Sweating, breathing hard, watching the timer, cursing under my breath, aching, running out of steam, wishing to be somewhere/anywhere else, bored to tears, embarrassed by the scene in the omni-present mirrors, watching the timer some more, intimidated by the all the other "exercisers", who make what we are doing look like child’s play.

Now that we are back to the daily exercise routine on our pre-holiday schedule, and striving to get back to our 30 minutes minimum on the treadmill, preceded by at least 10 almost agonizing minutes on the dreaded "elliptical"; I thought I might share with you some thoughts.

Oh sure, I know that the heart strengthening results of such efforts far outweigh the downside; but, I certainly don’t have to revel in that knowledge. Exercise has always been work. Hard work. Age and obesity only increase the effort; so, at age 61 with an extra 80 pounds to carry around, exercise is a four letter word, no matter how you spell it, or perform it.

And granted, I do feel better at the end of each workout session than I did at the outset—at least after my heart rate and respiration normalize—anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes on a "good" day.

Now I’ll need about ten minutes or so in a all too welcome shower… followed by at least a ten minute "cool off" period before getting dressed. It’s cold and rainy today, so the trek through the parking lot to the car, followed by the fifteen minute drive home won’t do my cold much good.

So, here I am. Back in front of my trusty computer in just under two hours…still sweating…with legs that still think they are on the treadmill. Walking normally again will require another bit of adjustment.

That’s pretty much been the routine since the day after Christmas; resulting so far in a discouraging net loss of one of the nine pounds I regained during the Thanksgiving to Christmas "eating marathon", that occurs in a family of excellent and creative cooks.

Certain that, for all of my efforts, I deserved a lot more than a one pound reward, I did a "google" for ALTERNATIVE EXERCISE; and was presented with a an overwhelming number of options (859,000 "possibles"). Everything from belly dancing and yoga to martial arts and "water exercise for non-swimmers". Nothing immediately caught my fancy till I hit the page about Isometrics; and was reminded of the almost historic
astonishing results achieved by my high school wrestling team when they switched to using the Isometric exercise routine exclusively, and started winning match after match.

Isometrics has been practiced since even longer ago than my high school years….for thousands of years, in fact; used by athletes and health conscious civilians alike. There are probably even biblical references—cave paintings at least, though I can personally vouch for neither.

Thinking to narrow the search, I did another "google". This time for "isometrics define" and was treated to 565,000 results. Not much relief there.

So, it’s one more search, this time going right to the source—a search for "isometrics" yielded a little over four million results. That is if you can consider 140,000 to be a "little over".

And as usual, a significant number of those results have been created by someone with something to sell. One gentleman in particular seems to be everywhere with a "super-deluxe, one-of-a-kind, guaranteed results GIZMO". His pages are well done, and are actually kind of entertaining; especially when you know as an absolute fact that a major advantage of Isometrics is that it can be done anywhere, anytime, by nearly anyone…with absolutely NO SPECIAL EQUIPMENT REQUIRED.

Sure, the GIZMO with the funny name, might be fun; and if someone gives you one, don’t throw it away. Just put it in the closet where it was probably destined to end up anyhow.

For now, here’s a free "intro to Isometrics lesson" that you can expand as you see fit:

(1) Put your palms together in front of you at chest height.

(2) Push; and count slowly to seven.

Well done! You’re off to a great start.

Check back here regularly as we add more exercises and share some of our own personal results.

Our websites currently deal primarily with Weight Control; but we will be adding Isometrics information on a regular basis.
Stop by when you get a chance:Weight Control

For a Sales Page that doesn’t sell; but does provide a wealth of information about Isometrics, visit: Isometric Training

We’ll leave a light on for you.

Till next time,

Fred

P.S. Read about build your immune system and other useful tips on the quoted blog.

