Back Fat

Awwww... Back Fat. So many people know exaclty what this is... it is truly one of the hardest parts on my body to get rid of fat. I remember when I was working out with a trainer she was constantly telling me, "if you don't eat more, you will never lose the love handle." I always got so frustrated...
So I did some research and found a great article that has some advice for all those people out there trying to figure out how to get rid of the famous "Back Fat"

How to get a Fatless Back

Your back is made up of the upper, middle and lower section, but excess fat typically builds around the middle and lower areas, creating unsightly bulges near your waist and hips known as "love handles." Stretching and gentle strengthening exercises will improve your flexibility and reduce the risk of injury, but to tone the major muscle groups in your back, you'll need to regularly do a strengthening routine for 30 minutes or more, three times a week, along with doing cardiovascular exercises to reduce the fat and eating a healthful diet.

Seated Lateral Pull-Down

The seated lateral pull-down requires a lifting machine with a cable bar and engages your lat muscles, technically called latissimus dorsi, that spread around the middle of your back like muscular wings. In the seated position, pull the bar down from overhead until it touches the middle of your clavicle, or collarbone, on your chest. When releasing the bar, maintain control by moving slowly and never allow the weight to jerk your arms upward, as this can injure your joints. Repeat three sets 10 to 15 times.

 

Prone Cobra

The prone cobra, or prone scapula stabilization exercise, targets your trapezius muscles, below your neck, along with several of the deltoid muscles, which are near the area where fat bulges around your bra-line or bathing suit tops. This exercise requires no equipment and can be performed anywhere with enough room to lie down and extend your arms. The starting position requires lying on your stomach with your arms stretched out above your head in a "Y" shape. Your head remains pointing down as you lift your entire upper body off the ground for a period of three seconds. The movement in your upper torso will also raise your arms. Hold your prone position for three seconds and slowly return to your starting position over a period of three seconds. Increase the intensity level by holding your prone position and bringing your arms down by your sides so your elbows form a right angle. Your arms return to their starting position above your head before you lower your torso to the ground. Perform this movement sequence movement at least five times.

Single Arm Dumbbell Row

The single arm dumbbell row targets the muscles across the middle of your back, known as the latissimus dorsi and rhomboids, and engages the lower-abdominal muscles that wrap around your lower back, called obliques. The exercise requires holding one dumbbell while bending at the waist and resting one knee on a bench or chair for support. Your back must remain straight while the arm outside the bench hangs straight down your side. As your torso remains steady, your elbow slowly rises and bends until the upper half of your arm is parallel to the middle of your back. Never jerk your arm or allow it flop back down. Perform three sets of 15 repetitions on either arm.

Effective Amount of Weight

Too little weight won't build strong fat-fighting muscles in your lower back, but lifting too much can cause injury. Speak with a trainer or your physical therapist to find a good starting weight for your workout routine. Gradually increasing the amount of weight ensures that your muscles continue growing and burning calories. When you can perform the exercise with minimal effort, you should increase the weight increment by 2 to 3 pounds.

Diet

Without modifying your diet, all the strengthening exercises in the world won't reduce the fat rolls on your back. Lifting weights increases your muscle mass. By increasing your muscle mass, you're increasing the amount of calories your body burns, which helps shrink your fat cells. A diet low in fat and high in lean proteins, fruits, vegetables and whole grains is a necessary component to minimizing your back fat.

Read more: Livestrong Website

Change

Managing Change In Your Life, Fitness Or Otherwise

Starting a fitness program certainly requires a lot of change - both physically and mentally - and how we manage and accept this change will ultimately determine how much success we achieve! Here are some general tips on managing change. Change is something we experience everyday whether we are aware of it or not. On a simple level the bus driver is different this morning or the toll booth operator is on holiday. Maybe our favorite brand of something is sold out and we have to choose a replacement this week. Or maybe our internet connection is down for maintenance (again!) and we have to find another way to communicate. On a broader level we often make decisions to change something fundamental in our life. It might be your job, a change of abode, breaking up or forming a relationship, and (of course) starting a new fitness program to change your health and well being. These are major changes and can cause a lot of negative stress in our lives. How we handle change can have a massive impact on our health and our relationships. These tips below may not help you to LOVE change, they will help ease the ride by reminding you to take care of your most important asset along the way - YOU!

Tip 1: When in doubt, go slow and get your bearings before moving on. If you ever found yourself lost while on the way to someplace else then the best thing to do is to slow down and take a look at your surroundings. This is the same for life - once you have a pretty good idea of where you are, it will be much easier to see what direction you need to go in next.

