When you work your upper, body does it mostly consist of pull ups, push ups, free weights and resistance bands? That’s how we’ve been conditioned, so to speak, to think that our upper body exercises should focus on building muscles and strength.

[Even this iconic sex symbol knew that upper body exercises were important to looking this good!]

There’s nothing wrong with building muscle, unless you need to lose fat first. Upper body cardio exercises will allow you to increase strength and (possibly) muscle mass, while burning the excess fat. We’ve compiled a list of 5 upper body cardio exercises that you should add to your existing upper body workout, so keep reading…

Swimming

Swimming is a great upper body exercise because it works the upper back, chest and arms effectively. What’s really good is that swimming is good for those of you who haven’t exercised in awhile because it’s low impact. Low impact upper body exercises like swimming are good for people with old injuries or weak muscles. Doing laps in the pool gives you lower body support while you workout your upper body.

By changing up the swim stroke you can determine which upper body muscles are exercised during each workout. Swimming as an upper body exercise lets you decide how intense your cardio is as well as how thoroughly you work the upper body. When you need cardio without the impact, swimming is one of the most effective upper body exercises.

Boxing

You don’t have to be Mike Tyson to get a good upper body workout by boxing. Cardio boxing is mostly an upper body exercise; however you also improve balance, footwork and coordination. The punching and blocking motions of boxing exercises many upper body muscles including shoulders, arms, back and chest.

Boxing not only increases your heart rate, but the fast punching movements tone and strengthen muscles. Boxing is one of the best upper body exercises to burn and tone simultaneously. Another reason you should give cardio boxing a shot? The discipline required in boxing will go a long way to help you achieve your weight loss goals.

Jumping Jacks

Jumping jacks are traditional upper body exercises that work the arms, shoulders and back. Unfortunately when most of us think of jumping jacks our minds automatically race to 8-year olds flailing arms wildly about, so we don’t give them the respect they deserve. While exercising the upper body, jumping jacks work the legs and keeps your heart pumping!
[Alternative jumping jacks like this will increase intensity of upper body exercises.]

Jumping jacks are effective upper body exercises because like swimming, the type of jumping jack you do can greatly improve your workout and increase the intensity of your upper body workout.  If you want your core to see some action during jumping jacks, consider the reaching jumping jack. During this version you perform a traditional jumping jack, bend over and touch the floor between each jump.

Hand Cycling

Unless you’re a hardcore cyclist, chances are you are as unaware of this upper body exercise as I was. That is, until I recently saw a guy on this weird contraption and asked him what on earth he was doing!

It turns out that hand cycling is exactly as it sounds—steering a bicycle with your hands and upper body muscles. Before you balk, consider that hand cycling is to upper body exercises what traditional cycling is to lower body exercises. Imagine the work your legs to do keep the wheels of a bicycle rotating, now imagine your arms, chest, back, shoulders and even core doing the same work.

[Hand cycling is an efficient way to get around while you perform upper body exercises.]

Although purchasing a hand cycle can be costly, most exercise facilities have at least one so you can switch your upper body exercises to prevent boredom. This is also a great upper body exercise that you can do with a buddy. Whether you cycle competitively or simply to lose weight, hand cycling is the perfect upper body exercise to do with a workout buddy!

Hand & Arm Movements

Add hand and arm movements to get upper body exercises completed during stationary cardio workouts. This probably sounds strange but when you hope on an exercise bike or treadmill you work your lower body pretty hard while your arms simply hang uselessly for an hour. By adding hand and arm movements like jumping jacks, dumbbells or free weights you perform upper body exercises while you do your cardio exercises.

Inserting these extra upper body exercises into your regular workout routine, you can increase your heart rate while toning upper body muscles. Whether you are walking, running or doing the treadmill in front of the TV, grab dumbbells or use your arms to exercise your upper body. Upper body exercises such as this are an easy way to give your body every advantage to achieve your weight loss and exercise goals.

It’s not easy getting your upper body to look the way you want, but regular exercise and a balanced diet can get you there if you let it.

You’ve got tips to work your upper body, now find out what you can do for a better mid-section by reading our review of The Truth About Six Pack Abs. It’ll change everything you thought you knew about getting “look at me” abs.

