Fit Over 40 - Finding Your Path to Lifelong Fitness

If you are over the age of 40 then you know this is period of your life when it is most important that you get healthy. Every year, more and more middle aged men and women are diagnosed with serious age related illnesses such as diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's. Heart attacks, strokes, and other heart disease related deaths are at a shocking all time high. It is no coincidence that the increase in senior illnesses parallels the increase in the number of seniors who are overweight, sedentary, and generally unfit.

There are many reasons you may not have begun an over 40 fitness program, but one of the most common reasons is that you do not know where to start. There are too many so-called experts out there promising miracle results through "one size fits all" fitness plans. However, most people never achieve success on this type of plan.

This is why Jon Benson and Tom Venuto's e-book Fit Over 40 is an incredibly useful guide to everyone over 40 looking to get fit. Jon and Tom have learned that everyone is unique, with different body types, fitness goals, and lifestyles. Therefore, there is no one plan that will work for everyone. Instead, they share their own personal fitness journeys, along with those of 52 other men and women your age, so that you can build a plan that will maximize your results.

Jon and Tom come from different fitness backgrounds. Tom has been a physical trainer for decades. He has written fitness and bodybuilding articles for many major industry magazines. His "Five Pillars" fitness technique has received much acclaim. This technique addresses the many facets of fitness, such as the different forms of exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle. In the book, he thoroughly explains his program so that you can use his insight on your fitness journey.

Jon, on the other hand, entered his 40s overweight and unfit. He had lived an unhealthy lifestyle for many years and was suffering from many illnesses because of it. He finally had the realization that he must save his life through fitness. His journey was filled with ups and downs, but he achieved success and is now fit for life. Sharing the details of his journey with you can help you more successfully prepare for your own.

The e-book also includes the fitness stories of 52 men and women in their 40s, 50s, 60, 70s, and later. Some are competitive athletes, but many are just ordinary individuals who realized that they could stay youthful longer if they got into shape. Each person shares their story of how they got started, where they are now, and what motivates them. You will read that they all started at different ages and levels of fitness yet all achieved the same amazing results. You will read about the unique obstacles each of them faced. Next, they each detail their exercise programs, including why they made certain choices of exercises and schedules. This is where you will see that each person's exercise program is unique because each person's body has different needs and renewal times. You will also learn about each diet plan and how different nutritional plans support different fitness goals. Finally, you will read about the different lifestyle choices each made and how those choices have benefited them.

The significant benefit of this section is that you learn that each person has unique fitness needs and goals. Therefore, each person needs a unique over 40 fitness plan. The way for you to create your ideal fitness plan is to study what has worked for others. Incorporate into your plan the aspects of their plans that suit your needs and goals. The more success stories you study, the more thorough your fitness over 40 plan will be.

Jon and Tom have compiled these stories to help you create the best fitness plan for you. They have done the research for you and found excellent role models to follow. If you let the examples and techniques in Fit Over 40 guide you, you will be on the right path to lifelong health, youth, and happiness.

How Do Life Insurance Lead Programs Help You in Developing Your Career As an Agent?

As an agent, all you would require to perform well is leads and you can get them through good life insurance lead programs. They surely grow your business in leaps and bounds if utilized well. Most of these programs use several filters to ensure that you get the right kind of people to make a sale.

Are you wondering how these programs generate leads? They run a web site or a network of sites to gather people interested in insurance policies. The people who enter those web sites fill several questionnaires when they require a policy. Basing on their answers they are categorized into several sections and if you want people looking for life insurance policy, you can directly get them through this categorization. The moment a person fills the form, you will be intimated through a mail and your details are sent to the customer. These programs act like a bridge between you and the prospective customer.

This method surely enhances your chances of success in finding more number of people to sell your product efficiently. As an agent you should be quite fast in finding such ways to generate a decent number of leads to grow your business on a day to day basis. There are several programs that are available in the market. It is better to sit and search for them online, so that you will strike gold through them later on. Increase your basic awareness about all such methods which help you reach more number of people to sell your product efficiently. At the end of the day, many super successful sales men attribute their success to life insurance lead programs and if you wish to become one, try them out and see the results.

Lose the Unwanted Pounds With P90X

"Muscle Confusion" is a phrase sweeping the nation in terms of overall body toning and conditioning. It is a technique that has been implemented by the innovative home workout program called P90X. Its developer Tony Horton (along with Beachbody) were committed to developing a home work out system that would stress the need for a variety of workouts to ensure continual growth and to minimize plateaus.

The P90X helps to stimulate "muscle confusion" by constantly varying exercise modes, resistance strengths, set and reps. For instance the system consists of not only cardiovascular exercises, but also incorporates strength training and stretching. Tony Horton has divided these modes of exercise into 30-day phases helping to keep the muscles "confused" and the customer engaged!

As a conglomeration of many years of exploring different home work out approaches the P90X has created a 90-day program which is sure to reach many people's needs worldwide. Since its release in 2004 the P90X has said to be in use in 2 million households across the world.

The success of this systems stems from its ability to help everyone. It has variations that can be helpful to each body type. One example is a "lean" version for fat loss. This adds extra cardio to the 90-day program. There is also a story on the web about a young man who had been called out by his girlfriend for being an "out-of-shape slob" who refers to the P90X as "not being for sissies". He did not go for the "lean" version he opted for the hardcore intense variation and even added the "Shaun T's Insanity Workout".

Another great advantage of the system that has many people spinning is that the program can be done in the comfort of your own home.The P90X program comes on 13 separate DVDs. The only thing you will need to do is make a few small purchases. There are certain equipment needed to complete each exercise. For example some routines call for dumbbells, yoga mats, resistance band (or pull-up bar), and a sturdy chair.

P90X and its creators recommend combing the program with a nutrition and supplement program for optimal results. They brought Carrie Wiatt onto the scene to develop a great nutritional plan for those opting to us it. Carrie recommends for the first thirty days of the program to be emphasizing high protein foods with less carbohydrates. In the second phase you are urged to better support you use of stamina by increasing your carbohydrate intake. In the second phase you should be intaking an even amount of crab and protein. For the third phase you will up your intake of carbohydrates even more in order to give the body what it will need to sustain with the program.

