What Is Your Body Mass Index

Is your Body Mass Index something you should be paying attention to?
This page shows you the formula and BMI scale.


B M I is a way to measure your body fat, based on a calculation of weight and height.
Use the formula below to calculate yours.
Imperial

Weight in pounds * 703 / Height in inches * Height in inches

= BMI

Metric

Wight in kilograms / Height in meters * Height in meters

= BMI
For a fully automated BMI calculator see the following page cdc.gov, this is perfect if you don't have the time to mess about with the above formulas to calculate your results. Once you have your results, check it with the below BMI scale.

BMI Scale

Severely underweight	less than 16.0
Underweight	from 16.0 to 18.5
Normal	from 18.5 to 25
Overweight	from 25 to 30
Obese Class I	from 30 to 35
Obese Class II	from 35 to 40
Obese Class III	Over 40

What to make of this information

So now you have calculated your BMI and checked it on the scale, should you pay attention to it? That depends on your build, for example I am 6 foot 2 inches and about 202 pounds my BMI is 26 which is considered overweight according to the scale, but my body fat percentage is around 9%, so I know not to pay too much attention to this scale.

Muscle is heavier than fat, anybody that has more than average muscle mass should not pay too much attention to your BMI.

For everybody else it's a useful guideline.

A score of less than 18.5 probably means you're not eating enough, this could cause you to suffer from low energy levels and a reduced immune system increasing the chance of infection and disease, it could also cause possible organ damage. You should always check with your doctor if you have any concerns.

What is Body Fat Percentage

There are different ways to find out your body fat percentage, then check your results on the scale.
A certain amount of body fat is essential, the fat percentage needed for women is higher than men, and there are two different types of body fat, essential and storage, while essential body fat is indeed essential to support our bodies, it's the storage body fat that can sometimes get out of hand.
If you're looking to get a six pack your body fat percentage should be around the 10% mark for your abdominals to be visible.
How to reduce your body fat %

Good regular exercise plus a well balanced diet, seems simple enough but many struggle, the main reason for this is just lack of understanding and poor information.
Body Fat Scale

Gender	Women	Men
Minimum fat	10-12%	3-5%
Athletes	14-20%	6-13%
Healthy	21-24%	14-17%
Average	25-31%	18-24%
Over Weight	32%+	25%+

Calculate your body fat percentage here.

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How to find out your Body Fat %

Calipers (The Pinch Test)

Calipers are used to pinch your skin on different areas of your body, it measures the thickness of fat underneath the skin, then a formula is used to calculate the result.

Some health clubs and gyms will be able to perform the test.

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BIA scale

This is a scale that you stand on bare footed, it has two electrical conductors where you place your feet, you have to enter information about age and height, the scale takes your weight, then it sends a small electrical current through your body, it sends the electrical current up one leg then down the other and records how long it takes. It can get an idea of how much muscle and fat you have by the result, the more muscle you have the quicker the electrical current will travel, because muscle is a good conductor it is about 70% water.

The margin of error is about 3%, you can find these in some gyms and health clubs, we have one in our gym.

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US Navy Formula

There's a formula that is used by the US Navy, you need certain measurements like Neck, Waist, Hips and Height, then you enter that information into the formula, as you can imagine there will be a margin of error.

You will be able to find websites easy enough that include a body fat percentage calculator that uses this formula.

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The best way

There are many others, some are more accurate tests for getting your body fat %, but the best tool of all is the mirror, if you have some fat you need to get rid of, the mirror will tell you.

Best Abs Book - The Truth About Abs

The best abs book, The truth about six pack abs is a great book that gives honest information on how to achieve results.

Are you confused with all the different information and advice out there on Abs and weight loss? if you answered yes then this book maybe ideal for you.

I have heard a lot of good things about The Truth About Six Pack Abs E book, it's considered one of best books available on Abs and getting a flat stomach.

I decided to buy the book myself to find out what all the fuss is about and to see if it's worth recommending.

I am sure you have seen many books and Ab exercise equipment being advertised claiming to be the most effective way to tone and lose fat from the stomach area and get that visible six pack. They promise everything, but the truth is many are just ineffective.

