Sunday, September 16, 2007

Friday, September 14, 2007

Google for your iPod?


At a recent tech summit, hosted by Google, CEO Eric Schmidt looked into the future and told the audience what he'd like to see from advances in technology, reports Michael Bazeley.

"The next killer device is a clearly a personal one,'' Schmidt said. "The one I personally favor is putting all the world's information into the equivalent of an iPod, which will be possible in the next five to 10 years. And if you can't quite do that, your wireless connection will help you get what you need.''

Could we see a Google iPod? I still like the idea of a Google watch. ;-)

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

10 Reasons Why You Should Date a Fat Girl

I'm tired of seeing really ugly thin women with nice looking guys. What about cute fat girls? Wouldn't you rather be with a pretty girl? You can work on the fat, but you can't work with ugly...

1. If you take the fat away from the fat girl, she'll be fucking smoking;you take the skinny from the skinny chick...she'll still look like an ugly ass horse.

2. You might not be able to pick her up, but she can PICK you up.

3. No more blankets.

4. Larger mouth capacity.

5. She'll let you eat beef--she'll probably eat most of it.

6. This is cliche, but "more cushion for the pushin".

7. She's probably an emotional wreck, so if you show her the least bit attention, she'll be at your beck and call.

8. Bear hugs.

9. Let me repeat, larger mouth capacity.

10. Economy size. More is Better. Bigger is better.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Sunday, August 19, 2007

History of Yoga – What is Yoga?

You are here: Spirituality >> History of Yoga

History of Yoga – What is Yoga?
Today, many people are taking up yoga techniques for physical exercise, and most don’t know the history of yoga. They believe there is nothing wrong with implementing this form of exercise into their daily regiment to promote a more healthy body.

However, the practice of yoga is much more than a system of physical exercise for health. Yoga is an ancient path to spiritual growth, and originates out of India where Induism is practiced. The practice and goal of yoga dates back to the Upanishads, written between 1000-5000 BC.

History of Yoga – Is it spiritual?
The history of yoga is based in the Indus Valley civilization. The techniques are practiced by the Indus to initiate spiritual growth. The yogis encourage union with the finite jiva (transitory self) and with the infinite Brahman (eternal self). Brahman is a term used by the Hindus to mean “God.” So, what are we supposed to unite with? Yogis usually think of God as an impersonal, spiritual substance, coexisting with all of reality. This doctrine is called pantheism which is the view that everything is God. In the Bible, God reveals Himself as the personal Creator of the universe.

Since it is taught by the yogis that everything is God, it then stands to reason, man is God. Christianity, on the other hand, teaches us there is a clear distinction between man and God. Since God is the Creator, we are one of his creations and created “in the image” of God.

Unlike the yogis, the Bible presents man’s primary problem to be sin -- a failure to conform to God’s character and standards. The solution is Jesus Christ’s death on the cross. He calls men to freely receive all the benefits of His salvation through faith in Christ alone.

Yoga views man’s problem primarily in terms of ignorance. Man simply does not understand he is God so the solution is enlightenment, or an experience of union with God. In order to reach that goal, there must be a lot of striving and effort which is not needed in the Christian viewpoint.

History of Yoga - Is yoga safe?
Can the methods used in the yoga techniques for exercising be separated from the philosophy? The answer is a distinctive “no” because yoga is considered to be a practice of psychosomatic exercises. There is no way to separate the two. The yoga scholar will tell you that in order to practice yoga in the fullest, one must experience what is called the “kundalini” effect within meditation. What does this mean? For spiritual lessons to be grasped by the soul within the person, the chakra, or different locations within the body where a circle of metaphysical and/or biophysical energy resides, join together in the process. Kundilini stimulates the chakra center to open and release the energy held within. If not done properly, some believe that a person can injure the brain.

By researching the history of yoga, we learn that it is not safe spiritually. Yoga teaches us to focus on ourselves instead of on the one true God. It encourages us to seek the answers to life's difficult questions within our own conscience instead of in the Bible. It also leaves one open to deception from Satan, who searches for victims that he can turn away from God (1 Peter 5:8).

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Training helps Alzheimer's caregivers

The findings are stunning: Offering simple training to people struggling to care for loved ones with Alzheimer's disease not only eases their burden — it even can keep patients out of nursing homes for an extra 1 1/2 years.
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But the exciting research also runs headlong into a grim reality.

Alzheimer's caregivers seldom can make time in their daily grind to seek out that kind of help.

And when they do, they too often find waiting lists for services, or programs geared only toward people with advanced disease and not the larger pool in the purgatory that is dementia's decade-long middle ground between independence and helplessness.

That is one of Dolores Melnick's biggest frustrations.

Her husband refused to enroll in the "day care" for Alzheimer's patients near their Hainesport, N.J., home. It was hosting a singalong, and workers were setting up plastic bowling pins, too childish for Bob Melnick.

That meant no time for her to sneak off to a caregiver support group. On weekdays she worries about whether he'll be OK because he's home alone while she's at work.

"I feel bad sometimes because he's home. I feel bad that I have to leave in the mornings," Mrs. Melnick says, eyes brimming with tears. "I think he realizes he can't do much."

_____

More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease. It afflicts one in eight people 65 and older, and nearly one in two people over 85.

Worse, as the population ages, Alzheimer's is steadily rising. Sixteen million are forecast to have the mind-destroying illness by 2050, not counting other forms of dementia.

Those figures are cited repeatedly in the push for more research into better treatments. But a frightening parallel goes largely undiscussed: As Alzheimer's skyrockets, who will care for all these people?

And will the long-term stress of that care set up an entire population — once-healthy spouses and children — to suffer years of illness, even early death?

"I don't think society and policymakers have fully grasped the future magnitude of what we're up against, and how massive an operation we have to begin ... to deal with this," says Dr. Richard Suzman of the National Institute on Aging.

Already, an estimated 10 million people share the task of caring for a relative or friend with dementia, the Alzheimer's Association estimates. Nearly one in four provides care for 40 hours a week or more.

Handling the wandering, aggressive outbursts and incontinence — plus eventual round-the-clock monitoring — is very different than, for example, learning to lift someone who's physically impaired but won't fight the caregiver.

Those are skills that families must be taught, says Mary Mittelman of New York University's School of Medicine, who is leading a new movement to develop customized training programs for Alzheimer's care.

Today, most learn through trial and error.

_____

Louise Eckert sits her 85-year-old mother, Dorothy, in a chair backed against the wall and pushes a heavy table in front of her. It keeps her from tipping her chair backward like a schoolchild.

It's noon, but Dorothy roamed her Norristown, Pa., home for much of the night and just woke for breakfast. Louise spoon-feeds her mother: grapes and prunes mixed into cereal; toast cut into bites; Alzheimer's pills crushed into cottage cheese so she no longer can spit them out.

The conversation is, well, unconventional.

"I want to hit you," Dorothy whispers.

"You do not want to hit me," Louise calmly responds. Minutes later mother and daughter are grinning affectionately.

"She'll hit you and two minutes later, she loves you," says Dorothy's husband, John Eckert, 88.

Not too long ago, the Eckerts despaired of achieving this calm. Dorothy's mild-mannered Alzheimer's suddenly morphed into outright aggression. She climbed furniture, pulled the TV on herself, tried to climb out the window.

Area aging services offered little advice. The Eckerts finally found the right mix of medication and caregiver tricks. Take Dorothy's night roaming, a dementia trademark. Her husband installed bed rails; she crashed over them. He slept holding a belt tied to her waist; she slipped it off without waking him.

Now the couple sleeps on a mattress on the floor. Large wind chimes jangle when Dorothy's up.

"In the beginning there was pressure. Now we expect it's going to happen," her husband says of new symptoms. "You go along with the flow."

John Eckert brushes aside questions about the strain. He looks fit but has had prostate cancer, a small heart attack and mild stroke. Louise tried to hire a respite-care service so her dad could take a walk. But it requires a four-hour daily minimum, more than they need. Alzheimer's day care runs in the mornings, when Dorothy sleeps.

They manage because Louise, the couple's youngest daughter, lives with them and can rush home from her counseling job at a nearby school if needed.

They're determined to make Dorothy's days as lighthearted as possible.

"You could be mad about it, or constantly sad about the whole thing, but why? This is just who Mom is now," Louise explains.

So, they play Bobby Darin, and Dorothy dances around the dining room. Song done, she curls onto her husband's lap, head tucked under his chin. She can't recall his name, or the last name they've shared for 60 years. But she can cuddle.

"She knows I belong here, I guess," John says.

_____

NYU's Mittelman says customized training can help caregivers ease the chaos that the Eckerts battled through, and proved it with a one-of-a-kind experiment.

She tested 406 elderly New Yorkers caring for spouses with Alzheimer's. Half received training tailored to their family's unique needs. Half got today's standard: a list of Alzheimer's resources.

Mittelman tracked these families for up to 17 years. Custom-trained caregivers kept their loved ones out of a nursing home for an average of 1 1/2 years longer than their untrained counterparts.

With annual nursing home costs now averaging $60,000, that's a savings of $90,000 per patient, Mittelman reported last fall in the journal Neurology.

It didn't come at the spouse's expense as trained caregivers experienced less depression, and fewer physical health problems.

Importantly, the training was simple: Social workers met with caregivers once a week for six weeks, to assess each family's circumstances, discuss how Alzheimer's worsens, and teach coping skills. Caregivers were given phone numbers to call counselors for more advice whenever they wanted.

That ongoing tailored care is "a really crucial element," stresses Mittelman. Without it, when the patient "has a personality change and hits somebody for the first time in her life, you won't have anyone to turn to."

Mittelman has begun new studies targeting training to early- and middle-stage Alzheimer's.

And the National Institutes of Health is studying a similar program that mixes in-home and telephone training, sessions that include role-playing to let caregivers practice the coping skills they're learning.