The P90X is a lifestyle change. One that if taken seriously can give you all that you are looking for in a workout. This system and routine is not for the person who wants to just "move their body". With thirteen weeks of six day workouts (seventh day optional stretch) all including formulate cardiovascular, strength training, and stretching you will be sure to turn your best body dream into a reality.

Muscle Mastery Over Muscle Confusion Every Time

When you get involved with an activity, would you rather be confused or be a master?

Duh....

Well, when it comes to fat loss, fitness, injury prevention and functional strength building, your muscles and your metabolism feel the exact same way.

So, stop confusing them! Choose muscle mastery over muscle confusion every time.

Muscle confusion has gotten all the hype lately with everyone from personal trainers to popular infomercials telling you that confusing your muscles by rotating among different exercise routines is the "missing link" that explains why you haven't achieved the toned, muscular body you want. Unfortunately, the realities of muscle confusion plans don't live up to the hype.

While it's true there are important reasons to vary your workouts, variety is completely different from jumping from one exercise routine to the next before your muscles have the time to adapt and realize the potential a properly designed exercise routine can deliver.

A FAR BETTER STRATEGY THAN MUSCLE CONFUSION: MUSCLE MASTERY

Muscle mastery involves training your muscles to be able to handle an exercise routine to your fullest potential.

Muscle mastery is far more safe, efficient and effective than muscle confusion. It allows you to work towards mastering an exercise routine which sends the important metabolic message that improving your strength and endurance, along with a toned, fit body are vital to your survival.

HOW TO MAKE MUSCLE MASTERY WORK FOR YOU

To be successful using muscle mastery for improved fitness in a short time, you want to train using an exercise routine that sends a clear, consistent message to your body expressing how you want it to look and what abilities you want it to perform. Then, through repetition of carefully designed routines, develop the best exercise technique you possibly can. For consistent results, you should gradually increase the difficulty (repetitions, weight lifted, speed) of your efforts as your skills allow.

For example, if bigger, more defined arms are part of your goal, then exercises such as resistance training for your various arm muscles should be included in your muscle mastery plan. If you are also a tennis player, then arm exercises that will increase your tennis ability and reduce the risk of injury should also be included. This approach ensures that each muscle group has a plan to deliver the look you want as well as the functional strength you need.

After evaluating all the muscle groups in your body, you will arrive at a comprehensive plan that features just a few different workouts. As your mastery of these workouts increases, so do the specific results you set out to achieve. And, the best part is that it's actually hard to truly master any exercise routine, so, in most cases, you can continue to produce results with short routines (under ½ hour) that you enjoy for quite some time.

ANOTHER KEY TO MUSCLE MASTERY: INJURY PREVENTION

It's also worth mentioning that muscle mastery greatly reduces the risk of injury. Your muscles gradually adapt to your routines as your "way of life" which allows steady improvement and very low risk of injury.

These benefits make a strong case for muscle mastery as the best approach to exercise for weight loss and improved fitness.

DRAWBACKS AND RISKS OF MUSCLE CONFUSION PLANS

To further support the strength of a muscle mastery program, let's review some of the drawbacks and risks of a muscle confusion program.

MUSCLE CONFUSION IS, WELL, CONFUSING TO YOUR MUSCLES AND METABOLISM

Most muscle confusion plans suggest that you've realized your potential on each routine and should abandon that routine for a completely different one after just a few short weeks. The truth is you were just starting to see some benefits for your efforts. By jumping around you cut short and even confuse the consistent messages to your muscles and your metabolism that are needed for the biggest changes to your body and fitness.

MUSCLE CONFUSION GREATLY INCREASES THE RISK OF INJURIES

For you weekend warriors who always go too hard too fast on an exercise program, muscle confusion plans can be downright dangerous. New exercise routines increase the chance of injury. Most people dive right in at full speed when they are not ready, plus the different body positions and movements of each routine makes injuries far more likely. It's also very easy to push cardio oriented exercise too hard with a new routine in the hopes of seeing faster results. Dangerous.

THE EMPHASIS ON FAST RESULTS BY MUSCLE CONFUSION PLANS MAKE RESULTS HARDER TO ACHIEVE AND SUSTAIN

To really benefit from muscle confusion, each new exercise routine should include a properly designed "phase-in" period. This period should require a decent amount of time at lower intensity while your body adapts. But the slower phase in means slower results and most muscle confusion plans promise huge results in only 90 days. These short term promises often require "insane" workouts that are not safe for many people. Even if you can do them most people cannot possibly expect to sustain them over the long haul, even if some short term results are achieved.

MUSCLE CONFUSION DOES HAVE IT'S PLACE - AFTER MUSCLE MASTERY IS COMPLETE

But wait, isn't muscle confusion a tried and true bodybuilding technique? Bodybuilders have incredible bodies. If it works for them it should work for you right?

Doubtful. Muscle confusion is great for body builders who plateau on certain exercises. They plateau and need different techniques for additional growth BECAUSE THEY'RE ALWAYS FREAKING EXERCISING. In other words, they use muscle mastery first, then gradually employ muscle confusion into their workouts, only when needed.

A bigger question for those who rely on bodybuilders' success to support muscle confusion is: Are you prepared to follow a bodybuilder's regimen? 4 to 5 days a week in the weight room for a couple of hours at a time, daily cardio workouts during "cutting" phases plus an incredibly strict nutrition plan? If so, then you should consider muscle confusion in your fitness plan.

Not for me. The world I live in is all about eating the foods I love and how little exercise I have to do in order to achieve my weight loss and fitness goals. Safe to say most people would be thrilled to get fit using the shortest workouts possible, especially since they are lucky to get in 2-3 workouts a week. This time commitment is all you need for outstanding strength and fitness using a muscle mastery program.

