Energy Systems in Sport & Exercise


Understanding energy systems underpins the study of exercise and the effect it has on the human body.

Bioenergetics... or the study of energy flow through living systems – is usually one of the first chapters in any good exercise physiology text. But the current model of human energy systems is being challenged...

Recent research and practical experience expose its limitations, in particular with regard to fatigue.

This article outlines the three basic energy pathways, their interactions with one another and their relevance to different sporting activities. It finishes with a brief look at some of the more recent research and subsequent new models of human energy dynamics that have been proposed as a result.

ATP – The Body’s Energy Currency

Food as energy Energy is required for all kinds of bodily processes including growth and development, repair, the transport of various substances between cells and of course, muscle contraction. It is this last area that Exercise Scientists are most interested in when they talk about energy systems.

Whether it's during a 26-mile marathon run or one explosive movement like a tennis serve, skeletal muscle is powered by one and only one compound... adenosine triphosphate (ATP) (2). However, the body stores only a small quantity of this 'energy currency' within the cells and it’s enough to power just a few seconds of all-out exercise (5). So the body must replace or resynthesize ATP on an ongoing basis. Understanding how it does this is the key to understanding energy systems.

An ATP molecule consists of adenosine and three (tri) inorganic phosphate groups. When a molecule of ATP is combined with water (a process called hydrolysis), the last phosphate group splits away and releases energy. The molecule of adenosine triphosphate now becomes adenosine diphosphate or ADP (2).

Energy is measured in calories To replenish the limited stores of ATP, chemical reactions add a phosphate group back to ADP to create ATP. This process is called phosphorylation. If this occurs in the presence of oxygen it is labelled aerobic metabolism or oxidative phosphorylation. If it occurs without oxygen it is labelled anaerobic metabolism (2).

Energy Sources to Replenish ATP

Several energy sources or substrates are available which can be used to power the production of ATP. One of these substrates, like existing ATP, is stored inside the cell and is called creatine phosphate.

Creatine for energy Creatine Phosphate
Creatine phosphate is readily available to the cells and rapidly produces ATP. It also exists in limited concentrations and it is estimated that there is only about 100g of ATP and about 120g of creatine phosphate stored in the body, mostly within the muscles. Together ATP and creatine phosphate are called the ‘high-energy’ phosphogens (1).

Fat
The other substrates that can the body can use to produce ATP include fat, carbohydrate and protein. Fat is stored predominantly as adipose tissue throughout the body and is a substantial energy reservoir. Fat is less accessible for cellular metabolism as it must first be reduced from its complex form, triglyceride, to the simpler components of glycerol and free fatty acids. So although fat acts as a vast stockpile of fuel, energy release is too slow for very intense activity (5).

Carbohydrate

Unlike fat, carbohydrate is not stored in peripheral deposits throughout the body. At rest, carbohydrate is taken up by the muscles and liver and converted into glycogen. Glycogen can be used to form ATP and in the liver it can be converted into glucose and transported to the muscles via the blood. A heavy training session can deplete carbohydrate stores in the muscles and liver, as can a restriction in dietary intake. Carbohydrate can release energy much more quickly than fat (5).

Protein
Protein is used as a source of energy, particularly during prolonged activity, however it must first be broken down into amino acids before then being converted into glucose. As with, fat, protein cannot supply energy at the same rate as carbohydrate. The rate at which is energy is released from the substrates is determined by a number of factors. For example, if there are large amounts of one type of fuel available, the body may rely more on this source than on others. The mass action effect is used to describe this phenomenon (5).

The Three Energy Systems

There are three separate energy systems through which ATP can be produced. A number of factors determine which of these energy systems is chosen, such as exercise intensity for example.
The ATP-PCr System

ATP and creatine phosphate (also called phosphocreatine or PCr for short) make up the ATP-PCr system. PCr is broken down releasing a phosphate and energy, which is then used to rebuild ATP. Recall, that ATP is ‘rebuilt’ by adding a phosphate to ADP in a process called phosphorylation. The enzyme that controls the break down of PCr is called creatine kinase (5).

How energy is transformed The ATP-PCr energy system can operate with or without oxygen but because it doesn’t rely on the presence of oxygen it said to be anaerobic. During the first 5 seconds of exercise regardless of intensity, the ATP-PCr is relied on almost exclusively. ATP concentrations last only a few seconds with PCr buffering the drop in ATP for another 5-8 seconds or so. Combined, the ATP-PCr system can sustain all-out exercise for 3-15 seconds and it is during this time that the potential rate for power output is at its greatest (1).

