antioxidant studies on exercise focus on aerobic training (cardio). Some latest research examined weight training and antioxidant supplements, they found that the weightlifters who supplemented with vitamin E at 1200 IU/d, significantly reduced the markers for muscle damage. Also, taking vitamin C also resulted in reduction of cortisol (catabolic hormone/ natural human toxin) following training. Lastly, it increased the post-workout testosterone to cortisol ratio in weightlifters and is showed to enhance the anabolic (muscle growth) environment.

With the majority of evidence, it supports that taking vitamin E, vitamin C, and beta-carotene supplements (antioxidants) will lower your fatigue rate, and will bolster your workouts. Also, the supplementation of an antioxidant will enhance recovery, and the length of time for optimal performance (productive years of competition)!

Below, I put my recommendation of the best time release antioxidants for vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene supplements.

Refer to my Fitness Products – Deals and Fitness Products – Store for your savings on all major fitness brands.

By having some helpful knowledge for stretching we can increase performance and results. Weightlifting is a sport that requires a tremendous amount of flexibility. Any lack of flexibility in major muscles or joints like the shoulder, elbows, hips, wrists and lower legs will limit your potential. Therefor you should be familiar and consistent with different stretching methods and understand the function of the muscles and joints involved.

In weightlifting, training increases your strength, and it’s due to the organism adapting over time, to the added stress. Flexibility training works in the same manner. Consistency and exceeding the existing range of motion are responsible for increases in flexibility. So the body’s natural adaptive responses is to increase flexibility in the active joints.

Joint Flexibility & Limitations:

1. Lack of elasticity of connective tissues
2. Muscle Tension
3. Lack of coordination and strength during movement
4. Bone and joint structure limitations
5. Pain

Also, to increase your range of motion of a joint, stretching must accomplish 1 of 3 things:

1. Increase the extensibility of connective tissue
2. Increase inter-muscular coordination
3. Increase intra-muscular coordination

Types & Varieties of Stretching

There are numerous recognized forms of stretching through out the fitness world and each type of stretch is specific to your different need and or goal. I will define the big 3: Static, Ballistic and Passive/ Active. Whichever method is going to be used, the possibility of injury depends on several factors including intensity, duration, frequency and velocity.

Static:

Static stretching is an effective and popular technique that is often taught in P.E. classes ranging from junior high all the way through the professional sports world. It involves a holding a position for a period of time, typically between 10 and 30 seconds, and which you could repeat or not. Static stretching involves total control, little or no movement, and minimal to zero velocity of the movement. The benefits of static stretching includes scientific research supporting the increase of range of motion, and minimal to no muscle soreness. Everyone can benefit from static stretching.

Ballistic:

Ballistic stretching involves movement in a dynamic (moving) fashion. Many athletes such as martial artists, gymnasts, and NFL players use ballistic stretches as a warm-up where movement through a full range of motion is necessary. Also, numerous amounts of weightlifting athletes incorporate ballistic stretches to prepare tendons, ligaments, and the musculature around the major joints for external load bearing exercises. These sport specific stretches and movements are effective in improving flexibility and mobility. Some examples of this are:

• Leg swings
• Arm circles
• Kicks

Here are some disadvantages to ballistic stretching (Yes they do exist):

1. Inadequate tissue adaptation – if tissue is stretched too rapidly, lasting flexibility cannot be optimally developed.
2. Soreness resulting from injury – if the ballistic movements are high in amplitude, slight tearing or stretching injuries may occur in your muscle
3. Initiation of the stretch reflex – if a sudden stretch is applied to the muscle, a reflex action is initiated causing the muscle to contract. This causes an increase in muscle tension and a decrease in stretching ability.

Passive – Active:

With this passive – active stretching, generally you have a partner who helps guide you through this stretch. Your partner does all of the manipulation and this will benefit both of you in a few ways.

1. Positive feedback from your partner
2. Reduces boredom
3. Helps familiarize you with a stretching program

One of the top books that I have found to help guide you through the “correct” way of stretching for your goal is titled “The Dynamic Flexibility Manual.” This manual will answer all of your questions and it illustrates images on how to perform the stretches. I have the book listed below: