The first step to begin gaining and toning muscle is to determine how you want to train, and where you want to train.  Gyms are a great option, and are most commonly recommended for beginners.  These facilities are equipped with various types of weight training machines, free weight options, and professionals on staff to help guide you throughout the process.

If you would prefer to begin at home, you can certainly purchase your own free weights, small weight bench, home weight machine, and/or resistance bands.  Take a trip to your local sporting goods store and speak with a member of the staff to ensure you make the right purchase.

Next, you will need to design a complete program for your training needs.  Begin by setting realistic goals, and set a workout schedule you will be able to keep.  The most common mistake beginners make is designing a plan that tries to do too much too soon, and takes up more time than they can truly devote.  It might be worth consulting with a personal trainer when setting up your plan.  These professionals are highly skilled in this area and can be excellent guides to get you on the right path.

It is also important that you educate yourself on muscle health during this stage.  You need to understand how hard to work your muscles, that you should never exercise the same muscle groups two days in a row (except abs), and that in the beginning you will need to have a day of rest between each workout session.  Muscle training puts wear and tear on your tissues and they will need a bit of time to heal and regenerate.

When you are just beginning it is necessary to get your body used to moving, and burning calories.  In addition to just focusing on weight training, you should include cardiovascular exercise.  Once you get your body used to a higher level of activity you can then begin to add more focused training programs into your fitness routine.  You should go about introducing weights slowly and gradually increase the amount of weight and resistance you work with.

Finally, a proper diet is essential to gaining and toning muscle.  Once you begin to workout your body is going to have more specific nutritional needs.  You will be expending more energy, and burning more calories.  It is important that you replenish your body with the right type of fuel.  Foods such as lean protein, yogurt, milk, cheese, beans, nuts, and complex carbohydrates need to be consumed.  If you are trying to bulk up a bit, you can supplement your daily diet with protein shakes, smoothies, and higher protein foods.  Be careful doing this, as you do not want to add extra saturated fat.

Remember, the process of gaining and toning muscle takes time.  When you stick with your program, and make healthy changes in your life, you will be thrilled with the results.

Water is truly the life force of the world.  This naturally occurring liquid does so much for every living being, and a good deal more than you may realize.  Water keeps muscles flexible and pliable; it carries and helps to process nutritional components of food; provides cell structures with the necessary oxygen; it works to cushion joints and lubricate tendons and ligaments; and it helps us to eliminate waste from the body through urination and bowel movements.

Water is all natural, free of fat and calories, and easily absorbed by the body through the stomach and intestines.  The body utilizes and expels water in several different ways.  In addition to urination and bowel movements, water is lost through vomiting and sweat.  People can become easily dehydrated after being ill, as well as while sweating.  Many people are not aware of how much they are sweating (especially in hot or humid weather) and do not replenish their bodies with adequate amounts of water.

In order to prevent dehydration and to ensure proper hydration, you must make certain that you are consuming at least an equal amount of water compared to the amount that is being eliminated.  Certain individuals, such as the elderly, people who are suffering from illnesses, those training, people who are on particular medications, and young children, are often at a higher risk for dehydration.

Individuals who live in very humid environments, very arid environments, and those who live in high altitude environments must also take extra care to ensure enough water is being consumed regularly.  If you are traveling, and when you are working out, you should make sure you are continually stopping to sip on water so that hydration levels in your body remain in balance.

The actual recommended amount of water to be ingested per day varies a bit due to general health conditions, medication issues, age, and even gender.  Your activity level, the time of year, and weather conditions also factor in to the amount of water you should be drinking daily.

As we age, our sense of thirst has a tendency to decrease.  A good rule of thumb for adults is to drink about six to eight, eight ounce, glasses of water (or suitable fluids) each day.   If this seems like too much, another way to determine a recommended dose for you is to take your weight and divide it in half.  This number is equal to the total amount of fluids (in ounces) you should be consuming per day.

Please keep in mind that not all liquids hydrate well.  Beverages that contain alcohol or caffeine can actually cause the body to dehydrate.  Sodas contains a good deal of sugar (and often caffeine) and also do not hydrate properly.  Take a bit of time and research healthy fluids that will factor well into your daily diet and dietary needs.  Of course there is really no substitute for pure, clean, good old-fashioned plain water.

In addition to convenience foods being full of fat, high in calories, and loaded with preservatives, they are also rather costly for what you actually get.  It is very possible to purchase a great quantity of food, which you will have absolute control over how it is prepared, and spend less money per week.  All you need is a few basic guidelines, and to change your way of thinking just a bit.  Here are a few simple tips to help you eat healthier and not break the bank.