Tip 2: Be grateful for the new opportunities and possibilities that change brings. Change can sometimes bring new lessons and new connections that can help us further down the road, and these things can ultimately make us a healthier, happier human being. There is also a lot of wisdom in the saying that "what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger". While this not always true (repeat stair running is a good example) the tough times in our lives can you a more rounded and balanced person, and might allow you to appreciate the not-so-tough times even more!

Tip 3: Take time for yourself to re-establish your personal foundations. Reconnect with yourself and with your goals and desires. Sometimes activities that take the focus off of the everyday like taking a walk, reading a book, or listening to music help us to reconnect with what is important to us and give us a certain calmness and strength that helps us keep going. Personally we find fitness training is a great way to get away from it all and find some "me time" in our day. A walk, run, cycle or gym session can be an almost "meditative" experience that can clear away negative thoughts and bring some focus back into your day. This is true both mentally and physically, because studies have shown that after exercising people have greater mental clarity and make better decisions. So the next time things are becoming over-whelming or you feel bogged down try taking some time out for fitness.

Tip 4: Allow some room for mistakes. So you chose the wrong direction, or made a mistake, now what? You can be angry with yourself but that might not get you back on track. The best thing to do is acknowledge your mistake and turn around to try something else. Beating yourself up may only slow you down and make you feel bad about yourself as well. Most of the time we allow room for children to make mistakes as they grow and learn - so why not do this with ourselves. People often beat themselves up over missing a training session or having a "bad" meal or snack. Whilst it's not helpful to miss training or eat poorly, it's also not the end of the world and is certainly no reason to stop altogether. Try to let it go, and get back on track as soon as possible. Also, see if you can determine the reasons for why you had a bad patch, and then organize things so they don't happen again!

Tip 5: Make lists of things you need to do as you think of them - keep a notebook with you. One of the reasons change sends us into a tailspin is that we lose control of our regular schedule. We can be afraid of not being able to do everything we want to do. While being organized is not the only method of dealing with change; it can help you remember what is essential that needs to be done like paying the bills or doing the washing. Similarly, stick to a training plan and keep a track of how everything is going. We can often forget what is important when it comes to fitness or eating well, so if we have a plan that takes care of itself it will ensure you keep right on track and wont be distracted by the things that inevitably try to disrupt us.

Tip 6: Stop and breathe when you feel overwhelmed, nervous or unsure, and know these feelings are absolutely normal. It's hard-wired into our biochemistry to be concerned or worried about changes to the environment, because it's what helped us stay on guard from the physical threats we used to experience - tigers, lions, famine, etc!. We're often concerned about change and the unknown but it is perfectly normal to have feelings of fear and uncertainty. The trick is how you manage this stress and ensure it doesn't becoming overwhelming or out of control.

Tip 7: Give yourself several weeks to get used to your new situation, because it can take some time to get fully acquainted with new surroundings. If it is a new job, use the first few months to learn all there is to know about how to do your job on a basic level. If after the first three months you see that you need to make changes then you will have all of the information you need. It's the same with fitness - start out slow and get used to the movements and activities you are doing. It may take some time for it to become natural or even enjoyable, but if you give it some time you'll be surprised what can be achieved!

Tip 8: Keep a positive attitude and find something to be happy about everyday - a new experience or discovery; even something as simple as the color of a wall or a leaf on a tree. Being joyful or stopping to smell the roses helps us to slow down and in the slowing down we can see that we are where we are supposed to be in the process of change. If you are new to fitness, or even an old hand, look for the small improvements at every training session. Rome wasn't built in a day, and it does take time for your fitness program to work it's magic! You need to focus on what you can control - which is the here and now of the training you are doing right now, and let the end results take care of themselves.
For a short but excellent read on the subject of change try "Who Moved My Cheese ?" by Spencer Johnson.

Stress Relief

One of the biggest reasons I continue to move myself to exercise is because of the stress relief it give me. Going to school full time andworking full time makes me need an outlet of some sort. Most people prefer to sit on the couch and eat when they are feeling stressed out, but what people don't realize is that by doing that they are only causing themselves more stress.

Exercise and Stress Relief

Exercise increases your overall health and your sense of well-being, which puts more pep in your step every day. But exercise also has some direct stress-busting benefits.

It pumps up your endorphins. Physical activity helps to bump up the production of your brain's feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins. Although this function is often referred to as a runner's high, a rousing game of tennis or a nature hike also can contribute to this same feeling.
It's meditation in motion. After a fast-paced game of racquetball or several laps in the pool, you'll often find that you've forgotten the day's irritations and concentrated only on your body's movements. As you begin to regularly shed your daily tensions through movement and physical activity, you may find that this focus on a single task, and the resulting energy and optimism, can help you remain calm and clear in everything that you do.
It improves your mood. Regular exercise can increase self-confidence and lower the symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety. Exercise also can improve your sleep, which is often disrupted by stress, depression and anxiety. All this can ease your stress levels and give you a sense of command over your body and your life.

