Fat Kills You

Doctors prescribe Walking as the best medicine for weight loss.

We walk everyday. Sometimes we go for long walks with our loved ones. But how often do we realize the real significance of a Good Walk. Thirty minutes of quick walking everyday can award you outstanding health benefits especially weight loss. Moderate walkers; don’t lose heart for good walking compliments you with resistance to various diseases like:

• Heart problems
• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Depression
• Respiratory problems
• Back pain
• Muscular strength and flexibility
• Obesity

Walking benefits

• Every muscle of the body moves while walking and it improves blood circulation.
• It improves body metabolism.
• It is free, you don’t have to pay to walk.
• Walking refreshes you.
• It is the best medicine for weight loss.
• It brings in good health accompanied by high self confidence and vigor.

Be health conscious, begin Walking

Don’t wait for people to call you overweight but start your walking habit today. When you can prevent Obesity and its related diseases by walking daily, make it compulsory in life. In your active days it’s still easy to fight diseases and survive heart attacks. But health becomes vital as you grow old. Follow healthy food patterns; eat plenty of salads and fruits, increase carbohydrate intake and walk for an hour a day to see the big health difference your new lifestyle can make.

James Harison the content writer for http://www.pillslim.com. You can visit our site for more information about the weight loss and weight loss diet pills.

No comments

Finding out a little about amino acid basics enables you to get an insight into why these acids are so important to our bodies. These acids are known as the building blocks of protein, and they are vital to our bodies for many reasons. The day to day function of our bodies relies heavily on adequate amino acid levels, and these acids can affect everything from growth to the body’s natural treatment of injury and disease. Any deficiency in amino acids can result in ill health. These acids play a big part in the proper function and natural treatment of your body, and it is important to ensure that you do not become deficient in your amino acid levels. Below is a little information regarding amino acid basics when it comes to your health.

Amino Acid Benefits ? How These Acids Help You

There many basic ways in which amino acids help us on a daily basis. This includes the effective repair of muscles, organ, hair, nails, ligaments, skin ? in fact, just about every part of your body relies on adequate amino acid levels in order to maintain good health. So, you can see why a deficiency in these amino acid basics could lead to severe ill health. Amino acids are also important in the prevention of some major health problems, such as heart attacks, high blood pressure, and strokes, as well as in the healing of existing health problems such as ulcers.

You can buy a range of amino acid supplements these days, but to ensure that you enjoy balanced benefits it is advisable to opt for a supplement that contains a blend of acids ? this will ensure that you are not overdoing on of the amino acids and harboring a deficiency in another.

Adam Minsky runs http://www.nutritional-supplement-resources.com, where he reviews all the latest trends in vitamin and nutritional supplementation. If you want to keep up with the very latest information on Amino Acids and health food supplements generally then visiting this site is an absolute must!

Why does disease begin in the digestive tract? Your digestive tract is your first line of defense when it comes to your health. This is because of the good bacteria that resides there. That is why the use of Probiotics is so important

Think of Probiotics - the good bacteria as guards against incoming invaders. Having a good number of these beneficial bacteria in our digestive tract guards us against a whole range of health problems and disorders. 85% good bacteria to 15% bad bacteria is just about right.

Sadly, because of such things as stresses of modern life, the antibiotics you may have taken and having a digestive system that is not slightly acid, you likely do not have enough of these good bacteria. This has a great affect on your health and well being.

So how long have your Probiotics been out of balance?

First lets find out whether you got the healthy bacteria you needed as a baby.

Were you born naturally or delivered by Cesarean section? It makes a difference. It is by passing through the birth canal that a baby is introduced to the Bifidobacteria infantis and other friendly microorganisms

These friendly bacteria enter the baby’s intestines through the mouth and attach themselves to sites on the gastrointestinal wall before the unfreindly microorganisms from the outside world try to do the same.

Breast Feeding

Breast-feeding then fosters the growth of Bifidobacteria, particularly Bifidobacteria infantis. If cesarean delivered babies are then bottle-fed as well, they end up with adult-type microflora that are not optimal for their health.

If you know that you were delivered by cesarean, or bottle fed, and you have health problems, your digestive tract could use some help. Find a high quality probiotic product and stick with it for at least 3 Months.

