Review: Sanyo HEC-SR1000K Massage Chair

November 18, 2008 · Filed Under exercise · Comment 

Sanyo has developed a full line of massage chairs. The entry level Sanyo massage chair is their model SR 1000K. The SR-1000K has some very unique features. It also comes with some features that Sanyo has in some of its luxury models. We will point out some of the more important features and functions and touch on the warranty of the SR1000K massage chair by Sanyo.

The warranty coverage is similar to an insurance policy. You get insurance so that you are not affected by a catastrophe. You want sufficient warranty coverage to protect you from defects in components or workmanship of the massage chair. The warranty for this massage recliner is from Sanyo. Sanyo gives the following coverage for the SR-1000K recliner: 3 years for the roller mechanism, 1 year labor, 1 year parts and 1 year in home service. The Sanyo warranty is the same for all their models. However, for this price range, the warranty is very good.

There are two automatic programs designed in the SR 1000K massage chair. The first program is called Relax and as the name implies, it provides a softer, soothing massage. The second program is named Recovery and it is more like a warm down type of massage. Both of these auto-programs work with the touch of one button.

On the advanced electronics side of the equation, Sanyo has borrowed some technology used to make its lie detectors. The technology is used in its Stiffness Detector. The Stiffness Detector is used to locate areas of tension build up or muscle stiffness. The chair takes readings from your finger and then targets those areas for relief.

Would you enjoy a good leg stretch now and then? In addition to the manual massage techniques, Sanyo has built two different stretches into the chair. You can select the manual massage technique and then select stretch 1 or stretch 2 and the chair will seamlessly integrate the stretching into the massage program.

The SR1000K also comes with a unique leg rest massager. The leg rest can be used to target the following areas: calves, back of the knees, sole of the foot and the Achilles tendon/heal. The leg rest contains a roller mechanism that massages the calves and the back of the knees. You can flip down the unit and then put your feet on it. This allows you to target the soles of your feet for a nice soothing massage. You can vary the speed of the massage and also the direction of the rollers.

The remote control is corded to the massage chair. It has a nice gradient light structure that shows you the intensity setting of the massage and also the roller with of the roller mechanism. The remote is well laid out and is fairly simple to use for even first time users of the massage chair.

The design is different than most massage chairs on the market. We like the fact that the leg rest does not look like the typical massage chair. It looks more like a recliner. The feet can be massaged and this part can be hidden from view. The only strange part of the design is the remote control holder is mounted on the sign and kind of an eye sore. We do like the wood accents and that the chair is fairly thin. Overall, the SR-1000K provides thorough and effective massage therapy. It comes with a great warranty for this price level. If you are shopping for a massage chair recliner, then the Sanyo SR1000K is one to take a serious look at.

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Five Easy Tips to Build Muscle Up Quickly

November 18, 2008 · Filed Under exercise · Comment 

If your goal is to get twice as good at something, what would be the best way to approach it? I can think of two primary approaches. The approach you select will be somewhere along this continuum: doing one thing twice as good (or 100 percent better), or performing 100 activities 1 percent better. I think that most people gravitate towards the former approach, but the second is much easier to implement.

Taken a step further, to make each of these small building blocks more effective, you could also change things that occur outside of your workouts. So you concentrate on changing your habits and making fractional improvements in many areas that will stack on top of each other to bring you huge benefits.

So here are 5 simple lifestyle changes you can make to help you build muscle up.

1) Replace Traditional Cardio with HIIT

Aerobic exercise has a negative impact on muscle gaining because it burns branched chain amino acids (BCAA) and glycogen. Rather, concentrate on HIIT sessions for fat burning, e.g. a 400-meter sprint followed by a 400-meter recovery jog, repeated for a total of four times.

2) Increase Total Time Under Load

Instead of concentrating on the quantity of repetitions, focus on the total time your muscles are under load. Try spending 2 seconds on the negative contraction, 1 second at neutral (bottom of the exercise), and 1 second on the positive contraction. Emphasizing the negative is a simple way to overload muscles and promote muscle weight gain.

3) Eat More Fish

Not only is fish high in protein, it is also a natural source of essential fatty acids, which are vital for both your muscular health and your overall health. Omega-3’s make your muscles more sensitive to insulin, so they aid glycogen storage and increase the absorption of amino acids into your muscles, while also preserving glutamine storage.