The NIH study has tracked 640 dementia caregivers in five states for just six months so far. But initial results agree with Mittelman: Trained caregivers report improved quality of life, and feel they do a better job.

Together, the research represents a major shift in scientists' approach to Alzheimer's caregiving — from an emphasis on just giving families a break through respite care, to the idea of empowering them to better handle the stress of the job.

The challenge is how to spread those findings.

_____

Have a short conversation with Bob Melnick, and it's not immediately clear that anything's wrong with the smiling 67-year-old. He'll reminisce over old fishing photos; proudly tell of his two grown children; ask socially correct questions:

"How are you today?" "Want to come along while I walk the dog?"

Then the phone rings, and this former accountant fumbles it, unsure how to answer. He can't close the sliding glass door in his kitchen. At lunch, he carefully sets his hoagie on his place mat, next to the empty paper plate.

This is the often-hidden middle stage of Alzheimer's disease, the stage where caregivers seem to struggle most.

"Many people have a stereotypical idea that Alzheimer's disease is what you see in a nursing home," Mittelman says. But, "in the middle stage, there are behavioral problems which are difficult to cope with."

Dolores Melnick has looked, in vain, for help.

As her husband was turning 60, Mrs. Melnick noticed he'd lose his wallet or keys a lot. Trouble with routine accounting work soon forced him to retire.

Worried, Mrs. Melnick sought long-term care insurance. She listened in as her husband was screened over the phone, aghast that he was failing simple memory tests. The insurer turned him down, and soon Alzheimer's was diagnosed.

To fill his days, Melnick got a job at a nearby convenience store, mopping floors and doing other easy tasks until he was fired for forgetting instructions.

Mrs. Melnick is 63, two years shy of Medicare and three years away from her normal retirement date. She loves her job, a statistician at a cancer center. But she considered quitting to care for her husband, only to learn that retaining health insurance for herself plus his Medicare expenses would cost a staggering $700 a month.

"It's kind of hard to retire," she says with a weary smile.

But what to do with Melnick while she's at work?

He can't remember a plot long enough to read or watch movies. He used to take pride in household chores, but now can't work the appliances. Even emptying the dishwasher ended when "dishes were all over and I couldn't find them!" Mrs. Melnick says with a laugh.

He refuses adult day care. Insurance won't pay the $17 to $22 an hour that local home-health agencies charge for a visiting aide, and Mrs. Melnick couldn't afford that.

So she cobbled together a compromise: She pays a friend about $30 a day to stop by around noon for three hours, to make lunch, help walk the dogs and provide some companionship. Melnick spends the mornings and late afternoons alone, outfitted with an electronic tracking bracelet provided by the sheriff's department in case he wanders outside and gets lost.

When she has an out-of-town business meeting, her 85-year-old mother-in-law comes to stay. Every few weekends, her daughter makes the three-hour drive from Washington, D.C., to help out.

And Mrs. Melnick races home from work at 5:15. If she's late, she'll find her husband pacing, wondering where she was. It's a hint of Alzheimer's classic "sundowning," where agitation increases with dusk.

_____

Some states are trying new ways to increase Alzheimer's services. In Colorado, for example, officials experimented with giving $1,000 stipends to help families hire monitoring for their loved ones so they could attend a six-session training program called the Savvy Caregiver.

That doesn't buy much respite, but it's a good investment, says Cheryl Dunaway of the Colorado Alzheimer's Association.

"The caregiver is the one who sets the stage for whether it's a good day or bad day, calm day or chaotic day, in how they respond to the way the person with dementia is behaving," she explains.

In Congress, Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., is pushing legislation that would provide a $3,000 federal income tax credit to offset some of the expenses and lost income incurred by caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's and other diseases.

NIH's Suzman says those costs increase as dementia worsens, from about $7,400 a year for moderate dementia to $17,700 for severe dementia

Back in New Jersey, Mrs. Melnick is anxiously hoping that tax credit will help. Within the year, she expects to have to hire someone to watch her husband all day while she works.

Trying to plan beyond that brings only fear.

"Do I have to think about a nursing home in a year, two years? ... It's not like cancer, where they say you have six months to live. They really can't say that with Alzheimer's."

MUSCLE MEDIA 2000 EXPOSES 30 OF BODYBUILDING'S BIGGEST MYTHS

1 -- You can get as big as a pro bodybuilder. without taking steroids; it just takes longer.

Despite what many of the magazines say, all professional bodybuilders use either steroids or steroids in combination with other growth-enhancing drugs. Without manipulating hormones, it just isn't possible to get that degree of muscularity, the paper-thin skin, and the continuing ability to pack on mass, despite sometimes having poor workout habits and relative ignorance of the principles involved that many pro bodybuilders have. Many supplement distributors, in order to sell their products, would have you believe otherwise.

Still, that's no reason to give up. By using state-of-the-art training principles, consuming a nutrient-rich diet, and by getting proper amounts of rest, almost every person can make incredible changes in his or her physique. The competitive bodybuilder circuit may not be in your future, but building the kind of physique that gains you respect is certainly achievable, as are self-respect and robust health.

2 -- In order to get really big, you have to eat a super-high-calorie diet.

Well, that's true; you'll get really big if you eat a super high-calorie diet, but you'll look like the Michelin Man's fraternal twin. However, if you want to get big, lean-tissue wise, then super-high-calorie diets are probably not for you unless you are one of those very few people with metabolicrates so fast you can burn off these calories instead of depositing them as fat. Unfortunately, studies show that, in most people, about 65% of the new tissue gains brought about by high-calorie diets consists of fat! Of the remaining 35%, approximately 15% consists of increased intracellular fluid volume, leaving a very modest percentage attributable to increased lean muscle mass.

According to Dr Scott Connelly (MM2K, Spring 1992, p. 21), only about 20% to 25% of increased muscle growth stems from increased protein synthesis. The rest of the muscle growth is directly attributable to increased proliferation of the satellite cells in the basal lamina of muscle tissue, and dietary energy (calories) is not a key factor in the differentiation of these cells into new myofibres (muscle cells).

Of all factors determining muscle growth, prevention of protein breakdown (anti-catabolism) seems to be the most relevant, but adding adipose [fat] tissue through constant overfeeding can actually increase muscle pro- teolysis (breakdown). Furthermore, additional adipose mass can radically alter hormone balances which are responsible for controlling protein breakdown in muscle. Insulin balance, for one, which partially controls anti-catabolism in the body, is impaired by consistent overfeeding. So much for the eat-big-to-get-big philosophy!

Stay away from the super-high calorie diets unless you're a genetic freak, or you're woefully lean and don't mind putting on fat [or you're using appropriate pharmaceutical supplements].

3 -- If you eat a low-fat diet, it doesn't matter how many calories you take in, you won't gain any fat.

The bottom line is, if you exceed your energy requirements, you'll gradually get fatter and fatter. It's true that eating a diet rich in fat will pack on the pounds quicker for a variety of reasons, the most significant being that a gram of fat has nine calories as opposed to the four calories per gram that carbohydrates and proteins carry. Fat is also metabolized differently in the body. It takes a lesser amount of calories to assimilate the energy in ingested fat than it does to assimilate an equal (weight wise) amount of carbohydrates. Consequently, more fat calories get stored than carbohydrate calories. However, the gross intake of carbohydrates, as facilitated by many of the weight-gain powders, will make you fat very quickly.

4 -- The more you work out, the more you'll grow.

No, no no. This is one of the most damaging myths that ever reared its ugly head. 95% of the pros will tell you that the biggest bodybuilding mistake they ever made was to over-train--and this happened even when they were taking steroids. Imagine how easy it is for the natural athlete to overtrain! When you train your muscles too often for them to heal, the end-result is zero growth and perhaps even losses. Working out every day, if you're truly using the proper amount of intensity, will lead to gross overtraining. A body part, worked properly, ie. worked to complete, total muscular failure that recruited as many muscle fibers as physiologically possible, can take 5-10 days to heal.

To take it a step further, even working a different body part in the next few days might constitute overtraining. If you truly work your quads to absolute fiber-tearing failure, doing another power workout the next day that entails heavy bench-presses or deadlifts is going to, in all probability, inhibit gains. After a serious leg workout, your whole system mobilizes to heal and recover from the blow you've dealt it. How, then, can the body be expected to heal from an equally brutal workout the next day? It can't, at least not without using some drugs to help deal with the catabolic processes going on in your body [and even they're usually not enough .]

Learn to accept rest as a valuable part of your workout. You should probably spend as many days out of the gym as you do in it.

5 -- The longer you work out, the better.

It just isn't necessary to do 20-30 sets for a body part, or even 10 sets like many 'experts' would have you believe. In fact, research has shown that it's possible to completely fatigue a muscle in one set, provided that that set taxes a muscle completely, ie. incorporates as many muscle fibers as possible and takes them to the point of ischemic rigour where, rather than contract and relax, the muscle fibers freeze up, sort of like a microscopic version of rigor mortis. Any further contraction causes microscopic tearing. Hypertrophy is just one adaption to this kind of stress and it's naturally the kind most bodybuilders are interested in.

This kind of intensity can usually be achieved by doing drop or break-down sets where you rep out, lower the weight, and continue doing reps until you either can't do another rep or you've run out of weight. It can also be achieved by doing your maximum number of reps on a particular exercise: by a combination of will, tenacity, and short rest periods, you complete ten more reps. You achieve the short rest periods by locking out the weight-bearing joint in question without putting the weight down. In other words, completely surpass your normal pain and energy thresholds.

If you can truly work your muscle to the point described, it will afford you little, if any, benefit to do another set (Westcott, 1986). The exception would be the body parts that are so big that they have distinct geographical areas, like the back, which obviously has an upper, middle and lower part. The chest might also fall into this category, as it has a distinct upper and lower part, each with different insertion points.

