As if exercise wasn’t confusing enough — now throw recovery time between sets into the mix. It’s actually an important detail when trying to maximize your results in the gym. However, optimal rest time between sets varies depending upon your fitness goals – building strength or increasing muscular endurance. In general, short rest times between sets are more effective for increasing muscular endurance.

Slow vs. Fast-Twitch Muscle Fibers

Your muscle is made up of slow-twitch and fast-twitch fibers, and most people have about a 50-50 mix of the two. The slow-twitch fibers are involved in muscular endurance, so if you are genetically blessed with a higher percentage of slow-twitch muscle fibers, you already have an endurance advantage. The key to increasing muscle endurance is developing these slow-twitch fibers by exercising with less resistance, higher repetitions and less rest time between sets.

Types of Recovery

There are several types of recovery in exercise, including immediate, short-term and training recovery. Short-term recovery is the focus here, and to speed up your short-term recovery times, it’s all about boosting your muscle endurance. It’s a progressive goal, meaning you may have to start out with the maximum rest recommended and work your way down to less time between sets as your muscle endurance improves.

Rest Between Sets

For bodybuilding, three to five minutes between sets is not uncommon. However, muscle endurance is a whole different bag. Aim for 30 to 90 seconds between sets to increase muscle endurance (source 2). If you’re a beginner, start out closer to 90 seconds and decrease your short-term recovery times a few seconds per week. Another way to look at it is to exercise at a one-to-one ratio of exercise-to-rest (source 3). For example, do squats for 60 seconds followed by 60 seconds of rest.

Sets, Reps, Resistance and Schedule

Increasing muscle endurance means maximizing the number of reps, or intervals, you can do. So, you’ll want to aim for 25 reps per set and no less than nine. Complete two to five sets per exercise. If you’re lifting weights, choose a weight that is about 40 to 70 percent of the maximum weight you can lift for one rep of that exercise – your one-rep max. You can do any type of resistance training as often as every other day. Always be sure to use a slow, controlled motion during each and every rep to maximize its effectiveness — no jerky, out-of-control movements.

Sources:
Dixie State College: Muscular Endurance
University of New Mexico: Recovery in Training – The Essential Ingredient
Pro Trainer: Rest periods Between Sets: Everything you ever needed to know!

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Men are often known for their rugged, manly (sometimes “good”) looks. However, if a man doesn’t take good care of his skin, then it will start to show up. And no man wants his youthful skin to get all leathery with wrinkles. Men who’re into self-grooming and take care of their skin are able to keep their skin youthful and smooth compared to those who don’t.

How to Have Fresh, Healthy Skin

When it comes to having healthy skin, men think it’s complicated, but it’s really not. Here are a few ways to maintain your skin’s health…

1. Use Sun Protection: Prevention is almost always better than the cure. So wearing sunscreen makes sense when you’re trying to keep your skin healthy. Also wear a hat and proper clothing along with it for the extra protection, especially on sunny days — winter months too!

2. Wash Your Face Regularly: Keeping your skin clean is an important part of keeping it fresh and healthy. So make sure you wash your face right after you wake up and right before you head to bed. Use a soap that’s gentle and made specifically for face wash.

3. Moisturize Well: Go for a face moisturizer that is noncomedogenic in nature. Why? Because it doesn’t cause breakouts and doesn’t block your pores. If you are not worried about getting blemishes on your skin, use a regular lotion.

4. Exfoliate Weekly: Scrub off the dead skin cells at least once a week to make your skin smoother and softer. For your overall body, you can exfoliate every other day and for your face do it twice at the most. Use a face cleanser with exfoliating beads in it, or simply use an exfoliating sponge/loufa. Moisturize after the exfoliation.

5. Eat Right: What you eat plays a major role in helping you create and maintain a healthy skin. Fruits, veggies and lean meats are particularly useful for skin health. You may also want to consider a daily omega-3 supplement, such as fish oil, to promote healthy skin.

6. Drink Lots of Water: Keeping your body hydrated not only helps rejuvenate your skin, but also boosts your overall health. So, aim for the traditional 8 glasses of water each day.

