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Exercise Tips and Tricks

Muscle burns fat, so lifting weights to build muscle helps you burn fat. If you are not familiar with weights, hire a personal trainer for month or so. Most people take a counterproductive approach to their weight training. If you can't afford a trainer, write to webmaster @ supplecity.com and I'll suggest other things.

If you do buy weights, I recommend an Olympic weight set. It's safer to use than the cheap plastic sets, and you can do more with it. If you don't have much space or money, then a cheap plastic set will do just fine. I had such a set for over 20 years before selling it to someone else.

Common weight-lifting errors:

Lifting so much weight that you must use leverage or momentum rather than the muscle you are trying to develop.
Using so little weight that you aren't challenging the muscle.
Doing too many repetitions. Three sets of 8 to 12 gets great results--don't mess with anything else if you are starting out.
Resting more than 30 seconds between sets.
Lifting at angles or along axis that put undue stress on ligaments. Either question the mechanics of what you are doing, or ask a certified trainer to show you. Don't ask the biggest guy at the gym--he may be clueless.
Not stretching before and after.
Not having a definite program.
Working the whole body each time. Go to the gym and look at the folks who do this. 'nuff said.
Not enough rest. Train no more than 5 days a week.
Too much rest. Train no less than 3 days a week.

Walking is a great exercise. Do it every day, and you'll raise your metabolic rate. This means you will burn extra calories even while you are sitting in front of your computer or sleeping in your bed! Look at the ways you save calories, and then spend them instead. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park away from the door, instead of up close. Use a pushmower instead of a riding mower. Pay attention to what you do and think of how you can burn more calories while doing it.

If you want to maximize your aerobic benefit for fat-burning purposes, don't pace yourself for a Marathon. Instead, do interval training. For example, run as hard as you can for 2 minutes, walk for 1 minute, run for 2--until you've gone 12 minutes. This will burn more calories than an hour on the treadmill.

Not a believer? Just take a look at sprinters. They have lean, beautiful bodies. Long-distance runners rarely look healthy. Results speak louder than words. Listen carefully. Buy the Body for Life book | CD | Tape for details.

Need equipment? We found this great resource for exercise equipment:

Home Gyms - Offers wide selection of home gyms with free shipping and great warranties on all home gyms and accessories. Buy a home gym and begin your path to lifelong fitness! There is no better place to exercise than in the comfort of your own home gym.

Exercise Tips and Tricks

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