Utah Body

Utah Body was introduced to a very nice gym accessory a few days ago – the Versa Gripps Professional Series Weight Lifting Grips. These little beauties are a glove/wrist-wrap combination and put a whole new spin on lifting heavy weights. Instead of the annoying hand gymnastics one must go through with regular wrist-wraps, the Versa Gripps wrap a bar with one small twist. They are perfect for working with machines as well, since the Versa Gripps material is relatively thin and blends well with cushioned machine grips. Utah Body is definitely sold.

Useful information sources that help us keep our bodies looking great are not always easy to find through the thousands of sites available on the Web. However, Utah Body has discovered a treasure trove of useful blogs that we highly recommend. Note that in the list below, Modern Forager and The IF Life apparently have merged into Fitnes Spotlight (http://www.fitnessspotlight.com/). At any rate, the top 20 fitness blogs on the net, according to Gym Junkies (http://www.gymjunkies.com/best-fitness-blogs/) are:

1. Steve Maxwell (http://maxwellsc.blogspot.com/)
2. Again Faster (http://www.againfaster.com/articles/)
3. Straight to the Bar (http://www.straighttothebar.com/)
4. Fat Man Unleashed (http://www.fatmanunleashed.com/)
5. CrossFit (http://crossfit.com/)
6. Modern Forager (http://www.modernforager.com/blog/)
7. Zach Even Esh (http://zacheven-esh.com/blog/)
8. Mark’s Daily Apple (http://www.marksdailyapple.com/)
9. The Diesel Crew (http://www.dieselcrew.com/)
10. Stronglifts (http://www.stronglifts.com/)
11. Nate Green (http://www.thenategreenexperience.com/)
12. Ross Enamait (http://www.rosstraining.com/blog/)
13. Alwyn Cosgrove (http://alwyncosgrove.blogspot.com/)
14. Zen to Fitness (http://zentofitness.com/)
15. Fitness Black Book (http://fitnessblackbook.com/)
16. Fight Geek (http://www.thefightgeek.org/)
17. Eric Cressey (http://ericcressey.com/)
18. Women’s Diet and Fitness (http://womensdietandfitness.com/WDF/)
19. The IF life (http://www.theiflife.com/)
20. Weight Ladder (http://www.weightladder.com/)

Experience Life magazine (http://www.experiencelifemag.com) has published a very intriguing article about the consumption of fats and whole milk. The magazine tells us (http://www.experiencelifemag.com/issues/september-2009/healthy-eating/skimming-the-truth.html) that, “Today, Americans buy about two-and-a-half times more skim milk each year — and about half as much whole milk — than they did in 1975.” Not so shocking. However, the magazine goes on to say that, “During the same period that the consumption of low-fat fare rose in the United States, our rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease multiplied exponentially.”

What?!?! There must be an explanation for this!

Reading on, the magazine relays the message that, “no- or low-fat dairy may actually function as an obstacle to weight loss for some people. When the fat is removed from milk, what remains are a significant number of unabsorbable fat-soluble vitamins and an overabundance of lactose, or milk sugar, with some protein but no fat to slow its entrance into the bloodstream.”

Blasphemy! How can this be?!?!

They point out that an endocrinologist at Harvard “favors the consumption of some unrefined fats for kids trying to lose weight, since fats actively promote a stable metabolism” and that “Fat is digested slowly, which helps decrease the rate at which carbohydrates are released into the system. This in turn makes the body more receptive to a pancreatic hormone called glucagon that ‘unlocks’ fat stores for energy. If there’s too much insulin from eating high-glycemic foods (like heavily sweetened fat-free yogurt), the body decreases or stops glucagon production, which stalls fat burning. Fat is also the nutrient that triggers the brain to recognize satiety, which offsets overeating.”

Whole milk will make me fat — whole milk will not make me fat; what do I do? Utah Body believes that while a lot of positive things have been discovered concerning whole milk and some fats, it is with caution that we should proceed. If you love whole milk and your body will tolerate it and you are keeping yourself active and healthy otherwise, perhaps it might not hurt to add an occasional glass to your diet. What can we say but, cheers!

Do you have those hot pictures of yourself ready? Utah Body is preparing to showcase the hottest bodies in Utah. As we prepare, we want to hear from you (http://utahbody.com/contact-us/).

Let us know what you think makes a male or female body hot. Tell us what things would make a contest such as this appealing to you (prizes, photo galleries of winners, photo comparisons, judging by viewers, etc.).

Utah Body will soon be accepting entries for the hottest male and female bodies in Utah. So, get those abs and glutes tightened up, find yourself a good digital camera, and snap some tasteful pictures of your hot body. Winners will have their photos posted on our front page for an entire week and will automatically be entered into our body-of-the-month contest. Monthly winners will receive recognition and prizes and will be automatically entered into our body-of-the-year contest.

Keep your eyes on this post for further details.

We definitely are what we eat. We are continually reminded of the best foods to eat in order to lose weight, keep trim, and build a beautiful body. These “power foods” seem to ebb and flow with the times. I am boldly joining the outcry of food fanatics to add my current list of favorite power foods:

• water
• egg whites
• yams
• spinach
• quinoa
• green tea
• blueberries
• oatmeal
• salmon
• tuna
• flank steak
• chicken
• broccoli
• whole milk

Many will agree with me on most of these foods. Many of you will reel in shock at the mention of whole milk. Stay tuned to this post for my explanation as to why some whole milk should be added to a body-conscious diet.

Body sculpting is the noble act of creating a beautiful male or female body by combining aerobic exercise, strength training, a sensible diet, surgery, dental work, etc. If it is socially acceptable for a person to spend thousands of dollars and countless hours customizing an automobile, motorcycle, or boat; why hesitate to spend the money and time to customize one’s own body?

At Utah Body we promote the act of creating and promoting a beautiful human body. We believe that a healthy and beautiful body is a great source of joy, pride, and energy. It might be argued that a beautiful body leads to a content mind.

There are many techniques and methods for sculpting the male or female body. Diet, aerobic exercise, and strength training form the foundation for body sculpting. However, there are many surgical procedures to consider when strict diet and exercise is not enough. These procedures include Botox injections, breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, tummy tucks, and others.

The benefits of body sculpting are tremendous and these benefits are by no means secret. Gyms and fitness centers across Utah are offering more body sculpting programs than ever before. Zumba, yoga, pole dancing, training with a certified personal trainer, and fitness boot camps are just some of the offerings that can be found.

If you are serious about creating a beautiful body, find a program and/or medical practitioner to make it happen for you.