4) Recovery

Your body will only build muscle up by repairing it in response to your workouts. When your muscles are repaired, they are made stronger than before to respond to the higher stress levels put on them. If you don’t allow your muscles time to recover, they can never rebuild.

5) Cheat on your Diet

If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. Commit to yourself to read a new (as in current and scientifically backed) exercise book every six months. You’ll pick up new approaches and new tips to add to your workouts.

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Train efficiently with hill-sprints

November 18, 2008 · Filed Under exercise · Comment 

Once of the fastest ways to lose body fat and keep muscle is by training with hill-sprints. Doing hill sprints not only burns the maximum amount calories, it also saves a lot of time when compared to traditional methods of cardio.

Get the best results in the shortest amount of time can be achieved with hill-sprints. If you think that training longer has better results, look a marathon runner’s body versus an Olympic sprinter. If you had a choice, which one would you like to look like?

Just like kettlebell training, hill-sprints provide efficient, extremely functional results. Another reason they’re great is safety. Here’s what Charles Staley, strength coach, had to say:

Due to the inclined surface, maximum limb speed cannot be attained and thus serves as a safety barrier for your precious hamstrings! However, in the process, your posterior-chain muscles (low-back, glutes, hamstrings and calves) get an incredible strengthening effect! This means that you can avoid pulling and injuring your muscles on inclined surfaces and hit the muscles in your backside at the same time!

You can benefit for an entire day from doing hill-sprints, which will save you time in the first place. Hill-sprinting increases your metabolism allowing you to burn more calories.

In order to train safely, you need to make sure that you warm-up enough for your body to handle the additional strain that the workout will cause. In addition, make sure that you cool down for a while afterwards to get your heart-rate back down after the high-intensity workout. To get started, try this hill-sprint program:

Five minute warmup with dynamic movements (squats, lunges, pushups, side lunges, etc)

25 yard hill-jog up 2x

25 yard hill-sprint up, walk down-repeat 3x-rest 15 seconds between sprints

35 yard hill-sprint up, walk down-repeat 3x-rest 15 seconds between sprints

Sprint up 45 yards, walk down, 3x

50-yard sprint up and walk down, 2x

Walk around and stretch to cool down and reduce your heart rate

You can switch up this workout to make it harder or easier by changing the distances, rest, and the total amount of sprints.

If you do hill-sprints two or three times a week for a month, you’re sure to see major increases in strength, fat loss, and time spent doing things other than working out! The workout is tough, but the benefits are numerous.

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Fast weight loss

November 18, 2008 · Filed Under exercise · Comment 

There’s no doubt that many people need to lose a few pounds. Look around where people gather, you’ll notice the fat. Look in the mirror, unfortunately you’ll likely see it there too. If you’ve made fast weight loss your goal, keep a few simple things in mind to take off the pounds quickly and safely.

Skipping meals is one of the first things people often try when they want to lose weight. It makes sense, right, cut out the calories by eating one less meal. Fewer calories means losing weight, right? Yes, but skipping meals is a mistake, not the right way to reduce calories. When you skip meals your body goes into starvation mode. It starts to retain fat to counteract what it perceives as a shortage of food. When you skip meals you’ll end up hungrier at the next meal. This could lead to binge eating. Skipping meals is the worst of both worlds that results in gaining even more weight. Don’t skip meals.

Have a plan on how much to eat. Portion control is just as important as eating the right food. Too much of even a healthy food still results in weight gain. Portion control isn’t easy when large portions are so common. Restaurants and even most people in home cooking serve portions far larger than needed.

Sources such as the FDA list recommended daily allowances. If you must eat out, keep portion size in mind. Don’t eat the full portion served at the restaurant, or order less than a full meal, such as soup and a salad.

Eat more whole grain foods, skip the white grains such as white bread, sugar and white rice. Whole grains are rich in nutrients and low in fat. The fiber in whole grains will make you feel fuller faster and longer. Finally, whole grains add nutrients that many people lack in their diet.

Consume more water. Replace juice and soda with water since that juice and soda adds 90,000 calories to an average person’s diet every year. Drink water between meals too. The goal is 8 glasses of water each day. It seems like a lot, but it’s not. Drinking water will also promote health in general by keeping you well hydrated and cool.

In order to maintain proper blood sugar eat healthy snacks between meals since the body needs food every three to four hours. Eating healthy snacks, such as fruits, helps control eating at meal times.

Fast weight loss is realistic with some knowledge and planning. Keep these things in mind and pretty soon you’ll see a slimmer you when you look into a mirror.