7. Shave Carefully: One of the mistakes that men tend to make when shaving is racing through it and not paying attention to being gentle on their skin. The right way to go about it is to use a good shaving soap, do it carefully and take your time without trying to rush it.

If you don’t want to age quickly, and if you want to maintain your skin’s health, then the tips that we discussed above are great to start with. Even though they look simple, they work.

The post The Super Soft Skin Guide for Guys appeared first on Promote Health & Wellness.

Today in America about two thirds of the American population is considered obese. That means that a person’s average body mass index (BMI) is over 25. Most of the obesity in America is located in the southern states, with Mississippi having the highest number of obese residents. America is second in obesity only to Mexico.

Obesity brings up a number of costs that many may not have thought of. The most obvious cost is for medical care due to complications from obesity, but there are also other individual costs incurred. These costs can include plus sized clothing, food, weight loss programs and disability payments. Money can also be lost due to a decrease in productivity. Even gas prices are higher for obese people because their car uses more gas depending on the total weight of the vehicle.

While obesity is a serious problem, many have seen this problem as a money making opportunity, particularly in the clothing and weight loss industries.

Source: Top Nursing Programs

Please share this infographic using the social buttons below — it’s an important topic to raise awareness about!

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Losing weight is difficult. Choosing which diet to follow amongst the hundreds of different diet programs is only the first step; sticking to the diet will deliver results. This second step, however, is much more difficult to complete. Luckily, social media platforms, fitness websites and smartphone apps designed to help us lose weight are becoming increasingly popular, making it easier than ever before to slim down. This article will explain how social media websites like Facebook and Twitter can help you lose weight while detailing two websites and smartphone apps that can help assist you in your weight loss efforts.

Facebook & Twitter

Two of the most important helping factors when it comes to successful weight loss are accountability and support. 

Accountability is created when your goals are stated to others who will hold you responsible for your results (or lack thereof). Instead of keeping your dieting goals to yourself, tell your friends and family: tell them how much weight you’re aiming to lose and when you’re hoping to lose it by. 

By making your weight loss goals public, you will start to build accountability because you won’t want to fail in front of those you care about most; accountability drives you to do better in front of your peers.

Support is gained whenever your friends and family are supportive of your weight loss endeavours. Simply by having the support of others, your self-confidence will increase and your weight loss results will improve. 

Websites like Facebook and Twitter that make it easy to keep in contact with friends and family can be used to quickly build accountability and support. 

Post your weight loss goal on your Facebook page and your Twitter feed and ask your friends and family to help you achieve it. Ask them to support you in your endeavours and to pass on encouragement whenever possible. Even consider posting progress pictures; this will drastically increase your accountability while also allowing you to garner a great deal of support from people who will cheer on your successes.

Fitness websites and smartphone apps

A number of websites and smartphone apps that aim to make it easier to lose weight have been launched in recent years. Two of the best and most popular include.

Fitocracy

Fitocracy, found at fitocracy.com and on most major smartphone app stores, turns fitness and exercise into a game by creating custom made exercise plans and encouraging you to complete them by using a ‘video game-esque’ levelling system that makes it easy to track progress. 

As you exercise, you gain ‘exercise experience points’ which help to increase your ‘fitness level’ in the Fitocracy app. As a result, exercise becomes more fun; it becomes a game. Instead of being a chore, it becomes a joyous activity with purpose.

Fitocracy also has a number of social features that can help to aid with exercising, too. Teams can be formed amongst friends and challenges can be made to see who can perform the best when exercising. Exercise results can also be shared easily to social sites like Facebook and Twitter.

My Fitness Pal

One of the main reasons why people fail with their weight loss efforts is that they tend to underestimate the amount of calories eaten throughout the day. Calorie counter apps and calorie counter websites can help to solve this problem.

My Fitness Pal, found at myfitnesspal.com and on most major smartphone app stores, is one of the most popular and user friendly calorie trackers around. Using My Fitness Pal, you can input what food you have eaten and it will automatically calculate how many calories you have eaten throughout the day. By analyzing this data, you can find out if you are eating either too much, too little or just the right amount of food for weight loss.