You will find that you have an increase in better health, you may have less allergies, less constipation and less bad breath.

Article written by Jeannie Crabtree C.Ac. For top quality Probiotic nutritional supplements visit http://www.health-doc.com/products/probiotics.html

Some parents have the shock of hearing their young child start to stutter as a toddler. I am somebody who runs a speech centre in Birmingham, England, I now help people to achieve fluency.

I met a lady who was thirty and her little boy aged four had been stuttering for quite a while. She had taken him to speech therapy and was extremely anxious as to why he was stuttering. It had possibly started because the toddlers father had quite a severe stutter, the boy may of picked up the bad habits this way.

Many other people contact me asking why their toddler has developed a stutter and asking what forms of stuttering treatments are available.

I always suggest that they keep as patient as they can and try to play games, speech games with their child. They can challenge the child to say the word fluently, they show their child how it should be said and then bet them that they can’t do it themselves. When they do manage to say that particular word fluently they then heap lots of praise onto the child, telling them how clever they are and how proud mommy and daddy are of them. I even advise giving them an award like a small chocolate bar.

If instead of being patient parents or relatives are aggressive, saying things like: “Get your words boy” “Spit it out!” These types of comments can have a very negative effect and make that child withdraw into their shell. This may to some people seem very obvious to say, however you would not believe the amount of people who have told me this is what they were told as an infant.

Stephen Hill

Stephen Hill now helps people to achieve fluency. He has a website at http://www.stutter-stuttering.com

Essential Fats for Weight Loss

Over the past few decades, the cornerstone of a good, solid weight loss plan has included studying the ‘Nutrition Information’ on food packaging, thumbing nervously through a 600 page (yet implausibly titled ‘pocket sized’) calorie counter and triumphantly and guiltlessly striding down supermarket aisles with a trolley brimming with exquisitely packaged, molecule sized, fat free food.

To most people, avoiding fat (or consuming as little as possible) is the sure-fire path to a slim and slender body. However, for the eager and the open-minded, this is all about to change as study after study begins to tell us how fat is about to become your new best friend?

How Can Fat be Good?

It has long been common knowledge amongst athletes and nutritionists that Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats are extremely beneficial ? yet these have been largely avoided by most of us because they are basically fat - the death knoll of the diet.

Of the many fats that exist, Omega 3 and Omega 6 have been scientifically termed Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs). The reason for this is simple ? they are essential. EFAs are essential because they are in constant demand from every living cell in the body ? however, the body cannot produce them on its own. It relies on us to provide them through the food we consume each and every day!

Creating a balance of Omega 3 and Omega 6 in our diet is absolutely essential, not only if weight loss is on the agenda but also to help our body function properly and ward off a whole host of ailments such as high blood pressure, a low immune system, dry skin, hair and nails, poor digestion and low energy. Omega 6 and Omega 6 supplementation was also voted by women as being among the top three most effective PMS treatments! The list could go on.

EFAs and Weight Loss

So, we shouldn’t avoid all fats like the plague if we want to be slim and healthy, but I am sure you are wondering why EFAs are important our weight loss plan?

Among other reasons, EFAs help to:

• Make us slim and keep us slim by behaving like the hormones that increase the body’s capacity to burn fat and decrease the fat that the body produces for protection (the fat that hangs around our organs and sits around our waists).
• Suppress the body’s requirement to over-inflate our appetite.
• Minimise the blood sugar swings, fat production, food cravings and loss of energy that carbs and sugars do.
• Decrease inflammation and water retention in tissues, and instigate the removal of water unnecessarily held in other parts of the body. This can have a dramatic effect on our ability to lose weight!
• Boost our energy levels throughout the day ? which, amongst other things ? increases your chances of going out for that run, making it to the gym or doing that extra lap of the pool!
• Increase the stimulation of the brain to create happier moods and lift depression ? making us less likely to reach for the crisps and chocolates!

Good Fats and Bad Fats ? What to Eat and What to Avoid!

Of course, EFAs include only good fats ? the bad fats should still be avoided at all costs! These include the fats obtained from meat and dairy, saturated fats, trans-fatty acids and any cooked, fried or heated fats (EFAs lose their goodness and become harmful when heated).