Put exercise and stress relief to work for you

A successful exercise program begins with a few simple steps.

Consult with your doctor. Begin any new fitness program by consulting with your health care professional, especially if you have any medical conditions or are obese.
Walk before you run. Build up your fitness level gradually. Excitement about a new program can lead to overdoing it and possibly even injury. Plus, if you begin your program slowly, chances are better you'll stick with it. If you're new to exercise, aim for about 20 to 30 minutes of exercise three to four days a week and increase gradually. For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends getting at least two hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity (think brisk walking or swimming) or one hour and 15 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity (such as running) — preferably spread throughout the week. It also recommends strength training exercises at least twice a week.
Do what you love, and love what you do. Don't train for a marathon if you dislike running. Virtually any form of exercise or movement can increase your fitness level while decreasing your stress. The most important thing is to pick an activity that you enjoy. Examples include walking, stair climbing, jogging, bicycling, yoga, tai chi, gardening, weightlifting and swimming.
Pencil it in. Although your schedule may necessitate a morning workout one day and an evening activity the next, carving out some time to move every day helps you make your exercise program an ongoing priority.

Sticking With It

Starting an exercise program is just the first step. Here are some tips for sticking with a new routine or reinvigorating a tired workout:

Set some goals. It's always a good idea to begin or modify a workout program with a goal in mind. If your primary goal is to reduce stress in your life and recharge your batteries, your specific goals might include committing to walking during your lunch hour three times a week or, if needed, finding a baby sitter to watch your children so that you can slip away to attend a cycling class.
Find a friend. Knowing that someone is waiting for you to show up at the gym or the park can be a powerful incentive. Working out with a friend, co-worker or family member often brings a new level of motivation and commitment to your workouts.
Change up your routine. If you've always been a competitive runner, take a look at other less competitive options that may help with stress reduction, such as Pilates or yoga classes. As an added bonus, these kinder, gentler workouts may enhance your running while also decreasing your stress.

Whatever you do, don't think of exercise as just one more thing on your to-do list. Find an activity you enjoy — whether it's an active tennis match or a meditative meander down to a local park and back — and make it part of your regular routine. Any form of physical activity can help you unwind and become an important part of your approach to easing stress.

Source: MayoClinic

Goals

So many people start working out because they are getting ready for a beach vacation, or trying to lose their winter weight before bikini season starts. These are good reasons to start working out but what happens when you return from your vacation, or when summer is over? Most people revert back to their old habits of sitting on the couch in the evenings.

Your body can't handle the up and down schedule, and when you lose weight and gain weight over and over again your body starts to show this.

Why not set year round fitness goals for yourself. Who cares if you aren't going on vacation, or if its winter out.... Your body needs to feel and look healthy all year long.

Check out Fitness Goals for some great fitness goal advice.

I personally set small goals for myself all year round. Some of these tips may not work for everyone but here are a few things I do to stay motivated:

1. My husband and I work out together. We motivate each other each night to get up and work out.

2. I leave myself little motivational notes all over the house. Mostly on the mirror in my bathrooms.

3. I remind myself how great I feel after I have worked out.

4. Having the perfect playlist always gets me pumped up to work out or go running.

Check out Perfect Playlists

Five Mistakes

Top 5 Mistakes Runners Make when Training

Even very experienced runners can make mistakes when they are in training for a race or marathon. Often runners think that all they need to do is run to be competitive in a race. But, just running the same terrain at the same pace will not increase the athlete’s speed or endurance. There are some basic mistakes that runners tend to make when they start a running program for an event.

1. Cross Training

When a runner does the same type of training day after day without variety, they can quickly hit a plateau in their performance. The runner may be doing speed running, tempo running and even long distances running which is good, but all they are doing is running.

Muscles have memory. When an athlete performs the same training activities using the same muscles each day, then the muscles will automatically go into that training mode from memory and will not grow. The trick is to cross-train to trick the muscles and performance into a new training mode. This is when advances in speed, agility, and endurance occur. A training workout that is only one-dimensional can lead to injury.

Cross training means running one day, and changing the workout routine the next day. Endurance and stamina training will increase muscle strength and agility. The body likes variety, and a lack of variety in the training workout can lead to muscle stagnation. Try cycling or swimming to vary the workout.

2. Lack of Weight Training

To segue from the need for variety, weight training will actually add to the runner’s training, contrary to the belief that added muscle will take away from the runner’s performance. According to Jull Bruyere, a fitness professional and running coach, weight training will actually help the runner gain power and strength that results in reducing the risk of injury.