If activity continues beyond this immediate period, the body must rely on another energy system to produce ATP…

The Glycolytic System

Glycolysis literally means the breakdown (lysis) of glucose and consists of a series of enzymatic reactions. Remember that the carbohydrates we eat supply the body with glucose, which can be stored as glycogen in the muscles or liver for later use.

The end product of glycolysis is pyruvic acid. Pyruvic acid can then be either funnelled through a process called the Krebs cycle (see the Oxidative System below) or converted into lactic acid. Traditionally, if the final product was lactic acid, the process was labelled anaerobic glycolysis and if the final product remained as pyruvate the process was labelled aerobic glycolysis.

However, oxygen availability only determines the fate of the end product and is not required for the actual process of glycolysis itself. In fact, oxygen availability has been shown to have little to do with which of the two end products, lactate or pyruvate is produced. Hence the terms aerobic meaning with oxygen and anaerobic meaning without oxygen become a bit misleading (5).

Alternative terms that are often used are fast glycolysis if the final product is lactic acid and slow glycolysis for the process that leads to pyruvate being funnelled through the Krebs cycle. As its name would suggest the fast glycolitic system can produce energy at a greater rate than slow glycolysis. However, because the end product of fast glycolysis is lactic acid, it can quickly accumulate and is thought to lead to muscular fatigue (1).

The role of lactic acid in energy systems


The contribution of the fast glycolytic system increases rapidly after the initial 10 seconds of exercise. This also coincides with a drop in maximal power output as the immediately available phosphogens, ATP and PCr, begin to run out. By about 30 seconds of sustained activity the majority of energy comes from fast glycolysis (2).

At 45 seconds of sustained activity there is a second decline in power output (the first decline being after about 10 seconds). Activity beyond this point corresponds with a growing reliance on the…

The Oxidative System

The oxidative system consists four processes to produce ATP:

*

Slow glycolysis (aerobic glycolysis)
*

Krebs cycle (citric acid cycle or tricarboxylic acid cycle)
*

Electron transport chain
*

Beta oxidation

Slow glycolysis is exactly the same series of reactions as fast glycolysis that metabolise glucose to form two ATPs. The difference, however, is that the end product pyruvic acid is converted into a substance called acetyl coenzyme A rather than lactic acid (5). Following glycolysis, further ATP can be produced by funnelling acetyl coenzyme A through the…

Krebs Cycle
The Krebs cycle is a complex series of chemical reactions that continues the oxidization of glucose that was started during glycolysis. Acetyl coenzyme A enters the Krebs cycle and is broken down in to carbon dioxide and hydrogen allowing more two more ATPs to be formed. However, the hydrogen produced in the Krebs cycle plus the hydrogen produced during glycolysis, left unchecked would cause cells to become too acidic (2). So hydrogen combines with two enzymes called NAD and FAD and is transported to the…

Electron Transport Chain
Hydrogen is carried to the electron transport chain, another series of chemical reactions, and here it combines with oxygen to form water thus preventing acidification. This chain, which requires the presence of oxygen, also results in 34 ATPs being formed (2).

Beta Oxidation
Unlike glycolysis, the Krebs cycle and electron transport chain can metabolise fat as well as carbohydrate to produce ATP. Lipolysis is the term used to describe the breakdown of fat (triglycerides) into the more basic units of glycerol and free fatty acids (2).

Before these free fatty acids can enter the Krebs cycle they must undergo a process of beta oxidation... a series of reactions to further reduce free fatty acids to acetyl coenzyme A and hydrogen. Acetyl coenzyme A can now enter the Krebs cycle and from this point on, fat metabolism follows the same path as carbohydrate metabolism (5).

Fat Metabolism

So to recap, the oxidative system can produce ATP through either fat (fatty acids) or carbohydrate (glucose). The key difference is that complete combustion of a fatty acid molecule produces significantly more acetyl coenzyme A and hydrogen (and hence ATP) compared to a glucose molecule. However, because fatty acids consist of more carbon atoms than glucose, they require more oxygen for their combustion (2).

So if your body is to use fat for fuel it must have sufficient oxygen supply to meet the demands of exercise. If exercise is intense and the cardiovascular system is unable to supply cells with oxygen quickly enough, carbohydrate must be used to produce ATP. Put another way, if you run out of carbohydrate stores (as in long duration events), exercise intensity must reduce as the body switches to fat as its primary source of fuel.

Protein Metabolism
Protein is thought to make only a small contribution (usually no more 5%) to energy production and is often overlooked. However, amino acids, the building blocks of protein, can be either converted into glucose or into other intermediates used by the Krebs cycle such as acetyl coenzyme A. Protein may make a more significant contribution during very prolonged activity, perhaps as much as 18% of total energy requirements (1).