If you’ve opted out of the tea for weight loss craze because of its strong bitter taste, you may be able to hop on the bandwagon with white tea. The English always seem to be drinking tea, and now its time for the rest of us to find out why!

[Sometimes hoppin' on the bandwagon isn't such a good thing. Whether you want to calm down or slim down, white tea can help.]

White tea has many health and weight loss benefits, keep reading to find out if this little leaf can give your weight loss a little nudge.

What’s So Special About White Tea?

Much has been written about tea, but most of that is about the benefits of oolong tea or how green tea can expedite weight loss. White tea is often forgotten about in a world addicted to caffeine, but one of the best things about white tea is that it has less caffeine than it’s black and green counterparts. This small amount of caffeine is great for those of you who need to lose more than 20 pounds, because caffeine increases blood pressure and heart rate, something overweight individuals are already at risk of getting.

Another thing that makes white tea so special? It’s sweet and delicate, unlike my personal favorite Earl Grey, so it’s appealing to even the persnickety-est of drinkers!

White Tea Benefits

Since all teas are derived from the same source, the differences occur in how they’re processed. Some of the benefits of white tea come from the fact that it is the least processed of all teas, a fact that gives it THREE TIMES the antioxidants of other teas! This is good news for everyone, but particularly if you need to lose weight because the antioxidants in white tea help cleanse the body of crap, boost the immune system (take that cancer!) and help you look younger! Dropping a few pounds is also an effective way to turn back the clock.

Here’s what you need to know about white tea benefits for weight loss. Drinking white tea increases the rate at which your metabolism is working, which increased the rate at which you burn calories and we all know how important calories are to weight loss! The reason white tea can do this is because it’s literally packed with antioxidants. The high level of antioxidants in white tea have also been linked to a reduction in bad cholesterol, which we’ll all have to worry about eventually.

[Adding white tea to your diet can help improve weight loss and other health-related issues.]

Any person who is overweight could be at risk for high blood pressure, and one benefit of drinking white tea is that it thins the blood to improve how your arteries function. This means that a regular diet of white tea (2 or more glasses a day) could help decrease your blood pressure, or maintain it if it’s not yet difficult to manage. White tea isn’t a replacement for blood pressure medication (but it’ll sure help!) so talk to your doctor about how white tea’s benefits may help regulate your blood pressure.

What kind of real benefits could white tea possibly have without playing to our vanity? Other white tea benefits include the tiny amounts of fluoride that keep your teeth and gums looking good, the antioxidants help fight bad breath, tooth decay and help keep your skin looking tight and young.

Enjoying White Tea

The benefits of drinking white tea makes it an ideal way to take a break from a hectic day. Many people say that the best white tea benefit is the calming effect it has on drinkers, but I think there’s another reason people find it so soothing. Making time for yourself, even at the busiest of times, is essential to successful weight loss. When we feel overly stressed out, we reach for things that comfort us regardless of their consequences.

[Enjoy the benefits of white tea in the decadent way of the English...your body will be grateful!]

Next time your coworkers hit the elevator for a cigarette break, grab a mug and your favorite white tea to de-stress. Sit down and simply enjoy the white tea. Don’t worry about what healthy dinner you’ll whip up, or what your boss will say if he sees you relaxing, just sip your tea and relaaaaaax.

Obviously white tea benefits for weight loss are meant to occur in tandem with a balanced diet and regular exercise for maximum effectiveness. Like life, weight loss cannot occur in a vacuum!

Find other ways to burn more calories by reading our review of Turbulence Training–it’s harder than a cup of tea and easier than any fad diet you’ve ever tried.

I hear a lot of discussions in gym locker rooms about how to burn the most amount of body fat and gain lean muscle during strength training. The good news is you don’t have to spend more time in the gym. In fact, it’s completely the opposite:

Spend less time – especially resting between sets!

 
[A watch or clock is essential for measuring rest periods between sets - even grandma's old clunker will get the job done.]

Will I Still Be Strong?

It depends on your goals. If you’re training to increase strength to be able to compete in power-lifting competitions then resting a bit longer would be a good idea – up to three minutes for movements like squats and deadlifts. But chances are you’re here at The Fat Loss Authority wanting to learn about losing fat. Being able to lift a small European car is not the primary goal.

