What Is Safe Yoga?

Safe Yoga Is:

S ecure ( secure environment, instructor, student)
A ttention (attention to detail, form, postures, levels)
F unctional (offers modifications, options, mindful of exercise science)
E ffective (provides flexibility, strength, ease of use, balance)

Why Yoga is More Popular Than Ever

Yoga provides a total body workout that enhances strength, cardiovascular condition, balance and flexibility. It also enhances one's body awareness, increases physical control and facilitates body mastery. Because it involves a highly comprehensive and integrated approach, yoga produces a longer, leaner and more graceful physique - also currently in vogue. Yoga also helps reduce stress, tension and fatigue through its mindfulness, often-fluid movement and deep breathing focus. If instructors are not attuned to the unique needs of the fitness club environment and gym members , injuries can occur. Traditional yoga as originating in India, does not really exist anymore in the United Sates. But fitness styles of yoga are appropriate for fitness centers.

As Beth Shaw (above) can attest, yoga produces a longer, leaner and more graceful physique.

Body Heat, Breath and Rest

Safe yoga differs from traditional yoga in that the postures link in a fluid heat building way. Breath is linked with movement heating the body naturally and organically. Rest is encouraged when necessary. Warm-ups are crucial as fitness rooms are often cold. Warm up the body completely with large body moves prior to engaging in any complex or flexibility oriented pose. Fitness moves are incorporated such as sit-ups and push-ups, lunge and hold.
Transitions are smooth, from pose to pose with a full-body workout focus; all body parts are worked equally. Modifications and levels are offered to suit the needs of several different students at different levels in the room. Instructors speak in terms of "or", "either", "modify". They also encourage students to "take breaks", "let go" of expectations, judgment and competition and not push past their limits. Safe instructors are to never make aggressive physical adjustments to their students.
Group Fitness instructors can embark by initialing incorporating yoga postures into their already existing classes: Step, spin, kick box and aerobics. This provides an opportunity to get comfortable with a few basic postures.

Before hiring a teacher - answer these key questions:

1. Are you aware of the AFAA and ACE Safety Guidelines of Contraindications ?
2. Are you aware of how these relate to yoga?
3. Have you been through a formal yoga teacher training
4. Are you comfortable doing the postures?
5. Are you comfortable teaching the postures?
6. Do you have a regular yoga practice?

If you have answered yes to all of the above then its time to begin. Audition them!

Guru Mentality Doesn't Fit in Fitness Facilities

A guru mentality is not a welcome one in the fitness club. Look for an instructor who is first a fitness instructor, it's a lot easier to train a fitness instructor in yoga than it is to train a traditional yoga instructor in fitness.

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The breath is the single most important part of our yoga practice.

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Class Formatting :

Fitness yoga is a wide departure from traditional yoga. To be safe, it is best taught by fitness instructors that learn yoga, than vice versa.

Whether the instructor chooses to incorporate postures into your existing class or create a Safe Yoga Class, a warm -up period is crucial. Just as we don't stretch before exercise, we don't want to get into complex yoga postures before our bodies are warm and ready to be there. Each class should begin with at least 5 minutes of deep breathing. This helps to clear the mind and prepare the body. The breath is the single most important part of our yoga practice. By breathing in and out of the nose we keep the heat in the body and focus the mind. Deep rhythmic breathing is the solid foundation upon which we build our yoga practice. Instructors should continually return to breath focus and need to constantly remind students to do the same. Rest and recovery are also an important part of the yoga, we rest for at least 5 minutes at the end of class to rejuvenate, restore and revive the body.

About YogaFit

Most instructors teaching in fitness facilities do not have the luxury of independent lighting and heating controls. YogaFit is an excellent choice for the fitness environment for this very reason. If at all possible dim the lights, turn off the air conditioning and choose music for active yoga. YogaFit offers four levels of teacher training as well as many specialty programs like prenatal, seniors and kids. YogaFit has a complete line of educational videos for teachers, clubs and students.
About Beth Shaw

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What Does Your Favorite Yoga Pose Say About You?

