Archive for November, 2009
What to Pack on Hawaiian Vacations
When you go on vacation to somewhere tropical and exciting like Hawaii, you should think about all the important items you need to pack. Hawaii vacations are fun for everyone and thinking carefully about what you need to take with you will make a huge difference to your vacation time. Here are some ideas.
Clothes: When you are packing clothes, it can be easy to go overboard with the shorts and strappy tops. Instead you should also be practical and think about the possibility of cool weather and rain. Don’t forget to include a warm jacket and pants, as well as extra socks. For the beach remember to pack a swimming suit and beach towel - and don’t forget to include some sun screen.
Activities: Even though you will be busy seeing the sights and attractions in Hawaii, you should also pack some activities that you can do in case you have to stay inside. If you should have a rainy day, you might decide to stay in bed and just read a book. For the kids taking games and books along is important in case you take a long drive somewhere or you want to just relax.
Camera: Don’t forget your camera. This is an important item as you’ll want to take photos of all the great places you visit. You can also enjoy taking videos if you have a video camera. Also make sure you take some back up batteries, and of course more than one memory card.
Travelers Checks: It is always safer to carry around travelers check instead of money. Be sure to get this sorted out before you leave on the plane. The last thing you want to do is have your vacation ruined because you somehow lost, or misplaced, your money.
Fishing Gear: Hawaii is surrounded by stunning water with plenty of fishing opportunities. You can also enjoy scuba diving and snorkeling here, so pack your fishing gear and scuba equipment if you can. At many of the Hawaii fishing and diving locations you can also hire equipment so keep a look out for these places.
These are just a few of the important items that you should remember to pack for your Hawaii vacation. The best way to pack is to have a list made, so do this to make sure you don’t forget anything.
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The Top Fat Loss Secrets for Flat Six-Pack Abs and a Lean Stomach
An interview by Geovanni Derice with Mike Geary - Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer
I had the pleasure of being interviewed recently by a fitness professional from NYC, Certified Personal Trainer, Geovanni Derice. The interview is below and I think you’re going to like it… I reveal some of the hardest hitting strategies for getting rid of that stubborn stomach fat to uncover those flat six pack abs that everyone wants.
“GD: Welcome Mike to our 4-ever-Toned Fitness Journal. For those who do not know you, please tell us a few things about yourself and how you can help our readers with their fitness and health.
MG: Thanks for having me, Geo. Well, to go back a little, I have been heavily involved in fitness and sports for about 17 years now, ever since I was a teenager. Being involved in sports in high school got me interested in strength training and conditioning.
At that point, once I started feeling more energetic, getting stronger, and looking better, I was instantly hooked for life. I’m 33 now and still addicted to the way living a healthy and fit lifestyle makes me feel energetic, confident, strong, and youthful on a daily basis.
I decided earlier in my 20’s that I wanted to make the commitment to help other people experience the excitement of being fit and getting in the best shape of their lives, especially since we’ve reached an epidemic of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, depression, etc. That’s why I became a fitness professional. It just gives me so much satisfaction to help others, who have struggled for years to get in good shape, and show them that it can be done, and it can be fun in the process.
I’ve expanded over the years from just reaching local individuals with personal training, into being able to help people all over the globe achieve their fitness goals with the reach of the internet. I only hope that my passion for fitness inspires people to take action and improve how they look and feel for life.
GD: Now Mike, there’s so many things out there as to what works and what does not work… if you had to pick 3 things that work time and time again to get flat lean abs, what would they be?
MG: The first and most important thing to get control of in order to lose your belly fat and get flat abs is cleaning up your diet. Exercise is important, but your diet is king when it comes to losing body fat so that you can see your abs.
There’s so much confusion these days about what a healthy diet that promotes fat loss really is… after all, we are bombarded by conflicting messages in the media about what is healthy and what is not, and you have all of these gimmicky diet books about low carb, low fat, high protein, vegetarian, fasting, atkins, south beach, liquid diets, and hundreds more. There’s so much conflicting info, that the average consumer doesn’t even know where to start when it comes to eating for fat loss.