6 -- You don't have to be strong to be big

For a variety of reasons, people, even those with an equal amount of muscle mass, vary in strength enormously. It might have something to do with fast-twitch/slow-twitch muscle ratios, or it might have something to do with the efficiency of nerve pathways or even limb length and the resultant torque. But it is still a relative term. To get bigger muscles, you have to lift heavier weight, and you, not the guy next door, have to become stronger -- stronger than you were. Increasing muscle strength in the natural athlete, except in a very few, rare instances, requires that the tension applied to muscle fibers be high. If the tension applied to muscle fibers are light, maximal growth will not occur (Lieber, 1992).

7 -- The training programmes that work best for pro bodybuilders are best for everyone.

You see it happen every day in gyms across the country. Some bodybuilding neophyte will walk up to a guy who looks like he's an escaped attraction from Jurassic Park and ask him how he trains. The biggest guy in the gym likely got that way from either taking a tremendous amount of drugs and/or by being genetically pre-dispositioned to get big. Follow a horse home and you'll find horse parents. The guy in your gym who is best bodybuilder is the guy who has made the most progress and done the most to his physique using natural techniques. He may still be a pencil neck, but he may have put on 40 pounds [19kg] of lean body mass to get where he is, and that, in all probability, took some know-how. That person probably doesn't overtrain, keeps his sets down to a minimum, and uses great form and concentration on the eccentric (negative) portion of each exercise repetition.

Many pros spend hours and hours doing innumerable sets--so many it would far surpass the average person's recuperative abilities. If average people followed the routines of average pro bodybuilders, they would, in effect, start to whittle down what muscle mass they did have or, at best, make only a tiny bit of progress after a couple of years.

8 -- You can't build muscle on a sub-maintenance calorie intake diet.

It may be a little harder, and it may require a little bit more know-how and a little bit more conscientious effort, but it can be done. The fact is, the obese state in humans and animals is not universally correlated with absolute levels of caloric intake and neither is the accrual of lean body mass. The ability to realize changes in lean/fat ratios is regulated by components of the automatic nervous system working in concert with several endocrine hormones; this is called nutrient partitioning. For example, certain beta-agonist drugs like Clenbuterol increase meat production in cattle over 30% while simultaneously diminishing bodyfat without increasing the amount or composition of their feed. Other drugs, including growth hormone, certain oestrogens, cortisol, ephedrine, and IGF-1 are all examples of re-partitioning agents. All increase oxygen consumption at the expense of fat storage--independent of energy intake!

Drugs are not the only way to do this, however. It's true that a significant component of this mechanism is genetically linked, but specific nutrients, in specific amounts, when combined with an effective training programme, can markedly improve the lean/fat ratio of adult humans. MET-Rx is one such nutrient re-partitioning agent, and several companies are trying to duplicate its successes [warning: one of the authors of this article has a significant financial stake in Substrate Technologies, the makers of MET-Rx].

9 -- You can't grow if you only work each body part once a week.

If you work out -- work out intensely-- then it can take 5-10 days for the muscles to heal. Although the following should be taken with a grain of salt when determining your own exercise frequency, a study in the May 1993 issue of the Journal of Physiology revealed it can take weeks for muscles to recuperate from an intense workout. The study involved a group of men and women who had worked their forearms to the max. All of the subjects said they were sore two days after exercising, and the soreness was gone by the seventh day, and the swelling was gone by the ninth day. After six weeks, the subjects had only gained back half the strength they had before the original exercise! By no means are we advocating that you wait two months between workouts, but we are trying to prove the point that it takes muscles longer to heal than what you might have previously thought. For some people, especially natural bodybuilders, waiting a week between body part workouts might be just what the doctor ordered for size and strength gains!

10 -- You can't make gains if. you only train with weights three days a week.

Although you probably couldn't find a single steroid-assisted athlete who trains only three days a week [well, I was, and I made fantastic gains!], there's absolutely no reason why a three-day-a-week routine couldn't work for many natural athletes. As long as your routine attacked the whole body and you worked to failure on each set, you could easily experience great gains on this sort of routine. However, you need to pay even more attention to your diet if you only train three days a week, especially if your job involves little or no physical activity, and you like to spend your idle time eating. Ignore those who say three-day-a-week bodybuilders are only 'recreational lifters'. Think quality and not quantity.

11 -- You should only rest 45 seconds in between sets.

That's true if you're trying to improve cardiovascular health or lose some bodyfat. But in order to build muscle, you need to allow enough time for the muscle to recuperate fully (ie. let the lactic acid buildup in your muscles dissipate and ATP levels build back up). In order to make muscles grow, you have to lift the heaviest weight possible, thereby allowing the maximum number of muscle fibers to be recruited. If the amount of weight you lift is being limited by the amount of lactic acid left over from the previous set, you're only testing your ability to battle the effects of lactic acid. In other words, you're trying to swim across a pool while wearing concrete overshoes. When training heavy, take [at least!] two and three minutes between your sets. Notice I said, "when training heavy." The truth is, you can't train heavy all the time. Periodization calls for cycling heavy workouts with less intense training sessions in an effort to keep the body from becoming overtrained. (See 'Periodization' by Brad Jeffreys on p. 85 of the Feb/March 1993 issue of MM2K)

12 -- You have to use fancy weightlifting equipment in order to make the best gains.

Futuristic-looking, complex machinery designed to give your muscles the 'ultimate workout' is typically less effective than good-old barbells and dumbbells. Using simple free weights (barbells and dumbbells) on basic multi-joint exercises, like the squat, bench press, shoulder press, and deadlift, is still the most effective means of resistance exercise ever invented. Scientific research has shown that many exercise machines lack the proper eccentric component of an exercise that's necessary to stimulate muscle tissue to remodel (grow). (See the article titled 'Research Confirms that Bodybuilders Should Pay Heavy Attention to Negative Reps' by Bill Phillips on p.18 of the Feb/March issue of MM2K)

13 -- Weight training makes you big; aerobic exercise cuts you up.

Manipulations in your nutrient intake are the main factor in getting cut up, and how you do it doesn't matter. If your daily caloric expenditure exceeds your daily caloric intake on a consistent basis, you will lose fat and get more cut.

Aerobic exercise is generally meant to improve cardiovascular efficiency, but if you do it long enough, you will burn up calories and in the long run drop the fat. However, weightlifting can do the same thing, only better. Studies have shown that the body burns far more efficiently if exercise is performed at a moderate pace for periods longer than 20 minutes. (It generally takes that long for the glucose in the bloodstream to be 'burned up', causing the body to dip into glycogen reserves for its energy) Once the glycogen reserves are used up, the body must metabolize fatty acids for energy. That equate to lost bodyfat.

In the long run, bodybuilding is more efficient than aerobics for burning up calories. Let me explain--if researchers were to undertake a study of twins whereby one twin performed daily aerobics and the other practiced a bodybuilding programme where the end result was increased lean body mass, the bodybuilding twin would ultimately be a more efficient fat burner than his aerobic twin. Why? Well, by adding lean body mass, that person's metabolic requirements are higher--muscle uses energy even while it is not being used. The aerobic twin might use more calories during the time period of exercise itself, but the weight-lifting twin would use a higher amount during rest time, leading to a higher net 24-hour expenditure. The weight lifter burns fat just sitting there.

14 -- You can completely reshape a muscle by doing isolation exercises.

You can't limit growth to only one area of a muscle. Larry Scott, for whom the 'biceps peaking' Scott curl was named, had tremendous biceps, but he didn't have much of a peak. The shape of your biceps, or for that matter, any muscle, is determined by your genetic makeup. When you work a muscle, any muscle, it works on the all-or-nothing principle, meaning that each muscle fiber recruited to do a lift -- along the entire length of that muscle -- is contracted fully. Why would a certain number of them, like the ones in the middle of the biceps, suddenly start to grow differently or at a faster rate than its partners? If anything, the muscles that are closest to the insertion points are the most prone to mechanical stress, and you don't see them get any bigger than the rest of the muscle. If they did, everyone would have proportions like Popeye.

This is true of any muscle, but you're probably thinking, what about quads? I know that when I do hack squats with my feet together, it tends to give me more sweep in my legs. Sure it does, but the quadriceps are made up of four different main muscles, and doing hacks with your feet together forces the vastus lateralis muscles on the outside of the leg to work harder; consequently, they grow proportionately along their entire length and give the outer quads more sweep.

As further evidence, take a look at a picture of any young professional bodybuilder before he was developed enough to become a pro. He will have virtually the same structural lines as he does today. All that has changed is that his muscles are now bigger.

15 -- If you get a pump , you're working the muscles adequately to ensure muscular hypertrophy, or if your muscles are burning, that means you are promoting muscle growth.

A pump, despite what Arnold Schwarzenegger said about it "feeling better than coming", is nothing more than the muscle becoming engorged with blood from capillary action. It can be achieved easily by curling a soup can fifty times. It by no means equates to the muscular intensity needed to promote growth. The same is true of the coveted 'burn' that Hollywood muscleheads advise the public to 'go for'. A burn is simply an accumulation of lactic acid, a by-product of chemical respiration. You can get a burn by peddling a bicycle or simply extending your arm straight out and moving it in tiny circles [or sitting in a burning fireplace!]. It does not necessarily mean you are promoting muscle growth. For hypertrophy to occur, you have to subject the muscles to high levels of tension, and high tension levels are best induced by heavy weights.

16 -- If you do hundreds of sit-ups a day, you will eventually achieve a narrow, washboard-type midsection.

There is no such thing as spot-reduction. Doing thousands and thousands of sit-ups will give you tight abdominal muscles, but they will do nothing to rid your midsection of fat. Thigh adductor and abductor movements will give women's thighs more firmness, but they will do nothing to rid the area of fat, or what is commonly [and erroneously] called cellulite. Nothing will rid the body of fat, unless it is a carefully-orchestrated reduction in your daily energy intake; in other words, if you burn more calories than you ingest (or do that in conjunction with a nutrient partitioning agent. See #8)

17 -- Training like a powerlifter --deadlifts, heavy squats, bench presses--will make your physique look blocky.

