Ashley Solutions

The Origins of Tai Chi The principles of Tai Chi were established by Taoist hermits and evolved as a martial fighting art called Tai Chi Chuan.

The early Tai Chi teachers were mystical figures however; the exception was Chang San-Feng, who was the first major figure in Tai Chi history.

The Ming Dynasty places his date of birth at 1247 and he is credited with being the founder of the fighting art called Wudang Kung fu.

He is believed to have studied under a Taoist recluse living in the mountains of Northwest China; he then studied at a Shaolin temple.

The Shaolin temple is credited as the originator of fighting martial arts such as Shaolin temple boxing and Kung Fu.

After watching a fight between a bird and a snake, Chang was impressed by the ability of the snake to dodge and counter attack the larger crane.

Chang observed this ability to defend and counter attack and then modified his Kung Fu fighting technique.

>From this point on the soft or internal Chinese marshal arts were born including: Ba Gua, Hsingi and Tai Chi Chan.

Chen Style The 17th century in China was a time of war and Tai Chi was developed as a fighting discipline. The most famous of these was the Chen style of Tai Chi founded by Chen Wang T’ing who served under general Chi Chi-Guang.

General Chi Chi-Guang is credited with writing the “classic of Kung Fu” which, set out the principles of what has now become the Cheng style of Tai Chi.

T’ing is credited as being the first person to refer to Tai Chi Chuan rather than Wudang kung fu.

Yang Style Yang Lu-Chan found work in the household of Chen Chang-xing and secretly spied on Tai Chi Sessions of his master.

One day he offered to fight a stranger in front of Chen, who was unaware of his fighting skills.

Chen was so impressed by his performance that he accepted Yang as a student, Yang then travelled throughout China as Chen’s representative and in any fights he took part in legend has it he was never beaten.

Yang adapted the Chen style to be a gentler version of Tai Chi. Today, Chen is acknowledged as the oldest of the three Tai Chi styles but it is Yang’s style is more popular.

Wu Yu Hsiang Style The third major style of Tai Chi was developed by Wu Yu-Hsiang, who studied with Yang and Chen.

His style incorporates features of both styles and these three styles form the base from which many other styles have flourished.

Modern Developments The government in Peking in 1949 established the Wushu Council to formulate a style that would popularise Tai Chi, improve people’s health and make it a competitive sport.

The Wushu style is responsible for popularising Tai Chi and bringing it to a greater audience than ever before.

A new style called the Beijing 24 step form came from this research and has become popular worldwide.

The most famous of the Tai Chi masters of the 20th century was Chen Man-Ching; he simplified the Yang style big form of 108 postures cutting it to just 37.

This style is easier to learn and established Chan Man Ching as the most influential Tai Chi master of the 20th Century.

Overview

Weslo (owned by Icon Fitness) is currently producing four treadmills: the Cadence C22, the Cadence 340 CS, the Cadence 255DR, and the Cadence C78. The prices range from $199 to $699 and the uses cover walking, jogging, and running.

Weslo Cadence C22

The Cadence C22 is Weslo’s entry for walking only. The major plus for the Cadence C22 is it’s cost, at $199 it’s hard to go too far wrong. The major negatives are that the track is not cushioned and the user must adjust the incline angle manually. Not having a cushioned track means that it will be harder on the user’s back and joints. Adjusting the incline by hand means that the user will have to get off the treadmill to change the incline.

Weslo Cadence 340 CS

The Cadence 340 CS is a step above the Cadence C22 and will allow the user to jog on the treadmill. The motor is significantly larger than on the C22 (2.0 hp vs 1.0 hp) and the track is cushioned. These features will allow the user to jog. The treadmill is not suitable for running as the track length is still a littler shorter than I would like, at 45″ it is still significantly shorter than many treadmill tracks on the market.

Weslo Cadence 255DR

The Cadence 255DR is another step up in features and in cost. The price is $699, up from $399 for the Cadence 340 CS. The big feature that you get for that price is that the treadmill has a power incline. So, the user can adjust the incline while exercising, without getting off the treadmill. The only negative for this treadmill is that the track is still a little short (still 45″), so it is not suitable for running.

