Bruce Lee Articles Bruce Lee’s Diet Bruce Lee Kickboxing Jeet Kune Do Bruce Lee gave so much advice in his relatively short time as a professional martial artist and fitness instructor. Fortunately he left many notes and journals that have now been made into books, so that we know more about his training methods and philosophies. “Above all, never cheat on any exercise; use the amount of weight that you can handle without undue strain.” – Bruce Lee Bruce Lee divided his routine into specific martial arts training to enhance his martial arts prowess, i.e. weight training, calisthenics, cardio fitness and stretching. If you combine this Bruce Lee workout with a fitness plan you will get excellent results very quickly. Each day Bruce Lee would train to improve his physique and his martial ability. However, Bruce Lee also stated that it was important to never train the body so hard on any given day, to the point where the body is too weak on the following days to train more or to fight. From a martial perspective it is essential to never over-train, as although in the long term intensive training can make the body stronger quicker, in the short [...]

Bruce Lee Fitness and Strength Workouts More at MotleyHealth.com

Whether you are looking to get fit before joining the military or just wish to learn from the best, these tips should certainly help guide you. Here we cover running drills typical of the army, strength training routines to build functional and powerful muscles, plus we look at some of the US Army;s fitness advice and basic training routines. First we look at a warning from the US Army that many people simply too unfit to fight. Are You Too Fat to Fight? In May 2010 the United States military aired its concerns that America is becoming such a fat nation that it cannot find enough new recruits for the armed services. So many teenagers are now overweight or obese that they cannot pass the physical tests to allow them to sign up and start military training. Retired generals from the US military, Mr Shalikashvili and Mr Shelton, have published their concerns in the Washington Post. They feel that the rising obesity crisis is now becoming a national threat as America can no longer find enough new recruits to maintain its army size. 5 years ago in 2005, 27% of all Americans between the age of 17 and 24 were too overweight [...]

Military Fitness Training More at MotleyHealth.com

There are 2 ways to effectively improve health and fitness, which are to be more active and to eat healthy foods. However, many small lifestyle adjustments are needed to really make a permanent change. Here is our list of the most important changes that you can make. We have divided the 50 tips into Lifestyle Changes, Healthy Foods Choices, Rules For Getting Fit and the Root Causes of Weight Gain. 10 Lifestyle Changes 1. Walk – Get More Active Walking is an excellent form of exercise and over a set distance you burn just as many calories as jogging. Try to walk for at least 1 hour every day. This can be split up, say four 15 minutes walks per day. 2. Shop on Foot Shopping on foot can burn a lot of calories. If you spend Saturday afternoon wandering around the shops you may cover several miles in total and ou may walk for almost an hour when you go shopping.. Plus the work effort involved in carry bags of shopping will increase the energy you burn. Shop ’til you drop (weight)! 3. More Intensive Exercise Whether it is sweating down the gym, walking to and from work or a weekly five-a-side tournament, [...]

50 Ways To Improve Health, Get Fitter and Lose Weight More at MotleyHealth.com

Tennis requires a combination of strength, speed, agility, fast reflexes and above all, endurance. Legs provide the base of a tennis player, and they have to be strong and agile. Shoulders and arms are essential for power play, and the core should be able to hold it all together. Tennis players are amazing athletes and have to dedicate a lot of time to fitness and conditioning to reach the top of their game. “If you really want to go deep in a major tournament then just look how hard the top guys work”. John McEnroe Tennis is now a very physically demanding sport that requires superior fitness as well as excellent tennis ability. Many good players have failed in recent years because they did not have the stamina to allow them to stay focused for an entire match. Like any other activity, as soon as you start to become physically tired, your mental processes start to deteriorate rapidly. Tennis players have to be “fighting fit” just like solders and martial artists. How to Stay Fit in Tennis Interval Training For Tennis Tennis involves relatively short periods of intensive exercise followed by rest. So just jogging 5 miles a day will not [...]

Workouts and Fitness Exercises for Tennis More at MotleyHealth.com

The Healthy Way To Get Fit and Lose Weight Simple Diet, Hard Workouts! The Motley Health fitness and weight loss system is based on the best performing exercises and dieting methods that we have researched and shared with you over last half a decade. The MCD Weight Loss Plan is a unique way to lose weight. It combines the best Muscle building workouts with Cardio routines and Diet rules to help you lose weight quickly and safely and keep the weight off. If you have any questions about the plan please ask below and we shall answer you personally. M is For Muscle Muscle is essential for a fit and healthy body. Few people have adequate muscle mass to perform even the most basic exercises. More muscle means you can workout harder and also, most importantly, you burn more fat because muscle increases your metabolism. C is for Cardio Cardio workouts are the traditional way for most people to try to lose weight, but not all cardio is equal. Some workouts will help you lose weight much quicker than others. We will teach you how to workout in the most effective way possible. D is for Diet Last but certainly [...]