Blockiness, like baldness or a flat chest, is a genetic trait. If you were born blocky, then powerlifting will simply make you a bigger blocky person. The only way to offset a blocky appearance is to give special emphasis to the lats, the outer muscles of the thighs, and to a fat-reducing diet which will keep the midsection as narrow as possible. With these modifications, you will give your body the illusion of a more "aerodynamic" appearance. The truth is, powerlifting exercises are excellent for bodybuilding.

18 -- High repetitions make your muscles harder and more cut up.

Although there is some evidence to suggest that high repetitions might induce some extra capillary intrusion into a muscle, they will do nothing to make the muscle harder or more cut up. If a completely sedentary person began weightlifting, using either low reps or high reps, he or she would experience a rapid increase in tonus, the degree of muscular contraction that the muscle maintains even when that muscle is relaxed, but that would happen regardless of rep range. The only way that high repetitions would make a muscle more cut up is if, by doing a higher number of reps, your body as a whole was in negative energy balance, and you were burning more calories than you were ingesting. The truth is, heavy weights, lifted for 5-8 reps per set, can build rock-hard muscles. You just have to get the fat off them to see how "hard" they are.

19 -- Instinctive training is the best way to promote gains.

If bodybuilders followed their instincts, they'd go home and pop open a Bud [much prefer Toohey's Red myself!]. Instinctive training is a wonderful catch-phrase, and it might even work for drug-assisted athletes since the very act of opening up a Bud would probably induce muscular growth in them. However, in a natural bodybuilder, the approach to long-term, consistent gains in muscular mass has to be, shall we say, a bit more scientific. Research results conducted by exercise physiologists recommend a systematic approach such as the one encompassed by periodization where the bodybuilder, through a period of several weeks, lifts ever-increasing pre-set percentages of a one-rep lift. This heavy period is also periodically staggered with a lighter training phase 'cycle'. Ultimately, the percentages increase, the maximum one-rep lifts increase, and lean body mass increases. There is nothing instinctive about it.

20 -- Women need to train differently than men.

On a microscopic level, there is virtually no difference between the muscle tissue of men and the muscle tissue of women. Men and women have different levels of the same hormones, and that's what is responsible for the difference in the amount of muscle a man can typically put on and the amount of muscle a woman can typically gain. There is absolutely no reason why either should train differently than the other sex, provided they have the same goals. The only difference in training might be as a result of cultural, sexual preferences. A woman might desire to develop her glutes a little more so she looks better in a pair of 'Guess' jeans. Conversely, a man might want to build his lats a little more so that he fits the cultural stereotype of a virile man.

21 -- There are food supplements available that are just as effective as steroids, yet safer.

The only things as effective as steroids are other steroids. Despite the proclamations of some supplement distributors, usually in giant, 35-point type, no currently available supplement works like steroids. However, nutrients and supplements can be extremely effective, especially if your diet is lacking in some critical component or you're genetically predisposed to accept that nutrient or supplement. Biochemically, individuals vary enormously, and the interaction of genetics, coupled with the widely varying diets that each of us eats, makes it virtually impossible to gauge just what will work for one individual and what won't. That is why some supplements work better than others for some people, just as some people are genetically predispositioned to accept steroids more readily than others. Food supplements do have benefits that can't be overlooked -- they're generally safe, and they won't get you thrown into jail. But none of them build muscle as fast or as well as steroids.

22 -- Professional bodybuilders represent the epitome of health and fitness.

The ultimate irony is that the IFBB is facing in trying to get bodybuilders into the Olympics is that while every athlete in every other sport is presumably the healthiest they've ever been so that they are able to compete athletically and break records, the bodybuilder is so weak on competition day that he or she would have trouble fending off the attacks of an enraged toy poodle. The weeks of constant dieting, workouts that continually tax the body almost beyond recovery, and a constant influx of potentially harmful drugs and diuretics have brought most of them to total exhaustion.

And think about the huge amounts of food some steroid-using bodybuilders eat. In all the longevity sites in the world where people routinely live to be one hundred, the only common denominator is that they all either under-eat or eat just enough to meet their daily caloric requirements. By ingesting less food, they ingest less harmful chemicals, and fewer free radicals are formed in the body. The average professional builder probably eats at least four or five times what these aforementioned people eat. As a result, bodybuilders often suffer from high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Plus, with all that extra mass, the heart has to work that much harder and will probably stop beating years before it was designed to. That's why professional bodybuilding is the ultimate act of vanity. It was done strictly to fulfill some misguided notion of the superhuman ideal, and health was not even a consideration. Almost without exception, these guys and gals are not healthy, and they'll probably be among the first to tell you so. However, weight-training and consuming a nutrient-rich diet is very healthy, as long as it is not carried to extremes.

23 -- Training with weights causes your muscles to get tight and hinders flexibility and, consequently, athletic performance.

If anything, when done properly (slowly and using a complete range of motion), weight training increases flexibility. Many athletes now engage in weight training in order to improve their performance in their chosen sport -- witness Evander Hollyfield or any number of track athletes, basketball players, or gymnasts; the list goes on and on.

This lie goes all the way back to the 1930s. Companies that were selling isometric exercise programmes by mail were trying to convince people _not_ to exercise with barbells, simply because it wasn't practical to send weights through the mail. So they made up the 'muscle-bound' lie.

This lie might have been fueled from the feeling of 'tightness' that accompanies an intense workout. If the workout was intense and a sufficient number of muscle fibers were recruited and microscopically damaged, then even the normal tonus (the normal amount of contraction experienced by a relaxed muscle) is more than enough to cause a feeling of pain and tightness. The tightness is compounded by the 'tugging' of the tendons on the muscles. Stretching, however, would do much to alleviate this tightness, and stretching is a recommended part of any athletic pursuit.

The only possible confirmation of this lie concerns a baseball pitcher's arm. An intense weight training programme might affect a pitcher's ability to throw a fast ball, but it wouldn't be because of a lack of flexibility. The speed a pitcher can generate seems to be determined more by a complex relationship of tendon length and strength and nervous system efficiency as opposed to muscular strength, and weight training could, possibly, upset this delicate balance.

24 -- Loading up on carbohydrates is an excellent way to enhance your athletic performance.

The traditional manner in which athletes 'carb up' for an athletic competition usually involves first depleting the body's stores of carbohydrates through exercise and diet. This is then followed by rest and a high carbohydrate intake. However, studies have shown that this type of preparation is unnecessary. An athlete who eats a balanced, high-carbohydrate diet and is in reasonably good shape has plenty of carbohydrates in his or her system to meet the demands of short-duration exercises that don't exceed roughly one hour. Anyone that does exercises that last more than an hour, like long-distance running or cycling, may benefit from 'carbing up', but the ability of muscles to use fat as a source of energy rather than carbohydrates in endurance events may be even more important to performance at that level.

25 -- Consuming foods high in sugar before training provides your body with extra energy to sustain workouts.

Simple sugars like sucrose don't need to be broken down by the body's enzymes to be used as energy like complex carbohydrates do. Therefore, they elicit a rapid release of insulin, the hormone that regulates blood-sugar levels. The trouble is, the sudden, rapid influx of sugar into the system causes the body to release insulin in what must be considered a haphazard method, ie. the amount released is usually more than what's needed to metabolise the sugar. Consequently, your blood sugar often temporarily drops to a point that is actually lower than it was _before_ you had the sugar, which might cause you to become more exhausted much earlier than it normally would. Your body is then forced to dip into its glycogen reserves in order to correct the imbalance.

To ensure that you have enough energy to complete a workout, eat nutrient- rich foods with low glycemic indices (those that elicit a smooth, steady stream of sugar into the bloodstream) like barley, lentils or beans.

26 -- All anabolic steroids are extremely toxic and dangerous.

Here's a good trivia question borrowed from Dan Duchaine's Underground Steroid Handbook [highly recommended]: if you lined up a bottle of Dianabol (a popular steroid), a bottle of Lasix (a diuretic used by heart patients and bodybuilders who want to 'cut up' for a competition), a bottle of Valium, a bottle of aspirin, and a bottle of Slow-K (a potassium supplement), which one, upon eating a 100 tablets, wouldn't kill you? Well, most likely the Dianabol. This isn't an endorsement of steroids; it's just an effective illustration of the stigma generally associated with all steroids: 'they'll give you brain tumors like Lyle Alzado . . . they'll cause your heart to enlarge and eventually give out [they cause spontaneous decapitation . .]'. Maybe, but all steroids are different. Some are more dangerous than others. Birth control pills are steroids. Testosterone patches have been used with great success to enhance the quality of life for elderly men. Some of the steroids that bodybuilders use are very mild, and the risk associated with them is virtually negligible. Still, there _are_ dangerous steroids, and that's all the more reason that athletes who choose to use them must be more knowledgeable about them. This is what Bill Phillips' Anabolic Reference Guide [_very_ highly- recommended] is all about -- education. Of course, the physical changes that steroids bring about might cause adverse psychological effects in the user, and that fact shouldn't be ignored.

27 -- If you stop working out, your muscle will turn into fat.

This is almost too preposterous to address. Muscle can no sooner turn to fat than gold can turn into lead. Muscle is made up of individual cells--living, 'breathing' cells that undergo all kinds of complex metabolic processes. Fat cells are simply storage packets of lipids. The possibility of one changing into another is akin to the bowling ball in your storage closet turning into your Aunt Edna. If you stop working out, if you stop applying resistance to your muscles on a consistent basis, they will simply adapt to the new condition. In other words, they'll shrink. If the degree of inactivity or immobilization is severe, the muscles will shrink faster than the surrounding skin, and a temporary condition of loose skin might be experienced, but that too would remedy itself with time.