Guest Post

The following training exercises target one or two specific muscles by working those particular muscles. As you increase the intensity of your training exercises, circuit training causes you to challenge your strength while pushing your body aerobically. You should be progress through the workout and keep your heart rate up. This allows you to reap the same benefits as the guy who mindlessly logs all those miles on the treadmill. Also, fewer rest periods help your muscles grow.

These medicine ball exercises are excellent fitness exercises . Complete each of the following fat burning workouts one after the other, with approximately 10 seconds of rest between each.

Use these guidelines before you start a medicine ball routine that will count as your fat burning workouts.

• Medicine ball exercises, as with other forms of power training, should be completed when you are fresh before heavy aerobic or anaerobic training if completed in the same day.
• Focus on speed of movement but not at the sacrifice of technique.
• Do not choose a ball that is so heavy it slows the movement of the exercise down.
• If you don’t own a medicine ball, consider starting with a basketball or soccer ball.

Medicine Ball Exercises:

Medicine Ball Obliques
1. Starting Position: Lie on your back and raise your legs with your knees bent.
2. Holding a medicine ball between your knees rotate your legs to the side and then return to the starting position. Repeat to the other side.

Chops
1. Start with ball overhead at arms length
2. Stop the ball when its between your feet
3. Repeat

Slams
1. Stand with feet parallel and knees slightly bent.
2. Pull medicine ball back behind head and forcefully throw ball down on the ground as hard as possible.
3. Catch the ball on the bounce from the ground and repeat according to prescribed repetitions.

Lunges
1. Begin by standing with the medicine ball held at your waist (approximately at belly button height).
2. Take a step forward with one leg, lowering yourself until the top of your leg is parallel to the floor. Make sure that your knee does not extend past your toes to avoid injury.
3. Either return to the starting position and repeat the movement with the opposite leg, or perform a "walking" lunge by continuing forward by alternating legs and "walking" across the floor.

Standing/Seated Triceps Extension
1. Begin by standing (or sitting) in an upright position.
2. Using both hands, hold the ball behind your head.
3. In a controlled motion, extend your arms upward, keeping your upper arms stationary.
4. Flex your triceps for a count of one before lowering the medicine ball back to the starting position.

Complete your fat burning program by stretching for 10 minutes. Ensure you stretch the muscles around your shoulders, hamstrings & quads.

There’s more abdominal exercises at Workouts that Burn Fat and Tone Muscle

Guest Post

There are many factors that often motivate a person to begin a regular exercise regimen of stomach workouts. Some people may be trying to tighten their stpmach to improve their appearance and some are just plain health buffs. Motivation is one factor that plays an important role in your success to get a flat stomach.

Exercises to lose weight is probably the most difficult task you may encounter. However, you can try different cardiovascular exercises and abdominal exercises to achieve fitness and get that flat abs. Remember that proper nutrition is important to reduce your body fat. If you eat healthy and exercise regularly, getting washboard abs is not as hard as it may seem.

Thinking about using supplements? They seem great don’t they? They have flashy labels and catchy infomercials on TV where big and muscular guys show off their results. WRONG. Almost all of fancy supplements or diet pills which are geared towards losing fat is just a complete waste of money. There are no "magic pills" that will instantly make you lose the layer of fat without you sweating it out or working hard for it.

The simple truth is you don’t need supplements or pills to get the rockin’ body you want. Learning to eat right to get your six pack abs is the first step. Follow it up with a commitment to perform a full body exercise regimen that helps burn fat.

We are not talking about boring treadmill or other cardio-based workouts here. You want to focus more on strength training exercises such as lunges, squats, dead-lifts, step-ups, swings and snatches. These types of exercises work every muscle in your body and increase your metabolism than cardio alone.

So, next time you’re off to do another six pack ab workout, keep these ideas in mind. Getting your six pack abs workout is a lofty goal – which is not beyond your reach, but you must be willing to literally run the extra mile. Learn more about successful weight loss and effective exercise regimen so you could win your battle against weight loss and keep the fat off permanently.

Guest Post