Good fats can be found in foods like avocado, almonds, green leafy vegetables, high fat (coldwater) fish such as tuna, sardines, halibut and salmon and seeds such as sesame, sunflower and flax-seeds. However, the easiest and most effective way to ensure that your body is getting the right amount, and the right blend of good fats is to take an oil blend supplement.

In our experience at Energise for Life, using just one type of oil (cod-liver, flax, hemp etc) has not been anywhere near as effective as using an oil blend (such as Udo’s Choice).

As you can buy such supplements in both vegetarian capsules and as a liquid, there is no excuse not to give your body this fuel it needs to help you slim down and tone up!

Energise for Life aims to provide you with every resource you need to achieve optimal health and abundant energy. We aim to provide a one-stop-shop for all of your health and vitality needs within a 100% customer focused environment.

Why We’re Different - We bring you all of the nutrition and health information you need to make the most informed decisions about your diet and lifestyle - as well as all of the benefits you would associate with the ideal online shopping experience: exceptional choice, effortless ordering, speedy delivery and excellent customer service.

Pilates is a system of over 500 controlled exercises that engage the mind and condition the total body by using a popular exercise regimen that uses special stretches and machines. Named after Joseph Pilates, Pilates exercise system has proven itself invaluable not only to the fitness user, but to the professional trainers as well. Pilates, a technique of exercise and physical movement intended to stretch, strengthen, and balance the body.

With regular practice of specific exercises joined with focused breathing patterns. Pilates works several muscle groups simultaneously through smooth, continuous motion, with a particular concentration on strengthening and stabilising the core.

Pilates focuses on the quality of movement rather than quantity, which makes one feel refreshed rather than tired after a session. Pilates takes a balanced approach so that no muscle group is overworked and the body works efficiently.

With the aging of our people and the increasing trend toward mindful, moderate health practices, Pilates is more likely to find itself with a wait list at the YMCA, and in your local public schools, shaping the fitness ideals of our next generation.

Practiced loyally, Pilates yields many benefits such as:

· Increased lung capacity and circulation through deep breathing.

· Strength and flexibility, particularly of the abdomen and back muscles, coordination-both muscular and mental, are key components in an effective Pilate’s program.

· Posture, balance, and core strength are all heartily increased.

· Bone density and joint health improvements as you become more aware of your body. Pilates teaches balance and control of the body.

Pilate’s equipment today is not much different than that of earlier days. Because of the nature of the equipment the inimitably designed pieces truly act as a complement to the challenging mat exercises.

Pilate Moves

The Hundred - This movement strengthens the torso by requiring the back muscles to work in synergy with the abdominal muscles.

Roll Up -This movement strengthens the abdominal muscles.

One-Leg Circle -This movement opens up the hip, increasing flexibility.

One-Leg Stretch -This movement strengthens the abdominal muscles with the opposition effect of keeping the back flat on the floor while changing legs.

Single Straight-Leg Stretch -This movement strengthens the abdominal muscles by the opposition of keeping the back flat on the floor while changing legs.

Key to remember is that you should consult a physician before starting any exercise programme. Always keep water close to you and drink before you get too thirsty.

For more information, go to: http://www.FitnessInfoGuide.com

Nitrates and nitrites are preservatives that are added to certain meats to affect a desirable color and prevent the growth of poisons and bacteria. When nitrates and nitrites are exposed to heat and other conditions during the curing process, they are sometimes transformed into nitrosamines, which have been linked to cancer in a number of studies.

In addition to this, nitrates and nitrites have been linked to “stalling”–or unexpected stops in weight loss–even when consumers are on low carb diets, such as Atkins, that specifically prescribe the consumption of meat that could potentially contain nitrates and nitrites.

Most meats that contain nitrates and nitrites (sausage, bacon, ham, and some types of smoked fish) also have high amounts of fat. This could, in part, explain for the stalling–if the fat intake far surpasses the prescribed amount (for low carb diets) needed to “satiate” the body and prevent it secretion of hormones that stall weight-loss.

Cured meats are also generally high in LDL cholesterol, which experts say is responsible for clogging arteries, when it slowly deposits and then mixes with other compounds to form plaque, a hard substance that blocks passageways, preventing the flow of blood to the heart.