The second thing that works time and time again, is to focus on the intensity of your workouts and focus on working the body as a whole in order to get the best metabolic response to lose that stubborn stomach fat.
In order to really get lean, the workouts should have a high intensity, with short rest periods, working the largest muscle groups of the body, instead of trying to isolate specific small muscles like the biceps, triceps, or calves.
For the third thing, let’s talk about actually training the abs specifically. When it comes to training the abs, if you want real results, I always recommend forgetting about the crunches and situps for the most part. They are ok for someone that is really deconditioned, but most people that already have some training under their belt need a much better stimulus for their abs than crunches. Crunches are one of the abs exercises that actually provide the least amount of resistance, and remember that resistance is what develops and tones the muscles.
I provide a ton of great abs exercises in my book, but one of THE highest resistance exercises for the abs, is hanging leg raises (but NOT the way you see most people at the gym doing them). The key to doing these and actually working the hell out of your abs is to curl your pelvis up as you raise your legs. Almost nobody ever does this right. To be honest, the majority of people cannot do this at first, but I provide some strategies in my book as to how to progress to doing these correctly.
Free Tips for Losing Stomach Fat & Eating Healthier
* Discover the top 12 fat burning foods you didn’t know
* Exercises that burn more fat than cardio
* Also get a free metabolic rate calculator to determine your personal metabolism
GD: What are people doing wrong when it comes to developing the coveted “6 pack abs”?
MG: Well Geo, I know this sounds funny to most people, but the MAIN thing that people are doing wrong to get those flat 6-pack abs is… are you ready for this?
They spend entirely too much time focusing on training their abs! WAY too much time spent on abs exercises. Sounds crazy, but it’s true.
Remember, having a flat and visible six pack of abs is all about getting down to a low body fat percentage. In order to do that, your workouts must focus on stimulating a fat burning hormonal environment in your body, and increasing your metabolic rate. That just does not happen when you focus too much time training a small muscle group like the abs.
Instead, you must use the majority of your time focusing on training the largest muscle groups of the body like the legs, back, and chest. That’s what stimulates your metabolism and the fat burning hormones that will get you truly lean and sporting a flat sixxer!
GD: Which exercises are the top exercises that people need to do if they are to get maximum defintion with their midsection?
MG: When it comes to developing the abs themselves, I again refer to any kinds of hanging abs exercises, as well as some good floor abs exercises like lying leg thrusts (all described and illustrated in my book).
However, maximum definition in the abs and midsection comes from losing bodyfat, and the most effective exercises featured in my program for that goal are various forms of swings and snatches (unique dumbbell or kettlebell exercises that almost nobody ever does in normal gyms), squats, deadlifts, lunges, step-ups, clean & presses, mountain climbers, sprinting, and other full body exercises and calisthenics. If you want great looking flat abs, focus on those instead of focusing so much on training the abs directly!
GD: When it comes to diet Mike, people really have tried millions of ways to get one thing… and that is fat loss. What recommendations have you used to successfully help your clients lose body fat and keep it off?
MG: I have included a fully comprehensive discussion of this topic in my book, which accounts for almost half of the book, but I’ll try to make some nice simple generalizations to get people started on the right path immediately. The most important thing is that your diet is as natural and unprocessed as possible. It almost always comes back to the overprocessing of food that makes it unhealthy, and makes it totally wreck your metabolism and hormone balance in your body.
For example, why eat refined grains, when you can eat whole grains (even better are sprouted grains, as I usually recommend limiting grain foods overall for best results).
Why eat refined sugar, when you can get natural sources of sugar from a high nutrient whole food like fruit. Why eat highly processed, refined, and hydrogenated vegetable oils (these are THE worst thing in the modern diet), when you can eat natural sources of healthy fats like nuts, avocados, fish, eggs, coconut milk, organically raised meat, and so forth.
The point is to not fall for some gimmick like extremely low carbs (although I do believe in a fairly reduced carb intake as that is a big problem for most people), low fat, super high protein, or any other combination that has you focusing on one macronutrient vs. another.