My Fitness Pal also has a number of social features such as friend lists and teams that allow for collaborative weight loss. Team members and friends can check in on each other’s progress while providing advice, encouragement and support to help with weight loss.

Conclusion

Technology and social media has made it easier than ever before to receive support and build accountability while trying to lose weight. By taking advantage of social websites such as Facebook and Twitter and the myriad of smartphone apps and fitness websites available, your weight loss efforts will be strengthened and you will greatly increase your chances of accomplishing your weight loss goal.

Images Via Flickr: Sugar Daze and William Hook

This post was published on behalf of Goodtoknow Diets, the low calorie diet experts.

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Online review websites are a great resource for people who are looking to learn about a business before they use it. The amount of information available on these websites makes them a very popular tool for anyone looking into a business. In a lot of ways, this is great for business owners because it gives people the opportunity to sound off on businesses they love. However, it also creates an opportunity for less scrupulous individuals to unjustly attack the reputation of someone they don’t like. In some cases, people don’t even know the people they write negative reviews about, it’s about attention. Unfortunately, these bad apples can cause a lot more damage to your business than you may realize.

The Power of Reviews
When someone is looking for a new professional to work with, it is not uncommon for them to look on popular review web sites to learn about potential candidates. Getting a great review on one of these web sites can be real boon for any business. However, a few negative reviews can do a lot of damage do your reputation and cause potential clients to look elsewhere. Since they have so many options, they don’t need to spend a lot of time learning about your business. Sometimes all it takes is one negative review for them to look elsewhere.

Combating Negative Reviews
While it is important for all business owners to handle reviews, it is especially important for doctors to fix physician reviews. Physicians need to be especially wary of what people are saying about them, since an extraordinary amount of trust is required in this field. These reviews can generally fixed very simply by contacting a reputation management company. These companies are staffed by professionals who understand exactly how to fix any online reputation. They do all of the tedious review management for you, while you focus on other important things.

Never Underestimate the Power of Your Reputation
There is no way to over-stress the importance of your online reputation. A negative reputation can follow you and your company around for longer than you may expect. If you feel that your reputation is under attack, then you should immediately take steps to fix any problems arising from those attacks. There is no reason for your business is suffer from the negativity of a few angry people. Taking steps to fix your reputation can help ensure that you never have to let one person’s negativity impact your business.

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The weight loss industry in the U.S. is a $60 billion a year industry, and most of that money goes straight to diet plans like Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig. More than one-out-of-every-three Americans are obese, according to the CDC. If you’re one of ‘em, it’s time to make some dietary changes. This useful infographic will show you a comprehensive list of the most popular weight loss programs out there for 2012.
(Click to Enlarge)

Thanks to Aesthetic Surgery Clinic for providing this infographic!

The post Most Popular Weight Loss Diet Plans [Infographic] appeared first on Promote Health & Wellness.

A chilly stroll through the park. Source: Flickr, via: Peiyu Liu

Engage Technology

Source: Flickr, via: Karen Beil

Fitness Classes

Source: Flickr, via: heraldpost

Solo Activity

Source: Flickr, via: lu_lu

Meditation

Source: Flickr, via: RelaxingMusic

Have Fun

Source: Flickr, via: boltron-

The post 5 Ways to Stay Fit Indoors this Winter appeared first on Promote Health & Wellness.

If you’ve ever seen a bodybuilding or fitness competition on TV or in person, you notice one common factor amongst all the contestants – they’re all tan! If you ever want to succeed in fitness or bodybuilding competitions, you have to have a safe and effective tanning plan in place before the competition.

The reason tanning is so popular in the fitness world is that it helps accentuate muscles for a more defined look. Fitness and bodybuilding competitions are two of the few sports in the world where the difference between last and first place lies in tiny details beyond that of just having the hardest, most-defined body. A tanned body can help put you over the top.