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The Truth about 6 pack abs
 
After reading the book I was very impressed with the information, it is very honest and down to earth advice, it doesn't promise impossible to achieve results, just well written easy to following truthful advice.

The book offers actual workout routines designed to get your desired results, pictures showing how to perform each exercise correctly. Diet plans including detailed nutritional value information. It has a questions and answers section which dispels many six pack myths.

It really does have everything you will ever need to get results, you'll never need to purchase another abs product, or fitness and exercise product for that matter as the workouts will work your whole body.

I can certainly recommend this E book, excellent advice written by a Certified Nutrition Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer.

The sales page has a rather long video, but stick with it, The Truth About 6 Pack Abs book is certainly worth the money. The book itself takes only seconds to download. Click here to learn more about The Truth about 6 pack abs

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What Are The Benefits To Exercise?

What are the benefits to exercise and physical fitness? knowing and understanding the benefits is one of the best ways to stay motivated.

You will look better and feel better with a healthy body, plus increased confidence and overall increased well being.

After exercising it's common to feel good, exercise releases serotonin a hormone that makes you feel happy, and endorphins which are natural pain-killers. Studies have shown that exercise can have the same kind of effects on depression as some anti-depression medications.

With the addition of exercise into your life you'll find yourself having more energy, you'll be able to get more things done with less effort.
 

Other benefits of physical fitness

Decreased blood pressure.

Decreased Cholesterol.

Live a longer more active life.

Decreased risk of heart disease and stroke.

Lower the chance of getting type 2 diabetes.

Lower the chance of suffering from Osteoarthritis.

Less likely to suffer with back pain.

Some studies suggest exercise can reduce the chance of developing some cancers.

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I have always tried to look after my body because I understand the importance of being healthy, I see it as my greatest procession. I am also a very independent person which means a great deal to me, without my health I would lose my independence.

You're not just becoming healthy you're developing new interests, if you join a gym or a sports club, you're also improving your social life, you'll be meeting like-minded people.
Just remember adopting a healthy lifestyle doesn't mean you can't treat yourself, it's all about balancing your life.

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Does fitness bring happiness?
 
There is no simple yes or no answer to this question, physical fitness is not a magic cure for depression, but it can help you achieve a balanced lifestyle which I think is key to happiness.

Balanced lifestyle
 
Having a balanced lifestyle is having good amounts of work and play in your life, being stimulated physically and mentally, some of us neglect our bodies some neglect the mind and even our social skills. If we do neglect certain aspects of ourselves it can lead to problems, a common example would be neglecting our bodies, and becoming overweight, this can lead to all types of different physical problems, which can effect our brain chemistry and lead to depression among other things.

Quick tips for a balanced lifestyle
 

Exercise Regular.

Learn something new everyday, develop and learn new skills.

Learn about yourself, gain new interests, you might have a passion for something and you didn't even realize.

Set achievable goals.

Get plenty of sleep.

Have plenty of things to look forward too.

Do some form of work.

Do something you enjoy everyday.

Have a balanced diet.

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So will being physically fit bring you happiness, my answer to this question is No, but it can help you to get a balanced lifestyle which can bring happiness. Change is not always easy, but it's possible, you just have to work at it.

Beach Body Workout

Get a beach body with this beach body workout, use these short and simple workout programs and tips to get that body ready for the beach.

This page includes 1 workout that can be done at home and 1 workout for the gym.

So you are looking to get a beach body, this means looking to lose fat, tone up your muscles and build muscle, the following workouts can be used to do all these things.

How long will it take to get a beach body?

Impossible for me to anwser that question as everybody is in different physical condition and people have different genetic ability.

I can say, dramatic changes takes time so if you are going on holiday in two weeks, that will not be enough time to make a massive difference, am sorry it just doesnt work that way. But the good news is if you start today you could have that beach body for next year.

How do you achieve your goal?

As well as using the beach body workout on this page you need a good healthy balanced diet, you need to be aware of what to eat and when to eat. Do not be put off by this, this diet does not have to be extreme, it can't be because you need to live with it, you just need the right knowledge because knowledge is power, then it's just a matter of common sense.