If you subscribe to a low carb weight loss plan, you should monitor your intake of nitrates and nitrites carefully to mitigate the accumulation of carcinogenic nitrosamines and prevent “stalls” or high levels of bad cholesterol caused by over-consumption of fatty cured meats.

If you do continue to consume a sizable portion of these meats on your low carb diet, you should try to find a source of preservative-free, fresh meat, whether it be a local butcher or a mail-order meat source.

In addition, you should specifically choose meats and portions that keep your cholesterol consumption below 300 mg/day–and your fat intake at a reasonable level according to the precepts of your low carb diet.

Benji Paras runs http://www.list-of-low-carb-food.com, specializing in the benefits of the low-carb lifestyle. The site contains a treasure trove of information for losing weight, and includes a list of low carb foods along with informative articles and the latest low-carb headlines.

When a person has a stutter or a parent realises that their child is developing a stutter they often want to find out the cause. So what causes a stutter?

The answer is many things can trigger someone starting to stutter. These are some of them:
It can be a traumatic event
It can run in the family
People may copy a friend at school who has a stutter and then it sticks An over aggressive relative

Last year I had a female client who told me how she had developed a stutter. She was fluent until the age of twenty four. At this age she became pregnant for the first time, she was very happy and excited about the prospects about becoming a mother.

She was apprehensive about the birth and her friends had been winding her up telling her how painful the experience is. She knew that they were only teasing and tried to keep relaxed.

The day of the birth arrived and unfortunately the delivery was particulary hard and she was extremely shocked about how bad it actually was. After the birth of the baby, who was a healthy boy she developed the stutter.

Not all people who stutter have it from an early age, another one of my clients was fluent until the age of nineteen. At this age he had a car crash and this was the trigger to him starting to stutter.

Stephen Hill

Stephen Hill helps people who stutter to achieve fluency. He has a website at http://www.stuttering-help.co.uk.

“Polyols” or sugar alcohols are a number of different carbohydrates that are neither sugars nor alcohols–and are commonly used as artificial sweeteners in a range of products, from ice cream to chewing gum.

While these tasty sweeteners appear to be the perfect solution for both low-carb dieters and low-carb food producers, recent studies of sugar alcohols have painted a somewhat different picture.

To begin with, sugar alcohols are not entirely carb-free. Most studies have indicated that sugar alcohols contain approximately 1/2 to 1/3 the amount of calories as sugar–and in the form of carbohydrates.

In addition, studies have shown that sugar alcohols are absorbed by the small intestine, but the process is slower and fractured. This affects a rise in blood sugar, but again is smaller and more gradual than with sugar–and the rise tends to vary from person to person.

Sugar alcohols also have a laxative effect on some consumers. Since they are only partially absorbed, they bring water into the bowel–and undigested carbs into the colon, creating gas and bloating as the carbs are acted on by bacteria.

Over-consumption of sugar alcohols can often have an adverse effect on low carb dieters, even when they can digest them properly. Sugar alcohols can trigger cravings in low carb dieters, causing them to deviate from dietary restrictions.

In addition, sugar alcohols can often cause low carb dieters to choose an unhealthy diet of sweets, which appear to be carb-free, over a varied diet that includes essential nutrients.

If you are currently on a low carb diet and want to mix sugar alcohol products into your diet, it is very important that you monitor your total sugar alcohol intake–and keep it at a minimum while consuming a healthy diet.

One easy way to do this is to determine the total amount of carbs in sugar alcohol products you are consuming. You can do this by subtracting the amount of fat and protein calories per serving from the total amount of calories per serving. Simply multiply the grams of protein by four and the grams of fat by nine. Now subtract the sum of the two from the total amount of calories per serving.

Using these figures, you can determine whether or not carbs are being “hidden” in “carb free” sugar alcohol products you consume, allowing you to make a better-informed decision that fits the prescriptions of your low-carb diet.

Benji Paras runs http://www.list-of-low-carb-food.com, specializing in the benefits of the low-carb lifestyle. The site contains a treasure trove of information for losing weight, and includes a list of low carb foods along with informative articles and the latest low-carb headlines.