Every yogi, no matter how much or how little experience you have with yoga, has one: that particular pose you love above all others. It’s the pose that feels most like home, and the one you keep wishing the teacher would call out next.
Here’s a guide to what a propensity for a certain yoga pose might have to say about you.

Tree Pose

You’re grounded but you enjoy testing your limits. Tree Pose is often a favorite pose of newer yogis — it’s a first foray into challenging balancing poses, and when you nail it, it feels effortless. If you wobble more than you stand still in this pose, focus on feeling your connection to the earth by rooting down through the big toe mound of your standing foot and the sole of the foot that’s pressing in to your inner thigh. If you’re pretty stable here, prioritize lifting your ribcage and fingertips up as high as you can.

Backbends

Whether you’re a Wheel junkie or just love lying down with your ribcage draped over a rolled up blanket, a propensity toward Backbends indicates an open heart, loving nature, and excitement about the future. Just be careful that your exuberance doesn’t lead to injury — if your quads, abdomen, chest and shoulders aren’t open in your Backbends, you could tweak your back. Translated to daily life, if you aren’t as flexible as you are strong, you could wind up with too much on your shoulders.

Forward Folds

Sitting or standing, a love of Forward Folds indicates that you are introspective and not afraid to let yourself get quiet so you can hear you own thoughts. Forward bending is also associated with looking to the past — be sure you don’t spend so much time folding forward that you forget to be open to the present or anticipate the future.

Revolved Standing Poses

A love of Revolved Standing Poses indicates that you’re not afraid to take a bite out of the cookie of life. You’ve got a lot going on, and yet it all seems to work, because you know that it takes a delicate balance of hard work and surrender to keep it all together. Just remember to treat yourself to rest and a quiet practice of restorative poses to keep your batteries charged.

Headstand

You’re interested in building your intuition and learning how to maintain a sense of trust in the face of a scary situation. Headstand aficianados are not afraid of a challenge. Like Handstand fans, you’re open to seeing things from multiple points of view. Your challenge is to learn how to find your center even when your world is turned upside down.

Handstand

You’re a thrill seeker who knows how to find balance in the midst of chaos. Or, at least, you’re working your way toward it. Handstand fans aren’t afraid to look at things from a different vantage point from the average soul. The trick for you is to balance your exuberance with grace, and to learn how to fall softly for those times when your enthusiasm leads you into a precarious position.

Cobbler’s Pose, Pigeon Pose, and/or Split Pose

You’re not intimidated by a little discomfort and crave the release that comes from working your edges. People who love Cobbler’s Pose, Pigeon Pose and Split Pose also tolerate emotionally charged situations well — the hips are often storehouses for unprocessed emotions, and many people shy away from these poses because they aren’t comfortable with accessing the hidden feelings they may have. Just remember that boundaries are healthy. You don’t want to overextend yourself, making you either overly vulnerable emotionally or prone to muscle pulls physically.

Corpse Pose

Love Corpse Pose? You are likely tired, over-scheduled, and craving some profound rest. And what’s so wrong about that? Our society may prize people who can keep up a furious pace, but some part of you knows that there’s a time and a place for stillness, quiet and reflection. Indulge in a few moments of rest each day, always keeping in mind that the true challenge of the pose is to allow your mind to quiet without falling asleep or planning what you’re going to have for dinner.
For more infomation I would highly recommend that you check these E-Books :-
 Yoga Weight Loss System
 Meditation And Yoga Certification Program
 11 X Guided Meditations For Spiritual Growth + 18 Free Ebooks
 Shapeshifter Yoga

The 9 Best Exercises You're Not Doing

These muscle-building moves have been absent from your workouts for too long-maybe forever. It's time for a proper introduction.

