Crunches are the only way of getting a 6 pack

Years of poorly written men’s magazine articles and crappy infomercials selling us useless products promising to make us as ripped as the models they use to advertise has drilled the idea of crunches being the ultimate form of exercise. This is sadly completely untrue. While crunches are a fantastic way of toning up your abs they do nothing to counter the big layer of fat on top. All men have a six pack the only problem is that for most it hides under layers of fat. So while crunches can improve the size and definition of your abs you should include some cardio into your routine to make them visible.

It’s best not to eat anything before a workout.

This one seems like it should make sense since exercise burns calories and an empty stomach has no calories to burn so the body immediately starts burning fat for fuel… unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. Your body needs energy to run, lift weights etc so when you exercise on an empty stomach the body tries to provide energy while looking for it at the same time This can not only result in the risk of dizziness or even fainting in extreme situations it also reduces the effectiveness of your workout since low energy levels will stop you from performing at levels you should be aiming for.
The best option is to have a small snack about ten to fifteen minutes before working out. Carbohydrates are the best source of energy, so have a slice of toast or a banana. Bananas also help the body fight against cramps and hence I think is the best option.

Running on a treadmill puts less strain on your knees than running on concrete

This is untrue. Your knees are exposed to great pressures no matter what surface you decide to run on. If you love to run and really want to make a difference to the amount of stress your knees are exposed to get a decent pair of running shoes. Don’t be shy to try on a few different ones at the store and go for the most comfortable one. Asics and Mizuno are two fantastic brands that make excellent quality running shoes. Thinking about the long term effect on your knees, mix up your cardio routine a bit. Include biking. since it’s no contact it greatly reduces the strain your knees undergo.

Swimming burns more calories than running.

This is completely untrue. Whilst swimming the water actually supports your weight so you work less harder moving through it than say running on ground. This is not to say swimming isn’t a fantastic exercise. It is great for targeting multiple muscle groups at the same time but when it comes down to numbers activities like running, skipping and steps are just better at burning off calories.
If you aren’t sweating you aren’t working out hard enough.
Sweating has nothing to do with the number of calories you are burning it is simply a method the human body applies to regulate its temperature. So in hot climates you’ll sweat even whilst doing nothing more than sitting outside whereas in colder climates you’ll hardly break a sweat doing more strenuous activities such as jogging. So sweat is by no means an accurate indication of how hard you’re working

No Pain No Gain

Human bodies really are remarkable creations. They are designed to be pushed hard without failing when need be. This is the reason whilst working out you can overdo it without realising at the time. Since your muscles are warmed up and adrenaline levels are higher than normal you often don’t feel the soreness straight away. Just remember if it hurts a lot you are doing something very wrong. Quite often people used to working out quit for a while and when they return to it they expect to perform at the same level they did a few months ago. That just isn’t possible so take precaution and always ease yourself into a work out plan.

Related Posts

• Top 10 Classic Romance Films To Watch With A Partner
• Simple Recipes: Brownies
• 10 Ways To Be Romantic On A Budget
• How To Give A Back Massage
• Aston Martin 177 | The Most Beautiful Car In The World?

Related Posts

• 10 Ways To Be Romantic On A Budget
• Top 10 Classic Romance Films To Watch With A Partner
• 5 Common Fitness Myths Busted!
• How To Give A Back Massage
• Simple Recipes: Brownies

Women are observant creatures they pay just as much attention to the little things you do for them, on a daily basis, as the more extravagant ones. Point being whisking them away for a weekend abroad is not the only way to be romantic. Which is just as well since the current financial climate will undoubtedly have put more strain on your bank balance.


1. Have a classic movie night once a week/month. Snuggle up on the sofa and watch an old black and white classic. It’s amazing how big of an impact cinema has had in shaping our perception of romance. By revisiting the old classics you both will undoubtedly be left feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. Here’s a list of ten to get you started.

2. Write (don’t print) her a love letter and send it in the mail. As cheesy as it sounds people love receiving love letters even if they are too shy to admit it. With communication becoming increasingly electronic handwritten letters are even more cherished these days than they were in the past.

3. Bake for her. It’s no secret everyone loves being cooked for and who doesn’t love freshly baked treats! Here’s an easy brownie recipe to follow.

4. The first couple of months together with a new partner are perhaps the most exciting so plan a day out walking about revisiting some old places from early on in your relationship.

5. Get on the train/bus go to a random nearby town and just walk around exploring. The smaller the town the more fun and manageable it is. Give it a go it can be incredibly fun. Don’t forget to take your camera! This leads me on nicely to my next tip…

6. Make a photo book chronicling your relationship. A photo book makes for an excellent present. Choose photos that highlight memorable moments from your relationship. If you don’t have a lot of photos start taking more you’ll regret not having done so later on in life. Blurb and their excellent software makes it really easy for you to put them all together in book form and their prices are very reasonable.

7. Make her a mixed tape. Put some research into it and make them a playlist of 15-20 songs. This works especially well if it’s a fairly new relationship. It gives you a chance to introduce them to some of the music you listen to. If you aren’t quite sure what to put on it you can always do some research on last.fm that allows you to look for artists based on keywords you enter in. Or check out the artists you like for recommendations of similar ones. I’ve found so much great music through it since I’ve been a member.

8. Take a walk in the rain and kiss. The kiss in the rain made famous by Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard at the end of Breakfast at Tiffanys is eternally ingrained in our psyche as being one of the most romantic things to do.