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Eat Chocolate And Lose Weight?

November 18, 2008 · Filed Under exercise · Comment 

The words chocolate and weight loss don’t usually coincide. However, with the benefits of healthy chocolate, the two can now coexist.

You may have heard about the positive benefits that dark chocolate can have on your body. The idea is becoming more and more widespread. However, the chocolate that you purchase in stores is usually far from healthy. What is the difference? The unhealthy chocolate is full of sugars, fats, and artificial preservatives. This makes the chocolate unhealthy and bad for your overall health.

One of the biggest problems with many traditional chocolates is that the heating during the manufacturing of the product destroys the majority of the chocolate’s healthy benefits. In fact, about 80% of the positive antioxidants are lost during this harmful process.

Thankfully, there is another option apart from the unhealthy, heat processed dark chocolates. A company named Xocai is a part of the MXI Corporation based in Reno, NV. Xocai has developed a line of products that is in its most natural, purest form of cacao. This is the result of the chocolate retaining its nutritional benefits during manufacturing. The cacao is cold pressed rather than heated. Therefore, the dark chocolate preserves its healthful benefits.

The company Xocai has brought to market 6 products. They are the X Powerhouse Cookie, X Power Squares, Omega Bars, Activ, a Protein Bar, and Nuggets. These products are made with unprocessed cacao powder and combined with the acai berry and blueberry for added taste. The products are full of healthful benefits such as flavonoids, antioxidants, high ORAC value, high fiber, and low sugars. They are safe for diabetics as well as vegetarians and vegans.

You might be asking yourself, “What does this have to do with me losing weight?” Studies are on the rise, including one from Japan, that conclude that the intake of cocoa may combat weight gain. Although there are several factors leading to this, two of the most helpful for weight loss are gene regulation and the potential mood elevating effects of cocoa. The helpful chemicals from these studies suggest that because you may feel more energetic, it will lead to increased exercise, and result in weight loss.

It’s true that there are several biochemical responses taking place, but on top of that you are also consuming a healthier, more organic form of chocolate. For example, if you ingest a form of healthy dark chocolate instead of a Milky Way bar, what would you think that the difference would be? Not only is the healthy dark chocolate low in sugar, fat, and calories, but it is also high in fiber, antioxidants, ORAC value, and flavonoids. This is a stark contrast to the unhealthy Milky Way bar.

Thankfully, you don’t have to give up great taste either. Xocai has gone out of its way to formulate a healthy dark chocolate line of products that tastes great. Testimonials are flooding the internet from people who have seen great results from the healthy chocolate. For this reason, I believe that it is worth your time to investigate the products and see what they could possibly do for you.

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Simple Guide to Build Muscle Fast

November 18, 2008 · Filed Under exercise · Comment 

There are countless oridinary men and women that regularly go to a gym in order to increase lean body mass. They strive for a much improved body shape but all too seldom they do not accomplish their goals.

As the weeks pass by they become increasingly annoyed with their shortage of mass gains.

This can be a regular occurrence for someone having a strong desire to develop their physique, which is why many body builder’s quit, thinking that they are by some means unable to increase body mass.

So why does this happen to so many of us and what can you do to resolve it?

From my knowledge, those of us who do not make good muscle gains in the gym make the same mistakes time after time.

Read on below to see if you are making these common mistakes, with answers for every problem.

Hardgainers opt for the wrong body building workouts to reach their aims, often following expert bodybuilding programs from books and magazines.

This is no use for the typical guy or girl, and in particular for hardgainers.

In order to increase muscle mass you should train for around 45 mins with heavy weights, doing 2-3 sets per exercise. Keep your sets at between 8-15 sets per weight training session.

There is no benefit doing 20 or more sets and spending many hours in the gym.

Doing the same bodybuilding program month after month, even though they haven’t made any evident body mass gains.

To be able to increase muscle mass you must completely change your workout every 12 weeks maximum. Your body has a kind of muscle memory so it quickly gets used to the same muscle training routine you do again and again every week.

You need to suprise your muscles by changing your bodybuilding programs routinely.

Not having days off from weight training.

I take 1 week off half way through every weight training program.

This gives my body time off to recuperate and recharge. I’ve done this for several years now and I haven’t had a bad injury while doing so.

An additional advantage is that I often experience increased strength after I’ve taken a week off.

Bodybuilding training on successive days.