Scientifically speaking…

Although plenty of articles will state that shortening rest periods is an effective fat burning technique, rarely do they tell you why or even point to research which backs up the claim. Thankfully there is research which supports the fat loss benefits of shorter rest periods and most of it was done by Dr. William Kraemer.

Research conducted by Kraemer has shown that resting between sets for 1 minute or less will provide you with a metabolic burn that will last well beyond 24 hours. In comparison, the metabolic rate after a workout using 1 minute rest periods was almost double that of an identical workout with 3 minute rest periods. Kraemer attributes this dramatic effect on resting metabolic rate to a faster heart rate, faster energy turnover, and greater hormone release – all topics that deserve there own time and space to discuss.

Rules To Reduce Rest Between Sets Correctly

There are several ways to implement shorter rest periods into your workouts (see Strategies to Shorter Rest Periods below), but first we need to cover two important ground rules.

1. You need to maintain fairly heavy weights (8-10 reps)
It’s easy to shorten your rest periods when you’re curling 2.5 pound dumbbells, but this defeats the purpose. Revving up your metabolism requires both heavy weight and less time between sets.

2. Listen to your body
Training with heavy weight and little rest between sets is hard on the body – in a good way of course. But that doesn’t mean you train until you puke! Listen to your body and rest longer as necessary while you progress to this style of training. Feelings of nausea and dizziness are symptoms that should not be ignored and are indicators that you’ve dropped your rest periods too quickly.

A good place to start is reducing your rest periods by 10 seconds from your current workout. Over time you will work your way back up to the same amount of sets and reps but done in far less time. Remember, slow and steady wins the race!

Strategies to Shorter Rest Periods

Here are 4 techniques to shorten your rest period and increase the post-workout calorie burn at your next workout program:

1. Try supersets, compound sets, triple sets or circuit training. See the Fitness IQ article for definitions. Essentially, these techniques will keep you moving from one exercise to the next with minimal rest.

[A great example of a circuit workout with a barbell by fitness expert Craig Ballantyne.]

2. If you’re training with a partner, rest only long enough for him/her to finish a set and then start your next set.

3. This isn’t a cocktail party so forget about talking or socializing with others. Bring an iPod to help you stay focused and on task.

4. Keep an eye on the clock or wear a watch. Frankly, there is no better way to measure your rest period and you’ll be amazed at how much work you can get done in a short amount of time.

If you’re looking for specific workouts that focus on minimizing rest for maximum fat burning results, I suggest you look up Turbulence Training in our fat loss program review section. He’s the same guy in the video above.

We’ve all had our fair share of stressful moments in life. Looking back, some events may seem silly now (a grade 10 science exam, who cares about memorizing the periodic table?) while others were monumental like a driving test or your first job interview.

It doesn’t get any easier as we grow older with financial burdens, relationships, or a loved one’s illness making life particularly challenging and frustrating along the way.

[Oh my god... this poor girl is so stressed her tongue turned into a...remote control? What the hell is that thing?] 

The idea for this article was conceived during my last trip to the grocery store and walking by the magazine stands. September is “back-to-school” season in most parts of the world and there was no shortage of article headlines talking about stress: how to cope with stress or try these stress blasting workouts or the best stress busting exercises uncovered and well… you get the picture.

The Reality of Stress and Weight Gain

There is a fundamental misconception when it comes to the topic of stress and weight gain. It’s not so much the stress itself that causes us to put on extra weight but it’s how we choose to respond to stress that really is the culprit.

When we feel “stressed”, we’re actually experiencing what is called a “sympathetic nervous response” to a challenge (mental, physical, etc.) in our life. This nervous system response could be something as simple as an elevated heart rate or as complicated as a hormone called cortisol being released by our body.

During stressful times people usually miss out on sleep and regular meals because our body’s nervous system is out-of-whack (I can see Dr. House describing it in these terms) and masks the feeling of hunger. Once our system comes back to its senses, we then make up for it by binging typically on unhealthy food like processed meats, breads, and high sugar items because they require less time to prepare and are readily accessible.