9. Leave little notes or doodles around the place. They can be anything really, jokes, random thoughts and observations, something sexy. But make sure you put them in places you know only she will find them.

10. Give her a back massage after they’ve had a tiring day at work/home. Anyone can do it really once you know a few basic moves here’s a back massage guide to get you started.

Related Posts

• Top 10 Classic Romance Films To Watch With A Partner

A nice back massage is probably the most relaxing thing you can have done to your body. It’s a valuable skill to learn since it can be a very intimate activity to partake in with a loved one.
A great back massage can be given using simple easy to learn techniques.

Before you begin make sure you have a comfortable place to lie down the reciepient and have some oil at hand. Warm the oil for 10-15 seconds in the microwave before you start. Having cold oil lathered on your back is not a nice feeling.
The videos below highlights the key techniques so watch and learn and you’ll be on your way to giving incredibly soothing back massages in no time.

Related Posts

• Simple Recipes: Brownies
• Aston Martin 177 | The Most Beautiful Car In The World?
• 10 Ways To Be Romantic On A Budget
• 5 Common Fitness Myths Busted!
• Top 10 Classic Romance Films To Watch With A Partner

Photo courtesy olya

For months and months I wanted to bake brownies but was always too afraid to delve into it having never baked my entire life. Until one day my flatmate pulled me into the kitchen sat me down and showed me how to do it. Here’s his recipe that I’ve successfully recreated a number of times now so it does work! Not only does it make yummy brownies but it’s a great way of impressing someone you’re dating.




Ingredients:
50g (roughly 2 ounces) of chocolate. Chop it up into small pieces. Dark chocolate works really well
1 cup sugar (superfine/caster)
1 stick of unsalted butter 250g
½ Cup flour
2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup chocolate chips
Pinch of salt

Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F
2. Line a 20cm/8inch baking pan with aluminium foil and grease the foil lightly with a small amount of butter. To soften the butter up just stick it in the microwave for 15 seconds
3. Put the chocolate and butter in a pan and stick it on the stove over low heat. When the chocolate and butter have melted take it off the heat and give it a good stir till the mixture is smooth
4. Now transfer the mixture into a large bowl and add the sugar stirring continuously. Then break and beat in the eggs and keep stirring ensuring a smooth mixture.
5. Add the flower (bit by bit) salt, vanilla extract and the chocolate chips and keep stirring.
6. Once all the stirring is done transfer the mixture onto the baking pan. Stick it in the preheated oven (let it heat for at least 5 mins before putting them in) for 25 minutes
7. Take them out and let them cool before you attempt to cut them

That’s it all done. Once you have the basics down experiment with adding other ingredients to the mix… to give you some ideas, cinnamon powder, dried fruit, mashed bananas, mashed cherries, coffee all work well with brownies.

Related Posts

• 10 Ways To Be Romantic On A Budget
• How To Give A Back Massage
• 5 Common Fitness Myths Busted!
• Aston Martin 177 | The Most Beautiful Car In The World?
• Top 10 Classic Romance Films To Watch With A Partner

Casablanca classic romance films

2. It Happened One Night
“A spoiled heiress, running away from her family, is helped by a man who’s actually a reporter looking for a story but ends up falling in love with her.”

3. Roman Holiday
“A bored and sheltered princess escapes her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman in Rome”

4. Breakfast At Tiffanys
“Struggling writer Paul Varjak moves into a New York apartment building and becomes intrigued by his pretty, quirky neighbor Holly Golightly. Holly’s lifestyle confuses and fascinates Paul; in public she flits through parties with a sexy, sophisticated air, but when they’re alone she changes into a sweetly vulnerable bundle of neuroses”

5. The Philadelphia story
“Haughty divorced socialite Tracy Lord is preparing for her second marriage. Enter Dexter Haven, her first husband, and Macaulay Connor, a tabloid reporter with a distrust of the wealthy. What follows is a rapid-fire war of words as the two men try to help Tracy discover the heart beneath her holier-than-thou exterior”

6. Gone With the Wind
“American classic in which a manipulative woman and a roguish man carry on a turbulent love affair in the American south during the Civil War and Reconstruction.”

7. An Affair To Remember
“Nicky Ferrante is an international, European playboy setting forth on a cruise ship headed for New York to meet his wealthy fiancée. Terry McKay, a former night-club singer, is sailing to New York to be with her long-time boyfriend, who flew on ahead to close a business deal. Nicky and Terry meet on the long cruise, and romance, replete with complications, ensues”

8. Brief Encounter
“On a cafe at a railway station, housewife Laura Jesson meets doctor Alec Harvey. Although they are already married, they gradually fall in love with each other. They continue to meet every Thursday on the small cafe, although they know that their love is impossible.”

9. Sunrise A Song Of Two Humans
A married farmer falls under the spell of a slatternly woman from the city, who tries to convince him to drown his wife. The farmer regains his senses just as he is about to murder her and the two rediscover their love for eachother.

10. Doctor Zhivago
“A Russian epic, the movie traces the life of surgeon-poet Yury Zhivago before and during the Russian Revolution. Married to an upper-class girl who is devoted to him, yet in love with an unfortunate woman who becomes his muse, Zhivago is torn between fidelity and passion. Sympathetic with the revolution but shaken by the wars and purges, he struggles to retain his individualism as a humanist amid the spirit of collectivism”

Related Posts

• 10 Ways To Be Romantic On A Budget