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by Joe Wuebben, Muscle & Fitness Jul 23, 2012

Sometimes the best exercise is the one you're not doing. And why, exactly, is such a great move not part of your training? Probably one of two reasons: a) you don't know it exists, or b) it's so challenging that you'd rather skip it and do something easier. The following nine exercises are ones we feel every physique-conscious guy should practice. Some you've heard of but are ignoring, and others are so unique we bet they've never crossed your mind. Either way, it's time to add these moves to your repertoire.

Exercise 1//

Front Squat

(lower body, core)

Why You Should Be Doing It

"Front squats have really helped my quad development, especially when I was preparing for the Ironman," says Phil Heath. "Most people don't do front squats, because they're uncomfortable and there are easier alternatives, but to really add size to the quads, they're a must."

Exercise 2//

Crush-Grip Dumbbell Bench Press

(upper body)

Why You Should Be Doing It

"'Crushing' the dumbbells together while slowing the tempo increases the tension across the chest, shoulders, triceps, and upper back," says Jim Smith, C.S.C.S. (owner of Diesel Strength & Conditioning (dieselsc.), member of the livestrong. advisory board) "More time under tension will immediately increase the muscle-building and natural hormone-release effect."

How To Do It

Sit on the end of a flat bench holding a pair of dumbbells. Lie back and hold the dumbbells over your chest, arms extended, with the insides of the dumbbells touching. As you lower the weights toward your chest, press them together as hard as possible. When they reach your chest, lift the weights back up, still pressing them together. Keep the rep speed slow.

Exercise 3//

Arched Back Pull-Up

(upper body)

Why You Should Be Doing It

"This exercise involves both a vertical and horizontal pull from the upper body—most pulling moves involve only one or the other," Martin Rooney (CEO of trainingforwarriors.and author of Warrior Cardio: The Revolutionary Metabolic Training System for Burning Fat, Building Muscle, and Getting Fit) says. "It maximizes core and abdominal recruitment. So, the arched-back pull-up hits about as much total muscle as any lift."

Exercise 4//

Wide-Grip Upright Row

(upper body)

Why You Should Be Doing It

"Wide-grip upright rows can be a great deltoid builder if used correctly," Justin Grinnell, C.S.C.S. (powerlifter and co-owner of State of Fitness in East Lansing, MI (mystateoffitness.)) says. "Doing them with the wider grip will take the traps out of the movement," he says, "and you'll hit the delts better than you would if you were using a narrow grip." But if you have shoulder impingement issues, proceed with caution.

How To Do It

Stand holding a barbell in front of your thighs with your arms fully extended and your hands outside shoulder width. With your knees slightly bent, pull the bar straight up your body, bending your elbows, until it reaches chest height. As you lift the bar, don't let your shoulders shrug up; keep them depressed to maintain tension in the delts. Hold the contraction at the top for a count, then lower back down.

Exercise 5//

Overhead Squat

(whole body)

Why You Should Be Doing It

"The overhead squat is not an exercise you should be skipping," Brian Strump, D.C. (owner of CrossFit Steele Creek and Premier Health & Rehab Solutions in Charlotte, NC (crossfitsteelecreek)) says. "It integrates functional strength, flexibility, and core and shoulder stability. With so much going on, the overhead squat elicits a hormonal response that builds muscle and burns fat."

How To Do It

Grasp a relatively light Olympic barbell in a power rack with a very wide, overhand grip (aka snatch grip), with your feet shoulder-width apart, your back flat, and your chest out.

Push-press the bar overhead so you're in standing position, arms fully extended, shoulder blades squeezed together. The bar should be slightly behind your head, not directly over or in front of it.

Maintaining this bar position, slowly squat down as if sitting on a stool, keeping your chest out, until your thighs reach parallel with the floor. Press through your heels to stand back up to the start position.

Exercise 6//

Biceps Ladder

(upper body)

Why You Should Be Doing It

On top of the crazy pump you'll get, the ladder has a host of other benefits."The biceps ladder is a great mass builder," says Jim Stoppani, Ph.D. (senior science editor and host of M&F Raw! at muscleandfitness.com) "First, it allows you to go heavier than you could with standard curls (using your own body weight). Second, you're focusing on the negative of each rep, which will further stimulate growth. And finally, the 'ladder' aspect of the lift functions like a dropset, increasing your total number of reps to maximize blood flow to the biceps. One trip up the ladder and your biceps will be screaming."