The oxidative system as a whole is used primarily during rest and low-intensity exercise. At the start of exercise it takes about 90 seconds for the oxidative system to produce its maximal power output and training can help to make this transition earlier (1).

Beyond this point the Krebs cycle supplies the majority of energy requirements but slow glycolysis still makes a significant contribution. In fact, slow glycolysis is an important metabolic pathway even during events lasting several hours or more (2).

Energy Systems & Training

Each of the three energy systems can generate power to different capacities and varies within individuals. Best estimates suggest that the ATP-PCR systme can generate energy at a rate of roughly 36 kcal per minute. Glycolysis can generate energy only half as quickly at about 16 kcal per minute. The oxidative system has the lowest rate of power output at about 10 kcal per minute (4).

The capacity to generate power of each the three energy systems can vary with training. The ATP-PCr and glycolytic pathways may change by only 10-20% with training. The oxidative system seems to be far more trainable although genetics play a limiting role here too. VO2max, or aerobic power can be increased by as much as 50% but this is usually in untrained, sedentary individuals (4).

Energy Systems Used in Sports


The three energy systems do not work independently of one another. From very short, very intense exercise, to very light, prolonged activity, all three energy systems make a contribution however, one or two will usually predominate (5).

Two factors of any activity carried out affect energy systems more than any other variable – they are the intensity and duration of exercise. Here is a list of sports and approximately how the each of the energy systems contributes to meet the physical demands:

Energy systems in various sports


A New Model for Energy Systems?

In the year 2000, Noakes and colleagues (3) questioned the classical model of energy systems. Their argument was based on the limitations this model has when it comes to explaining fatigue. In particular, the general concept that fatigue develops only when the cardiovascular system's capacity to supply oxygen falls behind demand (therefore initiating anaerobic metabolism) is seen as overly simplistic. More specifically, their argument centered around 5 key issues:

i) The heart and not skeletal muscle would be affected first by anaerobic metabolism.
ii) No study has definitively found a presence of anaerobic metabolism and hypoxia (lack of oxygen) in skeletal muscle during maximal exercise.
iii) The traditional model is unable to explain why fatigue ensues during prolonged exercise, at altitude and in hot conditions.
iv) Cardiorespiratory and metabolic measures such as VO2max and lactate threshold are only modest predictors of performance.

Undoubtedly, fatigue is a complex subject that can result from a range of physical and psychological factors. In an attempt to produce a more holistic explanation, Noakes developed a model that consisted of five sub-models:

i) The classical 'cardiovascular / anaerobic' model as it stands now.
ii) The energy supply / energy depletion model.
iii) The muscle recruitment (central fatigue) / muscle power model.
iv) The biomechanical model.
v) The psychological / motivational model.

Essentially this new model of energy systems recognizes what coaches have witnessed for decades... that performance and fatigue is multifactoral and complex. It adds strength to the synergistic and holistic approach to sport usually found in the most successful athletes.

THE BEST ARM EXERCISES
Are well-toned arms the latest must-have body part? First Lady Michelle Obama's shapely arms caused a sensation in February after she showed them off in sleeveless dresses in her official White House portrait and during her husband's first address to Congress.

According to news reports, Michelle Obama stays in shape with three 90-minute exercise sessions each week, sometimes hitting the gym at 4:30 a.m. to make sure she doesn't miss a workout.

If you're ready to get your own arms buff enough to go bare, what are the best arm exercises for strengthening and toning? WebMD asked fitness experts to share some of their tips for building stronger, tighter arm muscles.
The Benefits of Upper Body Strength

Arm toning and strengthening exercises are important throughout life, says Dan Agresti, exercise physiologist and owner of ProActive Health and Fitness in Denver. And the benefits go way beyond looking good in a tank top.

Life is a lot better when you're strong," says Agresti. "It's fun to know I can do just about any task."

Having upper body strength also helps us combat the physical pitfalls of our culture.

"We live in such a flexed-posture society, says Lori Incledon, athletic trainer and author of Strength Training for Women.

Being hunched over the computer, in front of the TV, and at the steering wheels of our cars takes a toll, she says. The shoulder girdle becomes stretched, the chest muscles get tighter, and we set ourselves up for decreased range of motion and potential injury.

"We're never going to be able to reach for the cup on the highest shelf anymore" if we don't balance out our muscles with exercise, says Incledon, of Chandler, Ariz.
Arm Toning Tips: The Whole-Body Prescription

As we all know by now, you cannot spot-reduce an area. So we need to think about the bigger picture. "The emphasis should be on the entire body -- and cardio and diet," says Mark Nutting, fitness director at Saco Sport & Fitness in Saco, Maine.