Doing body building programs that involve lifting heavy weights puts a lot of strain on your muscles. It can even take up to 24 hours to restore your glycogen energy reserves. Therefore, ensure you train no more than 2 days in a row. This allows your body will re-nourish itself, resulting in optimum energy when you train at the gym.

You depend on bodybuilding supplements to compensate for a incorrect diet.

Many bodybuilding supplements are not anything more than costly marketing gimmicks. They empty your income of hard earned money and do zilch to increase muscle fast. If you spent $75 a week on muscle building supplements, it would make no more than 10% difference to your muscle size.

All exercise routines should be built around a stable dietary plan.

You have got to make certain that you feed your muscles with the nutrients it requires in order to develop solid body mass.

Summary

In order to build lean muscle more quickly than you have ever thought possible, you must take no notice of the usual body building methods that you have picked up in the past from professional bodybuilders in muscle publications.

Hard gainers in particular can adjust their bodybuilding workouts and stop repeating the frequent mistakes I’ve outlined above. Do this and could see some remarkable results!

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Lose weight on autopilot with white tea

November 18, 2008 · Filed Under exercise · Comment 

White tea is three times more effective in terms of antioxidants as compared to green tea. This also makes it more effective in losing weight. It has been only recently than white tea has gained prominence in the west for its overall natural benefits.

White tea with its increased antioxidant count helps weight loss by maximizing the metabolism rate. This is as a direct results of more antioxidants that the body gets. Higher metabolism levels lead to more calories being burned without performing any exercises.

A high metabolism rate helps lose more calories when you work out at the gym. This is one of the biggest benefits of white tea.

White tea tastes really good compared to green and black tea. A better taste will keep you from veering off your planned weight loss diet. There is no better drink to have in a weight loss diet than white tea.

There are a number of flavors you can choose from such as blueberry and ginger white tea. The large variety leaves you spoilt for choice.

White tea addiction, unlike most other addictions is actually good for you. The minute amount of caffeine in it ensures you don’t have to worry about the caffeine side effects.

White tea, coupled with its unique ability to increase your metabolism rate also has various other benefits. It helps improve skin tone, boosts your immune system and also greatly aids in preventing cancer.

To conclude, you should look to have white tea as a main part of your weight loss diet simply because it is the best herbal weight loss tea there is.

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Massage Chair Review for Panasonic EP-30004 Massage Recliner

November 18, 2008 · Filed Under exercise · Comment 

Panasonic has advanced its massage chair product line with the Real Pro Ultra Series. The Real Pro Ultra series uses a technology platform concept. Low and high end models share the same technologies. This scalable technology permeates the Real Pro Ultra line. We will look at the EP 30004 model which is second in the series.

Panasonic is a household name in electronics, so you do not have to be concerned about having your warranty honored down the road. We like to caution potential massage recliner buyers to also go with a reputable brand. There are many small importers that offer cheap massage loungers with great warranties that are never honored down the road. With that said, Panasonic will be there down the road.

So what does Panasonic give you for warranty coverage? With the EP-30004 you get 3 years on parts and 1 year on labor. You do get in home technician service for that first year as well. This is perhaps the most generous part of the warranty. The 1 year labor is just too short. Most manufacturers give you 3 years on the parts. Maybe you can get an extended warranty, but you need to find out.

You are reading this review to learn about the advanced features of the Panasonic EP30004 massage recliner. The Junetsu massage therapy is a deeply penetrating massage type. It makes use of thumb like motions in a circle pattern. While in motion it penetrates into the muscle through to the bone for excellent relief. Additionally, the EP 30004 can stretch you out at both the shoulder and the lower body.

If you are into massage, then check out this barrage of massage therapy options. You get 4 automatic programs and 8 manual massage programs. These manual programs can be coupled with certain back courses for a multiplied coverage potential. There are even specific regions like the neck, shoulder, middle back, lower back and full back modes to choose from. From simple beginnings, come a multitude of variety and choice for your massage therapy needs.

One interesting feature of Panasonic massage chairs continued in the Real Pro Ultra series is the self-programming. You can memorize certain programs that were just performed by hitting the self program button. This means you can repeat that particular program on demand. This is great as your trouble spots shift in time. This allows you to target areas for recurring treatment. This is available for up to 4 users.

The EP-30004 make use of an air massage and compression system. Air is pumped with an air compressor to airbags. These airbags provide a squeeze, hold and release action. This soothing compression massage covers the calves, feet, hips, shoulders, arms and hands. This air massage system provides adequate coverage to the major muscle groups. There is also a shoulder stretch and a lower body stretch function.