How To Do It

Set a bar in a power rack just above arm's length from the floor. Grab the bar with a shoulder-width, underhand grip with your body hanging underneath it just above the floor, in a straight line from head to toe. Starting with your arms fully extended, curl yourself up as high as possible, bringing your forehead to the bar. Do as many reps as you can, then raise the bar one setting and repeat. Keep raising the bar until you can't perform any more reps.

Exercise 7//

Seated Reverse-Grip Overhead Triceps Extension

(triceps)

Why You Should Be Doing It

"The long head of the triceps tends to get neglected," Ray Wetterlund III, C.S.C.S. (USA weightlifting coach and celebrity personal trainer in La Jolla, CA (rw3fitness.com)) says, "primarily because it responds best to heavy loads and overhead movements, which people often leave out of their arm routines. This is why the seated overhead extension is my go-to move for bringing up the long head."

Exercise 8//

Seated Rotation

(lower body, core)

Why You Should Be Doing It

"Life and sport happen in the transverse plane, like when you put on your seatbelt or swing a bat," says celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson, C.S.C.S. (trainer to celebs such as Sylvester Stallon, Bruce Willis, and Tom Brady) "You need to train that way in the gym. Like the commercial says, 'Keep crunching,' but add in some side-to-side rotation to do everything better."

How To Do It

Sit on the floor holding a weight or medicine ball with both hands in front of you, elbows slightly bent. Start with your knees bent 90 degrees and feet on the floor (advanced trainees can raise their feet off the floor). Rotate the weight from one hip to the other in a continuous side-to-side motion, following the weight with your eyes and allowing your shoulders to rotate. Try to keep your legs from swaying side to side during the movement. It's not just difficult in terms of coordination, but it will also give your stabilizing muscles a ton of extra work.

Exercise 9//

Good Morning

(lower body, core)

Why You Should Be Doing It

"Good mornings are a really effective exercise that most people don't do," Guillermo Escalante, C.S.C.S. (bodybuilder and co-owner of SportsPros Personal Training/Physical Therapy Center in Claremont, CA (4sportspros.com)) says. "They target the larger posterior chain muscles (glutes, hamstrings, and paraspinals), which can help you improve your strength in lifts like the deadlift and squat, as well as decrease your risk of lower-back injury."

How To Do It

Stand with feet hip- to shoulder-width apart, holding a relatively light barbell across your upper traps. Keeping your back flat and knees slightly bent, slowly bend your hips back to lower your torso toward the floor. When your torso reaches parallel with the floor, reverse the motion to return to the standing position.

Just Do It

Want to get after these nine great exercises all at once? Try this upper-body/lower-body two-day split for a full-body blitz your muscles will never see coming.
For more info :- Kettlebell Fat Loss Workouts

8 Weight Loss Tips

8 Weight Loss Tips
by Beth Scott

There are a lot of "crash" diets out there that promise that you'll drop a considerable amount of weight in days or a week.
I have tried a few of these, and in my experience the weight always comes back on, just as quickly since the weight loss tips given are not something that will work with your body.
One thing you don't want to do if you are actually serious about losing weight is to follow these fad diets and their ridiculous weight loss tips.
After their ineffectiveness has been proven time and again, people will start to wise up to that particular diet, and will head off in search of a new craze.
Lets be honest, people are always searching for new weight loss tips because they want to lose pounds and they want immediate results, but this is just wishful thinking.
To lose weight permanently and effectively it will be a rather slow progress, all depending on your metabolic rate and how much you need to lose.
There are however some proven tried and true weight loss tips for aiding in the weight loss process, and I can make you familiar with them.

Weight Loss Tip 1

Don't skip breakfast. Whatever you do follow this advice, because otherwise you are much more likely to binge later in the day.