28 -- Ingesting MCT . (medium-chain triglyceride) oils will give you tons of energy, but they won't make you fat.

MCTs first gained prominence for treating persons suffering from fat mal- absorption, pancreatic deficiency, or stomach or esophageal diseases. Researchers found that MCTs, because of their better solubility and motility, underwent a rapid hydrolysis by salivary, gastric, and pancreatic enzymes. Consequently, they were able to reach the liver and provide energy much more quickly than long-chain triglycerides (Guillot, et al., 1993). There was also some evidence that MCTs reduced lipid deposition in fat stores compared with that resulting from LCTs under identical energy intake conditions. However, this is no reason to believe that ingesting these oils in excess will not result in a positive energy balance which the body stores as fat. MCTs, like regular oils, like regular fats, have nine calories per gramme. Even though they are metabolized differently, using them in excessive amounts will add inches to your waistline.

29 -- If everyone took the same amount of steroids, everyone would look like a professional bodybuilder.

One of the ironies of steroid use is that some people are genetically 'gifted' in terms of steroid receptors. That means that they have a large number of receptor sites in the muscles with which a particular steroid can combine and exert its mass-building effects. The man or woman who won the last contest might very well have the most active steroid receptors rather than being the most dedicated, knowledgeable bodybuilder. On the other hand, some people might possess very few receptors for a particular steroid. That's why they experience very little, if any, growth on a particular steroid. Another factor that influences receptor affinity is age. The highest receptor affinity seems to occur in late teenage years. This is a generalization, but it seems to be true for a good number of people. Since there is a greater uptake in these individuals, they are often able to take lower dosages for longer periods of time and make better gains than older users. The truth is, two bodybuilders could take the same steroid stack, train and eat the same, and one could turn out to be in the Olympia, and the other might never even win a local contest. The difference in how people react to these drugs is incredible.

30 -- Someone with a well-built body must be knowledgeable about fitness and physique development.

Despite popular belief, just because some guy has 20" [51cm] arms or 30" [77cm] thighs, that does not automatically credential him as a bodybuilding expert. Unfortunately, in a society where looks count for so much, well-built lifters are often regarded as bodybuilding scientists. The unfortunate fact is, many well-built athletes, even pro bodybuilders, have no idea how they got where they are. Many of them are so genetically gifted and embellish their genetic potential even further by using tons of bodybuilding drugs that they actually succeed in spite of themselves. With few exceptions, elite bodybuilders are the last people in the world you want to turn to for bodybuilding advice if you're genetically average like 98% of us. You're more likely to find expert advice from someone who has 'walked a mile in your shoes'.

Friday, August 3, 2007

Mix and match these low-cal, energizing options to create your own perfect meal plan that'll slim you down for summer.

Find More

* Avoid Summer Weight Gain
* Drink Yourself Thin This Summer
* Summer Heart-Healthy Foods



What's not to love about our easy-to-follow regimen? By letting you choose from 30 meals and 10 snacks that deliver a healthy 1,800 calories a day, you'll drop pounds fast, feel satisfied, and get to enjoy your favorite foods.

Every meal contains a fat-fighting dose of fiber (an average of 25 g a day), the nutrient that slims you down by filling you up. A recent University of Minnesota study found that people who ate the most vegetables, fruits, and other fiber-rich foods lost 2 to 3 pounds more per month than those on lower-fiber diets that can add up to a whopping 30 pounds in a year. the meals are also loaded with bone-building calcium (about 1,200 mg a day), which has been found to kick-start the body's fat-burning engines.

Here's how the plan works: Each day, choose a breakfast (400 calories each), lunch (550 calories), dinner (650 calories), and snack (200 calories). We've even taken into account that you don't always have time to cook (try a frozen entrée option). Combine the plan with regular exercise, and then break out the slim-fit capris or skinny jeans: Your new body will be ready for them!

Take Your Pick: Breakfast (400 calories)

1. The 5-Minute Breakfast (Top Fat Burner!)
Toast 1 slice 100% whole wheat raisin bread and spread with 1 Tbsp peanut butter. Serve with 1 cup low-fat plain yogurt and 1 cup strawberries, sliced.

398 cal, 20 g pro, 50 g carb, 13.5 g fat, 4.5 g sat fat, 15 mg chol, 8 g fiber, 437 mg sodium, 500 mg calcium

2. Homemade Muesli
Mix 1/2 c uncooked rolled oats; 1 med tart apple, chopped; and 1 Tbsp slivered almonds. Top with 2/3 c light soy milk or fat-free milk. Serve with 6 oz calcium- and vitamin D fortified orange juice.

401 cal, 13 g pro, 69 g carb, 8 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 8 g fiber, 116 mg sodium, 456 mg calcium

3. Sweet Smoothie
In blender, mix 1 med banana, 1 c frozen peaches, 6 oz low-fat vanilla yogurt, 2 Tbsp orange juice concentrate, 1 Tbsp toasted wheat germ, and a dash of almond extract.

405 cal, 13 pro, 80 g carb, 3.5 g fat, 1.5 g sat fat, 8 mg chol, 6 g fiber, 114 mg sodium, 321 mg calcium

4. Breakfast Burrito
In nonstick pan, scramble 1 whole egg and 1 egg white (or 1/2 c liquid egg substitute). Fill a 101/2" whole wheat tortilla with egg, 1 oz shredded low-fat Cheddar cheese, 2 Tbsp salsa, 3 Tbsp chopped tomato, and 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro. Serve with 1 c cubed melon (like honeydew or cantaloupe).

400 cal, 23 g pro, 52 g carb, 11 g fat, 3.5 g sat fat, 218 mg chol, 4 g fiber, 512 mg sodium, 317 mg calcium

5. Latte & Muffin (Top Fat Burner!)
Mix 2/3 c warm 1% milk with strong coffee. Top a 2 oz (Ping-Pong ball size) bran muffin with 1 Tbsp peanut butter and serve with fruit salad (1/2 med orange, peeled and chopped, and 1 kiwifruit, peeled and chopped).

401 cal, 14 g pro, 53 g carb, 16 g fat, 4 g sat fat, 25 mg chol, 10 g fiber, 496 mg sodium, 365 mg calcium

6. Berry Ricotta Toast
Top 1 slice 100% whole wheat toast with 1 Tbsp jam and 1/3 c part-skim ricotta. Serve with 2/3 c blueberries, 6 oz grapefruit juice, and 1 c coffee with 1/3 c 1% milk.

402 cal, 16 g pro, 64 g carb, 9 g fat, 5 g sat fat, 28 mg chol, 5 g fiber, 328 mg sodium, 373 mg calcium

7. Orange Sunshine Pancakes
In medium bowl, combine 1/2 c 1% milk; 1/3 c low-fat, low-sodium pancake mix; 2 Tbsp liquid egg substitute; 4 tsp toasted wheat germ; 1 Tbsp orange juice concentrate; and 1 tsp grated orange zest. Pour two circles of batter onto hot griddle coated with cooking spray and cook until bubbles begin to pop. Flip and cook 2 minutes or until done. Top with 2 Tbsp marmalade and 1/3 c fat-free plain yogurt.

400 cal, 17 g pro, 75 g carb, 6 g fat, 1.5 g sat fat, 4 mg chol, 2 g fiber, 171 mg sodium, 340 mg calcium

8. Vegetable Omelet
In small pan coated with cooking spray, sauté 2 Tbsp each diced onion and green bell pepper until tender, approximately 3 minutes. Remove. In same pan, add 3/4 c liquid egg substitute and cook over low heat until firm. Add onion-pepper mixture and 1/2 c diced tomato, then fold egg in half. Serve with 1 slice 100% whole wheat toast topped with 2 tsp jam and 8 oz calcium- and vitamin D fortified orange juice.

396 cal, 28 g pro, 53 g carb, 8 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 2 mg chol, 4 g fiber, 514 mg sodium, 408 mg calcium

9. Fruity Parfait (Top Fat Burner!)
In tall glass, layer 1/3 c low-fat burner granola; 1 c low-fat plain yogurt; 1 med orange, peeled and chopped; 1 kiwifruit, peeled and chopped; and 2 tsp dried fruit (apricots, raisins, etc.).

403 cal, 18 g pro, 71 g carb, 6 g fat, 2.5 g sat fat, 15 mg chol, 8 g fiber, 237 mg sodium, 522 mg calcium

10. Cereal Blender
Mix 1/2 c each shredded wheat cereal and Cheerios, and top with 2 Tbsp dried cherries or raisins, 1 Tbsp chopped unsalted walnuts, and 1 tsp dried coconut. Add 1 c light soy milk or fat-free milk. Serve with 6 oz apricot nectar.

396 cal, 14 g pro, 78 g carb, 9 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 6 g fiber, 304 mg sodium, 357 mg calcium
Take Your Pick: Lunch (550 calories)

1. The 5-Minute Lunch
Spread 4 oz whole wheat bagel with 1 Tbsp low-fat cream cheese and top with 1 slice red onion, 2 leaves lettuce, and 1 thick slice tomato. Serve with 1 med banana and 8 oz 1% milk.

548 cal, 24 g pro, 99 g carb, 7 g fat, 4 g sat fat, 18 mg chol, 14 g fiber, 729 mg sodium, 380 mg calcium

2. Make-Your-Own Salad
Top 4 c chopped romaine lettuce with 1 oz shredded low-fat Cheddar cheese; 1/3 c corn; 1/3 c canned beans (such as black or kidney), rinsed and drained; 2 Tbsp grated carrots; 4 Tbsp diced red onion; 4 oz roasted or grilled chicken breast (about the size of your palm); 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar; and dash of extra virgin olive oil (less than 1 tsp). Serve with 1 med whole wheat roll spread with 1 tsp butter.