Strategies to Minimize Stress Now and Later

Now that we have a better understanding of how stress can lead us down a path of nutritional self destruction (how we choose to respond), we can improve our chances of minimizing stressful situations and most importantly prevent more of these moments in the future. Here are some strategies to review and consider for your lifestyle:

1. Bring Calm to your System
Yoga, Pilates, tai chi, meditation, breathing techniques, biofeedback, music, journal writing and other forms of self-expression have been talked about here and other publications for their multiple benefits including dealing with stress. Pick one and stick with it for 30 days to see if it works for you.

[Speaking of music, I had to dig up "Changes" by Tupac Shakur. Always inspires me to do better especially with lines like this: Let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live, and let's change the way we treat each other...]
 

2. Exercise Regularly
Exercise is a powerful proactive approach to stress management. A fitness program that includes cardio-respiratory activity and strength training can help you lose body fat, build confidence, alleviate anxiety and depression, and boost self-esteem. (There are some great programs out there so check out our reviews if want to make an informed decision.)

Notice how I said proactive approach above? If your feeling stressed, don’t add more with a high intensity workout because you’re simply compounding the issue. You can’t fight stress with more stress. Instead go with light physical activity such as the ones mentioned above or low intensity cardio such as walking.

3. Eat Healthy
Eating healthy meals and snacks will keep your blood sugar levels in check and prevent hunger. Research from the University of California has also showed foods high in fat and carbohydrate may actually fight stress by reducing cortisol levels in the body. Moderation and portion size are still critical here so put the Doritos bag away please! Also, occasional intermittent fasting or indulging in your favorite treats is a strategy that has proven to work very well for myself and others.

4. Monitor Your Eating
Self-monitoring is an effective way to manage and lose weight. The benefits of calorie counting are numerous but also try to keep tabs on what you eat and when you eat when stressful situations are upon you. Becoming more aware of how and when your emotions affect your eating patterns and food choices can lead to some very telling discoveries.

I’m a proactive person so I really believe in exercising regularly using strength and interval training. Turbulence Training is one of the best programs out there using this style of exercise. Check out our review for this popular fitness program to see if it’s right for you.

Quick, name the three most watched TV shows in Canada currently:

#3 Law and Order

#2 So You Think You Can Dance

#1 So You Think You Can Dance

And no, it’s not a misprint.
Source: http://www.bbm.ca/en/nat08032009.pdf

Yes, it’s the summer season and there isn’t much on the tube. And yes, everyone’s favorite sitcoms will be back in the fall so the list above could look remarkably different. But people like, really like watching dance shows!

[No dumbbells required! Mastering their own body weight is what produces the lean and sleek look of these artists.]

The entertainment production value of these shows, sprinkled with a little reality TV for good measure, really helps in attracting viewership. Choreographed routines combined with matching outfits makes the viewer feel like they are watching a rock show in a big city arena.

Who am I kidding?

Women, and men, are watching these lean cut bodies pulsating and gyrating to different musical stylings because they are aesthetically pleasing!

While the external physical benefits of dancing are apparent, the internal benefits are just as impressive. Dancing has been proven to get your heart rate up while strengthening your core and leg muscles at the same time.

In addition, various web sites have reported on different dance styles burning an average of 400 calories per hour!

Now I’ll admit, I’ve seen So You Think You Can Dance a handful of times and what amazes me the most is the wide range of movement that’s required to pull off some of these routines.

Similar to gymnasts, dancers rarely touch a dumbbell and instead concentrate on moving their own body weight to glide and spring off the dance floor.

Unfortunately the research on dancing and weight loss benefits was surprisingly thin? The more interesting studies I found centered around the video game Dance Dance Revolution (the cool kids call it DDR).

In one study, researchers from the University of Wisconsin, had 24 male and female subjects play the video game Dance Dance Revolution. They measured the amount of calories the subjects burned and reported that the adults in the study burned about 10 calories per minute, or the equivalent of 300 calories per 30 minutes when on the difficult mode.

Even researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota stuck their nose into the realm of “exergaming” with results showing children who played DDR expended significantly more energy than children watching television and playing traditional video games.