Weslo Cadence C78

The Cadence C78 is the best treadmill that Weslo sells. At $699 it is the same cost as the Cadence 255DR, but it has a larger motor (2.75 hp vs 2.0 hp) and a longer track (54″ vs 45″). It also has the power incline and a heart rate monitor (whicdh the Cadence 255DR also has).

Summary

Weslo has a treadmill targetted for the three major types of treadmill users. If you are walking only you should look at the Cadence C22, if you are going to walk and jog you will want to look at the Cadence 340 CS, and if you are going to run seriously the Cadence C78 is the model for you to look at.

Do pizzas, ice creams, French fries, cookies and candies list high on your kid’s agenda for snacks. And despite you telling your kids innumerable times, they still swear by junk and unhealthy foods for snacks. Giving in for there desire for junk food is paving way for your kids to be obese.

Just as charity begins at home, good nutrition and balance diet habits start at home. The way of life today is fast paced wherein an adult is always on the move. The same applies to your children too. It is essential to have healthy snacks handy which your kids can grab on the move.

Early encouragement for smart eating habits, improved nutritious diet early in life could make your child healthy. Even if you can not stand on their heads 24*7, there are many ways where you can give them well balanced diet and life all round. Ravenous and famished after school, you’re kid is likely to grab something from the fridge or kitchen shelf for snacks. After school snacking plays an important part of every child’s diet, as it could several hours since they last ate and they need nourishment, especially when they have to settle down, do homework and indulge in playful activities. Think of snacks as an opportunity to supplement children’s diet with healthy food. It guarantees the nutrition they deserve as well as curbs hunger pangs in between meals.

Make snack time nibbles attractive and hassle free. Prepare small portions of snacks and leave them in easy to find places like kitchen shelf, fridge or dining table. The healthiest and simplest choice for snacks is fresh fruits and raw vegetables requiring minimum preparation time.

Some good suggestions of kid friendly healthy snacks include:

1. Make fruit salads with kid’s favourite fruits. Prepare them in small batches from fresh fruits and freeze them.

2. Dry fruits like raisins or apricots and fresh fruits like apples, oranges, watermelons, and bananas.

3. Sandwiches with peanut butter, tuna or lean meat cuts.

4. Yoghurt, plain or flavoured or milkshakes made with low fat or skimmed milk. Dry cereals or cornflakes served with fruit and low fat milk.

5. Fresh fruit juices like orange, watermelon, grapefruit or frozen juice bars.

6. Hard-boiled eggs with a slice of whole wheat bread, peanuts, pretzels or crackers.

7. Ready to eat cut up veggies like carrots, cucumbers, and celery. Unbuttered popcorns, wheat crackers or whole grain muffins served with low fat cheese dip.

8. Fruit Smoothie made in a blender with fresh fruits, juice and yoghurt.

9. Yoghurt dessert with layers of low fat yoghurt, fruits and veggies.

You can spice up your kid’s snack time with variety of foods… Get your children to make the snacks menu for the week. Serve small portions instead of a big one. Let them learn to be hungry, rather than feel full and stuffed close to lunch or dinner time.

An alternative name for this article could have been, ‘How to undo Generations worth of Damage Caused by sitting on our Backsides and Letting Machines Teach us Not to Stand up Straight’.

That doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue though, does it?

The point is the same, however. Before we were even able to stand fully erect we could literally fight for our right to live on a daily basis. Now, we are again barely standing up straight due to bad posture and bad habits, but we can hardly walk across town without pulling a muscle or throwing our back out!

Why? We are weak - from the inside out! In today’s image conscious society, we are so concerned with the way we look that we ignore the fact that we are falling apart from the inside. For lack of a better term, we are “rotten to the core”!

What IS “the core”? Why does everyone keep talking about training ‘the core”? What does any of this have to do with cavemen?