1. Think Outside The Box

Stop thinking that every meal has to come from a box, or the freezer section of the grocery store.  By learning how to cook for yourself you can save a great deal of salt, fat, calories, sugar, and money!

2. Substitute Good For Bad

There are numerous, easy substitutions that can be made everyday, especially to baked goods.  Baked goods are usually avoided due to people thinking they are too fattening for their diets.  Instead of using oil, substitute the same amount of sugar free applesauce for the called for amount of oil in your recipe.  This saves a lot of fat and calories, and the taste stays the same.

3. Stock Up On Discounts

Check out your grocery store for great sale items.  Another way to get a good bargain is to take a spin by the “day old sections” of your store.  The produce, dairy, and bakery departments usually have such a section.  Here you can find fresh produce marked down, sometimes as much as seventy-five percent, whole grain breads reduced drastically, and even dairy items priced to move.  These foods are still perfectly fine they just need to be cleared out to make room for the new items.

In addition to shopping clearance products, pick up a sales flyer and use it to plan your list in advance.  Take advantage of weekly specials to stock your home.  Beans, nuts, dried pastas, flours, and other non-perishables can be stored for months.  Meats, seafood, and fish can be frozen and stored for up to six months.  Stocking up not only saves money, it also helps to ensure you always have healthy ingredients on hand.

4. Shop Locally

Take a spin by your local farmer’s market to find high quality, local produce at very reasonable prices.  Local farmers do not have the added expense of having to ship their items to market, so they can set their prices much lower than the grocery stores.  These foods are fresher, less expensive, and usually contain more nutrients.

If you are trying to lose weight, and build some lean muscle you should be lifting between sixty and eighty percent of your one rep maximum.  This will help you burn fat, and gain some good muscle tone. 

The problem with using this formula to figure the weight level is that most of us do not have any idea what our maximum is, and we do not really care to try to think about it.  What ends up happening is we use the same weights over and over, and while we still get some exercise, the results will not change.  This is a great way to go about keeping your body from changing, but it is not terribly efficient if you are trying to lose weight or build more muscle.

So, how should you go about determining the proper amount of weight to train with?  A good basic rule of thumb is to figure this without having to think about it too much, or break out the calculator is to train with weights that are heavy enough that you can cannot do more than fifteen repetitions, but not too heavy that you cannot complete eight repetitions. 

You should be able to hold the weight properly and use good form while performing these repetitions.  By the time you get to the end of your set, within the last two to three reps, you should feel a bit tired, and have a bit of difficulty continuing.  You should literally feel the burn.  If you find that you cannot maintain proper form by the end of your set, then you need to switch to a lighter weight.  If you find that you have reached rep fifteen and can still keep going, you need to increase your weight.

The important thing to remember when it comes to weight training is that you must push yourself just a little, and give you your muscles more weight than they can handle.  Muscles will not be able to grow or gain strength if you do not gradually increase the weight. 

The challenge of lifting weights becomes as much a mental process as it is a physical process.  If you are unable to push your mind as well as your entire body, you will not get the best possible results.  When you are able to commit fully to your new workout routine you will be better able to build upon a solid program, which will encourage you to keep lifting and strive for the next level. 

You will know your limits, and be able to reach your goals.  Keep in mind weight training is a process that cannot and should not be rushed.  Follow these guidelines, use physical and mental control, and you will be amazed with the results.

1. Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Feel free to load up on these.  You should be consuming about three to five servings a day, so these foods make excellent snack choices.  Not only do fruits and vegetables contain plenty of nutrients, vitamins and minerals, they also have a good deal of fiber.  Fiber helps to keep you feeling full longer so you do not have the urge to keep eating.  On top of these benefits, produce is fat free and contains few calories.

2. Low Fat or Fat Free Dairy

Low fat or fat free dairy is another great choice for diet friendly snacks.  Low fat or fat free cheese, yogurt, and other lean dairy products contain a good amount of protein, calcium, vitamins, and minerals.  Calcium has been clinically proven to help with weight loss.  It is very important that you only choose low fat or fat free versions, and make sure to read labels to ensure you do not choose products that contain extra fillers or added sugars.

3. Whole Grains

Whole grain snacks provide high amounts of complex carbohydrates and fiber.  This combination not only helps to keep you feeling full, it also gives you an extra boost of energy.  A perfect snack is low fat whole grain bread or crackers, paired with a bit of low fat cheese.  This snack will hold you over throughout the day and it will not wreck your diet progress.
 