Diet and nutrition are a huge part of the equation, says Agresti. If you work the arms and don't see results, look at your whole program: "Underneath that fat is the most beautiful set of arms you've ever seen," he says.

Nutting, Agresti, and Incledon all use multi-muscle, multi-joint exercises for their clients, so they work more muscle at one time, thus increasing the calorie burn.

"We need to train the body the way it was designed to work," says Agresti. Otherwise, "there's not a lot of crossover into the real world."

You need to use some sort of resistance to really strengthen the upper body and tone the arms, whether it's weights, bands, machines, cables, grocery bags, or your own body weight.

You also need to be willing to push yourself a little, says Agresti.

"If you want to tone and shape your arms, you have to use a bigger weight," Agresti says. "I don't think women tend to push themselves with sufficient weight and to the level of effort and fatigue necessary."

It's all about motivation, says Agresti. "Could you have done more? For $100,000 could you have doubled the reps?" If your response is 'You bet,' he says, you're cheating yourself.

Bulking Up?

Women sometimes ask if the workouts will lead to too much bulking up. If you feel a little bigger at first, it may not be your imagination.

"When you first start lifting, there's a big influx of carbohydrates and water to that area," as your body attempts to protect itself from something it's not accustomed to, says Incledon. "It's a beginner thing. At first, you'll get a bit more of a bulky feeling, but after a month, the body regulates."

Another reason you may look bulkier is because you're building muscle under a layer of fat. Once the fat comes off, the bulkiness gives way to the lean muscle underneath.

And you don't have to treadmill yourself to death to shed that layer of flab, says Incledon.

"It's a myth that the only way you can affect body composition is by cardiovascular exercise," she says. In a sense, "anything you do that is exercise is cardiovascular, because you have to work your heart and lungs to lift a weight."

If you're crunched for time (and who isn't?), work smart: Do exercises that use lots of body parts at once, minimize rest periods, and work to fatigue.
4 Multi-Tasking Arm Exercises

Try these four multi-joint, multi-muscle exercises from Agresti, Nutting, and Incledon to develop beautifully toned arms and upper body strength.



1. Push-up/Tricep Push-up

* Prepare: Start on your hands and knees, fingers spread, wrists under shoulders, knees under hips. Extend one leg back to rest on your toes, then the other, forming a straight line from your heels to your shoulders. Keep the butt and ab muscles tight, the ribs knitted together, and the shoulders sliding down the back. Be sure the neck is in line with the spine (don't hang your head or jut your chin out.)
* Perform: Bending the elbows, slowly lower the body as far down as you can while maintaining proper form. Then, straightening (but not locking) the arms, come back to the starting position. Repeat to fatigue (strive for 12-15 repetitions).
* For a challenge: Do the push-up with the elbows pointing back and close to your sides to emphasize the triceps.
* Working muscles: Pectorals (chest), deltoids (shoulders), triceps.

2. Reverse Plank Pull-up

* Prepare: Using an assisted machine like the Smith machine at your gym, set the bar about midway up and stand under it. Using a palms-up grip, grab the bar, aligning your shoulders with your wrists. Then walk your feet out away from you until your body is in a reverse plank, hanging in a straight line, with your heels on the floor.
* Perform: Bending your elbows slowly bring your body up to the bar and straightening your elbows, lower back down. Repeat to fatigue (strive for 12-15 repetitions).
* For a challenge: The lower the angle of your body, the tougher the exercise. Beginners should work at a higher angle off the ground.
* Working muscles: Latissimus dorsi (back), deltoids, biceps.
4 Multi-Tasking Arm Exercises continued...

3. Bicep Curl/Shoulder Press Combo

* Prepare: Holding a pair of free weights or standing on an exercise band and holding it with the palms face up, stand tall with feet hip-width apart, abs tight.
* Perform: Lift the weights or band toward your shoulders (flexing elbows), turn the palms to face out and continue pushing the weight or band over your head in a fluid, continuous motion. Then reverse the motion, bring the weight down to your shoulders with the palms out, then turning them to fully extend the elbows, bringing the arms to the starting position.
* For a challenge: Chances are, you can use more weight while doing this combination move, so try it. Try not to rest between each repetition. Repeat to fatigue (strive for 12-15 repetitions).
* Working muscles: Biceps, deltoids, triceps.

4. Tricep Dips

* Prepare: Sitting with your hands on the edge of a sturdy bench, fingers pointing toward you, slowly walk your feet out in front of you and take your bottom off the bench.
* Perform: Slowly lower and lift your body weight, being sure to fully extend the arm and maintaining perfect posture throughout (do not roll the shoulders in). Whether your knees are bent at 90 degrees (easier) or legs are straight out (harder), be sure to lower yourself straight down (keeping a 1-inch gap between your back and the bench for the entire range of motion) and not in a swinging motion toward your feet. Repeat to fatigue (strive for 12-15 repetitions).
* Challenge: Try this with one heel stacked on the other.
* Working muscles: Triceps, deltoids.