Here's the point to remember. For those of us who are not committed bodybuilders, it will take months or longer to take any exercise routine to a level where even a little muscle confusion is needed in order to improve results. And you can improve all throughout those months emphasizing muscle mastery.

SAME WORKOUTS OVER AND OVER. BORRRRIIING. OR IS IT?

Muscle memory fans still not convinced are sure to bring up that doing the same few muscle mastery routines over and over can can get stale. Consistent workouts are simply not as fun as the endless variety of routines that are hyped by muscle confusion plans.

Those folks just don't understand muscle mastery plans. Instead of changing the entire routine to exercises that increase your risk of injury, that might not be as effective or that you don't like as much, muscle mastery plans offer a better way to keep things interesting. You can split up your routines to a few short workouts, then vary the number of repetitions, sets, rest periods or the speed you do the exercises. In addition, muscle mastery plans include perhaps the biggest motivator that muscle confusion plans can never match: The excitement of improving on your personal best at an exercise.

Working with a trainer experienced in muscle mastery plans can help you vary your workouts in enough ways that make them every bit as fun and challenging as any muscle confusion plan, but even more importantly they will be far more safe, effective and sustainable.

BOTTOM LINE FOR EXERCISE

If serious long term weight loss and fitness results are what you're after, when it comes to exercise you should focus on muscle mastery over muscle confusion every time. As you work towards mastering your exercise routines, your muscles and metabolism will understand your consistent message and will actually work with you to provide you the body and the fitness you seek.

The Fastest Way to Get Results From Your Workout

The fastest way to get results from your workout is actually to get rid of those long, slow cardio activities that take up too much of your valuable time. I know it may be hard to even think about changing that familiar cardio workout, but research consistently shows that shorter, more intense intervals are far more effective at producing results than a long, boring cardio routine.

But changing up your cardio is only half of the story. For optimal results, you must do resistance training in combination with short-burst, cardio intervals. Resistance training adds lean fat-burning muscle to the body, making you stronger, giving your muscles more definition and tone and providing you with an extra boost of energy to get you through your day.

Resistance training also increases your metabolism, helping you shed those extra pounds and burn more calories throughout the day. After doing resistance training consistently, you will likely find it much easier to add lean muscle, lose weight or maintain your current weight.

Over the last few weeks, I've been getting some great questions on how optimize a workout for success. Besides recommending a high quality workout program of resistance exercises and short-burst, cardio intervals, here are some other tips that may be helpful in your quest to getting the best results from your workout.

1. How often should I weight train?

You should workout with weights 3 days a week, but never 2 days in a row. Resting a day in-between workouts is important: it allows your muscle(s) and nervous system to recover and reduces the chances of getting injured by over-training.

2. How much weight should I lift?

Lift as much weight as you can that allows you to stay within the assigned reps without compromising proper technique. When we design our workout plans, we usually try to keep the reps for most exercises within the 8 to 10 range. As soon as you can go beyond the assigned reps, you must add more weight to get better results.

One more thing: Regardless of age, you must make your workout intense. The exercises should be challenging and pain-free. Too many people make the mistake of doing too many reps with too little weight, which often prevents further success.

3. Will weight training make me big and bulky?

Unless you're using muscle-enhancing hormones, resistance training will never make you big or bulky. Regardless of age, resistance training will help you build lean muscle that will burn fat and calories 24/7.

4. Should I do a split routine like chest/back on day and bicep/tricep the next?

We do not recommend a split routine. Instead, train all the major muscle groups each workout.

5. What are short-burst cardio intervals?

Short-burst cardio intervals involve doing a cardio exercise at an interval such as 30 seconds "hard" (where you're sweating hard, breathing hard and where you can only talk for 1 or 2 words), followed by a 60-second "easy" interval where your breathing slows and where you can easily carry on a conversation.

Cardio exercises may include running on a treadmill or outside, riding an exercise bike, or even walking (for some people). It is important is to choose an activity that you enjoy and that you can stick with to achieve your desired results.

The key is to make the shorter part of the interval (the "hard" part) more intense than the longer "easy" part. Unlike long, boring cardio sessions, cardio intervals produce greater calorie burn over a longer time.

6. How many cardio intervals should I do per workout?

We suggest doing 8 to 10 cardio intervals per workout. One interval includes both the "hard" and "easy" part.

7. How long should the cardio intervals take?

Short-burst cardio intervals usually take about 12 to 18 minutes, total.

8. How often should I do cardio intervals?

The number of cardio intervals you do depends on your fitness goals. Doing short-burst cardio intervals 3 times a week is usually sufficient for most people, but some opt to do 5 sessions or more.

9. Can I do cardio intervals the same day as I do my resistance exercises?

Short-burst cardio intervals can be done in the same workout as your resistance exercises, but do them at the end of the session.

So remember: To get the best results from your workouts, do 3 intense, weight training sessions and 3 to 5 short-burst, intense cardio interval sessions each week. Combine this with healthy eating and a balanced life, and you're well on your way to a healthy, fulfilling life.

Fitness Tips For Women - Finding Time For P90X

Finding time to exercise is always a challenge. The first thing I am asked when I'm approached about my declining waist line is how I did it. After explaining that I found success with P90X, the question becomes how I could find the time for such an intense program. Below are a few fitness tips for women based on my experience.

10 Fitness Tips for Women

1. Find a motivation

Finding something to look forward to will help in keeping you on track. You can always think forward to that event when you have those days when you just don't feel like exercising. Schedule a vacation or a special date. Buy the outfit in the size you plan on being by the event. Hang up this outfit in a place where you will constantly be reminded of why you must continue to move forward or in P90X terms keep "pressing play!"

2. Stick with a routine

Schedule the same time everyday for exercise. I find that varying a routine just leads to skipping workouts more often.

3. Set goals

Set goals based on your current measurements and body fat. Don't be unrealistic, but set short and long-term goals that are achievable. Don't pay a lot of mind to numbers on a scale, but do take your measurements every few weeks.