Weight Loss Tip 2

Don't eat anything for at least an hour before going to bed. Your body will be trying to digest the food you've eaten and this will cause you to stay awake longer (think insomnia), possibly making you eat even more if you're bored, and have nothing to do. Proper sleep is also a factor in weight loss, believe it or not, so you want to be sure to get those zzzzz's at night.

Weight Loss Tip 3

Don't snack while watching TV. It's acceptable to eat a meal while watching television, but never is snacking at this time acceptable.

Weight Loss Tip 4

Substitute fruits like; bananas, watermelon, plums, peaches, and oranges for sugary treats like; cookies and candy.

Weight Loss Tip 5

Substitute honey for sugar, and carob powder for chocolate in all recipes. These taste just as good if not better when used properly.

Weight Loss Tip 6

Eat more vegetables. This can even be enjoyable if you have a good cookbook like Good housekeeping's latest edition.

Weight Loss Tip 7

Avoid unnecessary high calorie foods. Instead of a high calorie salad dressing for instance try cottage cheese or yogurt to improve the salads taste and peel of the pounds.

Weight Loss Tip 8

Exercise at least a half hour each day for five days out of the week. Biking on a stationery bike while reading is a great form of exercise to slim legs.
In conclusion there is nothing stopping you from losing weight except yourself. Get off the "I can't do anything about my weight problem" bandwagon and start dropping pounds today!
If you want to lose weight and keep it off visit fitness guru Brad Callen's informative website.

The Weight Loss Formula

How to lose weight forever

Lose That baby weight

Whatis the difference between body building and fitness training?

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BODY BUILDING AND FITNESS TRAINING
A lot of people have a misconception between strength training and bodybuilding; this misconception can arise because of many reasons, the main of which is not enough awareness about fitness and bodybuilding. But nevertheless, it is very important to clear the misconception because once you set to engage in a strictly healthy lifestyle, you need to know the difference between the two so that you can decide which is best for you.
Fitness training focuses primarily on building your strength and stamina which relates basically to building power in your body steadily while bodybuilding focuses primarily on building muscles for show or for sport. Fitness training is also a sport but it has more than one motive behind it.
Some people may even distinguish between power lifting and strength training as power lifting being only to lift heavy objects and fitness training being as something more; to build stamina and strength in our bodies for purposes more that lifting heavy objects. Additionally, strength training can help to increase your health and fitness levels, to lose fat and to gain optimum health and to gain an amazing body.
Bodybuilding on the other hand, focuses primarily on building a larger body composed of proportioned muscles. Bodybuilder’s lives compose of working out like crazy and having huge appetites as well. For some bodybuilder’s, their diet and general health may become a question mark if they don’t follow tips for building their muscles properly. It is very important for bodybuilders to include healthy items in their diet even if they are focused on gaining muscular weight.
Some people also believe that fitness training is the root to bodybuilding as bodybuilders are also strength trainers in a way and that is true, but fitness training tends to be more slow rep and heavier weights are required and it conditions the muscles to accept more weight and demand more from them. Strength training, therefore, is better for athletes and sports people for better strength and stamina rather than for bodybuilders.
There is a lot of debate as well on the issue that there is not much of a difference between fitness training and bodybuilding but this is true only to a certain extent. Usually, when people start on their fitness regimes, strength training and bodybuilding will seem the same thing and your body will respond the same way to both strength training and bodybuilding. As you go along, your fitness trainer can advise you which way you need to go, focus on strength training and workout according to that or focus on bodybuilding and focus on bodybuilding workouts only. This decision is crucial to make because over time, your body will accept whatever workout routine you consider and this will impact your physique and fitness level over the passage of time. So if you have begun to think along the lines of serious fitness levels, maybe this is the time to make yourself aware between the differences of fitness training and bodybuilding.
If you Have an interest about these things I would highly recommend that you check the E-Book
MuscleBuilder and BodyBuilding Course  and 40 Days Fit