Weight training does not mean lifting heavy weights to develop bulk; it means challenging the muscles for a lean, toned physique that will result in increased speed and economy. Since gym time is precious when training to run an event, using the body weight during the weight training session means that it can be accomplished outdoors as part of the run. Push-ups, chin-ups, or leg lunges use the body’s own weight for strength training.

The wrong diet and weight training exercises bulk up the body. Weight training correctly, especially when use the body’s weight, will result in leaner, trimmer muscles which are what will assist, not hinder the runner.

3. No Time for Recovery

A 2010 article in the October issue of Running Time Magazine on runner training mistakes, focused on the need to take time for recovery. Runners need to take a couple of recovery breaks each year. This is when running stops, both physically and mentally. By taking a week or two off, the body gets to relax and recharge itself. Not factoring in a recovery time can lead to a performance plateau that many runners cannot overcome.

Resting also recharges the mind. Runners who are resting can cross-train so they do not feel they will lose their competitive edge. Or they can run only one or two days a week if not running at all will result in withdrawal but tone it down to a 40 or 30 percent level during the run. Balance in life makes for a stronger competitive spirit.

4. Not Training for the Entire Run

If the runner is doing a 26 mile race, running for 18 miles each day is not training for the event. While the runner has to pace herself, not actually running the entire race mileage will result in not being able to complete the final miles that the body has not learned how to run.

The trick is to taper the workout. This means reducing the length of the training for a period before the race. The tapering should start one month before the actual race. Cross train during this period to keep in shape. Two weeks before the race start increasing the running time and mileage until running 20 or 21 miles. This will better prepare the runner to actually run the 26 mile race.

Remember, running is a mental as well as a physical activity. The mind needs to be trained for the entire length of the race as well as the body.

5. Not Fueling and Hydrating the Body

The runner needs energy. When a runner does not have enough energy in store they cannot run as fast or as hard. Eating the right diet and right amount of carbohydrates during the total training time is crucial. It is not enough to carb-up on race day. In general, for the period of training eat about 30 to 40 grams of carbohydrates per hour.

Eating carbohydrates during the workout keeps blood glucose levels high for energy, and eating carbohydrates after the workout maximizes recovery and stores glycogen for energy for the next workout. Fifty to sixty percent of the diet should come from complex carbohydrates, and 20 to 25 percent should be protein. One way to easily supply your body with the nutrients and energy it needs is through supplements. Supplements are a runners best friend because the small pills or drinks can pack a huge punch without the need to scarf down a large meal and have that bloated, stuffed feeling.

Hydrating the body is also important. Sometimes runners do not know how much water they should be drinking and do not recognize the signs of thirst. A runner should always carry water with them, and sip it during the run.

One way to tell that the body is well hydrated is by the color of the urine. If it is not almost clear or a very light yellow, the body is not hydrated enough.

Check out: Fitness Information

Working out through injury

I have been dealing with a knee pain for years, and recently the pain has increased which has caused me to not be able to exercise to my fullest potential. It hasn't stopped me though, it has just caused me to re-evaulate what I am able to do. I love to run, but for past two weeks I have only been able to walk. To make sure I keep pushing myself I try to walk at a 10 incline on the treadmill. 
People need to know that even if you are injured, it should not be used as an excuse to sit on the couch. Most people don't realize that they do other things, even if they are injured. You just need to keep it safe and don't hurt yourself even worse. 


Walking at a pleasurable pace can burn 300 calories per hour, maybe more depending on intensity.  Add a few crunches and abs stuff at the end and you’ve done a pretty good workout.  Not only that but you’ve gotten outside, smelled some flowers and had some time for yourself to think.  It’s just what your (my) body needs.  Keep in mind that general fitness does not require always doing intense workouts; walking is not only something to do while injured, it’s a good workout anytime.  

Determination

Detemination:
Determination is simply not giving up. No matter how hard things get, or how badly you want to just give up, you keep on going. Sometimes you just want to let go, when it seems like what you’re going for is just out of reach, sometimes you tell yourself if what you’re trying to get is worth the great amount of effort that you put in it. When things get hard, you start thinking that its not worth it, and you just want to let it go, but let me tell you this, the more pain and suffering you put into something, the better it'll feel when you get it.
Resource: http://www.urbandictionary.com/

I worked out on Saturday after taking a week off (which I will never do again). I can usually run 3 miles with no problem, but my legs felt so weak I had to push really hard to hit 2 miles. My husband kept telling me to get off the treadmill because I was in pain, but all I could think is.. "No, this is my fault.. I have to keep going. I have to at least hit 2 miles."

Once I hit my goal, I jumped off the treadmill and fell to the floor. I was so proud of myself for pushing myself to the goal. No mater how bad it hurt.. my determination helped me reach the end.

" One day all this pain will make sense to you"