So what do you really need to know about protein powder? As a skinny guy or beginner to the whole bodybuilding scene you simply want to know a few answers. Is protein powder necessary? Does it really work? How much do I need? What kind should I take? What is the best? And finally, will any of these answers make a difference when it comes to getting jacked and attracting the ladies?

Is Protein Powder really necessary?

So, although protein supplements are not an absolute requirement for gaining mass, I have yet to meet any person able to get 400 grams of protein per day from cooking food. If your protein intake is greater than 200 grams per day I will suggest a protein powder – it will make your life a lot easier.

In addition, dollar for dollar, protein powders and meal replacement drinks tend to be more cost effective than whole food. Supplement means an addition to the diet. I emphasize this because the focus of any diet should be food. Whole food is often preferable to powders because it can offer a whole spectrum of nutrients that powders cannot.

The bottom line is that both food and supplements are necessary to achieve a complete nutritional balance as well as the desired level of protein intake, especially if you’re not a big fan of cooking. And I assume that over 95% of you reading this do not have a personal maid at home cooking all your meals while you sit around waiting for your next meal. Do not make the fatal mistake of thinking protein powders can take the place of a solid training and nutrition program.

Do protein powders really work and are they healthy?

Is protein powder going to help me get muscular or is it a scam?” A better question would be, “Does protein really work?” and the obvious answer is ‘yes’. Protein also:

- Supports red blood cell production
- Boosts your immune system
- Keeps your hair, fingernails, and skin healthy

However, not all protein powder is created equal. Most protein powder contains an array of questionable ingredients such as aspartame, saccharin, fructose and artificial colors. It’s interesting to note how unhealthy most of these protein powders actually are. Look for a protein powder with natural ingredients rather than products that are sweetened with chemicals and made with ingredients that are certainly not going to create an environment for muscle growth and fat burning.

Most protein powders mix quite easily, even with a spoon, however I was disappointed to discover that taste will inevitably be sacrificed for a safe and healthy product. I can live with this. You see, once a product is removed of all artificial chemical sweeteners such as aspartame or sucralose, and simple sugars, it is left almost tasteless and sometimes even gross.

How much protein powder do I need?

A better question would be, “How much pure protein do I need to achieve my goals?”

Protein is an extremely important macro nutrient and should be eaten frequently throughout the day. I recommend at least 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. This means that if you are 150 pounds and 10% body fat (150 x 0.10 = 15 lbs of fat leaving 135 lbs of lean mass), you will require at least 135 to approximately 205 grams of protein per day.

It is recommended that protein powder be used primarily for your pre-workout, workout and post-workout shake. This is when liquid food is more advantageous over whole food since it has a faster absorption rate.

What kind of protein powder should I use?

For the Pre-workout and Post-workout phases, as long as whey hydrolysate is the first or second ingredient on the supplement label then there is probably not enough in the product to influence protein synthesis to reap the optimal benefits. As stated, whey isolates are also a extremely high quality whey and for maximal anabolism isolates should be combined with whey hydrolysates for only the pre-workout and post-workout phases of your program. The inclusion of small amounts of whey concentrates will not harm you but this should not be the first ingredient on the tub of protein powder.

If you are looking for the strongest protein powder to exploit your full growth potential during the growth and recovery phases (any time other than pre and post workout period) then use a blend.

You should familiarize yourself with the basics of protein powder and give yourself a foundation to work from. Don’t get caught up in the hype and start becoming a more educated consumer when you take your next trip to the nutrition store. Now you can tell the sales rep exactly what you are looking for instead of staring blankly at the shelves without a clue!

Hi, my name is April. Try learning the skinny guy’s secrets to insane muscle gain. Please go to my website and click on muscle workout at http://www.savemoneysavetimenow.com

One of the most popular requests among people in the gym is how to get six pack abs. There is no doubt about it, obtaining this elusive goal not only takes hard work, but also demonstrates that you clearly know what you are doing in the gym. Learning how to get six pack abs is definitely not the easiest thing in the world but it’s also not the hardest, as long as you follow the right steps.

So, what should you be doing to get results?

Focus on your diet.

Without a clean diet, six pack abs will never be yours. One thing you must realize is that while exercise is important, it’s only going to take you so far. No matter how many crunches or sit-up variations you perform, if you’ve got a solid layer of fat covering your stomach, your muscles are not going to be seen.

Try and focus on consuming enough protein to keep your appetite under control, supplemented with healthy fats for satiety and fruits and veggies for energy. It is important, however, that you are running a calorie deficit, because regardless of the food you eat, if you are consuming more than you burn off that day, you aren’t going to lose weight.

Perform a variety of exercises.

Next up on your quest for six pack abs, you need to make sure you change up the exercises you perform on a regular basis.

While it’s fine if you have some that you generally like to stick with as you really feel it when you do them, try and alternate between at least a few from week to week.

The main reason for this is because your abdominal muscles adapt to change very quickly. As soon as they are finished adapting, you are going to stop seeing results – this is the truth about six pack abs.
By keeping them guessing as to what’s coming, you keep the results coming as well. Don’t make the mistake of doing the same boring workout, day in, day out.