Nice ass in 7 steps

It’s always behind you—but your backside can affect whether you are fashion-forward, fit and toned, or looking out-of-shape and lumpy-dumpy.

Evolutionary design:
The size and shape of your behind is part of your physical condition and it does influence your sexual appeal. Throughout most of western history, women were expected to be curvy, soft and voluptuous, characteristics that are harbingers of fertility. With the advent of jogging and highly competitive sports, today our ideal of beauty and fashion for women may be thin, toned and tall; and for men, muscled, toned and strong. But whatever your subjective preference may be, Paul Sorace, a trainer from New Jersey says that, “At the very least, 99% of the women I train want to work with the glutes.”


STEP 1
The Dream:
Are we realistic in thinking about having round, chiseled and lifted derrieres or is this just a pipe dream? In reality, a large part of our shape is inherited and depends on our family genes. And, unfortunately there is no such thing as "spot-reducing" so if your backside is too big, you are probably big all over.

The Plan:
But there are things we can do to tone, lift, and camouflage our butts to look great in clothes and to feel more fit overall. To begin, alternate doing Pilates (core-building exercises), Yoga (balance and stretch workouts), strength-training (read this as weight-lifting) along with a dose of ballet barre (targeted stretching). Two or three times a week with any of these with a rest in between is optimum.


STEP 2
May I Suggest:
First warm up by working-up a sweat aerobically.
The glutes are large motor muscles and every time you take a step, you use glutes. Consequently, walking is great and, if you can tackle hills or take the incline on a treadmill, even better. Hiking is another workout that requires leg energy and really eats the calories. Experts say that a 140-pound person can burn about 390 calories an hour hiking. Another great glute warm-up is biking, which uses every muscle in your thighs, hips and butt. Running just naturally propels those legs and makes you feel good, eliminates stress. Not everyone can kickbox, but complex punches will target your abs as well as your trunk.

Stair machines, and arc or elliptical trainers are great butt-shaping equipment and, for variety, don’t forget in-line skating.

Tip: Walking backwards helps to target those rear end muscles (try walking backwards uphill!)


STEP 3
The Best Exercises:
In order to physically exercise these muscles, you need to apply strenuous resistance throughout the full range of motion of your hip joint—from a fully flexed position to a fully extended position that covers an arc of up to 165 degrees. Certain machines will do this but freehand exercises with no equipment, using just the force of gravity against your muscles will do the same thing; and you can do them privately and cheaply.

For example, in a sitting position, an ordinary soccer ball can do some of the things a machine can. Simply sit comfortably on the floor with your legs out in front of you, your hands providing support extended behind, palms flat, fingers extended. Place the ball between your knees and while squeezing your glutes, also squeeze the ball between your knees. Count to ten slowly and repeat. Do as many repetitions you can until you fatigue. (This can also be done sitting in a chair.)


STEP4
The Frog:
Another exercise to target those areas of resistance is "the frog." It's just like its name. You assume a frog position by squatting down. Make sure that your knees are not pitched forward over your toes. You can balance using the tips of your hands. Now jack your hips in an up and down motion s-l-o-w-l-y and in a controlled way using your thighs and glutes to raise and lower your rear end. This is done deliberately and with caution. You will develop quite a heat but do as many as you can to fatigue. (There is a YouTube video link below to show you proper form.)


STEP 5
Warmed-up:
Now that you are warm, you can work on the target toning exercises that rely on gravity and working your own weight against itself. The best are squats, ball squats against the wall, and sumo squats.

Basic squat: squat as if you were sitting in a chair but before you hit the "seat" bring yourself back up (you can use a chair to begin). Keep a flat back. Repeat with deliberation. The addition of small weights held in each hand will augment this exercise later on.

Lunges: (one version)
Standing front and back lunges and stepping lunges are great too (concentrate on long steps no farther than 90 degrees). Do this: Try lunges using >steps< and you will help to protect your knees. Stand a foot or so in front of a set of steps. Pick the third step as your target. Lunge forward placing your arch and heel area on the top of the step; push and then return the leg. Do the other side. Alternate and work both hips and legs until fatigued.(Correct form with the stepping variety is key.)



STEP 6
The bridge:
The bridge is a hard exercise, really defining your booty against gravity. To begin, lay down on your back. Bend both knees and place feet flat on the floor with a wide stance no larger than your hips. Now slowly lift your vertebrae off the floor and arch your back using your glutes to help pull you up. (It looks like a backward bend at completion.) Repeat as often as you comfortably can.