We are unimpressed with the look of the design. It tends to be very industrial. However, it is very functional, which hopefully makes up for its lack of savvy design. There is a leg extension which goes an extra five inches. The arms and hands are massaged by lifting up a cover on the armrests. The compression is actually firm. At least the Panasonic design team got rid of the unsightly arm massage apparatus.

Overall, the Real Pro Ultra series has some excellent features over its prior series the Real Pro Elite. We like the direction that Panasonic is going with their massage chairs. We would like to see better warranty protection and better design aesthetics. However, the massage therapy is very effective and the chair is fairly well designed. This is definitely a shiatsu massage chair that is worth considering at the high end of the market.

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Three day diet trap

November 18, 2008 · Filed Under exercise · Comment 

In 1985 the famed three day diet first came on the scene. It boasted creation of a “specific metabolic reaction” to cause quick weight loss and the system to be cleansed. This reaction has never been proven or even attempted to be explained. The diet is to be followed for only 3 days, with an off period of about 5 days in between diet times. All the versions of this diet share in common specific steps that must be followed and foods that must be eaten in order for the diet to work.

What better way to blame the dieter when it doesn’t work than “you botched the formula.”

Breakfast on the first day begins with coffee (no sugar), one half a grapefruit, and a piece of toast with 1 Tbsp peanut butter. Lunch is a can of tuna, a piece of toast, and black coffee. For dinner it’s 3 ounces of chicken or lean meat, a cup of green beans, one cup of carrots, one apple, and one cup of regular vanilla ice cream. The other two days are pretty much the same but with some substitutions such as hot dogs instead of lean meat. Supposedly it’s possible to lose as much as 10 pounds in only three days.

Baloney! How’s that for specific? And no baloney is not part of the diet. As stated the metabolic reaction has never been examined much less proven. Any weight loss would be mostly water loss due to a lack of carbs which help the body retain water. That could lead to dehydration.

Once the three days end the weight will return, primarily because it’s mostly water. But also because any weight lost from the lack of calories will be regained when the starving diet victim returns to normal, or in this case heavier than normal, eating.

Deprive the body of water over three day cycles enough times and a person could develop kidney damage, dehydration, or a host of other dangerous conditions.

The 3 day diet is best treated as a no day diet. In other words, don’t do it.

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Men Building Muscle, How to Get Six Pack Abs

November 18, 2008 · Filed Under exercise · Comment 

If you’re up late at night watching TV, chances are, you will be seeing infomercials. A good portion of those are probably promoting ab related products. You’ll find machines, medicines, diets of fashion, and workouts that will promise to give you that beautiful six pack you’ve always dreamed about. There are a lot of theories, but are any of them practical?

The vast majority of these fads do not last very long, they are exposed for what they are and people move on to the next breakthrough invention. If most of these fail, is there any way to get flat abs?

Honestly, the most effective way to obtain a six pack abs is by using a time tested technique. Truly, the only way to reach this goal is through healthy diet and exercise. There really aren’t any legitimate shortcuts to getting the body of your dreams. Any method which can reduce your weight significantly in a very short time is not going to give you the same result for a long time.

What types of exercises should you do now that you have to exercise? It is best to just get on the ground and start doing thousands of crunches or are there more effective ways to lose the fat? Will this give you the six pack of your dreams? Actually it won’t do much at first. A layer of fat covers up your ab muscles. Once you get rid of the fat, you will see your abs. How is it possible to lose the fat?

Most people believe that they should get on the treadmill and do hours of cardio. However, this is a common misconception as well. The best way to burn fat quickly is through the use of interval training and weight training. Weight training burns calories while you work out, but it also helps you burn calories when you are resting as well.

Your muscles will be like incinerators for calories once they begin to develop more. As a result of this, you will be able to burn fat much more rapidly. To add to weight training workouts, it is a good idea to mix in short bursts of sprinting workouts.

You should eat healthier in addition to doing the right exercises. You won’t be successful in life if you don’t stand up and do your duty. Getting different results in your life requires you to take different actions. You need to change what you’re eating to obtain a six pack. You should eat foods which are healthy and drink a whole bunch of water. If you eat good food, that is going to return great results for you.

In general, it’s not that hard to develop a six pack. Don’t think it will be a breeze, you will not wake up to a tone, fit looking body the next day. If you stick to the long process, you could achieve the necessary weight loss of any proportion.

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