Your body needs all macronutrients to thrive and obtain a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc. Trying to cut an entire food group out just works against what your body needs. I get into much more detail on this vitally important topic towards losing body fat (especially that stubborn stomach fat) for life in my book.
GD: Thank you very much Mike for sharing with us all of this great information.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this interview and plucked several nuggets of info to get you motivated and started on showing off your flat abs shortly. If you don’t already own a copy, be sure to pick up a copy of my Truth about Six Pack Abs book and discover the entire system I’ve developed for ridding yourself of that extra ab fat for good!
Go here to see the results many of my readers are getting in losing stomach fat and getting lean abs.
Simple Tips to Blast Body Fat
Want to lose weight, then you will need a good fat loss book like The Truth About Six Pack Abs - written by a fitness expert, you will get the facts on god nutrition and the best fat blasting workout program to lose your body fat fast. Not only will you lose weight, you will gain ripped abs!
And to get you on the right path to weight loss success, read these 4 sure fire tips
1.Realize why you want to lose weight. And one of the first things someone has to do is get mentally prepared for some changes to your life - a being prepared to pass on some bad habits for good ones. Without a doubt you must have a reason for trying to get in shape - your source of motivation. So make it a point to write down your goals, and carry it around if you have to - but make sure you remember why you’re doing it.
Lastly, with your goals tell someone - that way you have some kind of accountability. Having some to report to is a great way to making sure you stick to your goals.
2. Fat has developed a bad name, yet it is still - in moderate amounts - vital to our diets. Butter, margarine, oil and cream are all fats. Fats are categorized as saturated and unsaturated, with saturated fats - which are usually of animal origin - thought to contribute more to health problems like coronary artery disease and weight gain than unsaturated fats, which mostly originate from plants and fish. Most take away foods and junk foods are high in fat content, so it is important not to base your entire diet on this type of food. Try to replace the saturated fats with poly-unsaturated and mono-unsaturated fats.
3. Try Kettlebell training - This is different from conventional weight
training because it focuses on the body’s natural movements, and it leaves no muscles untouched. So rather than exercising just your arms, legs, or back, kettlebell training works the entire body - which is more demanding and has a greater impact on your body’s metabolism. You can get an incredible workout in just 20 minutes and burn huge amounts of fat compared with regular long drawn out exercise.
4. Wholegrains - like bulgur, amaranth, buckwheat and barley - are delicious and healthy. New nutrition studies revealed that they cut heart disease risk by 21 percent and diabetes risk by 30 percent, and that antioxidants in grains reduce inflammation in the body, protecting
against diseases like asthma and arthritis. What’s more, they’re rich in fiber and B vitamins. And on top of all that, whole grains are digested slowly, so they keep you fuller longer, helping you keep your weight in check.
Blu Ray and DVD Player Compatibility
Blu Ray is a term which has gotten quite some jazz. Being featured in advertisements, in print ads, in online tech forums, there is much clamor about Blu Ray. Many have come across the term, but have yet to question just what Blu Ray is.
Here is a simple breakdown as to what it is, along with the DVD Player compatibility concerns over it.
Blu Ray and DVD Player Compatibility
Blu Ray basically stands to be the next in line when talking about the development of optical storage systems. Blu Ray is basically what would come next after DVD, similar to when DVD took the place of the CD optical storage system class.
It is basically the result from the joint efforts of the Blu-Ray Disc Association, a group composed of the world’s leaders in media manufacturing, consumer electronics development and manufacturing, as well as personal computer system manufacturers. The association’s member roster include giants like Mitsubishi, Dell, Apple, Hewlett Packard, Hitachi, JVC, LG, Pioneer, Panasonic, Samsung, Sharp, Philips, Sony, Thomson and TDK.