Wall walk:
Another old-fashioned version is to use the lower half of your body to >walk up the wall.< Lay in front of the wall, feet facing. Scooch up until your legs bend. Lay back down. Now using your feet, walk up the wall using both legs until you are extended; your shoulders will support you on the floor. At the top, walk back down.

Other good exercises to lookup and try: hip lifts, prone ball leg lifts, and side leg raises. For correct form: videos and examples of these exercises can be found in the links below.



STEP7
Inner Thighs:
Don't neglect the inner thighs as toning the inside of your legs helps to support the rest of your behind. A great exercise for this is the crab. (For this you will need to purchase an exercise band.) Tie the band around both ankles. Now squat slightly and take four steps to the right, extending the band tautly. Your step should be at least a full 12-inch step. Feel the slight pull on both the inside and outside of your thigh. Now take four steps to the left to complete the move. Do as many sets of these as you can before you tired.


feel

Hips, Butt and Thighs

The exercises below will challenge your hips, butt and thighs in a whole new way. Many of these moves involve using paper plates to add intensity to the moves. As always, check with your doctor if you have any injuries or medical issues and avoid any exercise that causes pain or discomfort. You'll find instructions and tips at the end of the page.
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Side Lunge Slide
Stand with feet hip-width apart, left foot resting on a paper plate. Bend the right leg while sliding the left foot to the side, torso upright and abs in. Slowly slide left foot back to starting position, repeating 8-12 times. Switch legs and repeat for 2-3 sets.




Lunge Slide
Stand with feet hip-width apart, left foot resting on a paper plate. Bend the right leg while sliding the left foot back into a lunge position, keeping the right knee behind the toe, torso upright and abs in. Slowly slide left foot back to starting position and repeat 8-12 times. Switch legs and repeat on each leg for 2-3 sets.




Front One-Legged Squat
Stand on a step or small platform. Lift left leg out in front of step and bend the right leg, bringing the toe of the left foot to the floor. Touch the floor lightly and keep the knee of the bent leg in line with toes. Straighten the right leg and repeat 8-12 times. Switch legs and repeat for 2-3 sets.




Chair Squat
Stand in front of a chair with feet hip-width apart, abs in and torso straight. Slowly bend your knees and lower and until you're almost touching your butt to the chair. Hold for 2-3 seconds, knees behind the toes, and straighten. Repeat for 12-16 reps, 2-3 sets.




Heel Drops with Leg Extension
Stand on step or platform with left leg on the step, right leg hanging off the side. Bend the left leg and lower the right foot towards the floor (a few inches). Straighten the left leg and bring the right leg out to the side, foot flexed, in a leg extension. Repeat 8-12 times, switch legs for 2-3 sets.


Hip Extension
On a flat or inclined step or platform, lie facedown with hips on the edge of the step, legs straight out behind you with toes resting lightly on the floor. Squeeze the glutes and hamstrings and straighten the legs until they are level with the hips. Hold for 2-3 seconds, and lower letting toes lightly touch the floor. Repeat for 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions.

Exercise tips and instructions:

* For Beginners: Do one set of 8-12 repetitions of each exercise with light weight or no weight 2-3 times a week, with at least one day of rest between workouts
* For Intermediates: Do 1-2 sets of 8-12 repetitions of each exercise using light-medium weights, 2-3 times a week with at least one day of rest between workouts.
* For Advanced: Do 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions of each exercise, using enough weight that you can ONLY complete the desired number of setps, 2-3 times a week with at least one day of rest between workouts.

Top 8 Most Effective Ab Exercises



Abdomen
Abdomen in humans and other vertebrates, portion of the trunk between the diaphragm and lower pelvis. In humans the wall of the abdomen is a muscular structure covered by fascia, fat, and skin. The abdominal cavity is lined with a thin membrane, the peritoneum, which encloses the stomach, intestines, liver, and gall bladder; the pancreas, kidneys, and urinary bladder are located behind the peritoneum. The abdomen of the female also contains the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus. The navel, or umbilicus, an exterior scar on the front of the abdomen, marks the point of attachment of the fetus to the maternal organism before birth. In insects, crustacea, and some other arthropods, the term abdomen refers to the entire rear portion of the body.




Bicycle Exercise
Want to know the most effective ab exercises? The following ab exercises are the results of the American Council on Exercise's study to determine the most effective ab exercises. While ab exercises won't spot reduce fat from the belly, strong abs are important for keeping your body healthy and protecting your spine. For more about flat abs, visit my Abs Page for articles, workouts, FAQs and more.