Recently yet another super-heavyweight Iron Immortal died from a heart attack at age forty-five or thereabouts. Typically, when I read of these tragedies I search my memory banks and then write some sort of tribute. Rather than eulogize yet another fallen warrior, for whom it’s too late, and at the risk of sounding presumptuous, I thought a slightly different approach might be appropriate and perhaps even helpful in preventing a future tragedy. It is my contention that a shockingly large percentage of retired national and international-level powerlifters and Olympic weightlifters eat too much, do nothing insofar as cardiovascular training and as a direct result unnecessarily risk premature death.

Retired super heavyweight lifters are particularly susceptible to this fatal phenomenon. Typically, the ‘at risk’ big-man lifter reduces or quits weight training - but doesn’t quit the enormous eating habits that got him big enough and dense enough to handle world record poundage. Super-heavyweight powerlifters consume too many calories and in particular they eat way too much saturated fat.

Food is broken down for energy within the body. A gram of fat contains nine calories. A gram of protein or carbohydrate contains four calories per gram. For a man intent on bulking-up as large as possible as fast as possible, fat calories, dense and compact, are the ticket. Fat calories pack twice the caloric bounce-per-ounce as protein or carb calories and boy do they ever taste good! Allowing taste to dictate our diet can be fatal. High fat food is delicious and it gives food a wonderful, seductive flavor. The bulking lifter can eat twice as many calories when they choose fat over protein or carbohydrates.

The problem is that dietary fat is easily converted to body fat. To use an automobile analogy, the big lifter develops a body akin to that of a 1967 Cadillac Eldorado - but the heart muscle of the lifter does not enlarge to accommodate the increased bulk. Metaphorically, the lifter has a heart designed to power a 1967 VW Beetle but his 65-horsepower heart motor now motivates a 5000-pound Cadillac body: what an incredible strain on his little blood-pump. For a few short years, hugeness is okay: the human body is incredibly resilient, but if the lifter doesn’t pare the pounds eventually the little heart muscle can suffer a blowout. Or will wear out from overuse.

The miraculous heart muscle pulsates 60-90 times a minute, sending blood coursing through the veins and capillaries to receptive muscles and organs with the precision and regularity of a fine Swiss watch. A hundred pounds (or more) of extra bodyweight will stress the tiny heart to the breaking point. It’s a hell-of-a dilemma; to reach the top of the powerlifting game the lifter needs density in relation to their height.

Ever notice how few tall Powerlifters reach the international level? To achieve the requisite density a tall lifter (over six-foot) would need weigh 400-pounds to match the density-per-inch the typical under-six foot super heavyweight achieves. Most people who meet top powerlifter are amazed at how short they are in relation to their weight. To maximize leverage, lifters need density-per-inch-of-height and super heavyweights, unencumbered by weight divisions, always have an effective avenue available to increase their density-per-inch: eat more food and get bigger.

Big men feel they need dietary fat, ‘dirty’ calories, in order to gain the sheer bulk necessary to compete at the national and international level. As my old coach Hugh Cassidy used to preach, a serious super-heavyweight lifter can always "eat his way through a sticking point". Of course when Hugh retired he dropped from 300-pounds to 190-pounds bodyweight inside a year. Cassidy was no dummy (a powerlifting genius) and had the sense to reduce his caloric intake when the whistle sounded and the game was over. A lot don’t and the consequences are apparently disastrous.

That giant lifter who happily scarfs down saturated fat, motivating that Eldorado body around with that VW engine, eventually has a second deadly complication rear its ugly head. Saturated fat produces plaque and as it floats through the bloodstream plaque adheres to the arterial walls leading to and from the heart. Over time the tube diameter becomes constricted with plaque buildup and when it clogs completely (assuming you don’t die from heart spasms) a roto-rooter (angeoplastsy) balloon procedure or by-pass surgery is required to open constricted passageways.

It’s a dastardly double whammy: the lifter’s diet adds bodyweight - creating a stress-load on the over-taxed heart pump and the fat in the lifter’s diet reduces the efficiency of the already taxed heart by constricting the blood flow. It’s a deadly one-two combination. Often the whole situation is further complicated when the lifter ceases hard training. Now sedentary, his high caloric intake accelerates body fat accumulation at an astonishingly fast rate. If left unchecked this scenario will lead to health problems as surely as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

I once helped a 350-pound super heavyweight take second place at the USPF Nationals and thereby secure a slot on the IPF world championship team. He was elated and afterwards we decided to have room service send up victory pizza. I was staying on the second floor and the elevators were acting up so we decided to walk the four mini-flights to the second floor. It was an easy climb but our IPF-destined lifter was gassed like he’d just climbed Mount Everest without using an oxygen tank. He was far more blasted from the 22-step walk-up than his 881-squat or 750-deadlift. He heaved and gasped like a coal miner with black lung after smoking a Camel and took a full thirty minutes before he recovered.