Blu Ray discs boast an impressive storage capacity of up to 25 gigabytes, 50 gigabytes on dual-layer class of Blu Ray discs. This impressive storage value makes Blu Ray the perfect medium for High Definition movies to be distributed on, bringing about the concern with Blu Ray and DVD Player Compatibility. Blu Ray discs come in three formats, similar to the format classes of DVD discs and CD discs. There is the BD-ROM, the read only type of Blu Ray disc, the BD-R, the writable/recordable type of Blu Ray discs, and the BD-RE, the rewriteable breed of Blu Ray discs.
Most Blu Ray players are built with DVD player compatibility features, meaning they are primarily aimed to work with Blu Ray discs, but could easily work with standard DVD discs as well. Standard DVD player compatibility to Blu Ray discs though, would be another story, as a different type of laser is utilized to read Blu Ray discs. A blue-violet laser stands as the primary “reader” for Blu Ray discs. Red hued lasers are what DVDs and CDs work on.
Currently standard DVD player compatibility to Blu Ray discs is non existent, as Blu Ray demands a different reader, while the readers of Blu Ray players could easily handle DVD class of optical storage media. Should you be on the lookout of getting, or upgrading, your home theater entertainment system, investing in a Blu Ray disc player would be a smart move, as DVD player compatibility to Blu Ray concerns would be eliminated.
About the author: Josh Hayes is the webmaster of several websites. His newest site is gatlinburgvacationideas.com talking about Gatlinburg vacation packages. If you are interested in a Gatlinburg vacation package please check out the site.
Picking Out Your Best Wetsuit
Before even starting to look for a new wetsuit, one affair you should do is determine its destined use. Either for surfing or diving, determining the exact thickness, trim or design of wetsuit is essential in obtaining the best suited wetsuit. Wetsuits are mainly designed to protect the body from the chilliness or sharp shifts in water temperature. When you submerge your body below water for larger periods of time, you require a suit that will effectively preclude body heat from dissipating into the water. With the proper suit, you can revel in more of the thrill and fun of your water sports actions without endangered wellness.
Location is an important element in finding the proper thickness of wetsuit to pick. For colder regions like in Australia and the Northern Atlantic areas, selecting a thicker suit is strongly advised. Thicker wetsuit materials will provide greater body insulation in this instance. On the other hand, in tropical regions, variants that are thinner can work as the waters are not as cool as in the northern waters.
Wetsuits are manufactured by a number of brands. However, Body Glove wetsuit and Rip Curl wetsuits are two of the most common brand names among water sports pros and enthusiasts. Aside from offering top choice wetsuits, these brands supply wetsuit gear that offer a varying range of thermic protection. These brands cater to the needs of divers and surfers by offering wetsuit designs of varied thickness in materials. As the leading wetsuit brand names, they realise that each wetsuit needs to offer proper protection to stick to the diving and surfing circumstances of different countries, areas or locations.
While wetsuits are traditionally obtainable in adult sizes, kids wetsuits are now purchasable in a corresponding range of designs and brand names. With similar thermal regulation features, kids wetsuits now allow the young ones to savor their well-loved water sports fun.
To handle diving in cool areas, divers are advised to assume a full suit. A full suit, also called ‘shorty’, is a style of suit that looks similar to a ladies’ suit. It does not fully reach or cover the neck, hence the term shorty.
Full suit or shorty suit is ideal for aquatic explorations, where the body may be subjugated to underwater temperatures that are lower than 20 degrees centigrade. It is every bit as useful among surfers. With a full suit, being wiped out by a unruly wave will never compromise health.
Wetsuits are made to keep cool water temperatures outside the suit. All The Same, it is not safe to presume that it can block the radiation from the sun. To be on the safe side, consider using tan lotion on your skin before wearing your wetsuit.
Obtaining the best suit is not about getting the highest quality of suit. It is all about acquiring the proper design of suit that will offer the kind of protection you want. As you ascertain the nature and circumstance of the diving and surfing location you frequent, you will ascertain how thick or which style of wetsuit you will pick. Also, you may take into account how much money you plan to drop on a wetsuit. With these considerations in mind, you will for certain find the sort suit that works for you.