The gym can be an intimidating place. .

For many people the gym can be an intimidaing place so here are:
Solutions to the reasons why people don't like the gym:

• Open spaces - Big gyms have large open spaces with machine after machine stacked side-by-side. That's a lot of eyes that could be watching you. It's best just to concentrate on what your doing, buying an MP3 player can help. just plug in and block out the rest of the workout world!


• Confusing machinery - The fear of looking stupid when trying to work out unfamiliar equipment. Most have experienced this at some point. Don't be afraid to consult the gym advisor for help, they are often very friendly and helpful. If they're not available don't go away! Experiment, push a load of buttons, you'll soon get the hang of it.


• Hardcore exercisers - Not all regular gym members are nice if you make an honest mistake, like taking too long on a machine. But they were new once too, so don't let this phase you!
  
• Beautiful people - Yes the beautiful people. Some seem to have perfect body's, but remember everyone started somewhere. We all have the same muscles and muscle is what shapes us. Anatomically we're all the same which means you can be whatever you want to be.

Everyone was a beginner once, the feeling of 'not belonging' or 'standing out' is what puts most people off. Remember that it's not about anyone else but you, set some goals, be determined, don't give up and soon you'll leave these gym phobia's behind!

No gym? Great fitness

You don't have to be a member of a gym to build great fitness

U.S marines and other military groups don't spend day after day in the gym with the same weights and routines. So what if you can churn out one rep bench pressing 150k? Running with a man on your back for 2oom, squatting 10 times, running another 200m and squatting another 10 of your comrade sounds more like training to me.

You want the endurance and strength that can outlast your opponent, you want people to wonder how you ever manage to keep going. You can turn yourself into a mile eating, rep churning machine without even stepping foot into a gym. Just be creative. . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZvewVwjt58

OK so maybe not that creative. Parks are great for workouts. All those bars for pull ups and dips, and if you can find any equipment such as a sandbag. . there you are you have your own weights. Body weight moves such as press ups, sit ups, pull ups, dips, bear crawls, burpees, squats, box jumps, hanging knee raises, lunges are all you need for an effective workout. There are so many variations to a press up you can have a whole chest and triceps workout without leaving your home. Ill give my best press ups variations in the next post.

But for now, just because you don't have a gym isn't a disadvantage at all! The best fitness is built from old skool techniques and 'Rocky' style exercises. We've all seen the clips, but this is great training with minimal equipment! - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cavFoyYJwPQ&feature=related

Teenage Exercise

There's all this talk of men's health and men's fitness. But what about teenage fitness or teenage health?
Is it safe to lift weights in my teenage years? Will to much hard exercise stunt my growth? And what about sporting supplements? Are they suitable for me to use?

I've built up all the know how over the years on how to lift weights, exercise safely and use the correct nutrition. Magazines such as Men's health bombard you with how often and how intensely you should exercise. The magazine is geared around Men's Health not Teenage health. how are you supposed to know your body's limits in your early teenage years? The workouts and nutrition they often advise are not designed to suit a growing body.


Advice


So! Here's some helpful advice that worked for me and many others. If you want to train your body in the best possible way to achieve the greatest possible effects at a teenage age.

• Know you body's limits - Lifting lots of heavy weights at a young teenage age is ill advised, some people are more developed than others and therefore more suited to lifting weights.


• However it is a myth that lifting heavy weights at a young age can stunt growth. Shaquille O'Neal, Karl Malone and Arnold Schwartzenegger started lifting weights in their early teens and all have grown over 6ft and become professionals in their respective sports. Although you shouldn't lift anything you can't do for more than 5 reps (if you are under 18)so to avoid injury.


• Supplements such as protein shakes and fat loss drinks can alter your metabolism. At a young age you should stick to real foods in order to recover from exercise. Body fat is important to have at a young age it is a necessary source of energy. A high metabolism is natural in a growing body, any more encouragement to burn fat could result in an unhealthy balance.


• Keep it simple - compound exercises are best as they recruit many muscle groups in one movement. These are exercises like squats, deadlifts, press ups and pull ups. This will help you build a balanced body


• Rest days are just as important as workout days. They allow your muscles to recover and grow in order to be stronger the next time you train them.

Laziness

We're built to slack off. How many times have we discarded Saturday morning plans in order for a couple of hours extra sleep? Or seen those new year resolutions carried on year over year? It seems like human nature to give in to the comfort and luxury's we can so easily afford.




So what if I'm lazy?


Some argue that laziness stops us from reaching our true potential, no doubt we've all felt the guilt when asked how your day was and your reply contains nothing productive. But when most describe laziness it's not actually doing nothing (which is what the word implies) but usually things like watching TV, surfing the net or sleeping in, all of these activities can be pretty necessary and even educational in some cases. So why not be lazy? After all, there's a balance between work and play.

The reason for laziness is a lack of a drive due to the fact that our basic needs are being met. Without us even lifting a finger. For most of human existence, food was hard to come by, the threat of a predator was constant and the weather conditions could go from searing heat in the day, to the freezing cold of the night. Energy was precious to our less advanced ancestors. When they performed an action, their survival could depend on it. Nowadays, we can get all the food we want from the supermarket, all the heat from our heating system, and all the safety in our houses. There's nothing threatening our survival. If we have no day to day drive then the likely hood is that we fall into laziness.

Fighting laziness

Its all about making yourself busy. Writing down a list of goals you want to achieve, it could be getting good marks in the next exam or loosing weight or just incorporating more exercise into your week. Exercise is a great one, as we all need it and regular exercise can give you more energy throughout the day giving you no excuse to be lazy. What's to stop you from getting that job, doing well in that test, getting the body your happy with, earning some more money? It really is worth being active and not letting that laziness grip you until the morning and afternoon is gone. Just because we can afford to be lazy doesn't mean we should be.