Ab Rocker
The Ab Rocker (or roller) is number 9 for targeting the rectus abdominis. To do it right:

1. Sit on the Ab Rocker and grab the bars in each hand.
2. Contract the abs and rock forward, originating the movement from the abs rather than using momentum.
3. Release and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.
4. Go slowly to reduce momentum. Try to focus on the abs rather than pushing with the arms.



The Bicycle exercise is the best move to target the rectus abdominis (i.e., the 'six pack') and the obliques (the waist), according to a study done by the American Council on Exercise. To do this exercise correctly:

1. Lie face up on the floor and lace your fingers behind your head.
2. Bring the knees in towards the chest and lift the shoulder blades off the ground without pulling on the neck.
3. Straighten the left leg out while simultaneously turning the upper body to the right, bringing the left elbow towards the right knee.
4. Switch sides, bringing the right elbow towards the left knee.
5. Continue alternating sides in a 'pedaling' motion for 12-16 reps.


Captain's Chair Leg Raise
The captain's chair leg raise is the second most effective move for the rectus abdominis as well as the obliques. You can do a variety of exercises on the captain's chair, which is a rack with padded arms that allows your legs to hang free and can be found in most health clubs and gyms. The key to keeping this move safe and effective is, first, to avoid swinging the legs or using momentum to bring the legs up. Second, keeping the knees bent will help you focus more on the abdominals and less on the hip flexors. To do it right:

1. Stand on chair and grip handholds to stabilize your upper body.
2. Press your back against the pad and contract the abs to raise the legs and lift knees towards your chest.
3. Don't arch the back or swing the legs up.
4. Slowly lower back down and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.


Exercise Ball Crunch
The exercise ball is an excellent tool to strengthen the abs and comes out number three for working the rectus abdominis. To do it right:

1. Lie face-up with the ball resting under your mid/lower back.
2. Cross your arms over the chest or place them behind your head.
3. Contract your abs to lift your torso off the ball, pulling the bottom of your ribcage down toward your hips.
4. As you curl up, keep the ball stable (i.e., you shouldn't roll).
5. Lower back down, getting a stretch in the abs, and repeat for 12-16 reps.


Vertical Leg Crunch
The vertical leg crunch is another effective move for the rectus abdominis and the obliques. To do it right:

1. Lie face up on the floor and extend the legs straight up with knees crossed.
2. Contract the abs to lift the shoulder blades off the floor, as though reaching your chest towards your feet.
3. Keep the legs in a fixed position and imagine bringing your belly button towards your spine at the top of the movement.
4. Lower and repeat for 12-16 reps.


Long Arm Crunch
This move, ranked 6th in the ACE study, emphasizes the upper part of the abs. To do it right:

1. Lie on a mat and extend the arms straight out behind the head with hands clasped, keeping the arms next to the ears.
2. Contract the abs and lift the shoulder blades off the floor.
3. Keep the arms straight and avoid straining the neck. If you feel neck pain, take one hand behind the head while keeping the other arm extended.
4. Lower and repeat for 12-16 reps.


Reverse Crunch
It may seem like the reverse crunch is for the lower abs but, remember, the rectus abdominis is one long muscle, so you can't separate upper from lower. To do this move right:

1. Lie on the floor and place hands on the floor or behind the head.
2. Bring the knees in towards the chest until they're bent to 90 degrees, with feet together or crossed.
3. Contract the abs to curl the hips off the floor, reaching the legs up towards the ceiling.
4. Lower and repeat for 12-16 reps.
5. It's a very small movement, so try to use your abs to lift your hips rather than swinging your legs and creating momentum.


Full Vertical Crunch
In a full verticul crunch, you really work the abs by involving both the upper and lower body. To do it right:

1. Lie on your back and extend the legs up towards the ceiling.
2. Place hands behind your head (lightly cupping it) and contract the abs to lift the shoulder blades off the floor.
3. At the same time, press the heels towards the ceiling, creating a 'u' shape with the torso.
4. Lower down and repeat for 12-16 reps.


Plank on Elbows and Toes
The plank exercise ranked number 10 in the ACE study and is a great way to build endurance in both the abs and back, as well as stabilizer muscles. To do it right:

1. Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor.
2. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows.
3. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels.
4. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air.
5. Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 3-5 reps.