The MCD Weight Loss Plan More at MotleyHealth.com

Every day we are told to eat more healthily and take greater responsibility for our health. So what does this mean? What is a healthy diet? What should you buy and eat to ensure that you are following a healthy eating regime. The concept of healthy eating is not new, but what constitutes a healthy diet does change. 50 years ago a healthy diet would have looked rather different to that of one today. Optimum Diet and Health Much of the current research into nutrition is concerned with determining the optimum diet for health. It is known that many foods help to combat diseases, and likewise, others cause disease. In an ideal world everyone will know what to eat to ensure that they achieve optimum health, even if the food is not always available. It is important to mention first that there are not really any “bad” foods. A bad diet is not one that includes a few “unhealthy” foods, but a diet that is unbalanced. Sugar, fat and salt are all essential in a healthy diet, but consuming too much is what causes problems. How Much Should You Eat – Calories Firstly, for a diet to be healthy it [...]

Basics Of A Healthy Diet – What To Eat More at MotleyHealth.com

Every year we hear reports of people becoming ill from following extreme “diets”. In some rare cases the diets prove fatal. While many products are regulated and sometimes banned, ideas, misconceptions and bad advice cannot be so easily controlled. Some diet systems are not inherently unhealthy, but due to lack of care and attention and often a disregard for the rules, people put themselves at risk by modifying and tweaking the diet plan. Here we look at a selection of diet plans and products that have hit the news in recent years. Some due to the controversial nature of the research that is behind them, and some for more tragic reasons. Raw Vegan Diets Can Be Bad for Your Health In June 2008 the Independent newspaper published an article about a family who had gone vegan, with terrible consequences. A mother, Holly Paige, adopted a raw vegan diet for her family thinking that it was a very healthy and nutritious way of eating. But the diet led to her daughters having growth problems, both being below average height and weight for children of their age, with reduced bone density and very skinny arms and legs. They had also swollen bellies and pinched cheeks, [...]

The Dangers of Dieting – Bad Dieting Can Be Bad For Your Health More at MotleyHealth.com

For a while now we have known that there is a link between stress and weight gain. However, it was always thought that the reason why people gained weight when stressed was simply because they tend to eat more for comfort. Recent research published in the American Journal Of Epidemiology has now explained exactly what happens when we become stressed. When we become stressed our bodies respond by going into a survival mode and prepare for the possibility of a long period without food. Metabolism slows down, more of the food we consume is stored as fat and stress hormones flood the stomach area which also cause further weight gain, and specifically accumulation of stomach fat. The research also revealed that women suffer more in terms of weight gain than men. There are various different types of stress and women seem to suffer more. Most common problems are money and job problems. Women also suffer more from relationship problems, low self esteem and feelings of inertia in their lives. What are the Warning Signs of Stress? Stress leads to a craving of sugar rich foods such as pasta, crisps, chocolate and beer. These food types, high in carbs, increase levels [...]

Stress, Your Health and Your Weight More at MotleyHealth.com

Losing your belly fat and getting a slim and well defined abdomen is a long-term goal for most people, so persevere and not give up. You can do it, and we are here to help. Regular exercise and a healthy diet really is the key to getting your great body back.

Health and Fitness Advice for Women More at MotleyHealth.com

How much exercise do you need to day each day? There are so many fitness systems and gadgets on the market today and they all contradict each other. The extreme systems suggest as little as 4 minutes of extreme cardio or 7 minutes of intensive weight training. More often people advise workouts of around 20 to 30 minutes. But what is best? Surely there is an optimum amount of exercise you should be doing? Here we look at advice from the experts, namely government health departments and research institutes. We provide our own recommendations at the end. 15 Minutes of Exercise - Taiwan Study on Health and Exercise In August 2011 research was published that looked at the effects of exercise on long-term health. It concluded that just 15 minutes of exercise per day can add 3 years to your life. However, it was emphasized that this really is the minimum amount of exercise you should perform for health purposes – not for fat reduction. The research actually concluded that; “moderate-intensity exercise might be of benefit” (Dr Chi Pang Wen et al, 2011) which suggests that the research is not conclusive that such a small amount of exercise is really all that useful. The study was [...]

How Much Exercise Is Needed to Get Fit and Lose Weight? More at MotleyHealth.com

If you are planning to lose weight then you should know how many calories per day the average person needs to maintain a healthy weight. This table shows how many calories a day you need to maintain weight, and helps calculate your daily calories requirements for weight loss.