Basically, the idea here is that there was a time in human evolution when we literally had to fight to survive. Although actual battle was certainly part of life back in the Stone Age, we are also talking about the day to day struggle that was involved in just making it to see another sunset!

Walking, running, climbing, throwing, pushing, pulling, balancing, lifting, pressing - the list goes on and on. These activities were all a daily part of life way back when the human body was being “programmed”.

Compare that to the present day activity level of an average person in a civilized culture, and what do you get? A MAJOR difference between the way we were built and the way we are actually called upon to perform! If you took your average office worker in 2005 and threw them back in time to a point when fur was “in”, they probably wouldn’t last for very long.

Is it wrong that modern technology has made our lives so easy? Probably not - depending on who you ask. However, is it wrong that we don’t keep our bodies as strong and vital as we used to HAVE to keep them? YES!

Just because you CAN sit down all day, and just because you CAN eat 1,000 calories in less than 20 minutes, and just because you CAN pay someone else to mow your lawn doesn’t mean that you SHOULD do those things.

Allowing our easy lives to make us weak is OUR fault. It’s not your boss at work who tells you that you can’t exercise when you aren’t pulling desk time. It’s not your mother or father who is making you eat at fast food restaurants every day. It’s not your car that is making you drive it mile to the store instead of just walking.

It’s YOUR fault. It’s all YOUR fault. Does that sound harsh? That’s too bad, because it’s the truth and you know it. Even people who are paralyzed from the waist down can get plenty of exercise if they train hard enough. Even people who don’t know a barbell squat from a bench press can learn if they really try to. Even “corporate Americans” who work 12-hour days can get some exercise and eat right if they truly make an effort.

So what can you do to be more in touch with the “programmed” caveman inside of you? Simple. Get out there and make an effort! Get up off your backside, stop making excuses, and MOVE. Start from the inside, though - with the Core.

What is meant by “the core” is the successful inner teamwork of many systems in your body, all of them originating at center mass - the torso area. We are talking about the muscles of your lower back and spine, the Transverse Abdominis muscle behind your “six-pack”, the obliques and other supporting muscles, the circulatory and neurological systems that power these muscles with fuel and instructions, and many more muscles and tissues that all work together as a unit, collectively being called “the core”.

Why does any of this matter to you? After all, it’s only what you look like from the outside that matters, right. Wrong! Your body’s core is like a power plant. It fuels and controls everything that you do. From moving nutrient and oxygen-rich blood to your extremities, to the very network of neurological pathways that control your arms and your legs - all of this starts at the core.

All of your vital organs and systems are located in the core area. Your heart, lungs, spine, stomach, liver, kidneys - the list goes on. The only thing outside of your torso that you couldn’t live without is your head. However, your head is directly connected to your spinal column, which is part of the core!

Part of having a strong core is that the actual muscles are thicker, stronger, and much more resistant to injury. If you have a weak core, you could give yourself a lifetime back injury just by picking up a box the wrong way! On the other hand, if your core muscles are strong and vital, you have a lot more “margin for error” when it comes to bending over, picking things up, keeping your balance, etc.

What about your posture? Posture is definitely controlled by a strong core. Would you think of having good posture as an important thing? You should! If not, let’s take a secret shortcut to weight loss: Stand up straight and suck in your gut. Congratulations, you just lost 10 pounds!

Are you starting to see the point? It all starts at the core, so safeguarding the inner-workings of your body is as important as it gets.

There are many great exercises to work your core, but listing them all is beyond the scope of this article. The point that you should take home is that working your core should be an integral part of your life - even if you don’t exercise on a regular basis. Even if you don’t care about weight loss or physical appearance, safeguard your LIFE by having a strong core!

Here are some resources where you can learn about core exercises:

http://exercise.about.com/cs/abs/l/bl_core.htm

Remember: Your core is your body’s power plant. Keep YOUR body running at maximum power!

Want to get rid of those zits in your face but you are currently low on budget? How about looking for acne control to avoid the sudden appearance of acne in your skin? So how do we do this?