Combine a good diet with good regular exercise, the exercises should be done with good form and technique, that's how to achieve your beach body.

Sets - Reps

If your main focus is on building muscle, you should lift heavy with low reps 6 - 10 reps, if your focus is more on weight loss and toning you should use high reps like 15 - 20 reps or more up to 40 plus reps per set.

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Home beach body workout

Press ups - 3 sets of 10 - 20  reps

Alternating ab crunches - 4 sets of 20 reps, As long as you do 80 reps in total

Squat thursts - 100 reps in total, break them up into sets if you wish

Tricep dips - 3 sets of 10 - 20 reps

Lunges - 3 sets of 20 reps - 10 each leg

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Gym beach body workout

Bench press - 4 sets of 8 - 12 reps

Leg press - 2 sets of 20 reps

One arm dumbbell rows - 4 sets of 10 reps each arm

Squats - 3 sets of 10 - 20 reps

Shoulder press - machine or dumbbell version 3 sets of 10 reps

Bicep curls - 3 sets of 10 reps

Machine chest press 4 - 5 sets of reducing weight 10 reps each

Sets and reps are only recommended, change as needed.

Upper Back Stretches for Beginners

Simple and effective back stretches for beginners to improve flexibility in your lats, reduce the risk of injury and muscle pulls.

These stretches will work your upper back muscles including your latissimus dorsi (middle back) and Trapezius (upper back), the back muscles are prone to muscle pulls, I have suffered with a few of these myself, while they are not serious they can be very painful.

As well as preventing injury these stretches aid recovery by releasing lactic acid and other toxins from the muscles.

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Upper back/trap stretch

You can be seated or standing for this one, I will explain using the standing version.

Technique

Stand up straight keep your body straight, now raise your arms up out in front of you, keep them parallel with the floor.

Now inter lock your fingers and rotate your palms so your palms are facing forward.

Keep your arms straight and slowly start pushing your arms out forward, you should slowly start to feel your upper back muscles being stretched.

Hold for 10-15 seconds and repeat for 3-5 reps.

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Single arm side stretch

Stretches your lats and the muscles at the side of your stomach.

Technique

Stand up straight, feet about 3 foot apart for balance, now lift your right arm up, pointing straight up vertical.

Keep your legs and right arm straight, start leaning over to your left, continue until you start to feel your lats and stomach muscles stretching.

Hold for 10-15 seconds and repeat with the other side, for 3-5 reps each side.

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Body rotations

Technique

Stand up straight and place your feet about 3 foot apart.

Now raise your arms up to shoulder height, elbows bent at about 90 degrees, arms parallel with the floor.

Keep your arms at the same height and angle and rotate to the left until you feel the stretch.

Hold for 3-5 seconds then rotate to the right and do the same, and repeat for 5-10 reps each side.

Six Pack Ab Workout

One of the best things about training your abdominals is that you don't need any equipment to perform most of the exercises.

Abdominals

Your abdominals are an important muscle, they are a core muscle group which means they play a big part in the every day function of the human body.

How will you benefit of training your abs?

Getting strong abdominals will allow you to perform normal everyday activities easier, it will also allow you to walk with more ease, run faster for longer and reduce the risk of abdominal injury.

Getting a six pack

If you are looking to get a six pack, training your abdominals is only a small part, you should work on lowering your overall body fat percentage.

How many reps?

I have included some sets and reps in the below workout, you may need to alter these depending on your ability, feel free to reduce or increase to reps.

Ab Workout

Alternating Abdominal Crunches - 4 sets of 20 reps - works your obliques (Muscles at the side of your abs)

Leg/Knee Raises - 4 sets of 10 reps - Just raise your knees if you struggle to fully raise your legs.

Abdominal Crunches - 4 sets of 20 reps - hold in the crunch position for 2 - 3 seconds.

If you find the sets and reps easy, reduce your rest time between sets, or perform the total number reps as one single set.