Get Your Cardio In Line

Finally, step three for getting a nicely chiseled stomach is performing cardio properly. This isn’t to say you should run out and start doing hours upon hours on the treadmill. We aren’t aiming to turn you into a hamster here.

All you really need is a few quality sessions of cardio work a week. What’s high quality? Sprint sessions. Skipping. Hill running. Anything your body is not efficient at. Yes, these are going to be much more intense than plodding along at a moderate pace while you read the fitness magazine of the week, but trust me, you will get results a thousand times faster.

Crank that intensity up for twenty to forty seconds and then back it down again for another minute. Repeat this process eight to ten times and you’ll have a workout that’ll shed that body fat in no time.

So, next time you’re admiring your physique in the mirror and are still longing for a better mid-section, take these three factors into consideration and you’ll discover this is the truth about six pack abs.

Hi, my name is April. Interested in six pack abs? Please go to my website and click on muscle workout at http://www.savemoneysavetimenow.com

Yoga teaches us to “live in the moment,” but how can we apply this principle toward time management? We often hear people say, “I need more time,” but how can we get more than 24 hours out of a day? Truthfully, we only have 24 hours, so there must be something to getting the most out of each day.

Yoga teaches us to be consciously aware, and this is a tool we can use to manage time more effectively. Time management starts with awareness. It is as simple as monitoring oneself. How often are we distracted from our prime tasks?

Television, radio, Internet, and idle chatter, contribute to a waste of time, but you cannot live the life of a machine either. You should allow “fun time” each day; but when you start the day, it is best to have a mission. It also helps if your mission was planned yesterday or early this morning.

Rising early helps us make the most of a day, which means you should go to bed at an earlier time in the evening. This is a simple formula and it only requires a moderate adjustment. For example: If you go to bed an hour earlier, you can wake up an hour earlier.

If you had one extra hour, in the morning, you could write a “to do list,” practice pranayama, perform sun salutations, and have a little time for meditation. This routine creates a positive energy flow within your mind and body. As a result, you would “jump start” your entire day.

This early morning Yoga session increases your level of awareness for the entire day. When we are in a state of complete awareness, we can think clearly. This results in looking at tasks according to their importance. We will make sure that we do not spend too much time on trivial matters, but we will also be sure to double check complicated tasks, which arise during the day.

Yoga teaches us to have a “reality check.” For example: What would you do during a crisis situation? It is always best to have a “back-up plan” for the worst case scenario. This does not mean to create something to worry about.

Look at a potential crisis and create the best possible solution for it. There is no need to force oneself to live in denial. It is true that living in denial will help to some degree.

There is a saying: “Ignorance is bliss,” but it is best to be prepared for life’s challenges. Practice Yoga often to develop inner strength and to balance your thinking. In this way, you will make the most of your time.

Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/member-offer.html

The call for us to teach Yoga often starts with a vision from within. This vision of becoming a Yoga teacher is not something that someone else told us to see. We have been systematically trained to ignore our intuition and trust outside resources. This makes focusing on what we internally visualize difficult.

As children, we are often taught to forget our dreams. As time passes, we are taught to be practical and logical. Sometimes, the result is a young adult who is cynical, at best, because of all the emphasis placed on past failures. Nothing will stifle innovation, and creativity, better than to focus on your past setbacks.

Internal focus on past failures becomes the mindset of pessimism. Luckily, you have control of your mind to influence it toward positive thoughts. If you know a group of people who exist in the “Dark Ages” of pessimism – you realize the difficulty in changing a collective mindset. You probably need a “breath of fresh air,” as well.

With that said, do you really want to ignore your intuition? Do you want to abandon your dreams? Do you want to live a life that someone else has demanded you live? There is a reasonable compromise between what is logical and what you envision.

If you want to become a Yoga teacher, it does not have to be difficult. You can be a provider at home and participate in a self-paced correspondence course at the same time. Some of these training programs are designed with unlimited Email and telephone support. In fact, you are not required to leave home with some online Yoga teacher training courses.

What about job changes? If you currently have a job that has great benefits and it pays well, you can stay with your employer while teaching Yoga as a part-time instructor. Life can be taken in gradual steps, with much less financial risk to you or your family.

As a part-time Yoga teacher, you can enjoy the best of life. You can see where this journey will guide you. At some point, in the future, you might decide to visit an on-site intensive, a seminar, teach full-time, or become a registered Yoga teacher. All of these goals are fine, but life does not happen in an instant.

It is true that we are programmed to think everything must take place in “the blink of an eye.” Yet, we have a life to live every day. Sometimes, our dreams are put on hold, but we can study, improve, and practice, each day. The journey to teach Yoga classes starts with study toward certification. The path of teaching Yoga has many steps. Remember: A teacher is a student for life.

Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/member-offer.html

How could Yoga be a remedy for worry? Yoga teaches you to be completely, and consciously, aware of the present moment. The first time a friend of mine heard the words “consciously aware,” he laughed because it was a pre-requisite for a potential date.

