Press-Up Variation - 3 Point Press Up

I really believe that press ups, or push ups, are one of the best exercises a person can do. However, it is important to vary your exercises so your muscles do not get 'trained' to do them. Basically this means that the more you vary your workouts, the better the results. So, with that in mind, in this blog I will discuss a specific version of the press up that is a variation on the standard and is known as a Three-Point Press Up.

This variation requires a slight change on a regular press up but it will make the exercise more intense. Get into the normal press up position. Now, place one foot on top of the other, making it three points. That is the only change, so from here do your normal press up routine, change feet to ensure both sides of the body are equal. You should feel a difference, it will be harder to complete your normal amount of press ups.

Orexin

I have recently read a report that may help with our fight against obesity. The fat that we generally see as body fat is called white fat. There is also another type of fat, known as brown fat. It was thought, by scientists, which after infancy humans no longer produced brown fat. However, recent research has shown that it is still present in adult humans.

Why is this important though? Well, according to the report, brown fat is so full of blood vessels and mitochondria. This is important as it makes brown fat very good when converting calories into energy. However, with obesity, this process malfunctions, making it more difficult to convert the calories into energy.

A study that was published on October 5^th, explains that orexin, which is a hormone the brain produces, activated the calorie burning brown fat in mice. The study suggests that an orexin supplementation could be a new way of treating obesity and other metabolic disorders.

These findings could be so valuable, in my opinion. If it turns out that these are affective then it could lead to a lot more healthy people in the world. Hopefully this research proves fruitful.

The Best Time To Exercise

There are lots of different ideas as to what the best time of day to exercise is. It is generally accepted that first thing in the morning, or last thing at night are the two best times to complete your training.

There are many advantages to exercising first thing in the morning. Firstly, there being fewer distractions and schedules to worry about early on in the day and you can make time for exercise by getting up earlier. Exercising in the morning raises your heart rate and therefore metabolism for the day, which allows for more calories to be burnt throughout the day, the body will also be energised for the day. Finally, according to some reports, exercising in the morning allows your brain to function better for hours.

 There are also many advantages to exercising in the evening. Firstly, for most people, the temperature of the body peaks at around 6 p.m. and exercising around this weak will allow for the best workout for both endurance and for building muscle. Secondly, by this time, your muscles will be warm and flexible, making it easier to work out. Exercising later in the day can also act as a stress relief after a day of work/school etc.

There are also advantages to training at other times during the day; however I feel that these two are the best from my experience. Ultimately, I would say that exercising in the morning is the best for losing weight and training in either the morning or the evening is equally good for muscle building/toning. A few years ago I began losing weight and getting into better shape and the majority of my training was completed in the morning and so I feel that this is definitely what I would advise to anyone wanting to lose belly fat.