5 Components of Physical Fitness

What are the 5 components of physical fitness, learn how to test and improve every aspect of fitness, ranging from strength to flexibility.

What is physical fitness?
 
It's the ability to get through your busy active day without to much difficulty, your day may include work plus other activities such as going to the gym or competing in sports.

5 Components of Physical Fitness listed below

Cardiovascular Endurance

What is it? This tests your heart and lungs at how well they can provide oxygen to the muscles.

Benefits? Having good cardiovascular endurance can decrease the chance of getting heart related illnesses, and you'll be able to endure high cardiovascular activities for longer.

How to improve? A good way to improve your cardiovascular ability is running, swimming or cycling.

Common Tests for your Cardiovascular Endurance Cooper run/Bleep test.


Muscular Strength

What is it? This is how much power the muscles can create.

Benefits? Various daily activities will become easier, better sports performance.

How to improve? Heavy resistance training, low reps, high protein diet.

Common Tests for Muscular Strength Grip strength tester/various weight lifting exercises can be used to find this out, for example bench press, leg press, dead-lift. weight training is the best way to develop your strength.



Muscular Endurance

What is it? This is the muscles ability to continue an action before muscle failure.

Benefits? Various daily activities will become easier, you will not tire as easy, better athletic performance.

How to improve? Resistance training, low weight high reps, many cardiovascular exercises will be beneficial.

Common Tests for muscular endurance The sit up test.


Flexibility

What is it? It's the ability of your joints to move through a full range of motion.

Benefits? Less likely to suffer from injuries including to the lower back.

How to improve? Various stretching exercises repeated 3 or more times a week.

Common Tests The sit and reach test is commonly used to test this.

Body Fat Percentage

What is it? This is your body fat percentage

Benefits? If you have a good overall body fat percentage you will be less at risk from developing certain illnesses, you will also look and feel better.

How to improve? Combine good eating habits with regular exercise.

Common tests Skin folds, Body Mass Scales.

20 Minute Workout

You don't have to spend hours in the gym to get results, just a 20 minute workout can lead to good results.

The 20 minute workouts on this page are designed to be done at home, 20 minutes is not a great deal of time, even the busiest of us can spare 20 minutes.

How often should you do these workouts?
 
I recommend performing them 3 - 5 times a week for effective results, for example you could train Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Monday to Friday with the weekend off.

How will these workouts benefit you?
 
These workouts will burn calories, tone and build muscle and they will also give your cardiovascular system a workout.

The exercises here can be done without equipment, apart from the tricep dip which requires a chair, bench or they can even be done using a bed.

Workout One

Warm up exercises
 
Arm circles - 1 minute
Hip rotations - 1 minute
Jogging on the spot - 1 minute

Main workout
 
Press ups - 4 sets of 20 reps (use the knee version if needed) Rest 30 seconds in between sets (Approximate time 3 - 5 minutes)
Rest for 1 minute
Alternating ab crunches exercise - 4 - 5 sets of 20 reps rest 20 - 30 seconds between sets (Approximate time 3 - 4 minutes)
Rest for 1 minute
Lunges - 4 sets of 20 reps, 10 reps each leg rest 30 seconds between sets (Approximate time 4 - 5 minutes)
Rest for 1 minute
Step ups - Perform for 2 minutes.

Workout Two

Warm up exercises
 
Arm circles - 1 minute

Squat thrusts - 1 minute
Rest for 30 seconds
Star jumps - 1 minute
Rest for 30 seconds

Main workout
 
Leg raises - Knee raises - if you find leg raises too difficult just raise your knees, 4 sets of 10 reps with 20 - 30 seconds rest between sets (Approximate time 4 minutes)
Rest for 1 minute
Squats - 4 sets of 10 - 20 reps depending on how difficult you find them, rest 30 seconds between sets (Approximate time 4 minutes)
Rest for 1 minute
Tricep dips - 4 sets of 10 - 20 reps rest 30 seconds between sets (Approximate time 4 - 5 minutes)
Rest for 1 minute
Side lunges - 2 sets of 10 reps for each leg, short rest between sets, (Approximate time 2 - 3 minutes)
If you perform these 20 minute workouts properly with the required effort they should make your muscles feel worked and increase your heart rate and breathing.