How Many Calories Do You Need Each Day To Lose Weight? More at MotleyHealth.com

Recently there has been increased interest in “tea diets”. Sometimes referred to as Green Tea Diets, but more recently marketed as Wuyi Tea Diets, these so called “diets” use effective advertising tricks to sell tea to vulnerable people on the premise that it can help them to lose weight. Much of the publicity surrounding the tea was caused when it was discussed by Dr. Nicholas Perricone on the Oprah Winfrey show. More recently celebrities such as Johnny Depp, Justin Bieber and Victoria Beckham have all claimed that green tea forms a part of their daily diet. Although these Wuyi teas do have some health benefits that other drinks do not provide, they are not a cure for obesity, and their ability to help a person lose weight is debatable. Usually it is advised that a healthy diet and exercise is also taken while on the “tea diet”, which makes the effectiveness of the tea itself seem all the more unlikely. According to one aggressive sales pitch, Wuyi tea has the following properties: “zero carbohydrates, zero calories, zero fats, Wu-Yi Tea extremely powerful“. Being free of carbs and calories is in itself debatable, but advertising a tea to be fat free is just taking the [...]

Does Green Tea Really Aid Weight Loss? More at MotleyHealth.com

MMA is fast becoming the most popular competition martial art. As it takes the best parts from several styles, i.e. kicking, punching, grappling, throwing and submission wrestling, it is the closest to a true fight that can be had while still ensuring that there are safety rules in place to prevent serious injury. Many people are critical of MMA, claiming it to be too violent, however there is less risk of serious injury in MMA than in professional boxing. UFC sees the top cage fighters from around the world meeting in the ultimate fighting contest. UFC is a no-holds barred competition which pulls in fighters from a wide range of martial arts styles. Kick-boxing and jujitsu wrestling techniques are generally favored. Brazilian Jujitsu shot to fame due to its success in the MMA arena. MMA (mixed martial arts) are without the most demanding physically of any martial arts competition. And for that, fighters need to be extremely well conditioned and skilled. The actual martial training will depend on the styles that each fighter specializes in, so some will spend longer working on boxing, others kicking, others grappling. All are needed, but how much time is spent on each system is [...]

MMA Workout To Build Strength and Endurance More at MotleyHealth.com

If you are exercising intensively you need to start thinking about nutrition. Whether you are trying to lose fat or build more muscle, or both, then getting your diet right is vital for success. For bodybuilding, training for kickboxing competitions, football, athletics or any other active sport, you need to get you nutrition right. Here we look a nutrition for fitness in general, then take a look at how martial artists and runners manage their nutrition. Finally we look at some supplements and share some warnings. To maintain a healthy weight all you really need to do is eat a reasonable well balanced diet and stay within your daily calorie needs to avoid gaining weight. However, if you are looking to lose fat while building muscle, nutrition becomes more complex. Nutrition for Exercise and Sports Pre Workout Nutrition What you eat before your workout affects how much energy you have. If you eat too little then your muscles may become fatigued too soon. If you eat too much you risk gaining weight. You should consume your pre-workout meal 2 hours before your workout to ensure that it is fully digested and that the energy and nutrients are being passed on to the [...]

A Guide To Workout Nutrition More at MotleyHealth.com

Regular exercise is perfectly safe for most women well into their pregnancy. Paula Radcliffe was in the press a lot when she was pregnant. She told one newspaper that she was running 14 miles a day, the the Daily Telegraph reported her 10km charity run while seven months pregnant. The NHS advise to carry on doing your usual fitness activities for as long as it feels comfortable. This really makes sense as prehistoric women would not have had the luxury of putting their feet up for 6 months, they would have been hunting, gathering, migrating and generally very active. So if you are fit already then the best advice is to stay active. With the exception of extreme exercise (force marching for example) exercise during pregnancy is safe. Heavy lifting should be avoided though, we discuss this further below. As for nutrition, women should not “eat for two”. Many women gain weight during pregnancy simply because they eat far too much food and excessive weight can make child birth more difficult. So eat normally, with a few extra snacks, but do not consume vast amounts of food  - definitely do not eat 2 portions of each meal! What is more important during pregnancy is that you follow [...]