554 cal, 53 g pro, 53 g carb, 17 g fat, 6 g sat fat, 112 mg chol, 14 g fiber, 471 mg sodium, 371 mg calcium

3. TLT n Veggies (Top Fat Burner!)
Spread 1 Tbsp low-fat, low-sodium mayonnaise on 1 slice 100% whole wheat bread. Add 2 thin slices turkey breast (about 2 oz), 3 thick slices tomato, and 2 leaves lettuce. Top with second slice whole wheat bread. On the side, toss 1 c steamed green beans with 12 cherry tomatoes, halved; 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar; 1 clove garlic, minced; and salt and black pepper to taste. Serve with 1 c 1% milk and 1 tangerine.

549 cal, 28 g pro, 83 g carb, 16 g fat, 4 g sat fat, 30 mg chol, 14 g fiber, 558 mg sodium, 461 mg calcium

4. Bean & Cheese Quesadilla
Fill two 6" whole wheat tortillas with 1 oz shredded low-fat, low-sodium Cheddar cheese; 1/3 c canned black beans, rinsed and drained; 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro; and 1 Tbsp chopped scallions. Grill on both sides (about 5 minutes each) and top with 2 Tbsp salsa mixed with 1 med tomato, diced. On the side, mix 1 med pear, seeded and chopped; 2 Tbsp pomegranate seeds (or dried cranberries); 2 tsp lemon juice (fresh or bottled); and 1 tsp chopped fresh parsley. Serve with 1/2 c low-calorie cranberry juice mixed with 1 c sparkling water over crushed ice.

549 cal, 18 g pro, 110 g carb, 7 g fat, 2.5 g sat fat, 6 mg chol, 14 g fiber, 599 mg sodium, 300 mg calcium

5. Soup & Grilled Cheese (Top Fat Burner!)
Gazpacho: In blender, puree 2 c peeled and chopped tomatoes; 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped; 1/3 c chopped onion; 1 clove garlic; 1/3 c chopped peeled cucumber; 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar; 2 tsp olive oil; and salt and black pepper to taste. (Strain for smoother texture.)

Grilled Cheese: Spread 1 tsp Dijon mustard on 2 slices 100% whole wheat bread. Add 11/2 oz low-fat Cheddar cheese, sliced, and 1/2 c bottled roasted red peppers, drained. In nonstick pan, grill on each side until cheese is melted. Serve with 1 c sparkling water mixed with 1/3 c calcium-and vitamin D fortified orange juice over crushed ice.

551 cal, 23 g pro, 76 g carb, 17 g fat, 4.5 g sat fat, 9 mg chol, 16 g fiber, 459 mg sodium, 506 mg calcium

6. Mango Chicken Sandwich
Spread 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce on 2 slices sourdough bread (70 calories per slice). Add 3 oz roasted or grilled chicken breast; 1/2 fresh mango, peeled and sliced; 1 slice red onion; and 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro. Serve with Spinach-Orange Salad: Toss 3 cups bagged baby spinach leaves with 1/2 c canned mandarin orange slices, drained; 2 Tbsp diced red onion; and 1 Tbsp dried cranberries. Dress with 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar and dash of extra virgin olive oil (less than 1 tsp).

542 cal, 37 g pro, 76 g carb, 12 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 71 mg chol, 10 g fiber, 635 mg sodium, 260 mg calcium

7. Black Beans & Rice
Mix 1 c cooked instant brown rice with 1/2 c chopped scallions. Top with 2/3 c canned black beans (rinsed and drained) mixed with 1 med tomato, diced; 2 Tbsp diced red onion; 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley; 1 Tbsp lemon juice (fresh or bottled); and 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil. Serve with 1 sm apple.

549 cal, 17 g pro, 100 g carb, 12 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 19 g fiber, 645 mg sodium, 146 mg calcium

8. Tomato Sandwich & Beet Salad (Top Fat Burner!)
Spread 2 slices sourdough burner bread (70 calories per slice) with 1 Tbsp low-fat, low-sodium mayonnaise. Top with 4 thick slices vine-ripened tomato, 1/4 c fresh basil leaves, 1 tsp mixture of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and salt and black pepper to taste.

On the side, serve with 1 lg orange and Beet Salad: Toss 1 c fresh or canned beets, cubed, with 1 Tbsp fat-free feta cheese and 1 Tbsp chopped pecans.

548 cal, 19 g pro, 81 g carb, 16.5 g fat, 3.5 g sat fat, 13 mg chol, 12 g fiber, 673 mg sodium, 479 mg calcium

9. Roast Beef Sandwich
Spread 2 slices 100% whole wheat bread with 1 Tbsp low-fat, low-sodium mayonnaise. Top with 2 thin slices roast beef (about 2 oz) and 3 leaves lettuce. Serve with 12 baby carrots and 1 med apple.

552 cal, 25 g pro, 64 g carb, 23 g fat, 6 g sat fat, 68 mg chol, 12 g fiber, 551 mg sodium, 118 mg calcium

10. Beef Fajita
In nonstick pan coated with cooking spray, sauté 3 oz lean sirloin steak strips (prepackaged or cut at home) with 11/4 c fresh or frozen red and green bell pepper slices and 1/2 c onion slices. Stir frequently until trips are cooked through and vegetables are tender (approximately 10 minutes). Toss steak strips and vegetables with 1 Tbsp bottled ajita sauce until well coated. Wrap in a warmed 10-1/2" whole wheat tortilla.

Time-saver: You can make these fajitas ahead, wrap ndividually in microwave-friendly plastic wrap, and reheat in microwave.On the side, toss 1 lg tomato, diced; 1/3 c canned corn (rinsed and drained); /4 c chopped cilantro or parsley; 3 Tbsp diced red onion; 2 tsp balsamic vinegar; and 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil.

52 cal, 36 g pro, 65 g carb, 17 g fat, g sat fat, 76 mg chol, 9 g fiber, 483 mg odium, 127 mg calcium
Take Your Pick: Dinner (650 calories)

1. Cheesy Spinach Pizza (Top Fat Burner!)
Top one 10" low-sodium pizza crust with 1 c low-sodium marinara sauce; 10 oz frozen spinach (thawed and thoroughly drained); 2 cloves garlic, minced; and 6 oz shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400°F until cheese bubbles and pizza is heated through. On the side, drizzle 2 Tbsp low-fat, low-sodium Italian dressing on 12 inner romaine leaves. Top with 1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese. Serve with 1 c fresh or frozen and thawed strawberries.

Per 2 slices: 653 cal, 30 g pro, 82 g carb, 23 g fat, 7 g sat fat, 28 mg chol, 10 g fiber, 401 mg sodium, 895 mg calcium

2. Salmon Supper
Drizzle lemon juice on a 5 oz salmon fillet and broil or grill about 5 minutes per side or until just opaque. Top with 1/2 c diced mango mixed with 1/3 c salsa. On the side, steam 2/3 c each snow peas and sliced carrots. Serve with 1 c cooked instant brown rice topped with 1 Tbsp chopped walnuts.

646 cal, 40 g pro, 73 g carb, 22 g fat, 4.5 g sat fat, 94 mg chol, 11 g fiber, 457 mg sodium, 141 mg calcium

3. The Freezer Dinner (Top Fat Burner!)
Cook one 350-calorie, low-fat frozen entrée of your choice (such as Healthy Choice or Lean Cuisine Spa Cuisine Classics). Cook 11/2 c frozen California-blend vegetables (carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower) and toss with 2 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp dried herbs. Serve with 2 c baby greens; 1 sm pear, seeded and cubed; 2 Tbsp diced red onion; and 2 Tbsp low-fat, low-sodium salad dressing.

647 cal, 24 g pro, 95 g carb, 19 g fat, 4 g sat fat, 20 mg chol, 19 g fiber, 498 mg sodium, 208 mg calcium

4. Guiltless Fried Chicken
Smear 4 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast with 1 Tbsp low-fat margarine and roll in 1/4 c bread crumbs seasoned with a pinch of dried thyme and rosemary. Place on baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and bake at 400°F for 35 to 50 minutes until center of chicken is no longer pink. Sauté 2 c asparagus spears and 2 cloves garlic, minced, in 1 tsp olive oil. Microwave 6 oz sweet potato until soft and mash with 2 Tbsp 1% milk, 1 Tbsp dried cranberries, and 1 Tbsp chopped pecans.

650 cal, 41 g pro, 81 g carb, 18.5 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 67 mg chol, 12 g fiber, 379 mg sodium, 232 mg calcium

5. Lamb Kebabs over Couscous (Top Fat Burner!)
Mix 3 Tbsp sherry (or orange juice), 1 tsp olive oil, and 2 cloves garlic, minced. Drizzle over 2 oz lamb shoulder or leg (cut into cubes); 1 c chopped zucchini; 12 large mushrooms, sliced; 1/3 c lg slices onion, and 12 cherry tomatoes, halved. Marinate 20 minutes or up to 8 hours in refrigerator. Skewer and grill over medium heat, turning occasionally, until meat is cooked through. Serve with 1 c cooked couscous and 6 oz frozen spinach sautéed with 2 tsp olive oil and 2 cloves garlic, minced.

654 cal, 36 g pro, 77 g carb, 22.5 g fat, 5 g sat fat, 49 mg chol, 17 g fiber, 210 mg sodium, 287 mg calcium

6. Juicy, Piled-High Hamburger
Spread one 100% whole wheat hamburger bun with 2 Tbsp low-sodium ketchup or 1 tsp Dijon mustard. Add 3 oz extra lean cooked hamburger (or ground turkey breast meat) patty, 2 thick slices tomato, and 3 leaves lettuce. On the side, top 4 oz baked potato with 2 Tbsp fat-free sour cream. Serve with 3/4 c steamed (or microwaved frozen) green beans and 6 oz low-sodium vegetable or tomato juice.