4. Reward yourself

Reward yourself for meeting both short and long-term goals. Although tempting, don't make the rewards around food. Treat yourself to a spa day, a new outfit, a movie date, or a new toy to celebrate your accomplishment. Of course, the rewards for meeting long-term goals should be more elaborate than the rewards for meeting short-term goals.

5. Get a workout partner

Although it is hard to find time to workout with someone, having a workout partner that is following a similar plan to yours is useful. I find that it is difficult to skip a workout if my workout partner is going on and on about how great his/her workout for the day was.

6. Get the kids involved

People are always amazed that I have three kids and can carry out a program like P90X. The reason is, I use the time as a bonding experience. Kids love to jump around and they will love trying to do the workouts with you. It makes exercising a little difficult as you have to watch out for the little ones and you also tend to spend much of the workout talking. But at least you get the workout in and you get another healthy way to spend time with the kids.

7. Make dinner simple

Finding time for dinner is a major issue especially when you have kids. Plan dinners on the weekend. Think of things that are easy to make or that you can make beforehand and freeze. This will remove dinner preparation from the list of things you need to do when you walk in the door.

8. Consider mornings

If all else fails, consider working out in the morning. For some, this is a better time for working out. The house is asleep and you have the time to yourself with minimum, if any, interruptions. You also feel good and energized for the rest of the day.

9. Don't be hard on yourself when you miss a day - Keep Going

Missing a day can be a source of guilt. Often times, when we are on a program similar to P90X where you workout according to a set schedule, it's tempting to drop the entire week if you miss a few days. Keep going even when days are missed. Remember that any day where you get to work out is beneficial to you!

10. Make it a priority

This is the most important tip I can offer. If we think of exercising as a "MUST DO" we are more likely to stick with it. Hold yourself accountable by keeping a journal, giving yourself reminders, and adding your workout to your calendar. In the end, it's up to you to decide how important working out really is to you.

5 Reasons Why You Must Step Up Your Daily Physical Activities for a Healthful Lifestyle

All of us would like to live a healthy life, being disease-free and able to enjoy all the good things in life. Well, it is really up to us to decide the kind of lifestyle we want to live. There has been a lot of recommendations to help us achieve good health by the relevant authorities. Most of these recommendations have stressed the importance of including daily physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle. A recent report indicates that less than 10% of adults followed the recommended amount of daily physical activity.

1. Regular physical activity is needed to maintain one's health and sense of well-being.

Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles resulting in energy expenditure. By performing regular physical activities, this keeps the body in top shape to meet the demands of work and leisure in a comfortable manner. Other benefits include improved endurance, flexibility and muscle strength. It has also been shown that maintaining a high level of physical fitness will help to reduce the risk of developing chronic disease.

2. Reduce the risk for being overweight and obese

Regular exercise will help to reduce weight effectively. The physical activities that we do will burn away the excess calories that normally would have been stored as fat. The simple mathematics involved here is your weight will be determined by the amount of calories you eat minus those that your body uses. Whatever food that we eat contains calories and every physical activity that we do uses calories. This includes breathing, sleeping, walking and doing the everyday chores in the house. Whatever extra physical activity in addition to these will help to burn the extra calories. Therefore it would be a matter of balancing the amount of calories taken in to that which we utilize doing the physical movements is all that is required to achieve the body weight that we want. It is often stressed that a key component for successful weight loss is to incorporate physical activities into our daily routines.

3. Decrease the risk for many chronic diseases.

Chronic diseases are major sources of illnesses, hospitalizations, healthcare costs and long-term disability in the U.S. This trend is expected to continue and to worsen. Many epidemiologic studies and investigations have shown the protective effects of physical activity towards developing chronic diseases. These include hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, anxiety and depression. Risk factors for developing coronary heart disease has been shown to decrease such as blood lipid profiles, blood pressure, glucose tolerance and immune function. Other studies have demonstrated a decrease in the mortality rates associated with improved regular physical activity.

4. Prevention-based care is better

Many diseases can be prevented, given the right support, information and promotion. Increasing daily physical activity has been recommended as part of the strategy, along with early detection, reduce tobacco smoking and healthy nutrition among others. Preventive healthcare still falls short in most communities, probably because current healthcare systems tends to respond to acute problems faced by patients. The sedentary lifestyle and leisure time activities will worsen the present scenario. As part of this preventive strategy to make people more health-conscious, then we need to exercise more frequently and fit physical activity into our lives.

5. Simple steps will add up

Start to think what can I do today to add exercise into my routines? You can start climbing the stairs instead of taking the elevator to your office. Do more walking instead of sitting. Park the car further away so you can walk the extra distance. You might have an exercise equipment tucked away somewhere in the house. Start dusting off these equipments and take the baby steps. Most of us find it hard to allocate the time to exercise. Remember you can start small with 15 to 20 minutes and increase gradually. If you need emotional support, then ask your spouse or family members to join in the sessions. It could be more fun. Start small and keep it simple, but just do it.

Running in the New Jersey Half Marathon

This past Sunday, I fumbled in the darkness to lift the ringing receiver and placing it back into its cradle as quickly as possible as to keep the kids in their sleep state at 4:15am. Most likely it disturbed their REM sleep, however none of them paid any attention to the wake up call commotion.

It is so important to get enough sleep prior to a race, especially a marathon, where you could be out on the course for at least 2 to 3 hours for 13.1 miles or 3 to 6 hours for 26.2 milles.

It seems that I have gotten use to prepping for race day, and the nervous butterflies that use to bounce around in my belly have been trained to stay calm. Unceremoniously, I put on my running gear donning my trusty Team for Kids Singlet, and new ASICS Nimbus Running Shoes. Pecked everyone one the cheek, except for Zachary who seemed to be tucked away on the other side of the bed, so I kissed my hand and transferred it to his cheek. Walked out the door and headed down to the lobby and waited for my brother in law, Raymond.

It's very important to be prepared and lay all of your gear the night before because you do not want to be looking for your running stuff that morning.

