Buzz Gnosis

Excitement has started to build around the 2006 FIFA World Cup in the past couple of weeks with many of the important group deciding games due to be played in the next month or so. Having been involved in numerous conversations about the matches and listened to everybody’s opinion on who would win, I realised that some forward planning was required on my behalf. I decided that I was going to get in early this time around and take advantage of some of the great outsider betting opportunities that are starting to become available. Hopefully I’ll have made my millions before the event even has chance to reach it’s latter stages!

So, less talk more action I thought and so last week I sat down to find some decent betting sites where I could put my hard earned cash to work for me. I know you may think its a bit early seeing as its still 2005 but having seen friends win nice sums of cash on previous World Cups, due to getting better odds earlier on in the tournament, I was keen to do the same myself.

I ended up trawling through so many sites that were out there claiming to have the best odds available I ended up nearly ripping my hair out. Of course the sites promised what i needed but as we all know, things always aren’t as they say on the tin!

Obviously there are a number of sites offering what I wanted but trying to find my way around the actual sites proved to be a nightmare – flashing banners, crammed pages and ads aplenty. Now, I’m sure that a few of you out there are thinking along the same lines as me in the build up to the World Cup – especially with a number of the crucial games coming up over the next couple of weeks, so I’m going to make it all a little easier and let you in on a site that I found during my searches.

I came across www.worldcup-2006-betting.co.uk and thought I would save a few people the hassle I had to endure by passing it on. It has a number of links to the main betting sites, including the usual forerunners, Ladbrokes, Coral, Blue Square etc. but it also has a range of information on all of the teams (just in case you are like me and want to get an overview on some of the less talked about and tipped teams). I could actually find my way around the site pretty easily with none of the inconvenience of the aforementioned flashing banners offering me virtually anything if only I’d click getting in my way!

It’s an extremely easy to use site and you don’t have to have a degree in web design to follow the navigation logic allowing you to get the information you want in seconds. The sites not too image heavy and so the pages load up pretty quickly even on my slow dial-up connection! I reckon that the designer of the site must have come across the same problems as me when trying to find the info they needed and decided to do something about it. The bookies review page is a handy section as not many of the other sites give reviews and ratings on where they’re suggesting you spend your money – its always handy when someone else does all the hard work and researches reputable bookies and what they have to offer.

All of the fixtures are up to date on the site so no more checking teletext or the papers to see when and where the games are being played during the tournament. For those of you who may be luckier than me and actually get to go to Germany next year and see the matches live there is even information and fixture guides for all of the stadiums where World Cup games will be held. Most of the other sites simply led through to the bookies but this one covers all of the areas of the World Cup, so you can get all the information you need in one place which is always an added bonus in my books.

One of the many things that really appeals to me with worldcup-2006-betting is the countdown calendar on every page of the site, it even counts down the days for me until I hopefully get the return of my early planning! I also managed to bag myself a free £25 bet on first finding the site but of course, that will hopefully only be a drop in the ocean compared to my potential earnings if this all goes to plan!!!

I definitely recommend this site to anybody planning on placing bets for the 2006 World Cup and I’m hoping that the person who created the site has a similar one planned for Euro 2008 and makes life easier for me yet again!

Simon Thorpe.

About the author:

There’s nothing that get me more excited than being on the verge of another FIFA football World Cup and next years in Germany is no exeption. Ever since I was a small child ive been getting worked up by forthcoming World Cups and so here’s my preview and suggestions for sites and portals that offer great information for the big event.

By: Jim O’Connor – The Fitness Promoter
Jim O’Connor – All Rights Reserved

What is Lance Armstrong doing that you could be doing to improve your results?

Most people exercise to lose weight, focusing solely on that one single goal. But
wait, it is not only about looking aesthetically pleasing, getting in those tight jeans,
or losing ten pounds. It is really about improving your health, and human
performance.

Each day when you are huffing and puffing on the treadmill, focusing vigorously
on keeping yourself lean, have you ever thought about what physically is
occurring in your body besides burning a bunch of calories?

For improved results, more people need to stop focusing solely on calorie burn,
and start thinking about improving such fitness values as VO2 Max, or maximum
oxygen uptake.

What exactly is your VO2 Max? VO2 Max is defined as the highest rate at which
oxygen can be taken in and used during high intensity dynamic exercise. When
you are exercising aerobically on your treadmill, each and every muscle
contraction requires oxygen to break down the fats, carbohydrates, and protein;
thus, providing energy (ATP) needed to fuel the muscles in order for movement to
occur.