I remember how when the Pizzas came he knelt down on the floor at the foot of the bed. He took his Pizza Hut extra-large, set it on the bed, opened the box, still kneeing, placed his elbows on the bed and commenced to chow-down. His huge distended stomach hung all the way to the floor and there was no daylight showing between his gut and the sunlight shining in the open window behind him. Looking like a pregnant rhino, his face hovered a scant six-inches above the pizza box as he devoured the entire thing in 10-minutes flat, steam shovel style, like he was strip mining a hill for coal. He gobbled his pepperoni and sausage and then went scavenging for leftovers from the other three boxes. Feeling better he took a nap.

I once asked George Hector how it felt to be able to squat 975 and deadlift 840 weighing 360. "For two days a year, at the National and World championships, it’s great ? the other 363 days a year it sucks!" George ran into health problems (phlebitis) reduced down to 242 and set a slew of world records. But wise men like George and Hugh and John Kuc are the exceptions, not the rule. Too many huge guys are attached to their ’sea food’ diet and it comes back to bite ‘em at some point. And it needn’t be that way. Incorporating two lifestyle changes, substitution dieting and light cardiovascular training, can spell the difference, literally, between life and death.

DIET: Rather than try and get a red-blooded powerlifter on a fancy-dan bodybuilder diet ? one which they won’t adhere to anyway ? we offer the substitution diet for your consideration. All of us have bad foods we naturally gravitate towards (those high in fat and sugar) and we all have some good foods (high in protein) that we like. The idea is to identify the ‘good’ foods and substitute them for the ‘bad foods’ you currently consume in quantity. The beauty of this approach is that you never feel hungry because anytime you have a craving for bad food you eat a substantial amount of good food in its place. You smother the hunger and satiate the desire.

Plus, every time you replace a fat food with a protein or carb food, you can eat the same volume of food while cutting your calories in half (9 calories per gram of fat versus only 4 calories per gram for protein). A gram is a gram and if you previously ate a quart of Ben & Jerry’s or a sixteen-ounce pizza, you now may eat an equal volume of protein or carbohydrates and eliminate artery-clogging saturated fat while simultaneously cutting your calories in half. It is a good deal: you reduce the deadly saturated fat with muscle-building protein or natural carbohydrates and still reduce overall calories. Don’t eat flour carbs like cakes, bread or pastry. Stick to grains, rice, vegetables and potatoes.

Clean protein actually stimulates the basal metabolic rate, causing the body to burn more calories as it gears up to meet the challenge of digesting protein. Dietary fat, on the other hand, is easily compartmentalized into fat storage. A note of caution: avoid protein foods that are loaded with saturated fat. Fish, chicken (minus the skin), lean beef, goat, turkey, organ meats, egg whites, skim milk and protein powder are great sources of clean protein.

Man-made carbohydrates like bread, pasta and pastries will cause the body to secrete insulin. Insulin spikes cause carb calories to be converted and compartmentalized into fat storage instead of being used for energy. Avoid them. Natural carbohydrates have a far lesser impact on insulin and are recommended as the preferred carb sources. Fiber carbs actually dampen insulin spikes and a diet high in clean protein and fiber, low in refined carbs and moderate in starchy carbs, is the fastest way to lose lard.

CARDIO CONDITIONING FOR POWERLIFTERS: Powerlifters take a dim view of cardio training ? aerobics ? and contemptuously consider cardiovascular training effete, irrelevant and at odds to their stated purpose: maximizing size and strength. And there is a good case to support that viewpoint. But we are talking aerobics for health, not strength.