He pulled up in his rented Blue Honda Civic with his fiancé, Frances. Since he did not have a GPS, I lead him in the wrong direction for the first 5 minutes of the trip to the Jersey Shore. Make a mental note, you can not always rely on a GPS to get you where you want to go! By the way, where is that seat belt!

If you need to drive to the start, a GPS will make sure you get there!

We arrived at Seven President Park, which was about a ½ mile north from the Start, and did our best to get some additional shut eye, but that did not work. So we just relaxed. It turned out that we parked right next to Coach Vincent Corso from Team for Kids. This person is such an inspiration from weighing 310 in 2006 to running a new personal record in 3 hours and 12 minutes later that afternoon! What a great success story! I will be running that fast soon!

Draw of other success stories to help motivate you, especially during the training.

Finally, it was time for Ray and Vinny to depart for their New Jersey Marathon Start. I stayed behind and rested a little more with Frances who was trying to watch a movie of some sorts on her phone. About a half an hour later it was my turn to head to the start as the Full Marathon began heading my way. The lot was adjacent to part of the course, so I walked along and cheered on the runners as they ran towards me. I was fortunate to see Coach Vinny wave and acknowledge me with a thumbs up. I searched for Ray, but I think the crowd engulfed him. I'll catch him at the end. Some runners enjoy the acknowledgment and be gracious. While other runners may be indifferent especially towards the 20 plus mile range, where most everyone looks haggard. Just keep cheering them on.

We all need encouragement!

As I got closer to the starting line, I saw many people jogging to warm up, so I did the same. Usually the first 2 miles are miserable, because my legs need some warming up. Most races that I have participated in had corrals to separate the masses. With this race, it seemed that you can just jump right in, as long as you had enough space to hop over the fence and squeeze next to the other runners in this fenced off sardine can. Surprisingly, just another 20 feet stood the sandy Jersey Shore, however no spectators were able to cross to that side and cheer on the runners.

Warming up for a marathon is not as important as a short run, because the first couple miles of a long run usually is considered the warm up.

I looked for the 2:20 pace runner balloon and got in line where someone had separated the fence. Eventually we started to move forward, with Bruce Springsteen blaring away in the PA system and the Race Announcer did his best to rally this very subdue crowd.

It's amazing how music can excite a crowd, and blaring "Born to Run" got the runners ready!

Finally up to a slight jog across the start and off we go! Here if you have a running watch, just remind yourself to start the watch, as soon as you cross the start line, so that you know your pace as you do the course. Going out too fast can be detrimental to your overall finish time. The course wrapped its way around the suburban streets of Long Branch, simple homes with some neighbors out to cheer on the runners. Right before Mile 4, at the very shallow Port Au Peck Bridge, a girl said to her running mate, "I thought this race was suppose to flat." I thought to myself, she has no idea what hills are. It was a joy to run on a "flat" course!

Always check the elevation map as you train. You do not want to train on flat roads when hills are expected.

A little after mile 4, I noticed that I was getting closer to a pace runner. A few minutes later I was very close to be able to see the time 2:15. I was like, "WOW!" that was unexpected. I pulled up next to her and stepped on the gas to pass her. I wondered if I could keep this speed up. The only time I ran this fast previously was during much shorter 5k's or 4 milers. It felt good and did not look back.

You need to make sure that you pace yourself otherwise you will lose steam at the end of the race.

I kept on looking at my Timex Global Trainer, which helped keep my pace under 10:00, and when I notice it above 10:00, I accelerated. The whole time, I kept on saying "make up some time now in case I crash in the later miles".

Also during this run, I held everything in. I past each porta potty and tree and also repeated, "Do not go, Do not go, Do not go!" Unlike the Disney Marathon, where there were trees everywhere and women would pop out the woods after taking a break and men just stopped and smelled the Orlando air, there were houses and neighbors everywhere. I am pretty sure that they would not appreciate the extra watering.

Relieving yourself, adds a lot of time to your race, especially if you want to achieve a personal record.

At Mile 9, I was getting ready to give my kids some High 5's and when I reached Mile 10, I kind of gave up looking for them and sped up. Then suddenly I hear, "Noah!" to my left. I looked over my shoulder for my blind spot and headed over. Only Zachary was close enough, and he jumped up like Michael Jordan and reached for my hand. A mother sighed, "Awwwwwww" in the background. I was so happy to see them!

It's very uplifting to see a child smile after you slap his or her hand!

At Mile 12, I started to see spots and the road seemed to be leaning, meaning that I was running on empty or bonking. I said, "Just don't fall on your face before the finish line!" and the finish line could not have come faster. My thoughts about Irene and the kids helped me reach the final yards. I am so looking forward to all of us doing the same race!

As soon as I saw that Green Gate, it put a little more spring in the step and I sprinted to see if I could cross before the clock said 02:17:00. I stopped the looked at my watch showing 02:09:00. The New Jersey Half Marathon official time was 02:08:58.73, a 09:50 pace. My slowest was the last mile at 10:15 and at mile 6 where there was a slight incline from an overpass I wish I started running and doing P90X a lot sooner. Well, I can say that about a lot of things!

Now my next stop will be on my Wedding Anniversary weekend at the end of the month. We will be celebrating at the Vermont City Marathon in Burlington, VT. I will be running and Irene volunteered to give out food to the finishers. I think we will be making a pit stop at Ben and Jerry's while we are there!

Again I would have to say my favorite big race still goes to the NYC Marathon with its crowds. Just a reminder to everyone, if you want to run the New York City Marathon, run it with Team for Kids and help stop childhood obesity!

Keep in mind that you are not only running for yourself, but for everyone you love, so keep it up!

Also, if you or know someone that is interested in a running, walking, P90X, getting fit, lose weight, or eat better please visit www.runwithnoah.com

Does Slim in 6 Really Work?

Many of you have probably heard of Slim in 6. Slim in 6 has been around for a little bit now and has been extremely popular, so popular that the workout has sold in the millions of copies. I guess that is one pro that it has going for it.

Many people have asked me, "Does the Slim in 6 really work?" so I have decided to help a lot of you out and tell you what I know about the workout.