First, what is acne? Acne is a skin disorder caused by the hormones action on the oil glands of the skin which is called the sebaceous glands. The excretion of oils from this glands can lead to congested skin pores. This is when acne occurs. The face, neck, chest, back and shoulders is where the glands are most profuse, that is why most acne are found on this locations. People who are with this kind of disorder often tends to be depressed, and humiliated.

There are a lot of factors that can generate acne to transpire. First is our Genes. Genetics can’t be changed but other factors like our daily routine and the way we take care of our skin can be improved to make acne control no problem at all. Don’t feel so sad about your acne because there’s lots of things you can do. This acne control tips will help you say bye-bye to those zits.

1. Include Fruits and Vegetables in your daily Diet. A healthy diet consists of at least four to five servings of fruits and vegetables. Acne control will be a lot easier if you start including this in your daily habit.

2. Rose water can be used as a facial cleanser. Dipped in a cotton, clean your face using this everyday for at least two to three times each day.

3. Don’t wait for your pimples to form. If you see a bit of it in your face, do something. Acne control is best done early. Pat some ice on the affected area for this will make it less swollen.

4. Acne control is easier when accompanied with multivitamins. Start taking vitamins that contains zinc supplement. Zinc helps in making your skin stronger and acne resistant.

5. Cucumber can help in acne control. Blend it with some water to form a mask. Put it in your face and leave it for about half an hour before rinsing it off. This is a good and affordable acne control remedy that can also refresh your skin.

6. Use only mild soaps and avoid soaps that contains petroleum based products and animal based ingredient for this causes your skin to get dry and irritated.

7. Using alcohol free facial cleansers makes Acne control trouble-free. Alcohol tends to dry your skin more.

8. Makeup also prompt the occurrence of acne. Choose your makeup wisely. Most of the makeup available contains petroleum based ingredients that makes skin dry. An all natural makeup helps acne control become more effortless.

9. Lastly, Drinking loads of water is very important. It flushes out the dirt in our body, Making acne control more natural.

Now you have a list of some helpful tips in acne control. It is your choice if you are to do these methods. There are lots of ways in acne control, be it naturally or by technology. Skin products are always around for you to pick your choice. The thing is, these products are very costly. If you are the innovative type of person, better try this methods in acne control. It is all natural and wont do any harm in your body. No side effects of course! Plus, you can really save a bunch out of this. There’s no harm in trying! Saying goodbye to those acne is just a step away!

Copyright 2005 Lambert Klein

Do you have arthritis? If so you are not alone. 66,000,000 people do almost 1 in 3 adults.

Arthritis is second only to heart disease as a cause of work disability. Besides limiting daily activities arthritis can cause many lifestyle problems. You may assume there’s nothing you can do that will help. Don’t believe that. There are steps including supplements and lifestyle changes you can make to significantly improve your life.

Your doctor may ask a few of these questions:

* Where is your pain * When does it hurt * How long have you had it * Any swelling or redness * Family history of arthritis

He may wish to perform a movement test and have some x-rays taken.

Inflammation from your arthritis is a significant source of pain. Your physician may recommend OTC medicines or a prescription.

You should be aware of alternatives such as natural supplements and physical exercise.

Nettle Leaf Extract This supplement appears to suppress TNF-alpha and IL-1-beta. Nettle leaf may inhibit inflammatory cascade in rheumatoid arthritis. Also joint protection is assisted with nettle leaf.

MSM: Msm contain Sulfur and anti-inflammatory properties

Glucosamine Sulfate/Chondroitin: Reduces joint pain and may substantially rebuild cartilage. This may take a while to see results.

Fish Oil: DHA, EPA and Omega 3 found in quality fish oil. Reduces painful inflammation and may promote joint lubrication. Look for a high quality, low mercury supplements like Carlson’s fish oils. Flax seed is another practical choice.

Try high quality multivitamins such as Purity’s Perfect Multi Super Greens.

Vitamin E: Use a natural product like Vitamin E-8 daily.