Aerobics, it is widely felt, weakens a competitive powerlifter and any benefits are offset with negatives. Few hard core lifters would be caught dead riding an exer-cycle, walking a treadmill or jumping up and down on a stair-stepper. The broad consensus among the power elite is that cardio is counterproductive to the stated goal. Yet, it has been scientifically and medically proven that three to five, twenty-minute sessions at 60% (or more) of age-related heart rate maximum per week will perform miracles for the heart, lungs, internal organs and glands.

Cardiovascular training flushes the human plumbing system: capillaries, veins, tubes, heart and lungs all benefit from regular aerobic exercise. Internal organs strengthen and improve function when subjected to regular, systematic doses of aerobic exercise. There is a compromise solution for the lifter intent on losing lard. There is a type of aerobic exercise that provides great cardio stimulation without being so intense as to interfere with strength building - walking.

LOW STRESS AEROBIC ACTIVITY: A big man with little or no background in cardio training can hit 70% of their age-related heart rate maximum with a brisk walk around the block. And that’s all that’s needed. No need to join a health spa, no need to purchase an expensive exercise bike or treadmill, forget all that stuff and get outdoors and take a brisk walk. Walk outside for ten minutes as quick as you can then put a forefinger on your carotid artery or wrist pulse and count the beats for six seconds. Multiply this number by 10 to determine how fast your heart is beating. Then compare this to your age-related heart rate maximum to determine your aerobic intensity. What’s the formula? Simple: 220 minus your age are your 100% heart rate maximum. Then determine 70% of this number.

AGE 30 40 50 100% 190 180 170 70% 133 126 119 60% 114 108 102

Start with a ten-minute walk at 60%. Put on a WalkMan, get outside and take a good fast walk. Do this three of four times a week on days that you don’t lift. If you no longer lift, get back in the saddle. Add a few minutes per walking session until you are hitting twenty minutes per session. When you can walk for twenty minutes at 60% try to bump that up to 65% and eventually 70% or more. Increase the intensity by walking faster and swinging your arms a little more. Suck in that good outdoor oxygen and push a little. 3-4 sessions a week at 60-70% of age related heart rate maximum would do wonders for the internal plumbing of a cardio-challenged lifter. Walking avoids the bone-jarring pain of jogging or running - no rips or tears from walking. Don’t po-pah walking - I have had occasion to interview bodybuilding dominator Dorian Yates for Muscle & Fitness and one thing struck me : Yates’ aerobic program often consisted of a brisk walk around his posh neighborhood with his dogs. In the off-season Yates would walk for thirty minutes three or four times a week. Weighing 300, he had no problem hitting 70% of age related heart rate maximum using a brisk walking pace. Unlike his American competitors, many of whom spent two hours a day on bikes and stair-steppers, the bull-strong Yates felt that too much cardio affected his weight training and he preferred to confine his aerobics to off-day walks. Wise advice that is applicable to the massive powerlifter who wants to incorporate some health-preserving cardio into their training.

Lifters who walk in conjunction with powerlifting report improved recovery and better digestion along with a nice increase in appetite. The metabolism kicks up when you undertake a brisk walk as this stimulates the digestive process. Food is processed better and when saturated fat is cutback the athlete sees an almost over-night improvement in the way they look and feel. If fat calories are replaced with ‘clean’ calories muscle is retained while the life threatening effects of body fat and artery constriction are improved. Confine cardio training to low-impact walking done on off-days and no strength loss should occur: on the contrary, the lifter will be able to train harder and longer as a result of their new-found endurance and improved nutrient assimilation. All around it’s a good deal ? particularly when the alternative is so dire and bleak. So take a chance and take a walk. Hell, no one even need know you’re doing ‘aerobics’ or going on a diet: as far as anyone is concerned, you’re just taking a walk. You can literally walk away from death if you just get off the strata-lounger, exchange that cheeseburger with Mayo on Wonder bread for a lean steak and a salad and then go outside and take a walk!

Marty Gallagher is a former fitness columnist for washingtonpost.com. He is also a former world champion powerlifting coach. Marty’s work has been featured in magazines such as Muscle & Fitness, Muscle Media, and Powerlifting USA. His website, http://www.martygallagher.com, assimilates years of accumulated knowledge from the athletic elite and makes them accessible to the common person. The “Purposeful Primitive” methodology has been proven effective time after time after time for complete physical transformation, losing fat, building muscle, and getting stronger.