First of all it is 6 weeks long. 6 weeks is a pretty short amount of time to achieve what the Slim in 6 claims in can achieve. That does not mean it is bad it just means you may need to do the workout more than once to see the "infomercial" type results.

They report that many people lose up to 25 pounds in the 6 weeks of the workout. That is very doable, at just a little over 4 pounds a week you can hit that goal. I would suggest eating extremely healthy and following the nutrition guide that comes with the workout if you want to see those types of results. Eating healthy is very important when you are trying to lose weight and burn fat.

The workout is done by Debbie Siebers, and she has a resume worth trusting. She has been a fitness trainer for many years and personally helped thousands of people get into incredible shape.

The workout uses light resistance mixed with cardio training to get its results. Light resistance slims the muscles, not builds. So men if you are looking to build muscle this may not be the best workout. But if you want to slim down, it works just as good for men as it does women.

Bodylastics Manual Review - An Overview Of This Resistance Bands Training Program

When you purchase any exercise equipment one of the most important factors, in my opinion is whether they include some form of training program. That's where the Bodylastics manual or as they call it the "Strength Band Training" program is such an outstanding value.

In this article, we are going to discuss three of the primary factors that you should know about the Bodylastics training program and how it will help you reach your muscle building goals.

First, the manual itself is well written and concise. It includes a table of contents.

The first step is to get familiar with the equipment and the exercise jargon. Some of this may seem basic and simple however, they do give you some tips to prevent injuring yourself as well as the best way to use the bands to make them last longer. Not that that's a concern because Bodylastic does give you a lifetime defects warranty on all of their resistance bands. They do have both men and women illustrating the exercises and some of the gals are very attractive:-)

One of the questions that they answer in the Bodylastic manual is about how to have "Success in Training with Resistance Bands." It seems that some individuals always have the same questions. And that's "do resistance bands really work as well as expensive machines and free weights?" The second most frequently asked question is, "can I really get fit and build muscle with them?"

The answer according to the Bodylastics manual to both questions is yes.

What makes resistance bands provide you a comparable or even better workout than free weights and machines are that they are not bound by gravity like most free weights. Because of this, you can target your muscles at different angles, something that's not possible with any machine.

Many different illustrations show you the exercise movements from start to finish. In addition, they also let you know what muscles are being worked by that particular exercise. Some exercises will use a chair or stability ball. But most of these are to target the midsection or stomach.

Muscle Building or Body Building Exercises

The Bodylastics manual even includes two complete bodybuilding programs. The first routine is one that was recommended by former a Mr. America and Mr. Universe. It recommends that you workout each muscle group 3 times over a two-week period.

The second bodybuilding program is similar to program one however; it spread out over a two-week cycle. The emphasis here is to target each muscle group 3 times every two weeks. After trying out the second program for a period of 90 days, I found it incredible in helping me build additional strength and muscularity.

Inspirational Weight Loss Story!

Matt is a buddy of mine who has always struggled with his weight. We became friends because my father and his father own a business together and we both worked for the company. When talking to him one day about his childhood, he told me that he has always been known as the "fat kid," and sort of accepted that he was going to be that way for the rest of his life. Although he didn't enjoy being very overweight, he didn't know that there was anything out there that could help him. It got to the point where he became obese at 295 lbs. Once reaching the point of obesity, most people feel that there is no turning back, which is the way Matt felt until he discovered a program that would change his life.

For the past two and a half years, I've been following a home workout program called P90X. It literally changed my life so I introduced it the rest of my family, only because I knew it could work for them as well. Both of my parents, who are 49, committed themselves to the program and got excellent results. Shortly after my dad finished up his 90 days, he was talking to Matt at work one day, telling him how he couldn't believe how great he felt and the weight loss he experienced from the program. Matt couldn't believe the results he had gotten either, and started asking him questions about it. After he explained to Matt that he had the opportunity to change his life and what he needed to do in order to do so, Matt took the plunge and never looked back.

When Matt started the program, he knew that he had to completely change his diet, which really is the toughest part of it all. It's not committing to the workouts; it's committing 100% to a healthy diet that causes a lot of people to hesitate beginning any workout regimen. We explained to him that if he really wanted to change his life and lose weight, he had to commit himself to the Nutrition Guide that came with the program, and that's exactly what he did. He literally went from eating pizza, burgers, fries, cake, and ice cream every day to eating nothing but healthy food. On top of that, he worked out every single day, and told us that he wasn't going to skip a workout if his life depended on it.

What Matt accomplished in 90 days has completely blown my mind and he has already become an inspiration to many people, including myself. Are you ready for this? After 90 days of committing to working out every day and a healthy diet, Matt lost a total of 79 lbs! Not only did he change physically, but his self-esteem has increased and he feels great about what he accomplished. He doesn't plan on stopping now, and has even decided to go to college to be a Nutritionist. Matt is a great example of what can happen when you commit yourself 100% to a healthy lifestyle!

If You Want to Buy Or Purchase P90X, The Best Deal May End Up Being the Worst

For the past few years, the P90X workout has been all over the infomercial airways and has been touted as one of the best selling fitness products. Tens of thousands of people have posted reviews, success stories, and transformation videos all over the internet showing their amazing results. The product obviously has a proven track record. However, people are still looking for online deals and are buying illegal bootlegs despite the program costing less than a couple months of most gym memberships.

What many people are not aware of is that Beachbody, the company that produces and distributes P90X, does offer some added value and savings. These deals are not advertised and you just need to know where to look.

For someone looking to get a better deal than what is advertised on TV by Beachbody, the quickest and easiest thing is to shop through the Team Beachbody website instead of either calling the infomercial phone number or shopping through the main Beachbody website. Beachbody offers all their prospective and current customers free membership and access to the Team Beachbody club.

The Team Beachbody club gives customers bonuses which are not advertised, plus it can help them save some money. For starters, anyone who purchases P90X through the club website will get bonus Tony Horton workouts which are not offered to those who order the workout program from the advertised 800 phone number or website. Another benefit is that when purchasing P90X through the club, the shipping is usually at least half of what you would pay when ordering the program through the advertised 800 phone number or website.

