Muscle Building Over-Rated? What You Need To Know

It has been an incredible journey and it all started back in the winter months. So much going on in my life, which I'm sure you too are experiencing, that I thought the only way to stay 'calm' is to begin a workout regime. I have always enjoyed Yoga (Hatha style in particular) and on occasion I 'Forest Gumped' it (jogged until exhaustion). I noticed my energy levels did increase and a sense of calm did result. I didn't feel as stressed and I noticed I could sleep much better. But, I noticed too that I was still needing some work in certain areas that 'just didn't seem effected' by my on-going routine. I started a routine only to de-stress, but then I began to wonder why my body wasn't as toned as it could be? I pondered on what is was that I was doing incorrectly? Was it my food intake or source? Why wasn't I receiving the toned body as a result of all the activity? That took me down the road of discovery. From health magazines to youtube videos. I needed to know more about how I could re-structure my body. I didn't want to build enormous muscles because I liked my size and didn't want to bulk up. I looked into weight lifting and working it into my routine in a fun way. I was never really keen on weight lifting but after incorporating it into a routine which I made fun, I was hooked.

"MY PERSONAL OUTCOME OVER 2 MONTHS?"

I must say, I took it easy and still do, with weights and even on a minimal usage I have noticed amazing results. I have included in this hub the exact video's that inspired me. There are more video's, too many to actually cover here. BUT, if you have at least 5 minutes in your day, every second day, I invite you to explore how effective these short but powerfully effective exercises can do for you.  For those of you truly interested in doing more with your body (toning for example) I invite you to begin a small, non-threatening routine which includes weights, and let me know how it all turns out for you! 

In addition to the workout, I have found a very powerful and satisfying smoothie (shake) that will also assist in helping you maintain your weight or for some, loose weight. If your hormones are in check, not only can the routine help you, but adding this delicious smoothie I believe has helped in muscle building and deliciously helped me maintain energy while burning off the fat! WHOA! I always have the smoothie after my training because that's when I need to replenish my body most.  You may want to look into other ways in which to help you, nutrition wise, while working with light weights.

"LITTLE TID BIT"

*It has been noted very effective when people do cardio workouts in the a.m and weight training towards evening.*

*Also, if you are incorporating cardio with muscle building/toning be aware that the body can be over-taxed. That is, doing more then 20 to 30 minutes of cardio is plenty for the heart and calorie burning. If cardio activity is done in access, your body will then utilize your muscle tissue for additional energy. Now, if you want to tone the body and are using weights, less cardio and more muscle toning/building makes sense. Your body uses up the stored calories (fat) in cardio based activities. But, like anything else, it too will become depleted in a round of a hard core cardio workout. So, the body is signaled to go into other storage units to maintain your cardio workout and goes to the muscle. Defeats the purpose. 

A GREAT SMOOTHIE: RECIPE

I buy almond milk, rice milk and soya milk. Now there has been a controversy over which is better, health wise, and which to stay away from. I experimented and have found using almond milk with soya works for me. It's delicious and that's my personal preference. I use a little Almond Milk (1/2 cup) with (1/2 cup) of Soya Milk (sometimes vanilla flavored) and put that in a blender. Then, I add two scoops of Protein Powder (a powder product with little to no carbs and high in protein) along with frozen strawberries and mixed berries. I also occasionally add 1/2 frozen banana (I freeze fresh bananas and cut them in half so that it's ready to use). Then, I blend that. After blending these ingredients I sometimes add Kefir (two Tbls) or Plain Yogurt (Liberte's Greek Yogurt has 20 grams of protein!!! and low in carbs). Then, I add Agave Nectar for sweetness. Then, I add coconut oil (1 teaspoon) plus a teaspoon of Salba. Blend that all together and watch how far back your eyes roll! It's delicious!!!

**If you want to know more about the benefits of Coconut Oil (there are many and amazing for a weight loss program) you might want to google it. Amazing combination for those who don't mind the taste of coconut oil. There is, however, coconut oil that is odorless if that suits you better. ***Plus, Agave Nectar and Salba!!! If you are not aware of these products, it's worth looking into!

If any of you do try this amazing Smoothie, drop me a line and let me know what you think!!

*VIDEO'S THAT INSPIRED ME AND GOT ME TONED!!!!***

The videos have been taken from Youtube and all credits and recognition is given to the owners of the videos being shown here. I am using these videos to cut down on the pain staking write up it would take to describe each one! ha! I hope you do consider adding some of these workouts to your routine. Like I said, I devoted at most 10 minutes every second day. It may have taken me longer (3 months) but it was worth it and it worked out perfectly in my schedule. Have fun! Oh, and drop me line to let me know how you're doing! If you like this hub, please rate it up and circulate it to anyone you know who can use this hub!

HAVE FUN!!!!!