Acai berries
Today lot of people are taking Acai berries or some of its supplement on a regular basis and that shows they are getting benefit of that. Although it takes variable time for the benefits to come in front. In some people the Acai berry gives the result early while in others it takes time. There are many other weight loss pills into the market and you can read all reviews. Although there are many reasons to take Acai Berry or its supplement for some particular purpose but it also shows some other benefits so that people continue to take it. This shows apart from some purposes which are desired, it shows other benefits also. As there are many reasons to use Acai Berry but two are very important.
The other main reason to use Acai Berry is the other small benefits which body observes like it make over all bodies junk of the body that it has to deal with.We would suggest you to go for Vital Acai as this is the best into the market.
Why apple is not so healthy
Many people think that fruit diet is one of the best for them. They are getting hungry and they are trying to keep their body slim. I'll write my oppinion about this, and why morning apple is not good for your stomach and your health.
First when you are hungry you need a little bit more tasty food, which is not grizling your stomach and you will feel better. That is why I hate some fruit and other diets. The apple in the morning when you are hungry is good for your teeth, but not good for stomach, because it contains some acids which are making you feel much more hungry. You may also break your health with this. Better just take one biscuit and you will feel much better.
Boiled eggs
One of the most used food without fatties is boiled eggs. Many people prefer such a diet, and some of them even took some proteins made from albumen, which dose contain of more than 50 egg's white. It is absolutely good for your health and absolutely good for your fitness.
I made one diet from boiled eggs, хard - baked bread, fish and a little chiese. This dish gives to your body a lot of power with only a little fatties.
You can try this, but this is only one dish at least 2 hours before training.
A little word about healthy food
I can teall a lot of healthy food and this blog will turn to one of many that will tell you how to pretent your health from any fat foods. That is right. The grease is the most harly product that you body can pull down. That is what make you feel and look fat. But this give you a lot of power and you become strong. In fact every product is important for your body, but if you take more grease that your body can pull down you will have not efect from the fitnes, and your muscles will develop and stay under the fatties.
Carbohydrate are the product that don't give to you good power but they are easiest product thet your body pull down. SO they are also important for youjr health and your body but not only.
Proteins in fact use the best features of previous two products. They are the best way to get weight and will give you enough power for your next training. That is the reason almost everyone who starts training take a large quantity of proteins. I will write more about these products in next issues.

Use Bodybuilding To Lose Weight the Summer!

This guide presents a bodybuilding training routine designed to get you in top shape for the summer with only 3 weekly weight training sessions of 1 hour or less and 3 weekly sessions of cardio of 40 minutes or less. Minimum equipment is required.

Summer Bodybuilding Workouts – Get Lean With Summer Bodybuilding Workouts

How long do your summer bodybuilding workouts need to be in order to get in shape for summer? Unless you are a competitive bodybuilder who needs to perform several sessions of 45 minutes of exercise a day (some sessions of cardio and some of weights) to achieve the results needed for a competition physique, the most you will need to be in the gym for your summer bodybuilding workouts is 3 weight training sessions of 60 minutes alternated with 3 cardiovascular training sessions of 20-40 minutes.

Why Not 2 Hours At The Gym?

Because after 45 minutes to 1 hour of training the muscle building/fat burning hormones of most people begin to deplete while cortisol levels (fat storing/muscle burning hormone) increase.
Bodybuilding Routines
Everything you need to know about the characteristics of a good bodybuilding weight training routine, the differences in training for Body Sculpting vs training for Bodybuilding and the answer on how to lose fat and gain lean muscle mass fast the natural way.

Bodybuilding Arms Workout: Build Your Arms for the Summer With This Arms Workout
When people think of bodybuilding, the first thing that comes to mind is big arms. How many bodybuilders, me included, just started by doing some biceps curls? After all, one of the most common requests bodybuilders get is to flex their arms. And while a great physique is much more than big arms, nobody can argue that all great physiques have equally great arms!

Since I have gotten a lot of requests lately to publish a new arm routine to get the arms ready for summer, I decided to publish one of the latest bodybuilding routines that I have been using to train my arms.

In order to use this routine you will need to incorporate it into a split routine that works both biceps and triceps on the same day. This routine is for intermediate to advanced trainees. If you are an absolute beginner, please refer to the bodybuilding routine presented on my getting started in bodybuilding guide.

Combining The Best Bodybuilding Routines For Achieving Your Bodybuilding Goals
With the New Year upon us, it is time to start revamping our bodybuilding training routines in order to add variety to our training programs. To help you with this, I've listed some of the best routines I used last year and how you can combine them to accomplish your bodybuilding goals in this new year.


Training Routines For Mass Gains
If you are looking to start the new year with a mass gaining phase, nothing beats the 10 Sets of 10 Reps Bodybuilding Training Routine. After 6 weeks or so of doing this sort of high volume training, it is time to switch to a heavier type of workout in order to keep results coming. This is where the 5 Sets of 5 Reps Routine can come into play. Keep in mind that in order to make the best bodybuilding gains, your nutrition needs to match your goal, so please take a look at my Bulking Up Rules for the Natural Bodybuilder in order to learn how to design an individualized diet plan.