While the above-mentioned foods are recommended for snacking, it is important to note that you should not go overboard with any of these options.  You still need to keep portions under control when preparing your mini-meals.  Here is some helpful snacking information:  one stalk of celery contains about ten calories; two cubes of cheese about the size of dominos contain about one hundred calories; one cup of raw fresh vegetables is between twenty-five to thirty calories; one cup of low fat cottage cheese topped with a half cup of fresh fruit contains about two hundred calories; and a half cup of low fat frozen yogurt topped with a half cup of fresh fruit is about one hundred and fifty calories.  Nuts can be a great snack option, but remember just a small palm full packs over one hundred and fifty calories.  If you over do it with nuts, you can easily add eight hundred calories to you diet for the day without even noticing.

The bench press is the number one piece of equipment that people use improper form on.    People often cheat by using their entire body to lift the weight, rather than just using their upper arms and chest.Proper bench press form does allow you to arch your back slightly, but it does not allow you to lift your rear end off of the bench. 

In order to get the best workout on the bench, and to tone your pectoral muscles, the back needs to be pushed inward and down just slightly while laying flat on the bench.  This allows your chest to come forward a bit and allows for a much more intense workout.  Your feet should be on the floor, your rear end on the bench, and your back should follow its natural arching pattern.  Cheating by pushing your back upward or off of the bench is not only wrong, it can also cause injury.

The squat is another weight lifting exercise that is often done improperly.  Many people add more weight than they can truly handle and do not squat down low enough to the point where their thighs are parallel to the floor.  Proper squatting form means your lower back should be arched a bit to avoid bending, your knees should be bent forward slightly but not hyperextending past your toes, and your hips and buttocks should be toward the back.

When performing dead lifts you need to make sure your form enables you to control your movements with your legs, and hips, and not lift the weight with your lower back.  Allowing your hamstrings to help control your lifts will increase your overall strength.
 
Always make sure you control the negative part of the movement when weight training.    Keeping the weights under control and taking a bit of time to make sure your form is correct will allow you to get the very most out of your workout and drastically reduce your chance of becoming injured.

That being said, there are a few types of exercise that will lead to better overall results.  Aerobic based, cardiovascular workouts that incorporate regular bouts of weight training tend to burn the highest amounts of fat and calories.  It is a good idea to choose a few different types of activities and alternate between them during the week.  This will burn more calories because the different types of exercise will work different muscle groups, it will also help to increase metabolic function. 

Aside from the health benefits, alternating exercise routines will also help to prevent boredom.  Avoiding boredom is an important key to sticking with a workout program. 

Many personal trainers also recommend a bit of cross training to further enhance the results of your workout.  Cross training programs incorporate many different types of activities during one workout session.  The programs are typically broken up into different segments all with varying levels of intensity. 

This is ideal because it causes your body to work harder overall, which burns a great deal more calories.  Just as with alternating workouts, different muscle groups are worked, which helps to put less strain on one particular area, lowering the total risk for developing injuries from repetitive motion.  Cross training also causes less wear and tear on your joints due to less general stress.
 
In addition to undertaking a new workout program, make small simple changes to your daily life.  Try walking to work if possible, taking the stairs rather than the elevator, and parking a ways away from the store, rather than looking for the closest available parking space. 

If you enjoy an activity such as swimming, join a health club and take up water aerobics, or take up a water sport.  Traditional sports such as golf can become a great deal more physical with a few minor changes.  Leave the cart at the clubhouse and carry your own clubs.  You will get a good workout from the game, the walk, and from carrying the weight of your golf bag.

You do not need to spend a lot of money on gym memberships or special exercise equipment, nor do you need to take on complex exercise programs.  You just need to get up, get moving, and keep moving.  Set goals that you can really work toward, and do not beat yourself up if you have a set back.  The key is to find something you enjoy, and stay active.  The more you incorporate exercise into your daily life, the more you will find it to become a way of life.

Once training has begun, trainers monitor your exercise techniques, educate you on the proper way to conduct exercises, improve your core skills, and help get you to the next level of fitness that you may not have achieved on your own.  You will be continually encouraged to push past your comfort level to a higher level of fitness; a technique many people cannot accomplish on their own.  In addition to these benefits, professional trainers also educate people on how to improve mental focus. 

This service of total care allows your training to be carried out in the safest, most efficient way possible.  Your goals that once seemed so far away are put well within reach.  The motivation that a professional trainer can provide is beyond what you can achieve on your own.  These trainers offer organization, dependability, and the support needed to get you to stick with a cardio routine for the long term. 

Another key benefit to hiring a professional trainer is privacy.  Many people, especially those just starting out, are uncomfortable with the idea of joining exercise classes, a gym, or even working out in public.  Trainers are quite flexible and arrange appointments in the comfort of your own home or in your office. 

