Modern medical procedures have allowed us to alter the aging process to a degree, but there is no reason to get upset if you can't afford a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon. With the emergence of new technologies, although slowly but steadily we are heading towards the dream of keeping young regardless of our age.

We are now aware of the importance of the balance of our body's hormones and how they affect how fast we are aging. They govern how fast or slow our metabolism (our body's engine) is running, whether we gain or lose weight, and how susceptible we are to disease and illness. Aging primarily results from an altered balance or disturbance in our metabolic system.

Proven research shows us that our activity levels have an enormous impact on our hormones and metabolism. Hormones are the chemical messengers employed by the body to carry specific signals to a particular organ or system and Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is the grand daddy of them all affecting almost every tissue in the body.

By age 40 most people are deficient in this hormone accelerating the symptoms of aging, wrinkles, unstoppable weight gain, low energy levels, loss of muscle and bone strength and decreased immune function. New research reveals that by stimulating this hormones production can increase youthfulness, transform the physique and bring about optimal health.

Strength training exercise is proven to be more efficient at stimulating the release of growth hormone more than any other form of exercise. No other type of exercise can drive hormonal machinery towards burning large amounts of energy during the session and create sustained fat burning after the session like this type of exercise.

Exercise that releases more amounts of these "youth" hormones will result in faster weight loss, improved strength and fitness and better sports performance. You will actually achieve three times the results from your exercise program in half the time. Do not expect to get this response from recreational activities like walking, cycling, swimming etc.

To get a burst of this "fitness" hormone takes more than a couple of bicep curls with pink dumbbells, however. Studies show that it takes about 50 minutes of strength training twice a week and it has to be fairly serious and intense enough for it to have the desired outcome.

There are many tools and techniques to generate this effect with exercise, but none of them include old fashioned long duration or "aerobic zone" training. This new technology and understanding dictates that the real fat burning zone exists at higher intensities that will stimulate hormone release.

Breaching 85% to 90% of maximum heart rate ensures adequate intensity and can easily be managed with short duration bursts of strength and interval training. A strength training program that uses full body movements, short rest periods and forces both mechanical and metabolic muscle failure will cause a ripple effect lasting long after exercise has ended.

Although it sounds hard, one soon learns how to reach these higher levels of intensity with practice. As with anything start slowly and build up to it under the guidance preferably of a fitness professional to ensure safety and to get the most results in the shortest possible time.

You will soon begin to love this new model of exercise, and you will love the results that it brings as the extra effort will pay off big time in the form of lifetime youthfulness, physique transformation and super health.