Health and Fitness During Pregnancy More at MotleyHealth.com

Yoga is a very popular fitness activity. It is mostly practised by women in the west to help tone muscles and lose weight. It is certainly not the most efficient way to get fit, but as it is a low impact exercise that is often taught in a quiet and relaxed environment it appeals to many people. Here we take a look at some of the known health benefits of doing yoga, ask the question “can yoga help you to lose weight?” and then guide you through a simple yoga warm up routine and a more advanced sequence of asanas (postures) that will help to work your whole body. Advantages of Yoga as a Form of Exercise Yoga is an excellent fitness activity. Although a majority of people only practice their yoga in organized classes, once you have learned the main postures and sequences you can train anywhere. It is ideal for anyone living in a small space or for those who travel a lot. While yoga does not provide an excellent cardiovascular workout it does provide good strength, flexibility and balance training and also helps to improve circulation and respiratory health. For anyone who has not exercised in a very long time a yoga workout [...]

The Health Benefits of Yoga More at MotleyHealth.com

The paleolithic diet, also known as the Stone Age Diet or Caveman Diet, is simply a return to eating the foods that humans would have consumed before agriculture and farming became common. Also, it emphasises eating raw foods, as cooking would have been a rarity. It is the oldest known diet to man! The paleolithic diet is intended to emulate the ancient diet of wild plants and animals that humans consumed up until the end of the stone age, which was about 10,000 years ago. It is based upon commonly available modern foods, including lean meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, roots, and nuts. It mostly excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar and processed oils. Some salt and dairy (fresh goats milk etc.) may have been consumed, but not on a large scale. Although fire was used in cooking it may not have been a daily luxury. The Original Paleo Diet for Weight Loss To start a Paleo Diet you just need the Paleo Cookbook from www.paleocookbooks.com. It was first popularized in the mid 1970s by a gastroenterologist named Walter L. Voegtlin. Building upon the principles of evolutionary medicine, it is based on the premise that modern humans are genetically adapted to the [...]

The Paleo Diet – Weight Loss Diet By Paleolithic Man! More at MotleyHealth.com

Red meat has the potential to be very important in our diet. It is a rich source of protein, which is essential for athletic development (muscles) and also contains iron, zinc and phosphorus, plus vitamins B12, thiamin and roboflavin. Red meat is also one of the best sources of a antioxidant called Alpha Lipoic Acid, and contains creatine, which also aids muscular growth. However, various studies over the years have highlighted the health problems linked to the consumption of red meat. British Meat Industry and the World Cancer Research Fund There has been a debate between the British meat industry (which consists of the National Beef Association , the National Sheep Association and the National Farmers’ Union) and the World Cancer Research Fund. In the report on bowel cancer published in 2007, the main concerns were surrounding processed red meats. Meats such as salami and ham are still considered to be very unhealthy, and pose great risk to health. The increased salt content, plus the additional saturated fat in salami, is bed for cardiovascular health. However, there has been some criticism on the scientific method, and also on the filtering of data and ommission of research that dod not provide any conclusive link [...]

The Red Meat Debate – Is It Safe? More at MotleyHealth.com

Over the years much research has been carried out to examine the relationship between diet and heart disease. Many studies lead to the idea of “superfoods” to prevent heart disease developing, however, these reports are generally misleading. Some studies have led to campaigns to ban butter and other fats as they are deemed so dangerous to health. A well balanced diet with plenty of exercise is really the best way to reduce the risk of developing heart disease. Here we look at Western Diet Causes Heart Disease Research published in Circulation in 2008 has shown that the western diet is responsible for the increased incidence of heart disease and heart attacks. The research carried out McMaster University in Canada has suggested that switching fried and salty foods for salads and fresh fruits could cut the global incidence of heart attacks by 30%. The researchers analysed the diets of 16,000 people in 52 countries and identified three global eating patterns. The typical Western diet, high in fat, salt and meat, accounted for about 30% of heart attack risk in any population. A more prudent diet high in fruit and veg lowered heart risk by 30%. The Oriental diet, which is high in [...]

Diet and Heart Health More at MotleyHealth.com

Most health scientists have been aware of the many links between diet, obesity and poor diet, smoking, alcohol and inactivity with cancer for a long time now, however, much of the research fails to reach the public. Here we share several studies from the last few years that have provided substantial evidence for the link between diet and cancer. The Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine Study The major study was carried out by Professor Max Parkin of the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine for Cancer Research UK and published in the British Journal of Cancer. Although the research looked at cancer in the UK, the results are relevant for all countries. The key findings are that 1 in 3 cancer cases can be prevented if people adopt a healthier lifestyle. The full report can be read here: The Fraction of Cancer Attributable to Lifestyle and Environmental Factors in the UK in 2010. Major Lifestyle and Environment Risk Factors The study examined the following 14 lifestyle and environmental risk factors (of which diet accounted for 4 of the factors): Tobacco – still the biggest problem, accounting for 23% of all cancer cases in men. Poor Diet – a diet lacking in fruits and vegetables, too [...]

The Relationship Between Diet, Lifestyle and Cancer More at MotleyHealth.com