Do you jump right into a workout without warming up? Do you "jerk" the
weights when strength training? Do you overstretch in Yoga class because
you don't want to look like a noob? Editors from Fitness Magazine offer
some tips in this article, but I'd like to go past the obvious and get
to the real story about poor fitness habits. The worst habit of all is
working out purely for cosmetic reasons. You know what I mean: pumping
weights just to look good instead of developing core strength. Or
hanging out in yoga class just to show off how limber your pelvis is.
I see it all the time in the weight room: guys pumping iron what
have huge upper bodies but tiny bird legs. One look tells me these
people are there just to get big biceps, not to enhance their health. I
call these type of workout guys "punks," because that's all they ever
achieve: the punk look.
If you never strength train your legs,
you'll never achieve impressive strength. A strong upper body combined
with a wimpy lower body is freakish. It's lazy. And it's not even a good
strength training strategy either, because nothing will produce more
Human Growth Hormone in your body than five sets of maxed out leg press.
So many people pump weights in the hopes of generating more HGH in their
bloodstream, but if you're not using your big muscles, you're
short-changing yourself.
Not warming up is certainly a common
problem, and so is improper form when weight lifting, but I think the
biggest issue for most people is the fact that they're working out for
all the wrong reasons. We should all be pursuing physical fitness for
the sake of whole health: body, mind and spirit. Not to have
eighteen-inch biceps that we can show off at the beach. Looking good is
the side effect of being healthy, it should never be the aim.
About the author: Mike Adams is an award-winning journalist and holistic nutritionist with a passion for sharing empowering information to help improve personal and planetary health He has authored more than 1,800 articles and dozens of reports, guides and interviews on natural health topics, and he is well known as the creator of popular downloadable preparedness programs on financial collapse, emergency food storage, wilderness survival and home defense skills. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2010, Adams launched TV.NaturalNews.com, a natural health video site featuring videos on holistic health and green living. He also launched an online retailer of environmentally-friendly products (BetterLifeGoods.com) and uses a portion of its profits to help fund non-profit endeavors. He's also the founder of a well known HTML email software company whose 'Email Marketing Director' software currently runs the NaturalNews subscription database. Adams is currently the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit, and enjoys outdoor activities, nature photography, Pilates and martial arts training. He's also author a large number of health books offered by Truth Publishing and is the creator of numerous reference website including NaturalPedia.com and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. His websites also include the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the innate healing ability of the human body. Known as the 'Health Ranger,' Adams' personal health statistics and mission statements are located at www.HealthRanger.org
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