654 cal, 39 g pro, 85 g carb, 17.5 g fat, 6.5 g sat fat, 84 mg chol, 13 g fiber, 517 mg sodium, 157 mg calcium

7. Fish Tacos n Fries
Fill 3 corn tortillas with 4 oz grilled halibut or other white fish, 2/3 c shredded cabbage, 1/2 c diced tomatoes, 3 thin slices avocado, 1/2 c salsa, and 1 Tbsp fat-free sour cream.

Serve with sweet potato fries: Cut 1 med sweet potato into strips and coat with 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, a dash of ground red pepper, and salt to taste. Roast at 400°F for 25 minutes or until browned but still firm.

654 cal, 39 g pro, 80 g carb, 19.5 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 47 mg chol, 12 g fiber, 498 mg sodium, 294 mg calcium

8. Pesto Pasta
Toss11/2 c cooked linguini with 1c fresh or low-sodium canned diced tomatoes; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 11/2 Tbsp pesto sauce; and 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with 11/2 c cooked broccoli. For dessert, top 1/2 c lemon sorbet with 1/2 c blueberries.

656 cal, 24 g pro, 111 g carb, 15 g fat, 5 g sat fat, 12 mg chol, 14 g fiber, 374 mg sodium, 403 mg calcium

9. Pork Tenderloin
Season 4 oz pork tenderloin with dried herb mix such as rosemary and thyme. Broil or grill until cooked through. Serve with 2/3 c cooked instant brown rice, 2/3 c steamed (or microwaved frozen) green peas, and 1 steamed artichoke with 2 Tbsp low-calorie, low-sodium mayonnaise seasoned with black pepper or curry powder.

654 cal, 51 g pro, 61 g carb, 23.5 g fat, 7 g sat fat, 126 mg chol, 13 g fiber, 241 mg sodium, 102 mg calcium

10. Steak & Potatoes
Broil or grill 4 oz lean steak 2 to 21/2 minutes on each side for rare or 4 to 5 minutes per side if you prefer well-done. Serve with 6 oz baked potato topped with 2 Tbsp fat-free sour cream and 2 tsp butter, and 2 c cooked broccoli. For dessert, have 1/2 c sorbet.

653 cal, 43 g pro, 77 g carb, 20 g fat, 9 g sat fat, 116 mg chol, 9 g fiber, 245 mg sodium, 117 mg calcium
Take Your Pick: 200-Calorie Snacks

Skip the snack on days when you don't exercise or if you want to speed your weight loss.

1. Fruit & Yogurt
Top 3/4 c cantaloupe cubes with 6 oz fat- free lemon yogurt.

196 cal, 9 g pro, 38 g carb, 0.5 g fat, 0 g sat fat, 3 mg chol, 1 g fiber, 127 mg sodium, 316 mg calcium

2. Cherries & Chocolate
Have 11/2 c fresh Bing cherries with 1 bite- size dark chocolate candy.

198 cal, 4 g pro, 36 g carb, 5 g fat, 2.5 g sat fat, 2 mg chol, 3 g fiber, 40 mg sodium, 45 mg calcium

3. Quick Pizza
Top half of a 100% whole wheat English muffin with 3 Tbsp low-sodium marinara sauce and 2 Tbsp shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese. Broil pizza until cheese bubbles. Serve with 6 oz orange juice or sparkling water over crushed ice.

200 cal, 8 g pro, 31 g carb, 5.5 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 8 mg chol, 3 g fiber, 246 mg sodium, 195 mg calcium

4. Cookies & Milk (Top Fat Burner!)
Eat 2 whole wheat fig bars with 1 c 1% milk.

202 cal, 9 g pro, 31 g carb, 4.5 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 10 mg chol, 1 g fiber, 221 mg sodium, 318 mg calcium

5. Veggies & Dip (Top Fat Burner!)
Slice 1 red bell pepper into strips and dip it and 10 baby carrots into 1/3 c store-bought hummus.

197 cal, 5 g pro, 28 g carb, 7.5 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 15 g fiber, 234 mg sodium, 70 mg calcium

6. Cheese & Crackers (Top Fat Burner!)
Have 1 low-fat string cheese, 4 low-sodium whole wheat crackers, and 1 med apple.

198 cal, 8 g pro, 26 g carb, 7 g fat, 4 g sat fat, 15 mg chol, 3 g fiber, 25 mg sodium, 219 mg calcium

7. Trail Mix
Mix 1/2 c Cheerios with 1 oz almonds (approximately 22 nuts) and 1 tsp raisins.

199 cal, 7 g pro, 11 g carb, 14.5 g fat, 1.5 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 4 g fiber, 65 mg sodium, 87 mg calcium

8. Popsicles & Cookies
Enjoy 2 frozen 100% fruit juice bars and 2 sm oatmeal cookies.

197 cal, 3 g pro, 37 g carb, 4.5 g fat, 1 g sat fat, 9 mg chol, 1 g fiber, 148 mg sodium, 32 mg calcium

9. PB & Pineapple
Top 1 slice 100% whole wheat toast with 1 Tbsp peanut butter and 1/3 c pineapple chunks.

199 cal, 7 g pro, 23 g carb, 9 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 0 mg chol, 5 g fiber, 250 mg sodium, 34 mg calcium

10. S'Mores
Place 2 marshmallows and 2 chocolate kisses on a graham cracker and top with another graham cracker. Heat in microwave until soft. Serve with 3 oz cranberry juice mixed with 1 c sparkling water.

200 cal, 2 g pro, 39 g carb, 4.5 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 2 mg chol, 1 g fiber, 101 mg sodium, 25 mg calcium

Bodybuilding Basics for Beginners

odybuilding is the primary motive of enormous men and women who want to gain more strength. They actively take part in various competitions in which they stand in front of the crowd posturing and flexing.

Every bodybuilder has to work hard and discipline is maintained by contacting to the right kind of equipment. Every bodybuilder should eat about 25-50gms of protein in every 3 hours. The beginners can find it difficult and hard but through firmness and hard work one can achieve the physical goals.

Achievement only depends on the inspiration or motivation by giving boost to the bodybuilding. One cannot have the similar reputation or resources as Jim Lorimer or Arnold Schwarzenegger has but their achievement can inspire others to work hard in building their body.

There are many beliefs and theories about bodybuilding and body mass index is very essential in building body if one is a beginner. One can research on bodybuilding basics online and then make the decision about their building body while knowing which is best for them.

For beginners, some knowledge about structure of muscles is very important as it will help them in knowing where they have to focus on their efforts for greater outcome. Knowing about the bodybuilding basics only helps in the beginner’s motivation and they can learn more about the different muscles.

First of all, the beginner should think about their goal to build the muscles. In building body, one should have a partner while doing workout and who can move the pin in a machine weight pile or slip plates off the bar.

Beginners should not do the exercises alone because it can be dangerous for them as any accident can happen if no one is around the beginner. The beginner can have access to the machine weights that do not need manual removing or adding weight on a bar.

According to the statistics, one out of two Americans dies from cardiovascular disease while building body due to improper exercise and proper diet. So, beginners should take minimum hydrogenated fats and refined sugars while building their body.

Bodybuilding includes explosive-type effort and high intensity which makes the stores of creatine full. So, beginners should keep one thing in mind that they should take adequate amount of fats, proteins and carbs for their body type.

So, beginners should know that which exercises they have to perform in the beginning while building body. They should also keep a check on their diet and should take adequate supplements for building their body.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

arbell Bench Press (Outer Pectorals)

1) Lie on a flat bench (keep head on bench and feet flat on floor)
2) Grip barbell 6 inches wider than shoulder width
3) Lower barbell to chest about 1 inch below nipples
4) Hold weight for short pause and press it back to starting position



Incline Barbell Bench Press (Upper Pectorals)

1) Lie on a incline bench (keep head on bench and feet flat on floor or base support)
2) Grip barbell 6 inches wider than shoulder width
3) Lower barbell to chest about 3 inches above nipples
4) Hold weight for short pause and press it back to starting position




Decline Barbell Bench Press (Lower Pectorals)

1) Lie on a decline bench (keep head on bench)
2) Grip barbell 6 inches wider than shoulder width
3) Lower barbell to chest about 3 inches below nipples
4) Hold weight for short pause and press it back to starting position




Wide Grip Barbell Bench Press (Outer Pectorals)

1) Lie on a flat bench (keep head on bench)
2) Grip barbell with a grip as wide as possible where you can safely control the weight
3) Lower barbell to chest about 1 inch below nipples
4) Hold weight for short pause and press it back to starting position




Close Grip Barbell Bench Press (Inner Pectorals and Triceps)

1) Lie on a flat bench (keep head on bench and feet flat on floor)
2) Grip barbell with a grip about 12 - 14 inches wide
3) Lower barbell to chest even with nipples
4) Hold weight for short pause and press it back to starting position




Incline Dumbell Press (Upper Pectorals)

1) Lie on a incline bench
2) Hold dumbells above shoulders palms facing each other
3) Lower dumbells straight down to sides of chest, arms close to sides
4) Hold weight for short pause and press it back to starting position




Dumbell Flies (Outer Pectorals)

1) Lie on a flat bench
2) Hold dumbells together at arms' length, palms facing each other
3) Lower dumbells to each side of chest in semicircular motion
4) Weight should be even with sides of chest, but back slightly in line with ears
5) Hold weight for short pause and press it back to starting position




Bent Arm Pull Over with EZ Curl Bar(Pectorals and Rib Cage)

1) Lie on bench, head over end, feet flat on floor
2) Hold dumbell in each hand at sides of chest in line with nipples
3) Lower weights past ears in a semicircular motion towards floor (always keep elbows in)
4) Lower dumbells to floor or as low as possible without pain
5) Pull dumbells back to sides of chest using same path




Pec Dec on Machine (Upper and Inner Pectorals)

1) Rest comfortably on machine
2) Keep upper arms high in line with shoulders
3) Keep forearms vertical, firm against pads, and contract pectorals




Cable CrossOvers (Upper and Inner Pectorals)

1) Face away from machine, hold upper pulley handles
2) Step away from machine far enough to raise weight stacks (feet about 24" apart)
3) Lean forward, bring arms to front, elbows locked, hands in line with nipples
4) Let arms back in semicircular motion, palms facing in.
5) Keep upper arms in line with shoulders
6) Press cables forward to starting position




Dips (Pectorals and Triceps)

1) Hold yourself erect on bars
2) Lower body by bending arms, elbows in close
3) Lower until forearms and biceps touch
4) Pause, then press back to arms' length, elbows locked
5) Do not swing back and forth

Monday, July 2, 2007

Bicep exercises

Here you will find a listing of bicep exercises to use in your bicep workout. Each of the bicep exercises listed should be performed with proper form to not only avoid injury, but to also allow the muscle to go through a full range of motion and get the most out of the exercise. To learn how to incorporate these bicep exercises into your bicep workout and set up a full workout routine and split, go here: workout routines and programs

Standing Barbell Curl

1. Stand holding a barbell with both hands shoulder width apart (underhand grip) and knees slightly bent.
2. With the bar at arms length almost touching your upper thighs, curl it up in a semi-circular motion until forearms touch biceps.
3. Keep your elbows close to your sides at all times.
4. Lower to starting position using the same path.