He did not understand the importance of pure, focused consciousness applied toward the present. At the same time, he was a prime example of one who lives in the past. He regretted his past mistakes, so much, that it had taken the joy out of his life.

Living in the past is much like focusing on the rear view mirror, when your car is going forward. Your life is going forward, even if you are focused on the past. If you are worried about the past, how can you help yourself today? The past is an encyclopedia of lessons filled with achievements and mistakes. Look at the past as a reference guide and learn from it, without agony.

Very often, people worry about the future. The future is not carved in stone, but we waste so much energy worrying about it. The only thing we can be guaranteed about the future is it will be uncertain. The last thing any of us need is to focus on the future with a fearful or pessimistic viewpoint.

Look at the news today. Economic news speculation could be summed up as: “The recession is here, the recession is there, the recession is everywhere, and it will last for years to come.” Let’s be honest, depending upon where you live, there has been an ongoing recession for some of us. On the other hand, the person currently experiencing prosperity cannot envision a house foreclosure.

Your point of view will not make a recession go away, but a collective point of view, which is optimistic, will cause an economic upswing. Just watch the stock market for ten minutes, and you can see collective optimism or pure panic at any given time. Sometimes, you see both mindsets on the floor of the stock market at the same time.

Now, let’s see how Yoga can help us with daily worries. Focusing on your existence at this very moment is a basic concept of all forms of Yoga. Every Yogic technique teaches you to concentrate with full awareness. The emphasis of your practice is always positive.

Some people find the leap toward positive thinking to be their greatest challenge. Default negative thoughts may be caused by years of pessimism, frustration, and focusing on failure. Anyone can focus on negative thoughts, but it must be realized that this is a personal choice.

Yogic techniques, such as: Asana, pranayama, meditation, mantra, and deep relaxation, give you the strength to make a positive difference in your life and the lives of those who come into contact with you. When we leave memories behind, they should be filled with positive energy.

Copyright 2008 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center in, Attleboro, MA. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/member-offer.html

Behavior management is one of the most talked about topics when discussing children with autism. Most of the discussion and programming is in the context of behavior reduction. Parents, teachers and care givers want to reduce inappropriate behaviors. It is important to know that everything we do is behavior. It is important to understand that this includes positive behavior as well. Language, interaction with peers, listening, responding and attending are all behaviors. What parents, teachers and care givers seek help with is reducing inappropriate behaviors.

Children with autism have the same feelings as everyone else does. Stress, anxiety, excitement, and anger, are all typical feelings that children have. These in fact are feelings and not to be confused with behaviors. It is fine to feel stressed, anxious, excited, or angry, but it is not alright to fall in the floor screaming, hit, bite, or spit on someone because of those feelings. This is where behavior management can take place and reduce these reactions (or behaviors) to these feelings. First understand that there is always an antecedent to a behavior and a consequence following a behavior. This can be referred to as the ABC’s. (Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence)

When a child with autism has an inappropriate behavior like spitting, falling on the floor or hitting, the question has to be asked “What is the antecedent to this behavior?” One of the best examples is one told by Dr. Coby Lund PhD of Atlanta GA. There was a student that was in a particular school that spit frequently. It was not out of the norm for this child with autism to spit 50 or more times a day. So, what was the antecedent to this behavior? What was it that happened before this spitting occurred?More importantly, what was the consequence to this behavior? After observing this student and collecting data on his behavior, it was determined that the spitting occurred when unwanted demands were put on this child.The student wanted to escape and avoid demands, so he spit.

The demands can not change because being a child in school means this student will continue to have demands placed on him. He would still be asked to come sit at the table, or get in line, or write something.

In behavior management, the consequence is the crucial thing that can be changed to reduce the unwanted behavior. So in this instance and Applied Behavior Analysis program was implemented. The student had specific planned out demands placed on him by an instructor, teacher or peer. Initially the demand was something the student achieved success at quickly and easily. It might have been something as simple as asking him to come over to the table and touch the chair in the area he was to start working. Immediately the student is rewarded for touching the chair. And what was the reward? Getting to go do something he wanted which was escape and avoid demands. He got to immediately leave and go away from the table.

This program evolved over time and the demands became more demanding and the reward remained the same. Eventually this student learned that it was much easier to work and be rewarded with escape avoidance than always try to escape and avoid the demands. The student learned to accept the demands placed on him and in return would get time away from the demands as a reward.

Applied Behavior Analysis programs like these can be created for children with inappropriate behaviors and give parents, teachers and care givers a plan of what to do with these children. The inappropriate behaviors will decrease and cease all together. The adults will have a sense of control and not helplessness and the environment is much more enjoyable when there is time spent rewarding a child instead of continuously correcting or punishing the child.

Garrett Butch is the father of a 6 year old with autism and the founder of Maximum Potential. Maximum Potential has created DVD courses that enable parents and school systems to develop affordable and effective ABA programs, http://www.maximumpotentialkids.com