Cherries: Recent research has shown that tart cherries contain powerful antioxidants that may help relieve the pain of arthritis and gout and also protect the body against cardiovascular disease and inhibit cancer tumors.

There is also a cherry capsule that is very good named Fruit Advantage.

Exercise: Exercise is important not only for arthritis but your overall health.

Weight Control: Even modest weight loss will bring healthy results. Start slow if you need to, and then try to reach your target weight.

Stress: Ah Stress. This one unnecessarily causes us so many health concerns. It practically seems to be the source of most health problems.

There are many options to help deal with excess stress. Exercise is one of these. Even if you begin by walking to the corner and back, then around the block pretty soon you will be walking a mile or more.

Other things you may consider are Yoga, Meditation, Music and a new hobby.

There is a rather unique procedure I came across a while back called Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT for short. This works on the principles of Acupressure and Acupuncture.

Wait! Don’t let that intimidate you. Even though EFT is a remarkable tool it is actually easy to grasp. I personally have seen significant results. You won’t have to poke yourself at all. It just basically requires limited number of words and some tapping on certain key points.

So don’t give up. There are many options for you to vastly improve your health.

Almost everyone should lift weights. Weight lifting strengthens bones, muscles ligaments and tendons, increases coordination for tasks requiring strength, and gives confidence and mobility to disabled people. Just exercising doesn’t do much to strengthen muscles. If it did, marathon runners would have the largest muscles. To become strong, you have to exercise your muscles against progressively greater resistance, such as lifting heavier weights.

Just exercising doesn’t strengthen bones either. Female marathon runners sometimes stop menstruating and lose tremendous amounts of bone, even though they may run more than 100 miles a week. To regain bone, they have to eat more food which will usually start them menstruating again, or they may need to take estrogen.

People with muscle and nerve diseases can also benefit from lifting weights. They may be unable to work out as long or as hard as a healthy person and they take longer to recover from their workouts. However, if they stop exercising when their muscles feel heavy or hurt and they take off when their muscles feel sore, they can make dramatic increases in strength.

Anyone starting a weight training program should be guided by an experienced instructor. Exercise with machines two or three times a week, never on consecutive days. On each exercise, use the heaviest weight you can lift comfortably eight or ten times in a row. Then allow at least 48 hours for your muscles to recover. Do not lift if they feel sore.

Buy natural health supplements? When looking to buy natural health supplements and natural tonics for health and wellness, chances are you’ll find your options are limited in local stores. Online, there are many possibilities. However, an important question is - how to know which natural tonics for health and wellness are legitimate ones that provide specific health benefits?

Ideally, vitamin and nutrient requirements would come totally from your diet. The problem is - many people make poor food choices every day. And even with a well-balanced diet, studies find that nutrient values of foods have been declining for decades because of soil depletion.

When looking to buy natural health supplements, leading the list should be the daily vitamin/mineral/nutrient supplement that is the basis of your supplement program. And all daily supplements are not created equal. Two important natural tonics for health and wellness should be considered these:

* High-Quality Daily Vitamin/Mineral/Nutrient Supplements - a daily high-quality, broad-spectrum anti-aging natural supplement helps fill in the dietary gaps that everyone will have. Few persons obtain the minimum recommended servings of 5-9 cups of vegetables and fruits per day, for example, and thus do not obtain the health benefits associated with these vital foods.

And taking one of the cheap one-a-day vitamins is probably a waste of time and money. When considering to buy natural health supplements, vitamins and minerals are just the beginning. The body needs and will use a wide array of anti-aging natural tonics for health and wellness substances - amino acids, antioxidants, bioflavanoids, neuronutrients, herbal extracts, enzymes and other nutrients such as L-Carnosine, alpha lipoic acid and acetyl L-Carnitine and so on. And these nutrients must be in the correct proportions to each other based on the latest research.