10 Minute Workout

Quick 10 minute workout that is effective and easy to perform, if you struggle to find time for the gym this workout is for you.

You might not think you can do much in 10 minutes, however you can just as long as you perform the exercises with good technique and put in the required amount of effort. With a 10 minute workout you can burn calories and even tone your body.

Who is this workout for?

This 10 minute workout is ideal for anybody wanting to improve their fitness and burn fat, this workout will burn calories which can lead to burning body fat.

How often should you use a workout like this?

I would recommend doing a workout like this at least 5 times a week, you could even do this workout 2 or 3 times a day.

10 Minute Workout

This is a complete 10 minute full body workout that trains all of the major muscles in the body.

Do these exercises without rest unless stated

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Exercise 1 Arm circles

Stand up straight, start with your arms at your side, now rotate your arms forwards or backwards, you can keep your arms straight or slightly bent.

Rotate forwards for 1 minute then backwards for 1 Minute.

Exercise 2 Jogging on the spot

For this exercise to be at its most effective keep your knees nice and high, your thighs should be parallel with the floor at the highest point, for extra effectiveness use good complete arm movements as you perform the jog.

Do for 2 minutes.

Rest for 1 minute

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Exercise 3 Press ups

Use good form, lower yourself all the way down to your chest, in the up position you can straighten your arms or leave them slightly bent, this will give added benefit as it keeps more resistance on your chest, triceps and shoulders.

If you can't do full press ups, you can do them on your knees.

Spend 1 minute doing as many of these as you can, include a 1 minute break and then do another 1 minutes worth of press ups.

Rest again for 1 minute

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Exercise 4 Star jumps

Stand up straight with your feet together, arms to your side, then jump out with your arms just above shoulder height and your feet about 3 - 4 feet apart, then jump back into to the start position.

Do for 1 minute

Guest Workout Routines

Workout routines for toning your body, burning fat and building muscle mass, plus health and weight loss information.

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Below is a selection of workouts that were submitted from various people. Abdominal Workout by Lauren
(jersey)

Workout Goal - For strengthening your abdominals - Burning calories

Workout Difficulty - Intermediate

when you do a crunch to get in the position of laying on your back to get started. Once you are on you back you need to bend your knees. Once you have your knees bent you put your hands behind your head. Then you pull your upper body towards your legs. 1 crunch will not count until your whole shoulder blade is off the ground for better results.

For the best results do 50 break 1-2 minutes 50 more. as you start get to get stronger you might want to do 75 break 75 or 100 break 100. That's your choice not mine, Have fun working out. ~Lauren

Mass Building 4-day Split Workout by James Loughridge
(Belfast)

Workout Goal - Muscle building - Strength gaining

Workout Difficulty
- Advanced

Day 1

Chest and Triceps

Incline Barbell press 4x8
Flat dumbbell press 3x8
Decline barbell press 3x8
Incline dumbbell flys 3x8
Cable flyes 2x8

Wide grip dips 3xfailure

Diamond push ups 3xfailure

Tricep extension 3x8

Day 2

Back and Biceps

Deadlift 4x8
Wide grip pull ups 3x8
Bent over rows 3x8
Trap flys 3x8
Lat pull downs 2x8

Dumbbell curls 3x8
V bar curls 3x8
Hammer curls 2x8

Day 3

Rest

Day 4

Legs & Abs

Squat 4x8
Superset - Leg extensions 3x8
Leg curls 3x8
Leg press 3x8
Calve press 3x8

Weighted crunches 3x8
Jackknives 3xfailure
Air cycle 2xfailure
Crunches 3xfailure

Day 5

Shoulders & Traps

Standing barbell overheard press 4x8
Posterior deltoid flys 3x8
Superset - Lateral raises 3x8
Front raises 3x8
Dumbbell shoulder press 2x8

Front shrugs 8
Rear shrugs 8
Dumbbell (side) shrugs 8

Day 6

Rest

Day 7

HIT Cardio