[Talk about working your core and leg muscles young man. I would've tripped and crashed into the entertainment unit 30 seconds in.]

Given the above findings for a video game, I think we can safely translate similar benefits and results in more social settings like a dance class, a wedding or nightclub (provided you aren’t cradling a double rum cocktail at 2:00am).

Now I’m no professional but I’ve been known to bust a move or two on occasion (backyard BBQs included).

So I’ll let you in on one of my favorite dance secrets along with a quick breakdown of dance class options from a female friend of mine who happens to moonlight as a dance instructor.

You Got The Rhythm

Some of us have rhythm, and others… not so much. If your in the latter group there is hope.

Start by clapping out simple beats and counting in your head. After monitoring the rhythm this way, translate the clapping and counting into movement. Stay loose and keep your lower body and upper body moving together.

Don’t stress about technical perfection because we’re living in the moment and there is no trophies at the end of the night. The goal is to reduce self consciousness and anxiety to the point where you feel comfortable.

Just Dance

Depending on your musical taste, you’ll enjoy some dance movements and classes more than others.

“If you like rhythm, put on some tap shoes. If you like So You Think You Can Dance and popular MTV video type moves, take a jazz class. Ballet class can help if you’re having back problems, due to its emphasis on posture.”

“Whatever style you choose, try to relax and trust the instructor. If you are leaving each class and realizing you had a good time, then mission accomplished.”  – Female Friend

Life provides us with so few opportunities to let loose and dance. Besides the obvious health benefits, your social life and self confidence will get a major boost. So step outside the shell and live it up, your body and mind will thank you for it!

Ever looked in the mirror after six months of hard, intense training, and utter the words, “this isn’t worth it“? It’s happened to me on a few occasions and it’s painfully disappointing.

Busting my butt, working out HARD 4 days a week with cardio on my “off days” seemed like a good plan. Hell, more then a few books and programs told me this was the only way to lose body fat and achieve great results in the gym.

Wrong!

It’s the classic “more is better” mentality, or what’s better known in the fitness world as over training.

[Yes, we all like the burning sensation during and after a workout but too much of a good thing can be detrimental to your fat loss goals and could be a sign of over training!]

Sounds pretty strange to say your training too much but trust me, it’s very real and can become a dangerous obsession.

Researchers have identified more than 130 signs of over training, including elevated heart rate, changes in blood-lactate levels, hormonal imbalances, and weakened immune response.

Throw in the mood swings and change in attitude that is often associated with over training and it’s amazing this topic isn’t talked about more in the mainstream.

At the gym I’ll hear men and women constantly complain they can’t lose any body fat after training five days a week for 60 minutes. That’s 5 hours a week!

Almost the equivalent of one work day a week in a typical office environment. Absolutely nuts!

I personally know fitness pros and athletes who exercise 50% less and they rely on being in the best shape possible for their livelihood!

Let me put it another way.

Do you pop a handful of aspirins for your headache thinking the more you take the faster your pain will go away?

Of course not!

So why do people apply the same logic to fitness?

Only a certain amount of exercise is required. Beyond that, you’re wasting valuable time and energy.

How do I take it down a notch.. or two?

1. Shorten the length or frequency of your workouts

Space your workouts farther apart or take days off for rest and recovery. Instead of 60 minutes, try 30 minutes.

Doing the same amount of work in less time always gets my blood flowing and it allows for the same intensity but more recovery time between workouts. Efficiency is the name of the game!

2. Nutrition and what you eat

Half the battle starts in the kitchen, not in the gym or on the treadmill. Meals that include lean protein, and low glycemic carbohydrates (think vegetables and fruits), and fats (yes I said Fats, read why here) will supply the body with all the nutrients it needs to maintain stable energy levels inside and outside of your workout sessions.

Eating smarter and training less is way better then training all the time and eating 8 times a day (another crazy obsession to avoid) just to recover in time for tomorrow’s workout.

Fitness expert and author, Tom Venuto does a great job exposing all the lies about training too long and why this is not the best way to achieve the results you and I want in his book Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle.

Check it out if you want some more evidence as to why this obsession is killing your fat loss progress and how to rebound and break on through to the other side.