* Omega 3 Supplements - from heart health to depression treatment to pregnancy health, Omega 3 benefits are too good to ignore if you are interested in health. Three of the top Omega 3 food sources are cold-water fish, grass-fed (not grain-fed) meat and eggs. Omega 3 oils provide DHA and EPA in a natural form that your body can easily assimilate. No conversion is required by the body as is required for flax oil, for example. Most of the clinical studies on Omega 3 benefits are based on fish oils from consuming fish and fish oil supplements.

In addition, other natural tonics for health and wellness to consider when you buy natural health supplements with specific health benefits proven by clinical studies are:

* Natural Cholesterol Lowering Supplements - the most effective is policosanol which comes from sugar cane. Its cholesterol-lowering abilities are published in over 80 clinical studies, which are more studies than for most prescription drugs. Policosanol significantly lowers total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol without the side affects associated with the statin drugs.

* Arthritis Supplements - there are nutrients that have been shown to reduce inflammation, swelling and stiffness. Aiming to achieve long term pain relief by targeting the cause, not just the arthritis symptoms, should be the goal of arthritis natural tonics for health and wellness.

* Sexual Enhancement Supplements - many sexual problems (and health problems) are related to nutrient deficiencies. In men, for example, men with impotency problems also suffer from cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes or are taking prescription drugs which commonly cause sexual dysfunction problems. Restore your general health and your sexual health will automatically follow.

Is it possible when you buy natural health supplements that you can slow the aging process? Yes! Numerous clinical studies have shown and are still finding the health benefits of many of these nutrients. You can try to come up with your own supplement plan and take many different supplements individually. However, to buy natural health supplements and design your own supplement program is not the best way. It’s easy to end up with a dozen or more individual substances to take daily, which is both a hassle and expensive. And if certain substances are out of balance, they can combine to produce other unwanted compounds that can be harmful.

There are manufacturers that provide advanced nutritional products in one broad high-quality daily supplement. Nutrient quantities are combined according to the latest research, and individual ingredients are linked to relevant clinical studies and benefits. Learn as much as you can before you buy natural health supplements and the natural tonics for health and wellness you’ll be taking every day.

Copyright 2005 InfoSearch Publishing

Vitamaster treadmill is not manufactured or produced any longer. The only way to get a Vitamaster treadmill is to buy a second hand model of it. EBay website is a good option to search for a Vitamaster treadmill. Vitamaster treadmill buyers should consider one point that they are investing in a treadmill that is no longer manufactured. This can put them into costly affairs on repairs especially when parts of the Vitamaster treadmill are very difficult to find.

Vitamaster treadmill or its parts are very difficult to be found. Buying a second hand Vitamaster treadmill is a risk today especially when the scarcity of this model of treadmill and its parts is considered. Vitamaster treadmill and its parts have become harder and harder to be searched or acquired. People before buying a new, second hand or remanufactured Vitamaster treadmill should think twice before making their decision since this model of treadmill and its parts are very rare to be found. This might put more cost overload on them especially when repairs and other services relating the Vitamaster treadmill is concerned.

Users who desire to buy a Vitamaster treadmill should look at getting a warranty with the treadmill. This will enable them to cover their treadmill repairs, maintenance and other services during the warranty period. If something goes wrong with users Vitamaster treadmill then they will be secured during the treadmill warranty period.

The problem with a Vitamaster treadmill is to keep it functioning till the end. The belt and deck of the Vitamaster treadmill wears out over the time and as the user usage increases. Now as the belt and deck wears out the treadmill friction rate increases. Vitamaster treadmill controller works extremely hard to keep the requirement t a steady speed. To get more speeds on a Vitamaster treadmill users put a Super board with PWM technology. This also makes the Vitamaster treadmill motor run without any irritating noise. This also upgrades the Vitamaster treadmill controller to employ about 1/3 amperage which usual controllers use.

Performing workouts on a Vitamaster treadmill is not very easy. Vitamaster treadmill means getting in shape with real sweat out while performing workouts. Vitamaster treadmill is not about humoring users fancy. However, particular Vitamaster treadmills are not produced for such purposes. Getting a second hand Vitamaster treadmill is not a bright idea. This might invite trouble and problems in the future run of the treadmill. Even treadmill dealers find it difficult to hunt a Vitamaster treadmill or any parts relating the same.