There are three ways to get that bronzed look: natural sunlight, self-tanners/bronzers and tanning beds. Getting a great looking tan before a competition is tough using natural sunlight exclusively. Why? Well, unless you live in an area where the sun shines year round, you’re out of luck during the colder, less-sunny months of the year.

Bronzers and self-tanning lotions have become increasingly popular over the past decade or so. They offer a quick and easy way to bronze your body without having to take the time to build up your tan over a period of days as you would in the sun or tanning beds. The potential disadvantage of self-tanning products is using them incorrectly. You certainly don’t want to show up to a bodybuilding or fitness competition with an unnatural looking tone or orange tint to your skin – I’m pretty sure that looking like an Oompa-Loompa will not win you a fitness competition! So, use these products carefully and test different products to see what works best for your particular skin type.

The third option for getting a winning pre-competition tan is using a tanning bed. Two benefits of tanning beds over the other two options includes a more natural-looking deep tan, and it’s readily available no matter what the weather is like outside.

The key to getting the most out of your visit to the tanning salon is using a good quality tanning oil or lotion. It’s important because it helps hydrate your skin and maximize your tanning potential.

Keep in mind that tanning can be harmful to your skin when done incorrectly. It can greatly increase your risk of skin cancer. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S., affecting two million people annually, according to SkinCancer.org. Be cautious and use proper protection when developing your competition tan.

Be safe when preparing for your next competition. Be sure to use tanning oils/lotions when sunbathing at the tanning salon or outdoors to help keep your skin hydrated. Limit exposure to UV rays, and build up your tan gradually over a period of several weeks. Finally, drink plenty of water, as well as green tea/coffee, when building up your tan – water helps hydrate your skin; coffee and tea can help eliminate harmful free radicals that can damage the look and health of your skin.

Image via: Flickr, Malingering’s Photostream

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Via: Flickr by + Rainbow +

People looking to beat their sedentary lifestyle are often under the impression that staying active means to exercise in a gym all day, every day. However, this belief is only partially true. Although staying active certainly means to exercise, it does not mean exercising in the gym only. You can exercise anywhere – a brisk walk, climbing the stairs, and indoor cycling. The focus is always on movements – just make your body move!

There are times when going to a gym or going outdoors for exercise is not possible; for example, when the weather doesn’t permit outdoor activities. If you wait around for the weather to cooperate, it is certainly not good for your health. This is the main reason exercising indoors makes sense. And believe it or not; indoor cycling is the best fitness exercises for those who want to stay fit! Want a justification for this? Okay, here are three electrifying fitness motivators that show why indoor cycling is such a beneficial way to exercise.

Stress Reliever

Relieving day-to-day stress is a great motivator for you stay active. In today’s day and age, everyone faces high levels of stress at some point in time whether it be from work, kids or relationships. Stress tends to impact our body and mind in a negative way, in the sense that it leads to obesity, severe headaches, heart disease, and disruption of normal liver and kidney function. Therefore, it is vital to combat stress.

Did you know that indoor cycling is an ideal way to keep stress at bay? Yes! An early morning and/or late night ride on your indoor bike can help jumpstart your day or help relieve the stress at the end of a long day.

Aim to Lose Weight

Obesity is now one of the critical health issues around the world. After becoming familiar with the horrifying effects of obesity and of being overweight, people of all ages, need to address the problem now. When it comes to losing weight, indoor cycling certainly promotes weight loss. A 45 minute ride on an indoor bike can easily burn 400-600 calories, and even more as you increase the intensity of the workout.

It’s a perfect exercise for kids and teens as well. It’s a fun activity they can do no matter what the weather is like outside. For adults , cycling indoors is ideal for anyone with a busy work schedule who may not have time to go to a gym every day. The elderly benefit due to low-impact nature of the workout. So, indoor cycling is an all around great choice for people of all ages.

What’s more is that such a workout tones the hamstrings, quads, and glutes in the best possible way along with the core muscles. Cycling can also help you maintain a good posture.