Humans, at rest, need 3.5 ml of oxygen, every minute, for each kilogram of body
weight just to support the cellular activities in the tissues that keep us alive.

Now let’s get back to our treadmill. As you increase the speed or incline
(intensity), more oxygen is required to transfer the oxygen through the blood and
into the muscles. Due to increased intensity during your exercise session, more
oxygen is required to initiate the energy releasing process.

Now let’s take the treadmill up to a speed and incline where you can no longer
catch your breath comfortably. The intensity has increase significantly, but you
have reached an upper limit on the amount of oxygen you can take in. This is
your VO2 Max.

VO2 Max values differ from individual to individual. Factors such as age, health,
activity levels, training programs, and genetics all affect VO2 Max. A sedentary
person has a VO2 Max of around 20 ml of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per
minute of exercise. A highly trained endurance athlete can have a VO2 Max of
70 ml/kg/min.

Now why does Lance Armstrong win all those bike races? Yes, he has a great
training program, a great coach, and great equipment. However, his genetics for
an endurance athlete are nothing short of astounding. Do you know his VO2
Max measures around 83-85 ml/kg/min, while an average person’s is around 40?
For Lance, his success is attributed to a combination of great training, will,
desire, and unbelievable genetic makeup.

A Super Human Lance:

1. Lungs – 2 times the capacity of the average person
2. Muscle – Accumulates less lactic acid and is more efficient at
removing it.
3. Heart – Is about 1/3 larger with a resting heart rate of 32 beats per
minute, and peaks around 200 beats per minute.
4. Body Fat – 4-5 percent before the Tour starts, while an average
person has 15-20 percent.
5. Food Consumption – Needs 6500 calories per day, and upwards of
10,000 per day when biking in the mountains during his 120 mile race.

Truly amazing!

How do you improve VO2 Max? Improvement is seen by progressively
challenging yourself aerobically with consistent workouts at 60% to 85% of your
maximum heart rate (220-age) for an extended period of time. The most
important variable is to continue attempting to increase intensity levels of your
workouts. Progressively overloading is the key; your body will adapt, and improve
your VO2 Max as well as burn more calories for decreased body fat.

Now you ask, how can I measure my VO2 Max?

For the most accurate measurement, you can go into a hospital, or a University
Human Performance Lab and get the test. You will generally use a treadmill or a
stationary bike, and be given an oxygen mask to measure your oxygen exchange.
You will also be connected with chest electrodes to measure your heart response.
The main objective is to walk, bike, or run as the intensity is progressively
elevated until it is not possible to go any longer. (You should be cleared or
monitored by your physician before attempting a VO2 Max test.)

The easier. but not as accurate way, is to do an estimated sub maximal aerobic
capacity test.

The following is one of the many tests that can be used.

Find a 400 meter track, bring a stopwatch, and walk/run as fast as you can go for
12 minutes. Keep track of the number of meters you have gone in 12 minutes,
and use the following formula.

Distance Covered in Meters – 504.9 / 44.730 = Estimated VO2 Max

Here is a rough guide:

4-5 laps covered, your VO2 Max will be around 30.
5-7 laps covered, your VO2 Max will be around 45.
7-8 laps covered (2800 meters), your VO2 Max will be around 62.
8-8.5 laps covered (3200 meters), your VO2 Max will be around 67
9 laps covered (3600 meters), your VO2 Max will be around 70.

Learn to keep a close eye on your fitness values and try to continually improve
them. Improvement will lead to great health benefits, and may result in your
goal of decreased body fat (depending upon your nutritional habits.)

______________________________________________

To receive your complimentary subscription to Wellness Word Multimedia
Newsletter, visit: http://www.WellnessWord.com right now!

______________________________________________

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Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your eZine, Blog, Autoresponder, or
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Jim O’Connor – Exercise Physiologist/The Fitness Promoter

Wellness Word R, LLC
9461 Charleville Boulevard, #312
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
1-866-935-5967

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About the Author

Jim O’Connor, A celebrity fitness consultant from Beverly Hills, California, is the editor of the online multimedia Wellness WORD Newsletter, and the author of a popular ebook called Home Gym Shopping Secrets. Jim’s passion is to educate individuals with proper scientific, researched health and fitness information.