Instead of buying a second hand Vitamaster treadmill users should opt and look for a first hand model of this treadmill. Second hand model of the Vitamaster treadmill can be very harmful and may cause injuries during workouts. Moreover, the second hand model of a Vitamaster treadmill might not give users satisfactory results that they are looking for.

Users may be able to find a Vitamaster treadmill at a garage sale or second hand sports store. Users can also look on resellers like EBay to search and purchase a Vitamaster treadmill.

Users should consider the following information before finalizing their purchase on a Vitamaster treadmill. Users while buying a second hand Vitamaster treadmill should select or pick one that has a warranty for some good period. This will cover the Vitamaster treadmill if something goes wrong during the warranty period.

If users pick a Vitamaster treadmill that is still in production then spare parts are easy to get and cheap to fix if something goes wrong. Another option is to buy a Vitamaster treadmill that has been remanufactured. Usually old or used treadmill products sell for half the price of a new treadmill. Most companies disassemble the equipment, sandblast the frame to strip off imperfections, rebuild the mechanical and electrical systems with new parts during remanufacturing a Vitamaster treadmill. The Vitamaster treadmill is then put back together and repainted. Most companies have some type of quality control to test the Vitamaster treadmill before it is resold. Depending on the company, the frame of Vitamaster treadmill may be the only old part.

Vitamaster treadmill production doesn’t take place any longer. Users who desire a Vitamaster treadmill either have to purchase it in second hand form or purchase one that has been remanufactured. Users just need to understand that while buying a Vitamaster treadmill they might get into some costly and difficult repair services on a treadmill that is no longer manufactured and whose parts are very difficult to be found.

A lot of gyms nowadays have a smoothie bar. Everyone is figuring out how important it is to get the proper nutrition right after a muscle building, fat burning workout. But there are two good reasons not to hit that smoothie bar after your workout. One is the price. It’s sort of like buying a beer at a baseball game. You might have to take out a loan.

The second problem is that you can’t control exactly what is in the smoothie. Even health bar smoothies may contain lots of hidden calories that are high in fat and sugar, like sherbert, frozen yogurt and various forms of high-fructose corn syrup.

Creating your own muscle building smoothie allows you to control the cost and the ingredients. And that’s a plus, both to your wallet and your physique.

Your muscles can’t grow witout the proper nutrition and that nutrition is vitally important right after a hard weight training session. And that means loading up on the right protein and the right carbs at the right time - immediately after your workout. You can prepare your post-workout shake before you hit the gym, stick it in a thermos and take it with you to store in your locker.

Here are two versions of my favorite post-workout shake. The first one involves a specific post-worktout powder called RecoverX by Muscle Link. It’s designed just for after your weight lifting session. It includes fast acting carbohydrates and hydrolized whey protein islolates. This version of whey is more digestable and faster acting, so it can start helping your muscles immediately.

The second version will do pretty much the same thing, without getting RecoverX.

Muscle Building Shake

1 serving RecoverX

1 serving Creatine

1 cup frozen fruit (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries)

Mix in a blender. You can alter how much of the powder and fruit you use to get the appropriate number of calories you want.

Or you can try this version of the muscle building post-workout shake

1 1/2 cups of Orange Juice

40 grams of whey protein isolate (I use vanilla)

1 serving Creatine

1 cup frozen fruit (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries)

You can alter this any number of ways to suit your taste buds. You could add banana, or even some yogurt, which will also make the shake a little thicker in its consistency.

One thing I’ve found that has helped my progress is to add a few more calories than I normally would and then drink part of the smoothie right before my workout, or even sip some of it during my workout so my muscles are constantly getting the nutrients they need, both to power my workout and to recover from it.

Consider creating your own pre and post-workout muscle building smoothies so you can start adding new muscle mass fast.