Desire to Strengthen Heart

Cycling is a superior cardiovascular exercise, so use this fact to motivate you to get moving. Cycling not only strengthens the heart but also reduces the resting heart rate. It can help lower your bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase your good cholesterol (HDL). Lastly, cycling is great for reducing blood pressure as part of a healthy die low in sodium (salt). Happy cycling!

Bio: Sarah is a fitness trainer and encourages people to fight against obesity to stay fit. She loves to try different cycles for indoors and recommends purchasing the schwinn parts for reliable indoor cycling.

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Image source: Flickr via Magnus’ photostream

Get Enough Sleep

This is probably the most important and effective way to help maintain energy levels at work, especially when that three-o-clock fatigue starts setting in. Without enough sleep each night – seven to eight hours – you can drink five pots of coffee throughout the day and still not feel alert and full of energy.

If you have trouble sleeping, try to set a bedtime routine of going to bed at the same time each night, not eating anything a few hours before bedtime, avoiding smartphone/computer/tablet use right before bedtime and keeping your room as dark as possible.

Eat Right

Eating healthy seems like the ‘fix’ for just about anything, and actually, that’s pretty much true! Eating the right foods can significantly boost your energy during the day. A good tip is to eat smaller meals more frequently. An effective meal plan includes eating a light breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, mid-afternoon snack and well-balanced dinner. Snacks should be no more than 100 to 200 calories for most people.

A few of the best energy-boosting snacks and foods include apples, grapes, bananas, fiber-filled foods (i.e., oatmeal) and whole grain breads/pastas.

Supplements

Certain energy supplements are effective at keeping your energy levels high during the workday, but they shouldn’t be used unless you first address the previous two tips (sleep and eating right). Even then, you should talk with your doctor about which supplements are right for you.

Typically, a daily multivitamin is a safe and effective choice for most people. It can help ‘fill in the gaps’ in terms of vitamins and minerals you may be lacking in your diet. However, it’s certainly no replacement for food-derived vitamins and minerals.

One mineral in particular, iron, is commonly lacking in many people’s diet. Symptoms of iron deficiency include irritability, fatigue, trouble focusing/concentrating, slow recovery from exercise and poor immune system function – all of which can negatively affective your performance at work. According to The University of Arizona, adult males need about 8 mg of iron per day while females need about 18 mg. Pregnant women and athletes need more at between 27 and 45 mg per day (see your doctor).

Take a Break and Get Moving

Your brain performs at its best for no more than 90 minutes a time on average. So, get up and do something active for 10 or 15 minutes to help rest your brain, get your blood flowing and get an instant energy boost – you’ll be far more productive at work if you just take a quick break every 90 minutes or so.

According to a study mentioned over at WebMD, a brisk 10-minute walk has been shown to be a more effective energy booster compared to eating a candy bar. The study proved a candy bar can boost your energy for about an hour, but then you’ll start feeling even more tired than before, not to mention hungrier. On the flipside, walking for 10-minutes increased energy levels for the next two hours.

What about Energy Drinks?

Many of us turn to energy drinks when fatigue sets in during the workday. Most energy drinks do contain energy aids, such as taurine, caffeine and B vitamins. However, many energy drinks are filled with calories, which isn’t good for your waistline. Also, drinking too many energy drinks can be harmful to health, leading to the jitters, nausea, heart palpitations and other symptoms related to excessive caffeine consumption.

If you currently drink one energy drink per day, and you experience no ill effects, you’re probably ok using it to help bridge the gap between the three-o-clock fatigue and the commute home from work.

A 2010 study published in the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences found that energy drinks may actually benefit athletes. The results of the study showed men who drank an energy drink 40 minutes before exercise were able to perform better during the exercise. Keep in mind this study only involved 10 males, and it was focused on energy drinks effect on exercise, not energy drinks effect on work performance.

The bottom line is to make sure you’re getting enough sleep at night and eating right during the day. Also, try to be more active during the day – even a couple of quick 10 minute walks during break time can make a big improvement on your energy and focus at work. If you already meet these recommendations and are still fatigued throughout the workday, you may want to talk to your doctor about trying energy supplements and/or vitamin and mineral supplements to help address your low energy and fatigue.

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