If time is your excuse for not getting regular cardio exercise, a professional trainer may just be perfect for you.  Trainers will work with you and will help you find a time each day to complete your workout.  Appointments are often scheduled before work, on a lunch hour, after work, or just about any time of day that is suitable for you.  Session times can be set up to fit into your schedule with very little interruption to your daily routine.
 
No matter where you are in your quest for health and fitness, a professional trainer can help.  Whether you are just starting out, if you have hit a plateau, or if you just want to take your workouts to a more demanding level, these professionals offer so much.  Trainers keep exercise programs new, fun, and exciting.  In no time at all you will begin to see results.  You will be sticking with the program, dropping those pounds, and you will have more confidence and energy to take on the world.

Many people may not realize how simple a cardio workout can be.  Cardio can be just about any type of activity that raises your heart rate and gets your juices flowing.  From walking to rock climbing and everything in between, cardio is all around you.  In order to pick an activity that is best for you, and one you will actually stick with, ask yourself this simple question: what types of activities do you enjoy doing?  When you select a type of activity that you really like to partake in, you will be much more likely to stick with the program.

If you are an outdoors type of person, try walking, jogging, running, roller blading, biking, or hiking.  Get a friend to do these activities with you to help keep you motivated and keep you from getting bored.  If you like indoor activities, join an aerobics class, or run on a treadmill.  Try mixing up your routine so that you take part in several different activities during the course of the week.  By having a rotating schedule you will always be doing something different, which not only keeps you interested, it also works a wider variety of muscle groups.  This will then cause your body to build more muscle, while burning more calories.

Try not to focus too much on how to decide what cardio program you should begin.  If you enjoy dancing, fast pace dancing for just thirty minutes a day can do wonders for your entire body.  Consider joining a dance class at your local recreation center, or take dance lessons.  Activities such as swimming, rowing, and even jumping rope are all forms of cardio exercise.  Exercise equipment can also provide you with a great workout.  Try machines that really raise your heart rate such as step machines, and elliptical trainers.  Joining a gym provides you with many different pieces of equipment that you can alternate between either during each session or throughout the week.

Finally, do not forget about sports.  If you have a favorite sport, consider joining or starting a team.  This can be a great way to get moving and get your cardio.  The sport you choose should include a good deal of constant movement, with minimal bouts of time when you are standing still.  Great sports options include: football, basketball, tennis, racquetball, soccer, volleyball, and hockey (field or ice).  The key idea to remember is the need to get your body up and moving on a regular basis.  Once you have started a cardio exercise routine you will notice that you feel better, look better, and have a great deal more energy throughout your day.

1. Eat more regularly

Yes, as strange as it sounds, eating more often can actually help to control your appetite and keep hunger cravings at bay.  Consuming about five small, healthy, meals every three to four hours rather than eating just two to three large meals throughout the day helps to keep your blood sugar levels in check.  This works to keep your body feeling content and keeps the feeling of starvation from setting in.  When you do not feel starved, you will be more able to fight the urge to snack, or overeat at mealtime.  These small meals should be made up of a balanced combination of protein, carbohydrates, and even a bit of fat.  Balancing your meals with all three of these components will keep you energized and satisfied.  If you think you can leave even one of these items out in an attempt to save a few calories, you are going to find you feel unsatisfied and you will be looking for another snack.

2. Choose foods with Fiber

Fiber rich foods fill you up quickly, and keep you feeling full for a good deal of time.  Foods that contain adequate amounts of fiber are also low in fat and calories, and often provide many nutrients.

3. Consume more water

Water is a key building block for overall health.  This fabulous liquid keeps your body hydrated, keeps your body working well, and it also helps to keep hunger under control.  On top of all of these benefits, water is also fat and calorie free.

4. Distract yourself

A great way to help keep your appetite under control is to distract yourself from eating.  One excellent way to do this is to get some exercise.  Exercise releases hormones and endorphins that make you feel happy and satisfied.  These chemicals simulate the feeling many people get from eating.  Exercise also provides many physical benefits and helps to burn extra fat and calories.

5. Wait before eating

Try waiting a minimum of twenty minutes before reaching for a snack, having a second helping of food, or having dessert after dinner.  Often people automatically eat without really even thinking about it.  If you take the time to stop, think about consuming more food, and wait a while you may find you really do not need or even really want the extra serving.  Waiting about twenty minutes is also the amount of time needed for the brain to completely register the “all full” signal with the rest of the body.  If you find that you are still hungry after this period of time, most likely you will still eat less food than you would have if you had “automatically” eaten right away.