If you are reading this and are looking for the absolute cheapest price you will most likely gravitate towards eBay or Craigslist. Please take caution, and know you are almost guaranteed to receive an illegal bootleg which will contain DVDs that easily skip, will probably not come with any of the printed resources, and the seller will most likely not honor any returns.

Power 90 X - The Secret to a Ripped Body in 90 Days

Many times I just keep hearing about these new training programs and I just have to ask myself... Is there really anything new under the sun?

Yes... there's Power 90 X!

What makes Power 90 X different than most other training programs, is the fact that it's a complete training program. It takes into consideration, not only the strength training aspect, nutrition and fat burning, but also the need for cardio in order to get maximum results.

While this program may not be for everybody, it is for those individuals who are committed to getting into the shape of their lives. Tony Horton, the creator of the Power 90 X has done an incredible job in putting together not only a high quality video training program, but he has also covered the nutritional aspect of muscle building.

You could easily spend hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars to get this information. Tony Horton has put it all together for you in one easy step-by-step training program.

Here's what the Power 90 X , is all about.

It consists of 12 videos, the P90X 3-Phase Nutrition Guide, P90X Fitness Guide, and a "How to Bring It" video.

You also get free online support tools and a calendar that breaks down all your workouts. You can even find online an Excel spreadsheet that provide you with a way to track your weight loss, body fat percentages and strength increases.

I really like this program!

The Beach body people have really taken their time and researched what getting lean and building muscle is all about. Unlike Bowflex, Total Gym and other expensive home gyms, for under $300, that includes resistance bands, pull up bar and push up stands, you can have a ripped muscular body. The only other requirement from you is that you use it.

Tony Horton does a great job in keeping you motivated. I personally enjoyed his teaching style, and his corny, yet funny jokes.

If you're serious about getting in shape, then give the Power 90 X, a try.

Insanity Workout Review - Insane Weight Loss Finally Comes True

There are a lot of weight loss plans out there that promise you fast results. But sometimes, the results are not good enough or fast enough to your liking that you quit your workout regimen altogether. But the Insanity Workout is different from other exercise plans because it is specially designed to make you lose weight and burn calories and excess fat in the shortest possible amount of time. This article gives you an overview on how the Insanity Workout will turn fat into abs in just sixty days.

The workout features a high-level energy workout plan that can assure you of visible results in sixty days. It comes with a set of ten instructional work-out DVDs that can help you burn up to 1000 calories an hour. The DVDs targets specific muscle groups and best of all the exercises need no extra equipment so you can do these at home or anywhere you like. The exercises are hard, that's for sure; and they can leave you sore at the end of the day. The Insanity Workout package also includes an Insanity Calendar for tracking out your progress and it also has a Nutrition plan that will help you know what food to take during the course of the program. They have a 30-day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the results.

The Insanity Workout plan is not for the faint-hearted. It surely is not for everybody; and you can easily tell by reading Insanity Workout reviews. If you have a heart problem or other disability you might want to check with your physician first because the exercises in these program are, as what the name suggests, insane. The exercises are very physically-demanding, combining cardio and interval training for maximum weight loss and fast body shaping results. So you have to make sure that you are in top physical condition before you start out on the program.

Overall, the Insanity Workout program is a great workout routine if you are up for the challenge. It promises fast results, and it delivers. You get a well-shaped and lean body in as short a time as sixty days. It is hard work, but at the end of sixty days you will see that all that hard work paid off. Dramatic results will be seen. If you are in good physical condition then this might be the workout program for you. No need for gym memberships, and other exercise programs that do not have definite weight loss goals. If you are prepared for a tough workout and want to see results fast, then by all means get yourself an Insanity Workout set and work your way to that fit body you've been dreaming of.

Sample Meal Plan and Review for Week 1 of P90X

When you are wanting success in a fitness program, your commitment to the meal planning and eating healthier foods is going to be key to what kind of results you get from the program. For this article, I will be giving an example of a meal plan for the first week of P90X.

P90X comes with a nutrition guide that offers a couple of different approaches to eating for performance. The one I used was the actual meal guide because I am a busy at-home mom, and even if there's more cooking involved, if I have a plan, it's just a matter of gathering groceries. My first week below might be too involved if you don't have time to cook. I'll be publishing future articles on how to take this plan and simplify it for your lifestyle.

This was written out for both my husband and me. My calories are in parenthesis.

According to the P90X fitness guide book, my daily caloric needs are between 1700-2100 and my husband's are between 2300-3000.

Monday - P90X Chest & Back and AB Ripper X

Our boys, ages 11, 13, and 17 eat what we eat and because this is a low carb plan for the first P90X month, I throw in extra fruits, snacks, and healthy complex carbs for them! I've indicated the portion sizes for each individual, but will simply cook enough for a family and then portion out the meal.

Post workout snack every day: P90X Recovery Drink

Breakfast:

Mushroom Omelet

6 (4) egg whites, salt/pepper, ¾ cup brown mushrooms, 2 T. chopped green onion, ½ chopped roma tomato,2 (1) oz. goat cheese

1 cup frozen berries

1.5 (1) cups 1% cottage cheese

Snack: Chocolate Shakeology + 1 T. peanut butter, ice, almond milk (unsweetened)

Lunch:

Chef Salad

6 (4) oz. chopped fat-free deli turkey breast

1.5 oz. fat-free mozzarella cheese

½ roma tomato or 5 grape tomatoes

2 cups romaine lettuce

¼ cup artichoke hearts, chopped

1 oz. avocado

Balsamic vinaigrette (homemade)

Snack: 15 (12) almonds, raw

Supper:

6 (4) oz. grilled salmon

1 cup steamed asparagus

1 cup wild rice

2 (1) cups Pacific foods Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Tuesday - P90X Plyometrics

***Add whey protein in almond milk if needed for extra protein.

Post workout snack: P90X Recovery Drink

Breakfast:

Greenberry Shakeology mixed with 2 T. vanilla whey, 4 strawberries, ½ cup oj, water and ice.