- This bicep exercise can also be performed using an EZ-Curl bar.
- This exercise is likely the most common to be done with terrible form. Your back should remain straight and upright at all times. For the most part, the only part of the body that should be moving during this exercise is the lower half of your arms.

Alternating Dumbbell Curls

1. Stand with your knees slightly bent holding a dumbbell in each hand.
2. With the dumbbells at arms length to the outer side of each thigh, curl one dumbbell up in a semi-circular motion until the forearm touches the bicep.
3. As you begin to lower the dumbbell to the starting position, alternately curl the other dumbbell up in a semi-circular motion until the forearm touches the bicep.
4. Keep your elbows close to your sides at all times.

- This exercise can also be performed seated on any bench with a straight back as well as an incline bench.

Dumbbell Preacher Curl

1. Find a comfortable position seated/standing behind a preacher bench holding a dumbbell.
2. Use an underhand grip, one arm at a time.
3. Lean into the preacher stand firmly pressing your chest against the pad with one armpit resting on the top of the pad.
4. Curl the dumbbell slowly upward in an arc until your forearm touches your bicep.
5. Make sure to keep the back of your arm on the pad.
6. Finish the set and then repeat using the other arm.

- This exercise can also be performed using a barbell or an EZ-Curl bar.

One other thing that some people don't realize (I know because I get 100's of e-mails like this) is that bicep exercises like the barbell curl, dumbbell curls and dumbbell preacher curls, or any other bicep exercise for that matter, will only help build muscle and increase strength in your biceps. Bicep exercises DO NOT target any of the fat that is specifically located on your biceps. If there is any fat, muscle will be built underneath this fat. You must then work on getting rid of that fat in order to see more "tone and definition" or look more "ripped and cut up" or whatever other fancy words you can think of. The ONLY way to lose fat from ANY part of the body is through either a proper diet, cardio or a combination of both.

Dumbbell Workouts - A Smart Way To Exercise

Dumbbell workouts have been around for many years, especially as part of weight training equipment and programs. Fad workouts and equipment have come and gone, but dumbbell workouts have remained an easy, inexpensive way to get in shape and strengthen muscles. Their reliability and effectiveness are just some of the reasons for the longevity of their popularity. Add in the fact that they take up little space and cost far less than many other types of equipment, and it becomes clear that they are a perfect choice for many fitness fans, especially as part of a home gym. There are many different dumbbell workouts that can be done at home.

Advantages of Dumbbell Workouts

Working with dumbbells has several advantages over other types of equipment that use resistance. For instance, by their very nature, dumbbell workouts require you to use stabilizing muscles that are important to strength, balance, and posture. Unlike some exercise equipment that utilizes movements that may take some getting used to, dumbbell exercises use many of the body’s natural movement patterns and also incorporate a greater range of movement than many other types of fitness equipment. And the flexibility of dumbbell workouts means that you can target specific areas of the body very effectively.

Dumbbell Safety

Before getting started with dumbbell weights, there are some basic safety rules to follow. As with all forms of exercise, it is best to start with some stretches or warm ups to loosen and prepare each muscle group. Failing to stretch the muscles can result in strains, tears and other injuries. It is also important to learn how to do the exercises properly, using correct form and technique before moving to heavier dumbbell weight sets and more difficult dumbbell workouts. There is a wrong way to do the exercises, and this too can result in injury or at a minimum, a lack of conditioning or effectiveness. Using a mirror helps you to see if you are using correct form.

In addition, experts recommend that with any type of weightlifting program, you have someone spot you at all times. Spotting entails having a person who watches every step of your workout to be sure you are not overextending yourself and to provide support and encouragement at critical points. A properly executed dumbbell workout will push your muscles to their limits and even a lightweight dumbbell can hurt like heck if you drop it on your head or toe. Lastly, it is a good idea to check with your physician or fitness professional before beginning exercises if you have health concerns or have experienced an injury, especially in the back or shoulder area.

Dumbbell Workout Exercises

When people think of dumbbell workouts, they often think of working the biceps and triceps. And in fact, dumbbells are ideal for strengthening and growing these muscle groups. However, there are exercises that incorporate dumbbells in ways that work every major muscle group in the body. The following six exercises each tackle one area of the body. They are some of the most common and easy to understand.

1.) Build those biceps

Hammer Curls - Stand straight and slightly loose with a dumbbell in each hand. Extend your arms on each side of your body with your palms facing each leg. Keep your elbows tight against your body, curl the weights up in a hammer motion and slowly return to the starting position. You can work both arms simultaneously or alternate the two. Repeat as many times as possible. Remember the goal is to fatigue the muscle.

2.) Try your triceps

Press – Lie flat on a mat or weight bench. With a dumbbell in each hand, extend your arms straight above your head, palms facing each other about two inches apart. Keep your shoulders pressed flat and avoid moving them. Bend your elbows and slowly lower the weights until your hands are on either side of your head. Push your arms back to the extended position and repeat for the desired number of reps.

3.) Shoulder the load

Shoulder Press – Can be performed sitting or standing. Sitting is recommended for beginners, as is a chair or bench with back support. With a dumbbell weight in each hand, extend your arms directly over your head, keeping elbows slightly bent to avoid locking. Slowly lower your arms until they are bent in a 90-degree angle, then push back to extended position and repeat. It is important to be sure you are pressing straight overhead as the tendency is to move at a diagonal.

4.) Best Chests

Flies – This exercise can be done lying flat or at a slight incline with back supported. With a weight in each hand, extend arms above your chest with palms facing each other. Bend your elbows slightly and be sure to keep that bend throughout the exercise. Lower your arms to either side until your upper arms are parallel with the floor. Push back to the extended position and repeat.

5.) Back to basics

Bench Rows – This exercise requires a bench set at a 30-degree incline. Adjust the height of the bench so that when you lie face down on the bench, your hands just barely touch the floor. Grab a dumbbell in each hand with your palms turned toward your feet. Bend your arm at the elbow and lift the dumbbells to your sides so that your upper arm is parallel with the ground. Slowly return the weights to the starting position and repeat.

6.) Get a leg up

Lunges – This is an exercise that is often included in an aerobics workout. Adding a dumbbell helps target the leg muscles and increases the strengthening effectiveness. Stand straight with feet about 12-18 inches apart. With a dumbbell in each hand, held at your sides, step forward with one foot, bending the knee at a 90-degree angle. Allow the other leg to bend automatically and that knee to just barely touch the floor. Push back to an upright position with the original foot and repeat. Do a set leading with the opposite foot as well, or alternate after each lunge.

These are just a few of the different dumbbell workout options. Trainers and fitness professionals have developed dumbbell exercises for all levels and situations. Dumbbells are an inexpensive, versatile way to burn calories and target specific muscle groups. They work well for people with limited space and for anyone who wants to add difficulty to an existing workout.

About the Author:

C.J. Gustafson is a successful writer for Best-Home-Gyms.com, providing consumer information and reviews on the best home gyms, strength training equipment, adjustable dumbbells and the best ab machines.

Copyright 2005 Best-Home-Gyms.com

Barbell Exercises That Suit Beginners

The aim for beginners to weight training must be to lay the foundations for the intensive workouts that their bodies will eventually be subjected to. Obviously successful bodybuilding involves bringing together disparate elements such as nutrition and rest but choosing the right exercises is crucial. In this article we'll outline the barbell exercises that will enable new bodybuilders to develop the general strength and body conditioning needed.

Initially beginners should aim to complete two sets of ten to twelve reps but after a few weeks, when you have developed sufficient control and basic strength, experiment with one set of six to eight reps to failure. This will maximize your muscle growth and give you the impetus to move on to the next stage of development. Before long you'll find the use of this single piece of equipment restricting, so later in this series of articles we'll pull together a muscle boosting program that utilizes other equipment to take you to the intermediate level. In the meantime, get to work with these exercises in order to get used to working your muscles.

Start off training four days per week and work body parts on the following basis not forgetting to incorporate rest days:

Day 1 - Biceps, Back, Abs

Day 2- Hamstrings, Shoulders, Abs

Day 3 - Quads, Forearms, Calves

Day 4 - Triceps, Chest, Abs

The exercises recommended for beginners are as follows:

CHEST: Bench press

SHOULDERS: Upright row, military press, front shrug

TRICEPS: Lying triceps extension, lying triceps extension with EZ curl bar

BICEPS: Standing curl, EZ standing curl

LOWER BODY: Squat, reverse lunge, calf raise

Richard Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding Advice to learn more about the issues covered in this article.