1 (1/2) cup Fage Yogurt 0%

Snack: 15 (12) raw almonds

Lunch:

Shrimp Stir-fry

8 (6) oz. shrimp, ¼ T. low-sodium soy sauce, ½ t. rice vinegar, ¼ cup fat-free chicken broth, ¼ t. minced garlic, ¾ cup red onion, ¾ cup broccoli, 1.5 cups snow peas, 1.5 cups mushrooms, ¼ cup yellow bell pepper, ½ can water chestnuts. (Soy sauce through garlic in sauté pan over medium heat until tender. Add veggies and continue to sauté, stirring and adding more broth as needed. Add shrimp when veggies are halfway cooked and sauté until shrimp is opaque and veggies tender.)

Snack: 2 (1) lowfat cheese stick

Supper:

7 (5) oz. grilled chicken

1 cup green beans

2 (1) cups butternut squash soup (Pacific foods)

Wednesday - P90X Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X

*As always, add extra serving of whey in almond milk or water if needing extra protein.

Post workout Snack: P90X Recovery Drink

Breakfast:

Chicken Scramble

7 (5) egg whites, 3 oz chicken breast cooked and diced, 2 oz. fat free parmesan cheese, fresh basil if I have some.

3 (2) slices turkey bacon

6 (4) oz. fresh squeezed oj/lemon juice

Snack: 15 (12) raw almonds

Lunch:

Chicken Salad

8 (6) oz. Poached and chopped chicken breast, 2 T. low-fat mayo, ¾ T. Dijon mustard, 2 T. green onions, pepper and dill to taste, ½ c. chopped celery.

3 (2) cups salad greens

2 cups (1) Veggie soup (makes enough for 2 large meals...scale down as needed)

10 cups fat-free chicken broth, 4 red potatoes, 4 cups quartered onions, 1 cup sliced carrots, 3 cups celergy sliced thick, 2 cups zucchini or beans, 8 oz. tomato sauce, 2 cloves garlic, ¼ cup fresh parsley, dash of pepper, salt to taste

Snack: Chocolate Shakeology, 4 oz. almond milk (unsweetened), water, ice, 1 T. peanut butter

Supper:

7 (5) oz. grilled Salmon

1 cup wild rice

1 cup green beans/carrots

Thursday - P90X YogaX or One on One Fountain of Youth Yoga

Breakfast:

Strawberry Banana Blast Protein Shake

1 cup almond milk, 1.5 (1) scoop vanilla whey, 1 (1/2) cup frozen berries, ½ banana, ice

Snack: 1 cup Fage 0% yogurt, agave nectar, cinnamon and 5 walnuts

Lunch:

7 (5) oz. grilled chicken breast

3 (2) cups romaine salad greens

1 cup artichoke hearts (not marinated)

Vinaigrette

Snack: Chocolate Shakeology with 1 cup almond milk, 1 T. almond butter and ice.

Supper:

Grilled Salmon

1 cup wild rice (leftover from Wed.)

2 (1) cup Veggie Soup (leftover from Wed.)

Friday - P90X Legs & Back and Ab Ripper X

Post workout snack: P90X Recovery Drink

Breakfast:

Spinach Scramble

8 (6) egg whites, ½ cup Roma tomatoes, 1 cup spinach leaves, 3 (1) oz. feta cheese crumbles, fresh basil if available

1 (1/2) medium grapefruit

1 cup almond milk with 2 T. chocolate whey

Snack: Shakeology - Greenberry with 2 T. whey, ½ cup oj, water, ice, ½ banana

Lunch:

Turkey Burger

6 oz. ground turkey breast (97% fat free), 1.5 T. whole wheat breadcrumbs, 3 T. buttermilk, 1 T. green onions, 1 T. fresh parsley, ¼ t. Dijon mustard, 1 dash Worcestershire, pepper to taste

1 oz. low-fat swiss cheese

1 (1/2) cup coleslaw

(enough for 6..scale as needed.. 3 cups shredded green cabbage, 1 cup red cabbage, 1 cup jicama, ½ red onion, 2 apples finely diced, ½ cup fat-free mayo, 1/3 cup white vinegar, 2 T. sugar, 1.5 t. caraway, ¼ t. salt, pinch pepper)

3 (1) cup gazpacho

(Yield 10 cups! Scale as needed... 28 oz. canned tomatoes, 3 cups low-sodium tomato juice, ½ cup diced carrots, ¾ c. each green and red bell pepper, ½ red onion, 2 shallots, 2 garlic cloves, 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, 1/3 c. fresh lemon juice, 1 t. paprika, ¼ c. fresh oregano, basil, parsley if available...at least the parsley!, Tabasco sauce to taste.)

Snack: 12 (8) oz. 1% cottage cheese

Supper:

8 (6) grilled fish or chicken

1 cup cooked wild rice or red quinoa

1 cup broccoli or green beans

**What we ended up having is leftover veggie soup and a grilled chicken breast!

Saturday - Kenpo X or Kenpo Cardio Plus

Post workout snack: P90X Recovery Drink

Breakfast

Shakeology - Chocolate with 2 T. whey, 1 tsp. peanut butter, 1 cup organic unsweetened Pacific foods Almond Milk, water, ice.

Lunch

Chicken Salad (same as Wed.)

3 (1) cup Gazpacho (leftover from Friday)

1 (1/2) cup coleslaw (leftover from Friday)

Snack 2 (1) Boiled egg

Supper

Family Homemade Pizza Night

Homemade whole wheat crust, turkey pepperoni, black beans, black olives, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, leftover veggies in fridge, part-skim mozz. cheese. Dave and I will measure the cheese and use a very thin crust for our pizzas.

3 (2) cups Romaine salad

Sunday - Stretch X or Rest

Sundays we frequently eat out with friends. And we eat light, munching on leftovers from the week. It's also the day I pick up groceries for the next week.